Our first visitor!!!!-YIPPEEE

Last week Gma Mason arrived. The boys were at the window as soon as they heard Dad's car driving up. It was very funny to see how excited they all were. The night before they were pretending that I was Gma. Carter had been counting down the days! Mason wasted no time jumping on Gma's lap and making her feel right at home.
She was so thrilled to meet Brennan and we are grateful for the help around the house. Especially during the summer break with all the kids home. We are looking forward to Gpa joining her in August.

Mason Michael Christiansen

Mason turns 7 today and we get to celebrate where he was actually born--how fun! When Mike and I found out I was pregnant in November of 2000 we were a little shocked. He wasn't in our life plans quite yet, but we were excited for this new adventure of being parents. Welcome to parenthood! We never knew what kind of challenges Mason would bring when he arrived on July 17, 2001. We were so excited our first little baby was here. We didn't get out of the hospital before we started testing to find out why when he cried there was no noise. From there on out it was doctor after doctor. One possible diagnosis after another. Mason was happy and smiling through it all! In October of 2002 we got the official diagnosis of Angelman Syndrome. There began our whirl wind of reading, learning and mostly just continuing doing what we were doing...being mom and dad.
Mason is such a blessing in our lives. He is happy the majority of the time. He tries so hard to accomplish all that he can. He is determined to be just one of the crowd. At school he wants to do everything that all the other kids are doing. If they get a worksheet he better get the same thing. Mason was helping me choose the pictures and he was smiling and pointing at the one of him and Mrs. Santiago. She was Mason's para in kindergarten and 1st grade. What a special relationship he has with her. When he wants to talk about her, he makes it very clear. We get some of his best communication when he looks at pictures with him and her. She was certainly a God send to this family and to Mason of course. Mason is going to be going to 2nd grade this fall. I can hardly belief that much time has passed since he was born.
Mason loves his family and loves to cuddle any chance he gets. He LOVES the TV and can pretty much start any video he wants. He loves to be outside playing. Water, bubbles, play-doh, paint, and of course dumping anything are his favorite pass times.
Happy Birthday Mason. We are so grateful you are part of our family!!

Mason turns 7!

Just an update

Well, we are officially getting into real life. Mike goes back to work today--bummer! He has been very spoiled at getting so much time off. It has obviously been a long time since he actually worked. He had gone back to work for two whole days before having Brennan.
Denise, since you mentioned it. My husband it great at getting pictures up. I am left with the rest. He would much rather hang a few pictures than go through all those boxes of 'stuff' that he would just assume throw away and forget that we have.
Brennan is already so big in our eyes. Mike and I were looking at him last night and were just amazed at how much he has grown. It is crazy how each one grows just a wee bit faster than the rest.
Carter has one more week of school and then it is the summer break. He is going to be so sad that school is out. Although he has been busy counting down the days until Gma Mason gets here. He has learned a bit of math by taking one day away at a time. It is very cute.
Mason and Taylor are getting on well. They have never spent so much time together since she was born. It is funny to see how they interact with one another. Mason forgets that she is not Carter and we can't exactly lay on top of her for wrestling time.
Our house is almost there. I decided that although I still have messes everywhere I should take some pictures. Otherwise time would pass waiting for that one day when everything would be in order. Oh wait--it never is! So there you have it. I didn't get pictures of the master bedroom because Mike was sleeping(he works nights). Our room is behind that door that you can see the two boxes in front of from the kitchen(Mason baracades-they are full). There is a utility room and our room back there. We are settling in more and more everyday. I wish that I had one day with no children and it would be done--but that's life!
Speaking of life. I need to make dinner, have FHE and then get children ready for bed..so I should probably stop blogging.

Our house and some misc..

2 week check up...

Holy cow, has it been two weeks already?
Brennan is doing great. He greatly surpassed the goal of being at least his birth weight when he topped the scale at 8 pounds today.(good guess Gpa and Gma Mason) I can't believe he has grown a pound already. Time flies when you are unpacking boxes. :) He is a wonderful little baby and is only moody during the hours of 8:30 and 9:30 pm..don't ask that is just his time. He is so content all day long, that is just the special hour I guess. It is a tired but don't want to sleep quite yet moodiness. Love it
The kids are doing great with him. Mason even moved him from his(Brennan's) crib to our bed(about 4 feet away from each other)--without us in the room...SCARY!!! So Mason is getting brave, which means we have to be extra careful now. He grabs his clothes and moves him like an animal mommy would move her young. One lesson learned, babies are not that fragile, although we dont' let Mason loose with him, dont' worry. He is safe. Carter LOVES Brennan to death. He is a great helper and is even more loving now that he started school and doesn't see him all day long. Taylor is struggling with being a big girl and still needed help in many ways. She loves helping with Brennan and wants to do everything for him. If a diaper is needed she yells out, "me!" She is running around getting everything for a change. What a great big sister she is.
Alright, speaking of Brennan, he is in need of a mommy right now....Love to all

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Happy 4th of July!

Nothing is more fun than celebrating the 4th with the English!! :) Carter came home on Thursday from school with a new discovery. I told him they were having a special dinner at school on Friday to observe a bit of Independence Day. He looked at me and with a shock said, "Mom, my friends told me I'm American!!" We have told him this hundreds of times, but apparently it only rings true if his friends tell him. I asked if he was the only American in his class and if the rest were British. That is when he corrected me quickly and said, "Mom, they are English." Geez, forgive me!! He was very proud about celebrating his countries birthday with fireworks.

