Downtown Portland in the Rain

Day 2 was a very rainy day so JD was nice enough to attempt taking care of Porter while studying so that we could go downtown and explore Portland.

We were able to see and do a lot in 2 1/2 hours in Portland:

• Food Carts: The Grilled Cheese Grill has amazing sandwiches, I can't believe I have missed out on them all this time!  We always felt they were a little questionable for a pregnant lady to be eating from, but my goodness they were good!
• Powell's Book Store: Erin got her book monster t-shirt, journal, and saw lots of books housed in that awesome store
• Burnside walk-saw the China Town entrance, and the Burnside Bridge
• VooDoo Donuts-I don't like donuts so this was my first time being in the shop, it is a crazy place to say the least.  I got JD a Mango Tango donut and myself an apple cider.
• Saturday Farmer's Market-it was very small compared to the summer crowds and with the rain there were not very many people there
• Waterfront Park- it was so windy and rainy without the protection of the buildings that we only stayed there long enough to take a picture
• Pioneer Square-saw the courthouse and the square while we waiting for our train to take us back to Beaverton

We got home with enough time for me to feed a hungry baby and get ready for the Relief Society Broadcast.  It was a wet and fun day and the broadcast was great, I was thankful that we had the back row so that I could let Porter lay down during it. I also enjoyed going with Erin a lot.

Astoria to Seaside

Today we drove to a very wet and windy coast to see Astoria down to Seaside.  We went to the Astoria Column also drove around that cute town a little bit.  Astoria is full of old Victorian style homes that were built up a very steep mountain, it is cute and quirky.  We did a long distance shot of the Peter Iredale shipwreck in Fort Stevens State Park.  The wind was blowing so hard there that sand had almost completely covered the parking lot to the point it was hard to tell where the parking ended and the beach started.  We then went to Seaside.
The Seaside Aquarium was a lot of fun.  Erin gave me a sideways look when I bought by ticket and two cartons of real fish, head to tail, to feed the harbor seals they have there.  Each seal has a trick they do to get attention for food.  Some slap their belly, some look at you upside down, some bark, and others splash.  Erin got Regan the splasher and was soaked from feeding the seals.  Porter loved the dark lighting of the aquarium and had big wide eyes while we were looking at the fish, octopus, eels, and animals.  One fish I thought was pretty cool was the Tsunami Fish.  It was a black and white tang that made it's way all the way to Oregon in a boat from the Japan Tsunami.  The fish survived by eating the algae that grew in the bottom of the boat until the boat was found 2 years later.  There were five fish found, studies were done on four of them but the survivor is now housed in the Seaside Aquarium.
Our last stop on the coast was the Seaside Candyman for taffy and icecream.  It is a fun, random, place that plays the Candyman song from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory over and over again.
Porter was awesome, he slept a lot and didn't cry much.  It was a little hard with how wet it was to have a little baby despite how good he was.  I had just fed Porter in the back seat of the car and knew I needed to change his diaper when we were in Seaside.  I put the changing pad on my lap and had Erin ready with wipes, new diaper, and garbage sack while I tried to change a baby in the back seat of a car on my lap.  Unfortunately that was the exact time that Porter felt the need to pee, just as I was catching that and cleaning him up from that, Porter then had the need to poop, oozing poop and lots of it.  I don't know how many wipes I went through, and I have no idea how I was able to escape from that mess without getting poop on Porter or his clothes, me-besides my hands, or the car, but somehow I did it.  I feel like I deserve a Badge of Mommihood for such a feat because that whole fiasco was insane.
We got home and JD watched Porter while Erin and I went to the Portland Temple that evening.  It was a very busy but fun day and the temple was a great way to end it.

Erin Is Here!!!

Back in March Erin booked her tickets to come and visit in Oregon.  We thought this was a little crazy since at that time we knew I would have a 2 month old baby, but had not clue what that would entail in seeing Oregon.  The price was good and we figured it was worth the risk and worse case scenario we wouldn't see much but we would at least be able to hang out without the busyness of daily life-work, etc-taking up time.

I am so glad we went ahead with the plans, because now she is here and Porter is a fantastic baby, and we get to play for a few days.  It is already so nice having an extra pair of hands that want to hold and cuddle Porter-since that is one of his favorite things.  The only hiccup in our diabolical plan is that the biggest storm system since 2007 is rolling through our area so my fingers are crossed that she will at least be able to see a little bit of sunshine because as of right now it is not looking that promising.  Annoying, but that is Oregon for you.

