Our life is a wonderful mess and I am hoping that I will do a better job of tracking it because I know that if I don't I will wish that I had!
Wally will be 5 months old the day after Christmas and I am so sad to see the newborn stage end, even though I struggle with this stage, I still miss it when it is over.  For Wally's first 3 months of life he was not a happy man, (which only added to my anxiety of a newborn).  Wally had acid reflux and cried for the majority of everyday.  Medicine didn't do much to relieve his discomfort and I am happy that he only had to deal with the pain for 3 months and not any longer.  
For the last two months I have been trying to come out of the trance that I put myself in while dealing with the rough earlier months.  It is a lot harder than I hoped it would be.  I have realized that you loose a lot of yourself when you are living in survival mode and I am thankful that I have the ability to make the decision to change!  I have two amazing children who fill me with joy everyday and an absolutely wonderful husband to keeps us together and who is constantly willing to put up with me.  I am a lucky woman!
So there is a little background on our last few months and my goal is to now document the wonderful happenings of our daily life.  Whether good or bad I want to remember the fun that we've had!  I am a rhyming fool today!

 I love picking out a Christmas tree and I think that Bell's loved it too!  She was sad to leave but I think that Wally had had enough!  I am already excited for next year.  Having kids makes all holidays better!

Wally has such a personality.  He loves to smile and laugh but he is also very particular and can have quite a temper.

His likes: Being held, standing up, always moving, sucking on his hands, grabbing things, smiling, laughing, motion, noise, ceiling fans, baby food, his big sister.

His dislikes: laying on his back, being left alone in a room, car seat, rolling over, being uncomfortable in anyway.

Our Bella is so much fun!  She loves her brother and is so helpful.  She always wants to know where he is.  She loves to cuddle him and climb on top of him.  Bella is two and is very smart.  She knows her letters, colors, shapes, and numbers.  She loves to sing and dance.  Bella is a jabber mouth and her new saying is, "Mom I need a treat, or I need to watch a show."  She keeps us smiling.  Bella is very energetic but can also be very timid around new faces and places.

Her likes: Wally, pet shops, puzzles, Mickey Mouse, Curious George, Grandma's house, iPhone, dancing, singing, candy or any kind of treat, riding the 4wheeler, kitty cats, presents, birthdays, coloring, helping mom cook, and her cousins.

Her dislikes: sitting down to eat, sharing, bows in her hair,  sitting in her car seat, driving around, staying still.

Merry Christmas!

July 26th, 2011

Baby Wally has arrived!!

Wally's birth story:

Baby W was born exactly on his due date which was so shocking to me since I swear I had another week and a half to go.    We had been in Bear Lake the few days before and I was feeling great!  I went on the boat, the jet ski, paddled in the canoe and felt like I could do a lot more but didn't since I was nine months pregnant but felt like I was six or seven.  On Sunday the 24th we headed home but decided to take a detour to Oakley. We stayed the night there and my mom came home with us on Monday to help me clean the house.  I was feeling a bit tired but figured that it was just from the busy weekend.  That night I was talking to my little sis, and I remember telling her that I was not expecting this baby anytime soon.  I think at that point I knew that something was going on but I wasn't about to set myself up for disappointment.  A and I started to watch Harry Potter 7 part 1 and around 9 p.m. I started to feel a little uncomfortable.  I moved over to the birth ball to try and relive my discomfort but that did little since I was having back labor.  A little after 11 p.m. I told Andrew that I was done with the movie and needed to get in the tub to relax.  I sat in the tub from 11:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. only getting out a few times because I was a little warm.  Around 1:30 a.m. I woke up Andrew and let him know that we should get ready to head to the hospital.  He was a little hesitant but got up anyway and was very helpful.  He stepped right in with putting counter pressure on my back and keeping me calm.  At 2 a.m. we called his dad and asked him if he would come down here and stay with little B.  

