Little About Laien...

I have the cutest boy ever! I think he is the most handsome good-looking perfect baby in this whole wide world. Haha! I am sure that is what every mother thinks of her own child. There is no words that can describe the continued love my husband and I have for our precious boy. We are truly blessed to have Laien (pronounced Lyon) be part of our family. But most of all, humbly honored to be trusted by our Heavenly Father to have him be part of our life's journey and through the eternities.

When Ethan and I got married we were so excited to begin our new lives together that we were enjoying every moment of it. We never had the time to really sit down to plan out our future family. It is not that we weren't ready or that we didn't want any children. We were traveling a lot and we were still trying to get settled. And when it comes to this particular topic, I have a secure testimony about families and the plan of salvation that Heavenly Father has provided for us. I am also a true believer of Natural Birth Control Methods. In my own opinion and from the testimony that I have obtained about God's plan, I believe that when the Lord is ready to call on a woman to bring forth a life, there shouldn't be any reasons or excuses in preventing this amazing blessing from happening.

So shortly after Ethan and I got married we found out we were expecting. It was a day I will never forget because it was my sister's birthday, Sept. 18, 2012. I got off work early so I could go to the Women's Clinic to take a pregnancy test. We had taken a couple of tests at home, but I guess I needed a third one just to make sure it was real. I guess I could say I was in great disbelief. Even after the third pregnancy test, I was still kind of shocked. We were very careful and so this was something we weren't expecting at all. There were mixed emotions especially when there are other opinions, beliefs and judgements regarding marriage and pregnancy. Some of these phrases were, "wait at least a year till you have a child", "go get birth controls", and "don't rush". These are just a few of the phrases that caused me to question, doubt and created uncertainty. It took a lot of faith, trust and prayers for me to change my feelings towards everything. After our first appointment I was in great relief. An enormous burden was lifted off my shoulders once I heard Laien's heart beat. I knew then that the Lord sent him to me because He knew I was ready. Even when I didn't think I was capable of caring for this sweet child. All the worries, fear, doubts and opposing feelings were swept away and I was excited and just thrilled to be carrying a life in me that will bring so much happiness.

It was an easy pregnancy! Laien was a good boy and made it a piece of cake for mommy :) I heard that the first trimester is the worst with morning sicknesses, nausea and fatigue. I was the opposite of these symptoms-- I ate whatever I wanted with no problem and never felt sick at all. His first ultra sound was a memorable day. We were able to capture a beautiful picture of him laying down looking right at us. It was the most perfect picture of a perfect baby. I was in tears and fell in love with this lil' baby boy that was meant for Ethan and I to share. He continued to grow each day and we started to feel his movements. He is a wiggler, alright...and still is! He loved laying on my right side and found pleasure in music. When I played music through the ear phones, he would either dance the night away or sleep through it all. His arrival was frightening and nerve racking. After 16 hours of labor, an epidural, a few alarming episodes of loosing his heart rate--a fighter was born through an emergency C-section. With all the anxiety and worry we had, a healthy baby boy that weighed 5 lbs. 14 oz. and was 19 1/2 inches long was born. And nope he wasn't a preemie nor did he have any complications. We were very blessed that everything checked out and he did not need any special treatment.

It has been a great rewarding year for us! It has been so much fun watching Laien grow and develop many wonderful traits. He brightens up our day with his smile, laughs and lively spirit. He has been a fighter since his birth and continues to combat every challenge and struggle he goes through. Seeing this in him gives me great confidence that he will be a courageous and valiant man. We first found out that Laien has severe eczema when he was about six months old. It actually started when he was just four months old. After several visits with numerous doctors they finally distinguished his rashes to be eczema. We have tried all kinds of steroid creams, lotions and ointments out there and none of them has really helped with his flare-ups. At nine months, we finally brought him to see an allergy doctor. The results weren't what we wanted to hear. He was allergic to five foods out of the eight top food allergies. This meant I had to be on a strict diet since I was still nursing or switch to one of the most expensive formula for infants with food allergies. It has been a whirlwind trying to figure what works best for Laien. It is heartbreaking to watch him struggle with the itching, flare-ups, and discomfort that he goes through on a daily basis. But he is a trooper and he continues to fight. I am proud of my baby boy and amazed at how brave he is.

Today, Laien turns one and I am greatly surprised of how time flew by so quickly.  It still feels like it was just yesterday when I first held him in my arms on the hospital bed. He was the most beautiful living creature I have ever held in my life. He has blessed our lives tremendously and continues to teach us the true meaning of life each and everyday. We love him, adore him and proud of the lil' boy he has become. We are excited for many more years with this lil' cutie--- to see him progress and be the man our Father in heaven wants him to be!


~grateful to be Laien's mommy

(stay tuned for the birthday pictures)