Layla Marie Barker

Layla Marie was born Saturday, May 7, 2011 at 1:20pm. She weighed 7lbs 3oz and measured 20 inches long. She was born with a full head of black, thick hair just like both her parents were. Her eyes are dark brown right now. She’s adorable.

Friday, May 6, I woke up with a migraine. I had a dr. appt at 10:30am. My blood pressure was high, either because of the pain, or causing the pain. Either way, the doctor suggested going to the hospital. He broke my water that afternoon, by nightfall I hadn’t had any contractions and things were at a stand still, so I sent J.D. home for the night and told him I would call him when I was making progress. I slept all most of Friday afternoon and all through the night. (On great pain meds which eventually took care of the killer migraine)

At 4:30AM I woke up to super painful contractions lasting up to 30 seconds. I immediately asked for an epidural. I asked J.D. to come back to the hospital. After the epidural the pain was gone and I pretty much went back to sleep.

Around noon the nurse came in and said the contraction sheet was showing some stress on the baby , so she called the doctor. He was there in 10 minutes. Turns out I was ready to push! It took about a hour, but the epidural was still doing its job so it was tolerable.

It was actually really peaceful when she was born. There wasn’t any stress, she didn’t hardly fuss when the nurses were cleaning her up. She is such a sweet baby.


Ali came up and stayed at the hospital with me Saturday night so J.D. could stay home with Bo. We brought our new baby girl home on Mother’s Day.



Bo didn’t really know what to think of her for the first couple days. I’m pretty sure he thought she was a cat for a bit after my mom said ‘softly…like your petting the cat’.

After that, he would pet her and say ‘meow’. Now he gives her lots of kisses and loves his little sister.


Layla is doing what newborns do best…she sleeps a lot! I can’t wait to watch her grow and learn more about her and her personality.

Update

We're pretty much settled in at my parents, where we'll be for the next several months. Bo adjusted pretty quick. He gets excited and runs to the door when my dad or J.D. comes home from work, he's always running upstairs to say hi to 'Grammy' or to chase the cat who lives upstairs. He loves playing with 'Uncle Craiger'. My dad got some new toys for when the grandkids come stay. J.D. put this one together last week and Bo has been breaking it in.

My own child prodigy? His attempt at chopsticks is pretty good for a one year old. I love it when he gets into it and does his Schroder impression.

Hopefully the transition from only child to big brother goes smoothly. We're expecting her debut in the next week or so!

"I love Love..." - The Format

I'm happy to be in love with someone who loves me unconditionally. He's strong and sweet and super thoughtful. I married the nicest guy and I couldn't be more happy with him.

I've always been a lover, but J.D. has really taught me how to love. He's taught me to eliminate fear and gave me the courage to be loved and love back. He is not jealous. He is not rude. He is kind and selfless.

I hope every girl knows it is NEVER OK to be yelled at or called names. It's never okay to be spit on, shoved or threatened. That is not love and will never be tolerated. Have enough faith and love for yourself to know that you will be loved painlessly if you have the courage to distance yourself and start anew. Remember the qualities of healthy loving relationship you've experienced and seek for those loving qualities. Love with all your heart, but don't ignore red flags of jealousy, rage and disrespect. You, as a partner, do not have the tools, training or responsibility to change or fix anyone.

Love is so important to me. The love my Savior has for me and I for Him. The love I have for my husband and for my babies is so special to me. I never would be so loved as I am now if hadn't learned to love myself.

I'm also grateful for the faith I had to know I would be okay. I'm so much more than okay now.
Alma 32:21And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.


A friend of mine, Charlene Robertson, once told me "Use your head (as she thumped my head) and your heart will follow (as she touched my heart)."

Happy Valentines Day to the love of my life. Thank you for all the love and patience you show me. I love you!

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.


For more scriptures on Love: http://lds.org/scriptures/search?lang=eng&query=love

From my Valentine - most precious vase I've ever seen. I love a man who uses his resources.

SUPER BOWL

Last week my friend De came over to play. She'd bought these Gyro Bowls, they were buy one get one free and she shares because she cares and brought one for me. Coolest bowl ever.

If your kid is anything like mine...

He starts out with his snacks on the table.

Then he picks it up while he's slowing falling into tv trance.

...and within seconds he's totally in TV trance and his bowl his tipping.

But it's SUPER BOWL Sunday everyday around here with this bad boy.


https://www.buygyrobowl.com/flare/next?tag=heaf&a_aid=OF&a_bid=d2dbcae0&data1=429

You're Welcome America. And Canada.

Love don't cost a thing, but music note shirts do.

I fell in love with this shirt J-LO wore on American Idol. But as it turns out,

I'm a huge fan of her style! I love everything she's been wearing to these auditions. The music note shirt is only $290 on sale at http://www.moschinoboutique.com/.

My friend Francine say's I could make a shirt like that, I think she's right. Mine would probably look like a kindergarten project, but I haven't ruled out trying!

On the same ridiculously overpriced website I also found this awesome shirt that say's "Love is in the Hair" - I would totally rock that if it wasn't $425. Nevertheless, words to live by!

I LOVE this color!

