Looking to the Future

When I look to the future and think about what life will be like with a new baby in our lives, I sometimes feel nervous about how much work it will be to have two babies. Ayden will have just turned one and I know that I will definitely have my hands full. I get to worrying about how I'm going to get them to sleep at the same time or how I probably won't get nap times to myself to do the things I need to anymore or how tough going to the store or to church will probably be. There are plenty of things that I could worry about, and sometimes that I do worry about. However, none of that matters.

None of that matters because I'm going to have another little angel to love and care for! What a wonderful gift! My hands may be full, but my heart will be even more full! Ayden has brought so much joy into our lives and I know our little Elysia will just double the joy we have! I know that I will figure it out, I'll have to start from scratch to figure out a new schedule and routine that works for us but, it will all work out. There will be days that nothing goes as planned and that's okay. When I first had Ayden, I felt a little overwhelmed, not sure if I was doing what I was supposed to be doing at all times. But, 11 months later here we are: she's healthy and happy and beyond anything I could have ever hoped for and I feel that I have done my best and it has been and is enough! So, that's how it will be with Elysia :) I will always try to be the best mother I can be and, with the Lord's help and with my husband by my side, it will be enough.

So, yes, I get nervous when I think about the little things that could be rough with another baby around. I wonder if I'll be enough for both my children, will they feel special and loved individually? Will I be good enough at keeping them happy and healthy, meeting all of their needs and making their lives full? I think it's normal and probably a good thing that I'm worried about these things because it means that I care and that I will make sure they each get time with me and feel special. It's okay for me to be nervous, it's not bad to worry. But, what's important is that my excitement and my love for my little babies goes way beyond any worries I have.

I am so excited to meet little Ellie. She's going to be so beautiful and so loved! I can't wait for her and Ayden to get to know each other and become best friends. They will be able to do things together their whole lives and that will be such a blessing for them and for us as parents. I'm so excited to celebrate holidays and just everyday life with my little girls :) I can't wait to see Sam fall in love with Elysia just like he did when he first saw our little Ayden. As I feel my little baby moving inside of me right now, I already feel a semblance of the love I know I'll feel for her when she comes into the world. It grows every day that I think of her and talk to her and it will continue to grow for the rest of forever.

When I look to the future..all I really feel is blessed.

Our Journey With Baby #2

On June 20, 2014 we found out that we were pregnant again!! We knew people were going to think we were crazy to have our first two children so close together but, we didn't care. They thought we were crazy for getting married so quickly, and we never cared because it was right. We knew, and it was the best choice that either of us have ever made. This baby was not an "accident," I don't believe in that sort of thing, we had decided to start semi-trying for our second baby and whenever it happened would be the right time. We didn't know that it would happen only a month later! :) When I saw the positive on the pregnancy test, I brought it out to show Sam and we both just stood there kind of softly chuckling, with incredulous looks on our faces and Ayden looking on wondering why we were so smiley haha I'm sure it was quite the sight :) But, the more I thought about it, the more excited I got! I was so happy!

Exactly a week later, I started having really bad cramps while I was giving Ayden her morning-feeding before laying her back down. I was in a lot of pain and I called my doctor in tears saying that I was spotting a little bit and thought I could be having a miscarriage. She said that it wasn't necessarily a miscarriage. I would know if I started passing clots and it was like a heavy period flow. I went back to the bathroom and kneeled in prayer. I explained to the Lord that I had been so careful since finding out I was pregnant, we couldn't even go on a semi-intermediate hike one Saturday because I didn't want to risk it. So, I pleaded with the Lord to not let it be a miscarriage because I really wanted that baby, I would do anything to keep it! Finally, towards the end of my prayer, I added a plea for strength to get through it if it was a miscarriage...After trying to calm myself down, I went back to my room and laid down. I didn't want to wake Sam for no reason, so I wiped the tears away and went to sleep. 

When I woke up an hour or so later, I felt like I needed to hurry to the bathroom. I got up and could feel the blood starting to come..."No no no no no no no" was all I could say as I rushed into the bathroom...it was very painful and I had passed quite a few clots and lots of blood. I just sat there, numb, sobbing, not knowing what to do next. My little Ayden was asleep in her swing out in the front room and Sam was doing homework downstairs..I mustered the strength to get up and go tell Sam what had happened. When I got down to the office, for a while all I could do was stand in the doorway crying, I didn't know what to say. Sam started freaking out, wondering what was wrong with me. Finally, I said, "our baby's gone..." To make things worse, he started jumping up and down, crying, thinking I was talking about Ayden! I quickly reassured him that she was fine. But, then, I had to think about how horrible it would be to lose her too! It was not good. Sam asked what he could do to help and I couldn't think of anything, I felt empty. Ayden was waking up so he went to get her and I went back to the bathroom...to say goodbye to my baby...it took me a very long time. Sam asked if I wanted him to flush it for me and I couldn't let him do that, it needed to be me, I needed to let go. I prayed a lot more for more strength and asked Heavenly Father to let my baby know that I really (REALLY) wanted it and that I would miss it SO much...with that, I flushed the toilet and said goodbye. It hurt so bad. I just kept thinking, "There's no way a baby could have survived that..."

Sam stayed home with me and we went to breakfast after I got some time to mourn a little bit. I was very lucky to have him and Ayden with me that day. Ayden was all smiles and she made it so I could get through it without breaking down every couple of minutes. Having to think about losing her made me so grateful for the blessings I have, at least I had my little Bug. I was in a lot of pain so Sam did most the Ayden-work that day and it helped so much, we just spent the day together as a family, it was perfect. In time, I felt that strength I had pleaded for being given to me. The Lord bolstered me up in this challenge so much and I wouldn't have been able to handle it without Him. With Him and Sam helping me, I got to feel like maybe I hadn't lost the baby for good. That maybe, the body that was being made just wasn't right so it wanted to wait until next time to come back to me. I guess I won't be sure until I go to Heaven and ask about it, but it helped. 

