Caroline

So... I obviously have fallen off the monthly post wagon, but here is an update on Caroline and some cute pictures of her.


As of March 31 she...
- is finally getting more teeth! Just this week she had one top molar break through and there are several more that are waiting under the surface.
- loves having a little brother and gives him lots of kisses.  She will sometimes try to help me burp him and wipe his face after he burps.  She's a good big sister.
- has been a tiny bit more clingy lately.  I think there have just been too many big changes- getting a new brother, daddy working out of town, grandma Leckie staying for two weeks and then disappearing, going out of town on a little trip to St. George- you know, big changes.
- still takes a good nap in the afternoon, although, somewhat ironically she's woken up while I've been writing this post and she hasn't been asleep all that long. Hmm... she must have known what I was going to say...
- loves puzzles.
- understands a very large variety of words but will only say about 5, "No!" being a particular favorite.
- still loves books.
- likes to twirl.
- would watch tv or play with the ipad all day long if I'd let her.
- loves loves loves to play in dirt and sand- she loves it even more than the tv and ipad.
- seems to really like the thrill of the chase... or being chased.
- likes to do motion songs.  Her favorites are "the itsy bitsy spider", "the wheels on the bus", "if you're happy and you know it", and "head, shoulders, knees, and toes".
- will consistently point to lots of body parts.  Head, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, fingers, hands, elbows, knees, toes, tummy, shoulders, hair, feet, and there might be a couple others.
- likes to go for walks in the stroller.



- usually likes to go to nursery- except for this past Sunday- but I blame all the changes.
- eats pretty well most of the time.  She certainly has a sweet tooth- but that's no surprise considering who her parents are.
- is our pleasant and pretty easy going little gal.  We sure love her!

January 30 2015.  19 Months.

 

Snack time with cousin Scott.

 

Bath time with cousin Scott.

She really likes to help mom cook... and she likes whipping cream... :)

This is what happens while mom is in the hospital having a baby- she goes crazy with the peas!

In the slammer!

A new secret hideout

She probably likes to eat dirt almost as much as she likes to eat whipping cream.

She likes putting things on her head...

Another Baby Story

Benjamin Milton Ridges was born on Monday, February 23rd 2015 at 3:39 am.
He weighed 5 lbs 14 oz and was 17 1/2 inches long (I think they didn't get his legs totally uncurled) This is how it all went down...

While we were visiting South Carolina at Christmastime I was talking to my niece, Caitlyn.  Her birthday is the only one on the family calendar in February and we decided that I should have this baby in February so she wouldn't be alone.  Since I would be 37 weeks on the 22nd-  and I wanted to make it to at least 37 weeks with this pregnancy- it sounded great to me to have a baby at the end of February.  My goal was the to make it until the 22nd- which just happens to be the day I went into labor.
Having an unreasonable fear of being sent home from the hospital for going too early I wanted to wait until my contractions were at the 4-1-1 stage- less than 4 minutes apart and lasting one minute for at least one hour.  Around 2:30am  I couldn't take it anymore even though the contractions were pretty irregular but they were so painful that  I finally told Jared we needed to go to the hospital.  He called Dave and Janette to come over and we loaded up into the van.  We were sitting in the van in the driveway waiting for them to come (By this time I felt like the contractions were never ending) and I wanted to be on the way... immediately. I told him to pull out to the road so we could leave as soon as they got there.  We sat there for about 10 seconds before I said "Go... just go!"  He was on the phone with them (they were less than a minute away) and said  "my wife says we're goin'!"  So we took off.  Jared probably drove 70 mph the whole way there and it still felt like it took forever.  We tried to head straight up to labor and delivery but the admittance lady was very thorough- asking a million questions- having us sign consent forms and living will forms (and by us I mean Jared, because I was in no condition to be signing stuff!) - and the whole time I was standing there feeling like I wanted to curl up and die (or at the very least get an epidural :)  After what felt like forever we went up to labor and delivery and then nurse leisurely signed me into the book (at 3:00 am) and then we went  into a room and she hooked me up to some monitors and typed some things into the computer- the whole time I'm writhing in pain and gritting my teeth through the contractions- when she finally checked me I believe her exact words were, "You're complete! That baby's head is right there and your water is just bulging."  After that things happened very quickly.  The doctor got the phone call at 3:08 and Benjamin Milton Ridges was born at 3:39am.
There was a no time for an epidural so this little boy was born au naturale.  There was a bit of a scare though when his heartrate dropped because the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck.   Instead of pushing during contractions they just said, 'push-breathe-push-breathe-push..' Thankfully it didn't take too long and they didn't have to use the vacuum or anything.  I popped blood vessels in my eyes, face, and shoulders because I was pushing so hard and had to have oxygen put on.  Jared said my face was very purple.
Jared didn't get to cut the cord because they immediately handed him off to a respiratory team to get him breathing.  After what seemed like way too long there was a very very tiny wail.  It was a beautiful sound! He had lots of fluid in his lungs because it didn't have time to squish out in the birth canal so he had to go to the little NICU so they could monitor him, give him antibiotics, and make sure he didn't develop pneumonia.  Most babies with fluid in their lungs tend to work it out within an hour or so but they suspected that with the trauma of the cord around the neck his lungs just didn't clear out as quickly.
When we were talking after he was born- the nurse said that when we arrived I was acting too calm and she thought I'd be at about 6 or 7 cm.  She said it can almost be to your detriment to be calm... now I know that I need to be more dramatic next time.  I joked about how I didn't even scream or anything and I think Jared's comment was "No, but there was lots of whimpering."  I guess that's how I deal with lots of pain...
I was discharged after about 26 hours and little Ben was discharged 48 hours after delivery and he'd only lost an ounce or two.  He's been a good eater from the get go.
Unfortunately, because he was in the NICU we weren't able to get the classic family picture in the hospital- but Caroline got to meet him at home.  She wasn't too impressed until he started grunting and moving.  We're still having to make sure she doesn't love him too much but she is very sweet and likes to give him kisses on his head.
We sure are happy to have him here!  Welcome to the fam, baby Ben!

