Bad Mommy!

So yesterday I went to lunch with Rhonda, Gina, Beth and Bailey at Wingers which was SOO yummy! But once we got there I kept worrying about Porter being overheated because it was so dang hot outside and his forehead was burning! Yikes! So, I decided to experiment a bit and give him some water...ha, let's just say he didn't think too much of it. So about 30 minutes after we sat down, I go to take a sip of water while holding him and basically, he got SOAKED! Ah, I felt horrible because the water was SO cold. His reaction shocked me though, no tears, just shock. He jumped right after it had happened and shook a bit so I changed his clothes (that's right, I packed a few extra outfits 'just in case', go mommy!) and he was fine. Little did I know, the water not only got on Porter, but all over me as well! I had a huge wet spot going down my thigh...haha, quite the experience.

The girls all got a good laugh out of it:)

Any other mommy's out there do mean things to their kids unexpectedly?

To see more of Stacy's work visit her website at StacyJacobsenPhotography.com

Photo Shoot with Stacy Jacobsen Feb. 16th!

So I've gotten the edited pics back from Stacy and am absolutely THRILLED with the wonderful work she's done. Here's a sneak peek at the results! SOO hard to decide which 3 to pick for 16 x 20? (?) foam boards to hang on the wall at home...please let me know which 3 are your faves!

Our wonderful week-long vacation...prepare yourselves, this is quite a post!

Saturday, April 24, 2010
Two days ago, Deven and I returned from our week long trip to Washington and Oregon. I was pretty nervous prior to leaving because the longest trip Porter has been on was a 4 hour drive to Utah. This trip would be almost 8 times as long! Whew! I got SO lucky though because he only woke up TWICE in 16 HOURS! WOW BABY! The drive there was great, I slept about 6 full hours of the trip while Deven drove all but the last 4 hours of the trip. We ended up leaving at 8pm because we figured we could get more driving time in while Porter took his 7 hour “nap” for the night Turns out, we planned it out PERFECTLY! Two of the most memorable things about the drive to Washington would have to be:

1. Almost had a close encounter with an adult female deer in the middle of the road, and
2. Discovered a small little “town” called Tokio in Washington! Crazy huh?
Apparently no one else has heard of it which really wasn’t much of a shocker. But to remember our stop there, we bought a little Ty monkey for Porter and named him Tokio. Haha fun huh?


We arrived at my parent’s home around noon on Thursday and after getting settled in just relaxed a bit and took advantage of our break from school, work, and Rexburg by taking a long nap. Throughout the 4 days that we stayed at my parents, Deven slept LOTS! He was getting over a really bad sore throat, which, sadly he got from me. Poor guy, he was miserable the whole time. My mom threw me a wonderful baby shower the day after we arrived and I got lots of cute things for Porter, but the best part was having the opportunity to catch up with old friends.

Porter’s Photo Shoot with Stacy Jacobsen

We also snuck in a fun photo shoot with Stacy Jacobsen (stacyjacobsenphotography.com) for Porter while we were in town. We just LOVE Stacy and her phenomenal work! She is such a talented photographer and really captures the beauty and spirit in everything. Ha, he was so funny during the first shots because he kept looking in the OPPOSITE direction Stacy had wanted him to, come to find out (20 minutes later) that he was checking out the black and white contrast of another background she had set up on the wall. So sweet! He was pretty happy throughout most of the shoot which made things so much easier for all of us.

Giggles and Grins with Grandma Terry

My mom was really looking forward to seeing Porter again, she tells me often to take MORE and MORE pictures and to text them to her when we are home in Rexburg. I finally got a week of her satisfied and able to take shots of her own. haha! I love her, she’s a wonderful grandma and Porter has so much fun with her. She actually just bought him a jump-a-roo which he LOVES! It’s quite a treat to see him play in it. At this point, he isn’t quite tall enough to jump because he can’t reach the ground so we are putting a pillow underneath him to give him a little boost.

Visit with G.G. Caswell!

Monday night we stayed with my Grandma and Grandpa Caswell at their beautiful Inn in Long Beach. They prepared a yummy “Taco Buffet” dinner for us just after we arrived and we had a great time visiting. We woke up in the morning to my absolute FAVORITE breakfast, Blueberry and Buckwheat pancakes with eggs, bacon, and O.J.! YUMM!! What a fun stay…we love our visits at the B’nB!

