And we're off!

The first day of Driving was dull as far as scenery goes. It was wonderful as far as the kids go. Sam woke up every few hours to eat and Micah watched movies and ate his snacks. They have been so pleasant and adorable the whole trip, these boys really know how to charm me and Ryan.
After a full day of driving, we decided to stop in Cheyenne, WY. This was the most eventful part of the day. After several phone calls and about 45 min later we found a motel with a vacancy. We booked the room immediately and drove straight to the motel. When we arrived Ryan ran into the office before making final arrangements Ryan came back to the car and asked me if wanted to see the room. I should have taken this question and a sign that it would not be a good place to stay. Instead I said, “I don't need to see it, go ahead and get it.” We grabbed the boys and took them into the room. We left just as soon as we arrived. There is really no point in grossing you out with the details.

Nebraska was also boring to drive through. We stayed in Omaha on day 2 with my cousins, which was mot boring at all. It was really good to see them. But I have to say, they have one busy household. :-). Before hitting the road for day 3 Micah and I went to Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo with my cousins. This Zoo is huge, and very impressive. We didn't have that much time, so we decided to hit the jungle exhibit and the aquarium. We had a lot of fun. That night we drove through Iowa and stopped for the night in Nauvoo, Illinois. We were really tired but we really wanted to find the temple before we went to our hotel. Not surprisingly it wasn't hard to find at all. The following morning we toured Nauvoo, unfortunately it was way too hot, so we didn't hang around for very long. The rest of the week is a blur.

We mainly just drove, we only stopped to feed children, change diapers and sleep. We packed a lot of good treats so we didn't really need to stop too much to eat. We worked it out so that we were only eating our 1 meal a day. This was nice because neither Ryan or I are big on fast food.

The next 2 days we drove through Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland and we finally reached Washington, D.C. On Saturday night. We also spent the most money those last two days. The main reason for the expenses was Toll Roads. I could not believe how much we paid in tolls. I'm pretty sure we spent about $80.00 in tolls! The second reason is because we decided to go out to a nice place in Chicago for a Chicago style deep dish pizza. The pizza was really good but, I don't think we'll be doing that again soon. The pizza was a little bit out of our price range, and Micah and Sam were both very fussy (biggest understatements of the year) in the restaurant.

Can you tell how happy we are that we have finished our long journey? Little did we know.... (More to come)

Our bags are packed and we're ready to go.

Stay posted for a photo diary of our Road trip across the country! :)

I can't believe it is already August. Ryan starts school in just a few weeks, which means it is time to move our little family across the Country. We packed up all of our belongings into a moving truck yesterday and we will be making a week long drive to our new place in Arlington, VA. Today is August 5th, we are leaving on the 9th and our belongings won't arrive in Virginia until the 18th! I am nervous about how I am suppose to get all settled and organized with out Ryan being around. He will have orientation all the week of the 16th. Who on earth is going to help me unload that Huge truck!? I'll tell you who, the Elders Quorum. I am so grateful to have the LDS church in my life, besides the gospel being AMAZING, the people are wonderful and I absolutely know that Ryan and I can count on the members of the church to help us when we get to Arlington. It's also comforting to know that we have a few family and friends fairly close and I know they will certainly help where they can.

Other updates

Micah is as cute as ever. His vocabulary has exploded and he has turned into a chatter box. Like any 2 year old, Micah has a mind of his own. He has so much love and enthusiasm for living everyday to it's fullest. He is such a caring big brother. If he hears his Sam crying he stops whatever he is doing to go check on him. Micah's favorite game to play right now is to throw all of the pillow from the sofa onto the floor and jump into the pile of pillows. He he has a special interest in letters and numbers and is a little whiz at naming his letters and their sounds. I love the new level of communication he is capable of. It is so great to hear him vocalize his thoughts and feelings. I LOVE MY MICAH!

