London Grace

Sorry for the little hiatus this last week.  Minor details like having a baby, no big deal or anything.
Just kidding.  It's a really big deal.  We're so glad London finally decided to join us!  She's most likely the cutest baby in the world.  But I may be biased...probably not though.

I mean, look at her!  Who wouldn't love a face like that??

London was due March 16, but that day came and went and I'd felt nary a contraction, minus a few (very few) Braxton Hicks.  I had a Dr.'s appointment a few days later (Monday), where he informed me I was already dilated to a 3, despite my lack of contractions.  He said if I started having any, she would probably come shortly thereafter, but if not, I would be induced on Thursday.

After I got home from that appointment, I went on a walk with a friend, and about halfway through started feeling like I was having the worst period cramps of my life.  FYI, if you've never been in labor, that's about what contractions feel like.  I started to get excited.  But then they went away.  Which Dan was really excited about, because he had a big test on Tuesday he didn't want to miss.  I didn't feel any all day on Tuesday, and had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I was going to be induced.  I even procrastinated my laundry and a few other tasks, because I figured I still had a whole 24 hours to worry about them.  Don't ever procrastinate anything when you're past your due date.  Just a tip.

First family photo.  I know I look like h-e-double hockey sticks, but my baby sure is cute!

 At 9:30 pm on Tuesday, those really bad period-feeling cramps came back.  And this time, they didn't go away.  They kept coming all night, waking me up every few minutes.  Finally at 3 AM I decided I should probably start timing them.  By 5 AM I decided were coming every five minutes..and oh yeah, they hurt.  I felt like I was going to barf.  They lasted about a minute each...maybe longer.  However long it takes to sing the ABC song two times through, because that was how I focused away from the pain.  I decided to wake Dan up at the point.  The first thing he says is, "Well, can I shower?"  At first I wanted to scream that he absolutely could not, we had to leave immediately, but I realized I still needed to gather up a few things anyways.  Dan ended up being ready before me, because I had to double over in pain every few minutes and wait out the contraction...and also I threw up.  Gross.
Finally, around 6:20 we made it to the hospital, and all I could think about was that glorious epidural awaiting me.  But then I had to answer a million questions before they would admit me, and they had to check to make sure I was really in labor and everything took forever and I thought I was going to throw up all over everyone who was delaying the moment I saw the anesthesiologist!  Finally the nurse asked what level my pain was at.
"A six, at least."
"And at what point would you like an epidural?" 
"ASAP!"
Then she decided to check and see how dilated I was. 
"Oh, no wonder you want an epidural, you're already at a five!"

Finally they walked me down the hall to what I think was the last available room in Labor and Delivery, and a few minutes later a glorious man with a giant needle came in.  They made Dan leave, and I finally got what I had been waiting for.  My anesthesiologist told me that red heads need 25-50% more drugs to deal with pain.  Just a fun fact for you.

Grandma Carrie visiting at the hospital.

Shortly thereafter, my Dr. came in and checked me.  I had already progressed to a six.  Then he broke my water, and left me to labor/take a nap and rest up for the pushing portion.  Let me tell you, after that epidural, labor was a piece of cake.  A few hours later, I started feeling the urge to push.  I told my nurse and she checked me again...I was an eight!  I felt so triumphant, but then I realized that meant I had to just kind of resist that pushing urge for a little while.  I started singing my ABC's again.  A little after 10, she checked me again and it was finally time to push.  She said since the baby was already so low, it should only take 25 minutes to an hour.  ...Except then it didn't.

I pushed for three hours.  We tried so many different positions, I was given a delivery booster dose of epidural, I was being force fed ice chips and oxygen, I had no idea how long it had all been going on.  All I knew was I wanted it to be over and done with.  In between contractions I would curl up in a little ball and whimper; I was completely exhausted.  Finally, my Dr. came back in with a vacuum.  Not the carpet kind, the baby kind.  Two incredibly, excruciatingly painful pushes later, and a baby started screaming!  Ta-da, I did it!

After they plopped my gooey-still-attached-to-the-umbilical-cord baby on my (now flat!) tummy, I have to say, even though she was covered in gunk, it was all totally worth it.  (It was even more worth it when they handed her back to me all cleaned up.)  And I also have a new-found respect for women who don't take any medication.  You guys are troopers.

London had to stay an extra day at the hospital because she was at risk for jaundice.  It wasn't really anything serious, she just had to stay under the special lights in the nursery until her bilirubin levels went down some.  We were so excited to finally bring her home!

