It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

No interest in the tree- just scouting
snow to eat.

So we put some in a bowl and let her
 go to town.

We bought our Christmas tree today so my house smells like it should at this time of year. There is a thick blanket of snow all over our almost-a-college-town-but-we're-slightly-more-grown-up city called Orem. We survived the drive to San Diego and back for Thanksgiving, and now we get to enjoy my excessive decorations for 2.5 more weeks before making that drive once more. Someday, we'll fly home for the holidays and I'll laugh about all the times we drove the length of highway 15.

A tree for the girls' room.

Elle started smiling last week, but I have yet to catch that toothless grin on camera! London is quite the helper. She always beats me to comfort Elle with a pacifier when she cries, and tells me proudly, "He likes me so so much." London talks all day long and repeats EVERYTHING. The other day, she told me she was going to kiss my face off because I'm so cute. Here are some darling things she said today...

"Your hair is so pretty I've ever seen in mine whole life!" (where did she learn that phrase?! while brushing my hair)

"I'm so so sad because you say no to me."

"I love it, mom, because it is so pretty. It's like a princess and I'm so happy now!" (referring to her Christmas dress)

And her favorite thing on the planet is pretending like there is a storm outside. She always says, "Uh oh! There's a storm! We better hide!" -and jumps underneath the nearest pillows or blanket.









---And here is a video of her in action.

---And this is what she does with her stuffed animals- all day long.

What do you do when you really want to take family pictures but you don't have the money to hire another fancy photographer? You ask one of your husband's friends to take one for you on a camera phone, of course! I planned it all out: the location, our outfits- there was just one HUGE problem----no snow. My vision was a winter wonderland, not the barren wasteland of an almost-winter in Utah. So I told Kyle I was going to pray for snow. The next morning, Kyle opened the blinds and laughed out loud. "Baby, you got your snow!" The first snow of the season to stick on the ground just happened to fall the morning of our family pictures?! Coincidence? I think NOT. It's the little things that let me know that God loves me. Like this family picture. 

Mother of Two.

Yesterday, when I got out of the shower, London was standing on the rug with my towel in her hand. "Here ya go, Mama!" she said with a smile. "Thank you, honey!" "You're welcome." I wish I could say that every minute of the last week and a half has been this perfect- but, let's face it--- having two kids is twice as hard as having one. I think the hardest part is not having down time. I am never not needed by one or both my girls. Thankfully, I somehow only feel overwhelmed at moments that pass quickly [like when Elle spits up a river down my shirt while London is begging me to draw a family of kitties], so motherhood still brings me the fulfillment and joy I've been loving for the past 2 years. 

Elle has been a gem so far. She eats, spits up (still getting used to that), and sleeps, just like a baby should. Two things have saved me in this whole mothering two thing: 1) The Moby wrap. I made two from a pattern I found on Pinterest and they magically free my hands to do all of the things I wouldn't be able to do otherwise...like play with a 2 year old and keep my house clean! 2) The Woombie. Oh my goodness- it's a swaddling "blanket" that zips. It's a literal sleeping pill for Elle. 

"Look, Dad! I has a mustache too! I'm so funny!"

 London mostly does her own thing. She dances from room to room, making up songs about her favorite inanimate objects, pretends to be a princess, and every once in a while wanders over to Elle, rubs her head and says, "Awwww, he's so cute!" or "Awwww, he's so yittle!" She insists on helping with diaper changes and lets me know every time "Baby Elle is sad" and clearly "wants some milk", which is both helpful and insanely adorable. Meanwhile, London is really into Cinderella. Every spoon, stick, spatula, comb, etc. is a wand, and you better believe she will use said wand to turn you into an animal.  "Bobbity Boo! You're a froggy!" Also, she has recently discovered that she has options. When she's hungry, we go to the pantry and fridge so she can stare at the selection, put her finger on her chin, give a puzzled look, and say, "Hmmm, let me think about it. [long pause] I want _________."

