Silent Rant

Like everyone, Thanksgiving reminds me of the millions of things I am grateful for, big and small. This year I’m especially thankful for my little family. I love my babies!

And who doesn’t love fabulous dessert?

We spent Thanksgiving day in MN with some friends and their family. We were too busy eating and hanging out to stop and take pictures, but we had a great time and SO much food! Especially dessert (all homemade): apple pie, cherry pie, pumpkin pie, banana cream pie, creme brulee, eggnog, chocolate bunt cake, chocolate covered nuts and marshmallows, cookies and (not homemade) ice cream! Whew! That’s a lot of suga!

Pictures for this week…Zoe and her “babies” (Lion, Sheep, Dino, Charcoal and Striped Kitty) without whom she rarely voluntarily goes anywhere and is very, very grateful for…

I’m constantly in awe by everyone else’s fantastic blogs. Especially all of my friends who have beautiful blogs and more children than I do. For some reason, I can’t manage the two. I have a ton of other things I have to do, and honestly, so many other things I’d rather do. And since everyone decides to email me about every post (which I do appreciate) instead of post comments, I end up emailing updates to people instead of blogging. So I’m going to simplify my life (or use that as a front). Instead of being bummed about how lame my blog is, I’m going to admit it and embrace it by just posting pictures weekly. Here are a some from this week (and Halloween:)…

Yes, it’s been four weeks since she was born – I’ve resurfaced and feel human again.

Let me start by saying that she’s beautiful!!! I was completely unprepared for the rush of emotions and the familiar ache that comes when a new helpless little person enters your heart and your life. I remember feeling overwhelmed by it when I had Zoe, and it was just as powerful this time. Having a baby is so incredible. Lucy and Zoe are absolutely worth everything I endured to get them here. But I’m so glad they are already here!

Lucy’s birth stats:

September 16, 2008 at 7:54 pm
5 lbs 13 oz, 19 inches

She’s so tiny, but she’s healthy! I feel so much better about having to boot her out three weeks early. In fact, she’s healthier than Zoe was. She only had one hiccup with breathing and that was when she choked on some amniotic fluid still stuck in her tummy the day after she was born. She turned blue and then purple, and scared me to death! The nurse helped us get her breathing again. I cried the rest of the night, but she was fine. We also had to take her to ER a few Saturdays ago to double check her bilirubin level, but it came back fine. As of last Monday she passed up her birth weight and was a whopping 6 lbs and 3 oz. In just the last week we’ve noticed her little skin rolls are filling out – she’s going to be chubby in no time! I love plump babies!

(During her first bath in the nursery at the hospital.)

Thank you for all of the emails, texts, phone calls and packages that still keep arriving in the mail. It means a lot to all of us to have so many great friends and family thinking of us. A big thank you to everyone who has prayed and fasted for us over the last 8 months. Babies are miracles, and me actually getting mine here is a miracle, too. I’m certain I’ve met my miracle quota.

Zoe and Lucy’s first meeting was a bit uneventful until after they both took their naps. Jed posted some video footage of it on Flickr and a follow-up to it on his blog.

…

For anyone who’s interested, here is my L&D story. I typed it up so that I could remember it, but thought I’d include it anyway….

Needless to say, the amnio results were positive and I was induced the next day! I had an epidural during my labor with Zoe and it was so strong that I sat around reading magazines while Jed ate sushi until it was time to push. This time it was completely different.

It took a nurse, a nurse anaesthetician and then the anaesthesiologist to get the IV started (which would make my homecare nurses feel better about their failed attempts). It actually wasn’t that bad because they gave me me a shot of litocaine before each stick so when the veins blew it wasn’t very painful, just ugly. Although it was a lot of shots. I was already having big contractions a few minutes apart when I got to the hospital and the pitocin made them more intense, so it got really painful pretty fast. Unfortunately, I had to wait forever during contractions that were peaking on the machine and two minutes apart to get my epidural because the anaesthesiologist was tied up in some insanely long c-section. Big thanks to the dead fly in the light on ceiling of the L&D room that helped me keep my focus during the contractions. It stopped me from screaming like a lunatic. I now understand why laboring women get loud.

