Due Date

Well, the 22nd came and went.  No big shocker there with my birthing history.  This time around, however, the day didn't go by uneventful.  Tyler made sure of that!  In 7 1/2 years of raising children, we had to make our first trip ever to the Emergency Room.  What a night it was!
Do anyone else's kids get the biggest burst of energy after eating dinner??  Ours act like we just gave them a shot of their very first Red Bull!  So it was just a little while after dinner and we were getting everyone ready for bed.  Tyler and Ryan were running around the house while Riley was chasing behind and barking.  They were having a blast!  My mom happened to be up visiting with us for a couple hours (total blessing in disguise!), and we were hanging out in the kitchen with Allison, looking at Tyler's yearbook.  All of a sudden, we hear a crash and Tyler starts wailing.  I caught a glimpse of what took place out of the corner of my eye, but didn't know exactly what transpired.  When I got to Tyler, blood was covering his face!  I did my best not to panic, but I think my heart skipped a beat or two.  Billy came running from the bedroom and immediately said we had to take him to get stitches.  I couldn't even tell what kind of injury he had at first because of all the blood, but I quickly took him to the kitchen and put a clean dish cloth over the area with the most blood.  After he calmed a bit and I cleaned up the blood all over his face, I got brave enough to look under the cloth.  Oh my gosh!  Can you say HOLY gash?!  It's a good thing I don't have a weak stomach or I would have lost my dinner right then and there.  At that point, I realized we absolutely DID have to make that E.R. trip!
Billy was ready to head out the door with him, and as they walked out of the garage, Tyler started crying that he wanted me to go along with him too.  I couldn't stand letting him leave while crying for me, so I told Billy to let me grab my shoes real fast.  Here's where my mom being a blessing in disguise came in.  She was able to stay at our house with Allison and Ryan while we went to take care of our Tyler man.  She had actually planned on coming the evening before, but it didn't work out.  Everything happens for a reason, right?!
We are pretty lucky to have 2 urgent cares within 5 minutes of where we live, even though we've not had to utilize them prior to now.  We pull up to the first one and Billy gets Tyler out, only to discover they are closed!  So we get back in and drive to the next one.  Yep, you guessed it, CLOSED!  Sheesh.  What urgent care closes at 8 p.m.???  Way to get URGENT care when you need it.  So we have no choice but to head to the closest Emergency Room.  After about another 15 minutes or so, we get there and finally get him checked in, and are told we have close to a TWO HOUR wait.  Yikes.  Well, there was nothing else to do but wait...part of the time in the waiting room, and then a little while longer after getting his own room.

Just after arriving at the E.R.  See how sweaty he was from all the running they were doing?!

Finally in his own room and feeling a little better.

After all the waiting, I think the doctor's assistant finally came in around a quarter after midnight to stitch him up.  When she asked him what had happened, he explained how he was playing with his little brother and his dog.  He darted to try to avoid a collision with his little brother and ended up crashing into our "conversion" table.  (It's an inversion table, but that was the word that came to his mind...too cute.)  He also explained that he could have tried to miss it, but it just happened too fast.  :)  After all the prep work and explaining to Tyler what would take place, she wrapped him up in a sheet like a burrito for added security, since a needle would be so close to his eye.  He welcomed this with a smile because the room was quite chilly!  He was such a trooper through the whole thing.  He held so still and barely even cried when she had to numb the area (which actually looked really painful to me).  He answered all our questions (in an effort to keep him distracted from what was going on), and even counted to 100 with Billy, only saying the even numbers.  The doctor said that she didn't see a need for a CAT scan since he hadn't lost consciousness at the time of the accident, and was so bright and alert the whole time.  He ended up needing 2 stitches, which she put under the skin, and then glued the cut on the surface.  By the time she was finished approximately 30 minutes later, he was quite ready to go home!  We finally got home a little after 1:00 a.m.  The poor little guy was exhausted and I'm pretty sure he was out within seconds of putting his head on his pillow!
He's been doing great ever since.  He got to go to awards day at school the next day (after letting him sleep in) with "an award of his own" to show off.  Ha!  He's most upset about not being able to play at recess or ride his bike for the next few days (which I actually caved and let him do for a bit yesterday with specific conditions to not go too fast, a.k.a. speed down our driveway).  Let's pray that we can go another 7 1/2 years without another E.R. trip! 


