Let Freedom Ring

Independence Day this year was spent in Richfield.  Since we have moved to Sevier Valley we haven't left it very much due to the pregnancy and my lack of wanting to sit in a car.  I don't know why sitting in the car is so uncomfortable and sitting on the couch is so comfortable but that is the way it is.  We heard Richfield has a big to do on the 4th so we decided why not stay and enjoy the festivities.  

We went to the parade and we made it just in time to see the Fighter Planes fly over.  That was awesome, Sawyer especially enjoyed the "panes".  It was so hot but fortunately we had a bit of a cloud cover during the parade.  Sawyer got a LOT, and I mean a LOT of candy.  People were really considerate when it came to getting candy.  People wouldn't let their children run down after the floats trying to get the most candy and people only let their children collect candy in the spot in front of them.  It was nice because at other parades kids chase the floats down to get the most candy. 

After the parade we headed up to the park to check out the venues.  It was so crowded but it was fun to get out and mingle.  We decided to go to Wingers to eat so we could get some air conditioning before heading back to the park for the fish grab.  We were pretty excited about the fish grab we didn't know what to expect but we had heard it was hilarious to watch.  

When we got back to the park people were swarming around the fish ponds.  The kids were just itching to get in the water and catch some of those fish.  It was pretty funny.  Sawyer really wanted to get in but he would have died.  No joking.  The kids were on those fish like a fat kid on cake.  After most of the kids were out Sawyer got in the ponds and swam a little.  He was really upset when we made him get out.  We came home and played in the water though, well Sawyer did and Travis did.  

Swim Dad, Swim

A fish came and swam by him.  He freaked out.  

Smile Sawyer,  This picture cracks me up

Mi casa, Su casa

I am finally posting pictures of our where we live.  It took us a while to get everything unpacked and put away but we eventually did it.  I was freaking out because I wanted everything put away before the baby came and we did just in time.  It was nice to have everything put away and in its place.  We have really enjoyed the place so far.  It has so much more room than we were even hoping for. P.S there isn't a picture of the baby's room because it was not all put together because she was staying in our room.

Our bedroom from the bathroom

Sawyer's Bathroom

Sawyer's bedroom with his new bed set

Our extremely long hallway.  This hall was killing me when I first got home from having the baby. It was so long and my bedroom and the baby's room is the at then end.  

View from dinning room

We go Fishing in the Dark.......

According to Travis "we can't live anywhere that we can't go fishing within a few minutes from our house."  Monroe doesn't disappoint.   There is a community pond that is fully stocked about five minutes from our house.  We have been a few times so far and have only been skunked once, which are good odds apparently.  Sawyer likes going but would rather look at all of the lures in the tackle box instead of reel in the fish.   

Hello World

 Our baby girl finally joined us on July, 7.  I was beginning to wonder when she would decide to make her appearance. At my first doctors appointment they gave me the due date of July 6.  When I went back for the 20 appt they changed the due date to July 8 so she decided to just come in the middle.  That was fine by me I guess.  

I would like to record my birth story since I learned after this experience you don't remember much from the first birth.  I started having contractions at about 3:00 PM on Friday afternoon.  They were pretty inconsistent and and petered out.  I went to get my hair cut at 5:00 PM, which turned into a hair butchering.  I am really sad I cut it, well it was only supposed to be a trim but the lady like I said butchered it.  I had contractions on the way into town but they stopped when I got to the salon and didn't start again for until about 8:30.  We decided we should go play tennis, well Travis and Sawyer play tennis and I would walk around the courts.  I had a few contractions but nothing to worry about because they were really inconsistent.  

At about 1:30 AM I started having more contractions that were a lot more consistent.  I thought my water started leaking but I wasn't sure so we just kept timing the contractions.  My mom was going to try to come over to watch Sawyer so we didn't have to take him with us to the hospital.  I finally called her after consulting with my sister who convinced me I probably shouldn't wait until I am contracting every 5 min to call her.  I called her about 3:30 AM.  I was hesitant because my contractions still were not being consistent.  They were coming at 6 min, 7 min, 4 min, 3 min, 10 min etc.  After I called my mom my contractions slowed down to like 13 min apart.  I felt really bad because making a commotion and then my labor stopped.  Little did I know though my body was just waiting until I knew somebody would take care of my little guy before it got down to business.  Once my mom got here the contractions started coming again closer.  Once the sun came up I decided I would like to walk outside since I literally been up all night long walking my living room.  We walked up and down the block.  I am sure we looked like a sight.  Some of the girls from my new ward were out getting ready for their yard sale.  It was funny to run into them because I had talked to them on Friday and told them I didn't think anything would happen soon. 

