And the Verdict Is...

Today we found out that we are being blessed with Baby GIRL #3.  We are so excited... cause quite frankly we make some awesome girls!

It's a little hard to tell but this picture is of her face and she has both hands trying to cover it!  She was a stubborn little thing today.  The ultrasound tech had a difficult time checking everything because she just wanted to sleep and wouldn't move to the right positions.  But after some prodding and pushing her around, the tech's checklist was complete and she notified us that we have a healthy baby growing as she should be.  

At this point things become very real and all the preparations begin!

When Family Comes to Town...

One of the hardest things about moving to California was leaving our family behind.  We miss the day to day events with them and just being able to see them whenever we get the whim.  But we have to admit, that it can be one of the best things too.  Because when they come to visit it is unspeakably wonderful.  We pack as much as possible into the few days they are here and the reunion is just so sweet.
Over this last weekend Grandma and Grandpa Payne drove the 12 hour distance to visit us and brought along with them cousins Natalee and Carson.  It was a very busy 4 days and so much fun that it was hard to see them leave.  

Friday
The first day that we had with them happened to be Valentine's Day.  So we woke up to getting and giving gifts.  Devin was stuck in New York on a business trip so it was fun to have some family to celebrate with.

Then Natalee, Grandma, and I headed out to check out the Winchester House.  The widow of the CEO of Winchester guns in the 1800's was told that her husband and daughter were killed by the spirits of those killed by the Winchester guns and unless she began building a house and never stopped building she would have the same fate.  This house has 160 rooms, 13 bathrooms, 6 kitchens, and stairs and doorways that lead to nowhere.  

Afterwards, the Utah folk headed to The Tech Museum of Innovation while Quincy and I headed to Addie's Valentine's party. 

Saturday

Devin finally got home late Friday night so we were all able to spend a day in San Francisco.   On this day we spent some time at Pier 39/Fisherman's Wharf, drove across the Golden Gate Bridge and stopped for a great view of it at Baker Beach, and drove around the city and past The Painted Ladies. It was a bit foggy and chilly but everyone should experience the San Francisco fog at least once!  And it was a great day nonetheless. 

Later that afternoon the boys headed to a BYU game that was here and the girls went shopping. 

Sunday
On Sunday, Devin and I had some assignments to fulfill, and in all honesty I was already exhausted.  (this pregnant body of mine doesn't hold up as well as usual!) So Grandma and Grandpa bravely took all 4 kids and headed down to Monterey.  It was a nice day so they got some awesome beach time in and Addie exclaimed it was "the best day ever!"

Monday

For our last day we headed back into San Francisco for some more adventures.  First we decided to drive down Lombard Street since we got to the city before everyone else was up and trying to get down it.  

Then we took a ferry out to Alcatraz and toured the prison.  It was an audio tour and it was pretty interesting to learn all about this infamous place.  Even Addie was interested and enjoyed the tour quite a bit.  Quincy liked it as well but it was a bit long for her.  

Running bases in the Recreation Yard...

After lunch we took a cable car over to Chinatown...

Quincy showing a little crack after her little legs just couldn't walk anymore.

This morning, the group headed back home and they are missed already.  We really enjoyed the time that we had with them and are so grateful that they were able and willing to come visit.  The girls had so much fun playing with their cousins and grandparents.  It was an incredible weekend and we can't thank you all enough for driving out here to see us.

Quincy is 4!

Our little fireball turned 4 last week and she couldn't have been more thrilled.  She is eager to be a "big girl" while I am a little sad about it.  I love watching her grow into things and see how much she learns each day.  Some facts about Quincy at this point in her life...

• Her emotions are thick and can change in an instant.  She will literally go from being so sad to laughing her head off within minutes.  
• She is as social as they come.  She always makes a friend no matter where we go and I often find her talking to people she has never met.  For those she does know, she loves running up to them to give a big grin and a hello and maybe even a big hug if you're really special.  She fits herself right in to Addie's Kindergarten class and anywhere else she goes.  
• She is super excited about having a baby.  She has always been enamored with babies and always wants to see them, play with them, or touch them.  She is thrilled that we will finally have one of our own.  Her preference on brother/sister changes daily but she mostly insists that we are having another sister. 
• She is my cuddle bug.  I find that she is growing out of this more and more which makes me so sad, but every once in a while she just loves to cuddle with you and it is bliss. 
• Her attention span is growing.  Quincy has never been one to sit still and learn something or even listen to a book for very long.  She is more of a hands on, lets get physical, kind of girl.  In my attempts to do pre-school with her, I have found that we need to be quick and to the point  or she will lose interest fast.  But lately, she seems to be able to last longer and retain more and its fun to see her learning abilities expanding.  
• She is obsessed with Frozen.  She and Addie play the characters Elsa and Anna and they sing the songs over and over and over and over.... Not a day goes by that we don't hear "Do You Want To Build a Snowman" or "Let It Go" at least a few times.  
• Her favorite foods are peanut butter sandwiches, fruit, avocados, and cupcakes.  But she will try just about anything and likes most of what she tries, unless it's "too spicy".
• She is a ball of fun.  We can always count on Quincy to do something funny or unexpected and she loves making people laugh.  
• Some of our favorite phrases of hers are: "It's okay, its a mistake. It's okay that we make a mistake," "I'm serious, I'm really serious," "I don't want to sell you away Mom cause you're a good Mom," and "I know, I know. I can do it myself."
• Words that she says wrong that we absolutely don't want to fix:  Magic= Magitch,  Another= Nother, It doesn't matter= It doesn't care.

We celebrated her big day by doing the following...

Opened presents first thing in the morning...

Doughnuts for breakfast...

Took her new bike out for a spin...

Lunch date with Daddy...

And an Icecream Cake to top it all off!

Then, at the end of the week, she had a Princess Party to celebrate with her friends.  We had 10 little princesses running around and it was such a fun day.  She was so excited for her party and patiently waited for it since we had to postpone it for a week due to her and I being sick.  

We decorated tiaras...

Had some snacks...

Decorated cupcakes...

Had a Find the Princess game.  Addie drew all the princesses for this game and then hid them around the house for the girls to find.  She was so excited to help with this party and loved that she got to be in charge of a game! 

We also had a balloon pop game which didn't turn out as well as I had hoped.  The idea was that we would pop the balloons filled with prizes and candy, just like a doing a piñata.  Unfortunately, it scared some of the girls and we may have traumatized them a little.  But all in all the party was a success and these cute girls had so much fun together.  

A few days later Grandpa Wayment came to visit and celebrate with Quincy also!

Our Q-Bug is a 4 year old now and we are excited for what the next year will bring for her!