Exactly what I wanted for Christmas

Last Christmas Scott and I made wish lists to make gift-giving easier for each other. Not surprisingly, this was at the top of my list:

This year I got exactly what I wanted--a precious baby who happens to be very cute and a bit chubby (especially compared to the other babies in the NICU). :)

See. I told you she was cute. And just look at those chubby thighs.

Christmas Eve visitors--Aunt Jana & Uncle Saul.

Adoring Clayson grandparents. (Christina came too, but I didn't get her picture before she had to leave to work in the NICU).

Santa came early Christmas morning.

Scott's lonely string of colored lights.

Good thing we decorated long before the baby came.

We were spoiled with tons of Christmas gifts & goodies from friends, family, & neighbors.

Hannah in her Christmas jammies on Christmas morning.

Santa filled Hannah's stocking with diapers and a rattle and our stockings with fun gifts and yummy goodies (thanks to a last-minute run to the store).

Hannah's Christmas haul (minus a few things not pictured).

On Christmas day, we ventured to the Carters' to exchange gifts, get pictures with Hannah's cousin Isaac, and be held by Grandpa Carter & other fam. We also had to take Hannah to the hospital to get her bilirubin checked. Poor baby.

Hannah was sleepy after a long, wonderful Christmas day.

Nighty night, Christmas miracle! You are our best Christmas present EVER!!!

Hannah Mary Carter

Now that our baby is almost 2 weeks old, I am finally getting around to posting some pictures of her. Hannah Mary Carter was born on December 18th at 5:14pm. She weighed 7 lbs. 6 oz. and was 19 or 20 inches long (measured 20 inches at birth but 19 inches in the NICU--go figure). I was scheduled for a c-section on December 21st, but Hannah had other plans. I wasn't sure I was in labor on Saturday, so I ran some errands and went to tithing settlement. Then my water broke just before 3pm in the middle of watching the BYU bowl game. We hurried and packed our hospital bag and arrived at the hospital almost an hour later. Hannah was born about an hour-and-a-half after that. She was taken directly into another room to have her nose and mouth suctioned out because there was meconium present, and my placenta had abrupted during delivery. Hannah seemed fine, so Scott brought her in to meet me about 20 minutes after she was born (I was bummed I didn't get to see her right away) and then took her down to the Nursery. Soon after, Hannah started turning purple and was rushed up to the NICU (they think she swallowed blood from the abrupted placenta). And that was the beginning of the 6 longest days of my life. The hardest days were the 2 that we didn't get to hold Hannah because she was hooked up to a ventilator. I don't have the time or energy to post all the details. Maybe I will do that later. Just know that we are very grateful for good doctors and nurses who helped our baby girl heal so that she could come home with us on Christmas Eve. We were especially blessed to have my sister who is a nurse in the NICU there to help comfort us, explain things to us, and take special care of sweet Hannah. We love Hannah so much and are so incredibly grateful for the blessing we have of being her parents!

And here are some pictures of adorable Hannah. We think she is absolutely beautiful and amazing!

During Hannah's first few hours in the NICU, she was just hooked up to a c-pap. I only got to hold her for about 15 minutes that night.

The next morning Hannah had been hooked up to a ventilator. I love how relaxed she looks even with that tube down her throat.

Almost everyone says that Hannah looks like me. I take it as a huge compliment. I agree that she has my square face, chubby cheeks, and little nose.

Scott and I got to help give Hannah her first sponge bath. It was really sad because we couldn't hear her cry due to the tube down her throat.

Hannah did not like the sponge bath.

But she sure looked cute sucking on her fist afterward.

I love this pic of her taken shortly after her bath. Crazy hair!

This is the first pic I took of Hannah off of the ventilator. Even though her face is red from all the tape, she sure looks better without all those tubes.

We absolutely loved holding Hannah for the first time in almost 2 days. I love that she is looking at me. I don't love that I look like death warmed over.

Hannah loves her daddy!

Hannah got jaundice, and I got a spinal headache--two frustrating complications that prolonged Hannah's stay in the NICU.

Scott enjoyed the food from the hospital cafeteria--especially this foot long corn dog. He didn't enjoy the chair/bed he slept on for 4 nights.

My room service meals were delicious.

I got discharged 2 days before Hannah did. We then spent one night at home and one night in a sleep room of the NICU. Gotta love all the wristbands.

I am so grateful for the love and support Scott has given to me and to Hannah. He is the best husband and daddy ever!

We spent Hannah's last night in the NICU trying to get her ready to come home. We gave her a bath, which she loved. Cute!

Hannah also passed the 90 minute testing in her car seat.

Scott and I were thrilled when Hannah's doctor told us she could go home on Christmas Eve. Too bad she didn't quite fit into this stocking my nephew Cole picked out for her.

Our cute little baby!

We were so happy to be leaving the NICU with Hannah.

Home Sweet Home

Hannah was the definitely the best gift under our tree.

Hannah's first time in her room.

Hannah's first nap in her bassinet. Super cute!

