Happy First Month Rowan!

This first month has flown by so quickly! I'm sure part of that is because of the holidays. It has been so nice to have Mike home to help out with the kids. Going from 1 kid to 2 adds a lot of work and often issues when they both need you at one time! There are many things that Rowan does that reminds me of Liam, but she is definitely her own little person with her own personality! She still has not taken to the binky which can be very difficult when she is fussy and we can't calm her. She generally likes to be calmed by being held, which is nice most of the time, but can be difficult when we need to get something done, and also to get some sleep. She does seem to be getting a little better about sleeping, but that varies night to night. She does not really like being on her back, and really does not like her bassinet. Unless she is deep asleep, she will wake up if we put her in her bed. We have noticed that she is getting a little better about hanging out as her awake time gets longer during the day. She has enjoyed her swing and bouncers a few times. After her belly button healed up we were able to give her her first real bath, and we recorded it. She seemed to like it for the most part. She seems to be a very efficient eater. She eats a meal in about 1/2 the recommended time to feed, and even then she sometimes eats too much and ends up spitting up!! I was a little concerned at first that she wasn't eating enough, but she is gaining weight just fine, so no worries there. We got her professional pictures, and they turned out so cute. We are sending out the announcements now. Rowan also had her first Christmas in her first month of life. She got some cute gifts from family, thank you! Sadly, she also has her 2nd cold, and she's just barely a month old! One of the downsides of having a winter baby, poor thing. Overall, this last month has been pretty good. We are definitely sleep deprived, and stressed at times, but then one of them will do something so cute, and it makes it all worth it.

Toddler Bed (Day 1)

So Liam officially started climbing out of his crib yesterday, and fast! We knew this day was coming, and knew he was capable of climbing out for several months now, but he had just not tried it until now. He generally was OK taking his nap and going to bed, so we felt it was safest to leave him in his crib. But in the last few days he has really been upset about nap time and bed time, and has started to fight us. Then after escaping his crib several times, we decided it was safer to transition his crib to his toddler bed. For his nap time, he fought us for a long time, we eventually just shut the door and locked it from the outside. After about 20-30 minutes he sat down by his crib. He put his blanket over his head like a ghost, and in the monitor we could see his ghost head wobble back and forth until he eventually fell over onto the floor. He slept for about 90 minutes. Not TOO bad I guess for his first time without his crib. Then this evening, he fought us again. We offered to tuck him in, but he would have none of it! We eventually just had to leave the room again. Mike went to check on him since we couldn't see him on the video monitor. He had fallen asleep on his changing pad that is on the floor! We both got a good laugh about that. Hopefully he will start to get the idea that the mattress in the room is the most comfortable place to sleep! These next few weeks sure will be interesting, if nothing else.

2 Week Update

I can't believe it's been 2 weeks already! Rowan is already growing so quickly. She had her 2 week check up this morning, and she has already gained nearly 1 pound, and grew an inch. So now she weighs 7 lbs. 14 oz. and is 20" long. The nurse says that they like to see the baby gain back what they lose after birth, so she is definitely on the right track. She is such a sweet baby, and loves to snuggle. Her favorite place to sleep is right on our chest. I think she likes it because she can hear our heart and perhaps is reminded of being in the womb. We were relieved that she started to nurse right away since it was a bit of a struggle with Liam because he was a preemie. Basically, she is your typical baby, loves to sleep during the day, and is up more at night. Her general waking hours are between 3 am and 5 am. Some nights are better than others, but we seem to be getting better. Sadly, she has had a bit of a cold, so her nose is stuffed up at times and makes it hard for her to breathe and nurse. The Dr. also checked her heart murmur today, and said it was completely gone, which is a huge relief.

