Ode to Urban

I got a fun questionnaire about first borns and I kinda turned it into "The Story of Urban"

1. WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED? Not by Nathan and I, I guess Heavenly Father and Grandma Kroff planned it though!

2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME? Yes

3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS? Threw a fit!

4. WAS ABORTION AN OPTION FOR YOU? NO way Jose!

5. HOW OLD WERE YOU? 31

6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT? Went to the Dr. with horrible pains in my abdomen that would wake me from sleep and last for hours. I have a high tolerance for pain and they put me in tears!

7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST? My parents, Nathan was with me at the Dr.

8. DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX? Yes. I hoped that it would be a boy!

9. DUE DATE? July 17, 2005

10. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS? Yes, for the first trimester only.

11. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE? Peanut butter sandwiches, cinnamon bears. What's unique is that Diet Coke tasted horrible to me!!! It's my air, my water, my mainstay normally!!

12. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST? Cell phones and dogs, but that's nothing new.

13. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD'S SEX? Boy! (Whew!!)

14. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING? NO! I did NOT want a girl!! I was (am) a moody thing and I could not stand the thought of having to raise 'me'!

15. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY? I LOST 40 pounds, healthily

16. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER? A few, they were fun

17. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY? Nope! I never felt or ate more healthily! I even exercised (walked) daily! Nathan and I would take 'midnight' walks around our neighborhood.

18. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH? St. Mark’s Hospital

19. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR? 7 hours

My water broke at 4:20am. I wasn't sure that's what had happened, since I had just got up to go to the bathroom. When I didn't stop going potty, I figured it was my 'water'.

I asked Nathan if he could take me for a ride. You see, Nathan is very sensitive when it comes to anything requiring a hospital and I didn't want to alarm him. Remember, it is 4 am.

He replied "Sure baby, where do you want to go?"

I calmly said "to the hospital."
He shot up from bed and exclaimed "But it's June!!"

Urban wasn't due until the middle of July.

20. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL? My dad drove me Nathan and my mom.

Again, in order not to 'stress' Nathan out, we had arranged Mom and Dad to drive us into the hospital.

Before I called them to tell them that my water broke, I took a shower. My suitcase, of course had been packed for a couple of weeks. After I had called my parents for a ride, I did the dishes and made Nathan and I some breakfast. (Peanut butter sandwiches!) I remember the prep classes said that you don't get to eat anything once you are admitted to the hospital until after the birth, so I made sure I had something to eat!


21. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH? Nathan sat in a far off corner of the room, my dad and mother-in-law was in the room and my mother and Mari were my coaches. Yes it was a very exciting time for my family!

To Nathan's credit, he did better than expected! I had accepted the fact that he would most likely NOT be in the delivery room when Urban was born. His stomach is VERY sensitive, or to be more accurate, his MIND exaggerates events. Get this, he got sick watching the ultra sound!! Yes, it's black and white, but HE could IMAGINE what was 'really going on'!

Nathan sat very quiet and still and a little pale in a chair in the far corner and remained upright the entire time! He didn't have to leave the room on his own will or on a stretcher!!

22. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION? Natural

23. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN? YES. Oh, yes!

OK, so the epidural was great except I couldn't feel ANYTHING!! The doctor would say "OK, PUSH!" and I would try to push, except I can't feel if I am or not! Then the doctor would say "Oh good, good!!" "You are looking good!" all while looking at my bum!

I laughed so hard at the praise my bum got from the doctor and my coaches!! WEIRD!

24. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH? 6.9 lbs

25. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN? June 23, 2005

26. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER? Urban Richard Lawrence

Why Urban? While I was expecting, my parent’s alma matter, BYU, was playing my husband’s, University of Utah. I said jokingly that whatever team won, I would name my baby after their coach. (I knew I was having a boy.)

Well, my hubby’s team won and the coach’s name was Urban Meyers. My dad kept calling my belly Urban and I would say “um, not sure that’s what we’re naming him Dad!” and my mother HATED it!!! She would get very upset when we would refer to him as Urban. So the name ‘stuck’.

The name very much fits him as names usually end up doing. My mother loves Urban and the name now and we can’t imagine calling him anything else!! OK, except for ‘spoiled’!!
I researched the name just a bit and found some previous Pope’s names were Urban. So I thought giving my son the same name as a very successful athlete coach and a man who serves the Lord was a good idea!

Oh, BYU’s coaches name was Gary Crowton. I don’t think I would have actually named my baby Gary!! Glad they did’t win!!

27. HOW OLD IS YOUR FIRST BORN TODAY? 3 1/2 years old (going on 17!)

A few more comments about the birth of my boo.

I had everything planned out and printed out in folders. I had a calling tree arranged for when Urban was born. My mom would call three designated callers. They each had a few people to call, so everyone was notified and not forgotten.

I had a sign printed that said NO Cell Phones! Mom taped it to the door of my room. I HATE when people talk on their cell phones while in the company of others!!

From the moment that Urban was born, Nathan took over.
He wouldn't let anyone else change him (!!) and was extremely protective and hands on!

Nathan was working from home at the time so for the first 18 months of Urban's life he had Mommy and Daddy with him 24/7. Nathan would research and work in the home office with Urban asleep on his (Nathan's) chest. Nathan is a WONDERFUL father. He is a big believer in treating Urban as an individual with his own thoughts, opinions and ideas.

. . . . And we lived Happily Ever After!