First St. Patrick's Day

To celebrate your first St. Patrick's day, we went over to Aunt Addi's and Uncle Blake's house for a party. Addi always does a great job at throwing parties and this one was no different. We had green mashed potatoes, green ice cubes in our drinks, smoked salmon and chicken, artichoke dip, and the fruit platter was made into a rainbow. She even made individual napkin holders for us! You are one cute leprechaun!

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One Month!!!

We can't believe that you are already 4 weeks old! The time has flown by. We are absolutely smitten with our sweet baby Faye! Everyday when your dad gets home from work, the first thing he wants to do is get snuggles from our sweet Faye. I love seeing how excited your dad always is to see you. You have him wrapped around your finger-don't abuse it when you get older!

He isn't the only one who loves playing with you. It didn't take long for us to get our first mother/daughter pedicure. The first of many!

We love you, sweet girl!

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The Many Faces of Faye!

This has been our view for the last 3 weeks. Wake up and stare at this little face all day long. Best 3 weeks ever! Your mom sends me one of these beauties every day at work and it makes my day. I rush home as quick as I can cause I don't want to miss a single one!

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Things we know about Faye after 2 weeks

Now hopefully you are not reading this while you are a teenager because I am going to admit to some things that may blow your mind. The things I am about to reveal may find and press your flabbergast button so be prepared. It turns out you are right. We are clueless. After an amazing birthday we loaded you up into your car-seat and took you home. In the car we had a come to Jesus moment. You were there, we were there...and there was nobody else. You were ours...and we had no idea what we were doing. HOLY CRAP! 

It was a tough and amazing first few weeks. You took a little getting used to, and I'm sure so did we. Luckily Grandma Nancy was there to ease us into life as parents. It is now at the end of 2 weeks that I write as a partly ecstatic dad and partially as a sleep deprived zombie to tell you some things we learned about you in our first 2 weeks together.

1. You are a party animal. Never let it be said that Baby Faye was a party pooper! In fact you frequently have extended the party past the night time hours and into the wee hours of the morning. This photo was taken at 3 AM. Do you look ready to call it quits?
   
    
2. You are a little pink ninja. Arms constantly karate chopping everyone and everything around you including yourself. To protect us and you from these possibly lethal weapons we are forced to cover your hands with tiny pink mittens. But the real danger comes from your lower extremities. No wonder your mother had such a hard time sleeping while you were in her belly. It turns out as a fetus you mastered the ancient Kung Fu art of the monkey foot and leg of the crane by using your moms bladder as a sparing partner. The combination of the two martial art styles formed Kung Faye, the most powerful mode of hand to hand combat known to man. We have quickly realized that we are no match for your awesomeness. The above picture shows me trying to put on some jammies that did not meet your approval. A move I would soon regret!
   
   
3. While not a party pooper you are definitely a repeat pooper who "Christens" diaper changers on a regular basis. If unsuspecting bystanders aren't taken down by your tiny fists and feet of fury, they will definitely fall for this clever rouse. You often poop just enough to make a new mom or dad run to change your diaper. The trap is now set! Lifting your legs to adequately wipe is like holding a loaded gun pointed right at you. We have learned to have swift fingers and to keep our guard up during diaper changes to avoid urine showers or tiny but devastating colonic explosions.
   
   
4. When you cry, which honestly doesn't happen too often, you turn into a little lobster. You were known hospital wide as the little baby who turns bright red. Like a little incredible hulk you turn colors when angered as if to say, "you wouldn't like me when I'm angry!"
   
5. You absolutely hate not having clothes on. This includes diaper changes, getting dressed, changing your clothes, and any other possible variable. Bath time is a very trying time for you. We have invested in a wipe warmer to make diaper changes less traumatic, but they are still very rough and involve a lot of tears and screaming. Hopefully you'll get used to them at some point!
   
   
   

We can't wait to keep learning all these wonderful things about you!

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Sweet Baby Faye

Today we welcomed you, our little baby Faye into our family. After being told by our doctor that you were not growing well, we made an appointment at Banner Gateway hospital, just down the street from our house in Gilbert and headed to the hospital for an induction. Because it was planned I missed a lot of the things I was looking forward to. I didn't get to throw any "go bags" into the car, I didn't get to honk wildly and scream for people to make way, I didn't even run any lights. We just calmly loaded up the car and drove to the hospital. We took our time checking in and waltzed back to the room...(at least I did...your Mom was far too pregnant for waltzing).

