Party Time!

PARTY!

I'm a little behind on the blogging (again), but I wanted to send out this invite to everyone before it got too last minute. My mom is throwing a going away party at her house in Gilbert on June 29th (the night before we fly out and the week Lisa, my sister, and her husband move to Ohio for law school). It's going to start at 6:00 pm. There will be food and swimming and games. There will be plenty of hamburgers with all the fixings (if you want something else, feel free to bring it and throw it on the grill!) - just bring a side or dessert to share!

If you will be able to make it, leave a comment so I can let my mom know how many more to plan on, although she tends to make more than enough food anyways! So if you can't commit but find you can make it when Monday rolls around, COME! I'd love to see you! If you need directions, let me know in your comment and I'll get them to you!

5 Years!

I can't believe it's been 5 years tomorrow (Friday)! Mike and I got married on a VERY warm (110 degree) day in the Arizona temple. I am so blessed to have this wonderful man in my life. Here are the top 10 things I have loved about being married to Mike for the past 5 years:

10. I don't have to kill bugs! Mike is my designated bug killer, as well as "what was that sound" checker.

9. He has a slightly unhealthy need for competition and contention. Mike is definitely a cheater when it comes to games, which you would think would be a bad thing, but it makes the game interesting. He's also a bad loser, which makes it really funny to beat him at games. Lindsey O. and Liz B., as well as the rest of my family, can attest to this. Most games become "make Mike lose" games.

8. He's a die-hard BYU sports fan. I have always enjoyed sports, but there's a whole new element when you're OBSESSED with a sport, or in this case a sports team. Our ward here has definitely been split BYU-Utah, which has led to some fun and funny, yet friendly, competitions.

7. Mike is a great cook... when he makes certain dishes. I admit, Mike is an over-seasoner, so if he doesn't have a recipe, he tends to overdo it sometimes, and cookies are just not his forte; but, Mike does make some really good dishes. My favorites are his gung-pow chicken, pepper steak, and his barbeque recipes. Yum!

6. Mike is a bit OCD when it comes to projects. His recents ones include organizing all the music on the computer (correct title, artist, genre, and in the case of his Estonian music, lyrics) and converting his old cassette tapes into mp3s. He also gets obsessive when he starts to clean. Granted, this has not been a constant thing over the past 5 years, but when it happens he can physically not stop until the area he's cleaning is spotless. While this can be annoying when there are other things that need to be done, I have to admit that I love being able to find any picture or piece of music I want at any time.

5. He's always willing to learn a new skill. He's learned to do minor car repairs, build shelves in my closets, and lay sprinklers in our backyard. He works hard at researching what he needs to do and then jumps into it.

4. He's cheap! Mike is really good about eating leftovers, saving everything, and not spending money on unnecessary things. Of course, there are those splurge moments, but in general I don't have to worry about Mike using money we don't have or should not spend.

3. Mike is a hard worker. I am so lucky to have a husband who works hard to support our family so that I can stay at home with my babies. As I've been working a little more over the past couple months, I've realized how much of a blessing that truly is.

2. He makes really cute babies with me! Amy is definitely "mini-Mike" and Matthew has some great features from him too. Let's face it, I think my husband is hot and makes cute clones.

1. I get to spend every day with my best friend! I love you, Mike, and look forward to the rest of eternity with you!

Ohio!

Yes, it's official. The AZ Laudies will soon be the OH Laudies. Mike has accepted a position with Applied Signal Technologies in Fairborn, Ohio (right outside Dayton). He will start work on June 15th (yeah, that's in a week and a half), and Amy, Matthew and I will follow him out a couple of weeks later. While we really wanted to stay here in Arizona, there were just no job opportunities here at this time, so as we started to look elsewhere there seemed to be a number of opportunities. We never really imagined ourselves as Ohio people, but I guess it's just a new adventure!

