Stewarts of Love: 2016

Halloween 2016

Petaluma Pumpkin Patch - the beginning of a tradition!

Family themed costume: Not-so-Goldilocks and the The Bears

The Bay Area Discovery Museum is amazing, or so everyone had been telling us. I had also heard that the first Wednesday of every month was free, so when July rolled around we decided to drive down and see what all the fuss was about. Well, everyone was right, it is absolutely AMAZEBALLS! We had so much fun venturing from room to room and exploring the different exhibits - we ended up skipping our afternoon naps and spending the ENTIRE day there. When it was finally closing time, I busted out my calendar and started planning August's visit well in advance, since this was definitely something I wanted to keep bringing the boys back to.

Well, to my excitement August's free day fell close to JD's 2nd birthday. We decided to invite our cousins and one close friend to spend the day with us celebrating JD, and waiting patiently for the extravaganza.

JD couldn't have been happier during his party. Cupcakes. Balloons. Train exhibit. Frogs in Totland. All complimented with perfect San Francisco weather <3

(JD's 2 year update from instagram) YOU: know all of your letters and love to point and sound them out • are still obsessed with balls • try on every single pair of shoes in our house, everyday multiple times a day - mom's heels are one of your favs • say 'bye bye pee' when you hear a toilet flush • started to say what you're thankful for in prayers, and you never leave out your buddy Will • are ready to play tag the second dad gets home from work • spit on me every time you say 'please' • have a collection of rock souvenirs in your bedroom • love jumping on different surfaces • started to sing along to songs • make me one proud mama, everyday

California, here we come!

It has definitely been a crazy couple of months!

April 16 - Beckham is born!

May 20 - Justin graduates with his MSOH

June 1 - Move to California!

Are we crazy, or are we crazy?

We could not have pulled off this move if it weren't for our dear family and friends who helped us (I'm looking at you Gramma B, Tami, Megan and Jackson, Monte and Bobbi, Laura Meek!)

PS I'll have to dig up some more photos from our trek... I drove with both boys in the Benz. J mastered driving the 20' Uhaul whilst towing our Chevy Sonic behind it. We stopped halfway and slept at a random hotel before getting up the next morning and rolling into Vallejo, CA (a story for another day)

Gramma B, the saint

I can't believe I don't have more photos from the time my mom spent with us after Beckham was born. Gramma B truly is such a saint. She is pure love and service, 110% of the time. She is always working quietly in the background - making dinner, folding laundry, cleaning house, sewing buttons, etc. She doesn't ask what needs to be done, she simply senses it and takes action without asking for anything in return. I honestly don't know how my mom does it all with such grace and poise. And she is so much fun! I have never seen my mother stressed, short-tempered, or idle (for more than 10 minutes). What an example she is to me of the woman I want to become!

(Gramma B also leaves secret love notes and a trail of $2 bills whenever she visits. Honestly, does she have elves helping her out?! HOW DOES SHE DO IT ALL!)

Before Gramma B left she wanted to get JD a present, and she bought him this basketball hoop that he just absolutely loves. He will shoot 200 shots before even thinking of stopping or realizing that other things are happening around him. Not only is it the perfect gift for JD, but also for me because it distracts JD enough for me to get things done/pack up house for our upcoming and all-to-soon move!

JD rides a Neigh

JD lucked out and was able to ride around on a 'neigh' when Bart came to Utah. My dad trailered two horses all the way down from Washington so that he and Parker could go ride for a few in Moab, UT with my uncles. There was no way Bart was going to come all this way and NOT get JD on a horse! We only had a short window to make this happen, but it was so so worth the drive up to Clearfield. JD absolutely loved it and wanted to ride forever. I'm so grateful for my country roots and it makes me so happy to see how much JD loves riding horses. Big thanks to Bart and my brother Parker for making this happen <3

Next stop, California!

