Garden, haircut, tortillas, outings and maternity pics

So obviously my life is revolving around our little one right now, but it's also made me a bit stir-crazy. So I resolved to think of at least one thing I can do each day that I feel is report-worthy. We'll see how it goes.

First! Our garden! I talked about it before, didn't I? Well here are some pics of everything:

Carrots growing in nicely here;
Here's some of the peas and the watermelon plants growing next to it;
Look at our summer squash coming in!!
Overall. Ta-da!!! From left to right, we're growing: corn, canteloupe, watermelon, peas, squash, cucumbers, carrots, more peas and more cucumbers. I'm really proud of this garden, though I shouldn't be-Sam's done almost all the work really. But still! It makes me happy.
Second: my haircut. I went to get it cut at this place called Craig's Cuts in Provo on Wednesday (they have $5 wednesdays) and was only going to get a trim basically...but I went a bit shorter. You can see how much by comparing my maternity pics to now. It's kind of fun! But I also a little bit miss the length. But that's ok-I guess that always happens, doesn't it?

Third: we made corn tortillas from scratch on Sunday. I LOVE cooking with my Sam-he's a good cook anyway, and it's something we've done since we were dating. So I do it as often as I can really.


Fourth: outings! We went to the Bicentennial Park in Provo on Thursday and friday, and last Saturday we went to a Scottish festival in Payson. We had a lot of fun at both-though at the park Thursday we were trying to push the stroller on this rickety boardwalk and Jori's head was bobbling all over the place. But she didn't stir! Some of the park was gross, but some was really beautiful.
Hello, toad. Next to litter. It wouldn't stir-we even threw dirt clods at it and nothing.
THIS part was more enjoyable

Hello sleepyhello hot bagpiper
Just like at the park, Jori slept through the whole Scottish festival. We were afraid it'd be too loud for her but if it was, she sure didn't show it! We had fun watching events and bagpiping, looking at all the things for sale and eating some yummy frozen yogurt.


I think Sam looks like Captain America in this picture:

Finally, here's the maternity pics I chose:

the end

More pics

These are out of order-bottom is oldest, top are most recent. But I didn't think anyone would mind :)
This, is one of her faces I really love. She often does it when pooping. Thats what these top ones are:pooping faces! :)





Kissy face!
Sunday nap. I think she's going to be a daddy's girl-she loves her daddy!


Sunday dress- we went to sacrament meeting as a family last sundayHappy 4th of July!




Sam is an AWESOME daddy. :)

Fun with bowel movements

Maybe this post will be gross but that's ok: who knew newborns could make you laugh so much by pooping??

This nice young mother in our ward offered me a little while ago to take infant pictures when Jori arrived, which I was very excited about. She came over on Tuesday to do these, but Jori was not going for it! She did NOT want to sleep (which, I guess, is the way to take infant pics) and did NOT want to be naked. Who knew.

After the poor woman had waited like an hour, I just fed Jori again hoping it'd make her sleepy. It kind of did...so I eased off her diaper...and SQUIRT!!! All over my arm, shirt and the floor Jori left a lovely orange delight. Wahoo! She did it downstairs as well, she left a little trail on the way to the bathroom (where I held her over the sink, then just called for Sam to help me. What do you do in a situation like that?).

This was Jori's best so far, but a few others have come close-she several times has peed, pooped and yesterday even did both! As soon as we get her diaper off; and yesterday she shot poop so far it got on my jeans. I may start judging distance.

Besides these lovely bathroom tales, I suppose I'll post what I've learned over the past week of having a baby at home:

• My husband is the best-I feel closer with him now than I ever have. Probably-I guess I could have forgotten. But I've been so needy and clingy, particularly earlier on in the week this past week, and he just rises to the occasion and takes care of me and Jori. Sam is an awesome awesome daddy.
• I was worried about post-partum depression, but really mine hasn't been that bad. It's directly related to sleep for me.
• When baby's not happy, nobody is happy. None of this 'mama' stuff.
• My daughter makes really cute faces. A lot. Particularly when pooping. Oops another pooping thing.
• I've just begun the hardest, most worthwhile challenge of my life. Let's hope I'll rise to the occasion!!

One last note-I am SOOOO grateful that she'll let us put her down to sleep at night now! It's made a world of difference-I have no problem with waking up to feed her, so long as I can sleep in between feedings. And the past two nights she let me get like six hours!! I'm a lucky lady.

The end

P.S. I tried again with the lady to get pictures the next day, and though we didn't get many there were a few taken. I'll attach the one that was sent to me so far:

A baby story...hahaha

You know that show called A Baby Story on TLC? How perfect-this is totally about that.

Ok! Contractions started Wednesday, June 29th in the morning. I'd had contractions before that were more intense, even, at the Hatch reunion: but these were more regular, which I thought could mean these were the real deal.

