Meeting Kailee Jo

Everyone was excited to meet Kailee!

On the day Kailee was born, Hyrum wrote letters during school. I didn't realize that it was such a part of his thought process throughout the day or that he was so aware of his new role as an uncle.



Grandma and Grandpa Fullmer came to Rexburg and waited anxiously through the night for news of their first great-grandchild. They were thrilled to meet her the next morning.

This moment waited six and a half decades to happen and includes four generations of love and motherhood.

After a short morning break for a nap, the afternoon was a constant flow of visitors. When I asked Erika if she needed rest she responded in tired fondness for her baby girl, "I just want to show her off to everyone!"

Three days later, Kate and Kara came on their only unscheduled weekend knowing that Kailee would be over a month old before they would see her if they didn't make the quick trip now.

Derek met her the following weekend when he came for General Conference.

Kailee has had more snuggles and love than a girl could wish for. My tough young men melt into protective uncles with adoration and awe in their actions and voices.

Kailee Jo

Bret and Erika tried to fill in the long, wishful days of that last month of pregnancy with a fun maternity photo shoot. Daymia took some really great photos.

Kailee spent another month growing and growing.

Erika's facebook post: We found out we were expecting when I was 3 weeks and 5 days along. Now we only have 3 weeks and 5 days left! Starting to feel like a whale but it's well worth it. We can't wait to meet Kailee Jo!!

Erika continued to distract herself by making and selling car seat blanket inserts. She made enough money to buy her first sewing machine for many projects to come.

Those final days for Erika were painful, sleep deprived, tough, sweats and long bath days but she continued to wait patiently for her baby girl to arrive.

The morning of March 15, 2016 was very exciting!

Erika's Facebook post: This is us. Heading to the hospital. TO HAVE A BABY!!!!!!

I anxiously kept my phone close for text updates throughout the whole day. I sent encouragement, prayed, found myself holding my breath, prayed, cried, reminisced about the day Erika was born, prayed.

Pitocin

Contractions 20 seconds apart lasting 1 minute or longer

Painful hours passing

No progress

Epidural

Relaxing for both Erika and Bret

Boring hours passing

Dilating

Steady contractions

Then this text came in:

After a few follow-up texts, with the last one from her at 9:51 saying, "time to push, come now". I was immediately out the door trying so very hard not to speed down main street (or cry more anxious, excited tears) as I hurried as fast as I dared to the hospital. The next hour was intense! Kailee's heartbeat started dropping again like it did before the epidural. They started switching Erika from side to side during pushes, increased her oxygen, and increased the pitocin to encourage more frequent contractions to hopefully get Kailee here faster.  I saw Erika set aside every bit of her own pain in a focused determination doing everything in her power to do what was best for her baby girl.  

Erika was a hero! Bret was a champ!

In the last 15 hours I have watched my determined Erika Jo courageously push through labor and delivery to reach her goal, "I just want to hold my baby girl". I witnessed pure unconditional love as she comforted, encouraged, and praised her sweet Kailee Jo during the minutes and hours following birth, setting aside her own pain, discomfort and exhaustion as the divine mantle of motherhood encompassed her. Erika Jo, you are spectacular!

♥ Welcome to the world baby girl ♥

Kailee Jo meeting her mommy.

Admiring parents already in love.

While Erika and Kailee figured out nursing and had snuggle time, Bret fell into a deep sleep for a quick nap. He had been up for 21 hours at this point and was completely worn out.

Then Bret had one on one time for her first bath and they settled in for daddy snuggles while Erika had a few minutes of rest.

After a room transfer at 1:15 a.m. the Hellbusch family settled in for their first night together and I went home to relive the entire beautiful experience in my dreams.

Kailee Jo Hellbusch

March 15, 2016

11:33 p.m.

7lb 4oz

19.5" long

Provo Temple Open House

It began in 1882 with a groundbreaking ceremony for the Provo Tabernacle.

In 1886 General Conference was held there for the first time, even before it was completed, and in 1898 construction was complete and it was dedicated.

In 2010 a fire gutted the entire structure.

In 2011 President Monson announced that it would be rebuilt to stand as the Provo City Center Temple.

We were in awe at the construction process using stilts and the reinforcement of concrete on the entire inner structure. Overseeing the project was a stalwart Moroni.

In 2016 we followed the winding, crowded line for about 45 minutes with Rock, Paper, Scissors as our chosen distraction. We finally made it to the video room where we could watch a brief explanation of temples and the covenants made there with a focus on eternal families.

After 134 years, we were blessed to experience the beauty and craft first created by the pioneer saints as we toured the new Provo City Center Temple.

 So many aspects of the old tabernacle were found in the new temple. The woodworking, stain glass, archways, and designs were all preserved in memoriam.

