tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-326462902024-03-13T20:58:06.584-07:00My Sweet Journey"Would you like an adventure now, or shall we have tea first?" - J.M. BarrieMirandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842329872005034417noreply@blogger.comBlogger614125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32646290.post-21303491418624007562023-03-08T12:50:00.001-07:002023-03-08T13:29:20.225-07:00Theodore Lewis Lee Mertz (A Birth Story)...<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Here I am… writing my LAST birth story! </span></p>
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<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Theodore Lewis Lee Mertz arrived January 20th, 2023 at 8:44am weighing in at 8 lbs 4 oz and 21” long!</span></p>
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<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Writing out my kids’ birth stories is one of my favorite things to do. I love trying to remember random details that I can go back and read through when I has forgotten them. Before Theo arrived, I actually read through Will, Cora, and Hazel’s birth stories trying to remember which details belonged to which child. It was wild some of the things I had forgotten and I am so thankful I have them to read back through in years to come. Hopefully each of the kids will appreciate reading how they came into this world too someday.</span></p>
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<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">If you want to read through my past stories, you can follow the links:</span></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://miranda1123.blogspot.com/2016/03/william-james-randy-mertz-birth-story.html" target="_blank">Will’s Birth story</a> (this one is EPIC, but trigger warning about traumatic birth)</span></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://miranda1123.blogspot.com/2018/04/cora-jane-patricia-mertz-birth-story.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Cora’s Birth Story</span></a></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://miranda1123.blogspot.com/2021/01/hazel-mae-kiva-mertz-birth-story.html" target="_blank">Hazel’s Birth Story</a> (trigger warning because I talk about miscarriage)</span></p>
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<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This pregnancy was such a sweet gift and pretty early on, I was convinced that this would be my last pregnancy. I have NO DESIRE to have more than 4 kids, but you never know what God is going to put on your heart, and I was open to His desires for our family. In many moments along this pregnancy and birth journey, God confirmed in my heart that I am done! One confirmation was that this was a largely easy pregnancy! At least compared to my last two pregnancies - I had less morning sickness, less aches and pains, and also less anxiety, which was a huge gift. We had a scare in the first trimester where I had a small subchorionic hemorrhage with some spotting, but even during that I feel like I had more peace than fear that we were gonna be ok. Also finding out we were having a boy was another confirmation because my dream had always been to have two boys and two girls and I felt that my bookend boys made our family feel so complete. Then as the last month of pregnancy came and all the discomfort, bad sleep, aching back and joint, and intense braxton hicks… it made me really settle with the fact that I had NO DESIRE to ever be pregnant again.</span></p>
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<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Through the whole pregnancy it really was so good for me to have the mindset that this was the last pregnancy, because I felt more able to work through the harder and more annoying parts of pregnancy and have the perspective that this was the last time I would ever do this and I wanted to savor what I could and persevere through what seemed daunting. As the end of my pregnancy approached I was ready for his arrival. Both Cora and Hazel came 3 weeks and 2 weeks early respectively, so my Dr and I were convinced we wouldn’t make it until my scheduled c-section. When we discussed the day it would be scheduled Dr. Schwartz actually said “We’ll schedule your c-section just for fun, but I’ll see you at the hospital before then!” haha.</span></p>
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<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8VzRLzgXSNxWd1oA-1X4dUVkS--XTbz954-uUcGJ77T8ugmV4imBWMUQxzpiEHTupm8Otim5CnquhBwmalvmunhI93xfohvPPMneTjnEs7eNYZRLVo9xvKnz-abmRc6uQpGYxnOo7E2G3bK1o13EDjfj1uKhch3lmsM0Q1KRxoFAxFrH7WA/s1910/IMG_0976.heic" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1910" data-original-width="1432" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8VzRLzgXSNxWd1oA-1X4dUVkS--XTbz954-uUcGJ77T8ugmV4imBWMUQxzpiEHTupm8Otim5CnquhBwmalvmunhI93xfohvPPMneTjnEs7eNYZRLVo9xvKnz-abmRc6uQpGYxnOo7E2G3bK1o13EDjfj1uKhch3lmsM0Q1KRxoFAxFrH7WA/s320/IMG_0976.heic" width="240" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I was 35 weeks on New Years Day and I felt like that was when I started feeling like it could be any day now. I of course didn’t want him to come THAT early, but I felt the urgency to make sure we had everything we needed/wanted to have done before his arrival. We took down Christmas, painted his nursery, put together his crib. I actually packed my hospital bag at 32 weeks because I just needed to know it was ready. Each of my past labors got faster and faster and so I was anxious this one would be even crazy faster and I would risk being fully 10cm when I got to the hospital and miss my c-section window.</span></div><p></p>
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<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As 37 weeks approached I was even more on alert for going into labor. I paid attention to the marker days for when Cora arrived and Hazel arrived, and Cora’s day was 37 weeks and 1 day. I was having regular braxton hicks contractions, but nothing that intensified or stayed regular for longer than an hour. But my Dr. again confirmed that it could be any time. At my 37 week appt, I was just over 1 cm dilated, but that didn’t mean anything with how quickly I could progress. Aaron particularly was hoping I could go as long as I could since he had work stuff that he didn’t want to skip out on for paternity leave. So I took it very easy and when he was home he refused to let me lift a finger.</span></p>
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<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Now of course I was prepared that this labor could be entirely different than my last. Maybe I would have contractions before my water broke. Maybe my water would break in the middle of the day instead of the middle of the night like the others. Maybe I wouldn’t give birth on a Wednesday like I did with my other 3. Maybe I would make it all the way to 39 weeks and walk into the hospital labor free for my surgery! I had a plan for all instances. </span></p>
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<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4da60dxWeB8ZdSUA7TN9PrSTaC_Hg6a5GCPcZOXc2JyEvkhLglR57lagHdiler6R2s4W7QD5w47ZRRDg4vlTa3zrABwZnAqsH91q6IjmAsDl8dT0vjMVTOJ7OSCcw0Ldj6kCuGqNyunMLgRTRDVbJN_bT3nBIzcFJpR0h-lOTUFfxE9z_qg/s2970/IMG_1592.heic" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2970" data-original-width="2228" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4da60dxWeB8ZdSUA7TN9PrSTaC_Hg6a5GCPcZOXc2JyEvkhLglR57lagHdiler6R2s4W7QD5w47ZRRDg4vlTa3zrABwZnAqsH91q6IjmAsDl8dT0vjMVTOJ7OSCcw0Ldj6kCuGqNyunMLgRTRDVbJN_bT3nBIzcFJpR0h-lOTUFfxE9z_qg/s320/IMG_1592.heic" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Thursday evening we went to bed and I got up several times in the night to use the bathroom and as always wondered if my water would break… but sure enough I woke up at 6am and nothing had happened! I got up to start getting ready for the day and when went to the bathroom sure enough my water broke!! I even felt the bubbly pop! Of course I sat there for a bit, not sure if what I felt was real. I waited for a contraction just like my previous labors, but none came. So I decided to go lay down again and see if anything else happened. But as I walked back to the bed, I felt more water and knew this was it! I quickly woke up Aaron and told him it was time! We were both so thankful we had had a full night of sleep! Aaron immediately called his parents and I started gathering up the last minute hospital bag things and changing clothes. Aaron’s parents arrive about 40 min later, and at that point I had only had 2 contractions and while I could tell they were real labor contractions, they weren’t super painful and about 12 - 15 min apart. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7WfeOMmAu58UUgiHvDdbVWaHj_ShlT0GkI0unX6eNzdF53NFucCbUIxNYr9tLWDjwkDgWY9H_7raFIo6vUlNgOg9_YuiAI_HYb0-7C2Y6o7ncXGumq5Bv6tMnXXolszxM_r5wmtMVm1c6bX51amByMnq3C4p9YvSAgMjlH3UbkvDuZ_Er1Q/s2378/IMG_1591.heic" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2378" data-original-width="1784" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7WfeOMmAu58UUgiHvDdbVWaHj_ShlT0GkI0unX6eNzdF53NFucCbUIxNYr9tLWDjwkDgWY9H_7raFIo6vUlNgOg9_YuiAI_HYb0-7C2Y6o7ncXGumq5Bv6tMnXXolszxM_r5wmtMVm1c6bX51amByMnq3C4p9YvSAgMjlH3UbkvDuZ_Er1Q/s320/IMG_1591.heic" width="240" /></a></div><br />I figured since contractions were slow to begin this labor would go slower than the others, so I wasn’t anxious about rushing to the hospital. We decided to wake the kids up and say goodbye to them before leaving to the hospital and we got one last family of 5 picture and one last bump picture! The kids were SO EXCITED to go to school that day and tell all their friends their baby brother was coming! We told them that when they got home from school we’d call them so they could see sweet Theo!</span><p></p>
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<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We left for the hospital and I was surprised that as soon as we hit the road, my contractions went from 10 min apart to 4-5 min apart. By the time we got to the hospital 30 min away (arriving at around 7:30am), they were more like 3 min apart! I distracted myself on the drive with Aaron and I talking about our predictions on his weight. I knew he was going to be a big kid for being over 2 weeks early, so I predicted he’d be 7 lbs 12 oz. (Cora and Hazel were both 7 lbs 6 oz and Will was 8 lbs 2 oz at full term 40 weeks). As we checked in, Aaron had to do everything and answer all the questions because I couldn’t speak much through the pain. I just kept telling myself my c-section would be in probably an hour at most, so I didn’t have to do this long. I also kept telling myself this was the last time! They swiftly got us back to a triage room and we actually walked right by Schwartz who was on her way to another c-section before she was free to do mine. When we to back to the triage room, I actually got a bit frustrated because I changed into my hospital gown and then it felt like 15 min before anyone walked in to check on us or get everything ready. Here I was laboring and no one was checking us in, starting my IV or anything. I started to feel antsy to get stuff going. Finally the nurse came in to check me and I was 5cm dilated and fully effaced. Since Schwartz was in another surgery and wouldn’t be ready for almost an hour, as soon as my IV was in they gave me meds to slow my contractions. I was very thankful for some relief where my contractions were spread out and shorter and less intense for a bit before we went to the OR. The nurse told me if I had waited much longer to come in, I probably would have just had the baby in triage. Which again, with my traumatic birth history with Will, was a terrifying thought because there was no guarantee the baby would have been delivered easily or safely other than by C-section. Speaking of IVs it took them 4 tries to find a vein that would work… which was excruciating. Seriously I think IVs are just as bad as the worst labor contractions! </span></p>
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<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">One of my favorite moments while waiting in triage that made me giggle was when I got a text from my friend Jessica at around 8am saying her Dr.s appointment had to be rescheduled because Schwartz had an unexpected delivery and she was convince it was me. I laughed so hard because it was!!</span></p>
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<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Finally the anesthesiologist walked in and I knew it was almost go time! He confirmed Schwartz had finished her other c-section and they were getting my OR ready to go. By the way, I LOVE anesthesiologists! They are always so laid back and both the ones I have had were like our bff in triage and the OR. They are up for casually chatting and their demeanor always puts me at such ease. Plus they have the good drugs that take away my contraction pain! </span></p>
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<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGhtshsZA54BsuF6SlVlV0NSQAWOEEFZ_PFn4kWjycJ3vnDQkQGZt2_r7qU8x6kmLu2qsQHa1ugu6WE43PcSoKph-h_6fzfM8Z2tndyx2IVy3s0fNwq1WCYDnERmr5b2Gno9ALNdO-e5025v9lPztRP79P6uSdvw_6BtVvnsKJ_H9ARi4JWA/s4032/IMG_0078.heic" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGhtshsZA54BsuF6SlVlV0NSQAWOEEFZ_PFn4kWjycJ3vnDQkQGZt2_r7qU8x6kmLu2qsQHa1ugu6WE43PcSoKph-h_6fzfM8Z2tndyx2IVy3s0fNwq1WCYDnERmr5b2Gno9ALNdO-e5025v9lPztRP79P6uSdvw_6BtVvnsKJ_H9ARi4JWA/s320/IMG_0078.heic" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Then at around 8:30am we were off and being wheeled to the OR! We got in there and I walked to the table to got prepped for my spinal block. They had to wait through a big contraction, but then the drugs were in and I started feeling instant relief! They took some time prepping me and I was quite entertained by the playlist in the OR. I walked into Sugar Ray’s “Every Morning” which was such an odd song. Obviously NOT Dr. Schwartz’s playlist. (Fun fact, Theo was born while Mariah Cary’s “Fantasy” was playing! Such a fitting moment!). Aaron finally walked in and the surgery started. I always am so amazed how quickly it happens that they make the first cut and then before you know it the OR is filled with baby cries. Theo was born at 8:44am! His sweet little mewing cry was just the sweetest and I cried and cried that he was here! They took him over to the table and from where I was I could watch as they wiped him down and took care of him. They announced his weight and he was 8 lbs 4 oz!! Schwartz was shocked and everyone was so surprised at how big he was for being 2 weeks and 2 days early! I immediately started laughing in surprise and declared to the room “I feel very validated in how uncomfortable I have been!”<br /><br /></span><p></p>
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<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil98BfyuebeedocjTXdN2ZfGOI6GGZSeRohfq_Tx3mqwuzdHwsqjN7jp00Z198soKdFa1FEVfKy9yB0ZEQ7MbbwmSYTzQFKCXTDun_SNbd2Cdj7xuXdW2SWLHGB4jVc3zqDeUUrB3uWpWBL5iDdTSajKnXhnbrf0ml1q_5FzbQM8LJsEu71g/s3840/IMG_1639.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3840" data-original-width="2160" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil98BfyuebeedocjTXdN2ZfGOI6GGZSeRohfq_Tx3mqwuzdHwsqjN7jp00Z198soKdFa1FEVfKy9yB0ZEQ7MbbwmSYTzQFKCXTDun_SNbd2Cdj7xuXdW2SWLHGB4jVc3zqDeUUrB3uWpWBL5iDdTSajKnXhnbrf0ml1q_5FzbQM8LJsEu71g/w181-h320/IMG_1639.JPG" width="181" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The surgery finished up while they cleaned and wrapped up our boy. I had asked for skin to skin, but the nurse was concerned at how cold the OR was and that Theo’s body wouldn’t do well with that. So when Theo was all wrapped up, he was handed off to Aaron and then Aaron brought him over to me. He put his head right next to mine and I could feel his warmth. I kissed him on the cheek and then he turned his little head and puckered his lips to smooch me back! Such a sweet moment. Aaron got lots of snuggles in while they were closing me up and I spent most of the time trying to relax because the medication made me so shaky. The anesthesiologist took pictures of us and before I knew it they has finished up my surgery and I was ready to head to recovery! They put me on the rolling bed and then handed me my baby boy and I snuggled him as they rolled us to recovery! </span><p></p>
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<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnFypu1HBJPioqBDEGrLomF3CnQ6q30_N52UTUvWNWPWeyAF9KrJbyLCkoeCKLq6wID-bGQh7Q5Sa0807DGwolnlmF6rfLGsI--_ivbd71rWBdS6AxrJE47VD-F9Afme_Pouo6V4Vfm__tMZfRbx3RmO3yzjdQ-pmHvGwc3grdDnNgf_2now/s4032/IMG_1642.heic" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnFypu1HBJPioqBDEGrLomF3CnQ6q30_N52UTUvWNWPWeyAF9KrJbyLCkoeCKLq6wID-bGQh7Q5Sa0807DGwolnlmF6rfLGsI--_ivbd71rWBdS6AxrJE47VD-F9Afme_Pouo6V4Vfm__tMZfRbx3RmO3yzjdQ-pmHvGwc3grdDnNgf_2now/s320/IMG_1642.heic" width="320" /></a><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">I love the recovery room! It might be my favorite part of having a baby! It is so quiet and chill. Only one nurse comes in and out. As we were wheeled into the room, I noticed the clock and it was just about 9:30am. It was so wild to me how the day was already under way! After the c-section my body is still dealing with the affects, so I was cold and shaky, and so I snuggled Theo, started nursing (which he started without issue!! Praise God) and they piled on warm blankets to control our body temperatures. And then Aaron and I spent an hour relaxing, chatting, and recounting how the last nearly 4 hours had unfolded.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYp0HBkIvvSAdmYuy291dwhHnldHlbu_EcYB2pQJ5EEjCOvn1VEw7KEKV4WEHQ3CTPSwbEhUp-_nfdL5Z-pg1RV1c6gYaCBCTJCTdyfYuFrMbo0usWN8yiIbg4q-bbxmitv1aAV9ArwTWyG7wgm8GEJBULAc8ahs1W6677TxJn8QyrhoqlQ/s3024/IMG_0086.heic" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="2268" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYp0HBkIvvSAdmYuy291dwhHnldHlbu_EcYB2pQJ5EEjCOvn1VEw7KEKV4WEHQ3CTPSwbEhUp-_nfdL5Z-pg1RV1c6gYaCBCTJCTdyfYuFrMbo0usWN8yiIbg4q-bbxmitv1aAV9ArwTWyG7wgm8GEJBULAc8ahs1W6677TxJn8QyrhoqlQ/s320/IMG_0086.heic" width="240" /></a></div></span><p></p>
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<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Then at around 10:30am they wheeled us to our permanent room. As we were wheeled through the halls they stopped at the Lullaby button! At our hospital every time you have a baby, they have you push a button to play a lullaby throughout the speakers in the hospital. It is such a sweet moment. Aaron and I actually have no memory of doing it with the other kids, but they videoed this moment for us. We continued on to our room and I finally got to fully sit up and get somewhat comfortable with my boppy nursing pillow covering my incision site and getting to fully hold my little boy and really take him in!</span></p>
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<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Theo was such a perfect mixture of Will/Hazel and Cora! I thought Hazel was a copy and paste of Will when she was born, but Theo even more reminded us of Will, but with Cora’s mouth and chin! I had pictured my whole pregnancy him having dark hair like Cora did (not sure why) and so I was surprised how light it was and how little of it there was! Also, there was definitely no red. He was very much his own self, but so reminiscent of the other kiddos. The Mertz genes are so strong, because regardless he just looks like his daddy! Speaking of Mertz genes, we FaceTimed the kiddos as soon as they were all home from school and up from naps and they were beyond delighted to see their tiny baby! When the camera wasn’t on him and Aaron and I were talking to them, they were quick to ask for the phone to go back on their brother and not us! At one point in the phone conversation I had the phone pointed to Theo and I could also see all the tiny faces of my other kids on the screen and the reality that I had 4 children hit me! I told Aaron to take it in and his eyes got wide and the reality hit him too! So incredibly thankful and also so incredibly surreal and a bit overwhelming.</span></p>
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<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvm7hWYyk-sBNuDViaFx0SfZbKNR1x7xURRzy7TkAwt2bagkKeSv-WR6rr5DGQrP0ngWUZ8oUAtOXfcK9BVKPRVj-5ImLz5R_4jWkT9vQD8PAubi3Rgy4jFjUmwmCUxLII3EONEPPRkbZczK4nNEsieUgKLvf1inebUQ6Op3xkkMe8PKeuOA/s4032/IMG_1746.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvm7hWYyk-sBNuDViaFx0SfZbKNR1x7xURRzy7TkAwt2bagkKeSv-WR6rr5DGQrP0ngWUZ8oUAtOXfcK9BVKPRVj-5ImLz5R_4jWkT9vQD8PAubi3Rgy4jFjUmwmCUxLII3EONEPPRkbZczK4nNEsieUgKLvf1inebUQ6Op3xkkMe8PKeuOA/s320/IMG_1746.HEIC" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />A bittersweet element of Theo’s arrival was that it happened to be on the same day (just about 11 hours before) my Aunt passed away. She had developed Pneumonia after having surgery for a neck injury and sadly she couldn’t fight it. The week leading up to her passing we had all prayed for her recovery and then that Thursday we knew it was time to let her go. Several family members met at the hospital Thursday evening to be with her and her two sons (my cousins) and as they spent time together they actually discussed what a sweet thing it would be if Theo happened to be born the next day knowing that was when they would be taking her off life support. When I woke up Friday morning and my water broke it was one of the first things I thought about. What a bittersweet thing to have him begin his life while Aunt Etna’s life ended. A reminder that life continues and God can give us great joy in the midst of grief. Aunt Etna would have LOVED Theo and she would have been one of the first people to send a welcome card and come visit us to meet him. She was so incredibly sweet and thoughtful and it was good for my heart to know they shared life together for a little while before Etna went home to heaven.</span><p></p>
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<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrF6mgDydbFYcsC3oCJzf4rjR5c1SOytd6Pk8VdhPDJsmVOYKaOWGQ9g8TT_ZQqHtbbBXFzhMqdYybxzUHqmTQz9ftpSvtA65wVROU_EiCxjuLExCv0xXgMcLRtwTXpa_vOMTfG6nBYET7r2cvhXlAIVZpevuLsYOzi2ZGoyLvIjZPt0gxnA/s4032/IMG_1879.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrF6mgDydbFYcsC3oCJzf4rjR5c1SOytd6Pk8VdhPDJsmVOYKaOWGQ9g8TT_ZQqHtbbBXFzhMqdYybxzUHqmTQz9ftpSvtA65wVROU_EiCxjuLExCv0xXgMcLRtwTXpa_vOMTfG6nBYET7r2cvhXlAIVZpevuLsYOzi2ZGoyLvIjZPt0gxnA/s320/IMG_1879.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The remainder of our hospital stay went by rather quickly. There was a piece of me that was itching to get home to my kids, but also a part of me that loved the break from caring for everyone else and instead having others care for me, bring me food, hand me a baby, change that baby’s diaper, while I “relaxed” (I add the quotations because it isn’t true relaxing when you are in pain from surgery, desperate for a hot shower (for the first 24 hours then I took a shower in the jankiest shower, but it felt incredible!), exhausted and unable to really get good sleep, and people coming in and out of your room constantly to check on you or baby). But even in the midst of that, Aaron and I enjoyed the hospital stay and it being just the 3 of us and we would just sit and chat. We mostly spent time recounting all the many memories we had in that hospital. Maybe it was because this was our last birth, or maybe it was because Theo was another boy, but we spent quite a bit of time re-processing Will’s birth (our first birth). You would think 7 years later, it wouldn’t be so raw, but Aaron said that being in the same little waiting room outside the OR as he was during Will’s birth definitely triggered some unpleasant memories and feelings in him. It was healing and sweet to relive some of our hard moments, but also beautifully joyful moments from our 4 births.</span><p></p>
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<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitg_HMwyNF2h94dk9jLlL0u_93KISLn83FLee9mI4LVseQSZBEf33-i86kOIj6i0TtUdbr4uaC1ENMxzEoaxNesE-YxhI5nzNuU97ebFf6ed8P-0A3vg7N6fADrBAkb6-3bRN4A2NUBld0a1QUR-fR01KnaF-07MzmEvHsDmsvcy7Ut3PVvA/s4032/IMG_1942.heic" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitg_HMwyNF2h94dk9jLlL0u_93KISLn83FLee9mI4LVseQSZBEf33-i86kOIj6i0TtUdbr4uaC1ENMxzEoaxNesE-YxhI5nzNuU97ebFf6ed8P-0A3vg7N6fADrBAkb6-3bRN4A2NUBld0a1QUR-fR01KnaF-07MzmEvHsDmsvcy7Ut3PVvA/s320/IMG_1942.heic" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />Another part of our hospital stay was pain management for me. Since having Hazel, the hospital had changed their drug policy and switched up the pain meds offered to patients. After the harder drugs they gave me before and right after the c-section had worn off, all they offered me was alternating doses of Tylenol and Motrin. After 24 hours of that I felt like I was still in a ton more pain than I should be. When I mentioned this to my day nurse, she offered me a low dose of Oxicodone. But when it came time for another dose 6 hours later, my night nurse didn’t include it when she came. So finally I brought it up to her and she was incredibly hesitant to give it to me. It was such a frustrating thing for me because I felt like I was begging for drugs because I was in pain, which probably signaled to the nurse a red flag to not give me the stronger meds. When she finally relented I felt some relief, but the damage was done and I felt like my last day in the hospital I was perpetually behind the pain and so it was really discouraging. Thankfully once I was home, my doctor had prescribed me the stronger medication and I figured out a timing schedule that helped me feel on top of the pain and gave me the relief I needed!</span><p></p>
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<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">By the time I was able to be discharged, Aaron and I were ready! We got all packed up and hit the road.</span></p>
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<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUJ3BOvhyJskH8v0ZqzMKdJgJ_wavo8dxvrGGc2v03n25GPvdD7mqFTbe_2u-sEwv848ecpDkCxFNhzap9lE35Q-UYeB6-72QizMtap5V9ljrlTxsxDlFnr7NinTyfF-jF1PbMbB8mcu98Fe5yjHFLWL59Zd5D0X59_OcZbtFr653YlC0KQ/s4032/IMG_1949.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUJ3BOvhyJskH8v0ZqzMKdJgJ_wavo8dxvrGGc2v03n25GPvdD7mqFTbe_2u-sEwv848ecpDkCxFNhzap9lE35Q-UYeB6-72QizMtap5V9ljrlTxsxDlFnr7NinTyfF-jF1PbMbB8mcu98Fe5yjHFLWL59Zd5D0X59_OcZbtFr653YlC0KQ/s320/IMG_1949.HEIC" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><br />Introducing Theo to our big kids upon returning home was one of the sweetest moments of my life! We brought him in and my in laws had them all sitting on the couch quietly waiting. They all were instantly giggling with delight and excitement! I could see the tears welling up in Will’s eyes and as soon as I sat down, he jumped off the couch and ran into Aaron’s arms and said “I think I’m gonna cry, I’m so happy. I feel so wonderful!” Each one got a turn to hold him with Cora going first and when Will and Hazel had turns, they each sang him the sweetest rendition of “Twinkle Twinkle”. I cried multiple times from shear joy. And just like that we were a family of 6!!</span><p></p>
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<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">To finish up this rather long birth story, if you’ve made it this far, I’ll give you the stories behind Theo’s name! </span></p>
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<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Theodore (Nickname Theo) </b>was actually on our name list for Will and was always in second place. Aaron and I love old fashioned names, and I loved either Theo and Teddy as nicknames. Aaron was on board with the name, but when we officially found out we were having a boy we had a brief hesitation and didn’t want to commit. But then after a few days of throwing out EVERY other boys name we liked, we realized Theodore really was the best one! Theodore means “Gift of God” and we loved that too for our little boy and final baby. We chose Theo as the name we would call him, because we loved that it could stay consistent from childhood to adulthood (Teddy always turns into Ted and we didn’t like that as much). Note: If Theo had been a girl he would have been Margaret or Margot.</span></p>
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<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin6-f7b0mpF0nrtnCsxvzYKUXhc5zyqrdk_2vS9ElpUaP081PEDvzVK-zACpaAaefhSOVuH9UpVMkmW_nbfFQjmbqkmwMCC8Y2nN_AXI73QfiYllOCnyrayt1r6iTIoCoXT_0vWQ_KV88KZ4pyeDH3yam6UCJj2HkVDx7T20x-yCBjODOv3A/s2230/IMG_1959.heic" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1672" data-original-width="2230" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin6-f7b0mpF0nrtnCsxvzYKUXhc5zyqrdk_2vS9ElpUaP081PEDvzVK-zACpaAaefhSOVuH9UpVMkmW_nbfFQjmbqkmwMCC8Y2nN_AXI73QfiYllOCnyrayt1r6iTIoCoXT_0vWQ_KV88KZ4pyeDH3yam6UCJj2HkVDx7T20x-yCBjODOv3A/s320/IMG_1959.heic" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Lewis</b> - The first middle name actually took a LONG TIME for us to figure out. We had a list of all our remaining male family names thinking we would use one, but none of them really excited us - George, David, John, Joseph, etc. we rotated through them for ages. Finally I told Aaron one day we should think of other people (not family) we may want to honor in the middle name. Cora’s middle name Jane is after both our favorite author Jane Austen, so I suggested we think of other authors we like… or theologians… or biblical figures… or people personally significant in our lives. Aaron immediately joking suggested “Theodore Clive Sinclair Mertz” After C.S. Lewis. I laughed and then cantered with “Theodore Lewis” and we both looked at each other and our eyes got wide and we just knew that was it! We both LOVE C.S. Lewis and have read nearly all his books and hold many of his passages and quotes dear to our hearts and lives! We also loved that he paralleled Cora’s author middle name. </span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Lee</b> actually was chosen before we had settled on Theo. Will has both his middle names after Aaron and my dad’s (James & Randy), so I thought we could honor our mom’s by figuring out how to use their names - Linda Leona and Laurie Dee. I had spent a couple years thinking about it from time to time and thinking of names that combined their first names or middle names or carried the same meanings, etc. I had a whole list on my phone of possible combination names. Combining Leona and Dee to make Lee was the best option! Note: if Theo had been a girl we would have used the combined name Lindrie as a middle name. Isn’t it cute! But definitely sounded too girly in my mind.</span></p>
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<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">So there it is <b>Theodore Lewis Lee Mertz.</b> Our little Theo!</span></p></div>Mirandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842329872005034417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32646290.post-90604430441050586162021-01-22T14:05:00.004-07:002021-01-22T14:07:38.559-07:00Hazel Mae Kiva Mertz (A Birth Story)<p>If you haven't read <a href="http://miranda1123.blogspot.com/2016/03/william-james-randy-mertz-birth-story.html">Will</a> or <a href="http://miranda1123.blogspot.com/2018/04/cora-jane-patricia-mertz-birth-story.html">Cora's</a> Birth Stories yet, feel free to click over to them to take a look. I feel that every mother compares her birth stories to one another, that was definitely true of Cora's compared to Will's and even with this one compared to the other two.</p><p>Let's start with a little back story and lead up to Hazel's eventual arrival.</p><p>*** TRIGGER WARNING - Miscarriage ***</p><p>My pregnancy with Hazel was HARD - both physically and mentally/emotionally. I had 2 miscarriages proceeding Hazel's pregnancy and so I carried into this journey a lot of fear and anxiety. My first miscarriage was December 2019 at 9 weeks. We actually knew it was coming for a couple weeks before it actually happened. At 7 weeks we had our first ultrasound and the baby was much smaller than expected. I left that appointment with Aaron sobbing in the parking lot knowing what was coming. My doctor had hope and didn't think much of it assuming my dates were off, but she scheduled another ultrasound for a week later. For a week I held as much hope as I could, but deep down I just knew. At the next ultrasound at 8 weeks it was apparent that I was miscarrying and the baby's heartbeat was nearly gone. Then for another week I waited for my body to do what it needed to do naturally. Sadly it never did and I eventually had to have a D&C. It was traumatic and sad and while I had walked through miscarriage with friends before this and grieved with them, nothing really prepares you for experiencing it yourself. </p><p>When we were able to try again, we got pregnant right away! I felt so much hope because how could God possibly have me miscarry again? The odds were unlikely... and so for 3 days we dreamed of our little one. Then at 6 weeks, I lost that baby too. The process this time was physically easier, but the wounds were deeper and I had a lot more anger and fear... what if a third baby wasn't in the cards for us?</p><p>When I got the positive pregnancy test with Hazel, I remember seeing the faint line and mentally shrugging my shoulders... <i>Well, we'll see where this goes...</i></p><p>I had early blood tests to check my hormone levels because of my previous losses and they determined early that my progesterone was dropping, so I needed to take extra progesterone. Thus began the physical wreckage of the first trimester. I felt as sick as I possibly could! Severe nausea from the time I woke up to the time I fell asleep, dizziness and vertigo from the progesterone, extreme exhaustion, and food aversions to literally EVERYTHING! I lived on raisin toast with peanut butter and hated every bite. I lost 10 lbs those first 14 weeks.</p><p>But the physical discomfort was coupled with so much fear and doubt!! We found out we were pregnant the day the world shut down from COVID-19. So every doctors appointment had to be attended alone. Aaron wasn't allowed to be with me. I went into the ultrasound room for my 8 week appointment... the same room where I watched my other baby's heartbeat flicker away... and tried not to hyperventilate as I prayed it wouldn't happen again. Aaron wasn't there to hold my hand. Thankfully our baby was PERFECT! Strong heartbeat and perfect measurements. But that didn't take the fear away... honestly I didn't really feel settled and hopeful until after my 20 week ultrasound appointment where we were sure everything looked perfect. It was psychological warfare with every muscle ache or trip to the bathroom.</p><p>Eventually my nausea went away around 14 weeks, but I was now constantly uncomfortable - aches, pains, not able to breathe properly, heartburn, trips to the bathroom every hour... you name it! I just didn't like this pregnancy. And to top it off, because I had so much anxiety and fear, I really didn't connect with Hazel or feel bonded while I was carrying her. Even my favorite part of pregnancy - feeling her move - while reassuring of her health, wasn't exciting to me. I honestly worried a lot about how I would connect with Hazel when she arrived... it just was a really hard season. Pregnancy after miscarriage and during a pandemic with two other toddlers was HARD!</p><p>Ok... enough back story!</p><p>In the weeks leading up to Hazel's arrival, I was POSITIVE that she would come early. Cora arrived at 37 weeks and since this pregnancy felt very much the same as that one, I knew my body wouldn't last till the scheduled repeat C-section on November 19th. By 35 weeks I had EVERYTHING ready - hospital bag packed, bassinet set up, and everything I needed in place. Aaron had work stuff scheduled for right up until our scheduled c-section at 39 weeks, so his boss was hoping I wouldn't go into labor early. 37 weeks came and went and nothing was happening, so I figured I may actually make it all the way! </p><p>At 37 weeks and 5 days (a Tuesday) I had an appointment with my doctor. She had checked me the week before and I was only 1cm, but since I was at risk for early labor she "didn't want to stir anything up" so she didn't check me again this time. Then she told me something every pregnant woman fears from her doctor - "I'll be out of town for 4 days starting Friday, so make sure she waits till Tuesday at least!" - I knew I was trying to hold off until the coming Thursday, but now I had to really pray Hazel didn't come over the weekend! I was so worried I would have to have a C-section from a doctor I had never met. Schwartz had delivered all my babies I couldn't even entertain the thought of her not delivering Hazel. I immediately called Aaron and told him to start praying, and then text our families and some friends to also pray! </p><p></p><p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMwQJhCJdVPC_DL4ClPBbgRz-OMQjJ4Q58oFQ-_qoKt6hrDZaw5oDKpQL0ChBBJh-9UbyHKWkbYiw3eLfrxSqYgX5Q8XZeHA8IPJ0kQMWD9x8codXRaQqvuZRhTtxhXn-EBXni/s2048/IMG_8015.heic" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMwQJhCJdVPC_DL4ClPBbgRz-OMQjJ4Q58oFQ-_qoKt6hrDZaw5oDKpQL0ChBBJh-9UbyHKWkbYiw3eLfrxSqYgX5Q8XZeHA8IPJ0kQMWD9x8codXRaQqvuZRhTtxhXn-EBXni/s320/IMG_8015.heic" /></a></i></div><i><br />Fun irony - I remember having my last OB appointment with Cora on a Tuesday and then texting all my friends to pray she stayed in at least another week because Aaron and I had a friend's wedding and another friend's baby shower the coming weekend... Cora was born early the very next morning. So I was having major deja vu.</i><p></p><p>I went to sleep that night praying. I was so incredibly DONE being pregnant. Everything hurt. I daydreamed of being able to lay down, sit down, walk, stand still, or take a breath without discomfort more than I daydreamed about holding my baby girl. But I also didn't want Aaron to miss his meeting or have Schwartz not be available for my delivery.</p><p>I woke up a couple times that night to use the bathroom as usual, and as I was laying in bed falling back to sleep at 3:40am and I felt something pop in my lower abdomen. I had read so much about women sometimes being able to hear/feel their water break with a POP, but after 2 labors where my water broke in the middle of the night before contractions, I had yet to actually feel anything like that. I lay very still seeing if anything else happened and nothing did. After a couple minutes I just got up to use the bathroom and only a tiny bit of water came out. I was so confused! It hadn't felt like a baby kick, but I wondered if that was all it was. A couple minutes later I felt a BIG labor contraction and my water definitely broke! I got up and went to wake up Aaron.When he woke up and I told him what was happening he groaned and I thought he was upset about his meeting he was definitely going to miss. I quickly said "I'm so sorry, babe. I know this means you'll miss your meeting." He replied, "Oh no! It's not about the meeting. I just went to bed at 1am after playing video games and I really regret that!" We immediately started laughing. </p><p>We immediately called Aaron's parents to come over and started gathering up the rest of our hospital bag stuff. I realized that Hazel was going to be born on Veterans Day and that made me happy - she would never have to go to school on her birthday! I suspected that this labor would move quicker than the other ones did and so I didn't want to delay too much. Pat and Laurie were over a little after 4am and we left by 4:30am. By then I was already have pretty intense contractions that were causing me to stop and grip a table or squeeze Aaron's hand. While we were driving the 30 min to the hospital, I was growling through each contraction that were 4 min apart. I really had not experienced contractions at this intensity. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnCcwc45jT8RM3JkGYfQ2V4pPPeeEtx20ZhyBPLa21r4kiZZyh_1TO8qpSTOMntq6ihcol6V-NBh7oBb7Xe-rANh2tgum6nTw7OPzFkLotj4ApAE59sSJlcYNunAC8b48i6AKC/s2048/IMG_0040.