Brooke Hadley

This poor blog has been neglected for entirely too long. I've missed keeping up with our life here. So, I figure a new baby is just as good a time as any to start it up again. Fair warning...if you don't enjoy birth stories with all the juicy details, this post is not for you. If you're a fellow birth story junkie, read on. :)  If you are here for the pictures scroll to the bottom.

Meet Brooke Hadley Farrell

Born May 5, 2016 at 1:27 AM

7 lb 7 oz 

Brooke was due April 26. I had been having contractions for a couple weeks and thought she would for sure come pretty close to her due date. But it came and went with no baby in sight. Physically I was still feeling really good, so I didn't mind waiting. My only worry was hitting 42 weeks and having to be induced. We had planned on having a home birth, but once I hit 42 weeks, I legally couldn't. As that deadline approached I was really starting to get worried. I had an appointment with my midwife, Brittany, when I was 41 weeks 1  day. I was dilated 3 cm so we decided to go ahead and do a membrane sweep to see if we could help things along. I was then instructed to walk walk walk. I didn't feel like the sweep did anything but make me crampy. When I was walking I would have some decent contractions, but nothing more than what I'd already been experiencing. That night I was discouraged. I was tired, my feet hurt, my body ached, and I was sure that this baby would never come. I sent Brittany a text at 10:30 pm to let her know that nothing new was going on, and she promised to call in the morning and check in. Then I hopped in the bath to try and relax before going to bed. I was able to sleep for a little bit and then at 12:15 my eyes popped open. I immediately felt a little pop and then my water started leaking. I couldn't believe it! Jon was in his office doing homework so I went in a few minutes later to let him know we were having a baby TODAY. But not wanting to get my hopes up about having a quick delivery, I added, "the real question is, will it be in 2 hours or 17 hours?" He decided to go get something to eat and then we'd go to bed and try and get some sleep. Haha....the joke was definitely on us! While he was getting his food I had a couple good contractions, but again they were nothing more than what I'd already been experiencing. I was a little worried about being able to sleep if they kept coming like that, but figured I'd just try to relax and see what happened. I brushed my teeth and then tried to lay down. Another contraction came and I decided that laying down was not going to work. I started walking and swaying, while trying to time the contractions. They were coming every 1-5 minutes. I didn't want to bother my midwife until they were more consistent. I was also totally fine in between contractions so I figured I had awhile still. Not long after that they got more intense. Jon came back in our room a couple minutes before 1:00 and I was moaning through a contraction. Alarmed, he asked if he should call the midwife, since I was making noise. He kept telling me that when I made noise, baby always came pretty soon after. The contraction ended and I told him I didn't think we needed to bother her yet. I didn't want to wake her up for nothing. With my next contraction I got the hiccups and a little wave of nausea...both signs of transition. But they passed pretty quickly and I was fine again after that contraction ended. I sent this text to Brittany at 1:02.

 She texted back and said she was coming. I sent her a text 5 minutes later letting her know that the door was unlocked and we were upstairs. Meanwhile Jon started getting all the supplies out. He put a plastic cover and old sheet on our bed and was pulling out everything else we'd need. Emma came in our room around 1:10 because she couldn't sleep. She was concerned about the noises I was making. Jon let her know the baby was coming soon and asked if she wanted to watch. She decided she wanted to wait in her bed but that she wanted to come see the baby after she was born. 

Contractions started coming more frequent and I was making more noise. I decided that sitting and laying down were completely out of the question. I knelt down and leaned over my cedar chest at the end of our bed and decided that position was perfect. I stayed there swaying and moaning. At one point I asked Jon to give me a blessing. I was still sure it was going to be several hours and I knew I didn't have it in me to go that much longer. He gave me a really quick blessing, promising me the strength to be able to see the birth through and reassuring me that baby would be born healthy and whole. All of a sudden there was a lot of pressure and I realized I was pushing. Jon noticed the change and asked if I was pushing. I couldn't talk or nod or anything so he asked again. I think I finally yelled yes and he started trying to get towels and chucks pads under me. Baby crowned and he said all he could see was her little face with a fist up against her cheek...no wonder there was so much pressure! I was able to get her out in 2 pushes and then turned over and sat down. Baby started crying right away and he handed her to me right before the student midwife walked into the room. She was definitely surprised when she walked in! She called Brittany, who was just pulling up to our house. It was all such a surreal experience and just like that it was over. Twenty five minutes after I texted Brittany. About 30 minutes of active labor. Just over an hour after my water broke. I laughed thinking that less than 2 hours before I had been crying over the fact that I was going to have to spend the next day walking nonstop with an achy body and feet that were already hurting. And here I was with a beautiful, healthy, screaming baby on my chest. 

