Everest's Birth Story

Friday, May 19th started off like any normal day.  We went to the park with friends.  Stephen was working late that night so we went out to Chick-Fil-A and to run errands at Walmart in the evening.  

I was feeling pretty huge and waddling around,  but not any different than I had in prior weeks.  I got the boys ready for bed and into bed.

It wasn't until I went to the bathroom and realized I had lost my mucous plug that I began to wonder if this little sister would make her debut long before her June due date.

I still didn't really think that I would go into labor right away.  I settled down to chill and watch family feud as Stephen got home from work at around 8:30 pm.  I was having a few Braxton hicks contractions, but they were super close together, super short, and not painful.  

I mentioned it to Stephen, and how I felt like she would be coming this week, but I hoped she would wait a few more days because this weekend was not a good one.  Nathan was graduating so it would be hard for my family to come as planned.  I needed to do laundry and get the house in order.  Sunday was Ephraim's big dress rehearsal for his dance recital.  

I decided to get into bed, but my tummy was grumbling and I started feeling nauseous so I was feeling pretty restless and having trouble sleeping. It was kind of rainy with some thunderstorms rolling through.

At around 2:00 in the morning I felt a distinct pop.  I lay there wondering what it was, but didn't get up right away.  At around 2:15 I decided to get up to go to the bathroom.  Once I stood up I realized my water had broken.

Contractions started to come on gradually as I woke up Stephen and we started going down the list of people to call to watch the boys while we were at the hospital.  I took a quick shower and hastily packed up a bag, while Nathan Harman came and saved the day by staying the night so the boys could sleep in their own beds.

The drive to the hospital was peaceful.  The normally gridlocked roads around here are pretty empty at 3 in the morning.  The rain had stopped but there was a beautiful lightening show off in the distance.  It was kind of cool.

We arrived at the hospital and got checked in.  Everything got situated and they checked how far along I was.  I was just about a four,  so I made a mental goal to make it to a five and then see how I felt before getting an epidural.  Stephen laid down to rest and I tried hard to rest in between contractions,  but between the hip pain, uncomfortable hospital bed, and increasingly uncomfortable contractions, that was not happening.  I started counting down the minutes until the nurse would come check me again.  When she came to check I was almost a 5.  It was shift change so I waited for the next nurse to come and told her I wanted an epidural, because I figured I was in for the long haul.  After all,  Ephraim's labor had been 36 hours and Asher's 12, and I didn't seem to be progressing quickly.  

Right as the anesthesiologist came in to do the epidural my contractions started to get really intense.  I was so ready for that epidural.  As it started to take effect the familiar feeling of complete relaxation came like it did with Asher's labor.  I was more comfortable than I had been in months.

That's when things progressed really quickly.  I think it was around 8 when I got my epidural,  and by 9 they checked me and I was just about ready to push.

I relaxed while we waited for the doctor to arrive.  They got me all prepped and I started pushing and then there she was!  Three pushes and one contraction!  I really couldn't believe how easy it was.

She was petite and had soooo much hair!  We did skin to skin,  and took guesses as to how big she was.  I figured she might be 7.5 pounds and most of the nurses were in the same range.  She nursed a bit and snuggled a lot.  She was healthy and alert.

Then they came to weigh her and check her out.  Nothing prepared me for how small she really was!  She was 6 lbs 7 oz and 19 inches long.  My tiny little girl.  

We moved to recovery and she continued to be a great eater and sleeper.  She did not like to be disturbed if she was cozy and REALLY didn't like her bath.  My recovery was so easy!  I really recommend having six pound babies.

So many people came to the rescue for the boys.  The Harman's watched them all morning and Theresa took them to Claire's birthday party.  Then Kelsi DaSilva came and spent the whole afternoon with them.  Once the evening came Morgan Matheson came and stayed the night.  Not to mention that my family left immediately following Nathan's graduation to drive over night and be there Sunday morning. 

