Colby's Blessing

On Sunday, May 15th 2016,

We had a wonderful Sunday

as we blessed Colby.

We had both sides of the family

present and Reed gave a wonderful blessing.

The spirit was so strong as we

presented this infant to

our Heavenly Father.

I am so grateful for this

special gift from our Heavenly Father

as we have waited so long

for a new member of our family.

our family of 4!

2 months

Today you are turning 2 months old!

I can't believe how big 

you are getting.

You are always smiling these days

and talking to everyone. 

You love to lay on your back

and lift your legs straight in the air.

You also love your swing so much

and spend majority of your days in it.

You are getting better at sleeping

during the night and only get up

1-2 times a night.

We like to call you "Jack-Jack" 

from the movie "The Incredibles"

because of your epic Mohawk. 

Parker likes to call you "Sunshine".

1 month

As of April 17th, you are one month old.

I know this post is a month late,

but I wanted to document

what your first month

of life was like.

You like you eat... a lot!

You eat about every 2-3 hours,

including in the middle of the night.

You slept in our room for the

first 2 weeks, but I quickly

had to move you out,

because you are a noisy sleep

and every time you make a sound

I wake up.

You love bath time,

especially with your brother Parker.

Speaking of Parker,

he absolutely adores you!

He loves to help get your pacifier

and help put it in your mouth.

You are starting to smile and coo

and we absolutely love having 

you in our family!

Colby's photoshoot

Baby Colby

Colby Andrew McCashland

7 lbs. 4,5 oz. 19 1/2 in.

Born 1:56 am March 17th, 2016

Birth Story

I woke up Wednesday March 16th with severe back pain.

The pain was so bad I could barely bend over

or walk around. I had an appointment

that day at 9:50 am and I probably 

should not have driven myself

because the back pain limited my reaction time.

I got to the doctor and I had high blood pressure

and I was dilated 3 cm. I asked the doctor

to strip my membranes to hopefully

start contractions. I had experienced a lot

of contractions over the past few weeks.

Around 3 pm I started have contractions

more regularly. I taught piano lessons 

at 4 pm and worked through the pain

sitting on my yoga ball.

Contractions started picking up

during the evening and our new

Bishopric came over to meet us

around 6:30 pm and I was pretty sure I was

in active labor at that point. 

Reed started to pack our bags and get things

ready, while my mom happened to call

during all of this.

I told her to come over around 8;30 pm 

to stay with Parker so we could

head to the hospital.

We got Parker ready for bed like usual

just like nothing was happening.

We got to the hospital around 9 pm.

I was dilated to 5 cm and again

had high blood pressure.

They admitted me and get me hooked

up to an IV so I could receive an epidural.

At this point the back pain was so severe,

I could barely feel the intensity of the contractions

over the back labor.

The epidural helped with the back labor

at first but soon wore off after a couple hours.

The nurse decided to get all the delivery

equipment ready and then decide to head to lunch

since she was pretty sure we would have a baby soon.

That was around 1:45 am. Soon after that

I started feeling the back pain again

and a lot of pressure down below,

like something was coming out.

I had Reed call the nurses and they

came in to check me.

The nurse said she couldn't check me 

because my amniotic sac was coming out,

which they described as a water balloon.

The next thing I knew I felt even

more pressure and the baby's

head started to fill that amniotic sac.

Not even a minute later Colby was born.

Meanwhile, the nurses were trying to call

my nurse at lunch and the doctor 

to get in here.

Colby was born in his amniotic sac

all the way up until his hips

came out and then my water broke.

The doctor then arrived and Reed

got to cut the umbilical cord.

I was in labor for a total of 11 hours and

spent 5 hours at the hospital and

no pushing time.

We joked around that we could have

been that couple who delivered

a baby in the parking lot

if we didn't get to the hospital

when we did.

The delivery was a wonderful

experience that Reed and I got to share

with just the two of us, with no other family

in the room. How grateful we are for a 

safe delivery and a healthy baby!

Baby shower-34 weeks

Reed's work threw us a 

baby shower.

It was so nice to be recognized

and everyone was so generous.

We only asked for diapers

since we have everything

already for a baby boy.

We were blessed beyond measures!

What a wonderful way to start the week!

Happy 34 weeks!!

Pedicures

My mother gave me a 

gift certificate to get my nails

done for Christmas.

I ended up going with my sister

and my three nieces.

We had so much fun and then

we went out for dinner

afterwards.

so pretty

 The girls loved it!

Pregnancy Update: Baby #2

I realize I haven't been

very good about updating

my pregnancy this time around
on social media.
However, I have been
keeping a pregnancy journal
and weekly pictures
for posterity purposes.
But here is what we have been up to
lately...

we found out we were expecting July 18th

at scout camp New Fork.

And here we are.
I am actually 32 weeks now.
Just waiting the arrival of
Baby Boy McCashland #2!

High School lunch bunch reunion

We will have been graduated 8 years

this May.

I am so glad we are still all

really good friends

and have so much in common, 

when we all get together.

We have added a lot of

new additions

from husbands, wives, and babies.

What a good looking bunch of people!

Oh Christmas!

