Bailey's First Year

O MONTHS

1 MONTH

2 MONTHS

3 MONTHS

4 MONTHS

5 MONTHS

6 MONTHS

7 MONTHS

8 MONTHS

9 MONTHS

10 MONTHS

11 MONTHS

12 MONTHS

Pictures from her birthday weekend coming soon!

Eight Months

Wow, I really cannot believe it has been 8 months since Nathan and I became parents! Bailey is such a joy and learns something new every day!

Her smile could brighten any one's day! She is almost crawling and although she doesn't quite get the mechanics of how her knees work, she still gets from A to B by rolling or her personal favorite....a graceful nose dive from the sitting position. I have a feeling this girl is going to be a gutsy toddler some day!

This picture was taken on her 8 month birthday! Such a pretty girl!

She sits up a lot better now and really enjoys having the freedom to play with her toys more independently! She is FINALLY starting to grow some hair although I would still call it nothing more than peach fuzz! Thank goodness for bows!

She still LOVES playing peek-a-boo! Here is a video of Bailey and Nathan playing her current favorite past time (please excuse the poor quality...I took the video with my iPad)...

Bailey just said "Ma-ma" for the first time this last week and it is now her favorite thing to say! Grandma Patten is already trying to get her to move on to "Gra-ma" but it might be awhile for that! She loves looking at her books and giggles at almost everything! 

My Great-Grandma Anita Pedersen got re-married this weekend! Pretty sure that Bailey will be the only little girl in her elementary school someday to say that she attended her Great-Great-Grandma's wedding...

Rachel and her family are back visiting from Virginia this week so my next blog will be full of cousins pictures! After telling Bailey a story about the dragon in the deep dark forest last week over the phone, Riah informed her he was going to teach her how to give hugs and kisses! :)

She's here!

Bailey Elizabeth Fries


August 25, 2011
4:59 AM
8 pounds 5 ounces
19 3/4 inches


8:45 AM - Wednesday, August 24th -
On Wednesday, August 24th, Nathan and I went to my OB check up to find out that I was still 3 cm and 80% efaced (the same as I had been the week before). I had decided on Monday, August 22nd that I wasn't going to go to work anymore so that I could stay home and rest before baby. So after our appointment, Nathan went to work and I went home and waited...I was really nervous that my water would break while I was in the car, sitting on the couch or while I was walking around Walmart. So I decided to just relax at home.

9:00 PM - Wednesday, August 24th -
I was having contractions but wasn't sure if they were real contractions or Braxton Hicks contractions which I had been having for several weeks. But then I started having really sharp pain in my lower back. Nathan had gone to youth group and got home about 9:00PM. We went for a walk around the block and then decided to time out the pain I was having to see if there was a pattern. While I sat on the couch and timed out the pain, Nathan did some last minute packing in our overnight bag.

10:45 PM - Wednesday, August 24th -
There was not a real consistent pattern between contractions so we decided to just go to bed. We laid down and I laid there for 15 minutes and couldn't sleep through the pain I was having in my lower back. So I decided to call my Dr...when I got a hold of her she happened to be on call that night and was already at the hospital because she had 2 other patients in labor. So she said that I should come on up to the hospital and she would check to see if there was any progress. So we packed up the car and checked into the hospital at 11:25PM!

11:25 PM - Wednesday, August 24th -
I wasn't completely convinced that I was in labor for real so I was preparing myself to be sent home...After changing into a gown and getting hooked up to the baby heart monitor and the contraction monitor, my Dr. checked me and I had progressed to 4 cm and 100% efaced. My Dr. looked at me and said that she could break my water and get me going and that I would most likely be having an August 25th baby. I looked at Nathan and gave him a look that said, "I'm not sure if I'm ready for this..." We called my mom and Chelsea because they were going to be in the room when Bailey was born. The Dr. came in after I got my IV and said that she had ordered the epidural if I wanted it, all I had to do was ask. I said I was doing okay and would wait a little bit. Well, after she broke my water the contractions hit my like a freight train....I looked at Nathan and told him I wanted to get things rolling for the epidural...

2:00 AM - Thursday, August 25th -
Chelsea came as they were prepping me for the epidural and my mom came in just as they were finishing. I felt so much better as the epidural took effect! My mom got my sister on the phone and I talked to her for a few minutes. She said it was killing her not being there and that she couldn't sleep she was so excited. Well, little did I know that the reason she wasn't sleeping was being she was just about an hour away from Kearney. She had jumped in the car with Riah and Cliff almost 24 hours prior and started driving to Nebraska from Virginia. Her mother in law met her in St. Louis and drove the second half of the trip with her. She drove my dad's car from Grand Island to Kearney and Riah and Cliff went with her mother in law. So about an hour after I talked to her on the phone, in she walks into my hospital room. I seriously get teary just thinking about it again. I thought I was dreaming when I saw her. Because my blood pressure was being monitored, my tears caused my blood pressure monitor to start beeping but I didn't care! I couldn't believe she had driven so far to be there for my labor and delivery. Obviously, she wasn't planning on cutting it so close. Her plan was to get to Nebraska and be here when I went into labor but I happened to go into labor while she was still travelling. I'm so thankful she left VA when she did!

