2 Months Old already!

Our darling girl is already 2 months old. I can't believe how time has flown by. They grow so fast...literally she is way bigger than she was even a month ago. Evelyn's personality gets brighter everyday. A month ago she wasn't even smiling and now she's close to laughing. It melts my heart to hear her coo and see her smile. I don't have a weight and height update because we haven't been to the doctor yet but she is LONG!! I think she's over 24 inches. She has finally started to fill out a bit too. I love kissing her chubby cheeks and it's arguable whether those are McEwen chubby cheeks or Cummings chubby cheeks. She is sleeping in three hour increments at night. That's not as long as some of my friends baby's that are her age but I dont mind at all. In fact, Evelyn loves smiling and cuddling in the night and I love sharing that time with her. Her favorite time to play is 5am (lol). She is awake much more during the day now. She loves her Daddy and kicks her legs excitedly when she hears his voice. In fact, Evy is quite the kicker. She kicks her legs and flails her arms all day and night long. She's definitely getting her exercise. If her kicking is foreshadow for the future, we're going to have quite a feisty girl on our hands. She used to love being held facing in but now she wants to face out and see the world. Since she's a bit older, we have finally been able to take her out more and introduce her to the world. I think she's going to be an outdoor girl like her Dad. She seems to love sunshine! She has really started loving her bath time. She is so good for Mommy when I take her out on errands. She sleeps the entire time. Recently, she has started crying uncontrollable in the evening hours. The only thing that calms her is the sound of the shower. This week I eliminated dairy from my diet and it seems it was dairy that was bugging her because she hasn't had a crying fit again unless I drink milk. The weather has been nice so we've been able to go on some walks. We just love Evelyn so much and are having fun playing with her and showing/teaching her about how wonderful the world is. I think she has taught us way more than we have taught her though. lol. Enjoy these cute pics! I can't resist taking a million cute pics of our little miss. These are only a few of course...

Ready to go out to dinner with Mommy and Daddy. Brian just loves her in her bear coat!

Posing for Mommy early in the morning.

I love how she's show casing her painted nails.

Just picked up Auntie Beth from her mission. She LOVED Beth!

She cuddles with me like this in the morning.

Happy St.Patty's Day!

Growing up, we used every excuse we possibly could to celebrate. The Cummings Family loves planning parties, decorating, giving gifts, making festive treats, making people feel special, etc... It just makes life fun. We had luahs, Halloween parties, Christmas progressive dinners, fourth of July swim /BBQ parties etc... We decorated for even the smaller less celebrated holidays at our house. I even remember one time, we had nothing to celebrate but my mom really wanted to have a party so we had one and ordered a cake that said, "Congratulations To Us All"... hahaha. My mom is hilarious and fun. Brian and I are pretty big on traditions. When we got married, we decided we wanted to carry out the traditions of our families and also start some fun new traditions of our own. Much to Brians surprise when we got married, this meant we celebrate EVERYTHING!!! March is a very important month for us because it's the month we got married and it's also March Madness. Well, I feel like St. Patricks Day was really getting out-shined by our Anniversary and basketball so I decided to give the holiday the respect it deserves. Because we don't drink, some of you may be thinking, "How the heck do you celebrate St. Patty's Day without some Guinness Beer and Corned Beef?!" Well, this is how the McEwen's do it and how we'll do it every year from here out!! We make an all green dinner. Everything must be green. We are not allowed at the dinner unless we are dressed in every piece of green clothing we own. This year's menu was...

Main Dish: Mushroom Chicken with green gravy

Side Dish: Green Mashed Potatoes w/ green gravy

Side Dish: Green Beans

Side Dish: Green Rolls

Drink: Green Powerade

Dessert: Green Key Lime Pie/Key Lime Tarts

Enjoy these photos of us looking goofy decked out in green. Thank goodness I have a husband who fully indulges me and my crazy ideas!

Green from head to toe. (please ignore my post-preggo body)

Even Evelyn wanted in on the green fun.

