Heaven: Week One

It's been a week since Miss Tilly came to us and we've never been happier. We just have no complaints about this girl! She is a champion eater, sleeper, squeaker and snuggler. For the past four nights she has only woken up her mama to eat twice, at about 12 and 4, and during the day she sleeps, eats, plays, sleeps, eats, plays, only meowing like a little kitten when she needs to burp or be changed! She gets more darling by the minute, and her only flaw is that she's so cute that when her mama should be sleeping, she can't bring herself to do it! All Rivka wants to do is sit there and watch her eyebrows grow and smell her sweet milky breath! This is the honeymoon, right? Here she is at 3 days old.

She loves her Papa. They just understand each other.

Yes Pa (Grandpa Mikkelsen), her index toe is longer than her big toe--the toes of a genius.

When she's not eating or sleeping, she can usually be found stretching out her loooooong arms and legs. Many words have been used to describe this girl:

-kitten (because of the way she meows whimpers when she's sad and how her little tongue licks the air when she's hungry),

-birdie (because of her skinny, boney little frame),

-puppy (because of her oversized hands and feet).

But I think the most apt description of her came from Chace, who called her his little orangutan baby because of her impressively long and lanky arms and legs and her browny-pink skin.

And, of course, her pokey head fuzz!

This is Miss Matilda at one week old.

Till next time...

Oopsie!

We have just been notified by an unfortunate reader that one of the songs on our playlist was somehow changed and contained some major profanity (it was Ingrid Michaelson's The Way I Am. There are two versions of the song on playlist.com and I guess the one we had was changed! If it's on your playlist, you may want to check and make sure the same thing hasn't happened to you.) The problem has been remedied and I just wanted to apologize to any unsuspecting reader/listener who may have been subjected to that. Thanks for letting me know! (And sorry, sweet little Clara!)

Waltzing Matilda

And now presenting...

Matilda Jane Wilcoxson

born April 9th, 2010 at 1:19am

weighing in at 7 pounds 2 ounces

spanning 20.5 inches

I wish I could say that little Maltida Jane waltzed her way into this big, bright world but the waltz is a little too subdued to describe our lovely lady's entrance into life. I think the 100 meter dash would be a more appropriate analogy...

Rivka had been having periodic contractions for about a week or so. These contractions were nothing more than a "tightening" of her stomach that would come and go with little to no pain or discomfort. Thursday afternoon these contractions started to become a little more substantial but still nowhere near what most women or books describe as active labor.

At 11:20 pm somebody threw a switch and things got serious. I had been asleep for about 10 minutes when Rivka called to me and said she was feeling "different" and would be drawing herself a bath. Although incredulous that things could be close, we decided to go ahead and time the spread and duration.

From the start her contractions were lasting about 50 seconds and spread nearly 2 minutes apart start to start. That's pretty close but we thought we would have plenty of time before the big moment. It was then around 12:20 am and we call Karen, Rivka's midwife, who was surprised how quickly things had changed and asked how Rivka was doing emotionally.

For those who aren't as familiar with the child bearing experience, apparently in most "normal" cases women go through emotional sign-posts which can tell you where they are in the process. They go through an excited stage, a serious stage and then a self-doubting stage. Most people will say that if you are looking for a natural birth experience you should labor at home until well established in the serious stage. Although none of those emotional stages seemed to apply, Karen told us we should probably get to the hospital sooner than later. Her reasoning, however, was that earlier meant a more comfortable car ride to the hospital which is 20 minutes away. We hung up with her and started to get things ready. I began gathering food items, packing clothes etc. with no rush really; surely there was plenty of time. I've heard this can take 10+ hours if you're lucky...

Rivka's contractions picked up a little and when she wasn't in position on the floor working through one, she was up packing or putting on mascara. We both felt like there really wasn't any hurry... Boy were we wrong!

I was taking my sweet time making a nice little bed for Rivka in the back of Sheila (our Subaru Outback) when Rivka started to make comments about us needing to hurry it up a little bit. I questioned the whole idea of going to the hospital, pointing out that she wasn't really in the "serious stage" yet. Even when she had started to feel the urge to push and became more urgent that we hurry things up, I thought "no way, this can't be happening this fast."

In between her now "pushing" contractions, Rivka ran down the stairs and jumped in the back of Sheila. I went to lock the door and noticed I was wearing slippers. I sat there for 30 seconds debating what shoes I should wear. Dress for success, right? I decided to go for comfort and put on my running shoes, locked the front door, strolled calmly to the car, sat down, slowly put on my seatbelt and started her up.

About 5 mins from home I realized that my relaxed approach to the situation might need changing with Rivka's exclamation: "Umm... I think my water bro... Oh yeah, my water broke! And I am having a major urge to push! I don't want to have this baby in the car. Floor it! And please call Karen and ask her what we should do!"