We got cleaned up and moved to the bed where I delivered the placenta. Then we got to just hold our baby, nurse, and soak in all her newborn goodness. Jon went and got Emma to see the baby. She was really excited and kept saying how cute and little she was. After awhile, they checked me and baby out. I had 2 little tears, most likely because of the fist next to her face and how fast she came out, but I didn't need any stitches, thankfully. Baby checked out perfect. Jon took the baby while I took a shower and the midwives did the laundry and cleaned everything up. Then we all climbed into bed, I ate a post-baby snack, the midwives said good bye, and we settled in to go to sleep. All just 2 hours after baby was born. Jon says sleeping in your own bed right after is the best part about home birth. :)  I'm pretty sure all of it is my favorite. I had high hopes for home birth, and this birth was everything and more. It was such an incredible experience. I loved the intimacy of being in our own space, just us (and the midwives of course). There was such a peaceful, calm spirit in the room. I loved that it ended up being just Jon and I bringing our baby into the world on our own (though I'm really glad the midwives showed up right after to take care of everything. :) ). It was a very empowering experience and one that brought us closer together.  I loved that the kids got to come in when they woke up in the morning and see the baby. They were so surprised! I loved cuddling up in my bed with all my kids while we oohed and aahed and looked at little fingers and toes. I really loved being able to recover in my own space and I loved that the kids could pop in throughout the day and get some snuggle time before running off to play again.

I have replayed the birth over and over in my mind so many times since Thursday morning. It was such a surreal experience. From the beginning of my pregnancy, when I knew we'd be having a home birth, I prayed so hard that this birth would be a spiritual experience and a bonding experience for our family. I know Heavenly Father answered those prayers in the way that we needed. We are grateful to have another sweet little baby in our family. While we are definitely adjusting and things (and kids!) are a little crazy at times, we have loved having the special spirit only a newborn baby can bring into our home.

 I think Alyssa was definitely the most surprised at seeing me with a baby in the morning. Once she got used to it, she walked around all day telling us that Brooke was her little sister.

 Trying to keep her from scratching her face...every time we put socks on, she managed to get one of them off.

 Lots of snuggles

 Emma is such a sweet, proud big sister

 My mom helped the kids make a birthday cake for Brooke. After dinner we had a little party and sang Happy Birthday to her. 

 We call him Dr. Jon now :)

 When Ellie saw Brooke like this she exclaimed, "Aww, she looks like a little ancient Chinese statue!" I have NO idea where she came up with that.

 My mom has been here for 2 weeks and has been such a huge help! I'm not sure what I'm going to do when she goes home this week!

 Real life picture taking with 5 kids...

Sisters. It's still so hard to believe I have four girls (and 5 kids)!

Alyssa is 1!!!

Somehow my little baby turned one (over 3 weeks ago!). It's still hard for me to wrap my head around. She is a petite little thing. At her well check up she weighed 17 lbs 5 oz and was 28 inches long. Alyssa is such a sweet, happy baby. She loves being silly, playing with the kids, being outside, taking baths (or playing in water of any kind), and getting into everything. She especially loves to pull everything out of our lazy susan cupboard. She is a very curious, active little girl and it's so fun to see the wheels turning in her head (and they are ALWAYS spinning!) 

Alyssa started walking at 11 months. We didn't really work on it with her at all because the few times we tried, she would just sit down. However, we caught her walking a few times when she didn't think anyone was watching and the next thing we knew she was a full time pro-walker. And boy is she fast! She can climb our stairs just as fast as the rest of us and recently started climbing the bunk bed ladder too. She definitely keeps us on our toes!

