A month...A month is a long trip!

I remember once I was flying home from an interview in North Carolina and I was sitting next to a woman visiting Utah for the first time. As we started to land she turned to me and said, "Ya'll have no trees!!!" I smiled and wanted to say, "duh, you guys don't have mountains." (With my strongest Utah accent)  Utah might not have many trees, but the mountains are pretty incredible.  There is something kind of amazing about looking out the window as we are coming in for a landing and seeing the majestic mountains with the jagged rocks. I know my kids will never have that "coming home" feeling when they see those mountains, but I sure I hope they have a "coming for fun" feeling.  We did our best this trip to make sure that was true. 

On my birthday Rich told me that one of his presents to me was a month long trip to Utah in September. A month!! It seemed so luxurious, but since my job is my kids now and they are portable...why not!   He was going to come out at the beginning for a "dude room" 10 year reunion. These guys named their apartment after a stolen sign.  This apartment was the reason we dated (in the most simplified version of the story).

My goodness, 10 years goes fast and yet so much has happened.  That first picture is after a whole lot of weddings, graduations and children....and facial hair.

When I found out that my grandmother was sick I just kept hoping that she would be alive when we came to Utah.  My Grandma Jo is awesome (more on that later). Five days before we left I had a moment.  It was one of those moments in the middle of the night that newborn mom's know about.  It was 2 or 3 or 4 AM.  I don't know for sure, because honestly it all starts to blend together.  But anyway it was a moment where I was alert and not frustrated at being awake.  Elliott had fallen asleep and I was just enjoying his snuggling body.  I thought, "I haven't heard any news on grandma in the last 2 days.  That must mean she is doing well and will get to meet this little guy."  The next morning I had a text from my mom waiting that said, "call as soon as you get this."  I knew what it meant.  It isn't until today as I was writing this that I wondered if maybe the reason I was thinking about my grandma at that moment in the middle of the night was because she was with me....meeting my little guy in his sweet baby dreams.  I hope so.

 

My Grandmother's funeral was the first day we were there. I am just going to say this...her funeral rocked.  Seriously! That feels like the best way to describe it even though as I reread those words they seem wrong for a funeral but they are right for my grandma.  My grandma was amazing and her funeral highlighted all of her.  I bawled and cracked up almost equally.  I felt inspired to be more and better in my life and I felt blessed to call her my grandma.  

My cousin Wendy did a tribute from all of the grandchildren and she called most of us to ask for favorite memories.  Soo many to choose from. My grandma would say the most inappropriate things just for the comedy of it and to see how others might react.  When Richard and I graduated from BYU we went to dinner to celebrate.  I warned Richard's family to not take anything personally and be ready for any question.  So we are all sort of waiting for what she will say.  The waiter comes up to take our order and she says, "tell me about your duck."  He said, "it is prepared blah blah with a blah blah sauce blah blah and served over blah blah blah."  She then says, "well I don't LIKE duck."  The waiter quickly replies, "well then you probably won't like this."  She sits in silence for a moment then says, "I'll have the duck."  

She is one of the original Wedding Crashers.  They lived one block from Temple Square in Salt Lake City where there are tons of weddings.  She used to go to the receptions and get the food.  But that wasn't enough, she would go through the line and greet the bride and groom.  I can just imagine her striking up conversations in the line.  

She was one of the original extreme couponers. She would clip coupons and go to three different grocery stores, then come home change her clothes and her purse and go to all three stores again!

She decided to work as a free sample lady because she thought it would be fun.  She loved to make traditions and create themes. She would get one dollar bills put into a notepad and give us dollar bills for answering trivia questions at family reunions. She would make goals or agendas of things she wanted to do and then do it.  

I want to be able to really explain who she was and i don't think my words are enough.  She was just so great.  I will miss my Grandma, but I think of her often and hope to become more like her. 

 

 And then here are a bunch of pictures from the rest of the trip...IT WAS A BLAST!! But there isn't as much to say about that...or there is and I am too lame to come up with anything. OH and they are not in order. I didn't think you really cared.  you don't right?

She wanted to "do that" after watching me wake board (despite the fact that she cried like I was being murdered while she watched me wakeboard...probably just sad that I can't jump the wake like my sister)

 Pony ride at the State Fair (turns out that I do like State Fairs when Charlotte is there)

 Ferris wheel

 corn dog 

 Dancing like it is her job at the state fair.

 Riding downtown SLC on tracks...this did nothing to help my obsession with big city living.  I thought traveling with two little ones on public transit would cure me of my dreams of NYC...it didn't.

 Temple square

 Learning to give a social smile.

 CARTER...love my nephew!  My sister's pretty cool too!

