life lately

 Making the adjustment to three children has gone so smoothly so far. Both Clementine and Samson have been very sweet and soft with Genevieve and I'm so grateful for that. I haven't sensed any jealousy from them and they are both willing to help in whatever way they can. 

Having a newborn during this christmas season has been truly magical. Our days are simple and sweet and I don't feel any pressure to get out and do a whole lot. The weather has been quite chilly and most of our days our gray outside so it has felt nice to cozy up inside and spend time together. 

Little Vivie. Or Evie or Eve? I can't decide on which nickname I prefer. Dylan likes Genna, but it's not my favorite.)

I was a little nervous to go to our ward Christmas party without Dylan, but it turned out fine. Evie ;) is still pretty easy to take places because if she's fed she pretty much just sleeps in her carseat the whole time. It'll be a whole different playing field once she's mobile. 

A favorite snack lately has been Dave's famous bread toasted with almond butter and a banana. So tasty! 

The swing is definitely her happy place. I don't know what I'd do without it. She never cries or fusses when she's in there and sleeps in it at night and during the day. It's the best. The blanket laying on her is from a sweet older lady in our ward named Judith. She crocheted this and a little dress for Evie and I was so touched by her thoughtfulness and generosity when I found the gifts on my doorstep. People are so, so good. I've had so many thoughtful people reach out to me since I've had my baby and I'm really determined to try and love more and reach out to others. 

Our first time making Brazeli's with our new iron in our home. The smell made me feel so nostalgic and happy all at once. It's so crazy how once I bit into one of those I felt an immediate sensation of being home in my parents kitchen. It made me happy/sad.

loving this view outside of my window. Fall finally came in San Antonio…in December. 

Other happenings…

The good:

-Driving around looking at christmas lights one night with the whole family.

-Dylan teaching the nativity story to the kids for family home evening. 

-Going to a resident Holiday party. Dinner and arcade games. It was pretty fun to get out with the whole family.

-A couple of my friends threw a "favorite things" girl's night. Dylan got home early enough from work that I was able to go and it was nice getting out without the kids. The cinnamon rolls, hot chocolate and chex mix were top notch. 

The bad:

-Went to the dentist this week and found out I have a root canal, cavity and cracked filling. Very discouraging and costly news. I feel like it's just one more thing I have to deal with right now and it's a challenge going to these appointments and finding someone to watch my older two during the day while I take the baby with me because I don't feel like I can leave her.  

-Dylan's rotation has been so busy.

-Dylan took both kids to the doctor yesterday on his day off (which was really nice) but they would only see Clementine because that is who the appointment was scheduled for, but I was told that they will see siblings together so now I have to call again and schedule a time to take Samson in which will result in going in with all three kids. They wouldn't even give him a flu shot with Clementine which I thought was pretty lame. 

coming home

The day after I gave birth to Genevieve was Thanksgiving Day. The whole day I was feeling anxious to get home to my family. My mom was busily preparing a Thanksgiving meal and I wanted to be there with her and my children. We didn't get discharged until 8 pm that evening. Having Dylan drive me and Genevieve home felt very special as it was a dark, chilly night and I could see Christmas trees lit up in neighbors windows. There seemed to be a bit of magic in the air. As we were driving down our street Dylan made the comment of how crazy it is that we're now a family of five. I never want to forget the image that followed as we pulled up into the driveway and Clementine and my mom met us on the front porch. Clementine had the sweetest smile on her face like she was so happy to see us and have us home. When she saw Genevieve for the first time she was so sweet. She kept saying in the highest little voice, "Oh mom, she's so cute. Look at her little hands!" When Clementine held Genevieve she would rub her cheek against the baby's head because it felt so soft. It was the most tender moment with our family and Heaven felt so near. 

It was so nice to come home to a clean home and sit down to a tasty Thanksgiving meal prepared by my mom and a delicious slice of pumpkin pie. 

This is C's doll, Reba. She doesn't go anywhere around the house without Reba attached to her. My mom said that Clementine said she was so excited for Reba to have a friend. 

After we tucked Clementine in bed for the night I took a hot bath in the bathroom right by her bedroom. I overheard her talking to Reba and she said, "My mom had a baby in her tummy but now she's out!" It sounded so sweet and so simple. 

My girls. 

Genevieve Jessica Pratt

11-23-2016

6:40 PM 

7 pounds 

This is what I want to remember: 

