Thursday, May 3, 2018

May 12, 2017 Teacher gifts & Mother's Day muffins at Jump for Joy Preschool

Blake and his preschool friends made muffins with Ms. Jackie and invited all the moms to preschool to eat them. They were so proud and so cute! Blake chose blueberry for me and it was delicious.

He also gave a couple of the wreaths I made to Ms. Susie and Ms. Jackie for their teacher gifts. He pick which ones he wanted and was so excited to give them to them!

May 11, 2017 Fun day at the park!

Pleasant View Park with friends. We love spring weather, especially after being couped up all winter. Avery insists she climb on everything, which terrifies me, and Blake is learning to pump his legs on the swing. He's also obsessed with his balance bike so we brought that to the park too. I love it!

May 9, 2017 Hiking Rainbow Gardens Trail with Wolf & Bear Scouts

Tuesday scout activity doing our 1 mile hike and service project puking up trash along the trail. The week before hiking we assembled mini first aid kits and trail mix, and talked about outdoor safety. Gorgeous day, beautiful view, lots of fun! We were walking and picking up trash for over an hour, and the boys begged to go on a longer hike next time.

May 10, 2017 Connor's 1st Grade Spring Party

I helped with Connor's 1st grade class party today! I've been helping in his class all year with  reading groups and class parties (I'm the head room mom) and this was the final party of the year. Mrs. Hale's class was in charge of the games rotation so we did giant Jenga, hula hoop tag, and Minute to Win It games. The other three 1st grade classes did a craft, story telling, and a treat. The kids had a blast!

Monday, October 15, 2012

First weeks at home

My family stayed with us through Saturday morning, July 7 and Brenda came up Sunday night, July 8.  I really appreciated the help, mostly with Connor.  I was so tired and taking care of Blake 24/7 and I was worried Connor would get jealous not having as much access to me, but he was totally fine and loved having everyone there to play with.

Connor's love for Blake stayed strong all through those first weeks.  I had a little trouble nursing in those first weeks so Blake was drinking breastmilk from a bottle and Connor always asked to feed him.









Friday, August 3, 2012

4th of July

We celebrated the 4th of July with my family while they were here helping us the first week after Blake was born.  That morning, we put the kids in their outfits that Gaga bought for them (Connor's said Mr. Independent, totally fitting), Connor was in a "parade" with his friends Lincoln, Jackson, and Teyla from across the street, we all watched Thor, ate yummy food, and watched fireworks later that night.  Great day.


Love how smiley Will is all the time!
Love my two boys!

Flags, drums, pinwheels, and pom-poms.  We love our friends!
Big sleepy smiles!  Happy 4th of July!

Home from the hospital

My family (mom, dad, Ady, Jono, and baby Will) came to stay with and help us the first week after Blake was born (Friday, June 29 - Saturday, July 7).  It was fun having them here, and we really appreciated all their help!  Brad also stayed home from work that first week.  It was a party!

Saturday afternoon when we came home from the hospital, we opened the gifts my family brought for Blake.  They were very thoughtful and got Connor a few gifts too so he wouldn't feel left out.  It was a baby shower for Blake and a Big Brother Party for Connor.  Connor loved it (and so did I).



New bad and ball!
This is Connor's favorite thing he got.  He calls it "sticky ball."  And he's really good at it!
He also got snaps and M&Ms - his two other favorite things.
Cute cousins.
Love him!
Cute cousins.
Great big brother.

Sunday afternoon we did a big family dinner with my family and the Jeppsons.  So fun to have everyone together to celebrate our sweet new boy.



