How about a few updates on us Barkers.
Tanner
he now has a new job at t-mobile, Idaho Power were getting rid of meter readers and so Tanner was lucky enough to find a job before he was laid off at Idaho Power. yes it is a pay decrease but we get by just fine. He just started another semester of school boo!!! with him doing school in the mornings and having to work nights we never see each other. But we are making the best of things.
Joseph,
He's already 9 months! can you believe it? he's lived as long as I have carried him. He is crawling, pulling himself up, letting go of things, and he's actually stood up by himself twice (not realizing it) I am so proud of him! he is growing up SO much, soon he's going to be walking. He also is talking a LOT his favorite words are dog, mom, Dada, g ma, g pa, and baba. the Dr said for his age he's advanced at talking :-) we've got one smart little tiger. He loves dancing to music he's always bobbing the head and waving the arms. he loves the beach boys song Barbara Ann he'll even try and sing a long! awe he is the love of this family.
Me,
Well I guess not to much goes on with me. I'm enjoying being a stay at home mom. Joseph is my world and I don't know what Tanner and I ever did before he was born. Granted I am the worst house wife in the world we don't seem to mind as long as we're happy. It is however embarrassing sometimes. However I am getting better at it. My cooking skills may never improve however with Tanner working nights I never think to cook anymore. We spend our mornings cuddling and watching lost until he leaves. but now that he has started school we hardly see each other. Joseph is eating real food now so maybe I'll start cooking dinner again for him. I'm getting discouraged, losing weight seems to be impossible for me. I've never had a problem with losing weight until now, and now all i find myself is looking in the mirror not happy and wanting to go anywhere. However for doing my dads sign for his business he bought me a bike and a bike trailer and now that its not SUPER hot out I'll go ride with Joseph, he has a cute helmet.
The Barkers as a Family,
Tanner and I have been married 2 years! time has flown by SO fast... We made everyone think we had a vacation planned. Where did we really end up going? home sweet home. My mom watched Joseph Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and half of Wednesday. longest time we've ever spent without Joseph, but spending that time with Tanner was the best thing ever. We went and watched movies, and went to Tucano's yummy!!!! One of my favorite restaurants. We wanted to float the River but I ended up throwing away my bathing suit by accident, how retarded am I? haha. but we had a blast. That's what's new with us Barkers we're loving life and making due with what we have for now.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Time is just flying by!!!
Pregnancy seems like its 9 years and not 9 months. Once your little one is here its like they grow up so stinking fast!!! Joseph is just getting so big! I started him on rice cereal and solids at 4 months hoping that he'd eat enough and sleep through the night again (yeah only worked for like a week) it's so fun watching him try new things and seeing if he likes something or doesn't. or the face of "i'm not to sure about this"
Now he is 5 months old and just growing like a weed! He can roll over both ways he now actually likes his belly! he's very talkative and i'm getting him to say "hi" and working on "ba ba" he's closee to sitting up on his own too! Soon he'll be crawling he loves getting on his hands and knees but gets very frusterated when he can't move anywhere. when he kisses me he'll grab my face and suck on it. he only does that to a select few. I have a bouncy saucer for him and he LOVES jumping! Tanner will stand in front of him and start jumping and he gets a look like "hey i can do that too" and starts jumping with him. I love the way his face lights up when i walk in the room or tries to escape someone who's holding him to come to me. being a mom is the best thing in the world and i wouldn't trade it for anything in the world! here's some pictures of him just because he's so dang cute!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Denver trip and Pictures
So for my birthday present I asked Tanner if I could go to Denver with my parents so I could meet my new niece and nephew. He of course said yes, so we bought my plane ticket and on Feb. 16th Joseph, my mom and dad, and I headed to Colorado. Joseph did amazing on the plane, slept the whole time except for the last 10 min. and he was just as happy as could be. In the airport I've never seen him so alert and interested in EVERYTHING!!! he just loved all the hustle and bustle. We headed to my brother Marc's house to meet Miri, and Jaxon. both of them are just perfect!!! Miri was born just 9 days after Joseph so Nov. 18th, 2009 she is so cute but when she gets mad she sure has a temper. I was expecting her to be so much bigger than Joseph. she was 2lbs bigger then Joseph when she was born. but Joseph was HUGE compared to her, she is just a petite little thing. Jaxon was born Feb. 2nd 