A few weeks later, I was finally done with the bleeding and the pains and all the discomforts I had been struggling with since the miscarriage. But, I had passed out and had been feeling dizzy and nauseous for a little while since. We hadn't really told many people about the miscarriage. Just our parents and my sister (and then my older brothers came out wondering why I was crying and I kinda had to tell them to). We just didn't want it to be a big thing because we hadn't even gotten to announce the baby before it was gone. I didn't feel like talking about it much...Finally, with all the weird feelings I was having, I was convinced to go to my doctor and get an ultrasound to make sure I didn't have an infection, and just find out what was going on. The morning Sam left for Scout Camp, I went in with my little Ayden. A nice nurse offered to take Ayden out to the foyer to play so I could relax and get all of this taken care of. My doctor pulled up the ultrasound and said, "It's just like I thought, you're still pregnant!" What??? I had her say it many times and explain to me how this could have happened. I had spent 3 weeks grieving my baby and now she's saying I'm still pregnant?! She estimated that I was about 9 weeks along now and she reassured me over and over again that the baby was completely fine. She said it could have just been some normal bleeding due to some stuff that could have happened during conception (highly doubt that) or I had twins and one didn't make it (if she had gone through the pain I had gone through, she would have thought that the more likely scenario as well). She showed me that there was even still a bit of blood in one part of my uterus that I could be seeing later, and that it was separate from this baby, it wasn't affected at all by it. I couldn't believe it! We were still pregnant! Of course, Sam had to have gone to camp that very morning and missed the news, he wouldn't find out until Saturday (it was Monday that I found out)! I left him a message telling him. I spent all day trying to understand this turn of events. I had a little miracle baby growing inside of me, safe and sound, perfect as can be.

Since then, I've had many times where I've freaked myself out, thinking I was going to lose this baby too. But, every time we go to the doctor, she says the baby's just perfect. Every time I hear or see the heartbeat, I can feel a huge weight lifted off of me as relief and joy spreads through my whole body. I am so grateful for my little one and for the fact that I can now feel her moving around inside of me consistently enough that I can't freak myself out too much (though there's always a little fear before every appointment now, I don't think that will go away)! Our little girl is due February 12, 2015. Just, 14 months apart from Ayden! That's gonna be a little crazy but they're gonna (hopefully) be such close friends all their lives!! :) I am so blessed. I can already tell that this little girl is very special, and not just because I'm biased as her mom ;) I can already feel my heart expanding with the love I feel for my miracle baby. I cannot wait to meet this angel the Lord preserved for us! 

I thank the Lord everyday that I feel her push against me as if to say "Hi mommy, I'm okay," and every appointment that I get to hear her heartbeat or see her perfect little body in my tummy. My Savior never left me, when I thought I had lost everything, He was there to pick me up again and help me through each day. When I came back to Him, thanking Him for giving us another chance, He was there and it felt like He gave me a big hug. Every time I get myself worked up thinking maybe I feel too normal for me to still be pregnant and that it must be over, He's there, reassuring and comforting and warm. I know that when I finally get to meet my little miracle baby, He will be there, stronger than ever, congratulating me along with the rest of my family and reminding me how lucky I am to have these little angels in my life. That is something I will never forget. Something I cannot forget. For the rest of eternity, I will be grateful and I will not forget. 

In My Daughter's Eyes

I was singing the song, "In My Daughter's Eyes" by Martina McBride the other day and thinking about how much different it means to me now that I have a daughter. I was thinking how true it all is, my daughter sees me in a whole different light than I see myself in!

In my daughter's eyes I am a hero
I am strong and wise and I know no fear
But the truth is plain to see
She was sent to rescue me
I see who I wanna be
In my daughter's eyes

This is how I have always seen my own mother. She has the answer to everything, she knows everything and she's definitely strong and wise! My sister and I have talked about how it's so strange to be mothers because we feel like we're still kids just trying to find our own way in this big world. It's crazy that now I am this person for someone. My daughter sees me as the one who is always there with knowledge and strength to lend at all times. But, in my eyes, she's my hero. Her coming to me has saved me in so many ways, changed me in so many ways, If I'm strong, I'm strong for her. If I'm wise, I'm wise for her. 

In my daughter's eyes everyone is equal
Darkness turns to light and the
world is at peace
This miracle God gave to me gives me
strength when I am weak
I find reason to believe 
In my daughter's eyes

My daughter has come into this world not knowing the issues people form amongst themselves. She looks at me and doesn't care if I have makeup on or if I'm dressed for the day, she looks at others and sees no flaws. She sees no fault and cares not for mine. She teaches me to look at others with kindness, turning what could be bad, into good. She gives me hope and strength when I become weary of this world. She makes me believe in good. She loves without conditions, all she cares about is that I'm there doing my best by her! I will always do my best by her.

And when she wraps her hand
around my finger
Oh it puts a smile in my heart
Everything becomes a little clearer
I realize what life is all about

It's hangin' on when your heart
has had enough
It's giving more when you feel like giving up
I've seen the light
It's in my daugter's eyes

My daughter has shown me how life should be. I find myself caring about the little things more and letting things slide more often. I forgive and forget because life is short and I want to spend that time as happy as I can be. Her smiles are addicting and all I have to do to get them are smile in return. All she needs from me is love, and some food :P My heart is full of joy around her, I know that family is the most important thing we have on this earth and no time should be wasted holding grudges and picking fights. 

In my daughter's eyes I can see the future
A reflection of who I am and what will be
Though she'll grow and someday leave
Maybe raise a family
When I'm gone I hope you see how happy
she made me
For I'll be there
In my daughter's eyes

I want to be a better person for this little girl God gave to me. I will be, for her. I want to be the example she deserves, so she can know how to raise her own family, with the love and standards we have in our own home. I love seeing the world through her eyes, new and exciting with so much to offer. Being an adult comes with seeing the world through tired eyes..tired of the bad, tired of hearing the complaints and the issues, tired of it all. But, my daughter shows me the good. She shows me what Heavenly Father meant this world to be..beautiful, full of miracles. My life has changed so much because of my little angel and I will never go back. 

I love my daughter more than anything! She teaches me daily to be better and to see the world in a better light. I love the person I am because of her and the person that she's going to grow into. She is amazing without even trying and she shows me that I'm amazing too. That I don't need to be the best at playing the piano or be the best at cooking or whatever else to earn her love. She gives it without question as I give mine to her. There is so much I never understood before I looked through my daughter's eyes.

