We went to Medford for a quick trip, and also for a job interview for Daniel. It was nice to visit with my family. And Daniel got the job. But we didn't take it.
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Disneyland with the Family
Daniel
took me and the girls to Disneyland once, just us. And then we went to
Disneyland one time more with Bekah and Chris and Gramma Holbrook when
they came. We just went up for one of the days they were there. We
had a grand old time with them! Especially Brooke. She LOVED playing
with her cousins, and she and Brooklyn seemed to get on especially well.
It was really fun to watch them and oh, so cute. It seemed really busy
on the day we went with them; more so than the day we went by ourselves.
But I'd checked the weather, and it was supposed to rain that day. I
was hoping the rain would drive people out of the park. Well, it did
rain. A lot, and hard. I was surprised. I was expecting a little
sprinkling for maybe a short time. But no. We got really wet, and we
were not fully prepared. But ... it did drive some of the crowd out of
the park. And it was still a really fun day.
We went to Medford for a quick trip, and also for a job interview for Daniel. It was nice to visit with my family. And Daniel got the job. But we didn't take it.
*Our 6th anniversary happened while we were in Medford. We took advantage of some great, free
babysitting to do a fun anniversary date. We drove
out to Jacksonville for dinner at a fun Thai restaurant, which, of
course, I loved, loved, loved! We walked around Jacksonville for a while
after dinner, looking at all of the old buildings and stopping to read
the plaques telling about the history of Jacksonville. And we topped it
all off with a drive outside of town to a secluded spot for a little
stargazing. It was the perfect evening!*
We went to Medford for a quick trip, and also for a job interview for Daniel. It was nice to visit with my family. And Daniel got the job. But we didn't take it.
Saturday, January 10, 2015
Camille Aileen Holbrook
Camille Aileen Holbrook was born on October 20, 2014. And we are super excited to have her. This is the story . . .
So. We ended up somewhere around the morning of the 20th. Daniel and I went to an appointment to see Dr. Tuso. Dr. Tuso checked me and said I was dilated to a 4. He stripped my membranes (again), and then we met with him in his office, where he told us that he would prefer to induce me either that day or the next day because Baby's heartbeat was looking just a little off. But since it wasn't an emergency, I decided that I'd rather wait to be induced.
That was certainly the right decision, because Daniel took me home before heading off to work, and I went into labor, almost immediately. It started out more quickly than I anticipated. My contractions were about 8-10 minutes apart, and they sped up rather more rapidly than I thought would happen. I timed my contractions, how far apart they were, and how long they were. After a few hours, I told Daniel he should probably come home. And after he did, we deliberated and debated when we should go to the hospital. I was a bit confused, because I had never gone into labor on my own and didn't know how my body was going to handle it. So, they say that when your contractions are 4 or 5 minutes apart and 1 minute long, and after you have had this kind of pattern for at least an hour, then you go to the hospital. But... my contractions were 2 or 3 minutes apart, but only about half the time were they a full minute or longer. So, I wasn't quite sure we should go in.
I started labor at about 10:30 in the morning, and at around 3:45, I said, "We better get the hopsital. Now!" For about an hour, or even less, before that point, my contractions were getting really quite bad. Before they were hard, but bearable. But then they got really painful. I insisted we get to the hospital.
It's a good thing I did! Daniel drove me to the hospital. Daniel helped me into the hospital, they got me in a wheelchair and rode me (a rather bumpier ride than I wanted) up to the maternity ward and right into a delivery room. As we were wheeled by the nurses station, some of the nurses said to me, "Honey, why did you wait so long?" I was apparently really far along in my labor, and they could see that. I was dilated to a 10; I was SO ready to go! And I could feel it.
At that point, more nurses were recruited. They were frantic, almost, trying to get everything ready for me to deliver a baby. Dr. Tuso was called in. Mom almost didn't make it. She drove separately, and she had to go back to the house to retrieve my purse and bag. I think she barely made it in time to see me deliver. I pushed a few times, and baby girl came right out! It was so hard there at the end. I kept saying I couldn't do it, even though she was already coming out.
She was born, and they immediately put her onto my stomach and started cleaning her off. Daniel got to cut the cord.