Happy Anniversary to Us!!

I can hardly believe Brian and I have been married for a year now. We have accomplished so much in one year and it's been a whirlwind. I love Brian for so many reasons (all of which I will not be listing in this blog post. Sorry...gotta keep some things between he and I). When I was single and looking for a potential spouse I remember telling my friends that it was very important that I marry someone that makes me say to myself, "I can't believe he chose me!" I thought that a year ago when we were married for time and eternity and I still think it now. I can't believe Brian Jay McEwen chose this girl to be is wife! I am reminded everyday how lucky I am just being around him and sharing our life together. I'm still madly in love and it only gets better everyday. If you're reading this Brian, I love SO much more than a blog post or words can express. I'm loving everyday with you and looking forward to eternity. XOXOXO (I hope this didn't make anyone mildly sick to read). Happy Anniversary Babe!!

Love This Face!!!

The quality of these pictures are bad because it was dark and really early in the morning but I couldn't resist posting them. Anybody who knows me well, knows I can make some pretty goofy faces. Evelyn definitely takes after me in that department.

One Month Old

Stats:

Weight: 9 lbs. 1 oz. (50 %)

Height: 22 inches (80%)

We just can't believe it's already been one month since Evelyn was born. We just LOVE having her around and she brings so much joy and fun into our lives. Aside from sleeping, eating, and pooping, here is a list of what Evelyn has been up to this past month.

• She is a total cuddle bug and loves to be snuggled
• She loves being sung to (mostly primary songs)
• She sleeps with her arms out of her swaddle and loves to have them free so she can flail them in her sleep while she kicks like crazy (she's very feisty)
• She is very strong and likes to hold her head up on her own
• She always sticks her tongue out and smacks her lips when she is hungry
• She eats every two hours (including through the night) :(
• She lets mommy dress her up and paint her nails and doesn't even fuss about it
• She loves her bath
• She DOES NOT like being cold
• She lives for her pacifier
• We call her googy, cuddle bug, princess poops-a-lot(Brian's nickname for her), fuzzy, Ev, Evy, and Eevie.

Here are a few more pictures of our little fuzzy head

Ev and Daddy taking a little nap

Loving the swing

Can't get enough of her!

Valentine baby

Our Little Fuzzy Head

My loves. Go Duke!!

First trip to church

Loving on Ma

Proud Daddy

Labor and Delivery

Aren't I a vision in this pic at 2am? This was THE ONLY night I didn't do my hair for pictures in case I went into labor. Figures that this was the night.

After a rough 9th month of pregnancy, I tried anything and everything to have my baby early(ate spicy food, got a pedicure, ate a whole pineapple, etc...) Things got really uncomfortable for me when a week before my due date, I broke a rib from a combination of the pressure the baby was putting on me and a terrible cough. The pain from the break was indescribable. I thought the doctor would take pity on me and induce me since I was in so much pain. Instead, she told me there was nothing she could do about my rib and she did not want to induce. I was pretty much helpless for the last week of pregnancy because my rib hurt so badly. My mom and Brian had to help me stand up, sit down, get dressed, etc... I was BEYOND ready to have the baby at that point. At my doctors check-up, I wasn't making any progress towards labor and my doctor told me she'd let me go a week over my due date. I was not happy to hear that!!! She did say she wanted to do an ultrasound on the 18th(my due date) to make sure my rib was okay and it wasn't going to puncture my lung or anything.