So what did I do? Well, first I told Rivka to relax, pant out the push and hold on. I then slammed the gas and accelerated to 85mph down Route 30 passing on double yellows (luckily hitting green lights the whole way). Then I called Karen. As I gave her the status she said that I would probably have to pull over and call for an ambulance, which I was certain to not tell Rivka. I told Karen that we were only 10 mins away and that we would make it. In the meantime, Rivka was preparing mentally to have to deliver in the back of old Sheila, not sure she could make it another 10 minutes.

A little after 1:00am we pulled up to the ER entrance at the hospital. Karen and a group of nurses met us at our make-shift ambulance (Sheila) and put Rivka in a wheelchair as I went to park the car. As they calmly rolled her away she said "I wouldn't mind if you ran." They laughed and picked up the pace, getting her into a room just inside the ER. Inside, Karen checked Rivka who was fully dilated and crowning. She said that they might have time to get upstairs to a delivery room if they hurried. As I entered the hospital I saw a flash of gurnee and scrubs go by and realized that it was my wife, congratulated myself on my choice in footwear and followed. I could hardly keep up.

We got into the delivery room just as Rivka was finishing a pushing contraction, still lying on the gurnee. When Karen suggested she try to move over onto the delivery bed, Rivka asked if she could rest for just a second to which Karen replied "You may want to move over before your next contraction." Good thing she listened because as soon as she scooted over onto the bed she hit a major contraction. She had two more contractions, pushed 2 maybe 3 times and little Matilda Jane made her way into the cruel, harsh world at 1:19am.

"Wait!" you may be exclaiming. "Didn't you say that the major shift happened at 11:20pm? That's only 2 hours!" to which I will respond with a little poem:

Matilda Jane, Matilda Jane
Comin' to earth like a racin' train
A speeding bullet, a jet airplane
No refrain, you did not wane

We love this beautiful little girl. Her cries are sweet and kitten-like. She loves looking around at everything and she is getting very proficient at yawning, sneezing, feeding and sleeping... Call me a boastful father if you will, but I'd put her feeding and sleeping abilities up there with the best of them, real talent I say. (she gets it from me you know.)

It's only the beginning, but we can already tell that she is a special girl. I just hope our little Waltzing Matilda slows down a bit; I guess I'll have to keep my running shoes nearby...

We're so in love with this little lady. Can you blame us?

Oh, Italia. We love thee.

This morning while burning Chace's toad-in-a-hole, I was surprised and delighted to hear him speaking Italian from his office. Obviously on the phone, I guessed that he must be trying to return the mystery phone call he received (on his office phone, a number that very few people have) from an unidentified Italian man a couple weeks ago. He had tried returning the call before with no success and the curiosity was killing him. This morning, he finally got through to the mystery caller, and I heard him saying, "Si, si. Ieri era il giorno"--Yes, yes. Yesterday was the day. (My due date.) This didn't sound like a work-related call, as he went on to talk about our move and our house and the wee one. It turns out it was a man Chace met in the Newark airport months ago, with whom he had struck up a conversation. He told Chace that he just wanted to check in and see if we'd had the baby and how things were going, that Chace had make quite an impression on him when they had met, and he considered him a dear friend. He renewed his invitation to host us when we're next in Rome, and wanted to exchange more contact information so that we could keep in touch better. What a delightful surprise.

So, gentle reader, when you're done praying that we'll have this baby before I have to be induced, I give you leave to start a new prayer on our behalf: that Chace will get a job transfer to Italy. He yearns for that place in a way that I don't think I could ever understand, though I'm quite fond of it too! And once in a while something comes up, like this phone call, that reopens the wound and starts him on a new mission to make his way back there someday. It even happens to me. The other day at a stop light, the slightest hint of cigarette smoke wafted into my open window, and took me through time and space to a sunny train station platform on the Cinque Terre...

Ah yes. Take me back to this.

And this.

And this.

Okay. Enough daydreaming. I've got an appointment to get to. Wish me luck! And yes, do pray that this little principessa will come of her own accord sometime soon. And then yes, do pray we make it back to Italy someday. If you do, you're invited too! Buon giorno!

Update

Sorry for our long silence, but we've been rather busy.

Busy doing what? Well, mostly scrounging for free furniture and scraping all manner of unidentifiable substances off of pretty much every surface of this beast of a house. (Oh, yes. In case we forgot to mention: we bought a house.) There have also been some major projects in there too, as well as some major fun, which we will document at greater length in future, when we find our camera charger.

