Christmas 2020- A Blurb

 

Merry Christmas!

We are so excited to have another wonderful Christmas to finish off this “life” filled year.  Ryan finally got his shop this year (a shipping container in the backyard) and has had a little bit of time building in and utilizing that space. The kids have enjoyed having chickens and ducks, especially Sharlee with her favorite chicken, Golden, who she pushes around in a doll stroller and totes around the yard. Soren loves riding his balance bike fast and talks about his future motorcycle all the time. Laddie keeps us all smiling with his growls, hugs, and big toothy smile. I’m just in the background hoping that I am keeping things running in some way!

We are so blessed and are trying to be kind, loving, and to be a friend in some way to anyone we see! We love you all!

~~ Ryan, Micah, Sharlee, Soren, and Laddie

2020

Laddie's Birth Story

      September 26th started out as just another "waiting day". My mom had arrived the night before and we started the morning feeding the kids breakfast and catching up. I made a smoothie for mom and myself. Once we finally got the kids dressed and ready to go somewhere it was nearly noon. I drove down the main street, showing my mom how to get anywhere she may need to go in the next week and then we took the kids to Remember the Maine Park. We enjoyed a small "hike" with the kids and then sat in the grass eating snacks and then let the kids play on the playground for a few minutes. 

      Once home we plopped Soren in bed for a nap and I made myself a chicken salad sandwich so that I could hurry and still squeeze in an afternoon nap. I like to get Soren up by 3 from his nap. 

I had really been trying to take naps in hopes that if I went into labor I either wouldn't be too tired to labor in the night or in hopes that relaxing in the day might help me to go into labor at an appropriate hour. 

     I got into bed about 2:20pm, but proceeded to get on Instagram and Facebook and intermittently tried to sleep. I had to get up to use the bathroom a time or two and at about 2:40pm had a contraction. Once I had another I decided to time them just for the heck of it, since they seemed more intense than ones in the past week. They were about 3 1/2 minutes apart and around 45 seconds long. I decided to get up and do something different to see if that changed things. 

    When I came back to the kitchen and Jules and Sharlee were doing a watercolor painting, Jules said, "you are supposed to be resting!" I told her "I know, but it's hard to sleep" and then added, "and I've had a few contractions".  She nearly jumped, "you have?!" I stopped timing contractions about this time and just tried to relax. Over the next 30min, I went to the bathroom a couple more times. Just before 3:30 I was in the bathroom and there was a small gush of fluid. ! That had to be my water, right?! When labor is starting or even in full swing, I usually have a hard time believing it, or at least try to remain sort of unconnected for as long as I can. 

    I began to knock on the bathroom wall and call for my mom. She heard the knocking and was a little confused. Sharlee told her someone was at the door so they checked the front door and then heard me say " I am in the bathroom. Come here." They checked the hall bathroom and finally made it to my room. I told my mom that my water broke and she seemed pretty excited and asked, "well, what can I do?" I asked for my phone to call Ryan and the midwife. I actually had talked to Ryan about 10min previous and asked when he would be coming home, because "things might be happening". He told me he would be home probably in an hour. So, I called him again and he said he was just getting in his truck to come home. I told him my water broke and he said, "Sweet!" 

   Next, I called the midwife and she said she would get ready and that she would see if her assistant/another midwife could come over and check that it was amniotic fluid, since she lives closer to me. 

    The next hour was filled with my mom bustling around, pulling Soren out of his bed and getting the kids ready to go somewhere and Ryan bustling around getting the things ready that were on his "labor list".  He asked if it was ok if he showered quick and I said, "If it's the fastest dang shower of your life because you have things to do." He changed his mind and his clothes to be clean and more comfortable. 

     Megan (our assistant) showed up just before 4:30 and confirmed that it was amniotic fluid, my water did break. She looked at my contraction timing and that they weren't all about a minute long, but of course, I was timing while people were asking me different questions of where things were and what to do with the kids, etc.  She stepped out and called Heather (midwife) and then came and sat down on the couch to quietly observe//be present if I needed something. 

   My mom was trying to get the kids out the door, but Sharlee was so upset and said, "But I want to watch the baby come out!" Soon they were gone and I labored through contractions mostly on my hands and knees while Ryan was at the table eating. He and the midwife began taking turns putting pressure on my lower back through contractions.  

