Evelyn turned 5 months (6-14-2012)!!

Who is that grown up little baby!?  Evelyn turned 5 months old last week and has lots of new tricks to go with it.  First of all, she now has TWO bottom teeth.  The first one came in on May 24th, but the second tooth came in this week.  I first felt it on the 15th.  Also, Evelyn is doing great with her rice cereal, which we started giving her a couple of weeks ago.  We're just giving it to her once a day to get used to it, but she's starting to really enjoy it.  It's adorable.  She can roll from her back to her belly very easily, even though she went from her belly to her back first.  She has kind of forgotten how to do that, but that's okay!  She goes in circles when she's on her tummy and sometimes brings her knees in underneath her... I'm not ready for a mobile baby!  We're enjoying watching her progress though :)  Evelyn loves to "talk" and is such a happy baby, I cannot even believe it.  Everyone told us that our 2nd child would be difficult because Adelle was such an easy baby, so we feel extremely blessed!  Our girls go to bed around 9 and wake up 10 to 12 hours later.  I cannot complain about that (and I won't)!!!

We feel very blessed here.  I have some exciting things happening in the next few months on the business front, which I'm really enjoying.  I'm learning balance between that and being home and involved in my kids' lives and learning.  Every day is an adventure.

I want to take a second and talk about last weekend.  We had some visitors - my parents, my brother Eric and my sister Kelly.  They came for Evelyn's baby blessing at church.  It was a great weekend and I'm so glad they could come.  That Sunday could've been so stressful with everything happen... Luke had to teach in Priesthood, I taught in Relief Society, Adelle had her first part in Primary (she did such a good job reading the 3rd Article of Faith - we'd been practicing it all week), and Evelyn received her baby blessing.  It could've been so stressful, but it wasn't at all.  We made it to church early, we had a wonderful day, and everything went so smoothly.  My mom made Evelyn a beautiful knit dress, so we had to get a dress of her wearing it :)  Her hair is kind of a strawberry blonde, but it looks so red in this picture.

 I am so grateful for the Spirit that we felt during and after the blessing - really the whole day. I had an overwhelming feeling of love for both of my girls and am so grateful to be their mother. I'm grateful for my eternal family and for the love that I feel from my Heavenly Father each day. Life is a blessing and I am so grateful for it.  I'm so glad that my Grandma Patty was able to come for the blessing.  It is really difficult for her to leave the house, but she is getting stronger and stronger every day.  We are so blessed to have her as such a big part of our lives right now.  I'm especially so glad that Adelle and Evelyn get to grow up with a close relationship to their Great Grandmother.

It was a wonderful weekend.  We watched KU make it to the Elite 8, we played laser tag (Me, Luke, Eric and Dad) and fell in love with The Muppets.  Such a cute movie - I love the "Flight of the Conchords" feeling it often has and I had the "Man or Muppet" song in my head for several days after that.

Now, on to this weekend.  We were able to enjoy watching General Conference from home. I really focused on my own personal preparation for it this time around and I am really glad that I did. I am the Teaching for Our Times Relief Society Teacher right now, so I feel like I'm experiencing it differently this time, also receiving inspiration on which talks should be taught for the next 6 months.  We DVRd them and I'm excited to sit and really watch them more intently when kids aren't sleeping in/hanging on my arms.  Also, on a more secular note, the Jayhawks have made it to the Championship game in the NCAA Basketball Tournament!  :)  We're just excited and I love my Alma Mater.  I wish I could've been in Lawrence last night to experience the celebrations in Lawrence, but now it's time to focus on the Championship game!

Life is good.  It's easy to remember that when the weather is so beautiful and my family is happy and healthy.  Evelyn's new trick is holding up her left hand in a fist and studying/staring at it very intently.  She has also been trying to talk and respond, making sweet little noises in response to anything we might say to her.  She is becoming better and better at expressing when she needs something without just letting out a huge wail.  I feel like she sees and understands so much already.  It's amazing.

Also, when did Adelle become such a big girl??  The other day she and Luke were working on counting and simple addition by counting objects.  I am just amazed by how smart she is.  She's doing well in Sunbeams at church, though at first she was afraid of one of her teachers (it's a married couple and she was afraid of the man).  Everyone compliments her for her manners and communication skills :)  I'm a proud mama.

