Thought that was a good title for this post. If you read my last post you know that I have been reading my family history on familysearch.org. It has been so interesting, exciting, and overall just awesome! I love learning about my family members and being able to feel like I can get to know them and who they were. I love when I can pick out traits that I or someone in my family has that an ancestor also had.
Well, tonight I have been reading about Vilate Murray Kimball. Just a little background: She is my great-great-great grandmother, wife of Heber C. Kimball (the first). Heber C. Kimball being one of the first to join the church and be in the presidency and lead the pioneers across the plains. Vilate was his first (of many) wives who he loved dearly. Their son, David Patten Kimball begat Heber C. Kimball who begat Milton Chase Kimball who begat Brady Kimball who begat...ME! (Feel like you're reading the Old Testament yet?)
Anyway, Vilate wrote her autobiography and they put parts of it on the website. There is part that I want to share because it really stood out to me.
I consider my testimony of the Book of Mormon to be one of the biggest parts of my entire testimony. Especially, the more I read my family history. Learning that my ancestors were there when it was translated and they were the first to teach others about it definitely helps. So tonight I read something I had never heard of before in family history or church history. It was quite the testimony builder and I can't even imagine what Heber and Vilate must have been feeling and thinking at the time. How lucky they are to have experienced the things they did, even if their trials were hard.
Here is the part I'm talking about:
Here I will relate a marvelous incident, of date previous to our entering the Church.
(They hadn't joined the church yet!)
On the night of the 22nd of September, 1827, while living in the town of Mendon, after we retired to bed, John P. Green, who was then a traveling Reformed Methodist preacher, living within one hundred steps of our house, came and called my husband to come out and see the sight in the heavens.
Heber awoke me, and Sister Fanny Young (sister of Brigham), who was living with us, and we all went out-of- doors.
It was one of the most beautiful starlight nights so clear we could see to pick up a pin.
We looked to the eastern horizon, and beheld a white smoke arise towards the heavens. As it ascended, it formed into a belt, and made a noise like the rushing wind, and continued southwest, forming a regular bow, dipping in the western horizon.
After the bow had formed, it began to widen out, growing transparent, of a bluish cast.
It grew wide enough to contain twelve men abreast. In this bow an army moved, commencing from the east and marching to the west. They continued moving until they reached the western horizon. They moved in platoons, and walked so close the rear ranks trod in the steps of their file leaders, until the whole bow was literally crowded with soldiers.
We could distinctly see the muskets, bayonets and knapsacks of the men, who wore caps and feathers like those used by the American soldiers in the last war with Great Britain. We also saw their officers with their swords and equipage, and heard the clashing and jingling of their instruments of war, and could discern the form and features of the men. The most profound order existed throughout the entire army.
When the foremost man stepped, every man stepped at the same time. We could hear their steps.
When the front rank reached the western horizon, a battle ensued, as we could hear the report of the arms, and the rush.
None can judge of our feelings as we beheld this army of spirits as plainly as ever armies of men were seen in the flesh. Every hair of our heads seemed alive.
We gazed upon this scenery for hours, until it began to disappear.
After we became acquainted with Mormonism, we learned that this took place the same evening that Joseph Smith received the records of the Book of Mormon from the angel Moroni, who had held those records in his possession.
(Say wha...??!!! That is amazing!)
Father Young, and John P. Green's wife (Brigham's sister Rhoda), were also witnesses of this marvelous scene. Frightened at what we saw, I said, Father Young, what does all this mean? He answered, "Why it is one of the signs of the coming of the Son of Man."
Now, if that isn't testimony building, I don't know what is.
I love my family history. I am proud of my ancestors and all they did, not only for my immediate family but for others around them and their families down the line. Not to mention all the work they did for the church. And to think about the church now and what it has become. To hear (in other parts of Vilate's autobiography) about the building of the Kirkland Temple and how challenging that was versus today when we now have hundreds of Temples, being build a few a year with no thought of not being able to have the means necessary or fear of persecution.
I am so thankful for the times I live in, the technology I have access to, and everything my ancestors did for me, not even knowing or thinking about it. I am so lucky and so glad to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints.
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Grandma Lottie
Mom and I had a fun day, yesterday. Mom discovered some information on Familysearch.org. One of the things she found was that my great-great-grandmother was buried in Provo. We had never been to her grave so we decided to take an adventure to find it.
Of course, it was Saturday so the office was closed. We only knew a general area that she was buried. Mom said when she was little her grandma told her that she was buried "over there". Provo cemetery is huge!
We did a lot of walking and eventually I decided to see what I could find online. Success! I found the location. We were looking in the wrong area. Eventually, we found it. It was so exciting after all that looking!
Not only did we find her headstone but we also found her husband, who was next to her, and her in-laws who had the biggest headstone I could see in the cemetery!
Of course, it was Saturday so the office was closed. We only knew a general area that she was buried. Mom said when she was little her grandma told her that she was buried "over there". Provo cemetery is huge!
We did a lot of walking and eventually I decided to see what I could find online. Success! I found the location. We were looking in the wrong area. Eventually, we found it. It was so exciting after all that looking!
Not only did we find her headstone but we also found her husband, who was next to her, and her in-laws who had the biggest headstone I could see in the cemetery!
According to a story I found on familysearch.org Henry Davis Sr. was a horse trainer and very well known. Maybe that's how they got such a huge headstone. I don't think you can tell how big it is from the picture but it is probably a foot or more taller than me!
Mom and I were discussing why Lottie always seems to be a big part of our family history and why we always think of her. I told her I thought it was because we take pride in our Irish history and she's the only one that we know of her story.
Lottie was actually Charlotte but she always went by Lottie. We think that the headstone doesn't have her full name because she never went by her full name and it was probably cheaper to engrave less letters.
She came to America from Ireland when she was 18. She traveled by herself on a ship for 6 weeks before reaching New York City. She lived with her cousin who was married to a Presbyterian Minister. They moved from NY to Florida and then to Utah. Lottie was working for a family in Payson when she met her husband, Henry. According to the story it was love at first sight and they were married within a month. (Guess quick relationships run in the family!) I also found out that they had 11 children but 3 of them died as babies. My great grandmother was the youngest.
 |
| Henry and Lottie Davis |
I'm so grateful that we have access to this kind of information and grateful for the people who have worked hard to not only keep up on genealogy but also post things like the story I read and other pictures. To think, we have been so close to my great-great grandparents and my great-great-great grandparents and never even knew it!
I can't wait to see what else I can discover and see what kind of adventures I can go on next!
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Kids Keep Growing
Jaysen is getting bigger and learning every day. It's hard to keep up on all the new things. He is now 22 months. At 18 months I was a little worried because he wasn't talking at all. He would whine and motion and make noises when he wanted something but as far as real words goes he would only say "ma". So his doctor and I decided it might be a good idea to have his speech/learning tested. They didn't make it out for a couple months because of busy schedules, and by the time they made it out his speech had totally blossomed. He went from no words to about 10 small words and noises that sounded more like words. And he learns a new one almost every day.
They still did the testing and told me that in order for him to qualify for therapy he would have to score in the 7th percentile or less of kids his age. He didn't qualify and I wasn't surprised. I'm glad to know that nothing is wrong, he just takes a little longer to do things as some kids his age, and that's ok!
This last week he said my favorite word of all, "mommy"! He doesn't say it often but when he does it just melts my heart. Other things he says are: Tak you (thank you), up, eese (please), uh-huh, nu-huh, yeah, owe, hot, ya you (love you), es you (excuse you). He can say a few others when I ask him to but those are the ones he uses on his own. I've got him to say eat, rio (as in Café Rio), bath, two, yee haw, cereal. And he can bark like a dog and meow like a cat.
He is stubborn. When you tell him no he will just look at you almost questioning if you are serious or not and trying to decide if he can do it anyway. If he wants something, you can't distract him from it. Most kids you can give a different toy or try and show them something else, not Jaysen. He wants it and he will still want it ten minutes from now.
He still has his binky. His dino binky to be exact. It has a stuffed dinosaur attached so that you can find it easier. I love it and so does he. We've started hiding it during the day and I'm sure that's helped with his talking but we haven't decided to cut him off yet.
He is my sweetheart. He gives great hugs and kisses and loves to cuddle...when it is on his terms, of course.
He knows how to find his eyes, ears, mouth, head, hands, tummy, feet, and toes.
He is my dare devil. Just this week he has tried to walk right off the couch (Jake caught him) and then he thought it was a funny game and kept trying it. And he climbed from the bench next to the table onto the top of the high chair. The older he gets it seems like the less fear he has. I have a feeling he will be the one that scares his mother to death (look mom, no hands!).
