July 2015

     July. What a month! So much happened in July. July came in with a bang. We went up to Oakley on July 2, and went to the rodeo that night. I knew sitting on those narrow hard benches for hours wouldn't be comfortable (and boy was I right) but I wasn't about to miss it! Maybe the fireworks that night got Connor so excited he just couldn't wait. 

The next day we played at the ranch. Ellie had fun riding Frankie with Grandma.

And wearing Grandpa Tim's cowboy hat around while playing with cousins.

I was feeling so large and uncomfortable that I took this picture of my belly. I had no idea I would be rushing to the hospital at 3:00 am the next morning!

Brian went on an epic all-day bike ride with Dave. It is a good thing Connor waited until we were sleeping that night!

Early on the morning of July 4th Connor was born. What a day to arrive! July really did come in with a bang.

We left Ellie at the ranch when we left to go to the hospital and she had a blast going to the parade and playing with her cousins.

Thankfully she had grandparents and aunts and uncles to help her with all the festivities, so she didn't miss Mom and Dad a bit.

My mom kept Ellie with her for most of the week so we didn't have to worry about her and Ellie loved every minute she was at the ranch. She mowed the lawn with Grandma,

And played in the hot tub,

And met cousins at the zoo, and at Heritage Park.

July was one big party for Ellie!

While Ellie was having a blast with grandparents and cousins, we got to know sweet Connor boy a bit better. He was a sleepy little guy for most of July.

We even made it out to Will's birthday party.

Ellie fed the goats her hair.

Everyone oooed and awwwed over Connor.

And Connor slept some more.

Brian took Ellie to the Porter family reunion up at the Heber campground. More parties for Ellie.

Back at the ranch Brian fell through the tramp while giving the girls a "boat ride".

And I took Ellie for an adventure to find the older cousins and the sniper fort they built up in the trees.

Brian's parents watched Connor sleep while Brian and I went out for a quick dinner for my birthday

Getting out is a rare experience these days!

And Ellie ate "snakes" while we were out.

We also made it out to Porter family pictures.

Four amazing generations of Porter boys.

Brian also took Ellie to the Daddy-Daughter Campout for the ward. She had a blast with the other kids and camping with Dad.

Ellie wasn't home much in July, but when she was she enjoyed hanging out in the backyard as usual.

We are grateful for a July absolutely FILLED with family, friends, and an appreciation of the outdoors. What a wonderful world that we live in, and how many blessings we have been given!

June 2015

I was starting to feel pretty pregnant in June, but we still did some fun things. Our highlights were meeting cousins at the zoo and enjoying all the dinosaur displays there, enjoying hikes and horse rides at the ranch, and harvesting the first produce from the garden. 

Ellie learned how to open the fridge. She dragged this whole gallon of milk up the stairs to my room one day to tell me that she wanted some.

It is so fun to watch Ellie start to explore these hills that I spent my childhood roaming. 

Bristol loves the ranch as well. She was one happy pup!

When we are not at the ranch we are reading about the ranch!

Chickens

We have talked about getting chickens, but I don't think it would have happened this year had our next door neighbors not decided to up and sell their house. They had four hens and offered to give them to us with all their supplies. Free chickens? Free coop? Sure! We have had them for a couple of months now, and are drowning in eggs! Ellie enjoys the chickens and brining in the eggs to put in the "egg hole" in the carton. She also liked herding the chickens, poking them with sticks, and trying to give them hugs. She also likes to play with their food...yuck!

July 4th 2015

      It's no secret that July 4th is my second favorite holiday (this is a lie, Mandy's favorite Holiday is definitely the Fourth of July-Brian). I anticipate it almost as much as Christmas, but no 4th of July has ever been as memorable or as special as this one--and it wasn't spent in Oakley, and I didn't go to the parade, or the patriotic program, or spend time with my sisters, or attend the Cannon family reunion--all staples of the Fourth of July. Instead, I spent the day in the hospital and welcomed this precious bundle into the world.

Connor B Porter

6 lbs 15 oz.

20 in.

Born at 9:10 a.m.

If you don't want all the details, you can stop reading now.

Birth Story

    Connor was due July 21. I had planned to go on our annual Shakespeare festival trip July 6-8 and even had tickets. We packed our things and headed up to Oakley July 2nd. We went to the rodeo that night and then I had dreams all night that I was going into labor. I joked about it the next day as we enjoyed hanging out with family. I was feeling super uncomfortable and even told Brian and my sisters that I felt like the baby was going to fall out, but I didn't seriously think that anything would happen for at least another week. I had felt some contractions during the day on the 3rd, but figured they were just braxton hicks. We went to bed that night and I woke up needing to go to the bathroom around 3:30. As soon as I walked into the bathroom, my water broke. It didn't splash all over like it does in the movies, but I definitely knew that it had broken. I went to wake Brian up and he didn't believe me at first. "You are joking right?" he said. "No, I am not joking. We need to go to the hospital," I said. Brian got up and went to wake up my mom. I grabbed one of the backpacks we had brought and made sure Ellie was ok and then headed down to Ogden to Mckay Dee Hospital. About 10 minutes into the car ride I started feeling regular contractions, but they did not hurt very bad. They felt more like bad menstrual cramps only better because you got a break after each contraction.
     It was about 5:00 in the morning when we finally got up to the delivery room. Contractions were getting stronger and when they checked me I was at a 4. They started me on pitocin and the contractions got worse so I asked for an epidural. Oh the relief! I've heard people complain about the huge needle, but I didn't even see it and getting the epidural was a lot less painful than putting in my IV. By 9:00 I was fully dilated and effaced so they called my doctor. The epidural had worn off slightly, which I am actually grateful for. It was just enough to dull all the pain, but not so much that I couldn't control my legs and even feel what was happening. My doctor came in and I got ready to push. I pushed through one contraction and felt Connor's head, then shoulders emerge and at 9:10 they handed me a beautiful baby boy. The whole things went so quickly and so smoothly that I could hardly believe it. Connor gave a little cry and then quieted down as he lay on my chest. He was much less messy than Ellie was and unlike Ellie didn't seem to have swallowed any fluid.
     I guess Connor was so excited about the Fourth or July that he just couldn't help coming. If we had been in Oakley he would have been here in plenty of time to catch the parade!

We are so happy to add Connor to our family!