Colter Washington Keck

Miriam, Tane and Tait welcome their baby brother, Colter Washington Keck to our family.

Born on September 16th, 2009, at 8:03 am in Payson, Utah.

Tipping the scale at 8lbs 7.5oz

Stretching the tape to 22inches!

Blair and Lisa having a DDR party. In an effort to encourage little Colter to join us, we decided to have a DDR party. Blair finally beat Lisa in one song, and it took a handicap to beat her.

This was an exciting experience for us because it was our first spontaneous birth. He got us out of bed at 3:30am this morning when Lisa's water broke. Lisa's labor was quite quick, surprising the doc. He barely showed up in time to catch him as he came out. What a handsome dude!

Lisa's one tough Mama! Literally! She got lots of kudos from the nurses about how tough she was during the labor and delivery. She had this baby naturally - without an epidural! You go girl!

The proud Papa. He had the easy job of rubbing Lisa's feet and back and wispering sweet nothings in her ear. He would try to make her laugh in the middle of a contraction. Then about 20 seconds later, Lisa would finally give him a courtesy smile.

Tait was naturally so sweet and gently with his new little baby brother, "Coh-ker." He was so excited to bring his mom a picture he drew and a special yellow rose he chose for her.

The kids were able to pick out a rose for their mother, they were so excited! Tane is a very kind and caring brother, it is easy to tell how much he loves his new little brother.

Miriam was very disappointed when she found out she wasn't getting a baby sister. She has since opened her heart and accepted her baby brother lovingly. She wrote Mom a special card telling her that she loved him and is going to do her very best for him. She is going to make a good diaper changer!

Mom and the kids - they have all had a special bonding at their individual births. It was a special moment when the kids came in and met their baby brother for the first time. They were all excited to give him hugs and hold him.

Two days ago Tane came up to Lisa and out of the blue said "When this baby comes out, Mom. He's gonna come out cheering for BYU."

Catching up...

Today I have only one goal. To catch up on all of the events (big and small) from May-September so that my next post can be all about Baby!

Having never attempted such a feat before, I don't know if it makes more logical sense to fit them all into several smaller posts in backward chronological order, or make one long post in a better time line. I think this will turn out sporadic, and jumpy at best...but I would like to have the memories recorded anyhow. And I do have a very good excuse. I've been busy making a baby this summer, and in spite of those amazing women who are able to carry and bear 7 or 13 children...number 4 has stretched me to my limits many times.

So having made my explanation, I will jump right in starting with the most recent...

Change of Season

Miriam started first grade this year. I had heard from so many mothers what an adjustment it takes to go from half-day Kindergarten to all-day school. Miriam took to the change like a fish takes to water. She was very ready to go back to school, and when I picked her up at the end of the day, she said it had gone by quickly! She is our social butterfly, and makes several new friends each week. She is also excelling with her reading and math. Now, if we could just get her to listen and focus on her chores at home for 5 minutes--we'll have it made!

Tane had a little bit harder time adjusting to having his sister and playmate gone all day. He is constantly asking me who he can play with if Tait is napping, or... if Tait's awake, he often wants to know who he can play with that's older. This particular day, I was very pleased to see him using his imagination with his cars, which have become his toy of choice since Miriam is no longer dictating the play. :)

Tait gave me a fit of the giggles when I saw half of his fruit roll up smeared all over his face. He had a great time posing for the pictures.

A cute recent funny story about Tait: We were playing "Mother, May I?" after family home evening one night. Tait heard Miriam tell Tane to take four baby steps, and his ears perked up at the word "baby. He ran across the room to where I was sitting, and gave my big round middle a giant hug. Then he looked up at me, and with the sweetest little Taiter voice said "I like baby!" (emphasizing the "like").

So, I had to include a pregnancy shot. Obviously, this has been a huge part of my life this past year. I have had borderline gestational diabetes with each of my prior pregnancies, but was always allowed to just control it with diet in the past. This time was different. I went off of refined sugars about 3 months ago, and a month later, I had to meet with a dietitian to learn all about exchanges, and everything that I couldn't eat, and to start monitoring my blood sugar levels 5 times a day. I followed the diet faithfully, and even lost weight in between doctor visits, but I was not able to get my blood sugar levels under control. So I've been on insulin for the past 5 weeks, and doing weekly non-stress tests & AFI's at the hospital.

The fatigue and the mood swings on top of the diet and insulin management have not made for an easy pregnancy...not to mention the fact that my body just feels older, and doesn't seem to be handling it as well. :) However, I have to add that I have the best support team in the world!! I am so very very grateful to my husband (who has willingly and without complaint allowed me to fix the things that I can eat for dinner for the whole family, and also stopped making Sunday desserts, and rubbed my feet and back more times than I can count, and has given me many priesthood blessings), and to my Mom (who has let me call and cry, or call and rejoice over small successes nearly everyday for the past 6 weeks, and given understanding and advice and encouragement) and to my Dad (for caring and calling just to see how I was--inspite of all of his aches and pains) and to each of my sisters ( who call and check up on me, and keep me in their prayers, and encourage me, and do body talk for me, and much more), and to my children (who have been amazingly patient and helpful through mom's craziness and laziness and everything in between--I can't wait to be normal for them again!). I am extremely blessed! Baby Keck--you and I are very loved, and this really has been a group effort!

