Four weeks have gone by?

Squirt is four weeks old!? Where has the time gone? It has been an intense time. The day after she was born, we assembled for a family photo. Can you believe I was posing for a photo the day after I gave birth? It was my mother's dream so I tried to be patient and cooperative although I felt really fat. And tired. (Beeg and pregnant somehow seems more acceptable than big and postpartum even though I did have that cute baby in my arms.)

That next week, my grandpa's health headed downhill. We all knew he had terminal cancer, but we thought we had another 4-6 months with him. He passed away just a week later. It was difficult for me to see him so ill and watch him weaken (he has enjoyed robust health through his 88 years). My sister-in-law's words helped so much: "He has been without his sweetheart for 16 years. That is a long time." He left this life surrounded by loved ones, something made possible by my dad. I am so grateful for that. I am so grateful for my dad's fine example of being a kind and good son. I can only hope that I will raise my kids to be that type of person.

The week after that, D left for Pennsylvania for another audition rotation. Did I say Black January was a hard time to have a newborn? How about during audition rotations? We've got to work on this timing thing! Maybe we'll be smarter with the next one and have him/her during D's first year of residency!!

Yesterday Squirt was four weeks old. I celebrated by going for a run. I felt fabulous! It was a beautiful autumn day and the air was crisp. My mom took care of the kids. It was wonderful!

Three kids, three and under, and no husband around. I'm still sane! I have been well taken care of. Some sweet ladies from church have come over to hold Squirt during naptime so I could nap. Friends have called and offered their help over and over. My family has dropped in to do me favors. Life is good. And my baby is so beautiful!

Squaw Peak Autumn

This autumn is the most beautiful I've seen in Utah. D and I drove up to Squaw Peak a few days after Squirt was born. I thought the colors would soon fade, but the stunning fall splendor has only become more stunning! I'm trying to get outside every day and enjoy it.

My favorite running buddies
I'm hoping to get out for a run sometime this week!

That other announcement

Long ago when I listed a bunch of announcements, I mentioned that I couldn't mention one. Well, now I can, since it's public knowledge. My parents have been called on another mission, back to Santiago, Chile. My dad will preside over the Santiago MTC. They leave in January. I'm so grateful we were able to move back here to be close by for a few months until they depart. My kids would otherwise not get the opportunity to get to know them for a long time, since they will be gone for two years. I'm excited about the prospect of a trip to Santiago sometime while they're there--it's a really fun city!

Now that I've had my fun with this...

I've been asked how to pronounce Squirt's name. Just say it with a deep, rough voice, kind of the same way you'd say "Helga." Try it--"Eglah Botum!" Has a nice ring, eh? I've really had a lot of fun posting Squirt's name here. But really, my friends, would I name my child "Botum?" Maybe a better question would be, with my paranoia about posting personal info on the internet, would I put her real name here?

So the truth comes out. We picked up her birth certificate yesterday, and alas, Eglah Botum is not on it. Her first name is the same as Moses' sister in the bible. If you don't remember the story, you should read it--such a sweet, tender sister! Her middle name is the same as D's mom's middle name. D's mom happens to be our favorite sister missionary who is serving right now and we wanted to honor her. I'm hoping to send out an email spelling it all out more clearly, but I don't get much done these days, so we'll see when that happens!

NAME UPDATE!!

We've decided on a name--thanks to all who gave us advice and suggestions.

Eglah Botum

Eglah means "heifer," and our last name means "well-fed," so that would make this girl a "well-fed heifer princess."

Happy Birth Day, Squirt! It's a....

GIRL!

This time, for once, I did have mother's intuition. It helped that Squeak clued me in about this one awhile ago. I know that everyone really just wants to see a photo, so I'll try not to be too wordy in this post, but if it weren't for the sleep deprivation that accompanies having a newborn, I'd have a baby every nine (OK, maybe ten) months for the thrill and exhilaration of natural birth. Labor and birth were AWESOME! D was a fabulous birth companion--the best doula I could ever have!

Proud sister and brother

We're still deciding about a name (and hoping it doesn't take two weeks like last time!!), but one of our favorite options is Botum, which is Cambodium for princess.




Lots of exciting things to say about the birth, but for now I'll just mention one. Squirt was born with the amniotic sac intact, or en caul. This is something I had heard about as a childbirth educator, but it's very rare, and I've never known anyone whose baby emerged with the sac intact--and now it happened to us! Pretty cool!

