Layla Grace Morgan

She's here!!! Our hearts are about to explode with love & joy over the birth of our baby girl. We welcomed Layla Grace into our family on Tuesday morning, January 3, at 7:47 am. She weighed 6lbs 1oz, and was 18 3/4 inches long. Teeny tiny just like her big brother was, and just as we expected she would be.

The day of our scheduled c-section went just as smooth as ever. Danny and I weren't able to sleep a single wink the night before, so although we were extremely tired going into Tuesday, we were just too excited for sleep. We arrived at the hospital at 6am and before I knew it we were all prepped and ready to go. My mom and cousin Elizabeth were there bright and early with us, and were able to come back with us while they were waiting to take me back.


And just a few minutes later...we were looking at our baby girl for the very first time!

Danny went with Layla while they finished up with me in the OR. It was a very long hour in recovery by myself waiting and waiting to get back to them. I hated missing out on her first few hours, and couldn't wait to get her in my arms for the first time.
Thankfully Danny tooks lots of pictures while I was away, to capture many of her firsts! After a few hours, I was taken to my room and after a little waiting and lots of phone calls, they finally brought her to us.
Love at first sight!
And looks exactly like her big brother! It's almost scary. It's like we were looking at newborn Eli dressed in pink clothes, plus a little more hair. I could just eat her up!
There are so many things I love about this first picture of us with our new baby, but the look on my husband's face is my absolute favorite. Talk about being wrapped already! He couldn't wait for me to see her.


Nana & Pop Pop meeting their newest granddaughter for the first time.
Danny and I had about 4 or 5 hours that day of quiet time with our girl. It was nice to have some time to rest and to have that time together with her before introducing her to more family. Later that afternoon my mom, Tom, Elizabeth and Blake came to the hosital with Eli. It was so sweet watching him see his baby sister for the first time. I couldn't stop crying! Partly because I was an emotional mess, and partly because I was in a lot of pain at the time. It was like it all finally clicked in his little head. He was very gentle with her, and a little unsure of what to do with her in the beginning.
Nana showed him her little hands and feet.



Mimi and Papa Tom got lots of good snuggles at the hospital that night.

I wanted to at least document Layla's first day here with us before too much time slipped by. I have about a million pictures to sort through, and lots of sweet memories to share. In the meantime, we're here recovering, adjusting, and loving life as a family of 4...plus Mimi!

Getting Ready

I thought it would be great to start 2012 off with a quick post of recent pictures that will never make it to the blog after baby arrives! My mom and Tom have been here since Thursday afternoon. We've been playing a lot, relaxing even more, and just enjoying this calm before the storm :). It's been nice to have a fun distraction as we wait in anticipation for Tuesday morning. My cousin Elizabeth and her boyfriend Blake arrive tomorrow, and will be here for the birth and to help entertain Eli while we're in the hospital. I'm so thankful for the help, and know that Eli will be in good hands, and having lots of fun while we're away.

This past week Eli's been enjoying all of his new Christmas toys
Thankfully the weather has been nice, which has allowed for lots of truck driving! He seems to have mastered the whole driving thing, and we're no longer crashing into everything in sight.
His obsession with bulldozers is still in full effect.
Daddy packed Eli away in his new duffle bag :)
When Mimi and Papa Tom arrived, we had a few Christmas gifts left to exchange.


Mimi always brings the fun stuff! They've been on many horsey rides in the last few days.
And read MANY new books!

We're hoping to enjoy a fun day on the island tomorrow, and then go out to eat tomorrow night with everyone. I've got a few last minute things to check off my list, and then we're off to the hospital at 6am on Tuesday morning. The next post will include pictures of Layla Grace, and details about her arrival!

Merry Christmas!

