Weston Steven Skousen

We picked a name! I LOVE LOVE LOVE family names so we are going with family names!

Weston= is Mark's moms maiden name Steven= my dads name

I didn't get my way and get to name him Schureman but I LOVE Weston that is what I wanted to name Ryker,But it just didn't happen...

Dear Weston,

I went to my Dr. Appointment yesterday 1-26-2010 Dr. D told me I was dilated to about a 3 and should have you within the next 7 days, because of having contractions and being put into the hospital for 4 days at 28 weeks. Dr. D was very happy that we have made it this far with you! If I make it to my next Dr. Appointment he is going to strip my membranes, and that should help get things going! I have been having contractions all night off and on and today I am cleaning our house like a MAD WOMAN! So I have a feeling we wont be making it to next week.

I am so excited to FINALLY have you here with us. It has been a very hard pregnancy and it has given us A LOT of time to stop and think and be grateful for you.

Weston I want you to know we are so excited to have you part of our family and so glad you chose Mark and I to be your parents, Weston I want you to know I LOVE your daddy so much, I hope you grow up to be half the man he is. Your dad has been there for me through everything, he has held me at night when I was freaking out about having another kid so close in age to Ryker. He has given me MANY priesthood blessing giving me comfort that everything is going to be ok with you and that you will make your Grand entrance when you are ready . I am SOOO Grateful that your dad honors his priesthood and through him we can have peace that everything WILL work out the way the Lord wants it to be.

When I was put in the hospital at 28 weeks I thought for sure I was going to have you.... I was in A LOT of pain and nothing was working to stop my pain and contractions were every 2 mins right on top of each other.

Grammie had come down to visit and stayed for awhile which was so nice She left about 1030pm and thing had NOT lightened up, Now it was just Me, Daddy and Nana and Papa which Papa was suppose to be at the fire station but of course he came to be by my side. Just the way I like it!! I am a daddy's girl big time. Things are just better when my dad is there with me! Nana and Daddy had been taking turns staying with me at the hospital, I was NEVER left alone!

After Grammie left Daddy and Papa game me the BEST blessing All I remember from the blessing was daddy saying. We are ready and will take what ever Gods wants to happen and we have FAITH that this is gods will and if you are to be born today then we are ready for the fight.He blessed me to know you are a Special gift to us and to NEVER forget that! So as days have gone by and there are days that I don't think I can do it anymore and I want to be done being Prego, I just tell my self this is ALL worth it!

Weston we love you and can't wait for you to be here, I want to say Thank you for helping me remember what matters, and it is family. You have a sister and a brother who can't wait to hold you and love on you. Graycee asks me everyday is Goofy coming out today???...... That just might be your nickname she calls you!

I can't wait to hold you in my arms I LOVE you so MUCH

XoXoXO Mom

Goofy Steven Skousen......

****Here is a picture of my Baby belly I am holding my cute nephew Austin******
I am 36 weeks and we still have NO NAME for this cute little boy!

For me that is a hard thing because I LOVE to have my kids name picked out, I feel like I REALLY know them by the time they make there BIG entrance into this crazy family.

The other day I was at my parents house and I was talking with my dad about the baby and if we have a name picked out, I told him NO!!!!

Graycee was sitting next to us and leans over to my dad and says my babies name is GOOFY STEVENSKOUSEN! My dad was like oh GREAT THANKS! She has called him Goofy for a LONG time, Sorry Ms. G that isn't going to be his name.

Mark and I have a few names that we keep going back and forth but NOTHING set in stone and it is KILLING ME! if it was my way his name would be SCHUREMAN STEVEN SKOUSEN but EVERYONE keeps telling me NO! I just love it.. we know his middle name will be Steven for sure. I will keep you all posted on this baby boy. I could have him anytime, My other 2 kids came at 36 weeks so it is a waiting game! I can't wait to meet him and hold him in my arms. I have fought hard to keep him inside so he can grow! SO I am so excited the time is ALMOST here.

Christmas 2009

Christmas 2009 was a GOOD one! Each one of us got spoiled this year by Santa he really really LOVES us!
Some highlights this year

Graycee making Gingerbread house with her Grammie! She LOVED the one on one with her Grammie she thought it was pretty cool. If anyone came over to our house Graycee would say do you want to see my Gingerbread house me and my Grammie made?

