Todd's finally done it

Todd has been looking at cars online for the last little while, more like long while. He's been debating between a full size truck, sporty sedan, small SUV, & everything in between.

He knew he'd need all wheel drive for those winter mornings when American Fork has not plowed yet (I am not sure they ever plow) & for getting up the canyon to ski.

I think he's felt the pressure from the work parking lot too. He took a picture in his parking lot the other day. Our little 99 civic was surrounded by big trucks.

So back & forth he's gone between one car to the next with a new favorite every day. Last week I told him to just buy something because I'm tired of hearing about various cars & he'll have so much more time once he quits looking at cars online all the time.

So, today he decided on something & purchased. Yeah! The best part was he did it without me coming along since I really do not like car shopping.

He got an Acura MDX. When we were first married he told me he'd like an Acura someday. Well, 11 years later, he's finally bought one.

The kids were excited to see a new car in the garage.

That gross oily cardboard is from the poor civic that is leaking since Todd had it in for a new timing belt.
Todd is trying to figure out all the bells & whistles this car has. Mitchell is patiently sitting on the passenger seat, probably thrilled to not be strapped into his carseat where he spends way too much time these days.

2 busy months

Mitchell is two months old today. It has gone really fast since we have been so busy, yet some days seem to last forever (luckily none of the nights have, he's a great sleeper!)
Here's the little guy or "mane man" as his shirt says a months ago, August 11. He spent his first month birthday in his car seat & stroller while we were at Snowbird doing various activities. He did not seem to mind a bit.
Mitchell is relaxing before bed after a long day of sleeping in his car seat at Snowbird.
Mitchell last Sunday (8 weeks old) giving me a grin. He'd started smiling the week before, at 7 weeks. He'd also started sleeping through the night (10p-6a) at 7 weeks, yeah!!!!!
Mitchell spent much of his two month birthday stuck in his car seat again while I went shopping with mom & Lori to buy house decorations. He did not sleep through it all though, he was awake much of the day. That makes for great nights but sometimes rough days!
Mitchell has really chubbed up this past month! He sure is a great little guy! We are happy he decided to join our family!

too much to blog

I have not been on here lately because I have not been home much!

The week after Mitchell's blessing we had parts of our basement cut into for yet another sump pump & some drains or trenches or something. I managed to stay away as much as possible that week. One of the days the guys came & started jackhammering down there before we left. Emma was scared to death by the noise. I could not get her out of the house fast enough.

Where did we go instead of being home??? Shopping of course, for a few of the days. I got some fun stuff to put up in my house. I still need lots more & someone to come help me put it all up!

By the end of the week of not being able to be home & Emma being very clingy I had had it! I was trying to get us ready for a trip up to Snowbird, but could never be home to pack & do laundry. Anyway, I basically lost it, so my sister Lori offered to take Mitchell for the night. She almost got to do it, but then Todd's sister, Jen, was in town from Alaska & she insisted she take Mitchell. Great! She & Todd's mom also kept Mason & Sarah for the night so Emma had me all to herself for 24 hours & I made it to the store with just one (so nice). Emma was a bit confused not having anyone else around but she liked all the attention. Mitchell seemed different to me when they brought him back after being gone for 24 hours. I've never been away from my newborn that long.

Saturday of that busy week we headed up to Snowbird. Todd's family has had a time share there forever & we were lucky enough to buy one for ourselves. It was nice to get away, even though Emma was a grumpy kid much of the time (I thought for sure our neighbors would try to have us kicked out with all her morning screaming).

I'll post pictures one of these days, I hope!

We came home on Friday, luckily to a dry basement, whew.

Saturday we had a Loveridge family reunion in Hobble Creek Canyon. It was fun to see everyone.

Now we are to this week, which has also been busy. On Monday I braved my first shopping trip alone with all 4 kids. We went to Kohls & they all did quite well. It could have been because I was buying things for Sarah & Mason or because I'd promised them Happy Meals if they would cooperate, who knows.

Todd & I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary on the 18th. We went to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, with the kiddos. Hopefully this weekend we'll go somewhere without them, even though they did quite well at the restaurant.

Sarah started 2nd grade today. She was very nervous. The two girls in our ward that she has played with that are also starting 2nd grade are not in her class. She was sad about that. She has been to a different school for each grade, hopefully she'll finish out at this one! We don't have a bus for school, but luckily we are in a carpool so she'll have someone to walk in with & I don't have to drive all the time!

That's it, I think. I'll post pictures sometime, when I don't have a squirmy baby on my lap or a 4 year old wanting some attention.

Mitchell's blessing

Today we blessed Mitchell. He did great, he was quiet during the blessing & was alert & looking around during most of the rest of the meeting. Hope he stays so good! As for the others, well, the picture tells all.

I love his hair over his collar. I don't see this view of Mitchell much.
After a good nap & a bottle, Mitchell let us take some cute pictures. He's lying on my Bethlehem baby blanket. I'd bought this blanket in Jerusalem (I was told it was made in Bethlehem) 13 years ago. I have used it for each baby blessing.

I love these little pictures, but am once again reminded why I rarely buy baby clothes with collars!

We had a big brunch at our house after the meeting. This was our first time to host a big event in our new house. Luckily the basement has dried out & the kids had fun wiggle racing down there. Now I can relax until our next big event, Sarah's baptism on Halloween.

Water & more water

We have a lovely field across from us. It's very nice to look out over. Well, the past month or so the farmer has flooded/irrigated this field. Fine. Except as he does this, the water runs across the street & fills up our basement.

