First week home

One of the best baby presents I received with Kelton's arrival was the offer from Bruce and Leesa to take the girls for a week after he was born.  At first I was a little skeptical about them being gone for so long and thought that I would miss them terribly.  While I did miss them, I was glad that they were gone and having a fabulous time with their cousins, because that meant I had some one-on-one time with Kelton.  I had no responsibilities except to make sure that Kelton was fed and happy.  I didn't have to clean the house.  I didn't have to cook dinner.  I didn't have to entertain the girls.  I simply got to sit on the couch and enjoy my little man.  I stared at his face and waited for his smiles all day every day.  It was so wonderful to have that time to spend with him.  I know it is time that I will never get again.  I tried to capture the beauty of him as a newborn on film, but it is really hard to take a picture of a cute and sleeping newborn while they are being held in your arms.  While I couldn't quite capture one of his perfect smiles, I did end up with some great expressions:  

There were times when I pulled myself up from the couch to get some house chores done, like laundry.  Kelton didn't mind helping me with that at all.  

He also had his first bath this week.  He did cry or protest at all.  He looked at us the whole time trying to figure what on earth was going on, but that was about it.  

I think that "new baby" smell is a million times better than any "new car" smell.  I love cuddling him just so I can smell him...ah...it won't last forever so I am doing my best to enjoy it now.

Kelton Bruce Rogers

Introducing Kelton Bruce Rogers

As many of you know, waiting for this baby has been slightly torturous for me.  Sometimes it seemed as though he couldn't wait to make his appearance, but at other times it seemed as though he wanted to stay right where he was.  For example, on Monday night (July 8th), I truly thought I was in labor.  The pains kept coming and I just knew if I could get to the hospital then the baby would be born.  In fact I was hoping he would come that night so that I would be able to participate in Cambrie's birthday party on Wednesday and still attend Jeremy's triathlon on Saturday.  As the girls and I were waiting for Jeremy to get home from Boulder, they needed dinner, but I hurt too much to make it for them.  Cambrie volunteered and made peanut butter sandwiches for the two of them, and McKenzie took a picture to capture the moment for me. 

Once Jeremy got home we called our friends the LeDosquet's to watch the girls while we ran to the hospital in hopes of returning with a baby.  On the way to the hospital however, I could tell this baby was changing his mind.  The contractions were slowing down and I was beginning to believe I had cried wolf.  They admitted me, checked me, and found that I was only dilated to a 3 and was only 50% effaced.  Those numbers were not enough to keep me, but they agreed to let me stay for a couple of hours to see if I progressed while I was there.  This story was all too familiar.  When Cambrie was born, they had to send me home because I wasn't far enough along yet.  When McKenzie was born I was able to do enough squats and jumping jacks near the vending machines to progress me just enough to justify admitting me and hooking me up to some pitocin.  So Jeremy and I found a nice quiet corner and I did squats, lunges, and ran in place in hopes of moving this labor along.  Unfortunately all the effort was for nothing.  They checked me after the two hours and found that I had progressed at all, and in fact my contractions had stopped completely.  I begged them to keep me seeing as I was supposed to be induced in five days anyway but our nurse was very unsympathetic and sent me home.  It was a busy night in labor and delivery and they needed my room.  The girls still spent the night at their friends' house while Jeremy and I went home with crossed fingers hoping I would go back into labor that night. 

Fast forward four days.  Leesa had arrived from Utah.  Cambrie's birthday party was a success.  Bruce was flying in that afternoon.  Jeremy was at work but had packet pick-up for his triathlon that night and his race was the next day.  And I had spent each day hoping not to go into labor until Jeremy's race was finished.  But this kid had other plans and I started having contractions again around 7:00 AM.  They started coming every 12 minutes but I wasn't worried seeing as I have had so many false alarms already.  Then they started coming every eight minutes and I started to worry.  Remember, I didn't want to make an already very busy weekend any busier and make my husband miss his very first race.  I tried to slow down the labor by resting on the couch and taking a very relaxing warm bath.  I was able to slow them down to 15 minutes apart and felt a little more hopeful that I could control this.  Unfortunately around 11:00 I knew that I was in trouble.  The contractions starting coming every eight minutes, then every six minutes apart and they were much more painful than any other contractions I had up until that point.  