He is getting more and more picky. UGH! When he finds something he likes (at that time) he will eat so much you'd think there is a hole in his leg or something where the food falls out. He just can't get enough. It's just finding something he wants. Lately he is really into fruit, apples, bananas, grapes, etc. And not so much into sandwiches, which used to be his favorite. Now, it's two bites and done. He loves yogurt on a good day and he loves cereal. Crackers and granola bars are also a big hit right now.
Kyler is 4 now! Where did time go? Sometimes I get teary-eyed when I think of how little he was and how fast time has gone by. He is in preschool and loves it. Since he has a late birthday he will have another year of preschool that starts in the fall and then he will go to kindergarten the next year. And I am just fine with that. I don't want him to grow up so fast!
He is the best big brother. He is always willing to help when Jaysen needs something. He is an expert sharer. He is very patient with his brother and knows how to talk kindly to him instead of yelling at him or getting upset. He likes to teach Jaysen how to do things and they love to play together.
He is turning into our little thinker. He is always telling us about an idea he has or asking how something works. I think I've said this before but his favorite shows to watch are what I like to call thinking shows. He loves Mythbusters and Dirty Jobs and Top Gear. What 4 year old do you know that asks to watch those over Mickey Mouse or Henry Huggle Monster?
He is still working on letters but is doing really well when it comes to recognizing a lot of them. He knows most of the letters in his name and he has been practicing writing them.
When it comes to eating he is the opposite of his brother. He is willing to try things and eat new things but he doesn't eat much. At least he eats.
He doesn't know how to do very much at a high speed. He prefers slow. Very slow. As in he is always the last one eating, even when he eats less than everyone. He takes his time getting dressed and putting his shoes on, even when mommy tells him we are late 10 times and he needs to hurry.
He is a daddy's boy. He loves to help Jake with whatever he is doing. Either they are out in the shop building something or in the kitchen cooking or just laying on the couch together. He sure loves his daddy.
Speaking of daddy, Jake has been busy this year. He cleaned out his whole work shop last summer and rebuilt benches and shelves and cupboards to put all his tools and stuff. Its now a very efficient work space. His first big project was our new dining room table. He built it using no nails or screws, just wood and glue. It is gorgeous and I love it. It has a bench on one side and he is building chairs for the other side and the ends. I am so proud of him. He is really good about making something happen when he gets an idea.
Work has been busy for him. He is still at the Orem Sizzler as the GM. He has been short at least one manager all year. He works really hard at work and at home and I am so proud of him.
His ankle has finally healed up (its been 2 years!) and he has started playing church ball again. I can't say I love it but I am proud of him for getting back at it.
Hmm...what else? Oh, me. Well, nothing much new with me. Still loving being a mom and working part time at the doctor's office. We upgraded to electronic charts and it has been quite the ride for all of us. Some things are easier and others are harder or more time consuming than paper charts. I think I can finally say I have gotten used to things and have more of a rhythm now. I still love my job, maybe not everything about it, but in general, it's great!)
The winter seemed to bring a state of depression upon me and for awhile I just blamed the weather. Being cold made me want to stay cuddled up on the couch and not do anything. Well, this winter wasn't too bad at all and I started to notice that it didn't matter what the weather was, I just wasn't in the mood to do anything. One day, I slept all day, off and on. That's when I decided I should do something about it. When it first started I went to the doctor and he checked my thyroid and said it was fine. Sadly, I think that made me more depressed knowing it wasn't anything physical that was wrong with me. It was mental. So last week I went to my therapist (love her!) and we've worked out a plan to get me out of this funk. I just started but I have high hopes that I can get back to my normal self, energy and all!
I blame Jake for this next part...He recorded a movie for me to watch. Divergent. I'd never heard of it but watched it because he said I'd like it. I didn't. I loved it! I watched it again and then found out it was a book. My brother-in-law had it so I borrowed it and read it and then borrowed the second one and read it and now I'm waiting to borrow the last one. I also might have bought the sound track...Yeah, I'm a little obsessed. Not sure why, but it's true. I'm sure everyone around me is so tired of hearing about it. The second movie will be out in March and I can't wait. I may or may not have a count down on my phone. Some people are obsessed with Harry Potter or Doctor Who or whatever, I get Divergent.
Well, that's about it for us. Hope you enjoyed our update!
They still did the testing and told me that in order for him to qualify for therapy he would have to score in the 7th percentile or less of kids his age. He didn't qualify and I wasn't surprised. I'm glad to know that nothing is wrong, he just takes a little longer to do things as some kids his age, and that's ok!
This last week he said my favorite word of all, "mommy"! He doesn't say it often but when he does it just melts my heart. Other things he says are: Tak you (thank you), up, eese (please), uh-huh, nu-huh, yeah, owe, hot, ya you (love you), es you (excuse you). He can say a few others when I ask him to but those are the ones he uses on his own. I've got him to say eat, rio (as in Café Rio), bath, two, yee haw, cereal. And he can bark like a dog and meow like a cat.
He is stubborn. When you tell him no he will just look at you almost questioning if you are serious or not and trying to decide if he can do it anyway. If he wants something, you can't distract him from it. Most kids you can give a different toy or try and show them something else, not Jaysen. He wants it and he will still want it ten minutes from now.
He still has his binky. His dino binky to be exact. It has a stuffed dinosaur attached so that you can find it easier. I love it and so does he. We've started hiding it during the day and I'm sure that's helped with his talking but we haven't decided to cut him off yet.
He is my sweetheart. He gives great hugs and kisses and loves to cuddle...when it is on his terms, of course.
He knows how to find his eyes, ears, mouth, head, hands, tummy, feet, and toes.
He is my dare devil. Just this week he has tried to walk right off the couch (Jake caught him) and then he thought it was a funny game and kept trying it. And he climbed from the bench next to the table onto the top of the high chair. The older he gets it seems like the less fear he has. I have a feeling he will be the one that scares his mother to death (look mom, no hands!).
He is getting more and more picky. UGH! When he finds something he likes (at that time) he will eat so much you'd think there is a hole in his leg or something where the food falls out. He just can't get enough. It's just finding something he wants. Lately he is really into fruit, apples, bananas, grapes, etc. And not so much into sandwiches, which used to be his favorite. Now, it's two bites and done. He loves yogurt on a good day and he loves cereal. Crackers and granola bars are also a big hit right now.
Kyler is 4 now! Where did time go? Sometimes I get teary-eyed when I think of how little he was and how fast time has gone by. He is in preschool and loves it. Since he has a late birthday he will have another year of preschool that starts in the fall and then he will go to kindergarten the next year. And I am just fine with that. I don't want him to grow up so fast!
He is the best big brother. He is always willing to help when Jaysen needs something. He is an expert sharer. He is very patient with his brother and knows how to talk kindly to him instead of yelling at him or getting upset. He likes to teach Jaysen how to do things and they love to play together.
He is turning into our little thinker. He is always telling us about an idea he has or asking how something works. I think I've said this before but his favorite shows to watch are what I like to call thinking shows. He loves Mythbusters and Dirty Jobs and Top Gear. What 4 year old do you know that asks to watch those over Mickey Mouse or Henry Huggle Monster?
He is still working on letters but is doing really well when it comes to recognizing a lot of them. He knows most of the letters in his name and he has been practicing writing them.
When it comes to eating he is the opposite of his brother. He is willing to try things and eat new things but he doesn't eat much. At least he eats.
He doesn't know how to do very much at a high speed. He prefers slow. Very slow. As in he is always the last one eating, even when he eats less than everyone. He takes his time getting dressed and putting his shoes on, even when mommy tells him we are late 10 times and he needs to hurry.
He is a daddy's boy. He loves to help Jake with whatever he is doing. Either they are out in the shop building something or in the kitchen cooking or just laying on the couch together. He sure loves his daddy.
Speaking of daddy, Jake has been busy this year. He cleaned out his whole work shop last summer and rebuilt benches and shelves and cupboards to put all his tools and stuff. Its now a very efficient work space. His first big project was our new dining room table. He built it using no nails or screws, just wood and glue. It is gorgeous and I love it. It has a bench on one side and he is building chairs for the other side and the ends. I am so proud of him. He is really good about making something happen when he gets an idea.
Work has been busy for him. He is still at the Orem Sizzler as the GM. He has been short at least one manager all year. He works really hard at work and at home and I am so proud of him.
His ankle has finally healed up (its been 2 years!) and he has started playing church ball again. I can't say I love it but I am proud of him for getting back at it.
Hmm...what else? Oh, me. Well, nothing much new with me. Still loving being a mom and working part time at the doctor's office. We upgraded to electronic charts and it has been quite the ride for all of us. Some things are easier and others are harder or more time consuming than paper charts. I think I can finally say I have gotten used to things and have more of a rhythm now. I still love my job, maybe not everything about it, but in general, it's great!)