Oh, how I have missed blogging...

life is getting busy 

but I wanted to write about our Christmas.

We had a wonderful day

with lots of family

from both sides.

Parker woke up to Santa Clause

bringing him a brand new

big boy bike.

He loves riding around and around

the house.

He can't wait to take it outside

once it warms up.

Of course, Santa

rocked the stocking this year!

Then we headed over to my Mom's

house for presents and lunch.

I didn't get any pictures 

because it is always chaos

on Christmas day with my

ENTIRE family!

Then we headed to Reed's parents'

house for dinner and more presents!

Aunt Cassandra loves!

We had a very Merry Christmas

Love, the McCashland's

Luke 2:10-11

Today's scripture is 

Luke 2:10-11

"10 And the angel said unto them, Fear

not: for, behold, I bring you good

tidings of great joy, which shall

be to all people.

 11 For unto you is born this day in

the city of David a Saviour, which

is Christ the Lord."

May we truly remember the reason

for the season. The true magic

of Christmas. May we remember

our Savior that was born on this

day, brought to the world to save

us all.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Mark 10:13-14

Today's scripture is

Mark 10:13-14

"13 And they brought young

children to him, that he should

touch them: and his disciples

rebuked those that brought

them.

14 But when Jesus saw it, he

was much displeased, and said

unto them, Suffer the little

children to come unto me, and

forbid them not: for of such is 

the kingdom of God."

Jesus Christ loves the little children.

Today I had the opportunity

to spend time with my Parker

at his Preschool Christmas Party.

Part of God's plan is only

complete with little children.

3 Nephi 25:5-6

Today's scripture is

3 Nephi 25:4-6

"And he shall turn the heart 

of the fathers to the children,

and the heart of the children to

their fathers, lest I come and

smite the earth with a curse."

Jesus Christ has taught the

children to turn their hearts

to their parents,

and the parents to turn

their hearts to the children.

This is a perfect time of 

year to gather with all

generations and learn

about them and their lives.

D&C 76:22-24

Today's scripture is

D&C 76:22-24

"22 And now, after the many

testimonies which have been

given of him, this is the testimony,

last of all, which we

give of him: That he lives!

23 For we saw him, even on

the right hand of God; and

we heard the voice bearing

record that he is the Only

Begotten of the Father-

24 That by him, and through him, 

and of him, the worlds

are and were created, and the

inhabitants thereof are begotten

sons and daughters unto God."

Even though Jesus Christ

was born thousands of years ago

He has given us special

witnesses to testify

of Him.

The prophets of today

are here to lead and guide

us to live with our

Heavenly Father again.

3 Nephi 18:21

Today's scripture is

3 Nephi 18:21

"Pray in your families unto

the Father, always in my name,

that your wives and your

children may be blessed."

Not only did Jesus Christ

teach us how to pray

individually,

He taught us that we should

pray with our families.

Tonight is the perfect

night to get started

praying with our families.

D&C 19:38

Today's scripture is

D&C 19:38

"Pray always, and I will

pour out my Spirit upon you,

and great shall be your blessing

Yea, even more than if you should obtain treasures of

earth and corruptibleness to

the extent thereof."

Jesus Christ has asked us to always

Pray to our Heavenly Father.

He has even taught us how

to pray.

May we always have a 

prayer in hearts.

D&C 100:7

Today's scripture is

D&C 100:7

"But a commandment I give

unto you, that ye shall declare

whatsoever thing ye declare

in my name, in solemnity of

heart, in the spirit of meekness,

in all things."

Let us all help each other

be a little stronger,

a little more faithful,

a little more valiant, 

and a little more obedient

in everything we believe.

John 13:34-35

Today's scripture is

John 13:34-35

"34 A new commandment I give

unto you, That ye love one

another, as I have loved you,

that ye also love one another.

35 By this shall all men know

that ye are my disciples, if ye

have love one to another."

Jesus Christ has given us

a lot of commandments

but perhaps one of the most

important one is to have

love for others and ourselves.

These days there is so much

hatred in the world

it is easy to get caught up

in gossip or backbiting

but if we try to love one another

we just might be able to see

the love Heavenly Father has for

each of his children.

D&C 1:37

Today's scripture is

D&C 1:37

"Search these commandments,

for they are true and

faithful, and the prophecies

and promises which are in

them shall all be fulfilled."

Jesus Christ has

given us the precious gift

of books of scripture

written by past prophets

written for our days.

I am grateful for 

the knowledge and inspiration

I gain while reading my scriptures.

Luke 17:11-19

Today's scriptures is

Luke 17:11-19

This is the story of the 10 Lepers

who cried unto Jesus Christ

to heal them. Jesus sent them

unto the priests 

and they were cleansed

15 "And one of them, when he

saw that he was healed, turned

back, and with a loud voice

glorified God,"

The one who turned back to

Jesus to give thanks was a Samaritan.

Jesus asked him where the other

nine were, but they

were no where to be found.

And Jesus sent him

on his way and said unto him, 

"Arise, go thy way: thy faith

hath made thee whole."

Let us all have gratitude in our hearts

and give thanks!

