Little Miss Smarty Pants

Liv figured out how to clap and wave over the last couple of days which, according to the Internet, is more of a nine to ten month old milestone. Brett and I finally figured out how to download videos from our camera which was a major milestone for us as well. Here are a couple of videos to celebrate!

She started clapping last night with Grandpa Carl. Coincidentally, the Utes were playing on television (and winning). The waving started when we would pass by the mirror in our hall. She always loves to see her reflection.... Hope she always feels that way.



Six Months

You continue to be the best baby! Your dad and I wonder how we got so lucky. You are happy, easy-going, and so much fun to be around. If only we could guarantee that all our babies would be just like you...

This picture shows your cute, little dimple above the left corner of your mouth

Here are a few of your developments over the last couple of months:

You love to hear yourself talk and you are learning to make funny noises with your little voice. You will squeal or cough repeatedly just to hear the sound it makes. We were grocery shopping and the lady in line behind us was giving me strange looks because you were coughing over and over again. The other morning I was nursing you and you kept wanted to give me raspberries… funny kid!

You will sleep in the funniest positions. You love to sleep on your side just like mom and dad. Unfortunately, diapers aren’t made for side-sleepers so we often have to do a complete wardrobe change at 4am which is not your favorite thing to do.

Some things that make you giggle: Mom and dad’s dancing and singing, peek-a-boo, belly tickles, raspberries on your belly, nibbling on your thighs. Jessie (our dog) can make you laugh almost as much as mom and dad. We are loving this wonderful weather because you really enjoy being outside, taking stroller rides and playing with the dog. You also love little kids. It is so funny how you will marvel and laugh at small children but you still don’t warm up to adults easily.

You are starting to give kisses.... which we do a lot of at the Johnson house. You will give your stuffed animals giant hugs and kisses. You have a little toy mirror and you will bring it up to your mouth and give it kisses.

Daddy can send you into a trance by softly rubbing your chin… it is so funny to watch you zone out. You also love to lie on your side and have your back scratched.

You have really taken an interest in our food and want whatever we are eating so we think you are ready for solids. We tried brown rice cereal for the first time. It was hard to tell if you liked it or hated it since most of it ended up on your face and bib. We have given you some mashed-up peach and you love it so we have been adding a little to your rice cereal and you will take a few big bites. So much for starting with vegetables. You got your hands on a piece of black licorice, played with it for a minute and then stuck it in your mouth. You loved the taste and threw your first tantrum when we took it away from you.

You can spin around on your belly really well. You are attempting to crawl but, at this point, you use your head to propel you rather than your legs. Sometimes we allure you forward with a new toy or interesting object but we try not to work you too hard since we have been told to enjoy the immobility of an infant.

We think we can see your first bottom tooth starting to pop out. We haven't noticed it bothering you yet but we have the teething gel ready to go.

You especially love your daddy!

What we are up to....

We have had a busy fall and I don't see it slowing down any time soon. It's crazy to think that the holidays are right around the corner. I am really looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. All I could think about at this time last year was that we would have a little addition to our family. And it's every bit as exciting as I imagined. Brett and I can't wait to continue and start new family traditions with Liv. I am really excited for Halloween. We bought her the cutest little costume... lots of cute pics to come.

I have been doing some canning...mostly just salsa, strawberry jam and peaches. I don't know what it is about this time of year but I always get a strong urge to cook. Brett loves it. We have been working on stocking up the pantry ever since this lady gave a presentation at my work. I signed up for the weekly shopping lists and have been saving tons of money. I am not usually a big fan of Wal Mart but since they will price match all the local stores' deals, I only have to go to one store to get all the deals. I know... I am a total nerd. I told my neighbor about it and she said, "I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but you are the most Mormon non-Mormon I have ever met."

Yummy peaches from the Murray Farmer's Market

Our garden was pretty pathetic this year. I blame it on a certain infant and the weather being slow to warm up. It snowed into the last week in May. We had some great tomatoes, basil, squash and peppers. Our cherry tomatoes re-seeded from last year which was pretty cool. We had a new garden design this year but Brett wants to completely revamp the garden for next year. 

