Penelope Elise

My heart might explode. Penelope Elise is earth-side. She is perfect. I'm enjoying this newborn stage more than ever.

Right before we drove to the hospital

Penelope Elise's Stats:

    Weight: 7 pounds 15 ounces

    Length: 20 inches

    Birthday: October 10, 2023

    Time of Birth: 3:53pm

    Hospital: Riverton-- had a great experience there. 

Birth Story:

Being the planner I am, I scheduled an induction for little miss at exactly 39 weeks. My doctor, Dr. Peacock ended up having to be out of town, so another doctor delivered sweet Penny. Dr. Burgett was excellent.

I was told to arrive at the hospital at 7:30am on October 10. When I got there, I was dilated to 3cm (I had been this dilated for a few weeks). 

At 8:38am, I started pitocin.

At 10:10am, I got an epidural.

Around 11:00am, I was told that babies heartbeat was going down after every contraction which was worrisome.  The doctor stopped the pitocin. Worst case scenario a C-section would be necessary. I was still only dilated to a 3 which was surprising.

At 12:22pm, they broke my water. They also put in a monitor to keep a closer eye on baby's heart. This helped them determine exactly how much pitocin to give me. 

At 12:33pm, I started pitocin again. The heartbeat was looking better. Baby didn't like it if they ever turned the pitocin up above a 4 (which is low-- the highest is 20). After another heartrate drop when they upped my pitocin to 7, it was decided to keep the pitocin at 4.

At 1:35pm, baby pooped. Inhaling meconium can be harmful for baby. I was informed that the NICU team would be in the room for delivery in case baby needed treatment.

Around 2:40pm, I felt a lot of pressure. I called the nurse and she said I was dilated to 9 and a half centimeters. They called my doctor and we had to wait for him to finish up a surgery. He arrived around 3:30pm.

While I was pushing, Dr. Burgett asked if any of my babies were born sunny side up. NO! I panicked. Luckily, baby didn't end up being turned completely like the doctor suspected, but she was kind of sideways. He was able to adjust her.

At 3:53pm, our world was forever changed. Penelope Elise made her grand entrance. I've never been happier to hear loud screams. Her lungs were fine and weren't effected by the meconium. The NICU team was not needed. Penelope has a full head of dark hair and gets lots of comments! Continue to the end of this post to see my hair when I was a baby. 

Despite a couple scares (the dropping heart rate and meconium), everything worked out! Jessica came by later that evening and brought us Chick Fil A (which was as delicious as it sounds). Jessica flew in from LA to help with baby which was so kind of her! My mom (yes, it's true) flew in from Brazil and brought the kids by first thing the next morning to meet their baby sister. It was precious.

I like to be discharged from the hospital as soon as possible, but Penny had to have routine testing done at exactly 24 hours old. We had to wait around all day Wednesday. Fortunately, Penelope passed her bilirubin, hearing, and heart test and we were discharged around 5:15pm on Wednesday, October 11.

Leaving the hospital

My mom being here for Penny's birthday was truly a miracle. There is a long backstory, but my mom tested positive for Covid close to my induction date. It was super stressful. In fact, at my doctor's appointment that day, my blood pressure was high and my doctor said if it didn't go down, I would have to be admitted to the hospital. Thankfully, my blood pressure went down. The day my mom was supposed to fly to UT (Monday, Oct 9), my mom tested NEGATIVE for Covid. We were so grateful and wanted stay healthy, especially Penny. We definitely saw God's hand in the timing of it all.

Having my mom around was amazing and felt normal. We ate lots of yummy food that she has missed. She doted on and spoiled my kids. She became my lactation expert and gave me priceless tips. My mom and Jessica played "O My Father" in my ward on October 15. My grandparents came to listen and meet Penelope. I am extremely grateful that my mom was able to be here and Jessica too.

Father of the year right here. This guy has bent over backwards to make sure I'm comfortable and that the house continues to run smoothly. His work was shocked to see him back in the office on Friday, Oct 13. (He also worked a half day on the 12.)  He will take more time off when I start piano lessons back up. 

I am overwhelmed with gratitude. People have been so nice. We have been well fed and showered with gifts and love. My list of thank-you cards keeps getting longer and longer. What a wonderful time. My kids have also been the sweetest older siblings I could have ever hoped for. We are all just completely enamored by Penny. And, I'm starting to dread nights less, so here's to hoping my 8:00pm bedtime will change soon. 

