The Last 5 Weeks

Getting Q used to the Moby for the trip to Utah

Decorating cookies at the church, Thanksgiving Missionary activity
 Kenan, Pei, Shakira, Scott, and Jenny

Lounging at home

At Patriots Point during the Charleston military newcomers tour.
Pei, Jenny, Quincy, and Elisa in front of the decommission air craft carrier, Yorktown.

Meeting Santa! December 14th

1st Christmas toy, thanks Pei!

Dear Quincy: A Few More Things

Dear Quincy,                                                                                                         December 22, 2012

I adore you! You are so sweet! You make me smile!
Here are a few more things about you:

• You have the cutest little button nose
• You have a very round face with very round cheeks
• You have a long tongue like mommy
• You can roll your tongue, unlike daddy
• You drool and drool and drool
• You like to buzz your tongue and lips together which make you drool and drool and drool more. 
• You are very wiggly. I will lean in to kiss you on the cheek or head and you"ll wiggle leaving me chasing you with puckered lips.  
• Thursday you went to bed at 9:30 and didn't wake me up until 8:15 Friday morning. Surprisingly you were still happy I would think you would have been crying because you were so hungry!
• You are starting to hold things, you'll put your hand around the play bar or handle of your seat, or grab a toy pull and keep holding while it retracts. You are growing up!
• You rolled over for the first time Dec. 20th (however you haven't done it again yet)

Thank you for being mine! Daddy and I are so lucky to have you in our family! Always remember I love you!

Love,

Mommy

YW + mom + SC

What to you get when you add the 3 on mutual night? (At least for this last week.) Organizing and gathering simple items and taking them to the car for mutual by 5:00 so that when your baby wakes up at 5:30 you can hurry and nurse her and meet her other needs. By 6:00 you have to be out of the door to start picking up YW, drop them off at the church so you have space for one more girl, who, thankfully, lives close to the church, just a mile away. Get back to the church after 7:00, late, with people waiting for you to start because they don't know what to do. Complete a pizza making activity, clean up, and take the YW home. Thankfully my baby is a good baby and was good during mutual, fell asleep on the way taking the girls home, but cired the whole 20 minute to our house after dropping off the other girls. Poor baby. I really do love you. I made it home at 9:30 with Quincy with needs once again. Whew! Starting to stress from 5 and mutual from 6:00-9:30. What a night!

Quincy Videos in December

Here is my little Quincy when I went in to get her in the morning of Dec, 12th. Love the smiles and baby talk. So fun, So cute!

Another of today, Dec, 22, babbling and learning to play with a toy. (Well  in the video she is just moving her arm, but she was playing before.) She is in another transition stage of more smiles, laughs, talking  moving, and getting stronger and more alert all the way around.

Caroling

Christmas is a wonderful time of year, I love the music, decorations,  lights, and special spirit of the year.  I love that be decorate with lights as we celebrate the birth of Christ, The Light of the World. I love that it is a time to get together with family and am so excited to see mine.

My favorite Christmas tradition growing up is one Scott would think is silly and that has kind of withered as my family has gotten older the  little kids needing a watchful eye has prevented the relaxing evenings of singing carols around the piano. Sometimes it was a chore preparing for Uncle Lonnie's parties for his employees. Why he always asked us to do the musical program I don't know, but it was fun. I also know I could count on a card with $5 in it after the event. We practiced and practiced for my perfectionist father, I would get tired or felt like I couldn't breath, maybe cried, and possibly left the room-i don't remember. For the program I remember pretending to fall asleep on my dad's lap as he sang "Little Toy Trains." The chore taught us all a love for singing. So, when Uncle Lonnie became smart and stopped asking my family to sing for his work Christmas parties, we continued to gather around the piano every year. Many songs we have down to an art, and know who signs what when, others songs we change up each year. We sang "Song of Peace," "Angel's we have Heard on High," "Pine Cones and Hollie Berries/ It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas," any many more. I have missed the nights that quickly turn late from caroling around the piano.