The winter seemed to bring a state of depression upon me and for awhile I just blamed the weather. Being cold made me want to stay cuddled up on the couch and not do anything. Well, this winter wasn't too bad at all and I started to notice that it didn't matter what the weather was, I just wasn't in the mood to do anything. One day, I slept all day, off and on. That's when I decided I should do something about it. When it first started I went to the doctor and he checked my thyroid and said it was fine. Sadly, I think that made me more depressed knowing it wasn't anything physical that was wrong with me. It was mental. So last week I went to my therapist (love her!) and we've worked out a plan to get me out of this funk. I just started but I have high hopes that I can get back to my normal self, energy and all!
I blame Jake for this next part...He recorded a movie for me to watch. Divergent. I'd never heard of it but watched it because he said I'd like it. I didn't. I loved it! I watched it again and then found out it was a book. My brother-in-law had it so I borrowed it and read it and then borrowed the second one and read it and now I'm waiting to borrow the last one. I also might have bought the sound track...Yeah, I'm a little obsessed. Not sure why, but it's true. I'm sure everyone around me is so tired of hearing about it. The second movie will be out in March and I can't wait. I may or may not have a count down on my phone. Some people are obsessed with Harry Potter or Doctor Who or whatever, I get Divergent.
Well, that's about it for us. Hope you enjoyed our update!
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Jaysen's Update
Yes, poor Jaysen is the second child and therefore gets significantly less blog post updates. So here it is....
Age: almost 14 months
He has 6 teeth and a little bit more hair than he was born with. The longer his hair gets the curlier the back gets (just like my dad), and it seems to be getting lighter in color but still pretty brown. His eyes are hazel, also like my dad, and he has very sensitive, olive colored skin.
He crawls really well and really fast. He likes to pull himself up to furniture and walk around while holding on to it, or while pushing something. He still won't walk by himself but I'm ok with it. I haven't worked on walking until recently because I know what that leads to...running.
He can say "mama" or "mom", "dada" or "dah", what sounds like "all done" when he is finished eating and hands me his plate, and "uhhh uhhhh uhhh" which is his word for everything else. So not a lot of talking yet. He jabbers when he is playing but if he wants something he grunts at you until you give him whatever it is he wants. I have been working on "please" and "up" and "more" but so far he hasn't said anything that sounds like those words.
He throws temper tantrums that scare me. Mostly because Kyler never had a temper and I know how Jake's was growing up. I guess I'll have to learn to manage. (We will just have to buy him a punching bag early - Jake's parents bought one for him when he was a teenager.)
He eats. A lot. But he is also very picky, just like his dad. When he finds something he likes he will eat it 'til it's gone...and then ask for whatever is on your plate. Our morning routine goes the way it does because of this. I feed Jaysen baby cereal first. Then I make Kyler's breakfast. Ky usually likes French toast sticks or Eggo waffles or toast, not a cereal kind of kid. I usually make a little extra to give to Jaysen. Then I get my cereal ready while the boys eat that. Ky is a slow eater but by the time I sit down and take a few bites Jaysen is finished and ready for more food. So I either put some dry cereal on his tray or just share mine with him. And when Jake is home in the morning with the boys I always get a text that says, "he is going to eat us out of house and home!"
He LOVES his brother. Whatever Kyler is doing, Jaysen is right behind him. They love to play cars together and he already knows how to make car sounds - I think boys come with that already installed. Kyler is really good about sharing and finding things for Jaysen to play with, and when he isn't, we know it because Jaysen freaks out! Poor Ky sometimes gets yelled at when we hear Jaysen scream and Ky hasn't even done anything. Oldest child problems, I guess. I am trying to be more careful now because a temper tantrum doesn't always mean Ky isn't sharing, it also means he is frustrated with whatever he is doing and doesn't have the patience to figure it out before freaking out.
He has a good arm. Loves to throw things and is actually pretty good at it. Guess we need to get him into baseball or something...maybe a quarterback? Jake would like that better than baseball. We will see what he wants to do I guess. He hates blankets. Just like his daddy. No socks, no blankets on his feet, and wants the fan blowing on him all night. He also likes it dark, which makes the boys sharing a room kind of hard lately. Ky has to have a light on and Jaysen has to have it off. I think we came to a compromise with a smaller, dimmer night light right next to Ky's bed but we will see. If not I'll be making a room divider.
He is finally sleeping better. FINALLY! Up until recently he was still waking up 1 or 2 times a night. He still wakes up, but not as often. And usually it's because he lost his binky or the light is too bright.
Yes, he is still a binky baby. We try to not give it to him during the day as much but sometimes it just happens. I'm not too worried about it. He still needs it to sleep and he isn't even walking yet so it's not like he is a 5 year old with a binky at school (no offense if your child is one of these, to each his own.)
He loves to go for car rides and I have (surprisingly) never had a problem with him freaking out in the car seat. Kyler hated the car seat and unless the car was moving he was crying. Every single stop light. Jaysen is content as long as the sun isn't in his eyes. And if he is tired he needs his binky and he is good.
He knows how to go up and down stairs. This surprises me because I didn't teach him. I am assuming his baby sitter did (bless her heart) because I don't even have stairs to teach him on. I think Kyler was 2 before he learned to go up/down stairs.
He is a smarty pants. I always say his is my "thinker" because he always has this very serious, concentrated look on his face. And he is very good at trying to do whatever it is you are doing (unless of course he isn't interested yet...like walking.) He is also very stubborn that way. He likes things done on his terms. Which could lead to problems but once again we will see how it goes and learn to manage.
He is a good boy. He listens when I tell him "no". He may throw a little pouting fit but at least he won't do it again...for the next 10 minutes. He doesn't cry too often, it's more whining than anything.
He loves to giggle and loves to be tickled. And his favorite thing is blowing raspberries. You know, like blowing on someone's tummy. He thinks it is hilarious. He does it to daddy and Ky and me whenever he gets the chance and even tried to do it to himself one time when his shirt was off and he found his tummy.
He is our sweet, silly, squishy little boy and we love him soooooo much! I just don't know what life would be like without him.
Saturday, April 5, 2014
What Makes Jaysen Jaysen
I haven't blogged much about Jaysen. Second child syndrome, I guess. I just have less time and energy. With Kyler I blogged every milestone. And with Jaysen I realized that as important as the milestones are, the date that it happened isn't. Anyway, thought I would blog a little bit about what makes my sweet Baby J who he is.
He is now almost 10 months old.
He is my chunky monkey. "Squishy" as some (Mindy) call him. Kyler had so little chub that all the chub that Jaysen has is very noticeable and kissable.
He eats well. The only thing that he doesn't like so far is green beans. Baby cereal, baby food, cereal puffs, bread, and whatever else we put in his mouth he just loves.
He finally has 2 teeth! It seemed like everyone thought he was teething from the time he was 4 months. I guess because of all the droll and the fact that he puts everything in his mouth.
He started crawling last month and now he is a pro. He just loves being able to get around. He tries to pull himself up to things like the couch and chairs but he isn't quite strong enough yet.
He does a little bit of chatter here and there, mostly mama, dada, nigh-nigh, no-no. He yells when he is happy. It's loud and high pitched but at least he is smiling.
Speaking of smiling he does it a lot. He is a very happy baby with a big, open mouth smile.
He laughs a lot and his favorite thing is to be scared. As in saying "boo!" or jumping out from behind something. He jumps and laughs hysterically every time.
He makes lots of "farting" noises....with his mouth. Sometimes it sounds like it should be coming from the other end. Pretty funny to watch.
Still a binky baby. Loves it more than anything. And speaking of binky's, he only likes the green ones from the hospital. I bought some cute football ones for Christmas and he doesn't like them. He plays with them but honestly I think his cheeks are so chubby that that the smaller binky doesn't fit.
Lately he doesn't like bottles. We even had to try and switch to sippy cups and he still doesn't have much interest. We really aren't sure why. I guess he just decided he likes to eat solid food more. I am fine with it but worried he isn't getting the nutrients he needs from milk and isn't getting enough to drink. I try and nurse him as often as possible but I am at work part of the week and lately he only nurses for a couple minutes or until he gets distracted and then he is done.
He is finally sleeping better. He has never been a good sleeper, from day one. 3 or 4 hours was the best he would do. But for the last couple weeks he has been going 5 to 7 hours at a time. I cannot believe how much having sleep has helped me function. I have SOOO much more energy. It's awesome. I just hope he keeps it up. *knock on wood* ----Guess knocking on wood didn't work. I wrote this a couple weeks back and now that his teeth are coming in we are back to long nights of very little sleep. Here is to hoping he remembers how to sleep again soon!
