Fridays....

Friday, July 18th, 2008...about 10:50 am

We've just moved into our new apartment in Orem. Steph is at work and I'm at home working on moving us in. It always seems to be a process that takes a few weeks! It's crazy to think that this is our 4th apartment to live in since we've been married... we lived in 3 in 2008! We were just in our last apartment for 2 months before it was sold to someone who wanted to live in it herself. We were bummed to move, because we loved that place...but figured it was better to move now rather than have it be sometime closer to October, when the baby was going to come. That would really be a pain! We were really lucky to find this place; it's been newly rennovated and it's one we can really see ourselves bringing a baby home to. (I will find out in a few weeks, when my mom comes to visit for the first time...that this apartment is next door to the one my parents brought me home to when I was born about 27 years before...)

We want to get as much moved in and put away as possible before we leave on vacation to Oregon next Wednesday...but it seems like every time I empty a box or put a pile away...another one forms somewhere! But we'll get it... I really want to be able to come home from vacation to a clean apartment. We just ordered the baby's crib, and it should be here by then. It will be nice to get a little nursery set up. We are really starting to get excited for this new arrival. Overwhelmed too. We'll have to talk about school and work and all that stuff when we get back too... so much to plan for. Will we really be ready by October??? That seems so soon! In any case, I try to get as much done as I can... we might not get it all done by the time we leave for Oregon...
Friday, July 25th, 2008...about 10:50 am
We're in Oregon visiting Dad, Mom, Danee and Haylee. It has been hard not having that side of the family around and we are taking what will probably be our last little road trip for a while to go see them- we were coming up on 28 weeks, so traveling would become too uncomfortable and then the baby would be here. We hadn't seen their new home yet, or the new puppies...and they hadn't seen Steph really pregnant just yet. She has just started to really show. Everyone is excited, because soon they will be grandparents and aunts for the first time! We have had a great time so far. This morning, we are getting ready to float down the river. The weather is perfect for it, and it's a nice low-key family activity that can be enjoyed, even when pregnant! The only damper we have experienced since we got here is that Steph has been getting bad stomach pains at night, and a few times during the day. We're getting exhausted from staying up all night; we're not sure what it is or what to do about it. It goes away after a while, with some Tylenol and a blessing...if it keeps up, we're going to call the doctor tomorrow...even if it's the weekend! But for this morning, we're all feeling good... so it's off to float the river!!

Friday, August 1st, 2008... 10 :50 am

I look down at Stephanie laying on the operating table. How in the world did we get here??? On one side of a blue sheet pinned up as a curtain, I can see her with a dazed look on her face that fits the situation perfectly. She doesn't really realize, but I have just been watching the other side of the curtain...and have see the doctor hand something to the team of nurses, who are over on the other side of the room, working busily as a team on something I cannot see....but know exactly what it is. Frozen in time, I think to myself.... this moment could be so great...and it could be so terrible. What do I do?? I've never done this before... what happens next??? Stephanie looks up at me...the anesthesiologist had said something about a baby...but could she be here already? It had only been 15 minutes or so...Stephanie looks to me as if for confirmation. I look over at the nurses and look back at her...these 20 seconds have seemed like hours. The silence is broken by the sweet little cries of our baby girl making her entrance into this life...10 1/2 weeks early. A nurse ushers me over to see...and before I realise what is going on...someone hands me my daughter....MY DAUGHTER??!?!??!?!??? This tiny face in a little pink and blue striped beanie looking up at me from a bundle of blankets....that's my baby??? I bring her over and show Stephanie her brand new little girl...



Friday, August 8th, 2008...10:50 am

We are in the NICU visiting our sweet little Avery. She has just been moved from room 3, which is where the babies who need extra attention are put, to room 2. It's a graduation of sorts, and we've learned quickly to appreciate and treasure every baby-step in the right direction. She has been amazing since day one...she never had to go on a ventilator, and has been breathing room air for days now on her own. She is doing well on mom's milk already and looks so good, as that new baby puffyness and redness has gone away. We can't get enough of our little bug...we even got to hold her this week already. You can hardly feel her, as the blankets she's wrapped in weigh more than her...but what a thrill to hold her! It's nice to be in this room now...we're neighbors with Zack...who is another little baby basically Avery's age and size, and their parents have gone through a lot of what we did...though they've already been here a while. It will be good to have them around to help give us advice and get us through this first little while. The Govea twins are right next to us too...which is really good for Steph, because it's really motivating for her to see those two cute, normal looking babies being rocked by their mom Stacy...because they tell us that those girls were even smaller than Avery at the beginning. We are so blessed to be at this point. Parents....PARENTS?????!!!?? To the sweetest little girl we could imagine. We are surrounded by amazing friends and family who carried us through a week we can't believe we survived. Someday...we might sell the movie rights :) I am super overwhelmed...I pretty much forgot that tomorrow is my 27th birthday!!...But for now, we will just count our blessings... we look up at the clock...and have a small celebration...our little girl is one week old :)

What a week...

I can only imagine what the Fridays of our lives have yet to surprise us with!!