Liam Isaac: 2 (and a half) Months!

I realized that it's been a long time since I've updated the good ole blog, so I think it's about time for a new post! :) The main reason I blog is to document our lives. Now that we have Liam, I think this is more important than ever. I know I will love looking back on these posts for years to come and relive our story through these posts.

It seems as though time is flying by at warp speed these days. Our little man is growing more and more each day. I feel like if I blink, he'll be graduating from high school! Haha, I know that is a bit extreme...but I do want to make sure to cherish each and every moment with him, and not forget a thing. Because of this, I have been taking TONS of pictures of him. :) Most of the pictures are on my iPhone, and I share a few each day on instagram (username: tiffanyzajas) as well as Facebook and Twitter.

I do try and pull out the "big" camera and take some more professional photos of him at least once a month. I haven't really shared many of those on here, so I want to make sure to put them up before too much time passes.

Just like I documented the grown of Liam while he was in my belly, I want to make sure I do that now that he's here in person! Below are the three photos of him at 1 week, 1 month, and 2 months. My how he's changed already!

These are the images from his 2 month shoot. He's now 2.5 months, and I feel like he's already grown so much since these photos were taken just a couple weeks ago!

It really amazes me that Liam has blonde hair and blue eyes (for now, at least)! He takes after Jonathan's mom in this way. It's fun to see how he resembles both sides of the family in different ways. I think he's the perfect combination of us both. 

This month Liam found his hand...and he LOVES it! It's too funny to come into his room and hear him sucking on his hand rather loudly. He has also started drooling quite a bit!

The "muscle man" pose seems to be his favorite. Whenever he's not swaddled, this is his favorite way to sleep too. I love it. :)

This past month Liam has started smiling more and more...now he smiles almost all the time! Nothing brightens my day more than looking at this face.

At his 2 month check-up, he was weighing 13lbs 14oz and measured at 24.25 inches long! He's growing at lightning speed, and I don't know if I can keep up! Haha. This week he started fitting into 3-6 month clothing, and I can't believe it. I'm so thankful that our boy is so healthy and is growing well.

Hehe, I just couldn't resist posting this one... :)

In the past month, Liam's personality has really come out more. It's so fun to see him observe and experience the world around him. He holds his head up like a champ, loves to swat at and try to grab his toys, turns his head to look at sounds, and loves to be read and sung to.

I am whole heartedly enjoying motherhood. I never knew how much I would love it! Life can get overwhelming and stressful and confusing, but taking care of our baby calms me and helps me realize what the most important priorities in life are. I find such peace in caring for him, and for that I am so thankful. God is so faithful to give us what we need when we need it. And I couldn't have asked for a greater blessing at a more perfect time.

Liam, you are loved!

Liam's Birth Day!

I can hardly believe that our little man is going to be one month old on Sunday! Time is flying by, and we're loving and soaking in every moment. He has changed our world for the better in so many ways.

I've been wanting to share some from the day he was born, and am just now finding the time to sit down, sort through some pictures, and write out my thoughts from the day.

On Thursday, June 28th, Jonathan and I went in for our 39 week doctor's appointment. Since Liam had been measuring on the larger size, we had another ultrasound to check things and make sure everything was looking good. When we met with our doctor, she recommended that we induce a week early so that we could reduce the chances of having to have a c-section. She said that my body was already progressed to the point where most women come in to the hospital during active labor, so she was confident that I would react to the induction very well. Jonathan and I agreed that would be best, so we scheduled to go in to the hospital at 5:30am the next day.

As we left the doctor's office, the reality started to sink in...we were going to have our baby within the next day! My stomach was full of butterflies, and I couldn't stop smiling. This was so exciting!

We spent the rest of the afternoon running errands and making sure we had everything else we needed for the hospital and to bring Liam home. That evening, we drove to Nashville to pick my mom up from the airport. Her arrival from Maine couldn't have been at a more perfect time! 

When we got home that night, I couldn't stop for one moment. I was running around double checking our bags, straightening up the house, baking cookies for the hospital staff, showering, and making sure everything was as ready as it could be.

