Mothers Day!

 I realized that I have taken at least 5 pictures of our beautiful girl every single day! That is a lot of pictures! She is going to be 9 weeks old tomorrow and time is flying!

The night before Mothers Day we decided to try and go out to eat for the first time as a little family. I was a little nervous! I pumped a bottle and brought it with us just in case! But she was amazing the entire time! We went to a tiny little Mexican place down the street that we have been going to for a few years and she slept the entire time. She did open her eyes and smile a few times, but other than that she was totally peaceful!

Now normally I totally loathe mothers day! Every year we go out of town or escape for the day! We turned off all social media and just escaped from the entire world! Going through infertility makes you entirely too aware of holidays like this, and make you feel pretty empty. But this year was pretty magical! It was enough to have my gorgeous tiny human here, but Hy spoiled the poop out of me too!

 

He brought me breakfast in bed and too the baby so I could sleep in a little bit!

 

 

 

And of course I got to snuggle with my girl! After some morning snuggling, we took a long drive and went up the 14 on the Washington side and went over the Bridge of the Gods. Then took the loop back to Portland, going past the Multanomah Falls. Totally gorgeous. But I had no intention of hiking it, especially with the baby strapped to me! Once is enough for me!

 

 



 

 

For a present, Hy bought me a brand new lovely laptop. I totally was spoiled! It was also really nice to just spend some time as a family. H is in his super busy work time right now and so some days are pretty long.

 

 

 

Please ignore all of my flaws, seeing as I never really wear makeup anymore and have had some anemia! Also I just had a baby and we don't get much sleep! Instead focus on the sweet sentiment!

 

My parents are coming this weekend for just a few days, and then we are driving down together to see all of our family. It will be the first time any one gets to see Miss Emilia in person. I am really excited for my whole family to get their hands on her, but not so excited about the long drive there and the long drive back! We will be up north and down south for about a week and a half! So see everyone soon!

 





Mostly just pictures...

This blog post is going to be mostly just pictures! Partially because I am super busy and am now going to have two hands for very long! I am almost contemplating deleting this blog entirely, I never blog anymore! And also now that we have the baby I am pretty protective of who I want to see her! But for now...

She likes laying in my lap this way so that she can see my face and I can see hers! She is getting to the age where her smiles aren't just gas but real smiles, and she is cooing and talking a lot more too!



I love that she sleeps with her arms and legs clear spread out like this! She hates being swaddled and likes to flail her arms around! She sleeps like her daddy! But drools like her mama, haha. So proud!



Look at how tired they both are! They played too hard and needed a good nap! Look at her cheeks!



Hy is so crazy about our little girl! For such a big tall man, he is so soft with her! She is definitely going to be so spoiled by her daddy! It is so sweet to see them together, and look at his face in the picture! He is so happy to be home from work and holding her!



Emilia Grace is 8 weeks old today! I can't believe it has been that long! She is just getting cuter by the minute I think!



I have found that if I strap her on the front of me and go about my business, then she will pass out for a solid chunk of time. It's pretty magical! I can even eat lunch, haha!




This picture is so sweet to me because for two solid weeks she had the WORST gas and colic! My mom suggested that I put her on the dryer and it totally worked! I practically fell asleep standing up!


That's it for now!

She is here!!

It happened! Hy and I welcomed our baby into the world! Nearly three weeks ago we welcomed EMILIA GRACE JOHNSON Into our little family! And she is perfect. And sweet. And beautiful. She is everything that I hoped for but never really thought that I deserved! It started at 37 weeks and 2 days. I had a regularly scheduled OBGYN visit and had been feeling really under the weather for a solid week. There was a bug going around and after 9+ months of avoiding all of the gunk going around, this one really knocked me over. Now normally my blood pressure is around 120/80, but at this visit it was 140/90. They tested me several times but it wasn't going down so I was sent to the hospital to see what was up. When I got to the hospital it was up to 166/98. After fluids and several hours of monitoring they let me go home. But not before scheduling me several non stress tests and doctor visits. I went from one doctor visit a month to 3-4 a week. It was entirely obnoxious, but nice seeing our baby in several ultrasounds. After a few more doctor visits of my blood pressure being being around 130-140, Dr. Wright called me at home with the news that she wanted to induce me. So I was scheduled for an induction at 39 weeks and one day (March 17th) at 8 pm. The last picture of me pregnant (not counting the ones where I am half naked on medicine ball, working through a contraction). I was given cervadil and pitocin, which didn't really bother me too bad. I was maxed out on pitocin for about 12 hours but it didn't effect me like most people. I was given two epidurals, the first one only numbed half of my body. After re adjusting it again with no change they removed it and implanted another! The staff was so nice during all of this (especially when Hy had to sit down because his blood sugar dropped and he turned white!). My water broke around midnight on Tuesday and at 5:02 am little Emilia was born! She was a long and lean 7#4oz and 20 inches long! I have always known in our almost six years of marriage that Hy would be an amazing daddy, but finally being able to witness it first hand was so beautiful. I do have to say that for all of the terrible things I have heard about childbirth, our experience was wonderful. It was just the two of us and our labor nurse for most of it. We had dim lighting and a really relaxed environment. Listening to Hy count kept me really calm and grounded. She had really terrible jaundice for a solid week and had to be in the Billi blanket, which is a horrible contraption, but we made the best of it. Now she is home and three weeks old. She is beautiful and so sweet and life feels really complete!

