First six weeks as a family of four

Well. Here's some tidbits of the past six weeks:

• Atticus is a total cuddle bug, surprise surprise. Mama's a fan. :)

• Newborns without tummy troubles are glorious. My goodness. What a relief. I told a friend in a text last night, I think my heart would break if another one of my babies was in pain constantly and I couldn't do a thing to help them. I'm so grateful he's so easy (I mean relatively--he's still human) to soothe. It gives me a false sense of competence. (I'll have to write a post devoted to mama's of colicky newborns one of these days because looking back, that was nuts. They're my heroes.)

• He HATES garlic. Found this out the hard way when he was two weeks old, when we went out to eat and I had something with garlic sauce on it. Now I just avoid it, unless its a little bit of powder which he can handle. 

• Jori is a total sweetheart. I knew this before, but I wasn't sure how she was going to react to being a big sister. But she has been an absolute champ! She's so sweet and gentle with the baby, and never violent at all with him. She does have a hard time sharing mom and dad sometimes, mainly when she's just woken up, but she still never takes it out on him. I'm so proud of her for handling the change so well. 

• I loved that the first week Atticus was home, frequently when the four of us were together Jori would say "We are a family!" It's like she knew it had changed and it was her way of voicing her acceptance of the change. 

• Jori also continues to learn and mature. I try really hard to say I'm sorry to her when I've lost my temper or done something else wrong, because I think the best way to teach is by example. So the other day we were having a tiff, and I lost my temper and so apologized. Then a minute later she came up to me, gently put her hand on my thigh and said "I'm so sorry, to you." I felt so proud of my little angel. She is so perfect. Just perfectly herself. 

 Jori loves the rain! There was this ridiculously intense bout of rain when Atticus was a week old, and Jori was outside when it hit, but rather than run inside she was just giggling like mad! We were at my parents at the time, and my dad was nice enough to take her out for about a minute more wrapped up in a blanket with the umbrella up. She was so happy. :)

• Atticus loves baths. It's awesome. :) He might squawk when first put in the water, but after about 2 seconds he's like "ooohhh...that's nice." This was his first bath in these pics, which was his hardest. But it wasn't hard! Man. It's awesome.

• Jori continues to prove herself a marvelous parrot. Some sayings of mamas she has picked up are "Oh my goodness!" or "Oh my goodness gracious!" Also "Holy cow!," "That's wonderful!," and "Thank Goodness!" She also says "Actually" and "Probably" a fair amount, sometimes not where they belong. And she's been saying "Just one" or "Just this once," also out of context more frequently than not. 

• Atticus is a night owl. But by now, at six weeks that only means he likes to stay up late, as in 11. Not late as in 3, thank heavens. We really only had a couple really bad nights, one in particular when he was about...3 weeks old, maybe? Where he was awake from about 12 to 5 with a titch of sleep in there. Thank goodness that's not the norm! So our current norm is Jori is in bed by 8, I go to bed anywhere between then and 10, and Sam is in charge of the babe (except feedings) until midnight, at which point I take over. Atticus will sleep-then-wake-up-when-placed-in-crib from...I don't know, 9:30 on? Until about 11, eating sometime between 8 and 9:30, and then he wakes up to eat again usually at like 2:30ish, then 5 again. Then he's back to needing to be held/helped with sleeping until about 8, when we currently start our day...but I'll take it! He's not usually full fledged awake so even getting to half-sleep while holding him is better than having to start our day at 5. 

• I stink at getting him on a schedule. Not that I've tried really, I just mean...he just sleeps on and off all day and night, and I basically just go with the flow. I should really be better about putting him in his crib whenever he falls asleep...meh. 

We got to go up to Idaho briefly, because our car needed a repair. Jori loved the horses. She was chomping on a cookie through most of one ride, which was hilarious to watch. Well, to me. And I'm her mom. So who knows.

• Atticus started social smiles at the beginning of last week (4 days before he hit 6 weeks), too! They were exclusively for daddy until Saturday night, when mama finally got one. Hurray! He's also kind of started cooing, but only kind of. 
• Did I ever mention that Sam got offered a full-time position with benefits at Multiling? It came at just the right time, because we were trying to figure out how he was going to do school and work and have time for homework and family and observation physical therapy hours, all at once. It was rather stressful. But then he got offered a full time position, so because he hadn't really been passionate about physical therapy anyway he went with that and decided to not worry about school for the time being. He can always go back if need be. But it's awesome to just be able to hang out together in the evenings! Well...for like an hour, before I go to bed. But still! 
• I'd thought before that the love I felt for my daughter was a gift, and I continue to think that with two kids. It's such an incredible, hard to understand thing. It's so beyond me. But it strengthens my testimony of the very existence of God, because I know this is not me. This is some of His love, which I am privileged to have come through me. For my kids. It's just so permanent. It's a miraculous feeling. 