Sam is the sweetest little guy. He is getting big fast, he is already 2 months old. He has been such a smiley guy lately and he is so talkative (in his own cooing way). He still loves to sleep quite a bit and he hardly ever cries. Sam had his baby blessing on Sunday. He looked adorable! I owe my parents and in laws a BIG Thank You for helping Me and Ryan put the blessing and the lunch afterward together. Everything was perfect. My only complaint is that I misplaced the shoes I made Sam to go with his blessing outfit. I found them when I did laundry the next day. Oh well, I still plan on dressing Sam up again in his outfit and getting more pictures.

He's Here!!!

Our little Samuel Ryan Taylor is here! He was born May 26, 2010 at 8:03 am. He was 6lb 3 oz. I can't believe how fast time flies, He is 7 1/2 weeks now! Sam is such a good baby, he eats well, sleeps well, only cries a little bit, and seems to tolerate his big brother's tough love approach. We are all adjusting to our growing family but despite how hard it can be at times we are certainly a happy family.



Sam's birth
During my last few weeks of my pregnancy I switched providers and decided to go see a nurse-midwife. I loved my midwife and really felt as though she was very respectful about my hopes and expectations for a natural childbirth. As I was going to each check up we did the same old routine, check the babies heart beat and measure my belly. My first few appointments everything was perfect, then at my 36 week check up I was measuring the same as two weeks before, which was not good because that meant that I hadn't grown. So I went and had a non-stress test and had my fluids checked. The baby was doing fine and I had plenty of fluid. Two weeks later I was still measuring too small so I was sent to get an Ultrasound and non-stress test. I went to get the Ultrasound and the non-stress test on Tuesday May 25, the stress test was great, Sam seemed to be doing well but the Ultrasound was a different story. Sam's abdomen was measuring too small, and the Doc that reviewed the Ultrasound said that Sam was probably not getting enough
nutrition and that he would recommend a repeat c-section ASAP. Just then I felt as though I was trying to hold onto a stack of papers in a whirlwind. Can you imagine how hard that would be? Everything you are trying to hold onto is flying away from your grasp. I really felt helpless, flustered and as though I was being robbed all at the same time. I asked the Doc if I could try inducing labor naturally, he didn't believe that was in the best interest of the baby. He thought because of the lack of nutrition he wouldn't be able to tolerate labor and I would most likely end up with a c-section in the end. I should mention that this conversation was had with the ultrasound Doc and not my midwife or her back up Obstetrician. I felt very upset and I went to my midwifes office and hoped that they would be more open to me having a natural childbirth. I spoke with my the back up ob, and he had the same recommendations for me. I was told I could choose to do whatever I wanted, but after I was presented all the facts, how could I choose to have the natural childbirth that I had prepared myself for when the health of my baby was on the line. I couldn't do it, it felt too selfish. I agreed to have a c-section. To my surprise Dr. Nielsen (my midwifes back up ob) was trying to schedule me in to have the surgery that very night. This is where I had to put my foot down. I was very red faced and had two puffy sacks under my eyes from crying, I was still surrendering my hope for a beautiful natural childbirth. There was no way I was going to have the surgery that night; we scheduled it for the next morning. After the disappointment wore off I started getting really excited about the fact that "this time tomorrow" I would be holding my baby boy. After getting some blood work done and receiving an armful of wristbands to prepare for my surgery, I went home and started the other preparations ie. find a babysitter for Micah, pack our things, and clean up a little. We took Micah to stay with his Aunt and Uncle Sara and Weston and took our last picture as a family of 3. Ryan and I went to dinner then headed home to get ready for the day to come. I didn't sleep at all that night.



The next morning we arrived at the hospital at 6:30. Everything was much less chaotic than my first cesarean. I was prepped for surgery and after I was all ready, Ryan came into the O.R. My Mom works at St. Marks Hospital (where I delivered) so she was standing right outside the O.R. Ryan and I were getting very anxious behind the screen because we knew my body was being cut into.


