Painful

ANOTHER missed field goal by Zendejas?!?!?!

(Too bad you can't trade college players like in the NFL)

10 minutes left

33-10

Oklahoma State is up.

This is ridiculous.

Sometimes it's next to impossible to be a U of A fan.

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I really do believe that watching Zendejas singlehandedly blow that ASU game put me into labor that night. It wasn't the meds- good thing I was already in the hospital!

I Need a Nap

And apparently I'm not the only one.......

Got Poop?

Sharissa does!
This is what happens when you wrestle with the toddler that already has a sick tummy.

Poor Sharissa- she was a good sport, but I thought she was going to pass out.

We love you, Rissa!

Emma chose to go bowling for her birthday last week.

It's always a lot of fun, and especially for Jack this time.

Who needs grownups?

I can do it all on my own!

Tech Savvy

My 2 year old is more into technology than I am.

Here he is talking on his "phone" at dinner,

and again at home.

Sigh- he's going to be one of those kids asking for a cellphone at age 6, isn't he?

Oh Happy Christmas

Santa was very generous with me this year.

He brought me 4 little angels & 1 loving spouse to celebrate with.

Christmas Eve just isn't Christmas Eve if I'm not at my grandparent's house.

Christmas Day is a party at our house with Merrimans galore.

Our gift-giving was very tame this year.

We FINALLY accomplished a small, meaningful Christmas.

YAY!!!!!!

It was nice to look around after the gift-giving was done & be pleased instead of overwhelmed.

Family, food, & quiet.

Christmas was a happy day.

And on another note:

Sadly, after 9 years we finally retired our old PC.

Seriously, who keeps a computer for 9 years?

(Or that's what people keep asking me, anyways.)

It did the job (sometimes), but this is what Santa brought me to replace it.

Merry Christmas to me!

Initiated

It's official.

I've been initiated into the "Are all those kids yours?" club.

The nice checkout lady at Albertson's was amazed that I had 4 kids.

I'm not sure why.

I feel older than dirt.

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And then after I verified that Yes, these were indeed all my offspring, we got the next expected comment.

"You certainly have your hands full."

We've been getting that one for a while, usually when Jack is attempting to jump out of the shopping cart or cause some other such mayhem.

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As I looked at my beautiful kiddos, I realized that now, in the eyes of much of society, we are freaks of nature for having 4 kids.

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A man at the bowling alley Saturday night made the comment- "You guys certainly don't have any problem with being bored, do you?"

I just laughed & affirmed that we are indeed constantly kept on our toes.

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Later on, Andy mentioned that the man most probably meant that we don't have a problem being bored because we're constantly procreating.

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I think I missed his seedy meaning because I was busy herding my mass of munchkins past said seedy character.

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Oh well.

Let the world think what it may.

I think we're extremely wealthy.

Because nothing in this world is worth as much to me as these 4 beautiful brown-eyed babies.

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Today was a good day.

Emma is 7!

Loving Sister

Creative Artist

Beautiful Singer

Pretty Princess

Toothless Boo

Big Dreamer

Silly Munchkin

We have loved these last 7 years with you, Emma. You bring such light & joy to our family.

Happy Birthday, Angel!!!!

Emma's Concert

Emma was sad that only Daddy & Frank could go to her Christmas concert, and wanted to show everybody else what they missed.

I was really bummed that I couldn't go, but I have a fantastic husband that learned to use the video feature on the camera just so that I wouldn't miss out. He even called me on his cell & held it up so that I could listen live. Yes, I cried a little. But hey, I had a 3 day old baby- I blame the hormones.

Here's a clip of her dance "solo" for the grandparents (and anybody else that might care).

I like how she almost falls down & gets out of place because she's so busy flipping her hair.

Love that princess!

Being a Baby Rocks

By: James

I like being a baby. It's constant fun & excitement.

I enjoy conversing with my brothers. They have lots of wisdom to impart.

Sleeping with Daddy is my #1 favorite pastime. Being this cute is exhausting.