Well, the night of the 17th, I was feeling a little funny. I had Braxton Hicks contractions for the whole 9th month of my pregnancy but this particular night I was just having some lower back pain. I told Brian I thought that labor was coming soon because this discomfort was different than the other discomfort I had felt. I woke Brian up at 12:30am because I was having mild but consistent contractions. We timed them and they were about five minutes apart exactly. I was THRILLED!!! We got our bags together, snapped a quick photo, and we were finally off to the hospital for what I thought was the final trip. Well, they monitored me for an hour and I made no progress so they gave me a shot of morphine to sleep and sent me home. I was still feeling like this was real labor but I went home and tried to sleep off the contractions. Brian said I was whining all night in my sleep and by 6:30am, I could not bare the pain anymore. I called my doctor and told her I was not going in for my ultrasound but going straight to the hospital. When I got there, they confirmed that I was indeed in true labor and I was admitted at about 9am. The contractions were pretty intense and close together and I was only dialated to a 2. I asked if I could have an epidural as soon as possible and it was THE BEST!!!!! The shot didn't even hurt and it completely took away any pain I was having.

The rest of the day was spent sleeping and watching the clock as I dialated. At about 5pm I was dialated to a 10 and ready to push. The doctor showed up at 5:30pm and told me she wanted to wait and let some of my contractions push out the baby because i'd most likely be pushing for one to three hours (since it was my first baby). She changed her mind when the babies heart rate went down due to my fever. She wanted to do a trial push just to see how effective my pushing would be. After one push, Brian told me he saw that the baby had blonde hair! The doctor told me we were going to keep pushing because the baby was coming fast. I gave six more pushes and she was born. I only pushed for 14 minutes total. What a dream! Love at first sight! NOTHING can compare to that first moment you see and hold your baby. I loved it!! It was short lived though as they took her to weigh and measure her. She looked a little "floppy" when she came out so they put her on a C-pap in the NICU for a night to strengthen her lungs but she is breathing beautifully now. That wax hard for Brian and I because we barely got to see her the first night. The next morning we went to see her in the NICU and they told us they had already moved her downstairs to our floor. We got to go down and give her her first bath. She is SO perfect and beautiful and we love her so much!!! I really enjoyed child birth and would do it again in a heartbeat. It's so worth it...if you get an epidural ;) Hahaha

Whoa baby! Check out those big kissable lips of hers. <3

Evelyn Grace McEwen

Born Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 6:03pm. She weighed 7lbs. 12oz. 21 inches long. She had some trouble breathing at first but after a night in the NICU, is doing great. We just can't get enough of our beautiful baby girl!

Pregnancy Update

Pregnancy up to this point has been a breeze. Aside from a few normal and expected side effects(exhaustion, cravings, etc...), it's been a very comfortable pregnancy...until now! We're heading into our 38th week and I think my belly has doubled in size in the past two weeks. Just when I thought the baby couldn't feel any bigger, it seems she has grown and is taking up more room in my body. I went to the doctor and the baby is already head down. I'm dialated to a 1 and 50% efaced. I have been having some "Braxton Hicks" contractions. The doctor said those could go on for a while or could quickly move into real contractions. There is no telling how fast or slow this will happen. My feet are swollen and none of my shoes except for sandals fit. Not ideal for Utah winter weather. During the night my arms go completely numb and I wake up at least 3-5 times having to walk around and shake some blood back into my arms. Poor Brian is suffering from my lack of sleep too because when I wake up, he wakes up. Poor guy! It seems the baby does not want me to sleep at all because every time I start to get sleepy, my arms or hands go numb and throb. It is the weirdest thing! My doctor gave me some hand braces to wear at night and they seem to be helping. Brian also set up our pillows so I can sleep propped up because my arms dont get as numb when i'm upright. Brian and I are so excited that the baby is coming soon and we've kicked our preparations into high gear. We packed out hospital bag, got our car seat installed, cleaned and prepared the babies room, and Brian is trying to finish our glider restoration project on time. Brian thinks i'm nesting but I think i'm just normally this crazy. I am done working before the baby comes and the doctor said I should take every opportunity to rest and sleep in the next few weeks. Will do Doc! Next on the list of "to-do's" is find a name for this kid. Yesterday seemed like a turning point for us and we're really anticipating the arrival of our baby girl! Now, it's just a waiting game.