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnCcwc45jT8RM3JkGYfQ2V4pPPeeEtx20ZhyBPLa21r4kiZZyh_1TO8qpSTOMntq6ihcol6V-NBh7oBb7Xe-rANh2tgum6nTw7OPzFkLotj4ApAE59sSJlcYNunAC8b48i6AKC/s320/IMG_0040.HEIC" /></a></div><br />We got to the hospital a little after 5am and walked in and they took our temperature at the check in desk and asked us the typical COVID-19 questions about exposure, coughs, and fever symptoms. Aaron had to answer for me because I was leaning against the desk with my eyes squeezed tight trying to breathe through a contraction. I made it up the elevator and to the Maternity ward and then they checked us in to a triage room. They did my work up and I was already at 7cm dilated! I also was to the point where the contractions were the most painful I had ever experienced. With Will I had an epidural by the time I was at this point and then with Cora my lobar hadn't progressed enough before my C-section to feel this level of pain. It was insane! I got my IV, which was messy. It was actual a great IV placement wise, but I had blood all over my hand from it that I didn't even notice until I was holding Hazel over an hour later. The contractions were coming fast, so they actually ended up giving me medication to slow them down so Dr. Schwartz would have time to get to the hospital. The nurse giving me my IV made some sort of comment about how it would be so much better/easier if I could just deliver naturally and I considered yelling at her, but I was in the middle of a contraction and just couldn't be bothered. I know she meant well, but seriously lady... you don't know my story and why I have C-sections! <p></p><p>I was doing so good with the contractions, trying to breath through them, trying not to swear too much, growling or squeezing the living daylights out of Aaron's hand instead. Then came the COVID test. They did it in between contractions, and IT. WAS. AWFUL! I mean I would have rated my contractions at a 9 and it was the COVID test that finally made me start crying! The nurse stuck the swab up my nose and swirled around in there and then when she took it back out I just burst into tears and said "That hurt really bad. That was so mean." I could see Aaron trying not to laugh through my tears and quite frankly I found the irony entertaining that a test so many had said wasn't that bad was what broke me down into tears. But with in a couple seconds after the swab was out a BIG contraction hit.</p><p>Then it was finally time to head to the OR! We got in there and the lovely anesthesiologist (same one I had when Cora was born) started my spinal blocker. Between my contractions being gnarly and the medication they gave me to slow my labor making me shake so bad, the injection process for him was a bit complicated. After it was in, he told me that some of the medication squirted out because I was shaking so much, so we had to wait a bit to make sure I was numb enough. We also had to wait a bit because while Dr Schwartz had arrived no problem, her surgical assistant wasn't going to make it in time. So we waited for another Dr. in the practice who "lived around the corner" from the hospital to arrive. I remember telling Schwartz while we waited that baby girl had heard she was heading out of town and didn't want her to miss her arrival!"Once the other doctor arrived to assist, Aaron came into the room too and they started the surgery.</p><p>The surgery went so smoothly! Since we had been through this process with Cora, we knew what to expect. Aaron knew where to stand to get pictures and I knew it would be a quick process from first cut to Hazel's first cry. We could hear little snippets from Dr. Schwartz like "I see her ear... baby is almost here!" And then I felt the push on my stomach and pressure and Hazel's first sounds! </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUkjx-XJe_Azkw_-xkSL-ufdlXnJUD03hkxxxJZALiVr4uIC1seluvpLq6UM4jUUdPk0J3Hp5yByqtrd5fKMwHz4E2UXc6Xn1-HEL-f2qw7J9x6l1T8daIhgmaZRRNFm605dPw/s4032/IMG_5571.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUkjx-XJe_Azkw_-xkSL-ufdlXnJUD03hkxxxJZALiVr4uIC1seluvpLq6UM4jUUdPk0J3Hp5yByqtrd5fKMwHz4E2UXc6Xn1-HEL-f2qw7J9x6l1T8daIhgmaZRRNFm605dPw/s320/IMG_5571.JPG" /></a></div><br />Aaron and I would reflect on this moment in the hospital room the next day. With Cora so much about that moment was redeeming from Will's birth. We both missed his first cry and his entry into the world (Aaron wasn't allowed in the OR for my emergency C-section and I was under general anesthesia). So when I heard Cora's first cries it was so overwhelming to hear our sweet girl's voice and also realize what we were truly missing when Will had arrived. <p></p><p>For Hazel and her first cry, I was hit by the immense reality that the world has never heard that sounds before. It was so magical to be there the moment the world got Hazel Mae Kiva Mertz. She was born at 6:11am.</p><p>Soon after her first cry, I also heard "her cord is around her neck" It wasn't said with any alarm, so I tried not to freak out (and Hazel was making plenty of noise to prove she was just fine), and Schwartz clarified that the cord was draped around her neck like a necklace. I like to think that she came out "fancy". They then took her over to the table to weigh her and clean her up and I was anxious to get a look at her hair. She has a mop of brunette hair that was so precious! Not as dark as Cora's, but not as obviously red as Will's. She weighed in at 7 lbs and 6 oz, which was the exact birth weight as Cora! </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYni1W5Jacj_Wgu11Hph9KbQEc9gbuMaCCqkVHPIuqzo9grcmQVc1K1tD7tH7kIs8ioFFtXk-iIVMzFNk0pRyLdUHKdrrWH7iz4iQusmizd-UtVgHkoQ7g-Ep44C5evBvMUkOE/s2048/IMG_5584.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1152" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYni1W5Jacj_Wgu11Hph9KbQEc9gbuMaCCqkVHPIuqzo9grcmQVc1K1tD7tH7kIs8ioFFtXk-iIVMzFNk0pRyLdUHKdrrWH7iz4iQusmizd-UtVgHkoQ7g-Ep44C5evBvMUkOE/s320/IMG_5584.JPG" /></a></div><br />They wiped her down and then came over to lay her on my chest. It was just the best feeling. I'll confess with the hard pregnancy and the mental struggle with a pregnancy after miscarriage, I had wondered about that moment. Would I have the instant connection and love for her? As she lay on my chest, it was as overwhelming and instantaneous as it had been with Will and Cora... I was IN LOVE!<p></p><p>Aaron then held her the rest of the time as the surgical team put me back together. It was so wonderful to watch him rock and hold our precious new baby girl. It was also super entertaining that Hazel was already rooting around wanting to eat only 20 minutes into her life. Baby girl was hungry!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qWv7_w55WR6ptgmaa9P9jOCrX1q4JsJxBhs6yespwYQw9aRkcyOQU8Mb1p2vH-2xOGMe4GN42OKgYPHqLKqyawDvI9qJXpi4acwtDk-n2HIOeVTp1TUjPf3sezfKNDl-dYcD/s2048/IMG_5601.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qWv7_w55WR6ptgmaa9P9jOCrX1q4JsJxBhs6yespwYQw9aRkcyOQU8Mb1p2vH-2xOGMe4GN42OKgYPHqLKqyawDvI9qJXpi4acwtDk-n2HIOeVTp1TUjPf3sezfKNDl-dYcD/s320/IMG_5601.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmn0z2h7qkyXcdi7uN3FxEicp7U0inqls9v-AQdwgwMKo1ZwURrjHHXisxs7XBpTEUnj_yleuPjYD5gCEXYQC3eDjKAjKd05aiggkZQyR7wKSO1MwEUSrQ4T7ExFFxsjhrYCmj/s2048/IMG_5608.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmn0z2h7qkyXcdi7uN3FxEicp7U0inqls9v-AQdwgwMKo1ZwURrjHHXisxs7XBpTEUnj_yleuPjYD5gCEXYQC3eDjKAjKd05aiggkZQyR7wKSO1MwEUSrQ4T7ExFFxsjhrYCmj/s320/IMG_5608.HEIC" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />We left the OR and we were wheeled into the recovery room with me holding our precious Hazel. Since Hazel was born at 6:11am, it was around 7am when we got into recovery. I LOVED the recovery room with each of my babies. Especially Cora and now Hazel. Both were born early in the morning before the sun rose and so each time by the time we got to recovery, the sun was just rising and the soft light coming through the windows was magical. It also was so cozy. My body was still mostly numb from surgery and they had PILES of heated blankets over Hazel and me to regulate our temperatures. I got to nurse Hazel in recovery and she was a champ. I'm so thankful that all my babies were great at eating right away.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcXPr7tA8YuulHigvfMnsUwY4HBB90MJwW0MKEhSNIa0nzpL2bCZf8oSZgK2Gg7Es3hm5hfxpeerQArKfvwKcP843dafjGDiM58lqVtaDJPljl-h2KOK2wPQT1gEEvG1T_SRUH/s2048/IMG_0230.heic" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcXPr7tA8YuulHigvfMnsUwY4HBB90MJwW0MKEhSNIa0nzpL2bCZf8oSZgK2Gg7Es3hm5hfxpeerQArKfvwKcP843dafjGDiM58lqVtaDJPljl-h2KOK2wPQT1gEEvG1T_SRUH/s320/IMG_0230.heic" /></a></div><br />We eventually left recovery and went to our room right as the nurses were changing shifts. We got an awesome nurse right away! The hospital room was bright with the morning sun. I was finally able to sit up and position myself properly for a good look at Hazel. She was the spitting image of Will, only with slightly darker hair. I also instantly noticed her adorable and pronounced dimpled chin! Everyone who came into our room and saw her noted the cutest chin.<p></p><p>Right as we were settling into our room, Dr. Day (who is actually my kids' pediatrician) was the doctor rounding that morning from our practice. She big the first check up on our girl and Hazel was of course perfect!</p><p>The rest of our hospital stay was actually really nice. I always love our hospital stays. I don't have to get out of bed and everyone just brings me food, pain meds, and a snuggly baby. The hospital for at Scottsdale Shea is actually so good and I literally order my weight in food at every meal! I don't sleep great, but I slept the best this time compared to my other visits. I think this was because I had more down time than normal. With Will and Cora we had family stopping by to visit and meet our babies, but this time there were not visitors allowed, so we actually had stretches of time that were great for getting some sleep.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7hIQRHaMGNUPxWeA7-rgRXfCJs6HF8bvi56KepU3hRXTC9-etSb4FfjXG70SZHQFRlNJHIw22pMuvJcKFUNu1hb9HbGcsz-WDJWUHDVrlFZXcFWylTgwusXQDojKrK1SR-DMu/s2048/IMG_0177.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7hIQRHaMGNUPxWeA7-rgRXfCJs6HF8bvi56KepU3hRXTC9-etSb4FfjXG70SZHQFRlNJHIw22pMuvJcKFUNu1hb9HbGcsz-WDJWUHDVrlFZXcFWylTgwusXQDojKrK1SR-DMu/s320/IMG_0177.HEIC" /></a></div><br />I should also mention that I did have to wear a mask upon checking in to the hospital (they helped tie it on me while I was breathing through a contraction) and throughout our hospital stay whenever someone came into our room, but no one really enforced it if the mask fell down or I just didn't have it on. I felt guilty, but not really guilty because I was so focused on Hazel and all the newness of her arrival, I honestly didn't remember half the time that I was supposed to have one on. A doctor or nurse or tech would come into the room to check on us and after they left I would suddenly realize I hadn't worn my mask at all. I mentioned it to the nurse and she told me that their ward was so separate from the rest of the hospital and I was tested and was negative for COVID, so they weren't very worried. They understood that with a new baby, it wasn't a big deal if we forgot our masks in the room. The nurses and doctors all wore masks to protect us though, but other than that everything seemed very normal and typical even amidst a pandemic.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz7VghLGY2gfMq6dEag4O4lqy2fJJNzRD-VSnPGezFvPnrFk_Fa9Fj_Dif6UuYa0R843PTYvRyi14B-nMC_39yTc_YN1VM8I_Nmhm-L4VwbQh3VY1IzII_cTuOFOGbiYX5YJYR/s2048/IMG_0250.heic" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz7VghLGY2gfMq6dEag4O4lqy2fJJNzRD-VSnPGezFvPnrFk_Fa9Fj_Dif6UuYa0R843PTYvRyi14B-nMC_39yTc_YN1VM8I_Nmhm-L4VwbQh3VY1IzII_cTuOFOGbiYX5YJYR/s320/IMG_0250.heic" /></a></div><br />Our Hazel girl started showing her fussiness the first day. Poor girl has a digestive system that just doesn't go easy on her, so she wanted to nurse almost constantly the first day for comfort. Aaron was the Hazel-whisperer though and when she was spiraling into piercing screams, he would walk and bounce with her and she'd settle down.<p></p><p>My surgery recovery actually went the best too! In the 2.5 years since I had Cora, they had changed the C-section recovery process and they had me up and walking in the half the time as before, which actually felt so much better to em! It helped with the stiffness and soreness I usually had. </p><p>We went home as soon as we could though. With COVID, we didn't want to be in the hospital any longer than we needed to be, plus the kids were EAGER to meet their baby sister. We FaceTimed with them every day we were there and they just wanted to stare at "Hazie" and couldn't wait for us to bring her home to them. Will's first questions every time we called was "how is Hazie? Are you taking care of her? I'm so glad the doctor took her out of your tummy? How is your surgery doing?". At one point we were FaceTiming them while we had dinner and Will noticed the cake that came with our meal in celebration of our new baby and so he also was eager for me to get home so we could make a birthday cake for Hazel for him to eat too!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8X8CTaMQBpBbLAXvoB1Tp84XvQ1ksvuTiovPM4Npy3DSmt-Lda9WZc-zhDxd0_tvb4M4XOSls-0jvSpVBZoppeAQErshH-NdE-cAhwEvOjLbx85Sxpu2QT_ahkhCnQF3Oj7bx/s2048/IMG_0382.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8X8CTaMQBpBbLAXvoB1Tp84XvQ1ksvuTiovPM4Npy3DSmt-Lda9WZc-zhDxd0_tvb4M4XOSls-0jvSpVBZoppeAQErshH-NdE-cAhwEvOjLbx85Sxpu2QT_ahkhCnQF3Oj7bx/s320/IMG_0382.heic" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC7gH7sMeMeM8l_sPhMnWqYJT0_cjV3vQkKk0pa5RKCyIbmez7DVqgToK1jQKiO14AMZjBOEFRbz8tn-Bfp0EJCOCSURjE_0DEubzjeN-Ylrh_QvoeOjiUdbxWjyRHFftvePBY/s2048/IMG_0370.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC7gH7sMeMeM8l_sPhMnWqYJT0_cjV3vQkKk0pa5RKCyIbmez7DVqgToK1jQKiO14AMZjBOEFRbz8tn-Bfp0EJCOCSURjE_0DEubzjeN-Ylrh_QvoeOjiUdbxWjyRHFftvePBY/s320/IMG_0370.heic" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA3AI0S4xz_vHihElJokFtKvofsyjgm8vhR0jcqo2cDYs1YLN1G5WNaCxC0espcp9OsjNKUvYCxGYro2XvhHsD1Us736QMlPCZHGAqBLzovO48bJ5cDl1zuBNzpYrXWb1V-Oid/s2048/IMG_0377.heic" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA3AI0S4xz_vHihElJokFtKvofsyjgm8vhR0jcqo2cDYs1YLN1G5WNaCxC0espcp9OsjNKUvYCxGYro2XvhHsD1Us736QMlPCZHGAqBLzovO48bJ5cDl1zuBNzpYrXWb1V-Oid/s320/IMG_0377.heic" /></a></div><br />At this point, I don't know if Hazel will be my last birth story, but if she is I am so thankful to have ended with so much redemption, with so much joy, with so much love. She definitely makes the most perfect addition to our family. <p></p><p>And if she isn't our last, it is because I can't get enough of the baby snuggles and the sweetness of these early moments and days!</p>Mirandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842329872005034417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32646290.post-65278050468185399542018-04-11T15:23:00.003-07:002018-04-11T15:26:08.744-07:00Cora Jane Patricia Mertz (A Birth Story)...This birth story is a story of redemption and healing in so many ways. If you want to understand the full extent of those ways, make sure to read my son's birth story in full <a href="http://miranda1123.blogspot.com/2016/03/william-james-randy-mertz-birth-story.html">here</a>.<br />
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Here we go...</div>
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I'll start by saying that there is such a difference between preparing for your first baby and your second baby. When I was pregnant with Will, I had my hospital bag packed by 30 weeks, his nursery complete by 36 weeks, and my house perpetually clean in case he decided to come unexpectedly early. This time, by my 36 week appointment, I hadn't even had my baby shower yet and didn't have my suitcase down off the garage shelf. So I was in a bit of a panic when at my 36 week appointment my doctor, Dr. Schwartz, told me I was almost 3cm dilated and 60% effaced. She warned me I may want to have a plan in place in case Cora decided to come earlier than my planned c-section at 39 weeks (March 20th). Will was born exactly 1 day before his due date, so I was surprised at the idea of this one coming earlier than 1 week! I went home and scrambled to set up a bassinet, started throwing things into a suitcase, and made lots and lots of lists to prepare. </div>
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One week later, for my 37 week appointment, I was checked again and hadn't progressed at all. My doctor also told me that Cora was as high up as she possibly could be, so I was confident that labor wasn't going to happen any time soon. I was so relieved and decided to set aside my feverish planning for the rest of the day and relax.<br />
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I remember that evening, as I was hobbling around the house uncomfortably 8 months pregnant, I had the thought that while I was glad Cora wouldn't be coming for a little while longer, I was so done being pregnant. But Aaron and I had a full week ahead of us with a few appointments for Will and then our friend's wedding and another friend's baby shower that weekend! I just kept thinking that if she did decide to come early, I just needed to make it to Monday and I would be more ready. I went to sleep that night completely confident that baby girl was staying where she was.</div>
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A little after 2am, I got up to use the bathroom and then crawled back into bed. As I was falling back to sleep I had a braxton hicks contraction like I normally did after any sort of activity. I rolled over to help it pass and as I did, my water broke. My first thought was to save our brand new mattress, and so I leapt out of bed saying, "oh my God, oh my God" over and over again. Aaron woke up with a jump and asked what had happened. I informed him my water had just broken and he immediately sighed in relief and said, "oh gosh, I thought something bad had happened like someone had broken in or Will was in danger!" I laugh now, but at the time was so annoyed that he didn't consider my water breaking to be something important!!! </div>
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As my mind began to process the fact that I was actually in labor, I immediately felt so incredibly pissed! I was not ready to have this baby! It was too early! I only had a few items of clothing in the hospital bag and everything else was still spread around the house. Speaking of my house, it was a disaster because I have a toddler and little energy to pick up after him constantly. Aaron asked if I should call my doctor or if he should call his mom to come over. My response was, "I'm gonna take a shower." But, I did hand him my phone with the hospital bag lists so he could start gathering things up into the bag. When I was done with my shower I asked if he wanted to take a shower next. His response: "No, I'm ok, shouldn't we go?" My response: "eh, we're good. Take a shower." I had reached the full denial phase. There was still a piece of me that thought maybe it wasn't my water breaking (even though it clearly was). I moved at a glacial pace around the house gathering things and getting dressed. I just didn't want to fully acknowledge this was happening.<br />
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Pretty soon after my water broke, I felt my first contraction. With Will my contractions didn't start right away after my water broke and weren't painful at all until a few hours later. My contractions this time started right away and were strong enough for me to have to stop walking and pause for a second. This should have been motivation to get my butt in gear and go to the hospital, but my denial was more powerful. Finally when Aaron got out of the shower, I called my doctor and they told me to go to the hospital and when the hospital confirmed I was in labor, my doctor would head over for my c-section. Aaron called his mom to come over and be with Will. Laurie arrived about 10 min later at 3:30a and we left for the hospital. Not of course without me going into Will's room and standing over his crib quietly crying over the fact that I didn't get a proper goodbye cuddle and that this would be the last time I saw him when he was my only baby.<br />
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When I got in the car, I took a deep breath, cried a bit more and prayed that God would help me change my attitude and be on board for this all happening. I tried to let go of the fact that none of our family could be there to pray with us before the c-section or wait in the waiting room. I let go of my daughter's birthday not being March 20th - the first day of spring (I know that is a silly thing to grieve over, but I was so excited that she would be a true spring baby). I let go of not having a sibling gift for Cora to "give" Will when he met her. I let go of the fact that I was running on only 2.5 hours of sleep. Aaron and I prayed together and pretty quickly after I started getting excited to meet our little girl in just a few hours. We text the rest of our families to ask them to pray and to let them know that she was on her way!<br />
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We got to the hospital and I walked into our triage room at 4:03a. I remember this time because I was timing my contractions and they were pretty strong (about a level 5 pain wise) and about 8 min apart. Then we checked me in the triage room, I was already 6cm dilated and nearly fully effaced. This labor was progressing WAY faster than Will's did!<br />
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I wasn't sure what to expect having a repeat c-section, but having it be unexpectedly early. I didn't know how long we would have to wait. I actually was a little worried my doctor wouldn't be available to do the surgery! Thankfully as we settled into our triage room and I got hooked up to all the monitors, the nurse let me know that my doctor actually was already on her way to the hospital to deliver another patient who was fully dilated and ready to push. As soon as that patient was delivered, it would be time for my c-section! I was surprised it would be less than a couple hours until I delivered, but also relieved because my contractions were speeding up and getting a way more intense. Aaron and I were so thankful that everything was going so smoothly. It was actually so nice because there was never a moment at the hospital where we were waiting around with nothing to do. Nurses were coming in and out to check on me, finish my registration, and get my IV and fluids going. The anesthesiologist came in to let me know how everything would go in the OR. Then Dr. Schwartz came in and it was go time!! Not even an hour and 15 min after we arrived at the hospital, I was being rolled into the operating room.<br />
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Aaron and I were so amazed how incredibly different this experience was from Will's birth. For one thing, I was conscious and able to get out of my bed and walk to the OR table. Aaron wasn't able to come in with me right away and so I was alone with the medical team at the beginning. By the time I got into the OR my contractions were nearly on top of each other and I was squeezing the life out of Aaron's hand until we parted and then I just had the sides of the operating table to white knuckle while the pain was nearly unbearable. As I focused through each contraction, what sustained me was that very soon I would be getting a numbed from the naval down and that helped me get through! I got to the operating table and quickly got the numbing shot so they could put in the spinal needle to start my anesthesia. I was so thankful that as they laid me back on the operating table I could feel my feet going to sleep and the pain of my contractions going away.<br />
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As I lay back on the table, I remembered that my doctor had told me if I wanted skin to skin in the OR that I needed to let the nurse know. The hospital's policy was that a nurse had to take Cora right away to check her out at the baby station in the room before I could see her or do skin to skin. Luckily the table was going to be in my eye line the entire time and then after a minute or two, once they knew she was ok, I would be able to do skin to skin. As I lay flat on the table, I really couldn't see anyone else in the room except the anesthesiologist who was near my head, so I just said to the room at large that I wanted skin to skin. No one responded, but my anesthesiologist heard me and got the attention of the nurse and made sure she took note of my request.<br />
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Soon after, Dr Schwartz came into the OR and then they put up the sheet in front of my face and I started feeling them get me draped and situated. Aaron came in then and I was so thankful to see him. I had been warned that I would still be able to feel movement and pressure on my stomach and hips from them doing the surgery, but I wouldn't feel pain and this was definitely true. I could feel them press and pull and before I knew it the anesthesiologist let Aaron and I know that Cora would be born within the next minute! Seriously?! I couldn't believe how quickly that happened! I wasn't even sure they had made the first cut yet! The anesthesiologist (man, I wish I had remembered his name cause he was amazing) was the only person talking to us while every one else was intently focused on the surgery (rightfully so). He was so kind and let Aaron know the best place to stand to get the right view of her arrival. I felt them press down on the top of my stomach to "push" her out and then heard Schwartz declare, "There's her head!"...<br />
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And then I heard the most glorious sound!<br />
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Cora's sweet cry filled the room and I instantly started crying!<br />
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There was such a wave of redemption and a wave of grief all at once. So much of what I lost with Will and didn't get to experience in his birth was healed and redeemed in this moment, but I also had a wave of sadness now fully understanding what I missed with him. It was so incredibly bitter sweet, but definitely more sweet!<br />
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Schwartz handed Cora off to the nurse and I was so excited to get to have a clear view of her while the nurses wiped her down and checked her out. I couldn't stop smiling and ached to have her in my arms. I remember someone saying that she had a bit of hair and so when I saw her on the table I was actually quite shocked, because "a bit of hair" was an understatement! Our girl was born with a full head of adorably and surprisingly DARK hair! I had been picturing her having the same hair color as Will, so I was shocked beyond anything to see a raven haired little girl!<br />
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It was only about a minute and a half before they brought her over to me and she was on my chest. Oh my word, what an incredible feeling to hold her in my arms and see her only minutes old! I got to stare at her sweet face and take her in as they put my body back together. I can't actually tell you how long it took to close me up, but it probably was around 30-40 min. I didn't feel any of that time pass and it was as if Cora and I were in a completely separate world as we gazed at each other.<br />
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The anesthesiologist switched on my morphine drip and I was started getting a bit shaky and had to pass Cora off to Aaron. I thought holding her myself was a complete dream, but watching Aaron hold his daughter was equally magical! Aaron was born to be a dad and I knew that he would make an exceptional dad to a little girl! What a sweet moment to watch him take her in and walk around the room with her.<br />
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After each of us had gotten a good snuggle, we handed her back to the nurses and they continued checking her and weighed her in at 7lbs 6oz and she measured at 20in. Her head was 14in and therefore in the 86%. Schwartz informed me as we were leaving the OR that she was glad we did the C-section because it was very clear to her that Cora wouldn't have been born any other way due to her size and the shape and position of my pelvis. I didn't really care either way at that point, I only cared that she was in my arms.<br />
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I held her on the bed all the way to the recovery room, which was such a peaceful and sweet space for us to begin our time with her. The lights were dim and the room felt surprisingly cozy considering we were in a hospital surrounded by machines and medical equipment. They continued to monitor Cora and I and made sure we were doing ok. Both of our body temperatures were a bit low, so they put her on my chest and we did more skin to skin covered in warm blankets. I was still dealing with the shakiness of morphine, so a lot of the time was spent trying to relax as much as I could. Cora also had her first feeding. I had been nervous because Will was SUCH a champ at eating right away and I didn't want to expect that perfection again, but I was so happy that she took to it right away! She actually happily ate for over 30 min on each side! This was my first inkling that this girl LOVES to each, which is still true 5 weeks later.<br />
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The nurses shift change happened while we were in recovery, so we met a new nurse and then soon after we were moved into the room we would stay in for the rest of our hospital stay. I was able to properly sit up finally and I had stopped shaking, so I could really start to take her in and just stare at her! I just couldn't believe she was here and in my arms. It was 7:30a by the time we got to our room and I realized what a whirlwind I had been in since 2a! For the rest of the day, Aaron and I would look at the clock and try to remember where we had been in the midst of Will's labor at that time vs. our life with Cora. <br />
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It was interesting because my labors with both kids had started almost at the exact same time (1:30a and 2a respectively). With Will at 7:30a I was still walking the halls waiting for my contractions to get strong enough, and this time with Cora, she was here and we were already comfortably tucked into our little hospital room relaxing.<br />
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I had started my labor with a lot of anxiety and frustration that my plans had been thwarted and thinking about all the things that I wasn't able to control. But as I stared at my sweet girl in my lap, none of it mattered. She was perfect and safe and healthy and just the sweetest and sleepiest little bundle of love.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15496469117184363186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32646290.post-92020362881557035352016-09-14T17:23:00.000-07:002017-06-23T17:23:44.488-07:00Will's Seventh Month! 8/11 - 9/10<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9DxA9sMEYh2Ivvt0Dl0CArcO8-Oz_Zcl6Ne-mFkGyJPq2uKtnDsxjMv5ysQAVC8pL0D_pFFSS5H7JItL1dgyy8_DjQJPgRHZvEE1mIAzOb_tXtsBcM9qeqdyxte_HXbZTx7pQ/s1600/IMG_0848.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1411" data-original-width="1411" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9DxA9sMEYh2Ivvt0Dl0CArcO8-Oz_Zcl6Ne-mFkGyJPq2uKtnDsxjMv5ysQAVC8pL0D_pFFSS5H7JItL1dgyy8_DjQJPgRHZvEE1mIAzOb_tXtsBcM9qeqdyxte_HXbZTx7pQ/s320/IMG_0848.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "san francisco" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; text-align: left;">7 MONTHS OLD!! • I love moving all over the place and don't <br />like being still (hence the picture) • my mom and dad thought our <br />house was baby proof, but I have a knack for finding danger • <br />I can now army crawl, get myself into the sitting position, and <br />I have pulled myself up to standing once now • I have one tooth <br />and the second one is on its way • June now steers clear of me <br />cause I have pulled h</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: "san francisco" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; text-align: left;">er tail one too many times, but she gets a <br />few face and hand licks in after each meal time to get the <br />extra food off me • I love watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in<br /> bed with mama in the mornings • I love singing and when my<br /> mom claps for me • I love when dad carries me around the <br />house in the ergo • I love my new van • there is not a food I <br />have tried so far that I can't stand, but green beans are low on my <br />favorites list • I prefer eating squash, apples, pears, and carrots! • <br />I love that I am getting to take walks outside more often <br />in the mornings • my favorite book the the Jabberwocky • <br />my favorite toy is my play school ring tower! • <br />my favorite song is still Winnie the Pooh. • Being 7 months old is so fun!</span></td></tr>
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Well we started on this 7th month of life at a sprint... or most honestly at a crawl! Yes, our little nugget, having just barely mastered the art of sitting up decided that it wasn't enough for him anymore and he needed to start scooting! It was starting to become more imperative to him when his toys would be just out of reach and he just NEEDED them and couldn't wait to momma to move them closer. I had been noticing some tiny inches of movement here and there and definitely some good rolling skills to get where I wanted. But, one day while we were playing on the ground, Will caught sight of my phone and just HAD to have it. This was the motivation he needed to do some proper scooting!<br />
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There was no stopping after this and it seemed like time sped up by 100x and I don't know how I am supposed to keep up. Gone are the days of being able to put him down and he would stay in the same place. Gone are the days of tummy time and you being content to lay on your back and just stare at my face. You are a mover my sweet boy and you never stop! Will's weight percentile actually went down recently because, according to our pediatrician, is "one of the more active 6 month olds I've ever met." Lucky me!<br />
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But actually this new stage of moving had brought out one of my favorite personality traits Will has and that is his curiosity! He wanted to know and discover and explore EVERYTHING! I began the process of really baby proofing the house and Will was ever so helpful at constantly letting me know areas I had missed. It took a couple months to finally be able to relax in the house and know that he was safe (as long at the bathroom and laundry room doors were shut and June's food was up on the counter).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">there are outlet protectors on there, they are just clear</td></tr>
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As if crawling and scooting weren't enough, Will also started solid foods! No more being able to eat only momma's milkies. The amount of moving he was doing called for a lot more calories. We started on rice cereal as usual and then slowly began to introduce new foods. Will loved everything we gave him... except green beans, which he didn't like, but would still eat.<br />
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This month we had a VERY special visitor! Auntie Carla came to visit us all the way from London, England! I was so incredibly excited for her to be here with us and to meet my little man. She brought Will a little Oxford bear since she was starting her teach certification program there in the fall. Will was enamored with her and they were best friends instantly!<br />
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It was a short visit and had such a crazy beginning to it! She was initially supposed to be able to stay 10 days, but then a couple months before her trip, her parents got an opportunity to go to Chicago for a conference and decided to bring Carla's little sister Candace with them. Since Candace is only 8 years old, Carla decided to reroute her trip to Chicago for the first 3 days to watch her sister during the conference. Sadly the airline she was flying wouldn't let her change her destination to Chicago, so she ended up keeping her flight to Phoenix and back, but then buying another ticket from Phoenix to Chicago almost immediately. This meant that she was going to fly into Phoenix one night and then immediately fly to Chicago early the next morning. Well with unexpected flight delays in Toronto, it meant that she ended up having to fly directly to Chicago and there was a ton of drama to try to get her tickets to stay valid even though she missed some of her legs. It was so incredibly stressful for her and ended up throwing the whole point of the relaxing vacation into a frenzy. By the time she finally did make it to Phoenix, she was utterly exhausted from the flight drama and caring for an 8 year old for 3 days stuck in a hotel. Needless to say, our time was about relaxing and sitting on the couch watch suits, talking, crying, processing, laughing and enjoying the joy Will created with us!<br />
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We had a party for Carla to welcome her with a bunch of people. I sadly didn't take very many pictures, but managed to catch a photo of Carla with Bruce and Janet, who she absolutely loves. Every time she visits she wants to make sure to see them as they were so sweet and intentional with her at our wedding.<br />
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My mom, got these photos on her phone from the party. Right before the picture of my dad holding Will with my mom was taken, my mom simply asked my dad if she wanted to take a picture with her and Will. My dad smiled and said, "sure!" and reached out to hold Will! This was the first time my dad ever held my son! I was nearly shaking taking the picture, I was so excited! It is one of my favorite photos of all time. The moment I was done taking the picture, my dad handed him back to my mom and the moment was gone. But I am so thankful for this picture.<br />
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Carla noted how different my dad was even from her last visit a year and a half before. It was hard and so sad for her to see his progression. I sometimes don't really stop and take in how much he has changed in the long term. It is easy just to notice the subtle and slow changes from week to week.<br />
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During Carla's visit, we also did a day trip up to the Mogollon Rim for the day to escape the heat and show her some beautiful Arizona scenery!<br />
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It sprinkled as we walked along the rim trail and we just talked and processed life all together. Aaron was able to get the day off work to go up with us and it was so nice to have him with us as we hung out.<br />
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Then before we knew it, she was off to return home! It seems each of her trips makes it so much harder for us to part and continue to do life so far away! Thankful for social media and video chats to keep us connected.<br />
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With San Diego and Carla's visit behind us, we got back to normal life again and Will just kept growing and changing! He continued eating all the fun new foods we were introducing him to and just grew life a little weed. He had been a little extra fussy and a restless sleeper while Carla was here and I chalked it up to probably being thrown off by a visitor in the house, but as soon as Carla left, I discovered Will had cut his first tooth at some point in the week! No wonder our little man was so sad! I actually was a bit impressed though, because I had expected much worse for a baby cutting their first tooth. He was mild considering what I had pictured.<br />
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One of Will's favorite things to do is read books and one book series I am obsessed with for him is the Babylit books! He has a ton of them and we love them! They are board book primers that are based on classic literature! Will's favorite is the Jabberwock, but I also love the Pride & Prejudice counting primer and the Jungle book animal primer. They also have books on cities around the world and the national parks! Since the National Parks were celebrating 100 years on August 25th, I had to do a little photo shoot of Will and one of his favorite books.<br />
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Oh this kid is getting so photogenic! He makes the absolute perfect expressions and I can't get over how animated he is. So the photoshoots just kept on coming this month!<br />
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We did a little photoshoot with the mommy and me Robin Hood set Nicole gave us for Christmas since Will finally fit in his! I had a vintage Robin Hood lunchbox that was a great prop.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my favorite photos of him ever!</td></tr>
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Will also got more play time with little friends. We had a play date with Caleb and Livi! Livi is just a couple months older than the boys, so I can't wait to see them all together in Sunday school at church and growing up together. Livi, being the only little girl, had the boys literally chasing (crawling) after her and she was so sweet to give them hugs.</div>
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My Mamaw's 92nd birthday was on August 27th, so we made a special visit to her to celebrate! Will loved seeing her again and she even sang him the lullaby she wrote that my mom sang to me and I sing to Will every night. They are so sweet together.<br />
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Before we knew it, we were in September! Cooler temps were just weeks away now and I was dreaming of playing outside again. It also was Aaron and my 5 year dating anniversary, so we decided to take Will out to dinner to celebrate all we had done and accomplished in 5 years since dating!</div>
