The First Week

Well, it's Thursday, which means our little Ivy Soleil is a week old.

First impressions? This transition from two to three isn't as abrupt a collision as we expected. I think that's the case for two reasons. First, London and Liberty are pretty much a package deal. They do everything together, which makes keeping them happy and entertained easier than you'd think. Second, Ivy is small, quiet and immobile. I have a feeling the day she starts crawling is the day the impact will start to be felt.

Or maybe not! We're just thankful that we all are, for the most part, pretty relaxed and proceeding with a sense of normalcy. It isn't hunker-down time, and the past week certainly has shown that!

On Friday, Savannah's birthday, we left the hospital and went across the street for Savannah's birthday lunch of fondue and schnitzel at Gustav's. We then went home to our kids, who were happy to see us (all three of us). It was a great, first night.

On Saturday, we just lounged around the house, a day that ended with a fun trip to Fred Meyer to buy the kids miniature versions of the Pillow Pets they already have. They are big fans.

On Sunday, we had lunch at Grandma Nomi's house, and introduced Ivy to Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa Hurt.

When we were released from the hospital, Ivy was classified as having upper-moderate jaundice, and the doctor told me to have her come in for a new PKU test (heel stick) at the Sunnyside lab on Sunday. But then, in our release papers, it said to bring her in Saturday (we were released Friday). Because Savannah's milk came in so soon and Ivy was eating/pooping/peeing so well, we decided to wait until our prescheduled Monday momma/baby checkup.

Of course, everything was awesome. Ivy weighed in at just 2.5 ounces below her birth weight. (This is just four days after she was born; babies are supposed to get back to birth weight by 2 WEEKS!) Her jaundice level was low enough that doctors said the bilirubin was no longer a potential problem. She's been a phenomenal baby at every stage! After the appointment, we all went to the East Portland Community Center for open playtime, which was awesome! Lots of cars, balls and a trampoline!

On Tuesday, Savannah led (that's right -- LED!) her MOPS group at East Hill. I and the kids hopped on the MAX for a fun (and at times, scary) train ride to the Washington Park Zoo, where Savannah and Ivy later joined us. On a day that was predicted to be rainy and cold, we enjoyed a nearly abandoned park. And it's not like we were alone at a rainy zoo -- the weather was dry, and the sun even came out! It was a great day, but people certainly questioned our sanity, having Savannah so active so soon after giving birth.

Wednesday wasn't much different. Savannah and Ivy attended the Damascus Christian MOMS Group there while I took the Ls to open play time at the Sandy Community Center. They had fun with the cars, slides and other toys, and when I wasn't playing with them or hovering over them, I was awkwardly soaking in the weirdness of being the only dad there. After nap time, the day ended with a trip to Wal-Mart to get some much-needed groceries and our NEWEST child -- a brand-new Canon Digital Rebel camera! Look for some amazing pictures soon!

Sleep hasn't been great, but not because of our youngest -- it's because of our OLDEST! London has been night waking one to two times a night, bursting into our room at all hours of the night. That's been difficult, because the process to calm him down and put him back to bed is an involved one each time. Twice this week I've fallen asleep in his bed while trying to lull him back to sleep. Not quite sure what to do about all that.

In summary, it's like Ivy has always been a part of our family. She just fits right in. She is tremendously curious, the coziest cuddler and full of love. You can just tell. I've read about how dads -- not just moms -- have oxytocin release when they cuddle with baby. Man, that oxytocin is some GOOD stuff! It's addictive! I joke with Savannah that Ivy is my little drug.

Great visitors today

Today was a great day of visitors, rest and bonding. Ivy has slept a lot today, still tuckered out by her 12:24 a.m. entrance.