Liam was not able to visit us in the hospital because of the H1N1 this year, so the first time Liam saw Rowan was at our house. He opened our bedroom door where I was holding her on the bed, and then immediately closed the door after seeing her. He has been a bit shy of her, but has slowly warmed up to her over the last couple of weeks. After several days he touched her foot. Then one evening he comforted her when she was crying. He stroked her cheek, and offered her the binky (which strangely she doesn't like as of yet). He will say 'Baby Sad' when she is crying, and he is surprisingly understanding when we need to attend to her. Recently I was able to put Rowan on his lap and took a quick picture. He pointed to her eyes, nose, mouth and ears. He really seems quite interested in her, and has been nothing but sweet with her....just wish that would last forever!! Anyway, we are enjoying our new bundle of joy, and still adjusting to little sleep, but it has all been worth it!

Happy 2nd Birthday Liam!!

So we froze a little of Liam's birthday cake so that he could have a piece on his actual 2nd birthday. Here is a picture of him enjoying it.



Below is Liam's yearly 'watch me grow' pics...it's fun to see how he has changed since he was born...

Rowan's Birth Story

The week Rowan was born I had been feeling contractions, and was already dilated to 3 cm. Wednesday night I was feeling some pretty strong contractions, and thought maybe it was time. Later that evening the contractions lightened up, so we just figured it was pre-term contractions. The next morning around 9am I felt my water 'break'. Since Liam's water technically broke 2 days prior to being born, we were unsure how much time we had. I wasn't feeling any strong contractions like the night before, but we knew if the water had broke we should get to the hospital to have it looked at. I was 98% sure this was the real thing, so we spent the morning packing up and finishing up some last minute things. We dropped off Liam at Grandma's house, and then headed over to the hospital around noon. They confirmed that the fluid was amniotic and since I was only at 3.5 cm, and not contracting, they offered to give me some pitocin. We decided to wait to see if I progressed on my own. Mike ran to get a bite to eat since he hadn't had any food that day...when he returned they checked me again and I was the same so we decided to get started on the pitocin. They kept checking me, and I was progressing very slowly. Shortly after I started to feel some pain in my back, and told them I would want my epidural soon. 20 minutes or so went by and the anesthesiologist was not there. I guess I just figured the Dr. was already at the hospital, but he had to be called in. And since it was Thanksgiving, people were busy with their family dinners...They said he was on his way, but another 20 or so minutes went by and he still was not there. I was going to just wait till I really needed it to ask for it, but I am glad I didn't because it was close to 2 hours before he showed up, and I had progressed to 6 cm. He had to go in twice because the first one was going into a blood vessel. After I got the epidural both our heart rates had dipped, and they had to keep adjusting my position to make sure we stayed normal. They also turned off the pitocin until the Dr. could get to the hospital. My normal OB was not available that day, so his partner filled in. I didn't know anything about him, so I was sad that my OB wasn't going to be there. After they turned off the pitocin I didn't progress any on my own, so when the Dr. showed up around 7pm, they turned the pitocin back up. Finally about an hour or so after I was finally at 10 cm. The nurse adjusted the bed and told the Dr. we were ready. She was going to have me push a little, but her head was already crowning!! The doctor came in, and they had me push about 3 1/2 times and she was born at 8:34 pm! They took her over to the prep cart, and wiped her down. The nurse said she was the stickiest baby she had ever seen....I joked that it was all the creamed honey I ate! They let us hang out for 2 hours in the delivery room, which was nice since I had been rushed out with Liam, and ended up passing out in the bathroom. I was able to let the medicine wear off and take in the experience. She started nursing right away, she was a natural!! Then we moved to my room around 11pm. They took her to give her a bath, and check her out. After she was returned Mike was able to say goodbye. He needed to get home to let the dogs out and feed them after being inside for 13 plus hours. Rowan and I spent the night and next 2 days eating, sleeping (me only cat naps) and bonding. She loves being held and wasn't too happy if I put her down. One of the nurses told me that Rowan was the ONLY baby born in that hospital on Thanksgiving. And also one of only a few there the whole time we were there...which is quite remarkable considering we live in Utah county, probably the #1 county of births in the U.S. Before we left they told us that she had a heart murmur, and the Dr. checking her out wanted to see her the next day to see if it was going to be an issue. We took her to be checked out on Sunday, and the Dr. said it appeared to be fixing itself, and to follow up on her 2 week visit to be sure. We are slowly getting used to having a new born again, and no sleep, but are just loving our new addition to our family.

