CHRISTMAS!!

I've always thought springtime was a perfect time for babies, but Christmas has been SO cozy w/ a little one, and a great excuse to not do ANYTHING but keep things simple and at-home.  I necessarily got all shopping (online) and wrapping done a month ago, w/ everything stowed under our bed in the boxes they were shipped in.  I gave myself permission to do NO Christmas baking, and Brian ended up baking some of his Swiss cookies instead :).  I also made no plans for holiday outings, and felt NO compulsion to find concerts, plays, outings for the family (though even WITH that, Brian and I saw "White Christmas," and attended the work dinner, while I was also able to see LOTS of recitals/concerts of the children, AND make the ward Breakfast AND RS Dinner w/ Mom here and Jane not :) ). Jane and I even  ventured out to Sacrament Mtg last week to hear Brian's Choir Christmas program, that went beautifully! Still, I have never had so many pajama days in a row like this, AND avoided cabin fever, and I am grateful to feel completely satisfied taking our sweet time venturing back into real life with this new baby.

I was prepared to have a frozen lasagna for Christmas Eve dinner, but Jane was sleeping 8(!!!!!!!) hour nights for a few days, and cooking seemed appealing having lost so much of my load, so we had a great feast of ham/potatoes, roasted green beans, pomegranate salad (read:  pomegranates covered in whipped cream and pecans w/ some grapes and bananas thrown in), spinach salad, and fresh rolls (previously frozen)--and Uncle Brent's famous Mint Oreo dessert (as found in Priday cookbook--the kids could barely believe there was actually a recipe for Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream put into an oreo pie shell :) ).  We lit the candles, read and sang and played out the Nativity with our own infant, opened up pajamas (girls all in polkadots!), and after securing the children in the basement, got to bed fairly early! Not even Jane woke up before 7!! and we started opening gifts just before 8, using breakfast casserole, cinnamon rolls, stocking stuffers, and leftovers to feed us through the slow, happy day.  Had to get a shot of Brent's much-desired "Morph Suit" teenage boys are awesome!?!), Spencer's r/c Helicopter (that I read was for "Ages 14 & up" much too late, but was fabulously not out of Spencer's ability :))--and Emily, Spencer, and Anne all got new pairs of roller blades, which even icy roads could not stop them trying.  We had a wonderfully sunny day, so I was glad to have a reason to step out for a few minutes and watch them.  Mostly though, I just sat w/ cuteness in my lap, perfectly content!

 

To remember Dad's birthday, all the Mildenhall's in GA were going on a hike and out for gelato (2 of his favorites), and, anxious to tie ourselves to everyone somehow (the portals of life seem closer w/ death and new babies!), I found a Farmington Bay Wildlife Refuge with year-round wonderful walking trails (according to website), easy for all ages, AND the only gelato in the county seems to be at a Harmon's grocery store--also in Farmington, so we loaded up and drove there Saturday.  The Refuge was gated off, but that just allowed us to walk along the road entrance, which was all of the hike we got since the trails required snowgear.  Ah well--a quarter mile is better than nothing (right?) and some of the kids had fun skating on the iced over ponds, at least.  By then, gelato seemed a bit like cold torture, but we fought through it, and were happy to find a lot of great flavors.  I don't think I warmed up the rest of the day, and to be honest, it only made me miss Dad a lot more, so I let Mom know we should try something more like Hawaii for next year (Dad was never much for traditions, anyway :) )--at least it wasn't snowing!!

 

It has been a wonderful conclusion to a somewhat weighty year to focus on Christ, and cling to the hope he promises.  I find myself thinking of the coming Spring, as we're surrounded w/ cold and snow, and remembering how constant the seasons are and that things WILL get warmer, and gradually easier, and more beautiful, and that we CAN always have hope thanks to our Savior and His love for us.  I love this time of year that we have to bask in that love, and I love, love, love that we have family to share it all with!