Despite us being excited and you needing to come out your Mom's body was not quite ready. So we spent a day ripening her cervix and waiting. The contractions started getting pretty painful and that night your Mom had an epidural and except for the continuous checks by our nurse we were left alone to continue ripening. I don't think I slept a wink that night. It was like the Christmas Eve meets the top of a roller coaster meets a haunted house. I just prayed you would be okay. We didn't know why you were so small. I was worried your Mom was going to have to go into surgery to get you here. I literally felt on the brink of life and death. It was a very long night. Then next morning your Mom's darn cervix had not budged...you come from a long line of stubborn cervicies. I thought for sure we were headed for a c-section. They broke you Mom's water and before we knew it she went from not dilated or effaced to ready to have a baby! 10 more contractions from there and you were in my arms!

My first time holding baby Faye!

Never has a dad been so excited for a baby and never has a little girl been loved so much. You pretty much had me wrapped around your finger from the very first minute! It was better than 1000 Christmas mornings! 6 lbs 4.8 oz. Small but not as small as we had planned on. Perfect in every way. You only cried for a few breaths. You eyes were wide open and already checking things out. Before we let any visitors in, your mom and I spent an hour alone with you. It was then that we picked the name Faye after my grandma. (believe it or not you were almost a Nora) The way you were so calm and alert when I was so nervous sealed it. I kept looking at your tiny, perfect hands which you constantly kept on your face. Your Great Grandma had loving hands that were always working to show how much she loved her family. I hoped your hands could do the same thing. I felt strongly that you were Faye.

Visitors poured into the hospital to see. Your Mom and I were not the only ones waiting for your arrival.

I am so happy you are here safe and sound. I didn't know I had that much love to give in my whole heart. When I saw you it was like my heart opened up a whole new section that was filled with happiness! I love you!!!

-Dad

Dear Faye- Today was one of the best days of my life. The week you were born was the most life-changing week that we have ever had. On Monday, Andy had the match for residency. We found out that he got his number one choice to an emergency medicine program in Rhode Island. On Tuesday, we had an appointment with Dr. Huish and he said that he wanted to induce me on Saturday. We spent the rest of the week trying to get ready for your arrival. I was really nervous that week. We didn't know why you were small and if there would be any complications, and since my body wasn't ready for labor I was nervous that we would have to have a c-section to get you here. I spent a lot of the week praying that you would be safe when you got here.

On Saturday, we packed up the car and headed to the hospital. They started the medication to help get my body ready around 9:30. And we waited...and waited.

Waiting at the hospital for things to get going!

Your dad and I watched the Olympics and the NBA All Star weekend festivities. Your Aunt Addi and Grandma Linn brought us food so we didn't have to eat the hospital food. They made sure we were taken care of. Grandma Linn stayed for most of the day and Addi came several times, she even missed a trip with Blake and the boys to Mexico so she could be here when you were born. Around 1:30 I started having contractions and they continued through the rest of the day. They started getting pretty painful and regular toward the end of the medication. The plan was to stop that medication around 9:30pm and then to start pitocin to help the contractions continue an hour later. I was in a lot of pain by 9:30 so I asked for an epidural. I had Andy give me a blessing before they came in because I was feeling very nervous about all that was coming. It really helped to put my mind at ease. The nurse anesthetist gave me an epidural and it helped my pain a lot. At 10:30 I was having too many contractions to start the pitocin so they kept moving me from one side to the other to see if it would help me move along, since I hadn't made much progress during the day, and they started the pitocin later that night. Grandma Nancy and Grandpa Greg got to the hospital just before the epidural after a long drive from St. George and I was very grateful that they got there before you came. After a very long night, Dr. Huish came in to check me at 7:00. I was only dilated to a 2. He broke my water and said we would see how I progressed. I thought for sure we were headed for a c-section. I wasn't able to feel my contractions because of the epidural so the nurse anesthetist pulled back the dose. I was definitely able to feel the contractions then and they were pretty uncomfortable, but not as bad as they had been on Saturday. At 10:00, Dr. Huish came to check me again and I was at a 5. At 10:30, I asked my nurse what it felt like to need to push. I told her I thought I needed to. She checked me and said that I was at a 10 and ready to go! She told me to breathe through my next few contractions and that she would call Dr. Huish. Andy called Grandma Linn and Grandma Nancy and Grandpa Greg to tell them you were almost here! Andy helped to distract me and my nurse, Beth, came back in to get me started on pushing. Dr. Huish came from church and I pushed for about 40 minutes and they told me to look down and there you were!!! I can't describe the flood of emotions I had when I saw you, our perfect little Faye, for the first time. I was elated that you were here and safe, and blown away that you were ours! You only cried for a second, and once they were done suctioning you and after Andy had cut the umbilical cord, they put you up on my chest and you just sat there, bright-eyed, looking at me. I felt so incredibly blessed to have such a perfect little person here and finally in my arms.