Welcome Thanksgiving Baby

I will post the birth story soon, but just wanted to announce that our little girl came one week early in the evening of Thanksgiving day, November 26th 2009. Her name is Rowan Kendall, coming in at 6 lbs. 15 oz. and is 19 inches long. She has a lot of beautiful hazelnut brown hair, and we are already smitten by her!


Mom and baby

Proud Daddy


Rowan sleeping 3 days old

Baby Bump #2 (38 Weeks)

So I have to admit that I'm a little surprised that I've made it to 38 weeks. Unlike a lot of women out there, I am not in any hurry for her to come. I actually love being pregnant...and it's kinda a bitter sweet moment now because we are fairly sure (not 100%, but close) that she will be our last kid. I started to pack some things last night for the hospital, but still need to do some last minute things before I'm ready-ready. Not a whole lot else to report. I've been going weekly now to the Dr's to be checked and measured and all seems well and normal. I have had some small contractions here and there, and I can tell my body is getting ready for her to come.

Sequoia's Last Days

So when we found out that Sequoia had cancer in July, we really didn't think she had much time considering the symptoms she was having. But, most of the symptoms seemed to clear up, and to our surprise she made it past her 13th birthday a couple months later. Her health did slowly decline over the months, and we knew that we would have to make that dreadful decision of putting her to sleep. Mike kept telling me that it was time, but I didn't want to hear it. She had a great way of hiding her pain and discomfort. One day I did come home and she had been stuck on the floor with a bowel movement under her. That on top of falling more often, and being scared to go down the stairs in the backyard is when I came to the realization that the time was near. We discussed a time that would be good. I wanted to schedule it on a Friday since I don't have work, and I could go home and cry my eyes out. We also wanted to wait till after Liam's party because we needed to focus on that, and not be sad about Sequoia. So, I had made the appointment for November 13th. The first part of the week, she had a few pretty good days, and we both were kinda second guessing our decision. But later in the week she did have some more accidents in the house, and was falling more, so we did feel it was the right time. Wednesday evening Mike took some pictures of me and Sequoia. The following morning she had another accident in the house, and fell several times on the floor. I cleaned it up, and as me and Liam were leaving for the day, I asked him to say 'Bye Doggie', which I do most mornings...he usually will say 'bye' but this morning he said 'Bye Doggie'. It was bitter sweet because it was so cute, but I also knew it was the very last time he would say 'Bye Doggie' to her as we left the house. That evening when I returned from work, she was not right at all. She could not get up, and her head was tilted to one side and her eyes were moving rapidly back and forth. I noticed that she had vomited on her blanket too. We had thought that maybe she had a stroke and/or that these were symptoms of her body shutting down, and that she might pass on her own that night. We took turns all evening petting her and comforting her. I gave her the rest of the steak that Mike had cooked up for her, and surprisingly she ate it all! Mike got a tarp and we set it up in the bedroom under her blanket. He stayed up pretty late checking on her. We were unsure if she would make it through the night, but to our surprise she did. We got her packed up in the car and stopped at Grandma's house to drop off Liam. We let him say 'goodbye' to her, but it seemed he was a little afraid to because she wasn't the Sequoia he knew. We got to the vet's office and Mike had to carry her in. For many weeks before this moment I wasn't sure I wanted to be there when she was put to sleep. I leaned toward not being there because I felt it would be too difficult for me to see her like that. But, after thinking about it, and wanting to be there for her if she passed the night before, I decided that I did want to be there for her in her last moments. It all went fairly quickly...we asked about the symptoms she was having, and he said it wasn't a stroke, but could be from the tumor spreading to her spine or brain. He had a large syringe of pink stuff, and she didn't fight or struggle while he administered it. Mike was holding her head and she 'fell asleep' before the syringe was even done. She went very peacefully, and we were relieved that she was not suffering any longer. We stayed with her for awhile and gave her kisses, and told her we loved her. When we picked up Liam at Grandma's house as we were going to the car he pointed to the car and said 'Carsi gone' (Carsi is what he calls her because Sequoia is kinda a hard word for a 23 month old.) We were shocked that he even was aware of what was going on! Anyway, we decided to have a private cremation for her, so we will be getting her ashes back in a beautiful engraved cedar box as well as a ceramic paw print. We also requested that we get all the bolts from her hip surgery back. I will be glad to have her remains with us as a reminder of her wonderful life we shared with her.

