Finally Home

After almost a week at the hospital, Micah and I got to come home Friday evening. We've been able to rest and catch up on sleep thanks to my wonderful mother- who came to stock our fridge, clean the house, and do our laundry while we stay in bed all day (thanks Mom!!!). We are so glad to be home where we aren't woken up every hour by nurses checking vital signs, and are extremely grateful for our own bed, comfy pillows, and edible food. Although I do miss the nifty electronic bed that moves up and down...

I don't remember a whole lot from the ordeal, due to the fact that I was pumped full of magnesium shortly after we checked into the hospital last Sunday. Apparently magnesium- although it effectively prevents the seizures and kidney failure that come with severe toxemia or preeclampsia- also slows the effects of pitocin. So 15 hours of induced labor didn't result to much progression, but the magnesium (and lots of anesthesia followed by lots of narcotics) did manage to keep me groggy for four days, so at least I don't remember it being that bad, or even remember much of anything. Thank heavens for that, or else I might never agree to have more kids!

I'm feeling mostly like myself again, except that I still look and feel like the Michelin Man from the knees down (Doctor says it might take a few weeks for the swelling from the preeclampsia to go down). Looks like I'll be wearing flip flops in the snow a little longer. The incision from the C-section is healing slowly but surely- it just hurts like crazy when I laugh, so of course everything Micah says is extremely funny and then I try to keep from laughing by taking short, fast, breaths (yay for lamaze class!) which sound like something between a snort and a wheeze, which makes us both laugh even harder. Who knew recovery from major abdominal surgery could be so fun?

Our little Maddi is still in the Special Care Nursery at the hospital, but we get to visit her twice a day. She is healthy, just too small to regulate her own temperature and to thrive without IV-supplemented feedings. As soon as she gains enough weight and is getting enough nutrients on her own, we'll get to bring her home! Already her cheeks are looking fuller and she's more awake and alert when we see her. She is very active (could've told you that- I felt those flailing arms and legs in my ribs and pelvis for months!), and so strong- she's been holding her head up on her own since day one. She has so much personality and makes the most adorable faces- she sleeps with her itty bitty mouth open (gets that from her Dad:) ) and if you try to wake her up she'll crack one eye open and look at you sideways, crinkle her nose and go back to sleep. It's amazing how easy it's been to fall in love with this tiny person we've only known for a week. We already love being parents!

Our Christmas Present

Today Katy and I added a member to our small family. Although I won't take much time to include all the details, I decided I should write about our big day and include some pictures. Since I'm running on three hours of sleep (which is more than Katy got until now), here are the highlights of the day:

Sunday, December 21, 7:00pm - Katy calls Dr. Allen because she was having unusual sensations. He tells us to go to the hospital just to be safe.

Sunday, December 21, 9:30pm - Dr. Allen diagnoses Katy with severe Toxemia and breaks her water.

Sunday, 9:30pm - Monday, December 22, 11:30am - Weak contractions all through the night that result in very little progression toward labor. The doctor decides Katy will have to do a C-Section.

Monday, December 22, 1:45pm - Madison Marie is born: 5 lbs, 1 oz and 17 inches long.





Madison was technically about 37 weeks along, but was immediately re-evaluated as measuring closer to 34 weeks, 35 at the most. She's so small that they need to keep her in their baby nursery under close supervision at all times. Neither Katy nor I have held her yet, and Katy has only seen her at all for about 30 seconds right after she delivered. As soon as Katy can stand on her own, we can walk her to see Madison. They say the baby is extremely healthy for her size, and there's nothing to be anxious about. Katy and I are grateful for the prayers and support of our family and friends. We couldn't be happier with our Christmas gift this year.

Four Weeks and Counting!

The other day I went to watch Vocal Point sing at a Christmas breakfast, and over our quiche and cinnamon rolls, the guys started asking me what it's like to be pregnant. Ha. Women have tried unsuccessfully to make men understand this for hundreds of years. This was my attempt:

Football three-a-days. Every day. For nine months.

Oh, and for the first two or three months you have the flu, and for the last two or three you have the tackling dummy strapped to your abdomen.

At least you get a cute, cuddly little bundle of joy out of it all, which is more than we can say for football. :)

And...we're back!

After nearly two months of not updating our blog, I'm recommitting! I have no excuses any more. I'm home all day now, and have to get off my feet every few hours or they swell so much I can't bend my ankles (hooray for wearing flip flops in December!). I've never been one to spend much time on the internet- but I've been told the transition to stay-at-home mom might change that. :) No matter what, I think I can manage half an hour a day keeping in touch with friends and family.

Oh, and I cheated. I copied and pasted a few entries from my personal journal below as blog posts- so hopefully they fill in the gaps a bit!