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September also meant the beginning of College Football season and Daddy & Will Saturday mornings watching the Georgia Bulldogs! One of Aaron's co-workers had given us the cutest University of Georgia onesie set when Will was born and it was the perfect size for this season!</div>
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Like I said... so many photoshoots!</div>
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Labor day weekend is our Church's yearly family weekend up North in Payson at Mountain Meadows Ranch, and is a great excuse to get out of the Phoenix heat. We weren't ready to stay overnight and camp with everyone else, so we just headed up for the Sunday that was our big all church day. It was so lovely to let Will be outside in the cool fresh air and take in the forest scenery. We hung out with the Stoops' and other friends, so Caleb got to play with his little friends and cousins. We also got sweet pictures with Grandma & Grandpa. Aaron and Will and I took a walk along the creek while Will was asleep on me. This was the Summer camp that Aaron and I grew up going to with church summer camp. It was so sweet to be able to walk some of my favorite walks and remember having a crush on Aaron as camp there in High School and now to be walking around with him as my husband and with our little baby.</div>
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Will had been rocking at all his crawling and sitting up as the month went on, but we reached another fun milestone right before he reached 7 months where he was able to get into the sitting position on his own. I had been excited about this achievement because he often wanted to be sitting up and I had to be constantly available to help him get there if he'd fallen over or tried to crawl. One day I went into his room to get him up from his nap when he called out to find him happily and proudly sitting up!</div>
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And then within a couple days he took it one step further and started being able to pull himself up in his crib.</div>
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I was so proud of my little boy and so excitement for this new accomplishment. He too was so excited and loved trying out his new tricks. Sadly, he liked trying them out in the middle of the night when he was half asleep and then would wake himself up all the way and have trouble getting back to sleep. Will had been an awful night sleeper since Mother's Day, which was the last time he slept through the night, but was getting so close to getting better after some sleep training. Sadly this derailed him completely and he went back to waking up many times.</div>
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To finish off Will's 7th month, we finally decided it was time to upgrade our family vehicle and get a van! I was SO EXCITED! Aaron found us a great deal on a used 2008 Kia Sedona. I was so excited to be able to fit a ton of more stuff and ready for all the family road trips! Will too loved his new wheels and being able to see out the window better!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiink0EQ8Y9IN30yR7Fb2-ABAoR4MRy4K44xqTlr6XnDXpamlGkhHYjXVS_j8jMY9F8kMcQzYfuq03UQTeX6TavX5U3mKk_JYhnYVItQbUe8iPwz90jB1e_dYH-nMxsQqF-6f-K/s1600/IMG_0826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiink0EQ8Y9IN30yR7Fb2-ABAoR4MRy4K44xqTlr6XnDXpamlGkhHYjXVS_j8jMY9F8kMcQzYfuq03UQTeX6TavX5U3mKk_JYhnYVItQbUe8iPwz90jB1e_dYH-nMxsQqF-6f-K/s320/IMG_0826.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Between visitors, trips out of town, cutting his first tooth, trying baby food, sitting up on his own and standing, this kid had a pretty awesome and eventful month!!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzN7YIXDf_8hxSPMMeyIL0Q6pWqXi1B6P2E00s7Qqk0QggfdnNnk4ZzxS2qE3Z3M88u5G7t29lC0uPBgNiEkmFtj78Y2HuoiUE8s-Fwlq8_x5MBOqRe_4fI24doxU_7-NxIyxd/s1600/IMG_0517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzN7YIXDf_8hxSPMMeyIL0Q6pWqXi1B6P2E00s7Qqk0QggfdnNnk4ZzxS2qE3Z3M88u5G7t29lC0uPBgNiEkmFtj78Y2HuoiUE8s-Fwlq8_x5MBOqRe_4fI24doxU_7-NxIyxd/s320/IMG_0517.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">more food!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjphLkueOPrLYekQB1n4QWRdyhvRORrI-7AUARdjdNEmM2B3nvqp-c4_Nn7xMXyyEhzqe48SEq5eT8HRAZk-UM-WubP2s8wqPC6bg_P_KbmToDHRQM7lFBTAPKYVXSDyVoFMnVr/s1600/IMG_0523.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjphLkueOPrLYekQB1n4QWRdyhvRORrI-7AUARdjdNEmM2B3nvqp-c4_Nn7xMXyyEhzqe48SEq5eT8HRAZk-UM-WubP2s8wqPC6bg_P_KbmToDHRQM7lFBTAPKYVXSDyVoFMnVr/s320/IMG_0523.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When Will wouldn't nap, mom would get cranky</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More Georgia Bulldog swag!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Go Dawgs!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizvx1NL6XZfSesOX6FJX6iU_qmK85JwShQY4EsexpA253tKRugpkVXqpdUuyH3vN9GGGIkcMZZgBpXlWhTy88eVWmdSV4oElc1qqsOYvN-wJ95vMCPC8Ujf-_rg_Fdi3nArETJ/s1600/IMG_0563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizvx1NL6XZfSesOX6FJX6iU_qmK85JwShQY4EsexpA253tKRugpkVXqpdUuyH3vN9GGGIkcMZZgBpXlWhTy88eVWmdSV4oElc1qqsOYvN-wJ95vMCPC8Ujf-_rg_Fdi3nArETJ/s320/IMG_0563.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">falling asleep in the middle of morning playtime with daddy</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcKdKBImbo47vgF0B9yoikGkOLaBB1GUtjTIag-LUHTo_x-vuwNkcrS1_f8moUBrECGfxZxNkr-Byia64LiLUL7wGT7ghOW1p2CvRb2wPQHnR8G4-OWxuos0Tk7jiBIv8muBJd/s1600/IMG_0582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcKdKBImbo47vgF0B9yoikGkOLaBB1GUtjTIag-LUHTo_x-vuwNkcrS1_f8moUBrECGfxZxNkr-Byia64LiLUL7wGT7ghOW1p2CvRb2wPQHnR8G4-OWxuos0Tk7jiBIv8muBJd/s320/IMG_0582.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">trying more food</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieLw8JlOcvNxFTniOjUkqPpkzCqal_hOKtWDJu0HCWwBNfPx14bO0GM_ki1JFHiOvel9JeV-_Jr_6StDpcQlnE_yBy3OKldjTkyzbCeMXaE-hN_oXI8vNQ7EEAx_KxAaDBL-gA/s1600/IMG_0678.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieLw8JlOcvNxFTniOjUkqPpkzCqal_hOKtWDJu0HCWwBNfPx14bO0GM_ki1JFHiOvel9JeV-_Jr_6StDpcQlnE_yBy3OKldjTkyzbCeMXaE-hN_oXI8vNQ7EEAx_KxAaDBL-gA/s320/IMG_0678.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We tried out a movement and dance and reading time for little kids at church,<br />but Will might have been too small and overwhelmed. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg80U7TryvVMf4IRtk3Z3u3dgHr7OoOaTBODobZ6GcfON0bbimr_dBMMiNfR70yPCLrA6VoZv004459C7lUAInAo2gGQ3_E0J510uMqVsQl4WP_oGycCptmsOZA3VUAO4GYQBY9/s1600/IMG_0682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg80U7TryvVMf4IRtk3Z3u3dgHr7OoOaTBODobZ6GcfON0bbimr_dBMMiNfR70yPCLrA6VoZv004459C7lUAInAo2gGQ3_E0J510uMqVsQl4WP_oGycCptmsOZA3VUAO4GYQBY9/s320/IMG_0682.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">playing with the baby in the mirror</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsEnlyPicZUIEvYSAetIRY1h4seJVjvafteldra3Wu8UyjgRj4PO8bXh3Kpbx2UO7u25Xq0f6ETuk_yo-CcMRfUGKytI3GtKzOpkWzH_Ds1Q2P6rMVhtPVhEFIo55EOLXykN8E/s1600/IMG_4320.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsEnlyPicZUIEvYSAetIRY1h4seJVjvafteldra3Wu8UyjgRj4PO8bXh3Kpbx2UO7u25Xq0f6ETuk_yo-CcMRfUGKytI3GtKzOpkWzH_Ds1Q2P6rMVhtPVhEFIo55EOLXykN8E/s320/IMG_4320.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">politely waiting for dinner</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyFh_b6yutbiv0EutNDHUnCfnJEvHMhs9T-ogupyWUgfM8PnMoMdZJJGMzJU_gsXozgNbzfNcShShmzAflkImfdMb5j5MVftgxvd-o4e-2nQmb4_PJPQAQ-IHqvrq0f6qtC5ND/s1600/IMG_4335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyFh_b6yutbiv0EutNDHUnCfnJEvHMhs9T-ogupyWUgfM8PnMoMdZJJGMzJU_gsXozgNbzfNcShShmzAflkImfdMb5j5MVftgxvd-o4e-2nQmb4_PJPQAQ-IHqvrq0f6qtC5ND/s320/IMG_4335.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">he was so excited any time he was ready to eat</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">hanging out by the back door because it's too hot to go outside</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">bath time</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my two grumpy boys</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">all the foods</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saturday mornings are game time! Go Dawgs!</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15496469117184363186noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32646290.post-75684233504073444322016-08-12T13:59:00.000-07:002017-06-20T14:03:23.357-07:00Will's Sixth Month! 7/11-8/10<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjr_jmPzqF1GdJa-1uEF7a0NNNX4x6avaRbpI2ozNczLtyV1LXdaktXJkZcBnX7Ex_Zcal7fjCKkb68_O9noaj8ghvMGxO0tAbYpkYJEm7gpcK9l1gkSsxCgfSMz10GU5bKv8Z/s1600/FullSizeRender+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjr_jmPzqF1GdJa-1uEF7a0NNNX4x6avaRbpI2ozNczLtyV1LXdaktXJkZcBnX7Ex_Zcal7fjCKkb68_O9noaj8ghvMGxO0tAbYpkYJEm7gpcK9l1gkSsxCgfSMz10GU5bKv8Z/s320/FullSizeRender+9.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: 'San Francisco', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, '.SFNSText-Regular', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; text-align: left;">6 MONTHS OLD today!! • halfway through my first year of life <br />and it has been epic! • I love sitting up all the time now! • <br />I went to the beach and played in the ocean for the first time • <br />it is my new favorite!! • I also played in the grass for the first time <br />and wanted to eat it so bad, but mom wouldn't let me • mom and dad<br /> say that I make vacations a million times more fun and exciting • <br />favorit</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: 'San Francisco', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, '.SFNSText-Regular', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; text-align: left;">e food is still milk, but I'm gonna start eating new foods soon • <br />my favorite toy is my exersaucer • my favorite game is <br />yelling/screeching back and forth with my mom and dad • <br />I wake up with the biggest smile on my face every morning • <br />I stare in amazement at my puppy, June, whenever I see her • <br />my favorite time of day is bath time where I completely spaz out <br />in the water and splash like a crazy person the whole time • <br />I have started babbling more and say "mamamamamama" when <br />I'm sad which just melts my mom's heart • I think it's funny to <br />pretend to cough • life has been pretty amazing for this first half year!</span></td></tr>
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As I look back at this month in Will's life, I realize that aside from our big week long vacation to San Diego with the Mertz family, there were not a lot of big events of note (not that a week vacation wasn't eventful enough). There were a lot of little experiences and milestones throughout the month, the big one being Will learning to sit up! Will LOVES sitting in his Bumbo seat and getting a proper view of the room and the world around him, so I am so excited for when he could sit himself up and play with his toys! It is funny how much you long for the milestones to be reached, but then grieve a bit when they do because you miss the stage before. This was starting to happen more often between rolling and now sitting and crawling is not far off... basically I mourn the movement milestones, but am so proud of my boy when he accomplishes them!<br />
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We started our sitting up practice by propping him up with the boppy pillow. He loved this, because while he was developing the core strength to sit (which he did very quickly) we hadn't developed it enough to prevent himself from falling over. The boppy pillow made it so he had lots of padding around him to catch him.<br />
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I could set Will up in the sitting position and he was so content with the toys within his reach! He was developing a deep love of Mickey Mouse and most of all Winnie the Pooh! His mini Winnie the Pooh stuffed animal, was his favorite and he loved chewing and squeezing and throwing him. He did not like however when it would eventually be out of his reach from the throwing.<br />
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Eventually he was able to sit up without the boppy support! The problem was, now that he knew what the world was like while sitting, that is all he wanted to do and wasn't content to lay down anymore. Since he wasn't able to put himself in the sitting position, play time involved a lot of me picking him up and repositioning him!<br />
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His other playtime entertainment was of course the exersaucer! Oh I will be so sad when he grows out of this or no longer finds it so fun! I'll have him in it a lot when I need to clean the house or make dinner or do dishes! He is so content just spinning and bouncing and chewing on everything!<br />
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Another new source of interest was the monsoon season! Oh this is the ONLY good thing about summertime in Phoenix - the rain and thunder! Will was transfixed by it and every chance I could, I would sit outside with him or have the back door open so he could smell the rain and hear all the fun new sounds. Our back patio has a tin roof, so the rain sounds especially spectacular!<br />
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Jen and I got our little February babies together again for some baby fun! Will gets a lot of time with his cousins and aunts and uncles, but hasn't had a lot of time with babies his size (other than at swim practice and occasionally at church on Sundays). Will and Caleb are FINALLY starting to notice each other when we hang out, which is so entertaining. This particular playdate, we started to see their personalities come out with Will being a talker and Caleb being the silent physical type. </div>
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Also, one thing that my mom always told me was that I should try to capture a few pictures of my kids crying. I found that a funny idea, but it does make sense when most of the pictures are of them smiling or making silly faces. Since I want to remember everything about Will and all his many different sides, his crying face is definitely something I want saved. While it breaks my heart, it is also pretty funny when he cries (which honestly is really only when he is really hungry or really tired).</div>
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Will's sixth month of life, including his <a href="http://miranda1123.blogspot.com/2017/06/san-diego-723-31.html">trip to San Diego</a>, was super fun and eventful!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sad face cause he wants to be sitting up</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">best grocery shopping date ever!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">our friend Raelin is home for the summer from college</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">diaper changes are rather fascinating for little kids!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will and our friend Rori</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sleeping with momma in the morning</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15496469117184363186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32646290.post-32724440344466858032016-08-03T13:15:00.000-07:002017-06-20T13:15:49.927-07:00San Diego! (7/23-31)The Mertz family has a family tradition of going on vacation every year to San Diego for a week and renting a beach house and relaxing by the ocean. After Aaron and I got married and Jess and Ashley got married, we changed the tradition to be every other year to allow us all to be able to take vacations with just our spouses on the off years. But this was the year for San Diego and Aaron and I were extra excited to take our little boy to the beach and play in the sand. I was a bit anxious about the trip for reasons like, Will wasn't allowed to eat sand and that he was not quite fully able to sit up on his own, which were bad, but just made the time by the ocean a bit more involved. Needless to say, our travel pro rocked the trip and did an awesome job the whole time!<br />
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The trip started with a travel day of driving our to California. Will had done a road trip or two that lasted a couple hours, but this would be a full 6 hours of travel not including stops. Will didn't do too bad actually. I had to sit in the back with him, but that was actually great because I was able to sleep and nap on the drive out too. Also using a boppy (or any nursing pillow) as a pillow to sleep on is AMAZING! Even if you don't have kids, but like to sleep on long road trips, this is the best. It wraps around your body and up over your shoulder and stays in place. I might bring this on our next international flight even if we don't have a baby with us.</div>
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Also on the subject of baby gear we had to bring along with us, we were still rocking the Honda Civic sedan and knew that this car was already getting too small for us. With Will's carseat in the back, the passenger seat had to be push WAY TO FAR forward for even me to sit comfortably while Aaron drove. But this road trip made it even MORE apparent that we were gonna need more room even with one kid. A beach tent, beach chairs, suit cases, a pack n play, stroller, and a ton of other random stuff was not able to all be crammed into the trunk, so we had to send stuff out with Pat and Laurie in their car too! This trip made it all the more apparent how much we were ready for a family vehicle (read: mini van!)</div>
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Will slept on the trip too, which was great and allowed the time to pass quickly.</div>
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We got to San Diego and to our beach house and settled in quite nicely. Aaron, Will and I had a big room in the back of the house that had a closet big enough to put Will's pack n play, so he was able to nap in there and it still be dark during the day. We had to buy a little space fan for the closet to make sure there was circulating air, but other than that, it was a perfect set up.</div>
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One of the great features of our beach rental was the roof top patio it had, which gave us a pretty great view of the ocean a couple blocks away.</div>
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Aaron had woke up early this first day and taken Will out for coffee and a little time at the beach before we all were awake and ready for the day.</div>
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When we were all awake for the day, we wasted no time in getting down to the beach! So many photo ops and wanting to freeze moments in time forever! Will LOVED THE BEACH! This is no surprise for our little water baby! He is gonna be so perfect as the years pass and he gets older. Lots of beach trips in our future!</div>
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We headed back to the house and relaxed and took a nap! And then Will got lots of snuggles from Grandma and Grandpa</div>
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We all went out to dinner that evening at a little restaurant that had live music. The music wasn't that great, but Will was way better entertainment anyways.</div>
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The next day started with breakfast and lounging on the front porch in the cool air. Pretty much every morning began this way. It was great having a few extra set of hands around for the week so I got to sleep in a bit while Aaron and his parents (early risers) got some Will time.</div>
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The second day we were lazy and went for walks and grocery shopping and hung around the rental house. </div>
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Then in the evening we walked around the Oceanside Pier!</div>
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So, one of Aaron and my favorite shows is Veronica Mars, which is filmed in and around San Diego. Many years ago because Aaron ever saw Veronica Mars, he actually stayed in the hotel that doubles as Veronica's apartment complex and in past San Diego trips we had spotted other filming sights. When we drove into Oceanside, we realized that the High School that doubled as Neptune High on the show was just a mile away from where we were staying! So Ashley, Aaron and I took a trip down check it out! We quickly realized that there had been significant renovations done on the campus since the show stopped airing years ago, so it was really hard to pick out where everything was or use to be, but we still got a few photo ops.</div>
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After our trip to Oceanside High, we headed down to the beach for more ocean time!</div>
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That evening we all headed down to Carlsbad for dinner at Pizza Port, which has great beers on tap that Aaron wanted to try. We then walked around Carlsbad for a bit! This is such a nice part of San Diego and some day I would love to stay down here!</div>
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One of the highlights of the evening was Will getting to experience sitting in grass for the first time. It is probably sad to think about that, but considering we have no grass at our house yet and it has been way too hot for the last couple of months to really go outside and play in the grass, this was Will's first chance! He loved it! He sat up in it for a little bit (a new trick he was learning) and then fell over and just enjoyed rolling around in it.</div>
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The next day was eventful, but it would seem not enough to take pictures. Our family headed down to the harbor village for lunch as our main outing of the day. We decided to walk because it didn't seem that far, but it turns out it was way farther than we anticipated and felt even longer since the walk wasn't very scenic through parts of it. When we got down to the harbor and started to look for places to eat, no one was able to agree or make a decision on where to eat at all. We wandered and wandered and someone would make a suggestion and then we would all debate, but no decision was ever arrived at. The tension started rising (I will say especially for me who had just nursed Will and so was starting to get hangry). Finally we landed in a little fish and chips type place where the food was ok, but after all the debacle of finally getting to lunch, made it not worth it. We then all walked back and had no pictures or even fond memories to show for it. As I look back it was kind of funny and even by that evening it was entertaining. There is always one point in the vacation where the wheels fall off for a bit and everyone kind of gets short with each other and that trip to the harbor village was ours. After all that, Will and I retreated to our room for a nap. While I love family vacations, I have come to realize about myself after a couple years of Mertz family vacations is that I get easily peopled out and need space. I was thankful for Will's nap time as a built in time for me to get a few hours of quiet too.</div>
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That evening Aaron and I got to escape after Will's bedtime for a date night! We walked down to Stone Brewery, which had a tap room just a half mile down the road on the Oceanside main street. It was nice to get away and regroup in the middle of the week at how the trip was going and how Will was doing and also just get alone time him and I.</div>
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The next morning Aaron and I took Will down to the beach in his PJs and we grabbed coffee at a coffee spot by the pier. I got a cold brew float, which was cold brew coffee and vanilla ice cream and sadly it was not as good as I wanted it to be, but it was a fun drink to try. </div>
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I think this all year round, but it becomes especially intense during the summer, that I want so badly to live in Southern California. The misty cool mornings and the warm days, but at temps that are still bearable for us to get out and about, or take in the beach where the cool breeze off the ocean makes everything better.</div>
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After our coffee run, we decided to get out on a bit of a historical field trip with Pat and Laurie to a nearby SoCal Mission! There are TONS of missions all up and down the coast of California and Aaron has a dream of being able to visit all of them before he dies. This particular Mission is called St Luis Rey.<br />
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We then of course headed back down to the beach for a later afternoon/evening beach sessions before dinner!<br />
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We grabbed some to go asian food from the place on the main street of Oceanside and ate at the house and called it a day.</div>
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Next morning we were back at the beach for our last full day in Oceanside, CA! </div>
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Back at the house, it was time for naps and relaxation for all! </div>
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Jess wasn't able to join us for the full week, since we couldn't get the time off work, but he surprised us and Ashley by driving our for the last night! We knew he was coming the whole day, but Ashley was surprised when he walked through the door! It was such a bummer he couldn't be with us for the entire time, but we were so excited to have him with us on the last night! We all went down to the beach to celebrate and take lots of family pictures of us all together.</div>
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We headed home the next day and I was not eager to leave. There were perks to the idea of being home, including not living out of a suit case and having my baby in his own room and not just in the closet of our room. However, those perks were far outweighed by the relaxing beach time, gorgeous weather, and so much less stress of vacation.</div>
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We all ate breakfast together before parting ways and so Ashley got some sweet Will snuggles.</div>
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Then we hit the road! Aaron and I and Will made a lunch stop at Alpine Beer Company for delicious food and hard to find beer selections!</div>
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What an incredibly sweet first week long vacation with our little beach bum! I am looking forward to traveling and adventuring more with him in the years to come! I hope any future babies we have are as chill and easy going as he is!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15496469117184363186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32646290.post-5659045353025495492016-07-12T23:10:00.000-07:002017-06-19T20:38:10.493-07:00Will's Fifth Month! 6/11 - 7/10<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIv8PYZNAXteO0ovhYAX_4zNcD3z-vKDxIOjUICN9dpsJ_sMFUzg6h8ah88fPxAO4E-lM2USINZwJ-GKoooDACmihLSC4x5xTSRUOIVyIGOqiWindtE5j7UBjAtlDkSZbseCmk/s1600/13580513_10157155639905296_3436022184749954509_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIv8PYZNAXteO0ovhYAX_4zNcD3z-vKDxIOjUICN9dpsJ_sMFUzg6h8ah88fPxAO4E-lM2USINZwJ-GKoooDACmihLSC4x5xTSRUOIVyIGOqiWindtE5j7UBjAtlDkSZbseCmk/s320/13580513_10157155639905296_3436022184749954509_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "san francisco" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; text-align: left;">Today I am 5 months!! • I am learning so much and developing <br />so fast that my momma and daddy can't keep up! • <br />I smile and giggle all the time • some of my favorite things are spitting • <br />rolling on to my tummy • trying hard to sit up • the fish in my swing • <br />being held by pretty much everyone • swimming • splashing in my tub and <br />trying to eat the soap suds • yelling and babbling non-stop • <br />and taki</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: "san francisco" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; text-align: left;">ng my pacifier out of my mouth • my dislikes are taking my <br />pacifier out of my mouth • when dad doesn't shave and gives me kisses • <br />being bored • when it's too quiet in the house • not being able to <br />control my hands so I hit myself in the face with my toys a lot • <br />and not being able to be outside more • June is my best friend <br />and is learning that I like to grab her fur and kick her face • <br />my mom and dad can't stop kissing my chubby cheeks!</span></td></tr>
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Will turned 4 months while we were in San Francisco, so finishing up our first family vacation was a pretty perfect start to month 5! Our little boy is just growing up too fast and while everyone warned me it goes by quickly, no one really mentions how it goes quickly and then seems to rev up to an even faster pace all the time!<br />
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When we returned from our vacation it was time for Will's 4 month appointment! We have the most amazing pediatrician's office and love our pediatrician Dr. Day. I appreciate how she is a doctor and gives her advice as such, but is also a mom to younger kids and so she will offer her perspective as a mom too. She is kind and conversational and will tell you like it is. She is also so patient to answer all my inane questions about sleeping and feeding and milestones. At Will's 4 month appointment, she heard a sound in Will's heart and told us she strongly suspected a heart murmur and actually was surprised we had not heard it before since it was so pronounced. She gave us a referral to a pediatric cardiologist and told us to see him asap to get everything checked out. I have to be honest and say I was pretty freaked out. It came to me that my dad was said to have a heart murmur, so I guess it was genetic, but I really didn't know exactly what a heart murmur would mean for Will. We made our appointment with Dr. Stock a highly recommended pediatric cardiologist in the valley. When we mentioned it to different family members in the days that followed it came to our attention that apparently both Laurie and Ashley have heart murmurs too! Surprise to us!<br />
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The cardiology appointment was one part worrying, one part frustrating trying to keep an active infant still and occupied in a dark room during the echocardiogram, and one part adorable watching Will get hooked up to all these machines that would read oxygen levels, pulse rates, etc. He looked like a little cyborg baby!<br />
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All the nurses and techs were so incredibly patient with him and of course enamored at how cute and sweet he was. The Dr. came to talk to us afterward and Will has "mild pulmonary stenosis". Mild was the main word I latched on to. Will's heart murmur is one that people commonly grow out of and definitely show no symptoms of. Will can still play sports, be active, cry, etc without worry about strain on his heart, but we would watch for it getting worse. The Dr. asked if there was any history of heart condition in Will's family and when I started sharing about the multiple heart attacks his grandpa has had as well as heart attacks on my side of the family, the Dr. was amazed. Then I told him that genetic high cholesterol was really common for his dad and grandpa, he definitely took note. This poor little boy has the odds stacked against him. But they were not concerned about the murmur at this stage and would need to see him again after 6 months. Dr. Stock also noted how incredibly cute Will's outfit was and Will ended up doing a tiny fashion show for all the nurses to oo and aah over.<br />
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After the Dr. gave his information and confidence in Will's health, I tried not to worry about it. I actually and thankfully often forget that Will even has it!<br />
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A few days later it was father's day! I had a whole celebration planned out for Aaron and was so excited to get to honor him the way he honored me for mother's day, but unfortunately I woke up feeling absolutely miserable! I felt so cold and achy and realized I was running a horribly high fever. I was so confused as to whether it was even possibly to get the flu in the dead of summer. Then a few other symptoms presented themselves and I realized I had Mastitis! NOT OK! I called my Dr. and she called in some antibiotics and I spent the whole day laying on the couch shivering and under a pile of blankets feeling the most sick I had felt in a LONG TIME. It took a couple days to recover and feel somewhat normal! Nursing Will was stupid painful, but we made it through!<br />
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Aaron spent his first Father's day taking care of his son mainly on his own and caring for me too. Not how I wanted to celebrate and honor him. We did get to make sure dad opened his gift, which was a digital picture frame for him to take to work that was full of photos of Will and our little family.<br />
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A week later we had a do over with a proper celebration going out to lunch at Fame Cafe and doing whatever Aaron wanted all day!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "san francisco" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; text-align: left;">I can't say enough how in awe I am of this man! <br />He has taken to fatherhood and embraced it with such honesty <br />and beauty and he has been present and by my side without <br />question or hesitation! Aaron was born to be a dad and I am <br />so honored to get to watch him day in and day out love our boy. <br />Babe, thank you for loving our little man, for wanting what is best <br />for him, for researching all things baby</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: "san francisco" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; text-align: left;"> so we can talk through <br />things together. I love that you watch soccer with him on <br />Saturday mornings, laugh with me in he middle of the night when <br />we hear him "foam" a diaper. I love that you sing him silly songs and <br />make him smile so big. I love that he has your smile and hair color and <br />basically is a mini version of you. I love that I can hear you through<br /> the monitor early in he morning having sweet talks with him. I love that you<br /> don't want Will to ever be hurt or sad or cry. I love that you pray for <br />him and pray specific things about what he'll become. I love that you <br />will sit and marvel at him for hours with me and say over and over <br />again that we have the best baby! I just can't say enough about <br />what a great dad you are! Happy first Father's Day!</span></td></tr>
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We finished out June and went into July with a celebration of the 4th of July! I love all the holidays you celebrate for the first time, but I have to admit I just get even more excited thinking about in the years to come when you get to participate in all the fun holiday activities even more! For now, I take advantage of the fact that you will lay there and let to do crazy cute photo shoots!<br />
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When Aaron and I bought our house, we were told by every neighbor we met what a big deal the neighborhood 4th of July Parade was! Everyone heads down to the park where there are vendors and food and drinks for free to take part in! They also all decorate bikes and wagons and strollers and walk around the park! We were excited to check it out! We weren't sure exactly what time everything started at, so we showed up right at the beginning - BAD IDEA! Things didn't actually start until about an hour after they said it would, so by that time we were hot and Will was starting to get fussy and we weren't really sure what was going on. We sadly had to head home before the "parade" even started. Again I am more excited for the years to come when Will will have a wagon and can sit up in it and be pulled around the park! We did hear that after the parade a fire truck came and sprayed a fire hose into the air so that it created rain over everyone to play in! So cool! Can't wait till next year!<br />
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Regardless of the disappointing scheduling, we still had a great time running into neighbors and friends!<br />
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That afternoon we headed out to the Mozingo Hippie compound for fun with our home group and of course the best hosts in town - Rand and Michelle Mozingo. We ate delicious food and played with sparklers and Will was passed around from person to person and was happy as could be!</div>
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Will is a little pyromaniac just like his mom and pop pop and is always transfixed by fire!</div>
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The next day, the Thompson family all got together to see my cousin Matt and his wife Sylvia and their kiddos while they were in town after having spent the last few years in Germany. I hadn't seen them in too long and they hadn't actually ever met Aaron! I also was excited to meet their precious little girl, Micah. I love this family so incredibly much and I am so excited they are back on US soil, but quite sad that they are all the way in Virginia! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiouJ9JKCcdUwtja0yHkYKQK-vm-41AmxE-dx0_VAayU4HT8liBNC2rnCouAYTZKTyyK5-uas0BQn2F7Xj19JHjN52txQmPk4RcMbhRKuR5uUbtqgjh4x1kHW5B_myMm1AQuZ6h/s1600/13613639_10154344699053044_4214900267668969865_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="1224" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiouJ9JKCcdUwtja0yHkYKQK-vm-41AmxE-dx0_VAayU4HT8liBNC2rnCouAYTZKTyyK5-uas0BQn2F7Xj19JHjN52txQmPk4RcMbhRKuR5uUbtqgjh4x1kHW5B_myMm1AQuZ6h/s320/13613639_10154344699053044_4214900267668969865_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAMgJLUsZHbBXSlCbMFbfBUhgFxFKuLAJKK4Vd_mMJeUVJx2giO20sqGldJzufgHqPWLvtca6jhyTR0foEH4B3GmhXYcyxdxeuamdZPmZXKgaOR8nRN14oFJMcAFYSKGaZuytJ/s1600/13653204_10154344641223044_8749945418721835133_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="1224" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAMgJLUsZHbBXSlCbMFbfBUhgFxFKuLAJKK4Vd_mMJeUVJx2giO20sqGldJzufgHqPWLvtca6jhyTR0foEH4B3GmhXYcyxdxeuamdZPmZXKgaOR8nRN14oFJMcAFYSKGaZuytJ/s320/13653204_10154344641223044_8749945418721835133_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTf68UM3b6KGrNYTQxQghtGV1CiTe7clgE9Rqs4k4Eojdie9Cj7jtIeRKGK8HssRDor9w_1oYY9mRunBd4YMkuZzu3baAVdLfUJnIJzGsvKXv-o6pS4kA__2lcLd_HhdYBT9Sd/s1600/IMG_9774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTf68UM3b6KGrNYTQxQghtGV1CiTe7clgE9Rqs4k4Eojdie9Cj7jtIeRKGK8HssRDor9w_1oYY9mRunBd4YMkuZzu3baAVdLfUJnIJzGsvKXv-o6pS4kA__2lcLd_HhdYBT9Sd/s320/IMG_9774.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">some of the Thompson second cousins! Will, Emolyn, Nathan, Elijah, Micah, Elsie, and Jonah!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8dVH8JI640s-gdndqhupnlzCgvQE42jtnNAU1o1Yj7QQc-fi3QPv_o8dIJLVtpqpOsPXi9kn6btc0D7WHLy-S2ZcxZ4hlxGoV3jYJND1sKGFgOPMsP2oexYVQw1jPJPHWGXZw/s1600/13603771_10154344651768044_7329749038850932699_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="1224" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8dVH8JI640s-gdndqhupnlzCgvQE42jtnNAU1o1Yj7QQc-fi3QPv_o8dIJLVtpqpOsPXi9kn6btc0D7WHLy-S2ZcxZ4hlxGoV3jYJND1sKGFgOPMsP2oexYVQw1jPJPHWGXZw/s320/13603771_10154344651768044_7329749038850932699_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwcIh2YtDkUuomSPiKXcKsmrIaUQbin_JHRGtteMMBOyqAakaEbF1f6VgRZxs3blrcU6qWcPmXWjN89_w72L4qo9yLX4cxlRxK-xhCCKGtq3j2NgCAiindpWHYf8zZDzSucbsy/s1600/13582128_10154344707663044_744530069677965927_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="834" data-original-width="1190" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwcIh2YtDkUuomSPiKXcKsmrIaUQbin_JHRGtteMMBOyqAakaEbF1f6VgRZxs3blrcU6qWcPmXWjN89_w72L4qo9yLX4cxlRxK-xhCCKGtq3j2NgCAiindpWHYf8zZDzSucbsy/s320/13582128_10154344707663044_744530069677965927_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will with his Mimi & Pop Pop</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAbmYr297qYgyPKlY7lxMZYbwvq81pmO9p6an5sXJBpZ40pyQV_-7CXfN0IFTdLvY7v-IWnWMBUGn9S1YMC245ajpvip6VKjdlLyObMu39vQXqnb582OTvP9wW0yHv_klGXu7q/s1600/13613353_10154344637378044_2462749375953175577_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="1224" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAbmYr297qYgyPKlY7lxMZYbwvq81pmO9p6an5sXJBpZ40pyQV_-7CXfN0IFTdLvY7v-IWnWMBUGn9S1YMC245ajpvip6VKjdlLyObMu39vQXqnb582OTvP9wW0yHv_klGXu7q/s320/13613353_10154344637378044_2462749375953175577_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3dvhNxZ-j_YnWbTPpT9_g4qjOh9mLePmKW4H1KN-eaoI6F4S4wywBuL8USzYuJwtOapLjkIhGjmFlTT1frezTRhdMAEf_bURZG7Xxs2tC9UbuDtR2K-eMY36VP0OeyvE7syR2/s1600/13653465_10154344645363044_6642597993056805516_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="1224" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3dvhNxZ-j_YnWbTPpT9_g4qjOh9mLePmKW4H1KN-eaoI6F4S4wywBuL8USzYuJwtOapLjkIhGjmFlTT1frezTRhdMAEf_bURZG7Xxs2tC9UbuDtR2K-eMY36VP0OeyvE7syR2/s320/13653465_10154344645363044_6642597993056805516_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The adventures just keep coming with each passing month!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiymODUAVLhNZlT1R2p-NW-MKestylyi8e4J0J_3G-UDtvbYbJem8XRkvFFfSGuwGu8Qx5ydPNk25cRyU-dzqPzZp2evVb453xUD8_rk92CvRd-skPizwrzWbTnFMiZcoY-7bsQ/s1600/IMG_9653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiymODUAVLhNZlT1R2p-NW-MKestylyi8e4J0J_3G-UDtvbYbJem8XRkvFFfSGuwGu8Qx5ydPNk25cRyU-dzqPzZp2evVb453xUD8_rk92CvRd-skPizwrzWbTnFMiZcoY-7bsQ/s320/IMG_9653.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will sucked his thumb for about 3 days and then stopped,<br />