Personally, I'm nervous and excited about the move. I'm nervous for the unknown area, new ward, new house, and all that goes with the move. I'm also very excited for this new chapter in our lives and the chance to explore a new part of the country. We are very sad to leave friends and family in Arizona (especially my family that we have been spoiled to live so close to for the past 4 years!). I will miss Arizona, although Mike can't contain his excitement for snow. Ultimately, we feel this is the right move for our family and will embrace Elder Wirthlin's recent talk and say "Come What May and Love It!"

The Baby Story

For posterity's sake, here is the tale of the birth of Matthew Richard Laudie:

The story actually begins in Kansas, where my sister, Calli, was supposed to have a baby on May 20th (scheduled C-section). My mom had tickets to fly out and help Calli with her other two kids and told me I was NOT to have my baby until she got back to take care of Amy. My doctor is very pro-induction, so any time two weeks prior to the due date, as long as the baby is doing well, he gives me the option. My mom was going to be back on the 31st, so I was given the green light as of that date to have my baby.

Well, Calli messed with Mom's plans by going into labor on May 5th. Mom flew out there that day and so she got back on the 19th! Woo hoo for me! I was ready to have this baby. I don't remember being this uncomfortable with Amy, but maybe it's just memory block. So, at my 38 week appointment, my doctor asked me if I was ready to have a baby. Yes! He said he'd put my on the list of inductions on Monday (Memorial Day) to come in that night and have the baby the next morning. So we had a very nice holiday. We spent the morning doing some last minute cleaning. Mike went golfing with Richard, and Lindsey Owen and I went and got pedicures. Then we went with the Owens over to my mom's house for swimming and dinner, just waiting for the call to come. We stayed until a little after 9, having called the hospital and confirming I was indeed on the list and that I was next on the list. They couldn't give me a time frame, but it sounded pretty likely that it would be that night.

We left Amy there when we left because even though they had not called me yet, I would probably be going in the next day if not that night. We got home around 10:30, got ready for bed, and were in bed for about 5-10 minutes when FINALLY the phone rang. I said "FINALLY!" and Mike groaned a little (he was really tired at this point and was kind of looking forward to just going to bed). We headed out the door and got to the hospital right before midnight. We got registered and headed up to labor and delivery.

After all the pre-delivery questions, getting an I.V., and getting settled into the room, the nurse said I had progressed to a 4 (which is amazing since 4 days earlier I was at maybe a 1!). So we got to skip the gels this time around and start right into the pitocin. I got my epidural within an hour of starting that and then Mike and I went to sleep for a couple hours. Note to Mike: Next time, where warmer clothes! Those rooms are always freezing! I was numb from the waist down, so I couldn't feel it.

We woke up the next morning around 6:30, just as my night nurse (I had fantastic labor and delivery nurses this time around! They were just great!) was about to leave. When the new nurse came in, she watched the baby's heart rate through a couple contractions and noticed it was dropping a bit with each contraction, but recovering fully between contractions. After about an hour of this, she put an internal monitor on him to make sure she was tracking only his heart rate, and we spent the next two hours watching his heart rate drop with contractions. I continued to progress, and when it got to the point that I would be ready to push, the nurse said she wanted the doctor to be there because if the baby goes into distress while I'm pushing they may need to do a C-section. Yikes! She said she didn't think it would come to that, but she wanted to be safe.

Doctor McKernan came in and I pushed for about 10 minutes. The cord had been around the baby's neck and so when the contractions were tightening around him, his heart rate would drop. After 10 minutes of pushing, the doctor was able to get a hold of him with the suction cup and pull him out. And he was beautiful! He was a perfect little 8 lb. baby and I am SO grateful for modern medicine and competent nurses and knowlegable doctors who are able to take a potentially dangerous circumstance and make it turn out perfectly.

We have really loved having Matthew home with us. Amy is constantly by his side, rubbing his heard or holding his hand. She literally fell asleep on the couch the other day, and as soon as she woke up she stumbled over to his bouncer, still half asleep, and sat in "her spot" next to him. She is constantly asking to hold him and help get him things. I always told Mike that Amy and I do so well together that I couldn't imagine having another one. I just couldn't imagine sharing my love two ways, but now I can't imagine not having him. He's my perfect little man that I get to selfishly enjoy more than anyone else (the bonus of being the one with the food!). I love to cuddle with him and have him lay on me as I read or watch tv.