He received awards for Best Handwriting, Music Achievement, and a Certificate of Completion for 1st grade!  Go Tyler!  You make us so proud!

10 Years!

This past Friday, May 18, 2012, marked 10 years that Billy and I have been married.  What a fast, fun, adventurous, and exciting 10 years it's been!  When you choose that one person you want to be with forever, you know that you love that person and that it's someone who will complete you.  Yet there are SO many things you don't know about that person until you are with them each and every day.  Marriage is an adventure.  Not always the easiest adventure, but one of the most amazing and rewarding adventures you can take!  I am grateful to have chosen Billy to take this adventure through life with, and I am even more happy to be with him throughout eternity!  We have grown together, become parents together, cried together, and enjoyed many fun and happy times together.  He not only completes me, but he compliments me in so many ways!  I love him more than words can say!

10 things I've learned about Billy in 10 years:

1. He is one of the most generous and helpful people I know.  He has taught me so much about giving of our resources.  Money is only money, and it can make you so happy to share with and give to others.
2. He is an aggresive driver.  Those of you who know Billy need no explanation on this matter.  :)  I do have to say that while he pulls some crazy maneuvers that drive me crazy sometimes, he is not a haphazard driver.  He is always aware of the other cars around him and is in control of what he's doing.  That doesn't mean he doesn't make the other drivers angry, however.  Trust me, he DOES.  I joke with him that his day isn't complete without his daily bird or honk.
3. He is a hard worker.  It is a very rare occasion for Billy to call in sick to work, even if he really IS sick.  He will push through and get the work done no matter how crappy he's feeling.
4. He loves technology and online chess.  He would be one lost soul without his iPhone!  And before those came along, he had just about grown a new apendature onto his body in the form of a laptop.  If I had a penny for every hour he's spent online and a nickle for every online chess game he's played, I'd be one rich woman!
5. He loves to talk.  Again, he would be one lost soul without his iPhone!  When it comes to carrying on a conversation, he is definitely the woman of the relationship.
6. He loves to be clean.  And I don't just mean a shower a day kind of clean.  When we were first married, it wasn't uncommon that he would take upwards of 3 showers a day!  My dad would joke with him and tell him he took the whole "cleanliness is next to godliness" thing way too seriously.  Ha!
7. He is very thoughtful.  He is great to remember people's birthdays and always makes an effort to call people on their special day.  He also always comes up with a gift to honor me on special holidays throughout the year (even if I'm being honest in telling him I won't be upset without a gift).  He is truly always thinking about the needs of others and how he can be of help to them.
8. He has an attraction to socks, luggage/bags, and flashlights.  It is his opinion that you can never have too many of any of these items.
9. He has a great sense of humor.  Billy and I make each other laugh daily.  We don't care if anyone else thinks we're funny, but we find each other to be quite hysterical!  I feel happiness and laughter in a relationship are so valuable.  It makes me so happy that we can bring a smile to each others faces even on the crappiest of days.  :)
10.  He is an amazing husband and father.  There is no doubt in my mind that Billy would do ANYthing for me or one of the kids.  He is caring, loyal, and loving.  We are so blessed to have him and to be an eternal family!