This year I was asked to sing with a group for the RS Christmas party. Although extremely busy and unsure how it would work with Quincy I couldn't say no. Singing Christmas songs is always wonderful. My mom called while at the church practicing, I said hello, told her I was busy and would call her back. When I rejoined the group to continue singing I couldn't. I just cried remember my families tradition, remembering my  dad singing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and missing the Christmas concert for the first time since he has been in the choir, and missing my family.

I am grateful for Christmas, I am grateful for music, I am grateful for family, and I am grateful for Christ, the reason for the season.

3 Months

Dear Quincy.

I love you. Today you are 3 months and 4 days old. You have the sweetest little personality and are my little angel. Here are a few things about you:

• You have the prettiest blue eyes
• You like to stick your tongue out like your dad and I guess it means you are a Sorenson (is that right Mom Richens?)
• You don’t like to cry very much, that is unless you are on your tummy.
• When you wake up you don’t cry you baby talk really loud like your trying to get my attention, It kind of goes like this: ahhhHHHHH! OoOO, aaahhHHHHH! Then when I come into your room and lean over your crib you get the biggest grin ever. It makes me feel your love and my heart melt.
• You like attention. Your baby talk gets not so happy and a little loud, like when you wake up, if no one is around letting you be theists rod the show.
• You like basketball (meaning the light and motion of the TV) daddy is trying to teach you all about it and I tell you it’s just basketball you don’t have to stare with your watching eyes.
• If you aren’t swaddled you like to sleep with your arms up above your head and your legs spread out.

Ever since you were born all our family in Utah has been anxious for Christmas to come so they can meet you. They say they are excited to see me and your dad, but I know the truth- they want you. If it was us without you every phone call or Skype wouldn't include the phrase “I can’t wait until you come out here, “or “I can hardly wait for Christmas.” You are truly love and will be forever and ever.

Thank you for being mine and being so good.  I have been blessed with you and your easy going personality so that I can also serve the YW. Thanks for your help.

I love you,

Mom

Projects

Here are my projects I made at Super Saturday. Simple, but always requiring more effort then I originally planed on. Christmas tree trio, hair bows, and an activity bag  for when Q gets bigger. It inspired me to finish the Christmas signs I started last year, unfortunately I couldn't solve the vinyl not sticking to the paint problem and when I sanded the paint down anything it touched it turned green.

Taking out the trash this morning I found treasures! Next the the trash bin was 2 awesome tables and 4 chairs, all they needed was a little love and paint. I was so excited, particularly because I only have 3 chairs with my kitchen table. Sad to say that when I went back with my car an hour later my treasure was gone. I'm going to be keeping an extra eye out from now on. Just goes to show one man's trash really is another man's treasure.

Young Women's

I finally starting to get the hang of Young Women s. Sheeze. It is quite a responsibility but the girls are wonderful and so loving. Wednesday was Young Women in Excellence, with a theme, Personal Progress: a Pattern for Life. One of my counselors found the idea online, with the whole program outlined, we just personalized it,  which made everything much easier as a new presidency.One of the parents who was previously in the presidency and has older girls that have gone through the program in the ward was impressed with the turn out of both YW and parents. Although it was a small group that made me happy.
I was able to get to know the girls better and hopefully inspire them to start working on personal progress. I hope they will someday find use for the gift of needles and multicolored threads, even if they have to wait until they need to sew the button on their baby's dress. Once the night was over a burden was lifted, and I felt a little more comfortable and like I can do this calling. and can truly be guided by the spirit in what I need to say and do. I love Young Womens, I love the church.

Happy Fall

I always thought that winter should start in November. November is cold, snowy and it feels like winter...in Utah.. Now I get it here is a picture outside my apartment today, December 3. Some trees are bare, others red or starting to turn yellow, and some still fully green.

