Fortner Family Blog

Beautiful

2009-09-11T08:04:00.000-07:00

Picture says it all, we are so blessed.

Birthday Party

2009-08-02T10:25:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun celebrating Evelyn's birthday with friends and family. She had so much fun eating her blueberry cake, opening presents, and playing with her friends.

One Year

2009-07-08T16:42:00.000-07:00

Our sweet little girl is one year old today. I can't believe how fast this last year has flown by. The Lord has truly blessed us by giving us a whole year with such a wonderful and beautiful addition to our family. Evelyn has changed so much from our little preemie to a spunky toddler. She is our little miracle baby and we love her so much.

In the belly

Just born

A couple weeks

One month (first smiles)

Two months

Three months (Halloween our little sweet pea)

4 Months (First foods)

5 months (Christmas)

6 months (learning to sit up)

7 months

8 months

9 months (Easter)

10 months (Finger Painting)

11 months (Fathers day)

1 year (first ice cream cone)

Alpine

2009-04-07T10:19:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago we went to Alpine with our friends Josh and Heather and their little ones Avie and Elijah. We had a lot of crazy times with 3 little (4 1/2 hour car ride!) but it was a lot of fun and we really enjoyed spending the weekend with such good friends. We spent most the time just hanging out and taking care of the kiddos but we also watched movies, played games, went on a walk, saw Elk out the cabin window, and the boys had fun taking the jeep and going shooting and talking like they always do. We are thankful for good friends we can just do life with.

8 Months

2009-03-26T10:11:00.000-07:00

Evelyn is 8 months old and getting so big. She can sit up on her own and has been rolling over and over all around the living room. She has become a lot more interested in books and can turn the page on her own. She has also started waving "hi" a little bit and eating table food too. She is still saying da da but now she is saying it when she sees Josh. She makes her own little noises to the kitty and loves her rubber duck in the bath tub and talks to it. We caught her sleeping on her stomach one time but she doesn't really seem to like that position very much and hasn't done it since. She loves going to the park and swinging.She only takes two 1 1/2 hour naps a day now in the morning and afternoon. Her top two teeth are pushing in and should be visable any day now! Here are a few pictures from this month so far. We also went to the park and took more and I will post those. >>> Thanks to our friend Melissa who is letting us borrow her camera so we aren't missing so many memories since ours is need of fixing.<<<

Taking a bath like a big girl

Sleeping on tummy

How did I get way over here?

Chewing on her feet

Eating dinner

Update

2009-03-06T22:36:00.000-08:00

So I have kept putting off posting since our camera hasn't but it doesn't look like it will be fixed for a little while still so I wanted to do some updates. Evelyn got her first tooth on Feb 7th the day she turned 7 months. Her second tooth pushed through a couple days later! She is so cute with her little teeth and I can't believe how big she is now! She is sitting up pretty good on her own although she is still a little wobbly. Her eyes are still the most gorgeous blue and her hair is starting to get curly like her daddy's. She started saying da-da which made Josh just beam with joy. I am so thankful for this little girl and God has been reminding me to stop more and enjoy the time we have and not to take it for granted.

French Fries

2009-02-27T07:08:00.000-08:00

Ok. So Christen hasn't posted for a while because she has been really busy and our camera is busted (kind of). It should be up and running soon. But we are able to take pictures with our new phones so here are some of Evelyn trying a french fry for the first time last week at In N Out (she just gummed it). There is also a pic of me holding her on Josh and Heather's couch. Random, I know, but I love that little girl so much, and she is so beautiful.

Everyday

2009-02-11T21:12:00.000-08:00

Everyday Evelyn learns something new.

It is such an amazing blessing and privilege to be her mommy and teach her and watch her learn. Lately she has been learning to use her sippy cup and she looks like such a big girl drinking all by herself. Here are a couple pictures from when she was first learning last month to hold it.

Big Girl

2009-02-03T20:58:00.000-08:00

So these are the first pictures we got of Evelyn's beginning attempts of sitting up on her own. These were from early January right before she turned 6 months. She is getting better and better everyday so hopefully I can get even recent ones up soon!

