Please tell me babies are hardy!

I left Ari in the swing unbuckled (because she was asleep swaddled) while I was cleaning the pantry and Melody was folding clothes. Aleyah came and told me, "Arianna is about to fall out of the swing." I went to check on her and found that Mel had gone to hang up clothes. When I looked in the swing there was no baby- Aleyah had swung the swing so hard Ari fell forward out of it. I found her face down on the carpet with a bump on the bridge of her nose. Doc said she's fine but I'm still shaking. I am proud to say that I didn't lose my temper with Aleyah at all though! But I almost threw up.

Smiley baby!

Six weeks to the day Ari smiled a real smile! She hams it up quite often now and it is beautiful! I love watching my babies grow up, even if it is sad..

Ari is one month old!

Her eyes have lightened up a lot, an her eyebrows are coming in dark and heavy- I hope that means dark hair! We've nicknamed Ari 'Squirt' because as soon as her diaper comes off you better watch out! I've been caught not paying attention a couple times and that stain is hard to get out! The other night she aimed high enough that she skipped the clean diaper that was under her bum and got me square in the chest - little stinker!
Arianna has developed a nasty cough to go along with her congestion and isn't eating great. She was tested for rsv and it was neg. She got a chest x-ray because they wanted to make sure it hasn't turned into pneumonia - that came back clean. Probably just a nasty cold. She got a shot of an antibiotic yesterday and she's doing better. The scale at the doc's said she was 9#6 - She's growing like a weed, despite being so sick!

Three weeks chunky!

    Arianna is three weeks old- I hate how fast time is flying by! She loves to eat, and is already almost 9 lbs! I miss her chicken legs!! She's getting to be a noisy eater, and when she gets done she smacks her lips - sometimes so hard she startles herself. haha. She is also starting to look at me and 'talk'. I love baby coo's! Aleyah really loves her sister, and loves ON her sister. She always wants to give Arianna a quick hug and kiss and is always willing to help out with her in any way. It's so wonderful to see the bond they are developing. If Ari starts to fuss Aleyah will start talking or singing to her and Ari will turn towards her voice and quiet down.

Two weeks old!

Ari is two weeks old already! I can't believe how fast time has gone by! She is a great eater, but so funny - it takes her a good several minutes to latch on because she likes to 'play around'. Once she starts eating she sure chows down though! She has grown a whole inch, gained over a lb and a few of her headbands actually fit now! Arianna is sure a happy baby. She doesn't fuss much and quiets quickly. She loves to be held though and we all love to hold her! Aleyah especially. She really scared Deco and I because she thought she'd help out by bringing Arianna to Deco so he wouldn't have to get up. We didn't notice until Aleyah was half way across the living room and she said, "Don't worry mom, I'm holding her neck really carefully!" I'm just glad she didn't drop Ari when we both yelled!

Arianna is a week old!

Sweet Arianna is such an easy baby! She is a champ nurser and hardly cries. She loves to be bundled and snuggled in someones arms. Aleyah loves her baby sister and can't stop talking about Ari's 'tiny eyes/nose/ears..'. She is the best little helper - anything I need she'll jump and run to get. She always wants to hold and kiss Ari - and she's learning that she is NOT allowed to pick her up whenever she gets the urge. Arianna's cord fell off at day 6, and I've snuggled her in a couple showers since. I love the skin-to-skin; nothing better than a content baby on your chest!

Introducing Arianna Elise Lyman!

    She arrived last friday, September 7th at 8:34 pm. This pregnancy has been a roller coaster of emotions! My other two deliveries were less than 5 hrs and I flew through transition as soon as I hit 5cm- baby was *literally* out within minutes. At my 36 week appt, my OB did a cervical check because I had been having frequent and intense prodromal labor (I'm assuming because this baby was posterior). I was 3cm, 70% and -1. The following week I was 6cm. My OB did a streach and sweep at my request because I was having serious anxiety due to our stillbirth last September at 34 weeks. I felt like my baby would be safer out than in since we didn't know the cause of Eli's death.
My OB told me to stay close (we live 30-45 min from the hospital) because he was sure he would see me that night. After my appt contractions started immediately. I went and walked around the mall for hours before they petered back out.
That morning, contractions started up pretty mild and I didn't get my hopes up (due to all the previous prodromal labor). Around 9 am my mom and I went to the store to get some last minute items. While we were walking around (hoping to get things going) my contractions started to get more intense and close together - about 2 min apart. 10:30am and I was pretty sure this was the real deal so we headed to the hospital because I was sure I would go fast.

 

    We checked in at 11:30. I was still 6, a little more effaced at 90% and baby had moved down to 0 station. After getting monitored for 20 min, I was allowed to get up and walk around. I lapped the L&D floor over and over.. and over.

