Pretty girls

My mom sent these matching shirts for Robyn and Julie. Robyn's says "little sister" and Julie's says "blame it on my sister." Julie's worn her's once, but today was the first time I dressed Robyn in her onesie. She's moving into size 3 months clothes already, and this is a newborn size, so I realized that if I ever wanted to get pictures of them together in these outfits, I'd better do it soon.

This little shoot with my girls marks two important events for us. One: the first time I've gotten pictures of Julie holding Robyn. Usually this is spontaneous, and I don't have the camera around, and she doesn't want to hold her for very long anyway, so this was good. Two: this is the first time I've sat Julie down and made her pose and smile for the camera. She was actually pretty cooperative, and seemed to enjoy it. We'll see if that holds up the next time I try. Check out her faces though -- what a little poser!




This isn't what it looks like. I told her to gently rub Robyn's head, and I must have snapped the photo just barely too soon. She's not actually being repellant, though it is a little funny looking.




This one's funny. She was giving me goofy faces, and I wanted to catch real smiles, not contrived ones. So I started making funny sounds, which did make her smile, until she started making the sounds back to me.

This is what she gives me now when I ask for a smile. Definitely a poser.

Another tight-lipped smile. I love Robyn in this one, though. She's almost smiling and also looking up toward Julie. *love!*



And now some of just the...

Family meetings

I've been quiet on the blog for a little while now, not because nothing's going on, but rather because I'm super busy. I took a last minute trip out west when I learned that my grandmother was diagnosed with acute and untreatable leukemia. I flew with Robyn -- at three weeks old -- to Salt Lake City, and then my sister and I drove to Paso Robles, CA to visit her. My mom, sister, and two of our aunts are here as well. I've been taking lots of pictures -- mostly of Robyn, but have only uploaded a few.

My sister, Candice, with Robyn.


My grandma with her great-granddaughter.


My brother, Clayton. Robyn was actually crying and really upset when I took this picture, and he didn't like that I snapped it, because "it makes [him] look bad." Fortunately, at the exact moment I captured it, it just looks like she's snuggly. For the record, she wasn't upset to be with him -- she was just hungry (or maybe in need of a diaper change).


My mom, Grammy.


My little Robyn. I snapped this yesterday. She's changed a lot just since the beginning of this week when we started this trip. She's gotten bigger already, and I notice it mostly in her face. But I love this outfit, and she was sleeping so sweetly -- I had to capture it.

Jowls and funny faces

She's got 'em both. These are just last night.

Two weeks

My girl is chunking up and definitely looking like a two-week old. She's getting the defined double-chin, her nose and cheeks are widening, and she's putting on weight already. She's also more alert and interactive with us, and we think she may have smiled deliberately once or twice (I know it's awfully early, and I don't like to jump the gun on things like that -- "my child is a whiz" -- but I really think so).

Coming home

I've been posting a little out of order, but I still want to make sure I share photos, not just snap them.

Ben snapped these of Robyn and I just before discharge at the hospital. I think they're the only ones of both of us so far. I love the face she's making -- too funny.

Christmas tree

I think this is the first time since we've been married that we've gotten our tree up, lights on, and ornaments placed all in one day. But we did, and it was lots of fun!

Old friends

Last April, I was able to be a chaperone on a trip down to Columbus to visit the temple with the young women at church. After we were done inside, we took a few pictures, as it was the first visit for several of my girls ("my" girls).





While we were posing for photos, I noticed to my left a familiar face. A distant familiarity, but one I couldn't mistake. It was a friend I hadn't seen almost since our high school graduation. Thirteen years ago. In Oregon.

I kept glancing over, sure I was wrong. Last I knew, this friend lived in Minneapolis. Finally, on one of my glances, she happened to see me at the same time. She blurted out my name, and I knew I'd been right. We hugged, and had a brief five-minute reunion (my girls were hungry and we needed to get started on our 2.5 hour drive home).

It turned out that Malya and her family had recently moved to Ohio for her husband's work, and lived less than an hour from Columbus. Her parents were coming to visit in the fall, and they were all planning to come up to visit Kirtland on that trip. We talked about getting together and made arrangements to make arrangements.

Malya's mom had been my MiaMaid leader when I was a young woman. When I first moved to Oregon, she helped smooth the transition for me. Later she was called as the Relief Society president, and she helped me transition to the adult women's group when I graduated high school. Malya herself was a good friend to me in a time of need during our senior year of high school, and a few years later gave me some (at the time) unwelcome yet life-changing advice. I was so excited to get to spend time with them, albeit only briefly.

Randy and Katherine came at the end of October. We all got together for lunch at TGI Fridays and took some pictures afterward. It warmed my heart so much to be able to spend time with these two amazing women again.

Maybe you had to be there

The day after I came home from the hospital, I was sitting on the couch feeding Robyn, when I looked to my left and saw this scene, on the top of one of our low bookshelves:



I burst out laughing. Maybe it was the hormones, or maybe it's just my odd sense of humor, but I found the scene hilarious. Here are all these beautiful tokens on womanhood -- pregnancy, carrying an infant, comforting a toddler, and suddenly...UDDER! Somehow I don't think it would have been as funny to me if the cow was facing forward. The rear-facing stance is much more flamboyant, and I just thought it was hilarious.

But maybe you had to be there.

Before & After

The night before I went to the hospital, and one week old.

Interacting

Julie is definitely starting to interact with Robyn more. Right now she's a good mix of "I don't care" and extra-nurturing. She hasn't shown any signs of resentment. It helps that Brandon and Eli (cousin and uncle) have been here to distract and play with her. We'll see how things are once they're both gone, and it's back to our little family.