3 Nephi 12:9

Today's scripture is

3 Nephi 12:9

"And blessed are all the

peacemakers, for they shall be

called the children of God."

Jesus Christ promises blessings

unto all the peacemakers.

May we all learn to be peacemakers

this time of year,

when we are surrounded by family

and friends who may

not share the same opinions

and beliefs as us.

SANTA

I am loving this Christmas season

more than ever,

probably because Parker

is finally old enough to teach

about the true meaning of Christmas

but also Santa and Christmas Trees.

This past week we went

to our ward Christmas party

and Parker finally got to meet Santa.

He wasn't quite sure about

the bearded creature

once we got up close,

but Santa bribed him with candy

and then everything was good.

We have been watching the

Christmas episode

of Curious George and

it has gotten Parker all excited 

about this month.

I have never like Santa

from the age of 2

but I don't want to pass that

fear on to my children.

I still hate the thought of seeing

Santa but in the end

I love teaching Parker about

the magic of Christmas.

Matthew 6;3-4

Today's scripture is

Matthew 6:3-4

"3 But when thou doest alms,

let not thy left hand know

what thy right hand doeth:

4 That thine alms may be in

secret: and thy Father which

seeth in secret himself shall reward 

thee openly,"

Jesus Christ taught us that we should

do kind things unto others

and not expect anything in

return. I love when people

do nice things, but when

they do it to make themselves

feel good, that is when

it becomes a problem.

Let us all be a little kinder

and do acts of service

because we want to,

not because of the recognition

we may receive.

D&C 35:26

Today's scripture is

D&C 35:26

"Lift up your hearts and be

glad, your redemption

draweth nigh."

Jesus Christ wants us to be

grateful and full of thanks

for the blessings we are given.

May we take a moment each

day to find one thing we are

grateful for. 

May our hearts be full of

gratitude, especially

this time of year.

D&C 33:12

Today's scripture is

D&C 33:12

"Behold, verily, verily, I say

unto you, this is my gospel

and remember that they shall

have faith in me or they can in

nowise be saved"

Jesus Christ taught us many

principles of the Gospel.

One of them is to be baptized

of the water and of the spirit.

Otherwise, we cannot enter

into his kingdom.

D&C 25:12

Today's scripture is

D&C 25:12

"For my soul delighteth in the

song of the heart; yea, the

song of the righteous is a 

prayer unto me, and it shall be

answered with a blessing upon

their heads."

We sing many songs of Jesus Christ

throughout the year at church,

but for some reason

Christmas songs are some of my favorite.

What a great time of year

to be reminded of the 

birth of Jesus Christ.

What are some of your favorite

Christmas songs that rejoice

of Jesus Christ? 

D&C 21:1

Today's scripture is

D&C 21:1

"Behold, there shall be a record

kept among you; and

in it thou shalt be called a

seer, a translator, a prophet,

an apostle of Jesus Christ, an

elder of the church through the

will for God the Father, and the

grace of your Lord Jesus Christ."

Our Father in Heaven has

given us prophets and apostles

to help guide us through

these latter days. I am so grateful

for the counsel and guidance

from our Prophet through

tough times, so we may

know the path that we should

take.

3 Nephi 12:16

Todays scripture is

3 Nephi 12:16

"Therefore let your light so 

shine before this people,

that they may see your good works

and glorify your Father who

is in heaven."

Jesus Christ has asked us to

be an example of

righteousness to those around us.

He has taught us to be

a source of light.

3 Nephi 12:6

I am excited to start a new challenge

today as I focus on Jesus Christ

and get ready for the

Christmas Season.

Today's scriptures is 

3 Nephi 12:6

"And blessed are all they who

do hunger and thirst after

righteousness, for they shall

be filled with the Holy Ghost."

Jesus taught us that he wants to bless

us for seeking and doing

righteous things.

Day #30

Today I am grateful 

for a warm house and heat.

Today was exceptionally cold

which makes me more grateful

for the fact that I can afford

a roof over my family 

and we can afford to heat our home

to protect us from the cold.

There are so many people who do

not have these basic necessities.

May we be reminded of those

who are less fortunate than us,

and help them make their lives

a little more easier this time of year.

I am glad I took this challenge

to write down the things 

I am grateful for each day.

I have gained a greater understanding

of the blessings given to me by

my Heavenly Father.

Day #29

Today I am grateful 

for the power of forgiveness.

Today I was taught a very valuable lesson

by a 3 year old.

I am one of the nursery leaders

for our ward on Sundays

and conveniently Parker is in there

with me until the end of the year.

Well, there was one particular

3 year old boy 

who happened to slam Parker's hand

into one of the toys he was playing with

and they were fighting over it.

I made sure to break it up

and have the other boy say his sorry.

Well, later this evening,

I got a phone call from his mother

informing me that her son told

her what happened in nursery today.

She asked if they could come

over and apologize to Parker.

They did come over

and a little 3 year old gave

a sincere apology for

what he did to Parker.

It was the sweetest thing

and I was reminded that a simple

apology for our wrong

doings can truly make a difference.

We are not all perfect

but we are given the chance

through the atonement

to say our sorry and

work towards being a better person,

even a 3 year old.