Happy Birthday Rissa-Roo!!

Marissa is 4! When she woke up while we were camping I told her happy birthday. She wanted to know where her birthday was so people could sing her happy birthday. I told her it is her birthday now, but we were going to have her party later that night. She thought she was so cool. She insisted that since she is "bigger" now, she doesn't have to sit in her car seat. That was quite the battle.


We got home and ran to the store for BBQ stuff....everyone came over at 6:30. We sang to her and she thought she was pretty cool.

This is Marissa talking to Aunt Cheryl and Grandma Hazel. She still isn't too good about talking on the phone, she gets distracted and will pull the phone away from her ear. We are always telling her to talk!! Of course when she was asked how old she is, she holds up fingers.




Aunt Breezy, Marissa and Straw ba ba berry. So cute.


My completely insane brother Jeff.



I love this picture. Her little tongue hanging out concentrating is priceless. She was trying so hard to get those candles in.



Getting a little tired....I think we all were after our weekend camping. I still cannot believe that our BABY is FOUR!!



Ok...Marissa was also tagged. So I am combining. Here are some things about Rissa-Roo...


I was induced with Marissa about 10 days early. I was so shocked that she hadn't come yet where both Kenna and Brady were so early. My doctor was going out of town and said he would induce me if I wanted. I was like a 3 and 85% or something like that. I was contracting on my own when we got to the hospital, so she would likely have come soon anyhow. We got to the hospital at 6:30...by the time I was checked in and started on the PIT (ugh), it was about 7:15. Epidural at 8:30ish and she was born at 9:46. Insanely fast. She was our biggest at 5 lbs 15oz.


We knew right away something was wrong. She was almost gasping for air and even under an oxygen hood her O2 stats were really low. She was in the nursery in Rock Springs until about 2:30 in the morning..so not quite a full day. Dr Yesler said they were going to life-flight her to SLC, because she was having such a hard time breathing. That whole night is a blur. I had taken a sleeping pill on top of the pain killers trying to sleep through those blasted after-pains. I called Marcus and my parents and they came up to the hospital. Jeffrey had just gotten off his mission in March and he came up too. My dad, Marcus and Jeff gave Marissa a blessing; she was put on a vent and she and Marcus flew to SLC. I went home and packed (somehow, like I said, I was a little out of it) and my dad drove me down.


Marissa was diagnosed with Pulmonary Hypertension. Lamans terms? When babies are inside their mom their blood doesn't need to go to the lungs to pick up oxygen so there is a hole in the heart that bypasses the lungs. Normally, when they are born, that hole closes almost instantly. Marissa's didn't. The doctors kept her on a vent...I believe she was on it for 10 days..off and on. She was in the hospital for 19 days. We joke that she had to beat her brother...

So Marissa is and will always be quite the little blessing. She is amazing. We look at her and know how fortunate we are to have her little spirit in our lives....especially after our rough start.


Marissa and Kenna. I cannot believe how little Kenna was in this picture! I believe this was right when we brought her home from the hospital.


Marissa is a complete daddy's girl. Oh my goodness. Sometimes I will look at them and they will have the same expression on their faces. It is ridiculous how much they look alike. However, she does love to tease her dad and will only give him hugs or kisses when it is her idea. Most of the time, Marcus will ask for a kiss and she will look right at him and kiss me. Such a tease.


Marissa is adored by her brother and sister. I love their cute little relationship. She and Brady are either best friends or fighting and Kenna loves to take care of her baby sister. Marissa, of course, loves all the attention she gets.


Miss Marissa loves pink. She loves babies and puppies and flowers and wearing dresses and anything to do with being completely girly. She has more babies and cabbage patch kids than I can count and they each have their own name.



Marissa's middle name is from Marcus' grandma. Grandma Hazel Lorene. Grandma Hazel is one of the greatest people I know. She is truly amazing. She is completely generous and determined. She is strong and caring. I don't think we could have named Marissa Lorene after a greater woman.


I cannot tell you how much I love this little girl...(and I do mean little 25 pounds and still in a 2T, MAYBE 3T...she is a little peanut, but I love it). She has such spunk and personality. She knows what she wants and know how to get it. She has her daddy wrapped around her little finger...as well as most other people. She loves our dogs and I am sure they love to put up with her. Rissa-Roo loves to be outside, she loves to wear dresses and flip flops, she also loves to be with her best friend Cailey. She is such a sweet little girl, I don't know what I would do without her. Marissa, we love you!

Marissa is tagging Kenna, Ellie Richardson and Emmerson Nielson.