Sleep was futile. I think I slept off and on for one, maybe two, hours total. I felt like a little kid on Christmas Eve times 100. The excitement was so hard to contain! Our alarm went off at 4am the next morning, and I was out of bed faster than I ever have been before. :) We quickly got ready, packed up the car, and made it to the hospital to check in by 5:30am.

We got all settled into our hospital room, and the nurses came to hook me up to the monitors and IV. I had already been having contractions throughout the night and early morning, so they started me on a low level of pitocin to help things progress.

This was it...we were going to have our baby that day!!! :)

At 7:30am, Dr. Redden came to check on me and see how everything was going. I was progressing really well, so she went ahead and broke my water. Now it was just a matter of time.

Contractions started getting pretty crazy at that point. They were getting stronger and stronger and closer and closer together. I had been planning on having an epidural all along, but I wanted to wait a little while before getting it.

Honestly, those contractions were very painful...unlike anything I have ever felt before. But Jonathan was right there with me talking me through each one, massaging my shoulders, putting worship music on to help me relax, filling my cup with ice chips, and encouraging me all along the way. He was amazing. And all the pain was bearable because I knew that each wave meant that Liam was closer to being in our arms. It was all worth it.

When the anesthesiologist came in, it was like angels were singing the Hallelujah Chorus! I was relieved, to say the least. Kudos to moms who give birth with zero pain killers...phew! 

The epidural started to kick in, and I was finally able to relax. My doctor came in and encouraged me to try and rest. I really needed my strength for the "marathon" ahead. I took her advice and napped for a while. When I woke up, I felt so much better and refreshed. I was ready to do this!

Although the contractions had never really gone away, I started to feel them again. This time, since I had the epidural, they were more like pressure rather than pain.

All of a sudden, I felt like Liam was going to come right then! I had the sudden urge to push, and just knew that he was going to come soon. We quickly called my nurse and she came in to check everything...and sure enough, it was go time! My doctor came in with the other nurses and they started setting up for delivery. They were all surprised at how rapidly and easily things had progressed. 

Twenty minutes later (with only twelve minutes of active pushing), on June 29th 2012 at 2:32pm, Liam Isaac Zajas was born!

I cannot even begin to describe the joy that was felt in that moment. Holding my son for the first time was absolutely incredible. I couldn't believe that he was finally here!

In just a moment's time, we had gone from a family of two, to a family of three. Our lives were changed forever in the best way possible.

Liam was born weighing 8lbs 5oz and measuring 21 inches long.

Seeing Jonathan hold Liam for the first time is one of my most favorite memories ever. The love I've had for my husband has always been so great that it's hard to imagine loving him more than I already did...but seeing him as a father made that happen. My heart felt like it grew 10x it's normal size. I've always known that he was going to be an amazing dad, but seeing that become reality has been absolutely incredible.

Our entire experience that day was so wonderful. We really couldn't have asked for it to go any better than it did. I am so thankful for Dr. Redden. She is one of the nicest people I've ever met, and was exactly what I needed throughout this entire experience. All of the staff at Williamson Medical Center were amazing. I'm so thankful for each and every one of them who helped take care of us that weekend.

It was such a blessing getting to have my mom there with us. I'm so glad she could share in this experience! She was an incredible help to us the first few days during her stay (she even brought us Dunkin' Donuts every morning while we were in the hospital!) I love her.

As wonderful as our experience at the hospital was, by the time Sunday rolled around, we were ready to head home and start this new chapter in our lives together. It was surreal putting on his own clothes and placing him in his car seat for the first time. It was so cool that we actually got to keep him and bring him home with us! :)

The past few weeks since then have been a whirlwind. It seems like just yesterday that he was born, and here he is 3.5 weeks old already.

Thank you to all the friends and family who have celebrated with us during this time. The visits, cards, gifts, meals, and sweet words have all been such a blessing. We appreciate you all so much!

I hope to continue sharing bits and pieces of our journey with you all along the way. This is fun! :)

Love and blessings,

Tiffany, Jonathan, + Liam

Liam Isaac: 40 Weeks (a.k.a. 1 week)!