    I went to the bathroom and had more intense contractions and Ryan helped me. The midwife said that I sounded like things were getting more intense. I came out of the bathroom with the intention of getting back to the living room but ended up on the floor just inside my room. I knelt down and breathed low tones through contractions, swaying my head back and forth.  Labor is interesting because it is a time where I am pulled very inward. I felt as though I had two people inside me. One was the voice telling me, "this is ridiculous! Why am I here again? I know better. If I am ever pregnant again I am going to just go to the hospital and get all the things so I don't have to go through this." Then I was able to focus on my true voice and remember the things I had on my bathroom mirror. One little card says, "Meditation is positive remembering". I thought about how strong I am, how capable I am, how I have been here before, and it is the most amazing thing, I get a great prize at the end! I also leaned heavily on the strength of women, the many women who have done this, we were made for this, etc. It was an empowering moment for me. During this, Heather had come and they were taking turns sitting by me and making sure everything was prepped, there was enough warm water in the birth pool,etc. Heather asked if I wanted to get into the birth pool. I wanted to but I also wanted to put it off as long as I could, because in labor's past I felt like I spent so much time in the water, labor is long, etc. So, I started to get up but stayed down as I had another contraction or two together. She said if I was going to move, I better take this opportunity. So I got up and went to the next room and got into the birth pool.  This was around 5:30. They turned out the light so it wasn't so bright. Ryan sat in front of me and held my arms or kissed my forehead and gave me sips of water. 

   The midwives said it was 5:50 when I started pushing. My head was resting on the side of the pool and I was focused completely inward. I had my hand down and I felt Laddie's head an inch or two from coming out. I held his head as it moved downwards. Heather said, "Reach down and feel your baby's head." The best I could I said, "I already am." Ryan looked at her and said, "He's coming already???" I "shushed" him and Ryan said the midwife gave him a look that matched his feelings of, -oh, let's be quiet-. He thought I shushed him because I didn't want to hear something like that when it was still going to take a while. As I slowly breathed and he was emerging, I made sure to slow things down, trying not to tear. It was a surreal feeling to be in control. His head came out and it seemed to be one quick second before I pulled him up out of the water and put him to my chest and leaned back. Ryan looked shocked that I was holding our boy. He was born at 6:03pm

   Ryan came around behind me and we just loved on Laddie and talked to him. He was breathing great, looking around and had great cries. They put warm towels around him and in a couple minutes they helped me to get my now wet shirt and bra off to nurse him. 

    Once I birthed the placenta, we slowly got up and moved to our room to lay down on the bed. Ryan got to cut the cord and we soon had some time in the room just the three of us. We didn't know what time he had been born, but we were just both in awe together that we were already loving on our sweet little boy!

    The midwives came back in and checked on us more and got Laddie's stats, etc.  

   Ryan called my mom to let her know she could bring the kids home and that the baby was born about 2 hours previous. When they arrived Sharlee came straight to my room and was surely the happiest girl in the world! She loves this little boy! Then Ryan called his family and Sharlee told them that she had a new little brother!!

    She has reminded me quite a few times that she really wanted to watch him come out! She is now very much excited to get married someday so she can have her own babies and be the mommy that is in charge of the baby and can hold her babies whenever she wants and kiss her babies all over the face! 

    Soren was also very excited. He has had so much energy and loves kissing his brother. He does remind me, very seriously, "you are  MY mom!" He doesn't want to be forgotten!

We LOVE our children!

Approx. labor time: 3 hrs, 20min

Laddie Forest Taylor

7lbs, 4oz

21inches

Merry Christmas! 2018

Merry Christmas!

We have heard it said many times that the Lord has different plans for our lives than we do. It’s great to look back on the year and see the many ways in which we have been blessed.

The first half of our year flew by with the regular, day to day activities. Ryan enjoyed being in Scouting and Young Men’s at church and the kids and I played, read, and I did a lot of school work while the rest of the family slept. We also enjoyed family work of building a fence in our back yard and other fun work.

Throughout the summer we spent time at the pool and went to the lake with friends. In July I graduated from Brigham Young University-Idaho with a Bachelor of Science in Marriage and Family Studies. We were all so happy to have that done! Ryan accepted a job as a welding instructor at Uintah Basin Technical College, so we had to figure out all the details of moving to Vernal, Utah…quickly!

Within the first two weeks of August, Soren turned 1 and started walking, we sold our house, and Ryan left, with all our things, to Utah to start working. The kids and I stayed for three more weeks in an empty house to finish up the details.

Through the fall I have ran a few 5K’s, and at the end of October the kids and I made a trip back to Arizona so that I could go on my first deer hunt. I shot a nice 3pt on opening morning and we spent the rest of the week enjoying Halloween festivities and meat processing.

Ryan is currently renting a hangar at the local airport to use as a shop, because a man has got to have his space (which there is not a lot of in our little apartment)!

Sharlee spends most of her free time asking for treats and making great arguments for why she needs them. She is also very excited to be 3 years old just before Christmas. All she really wants is cake! Soren is still the cuddliest boy and loves closing doors for us while saying, “door, door, door”.

We were all so sad to have to say bye to our little home in Globe, AZ, especially when we had just put in our woodstove, new chimney, and painted! It was hard to close that door!