First time holding Faye (seconds old).

 Andy was so excited. He was right next the the nurses, watching their assessments and taking pictures. He was such a proud dad.

 Cutting the umbilical cord

 You weighed in at 6 lbs. 4.8 oz. and 19 3/4" long. You were bigger than we thought you'd be, since they estimated you to be 5 lbs. 4 oz. at our appointment earlier in the week. We were so excited to have you here, safe and sound, and to have such a perfect, tiny addition to our little family! It was a tough couple of days but entirely worth it. After you were born, they let your dad and I have an hour to ourselves to spend time with you. We decided then to name you Faye after your Great Grandma Faye. After that hour, your Grandpa Greg and Grandma Nancy came in, so excited to meet you! They had been in the waiting room during your delivery. Your Grandma Linn and Aunt Addi came in after they moved me to the post-partum room, eager to meet our sweet little Faye. We spent the rest of the day just looking at you and taking hundreds (not kidding) of pictures, so excited to have you here. You have already brought so much happiness into our lives! I am so happy to be your mamma! I love you more than I can say!

-Mom

Spontaneous!

This is not a word that I typically...well...ever...use to describe myself, but this past week I went on a spur of the moment trip to St. George! I was at work on Monday and Linds texted me and said they were driving to St. George and when could I join them? I thought about it, and I had a few days off in a row during the week, so I asked how long they were staying. I ended up being able to switch a Saturday shift for Wednesday, and after work, I flew up to Las Vegas and Mom, Linds, Daner and Campbell came to pick me up! It was so much fun being able to hang out with them for a couple of days! I felt bad leaving Andy at home to fend for himself, but he did fine and I had a blast! We made super cute aprons, went to this awesome park and watched Daner climb a rock wall that was about 20 feet all by himself, we went swimming, we ate at Brick Oven and the Pizza Factory, we watched movies, played Skip-Bo and Domino's, and hung out and enjoyed each others company (I am well aware that I look really chubby in the apron picture, but in my defense, I had a hoodie on underneath). I always love so much spending time with family, and it was even more fun because I hadn't been expecting it even a little bit! I flew back on Saturday, so it was a short trip, but completely amazing anyway! Thanks for the invite, guys! Hope to do it again soon!

A Weekend of Food, Fun, & Frivolity

Apparently spring time is the time of year to visit Arizona--I like it! We heart having visitors! This past weekend, the Zo's came down to visit! It was truly a fat weekend, and it was FAT-tastic! They drove straight through on Thursday after Zo got off of work, so they got to our house at 3:00 in the morning. Needless to say, we slept in a bit, and Friday we went to the much-awaited Chompie's for lunch and came back to a feast of Japanese candy that Jen Buddy brought down for a house-warming gift! So, so tasty. Andy loves his Japanese candy, and Jen found an Asian store in SLC and cleaned them out, I think! Our coffee table was COVERED in Japanese candy. Awesome.

It's fun to try that stuff out--some of it is so weird, and some is so yummy! The Zo's brought down season one of "Justified", and we spent a great deal of our weekend eating and watching that show. We miss watching shows with them! On Saturday, we smoked us some ribs! Andy and our friend Mike wanted to take advantage of having a smoking guru in town, so he taught them how to make some tasty, tasty ribs. We had a feast! Zo and I had a bean-off (my bean recipe is from Nancy--thanks, Mom!), and Zo made his secret recipe. I can't take full credit. We had our friends Erin & Spencer, Mike & Lindsay, and their girls Tessa and Hadley over to partake of the feast! They loved Zo's towel shorts and still talk about them!

We finished up season 1 of Justified on Saturday night. The Zo's had to leave on Sunday, but we were able to squeeze in a quick game of Dominion and Easter baskets. It wasn't long enough, but we are so happy that we were able to have a fat weekend with the Zo's! We love you buddies! Come again soon!