Lily Fay Parris ~ 7/3/12

We are so thrilled to announce the birth of our little angel!

Lily Fay Parris

Born July 3, 2012

6:00 pm, 7lbs 9oz, 19.5"



I had hoped to post this earlier, but things have been a little...well...busy! We have absolutely loved having our little girl home with us. She's nursing well, sleeping well, and is so fun! We definitely have our ups-n-downs (as all new parents do), but Lily is doing a good job of training us :)

Lily dropped 8 ounces by Thursday, and is back up to 7lbs 12oz today! Three ounces more than her original birth weight. The doctor joked that we must be feeding her lard, haha.

Our experience at the hospital was perfect. I won't sugarcoat it and say that labor and delivery was "easy," but I can say without hesitation that it was the most amazing experience I have ever had, and was definitely worth it! Here's the short version of our birth story. We have decided to only share the full version with select individuals, as it was a very personal and special experience for us.

From very early in my pregnancy, Todd and I both thought that Lily would come early. So, when my due date came and went, I begant to feel very discouraged. Each day was a challange. Finally, the night before my 41 week appointment, Todd and I decided that it was time to turn it over to the Lord and trust that He knew what He was doing. The next morning, I said a prayer expressing my desire to have this baby naturally without the need for induction, and hoped that my wishes and desires could be taken into account. Within minutes I felt my first contraction! They continued until 1:00, when we went to my doctor appointment. Our doctor said that I was dilated to a 5, and was beginning to leak amniotic fluid. We were sent right over to Labor and Delivery at Ogden Regional Hospital.

We were checked in by 2:30, and my mom arrived around that time as well. Our doctor got there around 3:15 and finished breaking my water. Within minutes my contractions went from 5 minutes apart to 2 minutes apart. Everything went very quickly from that point! After laboring for only 2.5 hours, Lily was born. It was a very intense and speedy process. Our little girl was anxious to come, and she helped move the process along very efficiently.

As many of you know, Todd and I learned and practiced the Hypnobirthing technique for natural childbirth. Although I wasn't able to use it quite like I had hoped, I was able to impliment the breathing techniques. I can honestly say, I don't think I could have done it without those techniques! I was so fortunate to have my sweet husband, my mother, and our Doula (Marie Chase) all there with me.  So, details set aside, giving birth was the most intense, most challenging, most amazing, most awe-inspiring experience that I have ever had.

Thank you to everyone who has offered their love, help, and support to us during this journey. We are so happy to have our little girl here with us, and are enjoying our new life with her.