Loving this life o' mine! More pics to come (probably), from Sam's phone. We're also looking for a new place to live again since with Sam's going full time, rent is so much here it's not really worth staying unless we really loved it, and it's an apartment. We'd rather rent a house if possible! Cross your fingers.

Atticus Hugh Hatch-birth story

Atticus's birth was actually quite different than Jori's, to me. I think it's given me a peek into why some women prefer to do it all natural. But we'll get there.

Does anyone remember that Jori came 10 days early?? You probably do if you've been around me at all over the past month, because when people would ask when the baby was due I'd say "Well September 5th, but my daughter came 10 days early so I'm treating this pregnancy like he'll be coming that early, too." And in fact, I was in labor 11 days early with hers--she just didn't pop out till the next day. Accordingly, 11 days before my due date I was ready to rumble! But then the day ended, with no real contractions. (Just some lame-o pinched nerve pains...those were the worst!) Then 10 days before ended. Then 9 days before, I had a doctor's appointment and the doc said "You're looking great! Have you given any thought to being induced?" Wham bam oh hot slam, four days later I was scheduled to have a baby boy!

I went back and forth during the week on if I'd go through with it or not, but come the night before my mind was made up. We slept over at my parents, because Jori was going to be taken care of by them and I was supposed to receive the call to come into the hospital between 5:30 and 7:00 AM, so I thought it'd be easier to just be there and then she (and my parents) wouldn't have to be woken up at such an early hour.

After a less-then-refreshing night's sleep, I arose at the ripe hour of 4:20 in the morning. Boo. I did my hair because I figured, "I'll be looking at those baby pics the rest of my life!," had some breakfast and...waited. And waited. And waited. Come 7:05 I called the number they gave me, to call in case I hadn't been called myself at that point. They told me it had been a crazy morning, and there were three scheduled inductions before me so I wouldn't be getting in until it freed up a bit. Call back in a few hours. Dang it...

...finally exhaustion took over (after everyone else had been awake about half an hour because, of course it did), so I went back to sleep for about an hour. Then I just felt drowsy from not getting enough sleep the rest of the morning, as well as anxious. It was funny how I'd been so back and forth on if I'd do it, but then when it got postponed unexpectedly I was going crazy! I guess my mind was made up and I didn't want to wait any longer once it was.

After going back to our own apartment and doing some last minute tidying (which, actually, I'm SO glad I did), finally I received the call at 11:45 AM that there was room for me and to head on over to the hospital. Hurray! I gave Jori a snuggle and smooch, and off we headed. (She had no problem with me being gone, p.s. She didn't even want to come back to live with us after a fun weekend with Grandma and Papa Christensen. Sheesh!)

After we finalized some paperwork and I was all seated in a room, I felt dumb because all I'd brought for entertainment were DVDs and they didn't have a DVD player. So we just waited forever, playing on our phones and me writing thank you cards for baby shower gifts. But the pitocin was a-drippin,' so it was progressing.

I was curious to see how long I could last without the epidural, and was feeling all impressive and snug when Sam or the nurse would ask "How you feeling? Did you feel that?" And I was like "Psshhh, piece of cake..." And then they really started to pick up. It was the weirdest reaction--I didn't exactly want to yell, but I wanted to...I don't know. Express myself somehow? So I started doing these silly Mexican shouts when a strong contraction would hit. Like, tongue roll and everything.

Finally, after only dialating one additional centimeter to how much I was before even entering the hospital (so  I was at a 4), the nurse said the doctor would be coming in to break my water soon. When was that...probably like 5:00. (I was also feeling way hungry at this point. Who is thinking about food at a time like that?! Me. I hadn't eaten since I woke up the second time, so at about 8:15 that morning. Man I get grumpy when I'm hungry...)

That's when I finally broke. I could handle the contractions up to that point, but I recalled hearing from multiple sources that if you have to have your water broken, it kills. So I was almost frantic (inside...I actually have a hard time demanding things from nurses, waiters, etc.) saying "Yeah I think I'd like the epidural before that happens, actually. Stat. Pronto. Please," so off the nurse went and fetched the anesthesiologist. Hallelujuah!

Surprisingly, I got really freaked out when he actually came to do it. I mean I was in control, but emotionally I was terrified. Didn't expect it. I'm so glad Sam was there, holding my hand and helping me to feel a bit better. Cause I knew it was a huge needle going into my spine, but also the numbing stuff they do before it burns like ghost peppers. Yikes.