Justin received a full-time offer with Phillips 66 shortly after completing his internship at the Rodeo, CA refinery. While we knew he had a job secured, the location was to-be-determined and we were definitely nervous we would be sent to Oklahoma/Texas/somewhere far, far away from our family. We were told we most likely would not be going back to California, and that the open positions were in New Jersey, Texas, Oklahoma, and Montana.

As it turns out, Heavenly Father had the perfect position lined up for us, back at the Rodeo, CA refinery! We were absolutely shocked, yet thrilled, to hear this news. This meant we would be close to family, and that I could continue working for Ancestry since they have an office downtown SF. Seriously, such a blessing for us.

But, even amidst the huge blessing, trying to find housing in California proved to be an absolute nightmare. We scoured the inter webs trying to find a reasonably priced 3-bedroom home for rent in the East Bay. We looked in Walnut Creek and Concord, Antioch and Pittsburg, Martinez and Crocket, Hercules and Rodeo, Richmond and Berkely - you name it. But we could not catch a break. The homes that met our criteria were way over our budget. We decided to cross one more bridge north and started looking in Fairfield and Benicia. We considered looking in Vallejo, but everyone told us to stay far far away from such a place.

One day, a beautiful home became available in Fairfield. It was 3 bedrooms. Under budget. Complete with a backyard and washer/dryer. Recently remodeled and appeared to be in a nice neighborhood. Needless to say we were very, very excited. I felt like we had finally caught our break. Was it too good to be true? Unfortunately, yes. During my 5 min phone call with the listing agent I was asked, 'Have you looked at the crime rates in this area?' and 'Do you know the reputation of this neighborhood' ... And concluded that if they felt the need to even ask me those questions, it ain't good. So that dream house quickly faded away. We knew we would have to compromise somewhere - either make a 2 bdrm work, sacrifice a yard, or live in an apartment complex.

But the market was SO competitive. Places would get snatched up as soon as they became available, and it didn't help that we were currently living two states away.

One night, Justin was on Zillow and literally saw a listing the second it was posted. It was probably 9 or 10 in the evening and he called the realtor immediately. We were the first to call! We explained our situation - we lived in Utah but were graduating soon and about to start working in Rodeo, we have 2 young boys and have had a nightmare trying to find housing accommodations. We also explained that we wouldn't be able to come see the home in person, but we had family and friends who could view the home on our behalf. We begged and groveled and pleaded with the realtor. We were desperate. Justin was supposed to start his job in 2 weeks and we still didn't have a place to live! Praise the heavens, the realtor showed pity on us. Of course, she still had to show the home to cover all her bases, but she basically told us that if we could come through with good references and a solid application, it would be ours. Release the pigeons!

We were beyond thrilled to finally feel some security in the housing department - and it didn't even bother us that this home was located in Vallejo! It just felt meant to be and we went to bed that night feeling relieved, and probably somewhat anxious. Vallejo was supposed to be the 'no-no' zone. Would we come out alive? We had honestly heard horror stories about this town, but at this point we didn't have much choice but to move forward in faith. We submitted our application, complete with a personalized letter and family photo, and prayed to our Heavenly Father that things would work out and we would finally be free from our house-hunting nightmare.

The next morning when we woke up and checked the listing, there were over a THOUSAND views. By that night over 2,500 people had looked at this home. In less than 24 hours! We knew we had an in with the property manager, but seeing how many other potential candidates had an interest as well did not help our angst.

Nonetheless, a few painful days later we received a phone call informing us that our application had been accepted! We signed a year-long lease, and awaited the day we would walk into our new home.

Master of the House

everybody raise a glass!