The Gorge with the Hansens'

It was an 'off weekend' this week so we got to go on an adventure.  This time it was an adventure with the Hansens'.  They have lived in the Washington/Oregon area their whole life but had only ever seen Multnomah Falls in the Columbia River Gorge, which is crazy because there is so much more to see there.  To resolve this ridiculous situation we got together and went on our every other week adventure together.  We started at the Vista House, which was a new stop for both myself and JD.  It was a beautiful building on the ridge of the Gorge and had a spectacular view.  This will definitely become a regular stop from now on.  After Vista House we saw: Shepherds Dell Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, Wakeena Falls, Multnomah Falls, and Horsetail Falls. Porter is pretty much a rock star during the adventures we have had so far.  He typically burrows down into our carrier and sleeps while we hike around not even making a peep; I usually even have to wake him up to feed him. We had lunch huddled under 4 umbrellas as a storm rolled through and it wasn't until we were just getting on 84 to go home that the huge forcasted storm released its fury on us.  I was glad that we had been able to do so much before the rain and that we were dry in our car and not hiking when that cloud rolled in.  It was a really fun and pretty day and the perfect way to spend an afternoon with friends.

Oregon Zoo

Allie and I had a great time taking Porter to the zoo for his first time, not that he will remember it, and let's be honest, it was really so I could get out of the house with my friend, but still....

The Oregon Zoo is part of Washington Park so all the animals are basically set in a big forest in the Northwest corner of Portland.  Occasionally indigenous creatures will make their way into the animals' areas and have to be removed, the most recent I can recollect would be a California Beaver making it's way into the river otter habitat via the river and the zoo keepers having to catch it and release it back into Forest Park.  The reason I go into this is that I usually am not a fan of zoos because I think they are kind of sad, and while not as neat as the San Diego Zoo, I feel like the animals are pretty happy and content in their natural habitats here in Oregon.
Highlights from this zoo trip include:

• The animals were awake and very active today.
• The breast feeding area was actually an Asian Elephant view area, that was unique watching a giant elephant walk past us as I fed Porter.
• Spending time with Allie, I'm glad that our husbands can do the whole school thing together so that we can be friends and do cool things like this.
• The otters, I am a sucker for both the river and sea otters at this zoo.  They are so cute and fun.
• Having a very content baby to walk around while I enjoyed all the animals.

After our adventure we went out to lunch and overall it was a very needed and appreciated day out.  I'm looking forward to doing Zoo Lights in December with the boys already.

Peninsula Garden

We finally made it to Peninsula Garden after church today.  I have wanted to go to this garden since we moved here and we always get side tracked or only go as far as the International Rose Test Garden.  Peninsula Park was created in 1913 and has over 9,000 traditional rose plantings of 60 varieties compared with the International Garden's 10,000 plantings and over 500 varieties.  It was fun going somewhere new and it is always nice when our new family has time to go out together.  Since it was on our way home, we did stop and see the International Garden, it was a little drizzly so JD got to carry and cover Porter so that he didn't get wet.  It will be sad when the roses are gone and we won't be able to enjoy them on our Sunday afternoons.

Temple Trip

With such factors as having a newborn, feeding, recovery, and the temple being closed for cleaning we haven't been able to go for over a month, until today.  We brought Porter with us and took turns doing initiatories and it felt so good to be back in the temple!  When I was done they asked if I would like to do more names, I had replied that I would like to but I had a baby waiting in the parking lot.  The worker looked at me funny and said well then I absolutely must go.  It wasn't until I was changing that I realized she could have taken it in a way that I had left my baby alone in a car to come to the temple, which would have explained the look I had received.  While JD was taking his turn I had fun feeding Porter in the driver's seat of the car and then walking around the temple grounds.  The Portland Temple is set in among a ton of trees and the grounds are beautiful and peaceful.  It was really fun taking more time to enjoy the grounds and watch all the brides and grooms coming out of the temple after getting married.  It was a really nice, peaceful, and happy morning.  I am so grateful for the blessings of the temple, the promises that are made there, and for my eternal family.

Beat the Heat

It has been HOT here in Portland.  Yesterday we got up to 97 degrees.  I know friends in Utah would say that is nothing, but it is something when most people don't even have air conditioning because it never gets that hot, and when it does it is for a day or two.  Problem is no one has air conditioning for that day or two and it can be miserable.  Yesterday Porter and I camped out in our apartment.  I blasted fans all morning and watched the thermometer closely to close the windows at the best time.  It worked pretty well and we were able to stay pretty comfortable, but today wasn't as hot and I was stir crazy and needed to get out of the house.  We drove down to Lake Oswego and walked around the temple grounds, there were landscapers planting the fall/winter gardens and the grounds were gorgeous.  After the temple we ran some errands to the distribution center, and enjoyed the air conditioned aisles of Target for a bit.  It was a welcome change of scenery and we ended up with a few clearance outfits for Porter that were $1.80.  This afternoon I was also able to work more on Porter's room, definitely learned my lesson to devote more time to getting that ready prior to baby next time around, to think I thought my time was limited when I was working full time. Nursery pictures to come soon....hopefully. ;)

