Lizzie napped for a while while I got ready. 
While I was packing my hospital bag Lizzie brought me this picture of John. I set it beside me as they started the pitocin, and felt sure he was there.
When Lizzie woke up the pitocin hadn't started to kick in yet, so we read some stories together. Things were going a little too well.
When the pitocin did start to kick in, things got crazy pretty quick. I was sure I was going to die. I planned on a long labor (Lizzie took 18 hours), and I think the nurse expected it to take a lot longer too. I went from feeling OK to dying in a few minutes. When I was finally able to communicate to the nurse that I was ready for the epidural it was a little late. It took a long time for the doctor to come, and when he did get there he had to administer it very slowly because I have low blood pressure. Unfortunately it didn't kick in until I was ready to start pushing. After the 4th push the doctor said the baby's heart rate had dropped significantly and told me I had to get the baby out on the next push. I believed him and made the 5th push the last.
I've never experienced such extraordinary pain, but it's amazing how you forget it even happened as soon as that baby is in your arms. I just stared at my little angel, not even caring that a giant fishhook looking things was being used to stich up my episiotomy.
John Edward Jones II was born at 7:23 pm on Tuesday June 15th. He was 8lbs 2oz and 19in long. The nurse had to rough him up a bit because he didn't want to cry.
Lizzie is pretty excited about her new little brother. The whole experience went over really well thanks to a lot of help from my mom, dad, brother Nathan, and friend Caroline. Nathan ("Nate") showed Lizzie the wonders of a wheelchair, which I'm sure everyone on the maternity floor really appreciated. Caroline ("RaRa") was there to play with her every time we needed an extra hand, and my sweet dad ("Papa") took care of her every night while my mom stayed with me in the hospital. My mom ("Moomoo") took care of pretty much everything else. Thank heavens for family.
Baby John brought Lizzie a present, a duck purse filled with treats and a locket for a picture of the 2 of them. That was my mom's brilliant idea. Now lizzie doesn't want to go anywhere without her duck purse.
Thursday afternoon we ditched the hospital wardrobe and came home exhausted but happier than ever. I feel so blessed to have the two most wonderful kids in the world, and I'm excited to start life as a family of 4!
For Nathan's 28th birthday he decided he wanted to take a trip to the Safari Park...for Lizzie, of course. ;) It was our 2nd time going, but I don't think I could ever get tired of that place. One part of the park is like a zoo with caged animals, only it has really lax security. There was a sleepy kangaroo laying across one of the walking paths that seemed to really enjoy having his tummy rubbed. Another highlight of this area was a hungry looking tiger who couldn't take his eyes off Lizzie. Fortunately, he was a little more securely caged. As much as Lizzie seemed to like the monkeys, giraffes, turtles, tigers, warthogs, etc., her favorite part was stopping at each hand sanitizer station throughout the park (same as our last visit.) The other part of the park is a large, open area that you can drive through with buckets of food. The animals practically climb into your car to get the food...very exciting. There were zebras, llamas, ostriches, deer, emus, pigs, elk, buffalo, etc, but our favorites were the giant camels. Their heads took up practically the whole back seat.
+piggy+back.jpg)
.jpg)
A lot of sweet friends have asked me over and over to keep up with my blog so they can see pictures of Lizzie and stay posted on what we're up to in life. So, I'm recommitting myself to at least a couple of posts a month. I'll guess I better back up a bit and start where I left off.
February and March:
A few weeks after taking the mommy daughter pictures, Lizzie and I moved away from our beloved Charlottesville and came to Salem, Virginia to live with my parents. I was dreading leaving my friends, but the hardest part was leaving our apartment. It was like saying goodbye to John all over again. As we locked up the apartment I imagined all the times Lizzie and I had watched out our kitchen window for John to get home from class on his squeaky bike. Lizzie's arms and legs would flail when she heard the familiar sound of her daddy coming home, and she would squirm in anticipation until John came in and whisked her away. I will always miss those days. As we pulled out of the parking lot for the last time I felt my heart sink as I noticed that John's bike wasn't propped up on the poll outside our front door. Whenever Lizzie and I came home from running errands I would tell her to look for the bike so we would know if Daddy was home. I couldn't help but cry as I thought of the missing bike, a reminder that we would never come home to him in that place again.
