First Walk!!!

The doctor has finally given me the go ahead to take Payton on walks and to the grocery store as long as she stays covered and away from germs. Unfortunately, I didn't have a stroller yet so I decided Saturday to drive down to Las Vegas's Babies R Us to buy a fabulous stroller (Thankfully my wonderful friend Caitlin came with me or else I didn't think I could have managed! SHe is such a good friendy). Funny thing is, when I got there they didn't have the stroller I had registered for (it said online they had it in store!). I couldn't leave empty handed so I moseyed on over to the stroller section and found a stroller I loved even more than the one I registered for!! Its so awesome! It rides very smoothly, can be used as a jogging stroller, great maneuverability, has a place to hook up my I pod to speakers, one handed folding, and Tons of storage! It is a little bit heavy but it folds surprisingly compactly! I LOVE IT!

Anyways, we went on our first walk and Oh boy was I sore after. My house is in Green Springs and there are tons of hills to go up and down, and unfortunately, I had so much adrenaline from being out and about for the first time, that I didn't pay attention to my cramping legs enough. Needless to say, the next few days have been brutal, but fortunately, I have found that going on easier walks everyday coupled with long bouts of stretching has really improved my soreness. Payton of course has slept peacefully through every walk. I think thats a great sign for what is to come! Crossing my fingers that she likes the stroller and walks as much as Mommy does! btw I know I am ghostly white, and that my house behind needs a bit of gardening. I cant wait to start shedding weight!!!

By house! Our walk was 2 miles.

Easter

We had a wonderful Easter Sunday! The Easter Bunny left Shaun his favorite candies along with his newly ordered remote control helicopter (apparently the Easter Bunny had lots of orders for those so it couldn't make it into the basket!), I got plenty of sour watermelon candy (my fav) and a few pieces of clothing I've been wanting, and Payton got an Easter dress and diapers.

Most of our day was spent at Shaun's parents home and the Easter bunny left some wonderful goodies for us and Payton there as well :) What a wonderful holiday! We had so much fun catching up with all of Shaun's siblings (excluding Amy and family but we sure missed them!), and spent lots of time eating, laughing, debating and we even swung a few golf clubs at pine cones. It was great :)

The NICU

I have decided that I want to document Payton's journey through the NICU, as well as Shaun's and mine. I'm not very good at writing in a journal or scrap-booking, so I decided that my blog would be a way I could document and remember all the details of this special time.  I made lots of notes and kept a calendar of when things happened to Payton in the NICU; however some of it is just from memory. Either way, this is how Payton started her first 22 days of life.

DAY 1:   March 11, 2011    4lbs. 2oz.

As Shaun pushed me in the wheelchair to the elevator from our room down to the 3rd floor where the NICU was, I felt elated. It had been 12 hours since I gave birth to her, and I hadn't gotten to see her yet let alone touch her. All I wanted to do was hold her, touch her, claim her for my own, but I knew the road ahead would be hard and it may be some time before I was able to make any sort of motherly connection with our new baby girl (that scared me). During my four day stay at the hospital on bed rest, trying to keep Payton inside me, I had read several manuals and books on how to prepare to have a baby in the NICU. I thought I knew what to expect to see and feel, the books told me and I felt prepared, but when I entered her room nothing could have prepared me for what I saw:

          (The first time we walked in her room and saw her, this is the first time I was able to touch her)

Words can't describe how frightening and emotional it makes a mother and father to see their perfect little newborn child hooked up to cords and wires with breathing tubes and pic lines all over their tiny little bodies. I tried not to cry but the emotions overtook my will power to be tough. She was in bad shape and there was nothing Shaun or I could do but watch helplessly and pray that God would keep her safe.

DAY 2: March 12, 2011  4lbs. 1oz.

Sleep was near to impossible the night before, and all I wanted to do was hold my baby (I couldn't hold her because of the breathing tubes). I didn't feel like a mom yet, and I thought if I could just hold Payton I would get that instant connection and bond with her that I had always thought would be there.