She was pretty excited to be home too.

Her first manicure!

Hangin' with Mimi.

Flashback Friday: Celebrating 18 years of Hopey.

Last Sunday was my sister's 18th birthday!  I meant to post this then, but I was waiting on a few family members' input.  While I try and get over the shock that I have a sibling that's an adult, here are some great pictures of Hope-through-the-ages, as well as some of our favorite Hopey memories:

Baby Hope!

Dad: As I was trying to come up with a story, I kept thinking about the funny way Hope said certain words when she was little, so I'll give you those instead of a story.
computer - pacuter
raisins - rainies
napkin - nawny
Baby (specifically Spicer) - Bot
Lauren - Wowo
Grammie - The Grammie Girl
Karen - Karnen
Nipples - Buttons.   Ok, there's a story behind this one, but your mom may not want you to share it. [Don't worry, I got her permission to share this one!]  I forgot how old Hope was, but she was pretty young.  Mom was getting dressed one day and Hope came in the room and looked up at her chest and said, "Are those your buttons?"

Classic.

Playing with a starfish at Seaworld.

Hopey and Natasha on their potties at Grammie's house.

Ti: "I lovest thou as a fat person lovest cake, and I misseth thou as the fat person misseth the cake after he hath devoured it." --Hope Carr

At the punkin patch!

She's kind of a nerd...

Mom: What can I say about Hope?
Probably one of the most memorable times was her arriving at Grammie and Grampie's when we moved there, and the first thing she said was, "Grammie, we saw the Big Hole!"  In reference to the Grand Canyon!
She also referred to Spicer as "The Bot" as she couldn't really say baby.  It eventually morphed into Icey.  She loved to hold the bottle for him--and wear his little tuk hats.
Hope has grown into a beautiful young lady--she has always been conscientious--as in I've never had to remind her to do homework and any projects she just started right into.  Which she has continued through this day--always studying!
Hope has always needed her sleep.  As a baby she slept through the night almost from day one.   And as she got older she always let us know she was ready for bed.  Once she came in and said, "If we aren't having prayer right now, I am going to bed."
I love that she has always kept the standards--her dress, her words, and her actions reflect her desire to do what is right.  Sure love that Hopey Dopey, Soapy on a Ropey. 

So sweet!

Hope and Bronwyn, BFFs.

We are bugs.  Animal Kingdom, 2007.

Jack: I will miss Hope's dress when she is gone [to college].  [We're not really sure why or what that means...]

Hope and her hunky Welsh Soccer Coach.

With Spicer, Ti, and a new friend at the alligator farm in the Keys.

Sisterly Love.  St. Augustine, 2008.

Lauren:  Hope is the greatest little sister ever.  She was hardly ever annoying, and even though there's four years in between us, we still managed to spend a lot of time together playing Barbies, having "girls nights," putting make-up on Spicer while he slept, being Harry Potter nerds...sometimes I even let her hang out with me and my cool high school friends. =)
Like Mom mentioned, Hope enjoys (and needs) her beauty sleep.  That being said, she has never really been a morning person.  When she was little, she would sit at the breakfast table, scowling at whoever dared glance at her.  She wouldn't speak a word to anyone, but would communicate with points and grunts what she wanted for breakfast.  If you attempted to converse with her and pull her out of the depths of grumpiness, she would fix you with a glare so terrifying, you wouldn't believe a two-year-old capable of producing it, all the while pointing at you menacingly.  We enjoy to tease her about this now.  Only not in the mornings.  Life just wouldn't be the same--or nearly as much fun without our Hopey.  I love you Seestah!

Family Reunion at Magic Kingdom.  2008

8th Grade Banquet!

Sharing a laugh at my wedding!

Brooke and Hope.  This spells trouble.

Family Reunion at St. George. 2010

Bertie Botts at Wizarding World of Harry Potter, 2011.

The family athlete.

Spicer: My favorite memory of Hope is when she saw a craw fish in the pool in Florida and said, "Hey guys, there's a LOBSTER in the pool!!"  We told her, "Hope...that's a craw fish."  Love Hopey Soapy on a Ropey!

Doing one of her favorite things!

Special thanks to Mom for the old photos (and some of the newer ones), and a big thank you to my family for sharing just a few things we love about our not-so-little-anymore Hopey!  

