LIFE!

Whew! Life is busy busy busy... Not busy enough that I have an excuse for not blogging much though.

Easter was honestly lame for us. We were sick. I didn't even get Scarlett dressed up in her Easter dress :( That Saturday night we went to Salt Lake for a bridal shower. Seth went to Priesthood with his friend James and James' (then future) father-in-law. The bridal shower was a lot of fun! We had Seth and James do the good ol' ask/answer the fiance questions and the bride gets gum if she answers the question differently than the fiance. Gates (Cari - an old mission companion) ended up eating a lot of gum - but actually did extremely well - we just gave her a ton of gum when she did answer differently. Anyway - after the shower Gates quickly got sick, I was nervous it was the gum! She actually was throwing up for hours that night... Poor, poor girl!

But Poor, poor Seth... He was up all night in the bathroom too. Sparing details lets just say I peeked in to see if he was still alive and he had the trash can in his hands as he was sitting on the pot too. Poor guy. I started getting sick a few hours after him - but no puking. I'm pretty sure it was from the food at the friday night mission reunion - or we got some random SUPER contagious bug. But I found out Sunday/monday that at least 11 others that were at the reunion got sick and started showing symptoms starting Saturday late night/Sunday early morning. Seth got bad enough that we went to the Urgent Care. Luckily I was feeling well enough to drive us to the Urgent Care (but that was only because it was 4 blocks away - I couldn't go much farther w/o a bathroom near by). Ugh - it was terrible. Seth was so dehydrated. He got a shot in the butt and was told to come back for an IV if he couldn't keep fluid down. I took them home and went back out to get some pedialyte, 7-up, crushed ice, and gatorade, quite the liquid menu. So glad Scarlett didn't get sick. But that sure was a moment when it was a juggle to care for our sweet little one, we both didn't have much energy. So glad we're all better now! And it was nice to have Seth home with us Monday when he was still recovering. SO! That was our Easter Weekend - Lame! Luckily we got photos of Scarlett done at JCPenny with her Easter dress on. These are actually a slide show of all the photos they took, she was 3 1/2 weeks when these photos were taken.

The next weekend was much more enjoyable... Friday Gates and James got married in Salt Lake! It was SO nice to be in the temple, I love going to sealings and being there with Seth. We are very blessed, extremely blessed. And I'm grateful for our happy marriage. Scarlett was babysat in the temple waiting room, I'm glad she was so close and with us for the rest of the festivities. She looked pretty darn cute in her Ralph Lauren green polo dress (Thanks Eliza!!) and a matching flower headband! (I made it!)

The wedding was the smallest I've been to, and it was SO, so so nice! I absolutely loved it! There were maybe 20 people there? It was a sweet and special sealing. A fun time with the photo taking outside and then an awesome reception at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.

YES - this is another couple Seth and I introduced to each other. The groom is a good friend of Seth's from Michigan. And the bride is a good friend of mine from the MTC/Mission. they're absolutely PERFECT for each other! One of the best parts of setting up couples has been that they get married in Salt Lake and have a luncheon at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building - the food there is RIDICULOUS... ridiculously GOOD.

This past Saturday... the weather was amazing!! We went out to run some errands and fortunately had the stroller in the car because we ended up stopping at our favorite park (Nielsen Grove) and going for a stroll. We ran into old friend Shaun Broderick and his wife, it was fun to visit with them for a while. And later that night our friends Phil and Sierra came over and we watched the SLC Real soccer game.

Sunday... it was Scarlett's first time going to all three hours of church. She really liked it. And so did I.

After church we got the picnic basket all ready with a yummy lunch and we went back to our favorite park. So many firsts for Scarlett and a brand new family! It was more windy than Saturday and overcast too - but it was still nice. We had a good stroll around the park and came home to catch up on 24. We watched 3 episodes to catch up and Holy Cow is this season exciting! but we still missed the episode tonight - so we're behind again. haha, we just love playing catch up.

