Hogle Zoo

I realized this is the first time I went someplace like the zoo (not to a school event, a ballgame, a music lesson, the grocery store, or shopping) with all four kids. We had a great time and it was nice and quiet, which is the only way I like to do zoos. It could only have been improved by having Travis with us. I just wish the Hogle Zoo were closer. It's quite an event to get there.

Our Little Baby Doll Lucy at 4 Months

Lucy's Baby Blessing

Travis blessed Lucy Margaret in the Meadows Ward on March 4 when she was two and a half months old. Her blessing was very tender. My babies' blessings are always emotional for me, and I can't hide these emotions because I'm such a weeper. I have a repeat of the feelings that I have when I'm in the hospital during delivery. (Before delivery. There's always some point where I start bawling because I realize that my pregnancy is finally going to end. Obviously I have epidurals so a horrible labor is not the climax like it is for some people). While I'm holding my little baby on the day of their blessing, I feel overwhelmed with these same feelings of We did it! Both of us made it, and that increases my gratitude. I'm also weepy during my babies' blessings because I'm overwhelmed with gratitude for the help that we receive during my pregnancies, both temporal and spiritual. We receive so many kindnesses and so much service from family and friends. And spiritually I receive an abundance of help, though it doesn't feel like I'm bouncing along on a cloud. I feel so close to my grandmothers (including Travis's) and my female ancestors during my pregnancies. This help was greatest during my pregnancies with Anna and Michael, when my need was the greatest, but also ever-present with Sarah and Lucy. I know that they are pulling for me, that they're invested in my success, and in getting these spirits down to earth when they're supposed to be here. Many of these feelings are ineffable, as the teachings of the Spirit so often are. We're so grateful to have our little Lucy here, and to share her blessing day with our family. Once again our photos will not document who was here, but I'll remember, and I'm so grateful Lucy already has so many people who love her.  

Sarah in Real Life

I like this Real Life picture with Sarah wearing clothes she picked out herself, including her wooden shoes, and Nutella all over her face because I am busy cleaning the floors with Lucy strapped to my chest in her Baby Bjorn. Following are some clean-faced pictures. Her face was likely washed right before each picture was taken.

Michael Max's 9th Birthday

We sure love this boy. He keeps us on our toes asking us thousands of questions that we can't answer, but it's okay because he doesn't give us time to respond before he asks another. I love his relationship with his grandparents, his aunts and uncles, and his boy cousins, Benjamin and Will, and I love his relationships with all three of his sisters. Anna just finished reading Harry Potter 7 aloud to him. She has read the entire series out loud to him, after first reading the Fablehaven series to him. Now that they have their own rooms, she has come into his room every night to sit on the top bunk and read, just as she did in Minnesota and in the condo. Even Sarah, who is adamant about not being left out, has joined them for a chunk of the last Harry Potter book. Michael finished his Wolf, thanks in large part to Grandpa Dastrup, scouting extraordinaire. Michael loves being a cub scout and is very excited to be a Bear. We had a fun gathering with the Dastrups at Brigham and Christa's house for Michael's birthday. Emily Joy, Caleb, Daisy, and Johnny were in town, and we were very happy to see them after getting to see Sam the previous week. We're very excited about their upcoming move to the Washington D.C. area. Thanks to Brigham and Christa for hosting us at their super-fun house and for Mom and Dad for all of the delicious food.  After hours of brainstorming by Michael and Benjamin (and Caleb who was leaving town), these two cousins had a sleepover in Ogden on Saturday night. I won't mention the lateness (or the earliness) of the hour when they finally retired because I want Benjamin to be allowed back to our house in the future. They were both cheerful and had so much fun that the lack of sleep was deemed worth it.

Lucy, 6-8 weeks

We are sure enjoying our little Lucy. I don't know how much she weighs now, but she's grown a lot! Her little smiles are so rewarding--especially after a rough night.

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.