But the move wasn't all tears. I was so touched by the many many people who came to help. More than 20 guys from the Elders Quorum showed up, and they had everything out of the apartment in less than half an hour. As if that wasn't enough the Sanchezes brought cupcakes and the Glasses brought homemade cinnamon rolls. I didn't even have to rent a moving truck! Scott Wakefield arranged for a truck and even drove it all the way down to Salem to unload it. Being LDS is pretty amazing. It's like being in a huge family filled with talented, giving people. You never have to face life alone.
Moving in with my parents has proven better than expected as well. I thought it would be hard to move back in after being on my own, but Lizzie and I love having Grandma and Grandpa around all the time. For Lizzie it means lots of extra attention, and for me it means showers as hot as I want them without a baby crawling around at my feet. We've been working hard to get the house ready for the new baby...cleaning out, organizing, remodeling, etc. We've also been playing hard. Lizzie loves the trampoline, sandbox, baby pool, etc. in the backyard.
With my mom's help, I've also had a little more time to research careers. I booted the Clinical Psych PhD idea after talking to some students in VT's PhD program. They said they spend 60+ hours a week on school (not including the 2 hours a day I would have to commute), and as much as I like school, I would hardly ever get to see Lizzie until she's 10 years old! Not worth it! So, my life plan is still in flux, but my most recent idea is a masters in social work. I think I'd like to work for LDS Family Services doing adoptions, teach at the college level, and do private practice therapy on the side.
Highlights from April:
A wonderful trip to Utah to visit John's family. It was all thanks to Mike (John's brother) and Sheri. They paid for my plane ticket and were even willing to host a baby shower for me while we were there. Lizzie LOVED hanging out with her cousins, especially little Lincoln...what a stud! I couldn't ask for better in-laws.
While I was packing my hospital bag Lizzie brought me this picture of John. I set it beside me as they started the pitocin, and felt sure he was there.
When Lizzie woke up the pitocin hadn't started to kick in yet, so we read some stories together. Things were going a little too well.
When the pitocin did start to kick in, things got crazy pretty quick. I was sure I was going to die. I planned on a long labor (Lizzie took 18 hours), and I think the nurse expected it to take a lot longer too. I went from feeling OK to dying in a few minutes. When I was finally able to communicate to the nurse that I was ready for the epidural it was a little late. It took a long time for the doctor to come, and when he did get there he had to administer it very slowly because I have low blood pressure. Unfortunately it didn't kick in until I was ready to start pushing. After the 4th push the doctor said the baby's heart rate had dropped significantly and told me I had to get the baby out on the next push. I believed him and made the 5th push the last.
I've never experienced such extraordinary pain, but it's amazing how you forget it even happened as soon as that baby is in your arms. I just stared at my little angel, not even caring that a giant fishhook looking things was being used to stich up my episiotomy.
John Edward Jones II was born at 7:23 pm on Tuesday June 15th. He was 8lbs 2oz and 19in long. The nurse had to rough him up a bit because he didn't want to cry.
I don't know what I would have done without my sweet mom. She was by my side the whole time. 
Lizzie is pretty excited about her new little brother. The whole experience went over really well thanks to a lot of help from my mom, dad, brother Nathan, and friend Caroline. Nathan ("Nate") showed Lizzie the wonders of a wheelchair, which I'm sure everyone on the maternity floor really appreciated. Caroline ("RaRa") was there to play with her every time we needed an extra hand, and my sweet dad ("Papa") took care of her every night while my mom stayed with me in the hospital. My mom ("Moomoo") took care of pretty much everything else. Thank heavens for family.
Baby John brought Lizzie a present, a duck purse filled with treats and a locket for a picture of the 2 of them. That was my mom's brilliant idea. Now lizzie doesn't want to go anywhere without her duck purse.