Quincy Pei and I went on a walk this morning I was wearing a t-shirt and jeans and got hot. It is a sunny 70 degrees in Charleston today! My house hasn't dropped below 70 degrees inside and I haven't turned the heat on. once. I love it. Hope you all enjoy fall for a few more weeks until Dec 21 rolls around. 

Nov 14

Quincy is smiling so much more. I love it!! She will be crying after a nap and when I go into her room and smile down at her Quincy's cry will go right to a smile. She is learning to talk and smile lots and lots. Hope your not getting sick of pictures.

Videos of Q

Thought I'd share a couple of videos of Quincy girl for those of you who desperately want to see this precious little girl. She's growing up fast! All of the videos are from the last 3 weeks of Quincy talking, playing, sneezing, and being the sweetest little girl ever. The last one will probably be repeated many times throughout Q's life, special for the Richens-Papa and Gramps- here is the first of many. :)

Getting Stronger

I took this yesterday morning of Quincy Q kept her head up for a really long time just looking all around while playing on her tummy. I love my baby girl!

Baking with Pei

Last week Pei asked me if I knew how to make cupcakes and if I would teach her. So here is what we did last Thursday the 8th.:

Collage by Pei, I suppose you have to include the diaper changing picture so you can understand the full morning. (bake, nurse Q, make frosting, change Q, keep Q happy, frost cupcakes, put Q down for a nap and  finish frosting and cleaning up. 

Where we live

When we first got to South Carolina and were looking for a place to live we noticed signs by all the ponds throughout neighborhoods giving caution about alligators. Scott thought they were just a joke until we were at a friends house for dinner and found out that finding alligators is not uncommon. A few days later Scott saw an alligator in the pond right outside the school building where he teaches. Although this sign isn't the same as the ones that mark ponds throughout the communities it paints a good picture of where we live. 

It is also warm and sunny here. I doesn't seem possible that anywhere would be covered in snow. This morning I looked up the weather- I read it would be a high of 77 and low of 57. That gave me a nice big smile and the thought that I love where I live. Then I looked at the weather in Utah. Sorry, but I must admit that as I read it to Scott I just laughed.. What I read was a high of 27 and a low of 0. Today I am not missing Utah weather. 

More October Pictures

More pictures from when my mom was here October 6-15, 2012

Cypress Gardens- inside the butterfly house

Grandma Jill and Quincy at Cypress Gardens

Q loves daddy

Cypress Gardens

Downtown with at Waterfront Park

Outside the Old City Market

Cuteness after church

Family photo October 14, 2012

No One Like Mom

My mom was here October 6-15 to meet Quincy and help me out. It was so nice to have her here as I learned to get out of the house more with a baby.

My shrip and grits meal

Soul Food at Nigels

Grandma Jill and Quincy

Ravanel Bridge in Charleston...or is it Coopers Bridge?
It was a fun day downtown with mom and Q

Colombia, SC Temple for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Thanks mom for watching Quincy so Scott and I could go!

Cypress Gardens, we all went on a boat ride on the swamp with alligators in it

Cypress Gardens at the butterfly house

 Thank you so much mom it was great to have you here! (Hopefully I can get a few pictures up of when Natalie and Julie were here also. I loved all the great help and love we recieved from family!)

Family Picture

Family picture taken October 14, 2012. Quincy in six and a half weeks old.

Growing up

There have been a lot of changes in my life recently that have made me see being grown up and to feel the weight of responsibility all in a new light.

Once thought I was grown up when I:

graduated high school and with that received an associate’s degree, moved out of my parents’ house and paid rent , got a full time job, got married, bought a car with Scott, graduated with a job in hand, went to Ohio with Scott for his internship, and got a full time job in the field I studied in college.

I feel even more grown up now that I:

have a husband who is graduated from BYU, quit my job,  moved to the other side of the country long term , got a new washer and dryer, and now have to pay all utilities, internet, etc.

