1 Month

Elysen, you are 1 month old today!

Weight: Approximately 8 and 1/2 lbs (that's the best we can measure with our imperfect scale)

*Update: At 5 weeks, you weighed 8 lbs, 6 oz*

Height: Your daddy says he measured and you were 20 and 1/2 inches, but again, it's not exact

Sizes: You are still wearing your newborn clothes, but some of them are starting to be a little tight. Your 0-3 month onesies are still a bit big.

You still wear newborn diapers, but they are looking a little tight as well.

What you're up to:

- You are sleeping better at night, but it's still touch-and-go. Some nights you only wake up to eat, and some you are awake for what seems like forever. We've started using some gas drops because you get lots of bubbles in your tummy and it makes you very upset.

- You like your baths. You took your first real bath this week (not a sponge bath) and you loved it - but you were so relaxed that you went to the bathroom and we had to take you out and start all over. You really love the end of your bath when we rub lotion on your feet and legs - you will probably love pedicures just like your mom!

Making faces in the mirror

You look so much older!

- You love your Baby Bjorn. If you get fussy during the day, I can put you in it and that's my time to get some things done since it's my only time to have both hands free. You always look around for awhile then fall asleep.

- You went to visit Daddy at work today for the first time. Everyone was SO thrilled to see you and hold you. We thought we might not get to take you home because everyone wanted to play with you. Your Arvest family loved getting to see you.

- Here are your 1 month pictures. I had a little trouble finding a way to help you sit up so first you ended up dancing...

...then you had to yawn...

...Then we took a break and I fed you. I had to include these pictures because you look soooo relaxed after your meal.

It's not perfect, but this one is my favorite. You are wearing a dress that your Uncle Dan and Aunt Janna got for you when they were here. You looked so big and, of course, incredibly beautiful.

I love you so much, my sweet baby girl. I can't believe we've gotten to have a whole miraculous month with you already.

2 weeks

Elysen, this post is a little late, but here are your 2 week stats.

Weight: 7 lbs 8 oz (up 7 oz from your birth weight, and up a LOT from your 1 week appointment weight of 6 lbs 13 oz)

Height: 19 and 1/2 inches - They told us you grew from your 1 week appointment, but they must have measured you wrong in the hospital because they told us you were 19 and 3/4 inches when you were born.

Sizes: You are wearing your newborn clothes and newborn diapers. I LOVE seeing you wear the things I so meticulously prepared before you were here.

What you're up to:

- The last week, you have been really sucking on your fingers, and sometimes a pacifier. I even caught you sucking your thumb the other night - not good. :)

- You still have your hair. Your daddy keeps saying that he's hoping it won't fall out.

- Your face has certainly changed since you were born, but you still look just like your dad!

- We try to give you as much time to stretch in your bassinet as you can stand because you get very gassy at night and that means no sleep for anyone.

- Dr. Denton confirmed at your 2 week appointment that you have thrush. So we have to give you medicine 4 times a day - a pretty hilarious thing to watch, I must say. You don't mind the medicine, but you must think it tastes funny because you smack your lips and look around.

- You smile in your sleep and we just know you are about to start cooing because you already do it when you dream. It might be awhile, but you sure are trying to "talk".

- Your uncle Dan and aunt Janna got to see you for the first time a few days after you turned 2 weeks old. They loved holding you and kissing you. (Who wouldn't?)

We love you very much, Elysen Ashleigh. It's only a little over a week until you'll be a month old! I'll update again then.

Blessed

Well, it's been a month since I posted last and whew, my life has changed in that month. Our baby girl was born on February 18!

I wanted to take a second to write down what a blessed pregnancy I had so that I don't forget to thank God for each of His blessings in my life.