 Early morning marathon training with my sisters. These girls are the girls that I can tell any portapotty joke to and they laugh...what more could you ask for in a running buddy! 

 My family....what can I say...i like them a lot. (We miss you bubs!)

Hike #1-Elliott in tow...baby girl sleeping peacefully in Ama's care.

Hike #2- one on front and one on back...yep I'm hard core and sweaty (truth be told my sister put Elliott on for the hike down...but can we just pretend I did the whole thing, you know, for my ego)

 Muse Concert with my sisters and their friends.  We went to dinner and ordered Tapas.  They were great, but Lauren summed it up well when she said, "now whose up for Wendy's!!"

 Cousin time!  Learning to share and Charlotte practiced her mothering skills.

 Gravitron at the State Fair...I was laughing so hard that I got an ab workout.

 Touching the doors at the Salt Lake Temple...or "Castle" as Charlotte called it (she asked where Belle and Beast were)

 Rich at my old apartment (What up Double or Nothin!!)

 Rich at the BYU Football game.

 One of our many pics for Daddy!

 Charlotte feeding fish at the pond in Eden.

 Elliott and Apa in Eden!

Elliott and Anna...Loved visting with the Websters.

End of the world as we knew it...but not really

Okay, here are the facts: I have been holding out on this blog and not putting the real details of our life. I was hesitant to post anything publicly when we hadn't made an official decision to tell my work.   Now that we are a little more settled it is time.  Over the last two years we have been hoping, praying and looking for ways to stay in Richmond.  We both loved it there, but it wasn't meant to be. You would think that there is a need for dentists everywhere, but for some reason the right thing never showed itself.  The last year has been challenging....okay no it was more than challenging it was super stressful and tiring and unstable and draining and tear-inducing. Now that we are settled I see how much of a strain the last year was for us. In March Rich starting looking at a practice in Staunton, VA.  Anybody who knows me well, knows that I have love that is bordering on obsession with New York City and city life in general. To make a long story short, I was a big whiney, hormonal baby about moving to a small town.  I was downright obnoxious about it. In the end we felt that this was what we were supposed to do.  Rich started working at this office in June.  He was happy and I was, well I was being ultra dramatic and I was sure that a small town meant impending doom for me. It was difficult for me to leave Richmond with all the wonderful people, my job, the restaurants (I still have a million places I want to try there), the events, the shopping, the museums, the proximity to DC and larger airports.  I was not gracious or optimistic, but after a while I realized that this is really what is happening and I should be grateful.  My husband had a job and it was one that he liked.  We would be closer to family, I would get to spend more time with my kids and Staunton has some definite charms.  Well June, July and August were crazy with a combo of Rich living away from us 4 nights a week, I was working, then having a baby and packing our house.  On August 16th we got word that we had a place to move into. August 21st I gave my work official notice that I wasn't coming back (A call that was a culmination on lots of contemplation and tears. on my part). August 24th my dad came to help. August 25th Elliott was blessed and then we moved August 27th.  The day we moved in a little 2 year old neighbor girl came over to say hi to Charlotte and that night we went out to eat and I fell in love with the downtown of Staunton.  There were 3 restaurants that we were trying to decide between and then we had gelato at this fabulous gelateria. It was exactly what I needed.  It made me excited about our little town.  I have found a lot of favorite things about this town and I am happy.  I still miss my job and friends in Richmond, but we really are doing well.  Oh and Rich was mature and tolerant through all of this...bless him.

 My packing partners...FACT: They were not helpful.  They might be cute, but packers they are not. 

 The day we moved...blurry but the last pic of our fam together in our house.

 Appa with Elliott and loads of boxes.

 Elliott on his blessing day.

Saying good-bye to my office...sad.

 Richard's family, my dad, and the Delmege's on Elliott's blessing day.

 First day in our new house.

 Our new place is very close to a little park where Charlotte like the "fwings"

 Now that we had a little more space we could have Charlotte's Tea party move from Nana's house to our house.  

Before all of our stuff came.

New big bath tub that is MEANT for bubbles.

NoTeef, Pink poo, princess Charlotte and Why we can't eat in The Fan anymore

Being home with these two sweet kids during the daytime is hilarious (and exhausting at the same time).  Charlotte is learning to talk more and she cracks me up. A couple of funny stories:

 You may recognize this lovely picture from Snow White.  Charlotte immediately noticed that she has, "No teef"and called this to Richard's attention.  Well, what dentist wouldn't use this as a "teaching opportunity"?  Richard informed her that this is what happens when you don't brush your teeth at night.  Charlotte insists multiple times a day that we find the picture of "no teef" in her Snow White book.  Then every night when we get her toothbrush she gets these big eyes and shakes her head and says, "no teef, no teef."  Traumatized much?