We are so blessed!!! We hope you are all doing well and feel the love of the Savior that shines so brightly on all of us!

Love,

 Ryan, Micah, Sharlee, & Soren TAYLOR

Ramblings on a Thursday

In the film Yours, Mine and Ours, it is shown and stated that the work of a mother is important, vital even. 

Helen North in this movie, in the beginning, states that it took her a long time to begin to understand children and especially her own. Humility is a key ingredient in people being malleable. It is in humbleness that we can grow, step back from the things we know and move forward into the unknown. 

I fear challenges and enjoy being where I am comfortable. I am sure this is something many people can say is true for them. Even with that, I love adventures, challenging myself, and learning new things. Those two statements don’t seem to describe the same person, but I would counter that they often do. Marriage is something that no matter what, we dive into. There are challenges that come our way that we could have no idea we would face when we were looking forward to marriage. Sure, standing on the outside you look proudly on, hand in hand, excited for the future and confident in the strength that you and your spouse-to-be have created together. 

In my short 4 ½ years of marriage I have often been faced, or we have been faced with challenges that seemed daunting, yet we did not have a choice whether we would face them or not. We had already made that decision back when we signed the papers and exchanged rings. Man did some of those challenges burn in so many ways, but it is true that looking back, it is like overlooking a magnificent vista; the pure sky after a terrible storm.

Merry Christmas 2017

     Hello Family and Friends! Wow, another year has gone and so much has been happening. We are so grateful to the Lord for our many blessings and so happy to be celebrating Christ’s birth at the end of the year!

     Last year we were dreaming about having our own house, as always, and stumbled upon a little house at the end of a cul-de-sac in our neighborhood. We joked and told family we were going to buy it. In February we actually made it ours! We have already been busy customizing it by knocking out two walls, opening up the living area and kitchen.

    Since we are in our own place, Micah decided that we needed a dog and spur of the moment picked one up from a trailer park in April. We named our little puppy Biighah, and she grew fast and learned to bark—one of her favorite things to do other than play with Sharlee.

     We have kept this year busy, as Ryan has worked a lot of overtime, while Micah and Sharlee traveled many times between Globe and Prescott. Why you might ask?

    Sharlee got a little brother! Soren Ryan Taylor was born on August 5^th, 2017. He weighed 6 pounds, 6 ounces and was 19 ½ inches long. We were shocked that he was born with a full head of dark hair! He was born in Micah’s childhood bedroom. We were so happy that her parents accepted our crazy plan to have a baby at their house, assisted by the same midwife that was present at Micah’s birth. Soren is the best baby! He is full of smiles and giggles.  He is no exception to “growing up too fast”.

    How is it even possible that Sharlee will be 2 before the end of the year? She is such a delight. Sharlee loves reading books and had so much fun swimming at the local pool this summer with Mom. With her expanding vocabulary she is now giving us lots of laughs too!

    Ryan went hunting this fall and shot his first Arizona Mule Deer. It was a lot of arduous work and Micah was impressed and excited to put meat in the freezer. Sharlee pointed at the deer hanging up and told us, “Dinner!” and “Nummy Deer Meat”.

   We hope you all have had as good a year as we have and a very Merry Christmas.

With love,

Ryan, Micah, Sharlee and Soren Taylor

I just love this girl!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/YxrZRLolxNv5qSek2

