Welcome George

George’s Birth Story

After I gave birth to Wren, I had a distinct feeling that we would have another baby. It was a clear impression—one that settled deep in my heart—but I didn’t feel ready for it. I prayed the feeling away. The Lord was patient with me and gave me time.

In that time, I poured myself into other things. I pursued my education and earned a master’s degree in library science. I began working part-time as a reference librarian at the Provo Library, and I found so much joy and satisfaction in learning and growing in new ways. I was more physically active than I had ever been. Participating in sprint triathlons and bike events ranging from 26-mile rides to 75-mile rides. I had never felt so strong physically. Still, even as life felt full, something was missing.

Over time, with gentle inspiration from my kids and Andy, I began to feel ready to open my heart again to the idea of another child. Together, we decided it was time to add one more little person to our family. I became pregnant in January 2025, which flew by as I stayed busy with work, the kids, and their numerous activities. I quit my job in April and gave all my attention to the family, treasuring our time together before we welcomed another person. 

On September 10th, I woke up to a contraction early in the morning, around 1 a.m. It was strong enough that I had to breathe through it, but after it passed, I drifted back to sleep. I woke again to one or two more contractions, but since I was able to sleep between them, I knew labor hadn’t really started yet.

That morning, I got up, made breakfast for the kids, helped them with lunches, and sent them off to school. Every so often, I would pause, breathe through a contraction, and then continue on with my day. Once the kids were gone, though, I started to feel a little concerned. I had a massage scheduled, followed by a midwife appointment, and I wasn’t sure I felt comfortable driving while having contractions. Andy decided to stop working for the day and came with me.

Between my appointments, we had lunch together—almost like a bit of a date. It was great fun spending time with him. At my midwife appointment, I asked for a pelvic exam, and she told me I was 70% effaced and dilated to a four. That was so encouraging—I knew my body was making progress.

On the drive home we listened to Forest Frank’s It’s Gonna Be a Good Day and Sunday Best. Those songs make me smile, and I loved hearing them in that moment. Back at home, Andy worked on some projects while I laid down, trying to rest between contractions. They started to feel heavier and more uncomfortable. When I timed them, they were coming consistently about 7–10 minutes apart.

Andy went to pick up the kids from school, and the moment he walked out the door, I had a really intense contraction that made me realize things were becoming real. I messaged my midwife, and she said she’d head over—she was about 30 minutes away. I also messaged Andy and told him I was filling up the tub, ready to get in as soon as he returned.

While laboring, I read my patriarchal blessing. I love the parts that talk about my children and who they will become. It reminded me how blessed I am to partner with Heavenly Father in providing a home for His spirit children.

As soon as Andy arrived home with the kids, I was ready for the tub. Things were intense. The kids each came in to give me a hug. I wasn’t fully aware of who was who, but I could hear their voices, and it comforted me to know they were nearby. Andy stayed close and watchful, giving me so much comfort as we waited for the midwife.

She arrived around 3:40 p.m. and promptly began setting up. Not long after, I found myself wondering, "How much longer will this last?" Are we close, or do I still have hours left? I asked her for updates, and she reassured me that George just needed to get into a better position and that my body was doing exactly what it needed to.

At 4:10 p.m., after about 10 minutes of pushing, George was born. The rush of relief and joy was indescribable. I looked up and saw Charlie, Olive, and Wren sitting quietly on the bed, watching. Their presence gave me the biggest smile—I loved them so much for being there with their quiet support. Andy held my hand, steady and strong, and I felt so grateful for him.

We moved to the bed, where I delivered the placenta while the kids watched. With the hard part behind us, we laughed, talked, and admired this brand-new little spirit who had just joined our family. Grant had been at a neighbor’s house playing, so we quickly messaged for him to come home. He rushed over and met his baby brother, completing the circle of siblings gathered around.

That evening was filled with bonding, joy, and a sense of awe. As the midwife and her assistant took care of me and George, I felt completely surrounded by love. Our family had grown, and my heart had never felt so full.

George Whitaker Watanabe ~ September 10, 2025

Welcome Wren

It has been so long since I have clicked away here on the blog. I have been journaling in an actual journal and haven't found the time to do any recording here. But when it comes to a birth story, this is where I begin, on the blog. I love sharing my birth experiences with any one interested to listen. I believe that birth is a beautiful and wonderful thing. I have a harder time talking about pregnancy and will just say, that 9 months is rough. But birth and the process our bodies go through to deliver a child is miraculous.