 Shaun and I wanted to make it to the NICU by 9:00am to be with Payton when the doctors made their rounds. We made our way down and as I scrubbed in I thought that hopefully by some miracle Payton would come home before the projected 9 weeks. When I entered Payton's room My heart skipped a beat. She was no longer hooked up to breathing tubes! She had so many people praying for her and smart doctors and nurses caring for her I knew she would get better eventually, but I wasn't expecting it to happen  this quickly. When the doctors came in they explained to us why Payton was doing so well.  The shots of steroids I received had done their job. Payton's lungs had rapidly matured and made it possible for her to breathe on her own. The doctors explained to Shaun and I that in order for Payton to go home she had to gain weight, maintain her own body temperature outside of the isolette, and learn how to eat and breathe at the same time--a tall order for such a small little person.

The doctors then asked if I would like to hold my baby. Did they have to ask, of course I did it was all I could think about!! They told me it would have to be skin to skin in order to keep the baby from burning extra calories. I, of course, didn't mind. Anything to get my child into my arms!

I sat in the rocking chair in my hospital gown, waiting for the nurse to hand me Payton.  She was so small and tiny, I was afraid to hold her fragile little body. Finally the nurse opened up the side of the isolette and carefully maneuvered her body out. when she handed her to me, I felt her warm little body against mine and I knew, at that moment, that my life would never be the same. This little miracle had captured my heart forever.

First time I held Payton

DAY 3: March 13, 2011 3lbs 14oz

Today was full of pumping, eating, and sleeping. My cesarean incision was starting to bother me because I was trying not to take many pain killers (it reduces milk production). I visited Payton several times in the NICU, and I got to hold her twice. She was doing great! She had an IV through her belly button and was receiving some medications to help her grow and gain weight, as well as her feeding tube.



DAY 4: March 14, 2011 3lbs 12oz

This was one of the most difficult days Shaun and I had, today was the day that I was released from the hospital and had to leave Payton. We visited her several times that morning and then around 1:00pm I was released. As we walked out to the car without our baby we walked by several couples with their newborn babies getting ready to load up their cars to take them home. Shaun and I tried to run a few errands to keep us busy that day, but all we could think about was Payton.  That night was just as bad. We went back to the NICU and just stared at her little body through the plastic incubator wall. Even with all her monitors and IVs, she just looked perfect. I cried the whole way home from the hospital. All I wanted was to be a Mom and be able to take care of my baby. to wake up every 2 hours to feed her and take care of her. I would have given anything to have been able to take her home.

DAY 5: March 15, 2011 3lbs 11oz

The next six days seemed to blur together. Payton was moved from room 7 to room 10, and she had a roommate name Austyn (she was the same gestational age as Payton, but she was much smaller at only 1 lb 5 oz)

We got to the hospital every morning by 10 to make it for the doctors rounds. Nothing changed other than Payton's gradual weight loss. After we held and cuddled on Payton each morning, we would head home and Shaun would go to work. I came back to the hospital every day two more times at 3pm and 9pm to hold her. Every night it was so difficult to leave her, and I would dream of the day I could take her home.

DAY 6: March 16, 2011 3lbs 10oz

The doctors decided to take Payton's IV out today. Apparently the longer they are in the more likely the baby is to get a bad infection. The doc said she would lose some more weight because she wasn't getting all the lipids and vitamins she was through her IV; however, she would be getting fortified breast milk to help her gain weight and grow.


DAY 7: March 17, 2011 3lbs 9oz

WE got to help give Payton a bath today!! She hated it because it wasn't a real bath, it was more of a wipe-down and definitely made her agitated.

Payton doesn't really cry, she just grunts and squeals when she wants to eat or is getting her diaper changed. Unfortunately she freaks and has the sweetest high pitched cry whenever they put her feeding tube back in or peel off the tape keeping her feeding tube in place. Its very sad :(

Grandma got to hold Payton today :)

DAY 8: March 18, 2011 3lbs 7oz

Today the doctors decided that it was ok to try and non-nutritive breastfeed Payton once a shift. Which means she can practice eating, but the doctors didn't want her to get drowned by milk let down (I had to pump before I tried to feed her) so I tried to feed once every 12 hours. She fed at 1, 4, 7, and 10 both in the am and pm. I went to every 1pm feeding and 10pm feeding. This was the beginning of many long hours and lots of driving to and from the hospital.