After I got my epidural (I may have actually told the anaesthesiologist that I love him), I felt great until I got dizzy and started throwing up. I guess my heart rate went down and I wasn’t breathing very well so they stopped the epidural and gave me one of those fun little nose breathing tubes. That helped with the dizziness and nausea a little, but not with the pain. Finally they let me dispense little doses of the epidural to myself. It worked off and on through the rest of labor until I didn’t give myself any and went into transition. Big, big whoops. The pain was insane. I cannot even describe it. But after pounding on the epidural button for 35 minutes it kicked in just as my doctor showed up and I started to push. I felt the delivery, just not that much pain. And I actually liked it better than my delivery with Zoe because I felt the contractions and knew when to push, and I could walk right afterward. When I had Zoe, I couldn’t walk unassisted for a day.

I left the hospital feeling great less than 48 hours after I had her. The recovery has taken a few weeks, unlike the three months it took last time. Wooohoo!

here are some photos of Zoe. I think she’s marvelous!

She loves having tea parties. But should she offer you tea, politely decline – she sucks water out of her sippy cup and spits it into her tea cup. I learned the hard way.

Flying with Uncle Preston

The source of Zoe’s entertainment and our sanity on our road-trip to UT. As Jed would say, “Who needs a portable DVD player when you can just tie your laptop to the back of the driver seat?”

Sprinkler fun! (Doesn’t it look fun?!)

She falls asleep with different animals every night. The girl has a thing for reptiles.

An impromptu water party calls for impromptu fashion. My sister happened to have this extra green suit on hand. Zoe wears it well. I think the diaper helps.

After taking a header on the sidewalk, she insisted on having her lips bandaged.

Riding the Blue’s Clues ride at the Mall of America – the closest it gets to a real roller-coaster when you’re only 37 inches tall.

A garage. A backyard. A garbage disposal. The sound of lawn mowers. Low crime (vs. “I can’t believe that much happens in my own neighborhood” crime). Gym fee $19. Every chain store you can think of is 5 minutes away, in any direction. Our very own garbage and recycling bins. No audible domestic disputes. No flights of stairs. Friendly employees at fast-food restaurants. The fanciest Aldi I’ve ever seen.

We absolutely love Chicago, and we really enjoyed our time in “rural” Massachusetts. But now, with daughter #2 on the way, and a 2-year-old that doesn’t stop going from 7am to 7pm, we’re really excited to be spending some time in a Minneapolis suburb, house-sitting for family.

Did I mention we have a garage?

My blog is in serious need of renovation. But right now the rest of my life is being renovated, and renovation means chaos.

My little family and I have a few major changes coming our way. One of those changes will arrive in 25 weeks and 2 days (or sooner if I can convince my OB to induce me). I am pregnant!!! (Which I’m sure is not news to many of you since we’ve proof the word has already gotten around…and since my life falls apart when I get pregnant.)

I’m very excited for this baby, but I really wish I could get it some other way. This time I started getting sick at 4 1/2 weeks. At 7 1/2 weeks (the middle of February), Zoe and I headed out to Utah to stay with family so I could get some help with Zoe. Jed had to stay behind because he’s teaching early morning seminary and two graduate design classes right now, plus working. So Zoe and I have been out in Utah ever since. My family has been a tremendous support and have spent the last several weeks taking care of Zoe and me while I’ve been in survival mode.

On top of having HG (although not nearly as bad as I had with Zoe), I had a little bit of drama in the ER a week and half ago that resulted in me driving down to St. George (4 hours away) for a second opinion/follow-up. And although it’s still a bit early to tell, the ultrasounds I had in the ER and in St. George suggests that it’s a girl!!! Here she is…

Lately Zoe’s discovered the concept of being scared. She’s recently developed a fear of taking baths (don’t ask, it’s a long story) and now I have to take showers with her, and I have to hold her in my arms the entire time. Whenever she panics in the shower I tell her, “I’ve got you.”

I’m staying with my family right now, and last Thursday Zoe gave me quite a scare. She accidently got her finger shut in a heavy glass and metal door. When I got her finger out of the door I was afraid it was broken since it was pretty mashed and I couldn’t figure out where her bone was. I’d also never seen her so upset over anything before, so I was sure some damage had been done. After a sad scene and a panicked phone call to my insurance company, Zoe and I headed to an insta-care center to see a doctor. Sweet little Zoe did great throughout the whole ordeal as long as she could hold on to me. When it came time for x-rays, two nurses had to pry her from me. Then I had to sit in the doctor’s office listening to her screams from the other room for five whole minute, which seemed like forever. When the nurses finally brought her back to me, she settled herself on my lap, nuzzled into me and in between soft whimpers, whispered over and over, “I’ve got you, I’ve got you.”