Justin graduated with a Master of Science in Occupational Health on May 20, 2016. Both his parents and mine came to Utah for the occasion, and it meant so much for us to have family there to support such a big milestone. Justin worked hard during grad school. He was a dedicated research assistant (and, btw, his research is getting published!), hardly ever complained about the course load, and seemed to glide through his classes with ease. He nailed down an awesome internship with Phillips 66 during the summer of 2015, which opened the door to a full-time offer with them starting in June 2016. We feel very very blessed. When we first were married, our 5-year compass was pointing towards dental school. But when Justin discovered Industrial Hygiene, it felt right and we switched gears. Ever since then, things have just clicked in a beautiful, perfect way that makes so much sense for our family. The only explanation I have is that Heavenly Father truly is watching over us and guiding our lives. I'm so thankful to know a God who teaches me not only how to live happily with my family forever, but also how I can live happily with them during our time on earth.

Beckham's Birth Story

Beckham James Stewart | April 16, 2016 | 12:59pm

6lbs 10oz | 19in

I don't know exactly where to start in telling Beckham's birth story... I feel like I really slacked documenting this entire pregnancy, and there is so much that I want to write up in addition to what actually happened on his delivery day. So disclaimer - this is gonna be a long one!

Two months prior to my due date, we thought our baby needed to come early.
At my 32 week checkup, I measured one week behind...

At my 34 week checkup, I measured two weeks behind...

My doc told us that if I measured three or more weeks behind at the next checkup, I would need to be induced. This hit close to home, since I had been induced with JD due to IUGR. I really didn't want to be induced again, especially since this babe wasn't even considered 'full-term' yet. But, I knew that the most important thing was for our baby to be safe and secure. Even though I longed to my labor begin naturally, I knew where our priorities had to be...

well, my 36 week checkup rolled around and - lo and behold - I measured 36 on the dot! Que the happy dance (but not too much dancing, or else I'd pee myself)! Although I was overjoyed, I was also a little scared for the babe. I wasn't able to meet with my regular doctor at this visit due to a last-minute scheduling conflict, so I was worried that this new doctor measured me wrong and that baby boy might in fact be in trouble... There had also been a few different occasions where I felt like it had been an hour too long since I had felt the baby move, so my fear was paired with that...

Well, at my 37 week checkup I still measured at 36. This appointment was pretty crucial, since I had to ask my doctor if he thought I would be okay to travel to Denver that weekend. Even though I was 2cm dilated, the doc signed off and granted my wish. We packed an emergency birthing kit to take on the road with us, and the entire time we were driving to Denver/sleeping in Denver/visiting in Denver we had a constant 'what if we have our baby in Denver?!' thought in the back of our heads. Luckily, we lasted through the weekend and made it safely back to Utah.

At my 38 week checkup, I still measured 36cm... and I was still dilated 2cm. The growth stunt is pretty normal around this time due to baby dropping, and since baby's heartbeat was strong our doc not longer held the same concerns. We couldn't believe we made it this far and would be meeting our boy in the next weeks! For the longest time I had been stressed that this boy was coming early, and now I started to wonder if he'd be LATE! It was a difficult couple of weeks, to say the least!

now that I was 'full-term' and pretty much caught up on the measurements, everything started to get real. Inside I was freaking out about labor - since I was induced with JD, I had never experienced laboring at home. I was so excited to finally be able to experience that part, but I had no idea what to expect. Sure, I had delivered a child naturally before - but I honestly felt like I had no idea of what a 'contraction' actually felt like. I know that sounds crazy, but the type of medication I was given to prepare for my induction with JD ended up kicking me in to labor so quickly and made me have constant cramping, so I couldn't distinguish what a contraction was and what wasn't. I remember during the pushing stage w/ JD, the nurse told me to push on the next contraction...and in my head I was thinking 'I have NO idea when contractions are starting/stopping/happening!' It was just a constant adrenaline rush. Haha even right after giving birth to JD, I remember telling my older sister that I had no idea what a contraction felt like, and her reacting 'WHAT?! HOW can you not know what they feel like? You JUST had a baby!'

Hahaha ok, sorry for the longest background ever. On to the exciting stuff!