We walked outside for about an hour and I was getting in more and more antsy to go to the hospital to get checked to see how far along I was and get an epidural.  We went to the hospital about 7:20 AM.  It took forever to get checked in.  The nurse was taking her time.  She then tried to give me an IV.  OUCH is all I have to say about that awful experience.  She poked me twice and blew it both time.  It hurt just as bad if not worse than a contraction.  She stopped after twice and said another nurse would do it for me.  She finally checked me and said I was only a 4cm.  I about cried.  I was checked on Thursday and I was a 3/3.5 cm.  I had only made it half of a cm after all night of contracting.  I decided I would try to go as long as I could without the epidural because it can slow labor.  Oh did I mention she didn't check me until like 8:30 AM.  

I finally asked for my epidural about 10:30 or 11:00 ish.  They had called my mid-wife, Dixie, and she was on her way. The nurse came in and gave me an IV and got me the first time.  Thank heavens.  We had to wait a bit for the CRNA.  It was a nice guy though and talked me through the process.  Travis almost passed out this time.  He felt really bad he had to leave me to sit down but that is better than being in the bed beside me.  This epidural hurt a lot more to get than the first one but I am so happy that it worked and almost instantly.  Thank heavens for modern medicine.  They checked me again and I was an 8 cm so I don't know if the nurse didn't know what she was feeling for or what.  They broke me water and I got to wait it out until I was a 10 which was not much longer.  At about 12 they started prepping me to deliver.  They wanted to wait until she descended more because she was super high.   I started pushing about 12:20 and she was born at 12:42.  Dixie was amazing and so were the nurses that helped with the delivery.   

She has a lot of dark hair and so far looks a lot like Sawyer when he was first born.  

Sawyer's Life

I want to take some time to document some of the stuff Sawyer is saying and doing lately.  He is getting a lot better at talking and communicating with us through actions.  He is growing up so fast and I am not ready for my baby to get big.  I know that is cliche and I have probably said it before on here but I like having my little dependent baby.  My independent toddler is a bit tiresome and nerve racking.  Well now for the good part the stories of Sawyer instead of my little pity party, oh but don't worry I should have another baby here any day now Dixie, my midwife, reassures me.  This little girl is already stubborn guess she inherited my genes. 

(Some of these stories are a bit dated)

Back in early May or late April we had a really big thunderstorm in Logan, like window shaking thunder storm.  Travis and I were loving it but Sawyer not so much.  We had a strike of lightning that hit and instantaneous deafening thunder.  Sawyer high tailed it over to me on the couch to hide.   Later when there was any thunder he would pat his heart and say "Scary, scary".  

On Mother's Day my sister Krista and Travis decided to cook me breakfast, which was amazing.  French toast, a girl can't ask for better.  Well after breakfast all of the adults were getting ready.  I noticed as I was doing my hair Sawyer was extremely quiet and had not come to visit us.  This usually means trouble.  I went to find him instead.  I found a little white powder covered boy.  He had gotten into the powder sugar and spilled it.  He then discovered if he walks in it he can make white foot prints.  He was having all sorts of fun all by himself.  I had to laugh and then make Travis clean it up of course, hey it was Mother's Day. 

Sawyer loves to help me do everything.  I know I have mentioned this before.  We got him a little stool to stand on so he can learn to wash his hands by himself.  He likes to use it to help me prepare food.  In these pictures he was helping me wash some strawberries.  He wasn't very good about waiting for me to cut the middles and stems off.  He would just shove a whole strawberry in his mouth stem (not leaves) and all.  Yuck! 

We recently got Sawyer a new bed.  He has been such a great little sleeper in it so far.  Hopefully that continues.  He had a few problems at first but now he is getting used to all the new space he can roll around in.  On the second night we put him in though I read him his stories, we said prayers, and then I tucked him in.  He looked at me, patted his pillow and said "Bed Momma, sleep."  He wanted me to sleep with him.  It was heart melting, I couldn't say no so I laid down with him until he went to sleep, bad habit I know.