I had been lying downstairs on the couch so that I could still be a part of the girls' day.  Every time a contraction came the girls came over to me with a stuffed animal, a blanket, or singing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" to help me feel better.  I realized though that I needed to be upstairs during these more painful and more frequent contractions; I didn't want to scare the girls.  I hopped back into the tub and asked Cambrie to have Nana bring me some lunch.  I had a feeling that even though I didn't feel hungry, I wouldn't have the chance to eat later.  Cambrie was so sweet and kept coming upstairs to help me feel better.  She made me some cute love notes and colored a picture of a peacock for me.  I could tell she was worried about me, but she also was very aware of the fact that all of the pain I was going through meant that baby brother would be coming. 

At 1:00 I realized that there was no stopping these contractions no matter what my schedule for the weekend was.  They were coming every four minutes apart and I was hurting badly.  Just as I decided I needed to call Jeremy and tell him to come home, he called me to say that he had just finished his shift and was on his way.  As we talked on the phone I told him I didn't want to be in labor yet and I refused to call the hospital so he could still race.  But as we continued to talk I broke down sobbing and realized that it was time to go.  I got dressed and laid on the bed until Jeremy arrived.  We quickly grabbed our bags, kissed the girls good-bye, and hoped in the car.  By now, the contractions were coming every two minutes apart.

I was very relieved when we arrived at Good Samaritan to find that there was room in labor and delivery.  I really did not want to be sent to St. Joseph's downtown.  Jeremy wheeled me upstairs and this time there was no question about the fact that I truly was in labor.  They checked me and at 2:00 PM I was already dilated to a 7.  I couldn't believe how far along I was!  When the contractions came I felt like I was able to handle the pain better than I had with the girls' births.  I could breathe through them with almost no screaming and was feeling pretty good about the whole thing.  In fact, the nurses were laughing because I was still able to make light of the situation and smile during the whole thing.  I still asked for an epidural because I knew from past experiences that I labor for a really long time and I didn't want to be without pain medication for that long.  The anesthesiologist came and gave me my epidural at 3:00 PM.  I don't know if it was the relief from being pain free, if it was the stress of being in labor, or if it was the concoction of drugs, but as soon as the medicine started flowing I started laughing hysterically. Literally, I could not stop laughing.  The nurses and anesthesiologist had never seen anything like it before and didn't know what to make of their laboring patient would was totally cracking up.  It took me a solid 15 minutes before I could talk to anyone without laughing during the conversation.

After the pain relief had come, I told Jeremy to drive to Aurora so that he wouldn't miss packet pick-up since I was sure I would be at this stage for awhile.  If he had his packet then there was still a chance he could race the next day.  But he had already called the race directors and even though there was no advertised pick-up on Saturday, they assured him he could pick it up then.  I was still skeptical and didn't want him to miss this chance, but he said he was fine.  Just as I was about to try to push the issue, the nurse came to check me and I was already at a 9 1/2.  That ended the discussion right there since suddenly the birth was closer than either one of us realized.  

At 4:00 PM I felt the familiar burst inside of me as my water broke and it was go-time.  The fluid had some meconium in it and so we knew there was a chance that this baby might need some help breathing when he came out.  I truly hoped that wasn't the case and started pushing.  At 4:14 PM, baby boy Rogers came out Superman style with one hand up near his head.  They took him over to the table to make sure his breathing looked okay, and after they wiped him down a bit he was back with me.  He weighed 6 lbs. 13 oz., and was 20 1/2 inches long; just the right size.

I am always astounded when they hand me that little baby.  They are so small, so precious, and they belong to Jeremy and me.  I feel like we have to be reintroduced once they are out of the womb.  I looked him over and knew immediately he was part of our family.  He looks exactly like the girls.  I love reliving their time as a newborn each time I look at him.  

This birth, even though it was more rushed getting to the hospital, was more calmer in the delivery room.  I don't know if it was the delivery style of the hospital or if it was because the labor had been short, or if it was because Jeremy and I weren't exhausted after laboring through the night, but it was really relaxed and I quite enjoyed it.  I think every child should be born in the afternoon!

