Hashbrown Winters assembly

I got to go to my girls' school and watch a great assembly. The speaker was Frank Cole, a local children's author. He writes the Hashbrown Winters series of books. They are hilarious & after listening to his presentation, we know why the books are so funny!

I wanted to let you know that Frank is doing a book signing at the Deseret Book at Jordan Landing today from 5-7 pm. The kids got a coupon for 20% of his books that is only good during the signing. If they don't have a coupon, just mention that he was at their school today and you'll get the discount.

He does assemblies all over the state & the kids absolutely loved the assembly. He's available to come to your school. Check out his blog. You'll love his work!

Thanks Frank & Heidi for a great day!

A few pictures of the babe

What are you looking at?

Eliza has long feet! Her coloring might be like mom,
but maybe her height will be more like dad!



She is quite fond of the Sooothies binikies-
the green hospital ones, not the cuter pink ones.

The nurses made her a cute pink bow.

My friend Allison took super cute pictures of her!

See more here.

Daddy picked out this cute blanket to come home from the hospital.

She really hates being photographed.

Lydia lives in Eliza's face.

Our flash stopped working at the hospital, so our pictures are limited. There's a few for now.

I would be ungrateful...

...if I didn't also thank my mom for her help throughout the labor/delivery/recovery process. She & my dad had the girls for the first two days and then she helped take such good care of me. It is so true that you never stop worrying about your kids, not matter their age.

It hadn't occurred to me how much they worried until my mom said that I would have done the same things if Jenna were sick. They almost lost a daughter- which is one of my worst fears with my own kids.

Sorry to have put you guys through the torment.

Thanks for coming to sit with me so Tim could get breaks! Thanks for all your help in the hospital & ever since. I love you!

Part three: Seriously? What else could go wrong?

Sorry about the wait for the final part of the story. I seem to have lost the past week. Eliza hasn't been gaining weight as quickly as she's supposed to, so I spent the entire week nursing & force-feeding the poor kid.


(side note: Tim added some of his experiences to the end of my last post if you'd like to read them. It made me cry...)


So, after what seemed like forever, we were ready to move out of recovery and into my room. I was so incredibly thirsty that I felt like I couldn't breathe. I had been on oxygen for a long time & they wouldn't let me drink anything, fearing I would need surgery. The nurse did let me chew some gum to help a bit. What a weird sensation- coming back to life & wanting a drink so bad. That's my main memory of this part- thirst!


Around 8:30- 9:00 I was moved to my room. Again, we got the closest available room to the nurses' station. It wasn't quite the 'Do not let me die suite' like after Lydia, but it was good to know help was near by. When you leave recovery at Alta View, they play 'Rock-a-bye baby" over the loud speaker to announce the birth. I felt like they should have been playing the Rocky theme song or something a little more triumphant. We had overcome a lot! WE SURVIVED!


The rest of the night was uneventful. They told me not to get out of bed- like I could have if I tried. Tim stayed with me & Eliza was in the nursery part of the night and with us after about 5am- I was wide awake & wanted to see my baby. I hadn't had much time with her the day before.


Then someone thought I should get up and walk around. "Let's get you into the bathroom." Why? I was fine where I was. I felt like I needed a crane to get out of the bed. Tim & the nurse helped me shuffle to the bathroom with my feet feeling like they were in cement boots. I made it to the bathroom- a good 8 feet away. That's when I felt really hot & nauseous. Not a good sign. Things are fuzzy after that. I passed out sitting there and finally remember anxious people dragging me back to the bed where I was laid flat. This is when talk of transfusions began.


The phlebotomist was summoned and eventually blood was drawn. I have no idea how many blood draws & pokes I had throughout the week. I stopped counting after 30. After having to call in the veteran to try after the new kids, they started just sending the veteran each time. Good thing I'm not afraid of needles. There was often digging along with the poking, as my veins dove & burst & generally didn't cooperate. Toward the end of my stay, the phlebotomists were telling me they were hitting scar tissue & valves. It was gross. We also found out I'm allergic to hypo-allergenic tape. Of course.


