Penelope - First Photo Shoot

Penelope is now two and a half weeks old and is getting more alert every day. She is also holding up her head a lot and has a strong cry when left alone for too long. She is still very much on a newborn time schedule - sleeping much of the day, then awake for several hours at night. But hopefully all the noise and light of daytime (i.e. her siblings screaming at each other) will change that schedule soon. I get extremely cranky after a few nights of being awake from 1 am to 3 am, especially if I went to bed at 11:30 pm after watching one too many episodes of Downton Abbey. So it's totally my own fault for not getting to bed earlier. But still. So. Tired.

Here is Penelope in her newborn photo shoot - we went very girly and pink for this one and I love how they turned out. I also want to point out that the jewel in her crown is actually one of my earrings - part of the "push present" plus Mother's Day gift from Matt. It is an emerald, our shared May birthstone.  I hope someday I can give the earrings and necklace to Penelope.

It's the Simple Things

Here are some of the exciting things that I have done since being newly not-pregnant:
1. Bent over and picked up a piece of lint on the carpet
2. Ate Thai food
3. Slept on my back
4. Drank my favorite smoothie that had previously given me heartburn (too much citrus)
5. Sat up straight in bed (no more rolling out!)
6. Ate a Chicago style hot dog from Sonic
7. Laid down on Miles' bed - the bottom bunk is hard to squeeze into when you can't bend over
8. Gave Matt a really good hug where I didn't feel a huge belly width away
9. Ate pizza with red sauce
10. Brushed my teeth without gagging

Notice a theme? I have been eating all my forbidden pregnancy foods this past week. I better get my fill soon because the diet is knocking on my door... This little girl is worth it - here she is in one of the first of many cute accessories.

First Bath

Claire was on hand to help with Penelope's first bath but no one else was there to take pictures of the actual bath - but we got some afterwards. Penelope didn't love it, but she didn't hate it either. I am hoping once I get my cool new Puj Tub she will like it more. There are always a few cool new baby products that come out each year that I want/need. Thanks for the suggestion Michelle.

Last Day of Preschool

Claire said today was the best day, but also a sad day. She told me that she liked that she came home today with her back pack was so heavy (she says pack pack). It was full of books her teacher Ms. Chantelle let her borrow over the summer, a binder of pages to practice letters and numbers, words to know for Kindergarten and all the art projects she had done during the year. She also got a book with photos from the year, and a CD with the photos too. That was my favorite part - since I could add a few photos here, plus Claire loves the bound books we have of family photos, so I knew she would love having such a great way to remember preschool. It was these extra details and special things that Ms. Chantelle did throughout the year that made it such a great experience.

First day of preschool

Claire said her favorite things about preschool were the art projects and reading. She is basically a reader now, I love it. We have some trips to the library planned for the summer. You would have thought Claire had been given a bag of money or candy when she showed me the bag of books Ms. Chantelle let her borrow. My inner book nerd is rejoicing. :) She is going into Kindergarten knowing 43 of the 48 sight words that she is supposed to know, I believe, at the end of next year. We will have to keep up on the reading at home so Claire doesn't get bored, and I hope that her new teacher will let her move at her own pace, like she did this year. She was able to move on to a new book once she could read it, instead of staying with the class.  

Claire and Ms. Chantelle

Show and Tell

Claire's Class

Stretch!

I think this is how Penelope liked to sit in the womb too - she was such a strong kicker, and I felt like she was occupying every square inch of space available to her. She doesn't like being swaddled all too much and wants to just stretch out - I will be nursing her and notice that her legs are straight out in the air. And check out those feet. This is going to be a tall little girl.

Aunt Becky, Come Back!

My sister came to visit last weekend to meet Penelope and to help us take care of Claire and Miles (i.e. give them the attention they want that I can't give them right now). And she came alone - we had her all to ourselves and it was lovely. I know she missed her kids too, but I am so grateful that she came to spend time with us.