2:30 AM - Thursday, August 25th -
After my epidural, I had progressed to 7 cm! Nathan, Chelsea, Mom, Rachel and I just kind of relaxed in the room. It still felt so surreal that we were about to meet our baby girl!

3:45 AM - Thursday, August 25th -
My nurse came in and checked me to find out that was 10 cm! I looked at her and said, "What does that mean?" (even though I knew). She said that it was time to start pushing! Hardest thing I think I have ever done in my life! My body was so tired but thankfully I had some awesome coaches! Nathan was behind me and was massaging my head, Rachel and my mom were at my left side and Chelsea on my right. I was getting really tired but then I heard the nurse say she was going to get the Dr...I was so relieved because I knew that meant that it was almost over and our daughter was about to be born!

4:59 AM - Thursday, August 25th -
Finally, after 1 hour and 7 minutes of pushing, Bailey Elizabeth Fries was born...all 8 pounds and 5 ounces of her! When I saw her for the first time, all I could think was, "How in the world did that pile of chubby baby come out of me?" She was beautiful!





Nathan and I couldn't be happier! She is adorable and will be 3 weeks old this week! She left the hospital at 7 pounds 12 ounces and at her check up last week she was 8 pounds 10 ounces! She is well on her way to being a chubby baby! She is a great eater and sleeper except for some minor issues with gas... We love just starring at her and taking in all of her faces and little smiles that randomly pop up!

Rachel and my mom took turns staying with us that first week! It was so great to have someone there to help us when she woke up in the night those first couple nights so that Nathan and I could get some extra rest. Chelsea came for a day and helped me tackle laundry, dishes and cleaning (and snuggles with Bailey of course)!

Riah and Cliff got to meet their little cousin! Riah would look at her and say, "She's just so cute!" Aunt Rachel enjoyed her snuggle time with Bailey since she will not see her again until Christmas...




Kellen, Barrett and Fletcher also got to meet their baby girl cousin! Yes, Bailey has a total of 5 boy cousins with a 6th little boy arriving to Nathan's brother and sister in law in December 2011 when they will welcome a 4th little boy into their family.






Nathan and I are so blessed to have supportive friends and family who have come around us as we begin our journey as parents! We are often overwhelmed with gratitude for all the support, meals and time that people have invested in our lives! We are really looking forward to what God has in store for our family as we raise Bailey :)

The result is in....

IT'S A GIRL!!!!!!



Nathan and I are so excited to announce that we will be having a baby girl in September! WE ARE SO EXCITED! More pictures to come...

Ever Been to a Gender Party?

weheartit.com

Nathan and I got to hear our baby's heart beat last week at our check up! It was so amazing! What a blessing our child is going to be in our lives and we CANNOT WAIT!

Guess what??? Our Dr. is going to check whether we are expecting a boy or a girl next month!!!! We are so excited! Instead of allowing our Dr. to just tell us and then heading over to Facebook to announce to the world BOY or GIRL, we are going to have the Dr. write the gender down and put it in a sealed envelope without telling Nathan or I whether it's a boy or girl. We will then head over to Target or Old Navy and pick out both a boy and girl outfit. I am talking a full outfit which means I will get to pick out either:

THESE

OldNavy.com

or THESE

Also found at OldNavy.com

After purchasing both outfits (& shoes), we will deliver the outfits (along with receipt) and the sealed envelope to a friend. This friend will be sworn to secrecy since she will open the sealed envelope and wrap the appropriate outfit in a neutral gift wrap and return the outfit we won't need!

THEN....a few days later we will gather with whoever wants to join us and Nathan and I will open the present to reveal either a pink or blue outfit. So, we will find out the gender at the same time as anyone else who wants to join us! I guess some people call it a GENDER PARTY! I am pretty excited about it! We are tentatively planning it for either Saturday, April 16th or Sunday, April 17th since our ultrasound is scheduled for Wednesday, April 13th!


weheartit.com
Other news: please pray for us as we are possibly making an offer on a HOUSE here in Kearney soon! We will keep you posted on our progress!

QUESTION: Have any of you been to a gender party before?

Ultrasound Pics

We had our 1st OB doctor's appointment on Valentines Day (I planned it that way on purpose)! Nathan usually gets home about 6:00 PM but he had to get off early so that he could make it back for our appointment! Which means that we were done before 5 and he had no excuse not to take me out for supper :) Actually, I am more of get a pizza and a watch a red box movie kind of girl but for some reason, I was craving me some Chinese cuisine! So we went out for Chinese (YUM) and then got a movie to watch at home! It was a perfect evening! I am thankful to have such a loving husband! Nathan has been so great as I have been processing all the changes going on in my body in the last few weeks!