A portion of the original podium was used in the new chapel podium, standing as one of the few pieces to survive the fire. Derek was overcome with reverential respect for those who had originally designed the wood craft. We were all impressed with the gorgeous staircases, the spectacular celestial room, and amazing murals in the ordinance rooms.

After the tour we paused for a photo.

Kara and I, realizing that we never have pictures of the two of us together,  made a point to make a photo memory of the occasion.

Once outside we took in the outer beauty of the grounds and Justin marked the day with his handstand signature.

The little boys wanted to toss coins into the "wishing fountain" with their wishes so LeRoy emptied his pocket to oblige. As I tossed my penny into the water I closed my eyes with a hope, wish and prayer that my children feel the love God has for them.

Valentine's Day

I had everything ready to go but I wasn't going to be able to run the strings around the house because I would be doing sharing time at church. Erika and Daymia offered to string up the house and boy did they ever!

They started each string at the mudroom/kitchen door. As we drove into the garage after church we were surprised to see strings criss-crossing around the garage. Those girls took the strings everywhere!! Bret had to follow his string through windows, around the house, through the garage and even through the snow. The girls were both surprised at how exhausting it is to string up our big home but how worth it when the smiles and laughing start.

Justin had asked me the day before if I would also do a treasure for Kayla. It's always fun to share our holiday traditions with others. The only one missing was Levi because he was at work.

Daymia and Levi made a gift bucket for each of us.

They had made each one with treats specific to our favorites, glued names on the buckets and attached a cute tag. I love seeing my adult children participating in the giving and making their own traditions,

I love these kids so much!

Justin's 17th Birthday

Justin was coaching three classes the evening of his birthday so after he went to work I secretly hung a poster by the front door so that all of his students could wish him a happy birthday.

Nathan, Hyrum and I blew up two packages of balloons and filled his car while he was still coaching. He shoved them all into the back seat and left them there for nearly 2 weeks. When he got home we had even more balloons, a delicious cake and gifts for him.

His favorite cake of all time, German Chocolate. Really, it's all about the frosting. I could have handed him a bowl of the frosting with a spoon stuck in it instead of a candle and he would have been just as happy.  He carefully blew out all but one candle . . . the girlfriend candle.

He was delighted with his very own animal cracker jar for his room, new socks and even a new sheet set for his bed.  I loved his reaction to each one, showing true gratitude without any complaint or expectation of more.  That made it even sweeter when we surprised him with a new memory foam mattress. He has had shoulder and hip pain from cheer, working out and coaching and I narrowed a big part of that down to his 19 year old bottom of the line mattress with coils sticking through it. When Bret walked into the family room with the mattress standing next to him, Justin walked over, hugged the mattress and let it free fall with him on top of it. It was such an adorable reaction. Then Erika tried it out and his only problem now will be keeping his pregnant sister out of his bed.

All of this talk of Justin graduating and choosing a university and taking the ACT and SAT sets me on the verge of tears. I do realize it's all over a year away but I also realize how fast it sneaks up on me with each kid. It seems that my buddy Justin started kindergarten just a few years ago.

The only time I cried when one of my kids started school was that first day that I took Justin to Kennedy Elementary. We had spent the last 2 years together while everyone else was in school. We shopped together, made fun lunches, took naps and walks, read stories and laughed. Leaving him at school left me all alone. I didn't have another child to go back home to. I treasure every day that my 11th grade son comes home for lunch or keeps me up until 1 a.m. talking. He is truly a gentleman and kind in every way. He still has lunch with me and we do laugh a lot. I really hope the next year at least feels like it goes by slowly so that I can soak up and memorize every day with him!

I came home late from a girl's night and found this note hanging in the doorway with a Hershey Kiss taped to it. That note directed me to the Valentine Mailbox that we had out to send love notes within the family for the month of February.

"I didn't really get to see you today so here's a "kiss" goodnight :D  - Love Justin
P.S. Don't forget to check the mailbox"

"Mom! I love everything you do for our family! I extra extra love your home cooked meals so I figured the least I could do was deep clean your beautiful kitchen :D  ♥ Justin"


Another time I came home from visiting teaching to find that I had missed him for lunch. Again, he left me a note . . . and a full heart and teary eyes.

"Well you weren't home when I got here for lunch so I didn't have the chance to hug you and say I love you so . . . love you! (hug)  - Justin"

Erika's Baby Shower

Decorations

It was a bit tricky figuring out how to make owls and a carriage out of diapers but they sure did make fun decorations once it all came together.

In keeping with our owl theme, Michelle made this adorable owl family for the baby's room.


Food

Guests

Gifts

Games

Daymia made an adorable banner and created some very fun games! Baby Jeopardy really quizzed us and taught us some interesting facts.


Goofing around after the party.

Hyrum is quite the ham!