Homemade

Eliza Jean Lance

(Eliza is a name on both sides of our family 

and Jean is Jarom's grandma's name.)

9-14-2013 @ 9:15 PM

8 Lbs. 2 oz. 20 in. Long

Saturday morning I woke up around 5 AM with contractions. I had been waking up every morning with a couple contractions that week so I didn't think much of it. Until they didn't stop and were pretty consistent. So I waited about an hour to see if they would keep coming (and they did) and I woke Jarom up. He hopped right up, turned on the light and got out his stop watch on his phone and started timing them for me. Turns out they were about 2 minutes apart, lasting about 50 seconds long so we decided to get our stuff together and head on over to the hospital. Especially because Evelyn's labor was so fast, we thought for sure we would have a baby by noon that day. We call Joanna and Cody, bright and early, to come stay with Evelyn. We are SO grateful for so many helping hands willing to do whatever we needed them to! What a HUGE blessing! So J and C get here around 6:30 and we're out the door! We get to the hospital and they check me. I'm at a 3. Not too bad! Better than the 1 that I had been at for a while! So they say they will watch me for an hour and see if I progress at all. I got to a 4 and STOPPED! I wasn't progressing anymore so they sent me home! BOOHOO!! I was so sad and disappointed. We had plans to run some errands that day so we just decided to go about our day. We went to get our flu shots, went to some baby stores, Costco, went out to lunch and Ice cream. This whole time I am having TERRIBLE contractions every 5 to 10 minutes. They weren't close or consistent so I didn't think to go back in because the last thing I wanted was to get sent home TWO times! So we go home to rest for a little while until I decided this is too much! I can't handle the pain and I definitely can't go all night like this! So I called the nurse and she said if they hurt then come in. I made her assure me that they weren't going to send me home again! I didn't want to go through that walk of shame again! So we call Joanna and Cody AGAIN to come get Evelyn and head out to the hospital. We get there at about 6 Pm and I'm at a SIX! Hallelujah! I got the stay! I asked for an epidural ASAP. They had to call the anesthesiologist and he lives 20 min. from the hospital so it took a while for him to get there. EEEEK! So I signed papers, they got my IV in and he finally came to give me my epidural! They checked me after the epidural and said "Good thing you got that epidural when you did! You're at a NINE!" WHAT?! Yahoo!! And the best part was that I didn't even feel all the contractions or that I was even dilating! HEAVEN! The doctor came in and broke my water and said he would be back in a few minutes to check me again. he came back 5 minutes later and said "lets have this baby!" I LOVED my Doctor BTW! This delivery was way different than Evelyn's and by different I mean BETTER! It was calm and peaceful and really really enjoyable! I pushed for 10 minutes and she was here!

She's perfect in every way! We are enjoying this newborn stage and all the snuggles and soft skin and yummy smelling baby-ness! mmmm! I feel like I am enjoying this more this time than with Evelyn! I'm not as paranoid about everything, I know more of what to expect the recovery is MUCH easier. Just everything, it seems, is easier this time! I love it! 

 Evelyn LOVES her baby sister! She has been doing surprisingly well with the whole thing! The first couple of days were rough because she had been staying with family the whole time we were gone so I think she was just thrown off but once we got her back in to her normal routine, things were better! She can't quite say Eliza yet but she just calls her baby and always wants to hold her and help us take care of her! She has really started playing with her dolls more and it is ADORABLE! I love watching her take care of them like I take care of my baby! It just melts my heart! Every time we let her hold Eliza she gets so excited and kisses her head a million times! Too sweet!

Overall I am really enjoying this experience and love having my whole family home together! It's heaven and I don't want this week to end (Jarom has to go back to work next week). 

Here are some pictures from the past 4 days!

 First time holding baby sister

 The day we came home from the hospital. 2 days old.

 Freshly bathed, brand new baby!

 Getting ready to go home in her "little sister" outfit

She doesn't like getting dressed. I love her tiny little body and those little froggie legs!

 Always wanting to hold her! It's just too cute, I can't handle it!

 Holding my favorite girls! 

 First family picture of all FOUR of us! Oh my goodness! Does life get any better?!

