A whole hand!

I don't know whats harder to believe that Samantha D is five or that I have a five year old?

There is something magical about your first born child, looking back and thinking about those first few precious moments of becoming a mother for the first time are beautiful, emotional and amazing. Because I didn't have a blog when Samantha was born I want to take a minute to write down her birth story for her and I to someday look back on, read and talk about.

My due date was January 12th and being my first baby and having absolutely no patience I wanted to be induced. So on Monday night January 8th Jake and I showed up at Davis Hospital in Layton UT where I was scheduled to have cervidil placed, too help me dilate. That next morning at about 7:30 my OB came in and broke my water, and then started me on pitocin, once I was in a normal good active labor I got an epidural and then just waited. During the wait I remember having quite a few visitors, my mom, Aubrey and Lauren as well as  Jake's mom and sisters came, they brought me a beautiful flower arrangement from Tai Pan Trading (that I still have and love). There may have been a few more people, but this was five years ago. By about 2:45 I was complete and they had called my OB she got there at about 3:00 and Samantha was born at 3:25 on Tuesday January 9th 2007. She weighed 7 pounds 14 oz and was 18 inches long.  When she came out she wasn't crying or breathing so they took her strait over to the warming table. Once they stimulated her a bit she then started to cry and pink up. Once Samantha was all clean and wrapped  up in a blanket they gave her to Jake. I will always remember the look on Jake's face when he held Samantha for the first time. He sat down on the couch and just stared at her, he was in LOVE. After a few minutes of daddy daughter time, and me begging to see her I finally got to hold her. But it was short lived. As I was holding her a nurse looked at her and said her color was a little off and they needed to take her to the nursery,  so off went daddy and baby. About an hour later Jake came back and said her oxygen level is low and she couldn't keep it up so they took her over to the NIC-U. When I got there and saw my brand new baby girl hooked up to an IV and on oxygen my heart sunk. I just kept thinking, "this is NOT right", "how am I going to get through this"? I just wanted to hold and love and feed my baby. I wanted Jake to give her a blessing right away so my dad and mom came into the NIC-U and Jake gave his first ever fathers blessing with my dad. Fast forward the next two days of living in the NIC-U trying to be as hands on as possible, loving her, holding her, feeding her, bathing her, kissing her, talking to her, sleeping with her, I was released and she wasn't. CRUSHING. I get to/have to go home and she had to stay. She wasn't going to be released until she had been off oxygen for 24 hours strait. Thursday night I wanted to stay at the hospital all night so badly, she needed me and I needed her, but Jake being  the wise husband encouraged me to go home and sleep even just for a couple of hours, because I hadn't slept sense Monday night, so I did just that. (Looking back now I wish I would have slept more when I only had one child, oh what I would give for a nap).  I slept on and off for a few hours, calling the hospital twice to see if she was still of the oxygen, and she was! Friday morning I showered, got ready and Jake and I went to get our baby girl. At about ten the Doctor came in and she was released to go HOME! 

Here are a few pictures of Samantha and the past five years!!!!!

WOW, Samantha what an amazing, fun, happy, exciting five years you have had. I love you more and more each and everyday. You are the most loving big sister I know. The way you take care of Cameron, Logan and your Oaklee Marie, I can tell you will be there protector for forever. Samantha, I just want you to know that the little girl you are turning into will be the young women and women you will someday become. Never stop jumping, running, dancing and singing. Smile that beautiful smile. You make everyday a joy and an adventure. Going to the park, the store or to Grandmas house is always fun with you. I am so glad you are my daughter and my friend. I cherish you, I love you more. ~MOM

2011...a year in review.

Two-Thousand and Eleven? What a Year?!

The year started out with this day...

...a day I will NEVER forget. I spent this day eating frozen pizza with my mom and grandma .

...Painting my grandmas finger nails and...

...LAUGHING, at Jake's expense.

This is the last day I spent with my grandma while she was sitting in her chair, while she was alert, while she was still HER. How grateful I am too have spent this time with her, too have these pictures and too have this memory. Just a few short weeks after these were taken my sweet grandma was taken back to Heaven to be with her dance partner and the love of her life and our loving Father in Heaven. Love you more Grandma Great.

Now onto some of the more happy times of 2011.

The Lawson family celebrated many Birthdays and Birthdays in this house are no small celebration. 

Samantha turned 4 with a Very Fancy Nancy Birthday Party.

Cameron turned three, and we had his party up at Wolf Creek along with all the other September Birthdays.

My sweet Logan turned one.

And...

...on October 17th I gave birth to my adorable, teeny tiny Oaklee Marie. 

 (Jake also turned the big 30)

One of the most exciting things I look forward to each and every year is Girls Favorite Things. This year I rented a condo up in Midway and my Mom, Aubrey, Lauren, Erin and I (Shay we MISSED you) stayed the night with no kids. Granted Erin and I were eight months pregnant, but NO kids are still a big deal. We ate at a really yummy Italian restaurant in Park City and then headed up to the condo for our favorite thing gift exchange, food, games and more food. 

Mom went all out this year giving us way too much fun things, but that's what moms do. From her we got home made jewelry hangers that are so cute, a family portrait, jewelry...and a bunch of other things. Aubrey did a book of 101 things every kid should do with a journal. Shay did earrings that Samantha loves; she can't wait to get her ears pierced.  Erin did beautiful vintage frames of LDS Temples. I did Tommy Girl perfume and a GG butterfly magnet. Lala did a purse with a copy of the parable of the purse and a Love letter from each of our husbands. 

Here we all are with "our favorite thing". 

Now here are some candid photos from the year 2011...

Logan smiling. 

Sisters meeting again.

Getting to have my sisters there with me when I delivered Oaklee Marie into this world. 

Samantha and her Gymnastics.

 Cameron and his Oaklee Marie. He really is the BEST big brother. So soft and gentle. I think they look alike, do you see it?

 Logan smiling...AGAIN. 

 Jake hard at work. 

 Girls night at Olive Garden and then the $ store for make up and stickers.

 Logan smiling...AGAIN. 

  Logan smiling...AGAIN. 

 One of my most favorite new born pictures of Oaklee Marie. She is just 7days old.

 Logan smiling...AGAIN. With kisses form mom and a walk on Lagoon trail. 

 Cameron with one of his favorite buddies in the world, my dad and his Grandpa up at pineview reservoir.

 Cameron, Samantha and there fish. Our only camping trip of the year and our last one for the next five years.

 All the cousins at temple square. 

I love at the end of each year I have a moment, I don't plan it, it usually just happens, maybe while I'm in the shower or while I'm driving all alone, but a quiet moment where I reflect on this past year and all that I and my sweet little family have gone through. I think of the sad times like losing my Grandma or being told that Oaklee will have some health issues while I'm still pregnant with her. And then I think of the happy times, like bringing a new child into this world, or going on a walk with my husband hand n hand talking about our future, planning our children's future. And how those happy and fun and exciting times chases away all the sad and scary moments that we have to endure in order to have and enjoy those happy, precious moments in time. 

I now say good bye to the past by holding onto all the memories I have made, and look to the future in hopes of making even better memoirs. Becoming closer as a family and loving more and more each and every day. Here is to a great Two-Thousand and Twelve.