Becky brought arts and crafts for the kids, took them swimming, and to the dollar store for some toys. Claire chose more arts and crafts supplies and Miles of course chose guns - here is his FBI kit.

Sunday morning the kids came in to my room at 6:15 am - I was not happy to see them, given that I had been awake for much of the night and Penelope sleeps the best from 3 am to 7 am. But then I heard music to my ears - "Kids, come down and play bubbles!" Yes, my sister took them outside at 6:30 am to blow bubbles on the porch. And as an added bonus, they woke up some of our annoying neighbors.

Then she let the kids help her make cookies for our primary class - we had the kids guess if the baby was a boy or girl, the date the baby was born and the weight and length - whoever got the most points/closest on each category got a plate of cookies.

Let's plan the next visit :) Miles is packing his bags to visit Gabe, so it might be sooner than later!

The Birth Story

This is mostly for me to remember the details of Penelope's birth so when she asks me to tell her about being born, I have something to back up my sketchy memory.

This pregnancy was unusual in that I had many other medical things going on, in addition to a baby to grow. I was diagnosed with Grave's disease, which brought me to the at-risk pregnancy doctor every 4 weeks for an ultrasound. I loved getting to see her every month and check on her progress (I only had two ultrasounds with the other kids). On the flip side, it was tough to have so many chances to find out the gender and say no each time. Matt thinks the doctor slipped at our last ultrasound - he was talking about the baby and said "she has a lot of hair" or something like that, then a long pregnant (pardon the pun) pause, and he said, "or he has a lot of hair." We said - "you totally paused! Are we having a girl?!" He told us not to read into anything, he just had to call the baby something instead of "it."

My primary doctor wanted me to be induced because she said the baby was large, and she was worried about my thyroid throwing us for a loop during labor. I finally looked up what a "thyroid storm" is after my doctor mentioned it - When thyroid hormone levels become very high, the symptoms worsen and can result in a serious condition called thyroid storm or thyrotoxic crisis. One major sign of thyroid storm that differentiates it from ordinary hyperthyroidism is a marked elevation of body temperature, which may be as high as 105-106 F (40.5-41.1 C). Thyroid storm is unusual, but is a life-threatening emergency when it does occur.

And the last reason I finally decided to be induced was I was just so tired - I was sleeping terribly with a day of work facing me in the morning and a lot of house projects to finish and organize still. Plus, it was nice knowing the day and time I needed Betty to watch Claire and Miles for us, instead of a middle of the night rush. So I gave in and said I would be induced as long as it was close to my due date (May 15). 


We went in to Spring Valley Hospital at 12:30 am for my scheduled induction.  Since it was so late, we had to go in through the ER - their staff seemed surprised to see us with an appointment at that time. With Claire and Miles, my water broke in the middle of the night so we went in around 1 or 2 am. This time, I was at 1 cm when I went in, so they started me on pitocin and periodically cranked up the dosage. I guess the highest they go is to 30, and by 10 am they had me at a level 20. I kept replaying that scene from Princess Bride in my head when they are torturing Westley - "Not to 50!!"

After 9 hours on the drugs, I was still at 1 cm, slightly higher percentage of effacement, and feeling very frustrated that nothing was happening. With my other two, my water was already broke, I was at a 3-4, and was on my way. This waiting game was not fun. Plus my doctor had predicted the baby would be born at noon - and there was no way that was gonna happen. I am not a good person to give a deadline to - I expect them to be kept. :)

After another hour or so I started finally having productive contractions - ones you can't talk through, that feel like a knife in your back. It was painful but I was just happy to know things were progressing. Then the nurse broke my water - now THAT was not fun. I said, this is going to help me, right? Ok, then keep trying! Yikes. I wonder if there is any way a guy can relate to the experience of someone trying to "find" your cervix. She finally found it and ruptured the membrane - that was a really weird sensation. 

By this point I had also been given an internal monitor for my contractions, a fetal monitor, was on oxygen, and of course has a catheter and IV. I felt like I was hooked up to way too many machines and tubes. 

Then came my lovely epidural - the best I have ever had, if that's possible. The anesthesiologist knew my brother-in-law Aaron from the Little League board, so I think he gave me some extra juice, plus he came and checked on us a few times during the day.  It did take a while for my left leg to stop being numb after the baby was born, but during labor I felt just the right amount of pressure with each contraction and no sharp pain.

Around 2 or 3 pm, the baby's heart rate was getting sporadic - they took me completely off pitocin for 2 hours. Back to hardly any contractions, but the baby stabilized. They also gave me an amnio-fusion - basically they put fluid back into the uterus to replace the water so the baby has more room to float around and it eases pressure on the baby's head. Yet another tube into me.

The nurse checked me again around 5:25 pm - and miracle of miracles, I was at a 10, fully effaced, baby's head was in position. I might get off to a slow start, but I make up for it at the end. It was the same with Claire and Miles. The nurse, a wonderful woman from Scotland who's accent made everything sound more pleasant, said - did your other two kids have a lot of hair, because this baby has a ton! Then she said - give me a wee push (that is totally how she talked) - so I did - and she said, I see the head. Stop pushing!! Dr. Ivie came in a few minutes later and the rest of the team of nurses were right behind her. I pushed through one more contraction and the head was out. But it was the bottom half I was most curious about. Ok - a few more pushes through the next contraction and out came our little... ???  Her umbilical cord was in the way at first and the doctor kept asking - So, what did you guys have? We were like - We don't know!!! Tell us, or move the cord! Finally, we saw our GIRL! 

Would I be induced again? I don't know... if I was past my due date, yes. Before my due date, no. When all was said and done, this labor took about the same amount of time as my other two, it was just a different path to get there.

Name Rules

I had a near panic attack when the nurse asked me for the third time to fill out our birth certificate forms at the hospital... I just wasn't ready to commit to a name that would take this little girl through life. Plus my nurse was being so loud and bossy, I almost didn't want to do what she wanted.

We had several boy and girl names on our list, but I really felt so sure we were having a boy that I had focused on the boy names a lot more. We had talked about names for a while but we were both so tired from our 12:30 am arrival at the hospital earlier that day that we just couldn't come to a decision. I felt pressure to pick the name early the next morning because Matt was to speak in church at 12:30 pm that day(it was Mother's Day plus a missionary homecoming for a young man who had been in Matt's seminary class). I told him he better tell the ward that I gave him permission to leave his wife in the hospital on Mother's Day. I heard from many people that he did a great job - I told him to stop stealing my thunder, and on Mother's Day of all days. :)

If we had had a boy, our top names were:
1. Graham
2. Henry
3. Bennett
4. Emmett

The names on our narrowed down girl list were, in no particular order:
1. Kate
2. Jane
3. Penelope
4. Olive
5. Cosette

I always have said I have certain rules for picking a name - the name can't be something made up (or a crazy new spelling), it has to be obviously a boy or girl name, the name shouldn't lend itself to an obvious nickname or shorter version, and I like short, one syllable names. So, as you can see, we broke several of these rules with Penelope Jane.

When Matt left that morning to get ready for church, we had her name chosen but I didn't want Matt to say anything during his talk. I felt like once it was announced there was no going back. I know, I was being weird. But what was a Penelope like? Would she be taken seriously as a doctor or lawyer? Could she be in sports or politics and not thought of as too girly or feminine? Man, I like to over think things...

Matt has liked the name Penelope for a long time, but I said you have to basically decide to name her Penny since that is the obvious nickname she will have. However, we have already heard Pen, Penel, and Nel so who knows what even the next five days will bring to her list of nicknames. Her name still sounds like a question in my head - Penelope? Is that your name?

