A month of cuteness!!!

It's hard to believe that almost a month has gone by since I gave birth to our little Liam (this Tuesday he'll be one month old). He's getting so big (the newborn clothes and diapers don't seem awkwardly oversized and he's starting to occasionally smile)! We've taken sooo many pictures as you will see from below.

Our baby story...

So I'm glad I took that last maternity picture when I did, because I ended up going into labor that same afternoon. Here's the breakdown of how things unfolded...

Mon 2:45- Appointment with Dr. Bailey...I'm 2cm dilated, 80% effaced, & the head is way down there. He says he wouldn't doubt it if I went into labor that night.

After being checked I'm feeling continuous contractions, but I was making dinner, so didn't time them.

7:00 pm-ish- family home evening which consists of walking around walmart with our iphones in hand timing my contractions.

8:00 pm-ish- go home to see how the contractions will go with me relaxing on the couch...still consistent an hour & half later at about 4 minutes apart, call the hospital and let them know we're coming.

9:50 pm- drive the 50 minutes to the hospital while listening to Micheal Buble

10:40- arrive at the hospital. The nurse checks me thinking I'm a 4 or a 5 & calls the doctor. Dr. Bailey arrives and I'm only a 3.

Contractions increase in intensity. The nurses give me stadol in my iv to help with the pain so I can get some sleep. I feel sooo loopy and sedated, but it works like a charm & I get some sleep.

8:30 am- Dr. Bailey checks me- I'm dilated to a 4. He breaks my water. I'm told I can have an epidural when I'm dilated to a 6. Dr. Bailey tells the nurses to call him when my labor progresses more- better too early than too late.

Chad & me take to walking the halls of the hospital, squatting on contractions until the contractions get too intense for me to take standing.

9:45 am- Dilated to a 5. I beg for an epidural, they give me stadol in my iv instead. It makes me feel a little loopy again but does nothing to the pain.

10:15- I ask that the nurse check me again, sure that I'm a 6. The nurse is skeptical that I've advanced so quickly, but checks me anyways..."oh, you're a good 6", she says in surprise. One order of epidural coming up.

10:40- I feel the first urge to push. The anethisiologist finally arrives, but too late.

10:45 am- The nurses check me- I'm dilated to a 10. The doctor still hasn't arrived. The nurses tell me not to push but at this point all my stomach & pelvic muscles are almost forcing me to. The nurses scurry to prepare to deliver a baby without the doctor.

The doctor arrives a few minutes later with no time to change into scrubs.

11:20 am- Liam is born! 8 pounds 8 ounces, 22 inches.

Proud new daddy.


It makes me laugh because Chad is just beaming and I look so dead.  I'm still somewhat sedated from the stadol plus exhausted from labor.

When all is said and done, I'm grateful things unfolded as they did. Silly as it may sound, one of my life's ambitions has been to give birth without an epidural. However, as my due date drew close & I watched more episodes of TLC's "A Baby Story", I chickened out and reassured myself that I would still have a natural birth, just not with this first one. Maybe Heavenly Father knew I just needed to be sort of forced into a natural birth if I were to ever do it. I Can't say I will have any other births without an epidural, but regardless I'm grateful I can now say that I did it! I am also grateful for a husband that stayed by my side holding my hand, wiping my forehead, and even cried with me at the sight of my pain. And I'm grateful for this beautiful new baby boy.

39 weeks

I wanted to get one last picture of me as a pregnant lady. I'm 39 weeks and 2 days pregnant...can't tell that I'm anxious, can you? I have a doctors appointment this afternoon. We'll see what he says. I know that my chances of having this baby before my due date are slim, but can't a girl hope?

The rest of my Christmas pics

So I still have some pictures from Christmas that I haven't loaded. Last time I tried, it kept messing up, so I put it off for another day...then I forgot about it. So here they are, finally.

We took this before Chad and I headed out to Utah because the whole family was there.


All the girls.


All the boys.  I love how Chad is the only one that looks posed for a picture.  All the pictures his mom takes has trained him well.

Okay, so I cheated on this picture.  We didn't actually take this picture before Christmas, but the ones we did take of Sheena & Bradley's family didn't turn out as good.  If you haven't noticed, I'm still learning how to take good family/group pictures where everyone is in focus.  Live and learn.


The Cooks.




Shannon & Preston.


Mom and dad.


Okay, here's some more from our time in Utah.  Chad and I stayed with my cousins, the Rowleys.  These were some pictures I took at there house during a family dinner.

Robert, Bridget...and um...I can't remember their daughter's name right now.  Well, let's just say, The Bentleys.


Uncle Ty & Aunt Malinda.


Aaahh, what loving cousins.





These two just got engaged.  Congratulations Tiffany!