Strawberry Days 5k

One of my favorite summer festivities is a 5k race. It just doesn't feel like summer to me unless I run a few. Unfortunately, I am not quite up to actually running any races quite yet - but that won't stop me from participating! The Pleasant Grove Strawberry Days 5k is a classic. I believe I have run it 5 or 6 times. This year I made sure to register early, as did the others. (A good thing too, the race day registration fee turned out to be $40!! Man, who would pay that to run. Yikes! The early reg. fee was a reasonable $12. I always feel like they should pay me. Anyway . . . ) So last Saturday Grandma, Mom, Amber, and Jonny ran while Dad and I walked and Julia strolled. It was very nice of Dad to keep us two girls company. A 5k seems like a really long walk when most everyone else is running!

Yes, Julia participated in her first race, and definitely not her last. I don't know that I will walk any more races this summer. There's just not that thrill that comes with running. But hopefully Julia and I will be up to the races that go on toward the end of the summer. We won't try to break any records or anything, just beat our Strawberry Days time!

Our Favorite Picture This Week

Julia, Emily, and Julia Emily!

Yes, Emily was in town last week. It's always so exciting to go pick her up from the airport - it's like Christmas! This time she came with tears in her eyes to meet her new little niece. (I guess we twins are more emotional than we used to be. The miles will do it to ya.) We all had a great time being together. (Em has details on her latest post. I love it when we post about similar topics. It makes my job so easy since she is so on top of things!) It was a super bummer that Mom and Em were so sick all day Friday. I was so relieved to know they were done with it Saturday morning. (Yikes Em, allergic to Utah or something. Let's take extra precautions when you come in December. We don't want to give you to the ER a third time. We want to spend every minute with you that we possibly can!)


One afternoon Grandma Julie made the trip down to see her namesake and Em. We had such a nice time and, of course, took many photos. Above is one of Great Grandma Julie, Aunt Emily, and Julia Emily!

Anyway, it was a whirlwind of activity, as it always is when Em comes. Now we are back to real life and we miss our Emily. If it seems that I post lots and lots of photos of baby Julia in the days to come, it is mainly because I want Aunt Emily to see her grow and not miss too much!

The darling quilt featured in this picture was a gift from Em. It has sentimental meaning behind it, besides the fact that is was designed and made by Julia's Aunt Emily. Em and I had favorite blankets when we were little. They were identical except that mine had circles quilted on it and Em's had stars. (We named the blankets after their distinguishing shapes!) Julia's new blanket has circles on one side, and stars on the other. She will treasure it Em, I am sure.


I just can't pass up a chance to post a yawning picture. They are some of my favorites!

My Honeys

I guess it's just the natural thing to do. When you are holding a baby, you talk to her and call her all kinds of terms of endearment. She goes by the usual "Princess," "Sweetie," "Pumpkin," and Amber calls her "Peanut." Oh, and of course there is "Honey." Well, the others haven't raised any problems but "Honey" has caused a fair amount of confusion around here. I guess that is one of the names I regularly address Jonny by. Now nearly every time I say it, he has to ask if I am talking to him or not! Well, I think he's gotten a little better at making the judgment himself by the nature of my voice. (I don't typically talk to him in sing-song!) Anyway, I love love love both of my Honeys. Jonny is just the happiest and proudest dad. He is so helpful and willing to burp her, rock her, change her, play with her, and get her back to sleep after I feed her in the middle of the night.

Well, no post about our little munchkin would be complete without a few photos. The following pics showcase Daddy Jonny and his new favorite 13-day-old.


This is how Jonny wraps the baby up to sleep. I thought it was so funny to see an airplane baby when I woke up to feed her and I just had to take a picture! (The next night her blanket looked more like a waterfall as it was draped over the front of the crib. Wish I had gotten a shot of that one.)The next pic is Jonny ready to burp Julia. She was spitting up quite a bit at first so we really had to take cover!


P.S. Does anyone know how to get these darned bows to stay in place? I know she really doesn't need them, but they do add a nice girly touch!

10 Days Old

It's hard to believe it has been ten days since I pushed this baby out of me. (I hope that doesn't sound too irreverent, considering childbirth is one of the greatest miracles in life. But, I did have to push very hard!) We love love love having her in our home and lives. Yesterday Jonny and I left her with mom so we could do some quick errands. It was so strange not to have her in the car with us - even though she never makes a peep when we are driving! We had to rush through our Walmart shopping to be back with her where we belong.

Julia is doing great. She is eating very well and all signs of Jaundice have gone. (Her bilirubin level dropped dramatically when she stared eating so well.) She sleeps most of the day and some of the night. She is just a healthy, happy baby. And we are healthy, happy parents. (I am feeling very good. I try to nap when she sleeps but it's difficult because that is my time to get things done! But I am taking it easy.)

Yes, she looks like a perfect angel in these pictures. And she really is, don't get me wrong. But there is more to this sleeping beauty than meets the eye. Ha, that was actually a pun, considering that I am about to write about how she not only spit up in my face yesterday, but contents from her hind parts were also spewed out upon my body. (She got me right in the eye again!) Man, I wish I would've taken a picture of myself after I failed to get a new diaper on quick enough. I was covered from head to toe (literally, my new slippers were soiled!) in her lumpy mustard-colored loveliness. Her crib and the carpet were not left out. Yes, I laughed about it (and Jonny really laughed when I reported the day's events to him) but you can bet I am much more careful at changing time. We'll see if she can get me that way again!

Here are a few more recent pictures. Thank goodness for digital cameras. Otherwise we'd have gone through rolls of film already.

More Pictures

Well, we have Julia home now. She is just so darling. Waking up many times last night was rewarding just to see her again.

She is doing very well. She does have a high bilirubin count, so she may have to be under the uv lights, we'll find out tomorrow.

Here are some more pictures of our little princess. Oh this is Jonny (but you already knew that from the grammar.)

In One Word... BEAUTIFUL

I have a beautiful wife and we have a beautiful baby girl. Last night, an hour after going to bed, Melody's water broke, then came the lovely contractions. We left for the hospital at midnight and were checked right in. Melody was doing so well with the labor, she was brave.

At 6:54 am she began pushing and our little JULIA EMILY REJHOLEC was born just less than an hour later at 7:50am. She wieghed 7lbs 12oz and is 19.5in long. She and Melody are doing so well, and are resting right now at the hospital. I left to get some lunch, post some pics, and will head back soon to be with my two beautiful girls.

More posts will be coming soon with some good pics, but for now, here are some from the hospital: