The day our family grew

I'm not quite sure how to start the story of Paul's birth. I think it was yet another testament of trusting in the Lord's timing. Paul was 10 days late. But he needed to be so my mom could be with my sister, who was having an insanely difficult trial. I am so grateful that things worked out so my mom could be with both her and me. And my sister is such a saint that she suggested that my mom not reschedule her original flight so she could be with me for the birth. Pssh! Hands down, everyone was where they needed to be. Love you one-of-my-three-readers! :)

Anyway, at my 41 week visit, my midwife scheduled an induction for the following Saturday evening in case the baby hadn't come by then. I never imagined that I would ever reach that point of getting an induction. Luckily I didn't need it. I didn't start to get antsy until after that appointment. Come on baby!

Sunday, October 20th: Lost my mucus plug! Or part of it. Not sure. Called my mom to keep her updated since her flight wasn't until Tuesday. But not much else happened.

Monday, October 21st: I started having contractions in the morning but they weren't super bad. There was a little bit of blood so I called the hospital since WTEWYE (a.k.a What to Worry About When You're Expecting) said to and there might be a chance that maybe something possibly could be slightly out of the ordinary (doubt it). The nurse said everything's fine but that she'd call back in an hour to check in. I downloaded a contraction timer app and timed contractions for the next hour. When she called back I told her my contractions were about 8-10 minutes apart, to which she said "Congratulations! You're in early labor. We'll see you soon!" An L&D nurse at my last job and my midwife told me to labor as much as I could at home and to come to the hospital when contractions were 3-5 minutes apart. So we still had awhile to go. Contractions stopped during the middle of the day (or I just couldn't feel them, I'm not sure) and then continued on that evening, sometimes 13 minutes apart, sometimes 4, but mostly 6-9. The reality that we were going to have a baby SOON and that my mom was coming hit so I was cleaning the house and scrubbing the bathroom inbetween contractions. I refuse to believe this was due to nesting instincts. I'm far too practical for that to be the case. Obviously this baby was coming and this bathroom was not going to clean itself! When we finished (Kyle was a dear and was scrubbing the kitchen floor. THAT may have been unnecessarily nesting), we watched How I Met Your Mother and went to bed at 1 a.m.

Tuesday, October 22nd: Woke up at 3 a.m. and got out of bed when we realized we wouldn't be sleeping through contractions any longer. My main thoughts during the next few hours were, "Open up!" and "Please don't throw up!" Part of my birth plan was to be able to eat food while I was in labor. The midwife said that once I got to the hospital I couldn't have solid foods (with her Boston accent it sounded like salad foods...who said anything about salads? I want pizza!), but I can do whatever I want at home. Armed with my resolve to eat, Kyle made me some toast with applesauce on it for breakfast around 7. Oh heavens, I had such a hard time finishing that piece of toast. My midwife and everything I read said that I wouldn't want to eat when labor started. They were right! I called the hospital at 8 to let them know we were coming, called my friend Shelby so she could give a ride, and called my mom to let her know we were going to the hospital. While on the phone with my mom I had a contraction, but I was able to sort of talk and breathe through it. And I was walking through my contractions the whole morning, so Kyle and I were worried we were going to the hospital too soon. I had 3 contractions on the car ride to the hospital, but we made it. I was still talking and walking through contractions; are we at the hospital too soon? We got there at 9, I changed my clothes and waited for them to check me in, walking in circles constantly. I just needed to move and couldn't sit still! A midwife finally came 20 minutes later and had me lay down while they checked baby's heart rate and checked how dilated I was. We were praying so hard, "Please be at a 4 so they'll let us stay!" You can imagine our surprise when the midwife said, "Well, you get your natural birth. You're at an 8!" WHAT!?!?! So happy! This baby was coming soon! The nurses were surprised too because I was being so pleasant and I was still smiling.

They gave us one of the two rooms with a jetted tub and said, "Just keep doing what you're doing. You obviously know what you're doing," and left us alone. I walked all over the room in circles and loops (for some reason only counter-clockwise felt good. Weird.) and Kyle supported me during contractions. I labored in the tub for an hour or so (I wanted to have the experience and I was worried the baby would come before I got to use it.). I also got to sit on a birthing ball for a long time and the warm blankets felt marvelous. But still no baby. The midwife checked me around noon and I was at a 9 with just a little lip of cervix still in the way. Okay, so back to work. Contractions were difficult, I don't know how frequently they were coming or how long they lasted. Time sort of stopped. It seemed like they were about 10 or 15 minutes apart, but I wasn't keeping track. I was so tired from the night before that throughout all this I would sort of fall asleep between contractions. I wanted so badly to just lie down and sleep, but I didn't want to wake up and still be in labor. Baby first, then nap.