Married at 19, Mom at 20

Recently I read a blog post about a girl who had gotten married at 19 and she said a lot of good stuff about how she didn't regret it even though a lot of people were against the idea of marrying so young. After reading it I thought, "I was 19 when I got married..and though a lot of people thought I was crazy, I knew what was right for me and I haven't regretted the decision for a moment!" So here's my story of my teen wedding :)

After my second semester at BYU-Hawaii, I felt strongly that I was done and that I needed to move back to Utah, not to return to school. I didn't know the reason, so I started planning an adventure to Italy. I had always loved to travel and I didn't have much else going on so I thought "what the heck?" About a week and a half after I got back from Hawaii, I met a wonderful, fantastic, handsome man named Samuel Bartholomew. I felt right from the beginning that I was going to marry him and Italy no longer played a part in my plans. We were engaged about two weeks after meeting, and exactly a month after getting back from Hawaii, on my 19th birthday!

When I announced my engagement, I had many people tell me I was crazy and raise their eyebrows, saying that I didn't know what I was getting myself in to. My dad, in particular, thought I was nuts :) He had been married at the same age, my mom was seventeen, and I'm sure he thought I was giving up so much to get married so young. But, he was supportive when I expressed how sure I was of Sam. I heard the advice of everyone and I got what they were saying but, I knew I was doing the right thing for me and for my future family! When I had prayed about Sam, I got such an indescribable and irrefutable feeling of surety! That feeling has never been swayed, not for a second!

Ever since making the choice to be with Sam throughout all eternity, all the things in our lives have seemed to fall into place. Soon after getting engaged, my wedding dress, our car and our house practically fell into our laps! The wedding plans went smoothly and we were so in love! We had great support from our families and friends. We had many adventures and got to know each other better, enjoying every minute of it. We loved each others' families, we had similar ideals about the way we wanted to raise our children, and we found joy in each others' company. We had an amazing wedding day, a wonderful honeymoon and moved into our home shortly after returning! We got our puppy, Meeko, who we love and we are excited for her to enrich our children's childhoods. We got chickens and tended our yard together, enjoyed holidays, complained about work and school, all the things living a full life entails. Even through the struggles we've had since being married, we have made a great team, both being more concerned for the others' well-being than for our own. That is the way I always imagined marriage to be. A spouse should be constantly striving to please and help the other, giving and taking in equal measure. I had always heard that the first year of marriage was the hardest and while there were definite tough spots along the way, the attitude with which we faced our companionship got us through unscathed and closer than ever! We are the best of friends and our relationship will always come first and foremost!

About half a year after we were married, we found out we were pregnant! Right around my 20th birthday actually, the irony was noted, my birthdays with Sam have always been awesome :P We had been trying for a while, actually since after a month after being married haha seems crazy to want a family so soon but we were excited to begin! It was okay that it took time though, we enjoyed being a twosome during that time. My pregnancy was pretty rough for the first little bit and got better over time, the last month being the hardest physically. I had great support in Sam and we enjoyed looking to our future of being parents. We wondered what our sweet girl would look like and talked about the fun adventures we would take her on as a family. We couldn't wait!! On December 13th (about a month before her due date) our little Bug came into the world with a bang! I had been having cramps for a few days prior and then the night of the 13th I discovered I was bleeding a lot! So we rushed to the hospital, the decision to take her out was made and twenty minutes later via C-Section, there was my angel, perfect and healthy at 6 pounds 8 ounces and 19 inches long :) She was meant to come at the time, I know it. All the doctors were amazed at how great she looked at 4 weeks early, calling her a "miracle baby!" The Lord prepared her to come early and we've been blessed to have her in our family! She is an amazing and beautiful little angel from our Heavenly Father and I am so grateful that He decided to bless us with such a gift! I love my life, I love being a mom!!

So, though many people would hear the age at which I became a wife and a mother and think that I was nuts and that I gave up so much time to be just me, I don't see it that way. I had my adventure out in Hawaii and I had felt right about going there and I had felt right about coming back home. I know the Lord sent me out there to get my fill of alone time and meet many great friends and that He sent me home to meet my husband and start my beautiful family! Every day I get signs that I made the right choice..in the sweet way Sam holds me and loves me in the comfort of our wonderful home. I feel it when I hold my little Ayden and rock her to sleep. I feel it every time I go to bed with Sam by my side and every time I wake up to help my daughter eat and drift to sleep once more. My life has been blessed beyond any design I had in mind and I know that I was brought to this point for a reason. I know some people will tell horror stories of their teen weddings, and maybe it didn't work for them and maybe they should have waited to be sure of themselves..but, I know that Sam was, and always will be, right for me.

A Change of Plans

When my sister became a mom, I watched her bottle feed her daughters and I never had much thought about breastfeeding. When I became a mom, that changed as the desire to be my baby's life source grew within me. It was my responsibility, my desire to be the one who gave her the nutrients she needed to grow and become strong! I enjoyed the feeling of being the only one who could give her what she needed. Anytime my husband would offer to feed her formula to give me a bit more sleep, the kind offer would be declined. What's a little exhaustion when it's up against my role as a mother, a role I hold dearer than any?

Recently, these ideals have been challenged. At Ayden's 2 months doctor's appointment, her pediatrician voiced some concern about her weight. She had only gained half a pound in the month since the last visit and it wasn't as much as he had hoped for. After that, I became stressed about how often he wanted me to feed her. I felt like I was failing and that I somehow was not doing what I needed to do as a mother. I hadn't thought there was a problem with her weight, but what did I know? A little after that, I felt a change in the amount of milk I was producing. I could feel that it wasn't coming in as often, or maybe my paranoia and stress about it made it decrease, who knows? But, as the days went on, I was becoming increasingly stressed about her weight. She kept looking skinnier and skinnier and I felt horrible. I hadn't changed our feeding schedule that drastically..I had even increased the demands a little as I tried to reach the bar the doctor had set. I puzzled over the issue, I had pumped a few times to store up for a weekend event I went to..could that be the problem? I couldn't understand what I was doing wrong but, despite my best efforts, I was beginning to dry up.