I wish I had crazy, exciting stories to tell- but the truth is, everything so far has just been plain good. Today, we watched Stuart Little 2, and Elle slept in my arms while London laid on my lap and I played with those killer red curls--- and I was happy.

Enter Baby Elle

Let's start at the beginning... Two weeks ago Wednesday, I had my final ultrasound to make sure that Elle was on track for a perfect delivery. The ultrasound went like this...

-"Okay, here is her head. Oh my goodness she has a huge head! Wow!"
-"Okay, here is her femur. Oh my goodness that is an enormous femur! Oh wow!"
-"Oh, and there is fluid in her kidneys. The doctor is making you an appointment with a high-risk specialist. We are going to change your due date to October 25th. Did I mention that you have the biggest baby I have ever seen?"

One week of stress and tears later, I finally had the appointment with the high-risk specialist. The appointment went like this...

-"The fluid in her kidneys is probably nothing. She looks really healthy. Why is she so big? Do you have diabetes? I need you to get tested again for diabetes. You are a horrible candidate for a VBAC. Let's change your due date to October 31st."

I left the appointment angry. Of course the fact that Elle's kidneys showed no abnormalities was a marvelous relief, but that lady didn't know what she was talking about. She didn't know that I am an embarrassingly healthy eater and that I do yoga six days a week, or that I had been preparing for a VBAC for two entire years and had specifically chosen my doctor because he was going to help me do it.

We drove home, I called my doctor's office to set up another diabetes screening test, and we went for a family walk. While we were walking, I had to stop a few times because of contractions, the first I'd had the entire pregnancy. We made our way up the stairs to our house and my doctor's nurse called me back.

"Hi Bristyl. I made you an appointment to take the diabetes test tomorrow morning. As you know, Dr. McCarter will be out of town until next week, but the other doctors in his practice asked that I send you to Labor and Delivery, just to be sure that everything is going well with the baby."

---"Ummm...really? That's...okay...but I haven't had regular contractions and I feel fine. I mean...I don't think...ummmm. Okay. I guess we'll go."

When I got the the hospital, I was dilated to a 3.5. The first hour, my contractions went from every 2 minutes to every 40 seconds, and I was asking for my mother. I was admitted immediately. The nurse called my doctor to let him know that Elle was on the way. He was in California. The doctor covering his patients, Dr. Baxter, refused to deliver me unless it was a C-section. The nurse handed me the phone and I cried.

-"Bristyl, I'm sorry. I'm not there. I wish I was there. Dr. Baxter is covering another hospital and will only be able to perform a C-section. You have to think of the health of you and your baby. I really am so sorry."

I wanted to scream. But you promised. But that's why I picked you. But I want to have more than 3 or 4 kids. But I know I can. But we know she's less than 8 lbs so she won't be too big. But this is all we've talked about at every appointment for the last nine months. But you promised.

Nothing came out of my mouth.

In enters Joy Hartwell.

-"What's going on? No. No. That's not right. No."

The nurse gave my mom a look.

-"Bristyl, tell the nurse what you want."
-"I don't want a C-section."

And that wonderful nurse whom I now love forever set everything up for me to have another doctor come in from another practice to deliver Elle naturally.


  Dr. Baxter, realizing that he was about to be in an insane amount of trouble, angrily came to the hospital to deliver her, like he was supposed to. He was awful and rude, but the nurses were wonderful and Elle entered this world at 11:01 pm on Wednesday, October 9th. She was 7lbs 8oz, 20.5 inches long, and possibly four weeks early, depending on which of my three due dates you pick.

She had fluid in her little lungs, so she's been in the NICU ever since. We are on track to bring her home by the end of the week! I am most looking forward to London meeting her sister for the first time.