If I thought I was grown up then, but now I feel even more so. I don’t think you can feel any more grown up then I do when you are 23 until when you have a baby and get an overwhelming leadership role in your church.

Phew! I am grateful for Heavenly Father and my Savior who have helped me thus far in all the changes and strengthening myself to be okay with them. I know that They will continue to be by my side and help me with every turn that I take.

And the Winner Is...

Okay so I found the list of predictions that my family made the day before we left Utah here they are as written:

Name	Quincy’s Birth Date (Due Aug 29)	Birth Weight
Chad	August 27	6 lbs 10 oz
Scott	August 31	6 lbs 4 oz
Poppa	September 2	6 lbs 14 oz
Mom	August 25	6 lbs 7 oz
Todd	August 27	6 lbs 14 oz
Natalie	August 25- 4 days early	6 lbs 5 oz
Brent and Lisa	Aug 25, 2012	6 lbs 3 oz
Jen	Aug 21, 2012	6 lbs 2 oz
Ashley	Aug 22, 2012	6 lbs 3 oz

 Guesses were written concealed so no one knew what the others were guessing. I like how the last 3 of guesses included “2012” I guess we wanted to specify that I would not be pregnant for another  year until August 2013.

Scott, Todd, and Chad were the closest to the date just being 2 days off. Todd and Dad guessed the highest birth weight which makes you winners by default (where did the 7 ½ lb baby come from anyway).

Overall winner, Todd! The best part of winning is the prize and I came up with the best prize of all: You can be the first person to hold sweet little Q when we come out for Christmas and get together with the whole crew! I just warn you to remind everyone, especially your girls, of your rights if you want to keep your place. J

Pictures

Here are pictures to go with the previous Quincy posts. 

I get all these great ideas on what I want to do with pictures and thoughts I want to include with my posts as well as wanting perfection with grammar etc, but I realize that makes me procrastinate too much or the story doesn't get up because, well I'm not perfect and writing isn't one of my strong points. (Plus I think I get too self conscious thinking that people will be looking at this, even though that is the point to share my life with all ya'll.) My new goal... not worrying so much about grammar, spelling, and good writing, sorry to anyone reads my blog, but at least there is up something right? Same thing with the pictures, I was waiting to post my previous blogs until pictures were on the computer and ready but that was taking too long so now there separated but you got it. maybe I'll catch up on sharing my life now and finish those blogs from last summer...

Labor day and the next day going home

Quincy- Your Name

Dear Quincy,

Welcome to the world and welcome to the Richens family. Your dad and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have you in our family. You have Daddy wrapped around your finger without doing more than sleeping, needing your diaper changed, and eating (the occasional sleep smile, funny faces and noises help too.) We could… well I do just stare at you and cuddle you all day. Quincy we love you.

Picking your name was tricky business for your dad and me. Last summer when visited Nauvoo we heard about the town just south of Nauvoo, Quincy. In LDS pioneer history the people of Quincy, Illinois allowed the fleeing Saints, although strangers, to stay in their already crowded homes. They were charitable and loving to people in need. I hope you will have those traits too. I know you already do. After the assistance of the city the Saints settled Nauvoo, but if it weren’t for their charitable acts the early Saints may have scattered in the midst of their fleeing and not have resettled together. When I saw the sign with the city name “Quincy” I thought it would be a great name for one of my daughters. Your dad wasn’t so sure at first but he came around. We didn’t pick your name because of the history of Quincy, Illinois but I think it is great to have a wonderful history associated with your name. I hope you love your name.  Although we were pretty sure that Quincy would be your name a couple months before you came, I kept wondering if another name would suit you better. Now that you are here your dad and I agree that no other name would fit you better. Quincy fits you perfectly!

Daddy wanted you to have my name for your middle name. I never thought that Jennifer worked as a middle name but I loved having my mother’s name for my middle name so I hope you do too. I think it’s special and it is very sweet to have your dad want you to have my name also.

