Just One Weekend

Before last weekend Travis said, “I need just one weekend, just one.” He meant without call, without a sick child or sick wife, without anyone being in the hospital, without a trip, and wouldn’t it be nice if Lucy would sleep a little bit more.

We’ve had a busy season. We were planning on my bouncing back from pregnancy quickly, but such are the viscissitudes of life that our plans haven't been realized. Michael has had the stomach flu four times since Thanksgiving, and strep. Each of these bouts of flu has been over a holiday or a weekend, and three while at grandparents’ houses. We’re losing what little popularity we had.  Sarah has had a couple of stomach viruses too, one so bad we took her to the emergency room. At three and a half weeks after Lucy’s birth I had a postpartum hemorrhage. Fortunately we were in Orem and could hand Lucy to my mom. Travis rushed me to Utah Valley and that night I had an emergency dnc. The on-call OB had a hard time stopping the bleeding. You don’t want to hear from your surgeon that “you were in the disaster zone.” I was admitted for a day and a half and then recuperated at my parents' house all week. We had wonderful help from my mom and my dad and from Travis’s parents who kept Lucy while I was in the hospital and kept tabs on Michael and Anna when they went back to Ogden with Travis. We’re so thankful for our wonderful family and for friends in Ogden who helped out too. I couldn’t believe how weak I was. I’m doing tons better, but my hematocrit is still low and I can tell it’s more than long nights with Lucy making me feel so drained.

So over the weekend—what was supposed to be our weekend for recovery of all kinds--our thermostat broke and the temperature in our house was stuck between 61 and 63 degrees until we got it fixed on Monday. I got the stomach flu and could barely nurse while Travis was up all night with our fussy baby. We had an appointment to meet with the Stake President the next morning, so I told the Lord (in prayer) I was happy to go if He could help me stop vomiting. You can’t cancel on a stake president the day of ward conference. I stopped throwing up and my nausea quieted down, and we were able to make our appointment Sunday morning. Travis was called to be a second counselor in the bishopric of our ward. I think this calling will be a great blessing in our lives. His parents were able to come to Ogden, and his dad ordained him to the office of High Priest before he was set apart by President Crowell, the second counselor in the stake presidency, a wonderful man who Travis has the privilege to work with at Country Hills Eye Center.

It’s hard to get one relaxing weekend in life, but we'll keep plugging along and counting our blessings, which are many. 

Lucy's Here!

Lucy Margaret was born on Dec 13, two weeks early, and one week before my scheduled induction. I went into labor on my own, which was a new experience after three inductions. I had contractions during the night, but didn't tell Travis because I wanted him to sleep. They started getting closer together around six a.m. and by eight I was eager to get to the hospital. I had time to wash and dry my hair, call my mom to come up from Orem, and pack a bag. We decided to let Anna stay with Michael and Sarah (meaning stay home from school) until my mom could get there. She never went:), and Michael was already home with strep. I'm grateful for my mom's help that day, and Dad Dastrup's help for the next two. I came home to find he had done all of the ironing!

My labor was picture perfect. My water had broken, and I didn't even know it. Travis dropped me off at the hospital and quickly saw a few post-op patients. He was back by ten a.m. when I was moved from triage and checked-in. I had an epidural within twenty minutes--my best ever--and Lucy was born at 3 p.m. She could have come an hour and a half earlier, but we were waiting for my doctor, who was in surgery in the same hospital. I pushed twice--a tie with Anna. We were surprised when she was only 5 pounds, 4 ounces! Our smallest baby by half a pound. She has lots of dark hair like her sisters at birth, but we expect it will all fall out and leave us with another blonde-haired, green-eyed girl.

I fell in love with this little girl the moment I saw her. I enjoy every second I hold her and nurse her and take care of her--even in the long night-time hours when I wish she would sleep. Her siblings have greeted her with tenderness and not a hint of jealousy. We have always been so lucky in that way. They weren't able to visit the hospital because of a Pertussis outbreak--thank you all you crazy Utahns who don't vaccinate your kids! For the first time in her life, Anna was seriously considering breaking some rules to get into the hospital. Michael asked me first thing, "Mom, how are you feeling? Are you all better?" How many eight year-old boys are so aware of their mom's health. Sarah has been bringing Lucy toys and accessories since she got home. She doesn't quite believe me that she can't play with toys yet. I'll find a little car or another toy tucked inside Lucy's basket while she sleeps.

I give birth, and it's like being born again, physically. I feel great! No more nausea, no more reflux and volcanic heartburn, no more pstyalism, no more emptying my bladder every eight minutes. I am so grateful to have this sweet little baby here--safe and sound--and to feel whole again myself so that I can take care of her and the rest of my family. I think they're ready to have their mom back, and Travis is very happy to see me smile again--without effort.