We had some great visitors today. Grandpa "Hey" Steve was the first to stop by -- for the second baby in a row -- this morning, followed by Grandma Nomi (my mom). Next came our family friends Mary Kay and Jeramie Larson, and then Pastor Arlin Hill from East Hill, who came to visit and pray for Ivy and us. Then my best friend Jeff Schroeder, his very pregnant wife Amber, and his mom, Jackie. Then the Hathcock Five was joined by the Dunn Five, as Savannah's brother, sister and parents came, bringing London and Liberty to meet their new little sister for the first time.

Thanks to everyone who came out today, for everyone who sent their well wishes on Facebook, by phone and by text, and for everyone else who has been praying for us! It's been a great day! We just need Ivy to wake up a little bit more so she can eat and then pee!

Here's our first family photo:

The Ivy Birth Story

What's great about this is that there's not really MUCH story to this, unlike Liberty's crazy labor. It's an answer to prayer that the Lord would take care of this, our last delivery, by allowing things to go smoothly.

It was pretty much textbook, fueled by the iron will and tremendous spirit of my bride. Savannah, you're amazing!

OK, the story:

I got home from work, as usual, at 7 p.m. Wednesday night. Savannah had planned to leave as soon as I got home to pick up groceries to make some meals for postpartum life. Dinner was sort of loosey-goosey, as we didn't have many groceries, so I quickly made myself a grilled cheese sandwich.

Savannah wasn't leaving for the store. "Why aren't you leaving?" I asked. "I don't know... I feel sort of different."

Then Savannah revealed that she had to pee a lot, and then after she'd go, she'd feel wet. Long story short, we determined that she was leaking amniotic fluid -- that her bag of waters had ruptured. We called the labor and delivery folks at the hospital, and they told us to come in.

Sheila and Anna, Savannah's mom and sister, had just left the house before I got home from work to help Savannah. So when we made "the call" to have them come back to watch London and Liberty, we were so relieved that they hadn't made it home to Vancouver yet; they actually only made it as far as Gresham.

It was hard to leave once Sheila and Anna got to our house. London and Liberty didn't want us to leave, and London in particular got very clingy. It was tough to see him so emotional. It was especially hard on Savannah, which showed the differences between men and women during times like these. I was sympathetic to London, but all-business: we had to get out of there.

Savannah had a few contractions on the way to Kaiser Sunnyside Hospital, but was still all smiles and very much "with it." After filling out a ton of paperwork (which we thought we already had "pre-registered"), we were shown our room at about 9 p.m.

The doctor couldn't immediately identify that Savannah was leaking amniotic fluid, but the monitors were clearly showing signs that labor had begun. After a second test of the fluid, they determined the bag of waters had ruptured (turns out she was leaking from the TOP of the bag of waters), and Sav finally was admitted to the hospital. We were assigned a really bubbly, cheerful, Christ-following nurse -- just the kind that puts Savannah at ease. (PTL!)

Labor was fairly uneventful and calm for the first two hours, with contractions starting and stopping at various times. It wasn't until just before 11 p.m. that the magnitude of the foreshocks started to pick up.

I hunted down a birthing ball and Savannah moved from the hospital bed to that, which was much more comfortable to her. From then on, though, labor really sped up. The contractions were hard, long and close together. At about midnight she started acting as if pushing was coming, although neither of us had any idea how far along she was in the process. (The doctors didn't check her dilation because they had checked her amniotic fluid instead, and they said that they wanted to avoid checking multiple times due to the risk of contamination.)

I called the doctor and the nurse at this point because I had a feeling we were close. They quickly saw that Savannah was at 9cm and that labor was coming to a climax. She had to get back on the bed, which was excruciating for her, and soldiered through crazy contractions -- with no pain meds, mind you -- for the next 20 minutes or so. Finally, she began to push.

Ivy Soleil Hathcock was born at 12:24 a.m. on Thursday, March 3 -- the day before Savannah's birthday -- weighing in at 7 lbs., 2.5 ounces (our smallest baby) and stretching to 20.5 inches (longer than London, shorter than Liberty). Ivy's heart rate was stable and fairly chill the entire labor, and she came out sporting a fashionable boa -- her umbilical cord, draped around her body in a stylish criss-cross pattern.