The night before Beckham was born, we drove up to SLC and met up with Dani and Parker. We ate dinner at Blue Lemon and then walked over to the Church History Museum. I wasn't trying to jumpstart labor by walking so much, but in hindsight I think this may have been a contributing factor :) We walked the whole museum (which is really cool, btw), and didn't end up getting home til 9 or so, wayyy past JD's bedtime. We laid him down right when we got home, and I followed suit and plopped down on our heavenly mattress right away. I wasn't planning on falling asleep, but I was so darn exhausted that I quickly started to fade. I felt bad going to bed so early, especially since my little brother was visiting. Jungle Book had hit the theaters that night, so I told J and Parker that they should go to the movies. They made the 10:15 showing while I quickly drifted into a mama-bear slumber.

Around 12:30am, I started having some menstrual cramping. I woke up because of the discomfort, but I still stayed in bed and was in and out of sleep for the next couple of hours. I remember hearing the boys get back from their movie, groggily saying 'hi' and asking how it was before rolling over and falling back asleep. I didn't say anything to J about the cramps, because I still didn't fully recognize that THESE ARE WHAT CONTRACTIONS FEEL LIKE! small ones, at least.

Well, after battling with sleep for a few more hours I decided that there was no point in lying there any longer. This was around 3am, but I didn't feel like I was in enough pain to wake up J... Since I couldn't get comfortable enough to sleep, I decided to start keeping a log of my contractions. Once I saw how often they were occurring, I got excited! Our baby was on his way!

I jumped in the shower because 1) water helps to ease labor pain, and 2) if this baby was coming, i wanted to look gooooooood in those hospital pictures! well, as good as I could while 40lbs heavier than normal :) While I was in the shower I had 3, possibly 4 (again, I struggle with knowing what counts) contractions all within a 10-minute period. This meant that they were happening 2-3 minutes apart, which meant we should probably be going on our merry way. I still felt so silly though. Inexperienced. No idea what I was or should be doing. Embarrassed for feeling this way with my second child. Shouldn't I have this down? I've done it before!

Anyways. It was about 4am when I decided to wake up Justin.

I tapped J on the shoulder and said 'Babe, I think I'm in labor', to which he rolled over, looked me over and groggily replied 'You don't look like your in active labor...', while rolling back over and continuing to snooze. I (gently) punched him in the arm and, showing him my log, said a little more aggressively 'You don't tell me when I'm in active labor! Look!' Once he saw how often the contractions had been happening, he jumped up and got really excited. It was adorable. We both just kind of stood there in a daze, and talked about what we should do. It was just so weird that I was having such frequent contractions but not experiencing too much pain. But, because of the frequency of the contractions we decided to head to the hospital. We woke up Parker to tell him he was in charge of JD, he wished us luck, and off we went!

Well, I didn't have ANY contractions in the car on the way to the hospital (15 min drive). We arrived at the hospital at 5am and drove around the parking lot for a little bit trying to decide what to do. I did NOT want to be admitted into the hospital earlier than necessary, and especially if my labor had stalled. I would much rather labor in the comfort of my home, thank you! I felt stupid and embarrassed for waking J up and having him drive me all the way to AFH. But he was happy to do it and supported me the entire time. So we didn't even stop the car or go inside. We simply turned around and headed back home to see if we could get some sleep.

Well, J had no problems falling back asleep. I, on the other hand, did. I tried to lay down, but the contractions were uncomfortable enough that I couldn't fall asleep. I hopped up on the birthing ball and bounced my way through some more contractions, continuing to keep my log. I realized that my contractions were getting farther and farther apart, so naturally, I googled our situation.

Well, google convinced me that our baby was badly positioned. That was the reason for my contraction inconsistencies. And google also told me that I would need to have a C-section. Awesome. Around 10am I asked Justin to call my doctor and explain everything that I was experiencing. Doc told us to wait until the contractions were either a minute apart or lasted more than 30 seconds each. Well, now my contractions were happening every 10-15 minutes, but by golly they were getting harder and harder for me to manage. They were starting to get painful. Full.of.pain, I tell ya. But we had no idea what to do, since they were so far apart. Both of our parents happened to call and check in, and both of them told us we better get back on over to the hospital haha.