When the x-ray results came back, all of us were surprised to find that Zoe didn’t break her finger. What a miracle!

Boy, motherhood can be heart-wrenching.

Yesterday it was -23 degrees with the wind chill, and I didn’t take Zoe outside all day. Around 5:00 PM she came to me all ready to go “aside” in her p.j.s, Sundays shoes and hat. She also brought me my snow boots. She’s getting more and more hilarious every day! Today she told Jed that a pirate says, “arrrg.”

Check out this clip the Today show did on HG. I’ve met Kimber and she’s wonderful. She’s doing a great job helping survivors and supporters, and spreading awareness. I really hope this helps a few more people understand at little bit about this disease.

On a more pleasant note, Saturday Zoe and I went to a little “Pumpkin Patch” fair type thing in Hyde Park with our friends the Stevens. When I checked the weather at 7:30 AM on Saturday morning it was 75 degrees and 79% humidity, which was nowhere near the expected high for the day. Hot day! Not really ideal for hanging out outside all day, but we were determined to make the best of it.

There were all kind of festivities going on at the “Pumpkin Patch” – rock climbing, games, picking pumpkins in the pumpkin patch, decorating pumpkins, pony rides, a petting zoo, playing in inflatable toys, face painting and food. We did everything but the rock climbing and face painting.

In the pumpkin patch, Zoe quickly lost interest in “picking” pumpkins. She decided it was more fun to run around, or stand at the edge of the patch closest to the speakers that were blaring old school soul music and dance.

(Head banging to “Respect”.)

(The lucky pumpkin.)

After all of the dancing and running, it was so hot that Zoe’s face was bright pink and we were all dripping in sweat. We let Zoe and Autumn jump around in the inflatable toys for a few minutes and then got lunch and a cool beverage. Zoe got to enjoy her snow cone through her sippy cup.

Zoe’s favorite part was the petting zoo.

Autumn’s first pony ride…

Zoe’s first pony ride…

It was hot and swampy, but so much fun!

I just finished an almost two hour conversation on the phone with a women, named Kim, who I have never met before, but I now love to death and am very impressed with. Kim and her family, Mormons from Utah, moved to Ajijic, Mexico (where we’ll be staying for three weeks of our trip) for two years. She even had a baby there. (Here’s her Mexico blog if you are interested.) Anyhow, reality has really set it, and I’m suddenly very nervous about living in Mexico for two months.

Kim and I had a great conversation. Kim answered a long list of questions I had and gave me some great advice. She gave me so much great information and I feel like I know so many things about staying in the Ajijic area that are really going to help make our trip go more smoothly. She also struck fear into me, in a big way. Here’s how:

Kim: “Oh, you know what you should do? Take a boat out to Scorpion Island!”

Me: “Okay.”

Two minutes later my brain started working.

Me: “Okay, wait. Are there actually scorpions on Scorpion Island?”

Kim: “Oh, yeah! They’re all over!”

Suddenly Scorpion Island doesn’t sound like my kind of experience. In fact, neither does Mexico. Especially after she told me that when they lived in the mountainous part of the area they would find an average of 3 a day!!! HOLY CRAP!!! That was when it took some serious effort to continue breathing. Oh, and they only found about three the entire time they lived in the village, “but they were huge!” Umm, seeing three large scorpions in open space, in my house would probably screw me up for life! But, good thing I got a the insider tip: take some antihistamine in case you get stung. Um, yes, I will be buying several bottles tomorrow.

(Kind of makes you want to throw up, doesn’t it?!)

Still, I cannot get over it. There are scorpions in Ajijic. Not just in Ajijic, but in the houses in Ajijic. I guess I feel a little better knowing about this in advance. I’m sure that if I’d come across a scorpion without being aware of the possibility, I’d probably either have a heart failure and die on the spot, or hop on the next plane back to the states. In my head I can see sweet little Zoe trying to pick one up! oh, dear…

As you can tell, I hate scorpions. I think they are a useless. I’m going to have to do some research on them – I will be prepared.