Back to the story. My blood work came back & my hematocrit was at 23. Twenty-three what, I don't know. All I know is that wasn't good. It was at 33 when I was admitted. I had my first transfusion Thursday to boost that blood count. I was promised it would make me feel like a new woman. Sounds great!


Two bags of blood later, the nurses thought I should get up. Another trip to the bathroom & shower. Why, oh, why must we rush these things? This time, Tim was gone to retrieve my other children from my parents' house. I remember telling the nurse and aide that I was glad my husband wasn't there since my last trip out of bed had traumatized him when I passed out. Me and my big mouth.


(My dignity was totally obliterated by all of this. If I share too much, you can stop reading.)


I made it to the toilet, where it seemed like a lot came out. I had been on an IV for over 24 hours, so I wasn't alarmed. They moved me over to the shower where I sat on the shower chair in what seemed like really hot water. I felt something strange and reached down in time to catch a blood clot about the size of a small apple. Uh, nurse... She had been trying to give my some privacy to that point, but now she was concerned. The curtain was flung open and I told her I felt nauseous and asked to turn the water cold. "Let's get you back on the toilet." Yes, let's.


The nurse and the aide moved me back to the toilet and that's when things went dark- fast. I remember that I was watching something, kind of dreaming. I was involved in the storyline, but I don't remember what it was. I remember being annoyed that someone was trying to interrupt this nice, peaceful scene I was enjoying. After a time I realized that the person interrupting was talking to me, trying to wake me up. I knew I should answer her and felt like I had to swim to the surface from the bottom of a deep swimming pool to get where I could answer her. It was the sweet aide, Nikki. When I was able to open my eyes again, there where four people crowded around me in that tiny bathroom. Awesome. In all my birthday suit splendor. Anyone else want to come in? I have no idea how long I was out, but at least long enough for more people & equipment to arrive.


I found out why there is an emergency cord in the bathroom. That was how the extra helpers were summoned, along with a wheel chair to get me back to the bed. Nothing makes you feel incapable like an 8 foot wheel chair ride.


Turns out that in addition to the smallish clot in the shower, I had also passed a larger clot- 800 cc's. (grapefruit size) I call it 'Edward.' To give you some perspective, the transfusion I had just received was only 660 cc's of blood. This was not good. Right on cue, Tim and the girls showed up as I was getting put back in bed flat on my back.


Alta View fixes a fancy steak dinner for two with a nice table setting, sparkling cider, the works. Mine showed up shortly after the Edward experience. I did not feel like eating, so Tim & the girls enjoyed a lovely meal. Tim's brother and his wife, Sam & Janika were also there visiting around this time. Tim & Sam gave me a blessing. They also took the girls for the night. Tim had been planning to bring them home and spend the night at our house, but the passing out changed our plans.

This was one of many interventions by our family and friends that helped so much with the older girls. Our plans changed hour by hour, so thank you all who stepped in to help!

Suffice it to say, I needed another transfusion the next day. My blood count was still low. I was determined to go to the breastfeeding class Friday morning, so I hauled my transfuser across the hall to the class. I probably horrified the other class members. Sorry- I was not thinking clearly. The class was very helpful, though! I highly recommend it! The lactation consultant came to my room after and helped a lot. I think much of our success nursing came from that class & the great teacher.

While nursing Eliza & receiving blood, I reached my left hand over her to do something and blood went pouring everywhere. The line that was attached to my IV site had come unhooked and the donor blood was running everywhere. That's $550 worth of blood spilling everywhere! I needed every last drop! Thankfully Tim was there and pinched the line shut while I paged the nurse. I don't think they realized what was happening and we had to page twice. When she came in and saw, she started moving faster. We started to wonder if the child should be named Murphy's Law Prestwich.

