Oh Baby, Baby!

Well, Gracie Lena is here and almost a month old! And what a crazy journey it has been to make that happen.

We found out on a Friday that we were scheduled to be induced due to health complications on my part, (not Gracie's), that Monday July 16^th , and you will never know how relieved we were to hear that. That whole weekend we kept thinking, ‘this is the last Saturday not as parents, this is the last time we do (fill in the blank) not being parents, last day not having a car seat in our back seat…’

Luckily Monday went by quickly because we weren’t schedule to go in until 5pm.  We ran some last minute errands, and of course thinking, ‘this is the last time I am going to be slowly, slowly hobbling around everywhere.’ We went to an early dinner where we had our first date and where we go to celebrate any big occasion we have in our life, Texas Roadhouse, for what we called my “last supper,” because once I was in the hospital I wouldn’t be able to eat. We were both really calm all day, I don’t think either of us were nervous or anxious all day…until the drive there. As soon as we finished leaving my hands got all clammy and our hearts were beating out of our chests. Something about knowing when you’re having a baby and expecting it makes things incredibly intense. No hectic drive to the hospital, no bad pains or screaming, all the visuals you have from movies and other people’s stories you hear. But a “calm,” casual drive just left with your nerves. 

 

We get checked in, got my hospital gown on, and it was go time! We were going to be parents by morning! And by morning, we actually mean 43 hours later.  It was an incredibly frustrating and long waiting game, baby girl just didn't want to come! We made it to see one of the nurses third shift, haha. Grateful we didn't have to do a C-Section like they brought up several times. Active labor was actually the best part though, those 2 hours flew by, we were listening and singing to Justin Timberlake and in the best spirits and actually having fun! (No, it wasn't just the epidural doing that, haha). 

So two days later, June 18th at 12:58 in the afternoon Gracie Lena was born perfectly healthy, weighing 6 lbs 15 oz, and 21" long and it was absolutely beautiful. Watching Ben react when he first saw her brought the spirit probably one of the strongest times I had ever felt it.  Ben blogged about his experience and it is absolutely beautifully written, so if you haven't read it yet, click HERE, to read how his views on God has changed and what he was feeling when Gracie was born.  "When I saw my beautiful girl come out at 12:58 pm on June 18th, 2014, I wept. I didn't just cry or shed a tear, I put my head on my wife's shoulder and I seriously wept my eyes out. It was seriously the most beautiful and coolest thing I have ever seen or experienced. Labor is insane and out of this world, but I saw God work that day." 

So here we are just a few days before she turns a month old and we couldn't have gotten any more blessed with her. She is just the most peaceful baby there is.  All she does is sleep and she can sleep through any noise and in every position. I've gotten more sleep now then I did my whole pregnancy. She's probably awake just a handful of hours throughout the day and she'll just look around and smile and is pretty dang close to getting her head/neck figured out. 

Great news also is that as soon as she was born all of the health complications I was having completely disappeared! The dogs absolutely lover her. It took a couple weeks for Philly to even leave her side. Ben is having the most fun ever getting Gracie dressed every day and singing to her. His parents are loving being first-time grandparents, and unfortunately will have to just be ok Skyping with my family for now.  I'm home on maternity leave and so far have accomplished finishing the Book of Mormon again, with the help of Gracie this time, and have watched all 7 seasons of Boy Meets World and Ben and I were genuinely disappointed when it ended. We now live in South Jordan just a mile away from Oquirrh Mtn. Temple, where we got sealed, and have already got back into a weekly date trips there.

For more pictures, click HERE. 

To watch Gracie "sing" Fresh Prince theme song, click HERE. 

To rewatch our gender reveal video, click HERE.

Babies, Birthdays and a lot of couch time!

Ben turned 23 yesterday! His first birthday as a husband and last birthday not as a dad! He had been hoping more than anything that baby Gracie would be born on this day, simply because he genuinely just wanted to share it with her to make his birthday more meaningful. And I was in high hopes, too, that this would happen because I've been ready to not be pregnant for a long while now.  We spent it at his parents house eating tacos, Mmmm.

Ben got accepted in to ASU Online and will be starting this fall, wooo!

My best friend & sister got married to the greatest man that could ever be found on the earth for her. Beyond bummed that we couldn't fly there to be there.

At the end of the month we are leaving Midvale and moving to South Jordan.

I received the Donald C. Sloan Community Speaker Award from the Dean of BYU.

He blogged: "Being Married to the Tattooed Mormon." Read it HERE.

I blogged: "I Have a Confession..." Read it HERE.  

Baby Gracie Updates:

I am currently 36.5 weeks! As some of you have heard through a few non-informational Instagram & Facebook posts, pregnancy the past month-ish has been a frustrating and difficult one. Out of nowhere my blood pressure spiked like crazy and I have had countless complications since then that have brought us to both OB Emergency and our doctors 3 times within just one week, being watched for preeclampsia, countless tests throughout the whole month, having to wear a heart monitor all the time for either 30 days or until the baby comes, having to check my blood pressure daily & report them to my doctor, feeling faintish and shaky, heart racing, hard time breathing, most days spent on the couch, battling migraines, an unnaturally-more then just the average pregnant- swollen body, and so on....

But good news! Baby Gracie is 1,000% healthy and unaffected by any of this.. We were able to have an ultrasound when I was 35 weeks and see how big she's gotten! She's huge! She already weighed 7 lbs then. And just got word a few days ago that if things don't get better by our next apt. we will schedule a day to be induced. I'm definitely counting down the days.

And more good news! Ben is #1. Having to spend day after day home with me and not ever has it bothered him. Willing to even blow dry and brush my hair on my worst days without even me asking. Still thinking I'm attractive when we have to keep urine jugs in our fridge to bring to our doctors, (TMI??? haha). Every day I am impressed by him. I could go on...but I'll spare you all from a sappy ramble.

We've gotten hooked on yet more games, Connect 4 & Mancala. Ben got me hooked on Mango-A-Go-Go at Jamba Juice. Took some randon trips to small town hotels just to get away together and watch movies & go swimming and not feel pregnant for a little bit. Still making it to the temple weekly, with the exception of the times I was in the hospital, grateful for Initiatories that are short and don't make me feel like I am on fire from being so hot all the time, haha. Justin Timberlake and Micheal Jackson's new song is still our favorite. And our pups are still alive and well and in love.

All in all, life is great, even with some health hiccups. A lot of blessings from God. Still in love. Still smiling. Pumped for this upcoming week when Gracie will hopefully come and join us and we'll have more updates for you. So until then, laugh often and love more. —The Carraways