Seriously we are so in love with this little babe! 
We have a good friend in our ward that was looking to build her photography portfolio and offered to take some newborn pictures for us! She did such a great job! 
I wanted to share a few sweet photos until we get the rest from her! 

So here is Hazel at TWO weeks old!


(Click on the pictures to see them larger)
We're really looking forward to more pictures next week from Paige Wright! I lvoe newborn photos!
I am in awe in how our lives have changed in the last week. We had a baby- and we fell in love with this perfect little girl!
I spent the week missing classes, resting with my bebe, learning what she needs and wants, and becoming completely smitten with this little person. I feel so grateful for her. She is a very sweet tempered baby. Every night this week, Brice and I have gotten at least 8 hours of sleep! Not what I expected. If we get her in her pj's, lotion her up, feed and burp her, and swaddle her tight around 10:00-10:30 she sleeps until 3:00 am. I feed her, burp her, change her diaper and she goes back down until almost 7:00 am. Repeat routine and she sleeps again until 10:00. Perfect! I get up when Brice leaves at 9:00 and shower, get dressed, make the bed, etc..and am so happy and prepared for the day when she wakes up!
Our days have been a mixture of feedings and naps, walks, errands, and snuggle time! I'm almost a little mad I'm in classes but a wonderful friend has volunteered to watch her so neither one of us have to miss our classes.
This week has changed our lives- but so much more for the better! Happy one week birthday Miss Hazel!
* I did write this on Friday and forgot about posting it. oops!*
I know its been a long time since I blogged, but I was really getting tired of being pregnant and talking about being pregnant! I want to document the birth of our first baby so I never forget and hopefully you'll enjoy some of the details. If not, skip the writings and stare at the pictures of our cute babe!

My due date was October 1st, and that day came and went without any signs of labor. I know it isn't common for a first-time mother to give birth early or on the actual estimated due date, but I was hopeful...really hopeful! After a few ultrasounds and fetal non-stress tests my doctor decided that my amniotic fluid levels were getting too low and I would be induced on Friday, October 5th, 2012. Friday morning we woke up early at 4 am- showered and got ready and drove to the hospital to be there at 5:00 am. Turns out they had a lot of mothers come in and the floor was busy so we just waited in our delivery room for about two hours before they started my I.V. The nurse checked me and said I was only 1.5 cm dilated but about 85% effaced. Pitocin began at 7:00 am and we both napped and read and watched every early morning talk show. you know- real important things! 




Brice has a I.T. Lab on Fridays that he really couldn't miss. So he left to go to campus at about 10:30 and would be back at 1:00. We were pretty sure nothing too exciting would happen in that time. Well about 11:00 contractions started and I realized quickly I was miserable. Laying in bed alone wasn't going to work. I figured out standing up was more comfortable and during a contraction I would take deep long Pilates breaths and push my arms against the cupboards containing all the monitors. I also realized contractions were coming a lot more frequent than I expected- only about 2 minutes apart. I thought this was way too frequent this early- but they lasted like that the entire labor. One o'clock came and went and still no Brice. I was really wanting help there and was so grateful when he got to my room about two. I figured that the lab went late or something and didn't hold it against him. He realized quickly I was in real pain and jumped right in to help me. The nurse checked me again and I was about 4 cm dilated and totally soft. Brice helped me breathe through contractions, he used counter-pressure on my knees, he rubbed my back, and told me how great I was doing and kept reminding me we were going to get to see our baby girl! Of course he had a football game on to glance up on though :)

I was wanting to go without medicine as long as I could so we kept trudging away. At about 5:30 my contractions were lasting so long and becoming so intense I started to lose it. I remember finally yelling "OWWWWWW.. and I don't want to do this anymore. I remember saying I'm done- I'm done with all of this!" We said a prayer real quick and Brice asked Heavenly Father that I could find the strength to continue and receive the relief that I needed. Two more contractions came and went and I decided the pain relief I had prayed for would come from an epidural and there was absolutely nothing wrong with that. The anesthesiologist was quick to come and the nurse checked me one more time. I was 8 cm dilated. I knew I was so close but couldn't find the words to say I want to keep laboring. The epidural was placed, instantly I felt numb and relief and got the shakes. The nurse checked me again and reported that I was complete and the baby's head was so low she could actually see it. I was so excited to be almost done, but a little said that I was so close, but had gotten the epidural. 


A few minutes later my sister showed up with dinner for Brice and a smile and encouragement for me. After I saw her I was so thankful for the epidural and the chance to talk with her and call my parents. I know they were sad to be msising out on this experience and it really helped me to see the end was in sight. We ended up waiting over an hour for the doctor to arrive from another delivery and again thanked Brice for helping me and reminding me that getting pain relief was totally okay! We really enjoyed those last minutes of our family only consisting of the two of us. After a few practice pushes with the nurse, Dr. Judd came in. He gave me a pep talk and we got to work. I pushed for about 20 minutes before our little babe came out, cone-headed and squealing. She was born at 8:12 pm. Weighed 7 pounds and 14 ounces (big enough to surprise us all) and was 20 inches long.