It was an amazing feeling to be able to feed her. It wasn't much milk, but when she latched on it made me feel like a Momma because I was the only one who could do that for her. I definitely appreciated all the nurses and everything they did for Payton, but it took away a lot of what makes a Mom feel like a Mom (changing diapers, feedings, baths, snuggling with baby etc...)

DAY 9: March 19,  2011 3lbs 9oz

She finally started to gain weight, and we were excited because that meant she was one step closer to coming home! It was also getting easier to have her in the NICU. I still had bad days but for the most part, I was holding it together pretty well (Shaun was the epitome of strength through this whole experience, and was always a voice of reason).

DAY 10: March 20, 2011 3lbs 11oz

Payton was doing so awesome! The Nurses and doctors said it was time to come in and actually feed her during her feeding times. It was only once a shift and she has to eat for a full 10 minutes for the feeding to be considered full. They told us in order for her to come home she had to be able to eat at every feeding for the full 10 minutes. That seemed like it was so far away, but I knew that she was in good hands and taking steps in the right direction. The next three days I came in at 1 and 10 to breastfeed. She was doing so great and did a lot of growing and gaining weight. She finally started to have some cute chubby cheeks!


DAY 11: March 21, 2011 3lbs 13oz

She pulled her feeding tube out, so we got a quick pic of her face!!

DAY 12: March 22, 2011 3lbs 15oz

The doctors moved Payton's feedings to twice a shift today! Such great progress! Shaun and I both felt like she was going to come home several weeks ahead of schedule. We made a bet on when she would come home, I guessed April 12th he guessed April 15th.

DAY 13: March 23, 2011 4lbs 2oz

DAY 14: March 24, 2011 4lbs 5oz

She is in a "big Girl bed" now!! Meaning she is out of the plastic incubator and in a plastic tub ha ha. basically it looks like what regular newborns are in. The big girl bed means she is maintaining her own body temperature and she no longer needs the incubator to help her regulate it!! Shaun and I were so excited, one step closer!!

She and her cute roommate Austyn were moved from their ridiculously small room to a larger room in the corner of the NICU, room 4.  Payton was doing much better breast feeding, but still had feedings that didn't last the full 10 minutes. The nurses all told me that this was the most difficult time because learning to eat was the longest process for most preemies.

DAY 15: March 25, 2011 4lbs 6oz

DAY 16: March 26, 2011 4lbs 7oz

Today the Doc gave me the green light on feeding Payton at every feeding if I could make it, but they said not to push her too hard if she doesn't have the energy to eat a full feeding.

DAY 17: March 27, 2011 4lbs 11oz

Her belly umbilical chord fell off to so we go to give her a REAL bath!She LOVED it :)

DAY 18: March 28, 2011 4lbs 9oz

Payton ate 5 times in a row today!! The nurses and doctors said that I need to come to every feeding tomorrow and the following days so she can possibly be discharged! I cant even begin to tell how surprised I was to hear this!!

DAY 19: March 29, 2011 4lbs 13oz

She ate so well today that the nurses told me to bring her car seat to the hospital! They do a car seat test to see how the baby does. for example, some babies don't breathe well or their oxygen saturation goes below where it should be.

DAY 20: March 30, 2011 4lbs 15oz

Today was the first time I could make it to all her feedings! She ate at everyone! I also brought in her car seat and she passed the test with flying colors! I was so so impressed as were the nurses. Unfortunately I practically slept at the hospital because our house is too far to go back and forth all the time, and I was in a rocking chair which didn't help, but she was eating and I couldnt believe it!