J and I were in limbo for such a long time. We truly had no idea what to do, and we felt so silly. But, this was a great learning experience because we learned that I DO NOT HAVE TEXTBOOK CONTRACTIONS. And I have really fast labors.

Around 10:30 I told J that we needed to get ready to go to the hospital, again. Even though the contractions were farther apart, I was getting to the point where I needed to lean on either Parker or J to get through them. I made everyone lunch, J jumped in the shower, and I put JD down for a nap before we hit the road, for the second time.

We got to the hospital around 12:20. As we parked the car, I again started to feel like we were too early. I was skeptical to go in because I only had one contraction during the drive over. I didn't want to be in there longer than I needed to, so I told J we were too early again and that we should go to JCW's to get some food so I could at least have some fuel in me for labor. Well right then I had two super super painful contractions (contractions in the car are already suuuuuuper uncomfortable). So, J declined my lunch offer and we decided to at least go inside to have me checked.

We walked through the hospital doors and navigated our way up to the L&D floor. J called the front desk and they cheerfully asked what they could do for us, to which he responded 'Umm, my wife's in labor...?' and they immediately buzzed us in. I had already pre-registered, so there was minimal paperwork for us to do before being admitted into triage.

I dawned the ohhh so beautiful hospital gown, was hooked up to some monitors, and at 12:35 the nurse checked me and I was 6cm dilated. She said, 'yep, you're having a baby today!' and then took my birth plan outside to read it over. While she was gone I had some really REALLY bad contractions. I was feeling pressure on my bum and I knew baby boy was coming, and fast@ But, we had no idea where the nurse had gone off to... J couldn't find her anywhere in the hall, and it was as if she disappeared. I knew we needed some attention and to be taken more seriously, so with the next contraction I was intentionally LOUD. The nurse ran in and I told her I could feel the baby crowning. She told us we needed to get to the delivery room across the hall as soon as possible, so J picked me up and we made a break for it in-between my contractions. As soon as we stepped foot in the delivery room, I had contraction and heard something splash onto the floor. I thought my water broke, but it was just the mucus plug (sorry, I don't know if a nicer term exists).

I was in a lot of pain, and I could feel babies head coming. I exclaimed something to the effect of 'He's crowning! I can feel the head!!!' and a nurse laid me down to verify baby's position. Surprised at how quickly everything was happening, she said 'Yep! There he is!' and summoned in the troops. Everything was happening so fast that the nurses didn't know whether or not my doctor would make it. One nurse ran up to me and said 'Don't worry, I've delivered plenty of babies before', which was super comforting. They told me they didn't have time to put in an IV (which I was totally fine with), and that it was time to get our boy here! Three REALLY BIG and LOUD pushes later, our baby was here! He had the most beautiful red hair and was almost a spitting image of JD. He took a couple of minutes to cry out, which was terrifying since I just had to watch his completely limp body and wait for him to start breathing. But, he finally took a breath and started to cry, and I don't think I've ever been happier to hear a baby crying! I couldn't help but swell with pride and think, 'man, we make some cute kids!' as they put him on my chest and I snuggled him close for the first time. It blows my mind how we can experience so much love over-flowing our heart and exuding out our body. Life truly is such a miracle.

(ps, my rear really really hurt)

Easter 2016

Easter was so much fun! We took JD to his very first egg hunt, and at the beginning he had no idea what was going on... But when I told him all the plastic eggs were balls, he started collecting them like no ones business!

Moab 2016

Justin, Dani, and Gramma & Grandpa Stewart yet again ran the Canyonlands Half Marathon. I don't know if we will be able to make it next year - so I was determined to climb Delicate Arch one last time. 36 weeks preggo ain't got nothin on me!