2nd Post

Friday was really our last full day at McCall. We went canoeing. I think the kids were kind of half and half on who liked it and who hated it with a passion. Here I got a picture of all the kids staring at an airplane. It's funny how they all have the same expression. London, like last year loved the canoe. She also took a rest at my feet (like last year) and frequently asked for snacks as is her habit while swimming or by water. This is her laying down between my legs. We always have a good time on this canoe trip. We have a tradition of jumping off this rock. Dean did a gaynor (s?) off it and I so wish I had one of those quick cameras to get the shots. Tyler and Dean took London and Mia and Luke across to the rock. It's ice cold water so they were not comfortable to say the least. London was so proud that her dad was jumping off the rock that everytime he would go she'd say, "that's my dad!!!" Shortly after returning to my side of the river, London took off her swim diaper and immediately pooped. This is her doing the walk of shame to the bushes with daddy to cleaned up. My cousin Walker has a reputation for tipping canoes. Good news was that he avoided our canoe because I wouldn't be able to get back in. Unfortunately for Libby, Maddie, and Katie; he was after them. Somehow they avoided him the whole time. Also near our little beach, there was a deer that seemed quite tame. Weird. I tried to get pictures of the family. Emily says that Sam is such a cheeseball. Whose the cheeseball now Em? So London fell asleep at the end of the ride by laying her on my leg. This was cute, but my toes were in a pointed position in order to support her head and that night, my calf was killing me! She even slept after we got out of the canoe. This is almost unheard of from this little child. We were all pretty tired at the end of that day. Can anyone say brothers?

Busy Week for Blogging

Since Tyler just left, I'm going to have to update him frequently on the appearance of our little boy. I hope nobody gets annoyed by so many posts. Also, I never finished the McCall Trip. So, I believe day four.... or five is in order. Okay, on Thursday we went jet skiing. My mom was not pleased that I considered getting on a jet ski. I promised I'd go really slow. I ended up having a pretty good time and didn't have to slow poke around the lake. I spent most of the time sunning on the dock. London was hilarious. She LOVED jet skiing. She kept telling Tyler that he wasn't going fast enough. When I took her out she said the same thing. Then she went with Mimi and Poppa and told them to "Go faster, go faster!" What can I say? We've got a wild child. Tyler got some really sweet shots of a pregnant woman's fat butt driving away on a jet ski. Fortunately, I'm doing this blog and that fat butt is history! Everytime I look at these jet ski pics I can't believe how big London looks. She's so big! After jet skiing we went to Ice Cream Alley. I don't know why but, my family has an obsession with it. I think Tyler and I went three times...or two. I can't remember but, it is delicious. London loved it. She even played in the garbage a little. She had a bubble gum ice cream and Luke kept saying, "London, can I have some? You can have some of mine!" I think he was impressed with the blue color. We were the last people to leave the Alley because London was not quite done. At one point I looked over and she had stuck her cone in the slats of the table. She said she needed a rest. London did end up finishing her cone, regardless of how full she was. What can I say, she's her mother's child.

Out of the Hospital!

My little man and I are home. I have to say to those who read the previous entry that Tyler probably spent at least two hours writing that. I have to apologize for his need to put detail into everything. I kept telling him that people just don't care about that stuff....c'est la vie. He does what he wants. I do have to say thank you to him for being kind by putting the least hideous pictures up. However, I have to be the honest one and put up the ugly pics for my own conscience. I believe this one is of me gritting through a contraction. I also had to have a picture with my other coach. Thanks for taking me to the hospital, mom. Also, thanks for helping me with my house and London. It was a load off of my back. I was so relieved when Tyler got to the hospital. I thought, "Good, I'll get some help." Well, shortly after that thought, I looked over and discovered that my mom was out as was my husband. But, for being in labor for 10 hours, they stayed with me and coached me...most of the time. I was on oxygen for almost the whole 10 hours. This picture is literally right after he was born and probably the most humbling of pictures. It was quite the road. I have to say that regardless of my exhaustion, I missed my little girl horribly. She ran right into the delivery room and yelled, "MOM! I missed you!!!" I thought I would cry; it was such a special moment. She loves little Madden and couldn't be more helpful. London was such an angel while Ty and I were at the hospital. She came twice the day he was born. the second time she didn't make it up the elevator to our room before she passed out. Mom layed her next to me on the bed and she didn't even wake up. I have to say this delivery, although the labor was twice as long and twice as hard, has been so much better than London's. He is a great nurser and the recovery is less painful. LOVE IT! I'm sure everyone is sick of these long posts so I will finish with a thank you to all those who visited and prayed for us. Also, thank you Tyler for finally listening to me and coming home. Okay, just kidding. Thank you for helping me in and out of the hospital before and after pregnancy. You are God's gift. Love, hugs and bum rubs! Enjoy the rest of the pics! Loves to all!

Ladies and Gentleman, Your 2028 Heisman Trophy Winner is...

