Six Weeks of Nellie

She sleeps like a baby!

Sarah Loves to carry her baby too! Often she uses a blanket tied around her.

Still has some hair!

Yes Penelope got a bit of chapstick on her...

First Hike to Coronado Cave

Cute Tutu from Grandma Brents

 

That hair went pretty fast. Notice Sarah and her baby sling

Welcome Penelope Grace Ricks!!!!

The blog is back for a while!  No review, just moving forward.  We are so happy to have Penelope (Nellie) Grace join our family.  She is so sweet and cute and we all just love her.  I say that I think she is the cutest baby we've ever had!  Here is the abbreviated birth story, full birth story will be at the end of the pictures.  

Nellie was born in the El Rio Birth Center in Tucson, AZ.  She was born in the birthing tub.  All of her sisters and brother were able to be there and they loved it.  When she was born, Penelope didn't cry at all and just looked around with big eyes.  I was worried, but they said she was doing great, and she was.  Jarom cut the cord.  My friend Monica was there with the kids and she took them home that night.  The kids had been amazing and didn't fight with each other at all, even though they hadn't slept much and we'd been there all day! Nellie slept about 6 hours that first night and Jarom, the baby and I went home the next day around 10, but first Jarom and I spent about 2 hours discussing names! 

I loved the birth center!  Not as many stats being read, very family friendly. no bracelets or anything.  One bed for us to be all together in.  It was great, and my midwife, Maya, was amazing! 

Stats: 

Born on Monday, September 15, 2014 at 7:34 PM

Weighed 7 lb 5 oz

20 inches long

Long Dark hair and dark eyes..if she didn't look a lot like James I wouldn't believe that she was mine!

Right after birth

Loving to look at the new baby sister!

Daddy

next morning...resting

Nurse Julie

All that long hair!

Maya helped me out!

Mommy and me - 12 hours old.

Going home

Birth story with all the details (probably TMI for most people):  Sunday night at 11:30 I woke up to use the bathroom and my water broke.  I have never had my water break outside the hospital and I was freaked out that we wouldn't even make it to the birth center!  We called Monica and woke her up and she was about 15 min behind us.  All the way there we were praying that we wouldn't have a car birth.  When we got there it was 1 AM and Fran was the midwife on call and she did a Non-Stress Test.  It took forever because I really wasn't contracting and the baby really wasn't moving much and so it took a while to get the variable heart rates they needed.  Monica and the kids settled down in the family waiting room.  Jarom and I slept well that night, but found out that Sarah had been keeping everyone awake and only slept like 3 hours.  They had watched Brother Bear on Monica's cell phone!
Monday morning Fran got off at 7 AM and Maya came in.  When she checked me the first time that morning I was a 2 and not really effaced at all. I started taking Blue and Black Cohosh to induce labor.  No one was saying any time frame, but I knew that there was a point where we'd have to transfer to the hospital.  I think they didn't want to stress me out.  Annie and I walked around the parking lot loop while Jarom went and got breakfast for us all.  I'd get tightenings, but no real labor.  Every half hour I'd take the Cohosh and they'd check the baby's heart rate, and every hour my vitals (temperature and Blood pressure).  I'd walk in between or hang out with the kids.  Around 10 am I asked about the time limits with my water being broken and Maya said 1 pm was the transfer time if I wasn't in labor on my own.  We told the kids about the possibility of having to go to the hospital and that they'd have to go home and we said a prayer. 
I felt inspired about some things to try and between 1230 and 1 I started having contractions on my own and didn't take any more cohosh.  Jarom went to Costco and brought back a pizza and a chicken caesar salad for me and turkey provolone for Monica.
My contractions were weak and sporadic, unless we helped them with oxytocin, then they were much harder.  I did a lot more walking and we played a story telling game with the kids.  Occasionally I'd have a really good contraction and late afternoon they were getting harder, but it was hard to keep them coming constantly.  To help me through them, Jarom would stand behind me and pull up on my belly with a scarf called a rebozo.  The midwife said that it would help the baby be more aligned to move down.  When she checked me again around 4 or 5 I was a 5 or 6 and very stretchy, which was very, very good news.  Maya also told me that she had had to talk to the Dr. on call and had told her about me, and that she was ok with me still being at the birth center, which was another major blessing that we had an understanding dr. 
Things were getting harder and I wanted to try the birth tub, but when I'd sit in it I'd relax too much and all my contractions would stop.  I stood in the shower for a while, and that was very effective and I had the hot water on my belly.  I got back in the tub and I'd stand or kneel up to get a good contraction, then I'd sit down again. The kids were in and out.  Annie gave me sips of ice water.  Jarom lead the kids in soft, repetitive chants of "baby come down" and other mantras.  Annie also would sing quietly, which was very helpful. The lights were dimmed and it was very quiet.  Then I started getting contractions even sitting in the tub. And I felt like pushing.  Jarom sent Annie out to get the midwife and nurse and the other kids.  They all came in and I had two contractions where I pushed and did some loud, primal moans, and the baby was born.  I did have to push out her shoulders too.  When they put her on me she didn't cry, just looked around.  They didn't cut the cord for a long time.  She was covered in vernix, way more than any of my other babies.  They put a hat on her to keep her warm.  Sarah was concerned about the blood on the baby's head, but other than that the kids were just very excited.  I hope I made it look a little easier than it actually was. 
They didn't bathe the baby because they said the vernix helps with the baby's skin like a natural lotion.  And it was true, it just went into her skin and she was soft and beautiful.  It was great to spend the night with Jarom, the baby, and me. 