SHIMMER!

Another fave, I love the headband.

This makes me want to go buy a deep purple shirt and play with my make up.

You know you're pretty when you can put all your hair in a bag on top of your head and still look gorgeous. A hair thing like this would totally come in handy for me with all my crazy unruly hair.

I'm gonna go play dress up now.

Geography and Lyrics

Two things I'm not good at.
Using the right lyrics and Geography.

Bo's favorite show is Clifford the Big Red Dog. I thought the song went 'So they moved to Vermont....' So when I sing it around the house that's what I say. A week or so ago, J.D. said "They moved to an island, Vermont is inland" I argued that maybe Vermont has islands.

J.D.: "No it doesn't."

Turns out it says "They moved to Birdwell Island"

How I got Vermont, I don't know.

I'm sorry...I can't afford a Ferrari

With as many millions of songs use the word 'Sorry' I'm shocked this is first time someones thought to incorporate the hot car that ryhmes with it. This song is my favorite jam right now. I love this version too. I can't remember what was going on in this episode of Glee, but I'm NOT surprised Racheal is acting so pissy.

Press play and dance crazy.

....Well not exactly because nobody else sits ON the table around here. But I do have a little monkey running around. He climbs on EVERYTHING. And he's quick as a cricket, and quiet as a lamb. You know how people start explaining the broken arm by saying "I turned around for seriously 2 seconds..." Seriously. I get it. In the time it takes me to take a plate into the kitchen I turn around and he's on the table. The last couple days when I see him running to the chair I tell him 'no' and he stops, so he knows he's not suppose to. Naughty baby :)

I don't think I have a single random picture that doesn't have a Sonic drink in it.

And to think I've cut back...frightening!

A year and then some later, this is what our family looks like on a good day!

I'm not going to try to catch up on what's been happening since October of 2009, but here are the highlights.

Bo turned 1.
I got pregnant.
In that order.

Thanksgiving was at my house with the Boyd gang.

J.D.'s parents came to town for Christmas/New Years

I wanted to start making one thing homeade for Bo for Christmas every year. I got the pattern for this from an Etsy company called Copy Crafts. It doesn't look ANYTHING like what it was suppose to, but I'm not very crafty or careful so it's a mess. But kids don't care so I'm not worried about it. Good thing I started this in August, I finished it at 11:15 Christmas Eve.

My mom helped A LOT. Reading a pattern is like reading French to me.

This is baby GIRL Barker, 22 weeks along.

Feet over her head, hopefully not trying to tell me I'M in over my head.

My neice Lydia loved the picture of Sister Baby Barker, she sent me this. Love her.

XOXO

A _ _ _ _ changes everything.

I can't think about anything else to blog about!!!

When I got back from my trip to Winslow, J.D. had the crib set up. Bo has been sleeping in my top dresser drawer for the last 3 1/2 months. (joke) The cradle that my parents got when I was born held little Bo since he was born, but he's huge now so he's in his own room in a big boy crib. He likes to throw his feet up high and slam them down. Sometimes I know he's awake because I hear that.


I keep telling him "stop being so cute!" But he's stubborn like his momma.



Clearly he found his toes. And he started rolling over from his back to tummy. A few weeks ago he did the opposite, but it was really an accident. He just really didn't want to be on his tummy. He hates exercising. Just like his momma.

UNLIKE his momma, he looks like his dadda! 1/20 people say he looks like me. I see J.D. like most people.

"Toe Pick!"

I’ve got a pedicure at different places every 2 - 6 weeks for the past 5-6 years. I rarely cut my own toenails, I just let the ladies do it. Shortly after one in August, I got an ingrown toenail, I picked at it for a while then left it alone..then picked at it then it got worse. It was waking me up in the night because it touched the bed or the sheets it hurt (it was that tender!) so I had to sleep on my tummy with my ankles cross. So annoying since I just spent the better part of 9 months struggle to find comfortable ways to sleep. During these weeks Bo sleep SO well during the night, has been going to sleep between 8-9:30 then waking up between 5-7 and going back to sleep til 8-9! Which is awesome, but I still woke up every few hours because of my toe. It got worse and worse so when I went to Winslow mid September I went to Dr. Travis Reber (who by the way is easy on the eyes) He numbed my whole toe and cut that whole side of my toenail. It looks terrible but feels awesome!!! It was such a relief. A couple days before I went it my OTHER big toe felt tender when I walked, I had him look at that one, but it looked fine. Now, 2 weeks later, it’s totally curved in and hurting, AND my 2nd toe (the one next to the big toe…do these suckers have names besides the one who got roast beef and the one who ran away?) is growing inward as well! My toes are driving me crazy. These are my FIRST ingrown toenails and I have 3...who does that?! It makes me think since I still to this day and I’m 26 have never had a cavity, when I do I’m going to have a mouthful. I was doing good doing my workout video everyday before I couldn’t put shoes on anymore, now I haven’t been doing anything active and I have 25lbs to loose so I can fit in my pre pregnancy wardrobe! Isn’t nursing suppose to help you loose weight? Because I can’t imagine what I would weight if I wasn’t nursing. I created a throw away pile at the top of the stairs this week (old lamp shade, broken laundry basket, a box from snowboarding shoes that has been in my way for a year, a cocking gun that works I’m sure but I just want to throw it away because it is awkwardly large and I don’t want to look at) also in this pile was the scale. J.D. took it all to the dumpster tonight and said “Are you really throwing this scale away?“ I said yes. It MUST be broken. Then I thought to myself. Or it’s really mean. Speaking of throwing things out I’m still obsessively nesting, apparently I got addicted to it. Everytime the baby is sleeping I run to start a project and try to finish it before he wakes up, if he wakes up before I finish I entertain him til his next nap and go finish up. I lay awake thinking of if I should move the plates and cups to a different cupboard…if I should go through and take extra stuff to savors…and while I’m there I wonder if I could find nightstands better than the ones I have…then what is in these nightstands? I should clean them out too…I’m not sure if like where they are right now….should I rearrange the room. Ah. The tv. That’s the only place for the tv. Unless we get a flat screen for the other wall. That would be nice but we’re on a budget, that wouldn’t be smart to spend $500 on a tv when we need to plan for the next year or so on one income. Then, should we have bought the 50+inch flat screen? Was that stupid? We could have been wiser. But it makes J.D. happy. But now we have to have HD channels, which are awesome, but they are an extra $18/mo from Cox and I just got the Cox bill down to $60, all of the sudden it’s $130 again…how did that happen when 60 + 18 is NOT 130. What other bills can I cut? Did I pay all the bills this month?
Ouch. My toe. Blah.