 The hospital staff gave Evelyn a sticker and she really wanted to share it with Eliza. She kept trying to put it on her! Good at sharing already! I'm so proud! ;) heehee

 3 days old. Newborn milk coma!

Summer adventures so far

It feels like summer is already slipping out of our fingers! It's going by so fast because we have been so busy and are only going to get busier with family reunions, wedding/baby showers, weddings, camping trips etc. We are excited! 

We are loving the warm (HOT) weather and try to enjoy it as much as we can! We have gotten a ton of use out of our pass of all passes and have made several trips to play mini golf and go swimming at seven peaks! Evelyn LOVES playing outside any chance we get but sometimes will ask to go back inside when it gets too hot! We have gone to a couple parades and Evelyn LOVES them! Except for all the loud cars and sirens. She always covers her ears and says "bye-bye!"   One of the many reasons we love Utah in the summer is All the town festivals and parades and activities! 

We have been looking for a new place to live and let me tell you, IT'S HARD! Hard to find something that you like and that will fit our needs and our family for a good price! We have found a couple that we liked ok but we feel like we need to keep looking. So hopefully the right one will come along! Preferably before this baby comes along! But if not, it's really not the end of the world!

Speaking of baby, I am almost 28 weeks! WOO!! Honestly, this pregnancy has gone by SO fast for me! WAAAY faster than when I was pregnant with Evelyn or the twins! I'm feeling great! My body is starting to ache and I'm SUPER hot but other than that, I am feeling great! Going for walks every day and exercising is helping a lot! I have my Glucose test in a couple weeks and I am nervous! As for names for this little girly, we haven't chosen one! We keep finding ones that we agree on and are okay, but haven't found one that we LOVE yet! Maybe we'll have to wait til she gets here? I don't know! I remember with Evelyn I was so motivated to sew and craft for her but with this one, I am WAY less motivated! Maybe because I have a busy one year old to look after? I don't know but I need to get on the ball! I know I have all the clothes/bows i'll need but I at least want to make her a couple of he own blanky's and a quilt! I REALLLLLY want to learn how to crochet! A lady in our ward has offered to help me so I will take her up on that! I think sometime this week! So hopefully I'll have some fun stuff to show soon!

Evelyn is learning SOOO much and talking like CRAZY! ALL. DAY. LONG! She talks so loud during sacrament meeting! I don't know how to make her be quiet! When its time for prayer she yells "PRAYER!" and "AMEN!" and yells whatever she is drawing/coloring or if she hears a baby she yells "BABY! BABY!" AH! We keep trying to teach her how to whisper, which used to be the only way she talked but she just doesn't get it! She loves nursery! She did so well for the first few weeks and then one day there was a girl SCREAMING when we took her in there and so ever since then, Evelyn cries when we drop her off but seems to get over it by the time we leave. Today she didn't even cry though so hopefully she's getting over that! She is so cute and just makes us giggle all the time! I wish I could know what was going through her head! She loves to dance and color and go on walks and play in the water (not if it's spraying her). One of my (MANY) favorite things that she says is when we help her do something or do something for her she says"there ya go! Thank you!" haha cracks me up every time! We have started a strict time out with her and seems to really be working (most days). Of course, she has bad days where I want to rip my hair out but most of the time it works well for us! Her hair is growing so fast and it's so fun to finally be able to play with it a little bit! I just am amazed at how much she learns every day! She is starting to copy everything we do and it's so cute but also kind of scary! I really have to watch myself and watch what I say! We just really love her and hope so bad that our next baby is as cute and smart and funny and sweet as she is! Just a little less crazy! I would take a more mellow baby this time around!

 We are so excited for all the adventures we have ahead of us!

Most of our pictures are of Evelyn and most of them are just playing around the house but they are still so cute! So enjoy! 

I will try to get better at updating and posting more pictures and videos!

 playing with Daddy! Pure JOY!

 Feeding the ducks

 COLORING! Her favorite! And I think she might be a lefty!

 so good at folding her arms

 I always make her wear a bib when she plays with chalk because it STAINS! I did not know that! It stained some of her clothes! Lesson learned!

 First time at the splash pad. She wasn't so sure about it! She's gotten better since then!

Boy or Girl?!

We had our ultrasound yesterday and found out that we are having a baby...

 GIRL!!!