Family Pictures

2009-02-03T20:24:00.000-08:00

So this was from December but they are too cute not to post. They are our most recent family pictures. Josh's mom Vickie was the photographer for the one of all 3 of us. I think they turned out great! We even got a sweet picture of Evelyn's cousin Pearl.

Beautiful Girl

2009-02-03T20:20:00.000-08:00

Here are the pictures we took at 5 months at the park behind our house. Evelyn was such a happy girl that day.

6 months

2009-02-02T21:19:00.000-08:00

So this is the 6 month car seat shot. I will be taking 7 months on Friday but as you can tell I am getting pretty behind already with my blog (so much for my New Years Resolution huh!)

Cute As A Button

2009-01-26T21:15:00.000-08:00

Look how cute my little girl is all ready for a walk with daddy.

Christmas With Family

2009-01-15T15:27:00.001-08:00

Catching up to 2009. We spent Christmas Eve with Josh's side of the family and Christmas afternoon with my family. Here are some pictures from both.

Aunt Sandy and Evelyn on Christmas Eve

Evelyn with Grandma Vickie

Pearl opening presents

Aunt Bethany (Check out the slippers!)

Opening presents with daddy's help

Checking out the new book with G-Grandma

Loving on Grandma Gail

Decorating The Christmas Tree

2009-01-06T21:42:00.000-08:00

We had fun decorating the tree in our new house this year with our sweet little girl. I guess Evelyn was more interested in chewing on a bow but she still helped.

November Pictures

2009-01-06T21:28:00.000-08:00

Here are some of my favorite pictures from November that I think are worthy to post!

First Time In Bumpo Chair

First Hair Do (there's a little clip in her hair)

Sucking on her fingers

Blankie time

Playing with Grandma

Thanksgiving

2009-01-06T09:17:00.000-08:00

Evelyn's first Thanksgiving was a busy one. We had family from out of town we saw on Thanksgiving day, went to my parents house the day after, and Josh's family the day after that. So we had 3 dinners! Fun but tiring. Here are a few pictures from our holiday.

With Great Grandma and Grandpa Taylor

With Grandma Vickie

With Grandpa Steve

With Great Aunt Sharron

With Great Grandma Lester

My Very First Gluten Free pumpkin pie from scratch! It was so.. good

5 Months

2009-01-01T16:01:00.000-08:00

Trying to catch up on the last month so this is a little late but that's OK. Here is Evelyn's 5 month picture in her car seat. She is such a big girl! She is eating cereal so well now and loves to laugh and play with mommy and daddy.

Anniversary Trip

2009-01-01T06:59:00.000-08:00

A year ago when we were in Flagstaff celebrating our 4 year anniversary we found out we were pregnant with our beautiful little girl. We were so surprised and excited. It was the first try after loosing our first baby in August and we thought it would take longer. I didn't tell Josh I was going to take a test the morning we were there, at first glance I saw that it was negative so I just went back to bed with Josh and prayed that God would help me trust Him. Later in the morning I decided to look at the test again and there were 2 lines! I was so excited I didn't even wait to tell Josh any special way I just ran in and jumped on the bed and showed him! This year as Josh and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary we got to bring our little girl with us. We stayed at The Room's Upstairs in uptown Sedona. Evelyn did good while we were out around town looking at the different shops and having lunch. We picked up a gluten free pizza from Pizza Picazzo's for dinner and ate in our room. Evelyn went to sleep around 7:30 like normal but decided she didn't like sleeping in her pack and play so she woke up every 1-2 hours all night long! Since we didn't want her to make noise and wake up the guest in the room next door we were up the whole night trying to keep her quiet. The next morning we checked out and drove up 89A to Flagstaff. Every year since our Honeymoon we have picked out a Christmas ornament and this year we found the perfect one for our new little family. We had a lot of fun on our first family trip and hotel stay, here are some pictures from our trip.

Really cute shops area in Sedona call Tlaquepaque

I took these

Pretty tree

with our new ornament

The Rooms Upstairs where we stayed

My Resolution

2009-01-01T05:00:00.000-08:00

My New Years Resolution is to post on my blog more! Sorry for the big gap but I will try and catch everyone up on the last 2 months!

