Falling In Love

We are all falling in love with this tiny little person

Taycie Grace Lamoreaux

I love:

 the smell of her breath, having her cuddle up next to me, the little sounds she makes, looking at her tiny feet, feeding her, spending time just looking at her.  I love how newborns stretch, with their little legs curled up, and their back arched.  I love the quiet time that I have had to rest and ponder how to be a good mother to all these sweet children.  I love the feeling that a new baby brings into our home - everyone wants to be kinder, more gentle, & loving.

The joys of family life just in this week have been worth the backaches and uncomfortableness of pregnancy, the strain on my body, the pain of labor, the noise and daily stresses of raising a large family. 

Wow, I don't have a picture of Bob holding Taycie. I'll have to get one soon! Bob is the most amazing husband and father in the world. He's just so understanding, kind, and loving. He handles the stress of school and running his IBC business along with having a new baby, helping out at home, doing his church calling, etc. He just takes it all in stride, and (unlike myself) doesn't seem stressed or have any nervous breakdowns. He handles my emotions, and gives me words of wisdom. He loves me. I mean really, truly loves me and accepts me no matter how undeserving I might be at the moment. He is everything a real man should be.

 

Abby is now a big sister!  I love hearing her say to Taycie:  "You are so beautiful, you are so beautiful!"

Andrew is fascinated by this little baby.  He's had the hardest time adjusting because he's so attached to me, but luckily it is summer, and he's also in love with the outdoors.

Zach loves to hold Taycie, and rub her soft little fuzzy head.  He did not like her dried umbillical cord, and he was SO relieved when it fell off.  Yesterday, he asked me while holding Taycie: "Mom, can big brothers kiss their baby sisters on the lips sometimes?"  So cute. 

Of course, Mallory is in heaven with yet another sibling to help out with.  She is now the middle child in our family.

Spencer has a calming influence on Taycie and can usually get her to fall asleep for me.  He'll sit quietly for as long as I will let him hold her.  What a lucky girl Taycie is to have four older brothers to watch over her, who love her so much!

 

Courtney is a very loving big sister.  She helped wash all the girl clothes when Bob called from the hospital (I had only washed the little boy clothes!) Courtney has been an amazing help by keeping the little ones in the family entertained, cared for, loved, and happy this week.  She is such a gentle, loving, and sweet influence in our family.

Jace has always loved babies so much.  He'll hold Taycie for a long time, and he always comments about how precious she is.  He adores her.  I know he'll be a wonderful father someday.

Here is the star that has kept our home and family together this week.  Really, there aren't words to express how proud and happy I am with how willing she is to help, and how talented and able she is.  Every day she leads the children in a "clean-up crew", she makes meals, and just happily helps out.  Bob has made me stay in bed, take lots of naps, and focus on recovering.  But then he has to go to school, and Aliysa gets to take up the slack.  She's amazing. 

It's crazy to me to look at her holding Taycie.  It really hasn't been that long since she was Taycie's size.  I always used to think it was funny how often adults would say that "time flies by so fast", but it really is true.

"They are idols of hearts and of household!

They are angels of God in disguise;

The sunlight still sleeps in their tresses,

His glory still gleams in their eyes;

These truants from home and from Heaven,

They have made me more gentle and mild;

And I know now how Jesus could liken

The kingdom of God to a child."

-Charles M. Dickinson

She's here!

We have a beautiful baby girl!  No name yet, because we all guessed this would be a boy. She was 8 lbs 13 oz, 21 3/4 inches long, chubby and adorable. Soft fuzzy hair, looks light brown but will probably be blonde hair.

It's been 2 hrs since her birth and she still hasn't closed her eyes, she just keeps looking around.  She is very alert.  She latched on immediately and nursed really well.  

Everything went so well with this birth.  I am just in awe of the whole process.  Once the pitocin got going, everything went pretty quickly & smoothly.  I was feeling quite a bit of pain at the end, I was surprised that it felt so uncomfortable.  The nurse checked me and said "oh, the baby is crowning!"  The doctor got here just in time to catch her.  I didn't even push!  Wow, what an amazing experience.

Well, we're going to look for baby names online.

At the hospital!

Well, we are here at Mtn. View Hospital.  We'll have a baby here soon!  After two nights of being awakened all night with contractions, and having painful contractions off and on all day, I finally went into labor last night (Saturday).  I knew in the evening that this was real labor, so we got the house straightened up, and laundry done, and got everyone to bed.  As soon as I settled down into bed, I started having long and hard contractions, although they never got close together.  I know I should be used to this routine by now, but I always keep thinking that someday I'll have a labor that progresses.

In the morning, things started slowing down, and we decided it was time to head to the hospital to get things going before I get too exhausted.

I have the most wonderful hubby who always seems to know what I need in labor, and we both decided that some pitocin and an epidural were in order this time.  I was only dilated to a 4 when we got here.

If this seems oddly written, well, hello, it's because I'm in labor.  :)

I'm going to take a nap.
We'll update soon with pictures of the new little one!