but for those 3 days my heart was mush!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Y8-kGx2DNiyXWitGfFkCsl0U2VrDiY78zMf_9XrS5HKQ1A1SrpBdMZEj3f6MJZPOYQcl3pks4BpnmsV_3pnYfI8ra5GA9v2InommkLr9R_3JjLMFY3kHt8ezivaTclrw8Jec/s1600/IMG_9545.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Y8-kGx2DNiyXWitGfFkCsl0U2VrDiY78zMf_9XrS5HKQ1A1SrpBdMZEj3f6MJZPOYQcl3pks4BpnmsV_3pnYfI8ra5GA9v2InommkLr9R_3JjLMFY3kHt8ezivaTclrw8Jec/s320/IMG_9545.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaW6r2XbMQ0VEImn3qzCpDjyhKkhqK5r19zgDMTq7AcvkaUWI6rklM_NP-dRsegmMYB0P98PU8reECzU-exHxu_GtZl8muU8YlXLmeKIZHzfoKCuVKlUQcE15mDFr1XPwhn8Bu/s1600/IMG_9546.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaW6r2XbMQ0VEImn3qzCpDjyhKkhqK5r19zgDMTq7AcvkaUWI6rklM_NP-dRsegmMYB0P98PU8reECzU-exHxu_GtZl8muU8YlXLmeKIZHzfoKCuVKlUQcE15mDFr1XPwhn8Bu/s320/IMG_9546.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">naps with June is about the most bonding we get these days</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxxgMlpKj-IaUIfLxhyphenhyphenVJm4kn4gxCUTICDU2_lT0AB-pjlrJmkFwyBS-49efAchB1p6LhHlC2AZTq48vT4rgTN7cWZWQACqF-VXaYluO_O2VNUg_WusqAFiSJs9_I_4cmacd85/s1600/IMG_9561.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxxgMlpKj-IaUIfLxhyphenhyphenVJm4kn4gxCUTICDU2_lT0AB-pjlrJmkFwyBS-49efAchB1p6LhHlC2AZTq48vT4rgTN7cWZWQACqF-VXaYluO_O2VNUg_WusqAFiSJs9_I_4cmacd85/s320/IMG_9561.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meeting Momma's lifelong friend Kendra!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLg3pypO6Uw6kGk3Wp9CijfvrmGPPwbqKszvhf-7s6FHKtHFJEiNDKKkT5HHwbjhIE4UOLuRH2jp9QBFuUYQzdcGXZTbKMajp_ImLd6NO86MMzs5YN6Zh04z5rkPB2UbGjo5Ds/s1600/IMG_9574.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLg3pypO6Uw6kGk3Wp9CijfvrmGPPwbqKszvhf-7s6FHKtHFJEiNDKKkT5HHwbjhIE4UOLuRH2jp9QBFuUYQzdcGXZTbKMajp_ImLd6NO86MMzs5YN6Zh04z5rkPB2UbGjo5Ds/s320/IMG_9574.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">tiny baby in a big bed!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj6rVtNYyyf89U2eT0R28o8Qje2GjASCim4RGrYMxcspZmRNAIFUTrS65D1NFyYlzMRT-kCzNmg8MpzbeMmknG_0KT6iAge7x1iE3MHhsHXBaIgV2HN3wKDhOplYdIYA2M7x4U/s1600/IMG_9575.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1480" data-original-width="1600" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj6rVtNYyyf89U2eT0R28o8Qje2GjASCim4RGrYMxcspZmRNAIFUTrS65D1NFyYlzMRT-kCzNmg8MpzbeMmknG_0KT6iAge7x1iE3MHhsHXBaIgV2HN3wKDhOplYdIYA2M7x4U/s320/IMG_9575.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">stink eye!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZXHKFVKafGp0tY6J7s21E46cUfCo4k5LkB636aVT-9norBGb-60jpFh2yYlwq7muUEXyDmQ451ZN_cQWFz8OVk8NYfsICJhs8zjF6DRRfMFALxkrBrRI0_9dXMGyMWWNm566/s1600/IMG_9577.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZXHKFVKafGp0tY6J7s21E46cUfCo4k5LkB636aVT-9norBGb-60jpFh2yYlwq7muUEXyDmQ451ZN_cQWFz8OVk8NYfsICJhs8zjF6DRRfMFALxkrBrRI0_9dXMGyMWWNm566/s320/IMG_9577.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meeting our second cousin Emma, who is just 3 months older than Will.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvE7mgY3j8hP5gnPiy7oIgagBcp5zPiXQFr6aaF42u2AqtVOB3hqMDibaMy0J6YJpSyROpL7LGKRg8Ajr1DVGl6sqXav2F4KAONsELAiDd80HZNrfvSjMKYP8MuE2rQO-DPNXH/s1600/IMG_9583.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvE7mgY3j8hP5gnPiy7oIgagBcp5zPiXQFr6aaF42u2AqtVOB3hqMDibaMy0J6YJpSyROpL7LGKRg8Ajr1DVGl6sqXav2F4KAONsELAiDd80HZNrfvSjMKYP8MuE2rQO-DPNXH/s320/IMG_9583.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHhjPm8ezUZfqmw29iLAzEw8YeK160PGGXcgM3BaYqsceWJHKqvtP-MtujKMJp1eEjheYBswzi4lYD7_L0ZlfIR4m9oYayPIkbH6iVAPmGNzWOjdwdWRXbaQOj4Hg-CmMXn01i/s1600/IMG_9593.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHhjPm8ezUZfqmw29iLAzEw8YeK160PGGXcgM3BaYqsceWJHKqvtP-MtujKMJp1eEjheYBswzi4lYD7_L0ZlfIR4m9oYayPIkbH6iVAPmGNzWOjdwdWRXbaQOj4Hg-CmMXn01i/s320/IMG_9593.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgblC293XiXBuedcStyjcyWFiiCzRhVIrKtUeowPLHEWt6UY7vwAUAN3Prioz0ggPPNRK6kRWXKIshsJhnCBMutwm1e7Sqdl-mO5DD1sXuY4-5qXOgePTmIh1_47f6LEDBHdm6p/s1600/IMG_9613.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgblC293XiXBuedcStyjcyWFiiCzRhVIrKtUeowPLHEWt6UY7vwAUAN3Prioz0ggPPNRK6kRWXKIshsJhnCBMutwm1e7Sqdl-mO5DD1sXuY4-5qXOgePTmIh1_47f6LEDBHdm6p/s320/IMG_9613.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will LOVES his exersaucer!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDtBDxfoQygVIJc2iwHmfUvVYZZX0o1pJuHY3Lm86F0oQUBcP0WcUky9eL1rHxV-AOlUhyphenhyphenQOBsbo21XHtIE4gJPc5FHD7nnZu09m892rPM8uLahupyx5UIqn-4Wt05nke3-2Eg/s1600/IMG_9631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDtBDxfoQygVIJc2iwHmfUvVYZZX0o1pJuHY3Lm86F0oQUBcP0WcUky9eL1rHxV-AOlUhyphenhyphenQOBsbo21XHtIE4gJPc5FHD7nnZu09m892rPM8uLahupyx5UIqn-4Wt05nke3-2Eg/s320/IMG_9631.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seriously it keeps him occupied for ages!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDuhSPuI3-PaYpil9YsVP1cGq9bcT2Qclz9DUlVn9Eg1N0Z-ckFWXjZjfdp3-X771pd7i7ag2w0tcD2P-eUCOavUSvawNM5EC1eo88kH3dDnhd6DctkFbEp9_YcmPAzXNwXgO9/s1600/IMG_9638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDuhSPuI3-PaYpil9YsVP1cGq9bcT2Qclz9DUlVn9Eg1N0Z-ckFWXjZjfdp3-X771pd7i7ag2w0tcD2P-eUCOavUSvawNM5EC1eo88kH3dDnhd6DctkFbEp9_YcmPAzXNwXgO9/s320/IMG_9638.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">reading time with daddy!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">checking out our favorite book - Jabberwocky by Babylit</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPTlVaLfVN0oJrB-emgBoboG3XulspUuTgn9ryUGCL01KYLEoza2Q4j5YMYvWV7O7B6n1Dx518ZOjDhJHGT0DQrT5ZV3Oe1ZeyURHWy5VhxUMC4PdBL5MqDfwEzyN0itm8sTjS/s1600/IMG_9836.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1092" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPTlVaLfVN0oJrB-emgBoboG3XulspUuTgn9ryUGCL01KYLEoza2Q4j5YMYvWV7O7B6n1Dx518ZOjDhJHGT0DQrT5ZV3Oe1ZeyURHWy5VhxUMC4PdBL5MqDfwEzyN0itm8sTjS/s320/IMG_9836.JPG" width="218" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a naked baby!</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15496469117184363186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32646290.post-75091614630920945332016-06-17T20:30:00.000-07:002017-06-18T20:32:45.443-07:00San Francisco 2016!Aaron and I are travelers and we are determined to make our little boy a traveler too! For Aaron's birthday and in honor of his first Father's Day, he wanted to go on a trip to San Francisco and Russian River Brewery, which is one of his very favorite breweries! He and I had some frequent flyer miles from our trip to the UK and Thailand, so San Francisco sounded perfect! We would see beach, go to a winery, go to Russian River, and walk through the Muir woods. Aaron and I had both been to the actual city of San Francisco before, so we didn't feel the need to head into the city, but it was an option if we felt up to it. We never went into the city because there were too many fun places to see surrounding it.<br />
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We started our trip with Will's first time on a plane! We were so nervous, but we would be having a layover in LA on the way there and back, so each flight would be less than an hour each. We kept telling ourselves that if Will lost it for any reason, it would only be an hour. Will ended up crushing the entire flight! He was so good. I wore him through security in my baby K'tan and he was so calm. Because I had a baby, they also gave us pre-check with TSA and so I didn't have to wait a long time in security. We used the stroller to help carry all our bags and carseat to the gate and then they put it beneath the plane for us! I nursed Will during take off, so his ears would pop and he would adjust to the pressure and that also meant that he fell asleep and slept through most of the flight!<br />
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We made it to San Francisco and began to trek ourselves across the city and north to our AirBnb in San Rafael! We decided to do an AirBnB, as it was more cost effective that a hotel. Will had done so great on the plane and since he was usually good in the car, we felt like we were in the clear! Sadly, he started falling apart during the long car ride and even caused us to have to stop about 20 minute away from our place because he just couldn't be consoled. We walked around a parking lot for a bit and gave him lots of cuddles and then he suffered through the rest of the trip.<br />
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Luckily we hadn't planned anything to do that first day, since were weren't sure how he would do travel wise, so we got to our guest house and just relaxed for the rest of the day. Will went to sleep for the night around 6:30p since he hadn't slept as much as he usually does in a day, and Aaron and I quickly realized that the cost of the place we were staying came up against the convenience issue. It was all one room (kitchen, bedroom, sitting room, and so when Will went to sleep we were trapped in silence for the remainder of the night! We also quickly put it together that we weren't exactly sure where Will was going to sleep! We hadn't brought a pack n play, and honestly I have no idea what we were thinking in terms of how he would sleep before we got there... and basically I felt like we hadn't thought about it at all. Since Will could roll around, I didn't feel comfortable laying him on the couch, I definitely wasn't going to have him in bed with us, and all the drawers in the dresser were to small to fit him. We finally piled a few layers of blankets on the ground and created barriers around it with an ottoman, a dresser, and the corner of the wall. It looked cozy and with Will being lightly swaddled, he would feel secure. However, in the middle of the night when Will woke up for his feeding, I realized that he was directly in line with a vent and was so cold! My heart broke and we felt like the worst parents who hadn't done a better job making sure my baby had a good place to sleep! It wasn't something that couldn't be easily fixed with extra layers and adjusting the vent, so by the second night, he was much better!<br />
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Our first full day of adventure started after a pretty restless night of sleep with some baby cuddles in bed.<br />
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We went out to grab some breakfast and then making our way up to Santa Rosa for lunch and a flight at Russian River, we got there right before it opened and there was already a line outside waiting to get in. This place is legit!<br />
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Aaron checked in his 1,000th beer on his beer tracking app! This was such a bucket list thing for Aaron to do and he was so excited!!<br />
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Sadly the timing was quite right for me to down a beer myself in the middle of Will's feeding schedule, so I had one of the tasters from his flight and I was happy. We also had a super delicious pizza at the brewery too, which met my needs quite nicely!<br />
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After lunch we strolled up and down the main street of Santa Rosa. He went into book stores and walked around the mall. The weather was so nice, out so we just enjoyed the little town ambiance.<br />
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After we had our fill of the town's charm. We started our way back down to San Rafael through Sonoma Valley and enjoyed the beautiful scenery of rolling hills and gorgeous vineyards all along the road. We even saw fresh fruit stands with gorgeous cherries! We had to stop and buy a container to enjoy!<br />
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It also worked our timing wise for us to stop at one of the Wineries so I could enjoy a glass of wine! Seriously the weather was so lovely and the view from the patio where we sat and ate was awesome. I asked the server for the fruitiest and sweetest wine they had and we ordered a cheese board to go with it and just sat and relaxed. Will was fed and happy and had just took a short snooze in the car ride, so he was a dream! He kept looking at all the people and following the servers as they all walked by our table. They fawned over him too, which of course makes me super happy!<br />
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It had already been a full day of driving to and from Santa Rosa, so we got back to San Rafael, got dinner at Whole Foods and turned in for the night. I ended up watching TV on our iPad and Aaron listened to music or went out to some evening coffee or to pick us up something at Target. He took a fun pictures of the water coming right to the edge of the Target parking lot... something you don't see in Phoenix.<br />
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Our next day was super leisurely. Since Will wasn't sleeping well in the night and hadn't gotten as much sleep during the day as normal, we decided again our initial plan of heading into San Francisco, and instead went to take in the view of the Golden Gate Bridge from the north side of the Bay and then lunch in Sausalito down by the water. Then back to the AirBNB for a proper nap for Will and I.<br />
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I love going to super touristy look out spots because you always end up meeting other tourists from all over the world. At this look out, we started chatting with an older retired couple from England making their way up the coast on a trip. We talked about our trip to England and about how cute Will was. They told us about their grandkids and their love of travel, especially now that they were retired. It is so fun for us, having traveled a bit, getting to talk with people who are visiting our country!<br />
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We had lunch at a seafood restaurant call Fish. in Sausalito! I had a Tuna Melt and Aaron order the Monterey Squid Pasta. It had been so chilly and breezy in San Rafael, and at the look out over the Golden Gate Bridge, so I was shocked to experience how hot it was down by the water in Sausalito. I had heard about the crazy weather in the San Francisco where it would rain in one neighborhood, but a mile away be sunny and warm. This was a prime example that a town not a few minutes away was drastically warmer! We didn't last very long our on the deck in the blazing sun before we left for our guesthouse.<br />
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Looking back, I am amazed at how little we got accomplished in a day, but then I remember we had a 4 month old and this was our first time traveling with him. We made it super easy on ourselves schedule wise and it is funny, because I remember feeling overwhelmed by what we did do. By the third day of our trip I had fully let go of Will's normal schedule and embraced the "vacation schedule" where Will just slept whenever and wherever he could find it and I fed him when he was hungry. This made for early bed times than normal for him, but it was worth it to not have to stress about whether he was getting the amount of sleep he needed during naps. He also did surprisingly well during the night as the trip went on waking up only 2 times at night, like normal.<br />
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Out last full day in the San Francisco area was by far my favorite! We visited the Muir woods and walked beneath the giant redwood trees. It was misty and cold and we got to all bundle up as we left early to get to the national park entrance before 8a, which is when the internet told us it would start to get busy. We walked up to the ticket booth as the older gentleman was beginning to roll up the window shades and put out the sign for entrance fees and whatnot. It didn't seem like anyone was there, but we also had had to park a half mile away because there were so many cars! It seemed pretty quiet still crowd wise, and we realized that all the early arrivals were probably one the tougher trails than what we were taking with our jogging stroller! The park official gentleman smiled at us and we asked how much it was to enter and he told us sweetly that if we hurried and just walked passed him now, it was free! We laughed and thanked him a ton and then scurried off to enjoy the beauty of the Muir woods.<br />
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Oh man, it was like something out of a fairy story. The way the sun shone through the trees in streaks of light. The cool breezes and mist that was still hanging in the air. The cold that was so welcome for being the middle of June. My heart was at so much peace beneath these trees with my Love and my baby boy love.<br />
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We strolled for a few hours and Will slept for some of the time and by the time we made it back to the entrance it was nearly lunch time. Aaron had done some research and found this place in the hills and mountains just not he other side of the Muir woods on the way to Muir Beach. It was a British style pub and inn and I swear we had stepped into the Highlands of Scotland. Maybe it was the mist that still held clung to the mountains, or just that it was cold. Definitely facade of the building and the menu brought me right back to the UK. I had a Guinness beef stew and Aaron had the same with a pint and we ate and then sat outside on the lawn where Will could get lots of fresh air and some wiggles out with being able to roll around.<br />
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We then moved on to Muir beach to give our boy his first look out at the ocean! The beach was misty and cold and we put our toes in the water, but basically kept to walking along the shoreline.<br />
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Our little boy was pretty over awed by the vastness of the ocean, and just fell asleep due to all the emotion. It sat with this little buy asleep on my chest staring out at the water, and just marveling at God's goodness to us on this trip and how he gave us such an easy going fun baby who gave us minimal fuss and melt downs, and generally was so happy and smiley and joyful.<br />
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We had spent the rest of the day at the guest house preparing for our trip home the next morning and playing with Will.<br />
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Daddy made Will laugh so hard and just give these huge fits of giggles! What a joy he is.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My men!</td></tr>
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We headed home the last day and the trip home, while just as easy as the way out, wasn't as fun. Heading back to normal life and daddy back to work and the awful summer heat is not a fun thing to look forward to.<br />
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Plus Will nearly blew out a diaper on the way back and Aaron had to change it in the airplane bathroom... not fun!</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15496469117184363186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32646290.post-19800281603326212252016-06-15T13:44:00.000-07:002017-06-19T20:37:58.616-07:00Will's Fourth Month! 5/11 - 6/10<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjopiJ0zHehyKsFKHRr6g1CUp9PUaXGLjDOrVG9uzuQzXOmFRfKX-DvKr4UPoj0ELm5qQR4nl87fhVc4byMNosoMSuvnCd7CXatjgHEXU9q0N7wclgF_I3zAXjNKnvSOe5H7phc/s1600/IMG_9335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1535" data-original-width="1535" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjopiJ0zHehyKsFKHRr6g1CUp9PUaXGLjDOrVG9uzuQzXOmFRfKX-DvKr4UPoj0ELm5qQR4nl87fhVc4byMNosoMSuvnCd7CXatjgHEXU9q0N7wclgF_I3zAXjNKnvSOe5H7phc/s320/IMG_9335.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "san francisco" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; text-align: left;">I am 4 months old!! • I have started sleeping on my side <br />at night and wiggling around in my crib, so mom never knows <br />where I'll be when I wake her up at night • my sleep at night is unpredictable, <br />but I have been napping like a champ during the day • I stick out my tongue <br />like a little lizard and blow bubbles with my spit and I chew on EVERYTHING! • <br />I have way too much fun at my weekly swim class</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: "san francisco" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; text-align: left;">! <br />My mom says I'm a fish • now that it's hot I spend a lot of <br />time in just my diaper • I love my activity mat and my pack n play • <br />Pretty much anywhere my mom has to put me down, <br />I will have the time of my life • I smile at everyone and have started to laugh, <br />but never at the same thing more than once, so it keeps mom and <br />dad on their toes • my favorite song is "down in the meadow" • <br />my favorite toy is daddy • I'm having fun on my first family <br />vacation with mom and dad • Being 4 months old is the best!</span></td></tr>
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My sweet little boy is a complete joy to be with! He is so chill and easy going and happy. He has the absolute best expressions and keep us all so entertained with his newly found giggles. I can't ever get him laugh at the same thing more than once, but when I do get a good belly laugh out of him, it is the greatest thing in the entire work. Will is also very social and loves being around new people and meeting new friends.<br />
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This month, we introduced Will to swimming! The local swim school offers free swim classes to parents and babies until the little one is 6 months old, so we started this month and absolutely love our weekly outing to swim class. The class is about 30 minutes long and we sing songs and just basically focus on getting Will use to the water. Will LOVES going back and forth through the water and feeling it on his cheeks and face. He will often turn his head to try to drink the water too, which is a no-no, but so cute. The teacher has used Will a couple times as her example baby because he is so happy and relaxed. My favorite part is when we start with the back float and at first he wiggles and squirms, but then I start singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and he completely relaxes and smiles so sweetly. He is truly a little fish!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So much trust</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Those chins! Those dimples!</td></tr>
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At the end of class, all the tiny babies would do some tummy time on a raft where they would get a chance to see each other and Will will coo and babble constantly to the other babies! What a flirt! He is such the life of the party.</div>
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Aside from learning to swim, Will also has discovered another source of endless entertainment - June, </div>
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our dog! He definitely as started noticing June and finds her fascinating as she moves around him and comes in and out of the room. June has made it very clear from day one that she is quite enamored with Will, so it is so sweet to see him really start to notice what will eventually be his best friend and partner in crime.<br />
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My favorite is when Will does tummy time, June will be right next to him keeping him company. June will sometimes lick his face or his head or hands and is just generally so sweet with him. I love that Will has a pet right away. So many immunities building up from all the puppy kisses and also just a sweet little friendship!<br />
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To finish out the month of May, Will made an appearance at Shawn's Annual birthday outing with Buttermilk Bear!! The story behind BMB is too convoluted to explain, but this is a highlight of our year to be with this group! If I am being truthful, this is actually Will's second time at BMB considering it turns out I was pregnant the previous year, but was a week away from finding that out!<br />
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This year we went out to Fate Brewing for dinner and drinks then to Papago Brewing for more drinks and fun, and then back to Shawn & Nicole's house for more time laughing until my voice is horse and my cheeks hurt. Will was a great partier and is getting quite good at Bar crawls, this being his second one. I do sense that especially at the second location, which is just a bar, that everyone seeing a baby walk in is a bit of a buzz-kill and I probably was judged, but I don't care and it was so fun! For the party, Will rocked a pair of tennis shoes that belonged to his uncle Shawn when Shawn was his age! My mom didn't know she still had them until recently, which is why Tyler or Shawn's boys never got to wear them, so Will was very honored to get to sport them for Uncle Shawn's bday!<br />
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Seriously this is an awesome group of friends! We only really get to see Matt & Jeannine (far right of picture above) once a year for this occasion, but we instantly have a complete blast and make way too many inappropriate jokes and talk about beer.<br />
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Will and got to spend the day with sweet friends this month like Amy and her little boy Ridge! Ridge is a year older than Will and was a HUGE source of baby fever for me in the months before I got pregnant with Will. I have known Amy my entire life! We are up at the same church and our families were close friends. It is so fun getting to me a mom with this incredible lady. She was and is such a fountain of information from what stuff to register for to what is normal for motherhood. Also, she and I are both obsessed with instragram giveaways for baby gear and tag each other to win prizes daily. I can see Ridge and Will having a lot of future memories together!<br />
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Before I knew it, June began and I realized that it had been a YEAR since I discovered our tiny little boy was on his way! I remember everything leading up to that day and every detail of the exact moment our lives changed forever!<br />
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Will was definitely planned, but at the same time was a surprise. Every told us and everything we read told us to be prepared that it could take a month or two to get pregnant once we started trying, so we decided to get started about a month earlier that we probably logically should have because we honestly thought the first month was a throw away. cut to a few weeks later and it was Shawn's annual birthday outing and I knew I would have a drink or two, so I took a early pregnancy test just to be safe, since I was a few days away from being able to suspect anything. The test was negative. I wasn't surprised or even sad that it said we weren't pregnant and just went about life. Then a few days later I started noticing some symptoms that were unusual for me and started suspecting that maybe that previous test was wrong. I was still a day or two away from really being able to know for sure, so I just took note and continued on. Aaron and I were staying with my dad at my parents house while my mom was in Wisconsin for a visit, when I realized I was "late", but I didn't want to take a test then because I wanted to do it at home and at a time when Aaron and I could celebrate and go out to dinner if the test was positive, which we couldn't do for a couple more days. So I waited. Finally the days with my dad were done and we were able to head back to our tiny apartment (where we lived before we bought out house). I got home from work before Aaron did and had picked up a pregnancy test on my way home. I had told Aaron that I suspected I might be pregnant and asked if he wanted me to take the test and tell him later, or if he wanted to be there to see the results? He told me that everything short of being there while I peed on the stick, he wanted to be there for, so I had to wait a few hours before he got home to know for sure. By this day I was 4 days late, which I am NEVER late, and had a ton of other tell tale random symptoms that made me pretty positive that I was pregnant, so I was going to be SHOCKED if the results were different. Aaron got home and I had been downing glasses of water like nothing else to prepare, so I was ready! <br />
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I remember taking the test and before I could set it down on the bathroom counter and walk out the door to wait with Aaron, I started seeing the lines. Aaron and I sat on the bed and waited for the timer to go off and then walked back into the bathroom together. We took a look at the test and I squealed and jumped into Aaron's arms! Aaron's laugh with be something I remember for my entire life. It was so full of deep deep joy! We were so incredibly excited and also amazed that it happened on the first try!! I couldn't be more excited, but of course I wasn't really prepared to be pregnant for our trip to England in 4 weeks, so that crossed my mind... but other than that I was in perfect heaven! We went out to dinner for Thai food that night, and I just kept ransoming declaring to Aaron, "I'm a mom!! I'm gonna have a baby! There is a baby in there right now! You're a dad!!" We decided to wait and tell our families after we got back from England (I had a cute idea for how to tell people related to the trip), because it was just too fun to keep this news to ourselves!<br />
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It is so fun to see the difference a year makes!<br />
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The rest of Will's fourth month was spent in San Francisco on our first family vacation, just us 3! There are enough pictures, that I'll include that in it's own post.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first time Will drank from a bottle. <br />
He was not a fan and really never did well with a bottle.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">socializing with the baby in the mirror</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will spending his mornings in the pack n play by the back door for some <br />
sunlight and entertainment while mom drinks her coffee and wakes up.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will & Mimi</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisRs-GD5xUVlZjoszv7ecl9MbwWs3DFPdh-8rNMytQaR3ohV2zBOd0Vi3-8hcUEdL3G5p1GpoI0qhkoQAjqdQE-xbJnvJBETYMTnKGDucYy1qlSkViMTpj9wux7znkzVO0L1Jw/s1600/IMG_9125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisRs-GD5xUVlZjoszv7ecl9MbwWs3DFPdh-8rNMytQaR3ohV2zBOd0Vi3-8hcUEdL3G5p1GpoI0qhkoQAjqdQE-xbJnvJBETYMTnKGDucYy1qlSkViMTpj9wux7znkzVO0L1Jw/s320/IMG_9125.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Those eyebrows!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">spending the afternoon on the floor under the fan and in line with the A/C blowing on us.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">naked time!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">all the chins</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15496469117184363186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32646290.post-86080389359903121692016-05-20T22:26:00.000-07:002017-06-17T22:27:45.720-07:00Will's Nursery!<div>
It took us nearly 4 months into Will's life to do it, but we FINALLY finished Will's nursery! We had the furniture in there and assembled before Will arrived, but everything else was decorations, so they could wait. But by the time Will was 3 months old, he was fully sleeping at night in his room, so we felt like it was time to make the room his. </div>
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For years I have known that my first babies nursery was somehow going to be Peter Pan themed. If we had a girl, it was going to be a Kensington Gardens (where JM Barrie wrote Peter Pan) theme with floral patterns and Peter Pan accents. But when I found I was having a boy, all I could picture in his nursery was Neverland! I didn't want it to be too heavily Disney, so I decided to add a lot of accents that gave reference to Peter Pan or favorite parts of the book!</div>
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On of my favorite parts of Will's room was all the natural light that his window allows. I also love that the window is low enough that I would be able to look out of it while I sat in the rocking chair with him during the day. I arranged the room so that his rocker was right next to the window.</div>
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When I was registering for his nursery, I wanted a lot of the furniture pieces to be versatile for every kids we might have, so I went with all white pieces and a neutral rocking chair. This crib is so simple and perfect!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkh_NSki4kXOyUhVCqNG02Wf_cY3JSvdj5hyphenhyphenvm7UAa1WX8SLIm1Tqzim80ceSeQE6NlpiNn5d4plm8HhuCc40TQvW5SSPhBbw4N6jvjpqIrRZdU0kWrUh3KY7v6D4m_P4rsuVv/s1600/IMG_4213.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkh_NSki4kXOyUhVCqNG02Wf_cY3JSvdj5hyphenhyphenvm7UAa1WX8SLIm1Tqzim80ceSeQE6NlpiNn5d4plm8HhuCc40TQvW5SSPhBbw4N6jvjpqIrRZdU0kWrUh3KY7v6D4m_P4rsuVv/s640/IMG_4213.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Will's rocking chair was a Craigslist find and we got it for an incredible deal! It is seriously the most comfortable chair I have ever sat in and I adore getting to nurse and snuggle my baby in that chair!<br />
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When I started thinking about accents for the room, I stole a TON of ideas from Pinterest. This Neverland sign post was something I saw online and my in laws lovingly built and put together for me. Laurie arranged all the wood pieces and they used a post from the Chuppah Aaron and I got married under. Ashley did all the lettering and painting and it turned out PERFECT! Pat & Aaron screwed everything together and it is one of my favorite pieces of the room.<br />
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Will's changing table/dresser is a piece from IKEA that we found used on Craigslist. It was in great condition and we drove it through the rain across town to get it home! It is seriously the perfect changing table to so much storage. Aaron and I actually got the same piece in dark brown wood for our bedroom because we loved the storage it allowed.<br />
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The artwork above Will's changing table came together so beautifully! I painted a few of the pieces myself, including the feather painting in the middle. Another picture is actually a card from Will's shower. There are a couple of quotes from the Peter Pan book, the map of England was painted by Ashley and the top painting of the Pirate Ship sailing away from Neverland was actually painted by a dear friend Courtney and I am obsessed with it.<br />
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I think I had the most fun coming up with subtle homages to the Peter Pan story. Again, I didn't want pictures of Peter Pan everywhere or a huge Big Ben mural on the wall. I wanted to keep things subtle. I found the miniature pirate ship and the minature Big Ben on eBay. The Crocodile stuffed animal was a gift from Stacey Lynch for my shower. There is a jar of "pixie dust" on the top shelf and a canoe. There is also a stack of several editions of Peter Pan novels and picture books. On the bottom shelf next to the crocodile, is the ticking clock. There is also a stack of thimbles (or Kisses) and the set of blocks were made as decorations for my baby shower by Laurie from pictures taken from old disney's Peter Pan picture books. I LOVE these shelves.</div>
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Lastly there is a close up of the Neverland sign above Will's crib. This was a gift from Amy Wilt for my baby shower and I love it!<br />
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Overall I am in love with this room and love how dreamy it is to walk into. I can't wait till Will is old enough to read the story of Peter Pan and I can just imagine him playing lost boys hide out and sword fighting with his little siblings some day.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15496469117184363186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32646290.post-42249229531082347732016-05-17T13:36:00.000-07:002017-06-20T14:03:37.362-07:00Will's Third Month! 4/11 - 5/10<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiijqMLPW2NWhiMnoW7phiUrwGPv8_TXf4UOsp5-CADDmaAdmWC6mW04ol1nAQWbJHWhbNs3I6lcNWhuJwgfDDHpD-1UWhMoVlXYELtwjlV-75eRkbo8rIqI7-tbDECI-jOtQad/s1600/13220594_10156909086440296_6091394846203619039_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiijqMLPW2NWhiMnoW7phiUrwGPv8_TXf4UOsp5-CADDmaAdmWC6mW04ol1nAQWbJHWhbNs3I6lcNWhuJwgfDDHpD-1UWhMoVlXYELtwjlV-75eRkbo8rIqI7-tbDECI-jOtQad/s320/13220594_10156909086440296_6091394846203619039_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "san francisco" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; text-align: left;">I am 3 MONTHS OLD today! • I am starting to roll over <br />from front to back and can get about half way from back to front • <br />I am transitioning to sleeping in my crib at night • <br />I no longer like keeping my arms in my swaddle • <br />and as a result of those two changes, I am not as <br />good a sleeper as I use to be • smiling at my mom <br />and dad is my favorite • I love being in water <br />either at bath time or in a swi</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: "san francisco" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; text-align: left;">mming pool • <br />my mom is struggling to find diapers that can hold all the poop I make • <br />I talk and make noises all the time • everyone tells <br />me I'm so expressive • I loved celebrating my mom <br />on Mother's Day because I love her so much • <br />my favorite food is still milk, but I also like chewing <br />and sucking on my hands a lot • <br />my favorite song is one my Pop Pop made up for uncle Tyler, <br />but mom and dad sing it to me now • <br />my favorite time of day is morning cause daddy and <br />I have boys time while mama sleeps an extra hour • I love being 3 months!</span></td></tr>
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Oh my sweet boy, your 3rd month of life, like the previous two was full of fun and growth and further learning all the sweet things you bring to our lives!<br />
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Will started his third month with a round of shots. Oh my sweetest boy was NOT happy with his this process. He recovered so quickly in the doctors office and quickly just went to sleep after we left and had a great nap. However when he woke up, he was beside himself with achy legs and a mild fever. This was totally expected and the doctor warned us about this, but it was still so incredibly sad. I put ice on the site of his shot and we cuddled and I did everything I could to calm him down. It is heartbreaking to watch him in so much pain, but also incredibly sweet to have him so cuddly and in so much need of comfort. It was such a sweet reminder of what a blessing it is to be his mom.<br />
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Speaking of comfort, Will discovered his favorite position to fall asleep in and that was in the cradle hold, but with his face buried in my armpit. He would wiggle and wiggle until he found that position and then would settle right in and fall asleep. He only did this with me.<br />
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As the weather grew hot outside, Will and I tried as long as we could to maintain our mornings on the patio, but as we entered into May, it wasn't easy for us to stand the heat. I am such wimp when it<br />
comes to the AZ summer and now that I had a tiny little boy attached to me, the sweat was<br />
unbearable. Plus just the thought of my baby feeling the hot sun on his precious skin was too hard for me to endure, so we began to hibernate.<br />
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We decided to visit Daddy downtown for lunch as much as we could before it got hot and we loved showing Will off around Aaron's office to all his co workers. It became apparent as we started bringing Will into the office more, that morale raised a ton! Aaron works with several new and seasoned moms at the city, so a baby in the office was so fun for all of them. A couple of the ladies had been so generous with us in giving us hand me down toys and clothes. Oh I am so thankful for people's used toys and clothes! It saves us so much money and allowed me to not feel so stressed about whether I was wasting my money on something he wouldn't touch!<br />
