Summertime!

   Summer is in full swing and we are having a great time so far! Sawyer enjoyed his first 4th of July and did not really mind the fireworks too much. Mom kept him in the house for the really loud stuff though because she wants him to be able to hear fireworks for many years to come! :)  We ventured out into the cool summer night and went to the beach last nite and Sawyer seemed to like it. He was quite captivated by the fire.  I think this baby just loves being outside and taking in all the cool stuff there is to see.  Everyday he is doing more and his little personality continues to come through.  He loves to bounce on Dad or Bumpa's tummy and just laughs til he cries - and I don't  mean a little baby giggle either.  It is so fun to watch him find joy in playing and interacting with us.  It was great fun to watch Sawyer barf all over Daddy after a rowdy session of bouncing.  Sawyer thought it was pretty funny too :)

3 months old...tomorrow!

You are 3 months old Sawyer! It has been so fun getting know the little person you are. We love you so much, more than Mommy or Daddy could ever put into words. Here are some things about you:
     *you love to chew on your fists, the whole thing
     *you are not big on taking naps, usually only one a day
     *you have the most adorable giggle and Daddy usually is the one to make you laugh
     *you are 23 inches long and 15 pounds
     *you only like to sleep on your tummy
     *you are happiest in the morning and like to get up early
     *you like your mom to put you to bed
     *you smile with your whole face and we love it
     *your favorite song is I Am a Child of God-you love it when daddy hums it to you
     *bath time always makes you happy, you are definately a water baby
     *you always try to sit up especially in your car seat and stroller
     *all your hair is pretty much gone now but you do have a cute bald head
     *you really like phineas and ferb like your uncle Justin
     *you are a very noisy sleeper and grunt all night long
     *you love to snuggle with your mommy in the morning(but only the morning)
     *you drool like crazy
     *everyone that sees you thinks you are the cutest baby ever!

Growing too fast!

  The last few weeks have been super fun and time has been flying way too fast for my liking!!  Already Sawyer is getting sooo big and changing so much. It's crazy and I am not sure I like him growing up so quickly! I got to celebrate my first Mother's Day which was awesome- got beautiful diamond earrings from daddy and Sawyer, had our first trips to the park and the zoo, and overall just been savoring every moment with our pretty cool little guy.  I have to admit, he is a pretty high maintenance baby but we love him none the less.  He takes after his mother as in he never likes to sleep.  (I think my mom is secretly happy I got a baby that was just like me!)  His happiest moments are in the morning- he totally smiles and giggles at me and Jeff which is incredible! He also has a phobia of cameras apparently because every time I grab one he stops smiling.  I will catch him one of these days!  Right now Mom is his favorite- which I kinda love.  Dad feels like chopped liver he says, but I tell him to just give it time and then he will be the favorite too.  We are looking forward to summer and all of our "firsts" with our little man!!

Blessing Day

   We gave Sawyer a name and a blessing on Sunday, May 6th, 2012 in the Cypress 5th ward.  What an amazing day it was for our whole family!  Jeff did such an amazing job, and Sawyer was actually quiet the whole time! I was so grateful that so many people came and supported us- the Sorenson's even drove down to be there from St. George, Utah!  I look at each one of the men who stood in that priesthood circle and know without a doubt that they will always love and look after my son. What a sweet blessing as his mother to know that he has worthy men to guide him through this crazy life and be examples for him.  Thank you to everyone who made this day such a special and sacred one for us!
P.S. It was also Jeff and I's 6th wedding anniversary that day- pretty cool :)