These two scriptures were my theme and focus throughout my pregnancy and labor.

They kept me centered and focused on the Lord and His strength.

"I will boast of my God, for in His strength I can do all things" Alma 26:12

"For charity suffereth long and is kind..." Moroni 7:45

Wren was due to be born on Valentines Day. With my past 3 experiences of due dates, Charlie was 2 weeks early, Grant was 2 weeks late, and Olive was 5 days late. SO....I just expected to have a baby sometime in February and left it at that. February 1st was a supermoon and caused me to have contractions for 3 hours! The labor stopped and life continued as normal. This pregnancy I was sick a lot. Specifically with stomach and GI issues. They came on sporadically and when they were present it wiped me out physically. I couldn't imagine going into labor during an episode so I prayed and prayed I could be good and healthy when the time came to labor.

Monday February 5 was a good day! I had a sick spell the weekend before, so this healthy feeling was joyful. I kept thinking how this was a good time to have a baby. I was loving my children, fixing meals, singing songs, reading books, keeping the house tidy- all signs that I felt good. We had a fun family home evening about love that night and tucked the kids into bed. The next morning at 4:30am I woke up to leaking. I went to the bathroom to discover the very clear liquid. My water... this was new. In all my previous labors my water broke once labor began or never broke at all. It was exciting but I worried because I wasn't feeling any contractions. I messaged Rebecca, my midwife. She told me to rest and that the contractions would come.

Rest I did! But I couldn't sleep. I felt the very mild contractions begin and leaked more fluid every time they came. By 6:30am I told Andy what was happening and that today we would probably have a baby. The contractions stayed very mild but picked up a tad by 8am which is when I told Rebecca that the labor was progressing. My mom had previously planned to come stay with us this week and was already on her way. She arrived at 9am and Rebecca arrived at 10am. I always love the excitement of early labor. It was heavenly to have my mom arrive ready to help. The kids were excited as well and I loved that they were awake and nearby. They gave me sweet encouraging hugs before they were off playing again. I have two cousins I am close to, Jessie and Meghan, who came to be a part of the birth. We have babies 3 months apart. Jessie's was born in October and the next one is due in May! They were there to take pictures and video and otherwise just be apart of the experience. Lastly, Andy's mom arrived, and she was a great support to all of us!

The full party had arrived and that made me happy but unfortunately my contractions were getting farther apart, like every 15 minutes. They had increased more in strength which was good. I was starting to worry that we might be hanging out all day waiting for things to progress. Both with Charlie's birth and Grants, Rebecca had given me an herbal drink to help labor progress. She asked if would like some of that and after considering, I decided to take it. She gave it to me at 11:38am. She said that it would start working in 15-30 minutes. So we sat around chatting as a group and sure sure enough around 15 minutes later I felt a very strong contraction. Strong enough I wanted to leave the group and birth on the ball in my room. I had another very strong contraction there. Breathing through them and remembering I would meet Wren soon kept me focused and calm. After a trip to the bathroom Rebecca said I could get into the tub. It was there things became very real very quickly. I had a couple more strong contractions. I tried to hold back my vocal sounds at first but felt I needed to let go and let my breath and sounds do some work. As I became vocal I heard reassurance from Rebecca that these were good sounds. I started to get carried away and Rebecca brought me back to slow more steady sounds and breathing. I kept thinking to myself, "Wren we can do this!" I felt like she and I were a team and working together. During this short time I felt the comfort of water being poured down my back and hands holding my head. I heard so many reassuring words from everyone around me.

Entering into the fog I was in, Rebecca told me to reach down and feel her head. Her head! How did that happen! I had just barely got into the tub and I could feel Wren's head! With the next contraction I pushed her head out. It all seemed too easy. I relaxed for a moment in awe that she was almost here. I waited for the next contraction eager to finish and once it came I pushed and it startled me into a standing position. Rebecca got Wren and handed her to me. It was only 12:18pm. I immediately asked for the kids to come in. They came in with wide curious eyes. I was so happy to share this experience with all of them.

And that's how we welcomed Wren into our family.

The kids love her so much. They have been saying things like, "Wren is so sweet", "Wren is a perfect name for her", "Can I hold Wren?" that last phrase is the one said the most by all 3! This all happened during Grants nap. When he joined the party his first reaction was very unsure. But it didn't take long for him to love her just as much as we all do. 

Grandma Grace

It doesn't seem real. 

I talked to my Grandma the day before Grant was born. 

She was so anxious to hear of his arrival. 