 

   Unfortunately my contractions started to space back out after 3 hours. The nurse checked me and I was 7cm. I allowed them to break my water, hoping things would pick back up. The contractions got a little closer together, but things were still not moving along and after 2 hours I was still 7cm. I consented to a very low dose of pitocin to see if it might help 'jump start' my labor. The contractions immediately picked up. I had to be on the monitors for 1 hour and then they would allow intermittent monitoring. Being bedridden was horrible.

Deco was great at applying counter pressure by pushing on my knees so I could manage the intense pain and I was able to relax in between contractions. 

  When they came to check me an hour later, I was still only 7cm. My legs were shaky and weak from the pain at this point, and I was scared they wouldn't hold me up so I stayed in bed. An hour later and I was still only 7cm. The nurse insisted that she needed to up the pit. I told her I couldn't handle it if she did, but when another nurse came and sided with her, I caved. I'm not a confrontational person but I really wish I had fought them on it. The contractions became so close together and so intense that I felt like I was going to pass out during each one. It was the worst pain I felt in my life. At 7:30 my OB came to check my progress and told me I was a 7+. I started bawling. While he was checking me I had a contraction and I insisted there was no way I could do this laying down. He ignored me and during that contraction *helped* stretch me to 8cm. I thought I might die. Everyone around me kept telling me I needed an epidural. I got through another half an hour before I finally agreed to a spinal. It took about 15 min for it to arrive and when he told me to swing my legs over the bed I could only sarcastically laugh. My body was so much in pain that I couldn't move. At all. I tried as hard as I could and there was no response (almost like I was paralyzed with full feeling) so Deco had to move my legs and then lift me into that hunched over position. The next contraction had me biting the pillow and I almost blacked out. After that contraction I could feel my baby moving and the next contraction was a LOT easier. I suddenly had the urge to push. I was so terrified of trying to push through the amount of pain I was in, that when the anesthesiologist asked if I had any pressure or urge to push before he gave me the spinal I told him no, because I knew he wouldn't give it to me. As soon as he was done and I was laid back down, my OB checked me and said I was complete! He kept saying that it was because I got the spinal that I was able to relax, but I KNOW that it was only because I moved positions. I felt her move and I felt the urge to push before that needle ever touched my back.
I pushed for about 5 min and my baby girl was born! She was placed on my chest for some skin-to-skin and immediately started licking me. haha. It was the sweetest moment I've been waiting for since I first got pregnant with my son over 18 months ago. I finally had a baby in my arms! We named her Arianna Elise (Elise after our stillborn son Eli). She was 6.6, 18" and she breastfeeds like a pro!

Aleyah is three!!

  I was laying down with Aleyah for her nap and thought she was finally asleep. It was too easy, and I knew it. She rolls over, starts making noise and wiggling again, so I tell her firmly (if a little grumpily), "It's nap time. You need to be quiet and lay still or you're going to get in trouble." She starts growling, making horrible faces and just being a naughty little monster, so I warn her again, "Lay still or you are going to get in trouble Aleyah." She rolls over, gives me a NASTY, naughty, scrunchy face glare and demands in a terrible, scratchy/growl voice, "Is we gonna FIGHT, mom?!" Yeah, I about lost my composure. I had to hide my laugh in my pillow for a second before I got after her. She is such a stinker these days!!

   I can't believe my little monster is three! Time has really gone by fast.
  I'm loving this age! Aleyah is so funny. She likes to think she is bigger than she really is, and is so responsible! She acts older than a lot of the neighbor kids her age. She surprises me on a daily basis. The things she says all the time crack me up! At three years old, Aleyah weighs 29 lbs and is inches tall. Her favorite show is Monsters Inc. (She loves all things monster.)

She has just started drawing people - big head with arms and legs coming directly off it - no body. She gets very detailed about them (eyes, nose, mouth, ears, hair...) and becomes frustrated if she forgets to leave room for something.

She had her very first dentist appt and was thought it was great! She had no problem opening her mouth and letting the dentist and hygienist poke and prod away.

Aleyah is a social butterfly. One of the fist things out of her mouth every morning is, "Can I go find a friend mom?" She plays amazing by herself, but she loves to play with anyone and everyone! She loves to find something to share with someone - after every doctors appt she gets an extra sucker or two to bring home for one of her little neighbor friends.
Out of all her toys, Aleyah loves her stuffed animals the most! She makes up the funniest games and stories! She always has one or two (or a whole arm-full!) in tow all day. 
She is such an optimist! She reminds me on my extra rough days that life is good. "It's a BEAUTIFUL DAY! Did you know that mom?"
She loves to dance and show us new 'tricks'.
Her favorite food is fresh peas, tomatoes and green beans from our garden.
She loves to write notes and take them to people. 

