6 Months

I'm behind, it's about time for an update! Our monkey turned six months old on the 7th of this month. I can't believe it has been six months!

Then and Now. Oh, and thanks Aunt Danielle for the suit!

He's got so much personality, and he's such a busy little boy it's hard to keep up with him, especially during finals! He has almost figured out how to roll over from front to back, but we're not quite there yet. But he's pulling himself up onto things, so there's that. He's also started dancing to any tune he hears, it's pretty amusing. 

Sage is very much a little Richard. We joke around and say he's already engineer-minded, because he always seems to find the laziest way to play with his toys.

Sage's favorite foods are crackers and avocado. He won't eat anything pureed, it has to be mashed but still chunky, or in pieces so he can feed himself. He likes to test out those little teeth of his!

Rich is in the middle of his finals week, and he is exhausted! He has been pulling all-nighters trying to study for his exams, and since Sage has decided he doesn't want to sleep ever again (and we thought he didn't like sleeping before...oh boy), and is up every 1 1/2-2 hours at night, when Rich finally does get to sleep it's short lived. Poor guy. But he's working hard and doing well, and he's still an amazing father and husband.

We all had a great time going to Oklahoma for the Thanksgiving Holiday, although I'm pretty sure Ben and Danielle were ready to get rid of us after over a week, since we all got sick and overstayed our welcome...we also got everyone else sick, so that was fun (sorry again, guys!). It was great seeing everyone, and watching Sage meet his cousins, especially the ones closest to his age.  I'm still not entirely confident that Garrett and Sage will get along well, they are completely opposite personalities! But I suppose only time will tell. Sage did fairly well for the trip, although towards the end (both ways) he was definitely done with that car seat. I don't blame him, I was done being in the car too!

In other news, we're attempting to grow an avocado tree from the pit. We should know in a month or so if it's working. We don't actually expect fruit, but our house needs some foliage! I'll keep you posted on whether or not we were successful. 

Well, I think that's all the news I have! Logan is depressingly cold, but that's nothing new. We hope you all have an amazing December!

Halloween Adventures

I'm not going to lie, last Halloween was insanely dull. Rich studied all night while I laid around on my newly pregnant stomach, sick and miserable. We didn't dress up, we didn't go out, and we didn't even have any trick-or-treaters come to the door. Boring, boring, boring.
This year was much better, although we still didn't have any trick-or-treaters. But that's alright, we didn't have any candy to pass out this year, anyway! Instead, we stayed in and had a game night with some friends.
We also carved pumpkins:

Rich's pumpkin. When I asked him why he decided to do Jack, he said, "Because he's the pumpkin king. Duh." Of course, how silly of me!

Sage's pumpkin. He didn't actually carve it, of course, but we dedicated it to him. That's a pacifier in it's mouth, in case you couldn't tell. Mine is slightly visible behind his...I was carving a really cool bat, but I didn't have a chance to finish it, so it kinda wilted on me.

We made roasted pumpkin seeds, which turned out to be a pretty big hit.

We had a monster hat from another outfit and a Halloween shirt for Sage. The little stinker didn't want to keep his hat on at first.

Sage is almost 5 months old now. He is daddy's little buddy. Rich can make him giggle so hard, just by making faces at him. It's very fun to see them interact! Sage is pretty much sitting up by himself, very smiley, still loves peekaboo, and is so wiggly it's hard to get a non-blurry picture. He has tried cereal and peas, and loved them at first. Now he's bored with them, and just wants to munch on the spoon. He loves eating his toes and dancing, too!

We hadn't planned on dressing up, as we weren't going anywhere and both had a ton of studying to do. But last minute I felt bad that Sage didn't have a costume for his first Halloween (not that he cares), so I found an old shirt and whipped up a hat (based on the movie How to Train Your Dragon) for him to wear. He didn't want his picture taken, so I kept getting blurry and grumpy-looking pictures.

The ears on the hat are stuffed, so they're rather floppy. They're pointier than they look in this picture. Overall, I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out, especially since it's my first time working with a really thin, stretchy fabric.

But I did manage to get a semi-decent one, although the previous picture is a better view of his hat.

Well, that's our Halloween story! We all hope everyone had a safe, happy Halloween!

C'est La Vie

Life has been pretty good lately for this little family! We're very busy with school and, of course, our little monkey.
I get more convinced every day that I gave birth to a toddler. Sage is 16 weeks now (holy mackerel, where did the time go?!?), and is getting even more steady with his standing and sitting, and although he loves playing on his tummy, he's not remotely interested in rolling over and crawling. Plus, we think he's teething. Oh, the joy. His favorite chew toy is Rich's finger (apparently mine aren't squishy or big enough). He loves playing peek-a-boo and singing songs (his favorites are I Won't Give Up [Jason Mraz], A New Day Has Come [Celine Dion] and Time Is Love [Josh Turner]), and he's got the darnedest cute smile and giggle. He reserves the giggle for occasions where he's being a stinker, like when I'm trying to get him dressed for bed and he locks up his arm so I can't get his sleeve on. He thinks that's so funny. Rich says he's crazier than a jar of mixed nuts. But we love him. :]

Our little drool monster loves his new teething ring! Daddy is very relieved.