We've had such a wonderful Christmas! This is the first Christmas we've spent here in our home since we got married, since Eli was born, etc. It's been so special to start new family traditions, and most importantly, to spend this Christmas celebrating the birth of Christ with Danny's parents and grandparents. My husband has always gone out of his way to help me in whatever way possible, but he has truly given me some of the greatest gifts that money can't buy this Christmas. He has worked like crazy helping me clean, cook, assemble toys, set tables, and everything in between to help make this Christmas so special for us. We hosted Christmas morning breakfast at our house, and we had so much fun preparing for it together. We set the table with our fine china (that we've never even used before!), and cooked up a delicious feast! I know without a doubt, that we will never forget this first Christmas in our house.
Me and my two babies on Christmas Eve! It's hard to believe that Layla will be turning 1 on her first Christmas next year! We had a wonderful service at church last night, followed by my mother-in-law's famous Italian Christmas Eve meal.
Our table set for Christmas morning.
We had so much fun playing Santa last night! This is really the first year that Eli's understood the whole concept of Santa, and he told us as he was coming down the stairs this morning that he heard Santa's sleigh last night. His big Santa present was a train table. He really never saw another thing in the room until we made him take a look around. He was so excited that he had a 'Thomas' table to call his own! His other big gift was a power wheels truck that my grandparents got for him. My grandfather has been absolutely itching to get him this truck since the day he was born! It took him a while to open his other gifts because he was busy playing trains and driving his truck in between :).


Pop Pop played LOTS of trains this morning!

A new bulldozer!
He and Goomba were in construction heaven together.
By the end of the morning, we were joking that we should have gotten a bulldozer for Goomba too!
He LOVED these wooden rescue vehicles that fit his new train set. Thanks Aunt Katie!
Nana and GG were so excited to get their new calendar and photo books! A tradition that I know they absolutely look forward to every year.


Layla's quilt made with lots of love and hours of labor by her Nana! I've been anxiously waiting to see the final product, and I love love love it!
Very full bellies after a Pioneer Woman's French Toast breakfast!
We were able to get a quick group shot before church, and I'm so glad we did!

Eli also got to try out his new ride before we left for church. The look on his face was PRICELESS when he figured out that he could actually drive it! For the first few hours we didn't have the battery plugged in because it was in the house. The secret is out now, and he's sold!
It's going to take some time before he really figures out how to work it. Like the whole 'take your foot off the pedal to avoid running into trees, and people, and parked cars' deal. Yeah, we need to work on that.
He was so proud of his truck just like daddy's!
We all spent the afternoon resting, and then had a wonderful Christmas dinner at Nana & Pop Pop's house. Pop Pop even had a fire going for us! I'm so thankful for the amazing memories made this Christmas. I'm thankful for the greatest gift of all, and we've loved sharing the true meaning of Christmas with Eli. Aside from all of the fun decorations and presents, we made sure to keep our focus on the birth of Christ. It was a wonderful 'Happy Birthday, Jesus' day!

The Nursery

Layla's nursery is as close to being finished as it's going to get for now! I still have a few things that I want to do on the walls, but some of those ideas require pictures of the sweet girl, so those will obviously have to wait. I've always dreamed of having a pink & green nursery for a little girl, and have always loved paisley prints. I absolutely LOVE her bedding, and couldn't be happier with how it all came together.



We have plans to frame this wooden monogram with white decorative trim down the road.
It's girly that's for sure!
Nana came over one day with her sewing machine, and we made a blanket out of the extra fabric I had ordered. My grandma's making a pillow to match, and Nana is even using some of the fabric in the quilt she's making. I love that Layla will have plenty of precious things made with lots of love by her grand & great-grandma's!

As far as the pregnancy goes...we now have a full term baby in the oven! The pressure is on to get things done, and my list making obsession has gotten a bit out of control. It's been hard trying to prepare for Christmas and a new baby at the same time, but thankfully I started really early this year. Unless baby girl decides to throw a wrench in the plans, she's scheduled to arrive early in the morning on January 3. That's less than 2 weeks away! Eli was 10 days early, so we're anxious to see if she'll stay put until 39 weeks. This baby is much lower than Eli ever was. I'm getting looks & comments everywhere I go now. It's like people think you're going to just drop the baby out right then & there!

Her clothes are washed, the bassinet is ready, and the carseat is even installed. Now all we need is for a Mimi to arrive, and we'll be ready to go! I'm so thankful that my mom will be spending an extended amount of time here with us. She'll get here the end of next week, and won't leave until January 20th. There's just something about a new baby and recovering from major surgery that requires a mom's help! Even more so this time around. A certain 2 year old is sure to keep his Mimi busy for the full 3 weeks :). I told her that she'll need a vacation when she leaves this place!

And just for fun...here's the latest belly pic I have. This was at almost 36 weeks.
We appreciate all of the prayers for a healthy baby and delivery.

Crib and Changing Table: Babies R Us.
Custom Bedding and Drapes: Carousel Designs - babybedding.com
Armoire and Lamp: Home Goods
Rug: Target
Wooden Monogram: Southernpropermonograms.com