Aleyah is such a character! She never ceases to crack me up! Watching Robin Hood- He kissed Maid Marian and it was a good one. Aleyah turns to me, puts her hand on the back of my neck and plants me a solid one! She's a quick learner!

Some funny things she has said lately:

Aleyah: "Pretend I'm Medoly." I look over and Aleyah is carefully walking around in Melody's cute black high-heels. "I'm Medoly. This Medoly wants to watch a big kid show. Ok? Say,'hi Medoly'." Aleyah would only respond if I called her 'Melody'. Finally, she decides to be herself again. "I'm now Aleyah. I need my Aleyah shoes. My name is Aleyah Jenelle Lyman! Did you know that mom?"
 
Aleyah, how many toes do I have?
"1,2,3,4,5!"
Yep, and how many eyes?
"1,2!"
Yep, and how many noses?
"1,2!"
I have two noses?
"Yep! 1,2! Oh.... you have two booger holes, but not two noses. Only one nose."

 My daughter has the craziest imagination ever!! Looking at the food cooking in the oven, she says, "It's hot in their, huh? I don't want to get in there. I don't want to be cook-ed. Cause then I would have to go the hosible (hospital) so I could get fix-ed! And then I wouldn't have no eye's and not a nose either. And that wouldn't be very good, huh mom?"


 "Dad Mammit!" How Aleyah says Dang Nabbit!

Aleyah spit her mouth full of milk into my glass of milk. I asked her why she did that and she replied, "cause I just needed to." I said, "that doesn't make any sense. That's gross and now I'm upset." Aleyah, "It doesn't make any sense to you but it makes sense to me." I said, "How does that make sense to you? It's not ok to spit, ESPECIALLY into someones food or drink." "Mom, it makes sense to me because I just needed to have fun. I'm sorry I spitted in your milk. What are you going to do to me?" 

Aleyah: "Mom, can you please not want any more of my orange? 'Cause I don't have any more to share with you. You just going to have to deal with it. Ok?" Said in a very polite little voice....

Aleyah: "Pretend I'm the mom."
Me: "Ok. Hi mom! How are you?"
Aleyah: "I'm busy.."
And then she walks away....  

Aleyah was playing with her friend Dominic, and I overheared the following conversation:
Aleyah, "Horses' poop is green."
Dominic," Yeah. And this is the horses' butt."
Aleyah, "Yeah. Actually, No. This is the horses' tail."
Dominic, "Then horses' poop from their tail?"
Aleyah, "Yeah. I guess." 

 

Aleyah's 3rd Birthday, Zions Ponderosa Resort!

This year for our annual Lyman family vacation, Jed and Candice took everyone to Zions Ponderosa, June 29th- July 1st.

It was wonderful! They rented a cabin for us to stay in and it was HUGE! So beautiful. Some of the families went on a bus tour of Zions National Park. That Saturday, the younger kids went to 'kid camp'; unfortunately, Aleyah was just a little too little. We had fun keeping her with us, but I know she would have loved it! We went swimming, and then took her on a horse ride later that day.

 Isn't this swimsuit adorable! Her uncle Jake got it for her. I love it!

 Her little closet bedroom. Despite her face, she loved it.

Aleyah's 3rd birthday fell on the Sunday, but since we would be driving home from our vacation, decided to celebrate Saturday night. She was a little nervous with all the attention on her. Aleyah is OBSESSED with monsters, so I attempted to make a monster cake. It didn't turn out how I planned, but she loved it!

Maybe next year I'll actually get to participate in the fun activities!

Hoping for a Happier New Year!

This time last year I found out I was pregnant with Eli. We are very scared for what the future will bring, but we are also very excited to announce that we are pregnant again! I'm almost 10 weeks pregnant and so, so sick. I'm praying this pregnancy will be healthy! Baby is due September 27th... Almost exactly a year after Eli was born.

Christmas Day 2011

We headed down to Blanding for Christmas on the 23rd. Poor Aleyah started feeling sick pretty fast, so I'm glad I grabbed a few bags from the Dr.s Office. They were a life saver! 

Christmas morning we had all crowded in Grandma and Grandpa Lymans bedroom to hear Grandpa read the story of the Birth of Christ. Then we headed down the stairs to find our stockings!

 She was pretty excited about her own, electric toothbrush! This girl LOVES to brush her teeth.

Then we started opening presents! 

The wrapping paper Santa chose was ridiculously tough! Dad had to help Aleyah start it.

 Notice the Skateboard? Yeah, Santa really brought her one! She talked about it for months - no clue where she got the idea in her head that she needed one. But she made sure Santa knew that was her #1 desire.

 

Grandpa, and his awesome hat. 

Aleyah got a baby with a chicken costume -just like her halloween costume! She loved it and couldn't stop telling us that she had one just like her!

Josh and Aleyah, reading later that day. 

Merry Christmas! 

We sure had a lot of fun - Great family, good food!