Our blog is going private...

Yes, I've decided to go private on our blog! Please email me your email address if I don't have it...even if you think I do, send it anyways! ashleyolson4@yahoo.com
I seriously can't get enough of these cheeks especially since he's now smiling and cooing... And can I just say THANK YOU BLAKE for deciding to sleep for a longer period of time these past couple nights. You have no idea how good this makes me feel. 9 weeks and 9 hours...great job dude

Last week me and my sister Britney took all of our kids to fly kites. This April has been AMAZING weather, and I know our breezy cool days are just about over. I loved flying kites and the kids loved it too!! It was so fun to watch their faces and see them get so excited...

We took way too many pictures the other night when the Lambs came over. Everybody has got to get themselves one of these, hours of entertainment. And in case you can't tell who everybody is...

Erik Jamie and our kids

Jay

Me (I laughed so hard, to tears)

Kate (she freaked herself out a little bit)

Anna

David

Had enough Easter candy?

My kids were SO excited for their non-stop Easter weekend of fun. On Saturday we went to Papa and Mommer's house and we had a blast going on sugar overload!Kate couldn't stuff her face fast enough. She was slow at actually hunting the eggs because she had to open each one before she would go and find another one.

I think this picture is hilarious - it looks like Blake has already caught up!

I love these pajamas and the chubby kid wearing them! David called him Superman-boy. Here is a slight glimpse of those dimples...

My two little handsome guys all ready for church...

On Sunday we had our Easter party at Grandma and Grandpa Olson's house
here are a few of the cousins...

In heaven...

My mother-in-law is a master genius at flowers and gardening and her yard is always beautiful, especially this time of year.This is the best part of every party we go to at Easter, I just love watching the cousins open their eggs and stuff their faces. It's also funny to watch them morph in to hyperactivity as the sugar kicks in...

Happy Easter everyone!!

Eight weeks already?

Hopefully this will be my last time going AWOL with blogging, we finally got a new computer! No more crashes and slow up/downloading, I'm SO excited! So now I'm playing catch up, there is so much to cover about Blake's first two months. He is growing up way too fast! I'm sad that the time of referring to his age by weeks is coming to an end and that he isn't a little ball curled up on my chest anymore :( Life really does go by way too fast. When looking at my four kids, I think I ask myself every time, "When did all this happen?!?" Here is a countdown of the past 2 months, starting with the most recent pictures...

First of all I'm excited to put this picture up of one of Jay's most recent projects, a grill! This one was a practice that I got (woohoo!), he wants to make and sell some more down the road. I am more than excited right now to finally have our own BBQ. He did such a good job with this...AND might I point out the most amazing thing about this grill is that he made it from scratch! He only bought the casters it rolls on and the valves. Everything else was scrap metal from his shop that he bent up and put together all himself and it didn't take him very long at all. I look forward to putting more pictures of his latest jobs and projects...

We are thankful for great friends and great family, we have had fun couple of months spent with all of them. Jamie and Erik you guys rock and we love your cute kids!

Jamie and Erik had Maisy one week before Blake. It was fun to have babies so close. Future couple? We watched the UCONN/MICH ST and UNC/VILLANOVA game at my brother Bryan's house in Suprise. The boys headed to the Priesthood session while us girls (including my mom) cheered on North Carolina. Karin, thanks for letting Anna wear your lucky hat! She is convinced they won because of her. Thanks for a really fun time guys, as always!
Oh and what do ya know, I won my family's NCAA tournament this year! I get to keep this trophy (with all the winners engraved on it) for the next year. Here is the big question, how in the heck did I win again? I also won in '06 and now I've come the the conclusion that I'm one lucky guesser...crazy. sorry to all my family members who watched all the games and researched all season...I really love blessing days, thanks to all the family that came in celebration of Blake. Jay gave a great blessing and we had an absolutely fun day filled with lots of food and lots of cousins. To me, nothing gets better than that!
This was our trip to the Phx zoo with all my family when Blake was 5 weeks old (it was a fun spring break). Another great day with all the cousins!