On Julie's second or third visit to the hospital, she was willing to start getting a little up close and personal with Robyn. She's very gentle while still being curious. We're trying to not be too pushy with getting her to engage with Robyn, and it seems to be working so far. Each time she came to visit, we'd ask if she wanted to hold Robyn. Each time we got an emphatic "no!" As time has passed a little, and Julie's gotten a little more accustomed to Robyn's presence, she's actually asked to hold her. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures yet of Julie holding Robyn, as it's always been spur of the moment, and I haven't wanted to go grab the camera for fear that the moment would pass. Getting a picture of it will be at least a two-person job (someone has to help hold Robyn's head up, for one thing). I'm working on it, though.

In the meantime, here are some pictures from that third or so visit, when Julie started to show more interest.










(She's pointing at Robyn's nose, not poking her eyes.)

Julie has actually been pretty helpful. She brings me a pacifier or burp cloth or nursing cover-up (young boys in the house) when I need it. She's interested in how Robyn eats and wants to see it each time (only briefly), and is always concerned when Robyn cries. She wants to make sure that Robyn has her pacifier and is happy and content. So far things seem to be going pretty well in the sibling department. Yay!

Beautiful profile

Happy birthday!

My birthday fell the day after we came home from the hospital. My official due date was actually on my birthday. We had a very low-key day -- nothing special. My mother-in-law is here visiting and helping out, so she made me a special request meal. My sister-in-law's birthday is exactly a month before mine, and my MIL had been visiting her over that day, and made Navajo tacos. That sounded really good to me, and I hadn't eaten any in probably 15 years. I requested, and she came through. She asked what I wanted for dessert, and I gave several ideas (she has some dietary restrictions, so I let her make the final choice). We went with this recipe, and it was good, but not one to repeat (too much work and mess for not satisfying enough output).

Ben, Julie, and Robyn got me the latest Harry Potter movie, rounding out our collection; the fifth Harry Potter book, which is where Ben is ready to read next; and mini muffin pans, which I've recently been obsessing over.

All in all, it was a quiet day, with a little fun thrown in. As a side note, Ben was in the kitchen when his mom was getting ready to stick candles in the dessert. I overheard them whispering back and forth, her asking what birthday this was for me, and Ben saying I was 25. I smiled at the thoughtfulness, but corrected them with my actual age -- 31. I embrace my age. I don't see a reason not to -- it's not like I can change it, or like people don't know I'm getting older.

Here's my dessert:





And here are some really attractive photos of me:





For the record, I blew out all 31 candles in one try. Four days after a C-section.

Sister pictures

I got those pictures off of Gma's camera. Here's Julie meeting her little sister for the first time.

There were never such devoted sisters...

I wanted to record my memories of Julie's first time meeting Robyn yesterday.

When Julie first came in the room, she was quite curious, and seemed excited, though also hesitant. She looked somewhat concerned when she saw me in the bed, all hooked up to everything, and probably quite pale, my eyes unable to properly focus on anything (and even worse with my glasses actually on). Ben picked her up and held her over/next to the bassinet, and she looked in at her sister for the first time. She was intrigued, and didn’t shy away. Ben asked Julie who was in there.

She promptly responded, “a baby!” Good…progress.

He then prompted her again and said, “Baby Who?”

“Baby Robyn.”

“That’s right. Did Baby Robyn come out of Mama’s tummy? She’s going to come and live with us at home.” At that declaration, Julie’s eyes widened with wonder and excitement. It was an expression I’ve never seen her make before, and it made me smile.

A few minutes later, Ben picked Robyn up and offered to let Julie hold her. Julie said yes, sat down on the couch, but then didn’t really want to do much with Robyn once she was in place. So Ben held Robyn, and Julie looked on, gave a little kiss, and gently smoothed Robyn’s cheeks. She leaned into Ben’s shoulder and smiled happily for a picture for Gma that I have yet to see, but I’m certain is precious.

After that, Ben placed Robyn back in the bassinet and presented Julie with a gift that Robyn had brought for her – a five-pack of Matchbox cars. Julie was pretty excited, and of course wanted help opening the package right away. Ben opened it for her, and allowed her to choose only one to play with (until she got back home again). She selected a red muscle car, and promptly turned and held it out to Robyn, sharing generously.

Julie understood for quite some time that Baby Robyn was in my tummy, but I’d had concerns about her comprehension of the transition to baby-in-arms. These interactions allayed those concerns somewhat.

Ben went out for the evening, leaving Gma (his mom) at the hospital with me. When he returned, Julie was with him again, just for a quick trade-off. When they came in the room this time, I was holding Robyn, having just finished a brief feeding session. Julie immediately went to the bassinet to look for her, and upon not finding her there, quickly became concerned, asking, “Daddy’s where’d Baby Robyn go?” Once she realized I was holding Robyn, Julie anxiety visibly faded.

She gets it.

I was also glad that neither time that she was in the hospital room did she shy away from me. She was cautious but not hesitant, and she willingly came to give me hugs and kisses both times, despite a weird gown, miles of tubing, and a bedraggled appearance.

Introducing...

Robyn Ruth Nutter was born at 7:56am on Friday, November 18th. She was 8 pounds, 8 ounces, and 21 14 inches long. (For those keeping track, that means more than three pounds heaver than Julie, and 3.5 inches longer.) She and I are both doing well. There really is no birth story, as the surgery was completely uneventful, just the way we'd hoped and expected. We anticipate being able to go home on Monday.