Eventually, I decided to add a bottle of formula every night, the feeding before the bedtime feeding. It seemed to help a bit. After a week or so of doing that, I decided to give her a couple ounces after breastfeeding her for an hour or so (that's about how long all of our feedings had been) to see if I had given her enough, I knew she wouldn't eat much more if she had been filled up by me. Well..she drained it without hesitation..part of me felt devastated and the other part felt relieved as I noticed a change in her behavior after being full for the (apparently) first time in a while. After that, I gave in to the need for formula.

It's been about a week of giving her formula for the majority of her feedings. To be honest, once I started, it was hard to not be relieved. Not that I didn't miss being enough for her..that still hurts every day..but, I could finally see how much food she was getting! I could never tell when I pumped because I was pretty sure she got more than that. I could see that she was full and what's more, happy! I started to think that maybe she had never been a fussy baby at all (she had cried quite often the months previous), maybe she was just a really really good baby who handled starvation well. Maybe that's extreme, I don't believe that I starved her, but I do believe that I could not produce enough to truly fill her. When I thought of that, I felt guilty and sickened at the thought that her distress was my fault..I'm her mom..how could I not have known? Well, I'll tell you, I tried so hard to fill her up! Our feedings would go for over an hour per time, I tried to feed her every couple of hours, any time I could feel that I had some milk in me. I would drain myself of all my energy and then hurry to scarf down some food so I could keep on trying! It was exhausting and stressful, never knowing if she was actually full..while being pretty sure that she wasn't.

With this new diet though, she's happy! Maybe she just outgrew the fussy stage, but the change was a little too coincidental for me to believe that. Though I am still a little disappointed, it's hard not to be, that I was unable to produce enough milk, I would not trade her smiles to give me a feeling of fulfillment. Because, I do feel like I am fulfilling my role as a mom still. The role of a mom is to take care of their children and keep them happy and healthy, by any means necessary. It doesn't matter how I keep my daughter happy, the fact is..she's happy! Who cares if it's because of formula and not breast milk? I thought I would care more, but I find that because of the supplementation, Ayden and I both find more joy in our days together! I don't have to spend endless hours trying to calm her and trying to force my body to give just a little more! Instead, I can be with her, really be with her. We get to enjoy each other's company, smiling and playing, and when she cries, I know it's because she really is hungry again and now that need can be easy quenched and then we can go back to playing! I can leave my house to enjoy the outside world with her because I'm not worried about how many times I'm gonna have to sit for an hour to feed her, I don't have to worry about her crying the whole time. We can go out without her battling her tears through the pain of hunger. I don't have to worry that I'm not giving her enough because I can see it! Now everyone can see her for the wonderful little girl she truly is, she's allowed to shine through because all of her needs are met! She's happy and I'm happy! :)

 

What a Wonderful Weekend!

This past weekend was busy and crazy and awesome!

First, on Friday (the 28th of February) Sam and I had Necia and Joe babysit Ayden for a couple hours while we went to Applebee's for dinner. Sam's boss, Chad, had given us a gift card before we had Ayden so that we could go out for a date night and get away from the house together. It was so nice of them to think of us! I haven't been to Applebee's much so it was kind of a new experience and I got to try out new food with Sam. I got the Citrus Lime Sirloin and Sam got Chicken Penne. My food had a real kick to it and Sam loved it so much that it kind of ruined his dinner for him :P Then we went to the mall after a lovely dinner and got my ring sent off to be dipped. It really needs it! We went and looked at the LoveSacs and realized what a great deal we got on the one Sam bought off of a friend. The bean bags there are like 800 dollars and we got ours for $150! Authentic LoveSac and all! We got it just in time for what we were going to be doing on Saturday!

So, Saturday, Sam and I hosted his second video game party with family and friends. The last one we had was back in November before we had Ayden so, this one went a bit differently. I had gone to the store for a little while Sam waited for everyone to show up. I wanted to print off pictures of our California and Bahamas trips for our picture books we bought. I thought it would be fun to have in case people on Sunday wanted to take a look at some of our adventures. It was fun to see those pictures again and relive those wonderful trips I got to take with my husband and our families! I finally got back and we started the party up. We had a lot of fun and Ayden was very interested in what all the fuss was about ;) At 8 o'clock I put Ayden to bed and it was kind of stressful with them down there because our ventilation system makes sound travel really well and they were right beneath us! Eventually I got her to sleep though and somehow, miraculously, she stayed asleep for a little while :) I had made treats for the boys a couple days earlier (too busy to do it the day of)! I made 7-layer dip, rice krispie treats and brownies, I also bought skittles and sour patch kids and we had some soda for them to drink, there was a good deal on the good quality frozen pizza so I bought a few of those! They devoured pretty much all of it! That's the part of parties that I like, I like to make treats and contribute in that way. Sam likes the actual hosting of the party, whereas that part is kind of stressful for me because I have to clean and I always want things to go so well! But, we had fun! They all spent the night for what we were going to do on Sunday!

Sunday was Ayden's baby blessing! Thankfully, pretty much everything for the lunch was being made by volunteers! My mom came over early to help me clean and set stuff up. They had actually thought our church was at 9 o'clock instead of 11 but I still give her credit :) I guess the Lord knew I needed the help! I had made banana bread and gotten all the ham and cheese ready for the rolls Necia had made to put them on. We got to the church and Sam gave a wonderful blessing to Ayden! He wrote a blog about it but basically he blessed her to know how much we love her, to have faith, to make good choices, and to be close to our Heavenly Father. After the blessing I stood in the back of the chapel while Sam gave his testimony and then we switched off and I bore mine. I told everyone how long I had waited to become a mother and how I hope to do the best job possible for my kids. It was a dream come true to see my little girl up there in the circle of the men in the family being blessed into the church. I sure do love her! Afterwards, we all walked back over to my house and the lunch went off without a hitch! Thanks to my mom, my sister Necia and all those that had brought things! We had everything: chips, 3 different kinds of salads, a vegetable tray, some grapes, lemonade, a sprite-y drink, the rolls and ham and cheese, and 4 different desserts! Nice variety and it was delicious! Grandma Bartholomew was kind enough to hold Ayden and keep her happy so I could eat and enjoy the lunch and conversation. Then I fed Ayden just enough to get us through some family pictures! Unfortunately, by that time some people had left so not everyone is included in the pictures. But, it was fun to make those memories and get pictures with those who came to support us! It was a wonderful turnout and someday Ayden will be able to look at the pictures and see how loved she is :) My parents, Johnevan and Necia's family stayed after everyone else had cleared out and we made dinner and talked and laughed together until Ayden's bedtime. It was a great way to end the weekend :)

It was a great and busy weekend full of laughs and family. I loved having everyone with us in our home celebrating Ayden's life and what it means to be family. I'll never forget the way my daughter looked on her big day or how great her daddy did in blessing her. She is a joy and we are very blessed to have her in our family! I am very blessed to be made a mother by such a wonderful little person!

