Baby announcments

So I ordered some test baby announcements/thank you cards yesterday.  They should be here sometime next week, so for all of you amazing people that have been SO helpful and kind this past month, don't think that I am slacking, they are on their way I promise!!

I ordered them from Shutterfly, so I am hoping they turn out, hence the 'test' announcements (because you never know when you order stuff online).  If they do turn out, then you all will be getting one soon!  

Thank you again though!! He loves his gifts!!

Photo Shoot with Daddy

So today my mom and I went for a walk and left Holden with Josh.  When I came back there were about 25 pictures of Holden in different poses and Josh with a guilty look on his face.  I think it was because he wore his camo outfit that Josh's mom got him with the camo shoes that my co-workers got him and it was adorable!  Here are a few of my faves:

Grandpa Steve!

Today we were so lucky to have Josh's dad, Steve, come visit for the day! Josh's mom and sister were VERY jealous, and we wish they could have come too, but it was good to see him, and Holden was happy too!

This leads to another first that happened today. Josh and I went and ran some errands while Grandpa watched Holden by himself! We were only gone about 40 minutes (that was pretty much how long we could handle being away from him), but he did so good! No freak outs or crying fits-from Holden or Josh and I :) I was so proud of our baby (and of us!)

He also came bearing gifts from Grandma Julie and Aunt Erin! Grandma sent the cutest books that she got for Holden. I can't wait to read them to him! Lizzie kept wanting to read them over and over again. Erin got Holden a really cute outfit also. I can't wait for him to be able to fit it! It is 3-6 months, but at the rate that he is growing it will fit him in one month.

Speaking of growing, I can't believe how different he looks in just a week. I am attaching some pictures of him today, he is starting to look like a little man! Anyways, last night was a little rough, we let him sleep too much yesterday and so he did NOT want to sleep last night. He was just wide awake, and would get so fussy if we turned the lights off. So today we took him outside and have all the blinds open and so far he has been awake most of the day. Hopefully that will help Josh and I get more sleep, because last night was not fun at all.

I can't believe that he is 10 days old! It has gone by so fast. Josh is out fishing, so I am going to get back to watching Fashion Police's recap of the red carpet at the Grammy's! :)

Uncle Jason came to visit!!

Here are some pics of Holden with Jason.  He flew in from Boston today and stopped by our house on his way to Beaver!  Him and Katie bought him the most adorable Red Sox hat and shirt!  The shirt will take a while to grow into, but we tried the hat on and had a photo shoot while he was here so we could show the hat off.

Thanks guys!!

My little Peanut

So today so far has been quite interesting..

First of all, I have decided on a nickname for my baby! Peanut!  I don't know why, but I have decided that is what I am going to call him.  Doesn't he look like a little green peanut in this picture?? (the bottom one) I just love him so much!  

Last night was a good night though.  Josh was an amazing husband and let me sleep most of the night.  He brought Holden to me around 6:30 and I slept the rest of the morning with him.  So far things have been really good, I keep waiting for him to turn into devil baby and we start really freaking out.  But so far it has been amazing!  The bath last night was harsh, but we got through it!  So far, I have been the parent that hasn't really had much compassion when he cries but the bath was rough for me.  I just hate putting him through things like that which he doesn't understand.  But I am sure he was glad he was clean!  

Another "first" that happened today was that Josh was changing Holden and he peed all over him!  It was so great!  I was upstairs and I just hear everyone downstairs just cracking up!  But I was just glad it was him and not me!  :)  

I am going to cut my hair today, on a side note.  It is just so frustrating that it takes me so long to blowdry my hair and that my hair always gets in the way!  So hopefully that turns out okay...

The other picture is from last night, I was trying to get one with his eyes open, since they are beautiful!!! 

More hospital pics

Day 4

So today was a good day.  We had to go back to the hospital and get his bilirubin tested again, and this time he passed!  So no more hospital trips for Holden!  Then we came back and had a good relaxing day.  It is so nice to just spend time with him and Josh and not have to stress about work and life.  Josh and I got lots of sleep last night so we were completely coherent today, instead of falling asleep every 5 minutes like we did yesterday.  We got caught up on our American Idol and other shows while Holden slept, and did some much needed laundry.  At around 3, Leigh came over and held Holden while Josh and I took a nap.  I am so grateful for her and everyone that comes over and wants to hold him.  It makes being a parent so much easier knowing that our kid is surrounded by people who love him.  

My visiting teachers brought over dinner (yummy chicken noodle soup), and so we got to eat dinner before heading to the office to do cleaning/filing.  It was nice to have a family outing :)  

The good news of the day though, is that Holden had his first HUGE poop!  He had two little poops yesterday and today, but today was his first huge major down the leg up the back poop.  I was trying to work and he was being fussy (which he rarely is) and so I figured I should look at his diaper, and I was so glad I did!  I was just laughing the whole time because I was so happy that he is healthy.  Luckily I had a change of clothes in the diaper bag, because we needed them!  It is a great day when things like poop make you happy.  

Wish us luck though, because we are about to give Holden his first bath!  Hopefully Josh can handle the fact that he will cry.  I feel like the mean parent when I don't instantly try to calm him when he cries.  But I think that is good for him!  

Home Sweet Home!