David and I decided that we were ready to start a family in the late fall of 2009. We didn't actually start trying until the end of the year, but I was READY. I had been throwing out not-so-subtle hints for probably a year. *Blessing: My patient husband*

I expected that we'd be pregnant right away and having a baby in the fall of 2010.But as so often happens, my plans were not the Lord's. I worried and worried through the early months of 2010 thinking that something was wrong with me. I was having some irregularities that increased my fears. Every month was a disappointment. Through those months, God convicted me and worked on my heart. He reminded me of 1 Corinthians 13's reference to Faith, Hope, and Love. HOPE became my daily prayer. *Blessing: I learned to hope in Him, not in myself*

My doctor told me at an appointment in April that if we weren't pregnant by August, we'd start testing to determine what was going on. If ever I felt fear, it was that month. Suddenly, when you have a deadline, it makes things so much more urgent and scary. At the beginning of June, I packed up and trekked down to Russellville with Heather for a month of classes. *Blessing: Distraction in the form of graduate school*

On the last day of class, I woke up feeling sick. I'd been feeling gross for a few days and was convinced I had a cold and the drainage was making me nauseous. It was June 30 - our wedding anniversary. That day, as we packed up and left the apartment, Heather said "I hope you take a pregnancy test to celebrate your anniversary since you haven't been feeling great. Maybe this is it!" I had my doubts. That night, at almost midnight, David and I found out that we were going to be parents. The test turned positive immediately. *Blessing: We were going to Texas that weekend to see my family so we got to tell them the news!*

I went to the doctor for our first appointment and since we had trouble determining the due date, they wanted to do an ultrasound. David came with me a week later and we got to see our baby - who was already 10 weeks along! *Blessing: We got to have an ultrasound so early in the pregnancy - it gives such peace of mind*

I had about a month of morning sickness - strong nausea, but no vomiting. *Blessing: It was summer - I got to rest and relax, and by the time school started again, my sickness was all but gone; and Sarah was living with us, so she helped with cleaning since I wasn't feeling great*

I kept waiting and waiting to start looking pregnant, but (what a blessing) I stayed small until the last month or so of pregnancy. This made things so much easier for me when it came to getting work done and getting the nursery set up.

I wish I could list all of the blessings we had through the cards, gifts, and calls from family and friends, but that would take WAY too long to list. David and I have never known such a showering of love.

At 20 weeks, we got to see our baby again - and this time, we found out that it was a girl! *Blessings: A gifted ultrasound technician who knew what to look for; a baby girl who cooperated for the "camera"; and our friend Morgan who got to be with us when we found out.* That weekend, we went to Texas again so we got to tell our families in person.

The holidays flew by, and I knew that as soon as Christmas was over, I would have NO TIME to get things done before the baby came. David and I had really been discussing names and we settled on Elysen. Then after talking to Sarah one night, Elysen Ashleigh was our final choice. *Blessing (and miracle): David and I agreed on a name!*

I was really concerned that I wouldn't have time for my grad school classes in the spring semester, but it's my last semester, and I want to finish on time. So I signed up for the classes even though I was worried about fitting everything in. *Blessing: God took away my worry and provided 2 weeks of snow days in early February so that I could work on school and finish the nursery*

My prayers from day 1 of this journey were that Elysen would be a healthy baby and that God would give David and myself the wisdom to parent her. My only selfish want was that I would deliver her on my own without needing to be induced. The week of February 10, I started having contractions. These were more than just the Braxton Hicks that I'd been feeling for months, but they weren't regular or really painful, so we waited. At our 37 week appointment, I was already at 2 cm and 80% effaced. Dr. Birch told me that she didn't think we'd make it to 39 weeks. This was SUCH a blessing because the planner in me really needed a timeline for when to expect our baby. I knew what I needed to get done at school and had plenty of time to plan with my substitute. God knew that I needed to be able to prepare mentally, emotionally, and physically (cleaning the house) for our new arrival.

The week before Elysen's arrival was also an amazing time for David and I. Knowing this would be the last time for awhile, we spent lots of time being alone together. We watched movies and I baked cookies. By this time, the nursery was ready to go (Blessing #14: A mom who sews - she made the crib bedding and curtains). David cooked stuffed salmon for me on Valentine's Day, yet again showing me how blessed I am to be married to him.

