I'm trying to get the hang of things still. Being a mom has been the biggest and most rewarding job I have ever had, however, I haven't had time to keep this blog current. Here is the latest and greatest:

Anna just celebrated her first Fourth of July. The day began with the usual: naps, bottles, diaper changes... and then we went to grandma and grandpa Paxman's ward where Anna was given a name and a blessing: Anna Elizabeth Needham. Grandpa Karl gave the blessing, and so did my childhood bishops: Bishop/President Tom Lamb, Bishop Jensen, and Bishop Perkins. The current bishopric also helped with the blessing. Grandpa Karl immediately wrote the blessing down and you can find a copy of it in Anna's scrap book. It was short, but sweet, and powerful. Anna looked so beautiful in her blessing dress, but she didn't like it. I think it was hot for her and there was a lot of fabric to deal with.

Anna's daddy and grandma Naoma came for the blessing which meant a lot to me. Anna was passed back to grandma Naoma and then to Moki, Anna's dad. Anna gave Moki a big, beautiful smile when he first held her. Seeing this melted my heart. I want Anna to have a good relationship with her dad, and she hadn't seen him since she was born. After church, grandma Naoma and daddy came and spent some time with Anna.

That night, we all met as a family at aunt Megan's house to watch fireworks. Anna didn't like the fireworks because they were too loud and flashy, so we didn't stay long because she began to be fussy.

Before the fourth of July, Anna and I moved back into our apartment, so we have spent most of the month of July trying to adjust to being just the two of us. It hasn't been easy so I asked Jim to bring me to California for a small vacation. A couple of years ago, I went to Newport Beach for the first time and I fell in love with the area. We are now in Irvine California, and yesterday we went to Balboa Pier on Newport Beach. This was Anna's first visit to the ocean. At first she was calm and content, but soon began to seem tense, and the more time we spent on the shore, the more she fussed. In the end, we decided she didn't like the loud noise of the waves crashing. I love the beach and ocean, so we are going to attempt this again tomorrow!

Welcome to the World!

Welcome to the world my little Anna Banana. You were born May 2nd, 2010. You came 9 days early. I worked with my teaching up until April 30th, and a lot of the other teachers joked about how I would go home for maternity leave and go right into labor. They were right!



I felt fine on Friday, just extremely tired. Then on Saturday, it was the first Iron Man triathlon in St. George. Jim was visiting from California and wanted to go check out the finish line on Main Street. There wasn't any where to park, so we parked a couple of blocks away from the finish line, and then walked the two blocks to the finish line, and another bock past so we could get a really good view of the runners coming in. I felt pressure in my low back, but just thought it was from the walking.



That night, when we came home from the triathlon, we watched a DVD that Jim bought. The DVD was meant to teach new moms what to expect when they go into labor. After watching the DVD, I was exhausted and went to bed. Around 3 a.m. I began feeling the contractions, and started counting the time in between like the DVD taught me to just hours before. By 5 a.m. the contractions were so painful I woke up Jim and called my mom and the hospital. By 7 a.m. I was in the delivery room ready for you to come.



I sent a text message to your daddy, Moki, and he came down from Salt Lake as fast as he could in terrible weather. He walked into the delivery room just in time for me to start the delivery. I had your grandma Debbi Paxman, and your aunt Cassie Wilkes help the doctor and nurse with the delivery. Jim, Grandpa Karl, your daddy, and the doctor and three nurses were all in the tiny room. It didn't take long for you to come, and you were born at 12:34 p.m. that day. Your doctor was a bishop of a college singles ward, and came into the room just in time!



After you were born, the room filled with even more people: Your aunts Donna and Becky, your uncle Matt, and Jim's daughter, Ellie, who considers you her little sister, and has been a great big sister to you.



I brought you home the next day in the late morning. Those first few weeks were very frightening to me as a new mother. I had a lot of help from the wonderful women in our ward, and from your grandma Debbie, Grandma Naoma, and aunt Cassie, Donna, and Becky.



With Jim still in California, I was struggling taking care of you all on my own, despite the help I got. We are now living with your grandma and grandpa Paxman and plan to stay here until Jim is finished with school in California.



You are now 6 weeks and 4 days old! You no longer fit into your newborn clothes which is still a shock to me. I can't believe how fast you are growing!! Since last week you have started smiling a little bit, and you have laughed a couple of times. You have been diagnosed with acid reflux disease. You were vomiting twice a day and sometimes more, I was worried about you not getting enough to eat so I expressed concern to your pediatrician, and he put you on a prescription called Prevacid. You are now drinking 4-6 ounces of milk a day, and that is a huge relief to me because I know you are feeling better and eating well.



I love you so so so very much. Words can't even explain how much I love you, and I hope you will always know how much I love you. I have enjoyed these early days of your life, I look forward to the next year until your first birthday celebration, and I also look forward to watching you grow years beyond your first year. Welcome to the world, Anna. You have made my world so incredibly full and exciting, and I have never been happier.