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Jonah and Nathan turned 4 years old on 4/21 and we got to celebrate them with a superhero party! Nicole had gifted Will with a little Superman Onesie and I was so stoked to get to have him wear it for the party! I love that Will is only a few years younger than these little boys! Along with celebrating them at the birthday party, Aaron and I also took the boys out for a day date to spend time with them. We took them to donuts for breakfast and then to the mall for a chance to pick out a gift and play in the epic play land at Scottsdale Fashion Square. We got to the play land and I got Will out of his carseat to cuddle, only to be surprised by poop all over my hands! He had blown out his diaper without me knowing it and it was now oozed all up his back nearly to his hairline. I yelled for Aaron to help. It was definitely an all hands on deck type of diaper change! We got him cleaned up (thank GOD there was a bathroom next to the play land) and also that the boys were quite content to keep themselves occupied while we cleaned and changed Will. He was hungry after all the pooping and so I found a corner to nurse him while Aaron chased the boys around and while Will was eating, he nearly blew out another diaper! I had to stop him mid feed to make sure that I caught the diaper in time. This was a notable story because it was his only time having a public blowout and what a doozy it was. We quickly realized we needed to up his diaper size if we were going to contain all he created!<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Will's personality began to blossom more and more as he grew. He developed preferences and patterns and opinions. We had a routine established for our day, for the most part with Will waking up in the morning and being able to stay awake about 1.5-2 hours at a time before taking a nap. The pattern continued throughout the day, until bedtime. However around 3 months Will fell into a sleep regression. Our once perfect sleeper started waking up more and more. This sleep struggle was compounded by the switch to his crib from the glorious rock n play and the fact that he started being able to roll over and therefore wasn't able to be swaddled any more, which as our sleep secret weapon. With all these changes, gone were the days of sleeping uninterrupted and we had a normal baby again who woke up every 3 hours. I have to admit, while I told myself I would get use to the sleeping through the night set up we had, I of course did get use to it and loathed having to get up and down all night. We quickly learned that Will wanted only momma in the middle of the night and while Aaron tried to help when he could, it was no </span><br />
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use. Will would only settle down once I went in for him. We said it was just a phase and probably a growth spurt, or bad gas, or whatever, but it quickly became just the norm. We tried everything as new parents do to figure it out. We would have a decent night of just waking up once or twice and we would agonize to make sure we did everything exactly the same as we did the night before only for him to have a terrible night. I seriously thing you can go mad trying to figure out the pattern of an infant. One of our life savers during this sleep deprived time was the glow in the dark pacifiers that Emolyn, my 8 year old niece, picked out for Will. When I got them at my baby shower I laughed at how these seemed clever and that we'd see if they came in handy... oh how little I knew! The fact that I could shuffle into his room in the middle of the night bleery eyed and be able to spot his pacifier glowing in the crib or under the crib was a GIFT FROM GOD! One of my top recommendations for new parents!<br />
To make up for the lack of sleep, Aaron started waking up with Will in the early morning and let me sleep an extra hour. Best daddy!<br />
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We had another notable introduction this month when Will finally met his Great Grandma Thompson! Mamaw's health is quickly fading, so I was excited for him to meet her. What a sweet meeting it was. Watching them gaze at each other was so cool. The oldest family member in our Thompson clan holding the tiny newest member of the family. Gosh I love this woman so much and so thankful that my little boy gets to know her.<br />
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Next up, we celebrated Laurie's birthday! Her actual birthday is March 29th, but she was sick on her birthday and then life was busy, so we finally decided to celebrate her a month later. I would like to say I remember what we got her for her birthday, but no gift will ever compare to cuddles from her grandson, so she was a happy camper no matter what. Will is truly the life and focus of every party from here on out.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aunt Ashley and little Wills</td></tr>
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With the weather getting warmer, the cold and flu season passed and I was able to start introducing Will to other little kiddos. We met lots of new friends this month and enjoyed the process of learning to socialize. The big into of the month was our sweet friend Caleb! Caleb's mom Jen and I shared the same due date and while we had known of each other for a few years, we had never really talked. But when we discovered we were both pregnant, we decided it was time to become friends. What an incredibly huge blessing Jen is to me! I have someone who is going through the exact same thing as me at the exact same time. We share all sorts of mom stories and questions and compare milestones and developmental things. After a while our friendship grew beyond just pregnancy and mom stories... Jen has become one of my very dearest<br />
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friends! I cannot say how incredibly blessed I am by her and our friendship. When we finally got our boys together after feeling quarantined in our homes afraid of our boys getting sick and sharing illness, it was so emotional and overwhelming! What sweet little guys! They hardly took notice of each other, of course, and were way more entertained by Jen and my smiles and coos and squeals of delight in their cuteness! Caleb kept swatting at Will's face and Will was just chill as can be. Oh how we dreamed of the friends they might become as they get bigger! I have lifelong friends that I met when I was months old and I pray that Will would have sweet relationships like that. These little boys are gonna create a lot of mischief together, I can tell.<br />
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When Will was nearly 3 months old, I celebrated my first Mother's Day. Oh how I had longed to be able to be celebrated on this day. I know I was a new mom, but I felt like a little bit of a super hero in these first 3 months and I was so excited to get to be celebrated as a mom! I told Aaron exactly how I wanted to spend the day - laying out by a pool relaxing with my boys! Aaron also gave me a lovely necklace with a branch and tiny bird charm hanging from it with a "W" on it. I can add charms to the necklace as I have more kids in the future. He also gave me a frame with the first picture of just Will and I in the hospital room. It was glorious.<br />
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One of my favorite things that my church does is that we do baby dedications on mother's day! I was dedicated at Open Door Fellowship 32 years before and many of the same people who prayed with my parents over me, were also there for this Mother's Day dedication of my son. Such a surreal moment to know what a beautiful, strong, and dynamic community Will has surrounding him. I thought of the people who would one day be is Sunday School teachers and camp counselors and high school leaders. I thought of the people who we hadn't met yet, who would mold and shape Will's life in the years and decades to come. It was a powerful moment to commit to this community my desire to raise Will knowing God's love for him and to say that I need all of their help to instill that truth in Will's life.<br />
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Then after church, Aaron and I headed to the Biltmore Resort for an afternoon by the pool! It is hot, but we found perfect spots in the shade and Will loved just hanging out and with daddy and I in the water! I absolutely love Will's swim hat. We joke that he looks like the <a href="https://goo.gl/images/b4uqzj">Gorton's Fisherman</a>.<br />
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I was so emotional all day basking in the reality that everything I had hoped and prayed for from the time I was a little girl was finally all a reality. I have an amazing husband who I love and adore and makes me feel so beautiful and honored and I am finally a mom! I kept staring at Will's face all day and wanted to celebrate him. Because this day was as much about him as it was for me. It was as much about Aaron as it was for me. Aaron allows me to be the mom I want to be. I get to stay home and snuggle and care for and play and cherish my baby all day long. He works so hard for our family so that the dreams and plans we have for Will get to become a reality. And my sweet baby boy made me a mom! He is the reason I am living my deepest hearts desire! I wrote his post below on Mother's Day and it pretty much captures all the beauty of being a mom in these first 3 months.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-Zev8IxAISX5WEkfoCFDkSwzrAGM249gBGNjjYRQt9I4vdHmt8EitOVFlz8YLwqBj1ERB3xVCe2xc14umuzuCzP3EeSvI5R2su5R45Ui0IeOSm2Hipjse7CIA8a26kgOy_4F/s1600/IMG_8821.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-Zev8IxAISX5WEkfoCFDkSwzrAGM249gBGNjjYRQt9I4vdHmt8EitOVFlz8YLwqBj1ERB3xVCe2xc14umuzuCzP3EeSvI5R2su5R45Ui0IeOSm2Hipjse7CIA8a26kgOy_4F/s320/IMG_8821.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "san francisco" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; text-align: left;">You, little man, are the reason I cry at Disney movies <br />from start to finish, the reason I never have to set <br />an alarm anymore. You're the reason I talk about poop <br />and toots all day every day and the reason I have <br />developed a taste for coffee. You are the reason I smile bigger, <br />ache in the deepest parts of my heart cause I love you so much. <br />You are the reason why I have over 1,000 pictures on my pho</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: "san francisco" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; text-align: left;">ne <br />just since February. You're the reason I stare at a baby <br />video monitor just to watch you sleep, laugh all day <br />because you delight me more than I could have imagined. <br />You are the reason I praise God more deeply, marvel at <br />the journey He laid out for me. You are the reason I love your dad<br /> in a deeper and more overwhelming way. You are the reason <br />I get to stay home and love you and play all day. <br />You're the reason I have become obsessed with things like pacifier clips, <br />diaper brands, tiny shoes, and websites about baby <br />developmental milestones. You are the reason I went <br />through 17 hours of labor and 1 major surgery. <br />You are the reason I was made, not just physically, <br />but because being your mom leads me to praise God and <br />lean into His strength more fully than ever. You are my most precious gift. <br />You are the reason I get presents today and get to be pampered. <br />You are the reason I am living out the deepest desire for my life. <br />You, William James Randy Mertz are the reason I am a mom!</span></td></tr>
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Mother's Day closed out your third month of being completely awesome! What a sweet month it was. You developed so much and gain more personality all the time. I love watching you learn and grow and blossom my sweet son!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">meeting Ridge!</td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: #bd081c; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: block; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; left: 193px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; top: 1466px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">I <span style="color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold;">Save</span></span><span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: block; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 193px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 1466px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15496469117184363186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32646290.post-78754792792916593302016-04-12T22:27:00.000-07:002017-06-19T20:36:44.304-07:00Will's Second Month! 3/11 - 4/10<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmNY7w6oFhFO3ULyqO2_yi3ZVSrzNce1bUpfkJw7lme_uP0kst81VdjHlRE5IQP-JNqMQj8ji9hbwb8u-oGbhVnXtl7pi4UN_zcrUaKmVaqGaM7Nhge2llroxt8XxAc53FCoT/s1600/FullSizeRender+14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmNY7w6oFhFO3ULyqO2_yi3ZVSrzNce1bUpfkJw7lme_uP0kst81VdjHlRE5IQP-JNqMQj8ji9hbwb8u-oGbhVnXtl7pi4UN_zcrUaKmVaqGaM7Nhge2llroxt8XxAc53FCoT/s320/FullSizeRender+14.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "san francisco" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; text-align: left;">2 MONTHS OLD!!! • my mom calls me an easy baby! • <br />I give mom and dad more sleep then they deserve • <br />I had my 2 month check up and I weigh 12# 9oz and am 24in long • <br />my head is in the 97th percentile, which obviously <br />means I have lots of brains and I am really smart • <br />my favorite song is Winnie the Pooh and all the <br />funny songs my dad makes up for me • <br />my favorite place in the house is my changing t</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: "san francisco" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; text-align: left;">able <br />where I can look out my window • my favorite food is milk • <br />I love when soft things are rubbed against my skin • <br />I am a morning person, much to my moms dismay •<br />I nap best with the TV on • I love laying in my boppy <br />and being covered with a swaddle blanket just so I can kick it off • <br />I love being outside • I am starting to really enjoy <br />bath time and the way my legs make splashes <br />when I kick them • I love cuddling! • <br />my mom tells me all the time that her heart is gonna burst for love of me!</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEPVp1uBEdXbDqNUCT6njn6ceaGaIAdhnvYExapOA9G9vVdnwBltzfbKIlTk5wP_X1LCutr7FhUCpc8PEU1r6MlsDMVnoHeBIwx9ErHfbpJM6ySP5q4A2Wc9zH8OKEKCKq1mAI/s1600/IMG_3284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEPVp1uBEdXbDqNUCT6njn6ceaGaIAdhnvYExapOA9G9vVdnwBltzfbKIlTk5wP_X1LCutr7FhUCpc8PEU1r6MlsDMVnoHeBIwx9ErHfbpJM6ySP5q4A2Wc9zH8OKEKCKq1mAI/s320/IMG_3284.JPG" width="240" /></a>This kid spoiled us this month! He was so chill and easy going! Most of the day we just relaxed and chilled around the house and went for walks in the lovely fresh air. When you live in Phoenix in the spring, summer can destroy your lovely weather at a moments notice, so we try to take advantage for as long as we can. I can't say enough what an easy baby Will was/is! If he wasn't in his rock n play or sleeping propped up in the boppy on the couch, he was chilling on his activity mat, playing with his animal friends. He also fell in love with his changing table this month! He noticed that if he turned his head he was able to see out of his window into the front yard. It was mesmerizing for him and calmed him down instantly if he was fussy. We spent a lot of time in this spot in the house enjoying little baby coos and kicks and wiggles while watching the world outside the window.</div>
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A few days after he turned a year old, we were ready to transition him into his own room. As much as I loved having him close to me in the night, it started getting old being awake from 4-5am during his nightly gas fest! Seriously this kid's grunts and toots were so loud. Poor Aaron had a hard time getting back to sleep after his "witching hour", so we decided it was best for everyone if we slept in our own rooms. I suspected that Will might sleep better being a part from us as well. Sure enough, after his first night in his own <br />
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room, Will gave us a 6 hour stretch and then a 4 hour stretch! It felt like heaven. Then within a week he upped the stakes and slept a FULL 10 HOURS uninterrupted! The first morning I woke up before him, I of course freaked out and had to go check and make sure he was ok. Then on the second morning... I still had to go check on him. By the 3rd morning, Aaron and I had to start trying really hard to not get use to this blissful sleeping arrangement. We knew that at any moment, he would switch everything up on us and start sleeping terribly again, but we kept right on giving us incredible sleep. When people would ask how he was sleeping or if we were surviving sleep deprivation, Aaron and I felt super guilty! </div>
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While Will improved in sleep, he also started liking his baths! We had stopped with the sink<br />
baths and started bathing him in his baby tub on the kitchen counter. It helped that he had a warm washcloth on his tummy and kept him comfy and warm in the water. He still cried, but it was much less than before. By the time his second month was done, we were able to transition him to the baby tub part without the hammock, which he LOVED! He really enjoyed being propped up by one of us, while the other one soaped him up and poured water over his shoulders and arms. It was also Aaron and my favorite things because he just looked like the cutest little fat man sitting in a hot tub! And then who could resist a clean, fresh, sweet little baby all wrapped in a ducky towel!</div>
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Will's first big holiday was St Patrick's day! Of course when you have a tiny red headed Irish baby, it was imperative to make it a big deal! Laurie (Grandma) had gotten him a onesie that said "Kiss me I'm Irish" so a photo shoot was in order! People tell me all the time how expressive Will is and he showed it in full force for our mini session. Seriously by the time this kid is a year old, he's gonna be a photo shoot pro!</div>
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I wish I could say that major Holidays were the only occasion to have a photo shoot, but who am I kidding. When you have an adorable baby with boundless expressions, you have to take advantage of the cuteness and take a gazillion pictures!</div>
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Just a couple weeks after St Patricks Day it was Easter! Cue more photo shoots!</div>
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I can't begin to express how much I love having a sweet little baby to dress up for major holidays!</div>
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I thought long and hard about what I wanted him to wear for Easter. It was, after all, his first time to church, so he had to look sharp for everyone. Emolyn was getting baptised, so we couldn't miss it. I had planned on wearing him in his wrap so no one would ask to hold him, but his outfit needed to be seen, so instead Aaron and I just held him close the whole service. He did great and everyone was so distracted with the Easter festivities that no one really noticed us much, so we got to fly under the radar.</div>
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We split the day between our two families having lunch after church with my mom and dad and then the evening with Aaron's family. It was a whirlwind exhausting day, considering we weren't use to being out of the house for very long. Our stamina for full days of people just isn't what it use to be, but it was still so sweet to be with everyone! Will was a champ and slept like normal.</div>
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Over at my parents house, we brought the yellow blanket with us and finally got a photo with my dad and I and the yellow blanket. It isn't exactly my dad holding Will (he still wasn't interested in that), but all 3 of use were in the picture with it. We also got some sweet photos with my mom and my mom and dad with Will.</div>
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Then we also had to get some photos of Pat and Laurie with Will too that evening!<br />
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I had so many day dreams throughout the day of future Easter Egg hunts and egg decorating and tell Will about the true meaning behind Easter and how monumental it is the history of time and space. I just can't wait to watch Will take in each of his first holidays and then do it all again next year when he's even older and can participate more in all our little traditions!</div>
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Just a few days after Easter, we decided to do our first day trip! Will loved his car seat and stroller on our short trips around town, so we decided to test it for a longer duration. We headed north to Prescott. This was the place where Aaron and I did our first day trip while dating. We are big day trip people and were excited to introduce Will to long car rides and new towns. The weather was nice and cool up there too, which was very welcome for us since Phoenix was already starting to get hot. We ate lunch at the Raven and then walked around the town square for the afternoon. Will was a champ, except on our way home. We hadn't even made it out of Prescott town square when he lost it and I had to move to sit in the back the whole drive home because he was just very lonely. I would still consider it a successful trip and a great practice for trips to come!</div>
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We started trying to get out of the house a lot more this month. I wouldn't say I was suffering from cabin fever, because I loved being at home, but Aaron definitely was antsy to get out of the house more and I agreed that I didn't want to be so much of a home body that Will didn't know how to be out in public. He needed to get use to the flexibility out being out and <br />
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about. We went on a lot more mini dates as a family. I was particularly excited when we were able to get out in the right time frame where I was able to have an adult drink! We went to visit my friend Jeannette at SunUp Brewery in Phoenix. They have a Vanilla Porter on draft as well as a house made Root Beer and Jeannette mixes them together and it tastes like a delicious root beer float! Can you tell it is one of my favorite drinks? </div>
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Will took to eating out like a boss and made everything so easy for Aaron and I. I of course was a nervous wreck know what possibly COULD go wrong, but never did. Looking back, I feel like maybe I was the one that needed to practice to learn the flexibility of being out and about. Either way, we both learned and adjusted to everything slowly but surely.</div>
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Will also got to meet more family this month! We had a visit from both Great Grandmas on Aaron's side of the family and even had a mini introduction party with more of my side of the family - my Aunt Etna (she had actually come to visit us at home right after Will was born) and a few of my cousins (Evan and his wife Myra and their son Timothy)!</div>
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Will also got to meet his Uncle Tyler, who came to visit all the way from Wisconsin! I loved having my brother meet his littlest nephew and be our first house guest after having a baby! I was definitely worried that Will's occasional wake ups (every so often he would wake up a couple times at night, but mostly he slept straight through) would keep Tyler from sleeping very well. Fortunately, Tyler is a heavy sleeper and it didn't bother him at all!</div>
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Will and I got to be the ones to pick Tyler up from the airport and welcome him back to the Phoenix heat! And then we brought him back to the house where he got to have proper Will snuggles! </div>
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It was such a fun weekend with the siblings! Tyler didn't tell my mom he was coming into town, so he got to head over to her house before she got home from work and be sitting in the living room when she walked in the door. She of course freaked out and screamed with delight. Tyler caught it all on video, so we got to see it. The whole weekend was a blast! We even got a night out with the 5 of us siblings (and Will) going to different bars in Scottsdale. Now I have no problem taking Will into a bar. Especially since Phoenix doesn't allow smoking inside and even the patios are nice and open, so it is never a problem. However, taking a baby to a bar can be a bit of a buzz kill for the other patrons as it is probably an unwelcome reminder about responsibility. I didn't actually care though and we still had an excellent time!</div>
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The weekend was over too quickly and we were sad to see Tyler go! </div>
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Will just loved him and they were so sweet together! It made me extra excited to someday bring Will up to Wisconsin for a visit to the farm and to see Tyler up there!</div>
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That almost brings up to the end of month #2! Some other fun pieces about this month were all the special moments Will got with his daddy. Aaron introduced him to Soccer on the computer and they continued to play lots of video game soccer together! </div>
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We even got to head down to meet Aaron downtown during the week to have lunch all together as a family. As much as Aaron had been ready to return to work, after a week or so, he admitted that it got harder and harder every day to be away from Will and to not be able to see and cuddle him whenever he wanted. So we had to make sure to give daddy extra love when he got home and allow for lots of boy time.</div>
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Will's second month was full of lots of new adventures and experiences and a continuation of growing big and strong!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15496469117184363186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32646290.post-20971107959458962972016-03-19T19:24:00.000-07:002017-06-19T20:35:58.881-07:00Will's First Month! 2/17 - 3/10<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfsl_WgmQD9GQKsdDoFreVKUp2dJ7FqB4JUbEi1osPbMwv4nSgTCVdaP9WKbZz6ArG_jG_rs5Q0N-QjFY510J97jRhUCMYlYZjAuFoOtDF79eO_UkasI3TuDr8F49mzTaIqwq0/s1600/IMG_7634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfsl_WgmQD9GQKsdDoFreVKUp2dJ7FqB4JUbEi1osPbMwv4nSgTCVdaP9WKbZz6ArG_jG_rs5Q0N-QjFY510J97jRhUCMYlYZjAuFoOtDF79eO_UkasI3TuDr8F49mzTaIqwq0/s320/IMG_7634.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "san francisco" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; text-align: left;">ONE MONTH OLD!! • I love being cuddled all the time • <br />I love eating and I am growing big and strong • <br />I gained 9 oz in the last 3 days and am now 10 lbs 6 oz •<br /> I have almost outgrown all of my newborn clothes and diapers • <br />momma and dada are sad that I'm getting so big • <br />I love riding in the car and in my stroller • <br />I fall asleep instantly in my wrap • <br />I hang out in my crib every morning and talk to myself •<br /> I am mesmerized by ceiling fans • <br />I love my puppy June and when I cry she gives me <br />kisses on my head to calm me down • my sweet baby sounds <br />melt my dada's heart • I love my Mickey stuffed animal from Disneyland • <br />my red hair makes momma really happy!</span></td></tr>
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One whole month of life has passed for this little dude and we are besotted! You can read some of the fun facts about him above in his first month! One of the most fun parts of this first month was introducing Will to our puppy June! When we were in the hospital with Will, June stayed at my in laws house while we got settled in as parents. I knew June was great with kids, since she had a ton of exposure to Emolyn, Elsie, Jonah, and Nathan and just LOVED them, but she had never been around tiny babies before. I wasn't super nervous, but I will admit I was very curious about how she would react. <br />
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Aaron went to pick up June and bring her home and when she walked into the house, I had Will in my lap with my hands blocking his face. She had the chance to sniff and lick and get use to him without the worry that she would lick his mouth or eyes right off the bat. After a few sniffs, she generally was disinterested and wandered off to explore the rest of the house. We then put Will in the Rock n Play and let June get use to him in there. She settled herself right down next to it and was content to just be near him. I think June was more weirded out by me than by Will. I was different than how she had left me. June had been obsessed with me for the last couple months of my pregnancy and mainly obsessed with my bump. Since that was mostly gone, she didn't know what to do with me. I smelled different to her and mainly cause I smelled like him. <br />
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She didn't really like being around me for a while and mostly stuck to Aaron when he was around. But June and Will became fast friends with June often licking him when he was sad or just was in need of a bath. We soon were joking that Will was June's puppy and she was a very attentive mother to him.<br />
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After that first week of a lot of firsts, the days generally blended together. Day was night and night was day for Will, so we started trying to adjust him to understanding general sleeping patterns and when to try to get most of his energy out. Soon we had a pretty good rhythm and while he was waking up regularly at night to eat, he was settling back in right away and didn't expect to play or hang out much. He started giving us 4 hours stretched sometimes and since he was growing so well, the doctor told us we could let him sleep as long as he wanted and didn't need to try to wake him up to eat if he wasn't doing it on his own. This was glorious for us and allowed me to relax a bit with his nursing and sleeping patterns.<br />
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Will slept in the rock n play in our room right next to my side of the bed so I had easy access to him. It was lovely because I definitely had new mom jitters and would wake up regularly, even if he didn't, and would need to make sure he was ok. The Snuza Shawn and Nicole gave us for our shower was AMAZING! Not only does it promise to sound an alarm if it stops sensing Will's stomach rising and falling when breathing, but it also has a tiny blinking light that flashes with each of his breaths. So while I trusted an alarm would sound if something was wrong, it was nice to be able to see the blinking light whenever I wanted to.<br />
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Aaron still had his mornings with Will and eventually as the weather really got lovely in the morning, Aaron started taking Will out for walks while I slept in. He would bundle our little guy up in all his cute hats and warm blankets and take off around the neighborhood enjoying the fresh air. Will adores being outside and so loved taking in all the lights and feeling the breezes and hearing all the rustling leaves and sounds of the world around him.<br />
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We started also taking family walks in the evening. The walking helped me to recover from surgery and gain some strength back in my core and legs. Honestly though I would be pretty beat after just making it around the block.<br />
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We also started venturing out as a family for shopping and eating out! We did our first day out all together (that wasn't to the doctors) when Will was just 1 week and 1 day! We of course went to Target and then to Mellow Mushroom for lunch. I also did my first public nursing session as we waited for our food and crushed it!<br />
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Will also had his first bath at home after being out in all those public places. <br />
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The first bath experience was general traumatic for all of us (haha!). We decided to start with the bathroom sink for bathing since he just seemed so little for his baby bath tub. I put a towel at the bottom for padding and made sure the water was a good temperature. Will however HATES being naked and so while Aaron got him ready and was making his way from the nursery to the bathroom with a naked baby, Will pooped ALL OVER HIM! Runny baby poop too! We quickly wiped him up and put him in the sink bath and then he proceeded to poop all over the towel and muck up the water. It was ridiculous! Will would continue to poop every single time we gave him a bath, even if he had just filled up a diaper right before. It was his way of protesting his LEAST favorite activity of his little life. We eventually transitioned him to the baby bath, which was just as awful since he was so cold and miserable. It wasn't until well after his first month that he was big enough to just put in the bath without the hammock for newborns and he started LOVING bath time.<br />
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Other fun first month highlights included taking Newborn photos with Miss Sarah, celebrating Emolyn's birthday, and meeting Dr Schwartz!<br />
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There also were a lot of cuddles and moments of sleeping when we could find it. We took every advantage of the fact that Will was so tiny and could sleep right on us.<br />
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And eventually Will got use to bath time... and his favorite part of bath time, being the end when he was wrapped nice and tight in a towel and snuggled up with one of us.<br />
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Then sadly after 2.5 weeks of having daddy home with us to play and cuddle and relax as a family, Aaron finally went back to work on February 29th. Aaron was ready to go to work and regain the <br />
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normalcy of a schedule. We were ready to try our hand at what our every day would look like where we weren't essentially in "vacation mode", but I definitely will admit that I was nervous about having Will all to myself with no relief. Aaron had gone out for little spurts of time while he was off work, so I definitely had experience with just Will and I for several hours, but this was the beginning of our normal day in a day out. I planned a day where absolutely no one was planning on coming over and Will and I would do absolutely nothing but relax all day. We had had a pretty steady stream of visitors in and out of the house his first few weeks of life and I loved having everyone meet our little man, but the idea of a quiet house with just Will was a welcome idea. It hit me after Aaron had left for the day, that not only was Aaron going back to work, but I essentially was starting my new job too... and it was my DREAM JOB! It hadn't occurred to me until that moment that this was my first day of the job I had been dreaming of and longing for my entire life! I was finally a full-time stay-at-home mom!! I got giddy at the realization that this was the rest of my life! Then of course I documented it with a picture!<br />
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It was such a fun and sweet day... and pretty darn easy I must say. But even so, when Aaron came home, both Will and I were found fast asleep and ready for daddy cuddles!<br />
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Will and I eventually settled into a nice routine of walking daddy to the door, getting dressed and heading out to Dutch Bros Coffee for momma's iced coffee fix. Eventually our finances couldn't handle the almost daily gas and coffee purchase, even though I was able to work my punch card to a free coffee every other week. We ultimately invested in a cold brew Toddy in order to be more cost effective and I created a drink I liked a million times better than Dutch Bros. <br />
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Anyway, after coffee, we would sit outside on the patio and enjoy the fresh air. Will LOVED being outside! After we were outside for a bit, Will would be ready for a nap. Then after his first nap we would either run an errand or go for a walk around the neighborhood. Then momma and Will would both take a nap, then someone may stop by, but usually that would take us into the evening where we would relax and watch TV until daddy came home.<br />
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Will first month of life was so incredibly sweet and full of cuddles! I look back on everything and my memory seems to be soaked in a dreamy, fuzzy haze of baby smell and cuddles and sleep. It is so crazy that he is already so big, but I also feel like the pace so far is to my liking. Just enough movement forward and growth where I know Will is growing big and strong, but also slow enough for me to soak him in and revel in his tininess. I never in a million years thought that I would adore this stage as much as I do. I thought I would want to push forward and skip to the toddle age when he was more responsive and communicative and slightly more capable of doing things himself, but instead I find myself begging God to make Will the first baby to never grow up!<br />
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<span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 233px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 14015px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 233px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 14015px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 233px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 14015px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 233px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 14015px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 233px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 14015px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 233px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 14015px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15496469117184363186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32646290.post-21467283622954589612016-03-18T14:28:00.000-07:002017-06-17T14:29:55.863-07:00Will's Newborn PhotosFor Will's Newborn Photos, we used Sarah Doyle, who has taken our pictures before. She is a dear friend and someone we trust so much to capture the magic and beauty of this season for us. She did my Maternity Pictures too up on Flagstaff in the snow, which was quite a production including a flat tire and a 4 hour delay hanging out at the mall being stranded while our tire was replaced. Needless to say it was harrowing, but totally worth it! I loved how the Maternity photos turned out!<br />
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Will's Newborn photos, were actually a gift to us from Sarah for my baby shower! We did them when he had been home just under a week and was just shy of a week and a half old. I banked on him sleeping through most of them and after some sway and rocking in our dark closet to calm him down, he was finally out and the photo session started. I know these pictures look amazing and my hair and make up were done and and the angles are flattering for my postpartum body (hello spanx!), but I can say with all honesty these pictures capture how the first weeks of Will's life FELT. I definitely didn't look this put together in my normal day today, but that first week of Will's life, I felt beautiful. The world was beautiful. The soft focus of life and hormones made everything magical and calming and full of love and snuggles and joy. Yes there were tears and moments of anxiety and frustration trying to get ahold of our new way of life with a little baby, but even in the midst of that, there was a wonder and magic to being a new mom and taking this little life into my heart and my home.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15496469117184363186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32646290.post-39575034139563558662016-03-17T15:00:00.000-07:002017-06-19T20:34:42.511-07:00Will's First Week! 2/10 - 2/17I want to freeze time and keep him this tiny forever! He is pure magic and I can't stop kissing and snuggling and holding him all day every day! I get emotional all the time at the tiniest things like his small finger nails, and the fact that someday he will grow up and get married and leave me. Aaron finds my emotions endlessly entertaining and even I quickly laugh at myself at how easily I cry.<br />