Optimistic nurses kept taking out my IV when they thought I was done, so I ended up with at least 5 IVs and a few more failed attempts. I finally asked them not to take out my IV until I was at the nurse's station being discharged! (When I got my bill, I saw each IV site cost $50. Grrr. Thank goodness for insurance.)

Another thing about my nurses- they kept calling and checking on me when they were off work. Others who had helped me earlier in the week would stop in to see me. A few I didn't remember meeting (they must have come on bad days) would tell me how much better I looked than the last time they saw me. They were all so sweet, even if we traumatized them repeatedly. I was what you might call a teaching case. One nurse that was there for my transfusion was being taught how to do it as she went. Turns out she has worked there for 8 years and had never had to give someone blood. Glad we could be of service!

Things settled down a lot after the second transfusion, but my blood count dropped again. Dr Smith's brand spankin' new partner was in charge of me Saturday and she came in to tell me that it looked like I would need a third transfusion. She was very sweet and delivered the news herself. We later found out that it was literally her first day. She looked like she was 16- I felt older and older as the days wore on. (When the new pediatrician came for Eliza's check up, I thought for sure I was hallucinating. He looks 12. When did I get so old?)

Another trip to the bathroom brought more fun. I emptied my bladder and then heard what sounded like running water. Turns out it was more blood pouring out of me. Awesome. Oh nurse...

Saturday was spent getting more blood, resting and enjoying quiet time with my baby. I looked horrible- not that I cared much. My face was all one color- white. My cheeks were the same color as the parts of my skin that have no pigment. It was kind of creepy. I hadn't looked at my reflection for days, so that was a bit unnerving for me.

The girls spent Friday night in Nephi at Aunt Jen's and had so much fun! They went to Gavin's baptism and Jen brought them back up that night. They had enjoyed three nights of sleepovers, but were anxious to get back to their own beds. Tim brought them home and, of course, couldn't get in the house. The fuse had blown in the garage so the opener wouldn't work. The storm door had been locked somehow and the keys were all inside. Tim finally had to break a window and lower Jenna into the downstairs bathroom. Seriously! At this point, all we can do is laugh about the whole thing. I was ridiculous!

Sunday Tim got the girls all ready and took them to church. The Lynches kept them and Tim was able to come to the hospital for the day. I was feeling much better and even got a shower without incident! My blood count had improved slightly and I was given the choice to go home if I felt up to it. I was so ready to get out of there! Everyone took great care of me, but I just wanted to be in my own space & with my other kids. I finally felt strong enough to get dressed. It took a lot out of me and I had to rest again for a while, but I finally was discharged around 7pm Sunday evening. The very last thing we did before I got in the wheel chair was take out my IV. I wasn't chancing it again!

There were also visits from family and friends throughout the week. I don't remember the details- hope I didn't say anything too crazy. Thanks for coming!

I know this post jumps around a bit. My memories of the week are like snapshots- disjointed, without a clear timeline. I don't share this looking for pity or anything. We are at the point where we can look back and laugh. What else can we do? Mostly, I want to make a record of this to torture Eliza with when she's older. :)

When all is said and done, I come away from this experience with a greater appreciation for the gift of life. I am so glad I get to be with my family! I am blessed that a perfectly healthy angel baby got to come to our family. I know she was supposed to be here. Even though I couldn't have anticipated the level of danger this time around, I knew things were going to be rough. It wasn't pleasant, but it was worth it.

Even as I came home and had to take handfuls of pills and all sorts of awesome ointments, creams, and on and on, I got to come home. Period. It will be a while before I am back up to speed, but I feel better every day. Dr Jones told me to expect 120 days for my blood to be fully restored and to be feeling back to normal- I lost at least 2500 ccs of blood that was measured- who knows how much more when down the drains. (Normal adult has 5000-6000 ccs of blood) Be patient with me if I act loopy or forget things you asked me. I'm working on it. Thanks again for your love, support and prayers. I needed every last one & they worked miracles!

Part two: My worst delivery ever

Warning: this is very bloody. Proceed with caution.

