Announcing JACOB LINN MONDAY

On Thursday, June 25, 2009, Michael and I checked into the hospital in Bluffton, Ohio, to bring our new baby into the world. We were very excited. As mentioned before, the boys were convinced they were having a sister named Tickle, and although they hadn't convinced us of the name, Michael and I were more sure it was a girl than a boy. We were very excited about my doctor and about delivering a baby in a small hospital like Bluffton. Margie Woodruff, a close friend of ours from church and a nurse there, and our friend Laura Talbot had told us how friendly, caring, and wonderful Bluffton is, so we were excited. Within a couple hours, I was prepped for the c-section and ready to deliver my new baby, or nude baby, as Thobe calls him.

When we got in the operating room, the nurses and anesthesiologist got me ready for the cutting. It was fun having Margie Woodruff there, who I knew would be very thorough and caring. When the surgery began, Michael watched eagerly, and my doctor, Dr. Robert Schutz, soon invited Michael to step on the other side of the curtain to watch the surgery head on. No other doctor ever gave Michael that opportunity, so he was thrilled. Dr. Schutz explained everything that he was doing, and Michael kept saying, "That's so cool! Wow! That's amazing!"

Soon I heard Michael say, "Oh, there's the head!" and then I heard a little cry. I don't know what it is about giving birth that feels my soul with wonder, peace, and a great deal of love. It is perhaps the most spiritual experience I've ever felt. I am convinced that spirits on the other side of the veil are there in that small room to witness that sacred event. I felt an outpouring of God's love for me and for that baby as soon as I heard him cry. Of course my first question was, "Is it a boy or a girl?" When they announced that it was a boy, I was so happy. I worried before Jacob was born that if I found it that it was a boy that I might be disappointed, but I can honestly say that I was just so happy and couldn't wait to see him. Dr. Schutz raised him above the curtain for me to see, and my heart ached to touch him and hug him. The love I felt for him was overwhelming as I shed tears of pure joy.
Soon the nurses took the baby and began weighing him, getting his Apgar scores, and cleaning him up while Dr. Schutz began putting me back together. Jacob weighed 8 lbs. 3 oz. and is 21 inches long. He's got a lot of dark hair and is so incredibly cute. Shortly after Jacob's birth, my entire body began to ache and hurt terribly. The doctor thought that I must have got some air stuck in my back that made my entire body hurt, but it was miserable! The anesthesiologist suggested that he sedate me, but I insisted that he wait until I was able to see the baby.
Despite being in a lot of pain, I was so excited to see my baby. Michael and I decided a few weeks before the baby was born that if the baby was a girl we would name her Joanna Linn (Joanna after my great, great grandmother who walked across the United States sharing a pair of shoes with her sister and then displayed an amazing amount of faith and courage throughout her life, and Linn, which is Michael's great grandmother's maiden name from his Grandma Monday). We were very unsure about a boy's name though. On our way to the hospital, we decided that if the baby was a boy that we would likely name him Jacob Linn (Jacob Micah Truman is my great, great, great pioneer grandfather who was the first resident of Enterprise--the town where I grew up and Linn was explained previously). We figured we'd wait until we saw the baby to make the final decision. It was really neat when we saw him. He looked like a Jacob, and we knew that should be his name. I still can't quite figure out who he looks like. I see some of each of the boys in him, so maybe he's just a cross between the three of them to make him our little Jacob.
So after I saw the baby, the anesthesiologist sedated me, and I woke up just as my kids were arriving in my room. Because of the sedation, I was really, really tired for the next day or two, but I was still so excited to have all my family there and to have each of the kids see their new little brother.
Alden was ecstatic to see Jacob. He wanted to hold him and cuddle him and love him as much as we'd let him. He kept saying, "He's so cute, Mom. I love him so much." Anything that anyone does with the baby, he wants to be a part of. He loves doing whatever he can to help and has been especially curious about the whole operation of getting him out of me. He asked if he could see the cuts. When I told him that they look gross, he said, "I'll just plug my nose when I look at them." What a silly goose!
Thobe has also been very sweet with his "nude baby." He really loves to hold him and has been very interested in giving him kisses. He is the least involved of the kids, but he still loves Jacob very much. He often asks where Jacob is and is also very helpful. He tells me over and over that he loves his dad, mom and brothers very much.
I must admit that I was nervous about Hyrum and the baby, but he has been incredible. Michael is really good about going the extra mile with the boys when a new baby is born, which I think has been a huge thing for Hyrum. He is enanamored with Jacob. He always wants to hold him and kiss him and love him. Today he even helped me change his diaper. I pulled the swing out of the storage room today, and Hyrum immediately wanted to put Jacob in it. It has an ocean sound, and he kept saying to Jacob, "You like it? You like the ocean? You like the swing?" He's so sweet, and I'm so happy that he loves his new brother so much.
My mom and sister Emily came out the day before Jacob was born, and I honestly don't know what we'd do without them. My mom got an inner ear infection just before she came, so she hasn't felt terrific, but just like my mom always does, she has done probably more than she should. The boys have loved having their grandma and aunt here. Hyrum was so happy when he saw my mom. He immediately ran to her and gave her a big hug and said, "I love Grandma." The only thing he hasn't been able to figure out is where his grandpa is. They have done so much to help, probably more than I even know about. I really am thankful for their sacrifice to come here and all their service to me and my family. Emily has cooked a gormet meal every time she goes into the kitchen. She unfortunately leaves tomorrow--we're really, really going to miss her. Mom is staying for another couple weeks, which I'm extremely thankful for!!!!