He cries when I tell him no. It is actually kind of funny that he even knows what that means. Especially because I didn't yell or even get up from my chair. I just said, "Jaysen, no no." And he looked at me and then put his head down and sobbed.
Although he and Kyler are brothers they are so opposites. Kyler is blonde and was bright blonde when he was born and has always had a lot of hair. Jaysen has dark hair and not much of it.
Both boys are pretty mild tempered but I have noticed Jaysen has more of a temper than Kyler ever did. He gets upset and throws himself back and kicks his legs. He will let you know he doesn't want something by throwing a fit with his hands when you try to give him something he isn't interested in. He seems a lot more serious than Kyler. I always say Jaysen is my "thinker". He tends to study things and have a very serious look on his face a lot of the time. He even has the cutest little scowl where he raises his eyebrows and it looks like he is either pondering something or giving you a dirty look. It always seemed like Kyler would laugh and smile at anything and everything and Jaysen has to be truly amused in order to give you the time of day. Not that he isn't a happy baby. He is just more serious about his happiness, haha!
I better post this now instead of trying to think of more to add. Last time I waited to post and had to make a lot of changes. For some reason my blogging time is very limited.....hahaha.
He is now almost 10 months old.
He is my chunky monkey. "Squishy" as some (Mindy) call him. Kyler had so little chub that all the chub that Jaysen has is very noticeable and kissable.
He eats well. The only thing that he doesn't like so far is green beans. Baby cereal, baby food, cereal puffs, bread, and whatever else we put in his mouth he just loves.
He finally has 2 teeth! It seemed like everyone thought he was teething from the time he was 4 months. I guess because of all the droll and the fact that he puts everything in his mouth.
He started crawling last month and now he is a pro. He just loves being able to get around. He tries to pull himself up to things like the couch and chairs but he isn't quite strong enough yet.
He does a little bit of chatter here and there, mostly mama, dada, nigh-nigh, no-no. He yells when he is happy. It's loud and high pitched but at least he is smiling.
Speaking of smiling he does it a lot. He is a very happy baby with a big, open mouth smile.
He laughs a lot and his favorite thing is to be scared. As in saying "boo!" or jumping out from behind something. He jumps and laughs hysterically every time.
He makes lots of "farting" noises....with his mouth. Sometimes it sounds like it should be coming from the other end. Pretty funny to watch.
Still a binky baby. Loves it more than anything. And speaking of binky's, he only likes the green ones from the hospital. I bought some cute football ones for Christmas and he doesn't like them. He plays with them but honestly I think his cheeks are so chubby that that the smaller binky doesn't fit.
Lately he doesn't like bottles. We even had to try and switch to sippy cups and he still doesn't have much interest. We really aren't sure why. I guess he just decided he likes to eat solid food more. I am fine with it but worried he isn't getting the nutrients he needs from milk and isn't getting enough to drink. I try and nurse him as often as possible but I am at work part of the week and lately he only nurses for a couple minutes or until he gets distracted and then he is done.
He is finally sleeping better. He has never been a good sleeper, from day one. 3 or 4 hours was the best he would do. But for the last couple weeks he has been going 5 to 7 hours at a time. I cannot believe how much having sleep has helped me function. I have SOOO much more energy. It's awesome. I just hope he keeps it up. *knock on wood* ----Guess knocking on wood didn't work. I wrote this a couple weeks back and now that his teeth are coming in we are back to long nights of very little sleep. Here is to hoping he remembers how to sleep again soon!
He cries when I tell him no. It is actually kind of funny that he even knows what that means. Especially because I didn't yell or even get up from my chair. I just said, "Jaysen, no no." And he looked at me and then put his head down and sobbed.
Although he and Kyler are brothers they are so opposites. Kyler is blonde and was bright blonde when he was born and has always had a lot of hair. Jaysen has dark hair and not much of it.
Both boys are pretty mild tempered but I have noticed Jaysen has more of a temper than Kyler ever did. He gets upset and throws himself back and kicks his legs. He will let you know he doesn't want something by throwing a fit with his hands when you try to give him something he isn't interested in. He seems a lot more serious than Kyler. I always say Jaysen is my "thinker". He tends to study things and have a very serious look on his face a lot of the time. He even has the cutest little scowl where he raises his eyebrows and it looks like he is either pondering something or giving you a dirty look. It always seemed like Kyler would laugh and smile at anything and everything and Jaysen has to be truly amused in order to give you the time of day. Not that he isn't a happy baby. He is just more serious about his happiness, haha!
I better post this now instead of trying to think of more to add. Last time I waited to post and had to make a lot of changes. For some reason my blogging time is very limited.....hahaha.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Kids Say the Darndest Things
Just some things Kyler has said recently that I don't want to forget:
While watching Jake and the Neverland Pirates:
Show says..."Jake! Ahoy! Izy! Ahoy!...."
Kyler says..."Jake! A Boy! Izy! A Boy!..."
Show says..."Yo, Ho, Ho!"
Kyler says..."Ho, Ho, Ho!" (Ok, Santa!)
While getting some baby clothes out of storage:
"Whoa, check it out! Check out that box!
Don't know where he got that.
Me: "Kyler, take off your shoes."
Ky: "Here, mom. You do it."
Me: "No, Ky, you can do it."
Ky: "No, I too busy!"
Well, excuse me for interrupting!
Randomly throughout the day:
Wait a minute! I got a idea!!
Then I say, "Ok, what's your idea?"
And he looks at me like I'm crazy and says nothing.
The past couple months or so he has been saying, "Sa-weet!" I love it!
Today he said, "Oh, my heck."
I can't remember why. Good thing I watch my language.
I asked him how old he was and he tried to convince me he was six.
And when I tried to convince him he was only 3 he would act like I was the crazy one.
When Jake says he is a nut or something like that he is sure to tell him "No, I KyKy!"
This is one I am ashamed of but putting it down anyway.
We obviously watch too much How I Met Your Mother.
First, he finished humming the theme song while it was on.
Then, I mentioned something to Jake that Ted did.
Kyler was sure to point out, "No, that's Marshall."
Conversation he had by himself in the bathtub:
Ah! A monster
I not a monster. I a kid.
Oh, ok.
He always talks for Jaysen. Here is an example.
Here is your blinky (binky).
Tank you big brother.
You welcome.
*He even does a cute little voice for Jaysen.
At the moment we are in the : I want/need/have to do it!!
It tries our patience but that's ok. At least he likes being independent.
Of course, when we need him to do something by himself he refuses.
For some reason he thinks it's funny to grab Jaysen's hand and say "Nice ta meet you."
His pretend phone conversations are getting more realistic.
Hi, what you doing.
Oh, why?
Ok. Where you at?
No. Ok. Bye.
He likes to tell Jake and I how nice we are.
You a nice mommy/daddy.
That's one of the best.
I am happy to say his polite-ness has not only stuck around but gotten better.
Please. Tank you. You welcome. Sure. Excuse me. Bless you. Sorry. Etc.
When Jaysen is crying he will go over to him, kiss him on the head, and say, "It ok. You be ok."
And when he is happy Ky says, "He miling!"
He can't say his S's.
He talks to Nala (the dog) like we do. (Another thing I am ashamed of.)
"No, Lala! Go outside! You stink! Dumb dog! Get down!"
He is quite the entertainer. And he knows how silly he is.
"I siddy!"
While watching Jake and the Neverland Pirates:
Show says..."Jake! Ahoy! Izy! Ahoy!...."
Kyler says..."Jake! A Boy! Izy! A Boy!..."
Show says..."Yo, Ho, Ho!"
Kyler says..."Ho, Ho, Ho!" (Ok, Santa!)
While getting some baby clothes out of storage:
"Whoa, check it out! Check out that box!
Don't know where he got that.
Me: "Kyler, take off your shoes."
Ky: "Here, mom. You do it."
Me: "No, Ky, you can do it."
Ky: "No, I too busy!"
Well, excuse me for interrupting!
Randomly throughout the day:
Wait a minute! I got a idea!!
Then I say, "Ok, what's your idea?"
And he looks at me like I'm crazy and says nothing.
The past couple months or so he has been saying, "Sa-weet!" I love it!
Today he said, "Oh, my heck."
I can't remember why. Good thing I watch my language.
I asked him how old he was and he tried to convince me he was six.
And when I tried to convince him he was only 3 he would act like I was the crazy one.
When Jake says he is a nut or something like that he is sure to tell him "No, I KyKy!"
This is one I am ashamed of but putting it down anyway.
We obviously watch too much How I Met Your Mother.
First, he finished humming the theme song while it was on.
Then, I mentioned something to Jake that Ted did.
Kyler was sure to point out, "No, that's Marshall."
