Emma Jane Gowdy – what a perfect and beautiful name for our sweet angel.

She came into this world on June 2, 2017 at 3:51 AM and shared 102 precious minutes with us before returning to our Heavenly Father.

Everything began on Thursday, June 1, when Scott and I went into for the full anatomy ultrasound at 20 weeks and 6 days.  Emma looked great and was absolutely perfect with a healthy heart, 10 little fingers, 10 little toes, the cutest lips, and the most precious button nose.

One of the last things they wanted to check was the placenta, because the week prior they assumed that I had placenta previa (I started bleeding a lot and that was the conclusion).  The ultrasound tech couldn’t get a good look at the things due to the placement of the placenta, so she had us switch rooms for Dr. Ollerton (my OBGYN) to check things out.

We made our way into another room and the anxiety started to kick in, not knowing what we would find out.  He started to check my cervix and automatically saw that something was wrong.  The look he had as he started to tell us what was going on, was a look of sadness – which I had seen before.  He told us that I was dilated to a 4 and was in pre-term labor.  He made some phone calls and sent us on our way to Utah Valley Hospital in Provo to be admitted into Labor and Delivery and to meet with a Maternal Fetal Specialist.

The car ride down was full of tears, prayers, and hope for what was going to happen the rest of the day.

I got admitted and the nurse began getting us all situated in a Labor and Delivery room.  The nurse then started asking us questions about what we would like during and after the delivery, that left us in a bit of shock because we hadn’t thought we needed to discuss those questions so early on.

After answering the questions we had a little time to call our families before we went to meet with the Maternal Fetal Specialist.  Once we got down to meet with the Maternal Fetal Specialist I had an ultrasound with one of the nurse’s there.  We saw Emma again and everything looked great, until they tried to see the cervix.  The nurse went and talked to the Doctor and soon enough the Doctor came in to talk to us.  He did another ultrasound and everything was great until he looked at the cervix, which led to him giving us three options of what could happen.

We decided that we’d wait everything out until my water broke,  hoping by a slim chance Emma wouldn’t come for two more weeks.  If it were possible to carry her for two more weeks until going into full labor, she would have a higher chance of surviving.  Being 20 weeks and 6 days, we were told that she would not survive if she were born within the next day or two.  Her lungs were not fully developed and even if we could get medical care and steroids/medications to help her lungs develop, it would take about a week until that effectively help.  The hospital also does not have equipment small enough for them to intubate her.  Even if they did have it small enough, the machine wouldn’t be able to gage the size of the baby and could have caused more damage to her lungs.  So, we eventually came to understand that Emma was coming within the next 24 hours.  We went back up to our room in Labor and Delivery to wait for Emma to join us.

It was bitter sweet to know what was going to happen in the end.  Emma was going to join us early and would be with us for anywhere between 5 minutes to one hour.  The nurses that were with us couldn’t have been better.  They were beyond helpful and so great at giving answers to all the questions we had.

By 7:00 that night my mom had flown to Utah from California and was with us in the hospital, along with two of my sisters.  Not long after that, Scott’s brother and brother-in-law were also with us.  With everyone there, we felt so much love and support for our little family and our sweet Emma.

Time continued to pass and my body was going into shock, but not everything was processing with all that was happening.  My body was in labor, but I wasn’t feeling it the way most do when they are full term.  The doctor suggested I start an epidural, which I agreed to.  My water still hadn’t broken, and around 9:00 Scott and I decided that if my water wasn’t broken by 11:00 pm we would have the doctor come in and break the water.  This was a decision we didn’t want to make, but we felt that it was right after the nurse checked and saw that I was fully dilated.  From learning this we knew that Emma was likely in pain and potentially stuck in the birth canal, and we didn’t want to be causing her any pain that we could relieve.

A little after 11:00 the nurse came in and said that our doctor had just gone in to a delivery for another patient.  So, we decided we would wait until he was done with that delivery and then have him come in and break the water and deliver Emma.

I closed my eyes for a little bit to try and get some rest, and soon after I woke up again we got word that the doctor was on his way and we would be having Emma within the next hour.

As soon as the doctor came in, things happened very fast.  Within 5 minutes he broke my water and Emma was born at 3:51 AM.  She was beautiful and absolutely perfect!  We were able to hold her and love her for quite some time.  Scott and I were the first to hold her and we cherished every moment.  Soon after my Mom had her time to hold her, two of my sisters, Scott’s brother and brother-in-law too.  It was so precious and sweet to see everyone’s love for our little Emma.

After 101 minutes (much longer than we expected) Emma’s heart beat one last time.  She never took a breath, as her lungs had not developed by the time she was born.  The fact that she was with us as long as she was is an absolute miracle and we will forever cherish that time we had with her.

We are so grateful for all those that have been there for us through this time in our lives.  We have had so many people watching over us and have felt an outpouring of love and support in more ways than we ever expected.  We love you all and look forward to continually sharing our story with you, because we know that our family will keep growing, with our guardian angel Emma watching over us.

Yes, it is true.  I am Pregnant!  We are going to be Parents!

It is still surreal for both of us, but we are starting to prepare for the the baby (or babies?) to arrive.  It feels like we have so much to do, in such little time.  But, we’re still taking things a day at a time, and enjoying every happy moment of this pregnancy.