Her vocabulary is slowly growing. She can say mom, dad, hi, bye, and night (nye nye). She loves putting anything and everything up to her ear like a phone and saying hi over and over. She also has the cutest little floppy wave that she does when she's saying bye or good night. She is a mama's girl and would be content if I just held her all day. She's been extra clingy lately (she's getting her 4th tooth and it's been a doozy) and has started screeching/screaming a lot. It is definitely not the most pleasant noise ever...hopefully it's just a phase! Her sleep has also really regressed with this most recent bout of teething. While I love cuddling her, I really hope that someday soon I can get a full night's sleep! 

Even with the long (or really short) nights, we are so grateful to have Alyssa in our family. She really has brought so much happiness into our home. We love our Lyssa Lou.

We were so blessed to have a lot of family come for Alyssa's birthday. My parents, two of my brothers, my youngest sister and her husband, and Jon's sister all came from out of town. I totally didn't expect any of them to come, but was so grateful that they did. Both of my grandmas and my Aunt LaNita and family and my cousin's family came as well. We feel so blessed to have so much family close by and were grateful that each of them came to help us celebrate Alyssa. We had a little lunch and visited before we did presents and cake. Alyssa was so expressive and happy. She loved all the attention. It was pretty darn cute.

I was worried that she would start crying when everyone sang Happy Birthday, but she looked around and then started smiling and giggling. Cutest thing ever!

She's got her mom's sweet tooth! She couldn't wait to dig into her cupcake.

There was so much going on that I didn't get any other pictures during the party, but I did snap this one of Emma, Alyssa, Abby, and Ellie. Love these girls!

We Moved...and Other Big Life Changes

It's been awhile since I've really updated so I've got a lot of catching up to do. But, I figured I should at least share the big changes that have happened over the last few weeks (for the few people who read this that aren't on Facebook). 

So, our first big news is that Jon is going back to school. Yeah, one thing we said he would never do! He is doing an online Masters program in Interactive Design and Game Development through Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). While this is a road we never thought we'd travel, we felt very inspired to pursue this and are really excited about the potential for growth and the opportunities it will open up to us. School starts in a couple weeks and we are both excited (and a little nervous) about it.

Because Jon is going back to school, he is leaving Dreamworks. It is still weird to me! Even at the beginning of this year, we had no plans to leave. I figured he'd be there several more years. It's been a really great job and one that he has enjoyed (which I have been incredibly grateful for). He has worked with some amazing people and learned and grown so much over the last 6 1/2 years. But over the last few months we both felt strongly that it was time to close the Dreamworks chapter of our life. It is definitely bittersweet! 

Continuing on with our domino effect of changes, because Jon is leaving Dreamworks and going to school full time, he is venturing into the world of freelance work. While the idea of self employment is incredibly scary to me, everything just fell into place for it to happen and we both feel that this is the route we need to go right now. Jon has always wanted to own his own company, but I was always a little (or a lot) more hesitant about the idea. But here we are, much much sooner than I ever thought we would be, and I feel surprisingly calm and peaceful about it. I'm actually even excited. We know there will be some adjustments to having him work from home, but we are incredibly excited about the family time it will give us. For him to be home in the mornings, and to have the flexibility to be a part of school things for the kids, be there when they come home, and to just be a part of the little parts of our day. We think it will be a great thing for our family right now.

So, with Jon doing an online masters program, and doing freelance work from home, it made no sense to continue to live in one of the most expensive parts of the country. As much as we love the Bay Area, we knew it was time to leave. As we talked about where we could move, I jokingly suggested Boise, because we have always said we would NEVER live in Idaho. But when I said it, it just clicked for both of us. It felt so right. We tried to explore other places, but ultimately kept coming back to Boise. So, in a matter of a few short weeks (with a couple trips thrown in in the middle of it all) we packed up and the kids and I moved up to Idaho so we could get moved in before school started. Jon is finishing up at Dreamworks and will join us this weekend (and we all can't wait!). 

My mom was amazing and offered to take the 3 oldest kids as long as I needed so I could go find a house for us to rent. Thankfully it only took a week for me to find a house and get moved in. 

We ended up moving from this house in California

to this house in Caldwell (outside of Boise)

 It is such a great house and is so much more than I ever hoped we would get. And because I still can't get over the ridiculous Bay Area prices, here is a house comparison...this house is 57 years newer, 520 sq ft bigger, and $1100/month LESS than our last house. It is mind boggling I tell ya! Our rent here is less than the 450 sq ft studio apartment we rented in the Bay Area 7 years ago! If you can't tell, the cost of living is one thing I don't miss at all about California. That and the traffic! 

