5 MONTHS OLD!

Since I missed the 4 month post I will add it to this one! Liam is growing up so fast I don't even know what to do about it! It seems every day brings something new and different and I can't believe my little man is not so little anymore but I am loving the new experiences (well most of them at least :)

4 Months:
Liam went in for his shots and he did great. He weighed in at 15lbs 12oz and 26in long! He is in the 66% for weight and 85% for height! He is going to be tall and skinny just like his daddy. Everyone calls him solid because he doesn't look fat or to chubby but he is a heavy little man.

The pediatrician told us to start solid foods so we have, to say the least it has been a learning curve! He is learning what to do with a spoon and something other then liquid. He is starting to get it though.

The other major thing was that Liam got his FIRST tooth! Of course I had suspicions that it was coming but I wasn't sure. It took me a while to figure out that is what the crankiness and crying was for. All of a sudden Liam stopped sleeping through the night. He would wake up just crying and upset. I'd go in and feed him and get him back to sleep only for him to wake up a couple hours later. This was SO hard for me, going from him sleeping 10hrs a night and me getting a great full night of sleep to being up a whole bunch of times a night again, was difficult! And then the tooth finally popped through and he was so much happier. Those little baby teeth are sharp though! The pediatrician told me at the 4 month appointment that most kids don't start getting their teeth until 6 months or later... I guess Liam likes to start the fun early :)

He is talking and wiggling like crazy. He loves to talk to Taylor and I love to see it. The second Taylor gets home from work Liam will only look, smile, or talk to him! His daddy is definitely his favorite! It is so cute the smiles that he gives to Taylor! They are going to be the best of buds! He also loves things over his face and in his face, it cracks me up because he can sit and play under a blanket forever! He is so dang cute!


Football season has also started and Liam LOVES to watch football. I will turn the games on and he will refuse to take a nap because football is on. We have watched a few of the U of U away games at my parents and he stays up the whole time! It is hilarious to see how interested he is, maybe it is a predictor of our future :)

5 Months:
 Liam just turned 5 months old. He is so very close to rolling over from his back to his tummy, he gets half way over but then stops. He could roll over if he wanted to but he doesn't like being on his tummy so he doesn't roll over. He loves putting EVERYTHING in his mouth, especially his/our fingers, his blankets, or his toes. It is hilarious to watch him grab his toes because he can only really grab one at a time. He can get both toes in his hands but only one to his mouth. He isn't the most flexible child, probably because he is so solid. He also loves to stand, I have to force him to sit and practice sitting on his own, another problem of being so solid, haha.

His second tooth is coming in on the bottom now. He is a little crabby but definitely not as bad as the first tooth (maybe mom is just better prepared now). It is so crazy to think he already has teeth! It seems like just yesterday that I was in labor, I can't believe how fast they grow!

Here are a few pictures of my growing little man! 5 months and counting!

First time sitting up in the Cart!

Tied in with a blanket :)

GO UTES!! Love FOOTBALL!!!

Not a fan of baby food at the beginning :(

Saucer Fun :)

I LOVE to play with my blankets!

So CUTE

Chilling in the bumbo while mom cleans!

3 Months!

Liam is now 3 months old! I can't believe it! He is growing so fast and I want it to stop. The other day I was rocking him to sleep and couldn't help but think that this stage is not going to last much longer. Before I know it he is going to be crawling and running around and won't have time for snuggles with his mommy.  I am trying to soak up every minute of his little life before it becomes a distant memory!

Liam has been so active! He loves to lay and kick all day long. He plays in his saucer a lot because it allows him to stand hours on end. Even though he is only 3 months he loves to stand. He thinks he is so much bigger then he really is. I am terrified for when he is mobile because he is going to give me a serious run for my money. 2 days before he was officially 3 months old Liam rolled over. Taylor had gotten up with him that morning and had him laying on the couch and he just rolled over and I missed it. I was so sad but excited at the same time. Since then he has rolled over many times, from tummy to back. He hasn't rolled from back to tummy yet but he has come very close. I am loving the milestones he is hitting. I get so excited, just like the cheesy new mom should :)

The other major milestone that Liam has hit is he is now sleeping through the night! He still has to be rocked to sleep but we are working on breaking that habit. He used to go to sleep really easy but he has been putting up a bit of a fight the last week or so, I think it is because he is stubborn and he might be teething. Once asleep he is great though, one night he just decided to start sleeping 10hrs! Of course the first time this happened I woke up 3 times to check on him, haha. All I did was wish for a full nights rest and then when it came I was scared he wasn't okay haha, the joys of motherhood :) Liam is sleeping through the night all the time now. I am considering starting rice cereal though because he wakes up starving and he is starting to wake up earlier in the morning because he is so hungry.

