Baby Shower

Kristen threw me a baby shower on Saturday, December 6th. I was slightly skeptical of having it after Ruth came but it was totally and completely wonderful. It was great because we already had everything we need for Ruth up to 3 months. So I got a bunch of adorable clothes that range from 6 months to 2 years! I also got a great blanket you see Paula working on in the picture, approximately 400 diapers and great bath toys. We also had really great food, mini quiche and cinnamon rolls, delicious juice, fruit, and yogurt. And the best part was that my old roommate that I haven't seen in over 2 years came! We had a great time catching up...it was funny because she hasn't ever met Brad or seen my wedding ring!

After the baby shower we took Paula to the airport and then went shopping. We tried out the sling my mom made me and we both totally love it. I also bought myself a new outfit from some money that Linda Whitton sent and said was to be spent on me, not Ruth! Thanks Linda!

Matt and Ruth's B-day!

So Matt turned 19 yesterday, December 9th and Ruth turned 3 weeks old! We all stayed up till midnight so we could greet the 9th with cake and candles. Matt's favorite cake is, of course, yellow cake with chocolate frosting. Brad did a great job baking it up and decorating it with nineteen candles. We thought it would be funny to put 20 candles in the cake, make Matt put a button up shirt on and take a picture so we could pretend we were part of his 20th b-day (obviously we won't be there since he'll be on a mission). Matt also opened his presents, money from us and a great red sweater from mom. We all had a great time. I am wearing my hat because I cut my hair on Sunday so it's super short...it's taking time to get used to it, plus I hadn't done my hair that day. Brad also took some great pictures of baby Ruth on her b-day.

Thanksgiving and Loads of Help

So Ruth was born the week before Thanksgiving, what a thing to be thankful for! My mom and dad were also arriving right before Thanksgiving. My mom was tons of help with figuring out breastfeeding and bathing babies and especially with a baby who is a night owl!
Thanksgiving was fun because I hadn't spent it with my parents for the last 5 years since I've been at school. Mom and Brad split the cooking duties and made us a delicious meal. (The trick to cooking a great turkey is brining it the night before then cooking it breast side down so the juices run to the white meat...this helps the white meat stay moist and not dry out!) That night Brad and I tried to be sneaky...while everyone else was in bed we ran to Smith's to buy a Christmas tree. We were going to surprise everyone with a beautifully decorated tree the next morning. We were disappointed to find out that Smith's is only open between 9 and 6 on Thanksgiving. So Brad had to go get our tree on Friday. Not as fun, but still very beautiful.
Before my parents left, and as soon as Brad's parents got into town we blessed Ruth. Luckily we have a great bishop who was willing to come to our apartment on Friday night so we could bless her while both sets of parents were here. It was a wonderful experience and Ruth looked gorgeous in the dress my mom made for her. I've included two pictures of Ruth doing her favorite thing. One is with my mom, the other is with my dad.
Once my parents left Paula, Brad's mom, stayed to continue with the baby/house help. We had a lot of fun, especially watching the original version of the Bishop's Wife. It was so nice to not have to worry about cooking or cleaning for two whole weeks, thanks mom and Paula!
We also had lots of visitors from Asa's side of the family. Here's a picture of Brad, Ruth, and Grandma Laws.

Ruth's Arrival

Monday night, the 17th of November, I was talking to my sister-in-law Tia on the phone. I sat down on the couch and suddenly felt a gush of liquid and said, "Tia I think my water just broke, I have to go to the hospital!" Brad called Jerry (our boss, so he could cover the motel while we were at the hospital) and then excitedly started scurrying around our apartment gather odds and ends to take with him to the hospital. Neither of us expected her to come 3 days early so he hadn't packed anything for the hospital yet. By 8:15 we were out the door, 8:45 I was in my hospital room undressed and hooked up to the fetal heart and contraction monitors and by 9 pm my contractions were really picking up in intensity. I didn't know going into the hospital if I wanted an epidural or not...but by 11 pm I knew it was time. I had this notion that getting an epidural was the easy way out and that I wouldn't have a true birthing experience or that I would be hurting Ruth if I got one. But then I had a realization that I am blessed to live in a time when epidurals are routine procedures so I got one...and it was the best choice for me. By 11:30 the full effect of the epidural was felt, I could still feel when I was having contractions, they just didn't hurt any more. Now I was free to enjoy myself, Brad and I started laughing and joking and watching cartoons on tv. Then we realized that we still had not settled on a middle name for Ruth. She was practically here and she didn't have a full name yet! We were debating between Elizabeth, B, Eva, Bouddica, and several others. We decided on Elizabeth because it flowed the best and reminded us of England. By 1 she had a full name and I guess she knew because by 4 I was fully dialated. I only had to push for 30 minutes and by 5:10 am Ruth Elizabeth Laws entered the world. It was a strangely surreal moment to see the child I had been carrying for the last 9 months. She weighed 7 pounds 7 ounces and was 19 inches long!