Emma Dawn

Emma is finally here!! We are so happy and feel incredibly blessed to have such a sweet baby in our family! I never thought I could love someone so much, and in such a short amount of time. Here's her birth story. (It's mainly for me to remember, I hope it's not too much!)

At my 37 week appointment, my doctor told me I was 2cm and 70%! I figured that meant labor was right around the corner. WRONG. I had been having the same pains I'd had during a previous UTI and I told the nurse I thought I had another one, but she said the baby was really low and on my round ligament and that's what was causing me so much pain, so they didn't need to test for a UTI. (My doctor was out of town or she would have checked!) I was at work one day and started having regular contractions around 1pm. I'd had about 5 in one hour, so on my lunch break I headed home to get in the bath and see if they would go away. I drank a ton of water and kept track of my contractions while I was in the bath. They weren't getting any better and they were only getting stronger. I called my mom and Kasey because I wasn't sure if this was real labor or not. Kasey headed home from work early and my mom told me to keep her updated. Around 5pm my contractions started getting closer and closer together. By 7:30 they were 5-7 minutes apart and lasting for a minute or so. This was everything my doctor had told me to watch for! When they started getting closer we decided to head to the hospital to see if this was it! We stopped by JCW for a burger (I was starving) and proceeded to the hospital. As we were getting checked in, I had a contraction, and that was the last one I had while we were there! They monitored me for an hour and then sent me home! Can you believe that?! All afternoon I had intense contractions, and the second we get checked into the hospital they stopped! I was bummed. My mom and dad had already started driving out to Utah (because if I was anything like Amanda, I would have had the baby within 2 hours!!!) and stayed with us for the weekend. There were a few more days of intense contractions but we didn't make anymore trips to the hospital.
At my 38 week appointment, I asked if they could check me for a UTI and sure enough, I had one! Having contractions on top of a UTI is pretty dang painful and those contractions felt close to real labor contractions! The nurse also said my blood pressure was a little high but it wasn't anything to worry about. I was at 3cm and 90% at this point! My doctor stripped my membranes but that didn't send me into labor, unfortunately. Every day I would wake up a little disappointed that I didn't go into labor during the night.
At my 39 week appointment, they said my blood pressure was even higher and that the doctor would take a look at it again. When my doctor came in, Dr. Cloward, she checked my blood pressure and said it was high. Kasey made a joke that they better induce me to make sure the baby is ok, and my doctor said, "We might just have to do that!" Kasey and I looked at each other like, "WHAT?!" She stripped my membranes again and said if that didn't send me into labor that night then they would induce me the next morning. I couldn't believe it. It was finally here! I was so excited and nervous! Our little girl would be here TOMORROW! I called my mom as we were walking out of the office and told her she needed to get to Utah! She flew from Phoenix to SLC like 2 hours later! She's amazing. Crystal also flew in that night. I had my biggest fans there to support me, except Amanda and my dad. Amanda couldn't come because it was such short notice AND because she has 2 little girls! I was really sad that she couldn't be there with me, but we got to FaceTime while I was in the hospital. I'm grateful for technology so we could have her with us! My dad was busy working in Arizona, but he was updated the entire time!
Kasey and I ran some last minute errands and headed up to Salt Lake to pick up my mom and sister. I couldn't believe this was how it was happening. I always imagined it would be like the movies where my water broke and we rushed to the hospital where we would have our baby minutes later. WRONG AGAIN.
The hospital said they would call me when it was time to come in, and it could be anywhere between 6am and noon, but it'd probably be around 10 or 11.

I couldn't sleep the entire night. I was afraid I'd sleep through my alarm or miss the call, not to mention I knew I was going to have a baby! I tossed and turned until it was a decent time to get out of bed. I jumped in the shower around 6:30. I was anxiously awaiting the phone call and kept checking my phone to see if I'd missed the call. Once everyone was awake, I finally calmed down and figured they wouldn't call until 11 or 12. Crystal and I decided to FaceTime with Amanda and during our call the hospital called. It was about 8:45 and they told me to show up at the hospital at 10. I felt like I had a lot to do before leaving!! Crystal and I jumped off the bed, the next hour flew by!! Thankfully I already had the majority of my hospital bag packed! I tried to eat some breakfast but I was so nervous that I wasn't hungry and couldn't eat. I had a few bites of cereal and then we headed to the hospital.
Kasey and I were so excited. We held hands the whole way there and just kept saying how we couldn't believe this was it! It was finally here. We were going to have our baby! We got checked into the hospital and I got changed and hooked up, ready for the long day. They also informed me that I couldn't eat anything until after the baby was born and I could only drink clear liquids. My mom and Crystal came to the hospital soon after, and camped out! We didn't know how long it was going to take!