At 3 the midwife checked me again. The midwife had told me to try pushing a little during contractions to see if that would get that last lip of cervix to go away. I was still at a 9 and a bit. Ugh. I thought I would have had this baby by now! Okay, body. Time to get serious. We can do this! We are getting this baby out! I realized that when contractions came I had been tensing up instead of trying to relax and open up (contractions hurt!), so I focused on that. I needed that last bit of cervix to go away.

Around 4 the midwife checked me again. I'm at a 10! Yay! She had me go to the bathroom to empty my bladder before pushing. Then POP! Gush! My water broke! It's about time! Then pushed for about an hour and a half (definitely my least favorite part) and baby Paul was born at 5:46pm, almost 9 hours since we'd gotten to the hospital. For anyone keeping track, I was in "transition" a.k.a. the hardest but shortest part of labor for 7 hours! But again the timing was perfect because my mom got to the hospital about an hour later, and since the sun had gone down, the room was nice and dim for my new baby's eyes. The view from my room was lovely by the way. It overlooked the Charles River and Longfellow Bridge, some of my favorite parts of Boston. The sun went down while I was pushing, so in-between pushes we looked out the window and commented on how beautiful the sunset was.

Anyway, back to the baby. Paul weighed 7 lbs. 13 oz. and was 20 inches. He didn't cry much and wasn't very interested in nursing. He was really quiet and alert. He just wanted to look around, being very observant right from the beginning. Kyle held him for a long time while I got stitched up (minor tear, the stitches hurt more than labor!). I'm interested to see what kind of person he becomes. Now on to the great unknown: motherhood. I have no idea what I'm doing. Wish me luck!

Part of the view from my room.

Still smiling!

Here's Paul!

Baby's first selfie

Happy Third Anniversary!

To my best friend, my love, and my favorite person ever, I'm glad we've had these years together and I'm looking forward to having many more. You have been the best husband I could ever have and you're going to be a great dad. Love you more than I know!

 

A momentous occasion

Today is a pretty significant day. It is the second inauguration of President Obama and it is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Which says to me that the President's inauguration speech ought to be really good. Like really good. Like the-first-black-president-being-inaugurated-again-on-the-observation-of-the-founder-of-the-Civil-Rights-movement good. I didn't get to see the speech, but I have high expectations nonetheless.

Also, today means that four years ago, I was in Scotland doing my internship in the Scottish Parliament. Wow, time flies! After work we all sat in the Member's bar and watched the first inauguration of President Obama. Everyone was really excited to see him become president. Frankly, I was too. Let's see what the next four years have in store!*

*I am refraining from making this a political post because whether you like it or not, he is the President and that should engender some respect.

Christmas thoughts and traditions

Christmas is almost here and I can hardly contain myself! I am really looking forward to decorating for it and I have even allowed Christmas music in the house before Thanksgiving. I love the spirit and the joy that fills the world when we think about the true meaning of the holiday and not the commercialized version. And I am really excited to see my family in a few weeks and spend some quality time with my dear. Anyway, I was talking to my mom on the phone last night and we started talking about Santa Claus. I tried telling her this story I found from another blog {Bringing Lady Back}, but I really didn't do it justice. In case something happens to the other blog, I want this story here so I can remember it when the time comes for me because I love it so much.

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"My husband and I have discussed that we don't want to lie straight out to our kids, but we do want to create special memories for them. Santa Claus, Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, etc, all inclusive. Where do we draw the line?

A friend of ours was so devastated when she learned the truth about Santa Claus, she swore she would never lead her children to believe in something that didn't exist. I truly can't say that I blame her. I remember when I found out about Santa, I just felt stupid. As in, really, really gullible. And very irritated at myself that I had fallen for it so long.

So, after hearing my friend's story {which was truly heartbreaking. The whole story left me with a hole in my heart}, and thinking back to my own experience, I began to fret. I started thinking, "I don't want to lie to my kids! I want them to know that they can ask me anything and I will tell them the truth and I will never lead them astray."

But we were already into it with Hailey! She believed, and she was adorable. Spotting Rudolph in the sky, waking to the treats the elves would leave her during the week leading up to Christmas, and she just plain loved the idea of Santa Claus.
 