Here's some info I found on the internet:

Dwight Cruikshank MD, states that being born with or in a caul is rare, probably occurring in fewer than 1 in 1000 births, and that he has seen fewer than 10 babies with a caul throughout his career.

In medieval times the appearance of a caul on a newborn baby was seen as a sign of good luck. It was considered an omen that the child was destined for greatness. Birth "En Caul" is generally considered to be a very auspicious beginning for a child.

Many are great natural healers, which trait may be manifested by the laying on of their hands, or remotely from a distance. Many are considered to have great ability in matters of judgment and ruling nations and often possess insights which are difficult to appreciate by other people.

In many cultures the Caulbearers were considered to be “Kings by right,” due to the predictive nature of their births and their leadership abilities. This is one of the reasons why certain Buddhist groups, to this very day seek out Caulbearers to be brought up to become Dalai Lamas.

More info found here

Stats:
Birth Day: September 26, 2009
Time: 3:41 a.m.
Weight: 7 lb. 12 oz.
Length: 19.5 inches
Head circumfrence: 13.5 inches (smallest one yet)
Labor time: 18.5 hours

We are so thrilled about our baby girl!

So Beeg!

At the pool with my seesters and kids on Labor Day.

That other baby is Pip's twin cousin, born the same week, different year.

I am so beeg! For me, I mean. I'm one of the lucky ones though--my full-term belly is smaller than most. I'm enjoying the last bit of pregnancy in the following ways. I LOVE WEARING BLACK! I wash my black clothing items every few days so I can wear them as often as possible! I LOVE MY ROCK-HARD ABS!! I know, I know, it's not really my abs, it's actually my uterus in constant surge (seriously, I get Braxton Hicks for like three hours straight), but I love the tight belly and know that as soon as Squirt emerges, it will just feel like deflated dough. I LOVE ENJOYING MY TWO SWEET BABIES!!! They are so adorable and fun, I just can't get enough of them! I LOVE THAT I WAS STILL RUNNING UNTIL JUST RECENTLY! I ran till 38 weeks this time and decided to call it quits when I felt the urge to pee with every step. I'm still getting out with the Baby Jogger, but we do a walking hill workout instead of a run now. I LOVE SQUIRT'S LITTLE MOVEMENTS, HICCUPS, AND KICKS! It's one of my favorite things about late pregnancy, and I always miss feeling my fetus inside me when it comes out. I LOVE BEING ABLE TO NAP WHEN MY KIDS NAP! I've got Squeak and Pip's afternoon naps coordinated (it took me about a year to do this), and I've been taking advantage of their naptime to get a little rest myself. And by the way, they're sleeping now, so I should be too...

Advice, anyone?

I'm really interested in simplifying my life. It was so great to move recently and get rid of extra stuff. But it was only a start! I want some helpful hints. Right now, I don't have the time or drive to deal with "extra." So, what does everyone do to keep things simple?

Vote! on my new poll and Independence Day photos

These are some old, pre-Colombian photos.

I'm still running, yippee! I even ran the Freedom Run 5K on July 4. I was slow--we started late and then finished with the 10K runners. My sis ran with me (actually pushed the double jogger for me!). It was funny, the crowds were saying, "You go, girl," to her, and I was thinking, "Man, I'm the one who's 7 months pregnant!" but now that I look at the photos, I didn't look very pregnant, just fat. NICE!

D didn't join in the festivities. He was busy studying for those board exams he loves so much. We had our awesome friends over the next day for his BIRTHDAY PIE.

Happy Anniversary!

Happy 2-year anniversary!

(we were in the middle of moving)

I have this tradition of taking a photo in my wedding dress every anniversary. D likes to put his fancy clothes on too. If I'm pregnant, I'm off the hook though. I managed to get back into my wedding dress three months postpartum for our second anniversary (I credit the miracles of breastfeeding and training for the Spudman), and again for our fourth. I didn't even try this year. I have been perpetually pregnant and/or breastfeeding for 4 years now. WOW! (And I wonder why I don't have as much energy as I used to have.)

We celebrated our anniversary this year by me and the munchkins picking up D from the airport after his return from New York. I made tri-berry Anniversary pie. I think it was one of my best pies ever. I tried to get a decent photo, but I had to keep retaking because I looked fat in all of them. Here's the "skinniest" one (with me hiding).

Happy five years!