Our Little Christmas

Since i'll be out of work the next few months while Brian is in school and the baby is new, we both agreed that we'd only get each other one gift for Christmas. It was such a great opportunity for us to serve others and focus on the Savior this year. I did sneak and get Brian a few more gifts than I agreed to but in my defense, I was a very savvy shopper and barely spent any money at all. I know Brian became increasingly curious during the weeks leading up to Christmas as more and more gifts piled up under the tree. I told him that all my gifts combined cost about the amount of one gift and that I didn't want him getting me more than one gift. And, I honestly wrapped every little possible thing so under our tree wouldn't look so bare. In actuality, I barely got him anything.

On the 23rd after a long day at work, I told Brian to not get me a gift at all. I know we both had been feeling the stress of affording and providing for our baby and the hours we had been working did not give us time to purchase last minute gifts. The idea of saving our money instead of buying frivalous things was sounding much more appealing to me than any gift at this point. Brian did have something up sleeve though because on Christmas Eve, he made me hide in our bathroom while he hid something in the nursery. He made me promise not to go in the nursery at all. He told me not to put my ear up to the door either. He had me thinking he bought a puppy or something. I seriously would have been happy if he got me nothing but instead, this is what he got me...

Oh. My Goodness!!!!! I can't believe he got me this!!! I didn't even ask for it but couldn't love anything more!!! I have never been so surprised before. Brian knows I love working out and am pretty bummed that i'll have to cancel my gym membership with the baby coming. I felt embarrassed for him to open his gifts after seeing what he got me. My husband is such a stud and pulled this surprise off flawlessly. I know Christmas shouldn't be about gifts and receiving but this is the most awesome gift I have ever received. I will never forget this Christmas and how thoughtful and loving Brian is for getting this for me. I would love him just the same if he got me nothing but seriously, WHAT A STUD!!!!! He knows this gift was the ultimate trump card! I got him a few small things and we spent the rest of the day relaxing, talking to our families, and watching Christmas movies. This is our first and last Christmas with just the two of us. It was so fun and more than I could have dreamed of. Christmas is a time to think of the Savior and to serve one another. I so loved this year that we were able to focus on that more than ever before. Our lives are about to change dramatically and every Christmas here after will be filled with the excitement of our kids anticipating toys and fun. However, I hope that we can maintain the spirit that we felt this year in the future with our children. We want them to know that first and foremost, we serve, and love each other, and remember the Savior. Here are a few more pics. I hope you enjoy.

He's so excited! Don't you love the hair?!

Check out the baby's stocking on the fireplace.

Testing out my new Eliptical.

Brian workin' it in his new outfit!

Holiday Festivities

Since I am so hugely pregnant, we decided (and my doctor decided for us) that traveling would not be a good idea so close to my due date. I was definitely disappointed at first because I have never missed a Christmas with my family. My sister who I haven't seen in seven years, came home this year to celebrate the holiday too and I was sad I was going to miss her visit. We knew pretty early on that we probably wouldn't be able to go home so I had time to get used to the idea. We made our apartment as festive as possible filling it with a tree, stockings, lights, garland, and the constant smell of baked goods. We even constructed our own fireplace out of cardboard and paint so we would have a place to hang our stockings. When Brian's parents were first married, they did the same thing and we thought it would be fun to try it out. It was a total success and Brian and I have become quite attached to our little fireplace.

We worked A TON for the two weeks leading up to Christmas. Brian got me a job making Kneaders gift baskets for the holidays and he and I both were putting in about 10-12 hours a day there. It was fun but draining and left little time for planning holiday festivities and starting traditions. We worked Christmas Eve and had no big plans for it. Luckily, Brian has such a cute, fun family and his Aunt and Uncle invited us over for dinner and a full evening of holiday fun. We got to see his cousins and play with their new little baby boy, Beckett. That was especially fun for Brian and I since parenthood is knocking on our door. We had a delicious ham dinner (Thanks Debbie!!) and played our own version of "Minute To Win It."

Brian practicing his Daddy skills

"Minute To Win It" Challenge...failed!