Stephen ran home to say hi to the boys and help get them in bed.  We facetimed and they got to say hi to baby sister (who was still VERY nameless.) Ephraim was so excited to see her that he didn't even say hi to me and immediately asked, "Where is baby sister?" and Asher was very interested in her as well.

Saturday night was a little rough, only because I couldn't sleep a wink on that stupid hospital bed. Sunday morning came and my family arrived to visit before they headed over to our house to get the boys.  We finally decided on a name and we pestered the hospital about getting out of there as soon as possible.  They were super helpful and responsive and they had us out of there by lunchtime!  

This whole birth experience was so smooth, made possible by wonderful nurses, supportive and selfless friends & family, and a tiny little girl who wanted to make her entrance into the world early and quickly.

Everest Rose Beckman

Born on May 20, 2017 at 9:37 am

6 lbs 7 oz and 19 inches long

Two Years Old

It's hard to believe how fast these babies grow up! Asher Basher is two years old!

He is a happy, curious little man.  He always looking for mischief.
Some of his favorite things to do include sneaking into the backyard out of the dog door, throwing balls (and everything else), running away from mom or dad while laughing hysterically, playing matching/sorting games on his tablet, playing in a bubble bath, playing with bubbles in general,  exploring nature (pick up rocks, leaves, sticks, etc.), and wrestling with Daddy and Ephraim.

Asher loves Bubble Guppies, Mickey Mouse, Puffin Rock, Pokemon and Batman.  His favorite songs are Itsy Bitsy Spider, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and Popcorn Popping.  

Asher is a love-bug.  He loves to cuddle and give kisses to his mom, dad, and Ephraim.  He wants to do everything Ephraim is doing, and Ephraim is a very kind and patient older brother.  It's so much fun to watch them play together as Asher grows.  Recently Asher has started climbing into Ephraim's bed and they sleep together every night.

Asher is slowly but surely starting to talk.  He is very creative in using a combination of gestures, pointing, and words to communicate.  Some of his favorite words include mama, dada, no, lou(d) (accompanied by covering his ears), dah-ter (water), bubb-o (bubbles), mo (more), peez (please), dow (cow), moooo, and ba-ma (batman).  He knows a lot of animal sounds, and is getting better at following directions.  I'm pretty excited about how much his language is growing.

Asher adds such a fun energy to our family.  Ephraim loves being his big brother, and we all love the laughter he brings.  He keeps us busy and on our toes as he tries to get into EVERYTHING, but it's all worth it!

Happy Birthday Cutie Asher!  We love you!

First Day of Preschool

My first baby is a preschooler!!

He is seriously the sweetest boy!  Always full of snuggles, hugs, and kisses.  He tells everyone how he loves them and will talk to anyone! He is sensitive and gets sad when he thinks about how he misses people who aren't nearby, and gets so excited to see his friends and family.

He has a mind of his own.  When he decides he wants something, he goes for it, regardless of what anyone says.  His independence is a blessing and a curse!  He can be the best helper, and the biggest trouble-maker.

He is seriously silly.  He always wants to laugh, and loves to make people laugh.  His sense of humor consists mostly of making silly faces, and inserting the word "poop" randomly into sentences.

Ephraim LOVES pokemon and transformers.  He still enjoys cars, and animals as well. He tells me he wants to be a donut-maker when he grows up.

He was a little nervous to go to school because he would miss his mommy.  He was excited to pack up all his stuff and didn't look back once we got there.  Ephraim had a great time at school. He told me he did an obstacle course and learned about "criss-cross applesauce."

Ephraim's preschool is a creative arts preschool at 3-D Dance.  Ephraim's teachers are Suzy Simpson, and Megan Mohammadi.  He will be learning movement, tumbling, dance, and theater arts in addition to normal preschool activities!  I'm so excited for him, and he is going to do great!

18 Months

Asher turned 18 months on Saturday.  

