Lyla's Birth Story

I haven't posted anything about this pregnancy, but we found out on September 13, 2016 that we were pregnant with our little Lyla bean!  It was very shocking because we tried for 3 years to get pregnant and nothing ever happened, even when we used Clomid and after visiting the fertility clinic.  But, I guess God decided it was finally time!  I took the test while Dave was working.  Kortni was at my house recovering from her miscarriage and I was late that month.  I took the test, but really didn't believe what I saw.  I bought another test and took that.  It was also positive, so I took Livvy to buy a shirt that said 'Big Sister' on it, and that's how I told Dave.  Livvy didn't know yet, I wanted to wait for a bit until we told her.  I cried a lot that night :)  Dave was so excited too, and a little shocked.  We ended up telling Livvy later that week.  She was excited to finally be a big sister.  We told our families by giving them a picture of Livvy wearing her shirt.

My pregnancy was smooth.  We had the doctor do a blood test to determine the sex.  We found out when I was 10 weeks that we were having another girl.  We were very excited, even though we had kind of wanted a boy.  It was a bit harder to be pregnant this time, for me.  I am older, so maybe that's why, but I just felt more uncomfortable the whole time.

Lyla was due May 24th, 2017.  During one of my appointments, my doctor scheduled an induction for 5/21/17.  We were very excited!  I started feeling cramps and I started dilated to a 2 at 34 weeks.  It made me a bit nervous, so I tried to relax and take it easy to prevent pre-term labor.  When I was 38 weeks, I had progressed to 3 cm.  My doctor stripped my membranes.  She was very aggressive!  I didn't know if this would make me go into labor, but it sure made me crampy and I was having contractions that day.  Dave and I both had a feeling that I would go into labor early.  On 5/11/17, my work friends had a baby shower for me.  After that, Livvy and I put everything away that we had gotten from the shower, then we decided to run some last minute baby errands.  We went to a couple of stores and I started having contractions while we were sitting in traffic trying to get home.  They lasted about a minute and they were happening every 10 minutes or so.  I started to wonder what would happen if I was stuck in traffic and they started getting worse...
We were rushing to get Livvy to dance class.  We made it, and while I was waiting for her, the contractions started to get more intense and they were closer together.  By this point, they were happening every 5 minutes.  After Livvy's dance ended, we went home and they seemed to be staying consistent.  Dave was still working, so I texted him and he thought we should go to the hospital.  I tried to call the OBGYN on-call number, but I couldn't get a hold of anyone, so we just decided to go in and see what Labor and Delivery would say.  I called my mom and her and my dad met us at the hospital to take Livvy with them.  While I was in labor at home, Livvy was so concerned.  She made me a bed on the couch and kept telling me to lay down :).  She also made sure to tell me that it was not time to have Lyla yet, she said "It's not for 10 more days mom!"  She was the cutest little helper.
We got to Labor and Delivery around 8:30 pm that night.  They took us in to the triage room and put me on the monitor.  She checked me and said that I was 3+ cm dilated.  She said that she would check me again in an hour to see if I was progressing.  When she did that, I was just barely 4 cm.  She wanted to check me again in another hour, so Dave and I went down to the cafeteria and he had dinner while I walked around trying to get the contractions to increase.  When she checked me again, I was barely over 4 cm.  She said that they could send me home with medicine, but that she wanted to talk to the doctor first.  When she came back, she told us that they would be admitting me :)
We got into the delivery room at 11:45 pm.  We were both so tired!  They ordered the epidural for me at that time and Dave started to get his bed ready.  After the epidural, Dave and I both laid down and tried to sleep.  I told him that I would wake him up when things started to get exciting.  I couldn't sleep much, I think just because of the anticipation.  I finished up ordering some Young Women stuff on Amazon while I sat there, waiting.  At 2:30 am, I was dilated to a 7, but it took me until 5:20 am to get to 8 cm.  I thought it would be another few hours, but at about 6:00 am, the nurse noticed that I was bleeding a bit more than I should be, so she checked me again and I was almost 10 cm.  They told me that my doctor was out of town, so they called the on-call doctor in.
It took him a while to get there.  The nurses were getting a tiny bit nervous.  They said that my placenta was separating too early, so they needed to deliver asap.  They put an oxygen mask on me.  Dave and I were getting a little scared, because Olivia's birth was much simpler than this.  However, things went pretty smooth after that.  I pushed for about 20 minutes, and then she was born at 6:27 am.  She was perfect!!  She weighed 6 lbs. 11 oz. and she was 20 inches long.  The doctor pulled her out and the cord was wrapped all around her.  Dave said he saw the doctor fumble with her and almost drop her, but he was ready to catch her if she fell :)
We told me mom that she had been born, and my mom came and brought Olivia with her.  Livvy got to meet Lyla in the delivery room.  She was so excited to meet her and she held her tight and kissed her.  It was the most special moment!
We then transferred to the Mom and Baby unit.  Livvy got to help us get there, which was cool.  We stayed that day and night, then we decided we could go home early, and we checked out by 2 pm the next day.  We had some visitors while we were there: My dad, Dave's parents and Mark, Matt and Sato, Kortni and Riggs, Kacee and Tolman, Mary and Mallory.
Lyla is the sweetest little baby!  She learned to nurse pretty quickly and she was pooping and peeing perfectly.  She also seems to be pretty calm, but I don't know if that's the case, or if I just don't remember how quiet and peaceful newborns can be :)  We are so happy to be a family of 4 now!