2010 and SO cute! he's going to get bigger then Joseph I just know it. at 2 weeks he was already 9lbs Joseph was 10lbs at 2 months. I love seeing my family I was sad not all of us could be together at once and that I left Tanner back in Nampa to be on his own. longest we've been apart since married. My nieces, Kirra, Kylie, and Paige are all so big I can't believe how fast they grew up. Paige is just 2 and is so stinking smart! to smart for her own good too. Kylie is way to tall for being 6. Kirra who is 9 is shorter then her crazy stuff! This trip was a little much for Joseph wasn't used to all his aunts and uncle's and wouldn't go to bed at all unless I was right their with him. so he slept in bed with me. and he would peek every now and then to make sure mommy was right there it was pretty cute. Debbie, Nikki, and I wanted to get pictures with all the 3 little ones so we went and got them done and they turned out great. the blessing outfits my mom made all of them, she did a great job! enjoy the pictures!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Nov. 9, 2009
Sorry it's taken me SO long to blog, but life with a baby seems to be taking most of my time the only time I can ever get online is on my phone and I can't so much blog on that :-)
So Joseph Paul Barker was born 11-9-09 at 9:36pm weighing in at 6lbs 7oz and 21inches long. He's now almost 2 months old (crazy how fast time flies when your not pregnant) I took him to the doctors Christmas eve because he had colick SUPER bad and I wanted to make sure that the formula I had him on was okay, (I had to quit nursing because of the colick) but I now have him on a very sensitive formula which has worked (thank goodness!!!) but being about 6 weeks old he is already 10lbs!!! growing fast which is a good sign!!!
Now labor the LONGEST day I think. We went in at 8:30 and they induced me around 10. They only used a pill that would get contractions going an hour later I was dialated at a 2 and they were able to break my water. Now the only way my contractions would start going most was when I walked so my mom and Tanner took shifts walking around the maternity ward with me I walked about 4 or 5 mile. (no lie) however Joseph was not positioned right (he was head down face up) Their supposed to be head down face down. so he was not taking contractions very well. So I had to stop walking and lay on my left or right side only. But contractions still came. Boy I can't explain the pain of contractions. I lasted for a bit and then asked for a IV pain medication and boy did that do wonders also made me act like I was high (only Tanner and my mom could explain what I was like) (don't worry all was safe for the baby or I wouldn't of taken it) Well finally about 5cm I begged for a epidural (how anyone can do with out is beyond me) but that is the best thing EVER!!! any who finally at 8:00pm they decided to do the Pliocene Joseph's heart was just strong. They then estimated I'd dialate a cm an hour so I wouldn't deliver until after midnight so Not feeling pain I fell asleep as did Tanner. I did wake up feeling some pressure but ignored it since I had NO idea what it felt like. Then all of a sudden 3 nurses rushed in since Joseph's heart rate dropped. They checked and said "no wonder why he's crowning she's ready to push" (only an hour later.) It only took me 30 min to push 5 sets all together. It would of been sooner but since they had turned off the Pliocene I wasn't contracting anymore so they turned it on and there I went. They did unfortunate have to "suck" Joseph out couldn't wait, his umbilical cord was tightly wrapped around his poor little neck. He came out purple. So of course I wasn't able to get him right away. so there is Tanner, my mom and mother in law checking out the new baby while I'm laying on the table bawling because all I want to do is hold my baby. my mom though did take pictures of him so I could see him some at least. about 30 min later he was fine and they asked Tanner if he wanted to hold him first. But being an amazing husband as he is told them to let me hold him first. Boy was I in LOVE!!! although he did look like an alien :-D his head finally went down about the 3rd day. My hospital stay however was NOT pleasant I am not a fan of Mercy Medical. Worst stay ever, if it wasn't for my mom I would have NO idea what to do. But I have a beautiful baby boy and I couldn't be happier. (here are some pictures, but remember I just gave labor) oh and it turns out you swell HORRIBLY bad after labor!!! on the side note I had gained 32lbs while pregnant and have lost 22lbs already! almost to my pre pregnancy weight and then I'll try and lose extra weight if possible!!! Being a mom is so great and I love it!!! Joseph is not 7 weeks and smiling a cooing ALL the time! I sure can't wait until he finds his cute little hands. Oh also while walking the halls of the maternity ward Tanner and I got a call from my dad saying our offer was accepted on our house!!! yay!!! we are moving in currently and I'll get pictures up when I can!
Being Weighed in. Its a bright world for him 
The First Family Picture
Proud Grammy (Tanner's mom)
Proud mommy yet VERY TIRED!!!