So that has been our weekends... During the week Scarlett and I enjoy house chores, making dinner, doing laundry, diapers/bottles/rocking in the recliner. Seth is busy, busy, busy. We don't see him on Monday and Thursday nights. And in between then he is working on school papers/research when he is home. He's a hardworking man though, I'm so grateful he enjoys his job!

Scarlett is so cute. She's got a great night schedule going - I sure hope she keeps it up. It's been 5 days now - she will eat around 9:00pm, go to sleep by 11:00 and won't wake up to eat again until 5:30am. I sure hope she does that tonight considering I'm still writing this post and it's 11:00pm and I start work again tomorrow. Scarlett is going to start spending Tuesdays and Wednesdays at her aunt Aubrey's house playing with cousin Preston while I go back to work part time. I'm grateful it's only two days a week! And then on Saturdays I'll go into work for four hours, and that will be special daddy/daughter time. I'm hoping this schedule will work out as perfect as it sounds like it will.

Anyway -she's a great baby. She has been coo-ing a ton more. She sure talks/grunts a lot. I think she's going to be quite the smart/intelligent little one. Or maybe that just means she's very social.
So - I feel like my posts are lame - they're like journal entries rather than entertaining and witty articles. Plus it reminds me how terrible my English is. Something is better than nothing... It's way past bedtime! This is our update and more fun things are happening the second half of this month - Scarlett's grandpas and grandmas are coming to visit for Seth's graduation and her blessing!!! We're Very, very excited for them to meet her for the first time! (well all for the first time but grandma Hartley).

A great Friday night

Tonight was my mission reunion. I've been looking forward to it for weeks now... It was fun to see a lot of people I have great memories with while serving in Japan. I hate that I don't take advantage of these opportunities more to really catch up on these people's lives - I still care about them! I get that stupid anxiety/nervous/I live in a bubble type of feeling and it keeps me from doing what I really want to do. ANYWAY! It was totally worth it and I'm so glad I went.

but, BLAST! I told myself I super wanted to get a photo with my family and Sister/President Banks. Super lame of me! It was great to see them. It's interesting how your mission president and his wife seem to always play a "parent" role in your life. Tonight, while looking over the cultural hall of couples with one or even 2 kids running around, I asked president if he feels like all these kids his missionaries are having are like his own grandchildren... He said something funny back but for the life of me I cannot remember. Good story? yea... thanks.

Scarlett looked so cute tonight! I made her a headband just for this evening's outfit - wow, right? But I also made her an even more cute headband for tomorrow night's outfit ! (We're going to a bridal shower) I'm a super fan of making baby headbands/clips now, Super easy!

This photo is of Umetani's little girl Erin, Steed's little girl Lena, and my little girl Scarlett.
After the reunion we went to TGIF's for dessert with James and Gates... James is Seth's old friend from Michigan. Gates is my old mission companion and we were actually in the MTC together too. They're getting married next Friday at the SLC temple. :) Yes, another eternal match made because Seth and Megan introduced them.

Oh - and I ate WAY TOO MUCH at TGIF's... I got the brownie obsession (shared with Seth, but he didn't eat much of it). It was freaking amazing, Amazing.

It was a late night - it IS a late night... and I haven't had this much brain stimulation in a month!! I absolutely LOVED every minute about tonight. Scarlett was sooo good too.

(see her headband!?! This is while Seth was feeding her at TGIF's)Scarlett is ONE MONTH OLD!!! (4/3/10) that is just INSANE! Scarlett and I took a trip to the pediatrician for a quick weight check today ... just to see. I knew she has been gaining weight and is chowing down. but holy cow girl - she weighs 9lbs 4 oz!! In two weeks she went from 10th %tile to 52nd %tile! :) that a girl. Just sayin'... Oh, I love her so much. I am so, so incredibly blessed!! I am so blessed with my health, family, a good husband and great support in my life. And I am grateful for these blessings. hmm, can you tell I'm on a 'good high'? :) Life is good. And Scarlett looks like this right now - I want to look like that right now too. So Peace & Good night.