The Sunday before Christmas Mark had to work so on the Sundays he works we go to church with my parents, my dad was at the fire station so it was me and the kids and my mom. We are sitting in are seats listening to the choir sing and Graycee wants to go tell Dr. Ty Nana's friend Merry Christmas.. He is in my moms ward and he works at the same Dr. office my mom works at so she wanted to go say Hi and Merry Christmas! He is sitting 2 rows ahead of us and so goes up says "Merry Christmas" and hands him something..{ fruit loops} Then next thing I know she is sitting on his lap just talking away to him!
She comes back to us and said I told him HI! she climbs up on my moms lap and she is playing with a toy and being a very good girl! All of a sudden she looks up at my mom and says they are singing about baby Jesus?? My mom told her yes she said "Them know there where Bee's and Cows and pee and Poo in that Barn" It was funny but so sweet at the same time!


Christmas Eve we went to the Skousen Christmas party then headed over to my parents house to stay the night. As we were getting ready for Santa to come,My mom asked Graycee if you could have gone and seen Baby Jesus when he was born would you have gone? She said YES and I would help Married with him and Burp him for her....

As we were putting the cookies and milk out on the fire place Graycee was so worried Santa is going to burn his Butt. Papa please turn that fireplace off! So Papa did so Graycee would finally go to sleep!
Christmas Day
we woke up at 530 am to have Christmas with my mom and dad before my dad headed to the station...
Santa spoiled us with LOTS and Lots of gifts!

Then headed over and had breakfast with the Skousen Family! Graycee was so excited to show her Uncle D her new blankie...
Then opened more gifts!

Graycee kept asking for a rocking horse, she never said anything about it Christmas morning then the other day we were at the temple lights with Marks family and Brent asked her What did Santa bring you? She said Not a Rocking horse...:{

Maybe if she would have not waited to ask Santa for a rocking horse 2 days before Christmas... I told her he can't make one that fast he is coming in 2 days!

Ryker loved Christmas well he loved the wrapping paper!

Then to end the day we went to the fire station and ate dinner with my dad and all the fire fighters! The kids got to play with there new toys.. It was a FUN FILLED DAY

We are SO BLESSED for everyone in our life!

Graycee turns 3

Dear Graycee,
Happy Birthday sweet Girl! {Dec. 23 2006} It is a day that I will NEVER forget it changed my life FOREVER.
Graycee I want you to know your dad and I couldn't wait for you to join OUR FAMILY. I have DREAMED about being a MOM for a long time. Just ask anyone that knew me when I was a little girl I LOVED LOVED LOVED babies!

It started out I was sick and up all night with the flu or something the night before. I didn't want to wake up your dad so I went into the family room and the extra bedroom and TRYED to get comfy. That only lasted SO long around 2 Am your dad came in and asked if I was ok I told him I was sick I told him I would be fine just go back to sleep. He had to be at work at 7 am so I didn't want him to be up with me all night. Around 2:30 am I was freezing so I got into the shower and oh my that felt so good,HOT HOT shower! finally about 45 min later I get out still freezing and puking my brains out. Your dad says come on I am going to take you to the hospital you are not keeping anything down. So Finally about an hour later I had had enough and said ok lets go in. I was sitting in the car and out comes your daddy with the baby car seat. I said what are you doing they are going to send us home I am only 36 weeks along and he said you never know. Gosh was he right you never know what is going happen! So I make the phone call to Nana and Papa,Papa answer the phone half asleep I asked him to let Nana know we were going to the hospital and I would keep them posted!

I got checked in and they said you were ok but they wanted to give me some fluids because I was so sick,they asked me to move rooms and asked if I would be able to walk and I said yes. So we are walking into a new room and just before I sit down my water breaks!! I didnt want to tell the nurse so I say babe is this my water that just broke?? He started to laugh and said YES! he went and got the nurse. Needless to say we had a change of plans real quick!

As I am waiting to get put into a room to have you, Uncle Travis had brought Aunt Corree in she was only 20 weeks along and she was having contractions....

About an hour later Uncle Travis called Nana and told her the game plan... They were going to watch Aunt Corree and the baby and I was going to be having a baby today. Nana Freaked out and said what are you talking about?? He said ya Annie is down here and is having a baby today!! Well Papa forgot to tell Nana I was going in to get checked out.