So there you have it! Sorry there are no pictures (gross!) to go with this post, but I think it's a good choice.

My Work and Glory

From Mike: So I'm not looking to make a habit of posting here, but while we have traffic from blog stalkers checking out our new little man, I wanted to share this video clip I recently put together.

This is from an old 70's documentary called Powers of Ten (for those of you who might recognize it from High School Physics class), and I've sped up the footage, dubbed music over the narrator, and added scriptures at the end. I've named the clip My Work and Glory for obvious reasons once you've watched it through and read the scriptures.

Every time I watch this, my heart is touched because it so directly reflects my personal testimony of our Heavenly Father's plan for us. His creations are so vast and incomprehensible that all I can do is stand in amazement and exclaim How Great Thou Art! And yet, despite his countless creations and our relative nothingness, I know that we are everything to Him. He sent His son so we might reach our full potential, so we might become even as He is. Of all God's creations, we--you and I--are His greatest, and He will give us every opportunity to achieve eternal life.




As a new father all over again, I can't help but reflect on what I wouldn't do for my two children, what I wouldn't give to see them protected and able to realize their greatest dreams. And if I then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto my children, how much more shall our Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? How lucky we are to have a loving Heavenly Father who cares so much about us and will give us eternal life, the greatest of all gifts, as we embrace His son and obey His few, simple commandments.

More Baby Matthew Pictures!

We have had a really nice couple of days here at home. Amy is still staying at my mom's house, so our family is incomplete. It almost feels like we've rewound 2 1/2 years and it's just me, Mike, and Amy all over again. So yes, Mom, you will have to return her at some point so that she can get to know her little brother better!
I'll post more details later, but here are some more pictures of our now 3 day old baby! Enjoy!

What a happy big sister!

Lisa came to visit! She wants it noted that her hair was curly that morning and she came from work!

Matthew and Papa and Amy. Amy thinks he's SO soft. She kept rubbing her face on his.

Ready to come home!

The proud Daddy!

Dressed and on the way to the doctor's office for our first office visit!

It's a Boy!

Happy Birthday Matthew!

So this is the official announcement of our little guy, who showed up Tuesday morning. Mother and baby are both doing wonderfully, and we are thrilled to finally see him. So a quick rundown: (without all the motherly details of the delivery Mom Laudie has been pressing for having experienced almost every conceivable birthing scenario with her 11 deliveries -- when she finally got Lindsey on the phone, there was more than one occasion for her to say, "Michael didn't tell me that! Why in the world wouldn't he have told me that they didn't start you out on the gels first?!?" Any other Mom Laudie's out there will have to call Lindsey for the gory details [623-848-1443]... I'll spare the rest of you...)

The Name: Matthew Richard Laudie
      Why Matthew? We like the name. The fact that it has family significance on my side is mainly a formality and an excuse for us to use a name we like. The significance? Matthew William Dalton, my great-great-grandfather was the pioneer member of the church on that line... my understanding was that he was passing through Salt Lake during the gold-rush era and never made it on to California... The fact that he was a polygamist? That just means our Matthew's gonna be a handful when he turns 16!
      Why Richard? That's my middle name. Given Lindsey's family history of producing girls, this may be my one opportunity to pass along my name in some form or other, so I get to pass along not only my middle name but my initials as well. With as much as Amy is a Momma's Girl and wants nothing to do with me half of the time, this may be my feeble attempt at getting a child who worships his daddy.