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I feel a bit guilty that I spend all day every day just loving and watching this little boy (with the occasional nap and meal and load of laundry), but then I remember this is my job! This is what I am supposed to be doing all day!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h1 style="border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Edited">One week old today! Life has been pretty blissful with </span></h1>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit;">this little man for the last week! I asked Aaron yesterday </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit;">how we lived life before this tiny person arrived.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit;"> I miss him when I'm sleeping, I miss him even when I am </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit;">holding him and look away for a second. I cried this morning when </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit;">I realized he'll never be this little again! I cry pretty much all </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit;">the time cause he overwhelms me with how perfect he is. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit;">There were 6 minutes at the end of my delivery where we </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit;">nearly lost him completely and the fact that he is perfect is </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit;">something I praise God for every moment. William, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit;">you have completely wrecked your dad and</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit;"> I in the most beautiful and profound way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit;">Fun facts: He is a nursing CHAMP! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit;">From the get go in the recovery room he took to it like a duck to water • </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit;">he loves being swaddled • he hates being naked • </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit;">he also HATES having his diaper changed • </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit;">he has gained over 6oz since we came home from the hospital • </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit;">he peed or pooped through every sleeper we had in one night • </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit;">he has the most gorgeous fluffy copper hair • </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit;">we are already doing tummy time cause his neck and head are </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit;">so strong and he likes looking from side to side • </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit;">he slept over 5 hours in a row last night... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit;">Which made up for the sleepless night we had the night before • </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit;">he loves loves sleeping on daddy's chest • he loves his mommy!</span></div>
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Nicknames we have for him in this first week - Bud, Buddy, Buggy, Bug, Booger (which Aaron hates), sweetest boy, sweetest guy, dude, duder, little man, sweetness, little love, little bear... etc.<br />
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Aaron and I brought Will home from the hospital on February 14th! For two people who could NOT care less about Valentine's Day, this made that date very special. We drove home at a glacial pace and every little speed bump, I would look over at our little guy to make sure he was ok - yes, I sat in the back seat with him while Aaron drove us. <br />
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I also totally cried most of the drive home because... well... hormones. Also the reality that he was ours and we would get to keep him forever and ever just came to full reality for me.<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">We were greeted home by an empty and yet spotlessly clean house and a sweet banner Laurie and Ashley made for us! Also there were some delicious cookies and sweet little decorations and flowers to welcome our little arrival. Jeez did our home feel huge with this tiny little life with us. I immediately took Will into our bedroom and laid him out on our bed to take more pictures! </span><br />
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He was just so tiny! Even his little coming home outfit was SWIMMING on him! Fun Fact: When newborn clothing says "up to 7lbs" it's lying. I believed them and so decided to get a 0-3 month outfit for his "coming home" outfit since we was born over 8 lbs... turns out the newborn outfits would fit him for well after he passed the 7 lb mark! Silly Old Navy!<br />
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We settled into home life and pretty much were prepared for all hell to break loose for our first night at home because that is how the world works. When your baby is a DREAM in the hospital, you kind of expect the shoe to drop and them to flip on you as soon as all your help has gone away. But Will did quite well for his first night! My milk came in that first night and so I think he was definitely excited to be eating. However, this fact backfired on us for his second night at home because his poor little digestive system took some time to adjust and he has just terrible gas and was one sad baby! We actually ended up calling our pediatricians office that second night because we were nervous something was wrong. <br />
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They assured us that everything was ok and that it was normal for a little one's digestive system to need time to learn how to take actual milk and not just colostrum. It also didn't help him that my let down was a bit forceful, which meant that he had to gulp down his milk to keep up with the flow and that meant LOTS of gas bubbles in his tummy. I had to stop him mid feed just to burp him so he wouldn't be in pain later.<br />
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I was quite reassured of his progress when we had his follow up pediatrician appointment on our second day home from the hospital and he had gained 6 ounces in 2 days since leaving the hospital, which put him over his birth weight and meant he was growing JUST FINE! I believe they told me I had super milk, which basically made me feel like the greatest super hero ever! There is nothing better than knowing that you are doing what is best for your child and making sure they are growing strong. I was lucky enough to be able to nurse Will, but even if it hadn't gone that way, the important thing is that no matter how it happens - bottle or breast - when your baby is growing big and strong, it is just the best!<br />
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Aside from pediatrician appointments and digestive hurdles to overcome, our first few days home were blissful. <br />
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Will got to meet his PopPop on our first full day at home. It was really incredibly sweet to see my dad meet my son. He walked in and was delighted at the sight of our sweet baby and sat down with me for introductions and some pictures. Sadly that only lasted a few minutes and then he wanted to go and sit out in the car, so we visited with my mom for another 15 minutes and then they headed back home. I thought the whole visit that it was going as I predicted in my head and I didn't really expect my dad to last very long or be overly interested in Will, so I was thankful for no surprised. <br />
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But as soon as Aaron closed the door after we said goodbye to mom and dad I absolutely lost it and just wept for what was lost. I hate dementia. I really do. The time I introduced my son to my dad shouldn't have looked that way. It was not SUPPOSED to be that way. My dad would have loved Will and been so proud of him. He would have scooped him up into his arms and sat for a long time with Will on his chest just taking in the sweetness of him. He would have hugged me and asked how I was feeling and told me how proud he was of me and how excited he was that the thing I longed for most in my whole life had finally come true.<br />
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He would have gotten emotional watching me be a mom. He would have been present with me. He would have been at the hospital leading the waiting room in prayer and comforting my mom and praying for mine and Will's safety. And we would have recounted God's protection and faithfulness over that time in the comfort of my house, sitting on my couch. And as that vision flooded over me as he drove away, I grieved what I had lost. I grieved for Will. I grieved for the fact that Will wouldn't know his PopPop personally and won't get to experience the amazing man he was. <br />
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I grieved what Will probably never would, because he wouldn't know any other PopPop than the man who was sick.<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">I was sad because we didn't get a picture of my dad with Will in the yellow blanket. My dad wasn't really interested in holding Will, which again wasn't surprising, but I so badly wanted a picture of the two of them like Shawn & Nicole had with each of their kids. My mom did get some sweet pictures of Will in the yellow blanket.</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Other than big introductions, Will's first week finished out nice and lazy at home with just dad and I. Aaron's work was generous and gave him 2 weeks of paternity leave and then after our delivery went awry, they decided to let him start the 2 weeks from the time we got home from the hospital, so he ended up having 2.5 weeks at home with us. This gave him ample time to relax with our little dude and help take care of Will and I. </span><br />
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Aaron would wake up with Will in the early morning and after I fed him, would take him into the living room and let me keep sleeping while the two of them played video games together - with Will sleeping in Aaron's arms of course. Daddy was in complete heaven with his little dude!<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">I quickly resigned myself to taking MILLIONS of pictures of Will! Everything he did was amazing. He loved the Rock N Play and it was the perfect thing to put him in while we were around the house. It rocked itself, so he slept SO GOOD in it. We also started regular tummy time at home because even in the hospital he was lifting his head and looking around at the world. The doctor told us that tummy time was a must to make sure his neck grew strong and his head stayed nice and round. So this first week I have WAY too many pictures of him looking so cute just laying around.</span><br />
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Oh my, he is just so squishy and cute! I loved being able to put him in the cutest tiniest clothes and and wrap him up warm in a swaddle. We quickly learned that we needed to get him more newborn jammies because he pooped through all the ones we owned in ONE NIGHT! There is nothing like changing a baby and changing crib sheets with your spouse in the middle of the night! We had an effective system though, so that helped curb the tension.<br />
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The people at our church were so incredibly generous and my mother in law set up a meal plan for people to bring us food for Will's first few weeks of life and we got the most delicious meals! Will also got to meet more people as they brought food over. My friend Anne brought me yummy cookies that help with my milk production and other people came over just to meet our tiny prince and bring sweet gifts and well wishes. Aaron and I took every opportunity to tell our harrowing tale! I also perfected nursing and eating at the same time!<br />
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By the time Will turned a week old, he was quite the social butterfly but he still had some very important people still to meet - his cousins! Shawn & Nicole brought the kiddos over for their introductions! They walked in while I was finishing up feeding him, so they had to wait until I took my nursing cover off to fully see him. But they were absolutely fascinated by his tiny toes!<br />
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Emolyn was the first to hold him and she was a pro! Seeing her holding my tiny son was surreal! The little girl who made me an aunt with the little boy who made me a mom. I couldn't take it in.<br />
Elsie was next to hold him and she just cooed over how sweet he was!<br />
Jonah was very nervous holding Will and as soon as he was in his arms, Jonah froze in concentration.<br />
Nathan at first didn't really want to hold him at all. I think there was a piece of him that had expected an older baby who would be more interactive, so I think he was a bit disappointed and thrown off.<br />
All in all the general consensus amongst the group was that Will was awesome and they loved him.<br />
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And just like that, Will's first week was complete! Of course we commemorated his milestone with a "few" photos:</div>
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And then Will was spent!</div>
<span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 193px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 186px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 193px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 186px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 193px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 186px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 193px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 186px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 359px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 874px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 359px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 874px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15496469117184363186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32646290.post-28588568608549614952016-03-15T23:32:00.000-07:002017-03-14T15:56:10.538-07:00Hospital Stay Part 2As I was still recovering from my C-section and going on over 24 hours with about 2 hours worth of sleep (taken in 10-15 minutes increments), my memory of most of the first day of Will's life still run together and don't have a lot of great detail to them.<br />
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After the Pediatrician and Nurses had checked him our early his first morning of life, we were ready to post our little bundle of joy on social media for the world to behold!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3aGyITUAO3PHX_6sh8jFlcLIG0Tc-y9I1rA4bWlUe7KSYSS6UYzHfGkSuHR69V70Q8sOizJhx-Vs9I8XhcJwPCyEz7YXBmYlCXvBpOtIdhttV3Vz4fojFJP3-Os2X4FqM93EM/s1600/2016-02-11+06.24.05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3aGyITUAO3PHX_6sh8jFlcLIG0Tc-y9I1rA4bWlUe7KSYSS6UYzHfGkSuHR69V70Q8sOizJhx-Vs9I8XhcJwPCyEz7YXBmYlCXvBpOtIdhttV3Vz4fojFJP3-Os2X4FqM93EM/s320/2016-02-11+06.24.05.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "san francisco" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; text-align: left;">William James Randy Mertz came into the world last night </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "san francisco" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; text-align: left;">at 7:18p </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; text-align: left;">weighing 8lbs 2oz and 20.5 inches long. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "san francisco" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; text-align: left;">You can't see it under the hat, but he has red hair! </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "san francisco" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; text-align: left;">The afternoon/evening was pretty crazy and traumatic and </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "san francisco" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; text-align: left;">ended with an emergency c-section and a lot of scary moments for </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "san francisco" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; text-align: left;">Aaron and I, but mom and baby are doing amazing and </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "san francisco" , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; text-align: left;">he's just the most amazing thing we've ever seen! </span><a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/willjamesrandy" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: 'San Francisco', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, '.SFNSText-Regular', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">#WillJamesRandy</a></td></tr>
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We also were ready for some good food! When Aaron and I had come to our hospital for birthing classes we always came a bit early because Aaron and I actually enjoyed the food! My husband has quite the affinity for hospital food, so we were not too worried about the food we would get. We were exceptionally impressed through, because hospital cafeteria food and hospital room service food are on two different levels! I actually loved everything I ate during my stay! Also my food was included and I got to order and appetizer, entree, drink, and dessert. It would seem though that they either counted Aaron's entree as my appetizer, or just turned a blind eye to the fact that I was ordering for both of us, because Aaron should have had to pay and he never did! I ordered a side of mac and cheese with every meal because it was so yummy and because I deserved to eat whatever I wanted after having a baby! My favorite meal was the pot roast, and I seem to remember that I ordered it twice because it was so good! Aaron and I mostly ate in the room together, but there were a couple breakfasts where Aaron went downstairs to the cafeteria just to get out of the room for a bit and get some fresh air. One of his favorite hospital memories was the amazing tater tots he got with his omelet! Also not only was the room service delicious, but they also had unlimited peanut butter and graham crackers to snack on. This may seem super lame to some of you, but I honestly don't know why they tasted like heaven itself! I tried buying the same brand of peanut butter and graham crackers when I got home, but they still didn't compare to the little snack packs they had at the snack station across the hall from us. I had Aaron going over there for snacks every hour on the hour it seemed! And they gave me a HUGE water hug of ice water that I still use to this day and is my absolute favorite thing to drink out of.<br />
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Dr. Schwartz came by around lunch time on the first day with Will to give us a debriefing of the night before and all that we may not have been aware of and answer any questions we had about all that had gone on. In my previous post I gave more details about our conversation.<br />
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My mom came by the afternoon of the first day to finally get to meet her little grandson! She was one happy Mimi to get to hold our little peanut. We told her some more details about all that had happened to us and what she may have missed in the waiting room.<br />
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I was definitely sad that my dad wasn't able to come visit us in the hospital, but we planned for Will to meet his PopPop on his first day home.<br />
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My mom also took many of the photos that are in this post of our sweet little boy.<br />
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That night was my first chance to get out of bed and use the bathroom since getting my epidural the day before. They took out my catheter and a little while later the nurse came in to help me stand up and use the restroom. The nurses warned me I might feel slightly nauseous upon standing for the first time and sure enough as soon as they helped me up I immediately had to sit back down and throw up. I did finally gain the ability to stand on my own feet again and was so glad to be out of the hospital bed! This meant that I could get up and walk over to Will without having to wake up Aaron anymore... which was a good thing for him too.<br />
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The next morning, after having just finished our pediatrician meeting with Dr. Leonard, my nurse told me that I would be able to take a shower whenever I was ready! Music to my ears!! I was definitely excited about this and planned to hop (hobble) in the shower as soon as I finished feeding Will and eating breakfast for myself. I finished breakfast an hour or so later and was dawdling a little bit in bed, just relaxing, when the nurse came in again slightly nervous looking and asked again if I was going to take a shower soon. I told her I would probably be ready in a little bit, to which she confessed that Dr. Schwartz was coming by around lunch time and if I has showered by then she was gonna be super pissed at the nurse. My Doctor is intensely respected and apparently slightly feared in that hospital haha! She is definitely the one you want as a patient, but I got the impression that she was a bit intimidating to work for! So without delay I gathered my things and slowly and gingerly headed into the shower. Confession... I washed my hair twice and put on body wash like 3 times because it felt so good! Aaron had had to run to the grocery store for me to grab shampoo, body wash, and face wash, because in the midst of my delivery and our transition from labor room to OR to recovery room, my shower stuff got left behind and was gone forever. He chose the most lovely smelling shampoo and conditioner and body wash and I took my time relaxing in the hot water. No one really tells you how amazing your post delivery shower is! I also put on real clothes and said goodbye to the stupid hospital gowns!<br />
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My hair was soft again and I was in the most comfy yoga pants, T-shirt, and cotton robe and was ready to snuggle my baby again. This picture right here is probably my favorite of our hospital stay because I remember that sweet feeling of starting to feel back to myself again and normal and having Will in my arms. I also love it because you get to see his beach pose! Aaron and I couldn't get enough of this sweet pose, which is the position he would move himself into immediately after he was done eating. It was like he was relaxing on the beach with his elbows out and his hands tucks under his chin. It completely melted our hearts!<br />
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I think back to those magical cuddly moments with him in the quiet and safety of our hospital room and now incredibly tiny and fragile he was. I refer to this version of Will as our "hospital baby" and still can't believe that baby is already gone and has grown into a true little baby.<br />
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Aaron too couldn't get enough of the baby cuddles and often in the night, so that I could get more sleep, he would take Will over to his bench/bed and have him sleep of his chest... just daddy and baby. It was a sacred space for those two.<br />
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Sleep eluded me for most of the hospital stay. Between Will's feedings and nurses coming into check on him, or me, or a newborn test needing to be completed, I think the longest stretch I got was about 30 minutes, and that was because Aaron shooed a cleaning lady out of the room as she tried to walk in to mop up our floor. I didn't mind a ton and was grateful that I was allowed to sleep day and night whenever I could. I often have to go back and look that the time stamp on pictures that we took to remember if certain things happened in the day or at night, because I couldn't tell the difference for most of the time.<br />
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That afternoon we started welcoming more visitors to say hi to our new arrival. Aaron's parents dropped by again to spend some more quality time with Will and get to hold him and Ashley (who had also had to leave the hospital the night he was born before getting to meet him.<br />
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We also got to take the first picture of the three generations of Mertz men! Will is the first great grandchild in Pat's whole family to be born with the Mertz last name... even through his is the 13th great grandchild!<br />
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I had thought that I would want to be secluded in the hospital and have most of our friends come to visit us once we got home, but I think since we were staying longer than I expected or maybe it was because I was just so excited to show off my sweet boy, that I was more than happy to have people come to visit! Bruce & Janet came by and Jessica came to visit. It was also cathartic to get to relay to them the details of our birth story and talk through some of that in the days that followed it. It allowed us to be able to emote and process all the events and how we were feeling. I remember telling our story to Jessica and by then we were making light of it, almost because we still didn't really believe that it happened and that it was as big a deal as it felt to the two of us. I remember her very seriously telling us "This is a big deal. That was a serious emergency." Almost like <i>You guys don't need to make light of it and brush it off like it was nothing. It was a dangerous situation and was a BIG DEAL</i>. It was such an important moment for us and gave us the permission to really acknowledge the seriousness and gravity of everything that happened. Our perfect tiny baby was thriving and doing so well and we are settling in as parents in these first days and so all the events that happened to get us here were starting to get lost int the haze of surviving and parenting. Jessica gave us the validation we needed to really stop and recognize that we were so close to not having any of it.<br />
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But Will was thriving and passing all his newborn tests with flying colors. The hearing test provided our really only hiccup in the smooth sailing of check ups and tests. Their first attempt at checking his hearing was a disaster and Will completely fell apart and could not stop crying long enough for them to complete the test. He was not a fan of the pacifier and so it was a struggle to get him to be calm. This was also Aaron and my first experience with nearly tackling someone to stop them from making our baby sad. It is a little entertaining to watch your husband and feel yourself the feeling of wanting to hurt someone for hurting your baby... even though we knew no one was hurting him and he was going to be ok. The second attempt at the hearing test went MUCH more smoothly since Dr. Leonard has gotten him to settle down with a pacifier the morning we were getting ready to leave the hospital to go home. The picture of Will during his hearing test is one of Aaron's favorite photos of all time! He looks like a little cyborg baby!<br />
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Along with the major tests, the hospital also gave us papers to fill out with times of each of Will's poops, wet diapers, and durations of his feedings. It was like busy work for already busy parents.<br />
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The morning of our last day in the hospital, Shawn and Nicole came back to properly get to meet Will and hold him for the first time!<br />
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Finally we were ready to go home with our little man! We actually probably could have left on the Friday night (48 hours after Will was born), but I would have just gotten my staples out of my incision, so I didn't feel like I would be ready to leave. So we stayed the maximum they would allow us. I figured with future babies we would have Will at home waiting for us to return and wouldn't be able to really stay as long as we wanted, so I should take advantage while I could... and again, it was like a hotel with free help with the baby!<br />
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Before we could leave the hospital, it was policy that every patient and new parent had to watch several baby care videos that dealt with baby safety and need to know health and safety tips. There was one video in particular that Aaron and I laughed hysterically through cause it was so ridiculously bad! The video was called something like Safe Sleep Saves Lives and was about making sure your baby is safe in their crib. The moral of the whole video was to not put anything "soft and fluffy" in the bed with your baby. The acting was so so so bad and they just kept saying the words "soft and fluffy" over and over again until the words lost all meaning for us.<br />
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We completed our required viewing and our required poop charting and it was time to get ready to leave. I decided I would finally change a diaper before we got Will dressed for the drive home. Aaron had the honors of dealing with all the diapers thus far and the meconium diapers had started to turn into recognizable newborn/baby diapers, so I was ready to handle it. I pulled back Will's diaper, however, and just then a volcano eruptions of lava like poop came flowing out of my sweet boy all over the changing pad and my hand. I burst into laughter and called Aaron over for help. It was a "all hands on deck" situation and we were dying laughing that so much could come out of something so small. It was almost as if he was saving it all in there for his last middle finger to the hospital before peacing out!<br />
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We recovered from the lava poop and changed Will into his going home outfit and wrapped him up in the sweet yellow blanket that my dad and brothers and I and my 4 nieces and nephews were all wrapped in and we did a little photo shoot of course.<br />
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We were ready to head home and begin normal life, just us 3!<br />
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We became a little family in that room.</div>
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The first night of Will's life was such a hazy blur of nursing, snuggling, trying to sleep, nurses checking on us, and bleary eyed looked between Aaron and I with the combined feeling of either being hit by a truck, or complete amazement that we were actually real parents to the sweetest baby in the world.<br />
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No long after I had first met my little man, and as we were waiting for our actual room to be ready, Will got to meet some of his first extended family! In the midst of the hustle and bustle of first nursing, and trying to catch side glimpses of my little man, Aaron let me know that our families were starting to head home for the night. He told me that Nicole specifically asked that when I was settled I send her a video saying I was alright, or else she wouldn't be able to sleep. I instantly wanted so badly to see my family before they were gone. My mom sadly had already gone home because our family friend was watching my dad so she could be at the hospital and it was getting late. But I told Aaron that Shawn and Nicole could come back and say hi and Shawn could meet his little nephew (since Nicole had already gotten the honor). They walked in and instantly walked over to me to ask if I was ok. I can't tell you how sweet that moment was and how loved I felt. It was my first glimpse at the stress and worry they had experienced through this whole ordeal. Shawn touched my arms and looked me in the eyes and seriously asked "Are you ok?" I assured them I was completely fine and that I was so excited for them to see my little man! Aaron was holding him and they both fawned over my son. This mama was so proud! After Shawn and Nicole duct out, Pat and Laurie were next to come in and meet their grandson. They were instantly smitten!<br />
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Our room was finally ready for us, so the nurse settled Will securely in my arms and they wheeled me out of the room with Aaron beside us and we headed up a floor to our recover <strike>suite</strike> room. Seriously, it felt so nice compared to our laboring room and the start post op recovery room. It was there that I finally got to take a good long look at Will. The nurses were all filing out of the room and I instantly raised the back of my bed and locked eyes with what will forever be one of the great loves of my life. We stared at each other for a good long moment, just taking each other in. I softly spoke to him and Will's eyes got wide in recognition and I could feel his little body relax... "Oh mama, there you are! I love you!" It was such a powerful moment.<br />
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Around 11p Will took his first bath! He was not a fan. This would be a running theme for him for the first several months of his life. But he was all clean and smelled absolutely divine. When he was first born they put him in a sweet little yellow cap on his head, and after his bath they traded it out with a sweet teal cap after he was all cleaned up.<br />
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We spent the rest of the night going in and out of probably the most pitiful sleep I have ever had in my life. I would doze in 10-15 increments and even then I don't think I actually fully fell asleep. And then just like clockwork, Will would ask for food about every hour and a half (from start to start) and he and I would be in a blissful bonding haze for 45 minutes of him nursing. I still can't believe how amazing he was at eating. I was fully prepared for tons of pain and discomfort and him being frustrated or apathetic, but it came as THE most natural thing in the world to him. I kept having the nurses check his latch because I honestly didn't believe that it could be that easy and he was doing it right. The nurses too were impressed with our ease at the whole breastfeeding thing. <br />
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Before each nursing session, Aaron was on diaper duty. He would change his diapers to make sure Will was fully awake and ready to go. My poor husband was a zombie and would shuffle across the hospital room to Will's bed, change his diaper, hand him to me, and go back to trying to sleep. Then when I was done nursing him and ready for sleep myself, he would shuffle over to me again and put Will back in his bassinet or take a moment to cuddle him for a bit.<br />
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One of Aaron's most surprising experiences within the first 24 hours of Will's life was the first few dirty diapers! I had tried to prepare Aaron for newborn - fresh-from-the-oven - diapers, but in the chaos of Will's arrival and the drama of settling in after all the commotion, Aaron had forgotten what to expect and was definitely taken by surprise! In his sleep deprived, PTSD rattled state, Aaron was overwhelmed by this little bit of early fatherhood.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2nKg3dGEAkNa81JVQA7Al5ickxEP9dQeV14_WzJpToVm1V2VyWNxGJmecnyZ-XX-jCiPIvkZVK8W1tHPykj00Y_PdhrersTpUSC7OdB-M-_AJigvlavSEb1xEy5hgoJb5AINk/s1600/12694983_10156541217640296_3604166765696899585_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2nKg3dGEAkNa81JVQA7Al5ickxEP9dQeV14_WzJpToVm1V2VyWNxGJmecnyZ-XX-jCiPIvkZVK8W1tHPykj00Y_PdhrersTpUSC7OdB-M-_AJigvlavSEb1xEy5hgoJb5AINk/s320/12694983_10156541217640296_3604166765696899585_o.jpg" width="320" /></a>At one point during our routine of daddy diaper duty and mommy/baby nursing sessions, Aaron was shuffling back to his bench/bed after having put Will back in the bassinet, and he just slowed to a stop in the middle of the room and stood there. I looked at him for a bit waiting for what he had stopped for and eventually asked, "Love, are you ok?" He slowly turned his head toward me and very quietly asked, "why am I here? what was I doing?" I giggled slightly realizing he had actually just fallen asleep mid stride, standing up. I gently reminded him he had just put Will down for me and that he needed to go to bed immediately. He made his way back to his bed and then looked at me again almost on the verge of tears and asked, "how are you doing this? How are you so awake and chipper?" I reminded him of the wonder hormone coursing through my body at this moment called Oxytocin! Seriously, I had never been so tired in all my life, and yet I would just turn my head to see Will sleeping in his bed, or think of him as I am dozing off to sleep and my whole body feels like it is going to explode with joy and adrenalin! When he is eating and I look down as him, it takes my breath away how much I love him and I feel like laughing and crying all at the same time because the emotions are too strong. I really feel like it is unfair for fathers to not get this kind of hormone reaction when their baby is born.<br />
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Just after the sun rose on Will's first morning, we had our first visit from the Pediatrician. We chose our pediatrician's office based on the recommendations of too many of our friends to count who went there. This also included my brother and sister in law and all 4 of their kids. In our 4 days at the hospital we met two of the doctors in the practice who were on their scheduled rounds and can I tell you, I instantly LOVED our choice in offices!<br />
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Dr. Lersch was the first pediatrician to examine Will and I actually don't remember a lot about his visit to begin with other than the fact that he told us that Will was perfect. He had heard about our delivery and Will's dramatic arrival and so was very reassuring and Will looked perfect and healthy and everything that a baby should be. One thing I will say about both pediatricians we saw in the hospital, is that they literally just breeze into the room with no announcement or warning. At one point Dr. Leonard walked in as I was topless and nursing... good thing my modesty filter was no where to be found, so I didn't mind in the moment, but looking back it is a bit of a strange interaction. The following few days, we saw Dr. Leonard and we LOVED him! He was actually my nieces and nephews pediatrician. When he introduced himself he asked if this was our first baby or if we had any other kids that they would have seen in the office. I told him no, but that he actually in the doctor for all my nieces and nephews and as I listed their names and mentioned Shawn and Nicole, his eyes lit up and he declared "The Thompsons! I loved those kids! Oh my gosh, Nicole is just such an amazing capable mom and Shawn is the most hands on present dad I have ever seen. I see him more than any other dad! Oh Elsie is just my favorite she is hilarious..." and then he recounted to me a story about Elsie asking if he liked chicken, which was a story Nicole had told me before and we both agreed wasn't that funny and definitely not Elsie's most hilarious story. But Dr Leonard was enchanted and just loved that story! As we saw Dr. Leonard in the following days, he would ask about the Thompson kiddos and what they thought of Will and how their FaceTime introduction went. It was so lovely to have such an instantly good repore with a doctor! Will crushed his exams and definitely impressed everyone with how cute he was. Ok I admit I may be remembering their adoration a bit more strongly than it was in reality, but I admit my memory is hazy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0mD3zd5J9RdFMhUhDiIvD9QW-i_dVJsuKEZI7y7vJOdnewTpfSLWM3skOGvBPaeHSnNSy8HbjsH3i2aCwudo3WiSkHEc5jmgZHmpSiGWziaxXvIDBOceZR3e6ugw_Ay9BofdB/s1600/12734018_10153941951488044_7665793069235696964_n+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0mD3zd5J9RdFMhUhDiIvD9QW-i_dVJsuKEZI7y7vJOdnewTpfSLWM3skOGvBPaeHSnNSy8HbjsH3i2aCwudo3WiSkHEc5jmgZHmpSiGWziaxXvIDBOceZR3e6ugw_Ay9BofdB/s320/12734018_10153941951488044_7665793069235696964_n+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a>I do know that our nurses were absolutely incredible! Aaron and I wanted to remember each of them because they were all so amazing! Coy was our absolute favorite because she was our night nurse for 3 of the 4 nights we were there. She was probably in her late 40s to early 50s and just the most calming and gentle presence ever. She reminded both Aaron and I a lot of our friend Janet and so she put us so much at ease. Can I tell you that I have a great new appreciation for post partum nurses! When you have someone having to literally do EVERYTHING for you for the first 24 + hours after your C-section until you are able to stand up and do stuff on your own, you have an immense level of gratitude and humility. I never in a million years thought that I would be at ease with the whole process and have very minimal embarrassment and I owe that largely to the incredible nurses... and maybe a little bit to the oxytocin again. Our other nurses - Kathy (Day nurse), Gwen (Labor nurse), Roseanne (nurse right after Will was born through his first night), Casey (Day nurse), Amy (day nurse), Jen (Night nurse) you were all incredible!<br />