So, enter the vacuum. This was the first time I had this particular experience and it might not have been so bad if my epidural had not worn off so much. Owww again.

The sudden swarm of activity in the room was much different than my previous deliveries. With my other babies, only Tim, me, my doctor, delivery nurse and a baby nurse were present. This time, we also started with a respiratory therapist and a few extra nurses that I think came with the vacuum.

Once the vacuum was ready, I pushed twice and out came baby- ready or not. Dr Smith laid baby face down on my stomach, but didn't tell us the gender. He let us turn her over to find out together. Not knowing the gender ahead of time really added some fun anticipation and extra surprise! I'm glad we waited! Tim helped me flip her over and we saw she was a she. Yay! He was right. I was wrong. (He loves when I admit that!)

Eliza Tess Prestwich

born 7/28/10, 17:17, 7 lbs 7 oz, 19.5 inches

Tim cut the cord and a nurse came to get baby to weigh & check her. That's when Dr Smith told me to push again to deliver the placenta. Dang placenta. That's always when the fun begins.

For my nurse friends: Here's where we get to use our fun vocabulary words like methergen, Cytotec, plasma extender and 16 gauge needles.

Out came the placenta, promptly followed by the horrible sensation of vast amounts of blood also leaving my body. That is not something you ever get used to. The more the nurses kneaded my stomach, the more gushing I felt. At this point the swarm of activity escalated. Things were going dark on my end, but there were more people coming in the room bringing all sorts of things. I remember telling Tim to go over with the baby. I knew they were going to poke more holes in me and I didn't want him right there. I remember looking over to the bassinet and seeing Tim holding Eliza while he and the RT looked at me with horrified faces. I'm pretty sure the RT doesn't normally see that kind of blood in his daily routine. He beat it out of there as fast as he could.

At some point Tim brought Eliza over by my head all wrapped up cute. I will never forget the peace I felt as I looked into those alert, beautiful dark eyes looking at me. I knew it would turn out ok.

Here's where I was in and out of consciousness for a while. It is a strange feeling to have so many people working on you while you have no control over what is happening and can't participate in the process. I had to have faith in them and in Heavenly Father that things would work out the way they were supposed to.

My sweet nurse, Jessica, was on my right hand side. I could hear her asking if I was still there over and over. Occasionally I could whisper to her or nod. On the left was the anesthesiologist asking me questions, but I couldn't turn my head to respond. Tim later told me they brought the anesthesiologist in to place an IV for plasma extender. My veins had collapsed and the nurse couldn't get an IV in. There was blood all over my hand from a failed attempt. Unfortunately, Tim had a direct view of that mishap.

In my haze, I would catch words here and there. One thing that stood out was the word "Vycril." I heard Dr Smith ask for more of it a few times. I knew that wasn't good. From my days as a dental assistant, I know Vycril is suture material. Tim later asked how many stitches I had. Dr Smith told him he didn't count them. He said it was more like hemming a dress- you just keep going until it's done. He did, however, tell us that he used 6 feet of Vycril. I'm barely over five feet tall. You do the math.

Through all the trauma, Tim was right there. He held my baby where I could see her (when my eyes were open). He didn't leave when things got so bloody. He is amazing. I can't imagine the situation reversed and having to watch him go through something like that. For me, it was much easier to be on my end, except for seeing the fear and concern in his eyes. That was hard for me to feel like I was making him suffer. I mostly didn't want him to have to tell his girls that mommy wasn't ever coming home. I love my family so much and I am so glad I am here with them!

The next thing I remember was the room slowly coming back into focus and I was shaking. I was shaking so hard that it took me at least 45 minutes to stop. Between the epidural, cold IVs of who-knows-what, and good old fashioned shock, my body couldn't stop. I had piles of warm blankets and I was concentrating on breathing deeply through the giant oxygen mask. My jaw was sore from clenching my teeth in an attempt to hold still.

Around this time (I think) I sent Tim out with Eliza to meet her sisters and Grandma Barb and Papa Gary. The picture at the top of my blog was taken when they met for the first time. Lydia was quick to point out that she was right- the baby was a girl. She was was SO SURE!