Brett is funny... he has a really inventive mind which is good in the sense that he has a lot of great ideas. He can see things in an entirely different perspective. On the other hand, he will spend a lot of time and money planning and carrying out a project. In the middle of the project or once the project is complete, he will come up with a better plan or idea... One that involves even more time and money. I am the type of person that will take a long time to decide on something. I will weigh all the pros and cons to make the best, most cost-effective decision. Once my mind is made up, I am done and I don't like to have to do "things" twice. In the past, I would let his ideas overwhelm me but I have learned to just listen to his ideas and not be critical while in my head I am thinking, "Are you nuts? You just painted your motorcycle and now you want it a completely different color?!" Or, "No way are we adding a third level to our house so that we can optimize our view of the mountains." Or, "You must be ridiculous to think that we are going to tear apart the front yard so that we can add another window in the basement!" Love him... he is always making me laugh.

OK... back to the garden. Here is our one pumpkin we harvested. I haven't decided if we will carve it or not.

I have a lot of fall clean-up projects to do in the yard and garden. Last night I was out in the yard at 8 pm after Liv went to bed.... it was nice and chilly. That is the only time I can find time to get the yard in order. I couldn't see what I was doing since it was so dark. Would wearing a head-lamp be ultra dorky? We have been wanting to plant some trees since last Spring. Brett did a great job transplanting this Maple tree from our parkway to our front island.... let's hope it lives! Not a great picture... I know. Brett is a great photographer and he is constantly giving me pointers. But I was trying to take them quickly since I feel a little weird taking pictures of my yard. Oh... and I had to snap a shot while the neighbor had his BYU flag down... I guess four losses in a row will do that to fair-weather fans. The flag is back up now (after one win) but I am sure it will come back down after they lose miserably to TCU. Really?!

These are the new parkway trees (another terrible shot). They are London Plane trees or Sycamores. We hope they will be big and gorgeous and provide a lot of shade from the hot afternoon sun... of course, that's about 50 years away. One of my neighbors caught me snapping some shots and asked me if I was taking pictures so I could remember how spindly they were. Funny. I do appreciate sarcasm more than fair-weather fans, though.

We will be having our very first family pictures taken in a couple of weeks. I am crossing my fingers they turn out. You will know if they don't because I won't be posting them. And what would this post be without an adorable picture of baby Liv! I just love that milky, white complexion... she nearly glows in the dark.



And this is the view from the third level that Brett added on to the house to optimize the view...hahaha.

More pics of Liv

I can't believe that Liv is already 5 months old! Her little personality comes out more and more each day. She is a really happy baby (unless mom and dad aren't in sight). She loves to play with her toys but prefers random objects like spoons, Tupperware, cups, and junk mail. She is not even mobile and is into everything within her grasp. She sits up really well and rolls over. She has learned to comfort herself by sucking her thumb (uh oh!). She hasn't quite figured out how to close her hand when she sucks her thumb so she pokes herself in the eye.

This picture was taken about a month ago. Her hair has started growing quickly so it's a bit longer now. All of our pics are taken when she is in her pajamas so I need to catch some shots when she is all dolled up.

This is one of the first pics I was able to catch of her sitting up. Moments after, she fell backwards... oops! We have since learned to make a soft landing zone for her noggin. I think she looks like Brett in this picture.

She started splashing like crazy one night. First, with her right hand and then with her left hand. She loved it and didn't want to stop even though she was getting water in her eyes and mouth.

Hanging out with Grandpa Joel and Grandma Judie

Learning to like tummy time

I love this little face!

She refuses to sit back in her seat so she sits up and hangs on to the sides.

She LOVES to listen to music and singing. Anyone that will sing 'Popcorn Popping' is an instant friend. She will smile wide and get this look that says, "They know my favorite song!!" She likes it when mom and dad dance but she acts like she is embarrassed for us. This is a picture of her watching a video with little kids singing.