Immediately I felt the Holy Ghost so strong as I realized we had just been given a gift so precious. I looked at Brice who looked a little shocked but mostly fascinated and I broke down in tears. The rest of delivery happened, jokes were told, my sister was devastated and has sworn off children for a while longer. After a few minutes they gave Brice the baby and he looked at me with tears in his eyes and I just lost it. I cried so hard and when I held her for the first time I just felt a warmth all over my body. She latched on quickly and ate well and we enjoyed every minute together until they gave her a bath. She hated it and she screamed and it made me so sad.

We enjoyed the rest of our evening thanks to company, pain medication, and a dinner from Chipotle. I couldn't fall asleep until almost two in the morning but it was a wonderful night the three of us. We came home Saturday night and have enjoyed Hazel in our home and the love she brings to both of us. I love seeing Brice be a dad. I feel so grateful for life, for our baby, and for the trust given to us by a loving Heavenly Father. 




Hazel has been asleep in her crib for the last two hours and I keep checking on her hoping she'll be awake so I can snuggle her, but instead she is sleeping well- a perfect baby really!
This week brought exciting things!

 Brice and I celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary by spending a few fun days with our friends, Emily and Matt up at Bear Lake, Utah. We loved renting a see-do for the day, reading by the warm lake, and playing games in the evenings! One morning we drove up to the Minnetonka Cave and spent some time climbing 800+ stairs and being guided by a high schooler obviously enjoying her summer job! As soon as we started I turned to Emily and said, "Don't people climb stairs to help labor begin?"... i was a little nervous but we all survived. The cave was around 45 degrees which was basically an answer to a prayer- since being pregnant in the summer can get quite hot. We really enjoyed the cave and the time in the fresh air!

Driving home was quite the adventure too...we love it when the Jetta acts up and stalls every 78, 17, or 8 miles. Brice spent some time under the hood and hopefully we finally got it all figured it out.




Since being back in Utah we've been attending a Lamaze class every Wednesday night. I think we both have found it helpful and somewhat overwhelming, but we are feeling better and excited for a hopefully un-medicated birth. In a hospital. Let me make that clear!

Brice is staying busy with his job back on campus as they prep for New Student Orientation next week. I get to work for a few days for his office. It'll be fun to be "that pregnant lady" to all those freshmen kids about to start their college years.

I'm now 34 weeks pregnant and mostly enjoying it still everyday! Running is becoming harder, but it feels good after and is rewarding both physically and mentally. I really can't complain about too much other than an occasional back ache and feeling big, but I know it could be so much worse.
42 days and counting...


Lastly, Brice has been really into websites advertising all the deals going on and he happened to stumble upon one that he was nervous to tell me about. For about a year I've been researching digital SLR cameras and really trying to find the right one at a price we could afford. Well we found one! We bought the Canon Rebel a few hundred dollars cheaper than the original price and are both already loving the better quality. Better pictures to come in the future!






Brice and I both really loved spending our summer in Iowa. 
It was really nice to be able to spend so much time with his family and embrace the heat and humidity. Brice learned to enjoy his internship, and it was worth it because they basically offered him a future with the company. It was fun for me to see Brice wear "fancy" clothes to work instead of a t-shirt and shorts! Too bad I didn't get many pictures. 
We especially enjoyed the John Deere festivities. We loved spending so much time with Owen and Kent and miss them already! Thank you Doug and Lucinda for opening your home to us. And Doug, Thank you for the funnel cake!
Uncle Brice and Owen




The app on my phone says 72 days until my due date!

 That is making me all sorts of anxious.
 We're getting really excited to meet our baby girl, but on the other hand I'm starting to become overwhelmed. Sometimes it just doesn't seem real. 

I feel really lucky because I can't complain about too much. Sure I'm a hot and sweaty mess most of the time, but I'll blame it mostly on the summer heat wave and humidity of the Midwest. I've started getting some sciatica down my left side which is painful and good ol heartburn when I crawl into bed. Other than that though, I'm running everyday still, usually 6-10 miles and it feels so good. My belly is growing but isn't too uncomfortable and I am completely capable of putting on my own shoes and shaving my legs. 

Brice and I are enjoying our time in Iowa, and grateful to be spending so much time with his family. I think we're both anxious for this internship to be over though and make our way back to Provo. Brice has mixed feelings about his job here but we're both grateful for the opportunity. I'm enjoying a break from school and work but am feeling useless without a schedule to maintain. Oh yeah- and then there's the sleeping 10 hours a night at least thing... blame it on being 30 weeks pregnant I guess.

There really is no place like home. So two more weeks and we'll be back and excitedly putting together our baby's crib! 

Welcome to our little space

Welcome to our little space
“No nobler work in this world can be performed by any mother than to rear and love the children with whom God has blessed her. That is her duty.” David O. McKay

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