Running in place :)

I sometimes video the baby in the morning, because he's so happy it cracks me up! This time when I turned in on he was kickin like crazy. A healthy diet and excercise. That's how he's grown to be 26 inches long and 17 pounds in a short 3 months.

It has been too long since I've let my 8 blog readers whats new in Mama Barker world. And in case you don't read my status updates on facebook every 8 hours...Enjoy! These pictures are in no order, and I have to try to do this quick while Bo is taking a nap. :)

Our neice Lexi came to stay with us for few days. She was a big helper. So good of a helper she asked me 'Why do you always tell me what to do?' Poor thing. We played Candyland, Barbies, colored her Dora coloring book, watched Cinderella and Matilda over and over again, traced letters and read books. She helped me change diapers, played quiet when Bo was sleeping and took care of Roxy, or as she calls her "Rocks" Hey Rocks, whatcha doing? Rocks, move! Rocks go downstairs! :)




LOL, one day during Alexa's visit J.D. took her swimming while I took Bo to JCPennys to get his pictures taken. We wore both the kids out! We took them with us to run errands on Saturday evening and Bo fell asleep right when we got in the car like he usually does. Lexi was right behind him. We got to Costco and she would not wake up so J.D. put her in the cart. Neither of them moved an inch the whole Costco trip. Everyone was making comments like "how cute, look at that, somebody's tired, now THATS how you take the kids to the store!" They fell asleep around 7pm and Lexi didn't wake up til 8:30am!



Lexi 'holding' Bo. He's almost too big for her to hold anymore! But this little position works! And look how helpful she is with the Binki!

Taking a walk...

My little baseball player. Or so his dad hopes.

Jessica & family came for a few days when Bo was blessed. Now when I talk to Lydia on the phone she says 'lemme talk ta Baby Bo! Hi baby Bo...hi! hi! Watcha doin?! Huh baby Bo? " :)

Even Jonah says 'Ba Bo' So cute.

This picture cracks me up. Lydia was wearing a dinasaur bath towel after her bath. J.D. was trying to tell her to roar like a dinasaur.

I so try to do tumy time with him everyday, but he so hates it :) I just noticed my feet over there on the right, how did I take this picture :)

We love it when friends come to visit. One night Ryan and Kara (recently engaged!) came over for dinner and to play games. Ryan plays well with others :) Roxy thinks J.D. is 'base'.

We were so lucky to have Grandma Lo Lo (Laurie) here for Bo's birth and blessing. She's awesome! We can't wait to go to Maryland for Thanksgiving!

Every once in a while I'll go up the street to Dawn's and hang out. We call Dawn Bo's girlfriend. When I was in labor Dawn came to see me. When she got there, Bo's heart rate started going up. When she left, it went back down. So now we like to say he has a crush on her. Who doesn't, she's a pretty girl!

We went up to Winslow when J.D. needed some teeth worked on. Roxy watched over Bo for the first half of the trip. The second half, I had a bulldog head on my lap and the baby was holding my finger.

And last but not least, we took Bo to his first Diamondbacks game when Aunt Vicki and Uncle Darrel were in town. We were able to show off the cute little outfit Aunt Pam and Aunt Lori got him!

It's been a great 3 months since the baby got here! I'm really enjoying staying home with him. We are on a great schedule that works for both of us. I'm doing a lot of cleaning and organizing when he's taking naps. He's starting to laugh a lot lately, it's so so fun to watch him grow!

I love my little family, and my big family - Bo is lucky to have so many fun Aunts and Uncles/ Grandparents and cousins!

I'm just glad there is finally someone who enjoys my 'singing'. :)