Daniel's Sealing Day

The day started out quiet. Sarah whispered to Daniel in hushed tones, "It's your sealing day, we get to keep you forever." We had a light cream colored dress picked out for Sarah, but on that morning, I decided to go look one more time for a white one. (We had looked previously, the best we could find was the light cream one.) Sarah came with me and I had a feeling to go to a store called "Dressed in White" which I had actually never been too, I wasn't sure if they had kid's clothing. They did, and we found a gorgeous white dress. Sarah fell in love with a pair of white shoes so I got them too.

While I was driving she said "Mommy, you should play fancy music, for this fancy day." I changed the radio to Classical and that seemed to suit her. She came with me while I had a hair cut then afterwards we picked up treats and candy from the grocery store--after the Sealing we invited everyone over and the kids had a 'Candy Bar' we gave everyone a small bag that they filled with various candies. We also had peanut butter bars, butterfly sugar cookies....

When we got home it was time to dress all in white. All of our children were allowed to attend the sealing. Though not required we dressed all the children in white. Michael, James, Peter, Daniel each had white pants, white shirts, white ties, white socks (white underwear too).  Sarah wore her new white dress, tights, shoes. I made her hair pretty and put in her white bow.

We drove to the Draper Utah Temple arriving at 6pm. My parents took a few pictures outside the Temple. Inside the desk already knew our names, "Rosenvall Family, we have been expecting you." We took the kids to their youth center where they played with toys. We also left all the kids attendants with them (Grandma Tolson, Grandma Hardy, Grandpa Hardy, Grandma Rosenvall, and my sister Becky.)  They took Andrew & I to double check paperwork and dates. Ried..... something Sbonjom (sp?) double checked everything. Then they took me to the brides room. The chandeliers in the bride room are silver and look like flower petals falling into place. When I was dressed in my Temple clothing my attendant lead Andrew and I to the Celestial room. Andrew & I were able to sit and ponder with one another.

The sealer retrieved us and brought us to another waiting area so he could ask about name pronunciation. Then he took us to the elevator to wait for the kids. The Temple Matron came over to watch and commented "I'm so excited to see children inside the temple." A group of couples passed us and said, "Congrats on your marriage." we smiled. The kids came up with their attendants. Sarah asked me about my temple clothing. Michael took my right hand and I carried little James on my left arm. Andrew carried Daniel & Peter.

We walked down the hall, Michael was so enthralled by the scene around him he walked into a wall. His head made that coconut sound, but he didn't cry. In fact all of the children were calm and quiet. Family & Friends were already seated in the sealing room. Andrew & I sat down with all our kids where the bride and groom normally sit. The Sealer spoke to us about his sealing power and Eternal Families. And to be honest, I was so overwhelmed with seeing my 5 children all dressed in white in the temple, happy, calm and smiling that I don't recall much else of what he said.

We were invited to the altar. Daniel's biological grandpa Hardy (we have an open adoption with him.) assisted him. I held Danny's hand.  Afterwards I lifted up Danny and gave him kisses on his cheek.  Our friends and family greeted/hugged us as they left. The sealer had all the kids come and look into the mirrors to see their forever family. I showed Sarah the crocheted covering on the Temple altar. The kids assistants took them back downstairs to the Youth center and Andrew and I changed our of our Temple clothing.

Outside we took more pictures. The kids walked reverently smelling the flowers and exploring the Temple grounds quietly. Said Michael, "This is my forever family."

The Year in Review: 2013

Jumping from a family of 4 to a family of 7 in a mere fifteen months is insane.

I question the sanity of any who attempt it.

Rosenvall 2013 Year in Review

(Hopefully pictures if I find the camera cable, which has walked away.)

Andrew has been working at Wencor, LLC. as a Quality Inspector. His company was impressed with his work and quickly promoted him to a full time Quality Engineer. The work he completes on aircraft is both fascinating and enjoyable. In his spare time he enjoys playing Star Craft and reading.

