World population 6,765,432, +PLUS 1+

We were not prepared for chunk.......Who said "super-size him" ???
The pink blankets are for manditory "sensitivity" training

Somebody's been going back for seconds... and thirds!

This has been a crazy weekend. Early Friday morning we had our fourth baby, a boy. He was born at 7:45 and weighed 7 lbs. 15 oz. with most of that weight in his cheeks and chin. Just like his brother and sisters when he was born, he stopped breathing, his color turned blue and he was quickly whisked off to the NICU to try out a variety of breathing machines and ventilators. He ended up in respiratory distress and has spent all of his first days of his life in the care of the NICU nurses.

While we have been able to see him several times a day, and even hold him on occasion as his health permits, it was very difficult to leave for home on Sunday without him. Leslie, is recovering quickly and looks fantastic for four days postpartum. Seriously, she is the bravest woman I know. She just trudges thru the heartache of having a baby and not having a baby (well, Lortab helps too!).

Anyway, this little boy is improving dramatically. He is a champ and loves bring held by his mama. He can be in the middle of the biggest fit with all the tubes/cords/cables/ wires/lights/needles everywhere, but when Leslie calls his name, he'll stop, he is calm and quiet and he just looks for her touch. He loves her.

We are in and out of the hospital, we are completely grateful for and indebted to our wonderful family and close friends for your love and support. We know this challenge well and appreciate the care from the nurses and doctors.

Piper, Marley and Boden are excited to meet their baby brother. I often wonder what is going through their minds, with this weekend of chaos and a lot of TALK about a new brother. Piper, for sure, is holding out until she can see it for herself.

THANK YOU for keeping us in your prayers, we are blessed and grateful for those blessings everyday. THANK YOU!

Ready to Party

Piper was ready to go way before we were to our New Years Party. She got her coat on and gloves and started to cry because she wanted to go right now. I told her that it was not time yet. Well she didn't like that answer and started to cry on the floor. Good for me, she fell asleep, got a good nap in for a late night ahead.

Happy New Year

Boden and Dylan "Happy New Year"

Christmas Morning

We had the best Christmas morning. The kids slept in until 8 o'clock which is great for them. Then Marley came and woke us up. It is always so much fun to watch them get so excited at what Santa gave them. It was fun to watch Piper, she is now understanding a little bit more and she gets so excited with the rest of the kids. I love being with my husband and kids and that is such a wonderful gift itself. I am a very lucky mommy.

Christmas Eve

I love Christmas Eve. We always spend it with my family and it is always so much fun. We have grandparents over for dinner and lots of goodies to eat. Then us big girls have to put on our matching PJs, which we love to do. Then we exchange gifts, which leads to a massive mess, but we love it anyway.

Don't we look sweet, especially that belly. Yikes! Marley got a doll beauty chair from her cousin Lilly.

Piper got a cute doll from cousin Tandi.

I got a brush kit from my sis.

Bo got some Lincoln Logs from Grandma and Grandpa

Crazy mess

Cute outfit for the Baby

Santa Came

Santa also came to the Bernt Merrill party and brought candy canes and little gifts for everyone.

Bernt / Merrill Chrismas party

What a cute little party we had. We ate a big dinner when we got there and then the kids put on a cute little nativity story. Boden and Lilly were Joseph and Mary, Parker was a shepherd, Annie was an angel, the rest of the girls were wise men. It was adorable. Anyway, fun night.

Christmas Sunday

Snow Shoveling Weirdo

I LOVE to shovel snow. I LOVE to watch snow being shoveled. I love it so much that I could just sit at my window and watch all the neighbors shovel their snow. Well, its been snowing here for a couple of days and Cory threatened me not to shovel snow thinking it would put me in labor. He has been working and has not had time to shovel the snow. So today when he came home early from work I ask enthusiastically, "Are ya going to shovel the snow?" He sat his lunch down and I bundled up the kids, and we all went out to watch daddy shovel the snow. I LOVED it.

Piper loved putting on her "Snow swimsuit" as she called it.
Boden who is seriously obsessed with goggles

Piper helping to shovel snow

Daddy helping Piper and her little shovel

4 more weeks

We got a new Nephew on Wednesday. He belongs to Randi and Andrew. His name is Ryder Andrew Briscoe and is so adorable. I am quite jealous that my sister in law has had her baby. We have been miserable together now for a long time. Oh well, I am just happy she is doing well and the baby is healthy. I am scheduled to have my baby 4 WEEKS FROM TODAY. I have had every baby by C-section, so I can plan my day. I am counting down. Hooray!

Merrill Salt Lake Trip

This is one of my most favorite times of the year. We always go to Salt Lake with my family the first week in December. This year was so fun. We saw the lights at temple square and ate a olive garden the first day. The next day we went to the Childrens Discovery Museum. The kids loved every second of it. I loved it too, just to watch them pretend they were grown ups. Then later that day after a bit of shopping we all went to Chucky Cheese for dinner. That place is nuts. We had a great time though. I love to be with my family. Yes, my belly takes up the whole picture.

My wonderful family

The kids getting ready to ride the train. We rode it all over, it was great.

At the Chidrens Museum

Who needs toys when you have marshmallows

Cory and Piper found a bag of stale, crunchy marshmallows today. He made Piper a little marshmallow family. She played and played with them for a long time and loved it. Now he thinks he should make all the Christmas presents this year.

Sleepover

Yes we are crazy, we had a few cousins spend the night after Thanksgiving. Lets just say we are thankful that we survived.

Thanksgiving Family Picture