Absolutely Adorable Addy

Ron and I feel so lucky that Addy is ours. We love everything about her, from her dimple to her big, blue eyes. She is perfect.

Santa Baby

Here are some fun pictures that we took to remember Addy's first Christmas. She wasn't so sure about the Santa hat at first, but then she decided it would be fun to try and put in her mouth. This is the cutest Santa Claus I've ever seen!

Addy loves Christmas music. We are listening to it most of the time, whether we are in the kitchen or in the car. Sometimes she cries for us to turn it on or to turn it up so she can hear it better. She also loves to stare at the lights on the Christmas tree. We are excited to spend Christmas together as a new little family!

Girly Girl

Addy is just too cute! Especially when her fingernails and toenails are painted bright pink! (I just couldn't resist.) Her hands and feet are so busy when she's awake that we had to wait until she was asleep to capture these. What an angel!

Precious

Addy is so precious! I just couldn't put the camera down during this nap. She brings so much joy into our lives and we can't imagine life without her.

Rub-a-Dub-Dub...Addy in the Tub!

Addy loves bath time (well, most days). She was especially happy when Ron took these fun shots of her. She loves to kick and splash around and listen to bath time songs. She also likes to try to eat the water, washcloth, loofah, or anything else that she can get her hands on. I can't believe how big, strong, and smart she is getting!

Sweet Girl

Addy is such a sweet baby. She loves to be cuddled and sung to. Ron and I adore everything about her.

Sneaking a Snooze

Addy and I love to cuddle and take naps together. Ron caught us sneaking a snooze after a busy Thanksgiving weekend. Whew!

Addy's Light Therapy Treatments

Addy was admitted to Primary Children's Medical Center for jaundice when she was six days old. She received light therapy treatments overnight in a nice, big room where Ron and I could stay with her. She wore funny goggles to protect her eyes and was pretty upset about being naked and poked, so the nurses put sugar water on her binky to help soothe her. Yum! She actually decided that she liked the nice, warm lights after awhile.

Due to the nature of the therapy, we were only allowed to hold and touch her for thirty-minute feedings about every two hours. In between feedings, Ron and I tried to watch movies and sleep. It was so hard. We gazed longingly at our baby all night long.

We were all relieved when the doctor discharged us late the next morning. We came home and crashed. This family is officially tired of hospitals. Thank you to all those who prayed for our little Addy. She is feeling much better!

(Also: Exciting news! Addy now has a belly button! The lights at the hospital baked her little umbilical cord stub right off!)

Bringing Addy Home

Addy is so tiny that it makes her car seat look huge. It feels so good to be home!

She's Here!

Adelyn Lenore Beckstrom was born on November 11, 2008 at 8:06 PM. She weighed 9 pounds, 10 ounces and was 22 inches long. The moment she was put into my arms was definitely the happiest moment of my life. I held her all night long and couldn't stop looking at her.

Addy is a beautiful miracle in our lives that we will treasure forever.

My Pregnant Belly

Pregnancy is such an amazing thing. I get teary-eyed every time I hear Addy's tiny heartbeat at the doctor's office because it is just such a miracle. I love toting my little buddy around with me!

The first time I felt Addy move was while Ron and I were watching Jaws. At one really quiet part of the movie, Ron scared me and I jumped, which also made her jump. It was so funny! She has been very active throughout the pregnancy. She kicks like crazy when I laugh. Sometimes we wonder what she is doing in there.

The last month has been really hard. I have to go to physical therapy multiple times a week because my body releases too much of the hormone that loosens your joints at the end of pregnancy. The physical therapist uses tape to keep them in place. Ouch! Not to mention swollen feet, insomnia, and being too big to drive a car comfortably.

I'm sure it will all be worth it, though. I just want her to be here!

Our Wedding Day

We were married for time and all eternity in the Mt. Timpanogos Temple on October 5, 2007. I'm so lucky to be married to someone as sweet and devoted as Ron! He is so thoughtful and takes such good care of our little family.

Ron did a beautiful job documenting our wedding day. To view our wedding video, visit http://www.uvpvideo.com/custom_demo/. More of his work can be seen at http://www.uvpvideo.com. His website is currently under construction, so keep checking back for updates.

Our Love Story

My first blog entry! How exciting! I can't think of a better place to start than with our love story.

Ron and I met at UVSC, where we both played in band and orchestra. I had my eye on him for quite a while, what with his gorgeous smile and irresistible charm and all. Plus he was tall! Another nice quality, especially for a girl who's 5'10. I thought my friend Emily had a crush on him because she was always talking about him, so I laid low because I didn't want to cause any drama. If Ron asked me how I was or tried to start a conversation, I would politely respond and then leave in a hurry. Poor guy!

Then, in February of 2007, I caught pneumonia and missed a whole week of rehearsals. Emily called me in the middle of the week and told me that Ron had been frantically asking her where I was. During that conversation, I found out that Emily had actually been talking about Ron so much because she was trying to set us up! I felt so silly! I had my suspicions, but I didn't find out until later that he had secretly asked her for my number.

The next evening, my sister Hilary answered the phone and put Ron on hold while she came to get me. The minute I said hello, he hung up! I was worried that I had made him nervous or something. A few minutes later, the phone rang again and it was him. He was out of breath and so cute as he explained that his phone died when he called and that he had run out to his car to plug it in, as he was on break at work. We talked for a little while and then he asked me out for the next evening. I can't even begin to describe how thrilled I was!

Our first date was nothing less than amazing. We went to a play at UVSC called Nurse Nancy Goes to Hawaii. It was a fun story with a lot of twists and surprises, but the best part was talking to Ron during intermission. He was such a gentleman and wrapped me in his coat as we walked out to the car. We picked up a club sandwich and a couple of smoothies from Hogi Yogi and then went up and parked by the temple as we talked and ate. In addition to school, he was working part-time in the cafeteria at Utah Valley Hospital as well as doing some wedding videos on the side. I was also going to school and working at a childcare center. We found out that we had many of the same interests: music, yoga, cooking, spending time with our families, etc. I was so impressed with the way that we could listen and relate to each other. It was just so perfect. We were so comfortable with each other and felt like we could just be ourselves. Neither of us really wanted to go home; it just felt so good to be together.

And things took off from there!