To keep Charlotte engaged while I spend time with Elliott I try to have her help me and talk to her while she helps.  I commented that Elliott's poop was yellow.  A decision I learned to regret when we visited my office and she proudly declared, "Ayet's poopoo yeyo" (translation: elliott's poop is yellow). Later when I was changing her diaper she said, "Ayet's poopoo yeyo and Charyet's poopoo pink."  Well, there you go...she has pink poo (and it probably doesn't stink either).  

I recently said, "let's go get Mister Elliott."  All day long Charlotte kept repeating me, "missa Ayet"(which sounds surprisingly similar to Missy Elliot and I kept getting her songs stuck in my head.)  Later that afternoon she proclaimed, "missa Ayet and pincess Charyet."  She is quite the princess.  Anytime she puts on a dress she dances around and calls herself a princess.  When my mom gave me this yellow cardigan ( I sure do love cardigans) she wrapped it around her and thought she was Princess Belle.  

We love to go out to eat in "The Fan" because they have lots of great places to eat.  The Fan is midtown near VCU which has a lot of art students and hipsters on their fixie bikes.  One of the days were were down there we saw a girl with black hair, thick black eye makeup and tattoo sleeves.  Charlotte pointed and said, "it's a witch!!"  Uhh...Rich and I put our heads down and walked away quickly, avoiding eye contact with each other because we knew we could crack up!  Then another day we were down there and a big guy with a ponytail walked by and Charlotte said, "Bad guy, Bad guy!" HAHA...I guess we can't eat in The Fan anymore.  

Not to leave mister elliott out, here are some pics. (I must choose really crummy times to take pics of him with so many crying pics.)  The first is Elliott on the day he came home from the hospital, then him in this little blue and red outfit when he was 5 days old and the nakey one at his photo shoot when he was just over one week old.  The last one is his one month picture taken yesterday.  Check out the difference in the way the outfit fit him at one month.

Elliott's Arrival

If you are anything like me the death of Google Reader has significantly diminished my blog following, but I would still like to blog the event of Elliott's Arrival.  This is pretty long, if any of you actually make it through it...you are awesome. I was planning on writing it down to send to my brother who is on his mission in Minnesota, but now it is so long and he might not even have time to read it all.

  With Charlotte I was so prepared.  My "nesting" preparations included getting her bedroom completely set up over a month before she came, cleaning out all of the closets and cupboards, cleaning out the outside storage unit, packing a hospital bag with a written list of all of the items to throw in last minute, having Richard steam clean our carpets, creating a "push it" playlist to listen to at the hospital, washing and neatly hanging all of her little outfits in the closet and on and on.  Well this time I feel like I was just barely scrapping by and was lucky I vacuumed upstairs once before he came.  I think I might have sprayed some tilex in the tub one time last week and that was pretty much the extent of my "nesting" this time. See, life has been crazy around here because Rich started a new job and is away for much of the week, while I have continued to work full time and I was finishing out my time as Relief Society President. Elliott was due on the17th and I figured I still had a week. Things in my life were supposed to slow down this week.  I was released from my calling on Sunday the 7th, I was going to be working half days after Tuesday the 9th, and my mom was coming in town on Friday.  I just needed to do Charlotte's Birthday Party on the 9th and then it would be time to clean, organize and prepare.  HAHA!!

Tuesday I worked a half day and came home to get Charlotte's birthday party ready.  We did a little Birthday party for her and then that night Rich left to go stay with his parents because it is closer to his new job. Wednesday is my half day and I had my doctor's appointment at 9:10 in the morning.  I set my alarm early to get my paperwork and exercise done BEFORE the appointment.  When it went of I decided I would have time to do my paperwork after the appointment and I was going to sleep a little longer (I should have known better!)  I was feeling good and did 30 minutes on the exercise bike and of course had to rush to get ready, because I had pressed that dang snooze button one too many times.  Charlotte's baby sitter, Whitney, came and I rushed to my appointment while shoving food in as I drove.

I told my Dr. I was interested to see how far dilated I was because I was having some signs that things might be moving along and I was having more mild irregular contractions.  She checked and I was barely 1.5cm dilated which wasn't much progress from the 1 cm I had been the week before.  I had a contraction while she was checking my belly, but I assured her that they really hadn't been regular.  She wanted to at least put me on the monitor for a few minutes.  I didn't mind having a minute to just lie down and read my book, but as I was lying there I realized that maybe they were a little more regular than I initially thought.  She came in and said I was having contractions every 2 minutes and she suggested that I go upstairs to get ready to have the baby.  I deferred.  I had WAY too much to do to be having the baby today and I was feeling like the contractions were just because I was dehydrated from not drinking anything after I exercised.  She gave me some water and monitored for 10 more minutes and they slowed down and became less regular.  She said I could go home, but that I could come back if anything changed.  

