So much love

Henry has been a first for much of my family. Obviously he's the first baby to come into our family. He's making Jon and I feel oh-so-very grownup with all of the firsts that we've been experiencing with him. (More on those later.)

He's also the first nephew that my sister has known since he was born. She's a biological aunt for the first time, although we both have three other wonderful nephews. My mom's a biological grandma for the first time as well. And he's also the first in this next generation to be able to carry on the family name, a first for Jon's folks. Along with all of these firsts comes a lot of love. This kid is loved all around, and I'm so grateful for that.

My sister has really jumped into the role of aunt for a newborn really well. She was the first out of the family to see Henry, and she brought clothes and crafts and toys and books. She loved on and cuddled him and was just so great with him and with me. She allowed me time to nap, she reminded me to eat, and she gave me opportunities to shower during the day. Hurray!

 I look back on those early days with amazement and through a fog. I can't believe how tired and perpetually worn-out I was in those days. I can't believe how proud I was of myself for getting showered, dressed, and fed before noon (on the days that I did, which was not every day). It was with my sister that I took Henry out for his first walk around the neighborhood in his stroller. Oh, and how proud I was when I went out on a walk with my sister, Henry, and the dogs. That was a big day for me. I'm so glad that it has gotten a little easier since then. And I can't wait for Jess to visit again so that she can witness a more interactive, smiley Henry.

Aunt Jess and TINY Henry

Our first walk

Poor peel-y Henry
(I'm so glad THAT phase is over!)

The hike we took with Aunt Jess down to the Virgin River

A couple of weeks went by and then my mom came out for a little while. She was and is completely enamored with Henry. She just wanted to hold him and cuddle him and walk with him all the live-long day. If I wasn't feeding or changing him, she was happy to just be with him. She sang him Polish lullabies (which just about melted my heart), she laughed SO hard when he'd giggle, and she kept marveling over every little thing about him. We went out on a few adventures nearby on our own, and we ventured out a little further when Jon had the time. It was great to leave the house a little by then, even if it took a whole long longer to leave the house than I ever could have imagined. Who knew that such a tiny person could disrupt so many of your daily patterns and habits? (So worth it, though.)

Somehow though, we managed a few things-- like a short hike through Kolob, just she, Henry and I. Yay for the Ergo-baby! It made the hike possible and even pleasant. Snuggled up against me, he slept for nearly the entire hike. We timed it just about perfectly-- he didn't start getting hungry-fussy until we were nearly back to the car. We also went on longer hikes with Jon-- Pine Mountain and the Columbine Creek trail just outside of the Oak Grove campground. It was really nice to stretch my legs, to walk around in nature, and to experience more firsts with little Henry and his Babunia (grandma in Polish).

One of my favorite days with my mom around didn't have anything to do with us leaving the house, however. It was a day where we just hung out with Henry and talked and talked, and I got to hear all kinds of family stories about my grandparents and her childhood that I'd never heard before. It was one of the best gifts ever.

Little man, big yawn

Pine Mountain

This was pretty much all the snow that was left. Jon and I did a portion of that hike two weeks previously and the whole thing was covered in a foot or two of snow. It was a much easier hike when we could walk on the ground.

A hike around Oak Grove

Henry smiling for his Babunia

A couple of more weeks passed by and then we had Jon's folks come for a visit. They were so great. And I don't think that they realize just how much they helped us out. I ate out with them for lunch pretty much every day. That may not have been all that great for me getting back down to a reasonable weight, but man was I glad to have something to look forward to every day, and they really helped out by giving me a hand with Henry so that I could get ready to leave the house. Likewise, watching Nancy with Henry was just so heart-warming. I think that there is just something so special about watching your mothers with a grand-baby, especially when that grand-baby just so happens to be your child. Nancy was just so cute with Henry, talking to him, asking him questions, and saying things when he was crying like, "Oh, tell me your story. Are you having a rough day? Are you telling me a sad tale?" She wasn't flustered by his cries, shrieks, or fussiness, she just talked through it and let me do my thing to calm him down.