We were able to stay in the room for a couple more hours as we waited for my epidural to wear off then just as they were moving me to the recovery wing, our visitors arrived.  Cambrie and McKenzie couldn't believe that their new baby brother was finally here.  They could not stop smiling at him, telling him hi, and wanted to hold him constantly.  

As I had expected, each one of my girls aged about two years in the course of that afternoon.  They looked so big and grown-up.  Cambrie looks like a bonafide big sister, and McKenzie suddenly doesn't look like my baby anymore.  

I am officially the mom of three children!  When on earth did I grow so old?  I have three precious little angels from heaven and couldn't be luckier or more blessed.  

Our first moments together as a family of five!

The girls sang a lullaby to their new brother.

Cuddles

The girls loved it when he grasped their fingers.

Happy Daddy

Proud Grandparents

Everyone went home that night which left the two of us alone.  He didn't cry much.  In fact, I only heard a couple of squeaks out of him the whole time we were at the hospital.  I am crossing my fingers that he stays that mellow.  Jeremy did in fact race his triathlon Saturday morning and I waiting anxiously for him to return and tell me about his adventure.  While I waiting I racked my brain trying to come up with a name for this kid.  Jeremy and I had made a list and had even narrowed it down.  But after this baby was born, I still couldn't stick him with a name.  Jeremy returned to the hospital that afternoon with a secondary name list I had created a month ago.  As we scrolled through that one together we found the name Kelton.  I had forgotten I had even written it down.  But as soon as we said it out loud we knew it was the perfect name for this little guy.  All along we knew that his middle name would be Bruce or Lee after Jeremy's dad, and Kelton Bruce Rogers sounded just right.  We spent the rest of the afternoon testing it out with the nurses, paperwork, and talking to him with it just to make sure, but the family and friends were still kept in the dark.  It wasn't until we came home the next day that we shared his name with everyone.

Even though we spent two days in the hospital recovering, it still went by really quickly and then it was time for us to go home.  We gave Kelton a quick little bath to clean him up again before his big debut, and Jeremy had fun experimenting with hair styles.  

We strapped him in his carseat, again with no complaint, and headed down to the car. 

It was the first time I have been able to comfortably walk down to the car after giving birth, I hope this kid always makes it easy on me.  

We came home to find that the girls had decorated the house for their baby brother.  They had balloons, streamers, and yummy baby mints (that they were continuously helping themselves to).  

They were soo, soo excited to have everyone home together again.  Now Kelton has an endless supply of kisses, hugs, and sweet words from his big sisters.  Welcome home buddy!

TriRock Aurora

On Saturday Jeremy got to do something he's wanted to do for awhile, race a triathlon.  All summer he has been waking up at the crack of dawn to go swimming (gasp!), then still manages to go to work and run or bike later in the afternoon.  He has been training hard for this race and I have been so proud of him.  With Kelton's untimely arrival we were both afraid Jeremy would miss his race, but it actually worked out really well.  Bruce was in town and I sent him with Jeremy to be the photographer and keep me updated throughout the race.  Every half hour or so I would get a call telling me that Jeremy had completed the swim and still looked pretty good, that he made up a lot of time on the bike, and that he had just finished the run.  I couldn't wait for Jeremy to get all cleaned up and come back to the hospital to tell me all about the race.

Waiting for the race to begin.  He had to get their super early to make sure he could pick up his packet and get everything situated. 

Warming up and checking out the competition.

Heading to the start line.

When he did make it back, he was so excited.  He said that the swim was so much harder than he had expected.  The cold water had made it hard for him to get a good breath and he actually had to swim most of the race back stroke.  He was rather disappointed with his swim time and placement, but still really happy he didn't have to grab a lifeguard's kayak.  

His first transition area stop after the swim.

The bike was another story entirely.  Jeremy has powerful legs from years of soccer and mountain biking, and used them to his advantage.  He powered past nearly everybody on the uphills and his time ranked him 24th in his age division.  

Getting all suited up for the bike.  I think my husband looks hot in his bike helmet, just saying...

Powering up the hills.

By the time he came to the run he was still feeling pretty good.  He didn't want his legs to totally give out on him and ran the last leg conservatively.  But when he was within the last 100 meters or so he challenged the guy next to him to an all-out sprint to the finish line.  He said that was probably his favorite part of the whole race.  

