Daddy's New Job, California, Released from YW

Mike got a new job! Four days after I had the baby, he went in to an interview with a friend of his that owns Liahona Academy, a residential treatment center for boys, and got the job. The next day (Friday) he started. It was crazy how fast it happened. He is working full time as a staff member and a math teacher. It was perfect timing with me being out on maternity leave so that I could be home while he gets adjusted to a new job. Luckily my mom was still here with me and helping with the baby transition so that was a bonus. 

Mike has decided he wants to continue his education and is applying for a MSW, Master's in Social Work, and get his LCSW so he can be a clinical therapist. He would be a very good therapist so I'm excited for him to do what he wants to do. Engineering is not his thing. Once he begins the program it's going to take a few years to complete, so we are about to start a whole new journey. I swear we are never boring around here! But I'm happy for him to begin!

I will continue to work full-time in Mammos and carry the insurance. I really enjoy my job so it's not a burden for me. But it has been so lovely to be able to be home with all my babies right now. I have 4 weeks left and am loving it (I'm also counting down the days to when I get to go back to work and talk to adults! I'm torn! Haha!)

Mike has been working more than 40 hours due to a need at the Academy and now he is currently in California with his brother Tyrel and Mark (Ty's brother-in-law) so we haven't seen much of him. I'm really starting to miss being around him. When we planned this trip for him 3 months ago it didn't seem like such a big deal since I wouldn't be working. But with the new job, it's rough! I've yelled quite a bit this past week and am getting stressed being home constantly. Just yesterday I had a bunch of little 6 and 7 year olds running around and being drama and driving me crazy that I finally lost it and said, "Get the hell out of my house! Go!" Uh oh. It was that moment I realized I need to chill. And it got me thinking about PPD and that I need to be careful not getting too blah.

I was released from YW President the Sunday before last. I was a super mix of emotions. When Bishop first told me they were going to release be by the end of the month, I was relieved, but then when I got home I panicked. I felt like I was giving up and that I could do better! I almost called him and said,"No! I will keep it and do more!" It was a tough battle for a while. But as soon as Megan Coons text me to let me know she was the new president, I immediately felt at peace. She is the perfect person right now! I know God has his hands in all we do and this was a small little blessing for me to remember. I am grateful He is watching over me and my family and has also called someone new to watch over these sweet young women I've been able to serve for almost 2 years. I know now that it's time for me to be home as much as possible with my little ones and decrease the stress here, which I also need to remember when I get super stressed about the house and messes all over! My job right now is to love my babies and be grateful they have a mother that loves them. I am excited to know what my new calling will be, but am not in a hurry! :) 

Receiving Revelation for our Family

These last five years or so have been a mix of all sorts of ups and downs. We've been able to experience super blah and wonderful moments. Probably in the middle of super blah that Mike and I decided we are not having any more children. It wasn't an awe-ha moment of inspiration, just DONE.  We gave everything we had away gladly.

I guess about a year ago, I went to the temple with Annie. Mike was in the process of deciding what he wanted to do for a living. I wanted Engineering for his/our future, he wasn't loving it. So I went with our future in mind and wanted to know what we should do and praying for him to know.  

I have a testimony of receiving revelation. I know Heavenly Father was speaking to me that day, without question. My answer was, "You should have a baby." What!? Awe, no I think He misunderstood me. I was asking about Mike, a career, and how in the world we were going to pay for our current family. Not adding to our family. It came again, "You should have a baby." 

It took me a few days to talk to Mike about it. I was so nervous. When I told him, he said he had felt the same way the last time he was at the temple. We both could not doubt that we had both received revelation for our family and it was clear. Knowing this, we still prayed and thought and prayed some more about whether or not we were going to go forward. It sounded like a crazy thing! Our income was not in a place to be having more children, I was turning 34 soon, and Aurora was about to be in 1st grade. All the more reason to celebrate!  After a couple months, we decided, YES! Let's have another baby! 

Now at this moment in our lives, I was working full-time as a Mammo Tech, MWF 12 hr shifts. Mike was cutting for the couple that had bought Wood Creations from us. He was also cutting things with the CNC machine and trying to start a business with that. We worked opposite shifts so we could take care of our kids. Our ward had just split and I was called as the YW President, Mike was called as the 2nd Counselor in YM Presidency. And the kids still had soccer, gymnastics, piano lessons, church activities, after school activities, you name it. It was not the most convenient time.

Now right before I was called as president, we did get pregnant!! I was freaking out and ecstatic! Mike and I both. It was then that I knew we were doing the right thing. I went to my parent's house that next weekend. I remember sitting in Annalee's chapel for sacrament meeting and needed to go to the bathroom. I had started bleeding a lot. Dang. Lost the baby. It was a rough but also special sacrament meeting as I sat there thinking about this baby I didn't want, but now wanted, and just held my three babies I have. I was a sad and tender moment. We all went straight to Anna's house after and my Dad and Cory gave me a blessing. It was beautiful and I just sobbed. It's amazing how we go through trials and heartache. All I wanted was a little tiny baby. 

It was a few more months after that, we got pregnant again. And oh my was I a nervous wreck for the first 18 weeks! I'm sure Mike wanted to strangle me. (I'm so glad he loves me!)

Our Little Man at the Hospital

Atlas Tyrel Goodman

Having a baby in my mid 30's was very different than in my early 20's. I was so dang tired. I got varicose veins in places I didn't even know I could get, I took naps every day (even at work), and it was the first time I've been pregnant and worked full-time. Anyways, after all the not fun stuff, I loved feeling my sweet boy inside my tummy. I fell in love with him from the beginning.

