life as mrs. smith/ mother of two

6 month update!

2011-09-09T10:46:00.000-07:00

So... what has happend in the last 6 months you ask? A LOT!!!!

But here are just a few pics to get caught up! :)

Joel had his 1st birthday in april

We moved to vegas

on july 22nd at 6:25pm we had our little girl, Arlie Nicole! the birth went great! only lasted 5 hours compared to 14 with joel. it was a different mind set going into it the second time, but still great non the less!

we went to california to see my grandpa and uncle julian when she was one week old! here we are eating at our favorite restaurant in vista called the yellow deli :)

one of her 12 day old photos

then at 2 weeks old we went to colorado. here is a 4 generation picture

i have to say, girls are so much fun! i love playing with all her bows!

here is her nursery!

and we started potty training joel at 15 months. we have good luck when he wakes up in the morning and from his nap, but the rest of the time its just a hit or miss. but he has done great all things considered, and he is good to tell us "paa-ee" everytime after he wets his training undies. in due time :)

and here are just a few more pics of my sweet kids!

can you believe arlie is already a month and a half?! she is growing so so fast! we are having so much fun though! i truly couldnt be happier! life with 2 kids is great! i was a little nervous how i would manage with 2 small babies, but with all the help i had in the beginning from my mom and sister, and then being home alone with the kids finding my routine has made it all jive just right! of course sometimes are a bit hectic if both kids are crying, but you just care for one, and then the other, and all is calm and peaceful again! and a few things to look forward to, in december we are going to a caribbean island called turks and caicos for 10 days! and i am soooo excited for it! and then for xmas plans, we hope to go to my grandpas to meet all of the family there that hasnt been together for more than 12 years! and a quick update of what joel is doing lately... he can do animal noises for elephant, sheep, dog, cat, snake, bee, donkey, cow, bear, tiger, lion, bunny etc... fire truck, motorcycle, and we have thought him just a few basic sign language words and he can sign please, thank you, more, airplane, potty, and he covers his eyes during the blessing now which we love! he talks a lot, but mostly in gibberish. he can walk down all the stairs in our house without holding on, and he has 15 teeth now out of 20. he is constantly growing and learning and i am just so proud of him! and arlie is cooing more and smiling more also! she weighed 8 lbs 14 oz at birth, at one month she weighed 12 lbs 1 oz and now she weighs 13 lbs and 14.5 oz! and grew 2 inches in that first month! my how fast it goes!!!! they are both just so fun! i feel so fulfilled with my life right now, and wanna thank my God for all the blessings and grace he has bestowed upon us!