Reading time is her favorite!

Here are some pics of the fire that started in the hills above our house. These were taken about 9pm on Sunday, September 19th from our front porch. The last two pics were taken from our garage. At midnight, the emergency response team knocked on our door and told us to plan on evacuating within the hour. We packed the car and we were just about to wake the baby but we decided to just wait it out unless we were forced to leave. The smoke wasn't all that bad since it was blowing north. Most of the neighbors were already packed up and gone. The fire burned all night and by morning the hill closest to our house (in the first pic) was completely burned and still smoldering. It came within several feet of the houses up the street. Liv slept through the whole ordeal! Love my good, little sleeper! Now, with the recent rain, our house smells like a wet ashtray.

Four Months

                            

Liv turned 4 months old on Sunday. Brett and I are constantly amazed by her. We never thought she would have so much personality this young. I guess we expected her to be less interactive and more difficult but she is such a little sweetheart. We took Liv in for her 4 month appointment on Monday. She is 14.44 lbs. (69%) and 22.5 inches long (83%). She had her 4 month immunizations. Even before Liv was born, I knew I would have a difficult time with the nurses sticking my baby with needles. Brett does a great job of consoling her while I am in the corner of the Dr’s office crying.

For Liv:

You are quite chatty and love to carry on incoherent conversations with mom and dad. Right before you close your eyes at bedtime you will usually sing and make sweet little noises until you fall asleep. Sometimes it makes me laugh and I wake you up.

When mom and dad are trying to put you to sleep, you have to be walked around and held facing out. You refuse to lean your head back and will do this tired head bob before finally nodding off.

You are becoming quite ambidextrous. You will grab at anything and then stick whatever it is straight into your mouth.

You are really close to rolling over and sitting up all by yourself. You must have abs of steel because, no matter where you are sitting, you don't like to relax and lay your head back.

If there is one comment about you that we hear the most it is about your big, beautiful, blue eyes.

You love to look in the mirror while we brush your hair. You have a cute patch of long hair on the crown of your head. One of the hairs in 2-3 inches long while all your other hair is super short (about ¼ inch).

You have your dad’s level of patience. Or, should I say, lack of patience.

You need a little time to warm up to new people or people you haven’t seen in a while. You have anxiety and cry when anyone besides mom or dad tries to hold you or even look at you. The pediatrician said you are either socially advanced for your age or a drama queen. I guess we will see.

You love to have books read to you and will sit and listen intently while we read a bunch of books. You also love to look at flash cards and watch your “Baby can read” DVD.

As the day is winding down, we sit out on the back deck because you love to be outside. You have really taken an interest in Jessie, our dog. You will do this cute, little jump and flail your arms when she runs to greet you.

Your favorite toy is your stuffed dog named Bingo.

Dad and I took you jogging in your jogging stroller for the first time on Sunday, the day you turned 4 months old. You loved it! You fell asleep about 5 minutes into our jog. Jessie has a bad hip so we took her home after 2 miles. Since you were still asleep, dad and I jogged another 1 ½ miles.

Mom and dad love that you are a great sleeper at night. You have been sleeping in your crib for over a month and you will usually wake up just once in a twelve hour stretch to nurse and then go right back to sleep.

You are happiest when you first wake up in the morning and we can get you to laugh a lot right before bedtime… usually because you are over-tired from short naps all throughout the day.

You are not a crier .... thank goodness!

You have a great big smile and smile all the time. Brett says it reminds him of his Dad’s smile.

Summer Fun

We headed to Richfield for the Fourth of July festivities. We had a great time with all of the family, especially the cute cousins. Traveling with an infant is certainly a challenge! We could have filled a trailer with all of the newborn "necessities". Maybe next year will be a little easier. Liv was a great little traveler, though. We can't wait for her to enjoy the fun traditions that we look forward to every year.

Liv's cousins: Charlotte, Luke, Hazel and Carson waiting for the fireworks.