As you can see, we have taken plenty of pictures and will continue to do so. Stay tuned for more... Our niece snapped some family and newborn pictures and we'll get them back in a few weeks. Penny, we have waited and prayed for you and you're finally here. You are a delight. Our world is changed by your sweet spirit.

These last 3 pictures are of me as a baby! The pictures are low quality, but worth it. If you can believe it, I had even more hair than Penelope!

Adios Family of 4

This is my final post as a family of 4. I sure love this crew of mine. We have been playing lots of Phase 10 and Cover Your Assets and it's hard to believe these kiddos are so independent. They are growing too fast. In an effort to help the remainder of pregnancy pass quickly, we have kept busy. 

Paw Patrol Movie!

Tuesday, October 4

Seeing this movie has been on our calendar for weeks! Paw Patrol came out on a Friday, but we waited until $5 Tuesday to go as a family. I won a $50 Megaplex giftcard from our swim school, so our fun night out was covered with ample money to spare for popcorn. You would be surprised how much popcorn our kids can devour. Wow. The gasps and comments throughout the movie from the kids were hysterical. Izzy squealed in delight lots and used her coat to cover her eyes during "stressful" scenes. The instant we got in the car to go home, the kids insisted that we listen to the song "Down Like That" from the movie. Boy can they belt.

Act surprised on Halloween, but Izzy will make the cutest Skye ever. Also noteworthy is that Isabelle insisted on changing her outfit right before going to the movies so she could look extra nice. She had to wear a dress and tights for this special occasion! We happened to be in the same theater as 2 of my Bunco friends which was a pleasant surprise. I know you're not asking, but if you want my opinion on the new movie-- I thought the first one was better. (Andrew agrees) Shhh, don't tell my kids.

Pumpkin Patch!

James had another Friday off of school. We made the most of it and went to The Kinlands Pumpkin Patch with the Bradshaws. The kids kept the slide busy! Picking out giant, heavy pumpkins seems to be popular. James also found a gourd and that might possibly be even cooler than the massive pumpkin he chose. This was the perfect outing and the weather was just gorgeous.

Friday, October 6

Soccer!

Saturday August 19 through Saturday, October 14

James played soccer again this fall. I put him in the older league, so instead of playing with 4-6 year old boys and girls, he was on an all-boys 6-year-old team. The field was slightly bigger and the players were significantly better. James' team was called the monsters! James started and finished the season off strong.  He scored a goal the first game! There were a few games in the middle where he seemed a bit disinterested. That could be related to the time he spent watching from the sidelines. Sometimes players were forgotten and substitutes weren't rotated regularly.  James hustled and tried hard. Much to my embarrassment, he puts on a "concentrating" face while on the field. Picture fish lips.  

Izzy picked dance over soccer, but later was disappointed she wasn't doing soccer too. I don't know if this was due to jealously over James' glamorous weekly soccer treats, or if she actually wants to play again. I guess we'll find out next season. On to the next sport for Mr. James. He is giving basketball a shot and so far is obsessed. 

The Music Man!

Saturday, October 7

I heard that the Music Man was playing because someone in our ward is in the play! Mindy Taylor has an incredible voice and we were bummed we didn't catch her the last time she performed in  Sister Act. Seeing Mindy be apart of The Music Man was something I really wanted to do, but timing was tricky with baby. We decided to go forward with buying tickets, even though I am uber pregnant, with the idea that we could always sell our tickets if needed. We actually got to go to the play!

Here's something I bet you didn't know about me: the first movie I actually liked and would watch as a child was "The Music Man." I've always loved music. I am so glad we were able to see this play. We saw it at the smaller and more intimate Hale Center Theater in Orem. The play checked all the boxes. The opening scene was so catchy and sucked you in immediately, the costumes and choreography were on point, and the singers were phenomenal. The quartet of men was fabulous. There was only 1 actress that I thought could have had a stronger singing voice. They went all out for the finale with a full marching band. Our ears are still ringing. 

As we discussed the play afterword, Andrew brought up that in this production, they chose to focus more on Harold Hill's sneaky and deceitful side. Andrew and I both grinned and giggled the night away in our centered, 2nd row seats. We finished the night off eating Mexican food and realized maybe we're getting old and boring. We are turning into each other. We both ordered Carne Asada burritos and ate every drop. Our waitress was shocked when she came back not long after delivering our food to see our plates were wiped clean. We splurged to have a special night out since going out with a newborn will be trickier. We couldn't have asked for a better night out and are so grateful that Jessica watched our kids! She's in town for baby's birthday! 