To catch up:

Micah has just four days of classes and a week of finals before the end of Fall semester. He's taking MBA classes along with his last undergrad requirements, performing with Vocal Point once or twice a week, and staying busy in our ward's Elder's Quorum Presidency (not sure how he does it- I'm a stress-case with just a job!). He recently accepted an internship offer from the IT Department of the Church for this summer, which means we get to stay here and won't be moving in April... and then again in August...like we usually do. For which I am extremely grateful.

Thanksgiving was was my last day at work, and I'm very excited to spend the next few weeks getting things ready for the baby. I'll be the first to admit I'm completely far gone with the "nesting" thing (and I thought I was OCD before!). I was a little concerned that without a full-time job, this last month would crawl by- but I have so many projects to keep me busy at home that the days seem to go even faster. Ask me again after New Years; I might feel differently then. :)

Newest picture coming soon...

My Wonderful Husband

"Cherish your spouse as the greatest possession of your life and treat him or her accordingly. Make it your constant goal to add to the happiness and comfort of your companion. Never permit yourself to let down in your affection or your respect or your faith in one another." -Gordon B. Hinckley

Micah is always, always thinking of me. No matter how busy he is, how much he has going on in a day, or how much is on his mind, he is constantly looking for ways to make me happy. Yesterday he was gone from 7:30 in the morning until nearly 11:00 p.m. I was in bed long before he got home, but I woke up to a beautiful bouquet of red roses on the table this morning. Between classes, exams, presentations, and a Vocal Point performance in Salt Lake, he somehow found time to bring home flowers for me. He sure knows how to keep a girl happy!

This isn't an unusual occurrence, either. A few weeks ago- on HIS birthday- he brought home daisies and easter lilies (my two favorites!), complete with a "Happy Birthday" note telling me how much he loves me. I guess he just couldn't let me spoil him all day.

Micah is a wonderful example to me of the selfish, unconditional love that should exist in a marriage. Sometimes I can't help feeling I'm far, far behind him, but he makes me want to be better every single day. How did I get so lucky?!

Worth It

I called in sick today. Lately, on any day it's a massive struggle just to get myself out of bed and into a hoodie and jeans to go to work. I'm just so exhausted all the time. Like I-climbed-a-mountain,-ran-a-marathon,-and-then-got-hit-by-a-truck
-all-in-one-day;-and-then,-instead-of-being-able-to-sleep-and-let-my
-body-rest,-I-toss-and-turn-all-night-and-have-to-start-the-next-day
-even-more-tired kind of exhausted. But I still have two months to go, so I figure I'll keep working as long as I can in order to keep the time going as quickly as possible.

But today I just couldn't do it. Micah and I are both coming down with a cold, and that combined with my usual exhausted state just did me in. I spent the morning reading the last in a series of "fluffy romance novels" (as my dad calls them) and then attempted to do a load of laundry and organize the closet in the baby's room. After less than two hours of trying to be productive, I was too tired to do anything else- but once I got back in bed I realized I was too hungry to sleep. A bowl of chicken soup and a nap later, I had just enough energy to do the dishes and fold the laundry before going to get Micah from school.

Everyone keeps telling me to get used to this- it doesn't get any better once you have the baby!, they say. I guess if I'm doomed to spend the rest of my life in a half-awake, zombie like trance, at least I'll have a baby to show for it. :) Honestly, it's more than worth it to me. All the sick, uncomfortable, exhausted days (and weeks and months...) are a small price to pay for the incredible privilege it is to be entrusted with one of Heavenly Father's children in our family. There are days when Micah and I just look at each other in absolute amazement and anticipation for this blessing- it's so hard to believe sometimes! We know it will be hard, we have no doubt it will test our patience and strain our relationship (and our budget), but we are excited to take on the challenges that come with having a baby. Our baby. Our baby that will look like us, rely on us, need us; who we can raise and teach and love. I can't wait.

Snow! And California.

It snowed for about 15 minutes this morning.

Ironically, they happened to be the very 15 minutes we spent outside a Sinclair gas station waiting in line for free blue-dyed pancakes at BYU's Homecoming Parade Breakfast.

On any other Saturday, we would have slept right through it- the flurries were gone and the sun was shining by 8:45. But because we were lucky enough (or crazy enough- college kids will do anything for free food!) to experience the first snow of the season, I figured I better post some pictures of our summer in beautiful, sunny California. Before it gets too cold to look at them without feeling sad. :)

Museum of Art- Downtown San Jose

Winchester Mystery House- Downtown San Jose

Pier 39- San Francisco

AT&T Park (Giants Stadium)- San Francisco

California State Railroad Museum- Sacramento

LDS Temple- Sacramento
Monterey Bay Aquarium- Monterey"The Mystery Spot-" Santa Cruz Mountains

The Beach Boardwalk- Santa Cruz

(These are just highlights- to view the whole photo album click here.)