It was a thrilling birthing experience. It was so hard, and I hadn't expected it to go so fast or for me to endure it without drugs. From the time I started labor to when she was born was less than 6 hours (compared to 20+ with Brooke); and from the time we got into the delivery room to when she was born was 20 minutes. I did all of my laboring at home, so by the time we got to the hospital, it was far too late and kind of pointless to get an epidural. I'm glad it happened that way. It was so much better laboring at home than in a hospital. I think it worked out perfectly. Such a different experience than when Brooke was born. So much better. I can actually say that as much as anyone can enjoy the labor process, I enjoyed it. And when she came out, it was just so much more special. They put her onto me immediately, and I got to hold and cuddle my baby only a few minutes after she was born. And after I got to be with her for a little bit, they asked if they could take her and do all the things they do: weigh her, give her that first little shot, etc. It was so wonderful!
And here she is . . .
So. We ended up somewhere around the morning of the 20th. Daniel and I went to an appointment to see Dr. Tuso. Dr. Tuso checked me and said I was dilated to a 4. He stripped my membranes (again), and then we met with him in his office, where he told us that he would prefer to induce me either that day or the next day because Baby's heartbeat was looking just a little off. But since it wasn't an emergency, I decided that I'd rather wait to be induced.
That was certainly the right decision, because Daniel took me home before heading off to work, and I went into labor, almost immediately. It started out more quickly than I anticipated. My contractions were about 8-10 minutes apart, and they sped up rather more rapidly than I thought would happen. I timed my contractions, how far apart they were, and how long they were. After a few hours, I told Daniel he should probably come home. And after he did, we deliberated and debated when we should go to the hospital. I was a bit confused, because I had never gone into labor on my own and didn't know how my body was going to handle it. So, they say that when your contractions are 4 or 5 minutes apart and 1 minute long, and after you have had this kind of pattern for at least an hour, then you go to the hospital. But... my contractions were 2 or 3 minutes apart, but only about half the time were they a full minute or longer. So, I wasn't quite sure we should go in.
I started labor at about 10:30 in the morning, and at around 3:45, I said, "We better get the hopsital. Now!" For about an hour, or even less, before that point, my contractions were getting really quite bad. Before they were hard, but bearable. But then they got really painful. I insisted we get to the hospital.
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| Brooke touching the belly while Leslie works through contractions. |
It's a good thing I did! Daniel drove me to the hospital. Daniel helped me into the hospital, they got me in a wheelchair and rode me (a rather bumpier ride than I wanted) up to the maternity ward and right into a delivery room. As we were wheeled by the nurses station, some of the nurses said to me, "Honey, why did you wait so long?" I was apparently really far along in my labor, and they could see that. I was dilated to a 10; I was SO ready to go! And I could feel it.
At that point, more nurses were recruited. They were frantic, almost, trying to get everything ready for me to deliver a baby. Dr. Tuso was called in. Mom almost didn't make it. She drove separately, and she had to go back to the house to retrieve my purse and bag. I think she barely made it in time to see me deliver. I pushed a few times, and baby girl came right out! It was so hard there at the end. I kept saying I couldn't do it, even though she was already coming out.
She was born, and they immediately put her onto my stomach and started cleaning her off. Daniel got to cut the cord.
It was a thrilling birthing experience. It was so hard, and I hadn't expected it to go so fast or for me to endure it without drugs. From the time I started labor to when she was born was less than 6 hours (compared to 20+ with Brooke); and from the time we got into the delivery room to when she was born was 20 minutes. I did all of my laboring at home, so by the time we got to the hospital, it was far too late and kind of pointless to get an epidural. I'm glad it happened that way. It was so much better laboring at home than in a hospital. I think it worked out perfectly. Such a different experience than when Brooke was born. So much better. I can actually say that as much as anyone can enjoy the labor process, I enjoyed it. And when she came out, it was just so much more special. They put her onto me immediately, and I got to hold and cuddle my baby only a few minutes after she was born. And after I got to be with her for a little bit, they asked if they could take her and do all the things they do: weigh her, give her that first little shot, etc. It was so wonderful!