10 things Billy has learned about me in 10 years (in his words):

1. Wendy learned through example how to be an amazing mother.
2. Wendy is very selfless and always puts her children and family first.
3. Wendy is quietly competitive and likes to be right.
4. Wendy is very creative.  Her ability to create, write, draw, decorate cakes, and do any other arts and crafts is phenominal.
5. Wendy is an extremely effecient, focused, and a dedicated, hard worker.  I wish I could be more like her.
6. Wendy is a great example of following the Lord's teachings.
7.  Wendy will sacrifice endlessy for her children.  She has captured the true esscence of being the perfect mother.  Long-suffering and patient with a steadfastness in Christ to ensure her babies learn and understand concepts and principals. 
8. Wendy has advanced critical thinking skills that can reduce complex ideas down to simple ideas that even I can understand.
9. Wendy has the ability to make the best of ANY situation. She can work through ANY problem.
10.  Wendy is the most perfect person I have ever met.  I love my sweetie so very much.

10 places we've traveled in 10 years:

1. Cruise through the Mexican Riviera. (4 times! - Honeymoon in 2002, with Hadley family in 2003, with Farish family in 2006 and 2011)  

Honeymoon - 2002

Hadley Family - 2003

Farish Family - 2006

Farish Family - 2011

2. Trip to Chicago for Billy's brother's Naval Academy Graduation. (June 2002)

Gotta love the overalls!

3. Road trip to Niagra Falls, Canada - We visited sites in Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Virginia/Washington D.C., and Delaware along the way. (March 2003)

Niagra Falls

Statue of Liberty

White House

4. Cruise through the Eastern Caribbean. (May 2003)

5. Road trip (and countless other trips) to California. (June 2003)

6. Camp Sierra in Shaver Lake, CA, Las Vegas, and Utah with Billy's family. (July - August 2003)

7. Cruise around the Hawaiian islands. (June 2004)

8. Trip to Minnesota for Tholkes/Walker wedding. (2008)

9. Cruise to Cananda. (June 2009)

10. Cruise to Catalina Island for Billy's dad's 50th birthday. (October 2010)

10 important milestones in 10 years:

1. Wedding Day - May 18, 2002

2. First Car - Crew cab, long bed Chevy truck - October 2002

3. First Home - May 27, 2004

4. First Dog - Jack Russel Terrior named Turbo - summer 2004

5. First Baby - William Tyler Hadley - January 26, 2005

6. Second Dog - Cairn Terrior named Riley - December 2005

7. Second Car - Chevy Suburban - May 2006
8. Second Baby - Allison Taylor Hadley - July 2, 2007

9. Third Baby - Ryan Matthew Hadley - October 2, 2009

10. Fourth Baby - Coming SOON (due tomorrow)!

Where to Begin...

Wow.  Almost a year since my last post.  And it's bugged me on a regular basis that I'm neglecting to document the happenings of our family.  We are so blessed to live in an era of time where journaling is made so easy through technology, and yet life still has a way of racing by and keeping us distracted from that purpose.  So here I sit, a week and a half away from the due date of my fourth baby, realizing that I will need to document her life and milestones just as I have the others (I admittedly have not done as effecient of a job with Ryan, but life with 3 kids is quite busy, so I try to not beat myself up about it).
I will try to do brief updates to catch us up on the past year, but I am starting anew and rededicating myself to this blog.  I figure a goal of a post a week shouldn't be too far fetched, right?  That's what I'm going to shoot for!
So back to baby Hadley #4.  This has been one roller coaster of a pregnancy to say the least.  I'm certain many of you have witnessed my lamenting on Facebook, but I have dealt with some pretty major Sciatica throughout this pregnancy.  I experienced slight Sciatica while pregnant with Allison, but nothing that could even come close to what I dealt with this time around.  It started around the end of November and it became so debilitating at times that I wasn't able to do much more than lay in the bed and cry.  Cry from the pain.  Cry from the inability to care for my own children.  Cry from the sheer overwhelming nature of the situation.  Luckily, I have an amazing support system.  From my wonderful friends and church family providing us with daily meals, to my amazing family who picked up the slack and helped me when I felt too ashamed to ask for assistance, and to my long-suffering, supportive, and completely understanding husband who gave me a constant shoulder to cry on.  After several weeks of Physical Therapy (which helped tremendously) and a Priesthood Blessing, things finally turned a corner at the beginning of April.  And while I haven't been completely pain free, I've felt amazing for the last several weeks.  I have accomplished a great deal of what was being pushed to the back burner for so long, and have been able to let go of some of the anxiety of not being ready for this baby to get here.  Do I still feel like I have a million and one things to do?  Yes.  Do I still feel completely unprepared for a newborn to be joining our family in such a short amount of time?  Yes!  Do I feel overwhelmed to soon be the mother of 4?  Absolutely!  But I am also so anxious to meet this little girl and hold her in my arms.  I am excited to see what she looks like, discover her personality, and see her siblings interact with her.  Now if we could just come up with a name...

