Smiles

Needless to say we had a good night. 

Graces Faces

Clever eh?

Our little one makes the cutest faces, I'm sure all moms say that. One day I carried the camera around with me just trying to capture them. I also attempted some newborn pictures. I picked her squirmiest time so I didn't get a lot.

My absolute favorite face. Her sleeping smiles.

So bright eyed.

Don't mess with her sleep.

Baby feet are the best.

3 Weeks

I honestly can't believe we've had Grace for 3 weeks. She is almost a month! It has truly been the fastest 3 weeks of my life. I guess I'm starting to understand when parents say enjoy every moment because time flies and before you know it your kids are all grown up.

Grace is the best, biggest, most wonderful blessing in our lives. She has brought so much happiness. Even the late night feedings bring a smile to my face. She has the biggest, most alert, inquisitive baby blue eyes.

She loves:

Ceiling fans

Windows

Our headboard

Grant and I's faces

Sleeping on your chest

Cuddling in anyway

Getting her hair washed

Bouncing

She hates:

Her cherry medicine we have to give her for her thrush.

When she can't get milk out

Wet wipes

Baths (except the hair washing part)

Baby:

Overall she really is so happy. She hardly ever cries, sometimes she doesn't even cry when I have to give her her nasty medicine. She grunts a lot. In the middle of the night when she's hungry she doesn't even wake up crying, she just grunts a little. She usually gives me one 4 hour stretch at night from one feeding to her next feeding. She burps like a champ, sometimes while she's eating. Her neck is ticklish. She has A LOT of extra skin to grow into, rolls of skin actually. She is REALLY hard to wake up when I need to feed her, however when I want to go to bed she wakes up the minute I put her in her bed. Funny how that works. I don't mind I just cuddle her on my chest and she sleeps just fine.

Mommy:

Overall I'm really so happy. I probably cry more then baby, but I'm crying less and less. Those first couple days after she was born were a real tear jerker. I'm constantly amazed how good I feel everyday after only 3 or 4 hours of sleep a night. I seriously struggle putting her down, I LOVE holding her. The first few weeks I had no appetite, but this week it's come back in full force. I feel mostly healed. Currently I'm working on finding the balance between constantly feeding (or milking), still working in the office, taking care of myself, and giving time and attention to Grant. Notice I didn't mention keeping up with house stuff. I figured that priority had to go for a little while.

Daddy:

Loves giving Grace kisses. Loves tickling Grace. Is probably ready for Mom to stop crying all the time. Is taking on a lot of extra work in the office and still selling every night. Has our yard looking tip top. Can sleep through me pumping, feeding, and changing Grace at night with the light on (the Romney's and their amazing heavy sleeping skills). Does any thing Mom asks of him. Is grossed out by Baby's spit up. Is a champ at burping baby.

2 Weeks

I officially have over 50 photos of Grace on my phone, 10 videos, and probably another 50 on my camera. I now understand the obsession and how every coo, face, and grunt are the most amazing, adorable little thing in the world! We've had some ups and downs with our little Gracie. She lost weight in the hospital and wasn't latching on right, but then we thought we figured it out. She hadn't lost anymore weight at her 2 day appt so we thought we were home free. Then at her 2 week appt she lost another 5 oz. The doctor seemed pretty worried so she had us start supplementing with formula. It turns out I've been nursing her too long because she's not getting the milk out fast enough so by the time she's finished she's born more calories then she's consumed. The drill now is only nurse for 15 min max on each side and then give her 2 oz of formula and have her drink as much as possible. When we first started on Friday she was taking almost all 2 oz each time, but today she only took .5 oz. I'm hoping that means we're slowly learning how to nurse. I'll be honest I didn't expect nursing to be so difficult. Its not painful, it's just a constant stress. At first I felt so guilty about the formula, but Grace has been so happy since we started. She's more alert, sleeps better, and cries less. All I want for her is to be healthy and strong and I will do whatever I need to make sure of that! Here are some pictures of our little cutie.

Obsessing over our Gracie.

A regular occurrence after a nursing session, sleeping right through her diaper change.

She loves getting her hair washed just like her mom.

