Our Trip Home

This past December we had the opportunity to go home for the holidays :).  Once we knew everything went well with my delivery and that Lyla's health was great, we were only excited for the trip. (Okay, I was a little anxious taking a newborn on an airplane, but other than that I was excited!)

Stevie's mom and brother picked us up from the airport and we spent a few days with them and they got to meet our little angel.  Stevie's dad and Amy also got to meet little Lyla.  Then we made the trip up to Idaho.  We spent the few days before Christmas catching up with the family and they all met Miss Belle and fell in love with her.  

Lyla's first Christmas was so fun.  It was amazing to have the whole family there- even her great grandma and grandpa Jeppson.  It was a pretty low key day.  We woke up and opened presents.  Lyla got spoiled from grandma and grandpa, and so did we.  Not only did they pay for our plane tickets home so we could be there for Christmas and the wedding, but they got us an Apple TV (which we LOVE!), some fun new clothes, and money to buy a stroller when we returned to Georgia.  We are so blessed.  We spent the day relaxing and enjoying each others company.  We also took fun pictures with all of the grandkids and grandma and grandpa. 

The next big event of our trip was Kim and Alex's wedding!  It was such an amazing day.  My good friend, Angie Lash, watched Lyla so Stevie and I could both attend the sealing.  It was so incredible.  The same man that sealed Stevie and me three years ago sealed Kim and Alex.  A lot of what he said before the sealing was the same.  It was almost like getting to relive our own wedding ceremony.  Then we took pictures out in the cold December weather (although not as cold as our wedding day!).  We headed home and caught a quick nap before the reception.  It was all so beautiful .  Such a fun day for Kimmy and Alex. 

The last big event of our trip home was the blessing of our dear sweet daughter.  It was such a special day- and a big thanks goes to all of those in Stevie's family who made an effort to be there.  Lyla wore the very same dress I was blessed in.  It is pink- so a little unconventional, but I love the dress.  It was handmade by my grandma Jeppson- someone who is very special to me.  Both of my grandmas are very special to me.  Lyla gets her name from my grandma Wright's mother.  It was so neat to me that both of my grandmas had a special part in Lyla's big day.  It was truly amazing to see my wonderful husband hold our sweet babe and give her a name and a blessing.  He honors his priesthood, and this was such a special use of it.  I love my little eternal family so much. 

Lyla Belle Jennings- My Birth Experience

My Dear Sweet Lyla Belle-
I wanted to write down my birth experience with you so you can someday read it.
Being pregnant with you was so much fun!  You had so much personality even while inside my tummy.  Your dad and I were so thrilled from the moment we knew we were having you.  The first several months of pregnancy were a little challenging because of really bad morning (and by morning, I mean all day) sickness, but that was the only major challenge I had with my pregnancy.  I was very blessed.
Around the week we found out we were having you, we also found out we were moving to Georgia for graduate school for dad.  You very soon after received your first nickname- Peach! It was one of those things that just stuck.
Originally your dad thought you were going to be a boy, and I hoped you would be a girl.  We found out on July 25th that we were having a girl!  We were both so excited.  That ultrasound was the funnest to watch you on. You were so active and wiggly because I loaded up on sugar before hand :).

After the big move across the country my belly really started to grow.  It was so fun to feel you move and wiggle all the time.  We loved to sing songs to you and see you wiggle around.  Your favorite thing for your dad to do was to put his face right up next to my tummy and yell, "HELLO IN THERE!"  You usually gave his face a nice firm kick each time- a perfect first reaction to your dad's silliness.  After you got really big, around 34-35 weeks, you really liked my right side and my ribs.  We could see what we guessed was your bum and knees all the time- bulging out of the normal round shape of my belly.
Your arrival was much anticipated.  Aunt Kimmy planned to get married in December, and you were due to come in December.  Your actual due date was December 11th, but we wanted you to come a little sooner so we could fly home to Idaho in time for the wedding.  So as soon as Grandma Jeppson could fly out and help me (December 6th), we set the date for induction (December 7th).  Uncle Mike and Aunt Ali picked her up at the airport and drove her over to us.  About an hour after she got here, your daddy and I left for the hospital.
I was feeling so many things.  Mostly just excited to see you and meet you, but I was also really anxious and scared for labor and delivery.  It was all so new to me and I was mostly just afraid of the unknown.  Your dad gave me a blessing before going in to calm my troubled heart and to give me peace.  It really did help me feel strength and love coming from our Heavenly Father.  It helped me have faith that everything would turn out the way he had planned for us.

My several cups of yummy hospital ice chips :)

Your dad's poor hand before I got the epidural :)

After arriving at the hospital and getting things prepared, my contractions started to progress.  I was excited that my body for the most part went into labor on its own, and that I didn't have to have pitocin.  My contractions were the hardest and scariest part for me.

Grandma sending a picture of your stats to grandpa :)

After about 4 hours of steady labor, my body was finally ready for the epidural, and it was smooth sailing after that :).  A few hours later, I was complete and they let me start pushing.  About an hour later, you were born!  As they pulled you out and I heard your first little cry-- it was amazing.  Just to know you were breathing and okay, my heart felt so much joy.  They immediately brought you up and put you on my chest.  You weren't screaming anymore, you just kind of whimpered until you felt the warmth of my skin.  You looked up at me with your beautiful eyes, and my heart was yours.  You had this adorable little frown, like you were scared of this big scary world you were just brought into.  You were the sweetest little babe.

After our first bonding moments, they took you over and weighed you and did your first little check up.  Then your daddy held you for the first time.  He was so amazed by you.  We took those first few hours to just soak it all in.  For the most part you remained on my chest, skin to skin. 

Just to hold you and love you was one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced.  Looking at you and seeing how beautiful you are-- I couldn't even remember the way I imagined you would be.  You are so perfect.  I had no idea I could love someone so much.  Seeing you, and knowing that I'm your mom, gave my whole life purpose.
I love you so much Miss Lyla Belle.
Love,
Mommy