Oregon with Derik, Kelly, Isaac and their new arrival little Jonah!

We had the wonderful opportunity of spending a few days with Derik and Kelly and their two sweet little boys. Isaac has grown SO much! He’s just FILLED with energy and is talking away! He just loves his rice cakes and spending time with his mom and dad. It’s fun to just sit back and observe his interactions with everyone…especially his new little brother Jonah. Our 2nd day at their home we all went out to lunch at the mall and had a really nice walk…as oblivious as I am, I kept running Kelly into the dirt just next to the sidewalk. How sweet am I, right?! I felt SO bad! I guess I had done it 3 times before Deven finally pointed it out to me. Haaha, I’m such a klutz sometimes. Our last night there, Kelly, Isaac and I took a trip to DQ for some Blizzards because they had a special going. SOOO YUMMY! I’ve FINALLY fulfilled my craving of the past 3 years! It’s been WAY too long!

CRAIG and Bri

Our last stop before heading home was Eugene, Oregon to meet up with our good friends, Craig and Bri. They are currently expecting a little boy, Packer, in June! Can’t wait! Bri has the sweetest baby bump! I kept rubbing her tummy. Weird right? I got that ALL the time when I was pregnant so I kind of justified the awkwardness. Lol! We all went to the food court to have lunch together, then walked around the mall for a few hours as we caught up. Porter was pretty grumpy throughout most of our little get-together. Not so fun, but it worked out. Oh, and they got a sweet little Dog from Build-A-Bear for Porter. They didn’t have any Moose stuffed animals which we were originally looking for, so we named the dog Moose. It all worked out.

Drive Home

Our drive home was great! We took a different route this time which took us through most of Oregon it seemed like, 6 hours of it at least. We passed by 2 national parks and drove through Bend, Oregon which I guess is in the dead center of the state. For the first part of the drive, we were driving alongside this BEAUTIFUL river! SOO pretty! The trees lined the freeway and really added to the beauty of the drive. Hit a snow storm about 3 hours from home which was pretty scary but once we arrived home (at 4 a.m.), it was the greatest feeling…finally able to unpack and settle down again. Overall, we had an AMAZING vacation! We loved getting the chance to visit so many family members and friends. Thanks to all of those who made our trip so enjoyable!

Co-sleeping or Bed Sharing?

Co-sleeping and bedsharing are related in that bedsharing is a form of co-sleeping. It is sort of like the “all squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares” situation. Co-sleeping is sleeping in the same room as your baby. If you have a bassinet in your room, but it is nowhere near your bed, you are still co-sleeping. Bedsharing is a form of co-sleeping in which your baby is actually in the bed with you.

I absolutely LOVE co-sleeping and bed sharing. For the first couple of weeks as a new mommy I tried out the co-sleeper thing which was okay but both Porter and I knew it wouldn't work for us over time. He needed me, and I needed him. Besides, it's MUCH easier to nurse him during the night.

Deven and I co-sleep with Porter by bedsharing. Like most families who bedshare, we did it completely by accident. It actually started in the hospital. The second day we were in the hospital, I fell asleep holding Porter while he breastfed. I woke up and noticed how comfortable he was, and this feeling of warmth and peace just overcame me. Looking down at him, seeing this STRONG bond already forming between the two of us was unforgettable. We took a couple of naps like that in the hospital, but for the most part, I let him sleep in his bassinet. When he was in his bassinet, I felt a little empty. I was also very paranoid about something happening to him. I remember staying awake just watching him breathe and make the sucking motions with his mouth while in his sleep. No matter how tired I got I couldn't miss a moment of my little boys life. I've gotten over that since then, I actually sleep at night when I get the opportunity, as long as he is by my side. :)



When we got home from the hospital, we co-slept the first night, but did not bedshare. Deven and I actually had Porter in his "co-sleeper" my mom had bought for him all bundled up in a blanket on the table in the center of us while we slept on the couches on either side of him. Strange arrangement we know, not sure how it ended up that way but we slept like that for the first week then finally brought him into our bed (still in his co-sleeper between the two of us). Again, I missed having him NEXT to me, snuggled in. Paitlin has been in our bed ever since.

I love feeling hia warmth. Breastfeeding him is so easy. I just stare at him while he sleeps next to me. Every morning I wake up and find him newly awake and looking at me, most times, even smiling and cooing! It is just the best feeling in the world.