Fortunately it was over in a jiff because duh, they're qualified to do what they do, and things started feeling better. The only downside was my doctor had been called away and then the next doctor was actually on shift like an hour later, so I had to just wait for him. (The OBGYN group I went through is like that--there are about 7 doctors and you just get whoever is on call.)

Still, at...6:30? Some time, my doctor popped in and broke the water. And THIS is where I got a glimpse of the other side I never wanted to: it started killing 'down below,' for me. Hurt way way bad. My nurse checked me and said I was at a 5, but that if I were dialated more this baby was ready to rumble because he was so so low. Like he'd pop out immediately if there were room in the door for him. So I think this is why? Anyway it was a killer. And I blame it on the hunger as well, but I just started crying. I couldn't do this! I hadn't prepared to feel everything, I hadn't taken a Lamaze or hypno-birthing class or any of that! But my downstairs and also the site of the epidural were just, miserably painful. (And I'm sure this is super wussy sounding to those who have delivered naturally...but that's how I was feeling, folks.) So finally I couldn't wait any longer and when the nurse asked if I wanted the anesthesiologist to come back and give me a stronger dose, I took her up on it. And good thing! I  asked her to check again shortly thereafter and she was like "Oh! You're at a 10!" Yeah I went like, three weeks at a three, four hours at a four even with pitocin, but then in 45 minutes after the water was broken shot from a 5 to a 10. No wonder it was painful, my body was like "Let's do this thang!" Fortunately the extra dose was immediately and gloriously efffective, and though my legs were truly dead at that point it was worth it to me.

So after 20 minutes o' pushing, our little Atticus Hugh Hatch entered the world. (Jori took an hour and a half, so I was pleased it was so much faster with this bud.) Hurray! At six days early he was 8 pounds even, and  20 inches long. Chubalub. :)

The only scary part was that he came out and didn't make a sound. The doctor seemed calm though, as well as everyone else in the room. (It was like a circus, I forgot to mention--there was my doctor, but then another doctor who actually stitched me up, I think she's a new one so like just finished training kind of, and then there was my nurse and another nurse-in-training as well.) Atticus did start huffing shortly, but he didn't let out any real good wails and so they decided he needed to go to the NICU for a short while, to receive some oxygen. Apparently it's very common, but his lungs weren't as fully expanded as they wanted. So receiving oxygen just helps that along. The major downside to this was I only got to hold him for literally about one minute before they took him away, and they'd already wrapped him up and stuff. That was disappointing, but I didn't feel like I could say "Wait, I wanted to do skin to skin!" When he was bound for the NICU. So I watched them take him away, feeling a bit robbed.

The whole thing was just a bit surreal. Still, after being in the NICU for...something like 3 hours, he was ready for the nursery and then us. So even though I was dead tired, I was thrilled to get to finally really hold him and snuggle him and just, feel the love, at about 12:30 in the morning.

My Graduation

My graduation was wonderful and exciting, for me. Surreal, too. It just felt like there must be something else left that I had to complete. I think I expected to have this big, feel-everything-all-at-once moment since all my work for the past almost six years was leading to that moment. But I didn't really have that 'hit me' moment I expected, other than a little bit when they had the graduates stand and say something like "Now graduates clap for your families, who helped you get to this point" because that is/was so, so true for me. That made me tear up a bit. 

Jori was SO cuddly after commencement! I loved it. And Sam told me afterward, she kept saying "Silly graduating kids!" with the graduates that walked past them after everything was done. Cute girl.

Because my dad's a professor, every commencement ceremony he attends he's supposed to wear his own graduation robes from his highest degree achieved. So he wears his MIT robes. (He's one smart cookie, that dad of mine.)

It was funny, in my college there were three of us that were really pregnant walking. One girl was due two days after me on September 7th, and one in October, and me September 5th. The one due immediately after me was kind of moaning and groaning, which was funny and annoying. But I guess it's not fair of me to judge. I'm so happy to be done!!!!!!!

July Festivities

In July, besides the Hatch reunion at the beginning and the Christensen reunion at the end, we:

Attended the Scottish Festival in Payson for the 3rd year running, 

 Welcomed home my only younger brother, Dave, from his mission in Cebu, Philippines,

 Had some silly business,

 Took a trip up to Temple Square (and seriously, this was the best of Jori and I. She was being such a stinker),

 and Jori and I attended the Pioneer Day festival with my brother Nate and his family.

 Do you like her warrior painted face? So cute :)

With all the things we took pictures of to document, you'd think the month was just spent doing fun things and nothing else! But really the main thing this month was me finishing my last class. It was very stressful because I thought I only had three weeks, because I was thinking the Christensen Cabin trip was actually going to be the week before it was so I needed to get it done by then, but I ended up having four in the end and thank goodness! I ended up needing every last day I could get, and took the final on the actual last day deadline. But I passed! Hurray!!!