Shiloh Adoré is Born

Shiloh Adoré

Born April 3 

12:51am

8lb 14oz

21in long

13cm head

Her middle name has an accent over the E and is pronounced ad-dor-ray

She is a darling little girl and fits right into our family. She has dark coloring like Royce and she loves nursing.

We had a home birth and it was a tremendous experience. James my Mom and my midwife Richelle Jolley were here assisting while the children slept peacefully in the basement. Below are the details

Tuesday morning I woke up and had some bloody show and was having pressure waves every ten minutes. We let my Mom and Midwife know and decided James should stay home from work. We had his sister Heather take the kids for the day. We ran some errands and by about noon I just wanted to go home and rest so we ate leftover Mexican food from the night before and watch the new Hobbit movie. We took naps and things were still about the same with more bloody show around 4pm so I told James we should go bring the children home. 

They were disappointed that there sister wasn't there yet but we got them fed and put in bed. I was feeling guilty because James missed work and nothing was really happening so I told him that he should probably go to work the next day but he had already canceled all his meetings for the week so he said he no, which I think was inspiration on his part. 

I had pressure waves all night long I didn't time them but I was waking up about every 30 minutes they were not painful just a lot of pressure that would wake me up, in the morning there was a lot more bloody show.

Our fridge had been on the fritz since Sunday so after we dropped Luke off at school we went and bought a new (to us) one. By time we dropped off the old one and brought the one home it was time to get Luke so we did. I was still feeling disappointed and guilty that nothing was really changing. I really thought it was going to go on like this for a while maybe a week or two.
We took the kids to Chick-Fil-A for dinner. Came home more bloody show but the waves started to get irregular so I thought thing were just fizzling out. We then got the kids in bed. We inflated the kiddie  pool I had bought (for a water birth) just in case we needed it but when we got it out the plug for the pool was missing which meant we couldn't put water in it but again inspired James noticed it was the same brand as our other  big pool and checked to see if that plug fit and it did! (Yay!). 

We got in bed around 10 I was still having waves so I told James it would probably be best if he slept downstairs since I would probably be waking up all night. I did fall asleep but every time I had a pressure wave I would wake up. I was getting really annoyed and realized I was not going to get sleep so I thought maybe if we fill up the pool I could sleep in that (since warm water relaxes me). So around 11:30pm I paged James with the  phone and asked him to come up and help me fill it up. I still did not think it was real labor. The waves were not braxton hicks and they were stronger than the day before but I though it was just pre-labor stuff. Around midnight I told James he should have my mom come over "just in case" so he text her and inspired again he texted the midwife (who I didn't want to bother until I was sure). James was still working on the pool (because the hose had froze and he had to defrost it) I was in between the bathroom (pressure waves make me feel like I have to pee) the bedroom and checking on James during this whole time and if a wave hit I would just drop into child's pose till it was over. About 12:30am I was in my bed and I felt a pop in my stomach and water started to trickle out. I called out to James that I thought my water had just broke. At this point it was the first time I realized I was actually going to into labor. James text the midwife and told her. My mom arrived right about then I got into the pool. It was only about 1/3 full since we had to use a lot of hot water defrosting the hose. Then Richelle (midwife) showed up. She was busy doing things and then came in and checked on me I told her I felt a little pushy (but was thinking no way this is way to fast) I was on hands and knees and a couple waves later Richelle told me to get up a little higher in the water because babies head was out (I didn't even know) Then I felt her body come out and last her legs. James and my mom came in the room right at the last minute to see her born.(I didn't even think to call them in). 

It was about 12:51am I reached around grabbed her and then had to maneuver my leg around the cord. I was so relieved happy and surprised that the baby was here and that it happened so smoothly. Shiloh was calm and happy, she got a little fidgety when I took her out of the water so I just put her back in and she relaxed After a couple minute we moved to the bed where Shiloh immediately started nursing and I delivered the placenta. We eventually cut the cord and all the rest of the necessary stuff. Having the midwife was amazing she was a quiet observing assisant. James and I both feel this was the perfect birth experience for us.

Bella took these a couple days before she was born (I was making freezer burritos)

Mama upstairs giving birth

Kids downstairs sleeping

 The kids meeting sister for the first time. Abrahm was on the bed for about 3 minutes before he realized there was a baby there. He then started rapidly petting her head saying Sissi

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This is what Bella did this morning

Bubbles in Nursery

Royce and Abrahm are in nursery together (Abrahm will be 18mos March 12) and James captured this pic of them today. They both love it!