This is a pic of the children's fish grab. Notice the throngs of people. There are so many spectators they have to set up bleachers. Back in my day :), they would let the fish loose in the spring ditch and all the kids would get dirt and mud all over their cute outfits.

I love this picture of Carson, Sarah and Mallory. Carson has the best view of the fish grab.

This is Harvey, Mal and Sarah's cute puppie (Great Dane and Bull Mastif mix....I think). He doubles in size every few weeks.

Hanging out at the city park and enjoying punch bags, alligators, fried strawberries, fried ding dongs and naps!

Liv's first swim at the hotel pool in Richfield. She actually loved it (she loves bath time now, too). Her face kind of depicts her funny little personality when trying something new. She acts as if she wants to say, "This is cool and all, but give me a real challenge!" We could barely fit her chubby little body in her new swimsuit.

Two Months

Thought I would post a few more pics of Liv. She is such a wonderful baby! She is sleeping 6 to 7 hour stretches every night and she is a great eater. She smiles a lot and we are working on some giggles which we only hear while she is sleeping. It is fun to watch her learn about her hands and they can entertain her for a long time. She will grab one hand tightly and then let go and wack herself in the face which makes her really mad. She is grasping toys and loves it when we read and sing to her.  Liv had her 2 month appointment with her Pediatrician and she is in the 66th percentile for her weight and the 62nd percentile for her height. We are having so much fun watching her grow!

Liv's Birth Story

Camisha, our doula and my friend from high school wrote Liv's birth story and took some great pictures while providing labor support. I didn't include many of the photos since they were way too graphic. Brett and I spent many hours (years?!) planning and preparing for Liv's arrival so we feel very fortunate that everything went as planned and our baby made it here happy and healthy.

Marissa had been experiencing surges off and on for several days in the afternoon hours, so on April 14th, when her pattern began to seem a little more consistent, she was sure that she was on the cusp of her labor starting. By 11:00 pm that same night, she was certain of it and texted her doula Camisha to let her know to expect updates on her progression. Another text was sent at 2:30 am stating that things were consistently moving forward.

By 3:00 am, on April 15, 2010, Marissa and Brett decided that it was time to make the trip to Riverton Hospital where they had planned to have their baby. Becky, their nurse, checked them into triage so that they could monitor the baby and confirm that Marissa was in labor before admitting her to the hospital. Marissa’s first check revealed that she was 90% effaced, dilated to 3+ centimeters and that Liv was sitting at -2 station.

Camisha arrived an hour later to find Marissa’s family excitedly waiting in the lobby. Teri, Marissa’s mother, joined Camisha as they headed into the room to see how things were going. Marissa was found relaxing in the bed, listening to a steady stream of Hypnobabies affirmations on her iPod while Brett sat nearby in a chair. The mood was light and chatty. Marissa’s surges had slowed a tad since checking in, but she and Brett had already discovered that her body was very responsive to movement and acupressure and so a birth ball was requested.

Soon Marissa was seated at the end of the bed, rocking and rolling enthusiastically on the birth ball. She kept her headphones in, occasionally pulling them loose to hear what others in the room were saying. However, it was readily apparent that she was using the time wisely to focus on her breath and relaxation in order to establish a positive coping pattern for the upcoming labor. Brett was attuned to Marissa and responded quickly with counter-pressure when a new surge began. Between surges he consistently applied pressure to the tops of her shoulders, the point that Marissa found stimulated her uterus the best.

By 4:45 am, Marissa decided to be checked again. This time she measured 4 centimeters and so she was admitted and moved into a room. While setting up the new space with music, cold cloths, and the birth ball, Camisha asked Marissa what she thought of labor so far. “Labor is what I expected. Not painful per say, but very intense!” Marissa replied. It was during this time that Marissa’s father and mother, Carl and Teri, her little sister Mallory, and Mallory’s friend Sara, decided to join Marissa for a short visit in her room. They sat on the couch quietly observing while Marissa and Brett worked together through each wave.

