counting down the minutes

<-This is how excited we are to go to Utah this weekend! 

We can't wait for Oliver to meet his Aunt Lyndsey and godmother Amy for the first time! AND we get to see lots of other friends and family too! AND we get to go to Costco and Cafe Rio and Chick-fil-a and about a thousand other places that don't exist in Rawlins, WY. AND most importantly, we are blessing Oliver this Sunday on his 2 month birthday. We have been counting down to this weekend for a long time, and 3:45pm (our departure time) tomorrow could not come soon enough!

P.S The last 2 nights, Oliver has slept 7-8 hours! Pure bliss. :)

Oliver Update in Photos

Instagram has been great for quick ways to share cute pics of Oliver with friends and family, but sometimes it's nice to bust out the good (not so) ole' camera. Here are some pics of Oliver at 6/7 weeks.

At 6/7 weeks, 3 month clothes are mostly still too big (as pictured above.) Oliver mostly wears his larger NB clothes mixed with smaller 0-3 month stuff. He is a tall/skinny boy with long feet though, so we had to move him up to 3 month footy/sleeper pj's so his toes wouldn't be squished. :) We are on our last pack of newborn diapers and then we will move up to size 1. 

At 6/7 weeks, Oliver is starting to smile more and more! He responds to the faces that we make of him and is mesmerized by the mirror. He still sleeps at night in the swing in one 4-6 hour stretch followed by a feeding and then another 2-3 hour stretch. He is usually up and ready to go by 7:30am.

At 6/7 weeks, Oliver also naps in the pack n play bassinet. He has started to spit up more and more recently, so sometimes it's easier to just skip the onsie. He's still our "little dude," but we have also added "slobber monster," "buddy" and "stinker" to the mix. Of course, there is also "Ollie" and just plain Oliver in there too.

And here are some cute pics I took during tummy time yesterday. He can't reach out and grab yet, but he'll hold out tight to anything you put in his hands. It's so fun to see his personality come out more. He is also starting to find his voice and squawks when he is happy or excited. He still cries like a newborn with tiny "whaaaa" sounds and makes this cute little frowny face with a little trembling chin to let you know he is about to start.

4th of July and Martin's Cove

Our 4th of July this year was pretty low key. We had fun in the park, had an Indiana Jones marathon, went out for all american burgers and fries at Bucks, and watched the fireworks from our kitchen window.

Nothing will ever beat 4th of July in Peachtree City with the parade, swimming, bbq, homemade icecream and rootbeer, and firework show (I feel bad that most of it was rained out this year but kinda glad I didn't miss out...I know I'm a terrible person,) but I'm glad we got to have Brian home on a week day. And I'm grateful for our freedom and independence. Yep, I'm proud to be an American! :)

Then last weekend, we decided to get out of Rawlins and go up to Casper, stopping at Martin's Cove on the way. I guess I should have researched the church history site a little more because we definitely did NOT come prepared! (personal fail = I did not wear the right shoes for the occasion, parenting fail = I forgot to bring the moby or the ergo carrier) Even with the setbacks though, we had a tiring, rewarding day.

I love those big, blue eyes! Oliver is such a great baby in the car...most of the time. :)

Arriving at the visitor's center for Martin's Cove with Devil's Gate in the background.

There were deer and other wildlife all along the trail.

Oliver slept most of the way while Brian carried him on the trail.

The visitor's center is NOT right at the cove. To get to the cove requires a 5.3 mile round trip hike on a dirt trail!  Wearing 4 inch wedge sandals = so, so dumb. I couldn't wrap my head around the idea of driving all the way there and not going all the way, so hiked the whole thing with me in these shoes and no baby carrier. I figured if the pioneers could do it the snow without shoes, we could suck it up and do it too. We were slow, and I have blisters on top of blisters, but we made it. I have such a deep appreciation for the pioneer's sacrifice, but man, oh man am I grateful to have been born now and not then! 

Wide open spaces! It's such a different world out here.

So here is the actual cove. We made it all the way around. Going to the site gave me a new appreciation for the saints.  Martin's cove is not close to SLC. I can't even imagine the dispare of getting stuck in the Wyoming cold and most especially the intense wind they have here with little/no supplies and knowing how much further they still had to go (It's at least 6 hours by car.) So grateful for their faith and for the rescuers who came to help them. So many miracles took place here.

Devil's Gate. By the time we got back from Martin's Cove, my feet were DONE! We didn't hike all the way to Devil's Gate, so this picture will have to do.

