First Time at Church

Finn is officially 5 weeks old and today was his first time at church. As you can see, he got all dressed up for the occasion. We really wanted to take him last week, but with church starting at 8 am, it's easier said than done. He ate right before we got him all dressed, we took a few pictures, managed to get ourselves ready, and we were only a few minutes late! He slept all through Sacrament meeting and if our Ward wasn't so loud, I probably would have done the same!

This has been an interesting week because this little guy went from 4 hours between feedings to about 2 or 3 hours. And every minute in between was basically spent crying and screaming. Fortunately for all of us, my mom was here to help. Can I just say that I am incredibly grateful for my mom and all of her help. Without her help this past week, my dishes would be stacked to the ceiling, I would probably be starving to death, and I'm pretty sure that I would have gone completely insane. Not only that, but she gave me that extra boost of confidence with her words of wisdom when she reminded me that I'm not the only mom who has gone through this and that I will actually miss these days when Finn's too big to be held. I know I'm biased, but I really do have the best mom and I can only hope to be as marvelous as her.

Now that I have probably made her cry, I'll move on by saying that I really do love this little guy. He has started smiling (usually when he's pooping, but hey...it's a smile)! He is too adorable for words and I am having a blast watching him grow every day. I also don't want to neglect to mention my husband. He has been very patient with me when I try to keep sleeping when he's nudging me to go feed the baby and when I go to bed at 8 and leave him in charge of getting Finn to go to sleep after he has worked all day. I think the patience he has learned after dealing with me has prepared him to be a very patient and fantastic dad. So, I guess there really is a reason why I am the way I am...

One Month!

I am amazed at how quickly time flies! My little Finn is already a month old! He is getting very big, mainly because he eats non-stop. He is super sweet and loves to be held. We still aren't getting much sleep, but every now and then he'll let us have a good stretch of sleep. He is finally starting to enjoy bath time as well, which is nice compared to when he would scream the entire time. I am loving spending time with him and hanging out with him all day. He is such a joy to have in our home and we absolutely love him!

On Sunday, we had some friends and family over for a St. Patrick's Day feast. Blake spent the day in the kitchen cooking up corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, Irish soda bread, and cupcakes with green frosting. It was all very delicious! He is quite the chef!

I couldn't resist taking lots of pictures of Finn in his "I am a McCutie" shirt. Also, I can never resist torturing Molly with her traditional St. Patty's Day hat! Enjoy!!

My Two Guys

After Blake's incredibly sweet post, I have to return the love to both him and Finn. Most people wouldn't believe it, but Blake is the sweetest, kindest, most patient, and most adorable dad I have ever seen. He had to teach me how to swaddle this little guy properly and he can rock this baby to sleep in no time at all. He is such a great help in the middle of the night after feedings and he changed every diaper for the first 3 days while I was restricted to my bed. He is just such a natural at all of this and I am so lucky to have a husband like him.

Now, I have to gloat about my little bundle (actually, "big" bundle). He is just the cutest little thing. I have to smile every time that I look at him. When I was in labor, I was thinking that there is NO WAY that I will ever get pregnant again. I was telling myself that people who have more than one kid are stupid because they willingly go through labor after they've already experienced the misery. Then, the minute that I held him in my arms, I was already convinced that it was all worth it and I could absolutely do it again! I am having such a blast taking care of him. Here's just a little list of the things that I already love about him: he smells soooo good, he always rests his head on his little hand when I'm burping him, he has the cutest little nose, he has gigantic feet with super-long toes, his toes flex back when he's eating a good meal, his hair is super, super soft.

I hope you enjoy our pictures. We'll be taking some more soon since he is already changing so much chunkier every day!

This poor little guy had to be under the lights for his jaundice, but his little sunglasses were so cute!

Here is his going home outfit. We were so excited to finally get him all dressed and take him home. The nurses all loved his shirt...he (and Blake) were quite popular with all the ladies. Yikes, it's already starting!

Right when we got home, we introduced Finn and Molly to each other. She's very interested in him and has lovingly accepted him into our home. She's going to be a great big sister.

And just to emphasize the gratitude that Blake already mentioned, I really want to thank our amazing family and friends. Clint, Andrea, and Bronco took such good care of our little Molly while we were in the hospital. Plus, we have already been treated to so many great, delicious meals. Thank you so much to everyone who has been such a help. We love you guys!