I called her after he was born but by that point she was feeling too sick to talk.

She passed away May 3. Just days later. 

We celebrated her life May 7. 

You can read her sweet obituary here. 

My grandma was my friend. She loved me so much, more than i deserved. I want to record as many memories i have with her from as early as i can remember. 

My Grandma Grace had three children; Trisha, Joy, and Neil.

My father is her only son and the baby.

I am her baby's baby. 

And being the baby grandchild i feel like i got special treatment. 

My grandma and grandpa served many missions. She would often bring me home a dress from where they served. One incident that she never let me forget was when they were in Mexico. She bought the most beautiful hand stitched dress. She had it in their luggage in the trunk. Something happened where that luggage fell out of the car and the dress was lost forever. She was heartbroken.

My grandma loved to see me happy. We often played skipbo. I found out when i got older that she always stacked the deck so that i could have the skipbo's and win the game. 

I remember wanting to be EXTRA excited when she gave me gifts because i could tell that made her so giddy.

My grandma loved making me mashed potatoes and gravy, my childhood favorite. I also loved eating spaghetti-O's when i visited.  

My grandma and I share a love of reading books. She bought me many books and shared many of her favorites with me. I love the connection that gave us. 

The two most important things to my grandma were The Gospel and Family. 

She had so much love for each one of us individually. She called and wrote letters.

I am going to miss my visits with her and the phone calls. 

Grandma Grace loved my children. She loved all her great grand children. 

I need to remember my Grandma Grace and her example of love. 

I realize that that is an area i am weak in and could use a lot of improvement.

Because of Grandma Grace I want to treasure my family more fully and deeply.  

Learning from Literature

I love reading with my children! I discovered a women whose name is Sarah McKenzie. She has started a movement called the Read Aloud Revival. I first watched her on Instagram. But then i discovered her podcast. I immediately fell in love with it for a number of reasons. 1. They talk about all the best books. 2. She doesn't shy away from spirituality and often will talk about the the Lord's roll in her life and parenting. 3. She often will interview authors and illustrators of children's books and I am always left feeling inspired by what they share.

So that is what got me serious about reading to my children. Picture books are still a part of our day but chapter books have added an increase amount of richness and satisfaction into our life! We started with classic simplified books like:
Charlottes Web (This was the very first chapter book we read and it was a perfect first book for my kids. There are pictures in it which helps but the story is so charming that the kids really enjoyed it.)
Alice in Wonderland (Charlie loved this one! And i enjoyed all the history, math, and random facts Alice would share)
My Fathers Dragon (short and simple and a fun adventure!)
Swiss Family Robinson (This was liked as well. This provided a lot of conversation about outdoor survival and animals)
The Prince and the Pauper (Charlie liked the idea of this book- two boys changing places but he didn't get into the book like the others. I thought it was great to see different perspectives of two very boys lives.)
James and the Giant Peach (Very fun and sweet book! This was a favorite. I liked the singing parts and the kids always got a good laugh from my attempts to sing it. Olive was attentive to this story as well. She showed such compassion for James when he lost his parents and was so lonely in the beginning. She told me, "I think Jesus is in this book". She knew that Jesus would help James feel better and in a way a miracle did happen and James found joy with his new friends and life! I love the teaching moments and conversations we have with our books).
Stuart Little ( Charlie is really loving this one right now and the adventures Stuart goes on are very exciting!)
The BFG (This was the first book none of us really got into so we never ended up finishing, too bad)
Heidi (I was so excited to read this one because it was a childhood favorite movie of mine. Reading the book added so much more of the story. I loved the message about nature and the outdoors and how it can help people heal physically and spiritually. I felt like this story spawned some good conversations.)

I am pretty sure I am missing some books but this is what I can remember for now.

I also always have an audio book playing in the car. Charlie likes this and Olive sometimes does. If there is anything that seems scary she does not want to listen so we might go through them a bit slower.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (This is currently in the car. Its amazing!! I especially loved it for all the symbolism to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Its been so special to talk about the Savior and his sacrifice for us. Before Charlie knew who Asalan was he loved him and he lite up whenever he came into play. He felt the specialness of him. I thought it was a great opportunity to talk about how Jesus is like Asalan. And I hope that with that comparison he understands the Saviors role a little bit better.)
Winn Dixie (Just a light fun listen)
Where the Red Fern grows (Charlie loved this! Olive not so much. I think we could have waited a bit longer for this story for her sake)

We are going through books like crazy. The list of books I want to read feels endless! I realize that Charlie and Olive don't fully grasp every word and sentence but their desire to hear stories and love them is growing. I am trying to set a stage for them to hunger and thirst after good books. Good books and stories have great messages. They take us to a new world and help us experience new things. They teach us to see things differently. They teach us about kindness, love, challenges and having faith and hope through them. Learning about the authors and their lives will also provide more education in a fun and interesting way. The material is endless.