Then, on the morning of February 18, I woke up at 3:30 cramping. At 4:30, I woke up again with cramps. At 5:30, when I was awakened yet again, I thought, "Wait a minute, these are coming in waves. Maybe they aren't cramps." I got up and went to lay on the couch (I hadn't been sleeping really well for a couple of weeks anyway - see the Snoring and Spouses post) and began timing - 8 MINUTES APART. Immediately, I texted my mom, who I assumed was asleep, but about 30 seconds later, my phone rang. After I described what I was feeling (I was still uncertain at this point), Mom said, "I think this is it - we're coming!" *Blessing: For a week, my mom had been saying that she was worried they wouldn't make it in time - I'd been in pre-labor for so long and they had a 6 hour drive. But they were able to make it in plenty of time.*

I had a scheduled doctor's appointment that morning (I was exactly 38 and 1/2 weeks), so I decided that we should probably take our hospital bags to the appointment with us. *Blessing: I had plenty of time to take a shower, wash my hair, and get everything packed up - anyone who knows me knows that this was very important to me.*

I woke David up at 6:30 and told him that I was getting ready and that I was pretty sure I was in labor. We called the doctor and they said to come on in to the office. As soon as Dr. Birch checked me (4-5 cm, and 100% effaced), she said to go upstairs to Labor and Delivery! Hooray!!

We checked in upstairs, the nurses hooked me up to all the machines, and within a couple of hours, I had my epidural (Blessing - Epidurals = wonderful). By this time, it was about noon, and my family arrived! *Blessing: Allison got to leave work early (about 12) so she and JB could come to Fayetteville that night*

A few hours later, I started feeling ready to push. The epidural did slow down my contractions a little, so they had to give me some Pitocin, but overall, everything went so quickly. Dr. Birch said my contractions looked like nothing, but they were really working! (This meant that I wasn't feeling a lot of pain even before the epidural - what a blessing).

I pushed for an hour. Elysen was being very stubborn because the cord was around her neck. But I was blessed to have a wise doctor who knew what to do and took care of the problem. David gave me so much encouragement (and ice chips - I was incredibly thirsty), but I was getting very tired after an hour. Then, God blessed me in a very strange way - He made me sick. I started throwing up from the exertion of pushing which contracted my muscles and helped push Elysen almost all the way out! Before I knew it, she was laying on my chest looking at me. She was born at 5:15 p.m. and weighed 7 pounds, 1 oz.

The next few hours were the only bad time we had through the entire process. Elysen had a lot of fluid in her lungs - more than most babies. Her cries were gurgles and she sounded like she couldn't breathe. I got to see her for a bit, but then the nurses took her to the nursery so they could really suction her lungs and eventually put her on oxygen. Even though this was a horrible time, and my family was so worried, God blessed me by sparing me from the worry. Because I couldn't leave the hospital bed, I didn't ever have to see my baby hooked up to the tubes. David and the rest of our family and friends were prayer warriors during this time. I believe that there were probably so many people praying for her that I will never know about.

That evening, the pediatrician came in and told us that he was going to lower her oxygen level. She was starting to improve. Within a couple of hours, they were able to take out all the tubes and give her a bath. Then, around 1 a.m., I finally got to see her again and hold her and try to feed her.

We stayed in the hospital until Sunday morning. By the time we went home, she was already such a great eater! This was a blessing since I'd been worried about breast feeding.

My mom stayed with us for 2 and 1/2 weeks after she was born so that I could get some rest and start to get into a schedule (and so that David wouldn't starve, haha). This was an extraordinary blessing for our whole family.

I'm sure that no one will ever read this except for me. I know that it's long and pretty boring, but I wanted so badly to take the time to write down the ways I saw God's hand over the last 9 months. He has blessed us beyond anything we could have hoped. Elysen is the most perfect baby I've ever seen. She's beautiful and she looks just like her dad. :) May I never ever forget how rich the Lord has made us through His great work in our lives and this pregnancy was no exception.

Snow, Snoring, and Spouses

Well, the last month has been an interesting one, to say the least. At the end of January/first week of February, we had our first serious snow and ice of the season.

This 5"-8" kept us out of school for 4 days during which I worked hard to finish the nursery.

She already has SO many clothes thanks to hand-me-downs from some sweet girls.

The crib

The bow holder I made to hold the first batch of bows. If she's anything like her mom and aunt, this will not come close to holding all the bows we'll have.

There were times I didn't think I'd ever get it done. It was pretty stressful getting everything organized when I don't have a clue how I will need things arranged for convenience, etc. Overall, David and I are very pleased with how it turned out. I know that there were probably times people looked at my fabric choices and thought, "What is this going to look like??" but it all turned out just like I wanted.

There are still a couple of things to add to the walls for decor, but those aren't urgent, of course.