Madden Tyler Barnes!!! It is either the '28 Heisman, or the '36 Masters, we aren't sure yet. I guess we will let him decide what he wants to do. So, Madden came a little earlier than expected (two weeks for those who don't know), but we are so happy that he is here. He is such a joy to us and we feel so blessed to add another beautiful child into our home. And if the title didn't give it away, this is Tyler posting the article, not Shelley. So, let me give the rundown of how this kid came into the world...and if you just want to see the pics, scroll down the page(which wouldn't offend me because that is how I often "read" other people's blogs). So without further ado, here is the story: Monday morning, I hopped on a flight and flew to Houston for work. Our plan was for me to work that week, and then induce labor on the 12th. Shelley was having some contractions and some discomfort and told me that she was positive the kid was coming before I was scheduled to come home and said, "I hope you make it home if he comes." I just shrugged it off and thought she was a bit over reacting about this kid coming and that there was no way he could come before we were to induce. Shelley went to Barnes Park(no relation to us) so London could play around and had fun with Jessica and Jaden Barber. Shell took London to Cherry Hill right after the park for 4 hours and had some fun in the water and sun with Emily and Samuel Simmons. Shelley told Emily that she was sure that she was going to have this kid within the next two days. Contractions were on and off the rest of the day and continued through the night. Tuesday morning, Shelley was feeling tons on pressure and continued with the contractions. I was up and running for work and hadn't really talked to her. Shelley had to make her way to the gym(which still amazes me that she can and does work out at 9 months pregnant) and then came home and did some rigorous deep cleaning of our house in preparation for our little man. Mom came over to help watch London and did a ton of cleaning for us, for which we are so grateful. The house looks great! Afterwards, Shelley ran off to her doctor appointment. Her doc is out of town, but the bullpen doctor told her that she was dilated to a 4 and that if she felt like she was having any labor pains, she needed to call her husband. He also said that if Shelley ran around the block a couple times and came into the hospital, they wouldn't turn her away. So Shelley sends me a text that said the baby is coming, call me as soon as I could. I looked at the text and thought if the baby was really coming, she would have said something like, "get your butt on a plane, I am in labor!!!" (Maybe that is what I would have written, but Shelley felt her message was clear enough that I should have known, but I didn't call her for about 2 hours. To my defense, I was working and didn't have a free second. And I didn't feel much urgency in the message she sent). When I finally did call her, she said that she was feeling the pains and that I needed to get home. After talking to her, I felt that I needed to get home 'cause this baby was on his way. I didn't think that it was possible for me to get home that night, but I was going to do everything that I could to make it happen. At 6:20 p.m., my company booked a 7:05 p.m. flight for me at an airport I was 20 miles away from. We got to the airport at 6:33 and I checked in for the flight, which the nice people at Frontier Airlines barely let me get on because I was so late. I had a free pass to get through security quicker, and then sprinted to the gate to get on the plane. Right after I boarded, they shut the door. Then we sat on the plane for an hour and a half while maintainence fixed a problem. The only worry was that I was going to miss the connecting flight in Denver if they took too long. Shelley was at her parents' house and decided to take the Docs advice and went for a run with her sister(I know, Iknow, what the heck was she thinking?! I don't think the doctor was serious about going on a run, but she took a 4 mile jaunt with her sister to start the labor). Meanwhile, my plane landed at 9:30 in Denver and the flight to Salt Lake left at 9:47. I sprinted to another terminal, only to find that plane was just about to start boarding becuase it was luckily delayed by 15 minutes. I got on the plane and called home. Shelley was in the shower and going to the hospital as soon as she got out. I told her mom I would meet them there and to keep that kid in her belly. Shelley checked in at 11:15 and I got there at 12:15. From there, we just had to wait for the contractions to keep doing their thing. Shelley was at a 5 at 1 a.m. and we thought it would be any minute. The nurses didn't break her water because the doctor wanted to sleep, and so we waited and waited. Shelley got an epidural, but must have just felt miserable all night long. Finally, at 8, the doctor came in and broke her water. She went from a 5 to a 10 in about 20 minutes. She pushed for 25 minutes and at 9:16 on August 5th, out came Madden. He tipped the scales at 7 lbs, 4 ounces and was 20 1/2 inches long. We are so blessed that he has a clean bill of health and everything has been going well with him. Shelley is quite the trooper, never complaining and ever so happy. She is doing wonderful, more beautiful than ever, and we hope her recovery time is swift and we feel like it will be. I am so proud of her and all that she went through to bring another soul into this world. London was a little nervous the first time that she met her brother, but she has subsequently warmed right up to this little guy. She is proud of her little Madden and wants to hold him all the time. She was singing songs to him in a car ride home and when she was holding him. She was very upset when Shelley was going to feed him because he was under a blanket and she needed to see him. She is going to be a wonderful big sister and she is so sweet to him. This whole event brings so many things into clearer focus for me. I see the Lord's hand all around me and feel ever so grateful to Him who reigns on high for blessing me with so many miracles. I am in awe of His majesty and Grace, and am so grateful for the plan that will allow me to be with my family forever. Thanks for all the phone calls, text messages, notes, and prayers on our behalf. We love you all, and can't wait for you guys to meet Madden.