As homeschooling is now what we will be doing, i feel confident that books will be our teachers (and I say ours because I am one of the students and we are all learning together!) I have been inspired by the Thomas Jefferson education where you can learn more about it here.

Make Time for Kindness

I spoke in my church sacrament meeting today. I was asked to do so two weeks before. Honestly I agonized over the talk feeling a lot of anxiety. But I prayed and asked the Lord if i could be the instrument and He could be the words. I feel like my prayers were answered and these are His words. I learned so much and felt an increase in my testimony and faith. This message of kindness is for ALL people.

Kindness is a universal belief. I thought it was interesting to learn that there is a form of the golden rule found in all world religions. Kindness is taught to children at the earliest age and something they are able to grasp very young.

Our family loves reading good books. And I often see the lesson of kindness intertwined through the stories we read. In these stories we see the power of kindness and the consequences of unkindness. In the beginning of the story The Beauty and the Beast, a prince is cursed because he does not welcome a beggar woman into his home. Later in the story the curse is broken because of the love and kindness of Belle.

Another story I have recently discovered, is about 2 sisters; snow white and rose red. They are shining examples of kindness! They allow a freezing bear into their home to get warm. When they later encounter a mean dwarf 3 different times when he is in need of help, the sisters do not hesitate to help him. The dwarf still yells and complains about the help they gave him but the girls continue on their journey giving no more thought to this ungrateful dwarf. At one point the dwarf attacks the two girls and the bear who they had befriended in the beginning is there to save their lives!

Then in the story of Little Women we see a cycle of kindness. An old grandfather- Mr. Laurence lets his neighbor- Beth March- play the piano in his house. Beth shows her gratitude by knitting him a pair of slippers. The old man returns his thanks by giving her a piano. And this very shy but deeply grateful young girl has the courage to go to his home and thank him with a hug and a kiss, an act that shocks her whole family and Mr. Lawrence.

The Savior, our closest and dearest friend, has shown us how to be kind. With every word he spoke and every action he took he did so with kindness; toward his family, friends, disciples, strangers, and even His enemies. He said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” Elder Wirthlin said, “When we love the Lord, we seek less for things that benefit us and turn our hearts toward things that will bless and uplift others.
As our love for the Lord deepens, our minds and hearts become purified. We experience a “mighty change in … our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.”

I have noticed that the two things that keep us from being kind are fear and pride. Sweet Marmee in Little Women gave her young girls the advice that, “Love overcomes fear and gratitude overcomes pride.”

As I have been pondering this subject this past week I prayed the spirit would teach me. A thought came to my mind that was not my own. I was told, “Make room for kindness in your life.” When we fill up our lives up with activities, events, and long to-do lists we become distracted from the simple and small acts of kindness we can do for one another.

I have been blessed by people who have made room for kindness in their lives. When we moved into Legacy Farms just the end of January. We were warmly greeted the first day by our neighbors. They offered help of any kind and told us not to be afraid to ask. Well not soon after our move in, my car wouldn’t start when i needed to take a quick trip to the grocery store. I knocked on the neighbor's door explaining the situation. She warmly greeted me and busily got to work helping. After a few attempts of trying to jump the car with no avail she insisted I take her car to get my groceries and she would watch my kids while i did. How grateful I am for that kind act!

Elder Ballard said, “It is only when we love God and Christ with all of our hearts, souls, and minds that we are able to share this love with our neighbors through acts of kindness and service—the way that the Savior would love and serve all of us if He were among us today.”

Elder Wirthlin gave a beautiful talk on the Virtue of Kindness. He said, “there is no substitute for kindness in the home.” End quote. I feel that sometimes that the home is the hardest place to be kind. I recently was told that how a moment ends is what matters most. So if there is an unkind word spoken do not let that be the end and mend things with love and kindness. I know that when we do, that is when the spirit will enter our homes and our hearts will begin to change and become stronger against the natural man who is our enemy. In the story of snow white and rose red i like to think of the bear representing the Savior. When we love Him, and let Him into our life, and show kindness to others- no matter what- he will be by our sides and save us in our times of need.