But until then, we just wanted our gentle readers to know that we are alive and very well here in the great state of Illinois--it's still weird to say that. I never planned to live in Illinois. It never occurred to me. Until a few months ago, I wouldn't even have been able to point out the state of Illinois on a map. Who lives in Illinois? Is there even anything there? I had nothing to associate with Illinois except Chicago, Obama, Scarface, corruption, crime, violence, etc. But surely those were all just media exaggerations, right? As it turns out, our very own high school is host to a gang or two, and there is a curfew enforced for minors! We're not in Provo anymore! So we've been trying to work on fitting in, just in case the going gets rough. How are we doing?

But really, we are loving it here, mostly because of the unseasonably lovely weather, the charming ducks that provide endless entertainment and constantly serenade us from our backyard puddle, and our lovely friends, neighbors and church members who have been perpetually helpful, welcoming and kind. We truly feel surrounded by family. In our first two weeks here, we dined at home only about 5 times due to church functions and dinner invites from ward members. From these generous new friends we have been given furniture, borrowed tools, pick-up trucks, and many hours of manual labor and consulting on various unexpected house problems. And just last week, some women in the ward organized a beautiful baby shower for us where dozens of perfect strangers brought us gifts and well-wishes. We are feeling very loved.

In other news, Chace is enjoying his new work quarters in "The Lighthouse Room" (did I mention that almost every room is themed?) Although I think he may be getting a little too comfortable with this whole "home office" business, since I rarely see him wearing anything but his nerdy little blue sweats and on nice days, I am often surprised to look outside and see that he's climbed out his office window onto the deck to enjoy the sun while on a phone call. But I do love having him around, and I miss him something fierce on days like today when he actually goes in to the office. I may have to fake labor and call him home early!

Speaking of which: we are so very excited about the nearing arrival of our little lady. She is due in just two days, which means that, come hell or high water, we'll meet her sometime in about the next two weeks! For the last few days I've had pretty continuous light contractions day and night, which I'm not sure is entirely normal, but which I love! It's so cool to feel my body working in new ways and I'm amazed at how miraculous this whole process has been. Fortunately I'm feeling great and trying to be productive while I can.

In the midst of all our projects and productivity however, Chace and I were grateful to take a little time off this weekend to focus on a very special event. Besides being a weekend of glorious holidays (Passover, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday), it was also General Conference weekend, when the leaders of our church, after months of fasting, prayer and careful preparation, share with us the things they feel we most need to know. We always anticipate this event because of the love we have for the leaders of the church and because we know that by following their counsel, we will lead happier, healthier lives and grow closer to our Savior and our Heavenly Father. We know this because we have put it to the test. By trying our best to follow the teachings of our leaders and prophets, we have found indescribable joy and peace in our lives and in our marriage. We know that the church was established and is now lead by men and women of God who receive inspiration on our behalf. Chace and I were especially appreciative of the many talks that addressed the importance of the family and sacred responsibility of parenting. We are so excited for this responsibility, and we're grateful that not only can our leaders receive inspiration for us as to how to live in this crazy world, but that when we are trying our best, we can receive direction for ourselves and our families straight from heaven.

I know that Jesus Christ lived, died, and lives again for me and for you. He knows us, and wants us to know Him. We can know Him and hear his voice through His prophets on the earth today, through the Bible and the Book of Mormon, and through the Holy Spirit. He is our brother, our perfect example, and our Savior. Because of Him, I can change each day and be better than the day before, and I can have peace, joy and direction in my life. I hope you found a moment to reflect on these things this past week. We are all so blessed. Happy Easter!

Happy Birthday Chace!!!

Precious angel from above,

Filling all our lives with love,

Born this day to us below

Twenty-seven years ago.

Happy birthday, Love. I'm so glad you were born.

Insomnia

I woke up before 4 this morning. Hungry. What's new!?

I like being awake early in the morning. It's a good time to think. The world is so quiet and the light outside is eerie against the snow. I like to hear my sweet boy breathing softly, occasionally snorting, beside me. I am so in love. A little critter wriggles in my belly. Yes. I am so in love.

My house smells funny, like someone else's furniture. Kind of like when you do your laundry at your in-laws'. I'd better wipe down those craigslist finds and see if I can't freshen things up a bit. What else do I have to do today?

-Work out--may or may not happen.
-Get homeowner's insurance--I think I've found the cheapest policy.
-Close out our IRAs and move everything to checking--we're about to be very poor!
-Meet my midwife for the first time--I'm so glad she took me on, even at 33 weeks. Did I just say 33 weeks?! Holy cabooses. I'm about to be a mom!
-Make dinner.
-Go to the temple with my sweetheart--once this little lady comes, it may be a while before I can go again. My burgeoning belly won't fit into my temple dress, but they say they can find something for me to wear!

I remember back to just about one year ago. Life was perfect. I was pregnant then, too. But I wasn't feeling so well. We were having dinner and a movie at Thomas and Melissa's when I realized I was miscarrying. I sat, crying, on one side of the bathroom door, Melissa, crying, on the other. Chace and I didn't make it to our temple shift the next day.