Both Nancy and Dave were a real help. And they were just delightful to talk to. As Nancy put it, it was a great time for all of us to get to know one another better. Before, we've always been surrounded by lots of other family members and other commitments. This trip was all about getting to know one another better. Nancy even said that she felt like she was getting know this current version of Jon better -- this adult, married, father, pet-owner version of her son. I am so thankful for Jon every day of my life, and my mom was likewise totally blown away by how amazing Jon is and especially by how much he's done for me and Henry to make our lives easier. I'm so thankful for Jon's parents in all that they did to help raise him to be the man that he is today. And I was humbled to hear that Dave and Nancy were likewise happy that Jon found me. They say that they see a lot of positive changes in their son and they say that I'm a part of all of that. I still say that I got the better end of this deal.

Anyway, with Dave and Nancy, we got in quite a few outings. We hit up antique shops, we went on walks and hikes, and we went out to eat, a lot. Besides our nearly daily lunch outings, we also ate dinner somewhere new pretty much every night as well when Jon got home from work. We went out to some of our favorite spots and we also got to try a couple of places for the first time with them. They have had a lot of practice with some of their other grand kids, so there wasn't really anything new that we could throw at them. They took everything in stride and were really understanding when I needed a nap or some extra time to get ready. And like I mentioned earlier, they were just good company. It was really neat for me to hear some of their stories about Jon's childhood, both the stories about Jon as well as Nancy's experience with motherhood through the years with her three children.

And now all the visitors are gone. I'm waiting for my sister's next stop as well as Jon's oldest sister and her family. Anne and the rest of the Peter gang will be seeing Henry in person for the first time. I never thought too much about how far we live from any family until now. But I'll be the first to admit it, I have had really been missing all the family. I've loved every single visit, and I have cried a bit each time one has come to an end. I wish that we could all live closer, but since we don't, I'm thankful for technology that allows us to talk and to video conference so that we can all stay in touch as much as possible.

Some of the best burgers to be had are in Hurricane.

Walking along the Pa'rus trail in Zion 

Multi-tasking! Eclipse-watching and baby-feeding at the same time. 

 By the way, Henry really does love to see the temple. Both times that we took him to the temple grounds he started to get fussy, and both times when we turned him to look at the temple, he stopped crying and would just stare at the temple contentedly. No joke.

 And I'll leave you with one last shot of Henry, who has recently discovered how fantastic his own fist is. He loves ramming it into his mouth as much as he can. Sometimes, though, he likes to suck on his thumb and pointer finger at the same time. Don't ask me how he does it. He just does. Talented, my boy is. :)

A new kind of normal

So everyone kept telling me that it would take about six weeks to feel really normal again after having a baby. Well, for me that included realizing that normal will never be what it once was in so many ways... And for me, I was closer to eight weeks postpartum before I felt like I had a good handle on new baby, new me, new schedule, etc.... What can I say, I'm a slow learner. But I am learning.

I love my darling little man. Henry is just so amazing, and such a miracle. We're truly blessed to have him in our family. Every day that goes by he and Jon and I learn something new together.

It is amazing what can transpire in those first few weeks of life. His personality is really starting to shine through now. Unlike his parents, Henry is most assuredly a morning person. Because of that, I get up with him, feed him, sing to him, bounce him on my lap, and talk to him. He loves it when I hold him so that he sits up and can look around. He is transforming me into a morning person. I'm sure many more transformations will yet come about.

I do have plans to keep writing here, to continue to share stories and photos, but I have just been entirely caught up in every single moment that I've had with Henry so far-- well, every waking moment. When I sleep these days, I sleep deeply (for two hour stretches). So until I get back into the swing of more regular updates, I at least wanted to leave you with a couple of photos of the person that's taking up all my time and teaching me all kinds of new things--

Happy in his bassinet (Thanks, Chrissy!)

Hiking around Zion

Home remedies for colds

Being sick and pregnant is a tough combination. It is not glamorous. I hardly have the energy to get up and make enough meals to keep me and the little one well-fed, let alone clean the house. It was bad enough during the first and second trimesters, but as big as I am, just walking around I can get winded without having a cold interfering. I think I'm currently fighting off my fourth cold since getting pregnant. 