Well today was Holden's first day at home!  We got the go-ahead from the doctor this morning that both he and I were okay to go home, and then we just waited for the few more people to come visit and then at around 3 we left for home.  We got outside and it was a beautiful day!  Sun shining and not a cloud in sight!  Very fitting for the kind of mood everyone was in.  After we had the nurse show us how to get the car seat all hooked up (they are so much more high tech these days!) we were off.  It was one of those moments that you always see dramatized in the movies with the dad driving really really slow with the mom sitting in the back with the newborn, etc. And it was exactly that and more.  I have never been just so happy, I couldn't stop smiling the entire way.  In fact, since we got here I haven't been able to stop smiling.  We actually felt like a family.  He slept the entire way home (of course), and then we had Daniel and Lizzie waiting for us at our house to help with everything.  

It is so surreal to have had all Holden's things ready for about a month now, the changing table, crib, clothes, bath stuff and now it is actually being put to good use.  I can't wait to use it all.  Josh's family just left, and it is always good to see them.  I can't believe how loved Holden is already.  I love hearing people tell me how much they love him when he's only been here for 2 days (exactly!).  I am so proud to be his mommy.  

Now Josh and I are just hanging out by ourselves for what seems like the first time since before I went into labor.  Except we aren't by ourselves.  There is someone else in the room, and he's ours.  We both just can't stop looking at him.  He is perfect in every way and I just can't believe we made him :) 

Josh's sister took a bunch of pictures tonight of him here at home, so I will post those as soon as I get them.  The one on this entry is my favorite one from the hospital.  His side profile is definitely his best side, so I prefer pictures from that angle.  

Holden McKay

Well, I figure that this is as good a time as any to get a blog.  Now that we actually have something to write about :) 

Yesterday was the birthday of our son, Holden McKay.  He weighed 9 pounds and 5 ounces and was 20.5 inches long.  We are so excited that he is finally here! Yesterday was such a long day, but it was so worth it!! Here is the whole story (sparing the gross details that labor always entails):

Around 11pm Friday night, I started having contractions.  They weren't that bad, and they weren't that frequent (about one an hour).  I figured that they were just tiny ones since at my doctor's appointment on Thursday I was only dilated to 1.5cm and there was no way that I could be in labor after that kind of puny diagnosis.  So I had about one an hour throughout the night until about 4am Saturday morning.  Then they started getting closer and closer and more painful.  Josh and I woke up around 7am, and called the hospital to ask when/if we should come up there.  The hospital is a full 30 minute drive from our house, so I didn't want to make the drive if we weren't going to stay.  The nurse he talked to said that if the contractions got to 2-3 minutes apart and I couldn't talk through them then to come up.  I then prepared myself for the chance that we weren't coming back, in other words I showered and did my hair :)  Then when I was in HUGE pain every 2 minutes or so, I realized that we needed to hurry and get to the hospital.  My mom came over and confirmed what Josh and I realized, which was I was definitely in labor, my dad gave me a blessing and then we were on our way.  We left our house around 9:20am, and got to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo at about 9:50am.

As soon as we got here, we got checked in and they checked my cervix.  I was to a 3 which was all they needed to start the process going quicker.  The doctor broke my water and then we were off.  After the extremely painful contractions of the day, I decided to get an epidural against my previous statement that I was going to do it naturally - (which was crazy).  There was no way in heck I was going to go through those contractions longer then I had to.  So by about 10:30, I was sitting pretty.  In a nice room, with no pain, just waiting to dilate.  My mom and sister Leigh got there around 10:30, bringing books and entertainment getting ready for a long day.  Josh's parents had just left for St. George the day before and so he called them to let them know what was going on and so they started the drive back.  Pretty much from 10:30-5:30 was super boring.  I read some, facebooked some, watched some Gilmore Girls on my laptop, listened to my ipod etc.  I was hoping that I would dilate quick, but I was slow and steady.  At about 5:30, they said I was to a 10 and they just needed to call the doctor and see if he wanted me to wait or start pushing.  While we were waiting for word on that, I had my first freak out.  I realized that I didn't know how to push!! How was I going to know how it felt or if I was doing it right?  

So after about 20 minutes of me freaking out, the nurse came back in and said we were going to push.  

Let's just say that the next hour and 45 minutes was not fun one bit.  

It was by far the hardest thing I have ever done in my life, but I know that it also changed my life.  He came out so perfect and healthy and handsome.  I can't believe that I pushed a 9 pound baby out of me, but I am so glad that I did.  Holden was born at 7:53pm on February 14, 2009.  I jinxed myself when I said that I didn't want him to be born on Valentine's Day, but I decided to look on the bright side.  Josh and I can celebrate Valentine's Day on another day, when the lines to all the nice restaurants are short and all the candy and chocolate is on sale!  And when Holden is older, he's going to be so lucky when some girl falls in love with him.  

I can't believe that I am a mom.  It is truly a miracle to hold a baby in your arms that is yours.  All yours.  (And Josh's of course).  I think about how much my parents mean to me, and it is almost terrifying to think that Josh and I will be that to this baby forever.  I can't wait for him to come home with us tomorrow and we can start watching him grow and teaching him everything he needs for life.  

I don't know if I can do the whole pregnancy/labor thing for a long while, but I am glad that I did.  It is really like no feeling in this whole world.  Life is a miracle :)