August

Early in August, Blair and I had several of his Aunts & Uncles, and some of his cousins over for dinner. Elmo & Blair even persuaded most of them to get up and Dance Dance Revolution! It was fun to introduce the older generation to the art of interactive video gaming. Some of them can really move! We had a great time having them over--not only am I married to a wonderful man, but I enjoy being a part of his wonderful family as well!

Aunt Rachel hosted a sleepover party for the older boy cousins...

and the girl cousins, since they couldn't seem to get enough of each other this summer.

She took them swimming, and miniature golfing among all their other separate boy/girl activities. Miriam and Tane had so much fun being with their cousins, and Aunt Rachel was so generous with her home & time & talents to make such a memorable experience for them all.

Miriam informed me during the summer that she was ready to move back to her own room (she had been sharing with Tane for about the past 6 or 8 months). I told her that as soon as she could go downstairs to the basement (where both bedrooms are) without having to coerce someone into going with her, that I would let her move back. She overcame her fear of the dark, and has taken control of her imagination in a remarkably short amount of time. So here she is, back in her "girly" room full of girl power personality!

I think I've mentioned before how much our kids love to put on shows for the adults in the Henke clan. Sometimes they are musical, sometimes they are a skit, sometimes they are impromptu and unrehearsed. It's very fun as a parent to sit back and watch my children get along with their cousins so well, and to see their confidence grow as they share their talents with us.

Around the middle of August, my brother Matt came home on a medical release. He had injured his knee several times prior to leaving on his mission, and reinjured it pretty badly out in the field. It was not easy for him to have to leave the work he loved and take a 6 week-3 month break in the middle of his mission, but it was meant to be. Things fell into place and he was able to have his surgery within 24 hours of returning home, and jump onto the path of healing. He has already been approved to return back to the field (same mission) next week, having made an amazing 6 week recovery. We have all really enjoyed having him home, and seeing how he has changed in the past year, and being uplifted by his humorous and affectionate personality. He and my mom have done last of traveling in the past month spending time with family, and we will miss him as he goes back. But hey, how many people get to have their missionary home for a 6 week visit halfway through?

These are a few pictures from our welcome home dinner for him. Matt can make my kids laugh like no other. We have sure loved having him around, and are glad he is returning to finish out an honorable and faithful mission!

Also in August, we were able to help pull off a surprise birthday party for Blair's mom. His dad took her away to Park City, and came home to a family dinner we had all ready for her. All the kids and grand kids spent the previous week putting together pages of memories, pictures, and thoughts about Nana! It was special to be able to share some of the things we love and admire and remember about his wonderful mother.

July

Another highlight of our summer, was the Henke family reunion we had at Pine Lake. We spent Wednesday through Sunday at the beginning of July camping with my whole family (minus my missionary brother, Matt-whom we missed). As you can tell, the 4-wheelers were a big hit as usual, and it was a rare moment when we didn't have at least 2 or 3 husbands absent from the main camp--off exploring some new trail or finding a spectacular mountain view.

The guys were generous enough to give all the girls a turn on one of our last days there. So we packed up Grandma, all of her daughters, and all the granddaughters (minus baby Kailey), and spent the morning driving up the mountainside to Powell Point.

It was fun to have some time mommy-daughter time with Miriam, since we pretty much don't see her except for mealtime and bedtime when the cousins get together. The weather turned rainy and it got very cold the higher we climbed up the mountain. Noboday had thought to bring jackets (it was July) on our ride, and it was freezing! I ended up putting Miriam behind me snuggled into my shirt as best she could, and she impressed me with what a trooper she was inspite of the cold.

Grandma did have a blanket she was sitting on, so when we finally reached the top, we all huddled together to try and get warm for a few minutes.

I am so very blessed to have such a fantastic mom and wonderful sisters! It's not very often we get a picture with all of us together like this. Left to right: Me, Lynae, Rachel, Diane, Mom, Sarah, Mary. As a side note, I must have a great family to be able to enjoy camping for that long seven months pregnant.

Some other fun highlight from our trip:

Diane & Mike had canvas backpacks for all the kids to decorate and use for our family nature scavenger hunt. They did a great job hosting/planning the whole reunion.

Muscle testing, body talk, and matrix energetics--which are frequently a part of things when we get together.

Watching the kids explore and play together so well.

Getting very very dirty!

Swinging and singing and laughing in the hammock at the Thompson's campsite.

One of the traditions I love in my family is that we hold an extended family home evening every other month. This year our turn to give the lesson coincided with our reunion. It was fun to have all three of our kids help us give our lesson about the "bee"attitudes that Jesus taught us to live by.

The whole clan attending Family Home Evening.

And what would a Henke family gathering be without the girl cousins instigating a performance of some kind? In this case, it was a skit about some of the great nature finds they made.

Also in July...