joel almost 11 months, and me 20 weeks along

2011-03-08T20:48:00.000-08:00

well its been about 4 months since my last post. we have been staying busy and all is well. joel is almost 11 months old which doesn't seem near as crazy as next month turning 1!!!!! having his birthday... that blows my mind to think about. seems like yesterday was his actual birth-day! which i have been thinking about more and more now that i get farther along with #2! i am 20 weeks today, the halfway mark! about 4 1/2 months. i have been blessed again with no morning sickness, and have enjoyed every day! it has gone by really fast already, and to think in a few months we get to relive the whole labor to birth to sweetest baby in my arms all over again! i get so excited thinking about it! i am actually excited for labor! not the pain of course, but the process and the end results of Lord willing a healthy new baby to join our happy little family! when i was pregnant with joel, we both expected boy. half the fun to us in not knowing the sex of the baby. and up until a couple weeks ago we didn't have a feeling one way or the other. and when people asked if i was eager to get a girl, i said not really. i already know boy, boys seem pretty easy so far, and i have all the boy clothes. but as of late, we both have a hunch that it is a girl. out of instinct, or whatever you wanna call it, i naturally called joel a boy al throughout, and now i catch myself saying 'she is moving', 'garret wanna feel your daughter?' so its fun and we would be so happy with a girl. and boy. no biggie either way to us! but she, i mean the baby has been kicking up a storm! i got to feel her, i mean it, move a few weeks earlier than i did with the first. and like last time, i got really big really fast, so i am already getting the "IS IT TWINS?" which i hate hearing, because if you have ever seen anybody with twins..you would know. i am really short, and its my second time around, and it wasn't that long ago that my belly stretched out, so odds are for me and my body type i am gonna carry it all out front! so anyway, we are very happy and looking forward to meeting this new little one and teaching joel all about being a good big brother! he has been such a joy to us! getting smarter and stronger every day! his progress in the last 4 months is of course he started crawling, like right after he learned how to use his knees to stand up by the couch. and then he started standing up all by himself. he still says dada and mama and hi and today he said ball. but he mostly likes to point at things and let me do the talking. and he loves to play catch with daddy. joel will sit at the top of the steps while daddy throws balls up to him, and joel will fetch them all and throw them all back down! and oh yes, joel finally mastered how to come back down the stairs! he learned really fast how to go up them, and after a few harmless but scary tumbles down he figured out how to come backwards! you can tell he thinks he is real big, and of course loves it when we cheer him on. and of course he goes through stages of everything, like lately he will every once in a while not want to eat. i thought it was me feeding him that bothered him, but sometimes he just doesn't want anything. but luckily he gets distracted and entertained some way that i can sneak some bites, or as many as possible of all the goodness he needs, fruit, meat, veggies, cheese, crackers. and of course he always wants to eat what is on our plates! talk about the biggest mooch i have ever seen! :) and joel and i still attend our baby play dates just about every thursday at 3 with a few of the moms and kids his age from our birthing classes. we have a lot of fun there, taking turns hosting every week. its sweet to watch the kids all grow together but at all different but similar paces! but anyway, thats about all i can think about for now, or all i have energy to type! hope everyone is doing great out there in the blogger world! xoxo

7 months and expecting #2

2010-11-30T08:19:00.000-08:00

so this has been a fun month! joel is getting big and he is getting fast! he has been crawling, but its more of an army crawl. he hasn't really figured out how to stay on his hands and knees, but that doesn't slow him down. he is everywhere, getting to everything, and i love it! some moms just complain how hard it is and how they miss the stage where they weren't mobile. but we love it! its fun, and it keeps us on our toes. thats what parenthood is. also, the past couple weeks, joel has been starting to lift himself up on things and stand. that has just blown my mind. to look over at my baby standing by himself, makes him not look a baby anymore! its fun and scary how fast he is growing up! and not... we have one more one the way! we couldn't be more excited! we were trying i guess you could say. we want them close together. some people think we are crazy, but oh well. we are happy. i'm sure i will be really busy and a bit overwhelmed at times, but i know it can be done! they will be about 15 months apart. to think of joel as a big brother just makes me so anxious and proud. i have felt good so far. i guess i am 6 weeks along, and due the end of july. around the 26th. seems far away, but as fast as my last pregnancy went, and as fast as joel is growing, i know it will be here soon enough. i had suspected i was pregnant a week or so before thanksgiving considering i was a few days late. so i thought if i was i could surprise garret along with the rest of my family over thanksgiving break. so i took a test after garret went to work on friday morning. and i didn't want to get my hopes up, and didn't really think i could be pregnant because it is just crazy to think about, so right after i took the test i went into the kitchen and kinda forgot about the test for like 10 minutes. but went back in expecting a negative, and what do i see? a bright bold positive. i still was in shock. but got started on a letter written by joel to my family announcing that he would be a big brother. and thanksgiving night, after all my family was together, we celebrated our christmas and i had garret read aloud the letter to my family. it was a good surprise and a great way to end our thanksgiving day! slowly i am remembering what pregnancy was like. however it will be more real to us all when i start to look pregnant again. but anyway, we are very happy and hope you all are enjoying the holidays!