Asher loves loves loves being able to walk!  He still waddles while he walks, and it is adorable.  He is fast.  He can climb on anything and is trying so hard to figure out how to jump.  He hates holding anyone's hand when he is walking.  He wants to be independent.

His favorite activity is probably swimming.  Pools, splash pads, bath time; Asher looooves water!

Asher is my animal lover.  We went to the petting zoo last week and he loved feeding and touching all the animals.  He chases Moose all around the house, and hasn't met a dog he didn't love.

Asher loves Ephraim.  He copies everything he does and follows him around.  He's a little rough sometimes, but they really are just the cutest buddies.  Ephraim always explains things to Asher and tries to teach him new words.

Asher doesn't talk much.  He signs "water" for both food and water, and signs "all done."  His most consistent word is, "Da" for Dad.  He is very good at communicating through gestures and sounds though.  He recently started shaking his head, but instead of meaning "no" he means "yes" which is confusing and adorable.

Asher knows what he wants and is very vocal about it.  He throws little tantrums when he doesn't get his way, but they never last long.

Asher still LOVES to eat, but is a little pickier now.  Whatever he doesn't want gets thrown on the floor.

You are content to sit in the stroller or high chair for quite awhile, which is great because sometimes I just need you to stay in one spot for a minute.

I love you my little Asher Basher.  I'm so excited to keep watching you grow!

Four Years Old

Ephraim, my boy!  You are four years old!

It seems longer and shorter at the same time.  This age is so fun!  You have so much personality!

You love to talk.  You tell stories, and ask sooo many questions.  You want to understand the world around you. You say the FUNNIEST things.  Here are a few I have written down:

"These are the beautiful parts" **gestures to his whole face**
"Mommy, I really miss Asher when he was so small. I wish he was so small again."
"Mommy, I thought of a compromise. How about instead of taking a nap, I watch a movie."
"I want to be nakey all days and nights." 
"Sometimes I love you, but sometimes I don't. But I'm still happy to be with you."
"I want to break the red light so we can go to Seaward."
"Hey Deer! Come back! I'm small!"
"Look at me! I'm a genius! I caught a bubble!"
"Hey Jerks! We are trying to go home!" "Don't yell Ephraim" "I'm trying to tell the jerks we need to go home."
"I'm not in timeout anymore because I'm a grownup with my worker hat!"
"I smell it. It tastes yummy for my nose."
"I think a jelly fish is an octopus without eyes."
"Mommy I'm so proud of you, because I love you and you are my shweetheart"

 You love life. You love going to the park and anywhere you can play with toys.  You love animals and learning all you can about them.  You are obsessed with watching "unboxing" videos on youtube.   You look forward to quiet time (when Asher takes his nap) so you can watch TV.  Your favorite TV shows are Rescue Bots, Wild Kratts, and Little Einsteins.  You also love to go to the pool.  You are quite a swimmer and as long as you have arm floaties you are completely independent.

Speaking of independence, you always want to do everything yourself.  Most of the trouble you get into stems from the fact that you never want help with anything and try to get into everything yourself.  You are also very curious and want to know how everything works.  You are super smart and try to reason with mommy a lot.

You are a people person.  You will talk to anybody and make friends easily.  It's so fun to watch you develop relationships as we go to church and our community playgroup.

You are the sweetest big brother.  You and Asher have your squabbles, especially when toys are involved, but you are always looking out for Asher and willing to help mommy take care of him.  You don't like to sleep without Asher in the room.

You are a picky eater, but you will always eat peanut butter and jelly, yogurt, pizza, applesauce, and treats.

Ephraim had a dinosaur party.  We had a dinosaur egg hunt and "found" dinosaur bones in ice blocks. So many of his little buddies came and we had a great time.

         

   

I am forever grateful that I get to be your mommy.  I know I am sometimes not as patient as I should be, but you are my best little buddy and I am so excited to see what the next year brings.