New pics of Baby Ty

And our exciting Christmas news is that we are moving home in a couple of weeks!!

Ty's Birth Video

I'm sorry this has taken so long to get here.... Ty is a great baby. He was 9 lbs. 7 oz. at his dr's appt today (2 weeks). He is already growing fast! Just a word of ****warning****, this video has footage of my c-section on it. You don't see anything you shouldn't and it isn't gory, but it is surgery. I absolutely think it is beautiful, and cry every time I watch it. This is the first time Jan has been allowed to video it, so it is my first child I have ever seen "born" or gooey from birth. Usually they rush them off and clean them up a little before I can see them, and then I only get to hold them for about a minute before they take them away and I go to recovery for an hour. This experience was wonderful, and we were only separated for about 30 minutes.

If you can catch it, Ty is holding his umbilical cord on the way out. Guess he wasn't done eating. :) Sorry if the quality is low, I really had to reduce it to get it to fit.

The birthday song was sung by the doctors and nurses. They were wonderful! I have had my easiest recovery yet, and we are both doing wonderful. Thanks for all of the notes and e-mails!!! Thanks Susan for being there to help, and thanks Mom for coming up to take care of us!!!

Love,

Christene & Ty

p.s. Guess I forgot some of the pertinent "birth" information. Here you go...

Ty Andreas Peterson, born Dec. 3, 2008, 8lbs. 10oz, 21-3/4" long.

Kaile's first taste for the stage...

Here is a tidbit of Kaile in her first play. She did great. Sorry about the movement of the video - My fault. I wasn't ready to video and my arm was stuck in my jacket. Oh well.

Here is her after the show. She was so proud. I am really proud of her as well. All that hard work. (Kind of glad it is over. They have had school and then practice/performance from 5:30 until 11 pm every night for a week and a half. Now maybe she'll quit crying every day because she is so tired!)

Pictures by Garrett....

Garrett was so excited to take some pictures the other day, so now all those who have been asking to see the progress... you asked for it!

Here you go - bigger (40+ lbs.), heartburn, tired, and waiting. Only 15 more days! Luckily Jan can't figure out how to post... the other night I asked him for a hand to get off of the floor. He laughed and got the camera. Now I have a video of me rolling around on the floor struggling to get up. What a guy.

I don't feel as big with this pregnancy as I did with Garrett. Maybe we'll have an 8 lb. baby! (That's my guess by the way. Between 8 and 8 1/2.) Maybe these pics will help you decide on the vote - boy or girl?



The kids have been so excited for the new baby. We were unable to get our old bassinet because of unforseen circumstances. Luckily the day we found out we were in Idaho Falls and I found this one at a Once Upon a Child. Used is great! It looks brand new, and I've washed it all. Now all we need is the baby.
Garrett and Claire have been practicing taking a baby doll out of the bassinet to prove they are big enough to help! :) Garrett has been so gentle and it has been fun watching them get excited and ready. He kissed my stomach over and over as I combed his hair for school today. What a boy.

My Latest Accomplishment....

I crocheted these for the friend who taught me how to crochet a couple of years ago. I think they turned out pretty cute! This was my first attempt at using bedspread thread to crochet.

Halloween 2008

Claire is the only one we got to hold still for pictures. She was so excited to be Cinderella. (Someday she'll realize she was just a princess, not a specific one.)

This is the gang that went trick or treating together.

Kaile and Brooke

Here's the only pic we got of just the kids.

Garrett playing "Jedi Knight" with his light saber. This is the only costume I had to make this year!

After trick-or-treating we rented a movie. They watched Spiderwick and ate as much candy as they possibly could.

Then we had pizza. It was a great night.

YES on 8

I know my mom is probably the only one who reads my blog, but just for the sake of trying to do my part....here is the video I enjoyed the most regarding this prop. I am not one to be able to flaunt words like some of my cousins. Most of my beliefs are deeply held and hard to explain. There are lots of reasons I believe in this prop. I hope others will understand that I do not hate anyone, but I want my right as a parent, and as a religious follower to believe and teach my children as I wish, not what people in public schools want them to know. Mostly because marriage between a man and a woman is sacred and ordained of God. Enough said.

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1352578267?bctid=1819819843

Conference Saturday

I just had to put on here how amazed I was with Garrett today. I had printed out conference packets for my kids to help try and keep everyone focused on General Conference, and just hoping that this year I would be able to hear more than half of the talks. Not only did it work wonders (especially during the morning session), but Garrett and Kaile actually took notes! The packets are really cute with ties for each of the Apostles and then an area to take notes in. With every person that would come up, Garrett would find the Apostle, color the tie like the one he was wearing, and then take his paper to Jan to take notes for him. It was amazing that when we were done listening to a talk and Jan would read me the "words" Garrett asked him to write down, that he had a pretty good grasp on the concepts that were taught. Jan even had a couple tears in his eye watching his son. As a parent, I'd have to say it was a very gratifying day.

Repelling/White Water Rafting Weekend

On Friday night we went repelling about 30 minutes southeast of Rexburg. We BBQ'd hotdogs and had a great time while the kids ran around a big field.

Jan getting ready to repel.

This is our friend Susan Lee who went with us.
She made it down!

Josh helping Kaile start to repel.
Kaile was fine on top of the mountain - but didn't make it down. :) Atleast she tried.
Kaile climbing a rock more her size.
Jan repelling - isn't that pretty? Susan took these pictures.

On Saturday we drove to a part of the snake river by Alpine Wyoming. The drive there was beautiful - passing acres and acres of beautifully groomed corn, alfalfa and potatoes. As we started to head in to the mountains, all the trees were beginning to change color. What a drive.

This is Wyoming - on our way towards Alpine.


Garrett and Claire riding in Daddy's truck.
Kaile talking to Papa and Nana Peterson on the phone.

Kaile going on her first white water trip!
It was the last trip of the year - the water was freezing, so they all had to wear wet suits.


Can you see their little blue raft? It is going through the big kahuna, which I guess at this time of the year is really the "little" kahuna.

After rafting we had a "back of the pickup" picnic. The trees are starting to change and it was gorgeous.

Jan making PB&J's

The Spies...

So this morning after Jan had taken the kids to school, Claire was sitting at the table scribbling as many notes as she could and would give them each to us waiting for our reaction. Jan decided to have a little fun with her. (Thank heavens he still has the energy, I sure don't!) The next time she gave him a note to read he put it secretly in his pocket and told her to be quiet. He would look around the room and act like he was looking for people watching them, making her look both ways. Then he'd take her hand and they would sneak off to a different part of the house searching around every corner for enemies. Finally they would sit down, open her letter and laugh their heads off. They must have done this a dozen times. I finally caught them at it - see for yourself.

Fishing with Dad

Our kids first fishing trip. Can you believe it? Jan took them after school on Tuesday. They LOVED it. And Jan was very happy that no one was squeamish about the worms!

Kaile is the only one that caught anything. Yep - a little minnow.