And here she is . . .
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Leslie's ready to have a baby . . .
Here are some fun pictures of Leslie since we haven't been taking many this pregnancy.
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Some Updates
We've been having a pretty fun summer! We'll have to do a few more posts this week about some of our adventures!
Brooke and I have fun playing together everyday. She does some pretty funny things sometimes. The other day, she was putting all of her animals (and Dolly, of course) down for naps in her crib. She took them one by one and shoved them through the slats in her crib. When I took her to bed that night, I had to pull half a dozen animals (and Dolly, of course) out of her crib. It was so funny!
The other night, an older couple in our ward had us over for dinner. They had a bunch of toys that Brooke found thrilling. She pulled out a broom and started "sweeping" their kitchen floor. I found it adorable.
Brooke has a little friend, Lucy, that we have come play with us sometimes. The little girls love to play with each other. They were being so cute and funny the other day, chasing each other around the house and screaming. During lunch, they had a fit of giggles for, like, 5 minutes, just looking at each other and laughing. I think they were making silly noises with their lips. I was cracking up!
Brooke has been eating more veggies lately, of her own free will and volition! I've been trying to have a wider variety of things for her to eat for each meal, and I think that helps for some reason. So, for her lunch, I could do some tofu, green beans, rice, soy yogurt, and tomatoes, and she'll clean her plate up pretty well, without too much prompting from me. Even the veggies! I'm sure not everyday will be like that, but this week, at least the last part of this week, has been pretty good!
She's also been really into her blocks the past few days. When we play upstairs, she likes to use the old linking blocks that Mom gave her and build things. She did an airplane, a train and a crane. None of them really looked like what she was building, of course. But I'm glad she's being creative and using her imagination. And she's getting pretty good at putting those blocks together.
I am 33 weeks along now, and feeling quite big. I'm not swollen yet, though, which is a good thing. I'm getting more excited and more anxious, the further along I get. I'm getting really excited to meet our new little girl!
The other day, Brooke was having grapes with her lunch. She gobbled
up the grapes before anything else on her plate, and was just left with
the vine, which she just put on the table while she kept eating her
lunch. After a little while, she looked at that grapevine, said,
"Airplane!", and proceeded to pick it up and zoom it on the table and
through the air making airplane noises. It was so funny and cute!
A couple weeks ago, I made a little purse for Brooke out of scrap material I had. Brooke had one of my purses and she was loving putting toys and books in it and carrying it around. But it was kind of big for her to carry around, and with all that stuff in it, it was pretty heavy. So I decided to make her her own, a smaller one that she could carry around. I think she really likes it. :)
I think Brooke is quickly
moving into toddlerhood. She's been screaming for attention more and
throwing a few more tantrums than is usual. Plus, she has started
throwing little tantrums at church in Sacrament meeting. People have
begun to notice. :)
I got fresh blueberries at Sprouts when we went out shopping. They are FINALLY cheap! Last summer, Brooke couldn't get enough blueberries (and neither could I) when the price on them dropped and I could actually buy some. We bought box after box. And I've been waiting all summer for prices to drop so we could go Blueberry crazy, and they finally have! Hooray! But this summer, Brooke is talking a WHOLE lot more, and she says the word "blueberry" "blucies". It's so cute! I can't get over it.
Brooke and I have fun playing together everyday. She does some pretty funny things sometimes. The other day, she was putting all of her animals (and Dolly, of course) down for naps in her crib. She took them one by one and shoved them through the slats in her crib. When I took her to bed that night, I had to pull half a dozen animals (and Dolly, of course) out of her crib. It was so funny!
The other night, an older couple in our ward had us over for dinner. They had a bunch of toys that Brooke found thrilling. She pulled out a broom and started "sweeping" their kitchen floor. I found it adorable.
Brooke has a little friend, Lucy, that we have come play with us sometimes. The little girls love to play with each other. They were being so cute and funny the other day, chasing each other around the house and screaming. During lunch, they had a fit of giggles for, like, 5 minutes, just looking at each other and laughing. I think they were making silly noises with their lips. I was cracking up!