I do have to take some time out of each day to sunbathe a little.

It helps with my jaundice. Being yellow is not cool.

I'm so cool that Emma asked Daddy to swaddle her so that she could be awesome like me.

She can try, but you can only be truly cool if you're a baby.

I rock.

James, Jacob, or Beans?

Once upon a time while I was still pregnant, we considered naming the baby Jacob. Jacob also happens to be the name of one of my best friends' baby. Jack LOVES that baby. He cries to hold him & asks to go visit Jacob constantly.

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Fast forward a little & we decided to name our baby James.

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Apparently Jack didn't get the memo.

So while we were trying to convince Jack that this baby's name is JAMES, he decided that No, in fact this child's name is Beans.

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Say what?

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Jack still occasionally calls the baby Jacob, but if we try to correct him or ask "What's the baby's name?", he says "Baby Beans!" I've been wanting to get him together with Jacob & James at the same time so that he could see the difference. Wouldn't you know that he was sleeping when Jacob came to visit today.

As soon as he got up, he called our baby Jacob, again.

.

So much for specifically choosing a name that can't be made into a nickname!

Baby Beans it is.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDREW!!

To the best daddy ever, my best friend & the love of my life.

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Happy Birthday Andrew!

The Long Version

Since I've received so many e-mails & calls wondering why I was absent from the blog for over a month, I thought I'd let you all in on my story. Sorry I haven't responded earlier, but I haven't been able to sit at the computer!

Basically, this list will sum it up--
***Starting at 34 1/2 weeks, overwhelming, persistent lightheadedness that leads to nausea & falls
***Complete inability to sit or stand up for more than about 90 seconds
***Flat in bed for 4 1/2 weeks watching dumb TV or sleeping because I can't even read
***Dozens of blood tests & exams- no diagnosis
***1 hours-long admit to OB triage
***1 2-day inpatient admit to consult with a neurologist, ENT, & perinatologist
***2 infections needing antibiotics
***1 amniocentesis at 37 1/2 weeks- results: baby not mature
***Boys living in Thatcher with grandparents for 2 1/2 weeks
***Shipping Emma off twice at a moment's notice because Mommy was in the hospital
***All told, 8 days spent at the hospital in the last 5 weeks
***1 depressed Mommy
***1 very helpful, yet tired Daddy
***FINALLY, at 39 weeks, an admit to induce labor & get this kiddo here!

It's been quite the roller coaster. I actually answered the phone one night & spoke with a member of the ward who told me that I needed a "better excuse" for missing church. Say what? I'm still not sure if he was kidding or not.

But, it's all over & this is my reward. I felt 1,000 times better just the morning after he was born. Now that I am better, I want to go run a marathon, but probably shouldn't. So I'll settle for just snuggling on the couch with my little prince.

At home Thursday night on the way to the hospital for induction.

(I think that might've been my first real smile in weeks.)

Oh, and did I mention that Andy actually DELIVERED this kiddo! The Dr just told him what to do & he did it all by himself! It was amazing to watch my husband hand me my son for the first time.

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So, that's the story. I'm finally better & am having to restrain myself from running to the store & going to mutual. Now that I feel great, I have to remind myself that the baby is here & HE'S the one that has to stay home now. So just a little more house arrest & then I'll be back in the land of the living for real.

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At least now I can read a book instead of rotting my brain watching TV!

We're Home!!!!

James David Merriman

7 pounds, 11 ounces

Born at 12:34

on Friday, 12/03/10

Halloween Lasts Forever!

I remember thinking this last year, and it was true again this year. We started with a Joy School party, had a play & trick-or-treating at ASDB, a storybook parade for Emma, & rounded it all out with a Halloween carnival at a very friendly church.

Whew!

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I'm pretty easygoing about letting the kiddos choose what they want to be. We park it in Jo-Ann's & they look through the pattern books until they see something that they just can't live without.