At 35 weeks the OB checked me and I was already at 3cm and 70% effaced. I was still able to go to the Goodman family reunion up in Midway. When he checked me again when we got back I was a little more progressed, so the OB got it in my head that I would be having a baby any day. Nope. At 37 week he stripped my membranes and said it should be in the next 24 hours, nothing.

So every day came and left with no baby. Saturday the 13th, Mike and I decided I wasn't having a baby any time soon so we went on a RAZR ride south of River Rd. We had a wonderful time together. I'm so happy we did (even though it was probably a bad idea!). We drove out to the center of a rain and lightning storm. It was beautiful and felt amazing from the 110 degrees at home. We chatted and listened to Podcasts and just had a peaceful time together. We ended up driving 50 miles!

We got home, I showered and got all cleaned up, and within a few hours, I started getting my first painful contraction! It was weird because it was in my left lower back. I had been anxious for this moment and was so ready for this little one to come, but as soon as I knew it was beginning, I panicked and changed my mind! I was scared.

Mike and I sat down to watch a show and start counting the contractions. After an hour, I couldn't stand the pain so we took the dog on a walk. We only went around the small block and it was too painful. It was time to go to the hospital!

We called Annie and she met us on the way and we dropped Tragon and our kids off to her and went to the hospital. As soon as I was walking into the hospital, the awful pain I was feeling in my back went away. Of course! So they got me into triage and hooked me up. We could see contractions coming every 5 minutes, but they weren't painful any more so I was sure I was about to do the walk of shame and go home. We had showed up at 9pm. By 10:30pm the nurse checked me again before sending me home per the OB. I went from 4+cm to 5.5cm. As she checked me she did her magic and made me dilate even more. Then the baby's heart rate tanked. It took a good minute of me rotating back and forth to get it back up. She said because of the heart rate, it won us a ticket to getting checked in. We were having a baby!

I went to the my room and right before I got all hooked up again, the back pain came back and I almost barfed, so I got my epidural quick, and waited. When midnight came, I was officially 38 weeks. I had to go at least 4 hours because I was Group B Strep positive. Blah. At 5am they broke my water and at 7am I started really feeling like I needed to poo! I knew he was close.

While they waited for Dr Brown to come in, the nurses had me ready to push. I pushed a few times and nothing was happening except fluid gushing out every so often. I was feeling like a failure pushing because it was doing nada! That's when the nurse realized that Atlas was coming out sideways and stuck.

My epidural had started to wear off and I was in pain! And so exhausted! The pain was coming, but the meds made me barely function. It was getting intense. At one point during the delivery, Dr Brown had both hands inside me and shifted the baby's head down. OUCH!! After a couple more times unsuccessfully pushing, the doctor had to get the vacuum and suction him out. He finally came!! It must have been why he took weeks to come, he was stuck!

The best part of it all, Mike didn't get lightheaded or faint! Woohoo! I was so impressed Mikey!

7lb 10oz
20.5in
July 14, 2019 @7:41am

Our New House!!

We are building a house! We started this whole process back in February. They started the construction on the house April 20, and it will be finished July 6th! It has been an exciting and long four and a half months. We will still be considered living in St George, but it's the southern most part of it. We are a half mile from the Arizona border and 2 miles from the St George Airport. It's pretty much going to take us 15-20 minutes to get us to everything we need now. I'm bummed we won't be right down the street from our store, but I'm excited to live out in the middle of nowhere in peace and quiet. So far it's the only subdivision out here off Southern Parkway.

Our home is in Desert Canyons and the house is an Edward. It has 4 bedrooms (3 up, master suite down), 2.5 baths, 3 car garage, and a small yard right on the corner. I loved getting to pick out the colors and extra features. We didn't do a bunch of cosmetic upgrades. Eventually we'll do more with it. Either way, it's almost ours and I'm so excited! Four more days.

My wonderful friend Cyndi came out to check it out with us and her daughter Aaliyah.

Nana's Family Reunion in our Camper Van

Here are some lovely/some not so lovely pictures of our fun adventures on the family reunion. Of course Lincoln threw up, all over. I swear that cute little guy can't go anywhere without getting sick. Poor boy. He did really good trying to get it OUTSIDE the van. My wonderful sister Anna helped me clean it up. But dang we are in love with our Camper Van. It was perfect.

Grandpa took us on a "walk" that ended up being 2 miles. Hahaha! No water with us. The kids were so tired by the time we made it back, but dang was it worth it. It was so beautiful to see out off the mountain and for my kids to get out in nature. The kids then rode horses and loved it. I would have loved it too if McCoy hadn't stepped on my foot. Blah. (I'm scared of horses!) 

We pretty much just sat around chatting. The kids run and playing and climbed trees. Aurora was in doggie heaven with all the dogs surrounding her. She loved on every single one of them. Other than Lincoln getting sick and barfed a bunch of times, it was a fabulous weekend. And I was so happy to be with my babies again; I was just in heaven. (I guess it would have been heaven with Mike too.)

On the way home I pulled over and we checked out the beautiful waterfall in Ogden Canyon. I've always loved that waterfall, especially when it's all frozen and crystalized in the winter time. I let the kids eat at McDonalds for quite a while. We used their digital ordering for the first time and they were so excited to get baby Beany Boo's with the kids meal. The drive home was nice and peaceful. I rented 2 movies for them to watch on the way home. It was awesome. 

The best part of it all was Mike and his parents got home 30 minutes after us. I could have hugged him forever. I missed him so much. I'm so happy my family is back together again and we get to be together FOREVER!!