A Dream Come True

As Ayden has gotten older, the question of whether or not I would be going back to work needed to be answered. I have to admit, I was nervous about bringing it up to Sam. I knew that I really wanted to stay home, but, I felt bad asking him to carry the burden of providing for us all by himself! I have always felt a big obligation to help contribute in that way, I like to help and make it easier for him. However, I dreamed of staying home with my little ones ever since I was a little one! So, I finally mustered the courage to express my desire to stay home if at all possible. I was relieved at Sam's response, he fully supported my staying home if we could make it work! I asked if he felt stressed about having to go to work and all of that by himself and he said he'd have to go to work anyways and it might as well be for a good reason. He's so wonderful!

You have no idea how happy I was in the moment we realized we could make this work! I dreaded the idea of anyone else getting to raise my baby, even if only for a few hours. I hated the idea of not being the one she wakes up to, or the one that gets her ready for the day. I knew that if there was any way I could work it out, I wanted to be given the opportunity to give 110% to being a mom, with no distractions from work or from anything else. So, we waited until the end of the month to see how we were doing financially after all the bills had come out and all the paychecks had come in. I did the taxes early this year and when we saw the nice return we'd be getting along with the bonus Sam had earned from work for the year, we knew we could do this! So, I am now happy to announce that I get to stay home with my AydeBug!!! :)

I told my boss our decision and she was happy for me, no hard feelings. I went in to work the other day to show my daughter to my co-workers and I thought about how I had loved that job but I loved my new job even more! They asked if I was coming back and I told them no. I have to say that I was pleased when they all stated that they had called it, they said I was a "total mom" and they knew I would stay home if I got the chance. I take pride in being seen as a mom, a mom that would do anything to be home with her kids! It's all I've ever wanted. When I was young and I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, my answer was always, "a mommy." That desire never changed. Even when people would say I had to choose a "real career," that was the job I wanted. In this world, many people look down on stay-at-home-moms. They think, "that's not a real job" and "they're not contributing, they just sit at home." Well, I'm sorry to burst their bubbles but, being a mom is the biggest and best job any girl could dream of!

It's hard work. It's a job that never ends, it doesn't go from 9-5 and then you get the rest of the night off. You're constantly thinking about your little ones, even when you're supposedly "taking some me time." There are many late nights, many times when you lay your little one to sleep for them to just wake right up again. There's a lot of crying and a lot of diapers to change and your house can be a real mess most days. But, all of that pales when I think of my little girl's smile. When I see her sleeping peacefully or cooing up at me, it's all totally worth it. It's just like with my pregnancy. It was the hardest thing I had done up to that point. But, as soon as I saw my little angel, I forgot all of the pain and all of the discomfort because I had her. Now, I'm not saying I would be cool with being pregnant again right now haha but, man, she's just a dream come true!

After I made the call to my boss, I then went on to call my mom. She and I have talked about my kids since I was little. I would tell her that I had to be good so that they would be proud of me, and so that I'd be worthy of them (in little girl words of course). The closeness I felt to my children growing up kept me out of a lot of risky situations. They saved me time and time again and when I did make mistakes, they helped me fix them and get back on the path I needed to be on to find them. When I met Sam, I knew I had found their dad! That was a big deal for me, I couldn't just trust my children's lives into anyone's hands. But, he was the one. He was the man I could see raising my angels with! So when I broke down and told him how much I wanted to stay home and he responded with support and love, I knew once again that I really had found the right man for me and for my kids! Anyways, so I called my mom. When I told her the good news, she cried :) It's a dream come true for the both of us. She knows how much it meant to me to be able to be home, so we shared that wonderful moment together knowing that my biggest dream of being a mother and being able to be home with my kids all the time was coming true!

I love being able to be here with Ayden, to help her with whatever she needs. I love taking her around with me to clean the house and make dinner for Sam. I love bonding with her as we play and as I feed her. I love our bedtime routine together where I get to use that time to help her relax and ease into a nice, deep sleep. I love my husband for making this possible, for seeing how much it means to me and being supportive. I love the Lord for blessing us with the means to help us feel secure without my added income. I love my family for helping me realize that my kids come first and if I could work out staying home, that would be the best thing to do. I love my Ayden, I love her for making me a mom, I love her for being the angel that she is. I love that I get to raise my children in a beautiful home that is filled with the Spirit. I love my life and I love, love, love being a mom!!

Memories of My Time in Hawaii

Last night I started looking back on my time in Hawaii (where I went to college-at BYUH) and I decided I wanted to write down some of my adventures there! It was an amazing time in my life and I don't want to forget the silly and amazing things that made it so wonderful! So, here are some adventures of Hannah Atkin :)

• The first night I was there, they had a New Student Social at the flag circle (just a big field in front of the school with lots of flags) where they had jump-roping, a big circle of Polys playing volleyball (of course, cuz it ain't Hawaii without that!), frisbee, music, etc. I sucked it up at jump-roping, I just can't jump in to an already in-motion jump rope! :P

• My roommate was Japanese but had grown up in Brazil (apparently that's common). Her name is Shuhaylla Sakaguchi..for some reason when I got the letter telling me she was gonna be my roommate, my family and I thought she was gonna be a Polynesian. Shows how much we knew.

