3 weeks...

and the week count begins again... but with much cuter pictures to accompany it this time...

well, we've made it 3 weeks today. and it seems like the longest/fastest 3 weeks ever. tucker already has gotten over the worst diaper rash ever and giving me a new patch of grey hairs in the process. he's finally growing some eyelashes :) and getting a lot of hair. doug keeps saying it's going to be curly... so we'll see about that. everyone seems to love his little nose. he's started getting really fussy in the evening and i'm pretty sure he has some gas, so we'll see how the next little while goes. hopefully we'll figure out what the sudden, startling screaming is all about. i'm pretty sure he's about 8lbs already. he's starting to feel a little heftier. and he is getting really strong i think. his head is way less floppy already and he seems way less breakable. and he slept 4 hours in a row for a few nights. sooo, i guess besides the fussing and screaming fits, he's a total keeper :)

It feels like this is what I'm going to be doing for the next little while... and not much else...

his little mohawk

i love how cute he is in his sleepers. thought it would be too hot for them here, but his little arms get so chilly without them.

hanging out with dad

Some of daddy and the little guy... Doug found a way to coax a smile out of him all the time. He just rubs his beard on his face or kisses him and he apparently likes it :)

Life so far...

Well, it's been a busy, interesting, crazy, sleepless, exciting, fun, stressful and lovely week. He's such a cutie and loves to cuddle. He got a terrible diaper rash that almost gave me a heart attack, but that's getting better and life is feeling much nicer since then. Although he still needs to air dry a lot and I got poop shot at me this afternoon all over everything. Doug's been peed and pooped on a few times too. Love it. He's sleeping in his swing right now and I've got a million things I need to be doing before feeding him in a few minutes, so here are few pictures. There are bunch on facebook already, but here are a few of my favorites.

My mom said it looks like they could be construction workers trying to figure out a problem...

Uncle Enos visiting us in the hospital for the first time. So lucky to have good friends and uncles/aunties for this little guy.

I seriously love these two handsome guys...

Proud papa. Just leaving the hospital. I seriously loved staying in the hospital. So nice to have everything taken care of at the push of a button. Don't worry, I didn't push it that much.

First trip home...

Getting the royal treatment from grandma lolo to try and get rid of that terrible rash.

Don't you just love him!?!?!

He's here!

5 pounds 14 oz. 20 inches tall. born at 7:20pm on Friday night! And he's a keeper. Still no name, but we're working on it. all is well with everyone around here.

If you want to see more... 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/beckyrath/sets/72157624363032852/

Sourdough Master

When we got back from our last CA trip we stopped at the Boudin Bakery in the airport for some sourdough bread and ever since Doug has really been wanting to make it because we can't find any to buy that actually tastes sour/tangy at all. So we've been doing experiments with starter for the last few weeks. Mainly he has been doing them actually. It's another project he's taken on lately. But I'm happy to say that although the first try was pretty much a rock solid lump disaster, the second attempt was totally delicious and pretty fluffy.

It is amazing what some water, unbleached flour and a pinch of salt can do. 

This is Doug's pleasanly surprised face. 

It was actually sour and it actually had a good texture...

Still a work in progress I suppose, but basically a complete success!

It is sooooooo delicious toasted with butter. Heavenly. 

37 and 38 weeks

Today is the last day of being 38 weeks, and I'm really mad that the doctors said that they would be surprised to see me last another day about 2 weeks ago already. That is 2 long weeks of toting your bags around in the car with you and list of things to grab before leaving out the door and Doug calling from work asking if there is anything happening and telling me he really doesn't want to go to work tomorrow or church on Sunday, so if I could please hurry up. On Tuesday the doc said I was 4+cm dilated and that although another doctor in the office offered to induce me tomorrow because of the long drive to the hospital and the potential fast labor this might be, my doc said it was fine to just wait and see, so I am doing just that. Although she did talk to me and ask me to relate to Doug what to do in case we do have to deliver in the car. I reiterated that I didn't want to deliver in the car and if she thought that was going to happen, I'll just take the induction :) But it should all be fine I think. So we are just waiting around. It kinda feels like this was all a big fake out and nothing/no one is really coming out of there, ever. But I can feel him getting pretty big. He's kicking me in the ribs when I sit down. Although it has been nice to have these 2 weeks to get everything in order, get the carpets cleaned thanks to David and Great White ChemDry, the baby will have a clean house to roll around in. And everything is on it's way to being pretty organized after we had to move ALL the furniture (I was hoping moving heavy items might help start this labor going, but to no avail) and everything out of the rooms to get the carpets cleaned. Anyway. Here are some pictures.

 End of 37 Weeks 

After my morning walk that I've been faithfully doing. And if you're a audio book lover like me, I know, I'm a nerd, but I've been listening to "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett for the last month and I'm just about done and I'm really sad to have to find something else, but it was a great book and really well read.

Beginning of 38 weeks. 

Doug always makes me tuck my shirt in on top when he's showing how pregnant I am, to whoever we're talking to, not just in pictures. He's always tucking it in and might follow with a "isn't she pretty fat" comment, or something to that effect...  :)

Last day of 38 weeks (this morning)

And sometimes I feel like I have an alien in me. Apparently my uterus is still measuring small and I have low fluid in there. But nothing to worry about, it's just on the low end. I guess I have 10 and below 8 is dangerous. But I think it means he's pretty easy to feel in there, he's not being covered by much. And when I have a fake contraction thing, you can totally see/feel his outline and it looks pretty crazy/creepy/cool.

Looking pretty normal on my side, no contraction

Still looking pretty normal with no contraction, nice an roundish...

But then contraction, or I roll off my side or whatever happens and this is what I look down on:

His head is way down there, so I think the doc said that this bump right there on the left is his hip or butt. Maybe he has a bubble butt like his dad :)

Or this is him kicking out my other side. I think he's getting kinda big in there. His foot or something is always kicking out my right side near my ribs. In fact, he's kicking me right now...

And I saved the best for last...

If I suck in it really creepy! Yes, I'm ready to see what this little guy looks like in there. I can't wait. One week more... Or something like that.

And no, still no name.

Flash Back Friday

OK, I know this wasn't even that long ago but it was really a fun day for me. Must have been my 26th birthday? Doug sent flowers to my office at HPU that day. And Gio was still so little. And Kaity and Danny and Al still lived here. Actually only 5 of these 15 people still live here! How sad for us.

And don't worry, graduated from BYU-H just about 9 years ago already! 

I can not believe how fast that has gone.

And about 20 something years ago.... Dad was just barely older than me :) 

Just going through the old pics and thought I'd share a few...