Sawyer Kenneth Goodwin

Dear Sawyer,
   WOW! Mom has definitely let time slip by since posting anything! But before too much more time passes, I really wanted to introduce you to everyone and recount just a few moments in how you made your entrance into the world.
   You were born on Tuesday, March 27th, 2012 at 11:24pm. You were 7lbs., 12oz., and were 19.5in. long.  Mom had been having really bad contractions for almost a week before you came.  In fact, Mommy and Daddy even went to the hospital on Thursday, March 22nd thinking you were going to arrive then - no such luck! The doctors sent us home to wait some more.  Monday night rolled around and Mommy was feeling really sick to her tummy and had a bad headache.  Daddy tested Mommy's blood pressure and it was pretty high so off to the hospital we went again. Mommy thought for sure she would be sent home again, but Surprise! Mom was dilated to 3cm and we were admitted to the hospital to have you!  Words can't express how excited we were to finally meet you after all of these long months.  Mom was feeling pretty yucky so she got some medicine to make the contractions stop hurting. She also got some medicine to make her contractions come more frequently.  After just a few hours, Mommy's medicine stopped working and she felt all of those stinky contraction pains. Bummer! (However, you were totally worth every pain!) After lots and lots of hours of labor - more than 30, Mommy finally had to have a c-section.  She does not really remember much leading up to the surgery because she was really tired and hurt but Daddy never left her side and took great care of her. 
   Once in the operating room, things went really fast.  Unfortunately, Mommy could feel the doctor starting her surgery so she had to be put to sleep completely so you could be born.  Daddy saw you be born and he was sooo happy! You had kind of a hard time breathing at first and were purple. You scared Dad pretty bad! Soon you were breathing on your own, but you were breathing too fast, then too slow.  You had some tubes put in your mouth and nose and got an i.v. put in your hand.  You had to go to the NICU where some really wonderful doctors and nurses were there to take special care of you.
You quickly became every nurses favorite baby to take care of!
   Mommy had kind of a rough time with her surgery and did not get to see or meet you til Wednesday afternoon.  As soon as Mommy woke up from surgery though, Daddy showed her your picture. You were the most amazing and beautiful baby Mommy had ever seen! She cried alot looking at your picture!  One of the happiest and most sacred moments of Mommy's life was getting to see and hold you for the very first time.  You melted and captured my heart forever that very moment Sawyer. Because Mommy has diabetes the doctors wanted to keep an extra close eye on you to make sure you were healthy.  Mommy had to leave the hospital a few days before you did and that was the hardest thing she has ever had to do! But know that we were by your side around the clock and when we could not be there with you, you had heavenly angels watching over you - as well as some awesome nurses!
   We brought you home from the hospital on Monday, April 2nd.  Truly life has not been the same since!  You have brought so much joy, happiness, and LOVE to Mommy and Daddy already.  You have quite a little temper and not so much patience right now. You can get mad pretty darn quick! Your favorite time to be awake is in the middle of the night.  You love to eat and you love to smile.  Your smile is the cutest thing ever!!  You like to grunt and make lots of noises when you sleep- it is pretty funny!  So far, you have the most incredible dark blue eyes and reddish hair.  Mommy and Daddy hope you keep both forever!  You are truly a blessing to us and we love you more than we ever thought was possible.  We are treasuring every single moment because they are going soooo fast! You are already so much bigger than when you were born!  We are so glad you came to our family.  We are an eternal family and will be together forever.  That is the best blessing Mommy and Daddy could ever have. Welcome to our family Sawyer. We are so happy you are finally here!!!

That's my boy!!!

A few weeks ago Jeff and I went and did 4D ultrasounds. What an awesome experience! For any of you expecting moms, I highly recommend it! I felt like seeing him in this light made him so much more real. It was a humbling experience and one I won't forget. We are anxiously awaiting his arrival and can't believe the time is fast approaching. Soon the days of just being a couple will be gone, and now we will be a "family." Not that the two of us weren't family before, now it will just be different - and bigger! We can't hardly wait!! And the bias mother in me is already coming out - cuz I think he is already pretty darn cute!! :)

Here we come 2012...

I can hardly believe that another year has ended! I feel like I have been pregnant forever! April seems so far away at times(like when I get winded after walking for 10 minutes, when I need help tying my shoes some mornings...) and yet, at other times I feel like this little guy will be here before I know it. Since my last post we have definitely felt him move. It is pretty cool. The first night it happened I was half asleep and ended up waking Jeff and then not going to bed almost the rest of the night hoping he would move again- he did not! He is quite the mellow baby so far. He likes to stay curled in a ball holding on to both of his feet. I have had at least 6 ultrasounds and he is always in this same position. I am not sure whether to count my blessing that he stays so calm and isn't kicking the life out of me or continue to stress out when I go almost a whole day without feeling him. More than likely I will do both! ;) Important thing is, he is super healthy and right on track. My doctor is very pleased with his growth and progress so I will try and stay calm. Hahaha! Easier said than done! I am really grateful for the opportunity to be pregnant and share this experience with the love of my life. I am not going to lie though, sometimes it is really weird as well. When I sit and truly contemplate the fact that I am growing another human being inside of me, it's well, strange! I wonder things like how can he stay upside down for hours or days on end without getting a headrush? Is he going to have webbed toes like me? Am I really going to be able to make til the end of this pregnancy without ripping in two(some days I have my doubts!)? All normal thoughts I am sure. Most of all, I am excited to be a mom and watch Jeff be a dad. I know it is going to be a heck of a ride :)

Some other fun events recently were of course Christmas and visits from family! Jeff and Amy and the kids were out here this year and we had such a wonderful time! Their visits always seem to be way to short and go way too fast! We finally got to meet their newest addition and he is a doll! Our Christmas gift to all my siblings and their significant others was a trip to Medival Times. We had a blast and I am so glad we all got to go together. A big thanks to Mom and Dad for volunteering to babysit all the kiddos. I think they had fun too :) We got to talk to Justin Christmas day and he is loving the Dominican Republic. It was soooo great to talk to him, but it also reminded me how much I miss him!

So here is to a fun, exciting, adventurous new year! Can't wait to see what happens....!!