Great Grandpa Gotberg.
Grandma Brenda and Grandpa Brian with their 3 grandchildren - Connor (2.5 years), Alexis (7 months), Blake (newborn).
Adorable Alexis.
My little snuggle bug.  This is by far the best part of the newborn phase.  A warm little ball snuggled up and sleeping on your chest.
Blake and Papa, Blake's namesake (Paul).
Monday, July 2 was Blake's first doctor appointment.  The doctor wanted to see him so soon because he was Coombs positive at birth and she wanted to monitor his bilirubin count and jaundice.  His bilirubin count was 12 (up from 9 a few days before in the hospital) and he was looking a little yellow (down to his knees), but he was still only in the moderate-low risk zone so the doctor wasn't concerned.  She did a general check up and weighed him.  Here's his weight progression:

Birth (Thursday night) - 8 lb. 14 oz.
Leaving the hospital (Saturday morning) - 8 lb. 6 oz.
First doctor visit (Monday afternoon, July 2) - 8 lb. 15 oz. - already passed his birth weight!  In 2 days!! 
Second doctor visit (Friday afternoon, July 6) - 9 lb. 9 oz. - 10 ounces in 4 days!  What a chunker!

 Tuesday we hung out at home and gave Blake his first sponge bath.




Me and my 2 sweet boys.
Like I said - absolute best part.
Look!  They're communicating! :)
 Thanks for coming everyone!  We miss you already!

Monday, July 30, 2012

Baby Blake is here!


Blake Paul Jeppson was born Thursday, June 28, 2012 at 7:58 p.m.  He weighed 8 lb. 14 oz, and was 22.5 inches long.  Big boy!

Blake is a name Brad and I both liked (and it fit him when he was born), Paul is my dad's and my dad's dad's (my grandpa's) first name.  

I went to McKay Dee Hospital in Ogden to be induced on Thursday, June 28, five days before my due date (July 3) because I grow big babies.  I was also induced with Connor on his due date and he was 9 lb. 2 oz.  At every prenatal appointment for Blake, I measured 2 cm bigger than normal (just like I did with Connor), and at my 34 week ultrasound, Blake was already 6.5 pounds (which would have put him at about 9.5 pounds at birth 6 weeks later).  So my doctor (Dr. Margit Lister) and I decided it would be best to induce me a little early, and good thing because he would have been exactly 9 lb. 2 oz. if I waited 5 more days, exactly like Connor was.

Brad's mom, Brenda, drove to our house Wednesday night so she could watch Connor for us.  We were supposed to be at the hospital at 8 a.m. Thursday morning, but we got a call that morning to wait a couple hours because they were so busy.  So we hung out for a couple hours - we showered, pulled weeds in the yard, I cleaned the bathroom one last time (still nesting big time!), we took the last pregnancy picture of my huge belly and one last picture of us as a family of 3, and Brad gave me a priesthood blessing to help calm my nerves and bless the doctors that they would perform in their jobs well.


Last picture together as a family of 3!

We got to the hospital around 11 a.m. and as I was walking in with Brad, it really hit me that when we walk out we would have a baby!  I couldn't believe the day was actually here.  I was still a little scared, but I was ready.  Here's how the day progressed:

12 p.m. - The nurse started me on pitocin.  I was already dilated to 1 cm and 60% effaced before going to the hospital.
1 p.m. - My doctor broke my water, dilated to 2 cm.
3:45 p.m. - Got an epidural, dilated to 3 cm, just waiting.
5:45 p.m. - More waiting, dilated to 4 cm.
6:15 p.m. - Dilated to 6 cm, almost completely effaced.  Labor starting to pick up now!
7:00 p.m. - Dilated to 9+ cm, almost completely dilated, almost ready to start pushing!
7:40 p.m. - Completely dilated to 10 cm, start pushing!
7:58 p.m. - Baby Blake is born!!!  (My dad won the bet - he said Blake would come at 7:59 p.m.!)

Right when Blake came out, he was screaming.  They laid him on my tummy while they suctioned his mouth and nose.  My very first thought was how sweet my new little baby was - I loved him instantly!  My second thought was, "Wow, he doesn't look anything like Connor."  They put him on my chest and Blake continued to scream.  The doctor was trying to talk and explain things to me and I had to tell her, "I'm sorry, I can't hear a word you are saying."  Everyone laughed. 


