kyle and his kiddos

Kyle is a great dad and makes sure our kids get outside for plenty of fun. I think Ella is his daughter. Her quote of the week, "Why stay on the path when we could have an adventure?"

Also, when I leave them alone they always come home with a new toy. Dad is a softy! Check out Kate's new bike! She now has gears and breaks--big girl style!

Sweet Baby Ashley

Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting:
The Soul that rises with us, our life's Star,
Hath had elsewhere its setting,
And cometh from afar:
Not in entire forgetfulness,
And not in utter nakedness,
But trailing clouds of glory do we come
From God, who is our home:
-Wordsworth

Ashley Kyle Gillespie

Feb 24, 2012

8 lbs 5 ounces

19 1/2 inches

This pregnancy has been a whole different ball game. Toward the end I was very anxious for baby Ashley to get here. Besides being in continuous false labor I just felt like she wanted out.

Anyway, we showed up at 7:00 for our scheduled C-section. The nurses were all waiting for us in the prep room. It only took a few minutes to get us into the operating room and ready to go.

Within a few minutes the baby was out, and although she made a little yelp she did not cry like the rest of our kids had. It turns out the u-cord was wrapped around her neck a couple of times and while they were undoing it they think she swallowed fluid. Needless to say when they put her on the table next to me she was blue.

Soon pretty much everyone had left me and was over working on her. I could see the nurses tapping each other and whispering and working on her like crazy. Kyle came over and told me she wasn’t breathing. I just closed my eyes and started praying.

Thankfully, her heart rate was strong and within two minutes she had made a little sound and they had her breathing. It was amazing when they put the oxygen on her how she instantly turned bright pink. I will take a bright pink baby over a blue one any day.

Anyway, they took her for most of the day after that. She was born at 8:35 but I didn’t get her until 4 that afternoon. Luckily, Kyle was able to stay with her most of the time. I was by myself in the recovery room for the most of the day and used the quiet time to let all the love of the special day sink in.

I was so relieved to have the surgery over and so relieved she was healthy and okay that pretty much everything related to the recovery since has been in perspective of those two things. Modern medicine is amazing. It saves lives. It is the reason my babies and I are alive and not buried under some mount of dirt.

In addition, here are a few other things I want to remember about our stay in the hospital:

-The amazing special care nurses that were assigned to Ashley while we there
-Kyle and I spending quiet time with Ashley and getting to know her and shower her with love
-Ella telling me, "I have Ashley's first day home all planned out."
-Dash asking me if I am all better now and snuggling with me in the hospital bed
-Kyle and I walking the maternity floor with the pink bassinet and him pretending it was supercross saturday (baby girls love dirt bikes too I'm told)
-Kyle riding in a 25 mile headwind to the hospital on his bike and bringing us a celebration dinner
-Kate saying "Baby Ashley is so ADORABLE. Just like a fuzzy caterpillar!"
-The kids being so excited to pick up Ashley from the hospital and bring her home
-The way she was instantly part of the Ella, Kate, Dash club

-The way grandma anne is there for us every time we need her, no matter where we live.

february birthdays

My sister is the best. It was so great to have her and her sweet family here this weekend. The cousins played together perfectly and we celebrated 4 birthdays and an anniversary. Kate was thrilled to be 5. While opening her presents she kept yelling, "You are the best parents ever!" Thanks to Grandma Janie for their awesome birthday cakes with a treasure in each slice. They were a huge hit.

Another hit was Grandpa Dug. Dash was attached at his hip and couldn't get enough of grandpa's race cars. Dash kept saying, "He's my buddy." My dad also took it upon himself to go grocery shopping, make us all a homemade thanksgiving dinner and clean it all up. There aren't many men out there like him and we feel lucky he is ours.

Ella's Baptism

Since we had 2 weeks to kill with no baby we decided to have a baptism. Ella turned 8 on Saturday and my parents and sister's family came as well as some sweet friends from the ward.

The fabulous Susan Lybbert helped Ella sew her dress. Ella chose the pattern, cut it out and did a lot of it herself. Grandma Janie sent some white shoes and scriptures, Grandma Anne had some special jewelry, and we were set.

It was short, very sweet and low key. Kyle did a great job and Kate said the closing prayer. I think Ella had a perfect day. We were proud of her for making such a big decision.

"He that is baptized in my name, to him will the Father give the Holy Ghost, like unto me; wherefore, follow me, and do the things which ye have seen me do." 2 Nephi Ch. 31

11 days and counting

Sometimes you have to be really foolish to become wise. I foolishly thought because i am having constant contractions and am pretty much a handicapped person I could have my baby on Friday, but nope. 11 more days. i will admit there was lots of crying on friday but we are trying to regroup.

So in the meantime I guess we will celebrate four birthdays, my sister's wedding anniversary (they are coming to visit), ella's baptism, and our favorite holiday, V-day! Also, Kyle is celebrating the arrival of his bouncing baby kawasaki.

Trying to be grateful I'm not dead! And forgetting how much pink comes along with a baby girl. So fun!

kyle also brought me flowers and vacuumed the house. true love, i tell you.

things i want to remember

February is the best month of the year. As we are getting ready for the new baby there are a few things I want to remember . . .

I want to remember the magic of watching my little family grow up and the privilege of watching them create, imagine, explore and play.

I want to remember how being settled is like tapping into a well of happiness. How even on days when all I accomplish are laundry and vacuuming I am smiling because we are content and this is home.

I want to remember how grateful I am for those promptings and instincts in your life that tell you to take an unexpected path: like moving to the middle of nowhere; like purchasing a home that wasn’t your ideal; like tackling something as crazy as homeschool.

I want to remember how it felt to watch my sweet husband take care of our three-year-old who had the flu. How Kyle made them both a bed on the floor and was so patient for hours on end. I tell you, that experience was up there on the list of moments I knew I married the right man.

February is the month of love. We love all of you and can’t wait for baby # 4 to join in all the fun.