Michael and I feel so fortunate to be parents. What an incredible blessing it is to have a baby in our home that has so recently been in our Heavenly Father's presence. I often wonder what mission God has in store for our little Jacob and sometimes feel overwhelmed at the task of raising him. I'm so grateful for the knowledge I have that God has a plan for each of us and that if Michael and I work to raise our children with God's guidance and help that He will help us help Jacob reach his potential and that we can be together throughout this life and into the eternities if we live as God wants us to do. I'm so grateful for the knowledge that I have that families can be together forever.


I stayed in the hospital until Sunday. Each day I anxiously awaited the arrival of my family. I loved getting a big hug from each of my boys and seeing the boys interact with their little brother. I also looked forward to a big hug from Michael and visiting with him and my mom and sister. While I was there the nurses and doctors took such good care of me and Jacob. After Friday, Jacob and I were the only patients in the entire maternity ward, so any request that we had was immediately granted. The nurses took time to visit with me, and they even made me a delicious milk shake every night. The hospital food was made to order and was also very good (I've never said that about hospital food). In addition to having Dr. Schutz who is the most personable and kind doctor I've ever had visit me daily, I had a great lactation consultant, and Jacob's on-call doctor was our Bishop from church. It was fun seeing him each day. Hyrum was especially excited the first day that he came in. When he walked in the door, Hyrum ran up to him and said, "Ship-ec," which sounded like "Ship Wreck." Bishop Woodruff, or Dr. Woodruff, got such a kick out of that and told Hyrum, "You have no idea how closely that describes how my day has been." We all got a good laugh out of that. I was excited about having the baby in Bluffton, but I really had no idea how wonderful it would be. The facility was exceptionally nice, and the staff was even nicer. If we do decide to do this again, I'll definitely do it in Bluffton and would encourage anyone else having a baby to do the same. Michael said that even if we move to Alaska, that if we decide to have another baby that we'll come back to Bluffton to do it. It was an incredible experience (my only complaint is that we couldn't get Michael's computer to work, so I couldn't update my blog until today).
While we were in the hospital, we also had a few visitors. We had the Alemans come and see us as well as some of the Woodruff family. We also had Michael's parents come and visit us. It was so fun to have them there. They enjoyed meeting Jacob, and the boys especially enjoyed when they took them to McDonald's playland for a midafternoon dinner and playing. Michael, my mom, and I got a nap while Emily read. It was a good thing for everyone, as Michael said. Michael's mom, Grandma, and Kathy Beavers-Deck also got us a very, very nice new car seat for Jacob. My other baby car seat expired--urggg.
The best part of the last few days is having our new little Jacob. He is such an alert, pleasant, and sweet baby. It's amazing to me that at four days old that the sound of my voice can settle him down. When he wakes up, he looks around for me. I feel like he's been part of our family forever. I love him so much and am so grateful for him. He loves to snuggle and be wrapped up tight in a blanket. He hates dirty pants and is an incredible nurser. I hope that I will take the time to treasure every day because babies get big so fast! I love my new little Jacob and am so incrediblely grateful that God sent him to our family. On my last doctor's appointment before Jacob was born, I was talking to Dr. Schutz's nurse and sister, Patty, who had four boys and then two girls. She told me that when she was expecting her 4th baby that she took her three little boys to Meijer, and the cashier said, "Well, I sure hope you've got a little girl in there." Patty told me that she agreed with the cashier, but she then said, "But in retrospect, I'm so glad that God chooses, and that he chose that boy to come to my family. I probably would have chosen a girl, but my fourth son is such a blessing in my life." I feel the exact same way. I would have likely chosen a girl, if I had had the choice, but I'm so glad that I didn't. I know that Jacob is supposed to be a part of our family, and I'm so grateful for that. I love him so much and am so grateful that God picked him to come to us. I hope I can teach him all he needs to know to grow to be the man that God wants him to be. This pregnancy was not easy, but as I look as my new little baby boy, every ache, every pain, every emotionally tramatic moment was so, so worth it. It strengthens my testimony that God lives and loves us more than we'll ever know.