Half way between Martin's Cove and Casper is Independence Rock. I'm not going to lie, I was  expecting more for some reason. Somewhat underwhelming...

Casper seemed like paradise after almost a month in Rawlins. There were actually trees, and they have a Walmart! Because Martin's Cove had taken so much longer than we were expecting and because my feet were broken, we almost just went home instead of making it all the way. I'm glad we decided to go anyway. Not only did we get to see a double rainbow that became a full rainbow, but we got to eat some of the best ribs of my entire life at Golden Corral. I know...not where you would expect to find great ribs...but seriously this was maybe the best Golden Corral I've ever been to. They also had a chocolate fountain, great soft serve and regular ice cream, delicious rolls, and great mashed potatoes. Not a bad way to end a crazy, long, adventurous Saturday!

We Love Brian!

Since it's the last day of the month, I figured I should finally get around to blogging about Brian's birthday and first Father's Day. We must really like to double up on holidays because my birthday is right next to Mother's day; Brian's is close to Father's Day, and our anniversary is a week before Christmas. Anyway, Brian has been amazing this month and definitely deserves a shout out.

Brian, who didn't want to wake me up before he had to leave for work because he knew how precious sleep is right now, actually opened his presents (ipod touch, tools, The Advengers, and the last 2 James Bond movies) by himself. :( It was a busy day because it was both of our last day of work. I had to clean out my classroom, and Brian finished his a last day at the SLC office for Sinclair. After work, we met up with Brian's friends Alex and Jordan and their families for a bbq to celebrate and so they could all meet Oliver. Then we had to pack...not the funnest way to spend your birthday!

I love this picture!

 Brian was a good sport for Father's Day too. We moved out of Park City two days after his birthday and moved into our Wyoming home two days before Father's Day. There was a lot of transitioning, unpacking, and living out of suit cases going on. Still, it was such a great feeling to see Brian and Oliver together at church while we celebrated Father's Day. Here are 5 reasons Oliver and I love Brian/Daddy:

1. He is strong. He really did so much of the moving and heavy lifting by himself. He made several solo trips to put our things in storage before we left.

2. He can fix anything! Or if not anything...a lot of things. And believe me, since moving to Rawlins, a lot of things have needed fixing!

3. He has a good attitude. Even when I have been more than a little pessimistic, Brian is always there to lift my moods and give perspective. He has killed so many moths for me I have lost count. He knows how to make me smile when I want to cry and works hard to put his family first.

4. He loves Oliver. I have loved watching their interactions over the last 6 weeks. Brian is absolutely smitten! He is so good a calming Oliver, and when they cuddle, I just melt inside. Brian is also so protective of him. He's the one making sure everybody has washed their hands and that the car's AC has cooled down the car enough before we buckle Oliver in.

5. He loves mommy. If the best thing a father can do for his children is love their mother, than Brian is going to be a great dad! He has been amazing. From supporting me in the hospital, to massaging my elephantitis sized swollen feet and ankles, to sharing in the responsibilities with Oliver, Brian has been my rock. I've leaned on him more than ever before, and he accepted the challenge willingly.

We love you Brian! 

we made it a whole month!

Our baby is growing up so fast! I can't believe it's been a month since our little Oliver was placed on my stomach, and I got to stare into his deep blues for the first time. I'm already forgetting exactly what it felt like to be pregnant. It has been over a week since accidentally reaching for my belly to feel his little kicks and movements inside me only to realize that those moments are gone for now. But what I have instead is so so much better! Oliver has truly stolen our hearts. Brian and I can just sit and watch him for what seems like forever.

Here are some fun facts about Oliver at one month:

* We don't have a scale at the moment, but we are estimating he weighs 7.5ish lbs now. He is still wearing newborn clothes and newborn diapers.

*He is a great cuddle buddy. He especially loves to lay on our chests and snuggle up into a ball. I hope he stays this way for a long time.

*Still loves to put his hands up near his face when napping by himself. He also loves to be stretched out. We only swaddle him at night.

*He likes baths and loves showers. He is so curious and calm in the water.

*He moves his head from side to side like a champ and tries to kick/scoot without much success during tummy time, but his favorite thing to do on his tummy is suck on his fist.

*He gets the hiccups at least once a day.

*His dry skin on his scalp is practically gone and he has just a tiny bit of baby acne.

*He can sometimes put himself to sleep and is sleeping in 4-5hr stretches at night. He is a great car sleeper, which has been a huge blessing with the move and such.