Long time

2008-12-08T10:25:00.000-08:00

So it's been a while since I posted because our computer died a couple weeks ago so we are still trying to get the new one all set up so I just wanted to let you all know we are still here! Evelyn turned 5 months so we need to get some new pictures up soon!

5 Years!

2008-11-22T00:00:00.000-08:00

WOW Josh and I have been married for 5 years today! Time is flying by and I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful husband who loves me and provides for our family everyday.

When we first got married I had very little idea how hard married life would be sometimes. One thing that we learned before we even said "I do" was that love is a choice, not a feeling. This has been true over and over again. I know Josh and I love each other more now than when we first got married but it's a different kind of love. Those mushy feelings we had while dating are not always there but they are replaced with a deeper love that I know will last for the rest of or lives together.

Thank you sweetheart for always being there and for the constant sacrificial love that you show me everyday. I love you and pray the Lord blesses us with many, many more years to come.

Yes we had the biggest wedding party ever

Prunes

2008-11-14T15:00:00.000-08:00

While I was at the grocery store daddy fed Evelyn her prunes for the first time and she loved them! Per doctors orders we have to give her baby prunes or apple prune juice daily to help with her tummy problems. I wish I was there. From the pictures it looks like they had a blast and Josh said he couldn't feed it to her fast enough. She loved it and gobbled them right up!

Getting ready to get in the bath, what a mess.!

Oatmeal

2008-11-13T16:00:00.000-08:00

Now that Evelyn is getting so big we are trying oatmeal once day and she is liking it too! She is so cute in these pictures with her messy face and she smiles so much it's hard to keep it in.

4 Months

2008-11-08T19:25:00.000-08:00

Evelyn is already 4 months old! Time is flying by and she is growing so fast! We went in for her 4 month check up and she weighs 12 lbs and is 25 inches long. That is the 75th percentile for length! She has been talking up a storm and even rolling over from her back to her stomach a few times. She has been playing more with some of her toys and holding her head up really well.

Evelyn in her car seat

Sweet Pea

2008-11-02T11:37:00.001-08:00

Here's our little sweet pea in her Halloween costume. She is a pea in a pod. Isn't she so cute!

We went trick or treating for a little while with friends and family and even got some candy that mommy was happy to eat for her. She had fun riding around in her stroller.

Here she is in her outfit Grandma got for her.

Cloth Diapers

2008-10-30T14:25:00.000-07:00

Evelyn's cloth diapers hanging to dry on our patio. Aren't they cute! What fun colors.

Yes we use cloth diapers and no we are not crazy.

Way before we got pregnant I decided I wanted to try and use cloth diapers. I had no idea how it worked or where to get started but I did know that money would be tight and I did not want to throw it away every week on disposable diapers. So I searched and searched the Internet and found tons of great resources for cloth diapering mommies. Now keep in mind these aren't the same diapers they use to have, mine have velcro and snaps no pins or plastic pants here. We got our diapers at Wildflower Diapers in Scottsdale but there are tons of other websites out there to order from. So far we are loving our decision to use cloth and couldn't imagine it any other way.

My top reasons to use cloth

Cost- On average it costs somewhere between $1600-$2300 for 1 child in disposable diapers from birth to potty trained. We decided to get "adjustable cloth diapers" that grow as Evelyn does. She can wear them from when she was about 8lbs to when she is potty trained. We bought 24 Bum Genius 3.0 diapers (comes with 2 sizes stuff ins for absorbency), 2 wet bag pail liners (to put the dirty diapers in between washes), 1 travel wet bag (for the diaper bag while we are out). This cost us about $500.00 and we can use it with each additional child and re-sell them when we are done and make some of the money back! Can't do that with disposables. I also made my own re-usable wipes with some old flannel burp cloths someone gave us and put this solution over them. I have 3 extra washes a week and hang them outside to dry. Oh and by the way we haven't really seen much of an increase in our water or electric bill-nothing significant enough to notice.