I am sure you want to know how we found out and what it was like telling our families, so here is how it all happened.

Monday, February 6, I went in at 8:00 a.m. for my blood work.  It was like every other time I’ve gone in to get the blood work, but there was something that surprised me.  After nurse finished drawing my blood I asked if she could leave a note for my coordinator.  Scott and I decided that this time around it would be better if we heard the news together, so I asked if she could leave a note for the coordinator to leave a voicemail.  The one thing that surprised me after she wrote the note was her saying, “You have to promise me to listen to the whole message, so you can hear all the instructions.”

WHAT?!

Was there something she saw in my blood already, because I remember last time and the nurse didn’t say anything.  So…I happily took this as hey, this is a really good sign.

After that I went on with my day, back to school.  Nothing changed, other than me being so nervous for the voicemail.  I left work at my usual time and came home and watched The Ellen Show.  After being home for about 30 minutes, I ran upstairs for just a minute, and they called!  I waited and waited, then finally the voicemail came through about five minutes after the call.

Then, I just had to wait for Scott to get home.  He has been so busy at work, which is awesome for business, but I was dying for him to get home from work.

Around 7:00 pm, we finally listened to the voicemail.  We made it through the first sentence of the voicemail, then lost it! My coordinator said, “…you are pregnant.”  We laughed, cried, smiled, and hugged for a few minutes.  Then, we decided we should probably listen to the rest of the voicemail.

I was told to continue taking my medications just as I had been.  So that means, I do one shot ever morning, another shot twice a week at night, a progesterone medication every night, and then every morning a Prenatal Vitamin and Baby Asprin.  I’m sure it seems like a lot, and it is, but it’s part of our daily routine now.

I will take medications until about the middle of March and will have two more appointments, a 7 week and 9 week appointment.  Then, I’ll graduate and move onto my regular OBGYN.  It’s hard to believe that everything is moving forward and each week is such a huge accomplishment.

I’ve had to give in and buy a little something.  I saw these JellyCats at Babinski’s and fell in
love, so of course I had to give in.  We decided for good luck we would need to get two, in the hopes that both of the embryos are growing into two cute little babies.

Before we know it, I’m sure we’ll have more updates for you! So let the waiting game continue for more good news!

This time of year is one of my favorite times of year.  Who doesn’t love fall?! The beautiful colors, the cool breeze, wearing warm and cozy sweaters and scarves…the list could go on and on and on.
During the stressful and busy times of life, I like taking the time to think and reflect on a few of my favorite things.

The Alpine Loop in Utah is absolutely beautiful this time of year.  Scott and I took the time during General Conference this last week to drive my sisters up through the Alpine Loop.  I don’t think words can express the beauty up that canyon, so here’s the pictures I got on the drive.

Speaking of General Conference Weekend, I love knowing that there is a living prophet today.  He speaks to us and gives us the guidance and direction we need today.  Thomas S. Monson spoke as well as apostles and other leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  The words spoken we so powerful and gave me such a boost in my spirits.
One of my favorite speakers talked about Joy and how powerful it is.  Joy is incredible and can heal and bless your life and others as well.  I can’t imagine life without joy.  There are so many things like fall, family, friends, school, baking, and more that bring joy into my life each and every day.

Another thing that I love, is loving so close to a place very close to my heart.  Temple Square.  I spent 18 months as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the incredible Temple Square.  Anytime I have a chance to walk around those grounds, I reflect back on those days and remember the sweet people I met and all the incredible experiences I had.

As you may have noticed by now, my life isn’t where I thought it would be.  If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, let me give you a little run down.

Right now I thought life would be rowdy in a different way.  I thought I would be a stay at home mom with one kid, and thoughts of a second kid.  I would have mom friends that I could lean on to help me learn what to do and what not to do.  My days would be a little busier trying to raise a kid with diapers being changed, feeding, teaching, loving, laughing, and keep the house clean.

Currently, my life is pretty rowdy with teaching my wonderful students, supporting Scott, working on my dreams, and serving with the youth in my church.  I am definitely not complaining about my life, because life is still great!

With the way my life has gone now, I’ve been noticing I’ve had a change of perspective of what I want to do and can do with this blog.

From here on out I will continue sharing with you the story of our life, along with a few extra things.
With my love of teaching, I’m going to share ideas and crafts you can do with your little ones.  I will try and focus on crafts that are related to a book, so you can read the book together and then do the craft.  Reading with your children is so important and beneficial for both of you, so I’m hoping to create opportunities for you and your families.

I have such a love for fitness! I enjoy exercising regularly and recognize the benefits of staying physically active in your life. I find different things that help me in a variety of ways, and I look forward to sharing them with you to help you be more happy and confident with your life.

I may or may not have a love for food, especially treats.  Growing up, my mom would always let me help her make treats.  Eventually, I would make the treats on my own for our family and friends.  It has become a stress reliever for me to bake, and we all need to have something to help us relieve a little stress.  Prepare yourself for some awesome recipes to try out on your own!

I find happiness each and every day by keeping balance in my life with the three things I have mentioned: crafts, fitness, and occasional sweet tooth favorites.  This blog is going to be more focused on those three things, and I hope that it can be something that still interests you.  I may not personally know you, but I hope to bring happiness into your life.  So please continue to share with me your hopes, dreams, and ideas.

Let’s change the world together with our confidence and beauty!