Evelyn Elizabeth

It's amazing how quickly we adjust to a new member of the family.  Another piece of the puzzle coming together.  Evelyn Elizabeth was 8lb 12oz and 20 inches long.  This week she had her 6 week appointment and is 10lb 15oz and 21.5in.  She's eating well, sleeping well and overall just growing well.  I couldn't be happier about it.  Labor wasn't at all like I'd hoped or expected, but I'm just happy to have a beautiful, perfect, healthy daughter.  I was planning to have a VBAC and went into labor spontaneously on that Friday evening.  I didn't really realize it was labor at first and fell asleep on the couch for a couple of hours.  When I woke up, there was no doubt that I was having contractions because they were about 4 minutes apart.  I decided to take a quick shower and we called my cousin to have Adelle go over there overnight while we went to the hospital.  By the time we were ready to go, contractions were about 3 minutes apart.  We are grateful that my aunt's husband was willing to come get Adelle and take her over to my cousin's house because we still had a 20 minute drive to the hospital.  We got to the hospital right at midnight and by then contractions were pretty painful, still about 2.5 - 3 minutes apart.  They put me in one of the emergency rooms in the OB triage ward, where I was monitored to see how I would progress.  The bed was uncomfortable and I was having back labor, but after an hour, I hadn't progressed at all.  I was planning to get an epidural as a precaution because if I were to have an unplanned c-section, I could only be awake if I had the epidural.  I was in the ER for about 3 hours, still contracting, still having back pain, when finally the doctor came in and decided to admit me even though I hadn't progressed "enough."  They wheeled me upstairs where I got the epidural fairly quickly (and was extremely grateful).  I still hadn't been progressing much, but the baby's vitals were all good, so I continued to labor.  After a couple of hours, several doctors came in wanting me to turn on my side (very hard to do when you have an epidural and your lower half is practically numb) because the baby's heartbeat had dropped a bit.  The baby responded to the new position and was stable again for about 15 minutes, then the heartbeat dipped again.  They decided this time to have me turn on to my hands and knees (I'm so glad there weren't many people to witness me trying to turn and put my knees under me.)  A few doctors helped... I stayed that way for about 45 minutes because the baby's vitals were stable again.  By about 7am, I still hadn't progressed and the baby's heartbeat had dipped again.  At that point, the doctor and several nurses came in ready to prep me for the OR - I was going to have another c-section.  8 hours of labor ... I hadn't progressed past 5 cm and the baby wasn't fully descended.  I was awake for the surgery  - it was very quick, but then sewing me back up took a little while.  My arms were aching so badly because of how they were positioned and my throat was so incredibly dry.  Of course it was all worth it when they finally finished and I got to hold my little girl for the first time.  Every birth is a miracle and I'm so grateful for my little miracle.

The first time I held my new baby girl. 

 Adelle is already very fond of her little sister.

Home from the hospital (3 days old).

1 week old.

9 days old.

Words to remember...

"Satan’s increasing influence in the world is allowed to provide an atmosphere in which to prove ourselves. While he causes havoc today, Satan’s final destiny was fixed by Jesus Christ through His Atonement and the Resurrection. The devil will not triumph. Even now he must operate within the bounds set by the Lord. He cannot take away any blessing that has been earned. He cannot alter character that has been woven from righteous decisions. He has no power to destroy the eternal bonds forged in a holy temple between a husband, wife, and children. He cannot quench true faith. He cannot take away your testimony. Yes, these things can be lost by succumbing to his temptations. But he has no power in and of himself to destroy them...

 Life may seem difficult now, but hold on tightly to that iron rod of truth. You are making better progress than you realize. Your struggles are defining character, discipline, and confidence in the promises of your Father in Heaven and the Savior as you consistently obey Their commandments. " - Richard G. Scott (Oct 2010 General Conference)

Coming soon is a post about our new addition to the family :)

Among the craziness of my life, I haven't taken much time to sit down and reflect.  I'm just over 3 weeks away from my due date to have another little girl and that quickly approaching date has brought on a lot of emotions.

I am choosing to attempt a VBAC this time around (vaginal birth after cesarian) after having an unexpected emergency c-section with Adelle.  I've decided to have an epidural, which I was really torn about.  I really didn't want to have one - I feel like it really slowed down my progress the first time around - but my doctor explained to me that should the VBAC not be successful and I end up having to have another c-section, if I don't already have an epidural in place, I will have to be completely asleep for the surgery and no family (Luke) will be allowed in the room.  If I already have the epidural, I'll be able to be awake and see the baby right away, with Luke by my side, which is how it was with Adelle.  I am praying that the VBAC will be successful, but also know that I need to have an open heart/mind for whatever happens.  The most important thing is the health of my baby and me.

Adelle has been asking a lot lately if she can see her baby sister.  She is so excited to be a big sister and I know she will be a great helper.  We have most of the staple things we need to be ready, but during one of our several moves in the past 3 years, we lost an entire tub of 0-6 month clothes.  I couldn't believe how much meaning/emotion I had attached to a tub of clothing when I realized it was gone.  I am really grateful for Luke's love and support through all of this.  Pregnancy is not my favorite, but I am counting my blessings for how smoothly it has gone and to have such a supportive and loving husband as a companion.

Meanwhile, we are still here in Oklahoma living with my paternal grandmother and helping with her care.  She came home a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving after being in a rehabilitation center (convalescent hospital) for several months.  She was home for about a month, doing very well, but now she has been in the hospital for the past week and 1/2 and is currently in ICU dealing with several things.  She first went into the hospital for a bladder infection that turned into a blood infection.  Since she's been there, she's gotten pneumonia and they found 2 blood clots in her leg.  It's a blessing that we were able to get her there when we did.  She is sleeping a lot, but her awake periods are more alert and lucid.  I know that she wants to overcome this, but it's just a long process when so many things are attacking her body.  It's really hard to see someone doing so well, then all of a sudden take a complete turn in the other direction.  Her health is so fragile, but I know she still has some fight in her.  I've learned so much from her example.  She's strong, opinionated and unconditionally loving.  Even today, talking to her on the phone, with everything she's dealing with, she wanted to know first thing how the baby and I were doing.  I am blessed with so many influences of love and strength in my family.