 My doctor came in and broke my water, and they started me on pitocin. (I was almost a 3.5 when I got to the hospital and 100%.) My contractions started becoming intense and pretty close together. After a couple of hours of contractions, I called my nurse to come check how dilated I was. (After having such intense contractions, I was sure I had to be at least a 7 or 8!) I was at a 5. Seriously??! I then realized that I was in for a longer day than I anticipated! The contractions were coming one right after the other and were starting to wear me out! They say that most women progress about a centimeter an hour. So I had at least 5 hours left! YIKES. I started getting frustrated during the contractions. My guests (my mom, Crystal, Kasey, and Kasey's mom) didn't realize how intense my pain was and they were all just chatting away. Crystal looked at me and knew I was in so much pain. She quickly stopped talking and sat quietly on her phone. After that contraction, I sent everyone out of the room (except Kasey) so I could get the epidural. I didn't think I would have enough energy to push when the time came. Once I got the epidural and it had kicked in, everyone came back in and we hung out.

Crystal fell asleep while waiting :)

My nurse came in periodically to check my progress. Finally at 5:55 she said I was at a 10 and could start pushing!! I was so excited! We were almost done! We were so close to meeting our little girl!!!!! I pushed, and pushed, and pushed during each contraction. I had Crystal on my left side holding my leg, Kasey on my right side holding my leg, my mom at my head-fanning me, and Kasey's mom was giving me ice between contractions. I feel pretty spoiled to have so many people who love me and were there to help. Even with the epidural, I could still feel a lot of pressure during her delivery. After pushing for an hour and a half, and my doctor doing a lot of work, Emma arrived at 7:28p.m. weighing 7lbs 14oz and was 19.5 inches long! It was the most amazing feeling of relief when she was finally here. It was a sweet and special moment when they put her on my chest, and I got to hold her for the first time. Kasey cut her umbilical cord, and they got her all cleaned up. I couldn't believe it was over! She was finally here! It's amazing how much I loved her from the second I saw her. There are no words to describe my love for her. The hard work was all definitely worth it! We FaceTimed with my dad and Amanda so they could see her. Everyone took turns holding her. My mom went down and got me a hamburger and chocolate shake from the grill at the hospital. That was the best meal I've ever had!!

Once we got settled in our new room, and all our visitors left, Kasey and I spent some time together. It was great to be together as a new family, just the three of us. It was fun getting to know her and learn about the different things she does. Emma had the cutest little squeal when you would change her diaper or touch her with cold hands. She has the cutest cry!

We left the hospital on Saturday morning. My mom and Crystal (who was our awesome photographer) helped us get all of our things home and get us settled in. My mom stayed for the next week and helped us get used to having a baby at home! There were a couple sleepless nights, and after being up all night with Emma, my mom came in once she woke up and took Emma so Kasey and I could get some sleep. She also made us our meals, cleaned the house, did laundry, and so much more. She really made adjusting to having Emma home smooth and easy. I hope that I can be the kind of mom to Emma like my mom has been to me. She's such an amazing woman.
I was so scared the day she left! Now it was our turn to take care of this baby all by ourselves! Emma is such a good baby and has made the last 6 weeks so fun! There are tough days but I can't imagine life without her. She brings such a sweet spirit into our home! We feel so blessed to have her here with us!

