Date Night!

My mom was so nice to babysit Evie so Judd and I could go out for our very first dinner out after having the baby. I was craving sushi, so Judd being the wonderful husband he is, took me to a sushi restaurant even though he doesn't like sushi. I enjoyed the first sushi I've had in 10 months! Judd had asian chicken noodle soup and beef fried rice. It was great to go out with my honey and Grandma had fun with Evie.

Photo Shoot

Yesterday Steve from Poetic Exposure visited us to take baby pictures. We had a fun time chatting with Steve and watching his skill in taking photos with tiny infants. He knew just the trick...pacifiers, blow driers, and momma's touch. Judd had fun taking pictures of the photo session. Stay tuned for a special slideshow of the photos in the next couple of weeks.

Sleeping on Her Side

Evie's favored position for sleep is her side. Some how she can already roll over onto her side even when I put her flat on her back. It amazes me!

Daddy Gives Evie a Bath

Evie has a funky hair style going on!

So, Judd is the expert in bathing babies! He is not afraid of sloshing water all over the little one. Evie didn't seem to mind most of the time. She must enjoy baths!

Evie's New Friend

On Saturday our friends, Tom and Amy came over with their 3 month old Noah to show us the ropes on parenting a newborn! They brought many goodies and great advice! Noah showed off his budding walking skills too.

First Bath

Well I have to say Evie must like baths. For the most part, she sits quietly letting us bathe her until the end when she realizes that she is wet and cold! Then she lets out a shrill scream until I wrap her in a warm towel! Today after finishing her bath I wrapped her in a towel (without) a diaper, and boy did I get a surprise! She started peeing all over my hands and the floor! Luckily we don't have carpet and it was easy to clean up! Next time she WILL wear a diaper at the end of a bath!

Evie Meets Grandma and Grandpa

My parents have been staying with us for the past week, and were so happy to finally meet their granddaughter!

Wilson says hi to grandma.

Visitors

With our three day stay in the hospital we had lots of friends meet Evie for the first time. Their company made our stay at the hosptial much more enjoyable.

Connie and her daughters, Karlee and AshleeRachel

Asher and Evie

Abbey and Dane making fun of Olan Mills

Clare and Jessica

Lindy

Fellow Fourth Grade Teachers, Kendra and Joanna

Fourth Grade Babies, Macie, Evie, and Pierce

Principal Sharon and Assistant Principal Kathy

Our Small Group (Bible Discussion Group)

Evie Lillian Taylor

Evangeline Lillian Taylor

Born: August 9, 2009

Time: 9:25 PM

Weight: 8 pounds 14 ounces

Length: 21 inches

The Birth Story

Sunday morning I woke up at 6am to use the restroom, and with no warning signs or contractions, my water broke! I woke up Judd to tell him "it's time." He took a shower and we finished packing last minute items. We headed off to the hospital, checking in around 8am. As time progressed I started feeling contractions coming stronger and closer together. I labored until around noon, when I got an epidural. After that, I was comfortable, with some pains in my back, but tolerable! Time passed pretty quickly. Our church is right down the road from the hospital, so around 1pm, we had a couple of close friends visit us and bring Judd lunch. Well, the clock continued to tick and I failed to progress past 6cm, even with strong contractions one minute apart. Evie wasn't under stress, but the doctor was concerned that if we continued that she would eventually not be able to handle labor. Also, the doctor had a hunch that Evie was too large to pass through the birth canal, plus her head was not positioned correctly to descend further. At 8:00pm, my doctor broke the news to me that I would need a c-section. I was so devastated. I never thought I would have to have a c-section. After bawling and calming myself, I realized it was the best option so, I started to prepare myself mentally and physically. Yoga breathing really came in handy in relaxing me. Around 9:15 or so, they wheeled my bed to the operating room to prep me for surgery. There was a hustle and bustle with people everywhere. It was not an emergency situation, so the atmosphere was more calm than it could have been. Judd sat by my side and gripped my hand through the whole thing. Then the most amazing thing happened....I heard the cries of my baby! The doctors chimed, you have a big baby with dark hair!!! She weighed in just short of 9 pounds...another shocker. I never imagined I could carry such a large baby! After the nurses cleaned up Evie, they brought her over to Judd and I to see. What an amazing experience! Shortly after, Judd went with Evie to the nursery where they weighed her and gave her a bath. As Judd observed, he glanced out the nursery window to see a crowd of a friends looking in! What a wonderful surprise for us! About an hour after surgery I was taken to my post-pardom room where we talked with our friends. Once they left, the nurses brought Evie to us. Finally I could hold my baby girl. Just thinking of that night makes me so emotional. Through that challenging night, I have realized how lucky I am to have an amazing husband, devoted friends, and an excellent doctor.

Clare, Evie's caretaker

Rachel and Gwen

Happy New Family

Dr. Paroski with the Family

Our Welcome Wagon

Momma Holds Evie for the First Time

You Never Know What's Around the Corner!

Well....we're still waiting to meet Evie!!!! I'm trying to stay well rested for whenever the day arrives. I definitely keep in mind I don't know what's around the corner. Anytime now could be GO time! Tomorrow I will be 40 weeks pregnant. My doctor does not want me to go past 41 weeks, because the risk of complications increases at that point. So, if Evie isn't here by then, my doctor will, in her words, submit "an eviction notice" or in other words, induce labor on August 14th. We will check into the hospital on August 13th at 6PM for prep for the big day. It is our hope that we don't have to be induced, but at the same time it is comforting to know when the waiting game will be over! For those of you who are in town, we will be delivering at Baylor Carrollton (formerly Trinity) at Hebron and Josey.