Yesterday I was happy that I managed to shower, eat, nap, and make a list of things we still need to get ready for the birth of our baby boy. Oh, and I did one load of laundry. Big time productive, right? Luckily, I have help. I've got one amazing man who happily does the dishes, cleans the counters, carries clean laundry over to our room, and will even start new loads of laundry for me. He's also great at rubbing my back, bringing me water, and telling me what a great baby-grower I am. He's a huge help and totally sweet. I'm a lucky, lucky woman. I also happen to have an amazing midwife who will text me back right away if I ever have a question or need. And she is a wealth of information on how to heal yourself without medications. (Because, really, that's pretty much what you're limited to when you're sharing anything that comes into your body with a tiny baby.) 

So, for anyone who cares to hear about what crunchy alternatives to pharmaceuticals I've been using, here's a list of my favorite cold remedies: 

(A disclaimer-- I am not a health professional. These are things that are working for me, things that I've researched and tried out for myself. These are just some of my ideas and not medical advice.) 

1. Vitamin C. I mean, a BUNCH of vitamin C. I take between 12 and 20 500mg tablets every morning, and then a tablet every couple of hours for the rest of the day when I'm sick. But if you are in the early part of pregnancy, don't do this. 

2. ACV-- Apple Cider Vinegar. While I can't say that I would have wanted to try this all on my own, I've heard so many testimonials swearing by ACV that I finally gave it a try. Here's what I've been doing: Heat one cup of water until it is very warm (but not boiling), and then I add two tablespoons of ACV and another tablespoon or two of either raw honey or agave nectar and mix. Then you drink it down while it is hot and pretend that it is just apple cider. (Ignore the part of your brain that says, "If this is apple cider, it has gone bad.") It has a kick to it, but it really gets things moving along in the cold department. I actually don't mind it one bit. I had Jon try it and he said, "Well, it actually tastes a lot better than it smells." Luckily, if you are trying this remedy you probably aren't smelling things all that well, so there you go. 

3. Raw garlic. Again, you've got to do this to the extreme. One thing that I do is toast a piece of bread, throw some butter on top, and then add two crushed and chopped garlic cloves on top. Eat it as though it is a very garlic-y garlic bread. Another option that I do when I'm needing more fluids: warm garlic lemonade. Sounds fabulous, right? Well, here again you heat the water until it is very hot, but not boiling, then add some chopped up garlic cloves and lemon juice. (My midwife suggests just slicing up a lemon and throwing a bunch of slices in.) You let this mixture steep for about twenty minutes and then strain it. If you're using lemon slices, this would be when you'd want to squeeze the excess juice out of them. Then add raw honey, agave, or sugar to sweeten it up a bit. 

4. Vitamin D3. Again, you want to take more than what is normally suggested for a healthy person's supplement. My midwife suggests 10,000 iu per day. (That's 2 tablets usually.) 

5. Home-made chicken soup. Seriously, home-made chicken soup. Not the store bought stuff that has MSG and other back yuck in it. I make mine completely from scratch and change it up a little bit each time. Carrots are a staple, and then to add more bulk, I change up what else I throw in. Sometimes I make it with noodles, sometimes with rice, sometimes with potatoes. Then depending on the mood, I'll add onion slices, dill, or like now when I'm sick, I'll also throw in a few chopped up cloves of garlic at the end. I leave the salt and pepper for the table where Jon and I can season our soups to our own tastes. 

6. Keep the fluids coming. Besides my ACV concoction, I make sure to drink more than enough fluids. As a pregnant lady, I already have to pee all the time, so I figure, what's another couple of trips to the bathroom? I drink lots and lots of water. I keep one of those BPA-free adult sippy cups around at all times and refill it constantly. For hot beverages I do okay with drinking those quickly out of a mug. While I do think that water is the best thing to flush your system and to replenish fluids, I also drink lots of herbal tea (unsweetened). Stay really well hydrated. It helps all around. 

Yesterday I also tried "pulsing" wherein I took a hot shower and let the hot water run down my face and neck for a minute and then alternated that with putting a cold wet towel over my face and neck. My midwife says that it helps clear the lymph nodes. If nothing else, it actually felt really great to combine that with a little face massage. I also broke out my neti pot in the evening, but I can't say that I feel like that did much. But I did sleep with a humidifier next to my side of the bed and I do think that that helped not feeling all dried out in the morning. 