He's all swollen but still CUTE!!!
Thumbs up dude (about a week old)
First Smile on camera (and not because of gas)haha
Ho!ho!ho! Merry Christmas!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Nearing the end...
That's right I go in on Monday the 9Th and don't expect to come out without my baby boy!!! Time has been interesting, it has gone fast but has also gone by SO SLOW!!! This last week is killing me! Pregnancy sure is interesting I'll tell you what! How much a women's body can change and do things that it never has. But Tanner and I are both excited for it to be the end and to meet our little man! here are some belly shots I took in time. 
And this one was just taken a week ago at exactly 28 weeks... any boy oh boy I am STILL growing! I'll have to take a picture on the way to the hospital. I've dropped SO much I can actually feel his head hit my pelvic bone! But giving life is SO amazing! But I'm for sure waiting again to have another one! I'm still throwing up everyday. I was one of the not so lucky ones to get morning sickness the whole pregnancy. I also feel like a water balloon. everything is swollen, feet, hands, face, and arms. I miss not wearing my wedding ring, and I don't like the way people will look at me BUT I know I did this the correct way and that's all that matters! I'm ready for this little man to show himself! 6 days still seems so FAR away! but I'll make it, I just have too!!!
In other news, we are STILL waiting on a house, it seems our luck didn't come in hoping we'd have one by the time we had Joseph, but oh well... We have heard progress and they are hoping to get us in by the middle or end of Nov. but we'll see. I do just want a house already! note to self short sales take forever and are very stressful! but in the end we'll be saving a ton of money and we'll have a house of our own and not have to deal with landlords :-) well I love you all and next time I write on here will mostly likely be about our new son Joseph... (unless we were fooled this whole time and he comes out as a she... haha)
Monday, October 12, 2009
nesting...
So you always hear about it and read about when a pregnant lady is nearing the end of her pregnancy she starts a nesting stage. I never really thought I would go through it, but I find myself anxious about getting everything done and ready RIGHT NOW!!! we are still waiting on a house so still living with my parents so our room we're trying to make space for a baby for now and its no easy job. Tanner works all day and has school all night and homework I can't have his help all the time and I feel so helpless since I can only lift and do so much. It gets intense that I actually start shaking because I want to do something and I can't. Oh another joy of pregnancy! ha ha... only 4 weeks left of being pregnant and then i'll have a son who will rely on me 100 percent. I'm a bit scared I won't be good enough but I'm also so so so excited to being a mommy!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Please help out Tanner on his paper for school, feed back would be appreciated.
Dear Family and Friends, For my English class at Boise State University I am writing a research paper on the 1844 presidential candidacy of Joseph Smith Jr. I have written to you and several others of my friends and family seeking some comment concerning Joseph Smith’s politics and platform. My purpose is primarily to discover what is known about his campaign and political positions and how they stand up as they encounter modern political strategies and ideologies. I would appreciate it so very much if you would consider responding with a statement. Please feel free to be as concise or exhaustive as you please. I have enclosed my proposal essay which indicates the foreseen nature of my final analysis and the plan by which I intend to pursue this discussion. With much love, Tanner Barker P. S. The following articles have been helpful to me in my preliminary research: WOOD, TIMOTHY L. “The Prophet and the Presidency: Mormonism and Politics in Joseph Smith's 1844 Presidential Campaign”;. 200. September 1 2009. ;" target=_blank rel=nofollow>http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3945/is_200007/ai_n8922399/?tag=content;col1>. TAPPER, JAKE. “The First Mormon Presidential Candidate”;. 2007. September 1 2009. ;" target=_blank rel=nofollow>http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=3963656>. Joseph Smith’s platform is published in full in History of the Church Volume 6 pages 197-209 SMITH JR., JOSEPH. History of the Church. History of the Church. Ed. B. H. ROBERTS. Second ed. 7 vols. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1978. I also sent out a letter to politicians asking of them the same thing I am asking of you. If you are interested in a more exhaustive response I will provide here a list of ideas that would be helpful which I provided for the politicians: 1. Your favorite of the planks in his platform 2. Your least favorite of said 3. Your opinion as to the likelihood of his being elected 4. The value of his campaign strategy 5. Your opinion as to his motivation for ascending to the presidency 6. Your opinion as to whether or not he would continue to seek the presidency if he lost the 1844 election 7. Any comment at all you wish to make The Political Joseph Smith In 1844 Joseph Smith Jr., then President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ran for President of the United States of America. This is not well