My mom came on Wednesday, November 16th. It was hard to know when for her to book her tickets because both of my other babies have come early, and my original due date for Genevieve was Nov. 15th, but then the doctors moved the due date to the 26th, so I didn't quite know what to plan on. It was really fun having my mom here for a few days without baby. We shopped, ate, hung out, played with my kids and I really enjoyed just having her here. As each day passed I started to get more anxious for baby to get here because I knew my mom would be leaving soon. My mom was able to come to my last Dr. appointment with me and the Doctor checked my cervix and said I was dilated to a 2 and would be easy to induce on Friday the 25th if baby hadn't already arrived. I ended up calling the clinic on that Tuesday (the 22nd) to schedule a time to be induced the following friday. The nurse talked to my doctor and called back and said they'd like me to come in tomorrow (the 23rd) and check to see how I was progressing. I woke up that wednesday morning feeling good and when I got to the L&D area of the hospital they acted like I was there to be induced which was confusing to me because I thought I was just being checked. I ran into an OBGYN resident that Dylan and I know and he told me that they talked about me on rounds that morning and that they were planning on inducing me that day. I started to freak out a little because I wasn't sure this was what I wanted. I didn't even come prepared with any of my things and I really wanted to go into labor on my own again and didn't want to rush things if my baby wasn't ready to come.  One of the doctors came and talked to me and said that since I hadn't really been growing much in the last few weeks it would probably be better for baby if she could grow outside of me now and that she thought it was a good time for me to be induced. This brought me some comfort. I contacted my sweet visiting teacher, Lindsey who was planning on taking my kids for me when I went into labor and she came and picked up my kids from my house so that my mom could be there with me throughout the whole process. Having my children in such good hands was such a blessing to me and I'm so grateful for Lindsey and her service. I absolutely loved having my mom with me this time. Dylan had previously worked from 12am-12pm so he was understandably exhausted and went to a call room to try and get some rest while I was getting started on pitocin. Everyone knows that when you get induced it takes a little longer for things to progress and it definitely felt this way for me. Each time the nurse came in to check on me I told her she could up my dosage of pitocin to speed things along. I started to get contractions that were hurting bad enough that I was ready for my epidural. My anesthesiologist was terrible. He was a classic example of what not to do when you are giving someone an epidural. When he entered the room he didn't introduce himself and from the beginning made innapropriate comments. He didn't walk me through all of the steps of what he was doing and I ended up having a huge zinger go down my right leg twice that I had never before felt and was completely unaware of and it totally freaked me out. I wish Dylan could have been there to witness the whole experience because it was terrible and I wish he could have seen such a bad example of what not to do. Although the process of getting the epidural was so negative, it did work and for that I am grateful.

Best support crew.

At 6pm the doctor came and checked on me and I was dilated to a 5. They said they anticipate I'll continue to dilate a centimeter and a half every hour so I should have a few hours of labor left before anything started to happen. About 20 minutes later I started feeling nauseas and shaky. This happened with my other babies and I thought I was probably nearing transition because of past experience. Then all of a sudden I started feeling an immense about of pressure and feeling the need to push. I told Dylan that he'd probably be able to see the baby's head coming out-it felt that extreme. My mom went out into the hall and told the doctor's "she's feeling pressure." The doctor rushed in and checked me and I was dilated to a 10 and it was go time! All of a sudden a team of young doctor's came in and I had my mom on one side of me and Dylan on the other. My baby came out in three pushes and everything went really well with the delivery. Giving birth is such a wonderful thing to experience. It is so amazing to see what your body can do. I remember after I delivered Genevieve and my other two babies having the shakes really bad and just feeling this amazing adrenaline rush like none other. It is such a sacred experience and I'm so grateful to have a healthy body that has allowed me to experience this joy. 

Wearing the hat that Daddy made when I was pregnant with Clementine. Both girls wore the hat home from the hospital. 

Halloween

we had a little halloween carnival with some friends. there was pizza, salad, brownies, chips and we of course followed it up with some trick or treating. dylan had the day off and it was so wonderful to be together as a family. i love my growing family and the holiday's just keep getting better and better as they get older.

my favorite time

Most mornings after Clementine wakes up or after her afternoon nap, she will come into my room and want to lay on my bed with me and read books. Lately she will grab a big pile of Little Golden Books and want to read one after the other. These books are such a treasure to me because they are the ones I grew up reading with my mom and dad many evenings before I'd get tucked in bed. It's so special flipping through the same pages I grew up reading and loving. These are the days. 

long may you run

"It's just a car, don't think about it so much." I tell myself as I'm tossing and turning in bed at night. 

Just over a week ago we sold our PT cruiser that my mom gave us when we got married. 

With baby #3 coming, it was time for a larger vehicle. 

I remember the day my mom got the PT cruiser, 14 years ago today. She referred to it as her "dream car." My dad surprised her with it for her birthday. The day she got it I remember her taking friends and family on rides around the neighborhood. We were all so excited. Her first small car in so many years.

In High School, my parents started letting me drive the car. I drove it to and from Olympus High every day, to work at Great Harvest and various friends houses. It had an awesome sound system and was a smooth ride. After I found out I lost the Student Body Election I remember retreating to my car and bawling in the drivers seat. 

College came and I drove to the Trax station every day, to Paramount Acceptance and Banana Republic. Blasting Taylor Swift, I sung my heart out in the PT. 

When Dylan and I got married my mom gave us her PT cruiser and we drove it all the way to Texas. We stuffed it full of wedding gifts, clothes and new things to start our life together. I was sicker than a dog the entire drive with shingles and the worst cold of my life; little did I know I was also expecting. The PT was the one thing in my life that remained the same after the move to Galveston. 

 We brought both of our babies home from the hospital in the PT Cruiser. It was our only car throughout medical school and a very reliable form of transportation. 

I'll always remember just a few nights before Samson was born, standing out by the car with Dylan rearranging things and making room for another car seat. Thinking how our world was about to change forever. 

"I can't stop thinking about the PT Cruiser, Dylan. I'm sad it's gone." 

"I know." He said,  "It was a good car to us."