Conversation he had by himself in the bathtub:
Ah! A monster
I not a monster. I a kid.
Oh, ok.
He always talks for Jaysen. Here is an example.
Here is your blinky (binky).
Tank you big brother.
You welcome.
*He even does a cute little voice for Jaysen.
At the moment we are in the : I want/need/have to do it!!
It tries our patience but that's ok. At least he likes being independent.
Of course, when we need him to do something by himself he refuses.
For some reason he thinks it's funny to grab Jaysen's hand and say "Nice ta meet you."
His pretend phone conversations are getting more realistic.
Hi, what you doing.
Oh, why?
Ok. Where you at?
No. Ok. Bye.
He likes to tell Jake and I how nice we are.
You a nice mommy/daddy.
That's one of the best.
I am happy to say his polite-ness has not only stuck around but gotten better.
Please. Tank you. You welcome. Sure. Excuse me. Bless you. Sorry. Etc.
When Jaysen is crying he will go over to him, kiss him on the head, and say, "It ok. You be ok."
And when he is happy Ky says, "He miling!"
He can't say his S's.
He talks to Nala (the dog) like we do. (Another thing I am ashamed of.)
"No, Lala! Go outside! You stink! Dumb dog! Get down!"
He is quite the entertainer. And he knows how silly he is.
"I siddy!"
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Kyler's Birthday - Post 3
Kyler is one lucky kid, getting to celebrate his birthday so many times! Here is the Party at Grandma Cece and Grandpa's house!!
I didn't get a lot of pictures of gifts but he got a very cozy Cars blanket, a Thomas the Train back pack (pack pack), a Cars lunch box full of movies (wow!), a magnet puzzle car, and some matchbox cars. What a fun day!!
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| THE CAKE! This was the cake Kyler picked out so that's what I made. |
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| Another (kinda weird) view of the cake. |
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| Kyler and his Uncle William. Such good buddies, |
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| His present from Nana and Papa Hibdon |
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| Jaysen and Grandpa, just chillin'. Too cute to resist. (Really should have edited - zoomed, oh, well.) |
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| Patiently waiting for us to stop singing. He almost blew too soon but Jake caught him. |
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| Make (another) wish and blow out the candles (again)! |
Monday, October 7, 2013
Kyler's Birthday - Post 1
Because I didn't do a party for Kyler this year we decided to celebrate with everyone separately and therefore I plan on having multiple posts about his birthday.
His birthday was on Friday, Oct 4. That day he got to go to his new baby sitter's house and play with his new friends. Then, when daddy got home from work he got to open his present from Jennifer. I promised her pictures so that is a big reason for this post.
He loves it! He doesn't quite understand that it is to 'store' your money. He just has fun putting it in and taking it out. But he likes it and that is what matters. Thank you, Jen Bird!
His birthday was on Friday, Oct 4. That day he got to go to his new baby sitter's house and play with his new friends. Then, when daddy got home from work he got to open his present from Jennifer. I promised her pictures so that is a big reason for this post.
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| "Cheese!" I read the card which said "Happy Birthday, Kyler. -BIRD" He then read it like this, "Happy Birthday, I love you." |
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| Opening... |
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| Almost done opening... |
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| "Wow!" |
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| "Cheese!" (He was very in to picture taking.) |
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| Ta-Da! |
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| "I luv him, mom. My giraffe." (This picture was not posed. He did it all on his own. That wasn't the only time I caught him hugging it. |
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| We found some penny's. |
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| Learning about how it works. |
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| "This is fun!" |
Kyler's Birthday - Post 2
Yeah, I messed up. The problem with having more than one blog is that some times I click on the wrong blog. Ugh. I did this entire post on the wrong blog. Please follow the link below to see the real post.
~Sorry, I was trying to get it done before bedtime. Oops!
http://lyssylala.blogspot.com/2013/10/kylers-birthday-post-2.html
~Sorry, I was trying to get it done before bedtime. Oops!
http://lyssylala.blogspot.com/2013/10/kylers-birthday-post-2.html
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Terrible Three's!!!!
It happened a little early, but it happened.
It started while I was at work and I got this text from Jake:
And this...
And, finally, this...
Kyler hit the Terrible Three's!
He never really had Terrible Two's and I thought I was out of the woods. Boy was I wrong! It's like someone flipped a switch! I'm pretty sure everyone who reads my blog follows me on Facebook and/or Instagram but I will give a little bit better of an account of the past week on here. It started while I was at work and I got this text from Jake:
Needless to say, I was furious! Just days before I was thinking about how glad I was his hair was growing out so that it would look good for his 3 year old pictures. And now it was short. I mean really short, as in we are all still amazed he got it so short without cutting himself.
I was in shock. He was always so good and knew not to play with scissors. In fact he didn't even call them scissors until recently. They were "ouchies" and he would carefully hand them to me or let me know they got left out if he saw them. So, I guess what happened was that Jake had been cutting his shorts in the bathroom and left the scissors on the counter. Jaysen was crying so he was busy taking care of him when Kyler found the scissors and proceeded to chop the front of his hair. Jake laughed. He told him mommy was going to be mad, boy was that an understatement.
Jake told me I had better take some pictures to document because in a couple days, or weeks, I would be laughing about it. This was what I decided on:
I couldn't decide if I should scream or cry. So I did neither. I got home from work and we went straight to the salon. She started buzzing it and I couldn't look. I could feel the tears behind my eyes, but they never came out. "At least he is a boy" is what I kept telling myself and what everyone kept saying. I mean it isn't the worst thing in the world but I hate getting his hair cut so short because he looks so grown up. I just want him to stay little!
He loved the results. Normally, he hates hair cuts. Screams and cries and throws a fit. He has to sit on one of our laps and the other has to be there to help hold. This time he sat in the chair all by himself, did exactly what the lady asked and smiled the whole time.
The outcome was good. And I will say he looks good. And he loves it. Tells everyone he got his hair cut and is so happy about it. I guess that's what matters. He is still my cute kid.
So I made it through that day. The next day was my day off which means I had my usual morning routine. Get up with Kyler, get him some milk and turn on Disney channel. He chills on the couch and I get to go back to sleep for an hour until Jaysen wakes up and we start the day. We have been doing this since Jaysen was born, no problems. And that day wasn't any different. We got dressed and ready for the day and decided to go shopping for an outfit for Kyler for his 3 year old pictures.
We were about to walk out the door when I saw this:
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| Piano Bench |
And this...
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| Top of the couch |
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| Back of couch |
And this...
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| Coffee table |
And, finally, this...
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| Dining room table |
Yep, while I was sleeping he decided to be an artist with a dry erase marker (thank goodness it wasn't a Sharpie).
Why? Why, why why? That's all I could say. He KNOWS that we only write on paper. It has been pounded into his head from the moment he could hold a crayon.
I was already ready to go so I just left it and we walked out the door. We went to the mall where we met my friend, Mindy. Did a lot of wandering around and then he said he had to go potty. He has been potty training for a few weeks now and doing pretty well. So I took him to the bathroom and helped him up onto the toilet. He was about to go when it flushed. Automatic flushing toilet. Scared the crap out of him...oh wait, no, scared it back in, I guess. He jumped off and refused to go. After trying to convince him with no luck we just had to walk out and I just prayed he held it until we left.
We went into Crazy 8's and I finally found something. But of course I wanted to try it on him. So we went into the back to use their tiny, make-shift dressing room. (It is literally a cut out in the wall with a curtain, not even big enough to be called a closet.) I got his clothes off and the pants on and went to put the shirt on when he lost it. And my child isn't like that. Once again, it was like someone flipped a switch, and for whatever reason he decided he did NOT want to wear that shirt and was NOT going to put it on, even for a second. Well, I wasn't planning on buying the shirt, I just wanted the vest that went over it. So after being slightly embarrassed that he had screamed and threw a fit and the entire store had heard I gave in and just tried the vest on. Great, it fit, now get it off and lets get out!
Left the store and decided to stop at the bathroom and try one last time. And then I found it, the ONE toilet in the bathroom (and maybe the whole mall) that was not an automatic flush. It took a lot of convincing and a few minutes of my trying to hold him down until he went but he went!!
And that was day 2. I had survived. And now I only pray I can make it through the next year. (And I hope he can survive, too!)
The rest of that week wasn't too bad. He got this crazy idea that he can tell me no. We are working on that one but that is something I will not put up with. He has been SUPER whiny (must be a 3 year old thing. I don't know any 3 year old that doesn't whine.) But now I have to learn how to deal with it. He has developed this crazy curiosity and he just has to touch EVERYTHING! I swear he was not doing that a couple weeks ago. He has WAY too much energy. Not only did someone flip a switch but they also must have wound him up too tight and now he just spirals out of control. Like a literal tornado, spinning around and touching everything. I feel like I am being a harsh mom because every 5 minutes I am saying, "No. Stop. Don't touch that. Get out of there. Get down. Don't do that. Be quiet. Sit still....etc."