The Journey

I just wanted to take a few minutes to thank my wonderful wife and to give everyone the details. It all began on Valentines. We were at Clint and Andrea's house when Liz's water broke. We ran home and got the car that had all of our stuff in it. By the time we left our house Liz's contractions were 5 minutes apart. When we arrived at the hospital she was dilated to a four and moving fast. By 11PM she was at an 8. Our little guy decided he was going to be like his dad and not make anything easy. He was posterior and refused to turn around regardless of what Liz or the nurses would do. Let me say that I am so extremely proud of my wife and the powerful woman she is. She pushed and pushed and pushed for nearly 2 hours with out complaining. At that point because Finnegan wasn't moving and Liz was exhausted the Dr decided it was best to get this baby out by cesarian. Liz wasn't overly excited about this but who can blame her after all of the hard work she had done. They got Liz all prepped and a few minutes later our little guy was here. I am so grateful to Liz for everything she has done for me and our son the past 9 months and especially the last 48 hours. There is truly no way for me to properly say thank you for this little guy. He is absolutely the coolest thing I have ever received, I can't describe the way I felt as I first got to hold him. The way such a little thing can make you feel and make you want to be better in ever way you can. I have always loved Liz very much but over the past few days that love has grown more than I thought it could. She is a great mother already and an amazing wife and woman. I also wanted to say thank you to friends and family who have been there at the drop of a hat to help us with our other baby (Molly). To those of you who thought of us, prayed for us, visited us, brought us gifts and joy, thank you. I am the happiest and luckiest guy on earth. I love you Liz and Finn!

P.S. Liz is recovering extremely fast and Finn is doing well, we should be home soon.

He's Here!

Finnegan Blake Holloway

Born February 15th 4:46am

Weighing 8 pounds 11 ounces and 20.5 inches long

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Liz delivered by cesarean. She did a great job and is doing well.

Blake couldn't be more proud of her and Finn.

Place Your Bets!

The official countdown begins. At this point we have no clue what this kid could come out looking like. Any one familiar with Blake's side of the family knows that some of the siblings have dark hair, Blake was blonde, and Donovan is a full blown red head. Liz's side brings big heads and HUGE babies as well as a mixture of dark hair/dark eyes or blonde hair/blue eyes. We found this site that allows family and friends to make their predictions. Feel free to take a guess. The site scores like golf (the lower the better). Once our little guy is here we will update the official stats and declare a winner! Feel free to pass this along to others who may be interested!

CLICK HERE!

38 Weeks Down, 2 To Go...

I am officially 38 Weeks and this little boy has made a comfy little bed on my bladder. I promise that I'm not complaining because I have had a great pregnancy! Here is a picture of me from the other day. I was modeling my new Target pajamas and Blake decided to take a picture so everyone can see my big belly. I think it's getting smaller as he continues to drop lower and lower...and for those who are wondering, my waist is now 43 inches.

Also, now that we are getting closer to the due date, we have been working very hard at getting the nursery completely ready. Clothes have been washed, folded, and put in the correct drawers (that pretty much sums up what I have done for the nursery). Now, let me tell you and show you what my husband has been doing. Those of you who know Blake know that he is quite particular and very, very picky. A nursery with the basic baby blue or pastel colors would NEVER be good enough for him or his son. I would be perfectly fine with that, so HE took over. He wanted to have a pirate theme, which I think was his excuse to have skulls, black, and gray in his kid's room. However, he really surprised me with his hard work and great ideas. Here is the end result:

These curtains were sewn by HIM.

He found this dresser on Craigslist, painted it black, and added the skulls and crossbones.



The walls (painted exclusively by him) were first painted in a light yellow, then covered with a faux paint to look like a treasure map. To top it off, he ordered this treasure map to tie it all together.



And, finally, the crib...yes, he did the bumper pads himself.

Some may think he's a little on the "metro" side, but I think he's already an awesome dad. Plus, he's a great husband because he did this all himself. And, I will always remember how hilarious it was to see him sitting in front of my sewing machine with the measuring tape draped over his shoulders as he created this nursery a little bit at a time. I love you, Cakies!!