 EEEEK!!!! I am so excited I can't even stand it! Of course, I would be happy either way! We already have a girl so it would be a fun, new adventure to have a boy but I would love for Evelyn to have a little sister because...sisters are the BEST!!! AND the convenience of already having everything is SOOO nice!! So we are just beyond excited for this little angel to join our family! She was so cute squirming around and opening and closing her mouth! We love her so much already! We took Evelyn in to the Ultrasound with us, too! The whole time she was pointing at the screen saying "baby! baby! baby!" too cute!

 I cannot wait to see them interact with each other! 

Lately...

Evelyn will be 18 months old on Wednesday! Where has the time gone?! She goes to Nursery next Sunday and I am so excited, sad and nervous all at the same time! I just can't believe she is big enough! She is SUCH a joy to be around! She has the Funniest, cutest, best personality ever! She is learning SO much these days and copying (or trying to copy) everything we say! She is getting better at talking and not using her signs. She still uses them when she talks sometimes but at least she is talking! She is pretty obedient (most days) and such a good helper! She LOVES babies, which makes me really excited for her to have a little sister or brother. Hopefully she will love it as much as she loves other babies! She hugs and kisses just about everything and LOVES her BFF Harlow! I am so sad to split them up when they move next week! :( When she doesn't want something she says "No thank you!" and it cracks me up every time! When we ask her to throw something away or put something in the laundry, she does it! And when we tell her it's time to change her diaper she will lay down where we change her diapers. She eats just about everything BUT food! UGH! She is such a picky eater some days and a good eater other days and eats paper, crayons, her puzzles and books. UGH! I thought that would go away once she got all her teeth but it hasn't! She is ALWAYS going after my toes, too! I think it's the nail polish. Maybe she thinks it's candy? I don't know! Silly girl! She has also started sucking on her own toes! hahah She really is a character! She is such a sweet girl and we enjoy her SO much! She's the BEST! Most days! :)

As for our other baby...I am 19 weeks and get to find out what we're having next week! I have started to feel it move for a couple weeks now and I'm FINALLY starting to feel like this is real! We're really having another baby! AH! I can't wait to find out what it is! Evelyn keeps saying sister but maybe she just doesn't like saying brother? I don't know! As for me, I keep going back and forth! I keep having dreams that it's a boy but I feel exactly the same as I did when I was pregnant with my girls so who knows?! We will be so excited either way! I would LOVE to have another girl to dress up and for Evelyn to have a little sister to be best friends with but having a boy would be a fun new adventure and i think they would be best friends either way! 

I need to get better at posting pictures! But for now, here are a bunch of pics of life lately! :)

 Story time in the tunnel with Daddy!

 She loves snuggling in her new chair!

 Best friends making each other giggle in the car

 She fell asleep on Daddy while watching conference! Evelyn snuggles are heavenly!

 And here she is sucking on her own toes! Oh boy!

Reading with Daddy! She LOVES books right now!

Easter and the Zoo

Jarom had Good Friday off and the weather was BEAUTIFUL so we decided to take Evelyn to the Zoo! I had wanted to take her for a long time but the weather was always so crummy so it was finally nice and we got to go! I LOVED it! I think I was more excited than Evelyn was! I can't remember the last time I went to the Zoo but it was so awesome! And I feel like now that I am older, I appreciate it more! Those animals just fascinate me!  Evelyn liked it too. She would wave and say "HI!" to all the animals and watch them for a minute and then she was done! Ha ha  I think she likes the animals that she can interact with more! Like dogs and cats! Oh my! She LOVES them! That's why I thought she would love the Zoo so much! 

Then we went to "this is the place" it was fun!

Perfect start to a long weekend with my little family!

 She wanted ALL the stuffed animals!

So we picked out this cute Elephant (that was on sale) for her. She cried when we took it away to pay for it! She loves it!

 EASTER:

 The Easter Bunny came!

 This girl was CRAZY that day! Totally HYPED up on sugar! Woops!

 This was the best picture I could get of her! I was sad but I got over it pretty quick because it was just too frustrating trying to get a good picture of her.

 First Easter Egg hunt!

 She found the goodies!

And tried to steal Harlow's goodies when I wouldn't let her have any more of her own! Stinker!