November 2022

baby shower

Lorien and Wyatt birthday

Clare dance show

Adell Birthday

Thanksgiving break fun: Mom and Colt car Dad and Adell SF

Restaurant Thanksgiving

New Car!

November started off strong with the most amazing baby shower for Wyatt, Emma, and Baby Oliver.  Our friends from Danville who have moved to Utah over the years gathered to shower the expected baby.  Family living in Utah also came along.  

It was beautiful to see so much support for this new little family.

One really special surprise was all of Wyatt's friends showing up to play games and eat hot wings with him.  Wyatt had an amazing time catching up with these guys.  They have been friends for over a decade.  They moved from elementary, to middle, to high school together.  I cried really hard when they showed up.  

I managed to squeeze in a visit with my coach friend, Kolette.  Kolette and I certified in the same class together at The Life Coach School.  We have stayed in touch over phone calls, Marco Polos and reunion zooms with all the other gals who certified with us.  Meeting her for lunch was another highlight of the trip!

You know November is birthday month around here.  We celebrated Lorien Turing 21, Wyatt turning 19, and Adell turning 13.

 

 

 

Clare had her first high school dance team performance.  Her dance was selected as one of the final numbers (it is not this one in the picture).  Clare choreographed and taught her dance to the class.  It was awesome to see her in action this way.

November was also the month of special outings with the kids.  Will took Adell into San Francisco one afternoon.  He had a meeting and offered to let her tag a long.  She was on her own in Union Square while he was in the meeting but they met up as soon as the meeting was over and enjoyed the Christmas sights in the city.

Adell felt very independent strolling around the city on her own.  She wasn't going to go at first but marshaled her courage and went for it.  She sketched in her sketch book and took in the sights.  Very teenagerie, right?

 

Colter and I took an afternoon trip to a car museum in town.  We saw four or five super cool sports cars and a hundred old timey cool cars.  The sports cars were Colter's favorite.  I enjoyed sitting down while he took a million pictures on my phone.  Time well spent!

In a major break with tradition, we had Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant this year!  I loved every second of it.  It was so nice to not spend days preparing, a whole day cooking, and an eternity cleaning up.  The food was good (never as good as homemade, but good).  The only draw back in my opinion was being on someone else's time for the food.  The kids got impatient and we weren't home where they could go run while they waited.  Other than that, it was perfect.

Everyone else, however, did not like going out for Thanksgiving dinner.  They missed all of our traditional food, they missed the snacks, the football playing in the background, and the left overs.  They all voted to stick with homemade Thanksgiving from now on.  Maybe I'll assign each of them the job of Thanksgiving next year and still take the holiday off.  Or I'll just go to a restaurant by myself!?

The smiles in this picture are all brought to you by TriValley Orthodontics.  Braces for the straight teeth win!

Wonder of wonders, miracles of miracles my Tesla arrived.  After being delayed for months and us living the one car life, we got the second Tesla.  Yes, we are those people but we like being those people so it is good for us!

 

Grand baby boy. Oliver Knox Anderson

I intend to head out to Idaho to be helpful after the baby's birth.  Having had five babies myself, I was of the opinion it is nice to have help after the baby is a month or so old.  Babies are not hard in the beginning, they sleep for 22 hours a day/night and their needs are easily met.  So, I thought an early December visit would be best.

Wyatt informed me that he and Emma wanted me to be there for the birth.  So I made travel arrangements for the baby's due date thinking I would wait around in Centerville with my brother and sister until Emma went into labor.  

I had a 10:00 flight out on November 28th (the baby's due date).  At midnight I landed during a snow storm, looking forward to borrowing my brother's car and crashing at my sister's house for some much needed sleep.

To be fully honest, it was hard to go out.  I still have kids at home who need me and I am not in Grandma mode yet.  I wanted to help but was feeling cranky for sure.  

As the plan landed I switched my phone on and saw some texts from Wyatt come in.  I didn't check them right away (deplaning and all).  Steps into the airport I got a call from Wyatt asking when I was going to be up.  I told him I just landed, it was midnight and I needed to sleep.  He said Emma was in labor and they were at the hospital.  If at all possible could I come straight up to Preston for the birth?  

Did I mention it was snowing?  Like a full on blizzard?  My brother picked me up at the airport and we strategized for a few minutes.  Ultimately, we decided he would drive me up and stay in the area until his wife could come pick him up and we could exchange cars. 

I was deeply grateful for his sacrifice.  Did I mention it was snowing?  Like a full on blizzard?  We started the normally hour and a half drive north going 30 mph.  No one else was on the road.  Oh!  Chris, my brother, had suffered a concussion in September and was still healing so that was fun.  This was his first time driving for a long distance.  He did great and I offered frequently to help but he did fine.  That was lucky because I don't know how to drive in the snow anymore.  

We got up to the hospital at about 3:00 in the morning.  I was deliriously tired but there to help.

Emma's labor progressed slowly.  The epidural made it hard for her to move and pushing was not effective.  After many hours and through the night Emma decided to have a C-section instead of a traditional birth.  At that point (after I had my own sobbing melt down in the car) I decided to go straight to the hotel and sleep.  I didn't need to hang out waiting for post op baby viewing.

After a few hours of sleep I found out Oliver had been born around noon on November 29th.  Perfectly healthy and sweet as ever.  I went to the hospital to meet him.  Reports were accurate.  He is darling.  

I stayed around for a couple of days while they were still in the hospital.  Going over in the evening bringing them take out and visiting.  Answering questions about new baby care and getting my snuggles in.  Once Wyatt, Emma and Oliver headed "home" (back to Emma's parent's house) I decided it was time for me to go too.  They had plenty of help and I thought they could use some quiet time.  

Here are my overall thoughts.  I don't like labor.  I don't like being in the room for the miracle.  It's not for me.  My darling daughters, if you are reading this, please know that if you and your spouse desire privacy for your births...I will not be offended to miss out.  It is ok with me.  If you really, really, really, want me to be there...I will be there for you.  

I did think I was the most helpful and supportive person in the room.  Emma's mom was too worried about her daughter (understandable).  Wyatt didn't know what was happening or how to help (understandable).  The nurses and doctors were doing their job but not with a lot of instruction or care...less understandable.   I was able to help Emma breathe through contractions and say focused when she got upset.  I had my five births to give me experience and to offer support.  

BUT it is not for me this miracle of birth.  Maybe I'll feel differently in a few years.

For now, Oliver Knox is in the world.  He is so sweet and perfect.  He has piles of gold blonde hair.  Wyatt had silver blonde hair and it is fun to see the similarities and differences.  He is amazing and I cannot believe I am a grandmother.