I am going to try the whole, make your own baby food thing too. I am a little nervous but I think it will be good. It'll help bring more veggies into the house so I start eating them too and it is a ton cheaper! I couldn't believe it, how much you can save! Luckily I have friends and family that have done it and will help me out. It'll be an adventure but that is what motherhood is, a daily adventure.

Our next adventures are Liam rolling completely and teething. Unfortunately at 3 months old I think he is starting to teeth. He has been really fussy the last little bit and you cannot get his hands out of his drooly mouth! But like the song goes, "It wont be like this for long, One day soon we'll look back laugh'n, At the week we brought her home, This phase is gonna fly by, So baby just hold on, It wont be like this for long". That realization is been really hard. My baby  won't be a baby for much longer. I have loved these past three months and becoming a mother to my little boy! I love him so much and am so grateful for everyday with him and with Taylor. Nothing puts a smile on my face faster then my two boys, especially when the are playing together.

2 Months Old!

2 months old and always sticking his tongue out!

I cannot believe my baby boy is 2 months old! Where does time go? Things have been changing a ton with my little man!

When Liam was born he was a very fussy and colicy baby. He has gotten so much better! We officially switched to feeding 100% formula mid-way through June and it made a huge difference for him! He stopped needing his Zantac for reflux or any of the Gripe Water for his colic. It was amazing how much of a difference it made. Now it may be a coincidence that he stopped being fussy at around that time, he was gaining weight and getting older so maybe he just was growing out of it but I don't think so. It has been so much more fun being a mom to a baby that is happier. I always felt I was doing something wrong but now I know he just had some tummy problems we had to figure out!

I now call Liam Mr. Smiley. He loves to sit ant smile at you and is trying so hard to talk all the time. It is so funny to watch him try to mimic me and the sounds I make. I found myself making these noises at the grocery store the other day and laughing as he smiled and talked back, then I realized I must look like a lunatic to all the other shoppers! haha oh well. We just got him a play mat with a piano at the feet that plays songs when you kick it, he LOVES it. The second I lay him down under the toys he gets the biggest smile and starts kicking away! Most of the time the songs can't play because he is kicking the piano so much it just switches back and forth just playing a few notes. The other thing that Liam loves it to stand on my lap and talk to me. It makes my heart melt when I talk and he looks at me and smiles and talks back. That is what makes the exhaustion and confusion of motherhood totally worth it! 

Liam on his mat smiling and talking away. Such a stud!

The other great part of growing up is that Liam is starting to sleep through the night! Usually he sleeps from about 8-9pm until 2am and then gets up again at 5am but recently he has been sleeping straight until 5am! I am going to be so grateful when this is a regular experience and not just a couple nights a week. He used to be a terrible sleeper (because he was so hungry!) and a horrible napper. He used to take 2-3 45 minute naps and that was it! You can't get much done in that short of a time frame. Now he is taking 2-4 hour naps and it is so nice! I feel like a new person :)

We just had his 2 month appointment. Liam is now 12lbs 12oz and 24 inches long! He is getting huge (by body feels it from carrying him :)). He is in the 73% for weight and 84% for height. He is going to be tall just like his daddy. The worst part about this appointment is shots :(. He had to get 3 shots, 2 in one leg and 1 in the other. He screamed when the poked him and I felt so bad. He was pretty fussy and upset until I gave him some Tylenol and then he finally was able to go to sleep. The next morning was a little rough as well but he is starting to become his smiley happy self again.

Liam at his 2 month appointment

Finally, one of the greatest parts of month 2 is that I was able to give my notice to work that I would not be returning! We figured out the private insurance and though it is more expensive it is going to be worth it. I am so excited to be able to raise my son and spend each day with him. It is going to be really weird not going to work but my new job as a mother is so much more important! I am so very grateful to Taylor for working so hard to support our family and fulfilling my dreams of being a stay at home mom. He is such a fabulous husband and I couldn't be more lucky to have him for eternity! I am so lucky to have two great men in my life!