Milestones...Where did the time go?

Where has the time gone?!? With each passing day, a new milestone is hit and exciting experiences are shared within our sweet growing family. In only 1 1/2 weeks my little guy will be 4 months old! He coos much, grins constantly, is starting to LOVE his Jump-a-roo daddy just bought for him, and about a month ago has actually started to sleep through the night! Yes, I'm loving life!

Although Porter still clings to mom often, I still manage to get things done. Much thanks to Grandma Rhonda, Auntie'(s) Jac and Bri!! He'll have days every so often where he doesn't mind admiring the shapes and colors around him on his play-mat while mom showers, finishes a few loads of laundry and cleans the dishes. Although, today Porter wouldn't have any of it! No ma'am! If I wasn't right next to him either nursing or talking to and playing with him...he would quickly get my attention with his new-found fake cries (which by the way are adorable) and I would be back by his side with not a thing in the home cleaner. Other than being clingy (which really, I don't mind so much because I feel needed and loved), I have a perfect little angel.

Knock on wood, but so far, no sign of colic...just lots of coos, giggles and a bright smiling face. Believe me ladies and gents, I'm aware it can change at any moment, but for now I'm quite enjoying getting the chance to clean, shower, check my e-mail and watch (ahem) TLC. "Friends" is another guilty pleasure, but I've made a deal with myself to keep the TV off when he's awake. It was difficult at first, but now I'm getting out more for walks, and it's so great to have family and friends with little ones, (or an interest in my little one) to go walking with me.
So far I've REALLY enjoyed the company of Abby, Sheena, Kim, Hailey, and Kelly and not to forget my WONDERFUL supportive hubby Deven.

This has been fun so far, and I'm looking forward to learning as we go.
So far having a 3 1/2 month old has taught me many things:
Our 3 1/2 month old has taught me that a hickey is still not attractive, even if given to you by a hungry baby.
Our 3 1/2 month old has taught me that you should ALWAYS expect the unexpected when it comes to diaper changes and aim...at only a few days old Porter shot "liqui-poo" 3 FEET across the CARPET! GREAT DISTANCE! (does anyone have a TIDE stick, or mustard coloured carpet die? lol)
Our 3 1/2 month old has taught me that a baby will poo anytime, ESPECIALLY after JUST changing him. (Rhonda experienced this wonderful thing today).
And our 3 month old has taught me that it is possible to love someone more than you ever thought possible.

FINALLY! Inspired by Kelly...I have started to write out my experience with Delivery and the day prior...

This is just the start..I will go further into my experience with my next post!

This is for Beth…
The day prior to delivering Porter, we went in to speak with Dr. Oldroyd about the news from the ultrasound and Porter’s measurements. He had been losing weight for the past couple of week; the max measurement he had reached was 37 weeks…and at 39 weeks he was measuring at 36. This appointment was scheduled last minute due to its urgency, so Deven couldn’t go with me because of work. Luckily my mom was there to here the big news with me. Once my mom and I had arrived, Dr. Oldroyd had told us that he was concerned with how Porter had been losing weight and had found that he had“inner uterine growth retardation” and needed to come out immediately. He said it wasn’t so urgent that we had to do it that day, but he needed to schedule a cesarean section with me tomorrow if I was comfortable with it. At this point, a day away from my due date…I was dilated to a 1 and Porter had not dropped yet, he was still pretty high up there. (Lucky me! I never felt the lower back pain!) Because of this, Dr. Oldroyd informed me that if I chose to deliver Porter vaginally, the delivery would last at LEAST 28 hours seeing how I was not dilated very far and Porter hasn’t dropped. He also told me that he wasn’t sure if Porter would make it with all the stress for that length of time.