The example of a Bee.

Yesterday James and Lizzy had eaten lunch outside and then we left quickly to run errands.  Jarom had dinner ready when we got home at 5:30 and after we had eaten James went back outside.  I was doing dishes and Lizzy was near the door and James came in crying.  First we accused Lizzy of hurting James because he was saying his face hurt just above his lip.  Then we asked if he had fallen or bumped it.  He said "no it just hurts here!"  So then I remembered his lunch outside.  I asked if he had eaten his yogurt, and he said no, but he had taken a drink of juice out of the soda-style can. 

And then I did my creeped out uuuugggghhhhh dance because I HATE bees and I knew he had been stung by one that had gotten in the can.  eeeeew I get the shiveries just thinking about it now.   bwaaaaaah.

So that's the sad part. 

Here's the good part.  The bee or wasp or whatever lay dying on the cement outside drenched in orange juice.  Annie's beside it begging it not to die. 
James asks me, "Mommy, why did it sting me?" 
I replied, "to stop you from eating it." 
Annie chimes in: "but it would die anyway." 
"Yes, but it would help save the hive."
Annie gets this look of admiration and awe and declares/asks, "It died for its COUNTRY!?"
Then all three girls, lead by Annie, of course, break out into a very nice and respectful rendition of "My Country 'tis of Thee"
Not wanting to laugh in front of them, I go into the house and have Jarom open the window to listen to the memorial to the Bee that died for its Country.


Today James's lip has progressively gotten worse, so he looks more and more like a duck.  Maybe some benadryl will be in order. 

November

Well, I didn't get my camera out too much in November. But, we had a great birthday party for Grandma Ricks and got to see some cousins!

I had been getting the house all ready and we packed up what we would need for the next month before and on Thanksgiving.  (I was late for dinner because I was packing...ooops!)  and then the Movers came the Monday after.  The packed on Monday and Tuesday and then they loaded the truck on wednesday and our house was empty!  The wonderful Sisters in the ward helped me clean on Thrusday (Dec. 1) and then we were out of there.  WE were sleeping at my Aunt Sue's house so the girls could still go to school those last days.  Her house is perfect because in the basement are two bedrooms, one with a queen bed and the other with bunkbeds for the kids.  So nice of them to host our homeless family!

I guess I'll save our December things for the next post.

Halloween 2011

We did in fact have Halloween this year.  We had several parties and a trunk or treat and it was very fun.  My sister Mary Ann helped me a ton by coming to help sew the few accessories I sewed for Katherine's and Lizzy's costumes.  I told the kids that with Daddy gone, big sewing projects just weren't happening.

At the family Halloween Party the Bucks would have won the prize for best family costume, if we'd had prizes.  Remy is amazing!  Way to go Kristi on the sewing!

Sarah was a turtle for this party.

J and C were a flapper and I think a hippy, but I can't remember.

Kurt was Captain America

Had I known James would be attacked by mosquitoes or spiders the night before I could have worked it into a costume.

We had a great time carving pumpkins at Grandma and grandpa Olsen's

Annie was Fruma Sarah (from Fiddler on the Roof) We are outside after the school costume parade because someone pulled the fire alarm.  At least it was after....

Halloween would never be complete without a visit to our favorite trick-or-treat house...Grandma and Grandpa Weibell's!!!

Trick or treat?

A cat, Fruma Sarah, a mouse, a princess, and a cowboy riding a chicken (this costume has been forced upon each child).

Happy Halloween!