This house is only 10 years old, but everything inside of it is brand new. I can't tell you how happy it makes me to live in a house that feels clean! Here are a few of my favorite parts of the house.

The open kitchen/living area. And the fact that you can't see the kitchen/dining room when you walk in the front door. Also, the island with a bar. I've always wanted an island in my kitchen and the bar was a bonus. I think it makes the kitchen so cozy. The kids love sitting up there and chatting or drawing. It just makes me feel so much more connected.

A master bathroom! For the first time in our 8 years of having kids, we have our very own bathroom. It is amazing. Oh, and yes...that is a soaker tub. And I love it!

This may seem silly, but the lazy Susan cupboard is a big hit. I put the kids' dishes down there and it is amazing how much more motivated they are to empty the dishwasher and set the table. 

Nice, big green backyard with a little patio. Off to the right of this picture are several big trees. They work perfectly to set up Jon's slackline and to hang his hammock. 

This picture was the kids' first day of school. They were really nervous to start at a new (much bigger) school and to have to make new friends. After the meet the teacher day though, they were excited and ready to go. They ride the bus, which they (and I) love, and everybody at the school gets free breakfast every day. Sure makes for much less stressful mornings around here! We loved their last school so much and I worried that any new school wouldn't compare. I even spent a lot of time looking into homeschooling. But it has been a great fit and they are loving it. 

The background of this picture is a huge grassy area next to our house. The neighborhood kids like to congregate there and the kids have spent countless evenings out there running around and playing hard with neighbor friends. 

I have to laugh at the fact that we are doing pretty much everything that we have always said we would never do...going back to school, being self employed, and moving to Idaho. But it all feels so right. I think one of the biggest things that has gotten me through these last 3 1/2 weeks was the overwhelming peace I have felt that this is where we need to be right now. I'm excited for this next chapter of our lives.

Nursery with Ellie at the Temple and Saying Good Bye

The Sunday we were in Idaho Falls was a little rough. We barely made it through Sacrament with an exhausted Alyssa and several restless kids. After Sacrament meeting I took Ellie to nursery and tried to get Alyssa to sleep, but it was all just not happening. And within a few minutes the nursery leader brought a crying Ellie to me. Completely frustrated, I took the two little girls and headed back to my parents house. I figured if we weren't going to get anything out of church anyway, than Alyssa might as well get a good nap. On my way I had the thought pop into my mind that I should put Alyssa down for a nap and then take Ellie to the temple to walk around the grounds. It was divine inspiration. I dropped Alyssa off (there were people at home) and headed to the beautiful Idaho Falls temple. We went into the visitors center and Ellie was immediately drawn to the Christus statue they have there. We sat down and listened to the recording that plays Jesus talking. He had Ellie's complete attention. I don't think I have ever seen her sit so still and listen so intently. After it finished we talked about what he had said and then she asked to listen to it again. So we did. And then we listened to it two more times. We ended up spending the next hour and a half talking about Jesus, looking at the "owies" on his hands and feet, and walking around the temple grounds. It was such a sweet, special time.

At one point Ellie went up to the statue, touched Jesus' hand, looked up at him, and then while touching one of her own owies said, "I have a owie too. It's okay. It'll go away. It will be all better".  She was really concerned about his owies, so I told her that because Jesus got owies and died, He is in Heaven and we will get to live with him there again. She thought for a second and then started going through all of her family and friends asking if they would live with Jesus in heaven. Then she asked if all her friends would live with Jesus and I said yes. She got a huge smile on her face, threw her little fists in the air, and yelled, "YES!" It was the sweetest thing and brought tears to my eyes.

I am so grateful for that small prompting I had and for the way it turned my afternoon around. I am so grateful for that time I had with Ellie to teach her and to be taught. I hope that in some small way she will remember this experience.

Monday morning bright and early we packed up and headed home. Usually by the end of our visits we are so ready to be home, but this time Jon and I both weren't ready. I so wish we could have stayed longer. It was such a great trip and a great visit. 

Alyssa is at a hard traveling age so we stopped a lot. We planned our first stop to be Shoshone Falls since we have never been. We had a little picnic and spent a few minutes looking at the falls before we headed on to finish our long drive. I'm so glad we were able to take this trip. It was definitely one of my favorites.