Overdue

The kitchen cupboards have been taken off, washed, painted, hinges and new handles replaced.

We're done with the taping, scraping, painting!

Barstools are painted.

Kitchen walls and trim are painted.

Everything taken out of kitchen cupboards and drawers, cupboards and drawers washed out.

Everything put back in the cupboards and drawers.

New valance, rug, & some decorations purchased (after searching millions of stores) and put up.

Disastrous attic cleaned & re-organized.

Downstairs laundry room (that had become a storage dumping ground) cleaned.

Each room in the house (that had fallen apart while working on the kitchen) cleaned up.

All bathrooms deep cleaned.

Everything vacuumed.

Van cleaned out & vacuumed.

Garage cleaned out.

Laundry all caught up.

Jacuzzi tub bleached, cleaned, and jets cleaned out.

Baby bassinet put up.

All baby clothes & carseat washed, dried, & ready to go.

The first round of Ultimate Idol was held last night...it was a success, although Bob thinks there was much room for improvement.

So, we're ready to have a baby!  C'mon contractions!

I have to say that I am in awe of all we have been blessed to accomplish this week.  It really is just a blessing, no other way to describe it.  Earlier this week I was in tears, just feeling like I had been crazy to attempt painting the kitchen.  I looked at all we had to do, and knew I just couldn't do it.  But I have been really trying to put my scripture study, prayer, & journal first thing in the morning, and I know that I've been blessed because of it.  Sometimes when life seems like it is just too much, prayer can really help us increase our capabilities.
 
We have been able to accomplish all of the above while Bob has been gone or busy every waking moment, plus well into the night on most nights.  Just this week we've had a Young Women's activity (which Aliysa had to bring cookies to), a Young Men's activity, Jace making tickets and flyers with two of his other quorum members at our home, Jace selling tickets for a scout camp fundraiser, cub scouts for Spencer, activity days for Courtney, piano lessons, voice lessons, my doctor appointment, two chiropractic appointments, a doctor appointment for Jace for a physical he needed for scout camp, Jace starting a summer job doing yard work for our neighbor, etc. etc. 

I want to apologize to all family and friends who I have neglected lately.  I'm really not trying to ignore anyone, but I have ignored the phone, e-mail, blogs, etc.  Our phone really rings almost every 15 minutes throughout the day, and I often don't even look at who is calling or listen to the message unless it is convenient.  I have decided I need to be better at answering it, and start being a part of everyone else's lives. 

I've wanted lately to just become a hermit, and live in the middle of some remote place with just my hubby and children.  As I've pondered why I feel this way, I realize that it is because I am just craving more family time.  I've been so busy and had so many places to run around, that I haven't had much time at all with my little ones.  I don't want to neglect them.  I want to spend more time reading and playing with them, doing fun preschool activities and enjoying life.  I want to spend time cooking yummy meals instead of having everyone grab something quick as they run out the door. I'm looking forward to holding this new little baby and having a few weeks where we have a great excuse to just not go anywhere. 

Now, in writing this, I certainly don't want this to sound like we don't absolutely love all of our friends and family.  We are so grateful for all of you, and we love spending time with you.  I don't know what we would do without the support of friends and family.  For instance, this week my sister-in-law Kristi watched all of my kids except Aliysa so that Aliysa and I could clean the house.  That's when we finally got the attic put back in order.  We wish we had more time to spend with you all, and we are excited for all of you to meet our new baby.  I am just tired of the telemarketers, doctor appointments, and running around.  I need to make it a matter of prayer about how to find balance even with a busy life.  I have not been so great at it yet.

Well, enough rambling.  I need to go.  Hopefully our next post will be with pictures of a new baby!

Life

We are so very busy.  We just got back from a week at Green Canyon Hot Springs.  Camping when you are two weeks away from your due date is not the best idea, especially in the rain and wind, and when you are going to get sick.  My kids had a lot of fun, and my friends saved the day by making us dinner each night while we were there.  I don't know what I would have done without them.  I am so glad to be home!

Spent the next few days with everyone getting sick to some degree, and me wanting to go into labor and have this baby. 

This week, I have been praying not to go into labor.  I think I am insane.  I impulsively decided that I could not stand my old peach kitchen cupboards that were peeling, chipped, and falling apart.  So, I went and bought paint and the kids and I dove into a project of repainting the cupboards.  At first it was so much fun.  Now it is anything but fun.    Kitchen is a wreck, everything out of cupboards.  I have become a hermit.  I have not answered the phone or listened to messages or answered many e-mails in days.  Sorry everyone who may have been expecting calls.  I will return calls tomorrow if I finish then.  I have been painting, and painting, and painting.  Body is sore and tired, but I must finish before the baby comes!  What was I thinking?   More on this later...must keep painting.

Bob is busy every waking moment, and most of the night working on his homework, and his business.  The "Ultimate Idol" is going well.  They have finished auditions, and will have the first round/show on my due date next week.