Uncle Travis had found someone to come and stay with his kids so Nana could leave and come down and be with us at the hospital!

The nurses started me on some drugs to get my contractions going.... I was moving along and thought I was going to have you by mid afternoon, around 9 AM Talan was born! Around 9 my contractions were going really really strong and at that point they just stopped! Corree and I both have the same Doc. So he is in there room then coming in and checking on me.. It reminded me of FAther of the Bride. I mean we couldn't even make this kinda thing up! Well needless to say I like to think you wanted to stay up with Talan a little bit longer! So around 9PM you made your grand entrance into this Crazy Fun filled world! In the room was your daddy Nana and Papa and Grammie and Papa! Just the way I had wanted it!

It was a very happy day for your Dad and I. Around midnight after everyone had left Uncle Travis had come in to meet you! It was so nice to see him and just Cry! He told me something that I will never forget, he told me "Annie be HAPPY she is healthy and Corree and I are going to be ok we have 3 HEALTHY kids at home."

Later that night Aunt Corree and her Mom came in and just held you!
I look at it as Travis,Corree and your dad and I we share you! Dec. 23rd is a day that forever changed us!

I remember the first night you were born, the nurse came in to check on me and your dad was in a chair next to me Snoring away! The nurse said you would think he has had a HARD day today...:} I kept waking your daddy up asking him is she breathing ok?? He would roll over take a look and say yes Honey she is FINE!

Dec 24th 2006
It was Christmas Eve they took you that morning to do your ear testing and when they brought you back to us you were wrapped in a HUGE red stocking! It was the cutest thing I had ever seen. That night your dad went to the Skousen Christmas party so Nana came down and held you while I slept!

Dec. 25th 2006 YOu got to come home!! It was so weird driving in the car with a baby in the back seat. I had never seen your dad drive so slow in my life.

YOu are a big 3 years old now and I have never written down my feeling about the day you were born to YOU!
Graycee I want you to know we love LOVE you so much and are GRATEFUL you part of our family for FOREVER! YOu are the BEST BIG sister. You are so sweet to Ryker and he adores you,he thinks you are so funny!

I can't wait for your new little brother to come in a couple weeks! YOu are like your mommy and love babies!
Happy Birthday Sweet Girl~ XoXo
Love, Mom

Lacey Bridal Shower...

I WISH SOOOO Bad I have pictures to go along with my cute little story of Graycee! But oh well I wasnt that with it last night to remember the present and Graycee and a camera!

Last night was Lacey my SOON to be sister in law! YAY I can't wait Brent you did WELL! Bridal shower,It was so much fun had fun visting with Family and eating GREAT FOOD! that is always my favorite. And chasing Graycee around the Christmas tree or trying to stop her from kissing BABY AUSTIN.. "But mom he LOVES me and wants kisses yes Graycee but he is SLEEPING it's oK MOM!"

So the next thing I know she is sitting on Lacey lap being the BIG helper that she is and opening her presents! She was in Heaven. Lacey gets this really CUTE PINK box from VS!! YAY the fun stuff.. LAcey opens it and Graycee yells oh that is a Cute dress Aunt LAcey! haha oh man how I love that girl!

I finally get everything rounded up to leave and we are walking to are car after sittting on the porch swing picking the very pretty GREEN grass and smelling it we are in the car. She says mom I love uncle Brent he is Funny I said ya he is she said we watched a movie about animals together and he laughed.. Then I told him I have to go uncle Brent I have to go to Aunt Lacey party and you CAN"T come!! he was sad mom...

She told me on the Drive home MOm is would be GREAT if we would just go say HI to Grammie and papa before we go home.. They miss me! I said Graycee you were just with Grammie and she said ya but it would be GREAT if we went to there house!!! I told her another night she said ok mom......

Mark gets home and she runs up to Mark and says dad I went to Aunt Lacey Party and you and Ryker couldnt come. MArk said ya it was just for girls she said ya and Aunt Lacey got LOTS and LOTS of cute dresses!!! Mark just laughted and said I BET she did!
Man I love this little girl so much I am grateful for the time I have with her and I am SOOO LUCky that MArk works hard so I can stay home and be a MOM! It is hard some days but I am so GRATEFUL that I get to be a stay at home MOM!

where has the time gone????