My little astronaut! He had to be under the oxygen hood for half a day or so... I wonder what it would be like to have a baby that didn't have to go to the NICU. Caroline

Happy Valentine's Day

We had a delicious and fancy dinner at home.  Jared grilled steaks and I made french fries, a yummy salad, rhodes rolls w/honey butter, and raspberries w/cream for dessert.  We even lit candles and used place mats :)

End of an era

I was so so sad to sell my Subaru.  It was such a good car. Unfortunately, it's just not made for two car seats in the back. :*(  It sold quickly (on Feb 15th, I think) which was good- and I've been using one of Jared's work vans since then. 
We actually ended up selling it to someone in my stake so I've actually seen it around a few times since then...

Goodbye, little Soobie (I've never actually spelled that before...), I'll miss you...

35 Weeks

I wanted to be sure to get a picture at 35 weeks since I wasn't able to with Caroline...

February 8, 2015

Diaper Shower

Jamie, Janette, and Mary Jean threw a diaper shower for me  on the 31st of January.  We had a it a little early since they were worried with my track record.  I wasn't planning or expecting to have a shower since we're pretty well equipped and have lots of boy clothes to use but when they said a diaper shower I couldn't say no. 
It was super low key- which was nice- and even though several people weren't able to make it they still sent gifts.  I even got diapers from my mom and all my sisters.  It was so nice and has been such a huge blessing. I am a  very very fortunate gal to be loved by so many kind people.

Caroline had a great time- she's quite the party gal.

While at the shower she fell down the stairs at Dave and Janette's and ran into a chair. Poor thing, she really looked rough for a couple days.

St. George- Take I

Waaaaaaaayyyy back in January (around the 9th) we combined a little business with pleasure and took a family trip down to St. George where Jared will be doing some tile work in the temple later this year.  He had a meeting so we packed up and headed south.  For the first time in my life I can truly understand why there are "snowbirds" out there.  It was fabulously warm and beautiful.
Caroline and I hung out at the visitors center while Jared had his meeting and then we went for a little "hike".  Between a toddler and a substantially pregnant person it was much more like a stroll- but it was lovely just the same.   Caroline would have played all day long in the sand if we'd let her.
The next day we went to the St. George Children's Museum.  It was so fun and Caroline had a great time until she fell down some wooden stairs.
I've become a really big fan of St. George.

I believe it was called Johnson's Canyon and this arch was the destination.