Luke Funny and Royce sweetheart

Luke has become known as "Captain Literal" because everything we say he takes literally which is comical and frustrating at times.

Tonight at dinner Bella says just to be silly "Oh no there is tsunami coming"!

My response was "That would be pretty crazy since we are not near any water". 

This is when Luke piped in with "Captain Literal speaking, if were not near any water whats in my cup". 

I just started laughing. I thought it was just a joke between James and I but I guess Luke has heard us saying it and figured out what it means.

Also at dinner

Royce randomly says "I want to hold baby". 

I responded "She will be here soon".

Royce than giggles a little and says "Okay I love her so much".

I am a excited and a little scared for baby girl. When we brought Abrahm home we could not leave him in Royce's presence unattended for a second because he just loved hime so much he would try to pick him up and hold him (he was 20 months). Now that he is 3 he is much smarter and bigger but very independent so anything could happen, good thing angels watch over these children.

Luke and Bella Funny

The kids were in there room trying to go to  sleep.
 Luke says (in a timid voice) "Mom, can you come here".
I go in the bedroom "Yes Luke what do you need"?
Luke (concerned) "Mom, are spies real"?
Sara "Yes Luke spies are real"......

Luke ( calm and concerned) "Mom can you shut our blinds"
Sara (humored) "Spies dont spie on you unless your doing something bad and your a good kid so you don't need to worry about that".
Bella  "I told you Luke".
Luke (As he lays his head on his pillow) "OH okay, can you shut the blinds"?

I shut the blinds and Luke says "That one slat is broken can we fix that tomorrow" Lol poor kid.

In case you were Curious about baby #5's Gender

Our family is very happy! Especailly Bella because

Counting My Blessings

Tonight I am sitting here pondering my blessings and thinking about about how much my Heavenly Father loves me and all of us. It is so apparent in the littlest of things. I am so happy because my dryer is fixed! Yes simple I know. It has been broken for a long time and I have been hang dryer clothes through stomach flus, bed wettings, moving and the everyday life of a family of 6 and it finally got fixed today. I feel very blessed.

My brother in law installed a new sink faucet in our kitchen. It is so pretty. It makes me happy to look at. So simple I know. But again I feel blessed. Those simple blessings that bring me so much joy remind me of the big blessings in my life. Like a wonderful husband, beautiful children, a healthy pregnancy, and an awesome loving family. Those are the blessing that bring me constant and consistant joy.

Update: Bella came storming into the bathroom today and in a very frustrated voice said "MOM what did you do to the sink it is so ugly". At first I didnt know what she was talking about then it dawned on me that she was talking about the faucet. She goes "yeah! it used to be pretty and silver now its just ugly and brown". Thats my little girl. Lol

Thanksgiving and Ice Skating

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner at James Uncle Rons and Aunt Terries. We had a lot of James family join us. Sonya and Solomon, The Fry Gang, Joes family, Aunt Louis and Aunt Barbaras family. A good time was had by all. (this was also the weekend we moved)

Abrahm enjoying a turkey leg

Aunt Terrie had stuffed teddy bears lining the stairs. This is what Abrahm, Royce and Connor did to them. 

I also took the kids ice skating that week. Abrahm and I didnt get on the ice but Luke and Bella helped Royce go out and have som fun.

Our homeschooling method

I get a lot of questions and odd looks when I try to explain how we do homeschool in our home. Its not the traditional setting. I recently found the blog post from another mom who homeschools and it so closely mirrors my method that I thought I would post it here for anyone interested in how a day happens in our home. Here is the link romthemrs.blogspot.com/2013/09/real-life-learning-part-1.html

Originally we did a more traditional scheduled homeschool with a set curriculum and schedule. It flat out didn't work for us. No one was happy and no one was really retaining any knowledge.

We do a more child led hands on experiences now, I am there to support and help them explore their interests. I watch my kids now. I watch them love learning and experiencing things. Going from one subject, topic or skill and learning it and moving onto something else that is new and exciting. I watch Luke and Bella being best friends and learning to work out there differences while teaching each other things. I watch Luke read to Royce and teach him things he didn't know or Bella share her figure paints even though the babies mix the colors. I get inspired, we get creative, I teach my children and learn new things at the same time. Its wonderful, its joyful, sometimes its hard and I get burned out, we bounce back and we have fun and I become a better mother and teacher.  It is rewarding and tenderly joyful at times and it's one of the best choices I have made for our family.

