One Month Old!

Right from the moment Michaela was born (okay...even before that!) I knew I wanted to get some really nice newborn pictures taken. It's such a beautiful and exciting time in our lives...I wanted to capture it somehow. Michelle Hansen did a perfect job of it! Michaela seemed to think it was hard work being beautiful the day these were taken, but Michelle and I eventually got into a system of settling her with her soother, posing her, quickly pulling the soother away and taking the picture. It worked well! :) I love the fact that you can see every ounce of joy and love in our faces. I had so much fun putting the pretty headbands on her, too! When she's got that much hair, it would have been a shame not to! Hope you all enjoy the pictures as much as I do. :)

Three Weeks Old

Three weeks ago today, Brad and I were welcoming our sweet baby girl into our world. On one hand, it's hard to believe that time is flying by so fast, but on the other hand, Brad and I were saying last night that we're already having a hard time remembering what life was like before she got here! It feels like she's always been part of our lives.

In the last two weeks, Michaela's met some more very important people. My Auntie Audrey and Uncle Jack came from Saskatchewan to meet her, and we had a wonderful dinner with them and my dad. Since I never met my Grandma Geddes and only had a very brief time with my Grumpa Geddes, Auntie Audrey and Uncle Jack have always held a grandparent-like role in my life. They kept saying that it felt like meeting a great grand-daughter instead of a great-niece. I'm so glad they got to meet her.

One of my former campers from my days as a cabin leader at Circle Square Ranch also came to meet Michaela. It's been awesome for me to be able to keep in touch with Maddy over the years and to share in some of the major moments in her life. For her to be able to share in a major moment in my life was pretty cool.

Another very important person in Michaela's life is my good friend Chantal. Chantal and I were best friends from elementary school through high school, and went our separate ways for a few years while we both endured the rigors of nursing school and starting our careers. The evening I went in to deliver Michaela, I was so excited to find out that Chantal was going to be my nurse! It's amazing how we could work in the same building and yet have barely spoken in four years. We spent the early stages of my labor just catching up on life...it felt so natural and really put me at ease in a way that nothing else could have. I kept hoping that the baby would come before Chantal had to leave for shift change, but Michaela did one better- she didn't even wait for the doctor to arrive! Chantal delivered Michaela...I couldn't have asked for a better birth experience than that. And the fact that it re-connected us and brought the life back to our friendship is an added blessing.

Yesterday, we went to Lacombe to visit Brad's Grandma and Grandpa Neufeld. Brad's mom came with us, and it was great to introduce Michaela to more of her family. We even got a four generation picture with Michaela, Brad, his mom and her parents. It's one of my favorite pictures from Michaela's life so far.

I've said it over and over, and I'll keep saying it...we are SO BLESSED to have so many friends and family around us who love and support us through this change in our lives. We are eternally grateful for every one of you.

First Week At Home

Hard to believe our precious little Sweet Pea has been home for a week already! She's met so many important people in that time frame and Mommy has had great fun taking pictures of all her first encounters. We are so grateful that we have so much love and support around us! We are truly blessed with great friends and family...this little girl will grow up with more love than she knows what to do with! When I was pregnant, I was telling one good friend of mine that this baby was going to have so many aunties and uncles that she was going to have a hard time keeping track of who was actually biologically related to her. His response was "As long as she's got lots of love around her, it really doesn't matter!" I like that thought. :)

Meet Michaela Debbie Wester

We became the proud parents of a beautiful baby girl February 1, 2011 at 05:14am. Michaela Debbie Wester entered the world, and our lives truly will never be the same. Even though we had to stay in hospital a little longer than expected due to her jaundice, we have honestly loved every minute with her so far and couldn't be more happy that she is here and she is ours! Enjoy the pictures!

Waiting For Baby

Well, here we are! Baby Wester is due February 3, 2011...3 short weeks away! So many emotions come with a moment like this. I'm so ready to meet this little person who's been inside me for all this time, and yet not at all ready for the nights spent pacing back and forth wondering how to make my baby stop crying. I'm ready to give up the aches and pains of being pregnant, but not at all ready for a simple outing to take twice as long to prepare for. Yet as Brad and I were discussing all of this tonight, we both know that as soon as this little person arrives, we won't be able to imagine life without him or her. Everything we know is about to change, but I know it's for the better! Baby, we're ready when you are!