Welcome...

Wow! We can't believe in just 3 days Taylor will be 4 months old. Four months! On September 10th it will be one year since we saw a "+" sign on that little stick indicating our lives were about to change. After seeing so many "-" signs we couldn't believe we were actually going to have a baby! But on September 13th we received confirmation that the blood test had come back positive and, indeed, we were pregnant, and yes indeed, our lives were about to change.

Pregnancy...

Well, the pregnancy itself was healthy but rough. Deanna had every symptom to the extreme. She was sick for the first 5 months, REALLY sick with morning sickness that lasted all day and all night, frequent headaches and extreme fatigue, but every doctor's appointment brought nothing but good news. We had 3 ultrasounds, one at 9 weeks, 13 weeks and then 21 weeks. These were amazing moments that made it all so real, especially for John. Deanna had this baby growing inside her, feeling every move for months, but when we saw that little blob on the screen, it was obvious John's heart melted every time. So it was John who decided we should have a 3D ultrasound at 32 weeks. This amazing technology clearly confirmed what we had been told at 21 weeks, that we were blessed with a baby girl.

The Birth

Although the pregnancy was rough, it seemed to go by so fast. At our 37 week appointment we were told Deanna was 2 cm dilated and could go into labor any minute. Within hours, the contractions began. Then, on sunday May 7th, 2006 after 2 days of manageable, infrequent contractions and then 5 hours of intense labor without any drugs, Taylor Riley Graham was born at 12:30AM at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, CA. Weighing just 6lbs, 6oz, it was amazing hous such a tiny creature could have such a huge impact on our lives. It all happened so fast. We were only at the hospital for an hr and a half before she was born. It was quite the whirlwind. And she has caused quite the whirlwind in our world. The first grandchild for Grandpa Mike (John's Dad), the 2nd granddaughter for Grammie and Grandpa Art (Deanna's parents) and the 3rd great grandchild for Grandma and Grandpa King. But in addition to all this, and most importantly to us, she was our first born. Our pride and Joy.

Meet the Family

We quickly became comfortable in our new roles as Mommy and Daddy. The last 4 months have been filled with a few sleepless nights, mostly in the first 2 weeks, countless diaper changes, lots of cuddling, mommy and baby groups and multiple visits with friends and family including weekly visits from Grandpa Graham, a visit from Grammie and Ian in June and then a trip to Canada in July in which Taylor had the pleasure of seeing Orillia, where Deanna grew up. On this trip she met almost everyone that Deanna has ever met...lots of friends and family. We know Taylor especially enjoyed her time with her 6 yr old cousin Arianna who had anxiously awaited her arrival and was SO good with her. On the way back to California we spent a couple of days in Maine with John's Uncle Gib and Aunt Rose who were just as enthralled with baby Taylor as everyone else who crosses her path.

So now, after 4 months, we have decided the best way to keep everyone who loves Taylor all over the world updated on her latest development is to create a blog devoted to her. So, this is it. Check back frequently for updates. They won't be as lengthy as this first one. We just wanted to review and record the events of the last year before moving forward with updates. We'll be posting recent photos so everyone can see the face we are so l,ucky to see everyday...the face that lights up our world and has definitely changed our lives, the face of Taylor Riley Graham.