Another regular occurrence. This kid gets so many kisses it's crazy.

Grace Louise Romney

She made it. 9 months of hoping and praying that our little girl would be healthy and safe finally brought us our perfectly healthy, beautiful little girl, Grace. Here's how she made her debut. My 38 week appointment was on a Wednesday and my midwife informed me she thought we would have a baby by Friday, I was dilated to a 3 and 80% effaced, having lots of contractions. Well I made it to my 39 week appointment the next Wednesday. At that appointment she said we'll be seeing you next week. Friday morning my water broke. I woke up to a thump like a hammer but internally at 2:30 am Friday morning. I got up to do my ritual pregnant lady bathroom break. Once I was done I noticed I just kept trickling, and trickling, and trickling. I couldn't stop. I let Grant know I thought my water just broke, just saying those words to him made my heart start racing. I wasn't having contractions so I thought I'd just wait it out a few hours, I REALLY didn't want to be induced and my midwife said if my water broke without contractions they would have to induce me. The minute I laid back down in bed I started having contractions. Grant and I started timing them, anywhere between 8 and 13 minutes apart and too hard to talk through. We hung out at home for another 2 hours getting everything ready with work and I did the dishes. Mind you this whole time I'm still trickling, how much water can a person hold?! Grant and I knelt down and said a prayer, I needed to know the Spirit would be with me. We got to the hospital at 4:30 am and by this time my contractions were getting more intense and about 5 minutes apart, but still bare able. My heart was racing, was I really about to have a baby? It was nothing like they show it in the movies with the running around like a crazy person and the husband accidentally leaving his wife behind. Between contractions Grant and I were totally talking and laughing and I was calling my family to let them know the news. They checked me at the hospital, I was only a 4! 2 hours of contractions and nothing!? The baby was also pretty far up so they had to keep me hooked to the monitors until my midwife showed up. Contractions laying down are no fun. By this point they were pretty painful and I really had to breathe through each one. My midwife showed up around 7 and checked me again, a 6! Hooray for progress. She also let me get off the monitors and move around. I found rolling my hips in a figure 8 really helped, but man those suckers were starting to hurt. It was at this point I started questioning myself and my desire to have her all natural. Could I really do this for a possible 10 more hours? I knew first time labors tended to be looong, and I was exhausted. I just decided, one contraction at a time, I could handle one more. By this point I was on the exercise ball sprawled out over Grant starting to think, maybe I'll die? No really, I was questioning it, dramatic I know. At 8 my midwife checked me again, 7. 7? One cm in an hour?! I started calculating, if that rate continued I could have another 3 hours. I really didn't think I could last another 3 minutes. From this time until Grace came out my eyes were closed and I was focusing all I could on just helping this baby out. They were coming 3 in a row with only a few second break, this is where I turned into a crazy person. Nothing can describe pain like that, but I knew it was good because my body was getting this baby out. I threw in the towel twice during the whole experience, and this was one of the times. I felt another contraction coming on and just shook my head with tears welling in my eyes, my midwife caught me and in her stern, calm voice said "Yes Zaundra you can do this." And I was back in the game. With every breath out I said to myself "you can do this." At around 9:30 she looked at me and said are you pushing? I couldn't help it the urge was too strong I just shook my head. "Ok let's push!" I found my second wind with that, I was going to have a baby! She had me hold my thighs and start pushing. Grant was right next to me feeding me ice chips and holding my legs between contractions for a break. Grant was right next to me the entire time, holding my head, holding my arms, supporting my weight, whatever I needed. Pushing was the second time I threw in the towel. Surely a person's body couldn't handle this much pain and pressure, I was going to split right in half. Every contraction my team of nurses and midwife chanted PUSH, GO, YOUR DOING GREAT, YOU GOT THIS! So I kept going. After almost an hour of pushing my midwife yelled "Zaundra open you eyes!" I saw our little lady be lifted up and put right on my chest and I lost it. Grace Louise finally made it and she was perfect.

Great Things

So many happy things happening!

