Photo Shoot!

Friends of ours from church were angels enough to take pictures of our new little family...for FREE! I am so grateful fo this awesome act of kindness. The pictures turned out professional and beautiful. I have been showing them off to everyone who stops by. Yes, my baby is naked in most of them, and she peed and pooped on me in the process, but all newborn pictures are naked ones and the result is inevitable defecation. Right? I love these pictures and cannot wait till we are not destitute to have them blown up and strewn across our walls!

Photo shoot aside, Reed has been gone for a week on another one of his field jobs. I have been totally alone for an entire week. I have had much appreciated help here and there, but have had sole responsibility of a newborn for 6 days. I wanted to prove to myself that I could successfully do it alone and did so the first night. That was all I could handle. Thanks to my mother-in-law and friend Sandra for keeping me company the next 3 nights. I felt so vulnerable being alone in this big house with a 2 month-old. I did go shopping one rainy day though to break the monotony and just to get out of the house and take up time. That made me feel better. Even if the "greeter" lady basically told me my baby was fat. "Does she get her big cheeks from Mom or Dad?" What!?! See ya later lady. I would tell her not to quit her day job if that probably was not in fact her day job. Reed comes home today though providing the equipment they are using does not run out of batteries again. Argh! It was nice though to spend a whole week admiring my baby and all her special qualities. She is so amazing!

Well, enjoy these pictures. I sure do!

Updates...

Since my last post about Christmas, we have been very busy visiting family and enjoying the outdoors. I have decided to let go of my fear of germs and winter weather...partially. I still do not fancy the idea of sitting in a building with 200+ kids aged 2 to 12 who are sneezing and/or coughing and/or harboring some infectious disease that is undetectable from an innocent bystander (aka...church). However, I let down my guard (since it's now summer-time) and have allowed Anaya to immerge out into the open. We have walked around the park by our house, strolled down Sabino Canyon, attended my cousin Elizabeth's wedding reception in Gilbert, and even gone shopping. I know..that place has germs too, but they are not sitting right next to you in the form of small children.
Anaya is well and growing everyday. Literally. Is that normal? I swear she's like a small person. It's hard to remember she's still a newborn. She has also begun smiling a lot...so cute I could just eat her up. We are having such a great time with her.

At Sabino Canyon with Daddy...

At the park by our house. Anaya is clearly having a blast...

Much more interested now that the walk is finished...

Ain't she gorgeous?...

Elizabeth's (Lizzie's) reception. Looks so natural Lizzie, but wait a few more years...

Posing with Aunt Natalie...

Anaya meets Great Grandma for the first time. Oh my gosh, I'm gonna cry. Four generation picture to come...

Cute videos just for fun...

Disclaimer: May be boring for non-family members. So watch at your own risk.

Baby's First Christmas!

It was fun to spend Christmas with our new baby. There were few presents, but the joy we felt as we celebrated what we did under our tree were priceless. I am so blessed to have one of Heavenly Father's children in my home to nurture and enjoy. Anaya is the best Christmas present we could have ever received.

Our daughter shows her true feelings about Christmas morning...

Deciding to put on a good face for documentation sake...

Still not in the Christmas spirit I suppose...dirty diaper?...

Our ornament (still to come) for 2009...

Visiting with family...cousin Phil...

Merry Christmas everyone!...

Graduation Numero Dos

I have finally done it...I am finished with school! I had some serious debate with myself whether I should go to my graduation or not and after much deliberation decided I should most definitely. I worked hard for this and I deserve to walk across the stage. These past three and a half years I got my masters degree, ended one job and started another, purchased a new home and had a baby...all while working full-time. Phew! Glad I did it though.

Mommy Grad and her babe...

My professors and I with some of the other grads...

Moving forward...

It has been over one week after my big moment and things are doing well. Anaya is the best thing that has ever happened to us. She is healthy and happy, except when she's hungry...she's so needy! I am happy to announce that her umbilical cord has fallen off and no longer reeks to high heaven. Holy cow...that thing smelled worse than her frequent poo explosions. Anyone else ever experience that magical smell?

Reed is even getting the hang of the whole Daddy thing. He's been so helpful. It's nice to have a support system when you're in the throws of postpartum gook (no depression, just gook...ya know what I mean).

I am healing nicely and can walk normally now for almost 15 minutes. Yes!!! I am almost down to my "beginning of my pregnancy" weight, too. But...will my ugly belly skin go away anytime soon? Oh, I hope so.

She's Here!!!!

Well...I am happy to report that after 9 long months and 9 not so long hours of labor (thanks epidural lady!...I love you), my long awaited moment of sheer joy has come. Her name is Anaya Elyse and she made her grand debut into this world Thursday, December 3rd, at 11:58am. She weighed 8 lbs. 12.9 oz, 21 inches long and she is amazing. I couldn't love anything more. Now I know what women meant when they said they never thought they could love someone so much. I am so in love! She is beautiful and I am so proud of her. I find myself in tears quite often purely from the love I have for her. What a blessing.

As far as the infamous "labor story" goes,...my water broke at 3:00am-ish after two days of on and off cramping (which I chalked up to diarrhea pains that wouldn't go away and let me sleep) and we rushed to the hospital, tears, heavy breathing and all. 40 minutes later we arrived and I meeeeeeaaaaaandered down the hall to my room. I managed to make it to 6 centimeters all by myself until the lovely epidural lady came to take away my woes. I highly recommend an epidural solely due to the fact that you can pay attention to what is going on around you and enjoy the moment...oh, and so you don't feel your estimated 10-11 pound child burst through your body. I know women like to feel their child come out and so did I, but having an epidural didn't change the moment for me. I still felt like I worked hard and made my big contribution. My doctor called the hospital to check on her patients that morning and was shocked to hear that I was there in active labor after 3-4 long weeks of 1 centimeter, 50% effaced, and -3/-2 station. I was so excited to see her walk in to rescue me...and then she left me. :( However, my nurse Karen was amazing and helped make sure my baby was safe and happy before gracing the room with her presence. Finally, at 11:58 after my doctor came back in to rescue me, my beautiful baby girl popped her head out with some help from the forcep lady...aka, my wonderful doctor. I was so glad she was there to help me bring my baby into this world. I didn't even have to push the rest of her out. I guess after 37 cm has just passed through your loins, the rest kind of just falls out. It was kind of an odd feeling to have her placed on my stomach and then in my hands. I didn't feel that rush of emotion at first. More like..."Wow, she's heavy and smells a little." But after they cleaned her up and handed her to me I was overcome. What an amazing opportunity it is to bring a baby into the world. Reed was great, too. He didn't even pass out. He was quiet the whole time, but there for me just the same.

Anaya and I are doing fine now. I am still very sore even a week later, but getting better everyday. Anaya is healthy and oh so cute. See for yourself...

Above: my little bundle of joy after her first bath at home, and kisses from mom after she was all cleaned up. Kisses make everything better...baths can be rough.

A new family...

Chillin' in her new boppy swing... On her way to her first doctor appointment...

So photogenic...and super cute!...
Vogue...work it...

A new mama...

What a proud mom...

Our family is complete...for now...

Hee hee...

and their eyes met, and it was love at first sight...

Gettin' all shined up...and better smelling...

A new daddy...

Not as big as we thought...

Awww...

Brand new...

How could you not love this face?...

...and they lived happily ever after.