1 Month Old

This is a little late, but I can't believe that Hazyn is one month old. She truly is the light of our lives!  Here are some fun facts about Hazy at one month old:

• She loves making the ohhhh face.
• Her eyes are looking like they are going to be brown.
• She only wakes up one time at night.
• She eats 3oz every 3 hours during the day.
• She still fits in her newborn clothes, but barely.
• Her hair has already grown a ton.  She's a show stopper when in public because of her beautiful hair.
• She can hold her head up and move it side to side. (We think she is pretty dang strong).
• Her cheeks are starting to fill out.  She looks chubby in pictures even though she isn't.
• She has completely stolen her mom and dad's heart. 

Our Little Beauty

We had my sis-in-law Rhiannon's sister Dede take Hazyn's newborn pictures.  They turned out so dang cute!  Of course it helped that Hazyn is so stinking cute:)  Here are some of my favorite pics.  (And if anyone is interested in an awesome photographer, you can see Dede's work at http://dedesphotography.blogspot.com/) 

Hazyn's 1st Month Adventures

I can't believe that my baby girl is a month old!  Time has flown this last month.  We had Hazyn's two week check up and everything looked great.  She weighed 8lbs12oz and was 21 inches long.  (She grew one inch and gained a pound in 2 weeks).  She was in the 54th percentile for weight, 67th percentile for height, and 61st percentile for head circumference.  Nice and average:) Here are some pics of Hazyn's first month (not in order)

Hanging out in PJ's on dad's lap:)

Snoozing in my Nap Nanny

Meeting my new friend Baisley

Watching Dad grill some yummy food on Memorial Day

Hanging out in my car seat while on a walk. (Hazyn loves being outside)

Meeting Hazyn's cousin Cynch

Playing with Dad on the floor!

Taking a bath!

All bundled up after the bath.

Watching Dad, Grandma Brenda, and Uncle Jake rope on a cold windy day in Oakley. 

Hanging out with Dad after the roping.

Meeting Uncle Jake (finally)



Welcome to the World Hazyn Jane

 Right before we left for the hospital.

 At the hospital about ready to deliver Hazyn. 

 The team working on Hazyn.

 Our little Hazy girl! 

 Riley bringing Hazyn to me.  He was so happy and so was I

Our first family picture!! 



Here is Hazyn Jane's birth story:

On Friday May 11, I had a Dr. appointment.  At the previous appointment, I was told that I hadn't dilated at all.  I was hoping this visit would be different because I was ready to meet my baby girl.  Well, the appointment proved to be disappointing because I again hadn't dilated.  And to make matters worse, I had to follow a couple taking their newborn baby home out the door.  That about killed me. 

So that Friday night I decided that I was going to try some Japanese food because I heard that it can induce labor.  (I don't really believe that it can do that - I just was craving sushi (California Roll)).  We went to dinner with our friends/cousins and then came home and went to bed. 

At 2 am I woke up to a sudden gush of fluid and ran to the bathroom.  I was pretty sure that my water had broke so I decided to wake Riley up.  I quietly said "Babe" because I didn't want to freak him out.  But I must have had a tone in my voice because he bounced out of bed quicker than he ever has (he is usually hard to wake up). 

Riley sprung into action getting all our bags packed in the car and I wandered around the house in shock.  My contractions had started, but I didn't realize it at the time.  Finally, at 2:30 we were ready to go to the hospital.  I was still in shock and Riley was really excited.  At 2:45 we checked in, I got dressed in my lovely gown, and the nurse checked me to verify that my water had in fact broke.  Then she told me that I was dilated to a finger tip (ugh - I was worried that this was going to be a long process at this point).  After she checked to see that my water had broke, she told me that I had meconium (baby poop) in my water.  She explained that it was going to complicate things a little bit and that we would need a team of people when I delivered.  I was a little worried, but she was great to calm me down.

At 4 am, my contractions started getting really bad.  I don't tolerate pain very well, but I'm convinced that these contractions were pretty bad no matter what type of pain tolerance.  Sadly I was only dilated to a 1 and this point.  But because my water had broke, they let me get an epidural.  Unfortunately, because of paperwork and a few other women ahead of me it took until 5:30 to get my lovely drugs!  My contractions were really bad at this point.  My back was on fire and I was miserable. 

Once my epidural was in, I was in heaven.  I even got a few cat naps in:).  At 6:15, I was dilated to a 2 and was put on oxygen to keep Hazyn's heart rate up.  At 7:15 I was dilated to a 3 so we decided to call our families.  We told them they didn't need to hurry because it would probably be a while before she was born.  None of them listened (thank goodness). 

At 8:30 am I was dilated to a 4.  I was pretty happy that I was progressing so nicely.  Then, it decided to slow down a bit.  At 11:15, I was dilated to a 5 finally. 

Then things got wild.  My nurse Joni (who I absolutely loved) came to check me at 12:10.  All of us were surprised when she said you are dilated to a 9.  I was in shock and began getting nervous.  I wasn't prepared for delivery that quick.  In fact, I was actually terrified of the task that laid ahead.  At this point I started to shake pretty bad.  I think it was adrenaline, nerves, and absolute fear.