How long ago that seems. A lifetime ago. I'm sure the passage of time has dulled the pain of that episode, but even now as I think back on it, I remember the overwhelming feeling: "All is well." Unpleasant as it was, we were okay. Chace was an angel in every way, of course. And Melissa fed us well for days and days! And how relieved I was to be back in the temple the next week, the place where we learn who we are and why we're here and that there's a Master Sorter-Outer who knows me and what's going on in my life. Because of my experiences in that sacred place, I never had to wonder if it would all work out. I knew it would, somehow. Just like I knew it was no coincidence that we were with Thomas and Melissa that night--the closest thing to a brother and sister around--someone for me to cry with, someone to put a strong hand on Chace's shoulder. Just like I also knew it was no coincidence that we were allowed to be temple workers that semester, even though we couldn't commit to the usually-required 6 months. The temple presidency bent the rules for us, and I know that those 6 hours a week made all the difference.

Now, again, life is perfect. Not because I deserve it, and not even because it really is, but because I know there is a perfect Father and His perfect Son in charge of it all. And even when it's not perfect, it's okay. I'm trying. And He knows. And it all works out.

I can't wait for tonight!

Going out on a limb...

Okay, it's always dangerous to recommend movies, but I had never heard of this one and probably would never have come across it if not for the recommendation of my sister, so I feel rather obligated to share. Here goes:

Lars and the Real Girl. See it. Don't read about it first; the synopsis may throw you. Just get it and enjoy one of the sweetest, most tender yet subtle movies you'll ever see. We loved it. Let us know what you think!

It's official...

I now weigh as much as my husband. He insists that it's just extra muscle from carrying this girl around, but I know the truth. It's the nachos.

And I thought I was doing so well when, after coming home from our Christmas vacation 10 pounds the wiser, I lost 4 of those pounds within the week. Oh well. At least I'm not alone--Chace is the proud father of not one, but two babies: one human child, one jerky baby. I dread what that scale will say in two months when this baby is ready to evacuate. Heaven help me.

This week from Elder Pietr

2/1/2010

"I've left my abode in XinDian AnKang. I love that place. It was a ghetto little piece of city nestled in steep-cliff mountains covered with thick jungle. I saw MANY miracles there, to share a few:

Cui & I had an impression to go to a certain area of the city and contact people/knock doors. When we got there we came to a place where the small street we walked divided into 4 small lanes, we both felt to walk down a certain one, and the first door we knocked a small Taiwanese came out, she listened intently as we briefly shared about Heavenly Father and His restored gospel. She didn't really understand what we said (many of them really have no idea who Jesus Christ is, so His 'restored' gospel has even smaller import) but she felt the spirit and wanted the blessings we promised her family - she is doing great & LOVES church, she's progressing so fast.

One day Cui I were contacting in a park, and I saw an apartment building across the river and thought to go there and knock a bit. When we got there, we had several doors to choose from (each door leads into a complex of probably 50+ apartments.) We rang one of the 50 doorbells, and someone let us in without checking to see who we were- Cha Ching! We started knocking the complex without much luck, when we only had 5 minutes left. Cui said, "OK, just knock the ones that feel good, we only have a few minutes. "This door seems good." We knocked and met a college-aged girl, gave her a tract and welcomed her to church, expecting nothing of it. Next sunday she showed up!!! and started meeting with the sister missionaries. She will be baptized this month! It's a great feeling to be a sharp Rambo knife in the hand of the Lord. There were many more miracles. I will miss that place..."

Happy New Year!

Love, Baby (Girl) Wilcoxson

'Tis the season to...

GRADUATE!!!

I just got my official certificate of completion for my independent study class--my last class of my undergraduate career. Bittersweet moment (as you can see from my face.) Actually, mostly just pretty darn sweet! It was a close call. Two whole weeks of sweat and tears went into that blasted class, making me one sweaty, happy college graduate. Just one more thing to celebrate! Life is good.

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In other news, Chace will also be 'graduating' from Dow's Commercial Development Program next week, after which we will probably be graduating from from being Michiganders to being Chicagoans, and from apartment rentership to home ownership. Unfortunately, I will probably be graduating from my regular wardrobe to maternity clothing and, I'm certain, after several holiday feasts in the coming weeks, from the 150 lbs and under category! But I suppose it's all worth it for our graduation from childlessness to parenthood! We sure like this little lady already--even if she does wake up her mammy in the wee hours of the morning with her squirming...

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P.S. Little Cricket's mugshots to come. And for those who've requested belly pictures: don't worry-- there hasn't been much to see till recently. I'll see if I can bring myself to post a picture of my jolly self one of these days... no promises!