At 6:00 am, Marissa, Brett and Camisha headed to the halls where they walked for the next ten minutes. Marissa maintained a power walkers pace, committed to using gravity and motion to keep her hips nice and loose and her pelvis open and free. However, Marissa felt that the birth ball had made the surges feel stronger and so by 6:10 am she was back on the ball. Soon, the surges were coming every 3 minutes and lasting a solid 45 seconds. Another 10 minutes passed before the family headed back to the lobby so that Marissa and Brett could continue their work together.

The baby’s fetal heart rate (fhr) was a solid 135 beats per minute (bpm). Marissa’s blood pressure was a healthy 115/82. This prompted Brett to share a story about them competing for the lowest blood pressure wherein Marissa had won by a landslide. The mood was light but the work serious. Brett or Camisha continued to apply acupressure to the shoulders while Marissa focused on her affirmations and breathed her way through one surge after another.

At 7:30 am, Marissa was greeted by her new day nurses. Lisa was the primary nurse and Andrea the student nurse by her side. Andrea was asked to perform Marissa’s third check. She determined that Marissa was 8+ centimeters, 90% effaced and that baby Liv was sitting at -1 station. They left to call Paula, the midwife, while Camisha and Brett stayed to support Marissa.

Marissa was very surprised by the news of how far dilated she was, as was everyone else. “I don’t feel that far dilated.” she said to no one in particular. It did seem a little strange. Camisha had guessed that she was sitting at 7-8 cm because Marissa wasn’t yet showing the emotional sign posts of being that near to transition, then again, she’d been doing an incredible job of handling each surge, quietly breathing through each one while steadily keeping her hips in open fluid motion, so anything was possible!

Mallory and Teri had both come into the room again with the news that Marissa was on the precipice of transition. They sat nervously on the couch watching as Brett applied the hip squeeze over and over again. The midwife, Paula, arrived at 8:30 am and upon doing another internal exam, decided that Marissa was dilated to 8 centimeters. This wasn’t bad news. It was great news in the grand scheme of things but considering that an hour had passed since Andrea checked her at 8+, the news did seem like a small step backwards. While not showing any disappointment, Marissa continued to forge ahead as though the discrepancy was of no significance.

She rocked and rotated on the birth ball; she stood and swayed with Brett holding her supportively and carefully from behind. She kept her eyes closed and her jaw slack and loose. Every cell in her body focused intently on allowing the combination of movement and gravity to assist the progress of her labor. Together, like one, they moved and swayed and groaned through each wave. Marissa’s face was beginning to flush, evidence of the work her body was doing. Nausea began to hit, and Brett hurried to assure her that he was there, ready should she need to.

At 8:50 am, the squat bar was set up on by Andrea and Mallory. Leaning forward hurt and Marissa naturally preferred to lean back every time a new wave would hit. She had been doing this consistently throughout the labor and it was time to start focusing on pushing through that pain, so Camisha urged Marissa to take the opportunity to do some small pushes to determine if it felt good to her body or if her body wasn’t ready for that yet.

At 9:00 am, Paula returned to the room and let Marissa know that she felt it would be a good time to break the bag of waters that was still holding intact. Because she was at the ending stages of labor Marissa decided with the support of her husband and doula that she was ready for the intensity that would likely follow having her membranes ruptured. She was feeling ready to have this baby and prepared for transition. Once the membranes were released Marissa felt the difference instantly and shared, “I’m feeling lots of back pain now.”

At 9:30 am, Marissa was 9.5 centimeters dilated with an anterior lip. Her contractions were beginning to slow down now which provided a welcome opportunity to rest and restore her energy reserves for the pushing stage. With the support of everyone around her, Marissa turned to her left side in the bed, so that the baby could be monitored while her labor continued. Teri and Mallory stayed near, touching softly and whispering supportive statements while Brett held her hand and allowed Marissa to grip it tightly whenever another surge would come.