A small confession? The whole right side of my face was hurting so bad from sinus pressure that I did finally take a Tylenol right before getting to bed. Sleep is important enough that I felt justified in taking that one pain relieving tablet. 

And I've got this to report: I'm already feeling much better today. Better than I thought possible considering how cruddy I felt yesterday. I really believe that there are many things in nature that can cure you or can help your body kick into self-healing mode without the concern of icky side-effects. That being said, I also understand that there are times and situations where certain medications are the right choice. 

So there you have it, my kick-your-cold-in-the-butt home remedies that actually work. (For me, at least.) 

Now I'm off to drink some more apple cider vinegar. 

A few details

Does anyone else think that popular culture is weird for tracking the progress of a pregnancy by comparing a baby to various fruits and vegetables? Apparently right now, our little one is somewhere between a honeydew melon and an crenshaw melon. I had never even heard of a crenshaw melon until just barely. . .Okay, but really, I know that details like baby/fruit comparison are not what you want to read about, but these details are are---

Yes, we know what we're having. And no, we haven't been telling everyone. Why? Because I'm not a pink/blue kind of girl. But you know what? You people are my friends. And I feel like I can trust you. I worry about what might transpire at my baby shower, but with you, I trust this information-- we're having a little boy. And soon. He will be most likely making his appearance before the end of next month. And that doesn't give us a lot of time to finish making up his room. But that's okay. We're planning on keeping him within arm's reach for the first bit, anyway. I mean, I really don't see myself making it down the hallway and gracefully stepping over a dog-gate for middle-of-the-night feedings. So once the room actually starts coming together I'll start sharing photos. I am really excited about it, though. We already have the crib and a dresser and colors picked out and some of his bedding and decorations... I have had more fun with putting all of that together than I ever expected.

What else? Oh, the name. Yes, everyone asks me about that one. And I know it is a big deal and all, but nope. We don't have a name picked out yet. And we're coming down to the wire. But I'm okay with that. We have a good solid five or six names that we feel okay about, but there isn't one that just stands out as his yet. And in case you're wondering, if you have any brilliant ideas, please go ahead and share them. I'm still open to suggestions.

Some other details:

1. Physical stuff: Overall I feel like I can't complain. My pregnancy hasn't been as rough as some that I hear about. I did have morning sickness that lasted all day, but it was just bad enough to make me wish I'd vomit most of the time. I actually only threw up once of twice. And you know what I think is super weird? The fact that the more I could make myself eat, the less nausea I experienced. I mean, how does that make any sense? I feel like I want to throw up and the cure is to eat? Right, because that's easy to make yourself do when everything you look at makes you feel queasy. But somehow I prevailed and have made it through the worst of it. I'd say that the hardest part of pregnancy for me has been how tired it has made me from time to time. There are so many things that I want to do, but sometimes I just have to accept that I have limitations. Certain hikes will take longer, others will just not happen until I can take the baby in an Ergo or something. Likewise things like house-cleaning, quilting, and crafting sometimes take longer or are put on the back-burner.

2. Cravings/Food: Nothing too crazy. Jon kept waiting for odd food combinations, but I kept it pretty normal. Sadly, I lost any desire to eat Thai food and I still can't really make myself eat pizza normally (I've only been able to eat it twice). Also, Jon's favorite frozen yogurt place, Menchie's is completely out of the question. The first time I ate it during my first trimester I got physically ill. I tried again more recently, and while there was no violent reaction, I just couldn't eat it. I can't say that it tasted disgusting, but it just really wasn't doing anything for me. So we've found a compromise. Nielsen's Frozen Custard. I think the baby just likes calories. Menchie's, with their fat-free and sugar-free options wasn't real enough for our little one. Baby likes fat and sugar and hot fudge. The only real cravings I have had are-- burgers and red meat in abundance for a two-week span, lots of salads, and about two months of eggs for breakfast. Way back when, I took a class at BYU called Intuitive Eating. It was based on a text by that name, as well as a bunch of research. I feel like that's really what eating while pregnant is all about. I learn to listen to my body and feed it what it really needs, or in this case, what the baby and I both really need. And I have to say that it has been a good mix of things, including some tasty treats. :)

3. Emotions: While before getting pregnant I thought that pregnancy would include a wild roller-coaster of emotions, I have to say that I have been pleasantly surprised. If anything, pregnancy has made me more centered. I feel calm and at peace about many more things, and yet I find that I am happier and just so excited about meeting this new person. This is not to say that I don't also cry during dumb movies or even the occasional radio commercial, because that still happens, too... But for the most part, life has just taken on so many more wonderful things for me that I can honestly say that I've experienced a shift in prospective, in a good way.

