Pregnancy is hard, labor is harder. I felt like I had been having irregular contractions for days. I woke up Sunday the 12th middle of the night knowing the contractions were real, but they never progressed. I was exhausted and wanted to stay home from church, but I figured if anything working in the Nursery would help me progress along faster. I made it through most of church, but we left the end of sacrament a few minutes early because I was hurting. We ended up staying home from a family dinner in Othello where nephew Carsten put on a presentation about his mission. We skyped them from the iPad and wee able to listen in. Pretty lazy day. By about 10pm I knew it would be middle of the night delivery and I started stressing about what to do with the kids and my sister, Kortni, said that she would come and stay. I called her at midnight and she came over. Contractions were about 7-9 min apart by then. About 2:30 I finally woke Stephen and told him it was time to go. I had some really close intense contractions right after that and the thought crossed my mind that I hoped we would make it. I texted stephanie Lyons (her husband is my Dr) and told her that I was headed in. We got the the hospital a little before 3am and I was exhausted, but I still chose to walk to labor and delivery after checking in (I forgot to preregister! This dawned on me while we were drivin to the hospital, oops!) so checking in took a bit and I walked to labor and delivery, got my clothes changed and climbed in bed and begged for the good crunchy ice. 

I got my tummy crunchy ice and got checked and I was at an 8! Yeah! They asked if I wanted an epidural and I said no since I was an 8 already. (I had debated on the way to the hospital because I was already exhausted an wanted to sleep that if I wasn't far enough I might give in and get one so that I could rest.)  They couldn't send me home, this was really it and I was ready! Stephen texted my friend Alicia and told him this was it and she better hurry! She is the lovely person who took all these photos for me. Dr Lyons got there and I gave a good big push and I was right there. My contractions were only about 5 min apart, so in between pushes it's super akward as everyone is waiting around waiting for my next contraction. Stephen was right there and I was crunching ice and going crazy with pain. 

I pushed about 4 big pushes and at one point she got stuck at her shoulders as the umbilical cord was coming out too and I tried to breath instead of push because I was so light headed and everyone got these worried looks on their faces and kind of yelled at me to keep pushing, so then I got uber worried and pushed like a crazy person and out came by baby girl! It was kind of crazy for a minute and no one looked to see if it was a girl or a boy. And then one of the nurses was like "well, what is it?!?" It's a girl! I am still kind of in shock. I thought it was going to be a boy! But we are sooooo excited that out little Violet Snow is here. She is named Snow after her great grandmother Annie Elizabeth Snow Beck. Snow was her maiden name. 

She nursed right away for a good half hour. Alicia Taylof stayed for about 1.5 hrs and got some wonderful pictures for us of Violet's birth and also her first bath. I kept almost falling asleep I was so exhausted. After 45 min or so I was able to get up and go pee and we went to our new room. 

Violet Snow Ashton 

April 13, 2015 3:44am 

7 lbs 11 oz 20.5" long 

Tiffanni came from Othello and went and relieved Kortni and she got the kids all cute and they came to meet their baby sister. 

Our first family picture together. Remmy was very insistent that this was his baby and no one else got to hold her but him. 

Dr Lyons who delivered Baby Vi. 

My sweet baby girl with the swollen face and eyes! 

After Vi was a week old I took some of these pictures. 

This one if from a photo shoot with my friend HeatherLynn, a very talented newborn photographer. I won a photoshoot from her and I was soooooo excited! 

We are so happy to have Baby Violet join our family. She is a sweetheart and will be very loved! 

My Heavenly Father Loves Me

Whenever I hear the song of a bird, Or look at the blue, blue sky. Whenever I feel the rain on my face, or the wind as it rushes by. Whenever I touch a velvet rose, Or walk by a lilac tree. I'm glad that I live in this beautiful world, Heavenly Father created for me. 

He gave me my eyes that I might see the color of butterfly wings. He gave me my ears that I might hear the magical sound of things. He gave me my life, my mind, my heart; I thank him reverently. For all his creations, of which I'm a part. Yes, I know Heavenly Father loves me.