Flashback Friday: Our Blood Runs Blue.

I'm a third generation Cougar.  Saying my family loves BYU might be putting it mildly.  When I was a wee little lass, my father decided to change careers, and this necessitated a return to Provo to pursue a masters degree.  Being avid sports fans, they still tried to attend as many of the games as possible, which resulted in half of my wardrobe looking like this:

When I finally got my chance to go to BYU on my own, I was pumped.  However, my first semester was....a little rough I guess.  I had a hard time adjusting to being on the other side of the country, far from my family and friends, learning in a class room setting (I had been homeschooled for two years), but most of all to the Utah culture.  Don't worry, I got over all the angst by Thanksgiving, and then proceeded to have some of the best years of my life in good ol' P-town.  However, during my few months of wallowing, my parents became concerned that I was missing out on some very important aspects of student life.  Namely, the football games.  So, I received this e-mail from my father.  I printed it out and hung it over my desk, because I loved it so much.  I still have that copy and will treasure it always.  It's just classic.

"Lauren

You are required to go to the Utah game on Saturday.  I will not pay your winter semester tuition unless you go.  I don't care if it is snowing and it's 15 degrees outside.  The Cougars need your support.  This is a critical part of your college experience, not to mention you education and indoctrination.  You see, you may not realize this as it is happening, but you are undergoing a gradual change as you live out your experience in Provo.  At some point in the experience (usually between your sophomore and junior years) your mind and body will experience a strange metamorphosis which will actually cause your blood to turn blue and create an unexplained loathing in your mind for the color red.  Replays of Cougar victories over the red menace from the north will become your most cherished memories.  This change will stay with you for the rest of your life and will firmly ensconce you in front of the television for every televised BYU sporting event (few as they may be depending on where you may live).  This change is not just physical and psychological, but spiritual as well.  [Warning, this is where my father gets slightly sac-religious, so you may want to skip over this next sentence if you are easily offended...but it's kind of funny.]  Once you have been endowed and have the privilege of wearing garments, you will feel inspired to use a blue sharpie to write the name of the Lord's university (in very small, reverent letters) on the tag.  This is entirely appropriate and will serve as a constant reminder to you of the more important things in life.  But if you don't go to the games and get behind the teams, you may not experience this change and my money will have been wasted.  So get your butt out there and wear blue."

My husband is just as much of a BYU sports fanatic as my parents, if not more so, and our future daughter's wardrobe is already reflecting this.  Here are a few of her most choice outfits for the first few months of life.

Please note that my mother saved the outfit on the left from when I was baby.  Hence the awesome retro blue.

It's hereditary.

Dentist Dan

Danny just loves teeth.  He loves them so much, he can't even get enough of them at school.  Good thing his siblings are willing patients!

Danny loves teeth so much, he's going to a dental clinic in Bakersfield for a few days...a week before our baby is due.  So...here's to hoping she doesn't come this weekend! =)

Flashback Friday: Big Sister of the Year Award, 2007

My youngest brother is adopted.  He's also 17 years younger than me.  But golly, is he cute.  A month after he joined our family, I left for college.  Since he was still a baby, he got to come with my parents to Utah to drop me off at good ol' BYU.  And then this video happened.

Baby Jack was so thirsty, but we didn't have any formula for him...and for some reason no one thought to put water in his sippy cup.  Someone did have a Diet Coke though, and naturally that made the most sense to give to an 11 month old.  Naturally.  (Sorry the video is sideways, I'm technically challenged and don't know how to fix that.)

My favorite is my Grampie saying in the background, "Jack, it is an acquired taste."  I think he acquired it, because he definitely loves his soda these days.

Baby Shower Numeros Dos

I feel so lucky to have had three super cute showers!  This one was thrown by some friends from church here in South Pasadena.  Complete with ice cream sundae bar.  They know me so well!

Ice cream sundaes!

Precious mini-cupcakes.

Beautiful Diaper Cake.

With Carrie and Grandma Vacc

With Isabella and Natasha (cousins!) [Thanks to Aunt Cheryl for this photo!]

And these were the favors! Chocolate-covered Caramel Corn!

Thanks to Melissa, Veronica, and Jenae for their awesome shower-throwing skills, and thank you so much to all who came!

I also had one more fabulous shower at work, but didn't get any pictures of that one.  That doesn't make it any less special though, so I'd also like to say thanks to the ladies of RBJ Software!  I'll miss you guys!