Then, this week, we ended up with MORE SNOW! They predicted another 5"-8" for Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. We ended up with almost 20" of snow! It was absolutely crazy. I have never seen so much snow other than when I've been skiing. So I was in school 1 day last week and 1 day this week. Sadly, I haven't gotten as much work done this break because of a very nasty head cold. David even got to stay home part of 1 day because the bank closed early. Even the Wal-Mart store near us closed! THAT is unbelievable.

The dog bowl looks like an ice-fishing hole!

This morning it was -14 degrees when we woke up! That is WAY too cold for me to even stick my head outside, but it sure made the trees look beautiful.

At 37 weeks, the snow days are certainly welcome rest days. I am not sleeping very well at night in the last week or so, but it has nothing to do with the typical symptoms of pregnancy, aka discomfort, pain, contractions, bathroom trips, etc. Mainly, it has to do with my stopped up nose from this cold. I have been snoring really badly for the last month or so. How.....attractive. I have been so surprised that I'm still moving around comfortably this late in the pregnancy, if only I could stay well, I know I'd be getting so much done.

But back to the horrible snoring. I would like to take this moment to chronicle the way my husband has been during the last 9 months. He has been the best husband on the face of this earth. When I was had morning sickness this summer, he was so understanding of the fact that, not only could I not eat, I couldn't cook either. He never once complained.

When I hit the phase of being sooooo tired all the time, he was always so sweet when he came home from work and I was napping on the couch instead of...oh, I don't know...making sure that dinner wasn't burning. (That was not a happy night for me).

He has helped me do dishes and laundry and vacuuming just because he knew I felt tired or my back was sore. He loves talking to Elysen and watching her move. He says, "I just can't believe it. I can't believe she's in there!" And now that the horrible snoring has started, he has tolerated even that. I know it must be worse than he's telling me, and I know that he's probably not getting a lot of uninterrupted sleep, but he never complains. I feel so blessed to be married to such an amazing man. Never has God's choice for my husband been more obviously perfect than right now. He is going to be the best dad to our baby girl. So if there is anyone out there still reading this mush-fest, I just want to summarize by saying that David Savage gets the most amazing husband award today and always.

My handsome husband

28

This year, my birthday/Christmas list says a lot about my life right now. Usually, I ask for an assortment of clothes, gift cards and jewelry, but this year is a little different. Here's what my list says about me:

- Someone to write grad papers and take an administrative law test for me: "HEEEELP." (Actually, this wasn't on my list, and now that the semester is over, I can laugh about it. I honestly considered asking/bribing/paying lots of cash to someone to do all that work for me.)

- A steam cleaner for my carpet: "I'm in nesting mode, but bending down to scrub spots off of my shows-every-tiny-spot carpet is not in the cards right now." (How do those spots even get there in the FIRST PLACE???)

- Cute flats/Toms: "I will be sad if I get a really cute pair of heels and can't wear them for more than an hour without getting swollen feet or losing my balance and falling over."

- LOTS of books (this is not an out-of-the-ordinary gift request for me, however, perhaps I should share my list):

Knuffle Bunny is my absolute favorite. In fact, on our first date, David took me to Barnes and Noble (lots of brownie points for that one) and I showed him this book.

How could you not like this book? It's about a pigeon....driving....a bus.

Such a beautiful book.

I'll admit, I don't know a lot about this one. But I found it and fell in love with the illustrations (the dog looks like Remus) and the name. The title makes me laugh every time I say it!

So that's my list. It certainly has a different feel to it than my lists in years past. However, I will say what I've said to David for the last week. It means more to me to be done with the hardest semester of grad school that I've ever had to endure, to have a job that I love, to be healthy and surprisingly comfortable for almost 7 months pregnant, to have a freshly-painted room for Elysen that is filling up quickly with gifts from friends, to have my 2 sweet dogs who are so happy to see me every minute of every day, and to have my greater-than-great, sweeter-than-sweet husband who I love so very much. I am far happier this year on my 28th birthday than I have been on any birthday before, and far happier than any list of presents could make me.