Rest in Peace Dear Sequoia

9-14-96 to 11-13-09

This is my most proud picture I've taken. This was taken before digital camera's. I took Sequoia out to the back yard after a snow storm, and used up an entire roll of film on a cheap camera. This picture was pure luck! And I love it...she looks so beautiful here. I wanted to post a little something here to mark the end of her life. Although, I will post an account of her last few days with us after I've gathered my thoughts.

Sequoia Is One Lucky Dog!

As sad as I am to have to say goodbye to our sweet dog Sequoia, I have to say she is one lucky dog...Had we not been the ones that picked her out of the litter way back in November of 1996, she most likely would have not seen her first birthday. She had severe hip dysplasia at only nine months old. I was still living at home at the time, and was saving my money for a new vehicle. I decided to use the money for her to have a surgery on both her hips...$3,000 later she was as good as new! She walked, and ran and jumped as well as any healthy dog. She was always so happy to see us when we got home that she jumped on us. She has lived a good long life, and we will surely miss having her around!

Happy 2nd (Early) Birthday Party!

For Liam's 2nd birthday party we decided to host it at The Living Planet Aquarium. We also had his party one month early because Rowan is due right around his real birthday which is Dec. 7th. We had the party room for 1.5 hrs. so it was a bit rushed, but overall I think everyone had a good time. We first had a light brunch with bagels and fruit, then we had a treasure hunt with the kids. Liam did not like the activity at all, he just wanted to run around the aquarium and do his own thing...after the treasure hunt, we had to quickly have cake and open presents. Again, Liam didn't want much to do with this, he just wanted to run around and play...guessing this is normal for his age.

I think his favorite part of the whole party was his balloons. He held onto those things and punched them all over the place, it was pretty funny!


He also liked the fish tank in the Sunken Ship party room...Here is a picture of him and his 2nd cousin, Rainier checking out the fish.


And here is a picture of him and his cousin Madison checking out the tank.


And he and his friend Landon checking out the tank....


Here is Liam taking a rest on the floor after running around...


And a picture of his Birthday Cake!


And Liam showing an interest in his gifts for a short second!

After the party, all the guests were free to explore the aquarium...Liam loved splashing in the stingray tank, and crawling around in the ocean caves. Overall I think the party went well. It felt a little hectic and rushed to me, but that is probably because I was the host. It was fun, and the best part of all was I didn't have to clean our house at nine months pregnant : )

Happy Halloween 2009

We started Halloween evening off with carving pumpkins. Liam is too young still to participate with the actual carving part, but we had him watch us cut them open and take the guts out. He kept saying 'Ewe' when we showed him the insides. The way he says 'pumpkin' is soo cute too!

We gave him his pumpkin to play with, and then gave him a glow stick since he just LOVES lights, and we figured he would get a kick out of a glow stick.

Then we got him dressed in his Elmo costume so that he could go trick-or-treating...

The trick-or-treater's had already started to show up while we were taking his picture. He wasn't too sure what to make of everything. He seemed a bit shell shocked, so we were able to capture a few pictures with him being cute and calm. I took him out first, and we ran into some neighbors just outside our house. He was talking up a storm about his Elmo costume and how he had shoes on. The first house we went to he was hesitant to say 'trick or treat' , but he grabbed a piece of candy out of the bowl. I was fairly surprised that he knew just what to do.