Wearing one of the three tops that still covers, and just barely... 

Jon's new hair cut. And he's smiling!

Anything else that anyone is dying to know? Let me know. Otherwise, the next post will probably be more about our baby/plans for once he's here. Oh, and there will probably be a few more photos. :)

Changes

This is a post for all of those folks that haven't seen Jon or I in a while. It has been a long time coming. See for yourselves...

Now, as many of you know, this has been Jon's look of choice for quite some time:

Jon's longish, floppy hair, has been more or less this length for ages.

He's been rockin' this style for a looong time--

Okay, so there was a small spell somewhere between the above photo and when Jon and I met where he had a mullet and another time where he had a mustache, but we don't like to talk about those days.

This is one of the last photos of us together with his hair that long:

Thank you Chrissy for taking this photo!

About a week later I finally convinced him to go in and see my friend Emilee for a new do. I mean, the man needed a haircut either way...

He got a BUNCH of hair chopped off.

And he wasn't too happy about it--

It was kind of traumatic for him. But after a few weeks of telling people that he lost a bet or that he'd been bad and this was his punishment, he finally settled into his new look. Although when I told him I wanted a photo of his new cut for the blog, he refused to smile. He's difficult like that sometimes.

Drinking a delicious green smoothie.

One of these days I'll get a smiling happy photo of him with his new shorter hair. I love it and I've heard him getting complemented on his hair cut without any prompting on my part, so I'm convinced it is a good thing. Change is good sometimes.

And me? Yes, I've been going through some changes too, hair and otherwise--

Back in August:

(Natural hair color, untouched for years.)

September:

(New hair color provided by my pal Emilee.)

And then these days:

Celebration, FL in November

Barefoot and . . .

Early December

I LOVE this photo Jon took of me at Galveston during our Christmas visit.

January, Polaroid

At Zion

BIG changes, am I right? And bigger changes to come. We're so very excited to be welcoming a new addition to our family. I can also think of some grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews that are super excited, too. This has been such a magical, wondrous, happy time for Jon and I. The past few months have just flown by. I can hardly believe that we'll be holding our little one by the end of next month. (I know, it looks like I could pop any day now, but I've still got a little while.)

I'll be sharing ultrasound photos and video soon-- just as soon as we can figure out how to get the video that our doctor provided into a format that will cooperate with us. And soon you'll be tired of hearing about how excited I am, what pregnancy has been like for me, and our preparations, etc... But then you'll get to start seeing baby photos, and who doesn't love those? So hang tight, people, loads and loads of adorable baby shots to come soon. I promise.

Happy Birthday, Happy Anniversary

As an officer. Doesn't he look dapper?
He hated being an officer, though, and got to America as quick as he could. 

At Big Bend National Park with his two little girls.

Thanks for teaching me about fishing, hiking, the importance of a good education, the necessity of exercise for the body and soul, and for telling me a few of your stories. Miss you, dad. 




Besides being my dad's birthday, it is also the three year anniversary of my first date with my husband. He took me on a wonderfully sparkly winter hike outside of Salt Lake City. We crunched through snowy trails wearing a few light layers and hiking boots, not snow shoes. Which is a big deal, because Jon hates the cold. He says that it worked out really great for him though, since it gave him a good reason to hold my hand and to get close to me. Sweet, sneaky man. I am so lucky to have him in my life.

Photo I took on my Windsor film camera that day.

Picture Jon took of me from our hike. I couldn't find one of him...

Manatees

So while in Florida, Jon and I got to swim with the manatees. We used Bird's Underwater Dive Center's services, and our Captain (Captain John) was just great. It is right off of Crystal River. As it turned out, we picked a wonderful time for our tour. We did an afternoon excursion and it ended up just being Jon and I out there as a tour group of two. Yes, we felt special and spoiled.