I went ahead and cancelled patients for the afternoon and let my friend know that I wouldn't be able to meet her at the park (sorry Sarah, but you did say birth was an acceptable excuse).  I was later leaving the appointment because of all the monitoring and almost made Whitney miss her first ever massage. I picked up Charlotte at the massage place and Whitney only missed a few minutes.  I told her that I had cancelled my afternoon patients, but asked her to come by after her massage "just in case."  I told Rich that I was headed home and he should go ahead with seeing patients and I would get some water, rest and keep him posted. On the drive home the contractions started to feel less like Braxton Hicks and more like the real deal that I had experienced with Charlotte.  I timed them and they were about 5 minutes apart. Hmm...maybe I was wrong about this being about needing more water.

So Charlotte and I got home.  I grabbed a glass of water, put a movie on for her and furiously started working on my paperwork.  The contractions kept coming on stronger and Char was being super clingy.  She was trying to crawl all over me and sit on my belly while I was in a panic to try to get the paperwork done that I had put off the night before and that morning (see how these things come back to bite you!)  Initially, I texted Rich that he should go ahead and cancel his afternoon patients.  Then about 5 minutes later with the next contraction I told that he better just finish what he was doing and get home.  Charlotte was hungry and the contractions just kept coming and now I was starting to get nervous that Rich wouldn't make it home in time.  He had an hour and forty minutes of driving to do after he finished with the crown he was working on.  I couldn't get up because it would make the contractions worse. I was starting to panic!  So I did the only thing I could at that moment...sit there and cry.  Thankfully, about 30 minutes later Whitney walked in the door. (Do you hear the chorus of angels singing? Because that is what it was like for me!)  I was bawling when she got there and pathetically requested she get us some lunch.  Whitney was so sweet and made us both lunch (charlotte ate 2 plates of food...poor thing was starving).  Whitney reassured me that she was capable of taking me to the hospital and put everything into perspective.

About an hour later Rich came through the door!!  AHHH...now everything really would be okay!! I packed my hospital bag and Rich, Charlotte and I went for a little walk before her nap.  Then I continued to work on paperwork through contractions until about 5 when I was sick of dealing with the contractions and ready to "get me my epeedurall." We walked into the hospital at 5:30 and I told the nurse that I was probably only dilated to a 2 or 3 and I wanted her to find the anesthesiologist that seemed to be in the most jovial mood to give me some sweet relief.  My doctor came in to check me and she said, "girl, you are dilated to an 8."  Hmm, well I guess that means I'll scratch the plans on the epidural.  I kept breathing through the contractions, but the exit route for this baby was becoming more of a thought and concern...this is probably going to hurt isn't it?   Then I suddenly felt my water break.  I stood up to let the nurse clean the bed off for me and she asked if I was feeling any pressure.  I told her I wasn't, then about 2 seconds later I said, "oh no....I am feeling pressure!  Oh crap...I really want to push!"  They got me back in the bed and by this time I was screaming.  Another nurse came in to see what was going on and my nurse said,  "she is complete and I don't have anything set up a...page the doctor and help me set up!" My doctor came running in and told me that instead of screaming, I needed to use my energy to push.  With the next contraction I started to push and just kept pushing.  She told me to breath and Rich said I told her, "I don't know how" as I turned purple (this is where things became a little traumatizing for Rich).  I almost passed out, but luckily the contraction stopped and I could breath a little.  The next contraction I pushed twice and he was here!!!  At 6:28 pm.  Yep, that is less that one hour after we arrived at the hospital.

We named him Richard "Elliott" Sedwick and we will call him Elliott.  He is amazing and sweet and we love holding him.  Tonight when we were bathing both Charlotte and Elliott, I was thinking about how much more complete our family feels with him here.  It is strange how perfect and right it feels to have him be part of our family.  Charlotte is definitely adjusting the the situation and is often requesting to be held by whoever is currently holding Elliott. Today she came in from church and I was so excited to see her, but she ran past me to see what "ayet" was doing.

For the record...you may recall my desire for natural childbirth with Charlotte.  Having had both experiences I am reflecting on all these "amazing" experiences, "important bonding moments" and rushes that your hear about when watching shows like "The Business of Being Born."  I have to say, it was still amazing to have this little guy here, but I don't know if I am necessarily a convert to natural childbirth.  I am happy with how everything turned out, but I won't be making any big proclamations about the evils of epidurals.