*Brian swears Oliver laughed the other day, but I wasn't there to confirm it.

*He is sometimes burping on his own now but has started spitting up a lot this week.

*He tracks and responds to our faces and still loves to stare at lights.

*His eyes are slowly turning a lighter blue, and he hasn't lost any of his newborn hair yet. We can't wait to see what he looks like in a couple of months!

changes and firsts

The last two weeks have been a whirlwind of change and firsts for the Moote family. On Sunday, June 9th, we took Oliver to church for the first time and then finished packing up the car and drove to Wyoming. It's pretty surreal to think that our time in Park City is over. Park City is what brought me to Brian. Park City is where I got to start my career as an educator. Park City is where I found out I was pregnant and where I brought home Oliver from the hospital. Park City is where I have spent the last 4 years of my life. There are so many precious memories attached to those 4 years, and I will always be grateful for my time there.

Here are pics from Oliver's first time at church. He got to meet our Snyderville ward family, and we got to say goodbye all at the same time.

Then we were off to Wyoming. Oliver was a great traveler and slept most of the way with just one stop at the Little America to nurse and get an ice cream cone. Our housing situation wasn't worked out completely yet, so Sinclair put us in an hotel for 5 days. It was kind of like our own mini vacation, except that Brian had to work all week and his car broke down. Friday, we were finally ready to move into our new home for the next two months. They had just put in new carpet, but the place was SO dirty! We didn't even unpack anything Friday because we spent the whole day deep cleaning. We still haven't been able to get rid of the old house smell. 

One thing about being in a hotel for 5 days is that you end up eating out a lot. It's kind of hard to lose baby weight when you are frequenting McDonald's, Burger King, Subway, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and KFC. (We seriously ate at all of them, no joke.) But we did splurge one night and try out a local favorite, Bucks. Definitely worth it after so much fast food!

Also during our time in the hotel, Oliver turned 3 weeks old. He is starting to fit into some of his larger newborn clothes, like the outfit below from Nana Jones. He struggled a little bit our first two nights at the hotel, but then got back to his usual calm and pleasant self. I think Mommy and Daddy's stress levels started to stress him out too. :)

Look how cute Ollie is in this Sunday tie! He slept through all 3 hours of church for our first Sunday in Rawlins. It was a great first Father's Day present to Daddy...and Mommy too. 

Oliver still loves his favorite sleep position. I think I'll be really sad if he ever grows out of it. Also, Whitney came to visit to two days this week. We went to museums, ate yummy Thai food and ice cream, watched movies, and hung out with baby Ollie. Aunt Whitney even babysat so that Brian and I could go see "Man of Steel." It was our first date night as parents.

So there you have it. Wyoming is Wyoming. We definitely don't want to live here forever, but it will be ok for 2 months. Honestly, as long as our little family is together, we're happy. More updates to come now that we have internet. 

Baby Oliver: 2 Weeks Old

I've taken to calling Oliver "little dude" a lot recently. And after today's appointment, the name is all the more fitting!

Oliver's Stats

Weight: 6lbs 12oz (8th percentile)

Height: 19.69in (17th percentile)

Head Circumference: 13.8in (14th percentile)

Good news is that my little dude is healthy, mostly happy, and has passed his birth weight...not to mention he is just so adorably cute!

Oliver's First Week In Photos

I can't stop taking pictures of this little dude. :)

Everyday Oliver got to meet new people.

Oliver and Mama

More Oliver and Mama

 Photo shoot with Nana Jones and Aunt Whitney

Pictures while sunbathing by the window.

The many sleep positions of Oliver Thomas Moote.

Oliver's Birth Story

 Oliver Thomas Moote

05/21/2013

3:14 pm

6 lbs 5.9 oz

18.75 in

Oliver's story actually begins the day before he was born. Monday morning I woke up with terrible lower back pain. I chalked it up to over-doing it the night before cleaning our house in preparation for my mom's arrival (nesting?) I found out that my mom was able to make the first flight out in the morning by getting the last seat at the very last minute. Brian left for work, after suggesting that maybe I go get a massage with my mom, and I started getting ready to go to the airport.  

By 9:00 am, I started to feel contractions that didn't feel like Braxton-Hicks contractions.  They actually felt uncomfortable in my lower abdomen.  By the time I picked up my mom, they were coming about 10 min apart and were lasting about 30 sec long. I told my mom and texted Brian for a heads up, and then mom and I headed off to run errands and help distract me in order to pass the time.  We walked up and down every single aisle at Costco. We stopped at Target, Deseret Book, Whole Foods, and the bank on the way home as well.  Once home, mom started to work on freezer meals, and I finished packing up the hospital bags.