Thursday afternoon we ditched the hospital wardrobe and came home exhausted but happier than ever. I feel so blessed to have the two most wonderful kids in the world, and I'm excited to start life as a family of 4!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Growing Up
Lizzie is just about 20 months old, and as much as I am looking foreward to all the exciting things coming up in our lives...like a new baby, for example...I sometimes have a hard time with change. I wish I could slow down time a little bit. Lizzie is finally picking up all kinds of new words. For the longest time all I could get out of her was "shoes," "juice," and "cheese," but now there are too many words to list. (Of course, "shoes" is still a favorite.) She's even started to form phrases like, "shoes side" which translates to "I need to put on my shoes because I want to go outside." She ALWAYS wants to be outside. Another common expression is, "locked keys," which means "I want to play in the car, but it's locked so I need you to go get the keys." It's also adorable when, with a very concerned expression, she holds her hands out with her palms up and says, "Where'd go?" Sometimes she's referring to a person like grandma, who she calls "Moo Moo" (John actually assigned her that nickname), grandpa, who she calls "Papa, Uncle Nathan, who she calls "Nate", or our friend Caroline, who she calls "Ra Ra". Other times it's impossible to guess what she thinks has gone missing. As wonderful as she is, Lizzie has quite a temper and she's very opinionated. I'm pretty sure she thinks she's in charge. But she also has a good heart. When I tell her she needs to aks nicely she gives me a smile and says, "cheeeeze" (for please), and when I tell her to say sorry she gives me a big hug and a kiss. She's a sweetheart, and I wish she could stay little forever!
Safari Park
For Nathan's 28th birthday he decided he wanted to take a trip to the Safari Park...for Lizzie, of course. ;) It was our 2nd time going, but I don't think I could ever get tired of that place. One part of the park is like a zoo with caged animals, only it has really lax security. There was a sleepy kangaroo laying across one of the walking paths that seemed to really enjoy having his tummy rubbed. Another highlight of this area was a hungry looking tiger who couldn't take his eyes off Lizzie. Fortunately, he was a little more securely caged. As much as Lizzie seemed to like the monkeys, giraffes, turtles, tigers, warthogs, etc., her favorite part was stopping at each hand sanitizer station throughout the park (same as our last visit.) The other part of the park is a large, open area that you can drive through with buckets of food. The animals practically climb into your car to get the food...very exciting. There were zebras, llamas, ostriches, deer, emus, pigs, elk, buffalo, etc, but our favorites were the giant camels. Their heads took up practically the whole back seat.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Happy Anniversary Loverman!
+piggy+back.jpg)
.jpg)
OK, go ahead and make fun of me. I thought it was funny to call John loverman, and I guess it still makes me smile. Today is our 4th anniversary, and I'll be honest... it's been hard. The highlight was going to the park for a picnic with my mom and Lizzie. (I'll post pictures of that when I get a chance.) I also got some unexpected, gorgeous flowers from sweet Steve and Lara Douglas. Steve was John's MTC companion, and true to form they went out of their way to make me feel loved today.
The low has been sitting awake at 1 am thinking about how much I miss him and how much I wish he were still here. I've been looking through pictures and remembering a few of the reasons I will always love him. He'd be mortified, but I wanted to share a few:
1) He had what my college roommates called the "nerdy glow." You know when you meet a guinely good person and there seems to be a light about them? They are attractive, not because they are fashionable or popular, but because they are full of goodness. That was John.
2) John was more concerned with what God thought of him than what other people thought of him. In fact, he'd much prefer it if noone gave him much thought at all. He liked to be off stage, quietly working miracles that noone knew were happening. I personally require at least a little appreciation, but John just needed to know that the Lord was pleased with him. That was enough.
3) He was the best dad I've ever seen. I knew he would be even before we had Lizzie because he was a total kid magnet. I think kids naturally gravitate to sugary foods and really good people, and John was an extreme case of goodness. I hope he gets to watch Lizzie grow up. I know he loves her more than she could ever imagine.
