Christmas 2009

This year for Christmas we went to Idaho. Elizabeth was only 2 months old but we made the 12 to 13 hour drive from Colorado Springs to Arco. Then Rhett joined us there from Spokane! We had so much fun with our family and friends!

Dressing Elizabeth up for the fun of it! She makes a cute Hawaiian girl!

We always have so much fun at Grandma & Grandpa's house! They gave Rhett a Webkins for Christmas. He named his webkin "Blizzard the Lizard"

Rhett was pretty excited to get Blizzard for Christmas!

Of course whats a Christmas vacation without a little relaxing and nap taking?!

And this sweet little girl is ready to play in the snow!

It turned out to be another wonderful Christmas!

Nov 19 2009 Elizabeth Jean joins us!

November 19th 2009 was a wonderful day in our lives. Elizabeth Jean joined us and changed our lives forever. As I had been dilated to a 4 for 2 weeks & our Dr was leaving the next week for Thanksgiving, we decided to have my water broke. So we got to choose the day we wanted her to join our family, and we chose the 19th, which is also my Grandpa Atwood's birthday. So early the morning of the 19th we drove to the hospital, in a nice calm way, nervous but calm. My water was broken around 9:30am and contractions began and things were progressing just fine until the nurse came in and checked on me. As soon as she did everything stopped. So I began walking, and as long as I walked I'd have contractions but as soon as I stopped and sat down everything would quit. So after about 2 hours of this the nurse said they wanted to start me on petocin. They only gave me 4 cc's, a 1/5 of what they usually give women and that worked. Finally around 2:45 the nurse came in and checked me and said I was dilated to a 10 and should be ready to push soon. Fifteen minutes later we pushed the call button because I was ready. She came in and said that the baby was moving down and we were ready to go. For some reason the Dr was not available or was helping someone else, but I guess he didn't know or understand how quickly things were getting with me. Around 3ish the nurse said, "If he doesn't get in here soon I'll be delivering this baby, cause she's crowning!" Finally the Dr came in and within 15 minutes, at 3:21, Elizabeth was born.

This is them putting her on my chest for the first time!

She was 8lbs and 21 inches long.

She only cried for a short minute, and then was immediately interested in what was going on around her.

She was so brave during the pricking of her foot for blood test, and all the poking and prodding they need to do to all the new babies. She only whimpered a little. The one thing she really didn't like was her first bath! And she let us all know it!

But it always feels so much better to get all cleaned up!

And of course after such a long day what should any new little girl and her Daddy do?! Watch college football!!

We had to stay in the hospital for 3 days since her sugar levels were up and down. She was a great eater and had no problems with breast feeding. She was very healthy and has been such a good baby!

Her going home outfit!

We love this sweet precious gift so much and we're so grateful she came to join our family! Now we can't imagine life without her!!!

Belly Pictures

About a week before our little Elizabeth Jean joined our family, Matt and I decided to go take some belly pictures so that we could look back and remember how big I was while pregnant with her. So here are some of our best shots.

These pictures were taken off a random dirt road in the middle of Colorado. It was right before the sun went down on the 2nd week in November, but was still beautiful enough to be outside with short sleeves.

Believe it or not Matt, with his incredible talents took all these pictures. Thank goodness for the remote for his camera. These are some of my favorite. Matt has always been so sweet and wonderful to me, and now to our daughter too. I knew he would be an incredible father, cause I got to see him in action with his son before we were married. That was one of those major things that really made me that much more attracted to this wonderful man.

This is something we have waited for for such a long time. We had tried for over a year to get pregnant, and finally it happend for us. We are so grateful and blessed to finally have this beautiful little girl come to our lives, our home, and our family!!

Our New Addition!

Matt and I have been trying for children for about a year and a half now. I was told in January I had Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome. Meaning one of the hormones in my body was producing twice as much as what it was suppose to. This caused me not to ovulate or have a regular period, and so we were not able to conceive. But we were blessed to have a great Doctor that put me on some medication to help regulate those hormones, and don't ya know it, we are now pregnant! At first we really didn't know how far along I was because this medication had a side effect of making me feel sick. So since the end of January I've not felt well!

Around the end of April beginning of May I decided there were other things that just felt different and not normal so I went off the medicine to determine if it was the pills or something else... it was something else. So I took 2 at home tests, both came back (+), then I went to the clinic and they confirmed.

