Rob and I tried HypnoBabies for this birth, which is a positive thinking, self hypnosis, go natural program. People who can't have meds during surgery have done self hypnosis and been pain free. The mind is a powerful thing. We took 4 classes that taught me how to get into deep relaxation where I have the ability with my mind to send hypno-anesthesia through my body. Rob had a big part to play in it and would read scripts and help me focus. He was fantastic through the whole thing.
Well, my contractions started Sat. night and were 6 min. apart for about 6 hours, then they slowed and almost stopped during the day Sunday. That evening around 8:00 they became really regular. I had used my self hypnosis up to this point and it had worked pretty well. When they were 3 minutes apart we decided it was time to go to the hospital and it was here that I kind of lost my concentration.
Very shortly after arriving at the hospital, I looked up at Rob and said, "I think I want an epidural." Of course Rob said, "Whatever you want, that's great." So, though I felt a tad guilty for a moment (our hypnobabies instructor would not have approved), that blessed epidural was shortly in full force and I was in birthing heaven. I dilated quickly to 8 and they thought I would go so fast, but she hung in there for 2 more hours.
Near the end, during each contraction, her heartbeat would slow, so they thought a cord might be wrapped around her neck. They decided I would need a C-section right away. The doctor had checked me and I was still at an 8. I was about to be wheeled away when she checked me again, not 2 minutes later, and I had fully dilated. 3 pushes and she was out. It was truly a miracle.
Brooklyn Joyce Martinsen entered this world Monday, November 22, 2010 at 5:59 a.m. She weighed 6 lb. 10 oz. and was 20 inches long. She was healthy and beautiful and we are so grateful.
Okay, so you have to have one of those hideous hospital bed, "Wow, I'm glad that's over, I'm so tired," pictures right? This is it. So happy and relieved and grateful and tired:)
The proud Daddy. Rob was a trooper the whole time. He was right there whenever I needed him. I am so blessed to have such a truly wonderful companion. He's such a great husband and daddy.
Livvy had been at Tyson's, with our neighbors, with Grandma and Grandpa, pretty tossed around. I missed her so much when I was in the hospital and we couldn't wait for her to meet her new baby sister ??? (at this point we still hadn't decided on a name but were fairly confident about Elizabeth).
Grandma and Grandpa Monson helped Livvy pick out a gift for her sister. She was pretty timid at first and put the duck quickly into the little bassinet. She would say, "Baby sister!" and point to her. Her shyness soon left and she was hugging and kissing her baby sister. It was precious.
"Hmm. So you're the one that's been in Mommy's tummy for so long."
My mom and dad left Canada Saturday and stayed in a hotel in Dillon, Montana Sat. night. They woke up the next morning and their heater had broken. Of course it was Sunday so they had to wait until Monday to fix it and get to Provo. They finally made it Monday evening. Livvy was very happy to see them and so were we!
At home with baby Brooklyn. It's amazing how less stressed I felt with Brooklyn than I did with Olivia. With Livvy, I thought, "You are going to let us take this child home with us, really? You know we have no idea what we're doing, right?" We still don't really know what we're doing, but we have learned that babies are tougher than they look. Brooklyn is so sweet and will be a wonderful addition to our little family.
This is the first time Livvy has ever "posed" for the camera. What a ham. She loves her sister. Favorite phrases - "Baby Brooklyn, poopie (as she points to the baby), binky (as she puts Brooklyn's binky in her mouth, baby seeping (sleeping), How you? (she skips the are, less important)." I worried about how she would handle the new baby, but she has been fantastic. We love our girls!
Our sweet, precious little Brooklyn.
Livvy has been a very happy baby from day 1. When Rob first held her in the hospital, he felt a strong impression that this little girl had a content spirit. 
One of our all time favorite pictures of Olivia, just having the time of her life.
She was just learning how to stand holding on to things around the house, and very excited about it!
There's a bit of an obsession with paper product - paper towel, toilet paper, books, you name it - she's eating it. Somehow she has this sixth sense of when the bathroom door is open, and if it is, she is at the toilet paper roll.
Olivia loves books. Some of her favorites are Goldie Locks has Chicken Pox, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Alice the Fairy, Strega Nona, and a mini book set of fairy tales. 
She really likes to be close to Mommy, especially during dinner preparation, so out of desperation, I let Livvy "help" me when I make dinner by putting her in the sink and letting her play. She usually ends up pretty wet, but hey, it buys me some time. 
Just a very cute picture. 
We put up all the Christmas card pictures we got on the fridge. Livvy loves to look at them. She'll point to each person and we'll say the name and she'll try to repeat it using just the first consanant. She loves doing it. When she's sad we'll take her to the fridge or other pictures around the house and she'll get a big smile on her face and start pointing to the faces. She's so funny.
Did she get any in her mouth? That is the question. She has just acquired a new habit of wiping her hands off in her hair. Unfortunate.
There's some Livvy personality. 
Our food storage is downstairs and there's no door on it, so Livvy loves to get the cans off the shelf and haul them one by one up the stairs.
Like probably every child, she loves to be outside doing anything. It will be nice one day to have a fenced in yard so I can just let her roam street free!
She loves her monkey pajamas and does a pretty good imitation of a monkey sound.
Had to include the carrot that was more than half her length. Wow - now that's a carrot!
New obsession of trying on clothes and shoes. When she puts our things on, no problem. Her clothes and shoes are a little trickier, and usually ends in frustration.
Just enough left over to rub my hands all over in it and then lick them off. Mmmm...ice cream.
Okay this is so Livvy. She has this sly smile that makes you really wonder what is going on inside that little head.
Rocks, rocks, rocks. She loves to find and carry them everywhere. We're at a ward camp out here and she had a great time.
I run, well at the moment I'm quite large with child, so now I walk, around the track in the Smith Fieldhouse on campus. At the end I let Livvy out of the stroller and she goes wild. She loves to run around the track and the gym and always goes to the cougar on the floor and roars like a cougar.
Cute little munchkin.
Classic Livvy meltdown face.
Lately I've been cutting up apples into little pieces and putting them in a cup for snack. She always goes to this same place on the floor to eat them, it's hilarious. I call it her snack spot now.
This is what Livvy does when I'm in the shower. We have a great selection of bathroom reading magazines and her favorite is a Parenting magazine. She goes through each page and will do it for up to 10 minutes - it's pretty funny. 
She has been saying a lot more words lately and so when I'm making something, she goes to the chair and starts pulling it over to the counter and says, "Watch, watch." She wants to watch what I'm doing, which means she usually ends up looking like this:)
Already to go to school with Daddy.