DAY 21: March 31, 2011 5lbs

The Doctors had us get all set up in a room where they have the parents sleep at the hospital with the baby so they can see if the baby is ready to go home as well as if the parents ready to take the baby home. The room was just down the hall from the NICU and had a queen sized bed for Shaun and I to sleep in, as well as a place for Payton's little bed. It had happened so fast! Nurses were going through all the protocols with us on discharging the baby and a woman set all of Payton's appointments with a pediatrician and several follow-up clinics for preemies. I was in shock I couldn't believe it had happened so fast, everyone in the NICU had told us that learning to feed was the hardest things for babies to learn how to do, and here Payton was, doing it a whole month ahead of her projected time estimate.

That night was very long. All her monitors kept going off and I would have to figure out how to turn them down or call the nurse. After every feeding and alarm I had to call the nurse in to let her know that Payton had eaten and had a dirty diaper. I also had to keep track of all of it on a piece of paper which made me anxious! I was just sure that she wasn't going to get through all of her feedings and then they wouldn't let her go home with us! yet she did and with flying colors!

DAY 22: April 1, 2011 5lbs

Shaun and I hadn't bought any diapers or a bassinet for Payton to sleep in, so Shaun ran a few errands while several nurses and doctors came in to give me instructions on what to do when she is home and things to watch for. I kept notes, I was so nervous, she seemed way too small to be coming home!!

When Shaun got back to the hospital we took our stuff we had accumulated in two days out to the car along with our BABY! She had done it! Overcome all odds and even come home earlier than anticipated, we were so happy.

                                                                                                                                                                                        

Throughout the process of having Payton in the NICU we had said many prayers and had many sleepless nights. We both appreciate her so much more than I think we would have if this had not happened. I feel so grateful for the sleepless nights and the long days I have now, so lucky to have this perfect little baby in our lives, and so blessed to be able to have children.

Thanks to everyone who loved and supported our family through out these difficult times. We love you and are so grateful for the service you gave our family.

Shaun and McCall

PAYTON MCCALL ALLDREDGE: The Story...

Our beautiful baby girl decided Thursday night that she was ready to come into the world, ready or not! 

This is how her story begins:

On Sunday March 6th at about midnight I started to get some contractions and then found that I was bleeding (gross I know but this is what happened).  So Shaun and I went to the hospital to make sure everything was ok with little baby Payton. When we got there they sent us straight into the E.R. and transported us to the old hospital where they admitted us and started to watch the bleeding. The nurse who came in said that since the bleeding wasn't too bad they were just going to watch me and see how I did, unfortunately my contractions started to become regular and about 2 minutes apart lasting roughly 45 to 60 seconds. At this point my doctor told the nurses to go ahead and check to see if I was dialated. Unfortunately I was dilated to a 5, and with Payton only at 31 gestational weeks I was told it wouldn't take more than being dialated to a 7 or 8 to start to push her little body out.

My doctor came to the hospital and I was started on penicillan and steroid treatments for the baby's lungs, everyone thought I would be delivering with in the next few hours (as did I). I was given some medication to help slow down the contractions so that the steroids could get into Payton's bloodstream and help her underdeveloped lungs produce sufactant (a substance that allows lungs to expand and contract). She neeed at least 48 hours for the drugs to do their job correctly and possibly save Payton's life. A slew of doctors from the NICU came in, as well as my OBGYN, to talk to me about what complications Payton could have and what they were going to do if Payton were to be delivered. It was absolutely terrifying.

Now at this point, I was so upset and nervous. I didn't understand how my perfectly healthy pregnancy with no problems could lead to such an early labor. Furthermore, I couldn't get over the shock of the doctors telling me I was going to probably have Payton that night. It was awful knowing that I had no control over what was happening, I wanted nothing more than to close my eyes and pretend it was all a bad dream. I mean we had just moved into our new house the day before and we hadn't even finished unpacking yet. How could we have her with out a place for her to sleep? I didn't even have a car seat or a crib for her yet! I was so scared for her, I didn't know how she would fair through the labor and delivery, and it hurt too much to think about the "what if something went wrong" question. All I could do was sit and pray with Shaun that everything would be ok and the lord would help Payton through this.

My contractions were not slowing down, in fact they started to get stronger so the nurse "checked" me again and I was now dialated to a 6. Dr. Chalmers told me that he was hoping we would make it to 24 hours but it wasn't real likely. He said he wouldn't break my water because Payton's heart rate looked great on the fetal monitor and breaking my water would progress the labor, so we were just told to wait and they would monitor the contractions. Miraculously, my contractions just stopped, I don't know how because the medicine they gave me hadn't quite kicked in, but the contractions stopped almost completely. The Lord had answered our prayers and Shaun and I began to hope that the baby would stay in long enough to allow the steroids to kick in. What was even more crazy, was that my contractions weren't painful. Everyone had described labor as super painful, but mine wasn't particularly painful at all (about a 4 on a scale from 1 to 10). 

This is where the waiting game began. I was on bed rest and was monitored 24 hours a day. Over the next 3 days I had several bouts of contractions but nothing that rivaled the first night in the hospital. We got to a point where Shaun and I believed we might be in the hospital for several more weeks before Payton came. (those 3 days were some of the hardest because I was trying to mentally prepare to have a baby each day, but I had to have faith that it would all turn out the way it was supposed to. Once I hit 48 hrs with the steroids in me I started to feel a little relief but nothing fully relieved our fear or anxiety). Shaun and I are especially grateful for all our parents did for us during those three days. My mom and dad toiled all day trying to set up bedding put up cribs, buy groceries, and just get us settled into our new home. It was super stressful knowing that we had so much to do and no time to do it before the baby came. The doctors said there was no way I could go home even if my contractions stopped because of how small Payton was and how dialated I was. Most of the staff didn't think I would make it till the end of the week before I had her (and I didn't). Anyway, I had so much help from my parents unpacking and setting up our house, my mother and father-in laws also helped quite a bit and so did my friend Mariesa. What great people we have in our life :) thanks!!


dialated to a 6 and 90% effaced with bulging water, but then amongst all the fun my contractions and lower back pain started to get stronger and stronger. The nurses decided to give me more medicine to slow the contractions, it didn't work. The nurse called Dr. Chalmers and he told her to check to see how far dialated I was, we were all surprised to find I was an 8 and 100% effaced. It became clear real fast that that night was the night I was going to have little baby Payton. It was about 8:00pm and they moved me to a different labor and delivery room that was close to the NICU respiratory room. The doctor told me I didn't have much more time so we sent for my epidural and he did an ultra sound to make sure Payton was still head down (I was actually told that if I progressed too fast that I wouldn't be able to have an epidural and I needed to prepare for  a possible natural labor, which I did thanks to my sister-in-law Heather and Shaun's cousin Kalli, thanks!) The ultra sound showed that our little Payton had decided to turn footling breech, and so Dr. Chalmers let me know that I was definitely going to have to have a c-section. It was a scary moment. I didn't know much about c-sections other than what some family members had told me about the surgery. I tried to stay really calm and Shaun was there for support. Once I got my epidural (which totally doesn't hurt at all, they are awesome!) I had to tell everyone goodbye and I loved them. It was great because Shaun's parents and little brothers were there to and so was my mom and two friends Mariesa and Mo. They all went into the waiting room while Shaun suited up for surgery. I was really surprised at how calm I was through this whole process. My pain was up to a 6 but I really didn't have any problem controlling it, I felt totally calm and I knew that the baby and I were in really good hands. I have always thought that childbirth would be this crazy stressful event that involved a lot of pain, but I can honestly say that I wasn't like that at all for me. 