Contractions were now coming every 6-7 mins and were 45-50 sec apart.  Brian came home from work, we ate dinner, and then watched The DaVinci Code. Around 10:00 pm, I updated my midwife to let her know my status, and she suggested I take a bath and try to get some sleep. I spent 3 hours in the bath listening to my relaxation and birthing meditations, and my contractions actually slowed down. :( Around 1:30, I got out and tried to sleep...key word being 'tried'...it's kind of hard to get some sleep when every 10 min, you have to wake up to breath through a contraction. 

I gave up on sleeping around 5:30 and got up to eat breakfast. Getting up and walking around got my contractions coming quicker (every 5 min,) but now they were only lasting about 30 sec...so frustrating.       My contractions also started to make me feel nauseated, and I started puking after every 2 or 3 contractions.  I couldn't keep anything down.  Brian and I decided to go on a walk around the neighborhood to see if we could get my contractions to last a full minute consistently so that we could finally go to the hospital, and it seemed to work.

We took a quick, last picture of my belly, let my midwife know we were on our way to St. Marks, and headed for the hospital. We got to the hospital around 10:30 am; Brian got us checked in, and I went back to get checked out.  It was such a relief when our nurse, Chandra, said I was dilated 5cm and 99% effaced and wouldn't be getting sent home! We were admitted to our labor and delivery room and after 20 min of monitoring and getting stabbed 3 different times to open a line in case I needed an IV, I was able to get in the tub and try out laboring with the jets on.  Brian was amazing, staying by my side and encouraging me the whole time. After about an hour in the tub, I was ready for something else. Danielle, my midwife, was here now and able to offer suggestions for positions and pressure points, etc.  

It was getting harder to simply breath through contractions, but they were still manageable.  Danielle kept telling me that I could do anything for 60 seconds. Unfortunately, I was still throwing up again, or rather dry heaving because there was nothing left in me.  I only threw up once my whole first trimester, and I didn't realized the contractions could make you nauseous.  I hadn't prepared for that at all. They ended up hooking me up to the IV to give me something for the nausea. Now I was 7cm dilated, and we decided to manually break my water because Oliver's head was still pretty high. This is when things started to go crazy for me.

Danielle suggested I get in the tub again to wait out the last couple cm. What no one was expecting was that I would get there so fast! Contractions were coming fast and strong, and I was tired, so tired. Contracting for over 24 hours was really starting to take it's toll.  This is when I asked for the epidural the first time. I told everyone that I didn't want to move and didn't want to get in the tub, but they convinced me to give it a try before getting the epidural.  I started to bend into the tub, stood right back up, said I wanted the epidural NOW, and got out and literally dropped to my hands and knees because the contractions were SO intense. I really freaked Brian out, and he ran into the hall to tell our nurse she needed to get the anesthesiologist right away.  This was my lowest of low moment.  (All this happened within 10 min of my water breaking.)

I made it back to the bed, and Dr. Singer, my OB, came in to check me. I was dilated to a 10 and probably could have started pushing around the time I got out of bed to get to the tub.  They explained to me that I could get an epidural but 1. I could end up still pushing this baby out before it even kicked in or 2. It would slow everything down and set my progress back. At this point, all I wanted to do was push, so that's what I did. I pushed for 15 minutes, burying my head into Brian with every contraction.  I kept my eyes closed the whole time, but Brian kept me updated telling me how close I was, when he could see hair, the head, etc. 

The cord was wrapped around Oliver's head pretty tight, so they had to cut cord as soon as his head was all the way out. Then after having them tell me to slow down and not push and me replying that I can't, the rest of Oliver's body exploded out in one great burst! (I did have some internal tearing and needed a few stitches) Seriously, they had asked Brian earlier if he was interested in catching the baby and even if he had wanted to, he wouldn't have made it in time! Then the best thing happend.  They placed this beautiful, handsome, miraculous little baby on my stomach.  Everyone was surprised at how small he was, except Brian, who after witnessing everything thought he was huge. :)

The first thing the nurse asked us was what we were going to call him. We never actually got around to picking out a middle name, but Brian looked at Oliver, looked at me and said "I like Thomas." I agreed and Oliver Thomas Moote was born...literally. :) Everyone kept complimenting me on such a calm delivery and saying "calm delivery, calm baby," but I can assure you that while I do internalize pain, I was anything but calm! Still, Oliver came out so alert and calm and perfect!  He stole our hearts with those wide open eyes.