Some other noteworthy tidbits:

• The only significant cravings I have had have been orange juice, grape juice, and chocolate milk made with Ovaltine.  Other minor cravings have been short-lived and would go away after I got the thing I just could NOT stop thinking about.  Like the mini powdered donuts I craved for a week and then polished off the entire bag within two days after I finally got them, or the Banana Cream Cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory I had dreamed about for months that I finally got last week and practically inhaled.
• This baby will be born in the Spring (just barely), giving us a child in each season.  Tyler was born in the Winter, Allison in the Summer, and Ryan in the Fall.  Now if only she'd come on the 26th, then we'd have Allison and Ryan on July and October 2nd and Tyler and this baby on the 26th of January and May!
• This one is quite obvious, but in keeping with the patterns, we will now have 2 boys and 2 girls born boy, girl, boy, girl.

Nope, You're Not Seeing Things!

Can you believe your eyes?!  I know it's shocking, but it is a REAL blog post folks!  After 8 months, I'm sure most of my readers have given up on me.  But for those who have been holding out with a small glimmer of hope that I'll post SOMEthing SOMEday, thanks for being so loyal and interested in the happenings of our family!  And while this isn't probably the most exciting thing to report, it was easy and quick.  Baby steps, right?!  At least it's SOMEthing!
Several birthdays have come and gone since posting last.  And for me, birthdays equal cakes (among other things).  Because I'm that mom.  The one that enjoys making cakes for my children's birthdays.  I love that it allows me to put a little stamp of my creativity on each of my kids' special days.
So here they are, complete with all their imperfections!

Allison requested a Hello Kitty themed party for her 3rd birthday...

This next one isn't a birthday cake, but I decided to add it anyway.  I was asked to make this cake for a church activity as a mock wedding cake.  We had a "Newlywed Game Show" date night, and the cake was given to the winning couple.  (And I can't find my pictures of it right now, so a cell phone picture will have to do.)

Next came Ryan's Cat in the Hat themed 1st birthday party...

As most of you already know, I typically make cakes for Keilana and Kayden also (small trade-off for the amazing photography I get from Vanessa!).  This year, Keilana requested a Strawberry Shortcake party.  I was so excited to make her cake.  I could just picture the cuteness it would be!  Too bad I came down with a wicked fever the night before.  I could barely stand up.  Thank goodness for Tylenol, or else poor Keilana might not have even had a cake.  Only thing is, I had to cut some corners and leave out some of the detail I would have liked to have had. Oh well, I think she was happy with it anyway. 

Then came Tyler's 6th birthday.  He requested a How to Train Your Dragon/Night Fury themed party.  I can always count on Tyler's requests to test my creativity.  Man, I was so disappointed with how this cake came out.  I didn't even take a picture of it I thought it was so bad.  The only reason I have some is because Vanessa took them.  Looking back, it isn't THAT bad.  But it still doesn't even come close to making the top 10 list.  Ha!