I love Spring! We finally started our amatuer garden 3 weeks ago. Jay worked really hard along with the kids to get this all together and it was a fun Saturday morning. The kids have loved watching everything grow. Jay went a little nuts and planted tomatoes, watermelon, canteloupe, green onions, yellow onions, carrots, cilantro, beans etc. along the back wall. We'll see how our first attempt at a real garden goes?I had to put these pictures on here of a get together at my parent's house recently. Every once in a while, we have the dads lay down and line up and let all the cousins walk, jump, and fall across their backs. This time the injuries were minimal, but the noise in this room was loud! They all love when they get to do this to the dads. And an update on each of the kids...
Anna has been a huge help to me in a millions ways in the past couple months. She is reading like crazy now and loves school and her new friends. She has this memory that makes me look pathetic and she is always responsible. One time Blake was screaming in his bassinet while I was getting ready. She went over to him, sat him up-still in his bed, patted his back, and out came a huge burp. She layed him right back down and he went back to sleep.

She gets in plently of brewhaw-haws with David so she likes to spend time alone sometimes. One day I walked by her door and saw this...it made me laugh.

David is keeping extra busy and loves having Blake around. He's been having a hard time at resisting his impulse to tease the girls constantly but boys will be boys sometimes I guess. He loves going on bike rides around the neighborhood and has made some new friends. He will start preschool in the fall - he can't wait to have his own big thing to do!He and Kate are a roller coaster ride together but are the best of friends. He is great at making her laugh and doing the things she wants to do. I love hearing them chatting and laughing, I find them doing this every morning with every toy and book on his bed... They also love playing outside together and they are always digging in the dirt, completely in their own world...

Kate is a crack up and we are loving this age, everything she says or does is hilarious. She is always so cute and bounces around the house everywhere she goes. I can NEVER get her to hold still and smile for pictures and lately she will actually cross her eyes or close them, here are just a few of the many...
Finally, a normal face for the camera...

Her favorite pastime, sitting and digging in the dirt...
The kids can't get enough of Blake and are constantly wanting to hold, touch, rub, poke, kiss and hug him. Poor 4th child. Lots of fun times to come...Blake is doing really well, all he does is eat sleep and poop. We laugh because he is always farting, burping and pooping, such a boy. He has DOUBLED his weight in 8 weeks, starting at 7'6 and now he is almost 14 pounds! He is already in size three diapers which he seems to make disappear with all his blowouts. We have loved watching him grow and get his own little look and smile. We love when we get a rare glimpse of both of his dimples on either side of his ginormous cheeks. Here he is at...

eight weeks
six weeksfour weeks two weeks - this was our lovely hospital stay. They ran a bunch of tests, monitored his fever, and pumped him with antibiotics for 3 days. One night his IV came out and they had to stick his about 9 more times (feet, hands, arms) before they finally got it back in. Poor guy, we were blessed that they never found anything serious and sent us home safe and relieved.
David called these Blake's "guns"

one week old - I miss this little tiny stage already

They're Home!

Great news, Ashley and Blake were able to come home last night from the hospital. All the tests they took came back normal, so whatever type of viral bug he had will have to run its course. He is doing good and doesn't need to take any medication or have any other treatment. He is still congested, but is doing good. Thank you to those that helped, especially our moms.

Baby Blake

Just so everyone is aware, we had to take Blake to Desert Sam on Sunday due him having a fever at just 2 1/2 weeks old. Ashley took him to urgent care Sunday afternoon and was told we had to take him immediately to the hospital. The waiting room was packed when we got there and within 5 minutes were back to an isolated room and they began performing a number of tests, from spinal taps to blood work.
It is a hard thing to watch someone stick a needle into your new baby's spine and then hooked up to an IV.
They admitted us to a normal room and were informed they were keeping him for several days until all the tests come back. He still has a fever, but the tests that have come back have been normal. They thought initially that he might have RSV, but further tests show that is unlikely.

Ashley and I are very grateful for our families support, they have helped us so much the past few months with the move, birth and the current situation. We are very blessed.

Ashley is doing well, but with the hospital only having sleeping accommodations for one adult will be there with him until he gets out. Blake is in good hands.

Blake is doing well, but with being so little and constantly being disturbed with tests and things being inserted in him, he has had a hard time staying comfortable and sleeping well. He is fighting something, they are not sure what yet, so please remember him in your prayers.