The Weight: 8 lbs even
      How often do you hear that? Most babies have weights like 8 lbs 2 oz or 7 lbs 18 oz. When you hear 8 lbs, you think the dad is just trying to play cool and round up or down, as if he doesn't remember the exact weight... That's my style. Often someone asks me to pass along some detail or other, and even though my memory is spot on, I have this weird tendency to downplay the detail. Example: I've been asked when Lindsey was due at least 20 times where I've responded, "Oh, the first of June", or "The end of May'ish", or "Sometime before the Second Coming of Christ". Why beat around the bush like that when I know very well that the date is June 6th? I'm gonna stand by the whole cool concept; with me you can just assume that I'm this wonderful father who remembers the exact time, day, weight, height, etc, but cool enough that I can spare you the humiliation of hearing the details and forgetting when you have to parrot them on. You get asked, "Honey, when were the Laudie's expecting to have their baby?" Instead of, "Well, gosh, I think it was June 6th at 5:55 pm... or was that June 5th at 6:66 pm?" you can just say, "Well, Mike says they're due before the moon turns to blood!" and you're covered. But in this case, I'm not sparing you the details; little Matthew (or not quite so little Matthew) was exactly 8 pounds, no rounding required on my part.

The Height: 20 and 1/2 inches
      I'm not quite sure why we care about this statistic. "Wow! Your baby was 21 inches? Mine was only 19 and 1/2... Golly, yours was long! Like a little string bean... maybe you should name him 'Bean-jamin'!" The weight stat I can understand. "An eleven pound baby?!? Glad it was you and not me!" This is one of those stats that I'd either downplay or downright forget and then get whacked in the back of the head by Lindsey later for not remembering how long the neighbors' newborn was (see The Weight above). But I'm providing the detail for those of you who obviously know what to do with it (and to save my poor head from a good whacking!).

The Time: 10:53 am
      Now this is a big one at the Laudie house. Have you ever seen City Slickers? At the beginning of the movie, Billy Crystal gets a phone call in the middle of the night at his exact birth time from his mother, "Happy Birthday Curly! I remember the night when you were born... you were so little... the doctor thought you were going to... and in the middle of that, I pulled out a baseball bat and started whacking your father over the back of the..." This is the annual phone call I get from my mother, almost word for word. And I wouldn't miss it for the world. Lucky for me and Matthew, we were both born in the late morning and won't get woken up in the middle of the night by our moms when they make the birthday time call. I guess the same goes for Amy, who was born at 11:02 on 11/02 (leave it to a Laudie [thanks Dad] to figure that one out!).
      We went into the hospital late Monday night after having a nice day of golfing, yard work, swimming, and barbecuing for the Memorial Day holiday. We were told to expect a call around 7 or 8 pm that night, and after exhausting all hope of having the baby that night and settling down to sleep by 11, we finally got the call. So we spent the night in the delivery room, waiting for modern medicine to help Matthew on his way into the world, and neither of us got much sleep. And after a long morning of contractions (thanks again to modern medicine for the pain relief) and a few little scares with the baby heart monitor and a tangled cord, Matthew finally showed up at 10:53, and had a proud father and an emotional mother thrilled to finally meet the little tyke.

The APGAR Score: 8/9
      "What does that one mean?" you're wondering. You've got me. My guess: It's a measure of Attractiveness, Piano-playing ability, Greatness, Academic Aptitude, and Regality. In reality, I think it means that we had a pretty healthy baby at 2 minutes old and an even more healthy baby at 5 minutes old.

Well, so much for me sparing you the details... okay, so I left most of the gory ones out, but given my rambling nature (Thanks Mom Laudie), I've taken 1,256 words to tell you what I could have in the following summary:

The Name: Matthew Richard Laudie
The Weight: 8 lbs even
The Height: 20 and 1/2 inches
The Time: 10:53 am
The APGAR Score: 8/9
Mother and Baby are both healthy and doing fine. We got home late yesterday afternoon and are getting settled. Amy is with Lindsey's folks (Thanks Grandma Lewis!). You can get the more interesting version of events from Lindsey in the days to come on her blog.

Now wasn't that so much better than my commentary on events? And let's be honest, if you've made it this far in the email, it's only because you're holding out hope that I'll actually attach a picture or two of the star of the day. So to reward you for your patience, here you go. We love you all, and are so grateful for your support and help through the pregnancy.

Lots of love,
Mike, Lindsey, Amy, and Matthew