I'm almost 39 weeks, and my midwife has given me the official "baby should be coming any day now." Although, it's starting to drive me crazy. Everyday I think this could be the day and every night I have to face the facts no baby, maybe tomorrow. Come on baby!

The tree next to our house is BLOOMING. I will admit I used to hate that ugly tree's limbs hanging over our driveway, but everyday I drive under the blossoms into the garage and it makes me smile. It's like having my own private archway. Now if that dingy tree on the left could get blooming!

Who knew a tree could bring so much happy!

I finally got my diploma this week!! I must say my name looks good on a college diploma. Dang. Sometimes it feels good to toot your own horn and well I'm tooting. I need to honk for Grant too. He was so supportive and encouraging. Teamwork for sure.

My friend Chelsea got us into this half price consignment sale last night. Just picture a huge storefront full of racks of clothes, toys, books, everything baby! I got all of the things in that picture for $30. A boppy pillow, a pillow cover, 5 outfits, and 3 pairs of shoes.

While I understand this baby won't even be walking for year, baby shoes are the most precious things I've ever seen, baby shoes and baby swimsuits!

I don't brag about Grant often, but I do think he is a great man and well I want to brag. He recently started selling again to put on accounts for the company. I am so grateful for how hard he works for us. Not only does he work hard, but then he comes home and tells me how grateful he is for all I do. He even offers to go grocery shopping, after he worked all night. That is love.

So many happy things, and so many more to come. A baby, my mom will be here the 19th, my sister will be here the 30th, and Grants parents will be here the end of May. Grant and I also have birthdays this month, March sounds like a party to me! Yes, even the no sleep, nursing all night, changing millions of diapers newborn thing is a welcome challenge. I'm going to be a mom, and I can't wait.

Baby Shower and Hiccups

This baby gets the hiccups ALL THE TIME. Yesterday, 3 times that I noticed. Poor thing... and they're so fast and close together. I hate the hiccups, but I LOVE watching hers, holy cow. I have a little under 5 weeks until my due date. Crossing my fingers that I'm like my mom and she comes right on time! New pregnancy symptoms are:

-I love this baby so much. I can't believe I get to have her forever. I cry when I think about it.

-I also cry when I think about puppies, Grant, old people, pretty flowers, you name it.

-I feel like a bus/whale/train all the time

-I found one stretch mark, tiny, but still there and on the top of my stomach what?!

-Babies movements are getting less crazy, she's running out of room to sprint from one side of my uterus to the other.

-Baby lifted Grants head the other day like a serious bench press it was hilarious.

-Heartburn is getting better

-Skin is breaking out

-CAN'T sleep, my poor poor hips

-I pee when I sneeze, or laugh to hard

-I still only have to pee 2 times a night usually (sorry that's it about pee)

-Grant found the most adorable (and best deal) on a crib, dresser, and pack and play. And he assembled what was supposed to be a 6 hour crib project, in.... wait for it, oh 30 minutes. What a stud.

-All the baby necessities are here and ready for her arrival!

-One day this random lady told me I should be a pregnancy model, I wanted to kiss her.

The ladies in my ward threw my an AWESOME french style baby shower. It was so great. Especially since I've only been here a few months, I couldn't believe the amount of people there and how generous they were. I feel so blessed to live where we do.

My friend Audrey is a cake boss we'll just say. She made this beautiful cake for me, not only does it look amazing, it was the best cake I've ever tasted. Victorian sponge cake with lemon/raspberry filling.

A side story: Grant is from California, and three of his close friends from high school all moved to TX. Their wives are GREAT. This is Kelly, she made me that gorgeous grey and yellow blanket in the belly picture and this adorable frame for the nursery. She's also given me boxes of Zantac, a prenatal yoga, and a hypnobirthing book, no not for my baby shower, just because. Did I mention everyone loves her, because they do.

Another side story: Our three husbands all sold pest control for Grant's bro in years past, and now we all live in TX too! See people everyone wants to live in TX, you should too. Eli (on the right) is exactly one month behind me in her pregnancy! And Dani came even though her and I are just barley getting to know each other. Nice friends eh?

And this will be me, all day, oh so soon. Believe it or not I can't wait.