Once my epidural kicked in, I was wheeled into surgery. there was a whole team there from the NICU waiting for our Payton and a few more nurses and doctors waiting to start surgery. The anesthesiologist was really cool and stayed through the whole surgery. He had to give me as much epidural as he would have to give a 400 pound 6 foot woman. He told me I had a really fast metabolism. In fact during the surgery I could still wiggle my toes, but don;t worry I didn't feel a thing! :) It was the craziest sensation and although it was a little nerve wracking, I just took deep breaths and Dr. Chalmers was great talking me through every step of the way. Plus Shaun was great and held my hand, stroked my face, and told me what was going on. When Shaun told me she was out I strained to hear if she was crying. All I knew was that she was definitely a girl and Shaun said she was very small and perfect. The NICU staff took her over to her little incubator and I got a glimpse at her little face. She was so small, with her head the size of my fist and arms as skinny as my thumbs, but she was beautiful. I couldn't wait to hold her, and while the NICU doctors worked on her she started to cry and I have never heard such a beautiful sound. I knew that our little girl was alive and kicking, I knew that the Lord had blessed us with the most precious gift he can give someone, a child. 


Shaun stayed with Payton while I got stitched up and soon I was back into the delivery room where Shaun came in and told me Payton was doing great and was on a little oxygen to help her breathe. I can't begin to explain the flood of emotions that came over me. I was a mommy, Payton was our little girl and our lives will never be the same. Hw grateful we truly are for this beautiful baby girl.


A special thanks to all of our family and friends who called and expressed their love and kept Payton in their prayers, it made a big difference. Also a huge thanks to all the medical staff, nurses and doctors who took care of both Payton and I, everyone did such an amazing job.


More to come soon on Payton's health, she was born March 10th 2011 at 9:03 pm. She weighed 4.2 pounds and was 17 inches long, quite a healthy size for a baby at her age. We will keep you all posted!

-McCall and Shaun

BABY SHOWER ITEMS!

Since I am having baby showers on March 19th in Salt Lake and one on April 9th or 16th in St. George (we haven't picked a date for sure yet), I decided to make a wish list of baby items I want! Most of these items are registered for in my baby registry at Babies R Us; however some of the items like baby bows, baby books, tu-tu's, blankets and baby clothes are just things I hope to have before little Payton comes.

Below is a slideshow which shows the fruit of my wish list labors :) If anyone has any suggestions on strollers, car seats, and anything else you can think of, I would love to hear it!! Thanks!

GOODBYE 2ND TRIMESTER....

So I am finally in my 3rd trimester... and I decided to do a little re-cap.

1st Trimester:

 Once I hit 6 weeks, I didn't hardly move out of my bed or off the couch (special thanks to my in-laws for letting us live with them through-out the second and first trimesters!). I threw up several times during the day, and what I did keep down wasn't enough to keep me hydrated or energized. I lost roughly 10 lbs, and if it ween't for the expensive Zofran tablets and  Unisom pills I took (I was supposed to go in several times for I.V. treatments but insurance didn't cover them and it was about $1,000 for each one! Needless to say I never went in, which in hindsight was probably very dangerous!), I think I would have lost more. My sweet mother-in-law, Starlyn, was so helpful and kind to me through-out this stage. She was constantly trying to get me to eat, making me food, and simply being a shoulder to cry on; I hate to think how bad it could have really been with out her love and support! 

I had an especially hard time the first three months of pregnancy because I felt like I had lost my agency. I lost my dream career because I was so sick I couldn't function, I couldn't work out because when I did I got even more sick, and I missed my mom who was in California working. I did get the chance to go visit her at about 8 weeks along, and as much as I tried to be happy and upbeat I was too sick to do much of anything :( We did go to Stanford Mall and to a Giants game with the whole family, unfortunately the smell of those darn garlic fries at the stadium had me going to the bathroom at least 3 times during the game. 

I think another reason why the first three months were so difficult for me was because I wasn't sure how to cope with this life changing baby girl coming into our lives. I knew I had always wanted to be a mom, but I  wasn't sure I was ready yet. I was so afraid something would happen to her while in my tummy, I didn't want to talk about her much and when I did, she didn't seem real enough to get excited about (which made me feel extremely guilty). Looking back, all of those feelings and emotions are totally normal in my eyes and I've heard many women have them. I learned a lot about myself in those first few months and about how important it is to stay close to Heavenly Father during times like those. It really made a difference when I prayed about my sweet little baby girl, I always had this overwhelming feeling after I prayed like it was all going to be okay, and I didn't need to doubt wether or not I was going to be a good mother because I have had so many gifted, loving, and wonderful motherly examples in my life to draw knowledge and inspiration from. By the end of this trimester I began to understand how truly a divine calling and blessing it was to become a mother. There is no greater work than raising children, and I feel truly blessed to have an opportunity to bring Payton and other blessed children into this world.