Can I just say it? It was AMAZING. Manatees are such gentle giants. And the young ones make the cutest little squeaky noises. Their closest land relatives are elephants and hyraxes. I can see the elephant resemblance much more so than the tiny hyrax connection. They have thick gray skin that can be smooth or super wrinkly and it looks very much like elephant skin, complete with the sparse hairs, but with algae growing on it.

I have yet to get my film photos from the day developed, so for now, I'll share the digital photos that Jon got.

After a video instructing us on the rules of interacting with the manatees and getting suited up, we took off in a very slow-moving vessel, waving goodbye to Jon's parents in the drizzling rain. It wasn't the best day for regular sightseeing, but it ended up being a lovely day for spotting manatees. Manatees can't handle being cooler than 68F for too long, so when the weather gets chilly, they all congregate around the warm springs, which makes them easier for us to spot. Hurray!

We started off at Three Sisters Springs and had our most luck there. Captain John led us out to the springs, and we saw a couple of manatees right off, but they were more interested in napping than saying hello. They will go up to the surface to take in a deep breath and then slowly sink down to the bottom for naps that last 20 minutes, at which time they wake, go up for air, and start over...

There's Captain's John's head sticking out of the water talking to someone looking out for the manatees.

One of the springs

After a while with some sleepy manatees, we started to head back to the boat when all of a sudden we were met with four manatees coming right for us. They passed peacefully and silently beneath us in a small channel. It was kind of mesmerizing watching these huge creatures glide by so fluidly. So we let them go by, waited a couple of minutes, and then followed them back into the springs.

Mama manatees with their "little ones"

Every manatee we saw had markings all over their backs. Sadly, even with all the protective rules set up, the manatees still end up with scars and injuries from boats. Captain John explained that most of the deaths in that area weren't brought on by getting sliced by a propeller. He says that in his experience, it is when a boat's bow collides with a manatee that the worst damage takes place. It takes a boat only going 14mph to kill a manatee if they hit one head-on. Pretty much every manatee will have a myriad of scars running across their backs and tails from propellers. Sad, but this is what makes them easy to identify by those studying them. Captain John says that the manatees in that part of Florida were actually doing really well with the boating and tourist regulations.

Manatee with propeller scars...

This next photo that Jon took, I just absolutely love. Seriously, how great is this--

Can you see me in the distance?

These manatees were more social. Especially the babies. They would make their little "eep" noises and approach us to check us out. They don't have the best eyesight, but they can sense you with the vibrations your motions make against their sparse body hairs. Jon and I each had the opportunity to touch the extra-wrinkly manatee baby. He/she came right up to Jon and I and we are allowed to reach one arm out at a time, so we each had a turn to pet a baby manatee!

And now, a couple more mommy-baby manatee shots...

Aren't they just so stinkin' cute together? And in case you're wondering, that's how the baby manatees breastfeed. Yep, their boobs are under their armpits.

NOT a manatee.

Seeing that we still had some time on the clock, Captain John took us to one other spot after this but the water was much deeper and much more murky. We got a good look at a bunch of different fish, but only caught sight of one other manatee. It nearly swam into us with how murky the water was. That kind of water freaked me out to swim in, I'll admit.

By the way, the wet suits were such a lifesaver. We would have frozen our little buns off if it weren't for them. The water in the springs area stays close to 70F, but with the rain and wind hitting our backs, we would have had a miserable experience if it were not for the warming wet suits. As soon as we got back in the boat, Captain Jon prepared some hot cocoa for us to sip on. I was grateful because the second I got out of the water and the wind hit, I started shaking. Yay for hot cocoa!

We didn't wait to get back to change, but chose to get into our dry-ish clothes while hiding in a little zipped-off corner of the boat. After purchasing our video and a hoodie for me, we went straight over to Charlie's Fish House. It is literally next door to Bird's, and Jon and I were both in need of some warm food. Jon and I shared a bowl of clam chowder and a bowl of lobster chowder. They were both amazing and full of seafood. And the food warmed us up indeed.

So yes, it was an awesome, amazing outing.

If you are interested in checking out the video that we got from Bird's of Jon and I snorkeling, you can view it HERE. That's Jon's website. Just scroll down on the left to where it says "Videos" and click on "Manatee Encounter (2011)."