Going from needing a warrior to being one!

I've been wanting to say a few things about out journey getting to where we are now for a litle while. Sometimes you don't know exactly what you want to say until finally it just clicks. Hy and I tried to start our family with out really reaching for help, and we did this for quite a few years. When we finally realized that it wasn't working, we met with an OB/GYN named Dr. Tricia Wright. She did all of the standard tests that they want you to do before becoming pregnant, and then because of my age and generally great health, we were to try un assisted for one year. At the end of the year when we still weren't pregnant, instead of giving us the run around, she said "let's dig in and really see what we have here." I felt so relieved like some one was finally on my side. The amazing thing with my health insurance is that for the doctors to be employed there, they are required to have a certified specialty. Hers is infertility. Some how the stars aligned and my physician ended up being the go to for getting knocked up! After another really challenging couple of months and in the privacy of her office, she took my hand and said "McKenzi, whatever it takes, we are going to get you pregnant." And I believed her. Dr. Wright combined with the soul mate I call my husband, were my warriors. There were some ugly days, really ugly ones, where I wouldn't have recognized myself standing in front of a mirror. The journey wasn't easy and it wasn't pretty. But here I am today 34 weeks and 3 days pregnant with a perfectly healthy baby girl and I know I didn't get here alone. So thank you. First to my husband, for more things than I could ever say. Next to my beast of a doctor. And finally to everyone who said that it would happen and held my hand when it didn't. Especially my mom and sister Jess. 39 days until my due date, and until I get to be a warrior for my own little girl.

Oh baby!!

I haven't posted in so long and so many things have happened since I last did! The most important thing that has happened is that we are having a baby! I can't believe that this is actually my reality, but seeing as she is currently kicking my ribs I am inclined to believe it!!

We haven't really talked about it openly, but Hy and I have suffered through infertility for a long time. We have taken a few mental health breaks here and there: I got my degree, Hy switched careers, we took vacations, and expanded our puppy family. About two years ago we made it our main priority again to work on our family. We found a specialist, did endless tests and exams, ultrasounds, and had a few excruciating cyst ruptures ( and their corresponding blackouts). 

But here we are! It all started to come together with this beauty:

Something we hadn't ever seen before! That was only the first of a few beautiful signs. Our lives officially changed on July 20th ( which was my due date when I was inside of my own mom) !! Because of the medication I was on, I had to do a test on a certain day which was the 20th. I was hopeful but didn't think it would ever be our turn. But then this happened: 

I have never been more excited in my entire life! I ran to the doctor for blood confirmation and to buy more tests at the grocers! Hy was beyond thrilled and his reaction is one of the most special moments of my life. 

We got to see our baby at 9 1/2 week and I was petrified that things were going to be okay! Then we saw this and everything became very peaceful:

Everyone in our lives have been so supportive and this has been a really wonderful experience! I first felt the baby move about 16 1/2 weeks and it felt like a little cricket was hopping along in myM belly. We got to find out the sex of our baby at 19 1/2 weeks and I just knew it was a boy. Boy, was i wrong! 

Right before our appointment:

Our little baby GIRL Johnson!!

Now I'm 28 1/2 weeks along and just waiting to see our little girl! I will probably be blogging a lot more now that there is another person coming into our lives! But for now my ribs are sore and there is cinnamon buns to make! Happy New Years Eve everyone!!