LIAM IS HERE!
I still can't believe it! He's finally here. On Friday, June 29th 2012 at 2:32pm we welcomed our son into this world (a week early). It was one of the greatest experiences of our lives.

He is now 11 days old, which is hard to believe. It's already flying by so fast. I have taken many pictures, and have a lot to write about the whole experience...but right now I just want to spend every spare moment with our little mister.

I'll try to post more sometime soon[ish], but until then...here are some photos to hold you over.

Our last photo in this series! And I must say, this is my favorite of them all.

Many thanks to all of our family and friends who have blessed us during this time. We have been overwhelmed with love and generosity from everyone. Thankful to have all of you in our lives!

Our Liam has brought incredible joy into our lives already. Excited for all that God has in store for us and our little family! We are incredibly blessed. God is so good!

Liam Isaac Zajas | June 29th, 2012 2:32pm | 8lbs 5oz 21"

Liam Isaac: 38 Weeks!

We are at 38 weeks now, people (on Friday we'll be at 39)! Only 10 more days until our due date (Friday, July 6th)! Liam is getting closer and closer to being here. It could be any day now, really. That is crazy awesomeness. :)

I suspect that this may just be our last bi-weekly baby bump photo!!! It's been a really fun series to do, and I know I will appreciate getting to look back and see our little man's growth progress while he was still in the belly.

Things have been going well! I've been feeling pretty good for the most part. Still been having days where I have tons and tons of contractions, but it's all good and normal and progressing things along...so for that, I am thankful! It will make actual labor go smoother. Now we just wait patiently for the "real" thing!

We've been having weekly doctor's visits for a few weeks now. I look forward to our doctor's appointments...I love getting updates to see where we're at! A couple weeks ago we had an ultrasound to do a growth scan, and our little mister is measuring a little large! Two weeks ago he was measuring at (give or take a pound) 7lbs 10oz. :) We're having another ultrasound this Thursday to do another growth scan and to check the fluid and all that jazz. I was kind of suspecting that Liam was going to be a little bigger, since Jonathan and I were both big babies...so I'm not really that surprised. He's going to be so perfect, and I can't wait to see his face! Because of his size, they've been doing some extra monitoring at our appointments, and our doctor says that everything is looking "perfect". He's a healthy boy, and for that I am so thankful.

My mom is coming back in town later this week, and I couldn't be more excited! The rest of the family will be coming down the second week in July. I can't wait to have everyone here! I love it when the whole fam can be together.

The last couple of weeks, we have been busy nesting and getting things ready for Liam's arrival! I've been thankful for the bursts of energy that nesting has given me to get things done. It's kind of amazing! Of course, afterwards I usually need a long night's sleep or a nap...but it's been refreshing to not be exhausted constantly and to actually be able to be productive!



I've been posting little sneak peeks on Instagram (username: tiffanyzajas) which seem to have peeked everyone's interest. Liam's room is really coming together. I'd say it's pretty much finished, except for some final details. There's one wall that I'm still working on some artwork for (and it may take a little while)...and the rug for his nursery won't arrive until mid-July. But other than those finishing touches, I'd say we're ready! And yes, we will be posting a nursery tour when everything is done...but you'll have to be patient and wait until we finish those last few things. :) I'd say this room is now our favorite room in the house. In the mornings and at night, Jonathan and I will often just go and sit in there and look around. It's such a pleasant room to be in, and it's fun to imagine that our baby is going to be in there soon!

We're going to have a baby soon! We've been looking forward to this for 9 months now, and now that it's almost time...it's so hard to wrap my mind around the reality of it. We are so excited and can't wait to start this new chapter in our lives!

Thanks for joining us along the way. It's been fun getting to share this journey with you guys.

Love and blessings!

-Tiffany

P.S. If you want to be updated more quickly than my blog posts, be sure to follow us on Instagram - Usernames: tiffanyzajas (me) + zajas (Jonathan) And follow us on Twitter tiffanyzajas (me) + zajas (Jonathan). We'll be posting baby updates on there before we have a chance to post anything on here! :)

Liam Isaac: 36 Weeks!