See some pictures below:

Birthday Number 5

Olivia turned 5!!  And probably because I was pregnant, it's taken me a month to get this blog post updated :)  We spent her birthday at a Baby Animal Farm with her cousins.  It was such a fun day.  Livvy is my little best friend.  She has grown into a mature, active, sweet, sassy little girl.  She loves to ride her scooter and bike, play with her cousins, swim, run and play Soccer (she's taught herself to play).  She also LOVES makeup and Barbies and princesses and all things girly.  I have to tell her almost every day whether it's warm enough for her to wear a skirt or not.  She says the funniest things and she is so grown up.  She recently became a big sister and she is the best helper ever.  Seriously, every baby should come with a 5 year old helper!  She has been talking about having a brother or sister for a long time, so it's so sweet to see them together now.  She also graduated from Preschool, so she will start Kindergarten in August.  She is already so excited for that.  I can't believe my first little baby is already this old.  Time flies so fast but I really appreciate every second that I get to see her grow up.  

Here are some pictures:

Olivia Graceland turns 4!

Olivia has had another birthday, sadly... :)  She is growing into the cutest little girl.  She is really into her play kitchen right now.  She likes to bring it into my kitchen and cook with me.  She loves to be active - still doesn't sit still through movies or anything else.  She is HILARIOUS.  Some of her dance moves have Dave and I laughing so hard!  She is in preschool and dance class right now.  She is soo smart and the best little dancer in her class.  She can write her name, she can count to 20 (skipping 13, why do kids do that?), she can identify numbers and letters by looking at them, and she learned the Pledge of Allegiance.  She doesn't need help going potty anymore and she sleeps in her own bed, mostly.  She is so helpful.  She loves to help clean, shop or do anything grown up.  I really feel like she's just a third person in our house now instead of a child.

She loves her friends and cousins.  She loves to play dress up and likes all things girly.  She loves to watch volleyball and says that she wants to play when she gets big.  I hope she sticks to that! She loves Elsa, Ariel, Rapunzel, Anna, Cinderella - really all of the princesses.  She remembers everything!  Sometimes she'll bring things up that I had totally forgotten about.  She still loves broccoli, squash, apples, bananas, grapes, watermelon and carrots.  That is good, because those 9 cavities were not cheap to fill!  I hope we see some improvement, but she does still love sugar as well.

She has a strong personality.  She is kind of quiet at first, but she always makes sure she gets what she wants.  She loves Primary and does so well now.  She has given the prayer and given a talk so far and she loves getting up in front of everyone.  She still loves Doc McStuffins, Minnie Mouse, and Sofia the First.  She loves movies like Bug's Life, Incredibles, Care Bears and Monster's Inc.  She LOVES to play games.  My mom has gotten her in to cards and puzzles, so she loves to play with those a lot.  She loves riding her bike and playing with chalk.  She asks me daily about going to the park, even if it's raining.  She loves to be outside and active.  She likes to tease her daddy.  She says that he is the best at keeping her warm, so she wants to cuddle with him more than me.  He loves that. :)  She also told me the other day that I was her best friend and she wanted to be best friends forever.  I will always make sure she remembers she said that!

She is the boss of our house, whether she realizes that or not.  We love her and can't get enough of her every day.  She is SO spoiled, so we are trying to make sure she knows how to listen, too.  I hope to one day give her a brother or sister, because right now, Boston is her brother and she plays with him like a brother.  She would be the best big sister, but if not, we are so grateful that we've gotten to experience life as parents to her.  I can't believe we have a 4 year old, but what do you do!  She will be starting Kindergarten next year, in 2017... I can't wait for all the fun we will have with that.