Pregnancy: What I've Learned So Far

As I sit here watching the Olympics, and eating a bowl of queso, I will tell you what I've learned so far about pregnancy:
Pregnancy is weird. Food that I used to love, I can't even think of eating now! I cry more than normal. For example, when the US women won the silver medal in synchronized diving, I cried. When Kasey brought me some popcorn while we were watching a movie, I cried. When Kasey splashed a little bit of water on me, I cried. I also got my "morning sickness" at night. Especially during my first trimester, I was tired all the time. I would wake up, let Duke out, and lay on the couch until it was time to get ready for work. When I got home I'd lay back on the couch. I didn't cook for about 6 weeks. We ate a lot of hamburgers and fries. And I ate a lot of fruit, especially at the beginning. So many strange things happen almost overnight. And some go away just as quickly!! I have learned that it's important to pay attention to what your body is telling you. I got hot and dizzy while we were at the AT&T store a few weeks ago and asked for a seat to sit down. Next thing I knew, I was waking up on the ground. I had passed out. Right before I passed out I told Kasey to go find me some water so he wasn't there when I actually passed out but there were two women who noticed I didn't look too good and they were holding onto me. I'm so glad they were there!! Being pregnant definitely takes a toll on your body! It scares me to go anywhere alone now!! Thankfully I know what it feels like and I can be prepared in case it happens again! I take showers a little cooler, am always drinking water, and I always have snacks with me!!
The second trimester has been good to me, so far! I have more energy and I have made the majority of our meals! And I have cleaned the house! I feel like I have accomplished so much in these few weeks because I was so lazy for so long! It feels good to be back!!
My belly is starting to grow. It's crazy to think that there is a tiny baby growing in there!! I love it. (Also, maternity leggings are the most comfortable things on the planet.) Our awesome neighbors have a heart monitor they let us borrow so we get to hear our baby's heartbeat whenever we want! It's seriously the coolest thing and it makes me feel a little closer to our babe. We will find out in a couple weeks if we're having a boy or a girl! Then the real fun begins!! I can't wait to shop and get the nursery put together!!
The best part about being pregnant is having a husband who is so incredibly excited to be a dad!! He has been so good about eating the same thing three days in a row, or making me food right before bed, or trying not to laugh when I randomly start crying. He's so supportive and he's so excited for our baby to be here!! I feel blessed to be married to such a wonderful man! He's going to be a great father!

So far, these are some of the things I have learned while being pregnant! More to come...

Baby Connell 2.4.13

We are so excited to finally announce that we're having a baby!!! We couldn't be happier!! Kasey is beyond thrilled! I am so excited to start our family! We feel so blessed to have the opportunity to bring this little baby into this world! Here's how we found out:

It was a Wednesday evening and I had just gotten home from work. I was 2 days late and had been having the thought for about a week that I was pregnant, but I thought I was crazy. (Come to find out, Kasey had been thinking the same thing for about a week!) When I got home that night, I went upstairs to change and figured I'd take a pregnancy test so I would stop thinking I was pregnant and I could get that off my mind. I took the test and it came back almost immediately and said pregnant on it! I covered my mouth and gasped! I yelled for Kasey to come upstairs and then met him halfway up the stairs because I couldn't wait for him to make it to our bathroom!! We hugged and kissed and celebrated the fact that WE ARE GOING TO BE PARENTS!!! After that, I ran to the grocery store to get more pregnancy tests just to confirm. After three more tests, we were positive that we were having a baby!! We sent a text and picture to our families letting them know our good news and have been starting to prepare for this little person to come into our lives. Our baby is due February 4, 2013, which is our anniversary! Pretty impressive timing if you ask me! This was the hardest secret I think I've ever had to keep! I just wanted to shout it from the rooftops that I am going to be a mom!! It is the most exciting/scariest time in my life!! I don't want to do anything to mess this up! So far we're right on track and our baby is growing right on schedule!

We are now taking guesses on if it's a boy or a girl. We should know August 25!!

February 4, 2012

Well, we finally got our internet set up at our house so I have no excuses for not blogging anymore! I have a list of posts that I need to do, but we'll start with our wedding. It was the perfect day. These are only a few of the thousands of pictures I have to go through. More to come!!

Here's our story, the week leading up to our big day:

Kasey and I flew to Colorado on Monday and spent the week getting ready for the wedding! There were some last minute things I had to finish up! My mom and I also went and got our teeth cleaned on Tuesday and Kasey joined us because he had a toothache. Wednesday he had a root canal!!! He is such a trooper and never complained about it! Other than that small bump in the road, it was a fun week, and I loved spending so much time at home with my family!! I miss seeing them and it was perfect to spend so much time together. There were lots of errands to run, lots of people to see, and plenty of things to do before Saturday!

We heard that there was going to be snow towards the end of the week, but it's Colorado, so we didn't know what to expect. They hadn't had a huge storm all winter but, of course, the day before my wedding there was a blizzard! Flights were cancelled and roads were closed. Thankfully all of our guests made it by Friday night-better late than never!! Friday night we had our rehearsal for our ring ceremony and then my mom did a dinner at her house for both sides of our family to meet one another. It was such a fun night and a perfect way to spend our last night as single folk. Saturday was absolutely perfect!

