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 :)

Very Thankful: NC & VA Road Trip

Greetings! I can't believe that the Christmas season is already upon us! Here is a quick overview of what we have been up to since our last post!

November 6-7
-Trip to Vedauwoo, WY with some high schoolers and middle schoolers from our youth group! We were able to enjoy God's beautiful creation by exploring some boulder formations! It was awesome!



Do you see the whale?

November 13th-14th

One of my best friends, Dani, flew in from California for the Husker game! Although she is a USC fan at heart, I believe that the Huskers are a very close second!! :)


November 19th

Nathan and I left Grand Island, NE bright and early to begin the longest road trip we had ever attempted during our 1 1/2 years of marriage.... :) We made it all the way to Clarksville, TN in time to grab a hotel room so we could watch the Husker game! We got on our way the next morning and made it to Nathan's aunt and uncle's house in Huntersville, NC by 3:30PM! We were able to spend Sunday night, Monday and Tuesday afternoon with Brian, Jen, Dylan & Brooke! On Monday, Nathan and I went to the NASCAR Hall of Fame with Jen in Charlotte, NC! It was pretty cool!





Nathan's UNL internship was where the foam SAFER barriers for all NASCAR tracks originated! He was very excited to see the display!



After spending a few days with the Carey family, we drove just about 3 hours to Holden and Rachel's house in Radford, VA which is near Roanoke, VA! We spent Tuesday night, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday morning with them! We had not yet met little Cliff Hudson so it was so wonderful to finally hold and kiss him! Riah is now 2 years old, so he was talking a mile a minute! Dad and Mom drove in from Nebraska on Wednesday night and Eric and Carley came on Thursday afternoon! We enjoyed our first Thanksgiving ever OUTSIDE! Thanksgiving afternoon was sunny and gorgeous!









We had a VERY good time just hanging out as a family and look forward to Holden, Rachel, Riah & Cliff as well as Eric & Carley travelling home for Christmas in a few weeks! Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Two years ago...

Labor Day two years ago, Nathan picked me up at the Omaha, NE airport from a trip to see my friend Dani in California. On the way back to Lincoln, he suggested we take a walk through Mahoney State Park. I was all for it because we had driven by the park many times but never stopped. So we drove in and walked down on this deck by the water. It was about 9:30PM and the moonlight was reflecting off the water. :) We were talking about our weekend away from each other and then all of the sudden, Nathan takes both of my hands in his hands and starts saying my whole name, "Amanda Marie Patten..." As he is saying my name, he starts getting down on one knee and grabbing for something in his pocket. He proceeded to say something about how much he loved me and wanted to spend of the rest of his life with me (I would love to recall the direct quote but I was a bit overwhelmed at the time) and then asked me if I would marry him and become his wife!!!!!! Of course, I started squealing and smiling and jumped into his arms. He then showed me the beautiful ring he had chosen for me and I was floored! It was so beautiful and I was so excited to be marrying a man of God who loved & respected me!

Yes, two years ago on Labor Day, Nathan asked me to be his wife. I am so blessed to be married to such an amazing, humble, Godly man. I can't believe that we have already been married for over a year! It goes by so fast!

August has been a fun month! As you know from our previous post, we added a nephew to our family! Cliff Hudson Barry was born early on August 13th!



Riah is a very proud big brother and turned 2 a day before Cliff was born! Cliff was also born on Holden's birthday!



We attended our first Fries Family Reunion as a married couple so that was fun! It is a every 3-5 year reunion so alot of family travels to Nebraska for the weekend! Most of the guys went golfing while the girls hung out and went to the pool! It's nice because my best friend since sophomore year in high school Chelsea also happens to be Nathan's first cousin....so I got to hang out with Nathan's family and my best friend :)

Nathan & I really enjoying helping with our church's youth group each Wednesday night! To kick off the school year, we had a MINUTE TO WIN IT game night! Here is a picture of the kids trying to get Oreo cookies from their forehead to their mouth using only their facial muscles....no hands.



We are currently studying the book of Revelation with them and they are really stepping up and digging into the Word! We really need to be praying for all teenagers....they are facing so much every day in their schools. Many teens, even if they attend a youth group, may not have parents who challenge them spiritually. That is hard for me to believe since I had such encouraging parents...

Labor Day weekend, I was able to travel to Kansas City with Chelsea and pick up Dani from California on the airport on the way! We had an awesome girls weekend hanging out, shopping, and laying out by the pool! Nathan was able to go to the first Husker game in Lincoln with his best friend Zane. He also did some four-wheeling with his family in Halsey, NE.

I LOVE the changing of seasons! The days are getting cooler and I am so ready to pull my UGG boots out of the closet! :) Hope everyone is enjoying the change of season as well!

NEW NEPHEW

Cliff Hudson Barry

August 13, 2010

4 pounds 15 ounces

18 inches long

Nathan & I have a new nephew! Rachel was induced on Thursday, August 12th and early Friday morning after her water broke, little Cliff's heart rate dropped. As they were prepping for an emergency c-section, Rachel was losing a lot of blood. After getting Cliff out safely, it took two hours for Rachel's doctor to get her torn uterus stitched up. She lots two units of blood and had to receive a blood transfusion the next day. Despite all the complications that led to Cliff early arrival, he was perfectly fine....just small! His lungs are great and besides the possibility of jaundice, he should go home with Rachel on Tuesday, August 17th! My mom and dad are both in Virginia for the next couple weeks! Unfortunately, Nathan & I will not get to meet him in person until we travel out for Thanksgiving! But hopefully we will Skype with him before then :) Azariah is a proud big brother......can you tell?