He dominated this game.

We palyed a really fun game that has become a new tradition for his Aunt and Uncle. It's called sledding and has nothing to do with being out in the cold snow. Each of us got a big Hershey bar and a bag of candy. Using hot glue and only the bag of candy provided, we decorated our "sleds." Then we put a big tarp on the stair and raced the sleds down the tarp/hill. We had brackets and played double elimination. There were even first, second, and third place prizes. I didn't place but Brian got third place and we won a gas card. Whoo Hoo!! Brian's Grandparents were the winners of the night anmd took first place!

Love them!

Brian and I hope we can start this fun tradition in our own little family in a few years. Thanks to Bruce, Debbie, Brittany and Montana(and Beckett), Mason, Grandma and Grandpa Mac, and Grandma Wixom for making our Christmas Eve so memorable and fun. We are so blessed to have a wonderful family close by!

Birthday Cake

• So, this is the cake Brian told me he was going to make me...

Gross. Gross. Gross!!!!!

He was kidding of course and this is what he really made me...

Double Decker Strawberry cake with strawberries inside and strawberry mousse frosting. Yum!!! He was strict about me staying out of the kitchen while he made it. What a little lover! It was delicious!

Like pulling teeth to get him to pose for this but here he is toiling away. :)

Quarter of a Century

Well friends, I was pretty excited for December 7th this year for every reason besides the fact that it was my birthday. I have to admit it was probably one of the most eventful, unique, and unforgettable birthdays i'll ever have. It was an exciting day but even more exciting for a few other members of our McEwen family. I started my day off pretty typically...

1. Go to work- Check

2. Talk to Ash Hall on the phone- Check

3. Weekly grocery shopping trip- Check

4. Annual(and awesome) birthday call from my Mom- Check

5. Lunch with a friend- Check

6. Amanda(sis-in-law) is in Labor- Che...WHAT!?!!!!!

So Amanda going into labor was a total surprise! I had joked with her about going into labor a week early on my birthday but didn't really think it would happen. I was pretty excited to be sharing my birthday with my new niece and couldn't really wait to tell Brian so I went to his work early and waited till he had a free minute to tell him. We were both so excited and thrilled for Dan, Amanda, and Julia! The rest of the day we waited for a text or call saying that the baby came. Well, at about 5:15pm she arrived with a full head of black hair weighing 7 lbs 7 oz and 20 inches long. She is a doll and looks quite a bit like her big sister Julia. Here is a pic of her and the beautiful Amanda(can you believe Amanda just had a baby in this pic? either can I). After much deliberation I think, she received the Name Addison Grace McEwen. It fits her so well and Brian and I love it and wish we lived closer so we could see her in person. I'm honored to share a birthday with my beautiful niece. Don't you just love her fuzzy black hair?!

The excitement didn't slow down there because that night on NBC, Brian's beautiful cousins Autumn and Allie were contestants on "Minute To Win It." We were so excited to tune in that we postponed all birthday festivities to the 8th. It was so awesome to see them do so well (125,000 dollars well) and also to see a lot of Brian's other cousins on TV rooting for their sisters. It was a nail-biting episode and if you missed it, watch it on hulu or NBC.com. The episode is "...to be continued" and the girls are now playing for $250,000 so tune in next Tuesday to see what happens. We can't wait to find out!

Needless to say, this 25th birthday was truly full of wonderful surprises!! My handsome and wonderful husband took me to Texas Roadhouse the next night and it was so perfect/delicious. On top of becoming an aunt again and sharing in the excitement of a $125,000 victory, I received so much love from friends and family. it feels good to be 25! The thought that this will be my last birthday as a non-mom is overwhelming and exciting. I doubt my 26th birthday can be trumped by this one but the fact that I will have a beautiful baby to love is going to make every birthday from here after much richer. I can't wait! Anyways, thanks so much for all the birthday wishes and love!

35 weeks...and counting AND growing!