It was after a few minutes I was told I would feel some pressure. I felt the pressure and then I heard the most beautiful sound I have ever heard in my life. I hear my little Sam cry and I couldn't help but cry myself. I could not believe the emotions that came over me. I wanted so desperately to hold my baby right then, of course since I was numb and my innards would have fallen had I tried to get up, all I could do was lay there. They brought Sam around so I could see him and I was so amazed at the beautiful little boy in front of me. Sam was perfectly healthy and I couldn't have asked for anything more.


After the surgery was complete I went to my recovery room and got to hold and nurse my little boy. It was wonderful.

Cuppy Cake

Micah's favorite book right now is Cupcake, by Charise Mericle Harper. Unfortunately I have maxed out on renewals at the library and we had to return it. The story begins by telling you all the ingredients that go into making cupcakes and how a special little vanilla cupcake was born. Today Micah sat down at the Kitchen table with a measuring spoon and asked for flour, sugar, eggs, milk, and baking powder. All the ingredients that are listed in the cupcake book. I'm pretty sure he wanted to make cupcakes. :)

A few days ago Micah wanted to read Cupcake, so I asked him to read it to me. He wasn't even following the words or showing any signs of reading, but he narrated the first page to me perfectly. I was very impressed by how well he has been listening to the story. I'm going to have to find a copy for my little guy. It really is a fun story.

3 weeks (or less) to go!

almost 37 weeks here 05/10

Here is the most recent belly picture. I can't believe how much smaller I am this pregnancy. Can you tell I have had more spontaneous behavior? I asked My Neighbor Val to chop off my hair. I'm really happy with the way it turned out.

It's getting hard to believe that I am going to have two little ones to care for soon. I really like that it's just me and Micah together each day. I think I am going to miss that. I am very excited to have Sam around, but I wonder if I'll be able to give both of my kiddos all the attention they need. I really hope Micah will be okay with the adjustment.

These two pics were taken at 35 weeks of both of my pregnancies. Can you believe how BIG I was with Micah! The little measuring tape I am holding on the right was cut on the day of the picture on the left. YIKES!

Micah 12/08 Sam 05/10

With toddlers there's a surprise around every corner

This is what happens when you leave markers out while you are fixing dinner.

First of all, I love my midwife. I am so excited to have this baby! And I may have a Doula too!

I have had a lot to post so I am going to continue on with my check list. Today's topic is all about Micah! Oh how I love my little Micah. I can't believe how much he is learning and growing. Yesterday I put a pair of pants on him and they fit perfectly, that same pair of pants was falling down to his ankles just last week. Today when I called for Micah I didn't hear little feet pitter pattering my way, instead I heard "What Mommy." I have noticed that Micah is trying to find a place where he can be my little baby and my big boy at the same time. We tried potty training, but despite how ready I think he is, he is just to afraid to park his little tushy on the toilet.

The most recent thing that Micah has surprised me with is his ability to recognize all the letters in the alphabet, and he knows the sounds that most of the letters make too! It is amazing to see him grow up.

The surprising things Micah has said recently:
- Mommy, I poopy, change Micah. (Don't you dare tell me he's not ready to potty train)
- COME ON JAZZ!
- Daddy come here RIGHT NOW!
- stupid dog. (Micah learned this one from Toy Story, he use to yell it until I told him that I don't want to hear him say it anymore. Now he whispers it under his breath when he gets mad).
- Whoa, Big One! (usually talking about airplanes or trucks).

The list could go on and on. You'd think that we yell at our house a lot. To be honest I think Micah has picked up the yelling from other kids. And I have decided that Micah can ONLY watch PBS shows. I love all the fun Disney shows, but I think we better hold off a little longer for Micah's sake.

The Business of being born

January 2010, (I don't have a recent prego pic :)

Let me first begin with recording my experience with Micah's birth. Micah was due on January 15, 2008. My pregnancy with him was wonderful. The hardest part was my last Trimester when I became SO INCREDIBLY ITCHY ALL OVER! Other than that everything was great. I was 2 days over due and like any full term mother, I was feeling very ready to have my baby.