Overall month 2 has been great! I love my little man and can't believe he has been in my life for 2 months already. It is so fun seeing him grow and develop and learn. He is going to be such a handful once he learns to roll and crawl but I'm excited for it because of his love of discovering the world. Our next adventure: Lake Powell!

1 month old

I cannot believe my baby is a month old already! It has been a crazy month and it seriously goes so fast! My little man is getting so big so fast, part of me is glad because we are getting more sleep but the other part of me is sad to see how fast this newborn phase is going by! So for journaling and memory purposes here is how the first month of Liam's life has been...

We brought Liam home on May 9th. We left the hospital as soon as we could, thinking we love to get home and into a routine as soon as possible. The night came and it was the worst night of our life! Our cute little man cried most of the night. He was begging for food about every 20minutes. I was exhausted and frustrated, so was Taylor! Finally I shut the door to Liam's room and sent Taylor to bed. No reason for us to both be exhausted and he had the auction the next day. My sister-in-law, Becca, told me how bad the first night was but you don't understand until you are experiencing it. I thought I was going to die! haha Taylor made me go to my mom's the next day for help because I was an emotional wreck! Those postpartum emotions are for real.

The next week was not much better. I was trying to feed Liam about every 30  minutes or so because he acted starving! Liam was super colicy and fussy. On Saturday Liam refused to eat anything! I called his pediatrician and they said to pump and feed him with a syringe. So I did, feeding a baby with a 1ml syringe is horrible! I did it because they scared me with instacare and other things if he didn't eat. I continued to try breast feeding and he seemed to be just as fussy and upset. Finally about two weeks after he was born I tried bottle feeding breast milk to Liam. He LOVED the bottle and I felt the biggest sense of relief! So we switch over to that! I stopped having emotional break downs and he was much happier because he didn't have to work so hard to get food. It was then that I realized he was starving because I was not producing enough milk! No wonder he was trying to eat every 30 minutes and was soooo fussy!

We fed him as much breast milk as we possibly could but had to supplement with formula as well. Beside the colic he also had reflux. With the mixing of formula and breast milk, the reflux seemed to get even worse. He was miserable! I felt so bad when he'd cry because you could tell he was in pain.  Finally I took him in to see the pediatrician and he put our little man on Zantac for reflux, he was 3 weeks old. Liam hates it but it made a huge difference as his little tummy got used to real food. I noticed an huge difference in the days to come. He wasn't throwing up as much, his tummy didn't seem to hurt as bad, and he was starting to sleep a couple hours at a time!

Even though he was fighting for food and throwing up a lot, he still gained 2 lbs by his 1 month appointment. The doctor asked if I was feeding him to much because I was doing both breast milk and formula. So for a while I monitored every drop that he ate, he is a big eater but still only ate the 20-24oz a day that he was supposed to. His fussiness was getting way better too! Between the Zantac and his Grip Water he was not crying and upset as much and was sleeping so much more! Taylor and I were so grateful because the first month was emotionally exhausting and we were finally turning a corner!

At one month old, I had been exclusively pumping breast milk and feeding him as much as I could, my breast milk started to diminish. I stopped pumping and went to straight formula. As much as I wish I didn't have to do straight formula it's made a huge difference for Liam. He still has his moments of fussiness and tummy problems but he is not needing his Zantac every 12hrs or his gripe water 5-6 times a day. He rarely takes any medicine and doesn't throw up much any more either.

Sleeping was an issue at first as well but then again he was starving! Now Liam is a champ! At about 1 month old he started sleeping 3-4 hours at a time and I loved it. Then all of a sudden it was 5-6 hours!  It is hilarious because the first night he slept 3-4 hours I checked on him several times because I was worried and at 6 hrs it was even worse! As a mom you get used to a schedule and when they start changing, I worried he was still breathing! haha the crazy things you go through as a new mother are endless! Liam slept for 7 hours last night! He was up from 4-5am and then went back to bed until 8am!

I am so sad to lose that newborn stage and to really see how big my little baby is getting. It truly goes by WAY to quickly. I love getting more sleep and I love even more that his colic is mostly gone. I love being a mom and really can't imagine life without my little guy.

