Utah-Spring Break 09

We had a short but super sweet time in Utah. Sadly I did not take many pictures but here are the highlights

On the way there

Cohen was a champ on the plane (except for puking all over me and his outfit shortly before landing, luckily we had a spare outfit in the diaper bag)

We visited with...

old roommates

Friends

and Family

(many many family members not pictured)

Cohen had lots of loving from his cousins

We also went snowboarding.

I have been snowboarding for a few years and have never committed to being goofy or regular foot. I am able to hold my own for the most part doing what I refer to as the "falling leaf" (basically switching feet all the way down). I know how to turn, I've just always been scared to do it. John decided it was high time I stuck with one so I could keep up with the big boys and I happy to report that I did it! I'm regular.

By the end of the week we were all exhausted

Thank you g-ma & g-pa for letting us (and everyone else) stay with you. Thank you Mom for babysitting Cohen so we could have fun on the slopes and go out with friends.

This Is the Start of Something Good- Cohen's Birth Story (Part 1)

I'm listening to one of my favorite Gavin DeGraw songs, Follow Through, and the first line seemed very fitting to be the title of this post.

Baby Casper was due to arrive on February 10th 2009. I had begun to dialate two weeks prior to my due date making me and my doctor hopeful he would be here by the 10th, at each of my appointments my doctor would say I'll probably be seeing you soon. Casper however had different plans. I had gone into pre-term labor three times in the nine months prior each time requiring a visit to the hospital and now it was GO time but Casper had now decided he wanted to stay inside-kids! I went in to see my doctor, the amazing Pamela Boyer, on the 13th she told me she would only let me go 10 days over my due date. All I could think was, "seriously!?"

me and my belly looking at the camera on Christmas day. 6 weeks to go

I had a NTS (non stress test) scheduled on Monday the 16th and Wednesday the 18th to measure my fluid and make sure the baby was ok. John had Monday off due to presidents day so we both made the trek up to UCLA that morning. I was hooked up to the monitors, the residents came in and did the ultra sound and took measurements, then told me they were going to call Dr. Boyer and let her know the results. About 10 minutes later they came back and said that they were really busy so to come back that night. I was really confused, I asked what they meant by "come back tonight"? To which they responded, "to be induced". Apparently my fluid was low and Dr. Boyer knew I was ready to have the baby so she decided to get the ball rolling; besides, I was one week past my due date. Sweet, he was coming and coming soon!

John and I left excited and shocked. Having your baby's birth scheduled (sort of) is a strange thing and not at all how I pictured labor. John had mentioned how it was all supposed to happen...It would be in the middle of the night and he would be sleeping. I would awake from contractions and after a while I would clench his leg and in a serious tone say, "John, I think it's time." He would then spring out of bed run around the house like a maniac throwing random things into a bag, close it (with clothes hanging out of it), quickly get dressed, run out to the car and drive away only to realise he had left me at home. That clearly was not how it was going to play out, sorry bud.

As we drove home I just kept thinking how surreal it all was. All my worries and insecurities were coming back and in a few hours I was going to be a mom. After running some errands and napping we went down to the beach to eat our pita's and spend our last remaining hours as two together. It was nice to have that time with just John:)

(the pictures with us in them were not very attractive so I opted for scenery to remember this night)

We got home, I cried and John gave me a blessing. Everything was going to work out. It is so strange how you can be so overwhelmed with so many different emotions. I was super excited to become three but sad that we would no longer be two.

We got to the hospital at 8 pm. They were still super busy, it was raining outside and you know what they say, rain brings babies, and man was that true. I was in a recovery room for 4 hours waiting to start this blessed event. Kerilynn, Cory, and Janae came up to keep us company. (**I wonder why they did not just have me come in the next morning instead of having to stay up all night with out sleep?)

this is me shortly after arriving to the hospital. We were put in a recovery room while waiting for a delivery room to come available.

**Because of my loquacious nature this is becoming ridiculously long. I have decided to break it up. Stay tuned for the next installment (tomorrow I promise)**

hmmm

Why do people always want to do such violent things to babies? For example... squeeze them, eat them, or gobble them up? Some might call that cannibalism which tends to be looked down upon in most cultures. I'm just saying.

A Good Day

Yesterday, March 29th, John expressed our thanks that Cohen is in our family

Some snippets from his blessing...

He was blessed with the ability, knowledge, and desire to follow the teachings that will be taught to him

He was blessed with compassion, kindness, and love for those around him

He was blessed with patience
He was blessed with a desire to serve a mission and when the time is right to enter the House of the Lord (the temple) and be married to the companion of his choice

We are very grateful Cohen is here and a part of our family!

Lots of people love him and came to see him

Those in the blessing circle (minus Gavin who was in Sunday School)


Our family


Cohen with Grandma & Grandpa Jex

Grandma & Grandpa Tullis with Cohen


Great Grandma Jex

Cohen finally met Great Grandma (or Grandma Great as she prefers to be called) & Great Grandpa Matern

It was a good day

THANK YOU SHANNON

My friend Shannon is an AMAZING photographer and asked me a few months if she could do a photo shoot with Cohen. Of course I said YES! You would never know it but this was her first time photographing a baby!

Here are a few of pictures. . .

(these were taken when he was two weeks old)

He came with such big hands and feet

Kissable lips...just like his dad:)

The little peanut

Yes, we did the baby in a basket pictures, much to John's dismay, I however love them.

These next two are faces he's always making

THANK YOU SHANNON!

A Cool Loo

A few months ago I blogged about the awesome hide-a-toilet at the hospital. when I went in to be induced they were so full I was put in a recovery room, the same room I had been in a few months prior when the whole bed rest debacle began. I was so stoked because I would finally get to take a picture of the commode.

Now for you viewing pleasure...

Just a regular counter/cupboard set up

Abra cadabra...

Good Times

Last week we met up with John at his office for lunch. Life doesn't get better than this.
Me and my two handsome boys

Cohen at 1 Month

Though I swore it wouldn't happen it looks as though this is turning into an "All things Cohen" blog. Shoot. Here is my excuse, this mothering thing is all still exciting and new. Give me some time and I'll start adding in my random and pointless posts too in an effort to maintain those of you who are not as in love with my child as I am. And for those of you who are only here for Cohen updates I'll keep you happy too.

Let the oogling begin...

Cohen is an ideal baby. John's mom said that Heavenly Father knew what John's schedule would be like so he sent us a good baby. (BTW John was called as elders quorum president 3 weeks ago, so now our time with him is really limited-like it wasn't before) It's true though. He is a good eater; he breastfeeds like a champ and will take a bottle and a pacifier from anyone. He rarely cries although he is quite the grunter. A few weeks ago in church someone leaned forward to ask what that noise was only to find out the culprit was my son, grunting away. He is a social baby (just like his mother) and will let anyone hold him.

He loves his swing. He's all about the mobile above and stares at it til he falls asleep.

He's a good sleeper. He only wakes up 1 maybe 2 times a night and can sleep through anything, airplanes, piano, me talking (you know the volume I'm capable of; it's a genetic trait I inherited from my grandpa and mom):)... Here he is with Uncle Steve enjoying a much needed Sunday nap.



He loves music. He'll just sit and listen to me sing or play the piano, he also loves it when John plays guitar.

He's been dabling with the kazoo. My child is so advanced.


And lastly...this is a classic Cohen pose

As soon as we unswaddle him his arms shoot up in the "touchdown" pose.

Our St. Patty's Garb

*so this is two days late-sorry!*

Starting YOUNG

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

-Proverbs 2:6

Thank you Grandma Tullis for the BYU blanket.

Go Cougs!

Post Partum Perks

I've always been a one to two clasp girl

but now ...

I'm a three clasper! I heart breastfeeding!

*sorry if this crossed the line or was TMI for some of you.*

On Our Own

We've been spoiled to have grandma's with us the past two weeks. . It was so wonderful having both our mom's here. They were such a help doing little odd jobs here and there that I have neglected, making dinner, doting on Cohen, babysitting, and providing me with company while John was at school all hours of the night.

So now it's just me and the boy... let the games begin.