Two years ago, Hailey asked for a teddy bear. She wanted a teddy bear because she'd lost her other one. That was all she wanted. An 8 year old girl asking for a teddy bear. Does that even happen anymore? Moms from her school were naming off their children's lists, and I listened to the desires of all of these kids. I was shocked! Cell phones? iPods? BMWs? {okay. exaggeration.} Really though? 8 YEAR OLDS???

In the middle of the insane wants of her peers, Hailey was unashamed to ask for a teddy bear. And I love her so much for it. I can't describe the amount of love that swelled in my heart for my humble little girl when she made that request.
 

On Christmas morning, she got her teddy bear. She hugged that thing for what seemed like forever before moving on to anything else. When she did get around to emptying her stocking, she found a note from Santa. He told her that he was so proud of her for what a good girl she had been throughout the year. She had been such a big helper for mommy and daddy. She helped out so much with David & Nora, without even being asked. She was obedient, kind, friendly, and loving to everyone she knew. He was also amazed that she was happy to ask for only a teddy bear. He told her that she of course earned her teddy bear, but that He thought she deserved a bit more. He told her she had a surprise waiting for her on the back patio, and that she should go look right then.

Waiting for her was a brand-spankin' new, pink, beautiful bike (and helmet). The look on her face was priceless. To see the humility in her expression as she read the letter, then the excitement light up her eyes when she peeked through the blinds of the back door... Magic happens on Christmas Day, I tell you. She was so happy, and so thrilled to have had her good deeds recognized, without ever expecting them to be.

The awesome thing? She loved and still loves that teddy bear just as much as the bike. She leaves me in awe.

A few days after Christmas, Hailey asked, "Mom, is Santa real?"

Hm.

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, in my stocking at Daddy's house, there was some lip gloss that had a sticker on it from the store."

Ah. Nice.

"Let's sit down and talk about it."

We sat and cuddled on the couch. I said a silent prayer for guidance. I started.

"Santa is real, but he doesn't live at the North Pole, he doesn't have elves that make his toys, and he doesn't have a sleigh with flying reindeer. Santa is a tradition that lives in the hearts of parents all over the world.

The tradition of Santa Claus allows parents the opportunity to create magic for their kids anonymously. {"What's anonymously?" "Without them knowing. Like, when we bake cookies and drop them off at our neighbors and you run away? That's anonymous." "Oh."}

Didn't you feel the magic when you came out every morning and found the treats the elves left in your shoes? "Yes!"

And when you found your sweet teddy bear?

And then, when you read that note you found in your stocking?

And, most of all, when you found that you had a bike waiting for you in the back?

"Yes!"

And do you remember how good it made you feel to leave cookies on people's doorsteps?

"Yes!"

It makes parents feel good to see their children so happy.

That is what the tradition of Santa Claus is all about. It's another way for parents to show children they love them, and add a bit of magic into the mix."

We discussed that it is not up to her to tell anyone else about this tradition; it is for the parents to decide when they tell their kids. {I still feel badly about ruining it for my dear friend Amy!}

We also discussed how the magic of the tradition is the same with the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny. Parents are performing acts from the heart.

At that point, Hailey looked up at me, smiled her sweet smile and said, "You must have the biggest heart in the whole wide world."

Um. I love her.

Then, we discussed that she can ask me anything and everything and I will always tell her the truth.


To be safe I told her Jesus Christ is real, that He lived on Earth and that He will come again. I told her He truly performed miracles and does to this day.

I told her I love her and I am so proud to be her mother.

And I told her since she now knew, she would be able to help create magic for her younger siblings. She was ecstatic!

I was so happy it went so well, and she was so receptive to the message I was trying to convey. I hope it goes as smoothly with the others when it's time. I hope I can help our other children understand the tradition of Santa. We may need to go about it differently with each. It will be interesting to see things unfold as they get older.

In the meantime, I'm all for magic. "

a year ago in a picture...

So this isn't exactly from a year ago but it's close enough.

Feeding the ducks at EG Park.


One year later, ward camping trip and hike to a waterfall.


Boy, we look older.

Time to reflect: 2009

This was an AWESOME year. Here's why:

-I went to Scotland to do an internship with the Scottish Parliament.

-I became the National American Miss Utah!

-My brother went on his mission and my good friend's mission is half over.

-I went on my second and third dates while attending BYU (yes!)

-I changed my major (International Relations --> Political Science)

-I have a new niece and nephew (and 2 more nephews on the way!)

-I went to the National American Miss National Pageant and won 2nd runner up Best Resume and 4th runner up Talent!

-I proposed to and then two weeks later met my new best friend.

-I started dating my best friend.

-I'm engaged to my best friend. :)



Happiness all around! Could it get any better than this?