5 and 6 months

2010-10-16T19:50:00.001-07:00

so needless to say, i have been slacking on blogging. i havent made the effort to post new pics often enough, but here i am, for an update for the past couple months. for joesl 5th month we spent a week and a half in oklahoma! went to see aunt sarah and grandma! it was so fun! but daddy says we cant ever leave for longer than a week again! <3 in joels 5th month, he started to sit up, roll more and more and more! and just a few days ago, my baby turned 6 months. i cant believe it! where does time go? but we have enjoyed every second, and he becomes more fun and more sweet, and happier, and the list goes on! we feel so blessed to be joels parents! the last couple of weeks, joel has gotten stronger and more determined to crawl, but isnt there just yet. but he scoots, and army crawls! we are looking forward to when he can, even though everyone says we will wonder why we were so eager for it to happen. oh well. anyways, hope everyone out there in blogger world is doing good! we couldnt be happier! <3

4 months and counting

2010-08-23T12:46:00.001-07:00

FINALLY!!!!
i got all my favorite pictures up from the last couple months! its so hard when you get behind, but i did it, and hopefully i can keep up! joel is getting so big! and we are reaching the next big mile stone! TEETHING! the first day was the hardest so far! fever and runny nose! but he is a lot better, and it comes and goes at this point! we sold our boat and both got bikes! a cheaper hobby! garret got a 250 dirt bike, and i got a 100 enduro! that is the latest with us! sorry i have been so out of the blog loop! facebook is just so much easier for some reason! well take care all!

3 months

2010-08-23T09:38:00.000-07:00

2010-08-14T09:35:00.000-07:00

eating out for nathan's 31st b-day!

mama on her motorcycle

grandma berger's... 4 generations

sarah and i made mama a scrap book for her 50th b-day! this is one of the old family pics out of millions

sarah, mama, and me

2010-08-13T18:35:00.000-07:00

spent the 4th of july in breckenridge

the whole gang

my good friend kaselyn

more family

joel sleeping with grandma

2010-08-13T18:21:00.000-07:00

stud

daddy helping with bath time

Joel's first time to Colorado

happy boy

my brother ian enjoying being a new uncle!

2 months

2010-08-13T13:10:00.000-07:00

laundry day

sleeping on the boat

love my little man

the brothers and the kids

church picnic

2 year anniversary

2010-06-16T14:26:00.000-07:00

eating at Corinos

i love my family

our new boat

love bein out on the lake

garret wrote me a sweet sweet letter and put it with a rose for me to open out on the water

week 9

2010-06-16T14:17:00.000-07:00

my sis in-law and i nursing in unison

smith family visiting from vegas

me and joel

he is a happy boy

joel and cousin brynley at the restaurant

2 months

2010-06-16T14:07:00.000-07:00

gettin strong

he loves his play mat

gettin kinda chunky... love his sweats

big boy

havin fun with daddy

week 8

2010-06-16T13:45:00.000-07:00

sleepy boy

my world

strutin the overalls

his huge belly

one of his church outfits

week 7

2010-06-16T13:40:00.000-07:00

sunday bests

got his wind coat on, gettin ready for his first time on the baot

memorial weekend

my family came to see us

my mom, myself, and jacquelyn

week 6

2010-06-16T13:33:00.001-07:00

love him in B&W

big smiles

he put his hands this way

cute pants

sportin his beanie

week 5

2010-06-16T13:23:00.000-07:00

a favorite, cant stop kissing those cheeks

bath time

love naked babies

proud mama

daddy's pride and joy

joel rolls over... 1 month

2010-05-16T12:40:00.000-07:00

the first month

2010-05-14T14:32:00.000-07:00

me, joanne and summer

joel and cousin brynley

say cheese

so things have been great! joel is growing and growing! he gets sweeter and cuter every day! garret and i are well adjusted and never want to stop looking at our little boy! this week i started back at the gym! it feels great, but a little weird! my work outs use to be my thing, and coming back after a month i felt a little out of my element! but its going great, and im going at my own pace! last weekend my best friend and her mom came up from colorado! and in a few weeks guess who is coming back....GRANDMA! still cant believe she left, so im not surprised at all she is already making another trip out! she misses her grandbaby so much! she said, " i want at leave 5 pictures every day" hah! and not only my mom, but my aunt ruth, and 2 cousins from oklahoma are coming! i cant wait!!!! well hope you are all doing fine! till next time