I worked up until the day I had Micah. I made it into work bright and early (6:00 am). After a few hours I was just ready to go home, so I did. I went home and slept for hours, woke up showered and took a good look at my apartment. I decided it wasn't clean enough so I made my way in and out of each room cleaning every last inch of my apartment. I remember feeling contractions while I was scrubbing the bath tub. The contractions continues through the evening but I hadn't started timing them yet. I made dinner and then let Ryan clean up. After we ate I started timing my contractions. They were about 2-4 minutes apart, I tried to lay down and rest to make sure it wasn't just false labor. After a couple hours of rest and contractions staying at about 2 minutes apart we wen to Mt Timpanogos Hospital. When we arrived a nurse had me change my clothes and checked to see how far I was dilated. I was only a one and a wiggle! The nurse reassured me that she would watch me for an hour and if I didn't make any progress, I would be sent home for the night and then most likely have a baby in the morning. After we had only been there about 15 minutes the same nurse came in and asked me all kinds of questions, and then the next thing I know she is sticking an ivy in my arm and having me turn to my side. A few minutes later she tells me that the babies heart rate is going down with every contraction (that is normal) but is not bouncing back to a safe range. She said I will be staying in the hospital and she checked me in. A second nurse came in and gave Ryan some clothes to change into.

The next series of events happened so fast that the excitement I felt to have a baby tuned to fear. The Nurse that I had been helping me from the moment I arrived, came in and announced that my Dr. was on his way and wanted me prepped for a c-section. I was then told that the there wouldn't be any time for me to have an epidural for the surgery so I would be put to sleep completely. On top of that I was told that Ryan would have to stay behind and I was wheeled away to the operating room. I don't even think I got to give Ryan a hug or a kiss before I was rushed away. While in the O.R. I was laid half naked onto a surgery table, received a catheter (can I say ouch!), and had a mask placed over my face. The nurse told me she would make sure that my chest was covered so that I felt more comfortable, what a foolish thing to say, I was way beyond comfortable! Then the Anesthesiologist came over, pinched my throat and I was out. The next hing I know I was being waken up by a nurse. She told me that my baby was taken to the NICU and I would get to see him soon.

I was taken to a hospital room where my family was waiting for me. It was good to have them there but Ryan was missing along with mine and his Dad. I was told that they were in the NICU with Micah giving him a blessing. I asked again when I would get to see my baby and I was reassured that it would be soon. Ryan finally came in and showed me a picture of Micah. Yes the first time I got to see Micah was a photo! I thought I would feel something special but I felt nothing when I looked at the picture. I wanted to meet him, yet I still didn't have the feelings for my baby that I had heard other moms talk about. I was then taken to a more permanent room and told to get some rest. I was getting so upset, I still hadn't seen my baby, my family had gone home, and I was still delirious from the drugs. It was the next morning, 11 hours after I had had him that I finally go to go see Micah. It was three days later that I got to hold him, 4 days later that I got to nurse him, and 17 days later that we got to bring him home. For those of you who don't know, Micah was in the NICU because he inhaled meconium and his lungs were partially collapsed.

Since having Micah have have been determined that my next baby was going to be a vaginal birth. The only thing I knew for sure that I needed to do, was to find a provider who would allow me to have a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean). The next step I took was getting my body baby ready. I got into the best shape I have ever been in in my life. I have managed to stay very physically active through out this pregnancy, which I feel has been and will continue to be very beneficial to me on so many levels. I was feeling as though I had covered all the bases, but as the babies due date is coming up and after all the research I have been doing, I started feeling there were a few more measures that needed to be taken. I felt that in order to have the birth that I want, not only a VBAC but also a natural birth, I needed to find a new provider. I made the last minute decision to switch to a nurse midwife. I kind of think it also has to do with my impulsive pregnant brain. For now I am very happy with my decision, but we'll see if I feel the same way after my first appointment with my midwife tomorrow. I have also borrowed a few things from my friend Camy to help me with Hypno birthing (not as crazy as it sounds, I promise). I am feeling much more in control of things which makes me very Happy! And did I mention that this pregnancy has bee wonderful too? I absolutely love being pregnant!