Health-This is where I only need to list a few of the materials that make up a disposable diaper and you will see my point. Not to mention less diaper rashes too.

SODIUM POLYACRYLATE - This is the chemical, added in powder form to the inner pad of a disposable, that makes it super-absorbent. When the powdered form becomes wet, it turns into a gel. It was banned from tampons in 1985 because of its link to Toxic Shock Syndrome. ***Just because a disposable diaper can hold 100x it's weight in water doesn't mean it's good for our little ones. Diapers are not mean't to be portable toilets!

DIOXIN - This is the chemical by-product of the paper-bleaching process, using chlorine gas, in the manufacturing of diapers. This is a carcinogenic ~ cancer-causing chemical.The EPA lists it as the MOST TOXIC of all cancer-linked chemicals. In small quantities it causes birth defects, skin/liver disease, immune system suppression & genetic damage in lab animals. Banned in most countries, but not the United States.

TRIBUTYL TIN (TBT) - An environmental pollutant, considered highly toxic, that spreads through the skin and has a hormone-like effect in the smallest concentrations. It harms the immune system and impairs the hormonal system. Speculated that it could cause sterility in boys
All this on their tiny little bottom.

Environmental impact- There is a lot to list here but I will make it simple. -

Some of the facts: 18 billion disposable diapers are thrown in landfills each year, taking as many as 500 years to decompose. Disposable diapers make up the third largest source of solid waste in landfills, after newspapers and food and beverage containers--a significant fact, considering they are a single product, used by a limited portion of the population.1 It takes upwards of 82,000 tons of plastic and 1.3 million tons of wood pulp, or a quarter-million trees, to manufacture the disposable diapers that cover the bottoms of 90 percent of the babies born in the US......Washing cloth diapers at home uses 50 to 70 gallons of water every three days--about the same as a toilet-trained child or adult flushing the toilet five to six times a day. (Mothering Magazine Article)

Convenience/cute factor- We have never had a "blow out" with our cloth diapers. Can you believe it? A few leaks usually caused by not making it snug enough but nothing disastrous. I thought that blow outs were just normal for the first few months but it doesn't have to be. Also cloth diapers come in a ton of fun colors and patterns which are definitely different than the same white tushie.

So thats my thoughts on cloth diapers and why it works for us. Any questions feel free to ask and go check it out for yourself!

Just Hanging Out

2008-10-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

Okay so I know posts are pretty scarce lately but here are some recent pictures.

Daddy and Evelyn

Playing with her keys!

Happy baby.

Superstition Farm

2008-10-13T11:40:00.000-07:00

Saturday we took Evelyn to Superstition Farm for Moo Moo Palooza 2008. We walked around and looked at the cows and other animals, ate lunch, and had some great home made ice cream. Even though Evelyn had no idea what was going on she had fun and did great. Evelyn loves being outside in her snuggly carrier. She loves being able to look around and taking walks with daddy. Her favorite thing to look at are trees. I'm sure Evelyn's going to love all this "farm stuff" just like her mommy.

Daddy and Evelyn by the cows (sucking on her hands like usual).

In the garden.

Mommy and Evelyn

3 Month Doctors Appointment

2008-10-08T09:43:00.000-07:00

Evelyn is 3 months old! She is getting so big and changing everyday. We went to the doctor and she said Evelyn looks great and is growing steadily. She is 10 lbs 7oz and is 22 1/2 inches long. We noticed some bumps on her elbows and the doctor thinks it may be eczema so pray it's nothing like her daddy's skin. She gave us some lotion to use everyday so hopefully it gets better. Aunt Bethany will be taking some pictures this week and we will post again soon!

Park Pictures

2008-10-04T06:50:00.000-07:00

Ok so it's been a while... We have been super busy with daily life and changing schedules but we are back with pictures! These Josh took yesterday when we went to the park. Evelyn is just over 12 weeks! I think she is the most beautiful little girl, her smile just makes my heart melt. Look at her pretty blue eyes (just like daddy)

Perspective

2008-09-18T20:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was packing away Evelyn's clothes that she has grown out of already and I couldn't believe how small her preemie clothes were. The onesie on the left was a preemie size she wore the first few weeks after she was born and the onesie on the right was the onesie she wore yesterday. Crazy huh? Our little girl is getting so... big!