Here are some recent pictures - Happy Birthday Olivia!  Muah!

Three Year Birthday

Miss Olivia is 3 years old.  What??  I feel like I just had a little baby, now I have an strong willed, sweet, crazy little girl.  We have grown so much while watching her grow up, it's nuts.  Olivia is such a blessing to our family.  We have been trying to give her a sibling for 1.5 years now, and it isn't working out, but we are so grateful that we have one amazing child.  Livvy has grown into a smart, smart, smart girl.  She loves playing outside in her 'garden'.  She waters this little patch of mulch we have in the backyard and calls it her garden.  She loves chalk and bubbles and riding her bike.  She LOVES going to the park.  Her favorite foods are spaghetti, pizza, broccoli, apples/bananas, fruit snacks, granola bars, applesauce, and anything that is sweet.  That's a lovely problem for us, because at her first dentist appointment, I was told she has 9 cavities.  BOO!

She loves pirates and Doc McStuffins.  Her birthday party was Jake and the Neverland Pirates themed and most of her gifts involved Doc.  She says the funniest things every day.  Dave and I are always laughing at her.  She loves going to work with Daddy, which means riding in his truck and waiting for him while he does a lawn.  She got two tool sets for her birthday - she loves being just like daddy.  She likes to exercise with me.  It's so cute watching her do push ups and jumping jacks.  She is a really good helper around the house.  She really likes to fold laundry and help unload the dishwasher, which is great for me.  She still isn't a kid that can really sit still for very long.  I have yet to see her watch a movie all the way through.  I've taken her to three movies in the theater and she doesn't stay in her seat, ever.  She is a wild little girl, hardly every sitting still.  She is very shy, though.  It takes her a minute to warm up to people.  She has a big heart and can be pretty sensitive.  If her dad or I try to discipline her, she always gets her heart broken.

Her hair is brown, but it has a little bit of a red tint to it.  When she plays in the sun, it lightens up and almost looks like a strawberry-brown color.  She is my best little friend.  I love having her around.  She has to give Dave and I hugs and kisses every time we leave to go somewhere without her and she gets very upset if you forget.  She's a sweetie and our lives are so much better with her in them.

Here are some pictures of her party, we had a lot of fun!  Happy Birthday Olivia!

I have lost my Half Marathon virginity

I did it!  I ran a half marathon. 

Today I ran in the Layton Half Marathon and it was... wet.  But it was also exhilarating!  I had a lot of fun, despite the bad weather.  My mom watched Livvy and Dave and I spent the night at a hotel in Layton so that I could be near the starting point.  I got up at 4:00 am this morning and started getting ready.  I slept pretty good, besides waking up randomly every two hours.  I knew there was LOTS of rain in the forecast, so I was planning on a wet run, but hoping for maybe just gray skies.  I got in the car to drive to the starting line and it was pouring.  At about 5:00 am, I ate my pre race breakfast; a granola bar, a banana, and a few sips of Gatorade.  I also had two Aleve at that time.

It was pitch black and raining as we rode the bus up to the starting point.  Everyone in the bus was dreading the run.  We were in the buses for 2 hours prior to starting, so I got pretty acquainted with those around me.  The rain would slow down for a bit and then pick back up.  We finally got out of the buses around 7:30 and starting running.  I was feeling great!  The rain had slowed down and I was very glad.  The first 2 miles were pretty nice, and then the mosquitos starting to get thick.  It was pretty bad.  I had to run with my face looking to the side so that I wouldn't eat them.  I did get one in my throat and almost vomited.  I really was dreading that, but they were gone by about mile 5.  I was still feeling great at that point!  I was keeping my pace, trying not to run faster than I had trained.  The rain started to pick up a little around mile 7 and by mile 8, it was pouring again.  The wind was really going too, which made for a miserable couple of miles.  I really struggled at that point, but my body was feeling strong so I was okay.  When I got to mile 10, I was feeling positive.  I had less than a 5k left!  Then, I don't know if it was because I separated from all of the other runners around me, or if it was just the freezing cold weather and my soaking wet clothes, but I hit a wall.  I was still running, not feeling any physical pain really, but I was really struggling with those final couple of miles.  I kept telling myself to be patient and that I was accomplishing a big goal. 