loving our little boy

2010-05-03T13:09:00.000-07:00

the tree garret planted for us 2 days after joel was born

dinner after church last sunday

can never kiss them enough

our happy little family

joel's new cousin brynley, only 16 days apart

so it has been a while since i last posted! life has been so busy, and i love every second of it! joel is growing and changing every day! and so am i... i was sad to see my mom and sister go, but life as the 3 of us has been wonderful! scary and a tiny bit hard at first, but fun and new all the same! to start off, our little boy is the best baby in the world! and i can say it over and over! he is so content, and so patient with us learning what he needs! but its pretty simple with the basics being, hungry, dirty diaper, and BOUNCE ME! he loves to eat, is really good at filling is cloth diapers, which i love by the way! very easy, and comforting to know right after i change him and he blows another load, that i don't lose money! just adds to the laundry which is never ending anyways! so nothing so far that we don't like about it! and bouncing, and rocking... anything that involves a lot of movement! i guess it makes sense cause i worked out doing step class all through my pregnancy! the days go by pretty fast! its hard to get all the things done that i would like to get done in one day! but i'm learning how to deal with that! that was hard on my mind the first couple weeks! having the house a mess, and so much i wanted to get done, but its getting so much better! we got our routine down, so my days are happy! it seems like i'm feeding him all day long, but it doesn't bother me! my sores healed up, thanks be to God, and the latching on is good now! so its almost painless! he eats about every 2 hours for about 20 minutes! and in between nursing i manage to get some laundry done, or the dishes, or some thank you cards out, or giving joel a bath, or getting the bed made! haha, that was a comment garret made the other day, he came home from work and said jokingly... honey... you didn't make the bed! and i knew he was kidding, but i started crying cause i hate not being able to stay on top of things like i use to! haha...he felt so bad that it made me cry, but it wasn't him, just my emotions and change! i got the book Love You Forever from my aunt, and i was balling reading it, so i know my emotions kick in sometimes! but not too big of a deal! there is so much joy i have felt! i love just looking at joel! his skin is so pretty, and his hair, and his eyes! the list goes on and on! both garret and i are so blessed and so thankful for such a good and pretty baby! i only have to get up with him once or twice in the night! we let him sleep with us! everyone has something to say about it! but i'm getting use to that too! we like him to be close to us, he, and we sleep better! and he get old so fast, i want to cherish every second with him! there are still things i want to do in the nursery, but thats kind of at the end of my list of things to get done! anyways... taking joel out has been fun and easy! i don't go too many places, or go out that often, but when we have, we really enjoy it! church, groceries, last minute shopping for things we need. i feel really good! i know i need to still take it easy, but i think i am! well anyway, baby is waking up, so i better get goin! another shout out to how many prayers the Lord has answered, and for holding my hand through this all! i am so happy, and my heart keeps growing every day!