Pool Party

2008-09-16T13:54:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we had our Home Group over for a BBQ and Pool party. It was the first time we had everyone together with alll the kids. We had a blast playing in the pool and cooking up some hot dogs.

To see the rest of the pictures click here

2 Month Photos

2008-09-16T09:23:00.000-07:00

Little late but these are some pictures I took of Evelyn when she turned 2 months. She is getting so big!

See the rest of the pictures here

Love It!

2008-09-09T21:52:00.000-07:00

I love this little girl. Her smile truly makes my heart melt. It is so wonderful seeing her smile everyday now.

2 Month Doctors Appointment

2008-09-08T12:42:00.000-07:00

Evelyn is 2 months old! It's hard to believe how fast time is going by. Evelyn is smiling at us on a daily basis and growing like a weed. We took her to the doctor and she is at 9lbs 2 ozs and is 21 inches long. The doctor says she is doing great.

Swimming

2008-09-02T11:00:00.000-07:00

After the zoo we tried swimming for the first time.

Evelyn didn't like being in the water too much and instead took a nap in mommy's arms. We will try again when she's a little bigger.

The Zoo

2008-09-02T10:05:00.000-07:00

Since we came home a little early from camping we went to the Phoenix Zoo with Gabe, Melissa and their family on Monday morning. Evelyn slept in her stroller the majority of the time but Josh and I enjoyed walking around and seeing all the animals. We even got a picture of Evelyn and daddy in front of the giraffe! We can't wait until Evelyn is a little older and can enjoy a trip to the zoo too!

Ready to go!
Taking a break
Evelyn & Nellie

Camping

2008-09-02T09:38:00.000-07:00

What a fun and busy weekend! This is the 4th year we have joined our friends Gabe and Melissa camping with their family in Payson. We always have such a fun time and this year we got to bring our little Evelyn for her first camping experience. We went up Thursday afternoon and came home a little early on Sunday afternoon due to the rain. We were both a little worried ahead of time that she would be too fussy or uncomfortable but it ended up being a great trip. She actually slept better than she did at home. We bundled her up when it was chilly at night and she spent a lot of time being held and riding in the carrier. Everyone played Boggle, horseshoes and Frisbee golf and did a lot of relaxing.

See more pictures click link below

http://s341.photobucket.com/albums/o361/fortners02/Camping-labor%20day%202008/

Smile

2008-08-25T08:53:00.000-07:00

Josh got a few good pictures of Evelyn's sleepy smile. She smiles a lot when she is starting to get tired and fall asleep.

New Toy

2008-08-20T14:22:00.000-07:00

Here is Evelyn in her play gym for the first time. I love it. It is so cute and has such bright colors. I think Evelyn might even like it too.

1 Month Photos

2008-08-19T16:32:00.000-07:00

These are a little late being posted but these are just some pictures I attempted to take of Evelyn at 1 month when we went to our neighborhood park.

Evelyn and Ryken

2008-08-14T13:57:00.000-07:00

This is Evelyn's new little friend Ryken who was born 3 weeks after Evelyn on July 29th to our friends Chip and Danielle Brown. Both babies were due in August but I guess they both wanted to make early appearances and have July birthdays. Ryken is actually a little bigger than Evelyn now which is crazy since she is older. We took these pictures at our moms group yesterday because they are so cute together. I especially like the one where it looks like they are arm wrestling and getting upset at each other.

New Car!

2008-08-12T12:32:00.000-07:00

I finally got a car yesterday! Josh did an awesome job finding a great deal on this like new 2000 Volkswagon Passat Wagon. This is seriously my dream car and it will be just perfect for Evelyn and I to drive around town and for family trips. We decided to sell our one car that we had paid off and buy 2 used cars. We are still on the look out for a good car for Josh to drive to work but we know God will provide, soon I hope.