Things were looking pretty scary at this point…I wasn’t planning on delivering by cesarean section, I was even EXCITED for the pain that ONLY WOMEN can go through and to have the experience of pushing through each contraction. Don’t ask me why this excites me, but it did. It’s like for 9 months I am working up to this big thing and then it’s suddenly not a possibility anymore. After weighing the pros and cons, it was clear that I was going to have to go through with the cesarean section. This was the safest option for me and Porter and I didn’t want any harm coming to him. Dr. Oldroyd told me that with a cesarean section, it would be very risky to ever have a vaginal birth with any future pregnancies and that I probably wouldn’t be able to have more than 3 or 4 children because it would be too hard on my uterus. Bummer! In the end, Dr. Oldroyd made me feel at ease with the decision I had made. I was actually starting to look forward to it after he had told me that the scar would be REALLY low and not seen with a bathing suit and from start to finish, the whole delivery would only take about 8-15 minutes. Before we left the appointment, Dr. Oldroyd stripped my membranes to get things going a bit. I haven’t experience any contractions up to that point and he thought we might as well and see where we get tomorrow. Still not sure what he expected to happen but what the heck right?!
After my appointment with Dr. Oldroyd, the only thing I was nervous about was becoming permanently paralyzed by the spinal. Although he tried to reassure me that this was possible but extremely rare, it was still something I couldn’t get off my mind. In the end, the only thing that calmed my mind about it was that it was the safest option for Porter for me to go along with the cesarean section. We scheduled it for 8:30 the next morning, Tuesday, January 5, 2010—Porter’s DUE DATE! Who would’ve known?!

Preparing for the hospital the morning of the cesarean section, I ended up wearing my Christmas Eeyore pajamas and a black Down East T-shirt. I was going for the comfort thing. ;) I’m pretty sure I woke up around 4:30 a.m. seeing how we were supposed to be there by 6:30 to prep for the c-section. I remember that morning Deven and I were SO excited! I just kept telling him, Deven! This is it! In 3 hours we’ll be holding little Porter in our arms! We packed the night before, getting extra clothing (which I ended up not needing because the gown was my only wardrobe the whole 3 days) and clothing for porter. We also packed a camera, and video camera and my laptop. In the car on the drive to the hospital I was finally starting to feel small contractions for the very first time. It was actually pretty exciting! A little uncomfortable but no pain so far…no nerves have kicked in yet, only excitement that I would soon be holding my little boy! And while getting ready that morning, I was ecstatic that I could look cute AFTER delivery! No sweat! My nurse would be doing all the pushing in this delivery…LITERALLY! She basically jumped on my stomach to get Porter down through the opening they had cut. :)

Ok..nxm..video was taking over 45min to load so i didnt go with that..but here are some pics instead.

Yay! I've finally got a video up of Porter! 3 months 6 days old:)

One Thing Led to Another...

So Sandy was a random part of that...but marriage, honeymoon, pregnancy and here comes little Porter!By our first anniversary we had a 2 month old baby!

Our Journey together up til now has been INCREDIBLE! Experiencing different jobs, an AMAZING student ward together, dinner's at his parents with games afterwards. LOST nights...pretty much every night! Superbowls, Snowboarding, Going to the temple, swimmin, hot-tubbing, walking the Green Belt, finals weeks! Ahh..stress! Getting Married! Perfect day:) Cruisin to MEXICO!! And becoming first time parents to the SWEETEST little boy!

We've been given endless blessings and are so grateful. Each experience, whether it be a trial or a triumph brings us strength and closer to one another. I just LOVE my growing family:) Deven has been such a strong support, friend and companion and I couldn't be happier with who God has placed in my path.

Porter is a constant reminder of God's love for me. Most early mornings I wake up tired and groggy to a smiling, giggling, precious little boy. Even when he is sick or has a tummy ache, he is always upbeat. (after the gas passes...) It's been such an amazing journey thus far as a new mommy. It's the sweetest thing when he falls asleep in my arms, cries for me (literally...he says momma while crying), seeing his expression as I talk to him and watching him mirror my expressions onto his own face. Aww! I love my boys!

Random Pics...

3 Months old!

Porter at 3 months!

Porter's FIRST Easter!

I was sooo excited to go Easter shopping for the first time as a mom this year! Yay! As I was walking down the aisle of Easter decor, baskets and basket fillers...I realized that there really wasn't too much I could get for Easter this year that I LOVED as a kid. Candy for example..so fun as a kid to receive, yet..Porter is not quite old enough yet...maybe in a few years. Don't want to start him on sugar too young and get him addicted you know? Then there were the cute little bunny stuffed animals..I suppose I could have gotten him one, but he wouldn't really play with it or get much excitement out of it. So I ended up getting a sweet little Easter Basket that I find to be a bit more stylish and sweet. Filled it with the fake grass, plastic eggs filled with candy (for daddy), and got some new socks and onesies and an outfit for him. It'll be fun when he is old enough to look forward to the Easter fun and start new traditions, coloring eggs, Easter egg hunts, new outfits and candy filled Easter baskets.