We celebrated seven years of married life! They have been sweet and challenging, and filled with sacrifice, and growth, and love! I couldn't imagine life with anyone besides Blair. He is my best friend and my perfect fit! I am so happy Heavenly Father helped us find each other, and helps enrich our lives together. The picture I have of us on our special weekend did not turn out. So I opted to post one of the kids with Grandma and Grandpa Henke as a tribute and a thank you for taking the kids for two days so that Blair and I could come home and enjoy a quiet house and a some inexpensive alone time. I know it wasn't easy....so THANKS Mom and Dad! Our two days together were pretty much perfect!

June

After we got home from our Nauvoo trip, we jumped right into swimming lessons. It made my heart glow everytime I saw my two kids holding hands walking into their lessons together while I went to park the car (cause we always arrive at the last possible minute to everything). I'm so glad my kids are such good friends and look out for each other.

Tane was rather timid at swimming lessons last year, but he surprised me with how brave and involved he was with everything this time. He is very good at following instructions, and he made great progress on his abilities in the water.

Miriam also surprised me with her reaction to swim lessons, which was more timid and cautious in the water. She had practiced sticking her face in the water in the bathtub all spring, and seemed very comfortable, so I don't know what the difference was. She still had a great time, and the kids looked forward to it everyday for the 2 weeks we had them.

Tait was so well behaved and found his own fun watching at the side of the pool. I know he will be ready to join in the fun in the water next year though. He is our fearless one in the water, as we've observed this past summer.

At the end of the month, our little girl was pleased as punch to finally turn 6! She has matured so much over the past year, and in spite of a couple of really bumpy, emotional months in the spring, she is gaining greater mastery over her emotions, and is so enthusiastic about life, and compassionate with people. Miriam has a very expressive way with her words and her body, and I am in awe of her constant energy. She also has a great desire to choose the right, and she often learns quickly from her mistakes. She is a wonderful example to her brothers in many areas, and she has quite the talent with her imaginative play that keep the kids busy and happy for hours on end.

We celebrated Miriam's birthday this year with a swimming party. This was the very first friend party we've had in our family, and it was quite the event! Grandma Henke (who is a guru of party and game ideas and supplies) came to our aid in planning and supplying. We ended up playing water balloon games, seashell hunting in the pool, making fishy craft bags, and much more! Miriam had a wonderful time, and talked about her party for weeks afterward. I was very pleased with the fun she had (and grateful Blair had the day off to help--and make the kids squeal). But the best part about the day, was the miracle we had with the weather, and the experience Miriam had in strengthening her faith in prayer.

The day had donned gray and cloudy, and it ended up sprinkling and chilly all morning. We thought about moving the party inside, but most of the games we had planned were water games. I am not an extrememly adaptable person when it comes to stressful activities (such a kids' b-day parties), and we considered postponing it altogether. However, Blair suggested that we hold a family prayer and ask Heavenly Father for a miracle. Miriam volunteered to say it, and gave a sweet, faith filled prayer asking if He would clear up the weather so we could still have her swimming party. About an hour before the party, the sun came out, and the weather warmed up, and the skies stayed clear until about the last 15 minutes of the party. It was a wonderful experience for all of us, and Miriam was quick to offer our prayer of gratitude afterwards. I feel so grateful for the answer to her prayers, and hope she'll always remember how kind and loving her Heavenly Father was to her and to us that day.

May

We had several significant events/changes happen in our family at the end of Spring. The first being that I said goodbye to my wonderful piano students. It has been a love/stress relationship teaching piano for the past two years. But overall, the experience was very rewarding. I had seven wonderful students, who for the most part I am able to maintain friendly contact with at church or in the neighborhood. This picture comes from our final Spring recital--I don't think I could have felt more proud of each of them if they were my own kids. It was the right decision though, and I am enjoying having more time and flexibility with my 3 1/2 kids now.

Number 4 baby has required more thought and change in our family than I could have imagined. One of the significant changes necessary was to upgrade to bigger vehicle. We had planned on waiting until the fall, but we found a good deal on the model we really wanted, and we have sure enjoyed the comforts of our 2005 Honda Pilot all summer. This was actually the first vehicle we have purchased since we were married. Our kids still ask us if we're going to take the "new" car when we go places.

And last, but certainly not least. Our current youngest turned a whopping 2 years old at the end of May!! Tait has been an the funnest angel of a child since the first day he joined our family. His name means "cheerful", and there isn't a word that fits his personality better. Along with turning two, he has found his voice and his independence. He may have started talking a little later than our other two children, but he has his own style with everything--and it usually means making us laugh! One of the first phrases he started using around that time was "my-Tait-self"--obviously meaning he wanted to do it himself. He uses "my" to describe most of his feelings and activities and desires. Such as: "my hungry, mama", or "my heavy" when he's helping me carry something up the stairs, or "my happy!" when I ask how the kids are feeling that morning. He is the least mellow of our children, and he keeps me on my toes. But he also keeps a smile on my face, and I'm so glad he's part of our family.

We celebrated his second birthday with a trip to Hogle Zoo with Nana and Grandpa Elmo. It was an experience we all enjoyed--especially watching Tait's enthusiasm for animal life and adventure.