At about 12:30, our families started to arrive.  My dad, my sister Callie, and my brother Zach were the first to arrive.  They were followed by Riley's parents Carl and Julie and then my mom got there a few minutes later.  Everyone was excited!!

At 1pm my nurse checked me and said I was fully dilated.  Everyone came in to see us one more time and then we kicked everyone out.  At 1:35 pm I started pushing.  Riley was really excited and was really good at coaching me through everything.  I thought that pushing would be horrible, but it was actually not bad at all.  I could feel the pressure, but there wasn't any pain at all (thank you epidural)! 

While I was pushing, everyone in the room kept saying "look at that hair."  Riley could see it any said that their was tons of black hair.  In fact, while I was crowning, the Dr. was playing with Hazyn's hair.  Riley said she was twirling it with her fingers and even put it in a Mohawk!  I was pretty excited and couldn't wait to see my pretty girl.

Finally, at 2:42, my princess was born. Riley got to cut the cord and then because of the meconium the team of doctors, respiratory therapist, and NICU nurse had to take her immediately.  Fortunately they stayed in the room.  I was so involved with watching them work on my little girl that it distracted me from my Dr. stitching me up. 

They weighed Hazyn and said she weighed 7lbs 11oz.  Riley then said she was our little Slurpee (because of 7-11).  Everyone in the room got a kick out of that one.  The NICU nurse went out and told our families that we had a little Slurpee - ha ha.  Hazyn measured 20 inches long. 

Finally they handed Hazy to Riley who brought her to me.  I was so in love and happy in that moment.  Words can't describe the feelings I had so I'm not even going to try writing them down.  That moment is the most sacred moment in my life. 

Well that novel is Hazyn's birth story.  Everything went so smooth.  In fact, everything was perfect!! 

Are We Ready Yet?

Are we ready for Hazyn yet? The answer is both yes and no. Physically, I'm completely ready. The nursury is finished, we have her carseat ready to go, and I've purchased everything needed (plus some more stuff). Her closet and dresser are both stocked to the max. This little girl will definitely not go without.

Emotionally, I'm totally not ready. I have absolutely no idea what to expect when I go into labor and that absolutely terrifies me. The unknown is scary... I think Riley is scared too. I think he's more scared of my reaction and complete lack of pain tolerance. But even though I'm scared to death, I know that I can do this. Women have been doing this for years and years - Right? And I'm actually pretty tough when I put my mind to it. Now I just need to get my mind in the right place because our little Hazy girl will be here anytime in the next 5 or 6 weeks.

We are so excited to meet out little girl. I can't believe how fast (and slow) this pregnancy has gone. I haven't blogged much about my pregnancy, so here are a few facts:

~I've felt GREAT the whole time. (There have been a few minor aches and pains, but nothing that I can't handle).

~Even though I'm huge right now, I'm still pretty comfortable. I know that lots of other pregnant women can barely breathe when they are where I'm at, but thankfully that is not the case for me. I hope that it stays this way for the next few weeks.

~I've been sleeping pretty decent. I only have to get up 1 or 2 times in the night and it is only because my body is stiff from staying in the same position.

~Hazyn will not let me sleep on my left side - even though I desperately try every night. She kicks and kicks and won't stop until I roll over.

~I love crunching on ice all day which is weird because I usually can't tolerate cold things. (Sensitive teeth)

~I've lived off Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwhiches, but only out of convenience. I'm too lazy to make anything else these days. Poor Riley has had to become the master chef around here!

~Hazyn is a little mover, but she has her dad's number. She will kick and move until he puts his hand on my belly. She stops the minute he tries to feel her kick. I always feel guilty that I get to experience all her little moves and Riley misses out on that part.

~Hazy gets the hiccups a lot. And it feels very weird. I love feeling her move, but the hiccups sort of drive me crazy. I have no idea why, but I try everything to get her to stop.

~I haven't gained too much (thank goodness). I'm hoping that I can lose the baby weight (and more importantly the pre-baby weight) very quickly. I know I'm probably setting myself up for dissapointment, but summers tend to be very active for me. And I have a colt that needs to be broke - talk about a workout! I can't wait to get back in the saddle!

Now that I've written a novel, enjoy the pictures of the ALMOST completed nursury. We love it and spend a lot of time in there.

Hazyn's Crib and my Rocking Chair ($10 from DI:) (It's really hard to get a decent picture in Hazyn's room). We are going to hang Hazyn's newborn pictures above her crib after she gets here.

I love my cute Jar that Grandma Julie made!! We are trying to decide what to fill it with.

Do you think we have enough bows? The crazy part is that this isn't even half of them... And I want more for my baby girl....

Cute little Cowgirl Shelf. We had a cute lamp up there that my friend Layken made, but Riley said it was too heavy and he didn't want it to fall and hit Hazy. (I think he's going to be pretty protective of his little girl).