4 Weeks!

Our little Scarlett isn't as little anymore... I absolutely love taking care of her - life is getting even better. Even though I'm with her literally every hour I can see how she has grown and her changes. She is quite alert and beginning to "talk" more and more. I love hearing her coo's.

At 2 weeks I had mentioned how she is quite the grunter. It's hilarious how much she grunts. When she's sleeping we hear her grunt the most. Especially when we move her while she's sleeping, it's like we've seriously offended or disrupted her beauty sleep. It really makes me laugh.

Another thing I love is when she is asleep in her car seat and you are taking her out, or lifting her sleeping body out of the swing she stretches her arms up over her head, her head flings back in a stretch, and her legs curl up which pushes her butt out and she arches her back. I'll be sure to get a photo.

When you change her diaper and you're putting the new one on, she'll fling her legs straight at the perfect moment when you are sealing the new diaper's tabs in place. It's hilarious!! She'll be relaxed in the fetal position or just dozed off/sleeping and then all the sudden she just stretches out those long legs as straight as they can go and it makes it incredibly easy to finish putting the new diaper on. I'll be sure to get this on video.

I'm good at taking photos... but we really need to get some of these things on video! We have a camcorder coming in the mail very soon, I'm very - very excited!!She's such a good baby. I love talking to her. She is becoming a great friend to me. I'm grateful she usually only cries when she is hungry. However, the other night she was laying on my chest, on her tummy - completely out, asleep. I got up to swaddle her in a blanket and as I transitioned her from laying forward to laying on her back she let out the loudest/scariest shrieks ever!!!! I think I completely terrified her. It was very alarming. After a few of those screams she went right back to la la land, fast asleep.

I took this video today - my little newborn is becoming a 'real baby' :(

hmm - this video isn't good quality at all... she is cute - promise.

Why her name is Scarlett...

We weren't keeping our name options a secret before she was born but we were positive we wanted to see her and spend time with her before we gave her a name.

One night when I was probably about 32 weeks along Seth asked if I liked the name Scarlett. Not sure where he came up with it, and still don't know. But we both don't know anyone named Scarlett. After we added it to our 'options' list and mentioned it when people (everyone and their dog) asked if we had a name picked out they all loved it. This definitely played a role in me being okay with the name Scarlett.

I love the name Scarlett. I love it because it fits all our basic rules for a name: it's unique, you know the gender of the person w/o seeing them, anyone can spell it, easy to pronounce. But because I don't know any other Scarlett's it was difficult!! You know, you look through a name book and find a name you like and then you think about the people you know with that name and about what that person is like. If they're "cool", smart, pretty, etc. And if you know someone with that name that brings up serious bad memories or they had "a past" you think twice about that name. Right!? Anyway, now I know a Scarlett, and she's pretty cool, smart, and pretty - so it totally works.

Scarlett's middle name is O'linda - which is my middle name. I was named after my great grandma on my mom's side. So ... Scarlett's middle name comes from her Great-great Gma.

I love being a mom. It's still becoming a real thing to me... it's been a process. Sometimes I feel like I'm "just taking care of this baby". Isn't that absolutely terrible to say?! Then I have moments like earlier today when I'm singing along with the Josh Groban Pandora station as I'm feeding her and the tears roll down as I realize how extremely blessed I am. She is so precious, and Heavenly Father actually trusts me with this little girl's life. It's crazy!! I love holding her. She really should just sleep in her bassinet but I'll just hold her.Isn't she the prettiest little girl newborn? It's crazy she's half Seth & half me!!! We're waiting to see who she looks more like. We know two things for sure: She has Seth's fingers!!! and my ears! I have two absolute favorite people in this world, my Seth and my Scarlett. I'm one lucky woman!

