Fillmore

Last weekend we returned to Fillmore's Old Capitol Arts & Living History Festival, which we first and last attended together 5 years ago. And since we had been here before we knew we wouldn't sell much (this was the event where the tourist said they wouldn't pay our prices just to put pencils in a cup), but it was nice to get out and dress up, and at least they covered our expenses to come and demonstrate to all the school kids.

Of course William was the star of the show. When he wasn't eating we were mostly walking around where everyone would tell me what a beautiful baby girl I had. Most people I corrected, others I just said, "Ok, thanks." And my favorites were those who would ask, "What's her name?" And I'd say, "William," and then watch what I said click in their minds.

Daddy and his son































Then right before it was time to pack up and go home (technically, it was while Shay was packing), William got his first public bath. Go ahead, ask why. Ok, I'll tell you. I had just finished eating dinner and had him sitting on my lap when he had his greatest explosion to date. It came out both sides of his diaper and pooled all over my apron. Yeah, gross. Good thing he likes his baths!

Miracle

So I haven't been doing real well on that New Year's resolution....but since I'm stuck sitting here with a sleeping baby on my lap and dare not move for fear of waking him, I figure I might as well write some details of his birth.

I had been having fairly light contractions for a couple weeks, but the morning of June 7, I noticed they were substantially stronger than they had been. I had to pause walking or talking, but it still wasn't anything excruciating, at least not like anything on tv at this point. Mom suggested I go for a walk, but because I had been having bad pain in my hips I was afraid to go too far away, so I got Shay to just walk the perimeter of the alfalfa field with me. I had several good contractions, but still didn't want to get too excited over anything.

When we got back, I talked Shay into laying down with me for a short rest, and then Mom came in and was talking to me. I have no idea what we were talking about because the strongest contraction to that point came on and then I felt a strong POP. My eyes got HUGE and Mom asked what was wrong. All I kept saying was, "I felt a pop and now there's stuff coming out of me!" She grabbed a towel and called my doula, and while I was talking to her, Mom ran next door (to Dad, Gma & Gpa, and cousin Ryan) to proudly exclaim my water had broken!

We got to the hospital around 1:30 and started the real process of getting this baby out into the world. I had made the decision to do this completely unmedicated as I felt very strongly about not putting drugs into mine and my baby's bodies (which I only regretted a tiny bit, lol. But not really). I figured with my background in history, I knew women had been having unmedicated deliveries far too long for me not to be able to do it.

To be perfectly honest, I don't believe I could have done it unmedicated without the help of my doula, Kim. She knew exactly what to say, what to do, and how to keep my labor progressing. Even though I was completely in my own world, I was/am really proud of how rational my thinking was the whole time. Still, I would get secretly annoyed every time Kim told me I had to change positions, from the jetted tub, to the birthing ball, to going for a walk, to on my knees, to squatting, etc. She would say that every time I would finally get comfortable in one position, which is exactly why she said it, and I didn't want to get uncomfortable. Still, I understood it was the discomfort that made the labor progress, and I'd begrudgingly comply.

When it came time to push, my dr. came in and suited up, and agreed to let Shay help catch the baby and had him suit up as well. However, once the baby was finally coming out he changed his mind and profusely apologized to Shay. It's never a good thing when your doctor has a concerned look on his face, and apparently he was very concerned about getting the baby's shoulders out. Nurses, assistants, random people from the hall (not really, but suddenly there was a group around me) all had a hand on me and were all telling me to keep pushing. And at 9:17 pm, William Warren Lelegren made his grand entrance. He was 8 lbs 2 oz and 20 inches long, with a full head of blonde hair.

Daddy cutting the cord

He's beautiful, perfect, and we're in love with our big miracle in a little package.

Shay and his new son

Ready to go home

Guess

We got some surprising news today. Well, not shocking, but mostly unexpected. It probably would have been more surprising had I not had a very realistic dream a couple weeks ago about today that turned out absolutely right. So...I'm not disappointed, just trying to wrap my head around it. Shay just laughed nervously when the tech said, "See right there? Definitely..." So even though it doesn't matter in period correct clothing, I suppose we'll be seeing a lot more of this, and a lot less of this.

Rewind

Ok, here's a simple resolution for the new year - blog about 2014 during 2014. It's been a rough year, to say the least, but let's enjoy some of the good in pictures.

Winter in Williamsburg, Virginia

19th century dressed as 17th century during Military Through the Ages at Jamestown Settlement

Shay's birthday with a homemade big, pink sugar cookie

Working at Colonial Williamsburg

Dressed up to see Austenland.

Ward Halloween party

Bonfire Night for Guy Fawkes Day at Bacon's Castle

Thanksgiving Dinner

Firing the cannon at Yorktown Battlefield

Baby Lelegren

The end.

Parents & Pie

What more need I say? Especially since we didn't take many more pictures than that. Mom and Dad (or should I say, you) came to visit in early December, which was fantastic. We went to some fun places like Waveland Historic Site, Redbird stone, waterfalls, and the Mennonite bakery.

We also had our last Pie Night in Kentucky and it was so delicious and wonderful to have one last gathering with dear friends.

Bonfire

It was that most wonderful time of the year again: Guy Fawkes Day, also known as my birthday. I knew it would be our last one in Kentucky and so I wanted to have a special bash with special friends.
Since we hadn't done anything for Halloween we made it a costume party, had gingerbread Guys and masks to decorate. And I made a 7-layer bean dip I was ESPECIALLY proud of...making (argh, thanks to Shay, I now feel great guilt every time I end a sentence with a preposition.)

We had some other delicious food (including some "authentic" Bonfire Toffee brought by the Powells), played a couple rounds of Clue Charades, and then headed outback for the main event.

Shay, with Guy chilling in the background.

We actually had two life-size effigies: our Guy made by Shay, and another made by Elder Migliori in honor of him completing his mission (he made it out of one of his suits, but the girls insisted he remove the tie as it was too gorgeous to burn).

Remember, remember
The fifth of November
The gunpowder treason and plot.
I know of no reason
Why the gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.

Don't ask me what Shay was, it was apparently something rather complicated like gringo/green guy/I don't know, though his frog mask went really well with his outfit when he ran around with it on for a minute. I was a newsie.

Get it? I'm Jack. Kelly.

 Happy Guy Fawkes Day!

Serendipity

As I said, there were not very many specific places where I knew Martha had visited. And we just went up to Point Park on Lookout Mountain to see Umbrella Rock. But as soon as we walked through the gates, I immediately recognized something from several of the photographs.

Martha is in center without her hat.

What had just looked like a smaller Jefferson Memorial with extra columns (which would be awkward since Washington D.C. was not in the Southern States Mission) turned out to be the New York Peace Memorial, with a Union and Confederate soldier shaking hands at the top.

Not quite the same angle, but I didn't have an original with me to compare. But my bottom may have sat on the same spot where my great-great grandmother's bottom sat. Whoa.

This may not be as awesome to you, but I love these little, amazing discoveries that shed light on the story and the bigger picture. It's why I like to fancy myself a microhistorian. Details, yum!