 He also prefers being outside, even if it is freezing, raining, and windy. Honestly, it could be hailing basketballs and he'd still rather be outside than inside. Hope he likes the snow, because there's supposed to be a lot of it this winter...

The other night while we were driving to visit Grandma and Grandpa Ethington, I realized that driving in the car with a baby (specifically ours) is a lot like that movie with Keanu Reeves. You know that movie where he's on the bus and it has to stay at a specific speed or a bomb goes off (or something like that)? I can't think of the name right now, so I hope you know which one I'm talking about...Anyway, it's a lot like that. Driving with a baby who hates riding in the car is a terrifying nightmare. You can't drive slower than 55 mph or the bomb goes off. Gotta decelerate to 54 mph? Bam. Screaming baby. During that particular trip, Rich played the part of Keanu Reeves and stayed in the back with his finger in the baby's mouth. Crisis averted!
We had a great time visiting family, it's always great to sit and chat with everyone. And we got to meet the newest little member of the family, Sam and Jess' little boy James. He is such a cuddly cutie, it was hard not to get baby hungry! Rich even got to have an all-nighter game night with Orrin and Ammon (Sage joined them when he woke up at 3AM wanting to play), so it was a pretty fun, relaxed trip.

Rich holding his daddy's hand. Such a sweet moment. ;]

Rich and I are very busy with school. Juggling homework, class, and baby is very hard work, especially since we're still averaging 3-5 hours of sleep a night. I don't know how people with more than one child do it! But, we're making it work. Rich is an amazing dad, and he helps out a LOT, even after a long day. Sage likes to sit on his lap and watch him do his homework. He is absolutely fascinated with Rich's textbooks and notes. He just gets fussy when I try to sit him on my lap and do homework, so apparently Anthropology is more boring than Mechanical Engineering. Whoda thunk? 

I have a lot of sewing and crafty projects I'd like to try, because my brain has suddenly decided to become semi-creative. Unfortunately that has to sit on the back burner for now, but hopefully I can start some projects soon. It's definitely a useful skill to be able to sew, and our bare apartment could use a little TLC. I finally have a room to decorate for Sage, though, so I get to do a little belated nesting. Muah-ha-ha!

Well, that's about it for now! Life is crazy busy but we are having a great time. Thanks for reading!

Tyanna

Sage Lincoln

Sage's Birth Story

June 06, 2013 started out just like any other Thursday. I woke up, ate breakfast, and then watched TV while bouncing on an exercise ball all day long until Rich got home. That evening, we picked up my sister from the train station, stopped at Maverick to check for new movies in Redbox, then went to Subway for dinner. We went back home to eat our sandwiches.

About 9:20 that night, Shawnny and I were watching Chipmunks: Chipwrecked while Rich was out in the hall talking to family. I felt completely normal, and then BAM! With a giant pop, I thought the baby had slid his head off my pelvis and on to my bladder, because there was an accompanying gush of fluid. As I ran to the bathroom, Shawnny skipping cheerfully behind me, I kept thinking, I can't believe I'm peeing my pants! I made it the whole pregnancy without an accident, why now?! I made it to the bathroom and sat on the porcelain throne, my face burning red with shame and embarrassment. Shawnny kept asking, "Did your water break? Is it baby time?" No, I would answer, I just peed myself. I'm 39 weeks pregnant, I do that. 

But the fluid kept coming, then stopping. At that point I was starting to consider the fact that I might be in labor. After all, my teeny bladder couldn't possibly hold that much fluid! I put on a pad, then went to the living room where Shawnny was mopping up a spot on the couch. Oops. Rich came in, looking slightly confused about the commotion. I told him, "You missed all the fun. Either I'm in labor or I just peed myself." I sat and started swaying on my exercise ball again, hoping for something else to happen. I started feeling sharp twinges which gradually turned into sharp, burning pains. I pulled out my phone and started timing the pains. They were very inconsistent, and didn't feel at all how I was told contractions would feel. I began to think that perhaps I had a bladder infection or a UTI. That would explain the loss of bladder control and the pain. I tried to call my mom, stepping outside into the cool June night air. Between call attempts, I stopped to chat with a neighbor. The pain was getting increasingly worse, but I'm proud to say I kept my cool. Go me. Anyway, I finally got ahold of my mom, and less than thirty seconds into the conversation she said: "You're in labor. I'm coming home." Whaaaa...? Okay, if you say so. I still didn't believe it, but I figured I might as well go to the ER. If it was a bladder infection they'd be able to give me medicine for it. 