I can't say enough about my wife. Three pregnancies -- no medication. No complications. No problems. She breathed through the pain and kept her eyes on the prize. I not only would have asked for an epidural, I would have asked to be put under. She was smiling through much of her labor, and was smiling soon after Ivy's arrival. She's a real testament to the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, and my hero. What a great mommy.

Our prayer going into this was for wisdom and discernment for us and the medical staff, a safe delivery, and for the entire process to be a worship experience. We are grateful for the uneventfulness of the process that led to such a beautiful, magnanimous conclusion.

Ivy is very alert, with inquisitive eyes. The consensus is that she has Mom's nose, Mom's monkey toes and Mom's "boo-boo" sad lower lip. She does have my dark hair -- possibly the most hair out of all three kids at birth. Her little cry is pretty musical. Her skin color was given all 9s by the staff, and breathing and temperature seem good. Savannah's in great shape, too!

We are truly blessed!

Our holy ritual of getting the "make"

London and I (Marcus) do love our special time of getting the mail. We get it pretty much every day. That used to be a chore -- something we could easily forget -- but with our special time, it's definitely a highlight of both of our days.

It started out with my carrying infant London to the mailbox when he was a wee, immobile lad, out of convenience. Then, when he got a little older, I let him hold the keys. Then, older still, he started walking and was able to stick our key in other people's boxes.

These days, our ritual goes as follows:
- "London, do you want to get the mail?"
- "Make!" (he calls it "make" for some reason... thinking he may combine "mail" with "key")
- He motions to the door. "Keys?"
- I grab the keys, then grab the boy. We walk along the parking lot as he points out cars.
- We approach a sign that says "NO Skateboarding, Bike Riding, etc." He has learned to point to it and say, "NO!!!!" Already reading, eh?
- We get closer to the mailbox and he says, "Hi, Make!"
- I grab the keys and he watches as I get our actual mail.
- Then I set him down and he attempts to open everyone else's boxes.
- When a car goes by, he'll point at it and say "CAR!" or "UH-COCK" (his word for "TRUCK") and as it passes he says, "BYE-BYEEE!"
- He basically does the same thing for any bicyclists or passersby. It's interesting to see who responds to him and who pretends not to notice. If they pretend not to notice, I either say, "They can't hear you," while in earshot, or just address them and say, "Hey, he's saying hi to you!"
- Nowadays I entertain London by jumping off the retaining wall onto the sidewalk nearby. He counts before I jump: "TWO... TWO... TWO!"
- Eventually he gets bored and we go back to the apartment.

This is a constantly evolving thing, and it's really one of the more special times of my day :-)

Father's Day

I (Marcus) am so thankful to be a dad. London and Liberty are what I'm most proud of in my life, and I couldn't be happier to be their father. God has filled my cup indeed!

Today was a great, busy day. It started with Fatherfest at East Hill, where I took pictures for the archives and had fun talking with friends. Then it was off to Flying Pie, where we got our usual pizza meal deal. Then we scurried downtown and Savannah and I sat and talked in a Smart Park while the kids slept in the car. When they woke up, we walked around Pioneer Place and got some yummy buffalo wings at Buffalo Wild Wings (I'd never been there before). Then we saw "UP," which was a challenge given our two tired children, but it was a great movie nonetheless.

A great day. I have to say, it doesn't compare to last year, though, when we found out Savannah was pregnant with a baby who ended up being Liberty. I had given her a dollar store pregnancy test as a joke last year, and forced her to take it. Boy, were we surprised when it came out positive!

Similarly, this year, our good friends Josh and Angela found out THIS Father's Day that they are having their second baby! What a special day to receive such special news!

One quick, funny story from today: London was dipping celery in ranch dressing at Buffalo Wild Wings, when all of the sudden, he plunged his hands into the ramekin and started spreading the dressing all over his hands and arms. We were wondering what he was doing, but Savannah figured it out quickly: He thought the Ranch was sunscreen! Let's just hope he doesn't start eating SPF-50!