Elder Bragg of the seventy said this last conference, “ Families increase in light as they increase in love and kindness...we will feel an increase in love towards the Savior and towards one another.” End quote. I like to call it the kindness cycle, just like in the story of Little Women it is the cycle that keeps on giving!

We hear in the song, “Give said the Little Stream” a part that says “"Give," said the little stream, As it hurried down the hill; "I'm small, I know, but wherever I go
The fields grow greener still." And the second verse says, "Give," said the little rain,
As it fell upon the flow'rs; "I'll raise their drooping heads again," As it fell upon the flow'rs.” With this small stream and tiny drops of rain they make a big difference. Everything they do is adding growth to whatever they touch.

My husband reminded me that some of the biggest trees in the world are in california and a main source of their water comes from the fog and mist. Tiny droplets of water hardly visible to the eye is what nourishes some of the biggest trees!

I hope that we can work to be like the small stream, raindrops, or even like the fog and mist. As we yield to the spirit, we will naturally nourish others wherever we go. I believe it can become a part of our nature and though we feel small great things (seen or unseen) will happen. Elder Ballard said, “our small and simple acts of kindness and service will accumulate into a life filled with love for Heavenly Father, devotion to the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, and a sense of peace and joy each time we reach out to one another.”

Semi quoting the prophet Jacob, “O be (wise) kind what can i say more?”

My testimony is simple. I know that God loves us. We are His children. He does answer prayers. And when we diligently seek Him we will feel His love in abundance. We will be blessed as we continue to show love and kindness to ALL people.

My Homeschooling Decision

This is a song about my exact feelings about my decision to homeschool. Its something I have been considering for a few years. 

Now that Charlie is school aged and suppose to be starting Kindergarten the pressure has been turned up, whether to follow that homeschool dream or send him to school. A part of the song mentions how everyone is so happy on the island and going along with their roles so why not just go along. 

We moved into our home here in Saratoga Springs, which I haven't talked about yet... but we live right across the street from an elementary school. Despite my love and excitement for teaching my children at home, I thought I would just send Charlie to school...for the convenience. 

Since we had moved I hadn't done our JOY school with the kids. Charlie asked me when we would start it again. Life was just felt a bit overwhelming at first with the recent move so I pushed it off. But once I started feeling comfortable and more settled my mind started thinking homeschooling again.  My love for the idea grew and grew. My research, reading, and praying increased about the matter. 

I decided to go tour the school across the street. I prayed before hand for a clear answer if Charlie should go to school there. I prayed that Charlie and I might feel the same answer. I prayed that my mind and heart would be open and receive direction. 

We took a short walk to the school. We entered those big doors into the unknown. It was quiet, a teacher training day. We started roaming the halls when a man popped out of a room and introduced himself as the principle. A very nice man. He offered to show us around and answer my questions. As we parted and said our goodbyes it was clear to me. The school was nice and lovely but I knew I was meant to teach my children at home. I turned to Charlie asking what he thought. He replied, "I don't want to go to school there". So it was unanimous. The rest of the day I was walking on clouds. Brimmed with joy! I take that feeling as a confirmation from the spirit that I am doing exactly the right thing for my family. I am so grateful for the gift of the Holy Ghost. It gives me confidence when life choices seem so difficult. Now my job will be to remember this feeling when times are tough.

This choice hasn't been easy. I have had much anguish about it. But when I attended Women's Conference and Elder Eyring said, "God is not as much concerned about our peace but in our upward progress" I felt he was talking to me. I did receive an answer from God and I will trust in that. 

Saratoga Springs Temple Announcement

General Conference the last two days has been edifying. I felt peace, love, correction, hope, and a renewed desire to be better than I am. I always feel encouraged by General Conference but today I felt more humility than ever. I felt weak and inadequate yet hopeful that I can become strong through Jesus Christ. I need to make goals to increase my scripture study and prayers. I want to make goals to reach out and love my neighbors. I want to make time to be holy and bring others along with me.

I feel so much pressure from the world (or Satan) that it is often hard for me to follow through with the good thoughts and desires I have. I am weak. It takes practice and concentrated effort. It takes faith and I am willing to keep on trying until that glorious day when my Savior returns!

The announcement of the Saratoga Springs Utah Temple was thrilling news! When we moved here we heard rumors that this area would get a temple. I wasn't thinking it would happen so quickly! I feel an incredible amount of gratitude and love. I feel a great desire to become better than I am.