Amy is discovering her new niche as a stay at home mom. Her days are filled with taking kids to and from school, making lunches, providing snacks, changing diapers, teaching reading/letters/numbers/hygiene, and overall trying not to have her house in constant disaster mode. On Wednesdays she helps coach Science Olympiad after school and in the evening attends Iaido (Japanese Samurai Class--basically she plays with swords.)

Sarah (6) loves school especially reading, and writing. Math is not her favorite but she works hard at it. She constantly reminds us that she fully intends to be a nurse and adores all things medical. Going to the doctor in her opinion is a treat, and if she can watch the nurses giving a shot it's almost like Christmas for her. She enjoys playing with My Little Ponies.

Michael (5) likes his preschool. He graduated from Speech at the local elementary school but still needs elocution lessons. To help with his speech the therapist suggested that he take trumpet lessons- apparently it helps with tongue movement. Though he's not quite ready for lessons yet (needs to read) he can properly buzz on his trumpet mouthpiece. Rusty & Rosy (computer program) has greatly helped him with recognizing letters

James (1 almost 2) is still 90% percentile in height and weight. He is the largest child in nursery. He will attempt to repeat back any word you say. He likes reading books, calls all cars choochoo's, adores balloons (baloo!), and loves outside.

Peter (6 months) has acid reflux and prefers to not roll over if he can avoid it. He does love to talk and baubles, smiles and coos constantly unless it's time to eat or sleep.

Daniel (6 months) loves to roll over, has recently started scooting forward and uses his mobility to grasp everything so he can taste it. He prefers to grunt when he 'talks'.  His adoption should be finalized in February/March.

Stories

"Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Sarah who went hiking into the woods to find lollipops. And she found amazing lollipops with spots. They are ladybug spots. She picked 3 lollipops and then was very sad. Because the spots disappeared. Only when the lollipops were in the sunlight did they have spots. So she ate 1 lollipop while at a picnic in the sunlight. So 3 lollipops subtract 1 because she ate the lollipop is 2 lollipops left. The end." - S

(Her homework was to draw and tell a subtraction story, I expected something shorter-but loved what she came up with.)

Peach & the Giant James "One day James found a peach.  The peach looked yummy. The peach smelled yummy. The peach was soft and squishy yummy. James took a bite of the peach. It was very yummy. James took two bites. James took 3 bites. Uh-Oh, James found a worm. James took 4 bites. James found half a worm. James took 5 bites. Oh good! No more worm. Yummy peach. The end."

"I came home from school today to find my room was changed. Mom & Dad had switched it around and added one enormous cage. A pile of dirt in the corner and thing all over the floor. But what was in the cage today was really very strange!"

"There's a Dragon in my bedroom!"

Mommy & Daddy put him there! and enormous Dragon with a long bright blue tail! His tail goes swish and knocks my toys everywhere!

"There's a Dragon in my bedroom!"

He snores all night long, and lets out loud bellows, and leaves ringing in my ears!

There's a Dragon in my bedroom!

He's not pleasant at all! When he throws his water across the room and smashes crackers in the floor!

There's a Dragon in my bedroom!

with a huge grin and long snout! but Mommy says he's here to stay! and can't read my sign-"Keep Out!"

There's a Dragon in my bedroom!

He's staring right at me! This Dragon has got to go! A Dragon isn't right you see!

There's a Dragon in my bedroom! Now I'm sure he's getting chunky, and little tasty me would surely be good for a Dragon that's getting hungry!

Just wait, I'll be asleep and then become a midnight snack.

Or maybe for breakfast the Dragon will eat me with a side of morning toast. Gulped down in one big bite, Just for Dragon--me a child sized roast.

But not for me! No! I'll teach this Dragon and take all his things away!

So getting on my outfit for I have a Dragon to shoo! Making sure to have his favorite treats to lure him out, I carefully open to the door and smell---- DRAGON POO!

MOMMY!!!!
Mommy helped me clean my bedroom,

She picked up the toys upon the floor, Helped me fix my Keep Out sign and put it on the door, Changed the Dragon mess and made my room smell good again.

Then showed me that Dragons' can be cuddled, and when Dragon went to sleep- he didn't snore too loudly, nothing to keep me awake. And Mommy scrubbed the crackers out of my bedroom floor, and we wiped up all the messes, it wasn't a really hard chore.

and Mommy gave me a long hug,

And whispered "I love you." Then glancing at the Dragon said, and I love you too.

Seeing that lovely Dragon curled and happy and asleep,

Made me realize that being bigger is really very sweet. so standing on my tiptoes and quiet as a mouse, I whispered to the Dragon, "Welcome to our house."

The Dragon grinned, and happily sucking on his tail,

reached out a sticky claw and held my hand real dear. I suppose if the Dragon really has to stay, Then it will be better if I treat him best today.

Dinosaur
A dinosaur is awesome with spikes or with scales,

They have mighty strength from their heads to their tails. A dinosaur splashes with swirls and with waves, He makes gigantic drawings inside of his caves.

Dinosaurs roar! and Dinosaurs growl,

Dinosaurs stomp and dinosaurs scowl.

A dinosaur eats with crunches and quakes,

They screech over mountains and everything wakes.

Dinosaurs roar! and Dinosaurs growl.

Dinosaurs stomp and dinosaurs scowl.

A dinosaur plays in mud and with sticks,

When a mommy dinosaur comes they have to be quick.

And when mommy comes....

Dinosaurs play and Dinosaurs share. Dinosaurs are quiet and Dinosaurs care.

Dinosaurs help, and Dinosaurs clean

Dinosaurs yawn and Dinosaurs gleem.

Goodnight Dinosaurs, and in their dreams?

Dinosaurs roar! and dinosaurs growl.

Dinosaurs stomp and Dinosaurs scowl... Until they hear their mother howl/Yowl....

What did I do today?

Today I decided to text my husband a list of things I did throughout the day. (Actually he sort of requested it.)

9:41 am - J spills entire box of corn chex cereal on the kitchen floor and proceeds to dance on top of the cereal.
10 am - I discover sink cupboard open while cleaning discover the dish soap to be missing.

10:15 I run downstairs to discover bathroom soap and lotion art decorations on carpet.

Babies hungry, Babies fed. Locks all in bedroom- folding laundry.
10:30 laundry started bathroom scrubbed. Laundry mostly folded bed made.
Spit Up! Clean bed covers, diaper change. Greet M home from school.
Clean S's room make bed, Pick up toys. lunch. baby cuddles, clean table, clean floor.
Boys crying downstairs, teach no jumping on the bed. Give back sucker to M after it was stolen when younger brother tackled him.
baby cuddles, start ice age. Cuddle J. put J down for nap. babies fed, laundry checked, clean living room, organize books, diaper changes. Reschedule WIC for tomorrow. sweep kitchen. tidy patio/deck baby playtime. Ice age- skipping-turn off, play Rusty and Rosy
Upstairs bathroom scrubbed, wait outside for S to get home, pet cat.
Scrub table, again sweep. wash sticky off floor gather dishes.
Babies tummy time, feed babies, S & M afternoon snack, check laundry.
Laundry moved, dishes put away, crackers and Cheese snack cleaned up.
babies fed and changed, dishes put in dishwasher upstairs bathroom cleaned again, countertops wiped. babies outfits changed

Pictures

Bring Him Home

Surprises happen often but miracles happen everyday.

Little Peter is very sweet. He is starting to sleep for longer stretches at night- most of the time. :)

Peter's 'twin' brother was born on June 17, 2013 at 6:52 a.m. weighing 6 lbs 14 oz and 18 inches long. He has dark hair and looks like Michael. He is also going through drug withdrawals. His birth mom has declared to court that she doesn't want reunification services.

He will be Sarah & Michael's last biological half sibling and we have been asked to adopt him.

It is difficult to think of our many dear friends who have no children when Andrew & I have been blessed with 4--almost 5.  After the years of dealing and struggling with infertility we still remember the heartache and pain that we went though.

We feel guilty & blessed & nervous. Guilty for adopting again when others have none--but I cannot in my heart willingly separate my kids from their sibling. Blessed that we have the chance. Nervous to care for twins.

We still have things that need to be finished in order to adopt him, books to read, home improvements and nothing is certain yet.

For now, I call him Oliver. But that may not be his final name.