When my mom got home we spent some time timing the "contractions," but I still didn't believe I was in labor. Sure, it felt like my pelvis was trying to snap in half and I was gushing some unknown fluid, but the pain wasn't consistent. And contractions were supposed to be consistent, right? When the pain got so intense I couldn't breathe, there was a mad scramble to pack a bag for Rich and myself and get us all in the car. It was a quiet ride to the hospital, which was about two miles away. I remember there was a nervous energy in the air, but not from me. I was still in denial and in pain. 

We had to go in through the ER because it was about 11 o'clock at night by this time. They wheeled me up to Labor and Delivery while Rich checked in. On the way up the elevator I started feeling sick. Oh, no, I can't throw up. First I pee my pants, and now vomit?! There was some confusion about the room I was supposed to be in, and all the while I'm sitting there trying not to retch. Seriously, people, just point me to the bathroom. I'll just find it and barf in a toilet while you sort this out, mmk? Finally, I was wheeled into a room, changed into my gown, got the heplock inserted, and hooked up to all the machines. The nurse, a lovely Irish woman named Caroline, checked me. I was dilated to 6 cm. So I guess those were contractions after all. When my OB/GYN came to check me twenty minutes later (about 11:45 PM), I was dilated to 9 cm. Whoopie, almost there. 

The next couple of hours consisted of my mom, Shawnny, and Rich taking turns getting their hands crushed while I focused on a dot on the ceiling and tried to bre-e-ea-the through the contractions. That part of the labor is a bit of a blur, honestly. I do remember one time the nurse tried to check me during a contraction and I yelled at her to get her fingers out. right. now. I still feel bad about that. Apparently I had a lip on my cervix that the baby couldn't quite get over, so they had me lay on my side. Holy mother that hurt. I couldn't take it so I flipped back onto my back and she held the lip down during the contractions instead. Yeah, that was beyond painful as well. But there came a point where she checked me and said, "He's got a lot of hair!" That stopped us all dead. #1, he was close enough to see that he had hair, and #2, he had hair! The doctor was very patient and supportive, but not very informative. I remember being surprised in some foggy corner of  my brain that they were bringing in a ton of equipment, and there were lots more people just standing around, waiting. All too soon they had the stirrups up and were telling me to get ready to push. Oh, boy, was I not ready for that. It was about 2 AM at this point. 

Caroline coached me through the first pushes, which went something like this: Push 1, 2, 3, 4, 5...nope? Okay, try again...

My mom asked them to bring a mirror in, and they did. She told me to watch the progress, but I found it was easier to quickly check, then close my eyes during the pushing. My sister and husband were at my sides, holding my hands. My mom was stroking my hair and dabbing my sweaty forehead, quietly encouraging and coaching me. Rich had his eyes glued to my nether regions, apparently fascinated by what was going on down there. Slowly, very slowly, the head started crowning. That was definitely the hardest and slowest part. The Ring of Fire is aptly named. About halfway through, my mom told me to reach down and touch his head. Warm, slimy, and furry. Holy crap, that's a baby! I finally got his head out, and then he slid easily through the rest of the way. The doctor held him up, and Rich got to cut his cord. I was really disappointed that Dr. Sumsion didn't put the baby on my chest right away like I wanted, but I was too tired to put up a fight. 

They whisked him across the room to be cleaned and inspected, and my family members followed, ooing and ahhing. I wanted to cry, I wanted my baby! I wanted to know that he was perfect and alright and really, truly, finally here. But I still had to birth the placenta and get stitched up, so I could only try and get glimpses of him through the gaps between everyone else. Rich came back to my side and told me I did a great job, and the baby was perfect. He had some fluid in his lungs, so it took awhile to get him breathing and crying. The neonatal nurse kept telling him to cry, and my mom would tell him "It's okay, Nana says you don't have to cry. We can get the fluid out some other way."

Born June 07, 2013 at 2:37 AM. He weighed 7 lbs 1 oz and was 20 1/2 inches long.

Teeny inky feet. Our beautiful boy has mommy's monkey toes!

Once he was clean and bundled up all nice and warm, I finally got to hold him. My arms were so weak and shaky I almost couldn't lift him! But he was finally in my arms, and I wouldn't have had it any other way. He had a really strong sucking reflex, and only had a little trouble latching at first. But once he figured it out, there was no stopping that little guy.

Daddy got the honor of changing the baby's first diaper.

Sleepy little darling

About an hour and a half after he nursed and had fallen back asleep (that took a while, he was very alert and ready to greet everyone), the nurse came back to take him to the nursery for a vitals check. Rich went with him, and I was transferred to my maternity room. They told me to get some rest, but there was no way I could sleep! About 6 AM Rich brought him back to me, and we snuggled. Rich took a nap and I just enjoyed my little man. We still had no idea what to name him. The next day Rich polled the nurses on our top name choices, Jonas Allen and Sage Lincoln. I think Jonas won, but we still had no idea, so the baby came home nameless. We were able to go home late Saturday afternoon. By Sunday afternoon I gave up and told Rich to pick the name. He proudly decided on Sage Lincoln Ethington. 

So that's how our little Sage entered the world and got his name!

Two days old

Four day old happy boy!

Two weeks old