Lily Project part 2

So here are the wristbands we had printed. They are made from a material called Tyvek, which is like a woven plastic or something that is ultra-durable and water proof.








When people come and visit, they can leave messages, love notes, and encouragement for Lily on these wristbands. We also have them write the gestational date, which will show how long Lily had so many awesome people cheering for her.














Also, since the minimum order we had to do was 500, Sadie and I are each wearing one until Lily is born. Stinkin' fun, huh?!?!

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Update!

We have a project going for our Miss Lily! As you can see by the picture we made a basket for Lily’s visitors. Whenever someone comes and visits us we have them sign a pink wristband that says “I heart (it’s actually a heart) Lily”. We have them put what day they came to visit and a little note for Lily. We are wanting to collect as many of them as possible so we can make it into a quilt for her to have so she knows how many people loved, cared, and were supporting her even before she got here. If there wasn't a reason to come visit us before, now there is! For those of you that have come to visit us a big thank you! Know that you are more than welcome to come and visit as much as you want!

It has been a little over a week since we came to the hospital and things are going great! The hospital staff have been absolutely wonderful and have taken amazing care of Lily, Fred and I. Things are looking a lot more optimistic for Lily. I went in about a week ago for an ultrasound to measure my fluid levels. Before I was admitted to the hospital my fluid level was at a 3 which as we have said is extremely low. When I went in for the most recent ultrasound they measured my fluid level at 13 which is in the normal range. Both the doctor and I were in complete shock! He showed me all the fluid that Lily was swimming around in and we saw her full belly and full bladder which indicates she is getting all the fluid she needs. He was even able to check her gender to make sure it was a girl and we now have a picture! Who knew something like that would be so exciting?! Lily has been making herself known a lot more with all the movement she has been making. Every morning and evening they hook me up to a monitor to record her heart beating and check me for contractions. She was trying to comply at first and now she hates it! Unless she is sleeping she likes to play hide and seek with the nurses. Once they find her she makes sure I know she is not happy about it. She will kick and punch the monitor. She also likes to swim off so the game can resume. I love being able to see her little defiant strong personality show! I honestly believe her defiance is part of the reason of why she has been doing so well. She wants to show everyone she is not about to give up or let people tell her what she can or can't do. I like to think this is a characteristic she has learned from her parents!

Fred began his job today which is quite exciting! He is taking CPR classes today and meeting his case manager that he will be shadowing. A nice way to ease into a new job I think! When I update next I am sure I will have a lot more to spill!!

A time for updates...

Since it has been over 3 months since my last update, I figured it was high time I finally posted something new. A lot has happened since we moved back to Utah. First is that Fred took his state licensing exam and passed with flying colors! We were both so excited and relieved. Unfortunately it took some time after that for Fred to find a job, but after a lot of searching and applications he was able to find a job! To make it even better it's here in Provo so we are able to stay where we have wanted to stay. It's quite nice, but we are even more grateful that he was able to find a good job. He will be working at Wasatch Mental Health.

Secondly on August 21st we celebrated our 1 year anniversary! We just went out to dinner and did a little bit of shopping. It was quite fun and relaxing.

On August 10th Cora, Fred's mom, went in for brain surgery to take care of an aneurysm that was discovered. She recovered quite well for the next 2 weeks and was able to go home. Unfortunately on August 22nd she passed away unexpectedly. There were funeral services held for her on the following Friday. Many of her friends and family came to share their memories of her and it was a very good service. I am so grateful for the chance that I had to get to know her and what a wonderful woman she truly was. She was so caring and compassionate and loved about everyone she knew. We have missed her terribly, but know she is happier where she is now.

Update about our sweet little GIRL, Lily. Yes that's right, we are having a girl! She is growing quite well and is an active little girl. We have run into some complications. When we went in for our first ultrasound we found there wasn't a lot of amniotic fluid which caused concern. I upped my water intake for the next 2 weeks until the next ultrasound which wasn't much better. We had an appointment for a specialist for the next week, but the next day I went to the hospital due to more leaking than normal. I stayed overnight for observation and put on bed rest which resulted in the highest fluid count. We met with the specialist that day and were given more details and information about what was going on. Lily is developing normally and still quite active. They checked her heart and every other major thing they needed too, but found nothing wrong. Apparently my water broke when I was at 17-18 weeks which accounts for the low amniotic fluid levels. Lily could come anytime and I am on bed rest pretty much until she comes. I am far enough along now that if she were to come right now they are able to help Lily to survive. It's a relief to be past that point, but we are hoping she stays in there just as long as possible. The longest being 34 weeks which at that point they will induce me due to a high risk of infection. That's only 11 weeks away so we are hoping for the best! It's looking like I will be going into the hospital this weekend and stay there until my Lily comes. If you are bored and feel like visiting please drop by!

Who knew so much could happen in just a few months. We've had our ups and downs, but we know that we will get through this with God's help. We are positive with our outlook for Lily and know she is being taken care of. We thank everyone for their support and prayers we know have been sent our way. It has been a great help and we know they have been heard. We love all of you and are so grateful for all you do!