So much happened during that crazy delivery, that it took Jessica and hour to chart everything. While I was shaking, she was next to me typing like a mad woman. I lost 1480 cc's of blood during delivery. Tim said Dr Smith was covered with blood from the shoulders down. We traumatized more than one nurse. They offered to pass around a collection plate to contribute to a vasectomy so we wouldn't try this again! I was Jessica's last patient before she left for a two week vacation and I think she more than earned it. If you remember, during labor she asked my about my previous deliveries and I told her that my bleeding had gotten worse each time. She was so prepared with all the right medicines and supplies so we had what we needed in the room ahead of time. I know that these amazing professionals saved my life! I would never have survived a home birth. I definitely wouldn't have made it as a pioneer!

Jessica apologized that I wasn't out of recovery within an hour of delivery. I never knew that was a goal. I felt bad that we had reached the end of her shift (7pm) and she was still at work. Soon, my night nurse (Chris) came in to take over & we moved to the next phase of the adventure.

Stay tuned for "The worst recovery ever." (if I haven't totally grossed you out yet)

Tim's addition: Anyone whose delivered in the hospital can recognize the rhythmic thump..thump..thump.. of the baby's heart monitor. I held my breath and I think my heart waited as we listened and waited for Eliza's heart to start beating again after a contraction. I lived a lifetime in that moment...waiting. Her heart beat again and then again and then back up to the familiar thump..thump..thump.. the nurse wasted no time calling the Doctor back to our room. When he saw the heart beat drop and discovered Eliza was upside down he called for the vacuum. He apologized ahead of time, saying we had to for the baby. The Doc's and nurses faces showed concern, and the room was full of equipment and people and an unsettled feeling. I was not sure if everyone was worried abut the baby or Corrine. I was worried about both. Somehow I knew everything would be okay, but what did that even mean?

The Doc said okay here we go, we're going to have a boy and no bleeding! No such luck. Eliza came out slick as ...um.... she came out quick. But she didn't cry or scream and her face was blue for a few moments. When we looked at her to see she was a her I remember thinking how unimportant the gender seemed now, I just wanted my baby to breath and Corrine to be okay. She finally cried a little, I cut the cord, she was doing great, but that uneasy feeling just kept growing.

I heard the doctor say 2nd degree and 3rd degree tears, he asked to start the blood clotting drugs. Ah oh, we've been down this road before. The tension hung in the room. The doctor looked stressed and concerned. More shots, more doctor orders, more nurses running. I could hear the blood gushing out and slopping on the floor. I looked, and wondered how much blood a person could lose. Corrine told me to go take care of the baby. I just went but I wasn't sure if she'd just sent me away to protect me or to protect the baby.

It was a relief to see Eliza was wide eyed and mostly pink. Across the room Corrine's eyes were shut and she was white like her bed sheets. Eliza's nurse kept talking to me, but I was watching & listening Corrine. Corrine's nurse kept shouting at her, " Corrine are you still with us?" Sometimes Corrine would respond. One time when there was no response I wondered if Corrine's spirit would stay in the room or if she would be able to hear the nurse shouting to her. Would the nurses urging bring her back?

More blood, more orders, more nurses scrambling. Corrine was bleeding out of her left arm now while the nurses tried to get another IV started. They complained that her veins were diving and collapsing I thought "Stop that bleeding on her arm she needs her blood." They called someone who was a specialist to try the IV, meanwhile another nurse tried again and again-and was finally successful just as the specialist showed up.

Eliza was wrapped tightly in a blanket and I was holding her while pressed up against the wall watching. More blood, more orders, more nurses. The doctor had called for cross typing and 2 units right away and two on hold. He looked gruesome, his gown was covered in blood up to both shoulders and down the front to his legs and feet. The nurse was still calling out to Corrine, and I could not see Corrine respond at all. I was praying and still had hope when but when Corrine didn't respond that time a wave of terror fell over me. I was going to raise four girls alone, I was going to take a baby home without her mother, I felt cold, lonely and realized how much i depend on Corrine. I felt like Peter suddenly sinking into the sea, and the waves were about to bury my head.... Just then a thought popped into my mind, it would seem silly to some, so I won't tell it here. But I did it. Hoped returned.