The other cute shelf! Grandma Brenda bought the cute sign that says "Little Princess We made a wish and you came true." That saying is totally true - Hazyn is our little Princess that we were wishing very hard for.

Her Very Full Closet! I need to organize it better.

Her dresser that Riley and I refinished. It was a lot of work, but totally worth it. The frame has cork board in it now, but we are going to replace it with a mirror. I also couldn't get the wreath high enough, so pretend that it is hanging perfectly over a mirror.

Saying Goodbye:(

On December 24th, I said goodbye to my beloved horse Ross. And no, he didn't die - I just gave him to a little girl that could get more use out of him and take better care of him than I can. With Ross being old, he was needing more care than Riley and I could provide at this time. He needs a barn where he can be warm an dry and we just don't have that stuff yet. Although I was beyond sad to say goodbye, I'm so glad that he is sitting in a nice warm barn making another little girl the happiest little girl in the world.

For a while there, Ross became a taboo word for my family. Anytime someone brought him up I would get extremely upset and always ended up bawling and sometimes hyperventilating. My family quickly learned to avoid the topic.

Ross and I made so many good memories together. We traveled all over together, competed together, and had fun together. I would not have been half as good at roping as I was without him. He is an athlete and a competitor and made me better because of it. I think he wanted to win as bad as I did.

I know that I'll never replace him - I'll probably spend the rest of my life looking for something half as amazing as he was. I grew up with Ross and he was a huge influence on my life and the way that I've turned out. I'm sad to see him go, but I'm so grateful for the memories that we have together. I can't wait to go see him compete at the High School Rodeos this Spring.

Here are some pictures from my High School Rodeo days with my old boy Ross!!

December

Since I'm behind on blogging (again) I decided to just update the whole month. So here are all the events from December!

We started the month by vacationing in Las Vegas. We went to the NFR (National Finals Rodeo) for 5 days. Riley was so excited that he got to meet these Rodeo Super Stars. The first one is Trevor Brazil and the second one is Tuf Cooper (for those of you who didn't know, we are big fans of both - we are even going to name our first boy Cooper).

I wanted to go to the Bellagio flower gardens. I'm not going to lie, I wasn't too impressed. But it did smell good in there! We took this picture by that card made completely out of flowers and plants.

The only picture we got of us on the Strip. We aren't really big Vegas people. We only enjoy doing the Cowboy things while we are down there. But what is a trip to Vegas without a walk down the strip. Too bad we were both in Cowboy Boots - both our feet were blistered after our "little" stroll.

The next big event was our Christmas Vacation. This picture was taken on Christmas Eve at my Parents house. My parents always throw the best Christmas Eve Party. I don't think I could ever miss it! This year we played games, ate tons of YUMMY food, (my dad's beef brisket and homemade BBQ sauce - enough said), played X-Box Connect, and had lots of fun chatting the night away. Pictured above is Zach, Riley and me, Callie and her new guy Dave, and Jake (who looks a little out of it - ha ha).

We spent Christmas day with Riley's family and had a blast! Little kids make Christmas so fun! We opened presents, went to the annual Coates family breakfast, played games (including food storage Bingo (my favorite)), and laughed our heads off. On a side note, our little Hazyn is already spoiled. She received her first doll from Grandma Julie and her first horse (stuffed) from Grandma Brenda (among several other things from the two). The best present that she got came from Papa Ron. Every year my dad goes to the Diamond Store and picks out the best jewelry for my mom, my sister, and me. We all love this tradition because it means so much. Well this year my dad included little Hazy in this tradition and got her first bracelet. It even match the neclace he got me. It may or may not have made me cry. I know she'll cherish it someday just like I cherish all the jewelry that my dad has given me through the years.

We had the best Christmas Vacation and enjoyed all the time we got to spend with our Awesome Families.

After Christmas, my awesome mom made the long voyage up to Logan to spend some time with me. Because of our location and need to visit both families when we go home, we haven't been able to spend as much time together as we would like:( But fortunately we are both teachers so Christmas Vacation was the perfect time to do that. (I've been a little homesick for my mom and I think she sensed that - so thanks Mom for coming to visit - It meant a lot). While she was up here, she was kind enough to tile my backsplash:) It looks awesome!! I can't believe how talented my mom is. I just handed her tiles while she did all the work - I bet you all wish your mom was this awesome!! She also took me shopping and bought a bunch of maternity clothes for me so that I wouldn't feel bad about myself.

I don't know what I'll do when I have to do this stuff by myself. (Actually, I know exactly what I'll do - I'll just pay someone to do it - ha ha).

And to finish off our December (and year), we attended a Team Roping for Riley. We thought it would be a little jackpot, but boy were we fooled. The Jackpot had 680 teams. We arrived at 9:00am and left at 10:00pm. And we even left before it was over. It sucks not being able to ride and rope too. But don't worry, I'll be back at it this summer. We'll just need to get one of the Grandmas to come with us to tend:)

2011 was a great year, but we can't wait to see what 2012 has in store for us. We especially can't wait to meet our little Hazyn Jane!!