• I only went on one hike the whole time I was there! Lame, right? I pretty much worked anytime I had other opportunities to go.
• The hike I went on was up to Laie Falls! It was such a beautiful hike, Hawaii is all beautiful beaches and beautiful rain forest! Gorgeous. When we got to the falls, we decided to swim! Some of us hadn't brought swimsuits so we swam in our shorts and sports bras. Wouldn't be a big deal but there was one guy with us, Scooter. Luckily, there were other girls there to distract from me, helped me not feel so self-conscious.

• For Christmas, my brother Austin paid for a groupon for me to go sailing at sunset in Hawaii! So I talked my friends into coming with me! We saw whales right by our boat and the sailing at sunset part was awesome as well! That night we also went and got cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory and made a WalMart run (those are rare)!

• Friday Night Sleepovers :) So fun!

• Toga Party: Mormon Edition! :) Root beer pong, stick-on tattoos, jello shots spiked with Sprite..need I say more?? ;)

• Oh! Kahuku Grill! The one place we could go to get normal, awesome American tasting food! They also had fry sauce! It was awesome! :) We had a lot of good times there, celebrating birthdays and having a farewell dinner there as well! Tears and laughter with good friends, doesn't get much better :)

•  The beaches at night are very cold and windy. Not exactly the pleasant night stroll you would imagine :) However, we did go night swimming on numerous occasions! I always stayed pretty close to shore because the ocean scared me enough during the day, let alone when it was so dark I couldn't see anything under me at all!
• I went net-fishing once. You have to go at night, stick to the shallow areas by a reef, with a big group to drag the net (it's a really big net) far enough out and to make noise to draw the fish where you want them. I was fine until I saw that we had caught a couple blowfish and some other little fish as well. They were right there by my feet!

• I wore through a few pairs of flip-flops walking to the beaches and to and from Foodland (Hawaii's grocery store and the only local hotspot you could get to by foot easily)!
• There were tons of stray cats and chickens all over the place!
• I went to class barefoot a few times and nobody cared! I love that about the chill environment of Hawaii :)
• For some reason, some of the sidewalks around campus were smooth, none of that stuff on them that provides traction. Well, it rains everyday in Hawaii..one time, as I was hurrying to Biology, I was carefully making my way along the sidewalks in my flip-flops. Well, without thinking, I hopped over one of the little moat/gutter things they have along all of the sidewalks and..zip! bam! I hit the floor, flat on my back, I was knocked completely breathless! It hurt so bad! It was embarrassing enough but a guy saw me and came over to ask if I was okay. Trying to seem cool, but unable to stand up straight just yet, I told him I was good haha The space between my shoulder blades would later bruise.
• My mom has connections there in Hawaii (she worked for Elder Hallstrom at the time, and he is from there and is over Hawaii), a few days into the semester I got a call from the President of the Polynesian Culture Center asking me to come see him. I did and he asked me what job I was looking to get there (I had gone to see about applying there a few days before), and he made it happen for me! It was awesome :)
• So, I worked as a Waitress/Busser at the BBQ Lunch at the PCC. I was the only white person there for most of the semester! 

• Many of the guests told me I looked like an Aussie! My friend Raife, an Aussie, told me I did too :) Pretty cool, right? I have always loved Australia!
• Asians have the weirdest sense of fashion! Most of the guests at the PCC are Japanese and it's like matching was just not okay for them! :P I asked some of my friends that were missionaries over there, and they really mismatch on purpose, weird huh?
• The hardest class I took was Statistics, no competition! I became good friends with one Makeli Christopherson because we went to the Math Lab (we joked about it being a Meth Lab that we snuck off to every night haha) for tutoring almost every night! We needed that much help. 

• One of the tutors took my friendliness as an indicator that I liked him and he tried to ask me out, I told him nicely that I wasn't really interested and the Math Lab became a little awkward after that, but still necessary! Luckily I only took it for one semester.
• Beautiful temple trips!!

• I finally went surfing a few days before I would leave for home! Unfortunately, it was a choppy day when we went and surfing is a lot harder than it seems in the movies! I was knocked off the board every time and could barely get up onto my knees! But, it was fun! Minus all the sand and being knocked around!

• I also finally went snorkeling towards the end and didn't think to put sunscreen on. So, just the back of my calves and the little strip on my back where my swimsuit rode up was sunburned! 
• The time I went cliff jumping off of Waimea Rock, my friend Kat totally face-flopped! She got a black eye! It's so sad because I had been recording it and didn't realize how bad it was, so in my video that I posted on Facebook, I just went right along and yelled for the next person to jump haha

• The field trip I went on with some new students from school was the time I bought my turtle necklace from the Swap Meet. I've worn it hundreds of times since! I love it!
• So many awesome beach days!!

• I attempted to go skydiving with a big group but it was too windy that day. So, on December 10th, I went back with a smaller group and we went! I went up in the plane with Mike Snow, Daniel, and other Mike (yes, people actually called him that). We went up about 14,000 feet and I was psyched all the way up! Then, when my jumper and I stepped towards the door, he asked if I was ready and I said yeah, we got to the door and I thought "oh wait! not ready!" But by then, we were already jumping out the door! I couldn't hear myself scream! It was freaking awesome! When he pulled the chute it bruised my hip though, I don't think I held my knees right at the beginning. After he had pulled it, apparently my hand was close to something and he told me if I touched that, we would die..those jumpers sure liked to joke about death! They had joked on the way up too haha

• I took an awesome class called Cultures of Oceania! We didn't do any homework, but instead we did performances and presentations. I learned a New Zealand dance, learned about Samoan fine mats, did a skit about the Kiwi Bird, and for our final (a food final) we made Samoan panikekes! They were delicious, we served them with liliko'i syrup! 