Soon the situation began to improve. Corrine was moving. The nurses were pushing stuff into her through multiple tubes but were more relaxed. The doctor was sewing but wasn't shouting. He worked for a long time. While he was working I did ask him if he would spot me a few bucks to pay for a vasectomy...he looked at me with a puzzled look before he realized I was joking--he said we could pass a hat and everyone in the room would contribute (there were still 4 nurses in the room). We all laughed. Then he said, whatever we do, lets not do this again. I agreed.

Things were finally stabilizing, I took Eliza down the hall to show her to the Sisters and G-ma. I wanted to run out the door and leave the hospital right then. But I reminded myself that the trauma was over and everything was fine now. If I'd only known....

My best labor ever

I can't believe it has been two weeks since Eliza entered the world! I had better write down my memories now before they get any fuzzier! It is kind of long and rambling, but it does cover 8 hours of events & I am still not completely in my right mind.

July 28, 2010
Tim dropped me off at Alta View Hospital about 7:30 am. He walked me to the doors and then I went the rest of the way by myself. This might seem odd to some (and to the nurse that checked me in) but having been induced three other times, I know nothing happens immediately except hospital gowns, IVs and blood work. While that was happening, Tim took the girls to my parents' house and got them settled for the day and then came back to the hospital.

My sweet labor nurse, Jessica, got me all settled and we talked about my previous deliveries and the probability of hemorrhaging. She was a wonderful nurse and listened when I told her what had happened. She made sure we were very prepared and wasn't the "I'm a nurse so I know better" type. Her preparedness was key later on! At this point we had our first miss on an IV, so the charge nurse, Jeralyn, came in and tried again on the other hand. I am what they call a hard stick, which only got worse through the week.

By 8:30 or 9 I had my pitocin and the waiting began. It takes quite a bit for me to dilate, so they turned up the pitocin by increments of 4 instead of the usual 2. We were chugging along and the contractions were getting more frequent, but not super strong. I was enjoying the NCIS marathon on cable and we kept waiting. Dr Smith broke my water around 11:00 (I think) and we kept going. My mom brought the girls to visit and the darndest thing happened. While the girls were there, my contractions basically stopped, despite the pit drip around a 15. I think Eliza was scared of them! Her quiet, comfy spot was better than being out with her loud sisters!

So, more waiting, more NCIS, more flavored ice chips. The ice chips were a nice new addition. They had what was probably snow cone flavoring of some sort that they put on your ice if you want. I enjoyed strawberry ice for hours. This made up somewhat for the lack of warming the penicillin. When I had Lydia at Jordan Valley, they wouldn't let me have ice chips, but they warmed the penicillin before putting it in my arm. Cold penicillin in warm veins OWWWW!

As a side note, if you are going to be induced, I would highly recommend going on a Wednesday. Monday and Tuesday are the busy induction days. I was one of only 3 ladies in the labor side of the women's center. Excellent service! When I was ready for my epidural, the anesthesiologist was there as the words left my mouth. I was expecting a half hour wait.

Around 2:00 I got my epidural and then blissfully enjoyed the rest of the afternoon with more NCIS. (Tim hates that show, btw. He kept himself entertained by posting strange things on my facebook page.) At 4:00, I was dilated to a 7. By 4:30 I was at a 10, but the baby was still really high in the birth canal. That fast dilation earned this baby a gold star!

A girl came in to set up the room for delivery and when I looked again, it was a girl I used to babysit when she was 3. (Hi Dana!) Turns out she graduates from nursing school in December. Man, I felt too old for what I was about to do.