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What was also fun about the nurses was all their different swaddling techniques! Aaron and I studied each of their tips and tricks for swaddling and observed which ones Will liked the best so we could replicate.<br />
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I LOVED having my little burrito baby handed to me in bed and just holding him and cuddling him. I also definitely couldn't help undoing his swaddle to take in all his tiny little features!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15496469117184363186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32646290.post-25089894680873997872016-03-10T12:56:00.001-07:002017-03-13T20:48:53.490-07:00William James Randy Mertz (A Birth Story)...Aaron and I have been home with our little man for 1 whole month and I am just now feeling like I am getting a handle on this new life with a baby in the house. Aaron is back at work and I am a full time stay at home mom! I finally am getting to work at my dream job! And my boss is pretty stinkin' cute! It feels like all the choices Aaron and I have made since even before we were married have led to this season - where Aaron goes to work and I stay home full time and care for our house and our boy.<br />
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These last 4 weeks of being a mom have been so amazing and exhausting and exciting. A friend asked me if my life and our family felt more complete since Will arrived. I don't know if I feel necessarily complete, but I did realize as I thought about her question that I am surprised by how natural it feels to have him here. I never claimed to be a tiny baby person. I was never really the person who was dying to hold my friends babies when they were brand new. Most babies didn't care for me that much. Even my nieces and nephews weren't very keen on me holding them for the first several months of their lives. I fully expected to have my son arrive and to begin counting down the days until he was older and just struggle through this newborn stage until he got to the toddler years, which is definitely my wheel house. But pretty much as soon as Will and my eyes met, the fabled maternal instinct kicked in and this little dude had my whole heart and all I wanted to do was cuddle him and breath in his scent. It also helped a ton that he was equally smitten with me. He would turn his head when he heard my voice, instantly stop crying when he was in my arms. It is a pretty incredible the connection we have. I wouldn't claim to be a newborn baby person, but I am head over heels, insanely obsessed, in love with my newborn baby. I don't ever want him to get bigger. Each new stage or development in his growth sends me into a deep grief that he is already so different than that first day of his life. His legs are chubbier, his eyes are brighter and wider, his tummy is fatter, his tiny body is stronger and I can't get over how much he is changing! Why do babies have to grow up?? Anyways, I am going to burst into tears if I continue with this topic, so I'll move on to the reason you came to this post... to get all the details on his birth!<br />
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I'll admit something... this is usually the point in "birth story" blog posts that I would stop reading... that is if I ever even started reading. Never really understood sharing one's birth story, but then I had my own and seriously it is like being in war! Actually that is a terrible comparison, because war and having a baby in a comfy hospital with pain medicine, nurses and Drs caring for you, a TV to distract you, and a half way comfy bed and pillows to relax on, are nothing alike. But a birth story is much like a war story in that it is an event in life that you proved you were stronger than you thought, you overcame something that seemed incredibly daunting and you came out with scars and pain and also glorious victory! So now I understand why people tell birth stories and other people want to hear birth stories. So here goes mine...<br />
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My water broke at around 1:30a Wednesday morning (Feb 10th). I didn't have any painful contractions to accompany it and it initially wasn't a ton of water, so I wasn't actually sure if it was in fact my water breaking. I called my doctors office and the on-call physician advised me that it was in fact my water breaking and that I needed to head to the hospital straight away. Without any painful contractions, I didn't feel a great amount of urgency to leave pronto, so I woke up Aaron, hopped in the shower, ate a snack and took my time putting together all the last minute items of my hospital bag. Then we hopped in the car and were on our way! Fun fact: no one tells you that the who "water breaking" thing actually lasts throughout pretty much all of labor, so the feeling of peeing your pants lasts for hours...<br />
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Anyway, we didn't check into the hospital until around 3:15a and were set up in a triage room. They checked me right away and I was at 3cm and Will was at -2 above my pelvis, which means he was still really high. Aaron and I started walking the halls like mad people. My contractions were still more like Braxton Hicks than actual labor contractions, so I was in high spirits and smiling as we walked. However, after a couple hours my pain was definitely getting more intense and the walking began to be interrupted with leaning against the wall railing while Aaron massaged my low back. By the time we got into our laboring room, I was definitely beginning to understand what was ahead of me in the way of discomfort. They checked me again at 8am and sadly I was still only at 3cm and -2... discouraging.<br />
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At this point my nurse contacted my doctor, Dr Schwartz, and sadly since I wasn't progressing within the first few hours the way she would like, she suggested I start on some Pitocin to get things going a little faster. I was really disappointed, because Pitocin was NOT something I had wanted to experience. I asked the nurse to see if my doctor would let me labor a little longer before we started on labor augmenting. Luckily my doctor was on board and so I start bouncing on a medicine ball, went for lots of walks, and added in some stretching and squatting. The contractions were getting stronger and stronger and closer together and making me a little nauseous, but when I was checked again at 11a, I had only gained a little over half a cm, so my doctor was adamant about me starting Pitocin. I knew that Pitocin would make everything about my labor 10x more intense. I had labored already for over 10 hours without drugs and was starting to get tired and knew I would need some help if I added Pitocin to the mix. I opted for an epidural. Both drugs were administered by 1p and I was so thankful for the relief! My anesthesiologist, Dr Kimball, was fantastic and the warm and fuzzy sensation was a little too awesome to handle. The catheter was another story and required some trouble shooting, which wasn't too fun. But by 1:30 I was settling in to try to take a nap.<br />
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Sadly relief was not in the cards for me for long. When the Pitocin contractions started, they were nearly on top of each other. The epidural helped for a few hours, but because I was experiencing mainly back labor, even with the epidural my pain level was still at a 7+. We had to up my epidural dosage to deal with the pain a couple of times. I was honestly disappointed that the epidural didn't offer as much relief as I expected. Aaron, however was right by my side to help coach me through the intense contractions. I want to take this opportunity to state how incredibly awesome and amazing my rockstar of a husband was! He was the most awesome birthing partner I could have asked for. He served me and cared for me so patiently. He held my hand and encouraged me. He got me ice chips and helped me breath through each contraction. I don't know how I would have made it through the 17 hours of labor without him. I knew he was always incredible under pressure and he proved it again in the laboring room. Along with Aaron's impeccable coaching skills, I also had some help from a birthing playlist of my own creation with some awesome soothing music and an unexpected focal point. The wallpaper in the hospital room has a paisley motif and in the midst of the pattern I discovered a pretty hideous demon looking shape. It sounds macabre, but it actually was oddly comforting to stare at in the middle of my contractions. We affectionately referred to it as my gargoyle because it seemed to keep the extreme pain away. Aaron would sometimes actually stand in front of it while he held my hand and I had to ask him to move a couple times so I could see it.<br />
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Within a couple hours of starting the Pitocin I was progressing nicely and by 4p I was at 8cm! We let our family know they could start to head down to the hospital. We also had intended for my friend Sarah to come into the room when I started pushing to be there when Will arrived and capture some photos, so she headed down too. By 5p everyone was there and I was at 9cm. Contractions were really bad and I felt like my tail bone was being ground into a fine powder. My nurse was having me move back and forth from my right to left side to help with the dilation and also to hopefully bring the baby down lower. Will was still hanging out at -2, which was really sad for me. I knew that if he didn't come down, I could make it all he way to 10cm and still have to wait and wait until he was in the right position. Even though he was still so high, I was starting to experience the urge to push, so my breathing techniques became more about trying to prevent that than even pain management.<br />
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As family started to arrive, Aaron went out to the waiting room to say a quick hello, so there was a little bit of time where I was alone in the hospital room. As the silence settled around me with no nurses and no husband, I started talking out loud to God. Aaron and I had been processing the whole day about how excited we were to meet our little boy and how amazing it was to think that we would be parents within just a couple hours. But in all the excitement there was definitely elements of it all that were hard. As I lay in the room praying and telling God all my thoughts, excited feeling, and fears, and thinking about my family arriving to celebrate this epic moment in my life, my dad's song "Calm the Storm" came into my head. I sang it to myself and let the words wash over me - "with Your hands they say you moved the mountains. With Your voice you calm the seas. Well if You can really move the mountains, then calm this storm within me." And then it hit me... my dad wasn't coming to the hospital. My dad has fronto-temporal dementia and while he knows who I am and that I was having a baby, he is really overwhelmed easily by activities outside his routine and so expecting him to wait in a hospital waiting room was unrealistic, so my mom and I had decided he would stay at home with a friend so my mom would be able to be in the waiting room. But I so badly wanted my dad to be there. He was at the births of all my nieces and nephews and I was heartbroken he wouldn't be able to be there for my son's birth. He of all people knew how deep my desire was to be a mom and I so badly wanted him to be there to celebrate with me when it happened! It rushed over me how much I missed him and how it wasn't right that he wouldn't be there. When Aaron came back into the room, I was just sobbing. I told him that I missed my dad and he and I just held each other and cried. Guys, dementia sucks! It really does!<br />
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All the crying and greiving actually helped to relieve a little bit of built up tension I had, but the contractions were getting way worse! I was pretty sure Will was posterior, which is why all my pain was in my back and hips. My mom told me all us kids were posterior in her labors, so I was anticipating this and had told my doctor as much. Luckily I knew Dr Schwartz would be able to help the baby turn and so I was anxious for her to get to the hospital to help. She was on her way by 5:30p and arrive a little after 6p. When she got into the room she sprung into action, which was so great. My nurse was nice and all, but was actually not super helpful in problem solving with my pain, so that was frustrating. Schwartz told us she suspected that Will was getting stuck on my pelvis and that was why he was still too high, so we needed to turn him over to help him come down further. Also my cervix wasn't fully thinned out, which she told me she could help with. It required her to get in "there" and manually turn him. I wasn't prepared for this process and when she reached in, I seriously thought I may pass out from excruciating pain! I was screaming and crying until she came out again. It was decided that the anesthesiologist would need to come in and up my dosage again since I wasn't supposed to be feeling that much pain. I thought I might be able to try again right away, but Dr. Schwartz smiled at me like "oh sweetheart, you are so precious", but then gave a firm "no". Once I had more drugs in my system, she also suggested I get on all fours and labor in that position or a little bit. Since I could barely feel my legs, Aaron and the nurse helped me into position and dear God I felt instant relief in my tail bone. Aaron had to help prop me up and steady me while we waited for the epidural to numb my pain. Within 15 min they turned me over and Schwartz attempted to turn him again. This time I hardly felt anything and she was able to get him into the right spot. It was an interesting process cause I had to start pushing to help her turn him over. My nurse and Aaron each had a leg and I was in full on pushing mode. In the process, Schwartz was also able to move my cervix out of the way, but Will was still super wiggly, so she told me to relax for a minute while we waited for him to settle down. She told me on my next contraction I could start pushing.<br />
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It was at this point that everything went horribly wrong...<br />
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It was the nurse who spoke first. When my next contraction started, she saw the baby's heart rate drop, but almost at the same time that she mentioned the change, Schwartz yelled out, "I feel something coming out! It's the cord, I feel the cord!" Within 2 seconds someone had called a code and our room was flooded with nurses who start unplugging everything they could and moving around the room in a flurry. It was right at the shift change, so nurses getting off their shift for the night and ones just starting their shift, all came in. Probably 20 people came running into the room. Schwartz started screaming orders at everyone and climbed up onto the bed with me, all the while with her hand still inside me steadying Will's head and trying to prevent him from pinching his cord. With the cord having slipped out and now being impinged by his head and body, Will was getting zero blood and oxygen. Nurses told me later that if there had been any hesitation on the doctors and nurses part that things could have ended very tragically for our boy. So, before I knew it I was being wheeled out of the room. All the while no one was talking to Aaron and I. I knew the cord coming out was bad, but my brain couldn't process much more than that. Aaron said it later that in that moment you have a fight or flight response, and I would say I definitely had the flight response. I went full on into shock and catatonic. I just knew I didn't really know what was happening, so it was best for me to just go limp and let everyone move me and adjust me as they needed. I kept my eyes on the ceiling above me and just started praying "God, You have gone before me. You knew this was going to happen." I said this to myself over and over again, because the vision of Aaron and I leaving the hospital without our baby was creeping into my brain. I wish I could say that God gave me incredible peace and reassurance that everything would be fine, but the truth is bad things happen and babies don't make it and so I just kept saying "God, You have gone before me..." in my head over and over again. I am very lucky that we were at a hospital that had operating rooms just across the hall from the laboring rooms. I remember them telling us on the tour of the hospital, that they had 3 ORs, and one was always kept empty in case of an emergency. I remember at the time thinking that was great for whoever needed that, never thinking it would be me. As my bed was wheeled through the OR doors, I didn't know where Aaron was, or if he would be coming into the room with me. When the anesthesiologist put the mask over my face, he was the first person who actually addressed me, saying "you are just gonna go to sleep now." That was how I found out I wouldn't even get to be awake. Because they were loosing Will very quickly, they didn't have time to give me local anesthesia and needed to completely put me under. After a couple seconds, someone asked if I was unconscious yet and I started to frantically shake me head no. The anesthesiologist steadied the oxygen mask over my face, told me to take deep breaths and I started going to sleep. The last thing I remember was Schwartz standing beside the bed telling me I was gonna be ok (which was slightly entertaining cause she was now standing next to me, but someone was very clearly still reaching inside me. I have no idea when that switch was made...).<br />
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I would be out for the next 45 minutes to an hour, but all the while Aaron was very much still in the thick of the drama. When all the nurses came in, Aaron barely had time to realize what was going on, but between fight or flight, he chose fight and jumped into help where he could. When they wheeled me out of the room, he ran after me, but sadly wasn't allowed in the OR. A nurse handed him some scrubs, directed him to a waiting room down the hall where he could change and wait until they came and got him. When he made it to the tiny waiting area, he hopped into the set of scrubs and realized he still had his phone, so he was able to send a quick text to my sister in law Nicole to pray and that things were bad and that I was in the OR. Then he sat and waited. If you know my husband, it won't surprise you that it didn't take him long to say "screw waiting" and make a beeline for the operating room. There was a nurse outside the door who let him stand with her and he could see a little bit into the room and she was able to explain to him what was happening. He told me later that as he was making his way back to the door, it opened for a moment and he could head Schwartz yelling "I need a knife, someone get me a knife!" He said the whole thing didn't seem real and that it was more like out of a tv show. I think of my husband standing outside the OR and my heart breaks. I had about 3 minutes of panic and then went to sleep, but he had to wait and be fully conscious wondering if our baby would survive or if I would be ok.<br />
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It took Schwartz 6 minutes from the time she felt the cord to deliver William James Randy Mertz into the world. 6 minutes!! It actually is a hospital record!! It was another 5 minutes before Aaron was allowed to go into the room and see our boy. When he was born, they did his APGAR score and he only scored a 2 out of 10. The only thing he had going for him was heart beat, otherwise he wasn't breathing, was completely purple, and limp. But, within a few minutes they got everything working. They did his APGAR again at 4 minutes and by then he was a 9 out of 10! When Aaron came in the room, Will was pink and wiggling and just taking his first breaths on his own and started to cry. I was so thankful he got to be there to hear Will's first independent breaths and first cries, since that was something I didn't get to be there for and so badly wanted. Aaron got to talk to the Neo-natal doctor and was told Will was doing just fine. Aaron, asked in all honesty if anything was wrong with him and the doctor assured him that while it was his job all the time to tell parents bad news about their babies, he could say with perfect confidence that William was PERFECT! Aaron breathed a sigh of relief and then walked over to the table where I was still unconscious and intubated. Dr. Schwartz was closing me up, but was able to tell Aaron that I did a great job and that everything was wonderful and I was going to be just fine. Then a nurse asked Aaron if he wanted to go with Will to the recovery room and do some skin to skin cuddling while I was being put back together. This was another sweet redemptive part of the birth story, that Aaron got to do skin to skin with Will, since that is something I wanted so badly and expected to have right away, but missed out on.<br />
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He said the recovery room was quiet and that for 20 minutes or so, it was just him and our boy together. A nurse came in and asked if there was anyone in the waiting room that needed to be updated. Poor waiting room crowd only knew that things had gone bad and that we were going to the OR and it had been nearly an hour since then. Aaron told the nurse to grab Nicole, since she had been the point person through text and being a nurse, she would be able to get the information from the doctors to share with everyone else. Nicole said that when the nurse came out and called her name, she would have knocked over a handicapped person if they had been in the way. She ran as fast as she could to Aaron and Will and me. Turns out she and Aaron's sister Ashley (also a nurse) had actually heard the code before Aaron even sent the text and saw the crowd running down the hall and Aaron running after them. So you can imagine the state of worry they were in. Nicole got to go back and see Aaron and Will and then spoke with the nurses about what had happened. She also got to be there when they wheeled me into the room and I started waking up.<br />
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Coming out of anesthesia it took me a moment to piece together in my mind what was happening. It didn't take long to remember that I had a baby and then there he was right by my face warm and pink and crying. The first thing I remember hearing was Aaron and Nicole both telling me "he has red hair." My heart leapt since I figured if something was wrong they wouldn't have focused on that detail. Turns out I had actually been awake slightly longer than I remember and had already asked if he was ok and safe. The nurse held Will next to me as I was laying flat on the bed, so I wasn't able to get a really great view of Will initially, but the nurse and Aaron and Nicole were telling me how great he was and all his stats. Schwartz was there as well and told me how great everything went and that we would see her the next day for a follow up. The nurses were clearing out and Nicole headed back out to everyone else to update them. I was so thankful Nicole was there for so many reason, but one of them being that before I woke up the nurse had mentioned how it had almost been an hour since Will was born and he was needing to eat soon. Since I wasn't awake at that moment, she had mentioned that they might want to consider giving him a bottle with formula. Nicole was adamant that no bottle be given and that even if I was still unconscious, I preferred that he nurse with me. Aaron wasn't sure he would have had the clarity to advocate for that, so I was grateful Nicole was there. So as the hustle and bustle in my recovery room died down and with me still laying flat on my back not having a great view of anyone let alone my baby, the nurse latched him on and he started nursing like a fiend.<br />
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They moved us into our long term recovery room soon after that and i got to hold Will as they wheeled my bed through the hospital wing and up a floor. As soon as they settled me into the room, I immediately pushed the button to lift my bed into a sitting position and got the first clear look at my son. <br />
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Oh what a site he was! I don't remember a lot of the details of the first hour or so after surgery very clearly, but I remember that moment! I spoke to him and he instantly locked eyes with me and settled down. I had heard that he would probably recognize my voice right away, but I couldn't have prepared myself for what that did to my heart. He was my whole world in that moment.<br />
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Aaron and I spent the first 24 hours either sleeping, changing diapers, breastfeeding, or crying. We had a bit of PTSD and every time we stopped and took a breath and looked at him, we fell apart at the thought of how close he came to not even being with us. Aaron probably had it the hardest not only because he experienced more of the events than I did, but he didn't have the help from my favorite post-partum hormone - oxytocin. At one point through his haze of exhaustion he looked over at me smiling and beaming down at our boy and asked how I was so awake and chipper (I probably slept 1 hour in 15 min increments that first night). I smiled and told him about the wondering postpartum hormone Oxytocin and how it gave me a wave of joy and adrenalin every time I looked at Will. My body was probably so tired, but I didn't feel it. I just wanted to snuggle my baby and smell him and look in his eyes as often as I could.<br />
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Dr Schwartz came to visit us at around lunch time the next day and was able to fill in all the details and clarify the events for us. She told us she had never seen a prolapsed cord at 9cm before and that usually by then the umbilical cord should have moved out of the way. So not only was a prolapsed cord present in less than 5% of labors, one at 9cm was even more rare. She said that if we had done a home birth or had him at a birthing center, our baby most likely wouldn't have survived. It was a sobering fact and one that I appreciated her sharing, because the further away from the events I was getting the more I questioned just how dramatic it all was. The home birth thing was also interesting to Aaron and I because we had discussed not a week before whether we would consider a home birth experience for future babies. I had told him I knew several people who had beautiful home births, but that I was too worried that something would go wrong and I would be the 1% whose baby needed life saving measures... turns out I was.<br />
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It all was so evident to Aaron and I as we processed and talked with each other just how sovereign God had been throughout the whole labor and even our whole pregnancy. The doctor we chose, the hospital we chose, the laboring style we chose were all hugely important decisions and ones we took very seriously, but even we didn't know just how important they would become. God had His hand of protection over us in mighty and profound ways. It is overwhelming for me to think of what could have happened and how close we came.<br />
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Even now after his first full month of life, I still get weary when I think back on his epic arrival and rejoice that God chose to save my baby! Aaron and I just marvel at how amazing he is and how much we just love him!<br />
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And that is my birth story!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15496469117184363186noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32646290.post-40220112474857151362015-07-11T20:51:00.000-07:002017-01-07T20:56:47.574-07:00The United Kingdom: Leaving the Highlands and heading homeThe last day of our tour, was also our last full day in the UK. We thankfully still had a full day of site seeing ahead of us. The day was super dreary and rainy, but as someone once told me, the Highlands are best experienced in the rain and mist. There is something even more magical and mystical about the imposing mountains being half covered in clouds rolling down their sides. It did make for more photos taken from the van!<br />
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We made our way back to Eilean Donan Castle and this time we got to take a tour of the inside. Sadly no photos allowed, but basically it is decorated to recreate what a Medieval castle would look like during it's heyday. They had kitchens with fake food and great halls with antique furniture and family crests above the fireplace.</div>
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We actually got stuck in the castle for a bit because the rain was coming down so hard outside.</div>
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We then made our way over to Loch Ness for lunch and a visit with the Loch Ness monster of course. We grabbed some sandwiches at a local shop and started hearing loud dance music and tons of car horns going off up and down the streets. We eventually found out that there was a massive scavenger hunt type tour company where people can rent cars and drive all over the place taking pictures and honking their horns and playing German dance music. It is called the Garbage run and you apparently also add garbage to your car as you go.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqH8JUOCaA96UxSEjTBgilxcmQin7ycFqqyy_ebBj-_kWhXZ9ucpkLqWsfpc1yrdkhCDQegYhGDKoXYTwOjG0xNRlTIqJ3znTP9u-4h8A7IeoKp8d1e0_n0hwQCNjupK9EfCh/s1600/IMG_3358.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqH8JUOCaA96UxSEjTBgilxcmQin7ycFqqyy_ebBj-_kWhXZ9ucpkLqWsfpc1yrdkhCDQegYhGDKoXYTwOjG0xNRlTIqJ3znTP9u-4h8A7IeoKp8d1e0_n0hwQCNjupK9EfCh/s640/IMG_3358.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Garbage run car</td></tr>
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Luckily as we made our way down to Loch Ness and the still waters where Nessie lives, we heard less and less of the awful music and cars.</div>
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Loch Ness is still creepy for me... I totally believe there is some underwater creature down there and whether it is some aquatic dinosaur or just a giant squid, it is there and it is creepy.</div>
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We said goodbye to Nessie and moved along through the Highlands taking in the last bit of scenery we could.</div>
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We even got to see some Highland Coos along the way</div>
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Just before the end of the tour, we made our last stop at Dalwhinnie Distillery for a bit of Scotch tasting. Aaron had been waiting all tour (really all week) for a good and proper tasting at a real distillery.</div>
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Each of the Scotch tasters came with a tiny piece of chocolate to compliment the taste of the scotch. Aaron was gracious enough to let the have the chocolate.<br />
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It was the perfect way to end a marvelous tour! Such a wonderful way to end a spectacular 3 days in the Highlands! </div>
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We were dropped off in Edinburgh in the early evening. We were staying our last night at a hotel near the airport to be ready for our trip home the following day.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">view from our plane window landing in London</td></tr>
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Our trip home was very daunting. We made it from Edinburgh to London and then London to New York pretty ok, but I started feeling absolutely miserable upon arrival in New York. I even started falling asleep at the gate and nearly sobbing at the same time... exhaustion is really everyone!!</div>
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We ended up giving up our seats in order to stay over night in New York in order to recover before making our last journey home. We finally made it home, but our trip was so incredible!!!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15496469117184363186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32646290.post-15064518927420548852015-07-09T15:50:00.000-07:002017-01-07T17:40:47.550-07:00The United Kingdom: The Isle of SkyeWe woke up to blissfully cloudy skies and a delicious breakfast at our B&B!! The lady had little menus that we fill out the evening before and we specified the time we would be ready to eat, and low and behold we came downstairs to a full breakfast! Of course we ordered blood pudding/black pudding, because we were determined to try all the strange local cuisine... and like haggis, it actually isn't that bad if you don't think too hard about what it is.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That view!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scottish breakfast!</td></tr>
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The tour bus picked us up and it was off to explore the beautiful island!</div>
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Our first stop of the morning was to a old clan castle that is one of the few castles to be lived in by existing clan members. But while it is a gorgeous castle in beautiful surroundings, it is known mainly for the sea lions that live in the waters near by.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">chillin'</td></tr>
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I wanted to just sit amidst this tall grass and wild flowers all day. This spot set the bar pretty high for the day.</div>
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We then continued on to Neist Point and the western most tip of the Isle of Skye. It was such a lovely day to see it. Apparently some tours can't make it out here because it is foggy and the visibility isn't that great. We definitely lucked out being able to see it.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Neist Point</td></tr>
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Looking back at the pictures we took, I am not exactly sure why we have so many kissing ones. Probably was a pretty romantic place, or more likely it was before no one else was around. Most of the group took the long walk down the lighthouse, which was a pretty nice walk down, but a steep walk back up. I was so sad, but I just knew I wouldn't be able to have the stamina to make it back up the mountain. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caterpillar friend along the walking path</td></tr>
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We finished up at Neist Point and then it was time to head to a nearby village for lunch. Confession, I spent most of the van rides in between sights sleeping. It was actually quite lovely because on some stretches there would be rain tapping against the window and the driver would be telling scottish history stories or playing popular scottish bands. Then we would stop, Alan would tell us where we were and its significance, and then I would hop out of the van with my camera and be ready to take as many pictures as I could. I never thought I was one for guided tours, but I must say, it was pretty awesome!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">couldn't resist a sweet treat after lunch!! Marshmallows, chocolate, peanuts, caramel... need I say more. Also, this is a look of excitement, not pain.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These towers are called follies and they are all over Scotland. They also serve no purpose.</td></tr>
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After lunch we headed to Fairy Glenn. It is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. There is a section of the Isle of Skye that people once believed to be cultivated and inhabited by fairies. Aaron and I loved it and wanted to build a summer home there. The trees seems smaller and all the rocks and stone formations looked like fairy castles. People even have come and created fairy rings spotted along the way.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiH7uzlEKwm5IVJn4fv1hvGU9yHf1-hBq7gmVwKIIhgFLfz9czONl_u_8xOC4WdqV9q4W2KyDlAKvrldVxvHo-C6K-9-_a0ktYVJzumhLAFpSRvkNWjnYqPp02JIvrq4xrpPpc/s1600/IMG_3181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiH7uzlEKwm5IVJn4fv1hvGU9yHf1-hBq7gmVwKIIhgFLfz9czONl_u_8xOC4WdqV9q4W2KyDlAKvrldVxvHo-C6K-9-_a0ktYVJzumhLAFpSRvkNWjnYqPp02JIvrq4xrpPpc/s640/IMG_3181.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">fairy rings</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUMV_fzJ-E0Ur9bicl_MVirgTXkeQr5McHhBhc2WY14apKwVYncczk40qit10YGrOnVtfowD1ql3jIOJ1sJdzmT3RpkWJDQjQFKSBvYvo4f8TlFGSZI8Z-TVNbkzjOoNzjYFZ/s1600/IMG_3183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUMV_fzJ-E0Ur9bicl_MVirgTXkeQr5McHhBhc2WY14apKwVYncczk40qit10YGrOnVtfowD1ql3jIOJ1sJdzmT3RpkWJDQjQFKSBvYvo4f8TlFGSZI8Z-TVNbkzjOoNzjYFZ/s640/IMG_3183.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">fairy castle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">from the top of fairy castle!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNkdXZNxmsQ6PeBLrlWJBJ4n8xuDlnTQ_a_Uxi9GmPXB6Cp-h5xrmdrBQhcmuuVa3L_FsMRjZksrePdy0egwtwH8UCZ-IMwHhDz6H0IG92aAYbtHerIrGzk5Jbrv_58qVtHwSn/s1600/IMG_1914.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNkdXZNxmsQ6PeBLrlWJBJ4n8xuDlnTQ_a_Uxi9GmPXB6Cp-h5xrmdrBQhcmuuVa3L_FsMRjZksrePdy0egwtwH8UCZ-IMwHhDz6H0IG92aAYbtHerIrGzk5Jbrv_58qVtHwSn/s640/IMG_1914.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">our white tour bus in the distance</td></tr>
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<div>
On the other side of fairy castle there are more and more rolling hills to explore. Along the way we met a few sheep and Aaron quickly made best friends with them.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIs-6IjVttQBz0R2KI4Cy6pqYfUXsJR7shks-UmgNZmDxYIU7pdaeQm4I7wkxQ_hmQTzgEHwgZh3D5a0E0w-3rykP2OXzuClYafXlCEl3pwhIsdpySDgh9MVAqlmJDv5nd2VjY/s1600/IMG_3203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIs-6IjVttQBz0R2KI4Cy6pqYfUXsJR7shks-UmgNZmDxYIU7pdaeQm4I7wkxQ_hmQTzgEHwgZh3D5a0E0w-3rykP2OXzuClYafXlCEl3pwhIsdpySDgh9MVAqlmJDv5nd2VjY/s640/IMG_3203.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aaron's favorite picture of vacation</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizDlZ8UQAgdNuE9mujlYZ_sLBQweZKt5BjQRfAETQ8dUIw1jgN3Nb00Q70FqiPXpdXFtK5jW2qiAjBbFWFZ_FBet9-U3k3NPNiCiu2MMGS5nccUrC2p4pQtwD3MWQc1t98WXk5/s1600/IMG_3207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizDlZ8UQAgdNuE9mujlYZ_sLBQweZKt5BjQRfAETQ8dUIw1jgN3Nb00Q70FqiPXpdXFtK5jW2qiAjBbFWFZ_FBet9-U3k3NPNiCiu2MMGS5nccUrC2p4pQtwD3MWQc1t98WXk5/s640/IMG_3207.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">they wanted nothing to do with me</td></tr>
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<div>
We decided this was the spot where we someday wanted to retire and live forever!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I'm going on an adventure!!!" - Bilbo Baggins</td></tr>
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I swear there were other people on our tour! There were also other tour buses stopped in this spot along with us, I don't really know how we got so many pictures of us without many people in the background and mostly pictures with no one at all except us!</div>
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In fact one of the more entertaining bits of the van rides had to do with the other people in our group. There was a rather large family (probably 8+) people made up of uncles and aunts and a couple sets of kids. It took me the better part of a day and a half with them to finally figure out where they were from (I guess I could have just asked, but that would be no fun). Their accent was so hard to distinguish and at times it sounded French and other times sounded Spanish. Turns our they were speaking Portuguese and were visiting from Brazil. Also in our van was a husband and wife and all the wife could talk about was the novel series and TV show Outlander, which has just aired its first season. Everything we saw or story we heard would relate back to the show for her. Luckily I had seen the show and read a couple of the books, so I knew what she was referring to, but her level of fandom was entertaining.</div>