At this point I was pretty sure that I wasn't going to make it.  I was telling A that we needed to get to the hospital because I needed medicine now.  B's labor was 14 hours not counting the pre-labor for two nights before, so I was thinking that I still had a ways to go!  A's dad finally arrived just before 2:30 a.m. and I was just finishing up another contraction.  At this point I was laying on our bed on my side in the fetal position, and A was grabbing the last few things and giving his dad some instructions.  I had one more contraction before we left and I remember feeling a bit embarrassed that his dad was listening to my deep moaning and a bit of screaming while I worked through the contraction.  I got in our car and was just praying that we wouldn't hit any traffic lights.  We had called my Doula around 2 a.m. so she was on her way as well.  My initial goal was to labor at our house with Angie my Doula.  Little did I know that this was going to be much faster, even though they say to expect your labor to be cut in half the second time I just didn't believe it.  We called labor and delivery on our way so that they would be ready as soon as we arrived.  While driving I had two more contractions.  A pulled up to the hospital and I wobbled into L&D as fast as I could.  Right when we arrived I had another contraction and had to sit down.  My nurse asked if I needed a wheelchair and I let out a forced yes.  Within 5 minutes I was in our room changed and checked.  I was dilated to a 9 plus!!  Those words were the most beautiful thing that I had ever heard.  Once I knew how progressed I was I was so relieved.  My Doctor was on call that night, thank goodness, and she was in the room within 5 minutes.  Within 15 minutes I was trying to bear Wally down.  Luckily he was posterior, which is why I was having back labor, or else I would of had him at our house or in the car.  I had an amazing nurse that was helping A give me counter pressure, helping hold my legs, and giving me encouragement, water and snacks.  My Doula arrived around 3:25 am as I was bearing down.  At this point my water had not broken.  Sam (my doctor), was so wonderful, she kept me informed the whole time and followed my Birth Plan perfectly.  I had Sam break my placenta since I new that I didn't have the mind power to break the sac as well as deliver Wally.  During the last contractions I would push and then sit back and completely relax to regain my energy.  

Once Wally was crowing Sam told me that I couldn't relax anymore and that I just needed to push.  This to me is the hardest part. Knowing that you are so close but being so exhausted makes it hard for me to finish the task.  At that point I would almost rather make it all go away and just stay pregnant.  But then I think about my sweet baby almost ready to meet the world and I find that strength and I push.  Once his head cleared life was easy.  Wally was born at 3:45 a.m. and was given straight to me where I held him skin to skin for almost 2 hours.  The nurse did all of the newborn procedures while I was holding him and waited to to everything else until we were ready to head up to the room.Sam delivered my placenta and showed it to us which I thought was amazing, knowing that this it was kept my baby alive is incredible.   

There is no way that I can adequately describe the feelings I have at that moment when my babies are born, lifted up so that I can see them, and then handed to me.  This is the greatest joy that I think I will ever feel.  

Wallace Larsen Richards weight 7 lbs 1 oz and measured 22 inches long.  

Update

What the Richards have been up to since April...

JULY- 

July, one of our busiest months yet!

July 20th through the 23rd was the Richard's Bear Lake week.  I look forward to this every year but this year was one of the best!  A's older brother and his family that live in Atlanta were in town and it was such a blast to have them here.  I wish that we could see them more often.  

A's family has a cabin right on the lake and this was the first time in 10 years that the water has been right up to the cabin.  It was so nice to launch the boat and have everything so close to the cabin!  We ate great food, stayed up late, had our annual flag ceremony and Richard's games, and just had fun spending time with the whole family.  We also got to watch a moose casually walk along the cabins eating the bushes and cooling off in the water.

I tried to relax as much as possibly since I was due in 4 days and was surprisingly feeling really great!    B had so much fun spending everyday with her cousins even though she would not touch the water.  They are all so great with her and I love that we are able to spend so much time with them.  It was sad to leave such a fun and relaxing week behind especially since I knew that life would dramatically change soon.

 Hopefully next year B will try out the trainer in the water.

Talent show

Richard's games

 For the last 5 years I have worked for Granite Construction Company.  I started out in AP and subcontracts and then became the administrative assistant to the regional manager.  I was lucky to work for a great company and with such great people but I always new that my time there was short lived.  I was able to quit on July 15th and even though it was sad to say goodbye it has been great to be a full time mom and nothing else! 

The next weekend we stayed overnight in Midway with some friends.  It was so nice to get out of the city and relax in the country.  A and the guys spent a lot of time perfecting their ping pong skills with an automatic ball dispenser, kind of like a tennis ball machine but for ping pong.  We also found some time to go swimming, on a nature walk, and have a yummy barbecue. 

 Bella also got super sick that trip with a fever of 103.  This was the first time that B has ever been sick.  She was such a trooper.  I had never seen B so lethargic.  She is so high energy that this was a shock.    We ended up taking her to the instacare to make sure that nothing was seriously wrong causing B and I to cry.  B's crying was because strangers were poking at her and I was crying because I hated watching B so helpless.  Luckly it was just a virus that needed time to run it's course.  Thank goodness the next day we were on the mend.  

We started off the month of July with celebrating our Country's independence.  We had a BBQ up at my parents with my extended family and then went to the Oakley Rodeo.  This was B's first rodeo and she loved it!  The horses, cowboys, clowns, cows, snow cones, cotton-candy, and fireworks gave her quite the sugar high.  At eleven pm she was bouncing off of anything that she could with the happiest giggles I have ever heard.  Thank goodness that didn't last much longer after the family said their goodbyes and left.

