THIRTEEN and FOURTEEN

 2021 Weeks Thirteen and Fourteen

Week thirteen of this year had us all adoring one week old Moses. 

In all his tinyness

and adorableness

First time in the ring sling. 

First time outside

I am so glad that I got a great postpartum rest time. I pretty much stayed in bed the whole first week. The second week I started venturing out a little, helping with the kids and chores here and there but still resting in bed a lot. Even though  I had an easy unmedicated birth, and I physically felt fine after the first week, it has been so good for my physical and mental health to take it really easy and just soak this new boy up. 

We did do our Holy Week traditions, starting with making palm leaves for Palm Sunday. 

A favorite scripture I came across in my studying. 

I love love rocking my newborns out on the porch during those evening fussy hours. 

A little boy I made wearing a hat and diaper cover that I made. 

With Leland home, I was able to do a few fun things with the kids, like making Easter birds nest cookies. 

Have you ever seen a more adorable face?

On Thursday I took Moses with me to our two week checkup with the midwife. Moses was up 5oz from his birth weight, putting my mind at ease that he is getting plenty of milk, he just likes to nurse all the time. :) It was our first time leaving the house since he was born. 

Holy Week "Jerusalem Dinner"

Last minute egg dying. It was warm enough to do it outside this year. 

Baby Boy visited us the day before Easter. We had planned to do an egg hunt with cousins but our kids all had colds so we just did it with these six. 

I kind of hate these pictures but I had to include them for Moses' sweet face. And it's an accurate picture of postpartum life. I haven't had much of the baby blues this time, which I'm grateful. Surprisingly (or maybe not) my hardest "postpartum" experience was Baby Boy's by far. I didn't give birth to him and maybe it was because of that, but it was just so hard for so many reasons. Still I can see how that experience has shaped me and prepared me to where taking care of a baby I birthed and I'm breastfeeding and is perfectly healthy isn't as difficult as it once seemed. I can't wait to look and feel like myself again, to fit into my clothes again, and be able to exercise again but I know all that will come in due time. I always love being pregnant and I'm learning to love this 4th trimester too with all that it brings.  

More egg pictures. I am still getting used to the camera so these mostly came out blurry ha. 

Moses' First Easter. 

We kept Easter really simple. We didn't do much for Easter baskets and I didn't get the kids dressed in Easter clothes for a picture. We did watch conference and although I felt like every session had 100 interruptions by children (I also didn't prepare activities to keep them reverent) I enjoyed it. I loved Elder Andersen's talk  The Personal Journey of a Child of God which felt so relevant to many of my experiences the past few years. I am always excited to hear President Nelson speak and his talks never disappoint. His talk Christ is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains was everything I needed to hear and answered all the questions I brought to this General Conference. 

Monday of this week was back to regular life as Leland went back to work Monday. Luckily my mom came to help out for a couple of days this week so  I wasn't completely on my own. 

I took all the kids to the dentist and they did so good! Moses slept in the solly wrap the whole time and all the kids are cavity free, yay!

Fort Building

Playdough playing 

Baby cuddling

We ended the week with a visit from Rickelle and a our first "hike" of the season. We did Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve which is just a boardwalk loop that is 1.3 miles. The kids all did great, but it was probably a little too much for me this soon after birth. Still it was beautiful and I'm grateful for any time we get to spend outside all together. These are our first pictures of a family of 7, again, you know what I mean.