Hike: Rocky Mouth Trailhead! 

Sunday, October 8

The fall colors are spectacular this year. I've been itching to get up into the mountains. We planned on doing a new hike, but traffic to get into the canyon was backed up. Instead, we stopped at an oldie, but goodie hike. Both kids loved this hike and counted all the stairs. There were over 100. Fall is breathtaking and I'm glad we squeezed in this hike. We last did this hike in June of 2020. My heart aches looking back at the pictures of my little babies on this same trailhead 3 years ago. This time around, we had to tell James to slow down and wait for us. Oh how times have changed. 

And just like that, life is drastically going to change. Each morning, James has been telling me the countdown until baby. He even said, "It's finally happening. I've been waiting so long for this baby--since Thanksgiving of last year." I'm banking on having good helpers. Wish us luck as we become a family of 5. For now, I'm trying to avoid shows regarding Labor and Delivery. We have seen too many of them this week. It's not quite as funny when it's going to be you walking as if you got hit by a bus. T-minus 36ish hours.

Danger--Beware!

Not all of our adventures go smoothly, but that's life. Keep going to read more about our perilous hike, Andrew's tranquil brother's hike, and the Discovery Gateway Museum. 

Scout Falls Hike--Saturday, September 2, 2023

It felt like we were doomed. We scheduled and attempted to go on this hike 3+ times before it actually happened. Andrew's injured foot put the hike off and some other factors. It feels like a big accomplishment that we completed the hike! What an experience it was. 

Along the trail, there are beautiful wildflowers and several people came walking down the mountain with homemade bouquets.

Hiking Stats:

Total time: 2 hrs. 47 mins.

Distance: We think 3.7 miles based on our phones. I walked 8,756 steps.

Distance to car: 1.03 miles

Learn from our mistakes. Here are 2 critical lessons we learned:

1) You need a timed parking pass to park in the parking lot on weekends and holidays. This is a fairly recent change. Andrew and I both browsed several blogs and websites and did not see this beforehand. We were aware of the $6 fee you pay to enter the canyon, but you additionally need a timed parking pass which you can get online. I believe you do NOT need a pass on weekdays. 

Since we did not have one things were complicated. The drive to this hike wasn't quick (about 45 minutes each way) and I was grateful we thought of a solution. Andrew generously volunteered to drop us off at the trailhead and go park the car about a mile away. We didn't have to wait long for him to run back from the car. Our friends met us at the trailhead but opted to leave. They also didn't have a pass and the weather was iffy (they didn't have jackets).

2) Near the end of the trail, avoid the steep climb and turn RIGHT at the fork. I had read about a steep part. There are 2 paths to take. Some hikers stopped us and told us to go left. I was hesitant because that looked like the way that the bloggers said to avoid. We should NOT have gone left. I'm not sure why the hikers told us to go that way especially with young kids. That last stretch of the hike was the most intense hiking I've done. It was like we were rock climbing minus the gear. It was extremely abrupt and I wondered if it would put me into labor.

                        Your hike guide's blog said this about the treacherous ending: "A false trail goes to the left and will come out below the Falls. This is not an approved trail and will require the hiker to climb on loose rocks, which can be quite dangerous." 

I'll say. It felt very dangerous. Not shown in the picture above is my crabbiness. I was not thrilled we went this way and was also not pleased Andrew was taking a picture of this moment. Any of us could have fallen to our deaths at any minute. Later when I wasn't at risk for stumbling down a cliff, I was grateful Andrew took the pic.

                        Utah's Adventure Family said this about the climb: "There are two ways to approach the falls, which are about 100 yards off the main trail. One is short, steep, and dangerous, and the other is longer, but much safer. The steeper route leaves the main trail at a hairpin switchback. A large log blocks the turnoff, and you'll have to step over it. This was at a distance of 1.1 miles from the trailhead. After you pass the log, the trail goes about 50 yards and turns right and straight up. This isn't a good way to take little ones, and part of the danger is someone rolling a rock down on top of you. We climbed this way because we didn't know better, but coming down would be worse. After a precipitous climb of 75 more yards, you'll come out at the base of Scout Falls." 