Patten Family minus Nathan & I

This and That

Wow! Nathan & I have had quite a summer....check it out!

4th OF JULY WEEKEND

After our Estes Park Adventure at the end of June, we headed home for the 4th of July! Since my parents met up with Eric & Carley in St. Louis, Nathan and I spent time with his family. His brother Jeremy came home from Lincoln for the weekend and brought his boat. So we headed out to the lake with Jeremy, Nathan's parents Bill & Shelly, and Nathan's older brother Scott & his family! We spent the day tubing, water skiing, and wakeboarding! After grilling some burgers, we took the boat out on the water for fireworks. The local fire department put on a great show!

Amanda & Fletcher (1 1/2)

Nathan & Barrett (3)

JULY10th WEEKEND

We traveled to Lansing, Michigan for Nathan's Uncle Doug's wedding to a wonderful woman named Kara! They had an awesome wedding in a chapel on Michigan State campus. After the ceremony, the reception was held AT the Michigan State Stadium! It was awesome! Doug even surprised Kara (HUGE Michigan State fan & alumni) by inviting Sparty the Spartan to the party (Michigan State's mascot)! All of Nathan's aunts from Nebraska drove up for the wedding as well as his aunt from North Carolina so all the immediate cousins were together for the event!

The Bride with Sparty the Spartan

Aunt Jen (from NC), Kara, & most of Girl Cousins

JULY OREGON TRAIL DAYS: Scottsbluff, NE

Nathan & I travelled to Gering, NE (about 4 hours from Kearney) to visit our good friends Levi & Ashlee! Levi is one of Nathan's best friends who stood as one of his best men in our wedding. Two months after we got married, Nathan was able to stand up as one of Levi's best men when he and Ashlee got married in August 2009! Levi and Ashlee recently had an adorable baby girl name Jovee (honeymoon baby)! By the end of the weekend I am afraid to say that I had caught a bad case of baby fever...

How can you say no to that adorable little angel?

WEEKEND of JULY 24th

Since most of the Nathan's family & friends in Nebraska did not get the attend Uncle Doug's wedding in Michigan, we had a Nebraska reception in St. Paul, NE! It was so much fun! We did alot of polka-dancing!

LAST WEEKEND of JULY

Nathan & I have the privilege to help with our church's high school youth group on Wednesday nights! This last weekend we were able to meet up with all of the other youth group leaders for food & fellowship. On Saturday morning we had a planning/brainstorming meeting about the upcoming school year and how we can be the most relevant to our teens! Our mission statement is:

Helping students and their families MEET, LOVE, & FOLLOW Jesus

We are really excited about the upcoming school year and the opportunity the Lord has given us to speak TRUTH into the lives of the next generation!

WHAT'S NEXT???

This next weekend (August 6-8) we have TWO family reunions. Thankfully one is in Boelus, NE and the other is in Cairo, NE (about 10 miles away from Boelus). So we will flip flop back and forth and be able to see both sides of the family! Hope all of you are enjoying your summer :)

Summer here we come...

Nathan....

• is really enjoying his job designing conveying systems! He has about a 40 minute drive to and from work each day but enjoys it!
• was able to spend a "man" weekend with his uncles & cousins over Memorial Day weekend fishing, turkey hunting, and golfing
• plays softball for our church’s men’s softball team on Tuesday nights this summer
• subs for the Dannebrog men’s town team softball with his dad, brother, cousins, and uncles (pretty much half the team has the last name Fries)

Amanda....

• is LOVING her job at Collage Center (this is the new name for the pregnancy center she is working for)
• ran the Lincoln, NE Half Marathon at the end of April in 2 hrs 30 minutes!!!

• just got back from a week at Royal Family Kids Camp last week! Her heart was touched to see the God move in the hearts of Nebraska foster children
• is trying to line up her final two college classes so that she can officially get her diploma
• flew out to California with bestie Chelsea to see bestie Dani 

Nathan & Amanda....

• took our nephews to see How to Train Your Dragon
• finally feel settled into our two bedroom apartment as we recently scored a couch & love seat combo for $100 :)
• are having interesting conversations about whether our next laptop should be APPLE (Amanda) or DELL (Nathan)
• LOVE THEIR NEW 2010 TOYOTA CAMRY!!!!!
• Sub for a coed softball team on Thursday nights every couple of weeks
• Enjoy pasta and fellowship with other couples from our church on Thursday nights for life group
• Both lead life groups for the high school guys & gals for the youth group at our church

We are really enjoying summer! We have some great travel opportunities coming up soon:

• June 25-27: Driving to a Bed & Breakfast in Estes Park, CO for our 1 YEAR!
• July 4th Weekend: Possbily heading down to Wichita, KS to visit family!
• July 10th Weekend: Heading to Michigan for Nathan’s Uncle Doug’s wedding!
• Another weekend in July: Driving up to Scottsbluff, NE to visit Levi (Nathan’s best man) and his wife as they recently had a beautiful baby girl named Jovee!
• July 30th Weekend: Youth Group Leadership weekend Retreat

We have a very busy summer coming up but we are so excited to see how God will continue to grow us closer together as we reach one year of marriage already! What a great year it has been! We are blessed to have our dream jobs at such a young age! I will try to stay more on top of our blog and update about our travels throughout this summer ☺

Here are some pictures from a wedding we recently went to at the end of May:

It was a beautiful outdoor wedding that happened to fall on the first day of 100% humidity in Nebraska...

This happened after I said, "Babe, let's take a picture..."

"Okay, a nice one this time...." haha

Finally!!!!