1 Month Doctors Appointment

2008-08-08T08:47:00.000-07:00

I really can't believe Evelyn is already a month old. Time has definitely flown by! Today she had her 1 month check up and we were so surprised to hear that she already weighs 7lbs 5.8 oz's and is 20 1/2 inches long! The doctor said she is doing great and making up for coming almost a month early. We should have guessed she had gained a lot because she has grown out of all her preemie clothes and can now wear her cloth diapers. Looking at the picture we took of her in her car seat today compared to the ones when we first brought her home from the hospital it is crazy! Our little girl is getting so big!

Nap Time with Daddy

2008-08-07T15:46:00.000-07:00

Our sweet little girl spends a large amount of her time sleeping and that just happens to be one of Josh's favorite activities. Look how cute they are together.

Just Hanging Out

2008-08-05T09:27:00.000-07:00

The majority of our day... just me, Evelyn, and her teddy bear. Evelyn is 4 weeks old today!

Date Night

2008-07-30T23:05:00.000-07:00

Today was a fun and special day because it was our first family date night. While Josh was at work I sent him an e-mail asking him to go out tonight with his two girls. So, Josh took us both on a date to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner. When Josh came home from work he brought us pink Gerber daisies which was so sweet. I dressed Evelyn up in a cute little dress that she finally fit into and we wen't around 5:30 to beat the rush because today they had $1.50 slices of cheesecake to celebrate their 30th anniversary. I am sure I was more excited about dinner because Evelyn slept almost the whole time but it was so fun being out together as a family.

Photo Shoot

2008-07-28T12:10:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few of the pictures our cousin Kathy took of Evelyn. She was 1 week 4days in the pictures. Josh is still working on getting the rest of the pictures touched up so I will post more soon.

Random Pictures

2008-07-24T16:35:00.000-07:00

Big smile while sleeping.
Eyes wide open!
Look how cute she looks in this outfit.

Getting ready to go to the doctor.

Little Girl, Big Bed

2008-07-20T16:58:00.000-07:00

I thought these pictures were so cute and I wanted to share. Evelyn is still in her basinet in our bedroom at night but Josh put her in her crib the other day and it was so funny to see how big it was compared to her.

Evelyn's First Bath

2008-07-18T19:30:00.000-07:00

We gave Evelyn her first "bath" when she was 5 days old. I guess you would technically call it a sponge bath because there wasn't much water involved but still fun. She looked so cute wrapped up in her towel and you can see in the pictures that when her hair is wet it looks curley.

Click below to see more pictures
http://s341.photobucket.com/albums/o361/fortners02/Evelyns%20First%20Bath/

Going Home

2008-07-16T17:18:00.000-07:00

We got to bring our sweet little baby girl home on Friday July 11th. We were both so nervous about leaving the hospital and being totally on our own. I was leaning more towards wanting to go but Josh was willing to stay as long as they would let us. It was definitely nice having nurses right there to ask questions and check us regularly to make sure everything was ok. We took our time that day and made sure to eat lunch. Josh still had to go to the parking garage to install the car seat before we left so Evelyn and I took a little nap after lunch. We put her in a little yellow onesie that Gabe and Melissa Johnson gave her and she looked so cute. We were nervous about putting her in her car seat because she was so small and technically she wasn't big enough to go in it. When we weighed her last she was down to 4 lbs 13oz and the car seat fits 5lbs -35lbs. She looked so small in her seat. We got all loaded up in the car and made the short trip home. Evelyn slept the whole way of course. When we got home we introduced her to our kitty Annabelle and then gave her a tour of her new room (not that she was too interested). We are so excited to finally have our little girl home with us after waiting for her for so long!

Our Adventure Begins

2008-07-15T16:22:00.000-07:00

We wanted to start this blog to share our experiences and memorable moments with our friends and family. What a way to begin; with our newest edition kicking it off! Evelyn Mae Fortner was born July 8th, 2008 at 9:18am, unexpectedly early.
I was only 36 weeks and 2 days pregnant, and had almost 4 weeks to my due date. On Monday, July 7th, Josh and I visited my OB to have yet another ultra sound and to discuss scheduling a c-section delivery. We decided that day that due to my amniotic fluid levels being low, the possibility of having a heart shaped uterus, and the baby being breech, that the safest delivery for our baby would be a c-section. So we scheduled it for Tuesday, 7/22/08, 2 weeks from that Tuesday. So we began preparing ourselves for the reality that we would be having a baby in 2 weeks rather than in 4 weeks.