Some people at the top saw us approaching and couldn't fathom that we hiked that way. It was pretty unbelievable. My thighs and lower back were screaming at me the next morning. The hikers at the falls seemed very concerned we would attempt to go down the same way we came up and 2 escorted us to the right path down, just to ensure our safety.

Me: "I am so impressed you climbed up that steep part."

James: "Mom, we know! You've said that like 100x."

Isabelle: "Please scoot aside for the gentle "girl" (instead of gentleman). This made me giggle.

This was a long hike and I think I was the only complainer (thanks to being utterly terrified). In fact, it might go down as James' favorite hike. He absolutely LOVED the "rock Climbing" steep part and we had to keep telling him to slow down. He begged for us to go down the same way we came up. Hard pass. You can't get much better than spending time together outside exercising and exploring breathtaking scenery and luck was on our side-- it didn't rain and we survived the treacherous climb.

ABH--"All Brothers Hike"-- Wednesday, September 13-September 16, 2023

This year ABH looked different. It wasn't hiking. Instead, it was biking in Stanley, Idaho. The first day alone, they mountain biked a hilly 22 mile route which sounds gruesome. They ended up finishing very late at night so it was pitch dark. Andrew said he was using the flashlight on his phone so they could see. Dreamy vacation. I was cozied up on my memory foam mattress topper binging the newest season of "Virgin River." This year, all 7 of the boys made it to ABH.

Discovery Gateway Museum in SLC-- Friday, September 22, 2023

We put our PBS kids adventure passes to use once again, The kids got free admission. Our adventure passes were only valid for a few months, but we made sure to use them. Admission is typically $12.50 per child and $13.50 per adult. We are such cheapskates that we went while Andrew was working, so we didn't have to pay for 2 adult tickets. You do have to pay for parking in the parking garage as well, which was only $4. I even managed to escape the garage unscathed without rolling backwards at the steep exit. Phew.

James didn't have school due to a teacher work day, so it seemed like the perfect time to go. My kids have only been to this museum once before over a year ago and they were giddy to be back. We stayed for 2 hours and they easily could have stayed longer. There is plenty to do. The horse, helicopter, dress-ups, water table, grocery store, and car shop were some of the favorites. Although in the car, the kids said it was hard to narrow down what the best areas of the museum are. We had a lovely time and it wasn't too crowded. 

The one unfortunate thing about the trip was that the construction play area (which was James' favorite last time) was closed for renovations. Oh well. That just means we will have to go back. Utah is such a small world. Even in downtown Salt Lake, I ran into familiar faces from my home ward. We definitely recommend this museum!

And just like that, it's almost baby month... We have a couple of final adventures I'm hoping we can squeeze in.

School is in Session

And just like that, all the anticipation is over. School has begun! We continued our tradition of going out for a treat and getting Father's blessings. 

We had a giftcard and coupon, so we only had to pay $0.98 which made the ice cream taste even sweeter.

I have a child old enough to be in all-day school. I'm ancient. James started first grade. He is going to the same elementary school I went to. 

Tuesday, August 22, 2023

James is doing the Chinese immersion program and he likes it so far. In fact, we had a babysitter over who knows Chinese and James couldn't hold himself back. He kept speaking to Sophia in Chinese and asking her questions. It was adorable. Because James is doing the Chinese program, it means he has 2 teachers throughout the day. He spends the mornings in English and the afternoons in Chinese. His Chinese teacher only communicates with the class in Chinese-- no English allowed. It's fun to see James' excitement as he shares new words and phrases he has learned.

James has been stoked for school to begin, especially so he could model his new clothes. In case you didn't notice,  Pokémon has become an obsession around here. James recently bought Pokémon cards from the mom store and we've had to set limits for how much we will talk about said cards. James chose a Pokémon shirt and backpack. He also picked out a Mandalorian (Star Wars) shirt and black sweats. His shoes of choice were black lace-up shoes and teaching him how to tie his shoes is a slow-moving process. Since when did he become so grown up?

I was curious to hear how the first day went. It's a big change to go from half day kindergarten, which wasn't even 3 hours, to going all day. The instant James saw me, he exclaimed: "Mom, next time don't pack me such a big lunch. I couldn't eat it all." James had the best day. The pit or "low point" of his day was having to leave school. He said he wishes he could have stayed for 7 more hours. He was so giddy about school. I loved hearing random tidbits. He explained that they have chores to do at school and his job was to be the lunch choice counter. 