 

Porter's Announcement

Porter's Family Tree

I had fun putting together Porter's Family Tree today.  It was also a very good opportunity to update our genealogy on familysearch.org.  Porter is now on there, I need to update my great great grandmother's information on my dad's side, and JD's family was not connected between his grandparents and great grandparents so now they are all linked together.  It is amazing how easy it is to do now and how quickly you can generate a pedigree chart or fan.  Fun afternoon activity and to think it all came because I have a tree themed nursery for Porter!

Mt Hood

Today was a free Saturday so we got to go on a new adventure.  The debate was between the ocean and a mountain.  We decided to do something new and Mount Saint Helens was a longer drive away than Mount Hood so we got to go to Mount Hood.  The 'mountains' here are much different than the Rockies. Elevation, rolling hills, and distinct, solitary peaks of the Cascades feel odd compared with the jagged ranges of Utah.  The drive was beautiful, the mountain was grand, and the weather was perfect for being on top of Hood.    We had a lot of fun and enjoyed spending time together.  Porter fell asleep when we got in the car, slept while we explored the Timberline Lodge and rode the lift up to the top of Hood, and then he slept all the way home so that kind of threw off our sleeping and eating schedule a little bit, totally worth the experience though.

The Blanket

I was trying to get laundry done before Porter woke up and of course it didn't happen.  In an attempt to get more done I propped the baby up in the Boppy, noticed his feet were cold, so I tossed my silky that is now used as decor for our bed, on top of him and continued to do my work.  Upon tossing the blanket on top of him I heard a big sigh and within a minute Porter was out.  Ever since my baby blanket has been magic at calming our little bug.  If he ever feels the blanket with his hand he will kick in that direction so that his face is touching the fabric.  It is pretty cute if you ask me.  Looks like I will be sharing my precious blankie, good thing I kind of like him a lot.

Locks of Love

So my hair has a tendency to grow pretty fast and having been pregnant the past bit it has grown like a weed over the past few months.  It was long enough that it was constantly dropping into Porter's fact while I was feeding him, and with how thick it is I just didn't have the time to style it anymore.  I finally just had it and as soon as JD got home I left for Great Clips on the corner.  I walked in with a measuring tape, a rubber band, and a baggie and asked them to chop the pony tail off.  It is still really thick but takes a lot less time with 10 less inches to deal with.

L.L. Stub State Park

Free weekend!!!!  We are all still in recovery mode from having a baby, school, visitors, etc that we decided to stay a little bit closer to home.  We were able to go to L.L. Stub State Park for the first time.  I was going crazy without going hiking or being in trees or seeing ocean so our adventure was just the medicine that I needed.  We were able to hike around the park including part of the Veronia/Banks Trail-which I guess is a big deal, I don't know.  Porter was a champ, loved his Ergobaby carrier, and slept the whole time.  I was pretty worn out physically by the time we were getting back in the car, but my goodness it felt good to hike again.

Grandma JaNae

Luck would have it that JD's cousin Kate had a soccer tournament in Tigard this weekend so Grandma JaNae was able to hitch a ride and spend the weekend with us and see Porter.  It was so nice being able to feed Porter and leave him with Grandma so that I could get some sleep.  She made some yummy dinners and was a lot of help.  I think she is pretty smitten with Porter too.

Grandma & Grandpa Kelly

Grandma and Grandpa Kelly got into town about 1 hour before we left the hospital.  It was so fun having them for a week taking care of me and Porter while JD went to school and studied.  My mom was an absolute angel in cooking, cleaning, and bossing me to get some sleep or sit down while she would take care of Porter.  She would spend the day with me while my Dad and Matt would go hiking or sight seeing.  On the weekend when JD was home, they were all able to go to the coast twice and experience some crazy cool tide pools and other fun things.  Porter loves both of them, my dad is a bit of a baby hog but is magic in getting Porter to calm down when he is waking up enough to eat.  My mom loved giving him his first sponge bath.  I am so grateful for all the help they were and for coming all the way out here to see us.

 
 

Discharge Day

Finally got to go home!  Porter and I got to spend the afternoon waiting for Dad to get done with school so that we could be discharged.  The day went much better without the SCD's and having a very sleepy baby.  Allie with her amazing photography skills came to see Porter and to take some newborn photos.  They turned out so good and it was nice to have someone to help pass the time.  It was exciting getting out of that tiny room and going home, though I will admit a little strange going home a family of 3 when we entered the hospital a family of 2. 