2 Week Check

Length: 21.25 inches (85%tile)
Head Circumference: 14.5 inches (72%tile)
Weight: 6 lb 12 oz (10%tile)

Scarlett and I met with her pediatrician today, Chris Broken Leg. Yes - her last name is "Broken Leg". Scarlett is doing well, and we're grateful she's healthy! We're really trying to get her to gain some more weight... No concerns or reason to worry yet, but getting her to gain weight is our focus at the moment. This stuff is not easy! Not that I was expecting it to be a piece of cake but no one really talked to me about how breast feeding can be such a pain in the butt and then when you're doing all you can get yourself to do with the amount of sleep you're getting as a new mom - she hardly gains any!?! Ugh!! We'll see... we're still learning together. I'm grateful Scarlett is patient with me!

At 2 weeks old (officially tomorrow), Scarlett likes to...

- Poop after we've changed her wet diaper 2 minutes ago
- blow bubbles during meal time
- look at mom or dad when they're talking or holding her. She totally recognizes our voices.
- amaze people with her long hair that is curly when wet and major spiky when dry.
- stretch her long arms and legs whenever she gets a chance. holy cow she's long and little.
- sleep with a tight blanket around her but with her arms free and close to her face.
- grunt and big sighs when we wake her up to eat or move her around to burp her, etc.
- actually hold her binkie in place, she's pretty consistent with this, I think it is on purpose.
- and she super loves her mom's sweet kisses and calming "shh shh shhh shhh" when she's having a hard moment expressing herself. aka screaming her little lungs off to the whole neighborhood. Which usually happens moments before a fantastic poopy diaper comes - or trying to get a good meal started. whew!



This photo was taken this morning... the quilt she's laying on was HANDMADE by her great grandma Hartley. She'll cherish it forever! GG Hartley is amazingly talented!

One Thing I Love

I'm working on "The Post" - I promise... but can I just say one thing in the meantime.
Scarlett was due 3/4/10. The doc suggested to be induced 3/1/10. I asked if it'd be okay to be induced 3/2/10 though. Why?

Because When he suggested 3/1/10 - it was in three days and I felt I needed more time to prepare everything that should have been prepared weeks ago? And because it'd be super cool if she was born on Tuesday... her birthdate would then be "3.2.10" 3-2-1-0. pretty neat, right?

So on 3/2/10 when I was in labor (started pitocin at 6:30am) at one point (4:30pmish) I wasn't progressing anymore and the nurse gave me the "C-section" talk. We weren't at a point when that was extremely necessary but if things had continued the way they were going - it was going in that direction. However! nurse change... I started progressing with 'her help'. (just rotating from my left side to my right, strange.) and I was ready to push at 9pm.

We didn't start pushing until 10pm. (allowed an hour for 'rest and descent') and sparing more details except the strong point I did everything in my power to get her to come by midnight. The clock was right in front of me on the wall - I was watching and hoping to get her here by midnight.

But... little miss Scarlett came at 12:36 am on 3/3/10. Why am I more than 'okay' and HAPPY about this?

1. Anyone throughout her life, "When is your birthday?"

Scarlett replies, "3/3" <--- incredibly easy to remember. 2. March 3rd is a Japanese Holiday!!! Having served in Japan I've always considered giving one of my kids a Japanese middle name. This didn't work out for Scarlett. But I'm thrilled that she was born on a big Japanese Holiday. Guess what holiday it is?

Girl's Day (Hinamatsuri)

I love it. Our little Scarlett just waited long enough to come on Girl's day, We'll have to have a tradition on her birthday tied to something japanese/girl's day-ish. Don't you think?

(Scarlett in the hospital on 3/4/10 - working on a burp.)

I'll keep working on that post - promise.

She's here!

Scarlett O'Linda Burke

Born March 3, 2010 12:36 a.m.

7lbs, 21 inches


absolutely perfect




more details to come