During this lull in labor, Camisha took pictures as Teri and Brett offered Marissa a loving foot massage while Mallory protectively stroked Marissa’s arm and face. Marissa’s was gentle and relaxed. Her face was slack and loose. Her body was completely molded to the bed and her breathing easy and slow. She had the appearance of a woman in sleep, not one in late stage labor! Music played lightly in the background while sips of water were offered regularly to ensure Marissa was hydrated. Cold cloths were placed around Marissa’s head and chest as they had been for hours to help draw the heat from her body out.

By 9:45 am, Marissa’s labor had now nearly completely stalled. The surges were spaced to about 5 minutes apart and lasting a short 20-30 seconds. It’s not uncommon to have a segment of time known as “rest and descend” but this seemed to be something different. However, as Marissa seemed to be greatly enjoying the respite, everyone did their best to provide her with lots of loving support while honoring the break her body was taking.

Another hour passed quietly. Marissa’s vitals were looking great, her blood pressure was hovering at 122/88 and the baby’s fhr was a healthy 150 bpm. However, labor was still not showing an active pattern so Camisha urged Marissa to be open to the option of taking some homeopathy and changing positions to reinvigorate her labor before using the Pitocin that was being suggested by Paula. Wanting to ensure that Marissa consciously chose her path, Camisha quietly reminded her that she did not have to do the Pitocin if she didn’t want too. However, after being near the pushing stage for nearly two hours, Marissa determined that if it would help, she wanted to try it.

At 11:15 am, Pitocin was started at the lowest level possible, 1 unit. Marissa continued to focus on her mantras and affirmations. Marissa kept her voice nice and low and each surge was greeted with a deep guttural groan. With Brett’s assistance, Marissa motivated herself sit upright so that she could have her hips manually rocked from side to side by Camisha and Brett while acupressure was being applied to the tops of her shoulders. Marissa’s entire labor had already demonstrated that her body really responded to movement and pressure points and sure enough, within a few minutes her labor was beginning to pick up in pace and intensity again.

At 11:50 am, Paula announced to the room that Marissa was complete. Hooray! She was now a full 10 centimeters and could begin the process of pushing her baby down and out the birth canal. With Teri holding Marissa’s left leg, and Mallory holding Marissa’s right leg, Brett held his wife’s hand as she began the first small pushes. Marissa and Brett requested that Paula provide perineum support during the pushing phase and so while Marissa was working to bring baby Liv down the birth canal. Marissa continued to push with each surge, making excellent progress because she was un-medicated and could feel her pelvic floor.

With Paula’s encouragement, Marissa was urged to place her hands behind her knees and pull them up to her chest while pushing. Her mother Teri was asked to hold her head and help push it forward every contraction. Paula asked Marissa to hold her breath and push as hard as she could. And boy did she! Over and over again, with her legs pulled back, and her head and torso curling over her full belly, Marissa would bear down with all her might!

As the baby came nearer to crowning, Andrea and Paula began to hold warm wet compresses to the perineum. Marissa was groaning in pain as she worked diligently to use every surge as effectively as possible. Brett stayed by her side continuously, telling her what a wonderful job she was doing. When it was time to push again, the whole support team would excitedly begin to call out, “Push! Push Marissa! You can do this!” and Marissa would bear down again with teeth gritted, pushing, pushing, pushing until finally the head was nearly out.

At 12:28 pm, Liv Lauren Johnson spilled forth from her mother’s womb into the world! Brett looked on with pure amazement while Marissa looked up at her sister Mallory who was crying with tears of pride and joy running down her face. Liv was placed upon her mother’s chest a minute after her birth and Marissa gazed down at her new baby girl with a look of amazement and wonder as she cupped her closely to her body. The whole family marveled at this new baby.

Shortly after delivery, Marissa was cleaned up and ready to try feeding this beautiful 7 lb 14 oz, 19” long baby girl. Liv latched with ease and soon was snuggled up to her mother, safe and secure, nourishing herself for the first time, while her proud new parents gazed down at her with pure adoration!