Too Fast

It's all going by too quickly. He's only 10 days old, but he's outgrown his little hospital beanie, Shane can't fit him on his forearm anymore, and we're moving up a size in diapers. I just want things to hold still for a while and give me time to catch up. I never want to forget how tiny he was when he first came, or what he smelled like, and the little noises he makes. It's a losing battle, I know, but I wish I could have my way.

Saturday Morning

Saturday morning is my favorite time of week! Shane doesn't have to work, and we don't have to get ready for church, so we get to hang out in bed for a while and then I make pancakes for breakfast.

Fortunately for me, my Saturday mornings just got a whole lot better, and now I get to snuggle with the 2 loves of my life for as long as I want....or until somebody needs to be fed, or changed, but we had a pretty perfect first Saturday morning together.

As for the pancakes...you can dress them up anyway you want. I prefer them Chocolate Chip with Whipped Cream and fresh Bananas on top - it's the best way to go in my opinion. This is a really great pancake recipe. It makes light and fluffy and tender pancakes - like the kind you get at a hole-in-the-wall breakfast place that's been around for 30 years. Try them on your next Saturday morning.

Ingredients
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
2 t vanilla (optional)
3 T butter, melted
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 t salt
2 t baking powder
2 T sugar or malted milk powder (I don't use any sweetener in mine because I like them savory, but if you do, I recommend the malted milk powder - that's how they sweeten pancakes in restaurants and diners. It gives them a slightly different flavor.)

Method
Beat the eggs, milk, and vanilla until light and foamy, about 3 minutes on high speed, then mix in the butter.
Whisk the dry ingredients together to evenly distribute, and gently and quickly mix into the eggs and milk mixture.
** There should be lumps. You don't want to over-mix, that is what makes pancakes tough and chewy. If the batter looks too thick, add a little milk.
Drop onto a hot buttered skillet by the 1/4 cup - I do mine in medium - medium/high, but everyone's stove is different. Cook until bubbles form and break then flip, and cook until nicely browned.
Wipe the pan out after each use and add fresh butter every time you pour in new pancakes.

You can fold blueberries or chocolate chips into the batter, or you can press fresh bananas into the pancakes before you flip them - whatever you like. Shane prefers them plain, so do what makes you happy! Enjoy!

I'm in Love

I want to describe what I'm feeling...what I went through. It was a miracle. Delivering my son was the most beautiful thing I have ever witnessed and been a part of. My comprehension of this experience, and my emotions about my baby have come slowly - piece by piece, but I am overwhelmed at the amount of love I feel for this little person.

The time we had in the hospital was a dream. I was so sad to un-wrap the old and worn receiving blanket they had him in and pack him up to go. I just wanted to stay there forever with my perfect and new little baby. But, I'm really happy to be home with him, and snuggle in my own bed.

Every minute I have with him is the most fun I have ever had, and today I had the house all to myself with him, so I took some pictures. I know there are a lot of them, but narrowing it down anymore than this is an impossibility.

He smiles a lot. I know they say he's not really smiling, but I don't believe it.

Words don't describe. I'm completely obsessed, and so is Shane. We are a mess over this kid.

Update on Baby Dyer

Go to Shane's Blog for an update

We're On Our Way

It's official - I'm getting out of this mess I got myself into all those months ago. In 1 hour I will be lying in a hospital bed being induced into labor.

Remembering back 9 or so months ago, I'm amazed at how a few seemingly small decisions, (emotionally based in my case), can change your life so completely in a matter of minutes. Yet, here I am, and in a matter of hours I will have a beautiful baby boy in my arms.

I am feeling and wondering a lot of things right now, but mostly I'm content and calm. I know that I am exactly where I am supposed to be right now, and I feel so happy. I don't know what's ahead, but I have confidence that everything will be fine, and I am almost giddy with anticipation.

Utah Valley Labor and Delivery hasn't upgraded to DVD yet, so Shane went digging around in the garage for our old videos. The Scarlet Pimpernel is #1 on the list to watch.

This is perhaps the only area I went completely over-board. My bag of food, or chocolate really, with some crackers and bottles of water mixed in.

This is the best picture I could get of the nursery. It's very cozy in there. I think the baby and I will enjoy our time in that room.

And this is my favorite baby item in the house - moses basket and natural wood rocker. This is where the baby will sleep for the first little while, next to us in our room.

I just wanted to show you the plush inside. If I could I would crawl in there myself to sleep.

Time to go.

Pregnancy: The Ever Unpredictable State

I started to learn around 4 months that I couldn't predict what pregancy would be like for me, and that I couldn't compare my pregancy to anyone elses. I also started to get used to Doctors telling me "Sorry, I've never seen this before. I don't know what to tell you". So, I don't know why I was so surprised that I ended up back in the hospital with another unexplained problem.

The funny thing is that I thought I was going into labor - I was positive. (This was Saturday) I had been having contractions all day, and they were more painful and frequent than I was used to, but still no discernable pattern. And then I went to the bathroom and there was blood in the toilet. I assumed this was my "bloody show" and I was on my way towards labor - it all made sense to me.

Anyway, to make a long story as short as I can. I'm just peeing blood. I haven't progressed, so the increase in contractions and pain doesn't mean much, and they can't tell me why there is blood or where it is coming from. There is a possibility of a kidney infection, but all the tests they ran were inconclusive - obviously.

So, I'm just hanging out - not in labor - waiting for something to happen. I'll see my Doctor in 2 hours, and he's going to tell me if there is any more news on my mystery infection and strip my membranes. We'll see how that goes.

All our Bags are Packed

My 3 little sisters are starting College! I can't believe it - my parents who have raised 11 children are now Empty Nesters. The girls are starting on the winter semester, and they're all here at my house while they find their classes and living spaces and get settled. My house has been completely over-run, but I couldn't be happier. I now have 3 siblings living in Provo with me, and just in time for the baby's arrival! We're all starting a new phase in our lives - my parents, my sisters, and myself.

Thank you for your advice on what to bring to the hospital. I'm all packed and ready to go, and Shane packed his own bag too. I have another Doctors appointment in 20 minutes, and I'll find out if I am actually progressing or not. I'm not sure what I want him to tell me.

Goals for 2009

Every year I make a good size list of resolutions or goals I want to accomplish in the following months. This year I have decided to change things a little and focus on one main goal:

I want to simplify my life.

I'm going to stop taking on more than I can handle. I am going to stop worrying so much about accomplishing "things" and just live my life, and be the best Wife and Mother that I can be. I think that's enough of a goal to focus on right now. I feel better already.