4) John used to give me a hard time because I always needed something to look forward to as my motivation, like a vacation for example. But with John there was always something to look forward to. He was constantly coming up with fun trips, silly nicknames, rediculous songs, or new hobbies. One time he randomly bought tennis rackets off craigslist. Neither of us played very well, but we spent every free evening for weeks trash talking much more expertly than we played and loving every minute of it. He really knew how to make life fun.
I could easily go on all night, but I'm getting too tired to think. I guess my point is...
I love you John Jones. Happy Anniversary!
Friday, April 23, 2010
It's A Wonderful Life
A lot of sweet friends have asked me over and over to keep up with my blog so they can see pictures of Lizzie and stay posted on what we're up to in life. So, I'm recommitting myself to at least a couple of posts a month. I'll guess I better back up a bit and start where I left off.February and March:
A few weeks after taking the mommy daughter pictures, Lizzie and I moved away from our beloved Charlottesville and came to Salem, Virginia to live with my parents. I was dreading leaving my friends, but the hardest part was leaving our apartment. It was like saying goodbye to John all over again. As we locked up the apartment I imagined all the times Lizzie and I had watched out our kitchen window for John to get home from class on his squeaky bike. Lizzie's arms and legs would flail when she heard the familiar sound of her daddy coming home, and she would squirm in anticipation until John came in and whisked her away. I will always miss those days. As we pulled out of the parking lot for the last time I felt my heart sink as I noticed that John's bike wasn't propped up on the poll outside our front door. Whenever Lizzie and I came home from running errands I would tell her to look for the bike so we would know if Daddy was home. I couldn't help but cry as I thought of the missing bike, a reminder that we would never come home to him in that place again.
But the move wasn't all tears. I was so touched by the many many people who came to help. More than 20 guys from the Elders Quorum showed up, and they had everything out of the apartment in less than half an hour. As if that wasn't enough the Sanchezes brought cupcakes and the Glasses brought homemade cinnamon rolls. I didn't even have to rent a moving truck! Scott Wakefield arranged for a truck and even drove it all the way down to Salem to unload it. Being LDS is pretty amazing. It's like being in a huge family filled with talented, giving people. You never have to face life alone.
Moving in with my parents has proven better than expected as well. I thought it would be hard to move back in after being on my own, but Lizzie and I love having Grandma and Grandpa around all the time. For Lizzie it means lots of extra attention, and for me it means showers as hot as I want them without a baby crawling around at my feet. We've been working hard to get the house ready for the new baby...cleaning out, organizing, remodeling, etc. We've also been playing hard. Lizzie loves the trampoline, sandbox, baby pool, etc. in the backyard.
With my mom's help, I've also had a little more time to research careers. I booted the Clinical Psych PhD idea after talking to some students in VT's PhD program. They said they spend 60+ hours a week on school (not including the 2 hours a day I would have to commute), and as much as I like school, I would hardly ever get to see Lizzie until she's 10 years old! Not worth it! So, my life plan is still in flux, but my most recent idea is a masters in social work. I think I'd like to work for LDS Family Services doing adoptions, teach at the college level, and do private practice therapy on the side.
Highlights from April:
A wonderful trip to Utah to visit John's family. It was all thanks to Mike (John's brother) and Sheri. They paid for my plane ticket and were even willing to host a baby shower for me while we were there. Lizzie LOVED hanging out with her cousins, especially little Lincoln...what a stud! I couldn't ask for better in-laws.
A weekend visiting Aaron and Gena's amazing family in Richmond, including a fun trip to the National Zoo in Washington D.C. Lizzie couldn't get enough of Grandpa Jones or the monkeys at the zoo...maybe there's a connection there. =) 
A day trip with the Hughes family to Virginia's safari park. It was SWEET! Zebras, ostriches, camels, llamas, deer, etc stick their heads inside your car so you can feed them. We even got to feed a giraffe. My favorite part was feeding the giant camels, but Lizzie was more interested in digging in the gravel and stopping at every hand sanitizer station in the park. Oh well. At least she still gets free entry. 
Spring! We can't get enough of playing outside, and now that it's warm, I've even pulled out my camera (to Lizzie's dismay) for a few good pictures while the wisteria is still in bloom. 
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)