Diaperless and Dandy(lions)!

On sunny days, we often enjoy going to parks, soaking up the rays and being carefree with one another.

Recently, at Bella Vista Park, London shed his diaper and gave himself some air while he picked dandelions and provoked a wrestling fight with Daddy.

Enjoy the video!

New family pics!

Wow, it's been a few weeks, huh?

Well, would you believe we've been busy making videos and taking pictures? You don't believe it? Well, check these new family photos out, taken on Mother's Day. The studio-style one is from the free pictures taken at East Hill; the other was taken at the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Gardens. Enjoy!

We'll soon be homeowners!

The last couple of days of PawPaw and Gran's visit were spent working on getting our fam into a house! Our knowledgeable real estate broker PawPaw took us around Gresham and Sandy, looking at places in our price range that fit our space requirements.
Well, it turned out that the first place we saw was the one to beat (and the one that ultimately couldn't be beat): A four bedroom, two-and-a-half bath attached townhouse a couple blocks away from our apartment here in Sandy. Asking price was fantastic, and the 1,600 square feet were just what we needed. Brand new building, new appliances, brilliant layout -- woo hoo! (CLICK HERE FOR MORE PICS!)

There were three of these townhouses in a row... one facing Dubarko Road, one in the middle, and one on the north end. We wanted the one on the north end most of all because of its color palette and its location.
So, with PawPaw's help, we got general financial info and presented our first offer... but before the seller could even look at it, he had approved another offer. So, back to the drawing board. The middle unit was nice, too, and was $10k less than the end unit, so we put an offer on that one... but ultimately we were no match for a buyer who offered more than the asking price, and paid in CASH. Unbelievable in these economic times.

We thought we were finished, but then we realized we could put an offer on one of the two as-of-yet unbuilt townhouses across the driveway. Those will have the same layout and square footage as the others, but the buyer also will be able to do a little customization. We saw the opportunity, and put an offer... and, praise God, it was accepted last night without so much as a counteroffer!
Thanks go out to God most of all, and right behind Him, PawPaw, for everything he's done to make this happen for us.

We're still 2-4 months away from moving day (because they have to build the units), but that's fine with us, and we're so excited!

Daddy's "sweet" girl

We went to Liberty's two-week appointment today, and, to our pleasant surprise, learned that our little darling not only has gained back her birth weight, but she has exceeded it! Yep, she's packing on the pounds. Woo hoo!

She has a couple periods a day when she's really alert and will look you in the eye, grin and punch the air. She makes the cutest faces and grunt noises.

I (Marcus) apparently don't have a very large vocabulary when it comes to Liberty. The word "sweet" appears in this less-than-two-minute video four times.

Come on Best Friend, let's go!!!

So, 2 years ago at Christmas, Marcus' parents very sweetly gave us a gave us a gift card to the McMENAMINS to stay at one of their hotels. Whether it was misplaced or we just didn't have time, we never used it.

We were going to use it at the Grand Lodge in Forest Grove tonight -- that is, until the management told us the room was going to be in the basement, next to the bar that is hoppin' until 2:30 a.m. So instead, we're going to use it Sunday night at Edgefield -- much closer to home.

I (Savannah) am extremely excited and a little nervous to leave young London (not because it's with his Grandparents, just because it is scary the first time ). At this location they have soaking pools in heated gardens, a movie theater and much more. We will have to take full advantage of this and try everything!

Marcus is so fun during new adventures. He is willing to drop the bags at the room and explore all our options. He considers what would be nice for the prego, which is so considerate. Since our honeymoon, we have an ongoing motto of NO REGRETS! So even if we barely sleep (which is pretty standard for me these days) we will have BLAST no matter what.

~ Now Liberty just needs to chill until we get home!

For your viewing enjoyment, here is a video of when London took some of his very first steps at Grandma and Grandpa Dunn's house in Vancouver during Thanksgiving: