Boy, but they grow quickly!

I cannot believe that Stephen is two months old already. Where have the last two months gone? The twins are now 22 months old. Not long now till they are two years old!

When the twins were infants I was so excited to see the next developmental milestone. I couldn't wait to see them smile for the first time or laugh or roll over or grab a toy or sit up and so on. But, with Stephen, I'm really enjoying each day with him and not thinking to myself: I can't wait till he does this or that. However, before I knew it, Stephen was smiling and laughing at us. He is such a happy baby!

The twins are real little boys - they love to read and be read to, giving hugs, helping in the kitchen, playing with musical/noisy toys, putting diapers on and dressing their teddy bears (because they see me doing it to Stephen), being outside in the backyard with Rob, petting the dog and giving him orders, pretending to talk on my cellphone, eating snacks, playing with the computer, listening to music, dancing, and building towers with MegaBloks. They absolutely love their dad and get sad when he leaves in the morning but are so happy when he comes home.

Life as a mother of three

My life changed four weeks ago when Stephen was born. Although Stephen is a relatively easy baby (compared to the twins) -- he rarely cries and he loves to eat and sleep -- suddenly being the mom of three kids has transformed my life. Going anywhere with three kids (who are under the age of two) is especially challenging and keeping them all happy all day long adds to the complexity. Imagine me heading out the door with Luke and Thomas in their twin stroller and Stephen in a car seat which I have to carry (and seems to become increasingly heavy the longer I carry it). It is quite a sight to behold. Then add in making sure the house is clean and tidy and laundry is done and dinner is on the table at a reasonable hour all on five or less hours of sleep a night...there is never a dull moment around here.

Over the past week the twins have been dreadfully ill (fever, constant runny nose, cough, sore throat) and then Stephen got ill (which is the saddest thing to see because the congestion makes it very difficult for him to breathe as he doesn't yet breathe out his mouth) and now Rob and I are ill. So we've had even less sleep this past week because the twins will wake up crying and need attention and Stephen struggles to breathe and we've taken turns holding him upright all night so he doesn't die. We're hoping that we all get better soon.

We also found out that the dog (Charlie or as I call him: Lord Charles) has scabies which he got from being in the pound for 24 hours (where we got him from) and so we've had to sanitize ourselves and the entire house. It has been more than a nightmare!

So this is part of the reason I have been slacking in my blogging lately. These recent challenges have kept my attention diverted.

On a more positive note I recently purchased some photographic studio equipment: backdrops, lights, and so on. I'm so excited about it. In my ward I was recently called to be the ward photographer (so I have to take photographs of every ward member for the ward directory and all activities for the ward history) and perhaps I will end up getting more business this way. Anyway, I am going to use my new equipment to take photographs of the members of my ward. At some point I want to get a flash and a new lens but I need to earn some more money first. I have also changed my company name to Nicky Smith Photography because I wanted to buy the domain name so I can have a proper URL for my website and Paragon Photography was already taken. So, now my website is at: http://nickysmithphotography.com.

Our most exciting news is that Rob and I have purchased our tickets for Hawaii. We go in April for a week and Rob's mom is coming to Provo to look after the three children. I am very excited to have a break and to visit the island of Oahu. My second mission president is the President of BYU-Hawaii and so we will be staying with him in Laie. I am excited to explore all the beaches and snorkling sites, Pearl Harbor, Waikiki, Honolulu, and more. It is going to be awesome! Oahu is home to the famous North Shore where all the big surfing spots are. Fortunately we have it planned so that we will miss all the BIG waves and we will actually be able to swim in the ocean and not just watch the surfers.

Stephen is now 4 and a half weeks old. It is insane how quickly time passes. Here are some pictures I took today. He is wearing a sweater knitted by my dearest grandmother. I received it in the mail yesterday and was absolutely ecstatic about it. They fit perfectly and he looks so cute in it. Rob is a little jealous he doesn't have such a cute sweater. :D

Stephen is here!

Since I had a c-section with the twins, I decided to have a c-section to deliver Stephen. The thought of a VBAC scared me for several reasons. It was scheduled for 1pm on Tuesday January 3. Last week I had a day where I had contractions and I really thought I was going to go into active labor, but the contractions never became regular and after several hours they went away.

Finally Tuesday came and I was excited and nervous. I was excited because (and this is the reason I have not blogged in three months) I have been in a LOT of pain. It seemed to be worse than the pain I had with the twins. In addition, I had terrible reflux and I really had to watch what I ate. I was nervous because who really wants to have their stomach cut open?

I arrived at the hospital at 11am and I checked in and went to lie on a bed with a monitor for the baby and a monitor on me and it turned out I was having contractions at that time. I was in pain, but didn't register that pain with contractions. I had to lie there for a little over an hour and a half. I was so uncomfortable I didn't know what to do with myself. Plus, I hadn't eaten (since I wasn't allowed to) in 16 hours and so I was starving. I felt weak and light-headed. Soon the anesthesiologist came and put in my epidural. That always freaks me out but Rob held my hand. Then I was wheeled into the operating room and I felt really nervous. It didn't take long before Dr Dewey (my OBGYN) cut open my stomach and I felt some tugging and then a nurse said: The head is out. I began to cry because I felt overwhelmed with happiness. Soon I heard a cry and they showed me my baby. He was 20 inches long and weighed 8 pounds and 3 ounces. He still looked so tiny! They then whisked him away to be cleaned and tested and he was then brought back to me wrapped in a blanket. Rob took a couple pictures and  then took the baby to the nursery because I had been sewn up and had to go to my room to recover.

I was anxious for them to bring me my baby. Rob soon arrived and then requested Stephen to be brought to us. What a little cutie pie my baby is! Well, I'm sure most mothers think that about their babies, but I think my baby is beautiful! I don't really remember too much else from that day. I felt unbelievably sleepy. I could hardly keep my eyes open.

The next day we had to complete the application form for his birth certificate. I completed what I could and asked Rob to check over it and see if there was anything missing. We had had a hard enough time coming up with the name Stephen that coming up with a suitable second name was near to impossible. I had offered multiple suggestions but Rob wasn't keen on any of them. After he finished with the form he told me he had added a second name. I asked what it was (I was nervous he had written down something I really didn't like) and he said, "Don't you want it to be a surprise?" I said, "No!" I like surprises when it comes to gifts and dates, but not a child's name. :) So, he said, "But you will like it." I said, "I really want to know what you wrote on the form." He then showed me: Stephen Gregory Smith, after my brother, Greg. So he was right, I was happy with it. I phoned Greg and told him and he was ecstatic to have a nephew named after him.

I spent two days in the hospital and then my doctor said I could go home. I was recovering well enough and no longer needed to be there, although if I wanted to, I could stay another day. I decided to leave, despite the rest I was getting and the great food. I just wanted to be home with my family. So, Rob came and got me and the twins were really excited to see me. Luke felt really insecure about me not being there and cried if I wasn't holding him. It was hard because I needed to feed the baby but Luke would be hysterical if I wasn't touching him. Thomas was fine: happy to see me, but happy to let me tend the baby too. They do love their little brother and enjoy holding him. Thomas can't say brother nor Stephen so for some reason, he calls Stephen "butt" which is him trying to say "brother."

 Anyway, Stephen is a good baby. What a difference it is to have one baby and a bigger baby who feeds and sleeps well. I really feel so blessed by Heavenly Father.