11 DAYS LATE, AND SO WORTH THE WAIT!!

The night of Dec. 10, contractions finally started! Jane had been breach that morning (thank goodness for midwives that could and would turn her!) at my appt. where she not only had plenty of fluid to turn around in, but also passed her non-stress test with flying colors.  They stripped my membranes for the 2nd time, and I was wondering if she was building a permanent residence, since I'd had a week full of pre-labor symptoms and contractions, more than any previous child, and then they all stopped, and I thought all hope might too! At 10:30, I could tell something was up, but told Brian to go ahead to sleep (knowing my patterns of SLOWness), then went downstairs, when I couldn't sleep myself, and called the midwife @ 11:30 since things had become regular.  She said to call back when I was ready for them to come, and when I hung up, I thought, "THAT'S why I thought I was calling!" and debated how much longer to wait, since I was already so uncomfortable! Usually I can pack my bag, finish up projects, rest, etc. while I wait for things to pick up.  As it was, I could barely get back up the stairs! Fortunately, she texted me right back, and since that baby had been breach that morning, she was coming over to make sure she was still head down (which I was fairly sure she still was).  I was in the tub before the midwives got here, and after what felt like pushing FOREVER!!,--and having to make sure mid-labor that she was indeed head down, while also finding out she was too high to break my water still (while I thought she was about to crown!), she DID arrive--at 2:45 AM.  3 hours of labor is record-breaking for me, but OH was it intense!! Mom was able to see her born, and Maddie, who had awoken, waited until the screaming had stopped, then came and saw her sister brand new :).  She even got to cut the cord! Anne and Lucy were half-awake, so when she whispered to them that they had a new sister, they came upstairs to hold her too.  It was so cozy being able to snuggle right into bed with her, and to have the family around so quickly.  I was glad for the experience of having her at home, although I think in my head, I thought it would somehow make labor more pleasant (no such thing!).  She weighed in at 8 lbs 12 oz, 21" long, and absolutely perfect! Jane--a name I have always loved, and that is in both of our family lines, and Brinley in our attempt to pass on Brian's name :).  (I thought Briony was a darling one, but the kids all said it sounded like "brine shrimp" which grow here around Antelope Island!)

She is wonderful, & I have taken everything as slowly as possible to soak up every moment.  She is already really smiley for a newborn (with what we like to think of as Dad's recent influence), and she does seem to get fussy before falling asleep, but as long as Maddie's around, we barely notice, since she's such a charmer! She has such long fingers, is a great eater, doesn't believe in spitting up, and is so patient with all of the arms that love to hold her, and fussy or not during the day, she has slept 5-6 straight hours (and gone back to sleep once fed) every night of her brief life, so I think I can handle anything else! (Hooray!!).  I feel like Christmas has already come to finally have her here, but it is extra cozy getting these days at home with nothing but family time for a few days--we are SO grateful and happy! There is nothing like a new baby, & even at #7, it is miraculous & amazing!!
Mom was a lifesaver, extending her ticket an extra 4 days (& missing Baby Ben's early arrival, Kristen's PhD graduation, & Baby Kate's blessing!) and taking care of EVERYTHING while I slept and snuggled and slept.  Even Anne kept saying in amazement how "Grandma really did all of the stuff!"--including way too many rounds of "Cootie Bug", tuning the youth string group I had organized for Sacrament Mtg, and wearing Lucy's prescribed "Ballet Costume" (Lucy was having a meltdown about something else by the time I got the camera ready).  We also had tender hearts over Brian's Grandma Duncan passing away 2 days after Jane was born--such a revolving door for our family at the veil lately!! One of the last things she did while conscious was write down Jane's name and birthday to add to her list of posterity.  Brian took the 5 older children to the funeral Saturday, and we enjoyed a visit (or 2) from Dad and Kathy.  And here are way too many pictures in attempt to capture some of that fleeting wonder of new life--