I'm sure you're all laughing right now and saying, "Ha, she got her's." Because you know what an easy kid he has been for me so far. When I was pregnant with Jaysen I kept saying I was worried that God wouldn't give me two good kids and that he was going to be a handful. Well, he is a pretty good baby. I never expected that Kyler would be the one to change and be the handful.
And although he is a little crazy and my hair is going a little gray-er lately, I still love that kid more than life itself. He can always turn things around by giving me a hug or kiss, unexpectedly, coming to cuddle with me, or being his super polite self. I'm not trying to brag but I have never met a kid his age that says as many please's, thank you's (kank you), you're welcome's (welcome), bless you, excuse me's, etc, as he does. And lately he gives me compliments that just melt my heart. I had him his juice and he says, "Kank you, mommy. You a nice mommy." Does it get any better?!
So I guess I'll keep him. I'll just have to pray a little harder for more patience.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Deja Vu
I mostly wanted to write this blog to show my thanks for all the people who I am so grateful for lately. First off, I wanted to write a blog last week about how thankful I am for all the nurses at Orem Community Hospital. They were all just wonderful and made my experience a million times better than the first time around. Anyway, now I have more people to thank at the same hospital.
For those of you who haven't heard, I was back there exactly a week after Jaysen was born. I'll try to not be too graphic with this post...it isn't exactly as "pretty" as a birth story is. So, if you don't want to hear about gross stuff that has to do with pregnancy stop reading now. I figure most of my readers are women or moms and won't be disturbed by it.
Everything was going great. I was healing well and starting to get used to being up with the baby at night. My bleeding was minimal and my cramping was going away. It was Tuesday morning, 3:30am and I had just finished feeding Jaysen and got him back to sleep. I went to the bathroom before going back to bed myself when I noticed I had bled a lot. A lot more than I had been, and a lot more than what seemed normal. I remember the nurse telling me before I discharged the hospital that if I bled a lot it wasn't anything to worry about unless I bled through another pad in an hour. I went back to bed and hadn't even got comfortable when I realized I had just bled a lot more. I did what anyone in this day and age does and got out my phone. I checked Google to see how serious all this bleeding was. Everything pretty much said that a lot of bleeding meant to call the doctor. Being almost 4 am I wasn't really sure how to do that. So I woke up Jake and told him what was going on. He pointed out that my doctor might be on call since he was on call last Tuesday morning. He called the hospital and sure enough it was my doctor. He told Jake that I should be ok and that if I were still bleeding in the morning to come to his office. Jake also talked to his mom who is a nurse and she said almost the same thing. That I should lay down and see if it goes away in the next half hour. She said it might be because I had such minimal bleeding that maybe it was just catching up.
When he got off the phone I asked him for a blessing. Then I laid down and asked Jake if he could get me a granola bar because I was hungry and thought that might help. (BIGGEST MISTAKE) I hadn't been laying down for even 10 min when I told Jake I had better use the bathroom because it seemed like I had bled a lot again. When I got to the bathroom I discovered not only had I bled a lot but I was passing blood clots. Huge blood clots. Like the size of my hand. I didn't even have to think twice before telling Jake we had to go to the hospital and to call his mom. He first called the doctor back and told him what was going on. He told us to go to the ER at Orem Community and he would meet us there. What a blessing that he was on call!
Jake gathered up what we would need for the boys and got them in the car while I tried my best to get all cleaned up. I decided to wear a pair of pj pants that I knew I would be ok with throwing away. When we got to the hospital Jake's mom was there to take the boys. I called my mom to let her know what was going on when I realized that it was 5:00 am on Tuesday morning. The exact same time I had called her the week before to let her know I was in labor. Deja Vu.
I got all checked in and in a room. I told the nurse I wanted to stay in the wheel chair in case they needed to take me somewhere. I knew the min I stood up there would be blood everywhere. I wasn't in any pain, thank goodness, but I was having cramps that felt a lot like contractions every few min. I was having really bad anxiety, though. I told Jake that on the pain scale my pain was at a 1 and my anxiety was a 10.5. Everything was making me cry. The nurse said she was going to do my IV and I started crying. I asked Jake to let Jennifer know what was going on, I cried again, because I miss her. I think I cried more while in the ER than I have cried in the last year. Anyway, I got my IV and they said they were going to take me to ultrasound. The doctor said what was probably going on was that a piece of the placenta got missed and my body was trying to get rid of it. They would do an ultrasound and then more than likely do a D&C (which basically cleans me out, if you didn't know.)
Time to get into the bed and into a gown. I wasn't exactly sure how to do this because while I had been sitting in the wheel chair less than half an hour I had bled so much it was on the floor. I realized it didn't matter what kind of mess I made because I was in a hospital and there was nothing I could do about it.
And this is where a huge thanks to my wonderful husband comes in. I don't know many men who would be ok with stuff like this. Grated, in emergency situations you just learn to deal, but Jake is just amazing. He helped me into the bathroom and we decided the best thing to do was to just cut my pants off while I was on the toilet. Pulling them off was near impossible considering I really didn't want to stand and they were soaked in blood. A nurse grabbed some scissors and off came my pants. Like I said, I knew I would be throwing them away anyway and I'm glad I thought of that.
Eventually, I got into a gown and into bed. The ER doctor came and told me that they had talked to my doctor and decided that we would forego the ultrasound and take my straight to surgery for the D&C. Then came the dreaded question, "when did you eat last?" Well, silly me, had eaten a granola bar at 4. It was now 7:30. The means it had only been 3 1/2 hours since I had eaten. The anesthesiologist came to go over paper work with me and have me sign my life away. He explained the risks of putting me under with food in my stomach and said we would leave it up to the doctor. If he thought we could wait, we would, if not, and it was too much of an emergency we would just risk it. My doctor came and checked me and decided that my bleeding had slowed enough that we could wait until the 6 hours since I had eaten were up. That meant 10:00.
Stupid granola bar. So there we were, stuck in the ER simply waiting for time to pass. I was tired and hungry and very uncomfortable. Tick tock. Tick tock. Time was killing me. The tears just kept coming. The staff was very nice and good about making sure I had everything they could possibly give me to make me more comfortable. They even brought in a little gift basket with some candy (not that I could it eat, but it was a nice thought.)
Jake ran to his parents house to take his mom the milk I had pumped for the baby. I wouldn't be able to nurse for 24 hours after surgery so I was trying to give him as much milk as possible. When he came back his dad was with him and they gave me a blessing. I was a lot more calm after that. I can't even express how grateful I am for priesthood blessings. They truly are one of my biggest testimony/faith builders.
The next 2 hours were some of the longest of my life. Waiting. Uncomfortable. Scared. Tired. Hungry. Just awful. But eventually the time came that the nurses from the OR came to take me to surgery. I remember being wheeled to OR, nurses getting things prepped in the room, and then opening my eyes. I don't remember closing them but I could have sworn I blinked and it was all over. The only way I knew I was done was that when I went in the clock said 11 something and when I opened my eyes it was after 12.
I was worried I would wake up feeling like I did after my wisdom teeth (the only other time I've been put under.) But I actually felt great. I wasn't groggy or out of it at all. I just remember coughing a lot because of the tube I had down my throat. Within a couple minutes they wheeled me to another spot in the hospital where Jake was waiting for me. He ran home to get me some clothes to wear (considering I now had no pants) and I ate (inhaled) some crackers. When he got back I was able to get dressed and leave just like that.
We went to Jake's parents and decided to stay for the day. I couldn't wait to kiss my babies who I had been thinking about and missing all day. It was SO nice to have the extra help and words just can't express how thankful I am for Jake's mom and sister for all their help that day. Kyler was so lucky to be able to spend the day with his cousins and even got to go to the Tracey Aviary. Jake and I both got a good nap in and then were able to have dinner with his family.
Now it is Monday night again...and I really don't plan on going to the hospital again tonight. For the first time in 2 weeks I am going to get to my "Tuesday To-do List".
Once again I really just want to express my thanks to everyone that has been so kind and helpful the past couple of weeks. My family, who have all been so willing to help out in any way they possibly can. Jake's family, (a big thanks to Robyn and Ally) who helped us so much with Kyler and Jaysen and making sure Jake took good care of me (although, I'm sure I wouldn't ever have to worry about that.) My ward members who brought us dinner and have been checking on me. My doctor for being a great doctor and for being on call. All the nurses and staff who were exceptionally kind to me in every area of the hospital that I was. And all my friends who have been checking on me and making sure I am taken care of. Jennifer, for keeping me company and helping me through all my emotions and anxiety lately, and always. And a final thanks to everyone that offered prayers in my behalf. That was the biggest help of all. I needed those prayers and I know they were answered. Heavenly Father is always there for us and always watching over us. He doesn't expect us to do anything alone and never leaves us when we need him the most. I am so grateful for the faith and knowledge that I have, knowing that as hard as things were I was not alone and I would get through it all just fine.