Then just this past week, we had Allison's rainbow themed 4th birthday party.  (Wow!  A year's worth of cakes in one post!)  The outside of the cake was designed by the birthday girl herself!  Allison was beside herself to get to draw on her own birthday cake, and I think it turned out absolutely adorable!  Please forgive my meager attempts at using fondant.  It just really isn't my thing.  However, I think I redeemed any fondant flaws when the inside of the cake was revealed.  A total show stopper!  I was so pleased with how vibrant the colors came out!

Allison was kind enough to share a bit of her canvas with Tyler, so he drew the little cat picture on the right as a "birthday surprise" for her.  :)

Next up will be Ryan's Construction themed 2nd birthday party in October!

All I Want for Christmas...

Approximately a week or so ago, Billy and I were discussing with the kids what items they wanted to ask Santa for this year.  At the time, Tyler wanted the Doris Tyrannasaurus and Buddy interactive dinosaurs from the show Dinosaur Train.  (Now he wants the Night Fury dragon from How to Train your Dragon).  Allison most wants a "Cookie Bake Oven" (translation - Easy Bake Oven).  Ryan just wants to pull all the ornaments off our Christmas tree!  There are other requests of course, but we were just discussing what would be at the very TOP of their lists.
At the end of the discussion, Allison wanted to know what would be at the top of her Daddy's Christmas list...

Allison:  Daddy, what do you want for Christmas?
Billy:  I want all my stress to go away.
Allison:  No, what do you want for CHRISTMAS???
Billy:  That is what I want.  For all my stress to go away.
I think Allison asked her question even a time or two more, not being able to comprehend her Daddy's wish, but finally moved on when his answer didn't change.

Now, fast forward to this morning at our church's Breakfast with Santa.  After Allison sat on Santa's lap and told him she wanted her Cookie Bake Oven on Christmas morning, she came back to our table and started coloring.  A few minutes passed and someone came over and started talking to Allison...

Bro. S: Hey Pretty Girl (Billy calls her this all the time, so a couple of people have followed suit).  Did I hear you wanted an Easy Bake Oven for Christmas?
Allison:  Yep.....And Daddy wants all his stress to go away.

Precious.  Absolutely precious.

FREE Holiday Cards!!!

Nothing like a free offer to get you blogging again after a 3-month blogging hiatus!

Just for telling all of you about the wonderful products they have to offer, Shutterfly is giving me 50 FREE holiday cards!!!   I am exstatic!  This time of year rolls around, and I start to stress about getting cards out.  And getting them out on TIME.  But first I have to get a cute picture taken, choose where to order from, what design, etc., etc.  VERY stressful for me!  But Shutterfly is taking some of the work out of it this year (since now I already know where I'm getting them from) and they are getting me on the ball early! 

I have been signed up with Shutterfly for a while, but for no reason in particular, don't have much ordering history with them.  I continue to get emails with all kinds of great offers, however, and I always love browsing through their products.  They have an amazing line of cards to offer this holiday season.  I can't believe how many designs there are to choose from!  Go HERE to check them out.  You can choose from stationary cards, photo cards, or folded greeting cards.  And it probably goes without saying, but all of them can be personalized.  I'm quite particular when it comes to just the right design that I'm looking for, but it looks like I won't be disappointed with Shutterfly's options!

Shutterfly also has many great holiday gift ideas available.  What Grandma wouldn't LOVE staring at pictures of her grandkids everytime she refers to her calendar?!  And photo calendars always serve as a great conversation piece when friends are over (again, what Grandma doesn't jump at the chance to brag talk about her kids and grandkids?!).  Click HERE to see the beautiful calendar templates.

Then, if you're REALLY on top of things, they already have their Valentine's Day card designs available to choose from!  They have some super cute designs.  Look at those HERE.

Thanks for AMAZING products and an AMAZING deal Shutterfly!

Oh... and if you want to sign up to blog about and get your own free set of cards, click HERE. 

You're welcome!  :)

Little Caesar

Allison saw this guy as we were driving down the road the other day,

and he seemed to really make an impression...

"Mommy!  I saw a guy with a pizza on his tummy...

and SPINICH in his EARS!!!"