Richens is a great name too with a lot to live up too. The Richens’ family is wonderful. I myself have only been a Richens for a little under 3 years, but I couldn’t be happier. Although your last name is Richens, you are just as much an Allen. I grew up as an Allen and will always be an Allen also. Everyone in both of these families loves you more than you could ever know without even meeting you in person (other than your Aunt Natalie.) Again you’ve smitten us all without having to do anything.

Thank you for being ours, we love you.

Love,

Mommy

Announcing

Quincy Jennifer Richens

Born: Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Time: 12:52 pm

Weight: 7 lbs. 5 oz.

Length: 19 inches

Location: Summerville Medical Center, Summerville, South Carolina. Dorchester County

One week after arriving in South Carolina began my weekly OB check-ups and a new doctor. Although everything was overseen by an OBGYN I never met Dr. Orr, but rather worked with Penny, a midwife. Penny was a hoot and lots of fun to work with however I had to stop believing her.  She kept saying that this baby was coming and that she didn’t think I would make it to the next appointment, but had me make an appointment just in case. Every week I surprised her by showing up at the office just the same as the previous week. 

Penny had Scott and I convinced our little girl was coming and we were anxious, excited and ready for little Quincy to come. The time spent in anticipation plus interacting with couples from our ward with small baby’s made Scott more and more excited for Quincy. It was really cute. Although I was could hardly wait myself- I had been carrying this little girl for the past 9 months, Scott’s excitement made me even more excited too. I could hardly wait to see Scott hold our baby for the first time and see him interact with her. I was ready to be a Mommy. 

I was grateful for the extra time and was glad Quincy didn’t come before week 39. I had all of our boxes to unpack, a house to organize, and a car seat and a pack n’ play/bassinet combo to order…just a few things required to be ready for a baby to come home. They were good projects for me while Scott began a new job and long hours, but once I had the majority of everything done I was anxious for those contractions. Funny how people get so excited about an immense amount of pain, but we do. All I have to say is that the reward must be pretty good (which I now have to say most definitely is.)

My sister, Natalie, had a ticket to come help me for August 28^th- my due date, by ultrasound was August 29^th, so after being told for a month that I was going to have a baby any day and wanting my sister to be able to help rather than coming for nothing by my doctor’s appointment on the Monday, 27^th we decided to schedule an induction. The induction was scheduled for Wednesday, the 29^th, my due date.

How the day went: Wednesday morning we arrived at the hospital just after 6 am. At 7, I was on IV and at 8 Penny arrived to start the Pitocin and break my water.  To kill time before the contractions really started Scott, Natalie, and I played Phase 10.  Contractions hit hard around 9 and by 10:30 I was grateful to have the epidural starting to kick in (much to my midwife’s dismay.) Penny arrived and I started to push a little before 12:00 noon about an hour later Quincy was born and welcomed to the world by teary eyed parents.

Short labor for being induced? Yeah, and I’m grateful and feel lucky, but I was progressed far enough before I even entered the hospital that all I needed was a few contractions to get started. (After all Penny had been saying that this baby was coming any day for a month and there was some medical reasoning behind her words.)

We left the hospital the next day with our health happy baby. I felt bonded to her from the first second, however putting her in the carseat and bringing her home made it really feel like this baby was ours for good. I am so grateful for modern day medicine to make child labor and healing easier and to have more assurance that everything is okay.

 I am also glad that Scott knows the Heimlich, which he had to perform on me just minutes before leaving the hospital. Getting ready to leave was a lot of work for me so I was sitting back on the bed to regain a little energy and sipping water. Yes, I choked on water. How? It’s water. But couldn’t breathe and needed Scott to give me the Heimlich.

I think that about sums up the hospital excitement and begins a world of parenthood excitement. Although I’m still healing and the pain is so fresh on my mind the joy and love Scott and I have for little Quincy makes us both excited to have more kids and add to our family in the future.