Bath Time!

Dallin's umbilical cord stump finally fell off today - so we gave him a real bath for the first time! He loved it until it was time to get out...then it was too cold.

More pictures of the boys

Coming home from the hospital - his outfit was HUGE on him!

Hanging out in the boppy

Today in the swing

Skin-to-skin with Daddy

Hayden LOVES to lay down with his "Baby Brudder"

This is what happens when we let Hayden dress himself:
Shirt, inside out
Shorts, backwards
Tie-dye and camo?

Hayden's awesome Batman pajamas that Baby Dallin brought for him

Birth Story and Big Brother

Since I had a c-section with Hayden I a repeat c-section with Dallin. We got here at 5:30am to get my IV going and such. Then at 7:28am I walked myself into the Operating Room, which was FREEZING...it was a very strange feeling to just waltz in there instead of being wheeled in like last time. I got my spinal and was happily numb. I get a little claustrophobic so I just kept my eyes closed until they held Dallin up at 7:50am. Everyone was surprised at his size...my doctor even commented that he thought he would be 10 lbs! Mike got to go with Dallin to be cleaned and weighed then he brought him to me to hold for a minute before I got all closed up.

Not much of a birth story when it's a routine repeat c-section...sorry!

He's doing well now and is a pretty good eater, though he likes his sleep a little more than he likes to eat it seems.

My amazing doctor:
Dr. Leandro Rodriguez

And the very proud big brother:

Grandma Brenda and Nana came to visit today and Hayden was thrilled to pieces again to hold his brother...this time all by himself (aren't boppys wonderful?) He sang him songs when Dallin got fussy and snuck kisses and hugs when he thought nobody was looking. He is going to be a GREAT big brother!

Dallin James Richards

Born 4 August 2009
7:50am
8 lbs 4 oz
20 inches

What's in a name?

It’s 3am. My c-section is scheduled in just four hours…I am leaving for the hospital in two…my head is spinning…and I can’t sleep.

I’m not really nervous about how the surgery will go. I’ve done this before and know what to expect. I love my doctor and I am confident in his abilities to deliver this baby and keep both of us safe.

This is a very melancholy event. On one hand, it’s August and I’m 39 weeks pregnant. I’m huge, hot and miserable and all I want is to get this baby out. On the other hand, this baby has been all mine for the last nine months. For nine months it’s just been him and me. Hundreds of kicks, thousands of hiccups – all mine. Now don’t get me wrong…I’m sure at 1:00, 3:00, and 5:00 am when he’s waking up to be fed I’ll gladly let him be anybody else’s, but you know what I mean. Never again will I feel this little guy move inside of me. In five hours or so my abdomen full of life will be left full of scar tissue and emptiness. I can’t wait for the days, weeks and years ahead of me to get to know my new son…but pregnancy is a wonderful, beautiful thing where women are able to act with Heavenly Father in creating life. There is nothing like it, and all good things come to an end, right?

We have really struggled with picking out a name for this baby. We settled on a first name a couple of months ago but could never agree upon a middle name. Hayden’s middle name is Michael, after his father, so I didn’t want to just give this one a name because it “sounded good”. Unfortunately, most people in either Mike’s or my family have names that sound terrible with either his first name or our last name. I’ve had a lot of quiet time to think last night and into the early morning hours and I finally found a name that means a great deal to me and just plain sounds right. His name will be Dallin James Richards. Just like Hayden, we’ve chosen the name Dallin for no other reason than we liked it. James will be after my best friend’s father, Michael James Scott.

I met Jim when I was 13 years old and his family moved into our neighborhood and ward. Kelly and I became fast friends, but I had absolutely no idea the influence her father would have on me. He was ready and willing to provide priesthood blessings and any other advice I needed at any time. He gave me priesthood blessings before school started and counsel when necessary. He is a very good man. Jim was such an influence for good during my teenage years that it just seems right to name my son after him. I so wish my own father was still here to meet my children, but he passed away a few months before Hayden was born. Maybe they were there to greet him on the other side of the veil.

It is now 3:34 am and I suppose I should try and get some sleep for the last hour that I’ve got. I’ll post pictures as soon as I can!

Could this be our answer?

This entire time Mike has been unable to find a job I have been scratching my head trying to figure out WHY??? What on earth could possibly be the purpose?

The "plan" (haha) was for him to get the bailiff job and be able to finish his degree part time. He applied for financial aid for Spring/Summer of 2010 because we knew it'd be difficult starting a new job, going to school AND have a newborn baby at home.

He has 4 classes until he gets his A.S. degree. Once he gets that degree he can apply for the bachelor's program through the community college. We planned on him applying next September for that program and he could take 2 classes in the spring and 2 in the summer.

He looked at his award summery yesterday and for some reason they awarded him his grants for Fall/Spring and his loans for Spring/Summer. We specifically filled out the FAFSA stating he'd be going Spring/Summer. The grants are a "use it or lose it" kind of thing so we would lose nearly $3500 in grants if he didn't register for classes this semester.

Turns out, 3 of the 4 classes were wide open, all with great professors (gotta love ratemyprofessor.com!). He was able to pull some strings with the head of the Criminal Justice Department at FCCJ and get approved for the 4th closed class.

So now he can apply for the bachelor's program two full semesters early and he'll have his A.S. by the end of December. We'll have a little money left over from his grants this semester and more than enough next semester and summer to make ends meet.

Maybe this is a good thing. Maybe he just needs to get school finished (he is 31) and with the bachelors he'll have a much better chance of getting a job as an officer.

8 more days

I know it's a day late on the picture...but I'm convinced that the only person who really cares about seeing my enormous tummy is my mom...and she's not even home...



If it looks like I'm tired...it's because I am. And yes...those are my sweats - and me with no makeup. Don't judge me. I have eight more days left!

You'll get a picture on Sunday...

I'm 37 weeks and 4 days along...only 12 more uncomfortable nights! Then we'll be on to a countless number of sleepless nights - but at least I'll be able to be on my stomach!

I've heard of this thing some call a "nesting instinct" where you realize all that needs to be done before the baby gets here and suddenly get a burst of energy and drive to get it done...yeah - I didn't get that. I didn't get it with Hayden either. Thank goodness my husband is home all day (silver lining to the unemployment, eh?) and he can help me get things done.

So...I made a HUGE list of things that need accomplished and set him to work! I'll join him as soon as I'm done blogging about it :)

And thanks to some friends and family - we will be able to do it HAYDEN FREE!!!

My next appointment is next Thursday and then my c-section is scheduled for August 4th. At 7:30am. Meaning I have to be there at 5:30am. I'm pretty sure someone is trying to kill me. But the plus to all of this is I get to get up, shower, do my hair and makeup, wander into the hospital, lie down on a table and be eating lunch by noon. I'd much rather NOT have a c-section, but this will be much better than last time, which included 14 hours of labor.

36 Weeks, 2 Days - and "No Poo"

I look miserable in this picture...because - I'm miserable! It's hot, I'm huge and I was out the door to work. Thankfully tomorrow is my last day.

As far as the "No Poo"...today is day 15. I co-washed today, but (like an absent minded pregnant lady) I didn't rinse it all out! I let it sit in my hair while I finished with other things in the shower and forgot to rinse! So it felt awful after blow drying it! I'll rinse it tomorrow and take another picture...but so far, I'm loving it!

4th of July

Better late than never, right? Mike and I both had to work but we were off early enough to enjoy some fireworks with Nikki and Madison. We just drove up to the Jaguar's Stadium parking lot, sat and enjoyed some Wendy's and then called it a night. Thank goodness it wasn't too hot! It took nearly an hour to get home.