How cute is my baby?!?! He is the most amazing thing I have ever done. 

Meeting Nana Jones and Nana Moote for the first time.  We also had visits from Grandpa Moote, Whitney, Logan, Daniel, Laura, Marc, Papa Jones, Kim and James, and the Burbidge family.

\

Oliver's first bath! One of the perks of going natural in the end, is that I was up and walking and able to witness some of the most precious moments.  Brian did the honors, and I took pictures. It was so great to see Brian become a Dad. He is so protective of Oliver.  During our whole hospital stay, Oliver never left us, and Brian went to the nursery with him for every single test and procedure to oversee and comfort Ollie.

Thursday we were discharged and so ready to go home! Oliver loved his new carseat. He was so curious and content and just kept making the cutest faces. :)

Brian and I just can't get over how perfect he is. We are parents! WE LOVE HIM SO MUCH AND HE IS OURS FOREVER! 

37 Weeks!

 

In case you didn't know, I'm about to have a baby...like soon!  At 37 weeks and 4 days, I'm feeling lots of Braxton Hicks contractions, getting mostly excited mixed with a little nervous, and preparing for as many possible scenarios as I can think up. The Pack n' Play is set up.  The glider/rocker is ready to be used.  All baby clothes and blankets have been washed and put away. With the help of Whitney's Target discount, final items (including video baby monitor that I probably don't need but really, really wanted) have been purchased. Hospital Bags are packed a ready to go.  We even went shopping for hospital snacks last night.  Energy drinks, pudding, and brownies for Brian (so healthy) and clear Powerade, coconut granola bars, and celebratory Smartfood White Cheddar Popcorn for me.

How far along? 37 weeks and 4 days

Total weight gain/loss: I officially hit 30 lbs this week. I think I'm going to avoid the scale from now on. Oliver is approximately 6 1/3 lbs and about 19 inches long. He is getting really strong and sometimes he pushes so hard that I think he is trying to get out via my bellybutton.  My next Dr. apt is on Thursday.

 Maternity clothes? I'm willing to wear anything that still fits right about now.  I can't wait to start maternity leave just so I can wear lounge clothes all the time and not have to worry about dressing up.  How is that for letting myself go?!? ;)

Stretch marks? None on my belly yet. I may make it all the way!

Best moments in the last 2 week: Brian surprising me with early Mother's Day flowers and a sweet card; I smile every time I look at them.  Brian finishing finals and finally getting to spend some quality time together.  Double dating with Kim and James to see Iron Man 3. Brian spoiling me with french toast for breakfast 3 Saturdays in a row. Brian starting his new job at Sinclair (for a whole 2 weeks, we will both be working at the same time!) 

Miss anything: I miss my old body.  You know...the one that could stand up and sit down no problem and could squeeze in between objects without even thinking twice.

Movement: Still feeling a lot of movement.  I know they say that babies slow down a lot as they run out of room, but I think I'm feeling movement more than ever.  It's the rolls and jabs necessarily that I felt before.  It's more like slow, strong pushes outward in all directions.  I'm feeling him a lot lower than ever before, too.

  Food cravings: No cravings specifically.  I'm just doing a lot of snacking because my stomach just keeps getting smaller and smaller.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Still heartburn/acid reflux, no matter what/how much I eat.

Have you started to show yet: I'm finally starting to look like I'm carrying lower.  Yesterday a co-worker told me I was "all baby."  I'm not exactly sure what she meant, but I'm guessing I look pretty huge.

  Gender: We are getting so excited to meet our baby boy!  Brian and I talk about it every night as we go to bed.  I know that we have no idea what we are getting ourselves into, but we are excited to jump in head first anyway!

  Belly Button in or out? It's in but semi pointing down when I'm standing up, then it goes flat when I lie down.

Wedding rings on or off? On but getting snug.  My ring no longer spins constantly around my finger like it used to.  

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy because it is May! May = Teacher Appreciation Week, Spring Weather Finally, Mother's Day, My Birthday, Memorial Day, End of School, Beginning of Summer Blockbusters, and of course, OLIVER'S BIRTHDAY!

Looking forward to: Maternity leave starting next Thursday, MEETING MY BABY, having my parents come into town,  childbirth classes this weekend, and celebrating Mother's Day/My Birthday next week.