*Sarah* Michael*James*Peter*Oliver*

Peter's Birth

LABOR story-- or just scroll down for pictures. :)

I had the pleasure of sitting/laying through 4 non-stress tests. The first because contractions were 3 minutes apart for 2 hours. The second because I started bleeding. The 3rd because my blood pressure went high. The 4th because the doctor was confused as to why I wasn't yet in active labor - measuring 43 weeks, dilated 5... waz' up baby?

Three hours after the 4th stress test on June 6, 2013, around 8:30 pm, Andrew and I went back to the hospital. I was having contractions 3-5 minutes apart that were powerful enough to make me cry. My mom met us at the hospital to take Sarie, Mikey and James. My mom ran inside to get me a wheelchair, but I really didn't want to ride in it, I walked instead. "walked" -- paused, limped, cringed...

At the desk the nurse asked, "Last Name and spelling?"

I replied, "Rosenvall, R-O-S-E-N-V, as in Valley, A-L-L."

"And first name?" The nurse looked at me, turned to Andrew and said, "What's her first name and birthdate?" (I was in the middle of another contraction.)

"Amy, A-M-Y," Andrew replied, "and birthday... uh... February, 2nd NO, 1st, 2013...uh mean '80 no..."

He was obliviously nervous but eventually got the correct date.

They sent me to a room, I dressed in a lovely hospital gown, went to the bathroom and was greeted by blood...everywhere... Sat on the bed, the nurse came in, saw the blood... checked me, I was dilated to a 6.5, then asked me to walk across the hall into a labor & delivery room. I made it halfway across the hall before another contraction.

My mom came up to give us the spare keys we had left in the van, then she left again to take care of our kiddos. We had also arranged to have Andrew's mom show up at 10 pm to be with the kiddos through the night.

In labor & delivery, I was hooked up to the heart/baby, contractions monitor, an IV with antibiotics (strep b positive) and yes, I did request an epidural. I was very nervous to have an epidural because in a c-section the epidural froze my lungs and I couldn't breath. Apparently epidurals with c-sections are set very high so you feel nothing. I appreciated the epidural since it was much less this time and I could still tell when contractions came/went.

My nurse was named Kimmy. She told me, "We want the antibiotics to take a good long time, so we will encourage things to slow down, I will check you again in 1 hour."

She left and we waited. By now it was 10 pm. I was able to eat a lime Popsicle, and ice chips. Andrew dozed off on the couch about midnight. I was progressing faster than they wished, they slowed me down a little bit. Kimmy checked every hour and for the most part I was fairly comfortable and time passed quickly.

Around 2 Kimmy came in, checked me again, "Okay Amy, you are really close, but since this is your first VBAC we want you to wait as long as possible to let the baby descend on his own, I will check in 1 hour, but most likely you will be ready before then."

Then THE contractions started. The epidural machine allows you to click a button to increase the flow and you feel less- I didn't touch that button.

Andrew let me squeeze the daylight out of his fingers and around 3 am I was feeling the urge to push.... At 3:20 am Kimmy came in. I hear her ask the doctor, "Do you want us to call right when she starts pushing?" The doctor replied, "No, let her push for awhile then call me when she's closer."

I was set up, Kimmy gave me instructions on how to push and told me to push. One push, Kimmy ran to the door and called Dr. Aagard. In one push baby's head was at 3+ (if you know what that means?)  Dr. Aagard hurried in, I pushed 9 times (3 contractions) and baby Peter was here!

He had an awesome figure 8 knot in his umbilical cord, we're lucky it didn't cause problems. I tore- and yes it still hurts.

8 pounds, 8.3 ounces, 20.5 inches.  3:43 a.m June 7, 2013

They took his downstairs to check his oxygen, because he looked rather red/darker to the nurses. But, that darker coloring runs in my family-- yep-- Peter was normal so they brought him back to L&D. (J looked like a Rosenvall - light color, blond hair, blue eyes. Peter is dark skinned, dark hair, very dark eyes so far.)

Kimmy.

G'pa Rosenvall

G'ma & g'pa Tolson

My sister Eileen.

My brother Matt.