We have a sump pump put in by our builder. It never ran until June. Then it seemed to run all the time. Then we started getting some water along the north side of our house. Todd put another sump pump into a hole outside. Our problem seemed to be solved, as long as our pumps worked.

Last week the power shorted out for the basement pump & our basement had some standing water. Todd called a wet basement specialist & we are set up for yet another pump, this one will be higher quality with battery backup & other goodies. The company is also going to dig a trench of some sort in our foundation & our problem should be solved (it had better be!!!). I'm not looking forward to this next week, but at least it's next week, not now since I'm attempting to get things ready for Mitchell's blessing on Sunday.

This is our next door neighbor's driveway when the farmer flooded about 10 days ago. He does not want to landscape since part of his yard frequently gets flooded. He's talked to the farmer who told him this was not his problem, his family has been on this land for years & it's not his fault that our neighborhood floods. Our neighbor has also talked to the city about getting better storm drains, but has gotten nowhere with them.

The kids think the floods are great!
Today the farmer was flooding again. Our basement pump was working fine. The outside one had been working most of the morning, but must have stopped sometime around 10 or so. I'd been downstairs at 8 am & things were fine (a little damp in one spot, but nothing bad).

At noon I went down to get something & found this. At the bottom of our stairs there was about 1 1/2 inch deep standing water that was spreading throughout the basement.

The kids thought it was great fun to ride wiggle racers through the water. I was not too thrilled since we had a stack of boxes down there that were soaking up water.
I got a hold of Todd, who luckily was having a light work day, & was able to hurry home.

The wet basement guy was stopping by to get a check from me, so I showed him our new fun, just so he could make sure they get whatever they are doing next week right. He was able to get the outside pump working for me so the basement would stop filling up.

I got the kids up to a neighbor's house, as planned earlier. Then, instead of taking a nap like I really needed, I moved boxes. Nothing was too soaked yet, which was good.
This is where our outside pump drains, right down our front yard (also the lovely field across the street). Too bad we can't somehow collect the water to water the entire lawn, it's some good water!

Clothes, blah

You know you are in trouble when your maternity clothes are much more desirable to wear than the stuff you pull out of storage from prepregnancy. Not that anything prepregnancy fits yet, but I'm not all that anxious to get into those clothes!

Shopping anyone???

Mitchell pictures & "the story"

Todd & Mitchell shortly after he was born.
Julie, tired but happy to be done with the delivery!
Mitchell finally awake the evening of the 11th.
Dressed & ready to go home on the 13th.
Sarah & Mason could not hold Mitchell enough when we got home.

Mitchell got his name because I like the name Mitchell & why not give him a last name since Mason's got one. Jay is my dad's middle name & was my big brother's name, the last baby on my side of the family born in July (he was 2 months early & only lived 2 days, so I have not met him yet).

Mitchell's arrival story (sorry it's kind of long, but it's so I don't forget it!).

I had been having some contractions/cramping on Thursday & a little on Friday. Nothing to get excited about though.

Saturday morning the kids slept in for a change. Around 8 they all came in to get me up. I was not feeling too great, just kind of crampy. I carried Emma from my room into the kitchen & that just did not feel good.

Todd made us a big breakfast. I kept feeling crampy, not having real contractions, just feeling tight. I showered right after breakfast & told Todd he'd better too. I kept debating if I was in labor or not. Finally around 10 I called my sister Lori. She picked up the phone after one ring with "Is it time?" I answered, "I sure hope so!"

She, Megan, & Allie hurried over while I packed my bags & still debated if I really was in labor on not. I did not want to sit down, for fear that my contractions that were coming would stop.

Megan & Lori did not think I looked like I was about to go have a baby, but were hopeful for me.

I had two contractions on the 10 minute drive to the hospital, but they were not bad at all.

We arrived at the hospital shortly before 11 & I feared being sent home in false labor. At the labor & delivery desk they were very nice & did not give me the look of "you can't possibly be in real labor" (like I'd been given with Mason).

I was taken to a triage room to be checked. I told the nurse I'd had a baby in an ambulance & maybe was being over cautious. Luckily, I was at a 5 & was staying for sure, yeah! I still did not feel like I really was in labor though.

I got an epidural a little after noon. I've never had an epidural this early in labor, meaning before I was in terrible pain. It was not too hard to be all hunched over & still. The poor nurse anesthetist was a bit nervous when he learned my husband is an anesthesiologist. He did great though. Having dead weights for legs is quite the feeling.

My doctor came in to break my water around 12:30 or so. I was at a 6 & feeling great. Todd & I thought we'd be there for a while.

My sister Lynda was texting me random messages & I was having contractions about every 4 minutes. Around 1 I had a big contraction & Mitchell's heart rate dropped, so my nurse came running into my room. I was complete & ready to push, I did not feel like it at all, it was so weird (even with an epidural I usually know when I need to push).

So, she paged my doctor, they got all set up, then we waited for a contraction. I pushed a few times, Mitchell's head popped out, pushed again & the rest of him came, whew, what a great feeling! He was born at 1:18pm.

Mitchell weighed 7 pounds 10 ounces & was 19 1/2 inches long.

Around 1:30, Lynda texted me again telling me to call her on her cell after I had my baby. Little did she know I already had!

We called home a little before 2 & surprised everyone that Mitchell had arrived so quickly. We finally told everyone his name too (we'd kept it a secret because we were not totally decided on it & it's fun to at least have something to surprise with since we knew we were having a boy).