Alex Boye Concert

alexboye.com

Last night we went to see Alex Boye (someone neither of us had heard of before yesterday) in concert, because a friend of ours was one of the opening performers. While we waited for the show to start, we read Mr. Boye's biography in the program:

Alex Boye' was born and raised in London, England. Alex became the lead singer in the European Boy band "Awesome", selling over half a million Cd's and performing alongside such groups as N'SYNC, The Backstreet Boys, Missy Elliott, Bryan Adams, Mary. J.Blige, The Smashing Pumpkins, and George Michael.

Despite the fame, glory and fortune, Alex felt emptiness in his life that none of these worldly accolades could sufficiently fill. In 2000, Alex felt compelled to move to Utah, to pursue a career in gospel music, and is signed to Deseret Books' Shadow Mountain Label.

Alex simply refers to himself as the "Token Black Guy in Utah". He loves to laugh, and says some of the highlights in his life have been giving a Book of Mormon to Prince Charles, recently joining the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and marrying his wonderful wife in the Salt Lake Temple.

We found out during the concert that he had been kicked out of his house and was homeless at age 16 as a result of his decision to join the LDS Church. He later served a mission, and it was his Mission President who encouraged him to pursue music as a career. Now he has devoted his time and talents to spreading his love for the Lord and the joy of the Gospel.

It was one of the most fun and uplifting performances I've seen (besides Vocal Point- but I'm a little biased!). Sandwiched between goofy imitations of Ray Charles and Louie Armstrong were powerful Christian ballads, soulful gospel tunes and even a rap about the Utah Valley Priesthood Basketball phenomenon ("We love Churchball, we love Churchball- tonight there's gonna be a brawl in the Cultural Hall..."). Even our little one got excited- I've never felt her kick so hard! She is very, very responsive to music- must be a daddy's girl. :)

It's so exciting to me to see people dedicate their talents to uplifting others and promoting the Spirit (one of the reasons I love watching Micah perform)- especially when they could so easily be caught up in the fame and glory of the world. I was truly impressed and inspired, and have been thinking a lot about what I can do with my own little talents to better serve others. Does anyone need their closet organized? ;)

Greasy Eggs and Burned Toast

Perfectionist (n): somebody who demands or seeks to achieve nothing less than perfection (something that reaches the highest attainable standard). Synonyms: stickler, purist, pedant, obsessive, quibbler, hairsplitter, fusspot. Encarta World English Dictionary

I've been told I'm a perfectionist. Based on the following observations, I guess that's probably true...

1. The clothes in our closet are organized by color and sleeve length, and all hung on identical matching hangers.
2. I recently purchased a set of tupperware based entirely on the fact that its red lids match our cereal bowls. Which match our knife set. Which match our measuring cups, spoons, and spatulas. Which coordinate with the dish towels, plates, hot chocolate mugs, KitchenAid, and toaster oven. Which all coincidentally coordinate with the pillows on the couches.
3. The CD case in our car is organized alphabetically by genre; meaning every time I have ever acquired a new CD, I have moved every single one of the 100+ old CDs from one little tiny plastic sleeve to the next, in order to make room for the addition. The fact that we use iPods and these CD's are practically obsolete doesn't seem to affect my need for them to be in order.
   
4. Whiteout just doesn't cut it. If I mess up, I need a new sheet of paper. Even for grocery shopping lists.
   
5. This post has been sitting in my drafts folder for over a week, because I wanted it to be just right before I published it.
   

I could go on, really.

So it's official! I'm an obsessive, hairsplitting, perfectionist fusspot. As a result, I often get discouraged and feel inadequate. Which is why I appreciated so much President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's message to the women of the LDS Church during our annual worldwide meeting last Saturday:

"When [my wife] prepares a meal, it’s a masterpiece...But sure enough, no matter how perfect everything is, looks, and tastes, Harriet will apologize for something she thinks is imperfect. “I’m afraid I used a touch too much ginger,” she will say, or, “Next time, I think it would be better if I used a little more curry and one additional bay leaf.”

"Let me contrast that with the way I cook. For the purpose of this talk, I asked Harriet to tell me what I cook best. Her answer: fried eggs. Sunny-side up. ...Between fried eggs, even when they are greasy, and [toast], even when they are burned, when I cook, I feel pretty heroic.

"To me it appears that our splendid sisters sometimes undervalue their abilities—they focus on what is lacking or imperfect rather than what has been accomplished and who they really are.

"If that is how you feel, think again, and remember that you are spirit daughters of the most creative Being in the universe. Isn’t it remarkable to think that your very spirits are fashioned by an endlessly creative and eternally compassionate God?"
Read the transcript of the whole talk here.