Why are Royce's clothes wet?

I just went to get Royce dressed. We are still living out of suitcases and his was in the closet. As I pulled a pair of jeans out I noticed they were really wet. Then I smelt them and they had that ammonia urine smell. I thought to my self "wow that is weird" so I grabbed another pair and they were also wet. About half the clothes in the suitcase were wet. I was trying to figure out what happened when I remembered Luke (who was sleeping on the floor in my bedroom last night) getting up to use the bathroom . He is a hard sleeper and always really out of it when he wakes to use the bathroom. I also remembered a story James told me about his brother waking up in the middle of the night and going pee in the toy box in there room. I am pretty sure thats what happened to Royce's clothes. The other option is there is a stray animal living somewhere in the house, but probably not since it would have been stuck in the closet.

Happy Birthday Little Girl! Bella has turned 6!

( I love the outfit she is wearing because it defines her personality, she is so sweet, beautiful, sensative and creative. Yet athletic, wild and crazy) Love you Bell!

It has been six years since this lovely creature joined our family here on earth. I wanted to record the story of her entrance into the world since I started this blog after she was already born.

 Bella was due to be born on Christmas day 2007. I felt bad her birthday would be so near Christmas but it would work out well since James and I were in school and we both had finals the Monday the 10th thru Friday the 14th. We would finish our finals have a weeks or so to get ready then Betty, Marc and Sonya would arrive for Christmas. Just in time for her arrival.  

Bella had other plans. On Friday Dec 8th I was having regular contractions. They were not strong but consistent. I went to the hospital birthing center only to get sent home an hour later. The contractions continued all weekend and I remember just feeling ready for her to come especially during church on Sunday where people were making all kinds of comment about how large I was. 

Sunday night the contractions just kept coming. I was taking a bath at about 2 in the morning and  they got to the point where they were about 5 minutes apart, so I woke James up and told we should probably head to the hospital again (We were both nervous about it because we didn't want to get sent home again). James cousin was living across the hall from us so we gave her the monitor for Luke and   headed out.

When we got checked into the the hospital my midwife Lisa (who was so awesome!) met us and checked my cervix. I was dilated to a 4. She asked about my pain and I was okay but things were getting stronger and I didn't know how much more I could handle so she ordered the epidural they put it in. Then she wanted to break my water. At this point we were had been there about 45 minutes. She went to break my water and she was shocked she said "um okay you are about a 9" after she broke my water and Bella immediately started down the birth canal. I had only just gotten the epidural and it had only started to work a little so I could still feel a lot and I was handling it okay so I asked them to turn it off. Which they did. After about 10-15 minutes Bella crowned. The midwife helped her head and her shoulders out . Then the midwife grabbed my hands put them under Bella's arms and I myself delivered the rest of her . I pulled her straight out and laid her on my chest. She was so calm just looking around and was checking out this new world. James was of course awesome and super supportive and a little bit in awe that his wife had just delivered her own baby. I remember just looking at her and the first thing I noticed was her perfect little ski slope nose. James and I were both in awe at her perfect face it was like a porcelain doll. She was and still is so beautiful. 

We tried to get a couple hours of sleep. We had an awesome hospital room in Laguna beach California. I remember when the sun came up we had a beautiful view of the ocean and I just couldn't stop looking at my little girl. She was a good eater and sleeper from the very beginning. 

After we had a little breakfast. James being the trooper he is packed up his backpack and headed to school to take his finals. He might have had 3 hours of sleep. We didn't have any family in town except Jesse who was taking care of Luke and her two little girls so no visitors came, and Bella and I just hung out and snuggled and got to know each other. James came to the hospital after school and we were released to go home. Luke was in bed already when we arrived home but I was so excited for him to meet his little sister I think I woke him up. He held her for like a second then pushed her away. He was indifferent to her. Which is totally normal since he was only 16 months. Betty was amazing and flew out the next day. She drove me up to take my final on Wednesday the 12th and waited in the car with Bella while I did. People thought I was crazy but I had already studied for it and hated the idea of postponing it and having to study again.

 I loved having a baby girl. She had soooooo many clothes, shoes, girlie blankets and headband she never even wore them all. Oh and she was almost completely bald until she was two, it drove me nuts because I just wanted to do her hair.