We started the day with breakfast at Mimi's Cafe. All of our family and bridal party were there. It was nice to spend time with our family and friends before we went to the temple. After the brunch we headed up to Denver. The temple was beautiful. It was great to have our friends and family with us for such a special day. I can't imagine not being with Kasey forever. I am so grateful that we are sealed for time and all eternity. It was so fun coming out of the temple and seeing all of our friends and family waiting for us! We took tons of pictures and I was so cold by the end! The weather was perfect, other than it was cold! Our pictures were beautiful thanks to the fresh snow!

After we took pictures, Kasey and I headed back to the Springs for our ring ceremony and reception. We were both starving so we stopped by Chick-Fil-A on our way back. It was so good! I had napkins laid out ALL over my dress to make sure I didn't get anything on my dress. My mother would have killed me!

Once we got to the hotel, where the evening festivities were, we got inside just in time to get everyone organized and ready for the ring ceremony. The ceremony was really nice. It was great to have so many of our friends and family there to support us. After our ring ceremony we went straight into our reception where we had an amazing dinner! From what little I tasted, the cake was good too! :) Our reception was so fun! We had a photo booth area where all of the guests could take funny pictures with the different props that we had! There was a lot of dancing and I think everyone had fun! I know I did!! Our day was perfect and I can't imagine a better day with a better person. I am so lucky to be married to my best friend! We are so blessed!!

More updates to come!!  :)

Is it February yet?

I AM GETTING MARRIED!!!!

We are so excited!

I never could imagine anything that felt more perfect or right. I never imagined that I could love someone so much. We have too much fun together, we really do.

I feel so blessed to have found such a great man who wants what's best for me and for our future together.

Here's our story:

We met right after I moved to Utah, in May of 2010. We dated a little over the summer but when he wanted to get more serious, I wasn't ready and so we stayed good friends over the fall/winter. Having the same group of friends, we hung out all the time and I quickly realized that he was one of my best friends. We started doing things together, just the two of us. Why would I keep looking around for someone to date when I had everything I'd ever dreamed of right in front of me? Kasey taught me how to ride a motorcycle; we've had a few too many water fights in his mom's kitchen; we play football with his little brother, Cole; sing in the car at the top of our lungs; we like trying new things together and just enjoy spending time together. After "officially" dating for a little bit, we decided we wanted to be together forever and start a family together.

Kasey proposed on Monday, September 12, 2011, in front of the Mount Timpanogos Temple. We will be sealed together forever on February 4, 2012 in the Denver Temple.

I am not only in love with him, but I love his family. They are my family. It has never felt awkward being around them or going to family functions, with or without Kasey. I love his grandmas like my own and am thrilled to finally have a younger sibling. Not a day goes by that I don't thank my Heavenly Father for this great family that I am now a part of.

I'll keep you updated with the wedding planning!!

As of now, I have:

a dress!

bridesmaid dresses

a groom

....I've got a lot of work to do :)

Happy 23rd, Goose!!!

Crystal and I turned 23 yesterday. It's crazy how fast time flies! 23 years ago (it was also a Saturday) we were born, seven weeks early in Gallup, New Mexico. Crystal was born with a condition known as duodenal atresia. She needed surgery immediately and was flown to the closest out of three hospitals in the nation, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. After a couple months in the hospital, I was finally reunited with my best friend and partner in crime. Since then, we have caused too much mischief, laughed until we cried, played pranks, gotten in fights for one another, traveled the country, won state championships, and so many other things. She's my best friend and feel blessed that I was sent to this earth with her. I couldn't imagine my life without her.

This was the first birthday that we spent apart, and it was much harder than I thought it would be. 22 other birthdays were spent together, and it was so weird not to be with her this year. The Lord blessed me with a new family and my soon-to-be mother in law to share the day with! I miss my family, but it makes it so much easier to have a good family out here in Utah, too.

Sometimes the hardest thing to do is trust someone else. I like to get things done, and do them my way.

Over the last few months I have had the frustrating pleasure of seeing the hand of the Lord in my life. I say frustrating because it is incredibly difficult to let things in my life go they way they should go, not necessarily the way I want them to go. It's funny how He knows me better than I know myself, and He knows what's best for me.

This week I was reminded of why things work out they should. It doesn't mean that it's always easy to deal with, but it makes it easier.