Baby Fries: 6 WEEKS


Baby Fries: 8 WEEKS


Baby Fries: 10 WEEKS




It was so amazing to see our little one moving around and to hear the fast little heartbeat! THE best Valentines gift EVER! Nathan and I are so excited to be parents and praying that God would really challenge us to grow closer to Him as we prepare in the coming months for the arrival of our first born!

Blueberry!

Fun Facts about Baby Fries: Week 7

Our baby is currently 10,000 times bigger now then it was at conception! It's now about the size of a BLUEBERRY...



Baby Fries' biggest fetal growth this week is his/her head, with new brain cells being generated at the rate of 100 cells per minute.

Arm and leg buds are beginning to sprout and grow longer (and stronger), dividing into hand, arm, and shoulder segments — and leg, knee, and foot segments (can't WAIT to see these during our ultrasound this upcoming Thursday!!!)

The mouth and tongue are developing!!! Can't wait to hear our child's coo's and see his/her little smile!

So far, I, Amanda, have felt pretty good during these first few weeks. Week 6 was when I first started noticing how much more tired I am as well as experiencing some nausea but so far have not thrown up! (fingers crossed) We have an ultrasound scheduled on Thursday and will hopefully post some pics in our next post!

Tons of Love

Nathan and I recently got together with some friends for a pumpkin carving contest!!!!! :) Here is the pumpkin that we carved....





We ended up winning BEST TITLE :) It was so much fun! Nathan and I are truly blessed to have an awesome church family here in Kearney. We are able to meet with 4 other couples almost every Thursday night for a meal and fellowship and it is so encouraging!

Nathan got a wall-hanger this past weekend! He is VERY excited about it.....


I am so proud of him and looking forward to the jerky and deer meat :) We are heading to Lincoln for the HUSKER game this weekend!!!! In just a few weeks we will be starting our ROADTRIP to North Carolina and Virginia for Thanksgiving!!!!!!!!!!! I can't wait....

Estes Park Adventure

Nathan and I recently spent a weekend getaway in Estes Park, Colorado to celebrate our 1st year of marriage :) YAY! We made it! It was such a fun weekend! We stayed at a Bed & Breakfast called Dripping Springs when was perfect: we had two awesome homemade breakfasts, a sleep by number bed, and a HOT TUB (boy was that awesome after our 5 hour hike on Saturday)! We had never been to Estes before so it was fun to explore. We had Italian one night (Nathan's pick) and sushi the other (Amanda's pick)! We saw lots of wildlife......

This little guy was my favorite...just eatin his pine cone like a little corn cob! 

Nathan was very excited to see some very large Elk on the side of the road! 

This is a marmot and this picture was taken right before I (Amanda) ran away because it was definitely ready to attack (Nathan on the other hand was seeing how close he could get to the thing with the video camera) 

We had so much fun hiking and just walking around the different shops in Estes Park! If you would like to see all of our pictures from our weekend check out our Picasa Picture sight by clicking HERE! Hope everyone has an awesome, safe 4th of July weekend! We will be spending time with Nathan's family as my parents are spending the weekend with Eric and his fiance in St. Louis!

Husker victory!

We were able to go to the Husker game against Kansas State this weekend! The student section was packed but we enjoyed the first half there before getting some seats with Jeremy (Nathan's brother) and his girlfriend Alana who were also at the game. It was a great victory as Nebraska took the title of Champions of the North!



We recently posted our wedding announcement in Grand Island Independent this weekend! Click HERE if you would like to read it.

Interestingly enough, we will not be spending our first Thanksgiving together this year....Nathan will going home on Wednesday to start packing for the annual hunting trip down in Auburn, Nebraska at Indian Cave Park. A bunch of guys go (most of them family) down and set up tree stands, hunt, camp, and hopefully bring home lots of deer! Since Eric will not be able to come home until Christmas, my parents and I will be driving down to Alabama on Wednesday to visit Rachel, Holden, and Azariah for the weekend! I am so excited to see Riah since he has grown up so much since I saw him at the wedding! Hopefully our next post will not only have lots of cute pictures of Riah but one of Nathan and a big buck too!

We hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Labor Day weekend!

Nathan and I enjoyed a fun weekend at home for Labor Day! Labor Day also is the day Nathan asked me to marry him last year! :) We traveled home so that we could go to the Bow Shoot at Nathan's uncle's house back in Dannebrog! This is an annual event in which almost all of the Fries men participate as well as family friends. The guys set up targets as well as a string of water balloons and have contests. It was a very relaxing day hanging out with family and friends.

The guys all lined up...

Jeremy Fries, Nathan, Bill Fries, Scott Fries, Jim Fries (Bill's brother), Luke Fries (Nathan's cousin)