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This year they came up with a clown:

a firefighter:

(courtesy of Costco- seriously, $22? No way I could make it for that!)

and a mermaid.

Do you have any idea how many modest mermaid costumes there are in the pattern books? Exactly ONE. Except that Emma didn't like the skirt that went with the modest top. So Mommy got to cut up 1 pattern to make the top & alter the skirt pattern from a size 8 to a size 4 so that Emma could be the beautiful mermaid she envisioned.

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Sheesh- the things we do for our kids!

Somehow Mommy got the time wrong for the ward trunk-or-treat, so by the time we got there 20 minutes late, the kids got just about zero candy & even less trick-or-treating experience. So we stopped by a little church festival & they played the silly carnival games to their heart's content. Hey- we even got a free horse & buggy ride!

Do you think Jack had fun?

I gotta say- I love Halloween!

Guess What I Found?

This nasty critter was crawling around in my bedroom the other day. Apparently it's a kissing bug- and I suspect he's the culprit that did this:

to my baby a couple of weeks ago.

But never fear, Mommy-brave smushed him into oblivion as revenge for trying to eat my baby.

It makes me sick to my stomach to think of him crawling all over Jack, biting him again & again.

Ooooh, I want to smush him again, nasty creature!

Picture Post- What We've Been Doing

I just realized today that it's been over 2 weeks since I've even bothered to look at the 'ol blog.

LAME!!

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So here's some pics to 'splain what we've been up to.

Red Ribbon Week at school included:

Crazy Hair Day

and Dress Like a Teacher Day

(I actually almost wish she could really wear glasses. How cute she is!)

We went to a Harvest Festival in Marana where the Daddy & the kids got to ride in a REAL monster truck,
and we all went on a little train ride. Somehow, shortly after this pic was taken, we managed to actually derail & nearly all died. Well, not really, but the kids were terrified after all the bumping & shaking stopped. Andy (who just happens to work at a real, live railroad) tried to show the workers how to re-rail the car, but they all knew better than he & decided to completely rip apart the car instead. Train ride over, mucho sad kiddos.So we hit the petting zoo for a while before heading home. Gotta keep these kids from getting too city-fied, you know! Andy & I also hit the big #10 this year on October 19. Unfortunately I was sick & he was having an allergic reaction to a bee sting, so we just had some apple pie at home & called it good. I had the idea to talk to the kids about how it was actually our family's birthday, since Oct 19 was the day our family began, and they loved the little "family birthday party" we had.

Then last weekend while Daddy was away killing us a deer, the rest of us rode up to Mt. Lemmon with some friends for our ward campout. The kids were REALLY excited to see where Mommy had been at Girls Camp & we all had a blast. We didn't spend the night (are you crazy?), but discovered that Frank is apparently a little pyro like his Momma

& Emma is happy just as long as she gets some hot chocolate.

Next time we'll definitely have to actually spend the night, as Mommy won't be 34 weeks prego.

So there you have it- October is now finished.

Next up: The holiday that never ends, aka Halloween!

Making Memories....and Salsa!

Which is better?

Getting to bring home a year's supply of Grandma Joy's salsa?

(Look- there's my prego belly!)

(32 weeks- only 8 more to go!)

Or my kiddos getting to make the same kind of memories that I have of my grandparents from when I was young?

(The kids picking jalapenos with Grand-Papa.) Both are so wonderful, I can't choose.

We've gone to Safford 2 times in the last month- once to can green chiles & once to can salsa with my grandparents.

It's so much fun to spend time with them & see them interact with my children.

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Jack LOVES Grandma Joy & yells & screams with excitement whenever he sees her.

Andy & Emma were awesome cooks.

Frank & Jack, not so much. But then, I guess 2 & 4 year olds have different priorities.

(Like playing cars & trucks in the fountain.)

Afterward, we ran up to Angle's Orchard to pick up some apples to can this week.

Wow- there are green places in AZ! One apple? No way- I need 2!!We are so blessed that my kids have the opportunity to know so many of their great-grandparents.