Baby Contraptions - June 2008

If you are an active couple like Neil and I, the first thing you need to purchase when you have a baby is a baby back pack to allow you to go hiking in places like Torrey Pines State Beach.  

Then you need a blanket to swaddle your baby.  As it tells you in the book "The Happiest Baby on the Block", a baby needs to feel like it is still in the womb for the first 3 months of life.  We liked the velcro baby swaddlers the best.  Yes she looks uncomfortable, but she only would wake up once a night and she slept well.  She started sleeping through the night at about 3 months, to the great relief of her sleep-deprived parents.

Elaina Grows - May 2008

Elaina was described as very alert.  She held her head up well at a very young age.  She kept us up late, as you can see in the picture of Neil trying to comfort her late at night.  She is in her car seat at 5 days old.  Next you see her in her jumper at about 3 weeks old.

Elaina Carter Is Born, May 9, 2008

The big day was finally here! My water broke at noon on Thursday, May 8.  I didn't go into labor until 1:00 am on Friday morning, May 9.  I experienced strong contractions for 2 hours and then I got an epidural.  It feels like your mouth does after you go to the dentist, except it isn't your jaw that feels it, but your legs.  I couldn't move my legs.  Neil had to move them for me.  I pushed for 2 hours and then Doctor O'Hara came in and suctioned the baby out.  I have a prominent tailbone.  I'm sure that is why my tailbone hurt during pregnancy.  He delivered the baby, the placenta, and had me sewed me up in 12 minutes.  I kept thinking, why couldn't he have done that sooner!

We decided to name our baby Elaina Evelyn Carter.  Evelyn was Neil's mom's middle name, and Elaina was the only name that both of us could sort of agree on.  Elaina got a 9 on her ABGAR test, which means she was really healthy.  Unfortunately nursing didn't go so well and Elaina lost weight the first couple of days.  This brought on jaundice so she got ultra violet light therapy.  She looked like a baby superhero with her ultraviolet goggles.  Fortunately, she is fine today.

Our 2nd Honeymoon to Carmel and Cambria, April 2008

A month before the baby came, we took a trip to my 2nd choice for a honeymoon, Carmel and Cambria on the California coast, south of the Bay area.  Cambria was beautiful.  I loved the boardwalk along the beach and we got to watch kayakers and surfers face the surf in the morning.

We did a tour of Hearst Castle, which is always fun to visit.  If I could have my dream date it would be swimming in this pool.

Here is a picture of me and Neil with Mc Way Falls in the background at in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park.  It is one of the only waterfalls that goes straight into the ocean.  

Carmel is gorgeous.  I would have been happy going there on a honeymoon.  We stopped at the Pebble beach golf course to have bottle of Perrier.  It was one of the most beautiful views I have ever seen.

Point Lobos State Park is on the southern side of the bay of Carmel.  It has beautiful hiking trails with stunning ocean views.  I especially liked Emerald Cove.

Remodeling the kitchen, March 2008

We ended up selling Neil's condo and moving back into my house on Cesped Drive in Tierrasanta.  We decided to remodel the kitchen when we moved back.  Instead of remodeling right before we sold the house we decided to put some of the money from the sale of the Westview Parkway house into our kitchen.  I found painting to be quite challenging, being 8 months pregnant.  The kitchen looks beautiful with granite counter tops and a marble back splash.  We could not decide on what color to paint the kitchen so we tried several color samples before finally settling on yellow.

Santa Barbara by Train, February 2008

We went to Santa Barbara by train for a 3 day weekend.  We figured we wouldn't have many opportunities to travel with just the 2 of us after the baby came.  Elaina had been in my tummy over 6 months by now.  Here you see a picture of Neil in front of city hall and me in front of the local LDS church building.  We were fortunate to run into an LDS couple at our bed and breakfast who gave us a ride to the church and the train station.

New Years Eve 2008

My friend Anna, Brian (Neil's old roommate), Neil, and I walked the parade route in Pasadena, CA on New Year's Eve.  I was 5 months pregnant.  We stayed up till 3 am.  We slept in chairs and slept through some of the Rose Parade the next day.

We also went driving through La Canada and saw the house that I grew up in.  I now affectionately call it the "Cow House" due to the fact the new owners, who own a dairy business, have statues of cows in the front yard.  

Christmas in California, December 2007

Paul and Lisa go to her parents' house in Wyoming, so we come back to California for Christmas with my parents, my sister Kelly, and my brother Kendall.  Here we are at my parents' house on Christmas Eve and my brother's house Christmas Day.

Christmas in Utah, December 2007

We went to Utah the week before Christmas to see Neil's brother Paul and sister Leslie.  We also visited my grandfather in Springville.  It feels more like Christmas there because it is a white Christmas.  We also got to visit my old mission temple, the famous Salt Lake Temple. 

Christmas in Las Vegas, December 2007

To celebrate our 6 month anniversary, we stopped in Las Vegas and stayed at the Bellagio hotel.  They gave us a room with a view of the fountains to help us celebrate.  Here you see us at Caesar's Palace.  The penguins are part of the Bellagio Christmas display.

Thanksgiving in Mississippi and Pensacola Florida, Nov. 2007

We had Thanksgiving dinner at my sister Liz's house near Biloxi, Mississippi and went for a walk along the Gulf of Mexico.  Later we went to visit my brother Matt in Pensacola, FL.  My niece Katie Ricks looks cute in pink.  My nephew Marcus is in blue, my niece Dana is blond and my nephew Bryce has on a yellow coat.

New Orleans, November 2007

We visited New Orleans on our way to visit my sister Elizabeth in Mississippi.  It was rather calm, but maybe that is because it was right before Thanksgiving.  There were still interesting fortune tellers out in beautiful Jackson Square.

Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point), November 2007

Puerto Penasco is on the opposite side of the Sea of Cortez from San Felipe.  It is the nearest beach for the people in Arizona.  There are a lot of resorts there and we stayed at one of them.  

We happened to come during a Harley convention.  I finally got my wish of walking along the beach and crashing different resort swimming pools.  We only made it to one but that was enough.

The Renaissance Faire, November 2007

This was our 2nd time at the Renaissance Faire in Escondido, CA.   My niece Jessica and I are trying on medieval clothes.

In the other picture, my nieces Haylee and Rachel enjoyed petting the big horse.

San Felipe, Mexico Trip, September 2007

We went to San Felipe, Mexico with my friend Anna.  I had not been there for many years.  Anna was teaching in Mexicali on a Fulbright exchange.  I remember the tide coming in and out when I came here as a little girl.  Anna and I are eating Fish tacos and drinking Sangria soda.  My husband Neil and I are standing where the water once was.  It was fun to look at the blow holes of clams in the sand.

Zion Trip with the Jamesons and Carters, September 2007

The Jamesons (my sister Kelly's family) and the Carters (us) met at 

Zion National Park in Utah for Labor Day weekend.  We went on a hike above weeping rock.
My niece Jessica is showing us the cut in the rock trail.  Jessica, Pamela, and Neil's nieces Lauren, and Maddie are showing off the cut in the sand stone stairs.  We discussed names for our future babies around the campfire on this trip.  Unbeknownst to me, I was already one month pregnant.

Mammoth Trip, July 2007

Most years, the Ricks family does a reunion trip to Mammoth, California, but this was the first year that Neil got to go with us.  This is Horseshoe Lake.  Many of the trees have died around there due to the fumes from the volcano.  Neil, Pamela, and Rachel.

There is a hike to Lake McLeod right above Horseshoe Lake.  My niece Rachel and I walked along it.