So that is how our Bella arrived and she is still making grand and dramatic entrances everywhere she goes. She is so very creative. Her mind just goes and goes all day long. Today she was in my bedroom with a rag and bowl of water washing the wall. When I asked what she was doing, "she told me she was making my walls shiny and pretty". lol. She had a fun birthday with cousins and family. My mom gave her some finger paints. Her and the boys spent a couple hours today playing with them. Pictures below

 First just Bella was painting

 Then one by one all of them got in on the action

 Jesse had 2 first today. He finger painted and he also went out and play the snow today.

 I have about 20 pictures drying in my kitchen right now.

 When Royce gets bored this is usually where he ends up

November has come and gone and we have moved AGAIN!

November was a busy month in the Mortensen home but we still managed to have some fun. I don't have a lot of pictures this month because somehow I packed up my charger for my camera and it died about half way through November. I just found it yesterday.

We still have our tradition of Friday movie night. We try to keep the peace by letting the kids take turns picking out the movie.

Even Jesse (Abrahm) has gotten in on the action although he rarely sits through the whole movie.

Fall in Utah is beautiful! We enjoyed walks in the park and feeding the ducks.

 Royce likes the duck and the ducks like Royce (until he starts chasing them).

 Abrahm has taken a fancy to slides. He has mastered the art of going down backwards. When he lands  at the bottom he always has a huge grin:)

 My mom was babysitting and Jesse was having a hard time getting to sleep so she just let him hang out with her. Eventually he fell asleep on the couch like this.

I dont have any pictures yet but we have officially sold the mobile palace and bought a home in Pleasant Grove. It is a great little brick cottage but was/is a little dated so we have been renovating. We still have a lot to do but I plan to write about some of projects so look forward to that.

Happy 30th Birthday to Sara and ect.

I always tease James that he is the worst at surprises because he always plans surprises and then tells me about them before they happen. Well he has redeemed himself. For my birthday he surprised me by flying my sister out from Ohio. I havent seen her in 2 years. He was so slick about it. He came home from work the weekend before my birthday and said "Lets go for a walk". We went to the park and when we got there a group of people were at a pavilion but I still didnt catch on till James started walking over to them. He had been planning this for 2 months. I started crying when I saw my sister it was so sweet to spend the weekend with her.

my 30th birthday party (left to right) Mario, Heather, Mom Cherie, Me, Grandma Joann, Michelle, Dad George, Rebecca, Steven and James

Heather (James sister) invited us to there school carnival. It was a lot of fun, minus the part where we lost Royce for like 5 minutes. He is way to independent for his own good. When I finally found him by a bounce house he was completely unconcerned with where we were and more concerned about getting in the bounce house.

We went on an outing with Joe (James brother) and some cousin up in Sundance Canyon. We checked out a resort up there which was awesome. The kids had some fun playing on the statues

Handsome man

Some Sunday we like to go up to the bell tower at BYU and look for bugs and listen to the Bells. Here are the kids in some not so good lighting

Baby #5 is half cooked!

So we hit 20 weeks which means we are at the estimated halfway point for baby #5. This has been a mild pregnancy for me which I count as a huge blessing. Of course I was nauseous from 8 to 16 weeks but I wasnt hover over the toilet all day. My midwife gave me some prenatals I can take that don't make me sick they are from a whole food source. They are called Vitamin Code Raw Prenatals. Ever since I have started taking them my energy levels have been higher which is great! We are undecided on whether or not to find out the gender. My ultrasound is scheduled for next Monday so I guess we will decide my then.

Sweet Royce

After church one day James went up to Royce who was playing  on the floor and told him "Its time to go take a nap" Royce responded with "Go lay down"?  As James picked him up he said "Yes, go lay down". Royce looked over at me with a huge grin on his face and said "I'm so happy"! as he rested his head on James shoulder. Royce is at a fun age where he says the silliest things all the time. He is constantly making us smile and laugh.

Luke Funny

I got this email from James this morning after he took Luke to school. Lol

Hi honey,

So Luke was mad at me about something and cranky about not being able to put his left shoe on…He showed me that he had  long sock on underneath a orange sock…so I told him to take it off and just wear the orange sock…then he complained that the sock was bigger than the other sock (on his right foot)…and I said that’s ok—the shoe will hold it on.  So he started taking off the socks…first the orange sock, then the long sock, then a black sock, and on and on…he had like 5 socks on his left foot!

So funny…