Next adventure is Bear Lake, his first shots, and Lake Powell! I sure hope he loves the boat and water as much as we do!

Look at the difference!

Introducing William Taylor Maxfield

Taylor and I are so happy to finally have our little baby boy here! He has been such a joy and I can honestly say I love him so very very much! We have definitely had our difficulties and becoming parents has a major learning curve to it but I wouldn't change it for the world. My baby boy is such a joy to me :)

We decided to name our little one William and call him Liam. We decided about a week before we actually had him. It is interesting that out of our list of names William was not Taylor or my favorite. We both liked Carter better but we could never say, "we are naming him carter". Finally some one at work told me how they heard a friend name their son William and nickname him Liam. I loved it but still wasn't sold. One night talking to Taylor he told me that he had a strong impression that we were supposed to name him William. I completely agreed! It is so weird how even though it was not our favorite name, it was always on the list and we could never decided on the other names we liked better. I have no idea why we felt we should name him William but I am glad we did.

Liam's birth story is not a very long one. From my first labor pain until I was holding him in my arms was a total of 6hrs. Everyone told me to expect 12hrs, that is normal for a first labor. I told my OB I had a family history of going very quickly but I understood that it was no guarentee that this would be the case for me. I actually told myself that it would be very long so that I wouldn't be disappointed! haha

I woke up on May 7th at 3:30am with my first pain. I thought to myself, wow that didn't feel good. I got up, used the restroom and laid back in bed. Of course my first thought was, "Am I in Labor?" but the pain was not a contraction type pain. My belly wasn't particullarly hard or anything. I laid there for quite a while, kept trying to use the restroom and walk around. The pain never came and went nor was I ever able to "time" the contractions. I just knew it was hurt but even then it wasn't unbareable. Taylor woke up and asked me if I was ok and I told him I might be in labor. I almost got in the shower and got ready but decided not too.

At 4:45am I finally told Taylor that we needed to go to the hospital. I decided even though I really didn't want to be that pregnant lady, the one that goes to the hospital and then is sent home, the pain was real and different then I had felt. So  if I had to I would be that lady, just in case! I didn't want to do this labor thing without an epidural! We left for the hospital shortly after 5am. Taylor drove pretty fast, I think that it was something he really wanted to do, and we hit every green light on the way to LDS hospital.  We arrived at labor and delivery around 5:30am. The pain had definitely gotten worse since we had left the house. I sat on a bench breathing really hard while I waited for Taylor to park. When we got to the L & D desk I had to lean on it to be able to breath.

They checked me in, hooked me up to all the monitors and check to see how I was. At my last Dr. appointment I was dilated to a 3, I was now at a 5! I was super excited/scared when the nurse called on her vocera and said to the desk that I would be staying! Taylor was kind of surprised, he didn't doubt I was in pain but he didn't really think I was in labor. The nurse left to get my IV supplies and antibiotics. I was strep B positive so I had to have 2 doses of penicillin before I could have this baby. By this time I could feel pain and sharp contractions! I would grip the side rail and Taylor's hand and hold on with everything I had. The nurse started my IV and my antibiotics, I asked her for the Anesthesiologist as soon as possible. I was DONE being in pain :)

The anesthesiologist came in soon after. They were busy that night but luckily he was available! He came in and did a fabulous job putting in my epidural. He worked right through a contraction but it was in and done in minutes! I was super happy and impressed :) Almost instantly I felt better! When the 6am nurse came in to help with the epidural I told her I really felt like I needed to use the restroom. Since my epidural was in they no longer allow you to stand but this feeling is a sign that I was getting close to pushing. She checked me again and in about a 35 minute span I had gone from being dilated at a 5 to an 8! She was shocked! The other nurse had told her to do an ultrasound to double check the head position but by the time she checked me she didn't have to do the ultrasound! She told me they wouldn't break my water because they wanted to get as much of the antibiotics in as possible.

At 7 am I was already dilated to a 10 but was told they still wouldn't break my water! They were going to make me do a resting labor, pretty much let the baby get lower and lower until they could absolutely no longer wait. They wanted to start my second dose of penicillin before they baby was born, but they couldn't start it until 9:30! The nurse kept saying, you aren't going to make it and I didn't.