Halloween 2011

30 Weeks!

Every Tuesday we count down the weeks of my pregnancy--and in-between I know how many days--but 30 weeks is a milestone I've been eager for. A few weeks ago, the finishing of my second trimester and beginning of the third didn't give me the lift I was hoping for. Instead of feeling a boost of courage, I felt pretty disheartened. Just 13 more weeks of being nauseated and spitting into Dixie cups didn't sound very doable.  But now it's nine weeks until induction. If we can get through Halloween--never my favorite holiday even when I'm not pregnant--I think the Holidays will provide some happy distractions with Christmas music, Christmas movies, and some fun gatherings with family. I look forward to having the Christmas tree up. I apologize to all who are trying to enjoy Autumn and live life in the moment. October is usually my favorite month, but this year I'm just wishing it away as fast as it will go! Next year we'll live more thoughtfully and regret that our kids are growing up so fast, but this year the countdown until Christmas began in April.

Good News from the Cozy Condo Dwellers

After months offline, I'm emerging from survival mode long enough to share some good news. I'm 16 weeks pregnant with number four and we just found out it's a girl. We're thrilled--we would have been equally happy with news of either gender. Our kids are so spread apart that having two girls only three and a half years apart sounds like fun. I'm nauseated, like always, and have no hope that I'll feel better before Christmas when this baby is due. It's the longest count down to Christmas ever! I'm taking maximum doses of anti-nausea meds and am functioning a lot like my pregnancy with Sarah, which is much better than my pregnancies with Anna and Michael. I'm very, very grateful for this blessing. I'm feeling good about this being our fourth and final baby. The first 5 weeks were really rough because I had to drive Anna and Michael to school and pick them up (about forty minutes for each trip). Since school ended, I have spent a lot of time in Orem with the kids (at my parents' house) while Travis holds down the fort in Ogden and keeps working very hard. Our condo is very cozy. It's good to have less to clean, but the small quarters have also been challenging while I've been sick. Anna and Michael have done a lot to wash dishes and pick up and Travis has been a wonderful help in every way. Being this close to grandparents--to be able to bounce back and forth to have help and let the kids have a real summer but still see Travis has been such a relief. We have had wonderful visits with Dastrup and Thompson Family and even old friends like Keri Beauchamp, one of my childhood best friends who drove all the way to Ogden to visit when she was visiting Utah from California.

Our second big piece of news is that we're buying a house in Ogden! We're very excited to have more space. Not that we weren't up to the design challenge of four kids in a 2-bedroom condo--we maybe could have found a few square feet for a Moses Basket in our bedroom--but I think it's one challenge I can do without. We've found a home in a lovely neighborhood that has the best schools in the area that we can find. Our kids are ecstatic. In fact, they hardly slept after we submitted the offer and all three bounced into my bed (a cardinal sin with a nauseated mom, but I overlooked it) bright and early to ask if we had heard back. They have been so plugged in to our search, it's surprised me. We've waffled back and forth so many times and put offers on several smaller homes that we didn't get. This one felt different from the start. I'm nervous about having to move while I'm sick, but at least it's a local move this time. I really can't find words for how grateful we are for this move. We've had a good year in so many ways, but I have felt very unmoored. It's time for some roots.

Sarah at the Zoo

Michael Max's Baptism

Michael was baptized on March 12 in a lovely, well-planned stake baptism in Ogden. I admit I had doubts that the experience would equal Anna's personal baptism in Brownsburg, Indiana, but I was wrong to doubt. We were so grateful to have both sets of grandparents and many aunts and uncles and cousins. We missed everyone who couldn't be there, and I'm sincere when I say that we remembered you at his baptism. I knew his baptism would be special, but I was surprised at the abundance of the Spirit that I felt. I won't ever forget it. How wonderful to be reminded that the Spirit that resides in my young, eight year-old boy is so much greater than I remember every day. My mind was flooded with thoughts of the wonderful family and friends who have influenced his young life already. I thought of great-grandparents, and even earlier ancestors, of grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and of so many adults who have befriended Michael and taught him. He's had great primary leaders and teachers, even nursery leaders that taught him so much. I'm a little extra weepy these days as primary president in our Ogden Ward. I'm so grateful for the love and time that's spent on the children in our lives. Michael was beaming all day. His special quote of the day, right after he was confirmed a member of the church and given the gift of the Holy Ghost, was, "I wish I had fifty hands so I could hold hands with everyone." Michael is our teddy bear, a very affectionate boy who loves hugs. He beamed on Sunday when the bishop handed him his baptism and confirmation certificate. He has poured over his new scriptures from Grandma and Grandpa Dastrup, exploring them as the treasure that I occasionally take for granted. And he will never forget the dozen donuts that Uncle Matt sent with Elisa, though he couldn't be there. I'm pretty sure from the look on cousin Will's face that Matt will be buying all of his nieces and nephews a dozen donuts for their baptisms.