Brooke has been eating more veggies lately, of her own free will and volition! I've been trying to have a wider variety of things for her to eat for each meal, and I think that helps for some reason. So, for her lunch, I could do some tofu, green beans, rice, soy yogurt, and tomatoes, and she'll clean her plate up pretty well, without too much prompting from me. Even the veggies! I'm sure not everyday will be like that, but this week, at least the last part of this week, has been pretty good!
She's also been really into her blocks the past few days. When we play upstairs, she likes to use the old linking blocks that Mom gave her and build things. She did an airplane, a train and a crane. None of them really looked like what she was building, of course. But I'm glad she's being creative and using her imagination. And she's getting pretty good at putting those blocks together.
I am 33 weeks along now, and feeling quite big. I'm not swollen yet, though, which is a good thing. I'm getting more excited and more anxious, the further along I get. I'm getting really excited to meet our new little girl!
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| Having fun with Lucy |
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| She loves wearing Mamma's shoes |
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| Brooke found Dadda's goggles yesterday :) |
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| Looking so pretty in her Sunday dress |
A couple weeks ago, I made a little purse for Brooke out of scrap material I had. Brooke had one of my purses and she was loving putting toys and books in it and carrying it around. But it was kind of big for her to carry around, and with all that stuff in it, it was pretty heavy. So I decided to make her her own, a smaller one that she could carry around. I think she really likes it. :)
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| Brooke with her new little purse. She loves it! |
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| Brooke's new stroller, her favorite new toy |
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| Brooke loves to help mamma make dinner. I wonder why ... |
I got fresh blueberries at Sprouts when we went out shopping. They are FINALLY cheap! Last summer, Brooke couldn't get enough blueberries (and neither could I) when the price on them dropped and I could actually buy some. We bought box after box. And I've been waiting all summer for prices to drop so we could go Blueberry crazy, and they finally have! Hooray! But this summer, Brooke is talking a WHOLE lot more, and she says the word "blueberry" "blucies". It's so cute! I can't get over it.
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| Daniel and I went to the temple to do a session. I was getting ready, putting on my boots (so Brooke put on her boots) and putting on my belt (so Brooke put on her belt). Cute girl! |
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| Picture of the day for Daniel: she found his fig newton stash. |
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| Watching Brooke play is sometimes very entertaining. |
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| Brooke, in her cute little swimsuit. |
A Rare Date Night
Daniel and I had a fun date about a month ago. We decided that we needed to
do something from our "Fun Things To-do" list.
We had a babysittter come watch Brooke in the early evening. Daniel and I drove out to LA, to go to the Ghetty Museum, stopping once along the way to get a little dinner at Chipotle. Their veggie bowls are DELISH!
Saturdays at the Ghetty are pretty busy after 5pm. Parking is cheaper than usual and they normally have a band or some kind of party going on Saturday nights. We just wanted to go explore the place and see the art exhibits and such. We weren't really interested in the party; in fact, Daniel commented to me that he could do without the loud music. :)
It was fun to see the art, though, and to walk around the gardens. It's really a beautiful place, and it's on a hill overlooking the city, so it has a great view. We've been there twice, and we've only seen half of what there is to see. It looks like we'll have to go back a few more times. :) It would be fun to take Brooke for a picnic there. A lot of families were there sitting on blankets out on the lawn near the gardens. I thought Brooke would really enjoy being around so many people and all that was going on there.
We had a babysittter come watch Brooke in the early evening. Daniel and I drove out to LA, to go to the Ghetty Museum, stopping once along the way to get a little dinner at Chipotle. Their veggie bowls are DELISH!
Saturdays at the Ghetty are pretty busy after 5pm. Parking is cheaper than usual and they normally have a band or some kind of party going on Saturday nights. We just wanted to go explore the place and see the art exhibits and such. We weren't really interested in the party; in fact, Daniel commented to me that he could do without the loud music. :)
It was fun to see the art, though, and to walk around the gardens. It's really a beautiful place, and it's on a hill overlooking the city, so it has a great view. We've been there twice, and we've only seen half of what there is to see. It looks like we'll have to go back a few more times. :) It would be fun to take Brooke for a picnic there. A lot of families were there sitting on blankets out on the lawn near the gardens. I thought Brooke would really enjoy being around so many people and all that was going on there.