Most of you probably already know that in two weeks we are leaving Chicago for three months to do some traveling. We are going to San Francisco, Mexico and then to Utah. Preparing for this trip has been quite a project. Including booking flights and arranging housing, we’ve been trying to do so many other things. Life is busy for everyone, which is the way I think it should, but sometimes the craziness is overwhelming. The reality that we are going to be living in Mexico like residents for two months is finally starting to sink in and I’m getting unbelievably excited. Most of my concerns have been eased as more and more things fall into place. What ever comes out of this trip, we feel like this is what we need to be doing, and we’re very grateful to have the opportunity.

So on top of setting things up for our stay in Mexico, we’ve been getting things in place here so we can leave. We decided to try to sublet our apartment while we are gone – which we figured would a long shot. Surprisingly, we had 12 very anxious candidates the morning after we posted our apartment on craigslist. What’s even more surprising is that we were able to get $400 more rent per month that we thought we could get. The man who is renting from us is in the cast of The Phantom of the Opera, which happens to be showing almost the exact dates that we are gone. It couldn’t have worked out better!

Jed’s been working on freelance projects, his own projects and preparing for a presentation he will be giving at the IDSA conference in San Francisco in a couple of weeks. He’s been teaching a course at the Institute of Design, the school where he received his masters. He also been teaching early morning seminary. He gets up at 4 AM to work, then goes to seminary, comes home for breakfast and then heads to work for the day. He gets home somewhere between 6-9:00 PM and usually works some more before he goes to bed. Somehow in between all of that he’s managed to lose 30 pounds.

Zoe and I spent a week out in Utah this month, which was wonderful. Back here at home we usually spend our days just trying to keep ourselves entertained and out of trouble while we work on a variety of projects. One of the never ending project I’ve been working on is getting insurance, which has been an eye opening experience, and one that I hope will end soon. I’ve been doing some work for Jed and our little business ideas, setting things up for our stay in Mexico and leaving our house to a complete stranger, teaching Gospel Doctrine on Sundays, stressing just enough about everything to get a new cold sore every few days, and everything else that moms do. Wow, I just reread that sentence and I swear I’ve been doing a lot more, but I can’t even remember what! Maybe that is a good sign – or bad. Anyhow, I feel like I’ve been incredibly busy!

We all got sick last week, which slowed us down a bit. But now we’re getting better!

And I’m still so happy and relieved that we got our passports!

This Tuesday Jed heads out to Utah for a week. Hopefully Zoe and I will have a good, productive week while he’s gone! We still have so much to do before we leave!

Last week we had a passport panic. Zoe and I didn’t have passports but need them for our upcoming trip to Mexico. Since the US has loosened it laws and people have been able to cross the US border into Canada and Mexico with only a passport application confirmation number and receipt, we thought we’d be fine just applying for passports sometime before we go. Until we found out that the old law goes back into effect September 30. Oh.

So last Thursday we all (Jed had to come to sign for Zoe) made a mad dash to the post office to apply for our passports. The “official” website for passports says it takes three weeks to get an expedited passport, so we thought we’d be okay…barely. At the post office, the most soft spoken person I have ever encountered helped us. Seriously. We had to make two separate trips to the grocery store across the street to get our drivers licenses copied because we couldn’t understand her. Anyhow, this soft spoken women told us the normal wait time for a passport is 16 weeks, unless we get them expedited, which would only take “at least” 4-6 weeks. Neither would get our passports to us in three weeks, before September 30, or in time for our trip.

After a brief moment of horror and panic, the lady went on to tell us we could get the application confirmation we need to cross the border if we started the expedited application process before Sept 30. Haleluja! We just had to pay an additional $150 to get the passport expedited, which was less of a bummer than having to send Jed off to Mexico for two months by himself, so we did it.

The miracle: Thursday our passports came in the mail. Yes, you read that right. Thursday our passports came in the mail. Our actual passports. Exactly one week after we applied for them, they came in the mail. Here’s proof:

This is the fastest I’ve ever gotten anything taken care of by the government. Gotta give them some props for that!

I figure there are one or two lessons to be learned from this. First, the Lord is watching out for us; and/or, second, paying double will get things done faster. I’d prefer to thinks it’s just the first one.