Friends! We are now at 36 weeks!

It's so hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that our little guy could come at any point now. We have transitioned from counting down the months to counting down the days. This is where we wait and trust that he'll come in God's perfect timing. :)

This past week Jonathan was away at Summer Camp with our Real Life students, and wow, God sure did move in their lives there! I could write a book with all the testimonies they came back with...God is so good! :) And this is just the beginning of what he's going to do! :) Sadly, due to the nature of camp, I was too far along in pregnancy to safely join them. So I stayed at home. Thankfully, I was not alone! :) My amazing mom flew down from Maine to join me for the week. 

Having my mom here was such an incredible blessing! I really don't know what I would have done without her. She helped me with things I've been having difficulty with...such as scrubbing the bathrooms, cleaning the kitchen floor, and buckling my sandals. Haha! And on top of all the help she was, it was really just a joy to get to spend so much quality time together. Since we live so far apart, we don't get that very often, so I always cherish those moments when we do.

This week I've continued to have contractions. Some days, it's only 3-5...but other days it will be closer to 20-30 contractions in an evening. Last Wednesday I was thinking it may actually happen. The contractions were more uncomfortable and even painful...they were getting closer together and longer. They eventually slowed down and stopped, but in the midst of it I was kinda freaking out that Liam might come while Jonathan was at camp (of course, he would have booked it to the hospital and probably made it in time). I was SO thankful that my mom was there with me. I couldn't imagine being all alone during that. God definitely knew what I needed. :)

At last week's appointment, it was encouraging to find out that my body is indeed progressing toward being ready for birth. All of these warm-up contractions haven't been for nothing! :) We're at the point of weekly exams now, which is fun and exciting! We go back again this Thursday for another exam and ultrasound. I'm excited to see our little man's face again (and to find out how much he weighs!) and to also discover if we've progressed more this past week. Exciting stuff!

Another exciting thing that happened this past weekend was our second baby shower! Our amazing Pastor's wife, Kim, planned and put on an incredible shower for us with our Full Life family, and also friends in the Nashville area. I was completely blown away! We were so blessed by all the people who showed up and showered us with love (and gifts!). And it was such a joy that my mom got to be here for it too. It was a joy getting to introduce her to so many of the people we love here. Thank you so much to everyone who helped put together this shower and who came out to celebrate with us. You all are such great blessings in my life.

Now we continue to nest and prepare for our little guy...never knowing when he'll decide to show up, but feeling more and more ready for his arrival. 

I keep wondering which week will be our last weekly update. We'll keep you posted! :) If you want to keep up-to-date with more real-time updates, feel free to follow us on Twitter @tiffanyzajas (me) and @zajas (Jonathan) and Instagram tiffanyzajas (me) and zajas (husband).

Love and appreciate you all!

-Tiffany

Liam Isaac: 34(ish) Weeks!

Hello friends!

I am posting my 34 week update when I am actually now at 35 weeks...oops! The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of awesomeness, so I've fallen a little behind. The 34 week baby bump photo was in fact taken during my 34th week...but it's just taken me this long to get around to posting it.

Here is the updated baby bump...

Liam is getting bigger and bigger, and we are getting more and more excited to meet him! We had our 35 week doctor's appointment yesterday, and our doctor said that everything is looking good for his arrival! He is developed enough that if he decided to come now, they wouldn't do anything to stop him. Of course the preference is for him to grow as much as possible before we meet him face to face, but we'll be thrilled no matter when he decides to make his appearance! This is where I learn to let go of control and just trust God. I know it'll all happen in His perfect timing. :)