Violet Snow Ashton 

April 13, 2015 

3:44am 

7lbs 11oz 

20.5" long

What a day! Since Violets birth I have thought something was wrong with her eye. A few hours after a bilirubin check up and weight check her eyes started getting purple like it was bruised and a hard ball formed by her nose. The swelling since birth has already made her nose appear flat. I called and left a message with Her wonderful Dr Lindberg and I missed her call back and then they were closed and they called me early this morning announcing an appt scheduled with an Optomologist in Spokane for this afternoon. I will admit I was nervous at the urgency. Stephen skipped work and we headed to Spokane.  http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dacryocystocele is the name and definition of the condition of her tear duct. Basically a cyst in her tear duct that is building up infection from being blocked near the tear duct and in her nose where it is supposed to be able to drain. They tried to fix it in office as sometimes they are able too but could not. The condition itself is not that serious unless it ruptures and the infection can seep into her blood or brain therefore being life threatening. We had the option of surgery today or putting her on antibiotics and waiting for surgery until Wednesday. Since we were already here we decided for today. A whirlwind of phone calls and getting the older kids taken care of (thank you from the bottom of our hearts Grandma Ann Ashton and Bob Ashton!!!) and hotel booked. I am currently staying at the Children's Hospital in Spokane with my sweet Violet and her first ever anesthesia, stint placed in her eye, and minor surgery under her belt and she's doing well! So thankful for modern medicine, capable Doctors, and helpful friends and family!!!  (And phone chargers, phone chargers are awesome) The hardest part was how quickly everything was happening and not being able to feed her for hours before she was put under. Her eye now looks soooo much better and we are only staying over night to monitor how she did from the anesthesia. We are very thankful!! 

After surgery- starving!!!! 

Before and after 

Staying overnight in the hospital to be monitored from the anesthesia. 

Easter egg dying. Never enough eggs and always goes to fast. Only one episode of Remington trying to drink the egg dye... 

Easter egg hunt bright and early! It was Conference weekend so he kids noticed the baskets on the porch about 7:30am 

Remington got one look at the Peeps in his basket and just wanted to eat them and then a sucker every now and then. 

The kids organizing their spoils and counting their coins that the bunny left in the eggs. 

Penelope got lucky and found the $2 bill! 

Even though it was Conference Sunday I still made the kids get in the Easter clothes, so that I could take some pictures. 

It was actually pretty chilly, but they were troopers and I didn't make them stay out there for too long. 

I love my little munchkins and their cute faces and fun personalities that keep me on my toes! We ate Easter dinner at Kortnis house and took ham, green bean casserole, grandma Mimi's jello, and deviled eggs. The kids had so much fun playing outside with the Nelsons. 

We had quite the day yesterday. I hadn't  felt baby move too much and woke up at 2am and started trying to get baby to move. 2-6am. Movement- like 2 tiny kicks at 5:30. So got up at 8am and called dr. Went in and had them hook up to heart machine and drink apple juice and blah blah. Baby is fine. Got home and Penny  was asleep?!?! (10am) she never sleeps/naps. Apparently she was pretty Awnry before she fell asleep. Packed up kids to go play at gym because my sister, Jakobi is still here. Penny was pale as a kite and didn't want to go in and play. Something is wrong. I left my other kids there (felt horrible doing it) and just spent 3.5 hrs at the walk in waiting to be seen by dr and she was sleeping most of that time! Even fell asleep on bathroom floor! Apparently she has a UTI and now I'm fighting RITE Aid cause they are idiots... 😭😭😭

I was in tears in the waiting room. She lot shaking as she was sleeping and her fever sky rocketed to 103 just while we were sitting there waiting to be seen. 

But the promised ice cream makes anyone feel better! 

Paisley did her own hair! I was so proud! 

My little Paisley turned 7. Time flies. 

She is sweet, she is emotional and sassy and loves animals and has her quirky ways. 

She loves to wear dresses and does not like her hair curled and refuses any sort of make up, lip gloss, or even Chapstick. 

Her daughter gave her beautiful flowers on her birthday during her birthday breakfast of pancakes. 

The kids had an early release day from school, so we headed to Build a Bear in Spokane. Paisley has been talking about going to Build a Bear for her birthday since about December. She said "I thought it was the worst birthday ever because of the long drive, but then we got here and it was totally worth it!" 

We got her a sewing machine for her birthday and right away she wanted to make a dress for her bunny she named Rainbow from Build a Bear. Hopefully we can start out with less intense projects... 

Happy Birthday Paisley Marion. Time passes in the blink of an eye.