2nd Trimester:

By the time my second trimester hit I had slowly started to feel better; however, I was 16 weeks when I didn't have to take Zofran anymore and worry about throwing up three times a day;however, I still took my Unisom because it helped take off the queasy edge that I still get, plus it helps me sleep through the night (sort of). At about 15 weeks we found out we were having a baby girl, and I was ecstatic! It was a very special day because both my Mother and my Mother-in-law were able to come with Shaun and me to the appointment.  The room was full of happy smiles and tears. 

This trimester was full of growing appetites and a growing belly! I gained about 25 lbs, which meant I was about 15lbs. more than my pre-pregnancy weight. I absolutely loved the way my belly looks with little Payton inside, especially when she moved around and I could feel her. (I still do) Feeling her move inside me and seeing her move at the ultra-xound appointments made her seem so much more real, and with each passing day I found myself more and more grateful and excited to have her in our family.

Since I was so sick during the first trimester, I wasn't able to go to the temple, but at roughly 23 weeks I finally made it to the temple for a session. I can't even begin to describe how sacred and special I felt walking into the Lord's House. I was overwhelmed with the spirit, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Heavenly Father wanted this little girl to be a part of Shaun's and my family. I loved being in the temple with her and I felt so peaceful about everything that had been stressing me out, in fact, it made all my stresses seem insignificant and I kept feeling like the Lord would provide blessings and opportunities for our family as long as we were doing our best to be rightous.  I went several more times to the temple after that first experience, and each time I went in I would leave feeling peace and comfort. It's so weird to think that the next time I would be doing a session with Payton would be when she took out her own endowments before she got married. That brought tears to my eyes to think that one day she could meet a man who loves her enough, just as her daddy loved me enough, to take her to be sealed and married for time and all eternity in the temple.

I never realized how spiritual having children could be. Its such a wonderful emotional and spiritual journey. I feel bad for women who decide not to have children because, no matter how scary or life changing they are, there is nothing more rewarding in my eyes.

This is what I looked like at the end of my Second Trimester, 27 weeks

3rd Trimester:

I am currently almost 30 weeks, only 10 1/2 left to go. I'm about to move into Shaun and I's new house at the beginning of March and I CANT WAIT!! Its about 2200 sq. ft. and I already know what I'm going to do with all my furniture! I have been dying to nest and my mom just got some adorable new furniture for Payton's room (thanks momma! you are the best!) that I can't wait to put up! She will be one spoiled grandchild if my Parents and Shaun's Parents have anything to do with it ;) 

I have a new 3-D image my doctor took at 27 weeks I can't believe how much she looks like me!! That must come off funny, but I seriously think she has my nose (she is a little squished up to my placenta wall) I love it I just want to hold her so badly!! I cant wait to see how much more she grows!

I have been having the usual symptoms associated with the 3rd Trimester like, cramping, fatigue, HEARTBURN!, constipation (gross but true), a much smaller bladder, back aches, swelling in my legs and feet, and lets not forget the tossing and turning at night! ha ha I'm truly not complaining though, I couldn't be more grateful to feel all of these new symptoms because with each one I know more and more that my pregnancy is Normal, and nothing is better than normal when you are pregnant! Especially when three of my sisters lost babies at around 20 weeks. I think that seeing their sadness and pain over losing their children had made me more cautious and more grateful for this little bundle of joy. I couldn't imagine losing her, I don't know how I would cope. I have such strong sisters and they have taught me a lot about what it means to be a mother, in my eyes, they have the most important job in the world.  They taught me that its not how many tasks you have on your list for the day or how important they may seem because wether its changing diapers and doing grocery shopping, or it's creating marketing plans and doing accounting for a high powered company, as a mother you are someones hero, their everything. How great the work of a mother truly is.