That night, my normal contractions began becoming consistent and we decided to time them and realized that they were exactly 10 minutes apart. We called the doctor and decided at 7:00pm to go straight to 'Labor and Delivery' at Banner Baywood, where they monitored me closely. We had no bags packed and nothing ready for a hospital stay so we grabbed our cameras and not much more. My contractions started to become even closer together and more intense. They gave me IV fluids to see if the contractions were linked to being dehydrated. The nurse also told me that I wasn't allowed to have anything to eat or drink, just in case. After 3 hours of monitoring, my contractions began to subside and they sent us home at 10:30pm. As soon as we left, we grabbed some Wendy's (it wasn't as good as we thought it would be), and then went to bed. At about 1:15am I woke up for my regular trip to the bathroom, and noticed that I was bleeding. I yelled to Josh, "We have to go to the hospital, I'm bleeding," (which totally freaked him out). We grabbed as much as we could again, and headed to labor and delivery. In the car we called the doctor and she said to go get checked again. Once we got to the hospital, they confirmed that my contractions were now 2 minutes apart, as they became more and more painful. The nurse called the doctor who told her to give me a shot to help slow down my contractions, hoping it would at least hold me off until morning. The nurse instructed me again not to eat or drink anything, in case they needed to do a c-section. That's when she first told us that we would most likely be having this baby that morning.

My contractions began intensifying despite having multiple shots of meds to slow them down. By early morning I was in pre-term labor and attempting to use the breathing techniques that I had never learned, because my labor class was a week away! The doctor later confirmed with the nurse that we would in fact be having the baby at 8:30am via c-section! We went from trying to comprehend having a baby in 2 weeks, to having to prepare for one in the next 5 hours! Both of our moms came, followed by Josh's brother, sister, sister in law, and my dad. Unfortunately, my sister was out of town. It was pretty crazy having 2 nurses, Josh and I, and about 4 family members in the same triage room at the same time while having labor contractions, medicine running through me that made me feel anxious, and being hooked up to about 20 different contraptions, all at the same time! I was ready to get this baby out! Then a nurse came in to tell us the pleasing news that the doctor would be in a half an hour late, I was beyond ready at this point! Once the doctor arrived everything happened so fast that we felt overwhelmed. As they were preparing me for surgery, Josh had to wait in the hall. He was very nervous and emotional. He said that he has never prayed so earnestly.

Once they were ready, Josh was allowed to enter the operating room and sit by my head. It seemed like only seconds before they told us that the baby was coming out and for Josh to get ready.Thankfully, he got it all on video tape. I immediately heard the baby cry, which was a huge sigh of relief. Josh's first words when he saw her were, "She's so small."

They took her to clean her up and Josh was able to trim the umbilical cord. They wrapped her up and gave her to Josh, who carried her to me. I was having such a hard time seeing her because of the way I was laying and said over and over, "I can't see her!" We had one of the doctors take our very first family photo right there! After just a couple of minutes, Josh was telling the nurse to please take the baby to the nursery. I know he was excited to hold her but was anxious to make sure everything was ok.

Josh went with her into the nursery, where they put her under a heat lamp, and took her measurements. The nurse asked Josh what her name was and he told her Evelyn.

Evelyn Mae was 5lbs 2oz, 17in long and was born at 9:18am on Tuesday, July 8th, 2008. We love her with all of our hearts and are so thankful that she was born healthy and that everything went well with my surgery. We thank God for the grace that he has shown us in blessing us by making us stewards of our sweet little daughter. We are looking forward to raising her according to God's word, as we sit at home, as we walk along the road, as we lie down and as we get up. Praise God for his goodness, because all good things come from Him who is good!

Click below to see all photos
http://photobucket.com/fortnerfamily