In honor of Eleanor

   It's not every day that your great grandma, or London's great-great grandma, turns 90. And so we made that drive I know all too well to San Diego for a truly inspirational woman. My grandparents rented out her favorite restaurant and hired an Italian musician to sing and play the songs of her childhood, while a slideshow of her 90 years played on a projection screen in the background. All her friends came, as well as every member of our family. Each time someone went to the microphone at the front to share stories and memories, Eleanor mumbled quietly, "Awww, how about that? I didn't know I was that nice! You guys are too sweet!" She is too humble to ever realize how wonderful she is.

   Remember how I have been horrified that Kyle and I would never agree on a name for this little girl who will hopefully be born in 7 weeks? Well, problem solved. Her name is Elle. 

     The rest of the vacation was lovely. We spent a day at the beach, caught up with old friends, had family dinners nightly, and even took London to my great aunt's sheep-herding ranch in Japatul.

     And I was there to take Maeci to her first day of 6th grade, also known as Middle School!

     On the long drive home, I couldn't help but feel so grateful for having been placed in such a loving Italian family. Even now, it makes me smile...

A party fit for London.

     It took an army of Hartwells, but I'm pretty sure London's "Fancy Nancy" birthday was everything she (I) dreamed it could be. When I curled her hair, dressed her in a tutu, wrapped strands of beads around her neck, and covered her in glitter, she responded over and over again with, "Ooooooooooo! Thank you, Mommy!" I plan to ask God someday what I did to deserve her.

A HUGE thank you to Aubry Bennion for making this darling cake!

     She spent the last two days clicking around the house in her new princess heels and asking me "Again! Again!" to read her new stories. I have to bribe her to take off her "Rella" (Cinderella) night gown from Auntie Sierra. And on her real birthday, I want to say thank you to everyone who loves my London- to our friends and family, thank you!

My way-too-soon-to-be 2 year old.

     London turns 2 next week. 2. In some ways, I feel like--"Wait, I'm MARRIED?! I birthed a CHILD?!?!" ----and in other ways it feels like that little curly-red-headed angel has always been mine. My mother keeps telling me that I need to write down all the funny things she says, so I figured a blog about our life together would be the perfect place to document her hilariousness. 

     Before London could talk, she would reach her arms up for me and moan, and I would say, "Do you want Mommy to hold you?" So once London could talk, she would ask me, "Mommy hold you?" Over the months, that has somehow morphed into, "Mommy, heed you?" And so it remains how she asks me to pick her up.

      "Ma, Nunun" means she wants to do something all by herself.

     
     She is obsessed with pancakes. She wakes me up every morning with, "Mommy, besfast? I want pe-eetes? Pease, Mommy? Up!" I now make about 80 varieties of pancakes to satisfy her addiction. This morning, she ran to get Kyle from bed with, "Daddy, pe-eete time!"


     She thinks every "ouchie" needs "bedcine" and a "beendeed". If I get hurt, or even if she thinks I'm hurt, she says, "Oh, no! I sorry, Mommy!"

     London is disgusted by anything that touches her skin. One hair from her head gets tangled around her finger, or a string hangs from her pants, and she comes sprinting. "Uh, oh! Mommy, YUCKY! Help you, pease, Mommy?"

     If London had her way, she would wear a "princess dress", or absolutely nothing at all. Lots of outfits qualify as a "princess dress" to London- basically anything that is long, has ruffles, bows, flowers, lace, etc. A few weeks ago, she put on one of Kyle's work shirts, asked him to roll up the sleeves, and danced around the house saying, "Princess! Mommy, princess!"

     Every single thing she completes is followed by, "TADA!"

     She dances to all music. "I Knew You Were Trouble" by Taylor Swift is her favorite song on the planet. She tells me every morning, "Mommy, I want trouble, trouble, trouble." And so we dance in the living room.

     Last night, we were sitting on a blanket under the tree in our front yard when she realized the moon was out. She cheered, "The moon! Mommy, the moon!...........(a pause in deep thought)............ I want touch it." So my mom and Taryn held her up and she reached with all her might. She was so happy.

