Nora's Two Month Update!

Well, we didn't know if it would ever happen but we have a chunky baby! She checked out very healthy and good at her two month doctor's check-up. Nora's percentiles are:

Weight: 79th%
Height: 89th%
Head: 56th%

She is doing so well. This time around nursing is going great as well and I feel very blessed. The first two times were a struggle and very stressful. But blessings this time around and I am very grateful. It is also wonderful to not have to worry or lose sleep over a small baby who isn't growing very fast. With both Emma and Reese we carried them around in their infant car seat well over 1 year old. Nora's a heavy little thing.

I don't know if I ever reported on her two week check-up or not. Nora left the hospital at 7 lbs even. Less than two weeks later and she weighed 8 lbs 13 oz. The doctor was very impressed.

Some other things about Nora:
She loves to lay down on her back and kick and kick and kick.
Started really smiling lots around 6 weeks.
Started sleeping really well at 4 weeks old. Only waking up once in the night to nurse.
She is so content and happy and just seems to love life no matter what goes on.
So far is a dream baby and allows Mommy to give the attention to her to older sisters that they need.
Sweet sweet temperment and hardly EVER cries.

Still with three babies, we are always busy and often are tired. But we wouldn't trade it for the world!

Obviously Nora's Stork bite gives her away, but our girls all looked pretty similar as infants. Different, but definitely sisters.

 Nora at two days and 6 weeks old.

Our New Home!

Well, I haven't updated the blog in far too long. We've had SO much going on lately and I just haven't gotten around to it, but it's far too important to not catch up. So here's my attempt :).

On February 13th, we sold our home in cute Apple Grove and "rented" it out for 2 weeks until we got into our other home. February 19th we closed on our new home (still in Pleasant Grove) and had the next week to get some things ready before moving in. Grandpa Close was not working during the tim eof the move and turned out to be a HUGE HUGE blessing for our family. He came up from Arizona for 9 days. The first few days, he and Cade primed and painted the entire 3 car garage and put an epoxy coating on the floor. Then the next several days, he stayed and pretty much packed us up and moved us over to our new house. With having a brand new baby, I honestly don't know how we would have done it. Of course Cade was really sick that week of moving, so it was definitely needed to have him here with us. We are so grateful for all he does for us.

We had many co-workers and people from our old ward helping us move. I also had many friends who helped watch the girls and do anything I needed to help with the move. We are blessed with great people in our lives. From our Bishopbric's and visiting and home teachers and neighbors...there are a lot of people we are sad not to see on a daily or weekly basis. Such great people that we got to serve or be served by and really get to know well. That Apple Grove area was so much fun to be in and our neighbors and ward members were truly blessings in our lives.

So we've been here over two months now. It really seems a lot longer than that to me. We have moved from one amazing ward and area to another amazing ward and area. Our new neighbors and ward members have been extremely warm and welcoming. We feel so blessed. There have been many notes and gifts given, many visits and lots of people introducing themselves. Our next door neighbors are the Skoy's and Lawrence's and are both so great. I am excited to get to know these people really well as we plan to be here for a very long time.

Loading up the last big items from our old house:

Welcome to our new home where we will have many family memories to come!

Grandpa Close showing the great process of finishing the garage. No small feat.

Well, life was pretty insane for a couple months. This was one day during the moving week were we didn't have beds for them to take naps in and I was going a little crazy. So I took them on a drive to get all three asleep at the same time (mission accomplished) and didn't know where I was going. Somehow I ended up in the In N Out drive-through and then sat in the parking lot and had a whole 5 minutes to myself. Good times.

Nora's Blessing Day!

On February 16, 2014, Nora Lee Close received a name and blessing in Sacrament meeting. We did it a little sooner than we normally would have because we wanted to bless her in the 12th ward before we moved a few weeks later. We were blessed to have so many family members there to support us and our Miss Nora.

Nora's is named after couple different people. We wanted her middle name to be after her Grandma Close and Aunt Tara who both have the middle name of Lee. Nora also has a great great Grandma named Leanora on her Grandma Bleak's side of the family. We love her name and I'm glad Emma pushed so hard to name her Nora :).

It was a beautiful blessing. Some of the things she was blessed with are:

She was blessed to be a healthy child free of complications.
Also to be a "doer" of the word of God and serve those around her.
It was mentioned that her name means "honor" and she should always remember that. She should remember to honor her covenants she makes in the temple, to honor her family and parents. Also to honor herself and be confident in who she is. To remain pure and virtuous.
Nora was also blessed to honor and respect the priesthood and the men who stood in the circle that day.
She was blessed to be kind and nonjudgmental and to love all people around her.
Blessed to have a special relationship with her sisters and that is where happiness comes from.
The last thing was to always remember that her Savior loves her.

It was a wonderful blessing, wonderful day filled with wonderful people. We love our Nora!