Ok I think it is about time I update my blog.... Our life has been filled with lots of ups and down the last couple of months but we are here and doing well.

Highlights from the last couple of months......

1. We are expecting another baby{BOY} due in Feb. this baby

thinks he wants to come out now so I am on Bed rest until I can get my conctractions under contr

ol or until I hit 32 weeks what ever comes FIRST!

2. We spent Thanksgiving in California with Family.

3. We have gone to DISNEYLAND a couple times I LOVE having season passes they are

the BEST!

4. Graycee and Ryker have another Cousin.. Austin * Graycee Just loves looking at him and holding him and giving him LOTS of kisses. She calls him BABY KADEN every baby that we see she says oh BABY Kaden.

5. BAby Kaden Finally got to come home from the hospital after 4 months of the NICU. Graycee got to look at him thru there window and how excited she was that Baby Kaden wasn't in the hospital any more. The night she got to she him she said oh He is at Rusty's house now not the Hospital....

6. Mark FINALLY got into Nursing school he starts JAn at PHX College, I am so excited for this new chapter in our life. I will be a single mom with 3 kids for the next 2 years.. But it will ALL BE WORTH IT in the end.

7.

Nov 30th Kaden Fife passed away :{

I am so grateful that Jacquie and Rusty let us be apart of his life. His Lungs were not that great so Kaden didn't get to go out much and meet alot of people. I am grateful for the times Mark and I had with him the Hospital visits or the nights we played games! I am glad I got the chance to sit and hold him one night I held him for about an hour and he just Smiled at his AUNTIE A gosh he really did LOVE me I know it!!

It is amazing to me how I have had 3 little babies a pound or less come into my life and how they have ALL 3 taught me more about life then alot of others. I am Grateful for 2 healthy kids and as I sit here on Bed rest keeping this baby in I know that if I do what I can for this baby everything will turn out the way the LORD wants it to be.

we are alive and well.....

OK I know I am going private SOMEDAY when I get around to it.

We have been busy with just NORMAL life things,the kids are getting so Big. This morning I was laying in bed thinking about Rusty and Jacquie and there cute little baby boy KADEN. He was born yesterday at 24 weeks he has a long road ahead of him but he is a FIGHTER............. 

Thinking about what the future holds for them It just took me back to the time when Ryker was born and had to spend a week and half in the NICU. GOSH that is NOTHING,  And how grateful I was to have my mom down at the hospital EVERYDAY with me ALL day long so Mark could work and to be there for ME....... I was feeding Ryker breakfast this morning and lets just say you would NEVER know he was in the NICU. He is my SCHUREMAN BABY! 

 I LOve that he is a happy smiling baby and he LOVES his mom and dad. He thinks we are the GReatest thing ever. If I am having a bad day I can always count on Ryker to  just give me that look and a BIG HUGE smile that just MELTS my heart!

 Graycee is getting so big and LOVES Ryker...She thinks she is his mother. Let me just say I KNOW why they call it terrible TWOS! 

 Graycee is ALOT like me,she knows what she likes and knows what she wants and NOTHING stops her. 

THINGS SHE LOVES:

her mmm{which is Lipgloss...her favorite one is nana mac long lasting  lipgloss}

Playing in bathrooms and getting into everything 

taking my moms dog and her cousin who is a little bit younger then her for a walk to go see rabbits {the rabbits are on the running trail behind m parents house and to get on the trail you walk way down the street and thats where they were heading when we found them}

 She LOves playing with the Triplets...She calls them her babies. {she asks about every other day if she can go she uncle D doggie and Aunt Juuuliee's babies} I have told her over and over that they are uncle Ben and aunt Jenny's babies she looks at me and yells NO!

 She really thinks her dad is the best thing on EARTH, when he leaves for work I get to hear her cry for about the first 5 min. NO DADDY NO DADDY NO WORK.. PLAY with ME!

 The other night she was so sad that her dad had to work ANOTHER night so we took him Ice cream and she was in heaven she kept telling Mark I am HAPPY! Daddy I am at your work I am HAPPY!

 I am GRATEFUL we ONLY HAVE ETERNITY  LEFT  !