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After the Fairy Glenn, we stopped at the Quiraing to take in the rock formations. We got a bit delayed here as there was a movie being filmed along the road and we had to wait a bit for them to finish their shots before moving on. It just meant extra time exploring and sitting just taking in the views.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I could have stayed in this spot for years and never grown tired of this view</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">more sheep!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brook jumping </td></tr>
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A super cool thing about the Highlands is that you'll be walking along and start to hear running water near you. There won't be a stream in site, but as you walk along all of a sudden there will be a hole in the ground and a stream will have been running below the surface right under your feet! So crazy!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">secret stream</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Quiraing</td></tr>
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Finally we were able to/had to move on from the Quiraing and on to our last couple stops and sites of the day.<br />
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One of the famous site we saw, but didn't stop very long at was the Old Man of Storr, which is basically just a random tall rock that sticks out the side of a mountain. The story goes that the Old Man of Store rock formation is actually the thumb of a Giant that died and was buried on earth. His thumb was left sticking out.<br />
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Our very last stop of the day was at Kilt Rock and the magnificent waterfall! If you look closely at the pictures, you might be able to make out an almost plaid or tartan pattern on the rocks of the cliff face, which is how Kilt Rock got it's name.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scottish Thistles</td></tr>
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After all of our Isle of Skye exploring for the day had come to an end, we arrived back in Portree ready for our last dinner of the tour!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">more Scotch of course</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">delicious dessert!</td></tr>
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Another epically picturesque day!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15496469117184363186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32646290.post-58197855611078518592015-07-08T21:42:00.000-07:002017-01-06T21:43:03.794-07:00The United Kingdom: Entering the HighlandsI still can't believe as I look through the pictures of our time in Scotland, I am still amazed that we saw all the beautiful things we did. Everything was just magical, and mystical, and green, and lush, and breathtakingly gorgeous. Aaron and I continue to say that we really need to start basing vacations on food or scenery. Scotland definitely isn't the top as far as cuisine, but the scenery was other worldly.<div>
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When planning our time in the Highlands, we realized it would be most effective to do a tour in order to be able to get to places that one could only drive to, without us having to learn to operate a car on the other side of the road. We chose perfectly, because along with someone driving us everywhere and us just having to worry about taking pictures, we also got the most wonderful tour guide who told us stories all about Scottish history. While I know my way around England quite well, my knowledge of Scotland is limited. It was so cool to see how the stories we had just explored in London about kings and queens became so intertwined with the stories of clans and uprisings and their own royal families. I think that Aaron and I were the only ones of the tour who fully appreciated all the stories, but our tour guide Alan, was very grateful for our interest and listening ears.</div>
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We began our tour by leaving Edinburgh and heading north in the Highlands. There is a statue of two horses heads that mark the gateway to the Highlands. Most people in Scotland are torn as to whether think it is an eye sore, or whether they like them. I myself actually think they are pretty cool.</div>
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I wish I could remember every detail and back story behind the photos I took along the drive. There were so many castle peppering the side of the road and on the hillsides in the distance, that I stopped being able to keep it all straight. So here are a few of the photos I was able to take along the way. </div>
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Our first stop was along a riverbank where we were able to stretch our legs and use the restroom. Even the rest stop was gorgeous!</div>
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The weather was cold and the van with our small group (probably around 16 people) was comfortable and warm. As we traveled along, I would close my eyes at times and just listen to the stories or the music Alan was playing. It was so relaxing to take in all the gorgeous scenery from outside my window. Then occasionally we would stop and be able to take panoramic photos of the mountains and valleys.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Viaducts, which always remind me of Harry Potter</td></tr>
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I seriously just kept taking pictures and have photos of almost every angle of every landscape we saw. I would take a photo and then the clouds would shift and entirely new set of shadows would reveal and even better shot. Even now as I look through all the photos I have, and I can't choose which shot is best.</div>
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The sun shone brightly as we got to Glencoe, which is actually made most famous by a clan massacre that occurred there.</div>
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Aaron and our guide, Alan, quickly developed a bit of a bromance over shared love of Scotch.<br />
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One of my favorite stops on the first day was to a rest strop across the waters from Eilean Donan Castle. We didn't get to go inside on this day, but we would stop on our way back down to Edinburgh on the 3rd day. However it was rainy when we came back through, so I loved getting to capture beautiful pictures of the castle in the sunshine and with the water in the shot too.</div>
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And then we arrived at the Isle of Skye, which is where we would spend our middle day exploring. We stopped along the water for some photos.</div>
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Once on the Isle of Skye, the scenery just got more beautiful and a bit more magical. It was like fairies carved out each waterfall and brooke and mountainside.</div>
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And then we arrived in Portree for the evening. We got into our bed and breakfast and were give suggestions on where in town to find food. Since this harbor village is mainly a bit stop for tours such as ours, the restaurants quickly filled up and we had a bit of a wait for a table. We decided on a seafood restaurant along the water for dinner. I got lobster linguini that was absolutely divine and Aaron got the salmon. I would have loved to have a glass of wine, but sadly my little stowaway prevented it. Aaron however switched up his regular beer in a pub, for scotch and was in heaven.</div>
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After dinner we walked along the harbor. I was absolutely in love with the colorful buildings along the water and the equally colorful boats.</div>
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Dear friends of ours told us before we went to Scotland that their family can be traced back to the McNicol clan of Portree, so we definitely thought of them as we wandered through the village. We eventually made our way back to our bed and breakfast and our blissfully comfortable bed!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15496469117184363186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32646290.post-24514273244875639282015-07-07T14:30:00.000-07:002017-01-06T14:31:23.311-07:00The United Kingdom: Scotland bound & Day in Edinburgh<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'll combine 2 days in this post, because our travel day between London & Edinburgh doesn't have really anything of note to blog about. We flew up there, got into our hotel in Edinburgh and then Aaron went our and about in Edinburgh while I took a nap (man, even blogging about how much I slept makes me feel lame... but pregnancy+travel=Miranda is a zombie unless she sleeps like 16 hours every day). Aaron actually loved being on his own and even got to knock out a pub or two that he had read about.<br />
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When he got back, I was ready for dinner! We went to a restaurant and I finally tried Haggis! They were in the form of bonbons, but still as salty and savory as ever. They actually are not bad at all as long as you don't really think too hard about what you are eating.<br />
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Right across the street from our restaurant was the Elephant House, which is the tea shop where JK Rowling wrote the first draft of the first Harry Potter book!<br />
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And that was really all we did on our first day in Edinburgh Scotland!<br />
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The next day was a full day in Edinburgh exploring! When I was last in Scotland, I only was able to spend about 3 hours in Edinburgh and so didn't get to see very much aside from the royal mile and Calton Hill. Luckily Edinburgh is pretty easy to do in a few days, and if you are very meager with your itinerary, there is enough to see in a day, like we did.<br />
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So our first stop of the was the Royal Mile and making our way up toward the Castle. We stopped into St Gile's Cathedral and walked around taking in all the windows and architecture.<br />
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We took our time making our way down the Royal Mile, stopping in souvenir shops and boutiques and enjoying all the traditions of Edinburgh, including spitting on the Heart of Midlothian. The heart laid in the sidewalk outside St Gile's Cathedral marks the spot where a form prison entrance stood and was where executions took place. The spitting tradition began as a way to mark the people's hatred of the prison, but is now done for good luck.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">mingling with the locals</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This use to be a church of course, but now is a coffee house and visitors centre</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">awesome pub name!</td></tr>
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Then we headed to Edinburgh castle at the top of the Royal Mile Hill. I was so impressed by how awesome the exhibits and displays are! From the crown jewels of Scotland to the One O'Clock gun, it was such a fun castle to explore!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a view of Calton Hill</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">manning the canons </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">heavy artillery </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">recreated soldiers barracks</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet, for auld lang syne. Tasting Scotch</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a cemetery for soldiers dogs! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Edinburgh below and what use to be a festering moat</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a grand old flag</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the line to get into the crown jewels</td></tr>
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One of my favorite things was seeing the Stone of Skoon, or the Stone of Destiny as it is also called. It was used as throne of Scotland for ages and ages, until it was taken by England and would be placed until the English throne at every coronation of a king or Queen as a way of signifying their dominion over the Scottish people. It was just recently returned to Scotland to be on display in their capital.<br />
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After Edinburgh Castle we kept meandering down the Royal Mile exploring random streets and stopped into a local pub that Aaron had heard great things about and had a pint (for Aaron, not me).<br />
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We then came upon Greyfriars kirkyard (cemetery) and a most adorable store of a dog names Greyfriars Bobby! Apparently this dog stood guard over his owners grave for nearly 14 years until his own death. He was well known in the area and has since had books and TV shows based on him and his mythical adventures in the kirkyard.<br />
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As you can see in the pictures, it had started to rain while we were exploring, so we decided it was a good time for lunch. Sadly pregnancy downer struck again and as we check the menus of local pubs, everything sounded disgusting! I am usually easy going as far at picking food, but I was not having any of the local cuisine. We passed a Subway, and Aaron made a joke about going for lunch there, but as I laughed and looked at the sign, I suddenly realized that Subway sounded delicious... and then I instantly felt shame. haha! Aaron laughed so hard at me and then we raced into the Subway to a very satisfying lunch.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">me and my American food shame</td></tr>
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We finished lunch in perfect time to make our afternoon tour of the Edinburgh catacombs! I had heard about the haunted catacombs underneath the city and had made a point to put the tour as one of my top tourist MUSTS for when we went. I am such a sucker for haunted tours of old cities... probably because while I really don't believe in hauntings, I do like hearing ghost stories! I also made a point to schedule our tour for during the day, so on the off chance that we were legitimately scared, we would leave the tour in broad daylight and have plenty of time to recover our wits before it got dark out.<br />
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The catacombs tour was really awesome! We did the historical version, that mainly just tells creepy legends and true historical facts about the area, with a little bit of ghost folklore thrown in, but no special affects or costumed corpses to jump out and scare you. The historical stories are way better anyway, because you are left to your imagination to bring the creepiness to life. So, basically the catacombs use to act as storage cellars and rooms behind the local shops of the area... but during the plague it started to be where all the rejects of society and sick people would go to live and eventually die. Then there were witch covens and paranormal nerd who took up residence and brought all sorts of further creepiness to the vaults. There were stories of prostitutes that were murdered and now haunt the halls and spirits that tortured the people who would walk around back there. I was thoroughly entertained by it all the whole time.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">creepy gargoyle</td></tr>
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It was all fun and games though until we moved into the section of time not to far back in history (only a decade or so) where there were stories of witchcraft and one particular recounting of a spirit that attacked people who entered into a ring of stones in one particular room. Stories of people's backs being scratched and blood curdling screams and tales of being able to see an evil demon crawling on the ceiling above the ring of stones during a witchcraft ceremony. I can say I don't believe any of it, but there was enough of me that sort of did and when the tour guide told us we could step into the stones at our own risk, I politely passed.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the haunted ring of stones</td></tr>
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That was the last story of the tour, so we were able to leave after that and make our way out into the sunny daylight! The rain had completely cleared up, so we were able to continue out city exploring!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAxdcjKzdh4wbaoEGeLNUSZ4RAZ3yPJO0t1kK_nbBxSMpPX2M4V-2-zmC_kbYGcmQBkquSFoX1a_tesPbZXkmaUuFTahXdoNBsFwbrazLI1CyPYhj02VYHanO691NeCMPifD-n/s1600/IMG_2785.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAxdcjKzdh4wbaoEGeLNUSZ4RAZ3yPJO0t1kK_nbBxSMpPX2M4V-2-zmC_kbYGcmQBkquSFoX1a_tesPbZXkmaUuFTahXdoNBsFwbrazLI1CyPYhj02VYHanO691NeCMPifD-n/s640/IMG_2785.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">this pub stands where the wall around Edinburgh use to be and therefore was where the city ended</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the newly build Parliament building... which in my opinion is a complete eyesore!</td></tr>
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We walked down the Royal Mile all the way until the end where it runs into Hollyrood House, which is the childhood home of Mary Queen of Scots. Unfortunately it closed just 10 minutes before we got to the gates, so we missed out on being able to take a tour.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZmcJEjzuOfPyzGKBIMijpE9x4gWTowC6nkeQ3j4A4cEh-F7tw_exwFgRqnUym5y67Ed3YTNqd3yv5YYL5iKUKAXzSVJCHfIRK8BsNhs9DcVcN3YMifkKKhyApehRY-QYjVHBh/s1600/IMG_2790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZmcJEjzuOfPyzGKBIMijpE9x4gWTowC6nkeQ3j4A4cEh-F7tw_exwFgRqnUym5y67Ed3YTNqd3yv5YYL5iKUKAXzSVJCHfIRK8BsNhs9DcVcN3YMifkKKhyApehRY-QYjVHBh/s640/IMG_2790.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hollyrood House</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkO6tYsIVUv_u0LyIRC35ePv2g67VeeF-As3-vD6oaLEpaM11HogtaXWtkf8H60Qbnw0UMyl6K9rLFGqL1ecyM-kvPAgXIuXyzAtVX-gKRdP7jXlFghAfL_Yp6cClU_sjEuZxo/s1600/IMG_2792.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkO6tYsIVUv_u0LyIRC35ePv2g67VeeF-As3-vD6oaLEpaM11HogtaXWtkf8H60Qbnw0UMyl6K9rLFGqL1ecyM-kvPAgXIuXyzAtVX-gKRdP7jXlFghAfL_Yp6cClU_sjEuZxo/s640/IMG_2792.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">locked out</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8xXDEs8Cb4UQ33NlGh5urEMjpnnkwL3Zt6jX17tA42uzWceVVxpYJEV8OJUM6WUIZojU-XnbTeqh0swFbTwjcSqBsqmKWFO_mocooXZpSCTKKeH-dFoUFHevgF1t1sYtW44_h/s1600/IMG_2794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8xXDEs8Cb4UQ33NlGh5urEMjpnnkwL3Zt6jX17tA42uzWceVVxpYJEV8OJUM6WUIZojU-XnbTeqh0swFbTwjcSqBsqmKWFO_mocooXZpSCTKKeH-dFoUFHevgF1t1sYtW44_h/s640/IMG_2794.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Such a beautiful royal home</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0dP3y6Fd0f_vDZFu-Jx7tMYLF2naYe8TQZ0DbQfMG3kN48ccknkysIATBeOJS8cXVlGWgemHnUTTkqnJaYvP5g7OYhDL0K9Xjq7I-VzUTfHCU6eji4ShEFcKb_R51manQcv0S/s1600/IMG_2796.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0dP3y6Fd0f_vDZFu-Jx7tMYLF2naYe8TQZ0DbQfMG3kN48ccknkysIATBeOJS8cXVlGWgemHnUTTkqnJaYvP5g7OYhDL0K9Xjq7I-VzUTfHCU6eji4ShEFcKb_R51manQcv0S/s640/IMG_2796.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of Arthur's Seat from Hollyrood House</td></tr>
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If I hadn't been pregnant, we probably would have attempted to hike the mountain because it is supposed to afford spectacular views of the city from the top.<br />
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Instead we headed over to Calton Hill, which climbs up out of the center of the city and offers some great views itself!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scottish Thistles</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the top of Calton Hill</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWDP6xOvk7n_8PBVzUeDrurQi0wK52EdjHFUFjCwfW5IaLEVWYPHz3uCKQbMheRrgLl_mcL0KhOTRZOhZHkYDw32IDn3loFiwh4x8E9iQTonCVKaTHa22RzxJK9nEzaYlj7j4J/s1600/IMG_2803.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWDP6xOvk7n_8PBVzUeDrurQi0wK52EdjHFUFjCwfW5IaLEVWYPHz3uCKQbMheRrgLl_mcL0KhOTRZOhZHkYDw32IDn3loFiwh4x8E9iQTonCVKaTHa22RzxJK9nEzaYlj7j4J/s640/IMG_2803.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">standing above Edinburgh</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">another view of Arthur's Seat from the top of Calton Hill</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We walked through a cemetery to get down the hill</td></tr>
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We finished up the day feeling that we had accomplished everything we wanted to and were ready to say goodbye to Edinburgh and begin our tour through the Highlands the following day. We ate dinner at a pub (of course), which had the absolutely slowest service! But still a banner day!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15496469117184363186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32646290.post-45249792957599228262015-07-05T12:38:00.000-07:002017-01-06T12:40:29.986-07:00The United Kingdom: Church, Chinese food, and RoHo!This day was another super fun and full day and sadly our last day with the Brinks and Carla!<br />
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We got picked up in the morning by Zach and Shara and headed to church in Staines! The whole drive, Aaron and I got to chat with Zach and Shara and get to know them better! It was hilariously encouraging to find that we had a ton in common and as fairly newly married, Aaron and I were able to relate a lot to the common arguments and disagreements they were experiencing. Most of their relationship was long distance and only recently as Zach had moved to England, were they able to properly date each other and see each other in day to day life. Their relationship dynamic was so incredibly similar to Aaron and I and we laughed at how many times either couple said something that sounded so familiar to the other! It was almost like mini pre-marital sessions the whole day.<br />
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We stopped for coffee on the way to church on the Staines high street and I got to quickly show Aaron where Phoebe and I had spent many a Wednesday eating out, shopping, and seeing a movie. Then on to Hope Christian Center for church.<br />
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Their church is a small international community with a lot of people who have come to England from Africa. It is full of worship and spirit and I loved going there when I was studying abroad and was excited to be back! Deborah actually called Aaron and I out during the service and welcomed me back. Granted there were like 50 people there, so it wasn't hard to stick out anyway. After the service (which was so wonderful), we all went downstairs for tea time and everyone was excited to meet Aaron and I. I kept hearing over and over again that Carla talked a lot about me and did a pretty spot on impression of me now that they had met me in person. We both felt so welcomed and honored to be there with such fun and lovely people.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSK9BlXAemQrT4syU09LhPGdR3UGAANmjK77yNsTAON57Oo8OZ52ySVp-f_mshze0gQiqLaXRdKJdy3ZItblsmLALbEI1-LndCm2HkEnZqcUfh7KAbdKF4OQQ_Xgg8I80QX0PD/s1600/IMG_2572.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSK9BlXAemQrT4syU09LhPGdR3UGAANmjK77yNsTAON57Oo8OZ52ySVp-f_mshze0gQiqLaXRdKJdy3ZItblsmLALbEI1-LndCm2HkEnZqcUfh7KAbdKF4OQQ_Xgg8I80QX0PD/s640/IMG_2572.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After church photoshoot! Carla and I try to stock up on pictures as much as we can when we're together.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqwqUpXrh7UmEzhO9uptPqch2u7_NelknHfbni5kIzf6eE2mmucy7WJqpUq4rkF85-x5M1-nqetDBgCArsJpMe8F6_jdPOYsUirMYoh_PeNL9dE0pyXTW-weAkgZKTIuBd12SF/s1600/IMG_2573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqwqUpXrh7UmEzhO9uptPqch2u7_NelknHfbni5kIzf6eE2mmucy7WJqpUq4rkF85-x5M1-nqetDBgCArsJpMe8F6_jdPOYsUirMYoh_PeNL9dE0pyXTW-weAkgZKTIuBd12SF/s640/IMG_2573.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Brink women and I (minus Candi Grace who was off playing) </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaXPpzSPmfc1t5uKvZ20M-h9Y276wYT1YK92eQfmZVNTFczNC-KxZPyToLGi-HdQJXXFoHqjuKhFx_mIwj7ZxWOX7q6QR4mLcwv9Ucr4lG-5tumHJXdSpHTnul-11s7Ur8E66K/s1600/IMG_2570.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaXPpzSPmfc1t5uKvZ20M-h9Y276wYT1YK92eQfmZVNTFczNC-KxZPyToLGi-HdQJXXFoHqjuKhFx_mIwj7ZxWOX7q6QR4mLcwv9Ucr4lG-5tumHJXdSpHTnul-11s7Ur8E66K/s640/IMG_2570.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Candi Grace dancing with her mum</td></tr>
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After church we all went out to lunch or Stuart's birthday!! He chose a Chinese buffet spot and it was delicious! Just like yesterday proved, the Brinks are not shy about food portions and they ordered way to much food! I was frustrated because I didn't pace myself and by the second course had stuffed myself too much to eat much more. I did get a taste of everything though and I wish I could go back and eat more!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyb4absLqUJzdsitUhaXgXrSHZK85_OyU4KmMfIw2YO7C5xPeYGJAYqrEm0kdAafvmL4ERBD7hd-n0wUumJXYve_I0JCj9c7wiGGEIY1xspzBj4RtSAOSnERKZpP_YjKhJN18A/s1600/IMG_2575.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyb4absLqUJzdsitUhaXgXrSHZK85_OyU4KmMfIw2YO7C5xPeYGJAYqrEm0kdAafvmL4ERBD7hd-n0wUumJXYve_I0JCj9c7wiGGEIY1xspzBj4RtSAOSnERKZpP_YjKhJN18A/s640/IMG_2575.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">seriously, this was just the first course of food!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15RiGNacNNHZHPdr6IyhQ1h-_n3YOYXaXFbbPT8lqk_h-4Cmg57eFfbgBxOXqxV4fS3VFeD5PrToBe8GbxWa_yHsDZXeGuQ6GX5l1EYD9PyHIkAJ_WLOM3xjtL9eVqsIT8gqn/s1600/IMG_2577.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15RiGNacNNHZHPdr6IyhQ1h-_n3YOYXaXFbbPT8lqk_h-4Cmg57eFfbgBxOXqxV4fS3VFeD5PrToBe8GbxWa_yHsDZXeGuQ6GX5l1EYD9PyHIkAJ_WLOM3xjtL9eVqsIT8gqn/s640/IMG_2577.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The whole gang for Pastor Stuart's birthday</td></tr>
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Carla and Shara's friend Rachel and Stuart's mom joined the party! We had to say goodbye to everyone save Carla, Shara, and Zach at the restaurant, since we wouldn't see them again this trip.</div>
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And I just want to gush again about how amazing these people were to Aaron and I. I don't think we paid for anything the whole time we were with them. We felt so loved and accepted and just thrown into their family like we had been there the whole time. Just a beyond perfect weekend!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgflNvH3HQfjw-jYK-D5n3ugCGEZflMmrBRPvqeff31dCKC1ZsCmYn8c4XPPHu-txm-OxhPclO_Yttig0MQQLH_QK8ZoWbI_8jgmRCPq1xSdHJtxlZvrUKeyBOtZmAE9wdHmhac/s1600/IMG_2579.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgflNvH3HQfjw-jYK-D5n3ugCGEZflMmrBRPvqeff31dCKC1ZsCmYn8c4XPPHu-txm-OxhPclO_Yttig0MQQLH_QK8ZoWbI_8jgmRCPq1xSdHJtxlZvrUKeyBOtZmAE9wdHmhac/s640/IMG_2579.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">also, this picture of Zach and his future in laws makes me smile</td></tr>
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Since we were so close to Royal Holloway, I told Carla I would love to head over and show Aaron around my university! So we headed there with Shara, Zach and Carla.</div>
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It was just how I remembered it! Imposing and breathtakingly beautiful! I still can't believe this was where I lived! Aaron was quite impressed by its grandeur. We got to go into the building, but were a bit nervous about being caught, so we didn't stay long. I showed him the dining hall and the chapel. And we took a TON of pictures! Carla is a great photographer and captured some sweet moments of Aaron and I.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So good to be back!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">modeling after Mr & Mrs Holloway</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the love birds... their modeling game is way stronger than ours</td></tr>
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I took Aaron over to one of my favorite spots on the campus. I only discovered it in the last couple of months of my time here, or else I would have spent WAY more time by the water.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">tree hugger</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I want to live right here</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the Chapel</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last pose with Queen Vic!</td></tr>
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As with every spot we stopped at on this trip, I wish we would have had more time! I would have shown Aaron my exact room, and where I took classes, and taken him to Egham high street to see it all. Every trip we say this, and especially knowing it on this trip, that we will be back and be able to see things again someday.</div>
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We drove back to Reading and said our goodbyes! Carla and I talked a lot about her coming to visit when the baby was born, so I knew I would see her again soon, but that didn't make it easier to say goodbye. I hate that she lives an ocean away. And I hate that I couldn't spend more time with the rest of her family. I can't wait for our next visit with them and I hope that one day, they will all come to Arizona and visit us!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15496469117184363186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32646290.post-46823330989790453492015-07-04T10:12:00.000-07:002017-01-06T10:13:24.605-07:00The United Kingdom: A day by the seaside!Carla and I have been friends for over 6 years! When we met at Royal Holloway at the beginning of February. She was just a sassy girl who sat in front of my at <a href="http://miranda1123.blogspot.com/2009/02/i-know-i-know-im-terrible-person.html">Royal Holloway's Got Talent</a> evening, performed and won the competition and had a stellar voice! Then a couple weeks later, we met again at a small group event in honor of Valentine's Day where her parents spoke about relationships and love and Carla and I got to talk properly and instantly realized we had way too much in common! We were both Pastor's kids, both involved in and passionate about Worship, both single, the same age, and still figuring out what to do with the future! Our hearts were immediately knit together.<br />
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We would get lunch occasionally at a pub in Egham during the week while I lived there and then any Sunday where I wasn't off galavanting around England and Europe, I would got to her families church and your parents quickly took me under their wing and checked in with me about how I was doing. He mom had a knack for coming up to me and telling me something she had on her heart or had been praying about in regards to me and it would knock the wind out of me it was so spot on to what God was stirring in my heart or something I had been struggling through or praying about. God ministered to me so much through them and I was so incredibly grateful for their presence in my life while I was away from my family and home.<br />
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Carla has been able to come out to visit me a couple times since I went back home and it is always such a renewing time for my heart to be with her. But this trip, was my first time being back to visit her in 6 years and I was so excited to get to spend uninterrupted time with her AND her family again!<br />
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The night before when Carla was picked up in Reading by her parents, I was able to tell them our happy news that I was pregnant and so all weekend you would have thought I was an invalid, they didn't let me lift a finger and did everything for me! I didn't fight it, but instead allowed them to pamper and take care of Aaron and I so beautifully. I cannot say enough how incredibly blessed and humble I felt to be loved and protected and cared for by them. I seriously get choked up thinking about it because it was like all the remaining weight of jet lag and exhaustion was able to slip away as I relaxed and just soaked in the relationships and time with them. Aaron and I still think back to this weekend and marvel at how much we needed that weekend!<br />
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When Aaron and I were planning our trip out to England, we mentioned to Carla how we wanted to try to get a day at the beach, and she immediately told us that her family and her would love to plan a day that like that for us and so we decided July 4th would be the perfect day to do it! Shara's fiance, Zach had just moved to England from L.A., so we thought he might need some solidarity in celebrating our nation's holiday! So we were a party of 5 South Africans and 4 Americans celebrating The US Independence in England!!<br />
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Our day started by being picked up in Reading by Carla and her mom Deborah. We hit the road toward the beach and met up with the rest of the party at a rest stop along the way! Aaron and I got to meet Zach and I got to see Shara again in 6 years! It was so sweet catching up with her. We quickly set the baseline that Carla had shared a ton with me already about her and Zach's story of dating and falling in love, so we were able to dive in about relationships and marriage right off the bat! I loved getting to spend time with them. I also got to meet Carla's new sister Candi Grace, who had been adopted just a couple years before! At 7 she was SUCH a delight and loved the sweet gifts we brought for her from the Disney Store! She also was fascinated by the fact that I had a baby in my tummy, even though my tummy was still pretty flat. She would ask about the baby and tell me she couldn't wait to meet the baby!<br />
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It took us a bit to finally make it to the beach as everyone in England seemed to have the same idea we did, especially in light of the heat wave. I slept a TON in the car on the way down there and Deborah, Carla and Aaron got to chat and get to know each other more. Seriously, the nap in the car was probably the greatest gift anyone could have given me!<br />
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We made it to Bournemouth and set out to find a spot on the crowded beach!<br />
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It couldn't have been a more perfect day to be near the ocean! It was warm in the sun, but there was a cool breeze blowing around us. The water was ICE, but we didn't have plans to swim anyways, and mainly just laid on the beach soaking up the sun and relaxing and eating...<br />
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... theme of our time with the Brink family - these people know how to feed you!! They picked up a feast of sandwiches, salads, snacks, and treats to munch on!! At the rest stop we stopped at, we picked up groceries and they were so sweet to make sure to get things we liked and that I was able to and wanted to eat in my condition. So I was happy to grab any food in sight!<br />
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This was probably my favorite day of the trip! Aaron and I were just along for the ride and was able to let everyone else to the planning! Aaron and I quickly decided that now that we had done a ton of big must see touristy stuff in England, when we came back some day we just wanted to sit back and let the Brink family show us around the countryside and relax! They know how to host you!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cabanas and beach gear storage along the beach walk!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Candi and I! She is showing off her Princess shirt we gave her!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carla and Candi!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stylin' on the beach!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aaron and Carla's dad, Stuart!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2snvZFlimdhHV474wJHv2ZPdeojDTCtQHCZqSIVluozdiKfQSRlX0b1LPVGINRkEkufuP5wq6dP2_nCZK3nqoDFmvB35aZ3DC1ZCfchdvJJuhI5o4Og_G5gi-QH9HSnJuQGZK/s1600/IMG_2567.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2snvZFlimdhHV474wJHv2ZPdeojDTCtQHCZqSIVluozdiKfQSRlX0b1LPVGINRkEkufuP5wq6dP2_nCZK3nqoDFmvB35aZ3DC1ZCfchdvJJuhI5o4Og_G5gi-QH9HSnJuQGZK/s640/IMG_2567.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zach and Candi Grace</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZjQ12xmclw3hYsayxvvWggwxv7sCvcIdPmTtYtLEAlFqjb2_gypdcKN78G6j1hQAG9cqakisF-5tMvO30aQIzsz41mHC7vKHHw0OthhMUL7UITlviZJneB5nLXT9Fvv3K-_mC/s1600/IMG_2569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZjQ12xmclw3hYsayxvvWggwxv7sCvcIdPmTtYtLEAlFqjb2_gypdcKN78G6j1hQAG9cqakisF-5tMvO30aQIzsz41mHC7vKHHw0OthhMUL7UITlviZJneB5nLXT9Fvv3K-_mC/s640/IMG_2569.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These faces are not forced! This is a picture of 2 very refreshed and relaxed Americans!</td></tr>
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After a few hours at the beach, we had gotten out fill, and so we packed up and went for some food! They took us to this amazing fish and chips place nearby that Carla's dad, Stuart, LOVES! It was awesome and the food was amazing! It was so fun to laugh and see the dynamic between the whole family - teasing and laughing a ton! We gave gifts to everyone that we had brought from the US. Deborah and Stuart were so excited about their See's candy since they had had it before and LOVED it.<br />
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We headed back up to Reading and they dropped us at our hotel just as we had hit out wall for the day and were ready to sleep!<br />
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This, again, was seriously one of my very favorite days, if not my VERY favorite day of the trip!! Not expectation or timetable and we just got to be loved and pampered and didn't have to lift a finger (seriously, they wouldn't let me).<br />
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Thank you Brink Family for an amazing day at the beach!!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15496469117184363186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32646290.post-24492848898758007722015-07-03T09:11:00.000-07:002017-01-06T09:16:13.313-07:00The United Kingdom: Elementary my dear WatsonThis day was largely uneventful and yet much needed! It kind was a day we left open in order to take it easy and so we decided to head back to London for a a quick stop at the Sherlock Holmes Museum and them some souvenir shopping in Picadilly circus.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">of course we start with tea!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elementary my dear Watson!</td></tr>
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We didn't actually go inside the museum because so many reviews said that it wasn't worth admission. But we did take pictures out front with some hats and props that were provided for tourists and then we poked around the gift shop! </div>
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The rest of the afternoon was largely uneventful in London, and included a stop at Lillywhites in Piccadilly to check out their football (soccer) swag and a late lunch on the edge of Covent Garden in a pub.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aaron's favorite Premiere League Team!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of Trafalgar Square from our pub window! Also love the Tudor Rose details in the window.</td></tr>
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We then headed back to Reading to spend the evening with Carla! </div>
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When we planned this trip, we wanted to make sure we got in a HUGE chunk of time to spend with Carla and her family, so the whole weekend in between England and Scotland was just going to be spent with her. So on this evening, we met up with her after she finished up work and had dinner at Bill's (like I said, it was a favorite of hers) and then just hung out at our hotel talking and processing life and just being together! It was so wonderful and set the perfect tone for the rest of our weekend with her.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOkxUzuktMh_hi1eL9RuHceptPAQ1aUvXWAszBVGyp0R-DR-PHIeiGDhHV3Vas2zpAnG66rqaqSiDIvgkS3f2ZQtnk-YHLqIozir9pT_LybZH1gcUrx_um6cGr0_v9kbj6hhCu/s1600/IMG_5280.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOkxUzuktMh_hi1eL9RuHceptPAQ1aUvXWAszBVGyp0R-DR-PHIeiGDhHV3Vas2zpAnG66rqaqSiDIvgkS3f2ZQtnk-YHLqIozir9pT_LybZH1gcUrx_um6cGr0_v9kbj6hhCu/s640/IMG_5280.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">getting to try Eaton's Mess dessert! Delicious!</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15496469117184363186noreply@blogger.com0