Finally about 9am I told the nurse they pressure was really bad. The doctor came in, Dr. Haakenson, who I had never met before because my OB was out of town. She broke my water and labor began. I had let the epidural lapse a little to long so when I began pushing it did not feel great. I kept trying hit the pain medication button when Taylor finally took it from me and told me it only allows so much. I pushed for 45 minutes when my little one was finally born. Yes I kept saying I didn't think I could do it and they had to put oxygen on me and an internal monitor in for the baby but we made it through. The actual pushing was a lot more difficult then I expected, maybe because my epidural was lighter or maybe because you are never really prepared for something like that, who knows! Taylor was a champ! He held my hand and helped me through so much! When I didn't think I could do it, he kept telling me I could and encouraging me through everything! He got a little sick at the beginning but he did great. He even cut the umbilical cord, which I wasn't sure he was going to do.

When they handed me Liam, right after I looked up at Taylor's face and he was crying. That was one of the best moments of my life! Taylor rarely cries! The only times I can really remember him crying is at our wedding and now the birth of our son! It will always be one of the most precious moments of my life. We had done it, my baby was healthy and my husband and I had just experienced a very spiritual and wonderful thing together! Liam was born on May 7th, 2013 at 9:52. He was 7lbs 3oz (even though the doctor kept telling me he was at least 8lbs) and 20 inches long.

For my first pregnancy and birth I am lucky. My total labor was 6hrs, from first pain to the birth. It could've been about 4 or less if they would've broken my water. They did get the second dose of antibiotics in, about 6minutes before Liam was born :) but it counts. Liam is now over a week old and even though it has been a little bit of a struggle and a huge learning curve, I am so grateful for him in my life and the joy he brings to us.

So I made it through delivery, now I just need to make it through the reflux and gassy baby stage :)

We Love You Liam! Here is a few pictures... :)

Momentous Day!!

Today is a MOMENTOUS DAY! Today I finished my last day of work  before baby boy comes! I hope this little boy comes very soon but even if he doesn't come this week I am so very grateful to be done with work.
  With not being able to fit in any shoes or bend over to do my job, it made work very difficult. I know I could probably keep working up until my due date, next week, but I am not going to. It will be nice to have a few days to myself, resting, cleaning the house, and finishing up the last few things before my little man gets here. It is going to be weird not going to work everyday but I am so excited for this new adventure!

Now I just need to find a way to get this little man to come, I will be super happy :)

35 weeks!

I can't believe I am already 35 weeks. My doctor says it has gone by so fast because it's my first and I'm not trying to be pregnant and chase another child around. haha I guess something to look forward to later in life.

This last trimester has been going slow but fast at the same time. I have gotten so much done but still fill like I have so much to do! The baby's room is almost done, I'm just waiting for the dresser to be delievered :). I think once the dresser is here and full I will feel a lot more prepared! (or at least I hope so).

I have been really nervous about this baby. I have no idea how to be a mom and what I should do every day for my little one. I am just counting on the Lord to bless me and give me those promised blessings of being a mom. I know I won't be perfect but the calm of becoming a mother is definitely a needed blessing.

My favorite part of this trimester is not just feeling the baby move (because it can hurt when he kicks my ribs for the 80th time that day) but being able to watch him move. It is a little alien type weird being able to watch your belly move from side to side because your little one is out of room and still wants to stretch and move as much as he can. I love it though. It makes it seem so much more real and alive. I really think I am going to miss those moments of being able to feel and see him move inside me. Good thing I'll be able to hold him in my arms at those times!

At my 35 week appointment my little man was a champ! He has flipped and has his head down. He's been breach most of the pregnancy so I am glad he turned. I'm pretty sure he turned several weeks ago because the pressure changed. My doctor did an ultrasound to make sure his head was down and she really had to push down to find his head. She said, "wow, he is already really low! I doubt you make it to your due date" This is a really exciting statement but a crappy one too. If he doesn't come early or on time I'll be bummed but the chance that he can is really exciting! I don't want him coming to early, but my doc said he would be healthy and fine if he came from now on.  Huge relief to me!

Though the exhaustion, soreness, reflux, and anxiety is going full force, I am so grateful for this pregnancy. My little man is my little miracle and I can't wait to see his face and hold him in my arms. Though I am scared I am not going to be a good mom, I know I will love my little man more then anything I have ever loved. I know this because I already love him so much.