Unfortunately I didn't get any great pictures of just Nora on her special day :(. My plan was to take some with my good camera in a good setting, but that didn't happen so we'll have to settle for this pic :)!

Nora Newborn Pics

I am still learning how to use my camera but I sure have fun learning and taking pictures of my sweet girls. These are some that I took in my family room of cute Miss Nora Lee as well as some with her older sisters. I LOVE this first one. Emma and Reese look so precious holding their new sister.

Now ones of just Nora:

Boose leaves for her Mission!

Well, Sister Katelyn Bleak left for her mission as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! She entered the MTC on Wednesday, January 22, 2014. We are truly going to miss seeing her and talking to her often and hearing her laugh. But we are SO excited for her!!! She is going to be such a great blessing in many peoples lives! Boose said it best....it's only 18 Fast Sundays until she'll be home again :). We sure love her!!!!

Her at the MTC:

Saying "bye"...red faces and all.

Some "Mission" pictures I took of her for fun ;).

Nora Lee Close is born!!!

Nora Lee Close arrived on January 15, 2014! She weighed 7 pounds, 8 ounces and was 19 inches long. She came 5 days before her due date and surprised us with an early and unexpected morning :).

So the day before Miss Nora made her debut, Cade was at a work conference in Vegas and was supposed to get home Wednesday evening (just a two day conference). Boose was staying with me during those two days while he was gone (huge blessing!!!). At 2:15 am Wednesday morning, however, I woke up to 3 painful contractions in a row about 5-10 min apart. I called Cade at 2:40 am and told him to get to the airport and fly as soon as he could. That was the most awake I have ever heard Cade in the middle of the night. He knew there would only be one reason I would be calling at 1:40 am (Vegas time). Then my water broke at 3:00 when I stood up to go to the bathroom and I knew it was time to get ready for the hospital. I got together some things and called my wonderful neighbor, Ami, to come over (such a great blessing that she was willing to come over any time I needed her). Boose had been sleeping in the basement, so I opened the door to the basement and yelled, "Boose, get your bum up here...your wish came true!" Boose had been praying that Nora would come before she left on her mission. She responded, "What? What? Are you being serious?" She got dressed and we drove to the hospital at 4:00 in the morning.

I was admitted into the hospital and was dilated to 4 cm. All the nurses soon became aware that "Daddy" was trying to get home from a work conference. They said that usually they pray for fast deliveries for moms who come in, but this time would pray for a slow one :). We waited it out for a while and I got an epidural at 6:30 am. By that time, I was only at a 5 but was still progressing. I was really hoping the epidural would slow things down so Cade would have a little more time. The first plane out wasn't until 6:30- 7:30 my time. So the nurse said that she would check me again when Cade got to the hospital.

Cade landed safely in Salt Lake and said the most nerve wrecking moment was turning his cell phone back on and not knowing if he would recieve a text saying "She's here!". Luckily he didn't and made it to the hospital at 10:00 am. A nurse finally came in at 10:30 to check me and said, "OH, wow! The baby is coming and you are definitely complete!" I was dialated fully and baby was ready for me to push. They had to page the doctor and prep the room. By the time the doctor was ready, I pushed for 5 minutes and Nora was born!!! She came at 10:59 am, just in time for Daddy to be there. It was a crazy morning and Cade was so stressed and worried all morning, but everything worked out perfectly. Heavenly Father is so good to us and reminded us that He is in charge of all. There is no other way to explain it. We were truly blessed with a miracle and will forever be grateful!

Now on to the fun pictures of our morning...

This picture was right when we got to the hospital at 4:00 in the morning.

I was crossing my fingers that Cade would make it in time! More like praying my little heart out and asking God for a miracle...

Boose was there for me and I am so blessed she was. After I got the epidural, she got to take a little nap and wait. It was so neat to have her there to help me when I needed it. She was truly ecstatic that it was all happening and that she could be a part of it.

Here she is! Beautiful, healthy baby girl! Everything went so well we couldn't have asked for anything more. 

Daddy and Boose holding her for the first time.

When the girls arrived at the hospital, they were SO excited to meet their baby sister! Well, Reese was pretty indifferent (and still is) about Nora, but Emma had been anticipating this new little sister for some time. When they arrived, Nora was being wheeled from the nursery but was not in my room yet. Emma walked in the room with a HUGE grin and it soon disappeared when there was no baby- just mommy in the room :). Then Nora came in and Emma was so excited!

Our first little family picture!

Time to go home!

I love these pictures of the girls looking in on her. So sweet! Emma and Reese will be such great sisters to her. Three little best friends :).

We are so blessed with a third healthy little girl. We already love her so much and are so excited to have her in the family! As we have more kids, we realize how fast they grow up and learn to enjoy the moments and each stage. I am LOVING this newborn stage much more and trying to soak in the cuddles. She is so precious and we are grateful to Heavenly Father for sending her to us!