To what do I owe the credit of my new impulsive behavior?
- Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, by Ina May Gaskin (I highly recommend this)
- The Business of Being Born, Documentary ( I highly recommend this too!)
- Various articles
- Very supportive and experienced friends and family :)

Back to Washington, D.C.!

Washington, D.C. April 2007

The decision is made, and we will be off to George Washington University in Washington, D.C. We are very excited to be able to go back to D.C., but I have to say I am very nervous to go with two little ones. I think the hardest part will be to move away from our family and friends. So the rest of this post might seem to be all over the place, but it makes sense to me. :)

Ryan has a compilation of different songs he collected from different Elders when he served his Mission; he served in Washington D.C. (North mission I believe). Music is such a big part of Ryan's life and so I am not at all surprised that he has this compilation. One of the songs on this CD Ryan and his freind wrote, It's called Back to the Mountains. They wrote it as they we're coming to the end of their service missions and about to return home. For Ryan, home was Utah.

It seems we have been preparing to go to law school forever. Now everything is coming together and we are actually going to move our family across the country and pursue this next phase in our lives. The reason I mention the song above is because I think it is so ironic that Since Ryan has been home from his mission he keeps being pulled back to Washington. First for his Internship with the Washington Seminar and now for Law School at George Washington University. It seems Washington, D.C. is not finished with Ryan yet (you know like in LOST).

Micah's favorite things

Surprise, I haven't been very good at posting my favorite things. Well I decided that since I haven't written much about Micah recently, and because he is one of my favorite people in the whole world, I would post about his favorite things at 26 months. There are so many it's hard to decide where to begin.


Favorite Toys:
Trucks
Cars
Trains
Curious George monkey (his name is Monkey)
Basketball hoop
Blocks

Favorite Books:
Go Dog Go by, P.D. Eastman
Cars at Play by, Rick Walton and Ann Walton
Me too by, Mercer Mayer (Micah also LOVES all of the critter books we own)

Favorite Movies:
Cars
Bolt
Toy Story
Your baby can read

Favorite things to say:
"(Mommy, Daddy, etc.)... come on!"
"What are you doing...(Monkey, Daddy, etc.)"
"That Kind"
"That way"
"That one"

Favorite games:
Connect four
Bouncing on my knee while I sing him the Humpty Dumpty song we learned at the library.
Building tall towers and tunnels for his train.
Running around in circles. This literal, he loves to go around in circles screaming "go around again."
Hiding games

Favorite Chores: (yes Micah has favorite chores)
Dishes
Laundry

Favorite places to go:
Grandma and Grandpa's house (Ryan's parents)
Nana and Papa's house (my parents)
Nursery
Library
Living Planet Aquarium

Favorite things to eat:
broccoli
asparagus
all fruit
cookies
brownies
chicken nuggets
french fries

Misc Favorite thing:
I just got into using essential oils by doTerra (I am selling them too if your interested), and they have a great blend called On Guard. I have been rubbing a drop on each one of Micah's little feet every night before he goes to bed. He LOVES when I do this for him. If he sees my box of oils within grasp and unattended he is all over them. He also enjoys when I pull them out just so he can smell them.

Still waiting

We haven't heard from any other schools so far, but I do have an update. Ryan recieved a confirmation from University of Washington (Seattle. Washington), that they have received his application. I didn't add University of Washington to the first list because Ryan and I thought that because one of his letters of recomendation was sent after the application deadline, his application wouldn't be considered complete. Therefore, we thought he wouldn't be considered at all. Thankfully all of his hard work was not in vain, and they are currently reviewing his application.

Another update. Today Ryan and I went to an admitted students reception for George Washington University. The reception was held at the Grand America, it was really nice. The staff and Alumni did a great job of selling the college. Of course if we do leave Utah for school, GW would be my first pick. The reception was really great for Ryan, he was able to address his concerns and get some solid answers. I got to speak to spouses, after today I am starting to feel more excited for this big step in our lives.