Yesterday Jed turned 30 (and lost 30) - I still can’t believe it. We had a really great time celebrating. Jed still had to teach early morning seminary, but he was able to take work off. Woohoo! Our friend Carrie watched Zoe in the morning so we could go out to brunch at one of Jed’s favorite brunch places, Bongo Room. After brunch we picked up Z and hung out at home for a bit. It was so nice to just do nothing together. Jed is so busy and gone so much of the time that I often feel like I have a roommate instead of a husband. It was so fun to watch Zoe and Jed reading together or wrestling and tickling each other.

Later, Jed and Zoe napped and then went to the park while I ran errands. Then I picked them up so we could go get groceries for dinner. Grocery shopping is a lot more exciting when Jed is with us. I always seem to buy funky food that I’d never pick out by myself.

When we got home from grocery shopping we watched the Garbage concert on Soundstage while we made dinner. We had cheese and herb stuffed tortellini with vodka and stewed tomato sauces, and brie cheese and a baguette. The electricity went out in the middle of everything cooking, so I never got to finish making Jed his birthday lemon meringue pie, but everything else was really good.

We all a great time celebrating with Jed! Lucky for him, he gets to continue the celebration next week since I’m sending him out to Utah to go golfing with his brother.

Happy birthday, Babe!

I don’t normally give my wife much public praise. I am quite proficient at publicly teasing her, as she is quick to remind me (though she might call it something other than teasing). But it’s time we gave Chels her propers. In the past two months she:

• Happily supported the leaving of my job, with all it’s comfort zone appeal
• Arrived in Chicago 10 days before me and got our lives set up (luckily she had Zoe with her to help)
• Purchased, transported, and assembled a bunch of new furniture.
• Dealt with our landlord and resolved a number issues
• Waded through the ridiculously tedious health insurance application process. Twice.
• Has been waking up early, often to go to the gym. (Chelsey is not historically a morning person)
• Fills our leaky car tire up with air when it goes flat
• Still occasionally uses the CTA to take Zoe places, even though we now own a car

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK BABE!

I was going through some pictures and ran across this one that I took of my sister on my last trip out to Utah. One night while I as out there, Zoe, a friend of mine and I all met my mom and my sister, Brittny, at a mall. I ended up riding home with my mom and I asked Brittny to put the stoller in the back of the van while I buckled Zoe into her carseat. After a minute I heard, “Chels, it doesn’t fit.” What? “The stoller won’t fit in the van.” I went around to the back of the van and this is what I saw:

I made her stay put so I could take a picture. I thought it was pretty funny. I don’t know how many times I’ve had to show someone how to close my stroller– airport workers, the Babies’R'Us employee who sold it to me, friends, other parents, Jed, etc. Maybe along with the show Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?, there should be a show called, Are you smarter than this baby gear? Baby stuff can be a bit tricky, especially if you are trying to remove any parts to be washed. I should post the picture I took the first time we tried to install Zoe’s carseat into someone else’s car. It took three grown men 15 minutes and a few cuss words to get it in!

Last Thursday Jed resigned from his position at Bose. Next month we are moving back to Chicago! I’ve loved living in MA, but am so excited to move back! I feel like I’m going home…yay!

Jed took this picture of the Red Line a few years ago.

Zoe and I got back from a two week trip out to Utah a few days ago. First I have to say that I consider this trip a success simply because neither one of us got sick! Woohoo!!! Aside from that, the trip really was great. Every time I plan a trip out there I promise myself and Jed (the innocent one who gets to deal with a cranky sleep deprived wife and a sick and extremely off schedule baby when we get back) that I won’t schedule anything and that it will be relaxing. As usual I managed to squeeze in a bunch of things despite my promises, and this time I inadvertently squeezed in more than I normally do.

It really was a very special trip for us. I made a bunch of new friends through random circumstances, attended a taping of the Dr. Phil show to support a cause that is very important to me, had a few great Girl’s Nights with friends and family, visited old friends and relatives that happened to be in town the same time we were, ate good food, attended a wedding reception, numerous family gatherings and dinners, a conference at BYU, a baby expo, the U.S. National Dancesport Competition and couple of birthday parties including Zoe’s first, which I hosted. I also got to spend some desperately needed time catching up with my three best friends Brittny, Emily and Christa, and Zoe got to spend time with her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins! And she turned one!

Now we’re home and very happy to get back to Jed and back into our lives here. My in-laws came back with us and just went home today. It was really nice having them here even though my father-in-law got very sick and last night it looked like my mother-in-law was about to join him. We hope you get feeling better soon!!!

So the next few posts will be about our trip….