JUNE- 

Every June we have our Rydalch family camp out and this year we actually camped over.  I was 8 months pregnant and didn't fully think this through.  We got up to the camp ground Friday early evening and set up camp.  We enjoyed yummy food and company.  We sang songs around the camp fire and ate smores.  Finally we decided to go to bed, which was challenging due to the below 30 degree weather up in the mountains.  With the cold weather, the cramped sleeping bag, a full bladder, and the hard ground I got one of the worst leg and foot cramps that I have ever experienced.  The pain of this cramp lasted days afterward.  Luckily A and B snuggled together to get through the night and we all welcomed the sun in the morning!

 A failed attempt to get B to sleep with the iPhone 

B had on three layers and I still don't think that was enough.

MAY-

Over Memorial Day we took a trip down to St. George.  We met up with the Kimble's the Rasmussen's and the Slater's.  It was great to have a little bit of sun and a little bit of boating and of course great company!  I can't wait for next time!! 

Vegas baby!

In May we road tripped it down to Vegas with our friends and stayed at Tahiti Village.  The hotel was wonderful and actually family friendly with no casino and a great pool with a lazy river. I loved relaxing with the family, swimming, and shopping!  I kind of wish that I was there right now. 

  APRIL-

In April we made a trip over to Bear Lake with some neighborhood pals.  B loved having 3 other girls there to hang with.  A loved having 3 guys to go rally four-wheelers with, and I loved that B was entertained by her 3 friends so that I could enjoy the great company of my girlfriends!

Easter 2011

Bella was so much fun this Easter.  She loved looking for eggs but instead of putting them in her basket she would immediatly open them up and eat what was inside.  Every year we spend Easter with my Dad's family and have an egg hunt at my Grandma and Grandpa Larsen's.  I love that Bella is able to spend time with her great grandparents!

Our next Easter celebration is always at my Grandma Ruby's sisters house.  I can remember going to the Easter party at Nancy's house when I was young and not much has changed now that Bella gets to go!  My Aunt Nancy has a trampoline in the middle of her family room and since I was pregnant I opted on not taking Bella on it.  This did not stop her though, she quickly got her Great Grandma to jump with her.

She looks so little searching for eggs in that big field!

All I think about are Oreos

24 weeks

Baby Happy (as we like to call him),  Loves Oreos and milk.  I am starting to feel like we don't eat anything else.  When I wake up in the morning I think. 'Oreos please', when I go for a walk I can't wait to get home and eat some Oreos!  

Did you catch the slip.... Baby Happy is a BOY!!  We have known for a month now but I am still getting used to the idea of a baby boy.  I am getting excited and a little nervous for this new adventure.  I love this stage of pregnancy.  I love his little movements that make my tummy ripple.  I love knowing that my body is creating a tiny human being that will grow and learn and laugh.  I love knowing that he will have a wonderful big sister.  I can't wait for B to meet him.  She will touch my stomach and say baby and then do the same to hers.  It is really sweet.  

Snow Day

Even though this is Bella's second winter we had never taken her out to play in the snow.  Last week when it dumped on us I decided that it was time B got to experience the magic of snow.  She loves going outside and I new that she would love this.  The best part is watching her walk around in her big puffy snowsuit.  She reminds me of a big red marshmallow.  

Update:

We took a weekend trip to St. George, not as relaxing as we had hoped.   Bella loved sitting in the basket while dad rode her around.  That is all she wanted to do all day!

This is a regular occurrence in the Richards home.



B is very busy and does not let anything stop her.  She loves to climb on and in anything she can.  She loves making messes, and we love watching her get into mischief day after day.



We have found B in many different drawers and baskets throughout the house.    

They seem to be the perfect size!



This would be her dad's doing.  Wind blown hair, life jacket, getting her ready for a summer of boating!



Bella is 16 months and we love watching her grow up.  She surprises us daily with new things that she has learned.  She loves attention but only if she has initiated it, otherwise she becomes shy and it takes her awhile to warm up.  Bella is very good at showing us what she wants by taking our finger and guiding us to what that is.  She is a horrible eater which gives me anxiety but then I remind myself that most kids are bad eaters, right?

  This week I have taken away her pacifier.  I was very nervous that she would have a hard time but so far she hasn't showed any interest in wanting it back.  I just have to make sure that she doesn't find any strays!  
B is the best little helper.  She understands when I ask her to pick up her toys or throw something away.  She likes to sweep and be involved in whatever I am doing.

Bella has always loved books and recently she will take me in her room and hand me a book and sit on my lap so we can have story time.  She will keep bringing me books until we have finished reading all that are in sight.  I am hoping that she will always keep her love of books!