So little baby, I hope you like your name, and I hope it's feminine, strong, classy and something that will take you through all your phases of life. And if you don't like it, it was your dad's favorite after all. :)

Happiest Big Sister and Brother Ever

Claire and Miles love holding Penelope - and they love talking to her, kissing her, generally keeping themselves within 2 inches of her at all times. Claire has told me probably 10 times that she is really, really happy to have a sister, and Miles is excited that he can say "Penelope." Well, he can almost say it - it's more like 'Nelope. So far, they seem happy with this addition to the family. However, they are not loving each other so much these days - lots of fighting, teasing, yelling that leads to more yelling on my part. I am waiting for that big hormone drop that happens after pregnancy - fun times. Hopefully Claire and Miles will be getting along that day.

A Girl!!

She is here! And I could not believe she wasn't a boy! Matt and Claire were right all along. Penelope Jane Hiller was born on Saturday, May 12 at 5:48 PM. She was 8 lbs 1 oz and 20 inches long. We are all doing good - Claire is soooo happy to have a sister and Miles won't stop kissing Penelope. More later on my experience being induced and my name selection anxiety :)

Lessons Learned From Mom

Happy Mother's Day! I am writing this a week in advance so I can be sure to get it done before I'm in the hospital. I wanted to record a few things that I have learned from my mom. Sometimes the lessons came much later, often after I became a mom myself and could understand better where she was coming from.

Serve others: In our church, we have volunteer callings where we serve in different positions for a few years at a time. I have a few distinct memories of my mom serving that have made me realize the value of service. I remember being taken with my siblings to the homes of women in our church that needed a visit or help in some way. She must have had at least four of us with her - I don't think Matty was born yet. I don't like taking two kids to the grocery store, let alone four on visits all over town, because it stresses me out when they don't behave. And where I grew up, people didn't live right around the block like they do here in Vegas. Each home we went to was probably 25+ minutes away. But that was what we did once a month, every month.

The other memory is of my mom's car accident when I was about 11 or 12 - she was pulled under our car and basically crushed while waiting at the bus stop with my brother. I wasn't there, but my dad was called to the scene while on-duty at the fire station. He told us that while the paramedics were working on her and checking her injuries (which included many broken bones), after my brother and the family, her first concern was to make sure someone told the ladies at church that she wouldn't make it to the activity that night where she has some responsibilities. I think that would be the last of my worries, but it taught me how much she valued her callings.  

Work hard: My mom seems to always be in motion. She is outside pulling weeds, mowing the lawn, collecting eggs, feeding the animals, blowing leaves off the deck, and then it's 7 am and the rest of us wake up. I need to be more like that.

Always look your best: I can probably count on one hand the times I have seen my mom not ready for the day. And she has always exercised, taken vitamins, and taken care of herself. Sometimes I was annoyed at her for getting after me to do my hair, especially if I went to school with wet hair. I just wanted to just get out the door, especially for early morning seminary (5:30 am!). But when I have had a job interview or just going to work every week, I am happy that I had someone to get on my case about looking my best and making a professional impression.  

Love good music: Now we might disagree on our favorite music, but I love that we always had music in our home. Whether it was the piano playing, dad on the guitar, or my mom blasting her stereo... Celine Dion Christmas CD, anyone? Shh! We actually loved a few of those songs... And as much as we may have resisted, I am glad I learned to play an instrument and to read music. I plan to give the same exact "punishment" to my own kids.

Show your silly side sometimes: As a kid, we loved it when we could get our mom laughing uncontrollably. Those times did not come often, but when they did we really felt like we had accomplished something. She also would do a few silly things if we asked very nicely - one of our favorites being her impression of the Cowardly Lion from the Wizard of Oz. Hilarious! I think I am pretty calm and some would say serious for the most part - but every now and then I wear silly socks and dance a jig for the kids, or hunch up my shoulders and act like I'm racing the car (while at a stop light of course). They think I am so funny! :) I should probably let that silly side show a bit more. And she will probably hate me for posting this (and I had promised not to previously), but I just had to include this photo. I love you mom!I know there are more things I could write, but I am having contractions and am getting distracted. :) Happy Mother's Day!