Post Partem Porter

We had a few 'fun' days in recovery at the hospital.  By fun I mean going crazy in a very small room with a fresh baby.  It was kind of hard maneuvering around in the tight quarters on top of having to wear those lovely SCD braces again until starting back up on my Lovenox, though I did enjoy the view of the trees on the Northeast side of Portland.  It was nice getting to spend time with our new little family-though I could have done without the nurses constantly checking up on the last time I nursed throughout the day and night.  The first night Porter slept 5 hours straight before being woken up for his vital check.  The second night he maybe slept 40 minutes, though I don't really blame him having had a vaccine, blood draw, circumcision, and no medicine would make me grumpy too.  Timing worked out that Great Grandma Ann was in Oregon when Porter was born so she got to be my only hospital visitor besides my Aunt Char and our friend Allie from pharmacy school.  All things considered, I feel like I am doing pretty well, though I definitely watch the clock for the magic 8 hour mark where I can take more ibuprofen.

Happy Birthday Porter!

We are so happy to have a healthy and happy Baby Porter Dee Speth here at last!  Things definitely went in an odd order from what I anticipated in getting him here.  We went in to the hospital late Sunday night to start the Cervadil to get me ready for Pitocin the next day.  From the time that I had seen my doctor on Monday to going in on Sunday I had been having some very fun contractions but they had all but gone away on Saturday and Sunday.  The doctor had emphasized multiple times how important it was that I sleep that night for when they would start the Pitocin in 12 hours if everything was looking good.  Problem was: I could not sleep. I hated the monitors with a passion.  I had lovely SED's on my legs to keep circulation going and not clot and they were hot, uncomfortable, and sweaty.  My usual night time contractions were already present, and any time I moved they lost the baby's heart rate.  So what was supposed to be a night full of sleep didn't really happen.  I started getting a little concerned about my situation, I was supposed to be sleeping but I wasn't comfortable and I hurt.  I negotiated to not have to wear the SCD's and the nice nurse gave me a half dose of pain medication that I was hoping more for the sleepiness effect so that I could get more rest and ignore the contractions and the monitors.  I was able to sleep, but not for as long as I was hoping.  I woke up to more contractions.  The nurse gave me another half dose to help me fall asleep again, only this time it didn't really do much, she explained that I was having coupled contractions, two different contractions that were back to back with a shorter break in between, and that was probably why I was having a hard time.  So I was just awake. 

The nurses changed shifts around 6 am and I was still just awake wanting to sleep before meeting with my doctor at 10.  I asked if I could have another half dose and the new nurse said I couldn't have one but that she would check to see where I was at.  I was shocked when she did her check and said, "well my dear, you are dilated past a 6, you are ready for an epidural if you want it."  I was kind of shocked, I was just trying to sleep but at the mention of epidural I was thinking that didn't sound like such a bad idea.  So I got the epidural and I was finally able to get in that nap I had been waiting for.

Pretty much the rest of the experience was amazing.  It was a really calm and peaceful morning waiting for Porter to be ready to pop out.  I just kind of went with the flow the rest of the afternoon.  JD and I were able to hang out and talk and watch those contractions come and go on the screen-that was fun.  My nurse came to check my progress after a while and instead of a number we heard a small gasp and were told that he had a lot of hair, she left for a minute and then came back to say that it was time to push and so I pushed.  About 40 minutes later I was told that the baby's heart rate was dropping and that we needed to get him out.  It only took hearing my nurse reserving a spot in the NICU to get me to push like crazy, contraction pressure or not, to get him out.  So 4 pushes, an episiotomy and tear, and vacuum assist later (about 3 minutes) our little guy was here and in my arms and not going anywhere.  He cried a little bit, but it wasn't long before his big eyes were open and he was looking up at me with a look that pretty much said, "what just happened mom?" 

JD and I got to spend about 2 hours with Porter before they even took him away from me to do his check and get him all cleaned up. I was able to cuddle our sweet boy and feed him and hold him while the world went on around me, JD, and Porter. Everyone was guessing around 8 1/2 pounds for weight and they were all very wrong when they put him on the scale and we saw a whopping 9 pounds 4 ounces on the screen.  The assistant nurse measured Porter's length and said he was 23 inches long, my Nurse Candace didn't believe her and remeasured and sure enough he was really 23 inches long.  I wasn't so surprised since I had his feet stuck high up in my diaphragm constantly kicking to the point of discomfort for over the past 3 months.  So we have ourselves a very long and 'skinny' baby. 

Things have been going really well, Porter is a sleepy baby, I'm recovering, and JD is already back in school.  What adventure we have in store!