We just went to a few houses, then dad wanted a chance to take him out, so he took him to a few more...he did end up saying 'Trick-or-treat' at least once, and 'Thank you' too.

When he got home he did NOT want to let go of his Elmo basket. We had to pry his hand open to take his costume off and wash his hands...then we let him carry his stash around the house. He really seemed to enjoy this Halloween...although I think next year he will have a much better understanding what all the fuss is about.

Baby Bump #2 (35 Weeks)

So Rowan is about 18 inches long, and is about 5 1/4 lbs. about the size of a honeydew melon. Only one more week and I'll be in my 9th month. Also if I make it till then I will be further along than I ever was with Liam. I do have a feeling that she won't be AS early as he was, but do think she still might be a little early...but who knows?! All I know is I want her to come when she is ready and healthy. I have been a bit lax on the exercise program since I was sick a few weeks ago. Taking a week off just ruined the momentum, and it's been hard to get back into it. Plus I have been feeling a lot more tired and sore, and would rather just take a nap if given the chance. But I have been doing a little bike or yoga once or twice a week, and it does seem to help. Being 8 plus months pregnant is what I imagine getting old feels like...it's hard to get up, bend over, lots of aches and pains all over. And I only have one little one, I can't imagine how hard it is to carry multiples! Anyway, I kinda have the whole nesting thing going on, but probably not as strong as some women do...maybe because I work and when I get home I just want to sit down and relax. A few days ago we moved Liam to his new room, and decided to keep his bed as a crib for now until he's a little older and used to being in his room. We know that he is probably capable of getting out, but he really hasn't shown an interest in doing it yet. So now that he is out of his old room, I'm starting to transition it to Rowan's new room. She will be in our room at night for a while yet, but I do want to have a place to nap her, and have her things organized on the 2nd floor for when we are up there. Anyway, I will be having an ultrasound later today and will update this post when I find out if she is still breech. And also will post a picture later too...so check back.

UPDATE: So just got back from the Ultra Sound. She is head down, all set to go! Fluid level looks good, and no cord around her neck (which is a relief)...she also has hair! Also confirmed the body part that has been moving around on my right side is indeed her foot. We are so excited to meet her!!

Halloween? Feels more like Christmas!

So, we had a storm blow in yesterday, and it has been snowing and bitter cold! It feels more like Christmas time rather than Halloween. Hopefully it will warm up for the kids to go trick-or-treating. We were planning to take Liam to a few houses just for fun, but if it doesn't warm up, then he'll just be staying in with us to hand out candy...Anyway, not a whole lot going on...Today I am one week away from when Liam was born at this point in my pregnancy. I will find out tomorrow if Rowan is still breech or not...crossing my fingers she's head down. Will post an update and new picture for 35 weeks...in meantime enjoy this cute dog in a costume : )

Sequoia Update

(I found this picture of Me and Sequoia taken 4-3-03)

So it's been a few months since we found out that Sequoia has cancer. At the time she had had the runs for several weeks, and was vomiting, and not eating much. Her tumor was swollen and also put off a fowl smell. We didn't think she had much time left. The vet gave her a shot of steroid, and shortly after her symptoms started to improve. Although, her tumor is more swollen and continues to smell, and bleed. She often falls on the hardwood floors and has a hard time getting up, and often needs help. She also has a difficult time with the 4 stairs when she goes out to the backyard. She has fallen trying to go up and down the stairs, and often needs help getting up. Over the last couple of months she has also been pooping in the house which is something she didn't do before. Yesterday I came home to see her laying down where she had pooped on the floor! Mike has been trying to tell me for several weeks now that it's time, but I have been avoiding the decision. I just HATE making that decision, but as much as I am sad about it, I'm starting to think that he is right. We are thinking that we will have to make that dreadful appointment within the next month or so. I hope to make her feel happy and comfortable and loved in her last days.