This is Mason and Daddy on the bumper cars and then Carter had a go. The last time we went to this same carnival Mason was freaking out if we walked by a ride. He was not having a good time at all. That was 5 years ago and time sure has changed. If we had our camera with us for the first ride you would fully understand. Mason was set on a ride that freaked out Carter!!! Taylor and I also went on it and I was a bit scared. Poor Taylor didn't want to go on anything else at all. Might I reccomend something calm for a childs first ride at a carnival. :) oops..

Getting ready for Fireworks. Taylor was quickly in my lap with eyes covered for the fireworks show. Then we discovered that she was still watching through cracks in her fingers--so cute! Mason loved every second of the fireworks. He was wide eyed and clapping with excitement. Carter was running back and forth while watching and was so excited to be there.

Brennan, well he slept the whole time. :)

Happy 4th of July everyone. It still is great to be American. I hope everyone else is as excited about that as Carter!

name change for those that dont know yet

So we have changed little Alma's name. We liked the name Alma, but it just wasn't fitting him and before we set it in stone we decided we should take in other options.
So now...Brennan Guy Christiansen is here. If I had internet yet I would have posted this sooner, but most of you know how moving goes. We have tons of pictures that I will be posting tomorrow when we get our home computer hooked up to the world--finally!!
other news

Carter starts school tomorrow--all day...I am a little nervous for him...dont' worry I know he will do great and I think i will just miss him.
Mason is waiting to start because we need to get everything squared away with an aide, meetings for placement, all those fun things that Mason needs. Can't just jump in with him. bummer.
Taylor is doing great. She is a little mommy with Brennan and is always wanting to hold, help, and take care of the baby. She is brilliant!

Love to all

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Introducing....

Fast as fast can be you will never catch me...


That describes Alma Guy Christiansen so far. I was on the hospital bed 10 mins before he made his apperance as he was not going to wait for the doctor. The ER doctor that was down stairs didn't even make it there. We did warn them when we called that it would be fast if we made it at all. :)
Alma Guy was 19.5 inches, 6lbs 15 ozs. He was born at 2:51 am on June 21st, 2008

Welcome to the world little man!!!!
Slide show is downloading right now as we speak, or write?...

Update on baby to be

Just thought I would post about the doctor appt today. Like I said in an earlier post, we are still pregnant and I haven't had the baby yet. :)
In OB talk I am 3 cent dialated and 50% effaced(sp?). She said my water was right there and she wouldn't be surprised if that is how we know to rush in(specifing that we need to HURRY with my previous labors). She could feel babies head and said it is down, but not fully engaged yet. :)
They did offer to enduce at 39 weeks, but I kindly refused. I hated patosin when they enduced with Taylor, so we are just going to play it by ear.
I feel fat, uncomfortable, can hardly walk through contractions I have right now, but yeah---it's all part of the game, right?

WAITING WAITING WAITING-----Patiently of course ;)

Life happens....

Not that visible, but the little red dot in between her eyes is from a little boy who lost his temper and had a fork in his hand, WOW! Can you say scary? Carter did feel really bad and has since decided that he made a really bad choice--ya think! :)
Mason finally lost that annoying front tooth that was hanging on for dear life. It looks like two teeth are missing, but it really is just one. Now the other front tooth is a little wobbly.
Just Mason and Taylor wrestling. Most of the time they get along great. Mason does get a little rough sometimes, yes even for Taylor! her hair is the subject of much irritation right now. Mason has decided he gets quite the reaction from her and tests that out on a daily basis. She is getting pretty good at not freaking out and just saying, "STOP!"
Last but certainly not least this is Mikes ankle as of last night. He had softball practice on Monday night and stepped into a hole while going for a throw in the outfield. Needless to say softball is out for the next while. It wasn't broken, and they said it was a really bad sprang. So hopefully once the swelling goes down he will feel alot better. Really this picture doesn't do it justice. Thanks to being in Utah when Gpa Mason had surgery on his ankle the kids are all excited about helping Dad's ankle get better. Taylor is obsessed with making sure the foot is up with ice on it. :)

As with moving--as of latest we will be moving into the house on Monday.

Happy Birthday Mike!

Mike has turned another year older and another year wiser. I think that is how it is suppose to work. :) A birthday in a hotel is always fun! Really it was a distaster outside with weather, so we were in the room all day. The kids got a bit annoyed at certain parts of the day. It was a day spent with each other and that is all that matters. Mike was stuck with us ALL day--hehehe!! :)
This is a picture of a Bears blanket that is on the way to Mike in the mail. Mason was eager about the new movie, National Treasure. Nothing to spectacular this year.
The cake is really starting to shine over the years!! He still has enough hot hair to get them out in one go. We love you Mike and are so glad we are able to spend every year with you!!

23 Days to go.....

Mike and I were discussing last night how it seems so weird to us we are going to be having a baby in about 23 days. This pregnancy has been filled with so much more to do and accomplish that it has seemed very unreal to us. It wasn't until last night that I realized, "oh yeah, I will be going into labor and having a BABY soon!" What a nerve racking thought. Most know I am a no drugs person and I have always been on a mental preparedness mode for awhile now...kind of forgot about that this time. So my nerves are now starting to get to me as I am doing my every night steady contractions for an hour or two and then they go away. I did the same thing with Taylor and I fear that when my body decides it is time we might have a pretty interesting delivery story to share. I feel completely uncomfortable pretty much all the time--so i love when the doctors ask, "Any questions, complaints?" I just think to myself, "Yes complaints, but I got myself this way, so I guess I can keep most of them to myself." :)
Life is going well and we are adjusting. Mike starts training this week and that will be interesting to have him gone during the day. I guess I need my imagination to to kick into gear so that I can entertain children.
We will keep you updated on any news with the baby. I don't have an appt until the 12th..not that it will tell me much. Other than, yes you are still pregnant and no you haven't had the baby yet. :) --LOVE IT!!