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| Beautiful view of the city. It was so clear last night! |
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| We really like each other. And we don't go on very many dates, so it was fun to get out and be together. |
Sunday, July 13, 2014
4th of July
We took a little trip up to the bay area for the 4th of July to see Michael and Michelle and their boys. We left on the 4th, in the morning, and got there some time in the afternoon, just in time to go to a little swim party/bbq with them. And that night Daniel, Michael and Damon went to a fireworks show.
It was a pretty chill weekend with them. We went to the park Saturday morning to play. In the afternoon, the boys (all except Brixton) went golfing, and Michelle and I went to do some fun things nearby. We watched the boys hit a few balls at the driving range (it was Daniel's first time ever golfing, so Michael had to teach him how to do it, and he had to get a little practice in) and T off, had a fun little train ride and went on the merry-go-round a couple times before going to get some dinner and putting the littles to bed.
We went to church on Sunday, of course, and then just hung out and played games that afternoon/evening. Daniel, Brooke and I took some time that afternoon to go see one of my good college friends, Madi, who lives near where they do. And it was so lovely to see her. :)
We left Monday morning for a long trip back. We had an awesome time with them, though!
It was a pretty chill weekend with them. We went to the park Saturday morning to play. In the afternoon, the boys (all except Brixton) went golfing, and Michelle and I went to do some fun things nearby. We watched the boys hit a few balls at the driving range (it was Daniel's first time ever golfing, so Michael had to teach him how to do it, and he had to get a little practice in) and T off, had a fun little train ride and went on the merry-go-round a couple times before going to get some dinner and putting the littles to bed.
We went to church on Sunday, of course, and then just hung out and played games that afternoon/evening. Daniel, Brooke and I took some time that afternoon to go see one of my good college friends, Madi, who lives near where they do. And it was so lovely to see her. :)
We left Monday morning for a long trip back. We had an awesome time with them, though!
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| On the train! They're so cute! |
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| Brooke loved riding the deer on the Merry-Go-Round |
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| Brixton was so good to help Brooke around his favorite park. Good cousin! |
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| I think they had fun hanging out together all day. :) |
Cruise!
Daniel, Brooke and I took a cruise with my parents back at the end of May. We did a little short cruise from LA to Mexico for 4 days ... well, 3 full days and 4 nights. We had fun! Brooke was sick for the first part. She threw up about an hour after we boarded, not from sea-sickness but from an actual sickness. She had a fever on and off for the next 24+ hours. But that didn't stop her, or us! She was a good sport about everything.
The ship took off in the evening of the first day, Monday. The next day we were anchored just off of Catalina Island. We explored a bit and walked around the island. But Brooke was still pretty mellow and tired, so my Mom and I took her back to the ship for a nap while my Dad and Daniel went on a little snorkeling adventure.
The 3rd day we were in Ensenada, Mexico. Not the most beautiful part of Mexico I've seen, but still pretty fun. We drove out to the big attraction, La Bufadora, a blowhole. It was not as exciting as people made it out to be; but there was about a quarter of a mile stretch of road that we walked down that was lined with little stands and shops. The people were selling everything: food, treats, clothes, souvenirs, ... And we spent our share of money. :)
After our excursion, we stopped at a little restaurant for some real Mexican tacos, which were delicious. And my parents paid a Mariachi band $5 to sing and play us a little song.
Our last day was at sea. We just hung out on the ship, played games together, did some mini golf, napped, hung out at the pool, etc. We had a fun time!
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| There's our sweet ride! |
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| Apparently we couldn't go on a cruise without some cool hats. So Mom bought a couple for us! |
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| Brooke was fascinated with the seagulls that liked to land on the ship. |
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| Day 1: Catalina Island |
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| We also took a little horse-drawn tour of the city. Brooke liked to see the horse, but she didn't love touching or riding it. |
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| The little shops on the walk down to La Bufadora |
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| Also, we got to play with a lion cub! It was pretty cool. |
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| At La Bufadora |
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| A little Mexican snack for Daniel. :) |
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| Brookie and Grampa |
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