Finally, I saw where the road turned towards the finish line and I got really pumped!  I knew my family was going to be there waiting, and that really pushed me to keep going.  I saw my mom, Mary and Erin running towards me with Olivia first.  Of course, I started bawling.  This was probably pretty ugly because I was crying, but trying to smile, and I looked like a drowned rat.  I can't WAIT to see the pictures. :)  But I was so excited to see my little girl.  Then I saw Kacee and Alex, then Dave taking pictures of me getting closer to the finish line.  Then, my in laws, also taking pictures.  I didn't even see the clock as I came across the line, I was still fighting back tears and trying to smile.  I walked over to the volunteers and they put the medal around my neck.

... I did it!  I had trained for months and finally, just like that, it was over.  I picked up all of my post race goodies, chugged some water, and then went to meet my family.  It was so good to finish something so hard and to have the people I love waiting for me at the end.  I was SUPER sore.  My body was so cold and numb, and my knees were aching.  I was immediately nauseous, like I always am after runs.  Then we went to IHOP for brunch.

All in all, I think it was a pretty successful first time.  The weather was HORRIBLE and the bugs weren't fun, but I think I made the best decisions I could during the race.  I stopped at just about every aid station for Gatorade or water.  I even ate a banana at one of the stations.  I had Swedish Fish in my runners pack and I ate a few every time I felt hungry or like I needed energy.  I used the bathroom three or four times before the race started, so I didn't have to go at all during, which was awesome.  I listened to Pandora the whole time, like I always do, and I kept my pace pretty steady.  I finished in 2:30:37, according to the official time tracker.  That's about an average of 11:29 per mile.  That's about what I trained at so I'm happy.  I feel like that is a good time for my first.  Other than the final two miles, I really enjoyed the run and think I would like to do more!  Hopefully, not in the pouring rain again.

This is Mary, Erin, My Mom and Livvy running with me



Summer Update

Summer is coming to a close.  Boo.  We've had a lot of fun in the sun this year!  Livvy and I have spent most every day outside, playing in the sprinklers or at the city pool.  Dave has had a busy landscaping summer, but he's also been able to spend a lot of time with us.  Here are some picture updates of our summer...

Our Annual Free Meal at Chick Fil A

 

Our 4th of July Campout with my family

Livvy got to play with her first sparkler this year.

We got a few gals from high school together to play

volleyball - it was a fun night.

We went to Syracuse Days with Mary, Erin, Mia, Jake n Dani

and their kids.  It was fun - the theme was super heroes so we

all got to dress up.

I got to go to Girl's Camp this year - it was a great time!

Teenage girls are so fun to hang out with.

Livvy and Hayden had a lot of fun at the Zoo.

Grandma bought them these cute animals, Livvy

calls hers Mr. Bear.

 

One of our many visits to WJ Pool

One of my volleyball leagues was played at this park

that had a splash pad, so Livvy loved to come watch and

play in the water.

Dave played a few tournaments this summer and Livvy and I

had tons of fun eating lunch and watching them win.

We watched all of the crazy fireworks on the 24th of July at

my parents' house

 

We got to go to the Museum at the University of Utah.  Dave's

grandpa contributed a lot to their bug collection, but we also got

to see the dinosaurs.

We had fun at the Bee's game this year.  We got everyone together,

which gets harder and harder as time goes on.

 Livvy was stylin at the game

She loved the Bee.  She was shy though, so she would touch him

when he wasn't looking and just wanted to stare.

These are Dave's pride and joy :)  He was able to buy them

this year and it has cut his mowing time in half.  That

means less time in the hot sun for him!

Mark came home this summer!  He's been in Africa for 2 years

on his mission.  It's been fun having him home.  Livvy is still

getting used to him - she's pretty shy around new people.

 

While we were in St. George at Kortni and Mason's new

apartment for the year, Dave and Mason bought Livvy two

fish.  She loved them, but they both died before we came home.

We told her they were staying at Kortni's house.

We had a lot of fun this summer with Kortni and Mason while they

were here. It will be sad to see them leave this week to go back to St. George.

Here, we were at Mulligan's.  Livvy LOVED this night :)

I have started training for a half marathon this summer!  I

will be running in the Layton Half on 9/27.  I'm both anxious and

excited - but happy that I am finally going to accomplish this goal.

 

 

This summer has been fun!  Definitely one to remember.  Livvy makes everything so much fun.  She's older and really has fun when we take her places.  Maybe next summer, we can add more kids to our crazy life ... :)