I'm not wearing lipstick.  The only thing I could eat the whole time was ice, suckers, and popsicles.  I ate 3 double popsicles (so like 6 singles), and the only color they had was orange.  They tasted so good and refreshing but definitely turned my lips orange!


Brad cutting the umbilical cord.
Blake has CRAZY long fingers and toes.  And legs.  And body.  I guess everything about him is long!
Look at those long skinny legs!  He totally didn't fit any of the outfits I brought for him to wear home.
 

He finally stopped crying with skin-to-skin contact.  My sweet little baby.  I loved him so much already, I was on a totally euphoric endorphin high.

Our hospital stay was perfect.  I really liked all my nurses and the food was AMAZING!  All patients got free room service for every meal (and even snacks in between) and I could order as much food as I wanted (Brad was on his own, but I shared some of mine).  We had a few visitors while we were there - Brenda and Ady Thursday night; Brenda, Connor, Byron, and Krista Friday morning; my parents and Ady Friday afternoon; Brenda, Brian, and Cami Friday evening.  We were in the hospital from Thursday morning (June 28) until Saturday afternoon (June 30) and I really loved having those couple days with just us and Blake to bond with him. 

It's so funny how siblings can look so different.  Connor's and Blake's features seem to be switched.  Connor has my eyes and chin (Carver cleft), and Brad's ears and full lips.  Blake has Brad's eyes and chin (no cleft), and my ears and thinner lips.  Connor got my coloring and length (20"), Blake got Brad's coloring and length (23").  Genes are a funny thing!
Comparing Connor (left) and Blake (right).  They really don't look much alike to me!  We'll see as Blake gets older...


My sweet little angel.
Auntie Ady.


The nurse said his feet are so big they almost went off the edge of the ink pad.  Yep, he's a Jeppson!

I got Connor a few gifts "from Baby Blake."  I got him a toy motorcycle, a new Thomas train, chocolate kisses, and water balloons.  All his favorite things right now.  He was very excited.  Thank you dollar store. 
Daddy and his 2 boys.






Brad's Aunt Krista and Uncle Byron came to visit us.  They and their kids (Brad's cousins) are who we went on our Southern Utah trip with a few weeks ago.
The hospital photographer.  I ordered 3 pictures she took, which cost me an arm and a leg, but it is totally worth it.  The pictures are perfect.  Stay tuned to see them in a later post...
Family of 4!!




Gaga.  (My mom, Janiel)









Aunt Cami
Grandpa Brian and Grandma Brenda.

This is one of the outfits I brought for Blake to wear home.  The other was a onsie and pants with feet in them - I couldn't make up my mind which one I liked better when I was packing.  They were both newborn size, I thought my NEWBORN would fit them.  Silly me.  The pants came up about mid-thigh.  And notice how stretched the legs of this sleeper are.  At birth he fits 0-3 month clothes. 
He looks so teeny in his carseat!


One side note:  Blake was Coombs positive in the hospital (means some of my type O blood mixed with some of his type A blood and my O red blood cells form antibodies that attack his A red blood cells putting him at a higher risk for jaundice).  We monitored his bilirubin count for those couple days (5 at birth - moderate high risk, 9 Friday night - moderate low risk).  I supplemented him with formula a couple times during our hospital stay because a full belly and lots of dirty diapers helps his liver work better and decrease jaundice/bilirubins.

Blake is such a sweet baby and we love him.  From day one (even in the hospital) he has been sleeping 3-4 hour stretches at night.  He is a great eater and has been gaining weight like crazy!  Connor was pretty indifferent and seemingly disinterested about Blake in the hospital, I think because the hospital was a new and exciting place.  I'll post more about him and Blake once we bring Blake home.

We are so in love with you baby Blake!  We are so glad you have joined our family and can't wait to experience life with you and watch you grow!