known. His career as a statesman I think is an important part of our nation’s history, yet there are very few books of history that mention Joseph Smith except to call him a scoundrel or a prophet. Colossal as a presidential campaign is, it was not nearly the most important or controversial event that surrounded him. Given his portentous religious claims, one might wonder if his political activities matter at all (LDS Edition of the Pearl of Great Price, Joseph Smith – History 1). While I agree that his politics matter least of all the facts surrounding him, I yet submit that Joseph Smith’s politics do matter. America is an as yet successful experiment. Here, in this time and place, we have freedom as has never been had on earth. The politics of America are the answers we attempt to give to the vexed questions inherent in democracy. I maintain that there is rarely a “right” answer where politics are concerned, but there are so very many wrong answers. In my lifetime I am hard pressed to find any answers that politicians have given to America’s important questions that have not been wrong. So I will appeal to Joseph Smith, a man that I respect, to seek some answers I can trust. Whether or not his answers can be trusted by my reader will be left to the reader’s decision. Barker 2 Joseph Smith has always sparked controversy and passion. Today this is truer than ever. He is being scrutinized by scholars who are more impassioned, better trained, and who have more material at their disposal than ever before. One would think that we would be approaching a final analysis of that man. We are not. As Richard Lyman Bushman, Gouverneur Morris Professor of History, Emeritus, at Columbia University (a practicing Mormon) laments, “One never gets an ‘open look’ at Joseph Smith” (Bushman, Historian’s Perspective). This basketball analogy is effective to indicate the difficulty of getting at Joseph Smith through the agenda driven material surrounding him. Bushman says this is because “the sources are passionate” (Bushman, Historian’s Perspective). Also, the scholars tend to be passionate, whether in sympathy or antipathy. I agree that this is regrettable to the academic, but I submit that Joseph Smith deals with issues that require our passionate response. While these most important issues may not submit well to dispassionate scrutiny, perhaps the issue of his politics might. My intention is to find out. Politics, too, elicit passionate responses. Since Joseph Smith is, and was, not a popular or unpopular, but a largely unknown, political figure and was not a member of any political party, we might approach a more scientific analysis of politics, at least of his politics, by using him as a case study. Joseph Smith was neither a Whig nor Democrat (the two major parties of that era), nor would he conform to the ideologies of modern Democrats or Republicans. He was a third party, independent, candidate who created his own party. Ross Perot did the same in the 1992 election. Joseph Smith’s party was “The Reformed Jeffersonian Democracy, Free Trade and Sailor’s Rights” party, sometimes reduced to simply the “Reform” party (Roberts, 2:207-208). Barker 3 The materials available for research on this topic are tremendous. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has published a seven-volume History of the Church, which is a collection of documents relative to the early history of that church. It is edited by Brigham H. Roberts and Joseph Smith himself is the principal author. The Church also commissioned Brigham H. Roberts, an Apostle in the Church, to compose his A Comprehensive History of the Church, which is a semi-apologetic work of historiography in 6 volumes, the first two volumes of which speak of Joseph Smith’s life and teachings. It does this by interpreting the documentary history. These works alone leave us without a paucity of sources to consult. Yet these two works barely scratch the surface of the scholarship that has been applied to Joseph Smith’s life and his presidential candidacy. My task will not be to search for sources, but to carefully sift through and find the most useful ones. My research, I intend, will focus on these books that I have found helpful: Joseph Smith: Presidential Candidate by Arnold K. Garr, Joseph Smith Rough Stone Rolling: A Cultural Biography of Mormonism’s Founder by Richard Lyman Bushman, Joseph Smith by Robert V. Remini, and Joseph Smith: The Making of a Prophet by Dan Vogel. Of course most of my primary sources will be from History of the Church and A Comprehensive History of the Church. Another interesting source will come from a non-traditional tact that I intend to take. I intend to conduct some informal surveys in different areas of our community to ask the public to comment on Joseph Smith’s political career. I will also be sending a letter to several of my friends and family which asks for a statement on Joseph Smith’s politics. This discussion matters. Joseph Smith is a character in history that begs to be accounted for. Until one has sufficiently researched and satisfactorily answered the questions Barker 4 that his life and teachings foment one has not sufficiently or satisfactorily resolved the major issues of religion and American culture. This paper will speak to the American principally, but one cannot speak of one minute in Joseph Smith’s life without speaking of the religion that so hotly set him ablaze.
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