And now, you'll be happy to know, that all is well. I am healing up great and, besides having a newborn, getting my energy back. Let's just say it will be a very long while before I consider having anymore kids! :)
For those of you who haven't heard, I was back there exactly a week after Jaysen was born. I'll try to not be too graphic with this post...it isn't exactly as "pretty" as a birth story is. So, if you don't want to hear about gross stuff that has to do with pregnancy stop reading now. I figure most of my readers are women or moms and won't be disturbed by it.
Everything was going great. I was healing well and starting to get used to being up with the baby at night. My bleeding was minimal and my cramping was going away. It was Tuesday morning, 3:30am and I had just finished feeding Jaysen and got him back to sleep. I went to the bathroom before going back to bed myself when I noticed I had bled a lot. A lot more than I had been, and a lot more than what seemed normal. I remember the nurse telling me before I discharged the hospital that if I bled a lot it wasn't anything to worry about unless I bled through another pad in an hour. I went back to bed and hadn't even got comfortable when I realized I had just bled a lot more. I did what anyone in this day and age does and got out my phone. I checked Google to see how serious all this bleeding was. Everything pretty much said that a lot of bleeding meant to call the doctor. Being almost 4 am I wasn't really sure how to do that. So I woke up Jake and told him what was going on. He pointed out that my doctor might be on call since he was on call last Tuesday morning. He called the hospital and sure enough it was my doctor. He told Jake that I should be ok and that if I were still bleeding in the morning to come to his office. Jake also talked to his mom who is a nurse and she said almost the same thing. That I should lay down and see if it goes away in the next half hour. She said it might be because I had such minimal bleeding that maybe it was just catching up.
When he got off the phone I asked him for a blessing. Then I laid down and asked Jake if he could get me a granola bar because I was hungry and thought that might help. (BIGGEST MISTAKE) I hadn't been laying down for even 10 min when I told Jake I had better use the bathroom because it seemed like I had bled a lot again. When I got to the bathroom I discovered not only had I bled a lot but I was passing blood clots. Huge blood clots. Like the size of my hand. I didn't even have to think twice before telling Jake we had to go to the hospital and to call his mom. He first called the doctor back and told him what was going on. He told us to go to the ER at Orem Community and he would meet us there. What a blessing that he was on call!
Jake gathered up what we would need for the boys and got them in the car while I tried my best to get all cleaned up. I decided to wear a pair of pj pants that I knew I would be ok with throwing away. When we got to the hospital Jake's mom was there to take the boys. I called my mom to let her know what was going on when I realized that it was 5:00 am on Tuesday morning. The exact same time I had called her the week before to let her know I was in labor. Deja Vu.
I got all checked in and in a room. I told the nurse I wanted to stay in the wheel chair in case they needed to take me somewhere. I knew the min I stood up there would be blood everywhere. I wasn't in any pain, thank goodness, but I was having cramps that felt a lot like contractions every few min. I was having really bad anxiety, though. I told Jake that on the pain scale my pain was at a 1 and my anxiety was a 10.5. Everything was making me cry. The nurse said she was going to do my IV and I started crying. I asked Jake to let Jennifer know what was going on, I cried again, because I miss her. I think I cried more while in the ER than I have cried in the last year. Anyway, I got my IV and they said they were going to take me to ultrasound. The doctor said what was probably going on was that a piece of the placenta got missed and my body was trying to get rid of it. They would do an ultrasound and then more than likely do a D&C (which basically cleans me out, if you didn't know.)
Time to get into the bed and into a gown. I wasn't exactly sure how to do this because while I had been sitting in the wheel chair less than half an hour I had bled so much it was on the floor. I realized it didn't matter what kind of mess I made because I was in a hospital and there was nothing I could do about it.
And this is where a huge thanks to my wonderful husband comes in. I don't know many men who would be ok with stuff like this. Grated, in emergency situations you just learn to deal, but Jake is just amazing. He helped me into the bathroom and we decided the best thing to do was to just cut my pants off while I was on the toilet. Pulling them off was near impossible considering I really didn't want to stand and they were soaked in blood. A nurse grabbed some scissors and off came my pants. Like I said, I knew I would be throwing them away anyway and I'm glad I thought of that.
Eventually, I got into a gown and into bed. The ER doctor came and told me that they had talked to my doctor and decided that we would forego the ultrasound and take my straight to surgery for the D&C. Then came the dreaded question, "when did you eat last?" Well, silly me, had eaten a granola bar at 4. It was now 7:30. The means it had only been 3 1/2 hours since I had eaten. The anesthesiologist came to go over paper work with me and have me sign my life away. He explained the risks of putting me under with food in my stomach and said we would leave it up to the doctor. If he thought we could wait, we would, if not, and it was too much of an emergency we would just risk it. My doctor came and checked me and decided that my bleeding had slowed enough that we could wait until the 6 hours since I had eaten were up. That meant 10:00.
Stupid granola bar. So there we were, stuck in the ER simply waiting for time to pass. I was tired and hungry and very uncomfortable. Tick tock. Tick tock. Time was killing me. The tears just kept coming. The staff was very nice and good about making sure I had everything they could possibly give me to make me more comfortable. They even brought in a little gift basket with some candy (not that I could it eat, but it was a nice thought.)
Jake ran to his parents house to take his mom the milk I had pumped for the baby. I wouldn't be able to nurse for 24 hours after surgery so I was trying to give him as much milk as possible. When he came back his dad was with him and they gave me a blessing. I was a lot more calm after that. I can't even express how grateful I am for priesthood blessings. They truly are one of my biggest testimony/faith builders.
The next 2 hours were some of the longest of my life. Waiting. Uncomfortable. Scared. Tired. Hungry. Just awful. But eventually the time came that the nurses from the OR came to take me to surgery. I remember being wheeled to OR, nurses getting things prepped in the room, and then opening my eyes. I don't remember closing them but I could have sworn I blinked and it was all over. The only way I knew I was done was that when I went in the clock said 11 something and when I opened my eyes it was after 12.
I was worried I would wake up feeling like I did after my wisdom teeth (the only other time I've been put under.) But I actually felt great. I wasn't groggy or out of it at all. I just remember coughing a lot because of the tube I had down my throat. Within a couple minutes they wheeled me to another spot in the hospital where Jake was waiting for me. He ran home to get me some clothes to wear (considering I now had no pants) and I ate (inhaled) some crackers. When he got back I was able to get dressed and leave just like that.
We went to Jake's parents and decided to stay for the day. I couldn't wait to kiss my babies who I had been thinking about and missing all day. It was SO nice to have the extra help and words just can't express how thankful I am for Jake's mom and sister for all their help that day. Kyler was so lucky to be able to spend the day with his cousins and even got to go to the Tracey Aviary. Jake and I both got a good nap in and then were able to have dinner with his family.
Now it is Monday night again...and I really don't plan on going to the hospital again tonight. For the first time in 2 weeks I am going to get to my "Tuesday To-do List".
Once again I really just want to express my thanks to everyone that has been so kind and helpful the past couple of weeks. My family, who have all been so willing to help out in any way they possibly can. Jake's family, (a big thanks to Robyn and Ally) who helped us so much with Kyler and Jaysen and making sure Jake took good care of me (although, I'm sure I wouldn't ever have to worry about that.) My ward members who brought us dinner and have been checking on me. My doctor for being a great doctor and for being on call. All the nurses and staff who were exceptionally kind to me in every area of the hospital that I was. And all my friends who have been checking on me and making sure I am taken care of. Jennifer, for keeping me company and helping me through all my emotions and anxiety lately, and always. And a final thanks to everyone that offered prayers in my behalf. That was the biggest help of all. I needed those prayers and I know they were answered. Heavenly Father is always there for us and always watching over us. He doesn't expect us to do anything alone and never leaves us when we need him the most. I am so grateful for the faith and knowledge that I have, knowing that as hard as things were I was not alone and I would get through it all just fine.
And now, you'll be happy to know, that all is well. I am healing up great and, besides having a newborn, getting my energy back. Let's just say it will be a very long while before I consider having anymore kids! :)
Monday, June 17, 2013
Jaysen is Here!!