Last night was a little eventful around here. While winding down at home for the evening, I started having a couple contractions. At first I didn't think much of it, because I've randomly been having Braxton Hicks contractions for a couple months now. But then I had another one...and another one...and then they started getting longer and closer together...and some of them were quite uncomfortable. This went on for about two hours. And to be honest, I was feeling a little frantic. I was not expecting to go into labor this soon, and I still had things that needed to be done! So in between contractions, I was rushing around the house like a mad woman doing some major "nesting". I quickly finished packing our hospital bag. I threw some laundry in to wash (because I realized I hadn't washed any of Liam's clothes yet!) And I even organized my makeup bag (I have no clue why...haha!) My sweet husband was right there with me the whole time, keeping me hydrated, massaging my back, helping me get things in order, and reassuring me that everything was going to be alright, 

When the contractions were beginning to get to the 5-1-1 stage (where they're 5 minutes apart, at least 1 minute in length, and going on for over an hour) and we were thinking we'd have to make a trip to the hospital soon...they stopped. And I was exhausted, so I fell right to sleep. At 2am I woke up with another contraction, and have continued having them off and on for the rest of the day. They haven't been near as crazy as last night though. They've been more mild in intensity and sporadic in timing. So I've been able to get some rest in the meantime.

While last night was just a warm-up for the big day, it definitely made all of this feel more real! It's hitting me that this could happen at any time. It could be in a few days...or in 6 weeks! So exciting! :)

Because it's been a little longer since my last update, I'll give you a little peek at what I've been up to the past few weeks...

1. I flew up to Maine to be with my family a few weeks ago!

2. While there, I got to celebrate my sister, Alycia, graduating from high school! I cannot believe she's a high school grad now...she's grown up SO fast!

3. We went to some of my favorite places while there. Including the beach!

4. My mom and sisters threw me an amazing baby shower while we were there. I was overwhelmed by all the thoughtfulness that was put into it. Everyone was so kind and generous, and we were blessed with some great gifts! It warmed my heart. :)

5. I missed this guy while I was away in Maine, but loved getting to hang out with him when I returned.

6. We went to 4 graduations and 6 graduation parties this past weekend. It was so much fun! We loved getting to celebrate all of our amazing graduates. To say we're going to miss them when they go off to college is quite the understatement.

7. We had a heat wave here in Tennessee (record highs!)...and our air conditioning decided to go out the same day. We got creative in ways to stay cool, such as hanging out in Panera for a few hours drinking smoothies while getting some work done. Our AC is now back on and I am so thankful!

8. We saw the most incredible (double) rainbow ever. It reminded me of all of God's promises, and how he is always with us. 

All in all, it's been an amazing few weeks...and I can't wait to see what the next few have in store! :)

Love you all!

-Tiffany

Liam Isaac: 32 Weeks!

Friends!

We only have 8 more weeks to go! Less than 2 months! I can hardly believe it!!!

The other weekend, we had our childbirth class and then had the chance to tour the hospital where we'll be delivering. That definitely made everything seem more real, because now I can picture where we'll be giving birth and bringing our little man into the world. The class was very informative, and I now feel more mentally prepared for what is to come.

We're also making progress on the nursery. My amazing husband has put together all of the furniture...and now we just need to decorate and pull everything together. We still have some time, so I'm not worried about it. :)

Okay, here's an updated baby bump picture...

Our little mister is growing! We had a doctor's appointment today and got to see his precious face again...made me so happy! He's now weighing about 4lbs 9oz and is in the 54th percentile. 

Here he is all snuggled up with his umbilical cord in front of his face (that's what you see over his left eye). I am in love with his little nose and pouty lips. :) It's amazing how much we love this boy already!

The doctor said that he is good and healthy. We also found out that our due date is actually July 6th instead of July 8th like we were thinking. Hey, if he gets here a little earlier than expected, I sure won't mind. All that matters to me is that he is healthy! She did say that she expects him to go full term, so we're not expecting him to get here too early. He'll be here before we know it though! :)

I am so excited to be leaving for Maine bright and early in the morning to go and visit my family! My second-to-youngest sister is graduating from high school this weekend (*sniff sniff*), and I am so grateful that I get to be there to celebrate with her. My mom is also throwing me a baby shower with friends and family up there. Our first shower! It'll be fun! :) I am sad to be leaving Jonathan behind...he will be missed greatly!

Well, that's all I have for now! I hope you all are having an amazing week so far.

- Tiffany