Thank you for all your support and prayers that helped bring Hannah home. We feel extremely blessed.

First Gray Hair

Well, I found my first gray hair as I was getting ready for church on Sunday morning. It was a short, wiry, wavy thing sticking straight out of my cowlick. I was rather horrified, so I yelled for Scott to come see it. He never came. Apparently, gray hair isn't that big of a deal to him. He did later ask me if I was going to pull it out, and I told him no. I remembered an old wives tale that if you pluck a gray hair, 7 more grow back in its place. I'm pretty sure that's what the foreign exchange student from Spain told me in a very irritated manner after I rudely plucked a gray hair out of the back of his head while he sat in front of me in high school Spanish class. Yeah, I was a bit of a weirdy back then.

Anyway, I guess the timing is perfect. I feel like I'm still too young to go gray, but at least now I can blame it on being on mom, right?

Oh, and I couldn't find the gray hair again last night or this morning. But tonight as I was searching for it, I found another one in my part near my forehead. Let's just say I don't think I'll keep looking for that first gray hair. At least the gray seems to blend in pretty well with the little bit of blond hair that I have left. I sure hope my daughter doesn't mind her friends asking her why she lives with her grandma. :)

And while we're on the subject of age, I have to tell you about a conversation that I have had numerous times throughout my pregnancy. It usually occurs with an acquaintance or a ward member who doesn't know me very well. It starts with me saying something about how excited I am to become a mom and how I'm a pretty old first time mom. Then..
Other person: You're not that old. How old are you?
Me: 34
Other person: Oh (in a tone of shock and slight horror)
I usually find this amusing, but sometimes not so much when I really am feeling old. I know I should just be glad that I look younger than I am. Most people who guess my age say late-20's. But I guess that's all about to change with this awesome gray hair. Good, good times.

Baby's Room

Our baby's room is finally (mostly) done. Scott and I learned a lot along the way about our lack of painting expertise and our lack of home improvement knowledge. Trial and error is not my favorite way to go, but I guess it's a glimpse into how parenthood usually goes.

Scott and I agreed on a lady bug theme (without too much pink), and we are actually very happy with the results.

We hung the matching valance, and our fabulous artistic friend added the cute paintings on the walls. This area still needs a small bookshelf under the window.

I'm sure I will be spending a lot of time in our new glider/rocker.

We bought a matching crib, changing table, and dresser. Scott loves to play the mobile. :) We are also going to hang my favorite picture of Christ over the crib.

A closer look at the cute crib bedding.

We love the dragon fly. And the pillow pet--courtesy of my cute niece Faith.

The most boring wall, but I will soon be hanging the shelves on the wall and adding pictures.

Now we need to transfer this huge pile of gifts that is in our room into the baby's room. Do you think we can fit it all in?

**Update on our baby: We had a doctor appointment on Wednesday, and he did an ultrasound to determine that she was still breech. So we scheduled a c-section for December 21st. If she turns before then, they will induce me as early as the 17th. Or if I go into labor, they will check to see if she has turned and then go from there. We are still hoping she will turn on her own. And I'm actually feeling like she might have turned during my pre-natal water aerobics class later on Wednesday. We won't know for sure until our next appointment on Wednesday, so please keep praying for us. Our main hope is that she is born healthy no matter how she comes. We will definitely be parents in 11 days! Yay!

Thankful

I am so thankful for...

FAMILY & FOOD:

We enjoyed a delicious Thanksgiving dinner with my fabulous family at my grandma's house.

Most of my adorable nieces and nephews were there.

We enjoyed a 2nd yummy Thanksgiving dinner with my wonderful in-laws (some of whom love public displays of affection).

A couple of days later we had good Mexican food with great company.

I love my loco nieces and nephews!

FUN:

Scott took me on a fun Rockettes date for my birthday. He liked the wooden soldiers the best.

I really liked the show, and I think Scott liked it more than he is willing to admit. :)

We ate delicious sushi (cooked rolls) after the show.

FUTURE:

Since Thanksgiving, I have been thinking a lot about all of my blessings. I have reflected quite a bit on where I was exactly 5 years ago. My divorce was barely final, and I was devastated by the belief that I would never realize my dream of having an eternal marriage and children. I am still amazed by how quickly life changed for me. I am so incredibly grateful to have found Scott. He is an amazing husband, and I feel so blessed to have him in my life. We are overwhelmingly thankful for the opportunity we have been given to become parents. This is a dream that we have both had for a very long time, and it's so fabulous to share this joy together. We are very thankful for all you loving friends and family who have supported us through this journey. We love you all!

**I think that I should add, for those of you who don't already know, that we found out last week that our baby is breech. Our doctor offered to try to do an external version to try to flip her, but we decided that the risks, pain, and cost wouldn't be worth it for us. So we are waiting and hoping that she will turn on her own. If she doesn't, we are grateful for modern medicine that will make a c-section a safe alternative. Please pray that she does turn for us but that above all she is healthy! Thank you!!