Surprisingly, James has wanted to buy a lunch every day since the first day. Hearing him tell me what he has for lunch cracks me up because he doesn't always know and his descriptions are cute-- "it was a giant chicken nugget (chicken patty)" or, "I tried Hawaiian pizza" or "I think the french toast had cinnamon on it!" I discovered James was skipping getting a drink at lunch because he thought it cost more money. I suppose he has noticed my frugal ways, but don't fret, crisis averted. He gets a drink now too. James shared that a classmate told him one of the lunch ladies actually has red eyes which led to a great conversation. 6 year olds are so gullible. 

I try to make school a positive and special thing. I made James' favorite for dinner on his first day. We had stroganoff and ginger cookies. After school on the second day,  James spent the afternoon drawing a picture for a cute girl and slyly writing our phone number, so they can have a playdate. Rosie, you're popular around here! James also worked hard on writing a note to a new friend he made in class to ensure that Joshua has our phone number. It was very sweet. I wasn't sure if James' zest for school would wear off, but it hasn't yet. (Fingers crossed.) I hear all about recess--James can pump super high on the swings now!, PE--his class has been getting 4 points for their good behavior everyday except 1, etc.  James has mentioned that he gets tired of sitting for so long each day. We sometimes bike/scooter to school which helps break up all the sitting and makes my thighs burn (thanks to the bike trailer and Izzy). James has ample energy and he's putting it to use playing soccer again this fall. 

Part of James' homework is reading. He is reading more and more challenging books and it's wonderful.  I checked in with James' teachers to see how things are going. I was delighted to hear that both his teachers think that "James is really smart and sweet. He has been able to focus. He is very helpful and that they really enjoy having him in class." Parent Teacher Conferences are around the corner, so I'll hear more then. Here's to a good year!

Tuesday, September 5, 2023

Isabelle threw herself a giant pity party because she had to wait until September to start Pre-K. She was pretty disappointed to say the least. Now she finally gets to go. Her preschool from last year closed, but we found a closer and cheaper option in a basement. Izzy went to a few summer camps at Mrs. B's house and likes her. I can't believe the deal I'm getting. I pay $90 a month for Pre-K. Isabelle goes to preschool 3 afternoons a week (Tues, Wed, Thurs) for 2 hours a day. 

Isabelle picked out a Barbie shirt and sparkly pants while we were back to school shopping. She chose an Encanto backpack and sandals too. She ended up wearing a special dress I bought her though. I bought baby girl and Izzy matching dresses and can't wait to see my daughters wearing them together. I let Izzy wear her dress the first day, but she has to wait to wear it again until the baby comes. She wore her Barbie outfit on day 2.

Isabelle's class only has 9 children (including her). Isabelle is additionally doing the Waterford Upstart reading program (like her brother did) on the computer. She is thrilled she gets to do computer time and wants to do more than the set amount each day. She had to take a pre-assessment and she knew more than I thought. She could identify 25 letters! (Possibly all 26. Hard to know if the missed one was due to being unfamiliar with using a computer mouse). Izzy also had a written assessment for Pre-K and I was pleased to see she can recognize many numbers. My girl is going places.

For dinner on her first day of school, Izzy chose pizza and cheesy bread. A girl after my own heart. For dessert, we had root beer floats, a first for our kids. They were fans. Although, Izzy is convinced she doesn't like whipped cream and passed on that, which none of us understand. We also rented a movie the kids haven't seen (Across the Spiderverse) to make the day special. The target audience was not 4 year old girls, but I think Izzy still liked it even with the scary part.

It was a big week for Isabelle. Not only did she start preschool, but she started ballet too.  She came out of ballet with a sparkly crown and a purple scrunchie. Waiting until next week for dance class might be the hardest thing Izzy is going through right now. It was a happy surprise that one of Isabelle's preschool classmates from last year randomly happens to be in her dance class. Isabelle and Kennedy walked hand in hand into class. A family friend highly recommended this dance studio and her daughter Lydia is in the class too. When Isabelle and I went to buy her dance clothes at the studio, Izzy told me it was the best day of her life.

(Her new pink ballet shoes are backordered)

Watching these kiddos learn and grown is one of my favorite things. Bring on another school year!