• At that final, I tried raw tuna (grossest texture, not much taste). Apparently a lot of Polynesian cultures like it a lot, some I met with like it better than cooked fish!
• One time, at a concert, after the performance of this Asian pianist, I thought she was so good that I stood up to give her an ovation! I was the only one up..I had to force myself to not drop down into my seat out of embarrassment. I made myself slowly sit down and my friend, Daniel, wouldn't let me hear the end of it! :P

• One of my favorite days there was a day right around Halloween. My friends and I helped a boy propose to a girl (we didn't even know them haha), we "broke into" the Little Theater and started watching MIB, it stopped partway in and we played football in and around the aisles with latex popcorn hands and a few of us gathered around the piano and sang hymns, then we all went to Angel's Shaved Ice for Halos where those of us sharing mine tried to keep the ice standing after we shaved it down to a skinny tower, I also took a massive bite so my friends could laugh at me while I got a brain freeze haha and Parker and Steve told embarrassing stories :) i.e. burping during a talent show solo, and snap pants at baseball ripping off :P

 

• Also around Halloween time we went to the Haunted Lagoon at the PCC! So fun!

• Hawaii is just so picturesque! Go outside, snap a picture, no filter and it turns out like this:

• Hitchhiking is very common in Hawaii and towards the end (the day of the Laie Falls hike) I finally did it! It was awesome! We all piled into the back of some dude's truck and he dropped us off near the school! It's awesome how it's such a casual thing out there, no big deal at all!

• I signed up for an art class thinking it was from 6:50-9:50 in the morning...it was at night! The first time I realized that, I panicked and tried to switch classes. No dice. So every Tuesday night, I had to go to that class and sit through 3 hours of tough art stuff (I had never taken an art class before). In the end, I enjoyed the class and made some cool friends but, man, I wish it hadn't run so late.
• Here's the story of me missing a flight back to Hawaii after Christmas break: I made the flight to LAX just fine. I had an hour and a half to get to my gate, and I thought all was going great. Then, about ten minutes before boarding, I realized that the number on the screen above the gate didn't match my flight number! I had asked someone for directions a while before and they had just told me to look at the computers. I guess I had looked at the wrong Maui flight because, without me realizing it, my airline was different than the one I had taken to get to California. So, I freaked out and asked where I was supposed to go. The lady told me I was in the completely wrong terminal. So I raced outside and down the sidewalk to come to find out that the terminals are VERY far apart at LAX. I didn't stand a chance. So, I got to the terminal in tears and a lady stopped me and directed me to the line where I would have to get myself put onto another flight. It was a good thing I had gotten $50 for Christmas because that's what it took to get me onto another flight to Maui. So, I waited in the airport for another 8 hours or so, bored out of my mind and with only nasty Burger King for food. Finally it was time to board and I was at the wrong gate, luckily this gate was much closer and I was just fine. Then, I made it to Maui, an hour later we left on the 30 minute flight to Oahu. When we got there, I called to see if my ride was coming..it fell through. Her car was broken down and everyone else I knew with a car couldn't come! It was sucky. I sat in the airport as long as they would let me, then they told me I had to go. So, I found one of those outdoor roofed areas, and I slept on a massage chair (not comfortable)! I woke up early the next morning to board the earliest bus that came to airport around 6. Then after waiting a couple hours for a transfer bus, I finally made it to the stop close to the school. I walked the 15 minutes to my Hale and quickly texted to tell everyone my adventure and that I had finally made it (yeah, I didn't tell anyone), then I passed out on my bed! It was ridiculous and I now hate the LAX airport haha
• I took a Modern Dance class. My teacher was Asian and she had very long hair that she would tie in a loose knot up on top of her head. Every time she would show us a dance move, it would swoosh down and fly all over the place! It looked so funny, she was a hilarious lady!
• I had the best Jamba Juice of my life in Hawaii. It was called like Gimme Guava or something. They are the only state that uses fresh guava and it makes a big difference! It was delicious! I wish I had discovered it earlier on so I could have had more of them!

• The only way to really get around the island was by bus, $2.50 each time (often, because exact change for that is hard to have, one would pay 5 bucks to get another person on and then the next time that person would pay the 5 bucks to pay them back). It took a while to get where you wanted to go and you had to be careful not to miss the last bus of the night! We met many a crazy person on the bus! There was a guy tapping his toes together muttering about God or something, there were two high old ladies begging us to keep singing, there were some crazy homeless looking guys that we had fun jamming with, and plenty others!

• I only went on a few actual dates in my time there: my first was with Kevin Brown (kind of a blind date) to IHOP at the mall in Kaneohe, Steve took me to Hukilau Cafe early one morning, my friend Will (from the institute class I hated) took my friend Makeli (she went on a blind date with his friend Taylor) and me miniature golfing and to an awesome Korean BBQ joint at the Kaneohe mall where we got plates of raw meat that we grilled on little circular grills in the middle of our table! So cool :)

• I found out that I like Kimchi (A Korean dish made of vegetables, such as cabbage or radishes, that are salted, seasoned, and stored in sealed containers to undergo lactic acid fermentation). Basically it's just spicy cabbage!
• On Prince Kuhio Day we went to the Waikiki zoo and a tiny aquarium that was not worth the money! 
• Sunset Beach is rightly named, it has the best sunsets in Hawaii! I also missed a surfing competition there because of class and that sucked!

• A month or so before the end of Winter Semester, it flooded in Hawaii! Class was cancelled and it was awesome! Luckily, my Hale didn't experience any trouble but the girls Hales across campus (3 and 5) sure did! All those in the lower floor rooms had to get out and there were tons of people helping to get the water out. The field became a lake and a lot of people went boogey boarding on the grass :) There were pictures on the web of people paddle-boarding to work haha oh, and, we didn't have to go to work! At least I didn't :)
• I tried to do History homework on the beach once and it was nice but I don't think it was a very efficient way to get much done. Too distracting and windy :)
• I only sunburned on one occasion while in Hawaii! If you know me, you'll understand why that's a shock! I also only applied sunscreen like once or twice, so, even more of a shock!
• Our school didn't have a football team, but we sure went to a lot of basketball games! We were part of the Jet Chang fan club :P We were ridiculously silly and would always cheer "Cha Chang!" whenever he would make a basket haha

• My friends and I got tickets to the BYU vs. UH football game in town! It was way fun! We had rented some of the school vans and gotten Leticia's mom's van to get out there!