My first official Doctors appointment we told the nurse our story, she thought if we were as far along as she thought (18weeks) we would be able to hear the babies heart beat. So she pulled out the little monitor and went looking for it. It took her a moment and looking lower than she thought but she found it and it was amazing! It was the most incredible thing, and crazy all at the same time. Then the Doctor came in and met us, we told him the story and he said he thought we were about 5-6 weeks along! Quite the gap 5-6 weeks to 18weeks?! Hmmm, he hadn't talked to the nurse yet! So then he began to examine me, and measured my uterus. He quickly changed his mind and told us about 10 weeks along. After he left so I could change into my regular clothes, he must have talked to the nurse in the hall because he came back into the room saying 12 weeks along, but wasn't for sure until our ultrasound.

Six days later we went for our first ultra sound...Incredible!

The lady doing our ultrasound found the baby right away. The little guy was very active, and all over the place. She immediately said, you're about 13 weeks along, and the baby looks really good. She took about 20 minutes looking things over and took some pictures for us. It was amazing to look and see this 6 centimeter baby growing within me, and knowing after such a long wait I will finally get to be a Mother. What a beautiful calling, and position to hold in this life.

We met with the Doctor after the ultrasound, and he said again the baby is really healthy, developing well, and should be Due around November 22nd! He also said it will be about another 2 months before we find out if its a boy or a girl!

Matt too was and is really excited. To the point where when the lady handed him the ultrasound pictures, he had a death grip on them, and I had to pry them out of his hands just to get a peek! He is being very protective, and overly helpful! He is such a wonderful husband, and an amazing father. And I am so blessed to be married and sealed to someone who takes such great care of me and our little family!

We are excited and a little nervous about this wonderful new change coming to our lives! We are so grateful for all the wonderful family and friends we have and all their love and support! Thank you and we will be keeping you updated on all that is happening here!

Ashleigh comes to visit

Well we had our first visitors here in Colorado Springs! Ashleigh and Jaxon came and stayed with us over the Valentines Day & Presidents Day weekend! We had so much fun, and did some relaxing too! Of course we had to check out The Garden of the Gods!

This place is just beautiful! But it was cold so we just drove around it, no hiking this time. But we couldn't resist snapping a couple pictures before leaving!For the rest of the time Ash & Jaxon where here we played the Wii, went to church, and went to the Aquarium in Denver! We had so much fun! Thanks Ash for coming we had so much fun, and we miss you already!!

Matt came along as our driver! This was our Happy Valentines Day!! Pretty romantic! But no worries, we celebrated our Valentines Day the weekend before! Anyway we are so glad Ashleigh and Jaxon could come, and we're hoping more friends and family will come too!

Christmas in Idaho

Christmas time in Idaho!! We were so blessed to both get the time off to go spend a late Christmas in Idaho with my family! We also got to have Matt's wonderful little boy, Rhett, with us! We drove up to Idaho the whole 15 hours in one night! Matt drove the first 4 hours and then I drove the other 11 while he slept here and there in the back of our Xterra. After we got there of course we had Christmas, and opened some presents!

Someone was pretty excited to be opening presents with his Dad, and with Grandma & Grandpa Atwood! And Grandma & Grandpa Atwood made Christmas and opening presents so much fun!!! Rhett even got a stocking of his very own with his name on it, and lots of goodies inside. Thanks Mom & Dad...



Alexia & Audrey really wanted to help out, they were so cute to watch. They were just so excited. The look on Rhett's face says it all! This is what he really wanted for Christmas! (Joshua's pretty excited too! Its a good thing Rachel is holding him back!)

That is one happy little boy! He's so cute and such a sweetheart!

Even Dad got some good stuff for Christmas!

The kids got along really good, they were laughing and playing almost immediately once we got there! Rhett loves his cousins Alexia & Audrey! They were so fun to listen to laughing and playing!

Between the snowball fights, feeding the chickens, ice fishing, playing pool, riding Grandpa's 4-wheeler, the great food, the wonderful presents, and the incredible company its pretty safe to say Everyone had a great time. It was hard to return to Colorado Springs, but we know there will be many more oppertunities to go play at Grandma and Grandpa's house! Thanks again Mom & Dad for making it so much fun!! We love you!