At 5:00, Dr Smith decided baby was still too high, so he was going to go down the hall for a few minutes to visit a friend who was in the hospital and I was to push with the nurse to get baby down lower. He had made it about 10 feet down the hall when I had another contraction and baby's stats dropped. She was face up and was now in distress. Jessica sent for the doctor immediately. Dr Smith came back and told me that I needed to have the baby right now. He said, "We're going to have to use the vacuum and it might not be pretty, but baby needs to come now." At this point I was really glad I didn't have the mirror this time around.

That's where "The Best Labor Ever" changed to something else entirely.

Super Six!

Our sweet Aubrey is six! She was so excited that her birthday this year was on 8/9/10. A special day for sure! I can't believe how fast the time has gone. How is she six already? She is anxious to start first grade on Monday and will do awesome! She loves to learn and loves to make new friends. She is always the one at the park to come home saying she made a new friend- most of the time she doesn't know the child's name, but they have had a great time. Here she is playing grocery clerk at Discovery Gateway with a few new friends.

Aubrey is also a wonderful sister. She loves to play Polly Pockets or Strawberry Shortcake with Jenna and Lydia. She loves to hold & mother Eliza! She is a willing helper when I need help with the baby. She is getting to be so grown up and is taking on bigger responsibilities around the house. She helps unload & load the dishwasher, helps with the laundry, sweeps & vacuums, and is learning to clean the bathroom. Cleaning the toilet was something she really wanted to learn. (We'll take advantage of that while it's a novelty.)

This is Aubrey's kindergarten class from last year- Halloween party.

Aubrey is also our own version of Snow White. Animals love this kid! Her gentle patience somehow speaks to them. She loves all animals and would love to be a farmer. She got cowgirl boots from Grandma Lou & Papa Jess and then got to go on a pony ride with Grandma Barb- she was in seventh heaven as a cowgirl and dressed for the part! She also likes to catch potato bugs to feed to the pheasant, loves to feed the animals at the farm and is waiting for the day we give in and get a dog.
Six super special things about Aubrey:

1. Aubrey was born with a FULL head of hair that never fell out. She had braids on her first birthday.

2. She loves all things pink and Strawberry Shortcake.

3. She is full of energy and is always dancing.

4. She loves to make up stories and has a full narration for whatever she's playing. You hear her saying, "Now you say ___. And then I say____. And then you'll say_____."

5. She loves Primary and Family Home Evening. She knows the songs and has a sweet testimony of Jesus. She knows she is a child of God.

6. She is often contrary- to the point of ridiculous. If her sisters are pouting about something she's quick to point out that she's not crying. We always have a good laugh about that.

We love you Aubrey! We are so blessed to have you in our family! Thanks for being so flexible with the craziness that kind of took over your birthday this year. You are mom and dad's sweetheart!

My constant companion

Through the ordeal that we've had this last week, Tim has been so amazing! Not one for needles or hospitals in general, he has witnessed so much and stayed right by my side and not complained once.

I could tell how things were going by the look of concern on his face when things started to go bad after Eliza was born. As he tells me about the details of things I missed when I was 'gone' I hear the concern and love in his voice and I am so glad I get to be here to enjoy my family. In spite of the needles flying, blood spewing and chaotic activity in that room, he didn't leave me. It would have been easy to walk away, or pass out!

I shudder to think about the things he has seen, done and had to help me with. How many tears he has dried! My dignity is gone, but I know how much he loves me just by the concern in his eyes when he looks at me. I could not ask for a better husband or a more steady, constant companion. I am so blessed to have him for my husband and the father of my daughters.

I love you, Tim. I could not do this without you!

Beautiful baby pictures

We made it home from the hospital tonight. I'm not ready to give the details of the last week- mostly due to time/exhaustion. We'll worry about that later. For now, I thought I'd show you the pictures that the hospital photographer took.

Click on the website here. Choose the big square that says "View Photos." Enter our password in the little box: 0728elizaprestwich.

Could she be any cuter? Not that I'm biased or anything, but I think she's gorgeous!