• It only takes about 2 hours to get around the whole island of Oahu if you stay on the highway.
• During the 2nd semester, I got to going to the gym a lot with my friend Katelyn. She said I was her personal trainer because I beat both our butts with ab workouts :) She was my personal training in the swimming pool, I suck at swimming with technique! 
• I ditched my Physical Science class quite a bit, the teacher had a really annoying speech impediment and I didn't learn a thing in there! 
• I finally met someone who had been to Madagascar! He was a missionary there and they speak a cool language called Malagasy!
• I didn't really talk to my roommate much until the 2nd semester when she was concerned a guy was stalking me. We had fun talking about that :)
• Some of my friends ate musubi a lot and it disgusted me! It's seaweed, rice, spam and sushi. Blech!
• With our meal cards we got about $50 at the campus food store thingy. I used it for ice cream and yummy stir fry!
• The caf food was pretty gross a lot of the time but I'm sure it saved me money because groceries in Hawaii are about double the price of the groceries here in the states! So, it at least kept me fed because I probably would have just eaten Top Ramen in order to save money.

• A staple of my cafeteria diet, I had a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch with every single meal! Not exaggerating either.
• I dated a Samoan. It was a fling for me and I think I only stuck with him because his culture fascinated me. Sounds harsh but there it is. Their language is beautiful and I loved getting to go to their rugby games!

• 2 nights before leaving for home, I hung out in a field for a little while. The next day I found out that I had over 100 mosquito bites on my right leg and about 50 on the other! They turned very nasty and I wore pants for a long time after that waiting for the bites and scars to go away! 
• I finally got to go up Stairway to Heaven! It's an illegal staircase off of the freeway (it was closed in 1987 because of disrepair). You have to park in a neighborhood, get past a fence and hike through a bit of jungle, then get there early enough in the morning that you can sneak past while the guard isn't there, then you have to fit your way through a hole between the fence and the wall and then run to get to the stairs! Then it's like 4,000 stairs to the top! I don't know if I had just missed a few days at the gym or what but, that hike killed me! My friend Kevin was nice enough to go behind me to make sure I didn't fall too far behind haha At some points in the hike, if you let go of the railing you'd fall, it's that steep! There are a few resting spots along the way and they were heaven-sent! It's so high up that you're in the clouds and you can see all of the islands at some points if the fog is light! When we got to the top it was like 4 in the morning and my group was smart enough to bring a tent that we set up on the only piece of land on that small top that wasn't horribly muddy. We got a little sleep and then after sunrise, started back down! It was very slippery and kind of chilly. It was awesome! But, afterwards I had to go to work and after work my friends kept me up to watch a stupid Kristen Stewart movie that we put on mute and made our own lines to and then we went to Foodland to get ice cream! Then, finally, I got to go to bed and I slept til noon the next day!

• One time I remember laughing the hardest was when Steve and Parker sang Master the Tempest is Raging in pirate voices, sloshing their imaginary mugs of root beer! It was hilarious! 
• My friends and I held a few nights where we did our own "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" I wasn't very good at it but it was fun to watch!

• Another good time was when Parker, Sara, her friend from home, Kevin, and I made a bonfire on the beach and made a story where we each added a line and then we went back to the cage above the little museum on campus and played Chubby Bunny with a huge tub of Dubble Bubble! We then played some cards. This was after Sara, her friend and I got back from the Dole Plantation where I got a pineapple float in a cool pineapple souvenir cup! It was waaaay too much pineapple ice cream and I couldn't finish it.

• Culture Night was the bomb! Groups from every culture practiced for weeks to perform dances from those countries and it was so cool! My favorite was the Haka! I had a thing for Maoris at the time ;)

• My friend, Daniel, got me into Taco Bell. I had never liked it before, it always made me sick but, it was one of the only places to eat close to campus. That and Pizza Hut (and we had our fill of that too)! I always got the Crunchwrap and my yummy mix of mostly Baja Blast Mountain Dew, with a little bit of normal Mountain Dew! It was delicious! :)
• We went and saw our friend in the Sound of Music play, it was fun!
• We played a lot of Ninja in the 2nd semester and I got pretty good at it, though I never won against those crazies!
• Some of the place names I remember are: Kane'ohe, La'ie, Waimea, Kamehameha Highway, Kailua, Hale'iwa, Ewa Beach (where we had a Thanksgiving pool party by my friend's house that felt totally wrong for me, being from winter-y Utah and all), Hau'ula, Waikiki (where we went to the tiny aquarium at, it's too much of a tourist center for us to spend much time there), Honolulu (of course), Kahuku (where the football team is a big deal and every night they won, tons of cars would pass the campus honking their horns and making a ton of noise), Mililani, and Pearl City (where we went to the premiere of Breaking Dawn)!
• On the way to the premiere of the Hunger Games, my friend Leticia, who was driving the van, practically ran over a dog! It had me in tears, the poor thing!! A guy close by helped us get the dog going and out of the gutter, he seemed fine besides a little limp. So sad, hope he's still doing okay!

• I always dominated when my friends and I play Egyptian! 
• Everyone around campus either had a bike or a longboard! Seriously, or you just walked, like I did because the one time my friend tried to teach me how to longboard, it didn't go so well!
• The beach closest to the school is called Temple Beach. It's kinda rocky and the sand isn't so soft. Pretty early on we realized the better beach is just a quick walk north to the Hukilau Beach! Every time someone wanted to go there, at least one person would sing "We're going to the Hukilau, the Huki-Huki-Huki-Huki-Hukilau!" :) Lots of fun at that beach!
• Another cool thing I got to do was play tennis every Tuesday and Thursday night with Kevin, Parker, Sara and Makeli! I actually got pretty good thanks to the patience of Kevin and Parker! We played A-S-S which is a game where you stand close to the net and if the ball hits your square three times, every player gets a turn to try to hit your butt with a tennis ball from across the court! :) We had an awesome final night of tennis where tons of people came and played! One time when we were playing, Parker made a good hit and I tried to say "impressive" and "attractive" at the same time and I called him "Impractive" :) It became a fun inside joke after that, every time you make an awesome hit or point, you're just dang impractive!

There are tons of other memories, but these are just some that came to the top of the list! It was a blast living in Hawaii for that year! I made so many friends and had tons of cool adventures! It was an amazing experience to get out on my own, go to a place where I didn't really know anyone and just enjoy life!