Rest in Peace Codi

(Codi is the dog on right)

Shortly after my family moved to Utah from New Hampshire, I finally was able to get my driver's license at the age of 18. One of the first things I did is take my little brother to a pet store and pick out a puppy. I know, not the brightest thing to do without getting permission from the parents first, but all little boys need a dog right? Anyway, he was a really cute Australian/Brittany mix and we set him up in our RV area on the side of the house since dad would not allow an indoor dog. Eric named him Codi, and he was a really great watch dog and he LOVED LOVED LOVED chasing and fetching balls. Of all the dogs I've had since, he has been the ONLY dog that loved to play fetch, and he was really good at it too! He had several friends live with him over the years, Nicki and Sequoia and Wolfie. Nicki had to find another home because of the dog limit law, and Sequoia moved in with me when I moved out. And Wolfie was his best friend until he passed. Shortly after Wolfie passed, Eric was in a position to bring Codi to live with him at his new home. And Codi must have thought he died and went to heaven because he was trained to eventually be an indoor dog! Anyway, I just wanted to write up a little blog about Codi because after 16 years on this earth his health had gone down, and had to be put to sleep last night. He really was a sweet wonderful dog, and I don't regret getting him for Eric (even though I now know you should always ask permission first!) Rest in peace Codi, you were loved by many!

Pumpkin Land 2009

We took Liam to Pumpkin Land today, and got some more pictures of him with the pumpkins. He is 22 months now, and has grown sooo much since last year. He was 10 months last year, and wasn't even walking yet. Let's just say it was so much easier to get pictures of him last year. He had a blast running around checking out the pumpkins, and trying to lift them. He would try to lift them and say 'Heavy'. He loved the Elmo blow up display too. He also liked to climb on and over the big pumpkins. He decided after a little while though that he was ready to go. We are hoping next year he will enjoy our trip there a little more...and maybe will even want to do the activities there.













Compare pictures from last year's trip to Pumpkin Land 2008

Mom and Liam Pumpkin Land

Liam Pumpkin Land

Baby Bump #2 (32 Weeks)

Well it's been 32 weeks now, and Rowan is about 3.75 lbs. and about 16.7 inches long, about the weight of a large jicama (bit obscure, but if you're wondering see picture above, it's a turnip and apparently kinda heavy). I definitely can not complain about not feeling her move anymore. She is moving a lot now, and it's obvious. In fact, sometimes I will hold my hand to my belly if I start to feel her move, and she will give a good kick and it startles me, it's kinda funny, and it's definitely a relief to start to feel her move. For the last week or so her movements have been at 3 and 9 o'clock (on sides) instead of at 6 o'clock (bottom), then yesterday for the first time I felt her move at 12 o'clock (top), sooooo, I *think* that she might have moved head down, but we will not know for sure until the Dr. checks her. I'm not as nervous about the labor this time round, although subconsciously I think I am a bit because I've been feeling a bit of anxiety lately. But that also could just be the whole idea of having a newborn, and a 2 yr old at the same time. I will miss the one on one attention that I was able to have with just one baby, but at the same time it will be fun to see how Liam is with his sister.



(sorry Ma, if you are embarrassed by a bare belly, but this was my favorite picture.)

Happy Birthday to My Hubby

I'm usually not one to get all gushy and sweet, especially in a public way, but I just want to say 'Happy Birthday' to my hubby. He is a great husband and he works very hard, both in a professional way and at home. He does a wonderful job at supporting his family in many many ways, and he is also a wonderful father. I am such a lucky wife to have a husband that comes home from a hard days of work, and does most of the cooking, and helps clean and does yard work too. He takes great care of Liam, and plays with him, and has incredible patience with him too. He absolutely loves and adores our little boy, and is also very excited to have a little girl. We have had our ups and downs in the last 14 years, but I am so grateful that we are still together and we have our own little family now. I just can't imagine life with out him...Love you!