Jaysen has finally made his arrival and we couldn't be more happy! He is so precious, happy, and healthy. He has been a good eater right from the start and I really hope it stays that way. He is only 6 days old but so far he is a great baby. And now time for his birth story. Granted, this is labor, and this is so that I don't have to write it in my journal. It will contain all the gory details.
First, a little background. Jaysen's due date was 6-20-13. I had my last doctor's appointment on Tuesday, 6-4-13. At that appointment I was dilated to 3 cm and 60 % effaced. That made me excited to know that I was getting closer but at the same time I knew that it didn't mean a lot. I was dilated to a 4 with Kyler for 4 days before I had him so I knew I had to be patient. That night I had some contractions and they got as close as 5 min apart only not very consistent. I made sure I had as much ready as I could just in case we went to the hospital soon.
I went to bed at 10:30 and it seemed like the contractions started slowing down. By morning they had stopped. So it was off to work and back to life. The rest of the week was pretty normal, a few contractions here and there throughout the week. By the weekend I was getting tired and annoyed because the contractions were getting stronger but not any closer. Not to mention just having to have patience when everyone was asking about my progress. I did as much walking as I could on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.
We decided to take Kyler to Jake's parents since they were close by. As we got closer to the hospital (Orem Community) - which is about 5 min before his parents house- I told Jake I wanted to go to the hospital first and have someone come pick Kyler up from there. My contractions were getting stronger and stronger and now that we were headed to the hospital I had stopped timing. Jake convinced me that it was only an extra 10 min and we would hurry. I wasn't worried about the baby coming too soon, I was just in a lot of pain. We dropped Kyler off and then finally made it to the hospital around 5:30.
As we pulled up I had a contraction that brought me to tears. That never happened with Kyler. The only time I cried with him was when I got my IV put in. And I remember having bad contractions but the pain was manageable. I mean I was at the hospital 8 hours before I decided I was tired and might as well get an epidural. Anyway, we got into the admitting room and the nurse said I was at a 4. I was started thinking, great, he is posterior like Kyler was and I'm not going to progress very quickly. At this point I would just like to take a moment to thank the nurse. She showed Jake how to push on my legs to help relieve the pain from the contractions. It was a life saver.
They decided to admit me and my doctor was already at the hospital so that was a plus. The only bad thing was that it was shift change so getting to a room took a little longer than normal. Before I got to my room the nurse asked me what my "pain goal" was. Meaning what number would I have to be at before I would want an epidural. I told her a 7 and that I was at about a 5 at the time. By the next couple of contractions I decided I was at a 6 and by the time she came to check on me again I was at a 7 and telling Jake to get me the epidural. As soon as we got to the room the nurse started my IV. I asked her to numb it first and I think that helped a little because it wasn't too painful and she did a great job. Within about 5 min the anesthesiologist was there and setting up to do my epidural. I was so grateful for that.
I'm not sure how far apart they were but those contractions were so painful. It's funny because my sister-in-law and I were talking about labor a few weeks prior and she was saying how contractions were the worst pain she had ever felt. I disagreed because with Kyler they really didn't seem that bad and even right up until I had the epidural I was doing ok, pain wise. Anyway, I know what she means now. Worst. Pain. Ever. So they started the epidural and I was so relieved. With Kyler I swear it only took 5 min, tops, and I didn't feel anything because I was more focused on the contractions. This time was not like that. I was in so much pain I couldn't arch my back just right and he was having trouble getting it in. I just wasn't relaxed enough between having contractions and trying not to think about the giant needle going into my back. At one point I thought I was going to break Jake's thumb off because I was squeezing so hard, trying not to move during a contraction. After what seemed like an eternity, although, it was more like 20 min, the epidural was in and I could feel the medicine starting to work. The nurse checked me again and I was shocked to hear that I was at a 6 and I had only been there an hour and a half. Not long after that my doctor came in and broke my water. He checked me and said I was at a 7. Once again, thanking the nurse for being so positive about my progression and saying I didn't need the Pitocin and I could have him within the hour. (If you know Kyler's birth story you would know that the nurse was not helpful at all in telling me with a frowny face that I was still only at a 5 - which burst my bubble and that's when I put my hands in the air and said just give me the epidural.)
The next time she came in I was at an 8 and not much longer it was a 9. The hour was up and she said I was just about there. I was at a 9 for another half hour or so and she said it was because the cervix was stuck on part of his head and just didn't want to budge. She talked to the doctor and decided to hook me up to a little Pitocin, hoping that would help to just push him down the little bit that was needed. I got all hooked up and she had me push a few times, trying to get that last centimeter. By this time I was excited to be getting so close and at the same time nervous because I was so tired I didn't know if I would have the energy to push. Between the times she was having me push I was falling asleep. Finally she decided I was close enough and went to get the doctor. This was a little after 10:00 am.
I loved the epidural. It was different from the first one I had, which gave me no feeling, what-so-ever. This one took the edge off and made it so I couldn't feel the contractions at all, just pressure. The doctor came in and checked me and said that the reason he was stuck at a 9 for so long was because he was sideways instead of face down. He had me do one push and he flipped him around. Then he started getting ready to deliver. I remember feeling a lot of pressure and having to breathe through the contraction in order to not push. Jake was sure to tell me that I couldn't push because no one was there to catch him yet.
Next thing I knew the doctor was ready and we were just waiting for the next contraction so that I could push. The first one came and I pushed 4 times and then we waited for the next one. I found it so funny how calm things were. Everyone just patiently waiting and me trying to not fall asleep and the doctor talking to the nurse about how he wants to sell his house in a couple years. It went like this through 2 more contractions and then his head was out. The next contraction came and out he came, 10:34 am. About 10 min worth of pushing. Not too bad if I do say so myself.
And there he was, the cutest little purple, slimy blob I have ever seen. And so much hair! I was expecting a bald baby. Kyler was pretty bald except the very back of his head. And his hair was light brown. Jaysen has dark hair, just enough to cover his little head. Granted he wasn't born with as much hair as I have seen on some babies, but for my baby that was a lot.
Next, we made all the phone calls and sent all the texts out to let everyone know he was here. And after that I decided to try and feed him, a goal I had set after having Kyler. When Kyler was born I waited to feed him for awhile and I think that's why he had a hard time nursing, at first. Jaysen did great and latched on the very first time. I was so happy. The rest of the day with filled with visitors, returning text messages, feeding the baby, and counting down the minutes until I could sleep.
Kyler came with my sisters and wasn't so sure about the whole thing at first. He wanted nothing to do with me. I really don't blame him. I was in a hospital bed hooked up to all this weird stuff. I wouldn't want anything to do with me either. He kissed Jaysen on the head but I don't know if he actually understood who he was, just that he was a baby. By that evening, when he came back, he had started to warm up to me and was starting to understand that the baby was Jaysen. I think he is still wrapping his head around the fact that it is the same baby that was in my tummy. He has pointed to my fat gut a few times saying, "Jaysen" and then pointing to the baby, "Jaysen, two Jaysen's." I've had to explain that the baby came out of my tummy and there is only one Jaysen.
We are all adjusting well and I'm starting to get more sleep. Jaysen has some jaundice but other than that he is doing just great. We are so lucky to have two wonderful sons in our lives.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Wiggle, Wiggle, Wiggle
That's all my belly does lately. Jaysen is pretty wiggly and obviously getting bigger and has less room to move around. Sometimes it feels like he is stretching my skin to it's limits or I am getting punched in the stomach from the inside. I used to think he didn't move as much as Kyler. He must have heard me or something because he has caught up to all the moving Kyler did. I think these next 3 months will be hard because I am getting anxious to actually meet Jaysen and of course the bigger he gets the more uncomfortable I get.
Lately, Kyler has been so cute. He kisses my belly all the time. The other day he wanted to play with Jaysen, I guess, because he was trying to open my belly! It was so cute but he had a hard time understanding that he couldn't come out. He gave him a toy to play with by setting a car on my tummy. And this morning Jake blew a raspberry on my belly and Kyler decided to be very protective of his little brother and told him not to blow on baby and hurried over to pull my shirt down and put the blanket on me. It was so funny.
***I wrote this awhile ago and saved it because I didn't have time to finish. I am posting it now because I want to remember this and don't have anymore to add.****
Lately, Kyler has been so cute. He kisses my belly all the time. The other day he wanted to play with Jaysen, I guess, because he was trying to open my belly! It was so cute but he had a hard time understanding that he couldn't come out. He gave him a toy to play with by setting a car on my tummy. And this morning Jake blew a raspberry on my belly and Kyler decided to be very protective of his little brother and told him not to blow on baby and hurried over to pull my shirt down and put the blanket on me. It was so funny.
***I wrote this awhile ago and saved it because I didn't have time to finish. I am posting it now because I want to remember this and don't have anymore to add.****
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