With everything that's happening in our lives, sometimes it's been difficult to focus on this little baby who we are going to be meeting very soon.  I can feel that she is already a part of our family.  She has also done very well at reminding us of her presence.  I cannot believe how active she has been in the womb.  She reacts every time she hears Adelle or Luke's voices - and kicks Luke almost every time he goes to touch my belly.  Other than that, she's just been moving constantly.  Adelle would always just find a comfortable position and stay there for as long as possible.  It's going to be interesting having 2 little girls and I can't wait!  I look forward to being in the hospital with her, not having to worry about anything else but this new little baby.

Family Reunion October 2011

A couple of weeks ago, we had the rare opportunity to travel to southern New Mexico for a family reunion and to celebrate my Grandpa Jack's 90th birthday.  It was a great trip and I got to see a lot of family (and kind of meet them) that I hadn't seen since I was about 6.  My maternal grandmother has 11 siblings, so my mom has tons of aunts, uncles and cousins, etc.  It was fun to get to know them.  It had been a long time since I'd seen my cousins on that side as well.  Overall it was a great trip.  It wasn't without set backs, but I won't get into that too much (Adelle gets carsick sometimes...).

One of my favorite things to do in southern New Mexico is go to White Sands National Monument.  We go every time we visit my grandparents and just love it.

We decided to stop in Amarillo, TX overnight on the way there to make the drive a little more bearable for everyone.  Adelle loved staying in a hotel.

I took tons of pictures at the dunes.  Adelle was the only one who wouldn't take her shoes off.

My sister-in-law Gaia and her daughter Kate about to slide down the dune together (Gaia turned out to be the daredevil of the group...).

This is my cousin Jay who got a running start to slide down the dune.   Just past the edge of the photo is a large speed bump/ramp they built up in the sand to make it a little more exciting.

My sister Gina and her fiance Steven.

This one was taken at sunset when we finally got back to the car.  So sweet.

This was the latest we had ever stayed and it was so great to see the sunset.

The hardest part of visiting is saying goodbye to family when it's time to go home!  We all had a great trip and can't wait to visit with everyone again!

New Additions!

It's been a while since I've posted and life has been busy.  First of all, as of tomorrow I am 12 weeks pregnant!  My expected due date is January 13th, which is Friday the 13th.  At my 10 week appointment, we got to do a quick sonogram and see our little one with a quick heartbeat, hands and feet.  It was a really cool experience.  With Adelle, our first sonogram was at 18 weeks.

Since you've probably peaked at these pictures, I will go ahead and say that last week we made a big decision to get a dog!  Lady is 6 months old and she's a Yellow Lab and Anatolian Shepherd mix.  I know some people might be surprised by this because I am openly not much of a pet person, but I just fell in love with her.  She has a very sweet demeanor and already loves Adelle so much.  Luke has wanted a dog for a long time that he could train and run around with.  Adelle loves her new friend and tries to help train her with Daddy. I've already found myself worrying about her the same way I worry about Adelle.  She's already part of the family. 

This first picture is when Lady and Adelle first met (the car ride doesn't really count).  Right from the beginning, Lady was submissive toward her and got down on her belly trying to play.  It was so cute.  We're having fun teaching Adelle how to treat an animal kindly too.  I'm excited to see how they grow together!

It's hard to remember that she's just a puppy sometimes because she's already so big.  She is a quick learner and is very teachable.  She's an outdoor dog, but we're house training her as well so that she could be inside for emergency situations.  In a couple of weeks, Luke will start a 6 week obedience school with Lady and I know he's excited about it.

I just love her coloring/markings.  I love her golden undercoat and her white belly with golden spotted legs.

She's more cooperative with the camera than the rest of my little family.

The first day and they're already besties.  I took this from the back door.  Lady didn't even try to come inside, just sat on the porch step, so Adelle joined her.  So sweet.

So cute.

Hello from Oklahoma City!

Sliiiiiiiiiiiiiide!!

Now this is what February should look like. Adelle and I had a great time at the park this afternoon. So much fun that I eventually had to carry her over my shoulders to the car as she was kicking and screaming, saying "slide" over and over again. We had already been there for a LONG time and she was literally out of breath.  And, needless to say, she fell asleep very quickly tonight and we haven't heard a peep since.  Hopefully we'll see some more pleasant weather so we can go back soon! I got some other fun pictures, but this one was just my absolute favorite.

I hope everyone else got to be outside and enjoy the beautiful weather today!

Snapshots

Most of yesterday was a pajama day for Adelle... got some cute pictures and wanted to share a couple.