"My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior, for the Mighty One has done great things for me - holy is His name." (Luke 1:46-47, 49)

You and Me

Elysen,

Two nights ago, you made your mother very sick for the third time just because you didn't like something I ate before bedtime. I am making a mental note that sugary things apparently give you (and me) an upset tummy when it's close to bed. On those nights, I wake up and you are bouncing around like crazy. I almost woke up David just so he could see my belly moving around, but since it was 2:45, I figured I'd let him sleep.

You move all the time. In fact, Dr. Birch had a hard time catching up with you at our last appointment to get a measure on your heartbeat. It's the most amazing thing. I don't think I really understood that I was pregnant until I felt you move and kick. From that moment, the other things I'm busy with (grad school, teaching, evaluating teachers) seemed to become less and less important to me. You already have spunk and spirit, and I love that about you. We know several couples who have recently suffered miscarriages, so feeling you move will never be something I take for granted even if it wakes me up. I know it's the thing I'll miss the most about being pregnant with you.

Every night I pray that God will give David and I the wisdom to be your parents. We know that this is a difficult world in which to raise a Godly young lady, but we also know that He will guide us if we keep our eyes on Him. We talk about you every night before bed - wondering what you'll look like (I can already tell from the sonogram that you have such a pretty profile) and what your personality will be.

The house is changing! We are busy getting your room ready. My mom is making some beautiful crib bumpers for you out of some fabric that I painstakingly picked. And, of course, it's December now so we've decorated everything for Christmas. This is my favorite time of year, and I'm usually sad when it ends, but this year, I have you to look forward to! February is coming so fast, and I know I won't be able to believe it when it's finally here.

Right now, I am just loving the fact that you are my Elysen - no one else gets to carry you, no one else gets to feel you squirm (though lots of family has felt you kick), no one else gets this amazing miracle. It's just you and me right now, and I love you with all of my heart.

It's a Girl!

About 3 weeks ago, David and I went to my 20 week sonogram appointment. Our number one prayer was that the baby would be healthy and everything would look normal. My second greatest prayer was that the baby would cooperate so that we could see what he/she was!

My intuition from day 1 of this pregnancy had been that the baby was a girl. And several people shared that feeling based on the way I'm carrying her. Even David started saying, "It's a girl", a couple of days before the appointment.

Our technician was so kind, and one of David's friends from work has a wife who works at the Breast Center, so we invited her into the room as well. So the baby had a whole crowd cheering her on. Because we were so blessed to have a healthy baby, it was SUCH a fun appointment.

The first few minutes, the technician said, "Well, I don't see anything that indicates that it's a boy" - but that was not good enough for me. I wanted to be SURE before we started buying dresses and pink bows. :)

So proper with her pinky up.

Thankfully, we ended up getting a great view - or, at least, that's what the technician told us, I couldn't tell what we were looking at. So we know for sure - it's a girl! I was worried that David might be disappointed, but the second that someone at work brought him a camo onesie with lace collar, I'm pretty sure he was hooked.

David's clothing choice....

My clothing choices.

So the next huge step for our family was the one I've been worried about since we first decided to start trying for a baby - names. It would be a gross understatement to say that David and I have different opinions on names. We made ourselves wait to even talk about names until we knew the baby's sex - then at least that would narrow our choices by 50%. Still, it was a difficult process with many nights spent reading through name books and saying "Do you like this?" only to be met with a strong NO.

A few weeks ago, we started talking about incorporating family names into the baby's name. Above all, I wanted her name to have a story behind it, instead of "Well, we just flipped through a book and picked that one". So, after a lot of discussion, and playing with combinations, we decided on a name that we both love.

Elysen Ashleigh Savage

Her first name is a combination of my sister's names - Allison and Elise (Ash's middle name). Her middle name is a combination of Sarah's middle name (Ashley) and my middle name (Leigh).

I'm so proud of this name. It's elegant and ladylike, but unique and special to our family. She is named after 3 of the best women I know. My hope for my baby girl is that she has the patient heart of her aunt Sarah, the strength of her aunt Allison, and the easy, fun-loving spirit of her aunt Ashley. An added bonus - according to our name book, Elysen is a feminine form of Elijah, which means "The Lord is my God".

David and I are so thankful to our God for blessing us with Baby Elysen. We can't wait to meet her! Here is another picture of our sweet girl.

This one's my favorite because I feel like I can tell just a little bit what she might look like. I love her nose.