From the Memory of a One Month Post-Partum Mom----Soren's Birth Story

         For months Sharlee and I drove 3 1/2 hrs to Prescott for appts. and the same back. I was so excited to be using the same midwife that my mom had when she delivered me.
         Sharlee and I went to Prescott on July 11th to stay and await Soren's arrival.  I was advised on the 6th to take it easy, no carrying Sharlee (difficult when her famous line was, "hold you, hold you! HOLD ME!"), no exercise, take Cramp Bark 5x a day for a week, because of signs of labor. We needed to make it to 36 weeks for our planned home birth.
        Daddy drove to Prescott on Friday nights after work and went back home on Sunday afternoons.         When August hit, I said that I was going to have the baby on Friday night after Ryan arrived or it probably wouldn't be for another 2 or 3 weeks. I was anxious. On that Friday, August 4th, Ryan got to Prescott about 8pm. Grumpy and Jules were out on a date. We put Sharlee to bed and we got to bed about 10pm.
        I woke up about 2:45am to go to the bathroom. I went back to bed and immediately started having strong contractions. Trying so hard to sleep, I finally turned my brain on after a few of them, because it seemed like they were pretty close. I opened my tablet to the Baby Center app. and used the contraction timer tool. I tried to keep sleeping, but hit the button for the beginning and end of each contraction. They were mainly 4 and 5 minutes apart. Once it got to 4:30 I decided it was a reasonable time to wake Ryan up.
        I told him, "We are going to have a baby today!" I had to say it a couple of times for him to grasp the words through his foggy, sleep brain. I waited until 5:30am to call Paula Matthew, our midwife. She said she would shower, get her coffee and make the drive from Skull Valley. I kept telling Ryan I felt so bad calling her and didn't want to bother her early, have her rush over and then wait "forever" for anything to happen.
       At this point Ryan and I went upstairs. I went in to Jules and Grumpy's room to tell them Paula was coming. Grumpy's face popped up with such sleepy excitement and said, "You're in labor?!" My mom asked something like, "you seriously called her this early?" (She told me later that I didn't look in distress).
Bustling Around!
       It was time to get ready, if we weren't already. Ryan and I went down to our designated birth room where Sharlee was sleeping in her pack n' play. With skill, Ryan moved Sharlee down the hall and placed her on the bed we had been sleeping in without her even cracking an eyelid. Ryan then made me Cream of Rice cereal (seems to be my pre-birth/ in labor breakfast) and I was able to take maybe 7 bites. Then as Paula and her assistant Deborah were pulling up I made my way downstairs. As they all bustled around and set up the birth pool I was on the floor working through contractions. Then I leaned against the bed to hang my belly. Paula had me get up and she checked me. I was about 5/6cm and around 7/8cm during a contraction.
       Once the pool was ready I got in and my contractions seemed to be almost gone for a while, a lot of space between them. Then slowly they came closer again.
       Paula said if they broke my water I would have this baby...that it would just save us some time. The ladies left the room so Ryan and I could discuss this. I was nervous, because I knew it would be a way to just increase intensity and I was feeling nervous for the "peak" and was starting to be a little anxious for being a mom of two. Ryan said a prayer for us and we decided-- We want to hold this boy! So Ryan went and told them we wanted to have them break my water.
       My bag of waters was pretty tough to poke through, but it worked.  I thought I would feel a pop, but nothing. It just created a leak. I went through more contractions in the birth pool.
We decided I should change positions. I got out of the water and went to sit on the toilet. The contractions started to come more often and felt more intense out of the water. I felt like pushing so we made our way back to the bedroom. I was going to get back in the pool, but I didn't. I stood basically right inside the door of the room through some contractions. Then squatting deep through more, while amniotic fluid spilled out. I decided to move to the bed, as my legs were feeling like jell-o in the deep squat.
        Paula checked me and during a contraction I was fully dilated. I began pushing with my contractions. After a few, it was getting real. Paula was doing perineal massage using olive oil. I caught a glimpse of a clock around this point and it was just before 10am.
I felt like my pushing wasn't doing anything, but they assured me he was moving down. My left leg got really achy and I moved it around and stretched it. Paula said it was a good sign of the baby moving down. As I pushed they gave me a cool cloth for my head. Ryan held my hand and stroked my hair. I told them that labor was sensational, full of sensations! In my mind I kept reminding myself that I needed to stay positive, my brain was a super roller coaster as thoughts of doubt came in my mind and I would shut them down with affirmations.  Through the pushing I may have used a 4 letter "sh" word two or three times.
         As Soren's head began to emerge, I was so excited and determined to get him out. He had so much dark hair!
Those feelings in my body were so intense--but I pushed through (I really didn't have any other option, haha). His head came out, it looked pretty purple to me. This worried me some, but was also just encouragement for me to get him all the way out. I reached down and held his head as I pushed to get his body to come through. I felt as his knobby shoulder and sharp elbow popped out and the rest of him seemed to easily slip out.
I brought him up to my stomach. Ryan and I  began loving on him. So perfect!
       Paula told me to think of my placenta, thank it it for supporting my baby. It soon came out. Ryan was able to cut the umbilical cord.
        The midwife and assistant pretty quickly were able to make their way upstairs so we could be alone.
        I tried to get Soren to nurse, but I couldn't get him to latch. He wouldn't open his eyes, because it was bright in the room.
        When Paula came back down she told me to express some milk for him to smell and taste. He latched and nursed, but really was not too hungry. We are SO grateful to have this handsome boy!

      *  It was so cool to be able to have this baby in the home I grew up in, in the room I grew up in! It was such a wonderful and truly calm morning. I could hear clanking of breakfast happening upstairs, Sharlee saying "Mo-ee" (more) while eating pancakes and the occasional 'Mom!' I knew that everyone was excited up there. My sweet sister came and took Sharlee so she could have fun with Auntie C  and her cousin. After Soren was born and the ladies left, Ryan and I were the only ones at the house with Soren for a bit, all napping. Truly though, I could not fall asleep.

*   Soren was born at 10:18am. The entire labor was under 8 hours and I had no tears. It was awesome that I was not exhausted from a long labor like I was with Sharlee. I was able to have a clear mind and not be 'out of it' as I would say I was last time.

This is the afternoon after birth. 

 

Getting the stats!

  <3  <3 <3