I love that song by Jamie O'Neal call She's Somebody's Hero, it totally describes a mom to the "T"

Here are the lyrics:

She's never pulled anyone from a burning building
She's never rocked Central Park to a half a million fans, screaming out her name
She's never hit a shot to win the game
She's never left her footprints on the moon
She's never made a solo hot air balloon ride, around the world,
No, she's just your everyday average girl (but)

She's somebody's hero
A hero to her baby with a skinned up knee
A little kiss is all she needs
The keeper of the cheerios
The voice that brings Snow White to life
Bedtime stories every night
And that smile lets her know
She's somebody's hero

oh oh
She didn't get a check every week like a nine-to fiver
But she's been a waiter, and a cook and a taxi driver
For twenty years, there at home, until the day her girl was grown
Giving all her love to her was her life's ambition
But now her baby's movin' on, and she'll soon be missin' her
But not today, those are tears of joy runnin' down her face

She's somebody's hero
A hero to her daughter in her wedding dress
She gave her wings to leave the nest
It hurts to let her baby go down the aisle she walks right by
Looks back into her mother's eyes
And that smile lets her know oh oh oh
She's somebody's hero

Thirty years have flown right past
Her daughters' starin' at all the photographs
Of her mother, and she wishes she could be like that
Oh, but she already is

She's somebody's hero
A hero to her mother in a rockin' chair
She runs a brush through her silver hair
The envy of the nursing home
She drops by every afternoon
Feeds her mother with a spoon
And that smile lets her know oh oh
Her mother's smile lets her know oh oh
She's somebody's hero

I Cant wait to meet this beautiful little girl, she will be so loved by all who know her, especially her Mommy and Daddy. 

PAYTON'S Room Ideas!

After several months of searching and gathering, I believe I have found the most divine concoction of baby furniture, bedding, and accessories to make little Payton's room perfect! The pictures to follow are the fruits of my labors, keep in mind some of the pictures are just things I find cute and may never actually buy (I.E. the huge wall of storage). I would love to hear your comments and Ideas for her room, so feel free to give me any ideas or feedback!

This is the most wonderful bedding set! I love it! Simple, chic, and sophisticated. The pink lamp in the far left corner of the room is cut off, but I am going to try and make one just like it with tap light or just a plug in switch light. I adore the green and pink, as well as the pink and brown. but I'm leaning toward the green and pink because it's so unique!

I like this cast iron crib, but I am really in love with the contemporary one below (probably because it's the same one in the room photo above). I'm thinking this is in 2nd place as far as cribs go.

Look at theses two dressers/changing tables, do you blame me for thinking they are fabulous? 

• The butterfly knobs on the chest of drawers are adorable, plus it can act as a changing table too. 

• The chest of drawers and storage is great but I wont end up buying it, I just think its a great use of space (that thing is super expensive, but a girl can wish).   :)

This is by far my favorite crib! I love the sleek contemporary design, plus the price makes it irresistible!

• Don't you just adore the butterfly mobile!? What a great idea! I'm going to see if I can make this, if it doesn't work out then I may have to splurge and buy this one from Pottery Barn.
• The mirrors are a perfect way to make her room look bigger, plus they are inexpensive and chic. 
• The plates on the wall are more of an inspiration, I will most likely have white antiqued frames on the wall with green or pink ribbon.
• The picture directly above is a mirror magnet board with etching on it. How fabulous is that!? Love the idea, and I can't wait to hang it u in her room!

I will definitely be purchasing this corner cabinet. It's not only affordable and gorgeous, but it's also a great way to save space. It fits in the corner and is the shape of a triangle. LOVE IT!

This literally took me all 6 months of my pregnancy thus far to figure out all the things I want to decorate Payton's room with. I am really happy about how simple, yet chic the room is looking so far. 

-McCall