     She is gentle, polite, sensitive, graceful, and fiercely independent. This is my way-too-soon-to-be-2 year old. 

Patience.

     I started looking for a new place to live. Three bedrooms and a backyard. I had it ALL planned out. It's a good thing I have a mother to set me straight when I let my wants run wildly away in a completely Bristyl way. So instead of signing another contract to potentially trap us in Utah when an amazing new job comes along, I went with the practical choice. The girls will share a room! And once again, my mother came to my rescue. She just happened to have this darling bed tied up with a ribbon, like only Joy Hartwell would, and it matches everything already in the nursery. So London got a big girl bed that she is completely obsessed with, and my expectant-mother-nesting need to have everything perfect 4 months before this child is even born was met---and exceeded!

     Now London spends her days putting all of her stuffed animals to sleep in her bed. Over and over again. She'll come running to me, "Shhhhh! Dollie sleeping! Shhhhh! Turtle night night!" I love it. 

     Kyle even set up this little book shelf for me, made from 3ft segments of a rain gutter. 

     





     Father's Day was lovely. London was able to help with Kyle's present, and even delivered it to him in bed. She was so proud of herself. And after church, my family came over for a barbecue. We all sang Happy Birthday to Taryn, while London laughed in the background. 

My husband is better than yours.

     I've been married to Kyle for 3 glorious years. I try my best not to brag about how awesome my husband is, but I think for this post, it's fair to say that I have the nicest, most selfless husband you will ever meet. We really just make each other HAPPY. In life, there is nothing more I could ever ask for.

     For our first anniversary, Kyle took me to a Broadway show, dinner at The Roof, and a stay at a fancy hotel in downtown Salt Lake. Last year, we stayed at a cabin in the Uinta's and went horseback riding along the Flaming Gorge. This year, Kyle had a really good idea: San Francisco with some of our favorite people in the world.

     The trip was only possible because my fabulous family watched London for 4 entire days. I think it's safe to say that London and I missed each other equally, but I'm a firm believer that couples need a little time alone to keep the flame going. Needless to say, she enjoyed being spoiled by people who love her only second to me.

       We hit all of the sights: The Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman's Wharf, the farmer's market on the Embarcadero, China Town, Alcatraz, Muir Woods, and a few others I'm sure I'm forgetting.

     It's rare to have friends you can spend 4 days with and come out on the other end only loving them more. Wives against husbands, we battled about what to name our little girls, due within a week of each other. The Adams somehow endured our PDA. I can't remember the last time I laughed so much! Next year, I think a cruise sounds perfect...

Henry-etta.

     I'm humiliated. I was POSITIVE that I was carrying a boy---and I was WRONG! Yesterday, we had our gender reveal ultrasound. The technician started by asking what we thought we were having. I said with conviction: "It's a boy." He started laughing. "Well, it's a girl." And, with a smile on his face, he typed it on the screen. "What?!?! Are you sure? Because I really think it's a boy." So he turned to a different angle, where a blind person could tell that it is definitely a girl. All I could say was, "No way. No way. No way." It's not that I wanted a boy more or anything, it's just that I had total faith in the Chinese gender calendar. Boo. The good news is, we have everything we need for a girl, including all the newborn clothes that London was too large from birth to fit into. The bad news is, we have no idea what we are going to name her. I picked out London when I was twelve and Kyle and I loved Henry before we even got married. So as crazy as it sounds, I'm horrified that I only have 5 months left to pick the perfect name! 
     Thinking about having another girl is so exciting! Will she be a daddy's girl? Will she be a tomboy? Will she have curly, red hair too? There's no question that our girls will be best friends!!!!

     Last weekend, my mom, siblings, Kyle, London, and I drove my uncle's minivan to San Diego for Taryn's graduation. We were there long enough to watch the graduation and enjoy a celebratory Italian dinner. It was by far the shortest trip home I have ever taken, but being there with her for such a huge milestone was priceless. She was glowing! 

London sleeping on Auntie Tarynie's bed.