1 month.

Reyna is 1 month today! 

Its gone by fast and slow. 30 days seems like a lot and she has grown so much but she is still so little. Everyday I remind myself that she will never be this little again :(

 

For a point of reference, Mickey will help us out.

My first Mother's Day.

My first Mother's Day was perfect. Having Reyna in my arms all day was just what I wanted.
I dressed her up in a cute dress, we took pictures together, watched Frozen and took nice naps together.

As I start my motherhood journey, I can't help but think about how great moms are. Especially my mom. With our new arrival, both my moms pitched in to help around the house. I probably would not have asked for it so I am so glad for the offer to help. They did everything from washing windows to washing clothes to making every dessert I could want and freezing my favorite enchiladas.

My mom loves me and I have never doubted it. i hope that Reyna knows my love for her and that it makes her feel secure in life. Secure enough to make the right decisions even when they are unpopular. Secure enough to believe in herself, the way I was able to.  I hope I can have the confidence my mom seemed to have in raising me. She always knew what to say and how to say it. when to laugh and when to be serious. Most of all, I am thankful that I still have my mom to be a friend. Our daily phone calls will never be enough!

Love you mom!

What's in a name.

Reyna Roxane Shanks

I decided on two names pretty early on.
We asked Reyna which she wanted and she chose Reyna.

Reyna is my mother's maiden name. It pays homage to my mother but also her mother (Grandma Reyna), a mother of 12!

Roxane is the name of Neil's mom. We wanted to give a shout out to the ladies who gave us life!

In case you are wondering, the other name was Violet. I have always liked that name so if we ever have another girl, that's what I'm going with. So consider it taken!

Birth Day.

I won't bore (or gross you out) with details but here are a few things I want to remember about Reyna's birthday.

- My water (kinda) broke at 8:05am
- My water really broke in the elevator at the hospital
- Contractions did not start on their own
- We wanted to avoid Pitocin so we walked around the ward for one hour - we got nothing.
- Neil had all the snacks he could ever want
- The medicine ball worked the best for labor pains
- Hospital visitors included: My Mom, dad, Marquie, Coach Rod, Little Joe, Kendall, and Tiffani
- I went till 8 cm dialated and then asked for the Epidural
- He tried to put in the Epidural 3 times
- It worked wonderfully! It definately helped me enjoy the experience
- No one told me if it was a boy or girl for like two minutes!
- We asked Reyna which of two names she preferred and she had a strong dislike for the second choice
- One of my favorite moments was singing "Happy Birthday" to Reyna.

Reyna Roxane Shanks.