The problem, though, was that Dave was going through the temple for the first time that night. And he being the youngest and me the second youngest, this was my one and only opportunity to be there during the first temple experience for one of my siblings. I wanted to be there so badly!! So I prayed and prayed that Heavenly Father would help me make it through the session, even though I was in labor, and also sent a text to some good friends to please do the same (I didn't want to bug family: I figured it was Dave's evening-I didn't want to distract).

The prayers worked: the contractions weren't nearly as bad throughout the session, and all was well.

After the session, they started to get really bad when eating dinner with the family. After about 45 minutes at home, Sam and I decided it was time to head to the hospital. I was not a happy camper at that point-contractions are awful! Power to you ladies who do natural births!!

Unfortunately after staying for an hour and only being dialated to a two, they sent us home (with a nice shot of morphine for me) and told us to come back when the contractions weren't bearable. This was annoying-they already weren't bearable. But hence the morphine. And I got some sleep this way so I've gotta count my blessings.

I woke up at about...4:30 or 5, and stayed in bed grimacing for about an hour trying to tough it out-I did NOT want to be told we'd have to go home again. But we decided it was time to head back about 6, and fortunately this time I was dialated to a 6 and was 100% effaced: epidural time!! I cried, I was so happy. The joys of modern medicine, let me tell ya.

After that it was smooth sailing: I drifted in and out of sleep all day long, chomping on yummy Tiger's Blood ice chips and being shifted from side to side. Sam was such a support-he stayed with me, holding my hand through contractions (before the epidural-afterward I had no idea when they were happening) and just keeping me company.

Finally at...like 2 ish, things sped up-I was dialated to a 9 or something...

anyway. I'm sick of typing so I'll just say after pushing for something like an hour, out popped our Jori Colette! 6 lbs 7 oz, 18 inches long. Small fry! The cord was wrapped around her neck twice but they took care of it right away, and everything was fine. Wonderful day let me tell ya.

The first few are out of order: I wanted to show her going home outfit, how big it is on her, and a couple other cute photos. The rest are chronological. :)

Joys of epidural!!

I felt pretty nasty so Sam got my contacts and makeup bag so I could put on some eyeliner, and I felt a little better. I hadn't even brushed my teeth!

Skin to skin was actually a really cool experience-I'm glad I did it.

Nursery, plus maternity photos

I know everyone would rather see pics of our little lady, but if I don't load one of these I never will! Here's the pictures of the nursery-I finished putting it together Wednesday morning, when my contractions were just getting started. Talk about cutting it close!

The ottoman and the dresser were kind of little projects for Sam and I: Sam painted the glider and ottoman a really pretty cream, and I sewed the cover for them. Sewed!! Look at me! :) And Sam painted the dresser-it was a kind gift from my parents, but they didn't give it for it's beauty-it used to be a lightish green...anyway it needed some work, so we went with a brown and cream. Sam may not be happy with how it turned out but I think it looks great!
As you can see, we do plan to use cloth diapers-eventually. I had no idea how many diapers newborns go through-she always needs to be changed!

We have a lot of baby girl clothes, from all sorts of sources-some I got from ksl, some from the baby shower and a whole ton just on Monday of last week (three days before Jori's arrival) this woman in the ward gave me an entire lawn and leaf bag full. Tons! So that's pretty fun. I'll have to wait until she's big enough to dress her in most of them, though-she's a petite little lady, let me tell ya!

Also, I found this lady on craigslist who said she'd do maternity photos for me for free. We finally got those taken, but turns out she'll only let us keep 5. Still, here's the link to those: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.203905369641693.28417.188379107860986 if that doesn't work type in 'Ashley Shaw Photography' in facebook and it'll come up. Which should we ask to keep?

Freaking out a wee bit

Folks, I'm 36 weeks prego. 36. The last picture I took of myself was more than four weeks ago. Meaning the baby's arrival is closer than that was. AAAAAaaa!!!!!

I wonder if all women go through this panic, right before the end. I'm worried enough about the delivery (enduring excruciating pain is not one of my strong points), but actually having a baby? And being the mom??!! And my Sam, my sweet Sammy is the daddy?! -well ok I'm excited about the Sam being the dad part.

I don't know how to breast feed! I don't know how to pump! I don't know how to get a baby on a schedule! I don't have that magic that I kind of un-intentionally assume all mothers have, that makes their baby's calm down immediately when everyone else tried everything and just made the baby mad. I don't know how to bathe a newborn-I've heard they're slippery! I don't know how to swaddle!

ah. That feels a little bit better, actually voicing my concerns.

I know everything will be fine, I'll figure it out, blah blah blah...but I suppose I just felt like stating what some don't: I'm terrified for this next life step. This is a human being we're talking about, a precious child of God! I hope everything goes well. :S

IN other news, I'd like to post updates about our car situation, baby preparations, and our garden. And school, I suppose. That's just a little memo-to-self.

tata-Ariel