It's uncanny how well President Uchtdorf seems to understand women. :) How grateful I am for the reminder that I'm not expected to be perfect, only to do my best. In fact, letting myself get caught up in unnecessary details and projects can distract me from reaching out to others and focusing on what matters most.

So I'm going to try to not expect so much of myself, and laugh instead of cry when I burn the toast. Every single morning... (I really do burn it every day- ask Micah!)

24 Weeks

Two posts in one day! Is that allowed? I'm still learning the ins and outs of blog etiquette. Technically, the surgery update was all about yesterday, so we'll just say I'm good to go.

A lot of people have been asking, so here it is- the official 24-week "Baby Bump" photo:

I get weekly email updates from a parenting website comparing our baby's size to various fruits and vegetables. This week, she's as long as a banana ( assuming that particular banana is 8-10 inches) and weighs about a pound. I feel a whole lot bigger than an 8-inch, 1-pound banana! I guess this is nothing compared to the months ahead, though (watermelon... yikes!), so I'll be happy with my little banana for now.

Speaking of photos, I need to give credit to my incredible sister-in-law, Michelle Davidson Argyle, for her beautiful photography. She took all of our engagement pictures, some of our wedding portraits, and my graduation pictures- all of which I love to show off. Because I post them just about everywhere, everyone should know who the talented photographer is! You can visit her website here: http://davidson-photos.com, or just click on the picture of us at the top of the sidebar. Thanks, Michelle!

Link to all Wedding Photos.........Link to all Graduation Photos

Micah's Surgery

For the last several months, Micah has said he felt "uncomfortable" in his side and groin. He chalked it up to a strained muscle- we even joked about sympathy pregnancy pains- but a visit to the doctor confirmed that he actually had a hernia. I'll spare you the gory details, but basically part of his intestine had pushed through the tissues that are supposed to contain it and ended up on the wrong side of the abdominal wall (still pretty gory, sorry!). No wonder he felt uncomfortable.

Turns out the only way to get rid of a hernia is to have a surgeon push everything back into place and patch up the hole in the abdominal wall... so we got to spend our Friday at the hospital. We checked in at 7:00 a.m., Micah was in the O.R. by 8:30, and back out in Post Op. by 11:00. When the doctor came to find me in the waiting room after 2 hours of surgery, he sat down in front of me and slapped his hands on his knees with an exasperated, "Well!" One look at my face told him that probably wasn't the best way to start, so he quickly said, "First of all, everything went perfectly smooth. But your husband had two of the biggest hernias I've seen!" Not one. Two. Poor guy- I don't know how he put up with the pain for so long. I'll never complain about pregnancy discomfort again.

After about an hour in recovery, I got to bring Micah home, feed him soup, put him to bed and drug him up with pain killers. I'm sure he hurts a whole lot more than he lets on, but he's still his happy, smiley self- just with a raspy voice and a cute little waddle when he tries to walk. All in all, he says he feels good, and should be up and around within the week.

Micah specifically asked me to thank all of our family and friends for your support and prayers throughout the week- he said he has felt much less pain and discomfort over the last several days leading up to the surgery, and realized that was probably a result of your prayers on his behalf. He wanted everyone to know how much he appreciates you! I know that your calls, texts, and emails have been a huge comfort and support to him this week. We have been so blessed, and are very grateful everything went so well!

Blogging... and Math

Well, we finally did it! We jumped on the blog-wagon... uh, bandwagon. And although we both tend to keep ourselves too busy to spend much time on things like this, we figured it really is the best way to stay updated with our family and friends. Besides, I've become a dedicated reader of almost all of your blogs, so I guess it's time I start doing my part. :)

Really, the thing that finally motivated me was this realization:

• If the average university student spends one hour studying outside of class for every hour in class, with a minimum of 12 credits per semester, for eight semesters (give or take)- then the average university student spends approximately 3,072 hours on schoolwork alone. Not to mention employment, extra-curriculars, socializing, and (occasionally) eating and sleeping.

• Some students are average. And then some are crazy. Like me- who consistently invested three hours into every one hour expected on assignments, took far too many credits per semester, and who probably holds the world record for longest uninterrupted cramming session before a test. I figure I spent an estimate of 8,192 hours either in class or studying during my 3.5 years at BYU.

• And then I graduated. Which means I now theoretically have 2,340 hours a year, 45 hours a week, or six hours a day to do things like post on our blog. Theoretically.

So why not?

I'll do my best at keeping this up to date with all the goings-on of our lives, and hopefully be better at staying in touch with all of our family and friends along the way. Honestly, what else am I going to do with all my extra time? :) (Just do me a favor and don't check my math- another side effect of graduating seems to be my brain turning to mush...)