Sawyer is our little copy cat.  He is like a sponge.  He is so observant too, it is amazing what he picks up from us.  Travis, and I were in our bedroom and Sawyer came in.  He found a bobby pin on the counter of our bathroom.  He then proceeded to put the pin in his mouth, like I do to separate it with my teeth, then he tried to put it in his hair.  

He found an earring of mine on the counter as well another day.  He kept trying to put it in his ear. All I heard as "Owie, Owie earring", I had to remind him earrings are for girls, not boys. 

Travis and I take turns reading to him at night and putting him to bed.  I was in the front room talking on the phone one night and I hear little feet running down the hall.  The next thing I hear is "Momma prayer".  So adorable.  Travis said when he knelt down with Sawyer, Sawyer said Momma.  Travis told him to come and get him so he did.  This has become a nightly thing at our house though that Sawyer comes and gets the other parent.  

The most random thing Sawyer has done lately that had Travis and I rolling on the ground is on the 4th of July we were cooling off at home before heading out to the fireworks.  We were all playing on the floor and Sawyer jumped up shook his bum and said "Shake it".  He must have got that from his dad.  We were laughing so hard.  Sawyer had gotten were he won't dance on command any more so we were super surprised.  

The other day we walked down to the park to try to get this new little baby here.  While at the park Travis showed Sawyer that going down the slide wasn't scary.  Sawyer is not a very adventurous little guy right now.  Anyways, Sawyer got up enough courage and went down the slide all by himself.  He was pretty proud of himself.  He even came up to Travis asked for his hand and gave him a high five.  It was adorable. 

Softball and Sprinklers

Last weekend Travis participated in a softball tournament.  His work sponsored a team for the fundraiser which was for a local boy who has cancer.  There were a lot of teams there which equals a really long tournament, especially when you are guaranteed 4 games.  Travis' first game was Friday at 6:00.  If the wind wasn't blowing it would have been amazing but we are having gale force winds here lately.  It was hard for the team to get some really good hits because they were hitting into the wind this game.  Unfortunately, Jones and DeMille lost their first game which meant they played again at 10:00 PM.  That was a little too late for me and Sawyer so after dinner at Winger's Travis took us home.  I wish I could have been at this game because there were home runs, great plays, and funny moments but to no avail they still lost even though it was a lot closer of a game.  The next big game was at 8:00 AM.  It was an early morning but the weather was perfect, no wind, not too hot, and not a lot of people.  There was a playground at the fields so Sawyer got to play until his little heart was content.  Sawyer is not a very adventurous little tyke.  He would go up and down the stairs of the play ground but he wouldn't go through the tunnels or down the slides.  He kept wanting me to go with him but this pregnant lady just won't fit.  I can't remember the outcome of the 8:00 game but we had another game nonetheless at 12:00 PM.  To pass the time we did a little shopping and got better acquainted with Richfield.  The wind had picked up for the second game.  Not cool but at least it wasn't extremely hot yet, yet is the key word.  We had a little lunch before this game which made everybody a little more agreeable.  The game was fun to watch and I do believe they won this game.  Travis pitched most of the games for his team.  I get so nervous when he pitches.  There are many times line drives are coming right at the pitchers head.  Scares me to death but Travis has amazing reflexes he assures me. During this game Travis hurt his calf.  He can make it through the Ragnar but the softball tournament did some damage.  Since the victory in the 12:00 game they played again at 4:00 PM. We came home to play in the sprinklers to cool off a bit before 4:00.  The 4:00 game was pretty warm but fortunately I found some shade to sit in close to the playground because there was no way Sawyer was not going to play during the game.  Jones and DeMille ended up losing their last game.  They did get T-shirts for their efforts which was good because there were a lot of injuries on the team.  Travis' calf, another co-worker pulled his hamstring, there was a back injury, a shoulder injury and a stiff neck from catching a ball and rolling.  Who knew softball could be so painful? 

Stretching Out

STRIKE

It was all fun and games until Dad got me back with the sprinkler.  Sawyer didn't like getting squirted but he loved squirting everybody else.