His all-out sprint to the finish line.

My favorite part about this finish photo is that next to his triathlon participant bracelet he is still wearing his daddy bracelet from the hospital.  

Leesa and the girls made it in time to enjoy the post-race excitement and to give proud hugs to their daddy.  

While they waited for the transition area to open back up so that Jeremy could get his gear, they were able to play in the sand at the water's edge.  It looks like we need to plan a day-trip to Aurora Reservoir.  

I am so proud of Jeremy for doing this race.  He already has two others planned for this summer and I can't wait to see him compete.

Cambrie turns 6!

Cambrie turned 6 years old today! She woke up this morning to find the house decorated with streamers, birthday signs, and birthday balloons.  It was a day that began in smiles and ended in smiles.  I guess you could call that a successful birthday celebration!  

Our tradition is that the birthday celebrator gets to choose their birthday meals for the day.  Cambrie's day began with cinnamon french toast and chocolate milk...yummy!  

But once the birthday breakfast was over she had to wait, and wait, and wait for the rest of the birthday celebrations.  (How rotten huh?)  This girl was going crazy waiting for 1:00 when her birthday party with friends would begin.  To fill the gap we painted nails, put on her new birthday outfit and accessories, and played with Nana a lot.  We also headed to her favorite restaurant, Noodles & Co. for lunch.  Their mac and cheese is fantastic and we never come home with empty tummies.  

A sister's birthday hug

Finally, it was time for her birthday party to begin.  Cambrie has wanted to go to Color-Me-Mine ever since she found out it existed.  This party was the perfect opportunity to do just that.  She asked Audrey and Ella to join her on her artistic adventure as they painted ceramic creations.  I had to keep from laughing as they chose their ceramics and paint colors.  Each girls' personality was reflected in their decisions: Cambrie chose a dragonfly statue and a good variety of garden colors, Audrey chose a fairy dish with pinks and reds, and Ella chose a hamburger piggy bank but not a single hamburger color.  I wanted the girls to take their time and really take pride in their creations.  I was relieved to see that they followed directions and really did do a good job.  

As Cambrie worked on her dragonfly, her little tongue kept creeping out.  She must have really been concentrating.  

The girls were slightly disappointed to find out that they couldn't take their ceramics home with them right away.  Instead the store will fire them and we will pick them up in a few days.  But they all said they had a good time.  Cambrie was super cute as she stepped outside, threw her hands up and declared, "That was so much fun!"

When we got home Jeremy had the cake waiting for us.  We are always kept in suspense as he creates his masterpieces.  Our jaws dropped to the floor as we saw Cambrie's ocean-themed cake.  He created modeling chocolate figurines and sugar candy seaweed to adorn the cake.  I was incredibly impressed.  

Cambrie's face was pure joy as she saw what her daddy had made for her.  "This is the best birthday cake ever!"  

After officially dying everyone's lips and mouths blue, it was time for birthday presents.  We decided to combine the family presents with the friends presents and make one big celebration.  

Ella gave Cambrie a secret ink journal.  

Audrey ordered a best friends necklace.  

McKenzie gave her some Legos and a flashlight.  

Daddy got her some diving sticks.  

I got her some perler beads.  

And Nana gave her a Friend Lego city.  

It was so much fun watching her unwrap her gifts.  She was truly excited and grateful for each one.  I don't think there is any way we could have wiped that smile off her face.  

After the party was officially over, Audrey stayed and played Legos for a time.  

Then we were on to the birthday girl's dinner.  She requested french dip sandwiches.  I think they're delicious (and incredibly simple) so it was perfect.  Jacob came over and dropped off a birthday present for Cambrie too.  He brought over 3D sidewalk chalk and bubbles for all of the time they spend playing in the front yard in the evenings.  The kids wasted no time going outside and playing with the new chalk.  Can you believe that the 3D actually works?  

Cambrie's final birthday request of the day was to wrestle with daddy.  Since it was such an incredible evening, they wrestled outside on the grass.  I love seeing the girls' smiles as they play with Jeremy.  

I can't believe our little girl is 6!  Happy birthday sweetheart!