Baby Joel

2010-04-21T11:04:00.000-07:00

Well it's taken me longer than i thought it would to post this blog. Joel will already be a week old tonight! sorry i didn't post sooner! but anyone with a new baby will understand why! i just love spending time staring into my little boy's eyes, and my computer is one of the last things on my mind. however i was eager to post pics on facebook, and now to tell my birth story. it most likely would have been more detailed if i had written it the day after it took place, but lucky for you that didn't happen. so it all started just perfectly! mama had been here 2 weeks, and my sister sarah had arrived tuesday morning. just hours later i lost my mucus plug. i had been praying that God would allow the timing to be good, because i didn't want sarah to be gone from her husband too long and still no sign of baby coming. so God did that for me! then that tuesday we went and got pedicures at the mall! i had been wanting to do that as a last minute pampering! we had fun! then wednesday morning i woke up around 8 and noticed some small contractions, but i didn't think much of them knowing early labor can last days! so sarah and my friend/neighbor and i went to the gym. my mom had woke up in the night thinking she should go into a fast, so she stayed home! and its a good thing too, because it all picked up pretty fast! we were at the gym doing my normal step class and i found myself counting the contractions lasting 30 seconds each and having several right after another. i didn't want to make a scene in front of the class, so i tried to keep going. but they were getting stronger and all i could think about was if this baby comes today i want a shower and i need to save my energy. so i got up the courage and told the gals its time to go. the whole class knew something was up... but none of them made too big of a deal of it. they were just excited and told me to call them and that they would be remembering me! it was sweet. so anyway, we get home, and i take a shower and start to time them. they were 6 minutes apart and lasting 30-24 seconds long. they just felt like really bad menstrual cramps like i had been told! i called garret and let him know, but not to make a big deal out of it yet. but if he needed to, to be ready to come home early. so he got busy getting everything he could done for the next couple days to take off. i laid down for a nap, and got to sleep ok for an hour or so. i couldn't really sleep through the contractions, but i could sleep between them, and just resting was all i wanted to do anyway. when i got up mama, sarah, and i just sat around on the couches listening to gospel music! i don't know if i would have put my gospel music in, but i'm so happy they helped me have it! i had made a list of several early labor projects i wanted to do, but none of them sounded fun for me! games or staying busy didn't appeal to me in the least like i thought they would. just focusing and drawing our minds in to the Lord was the perfect start to the birth day! garret got home about 5 like always, and the contractions had sped up to about 4 minutes apart. and just as he was walking in the door i think i went into harder labor. just minutes with him home i threw up a couple times and things really started to progress. my emotions during the day started out really excited and thankful that this day was already here! a quick 9 months in my opinion. sure at the end i started wanting it more and becoming more eager, but it all just came and left so quickly. when the pain increased, my feelings just kind of went from excited to maybe a little unsure of things. i didn't feel scared, and i wasn't in any way thinking negatively, but i definitely started to question a lot of things. like am i really ready for this? will i ever want to go through this again? how much longer will i have to go? but i would then remind myself, God will deliver me, and this is what we both wanted, and after this i will have a baby in my arms Lord willing and the pain will soon be forgotten. around 9 o-clock, i got in the warm bath. i had been around 3 minutes apart lasting 45 seconds to about a minute long. the tub helped speed things up and i started having them 2 minutes apart lasting about a minute and a half. mama had mentioned to me that maybe i should start pushing, and so i did, but the first few times i pushed i was thinking it might be too soon. and i really didn't want to wear myself out if we had all night and more to go. but shortly after, it started to feel good to push. but i wasn't that comfortable in the tub. so i got out and walked around for a while. i went downstairs for a change of scenery and was pushing through a contraction leaning against the birth ball and i felt and heard my water break, it was 9:20. my water breaking was like a small water balloon popping. we went back upstairs and i got back in the tub thinking it would help speed things up again and i really started to bear down. i was unsure if it was time to be pushing so hard, and i was so worried about my breathing! as most of us know when pushing, you have to breath long deep breaths out, and take a tiny inhale. as with a big breath in and out doesn't help the head down the birth canal. so i was trying so hard to focus on my breathing, but it was kind of psyching me out! i felt like i wasn't doing good enough. i reached down and felt to see if anything was going on down there, and to my surprise i could start to feel the bulge of my baby's head. at that point i felt like everything was going to be ok, that the end was near, and that the pain would soon be over! that my wanting and thinking i couldn't or didn't want to go any longer would vanish away, and i knew that God was holding my hand and walking with me through it all. i felt sure of things, and comforted and relieved and really motivated to give it my all. garret was right by my side this whole time. we were practicing our tools we learned like the labor dance, and the double hip squeeze, and he would rub my back and hold my hand and he was right there with me through every second. mama and sarah were at a perfect distance. praying for me and checking on me, but giving me the space i needed. and sarah had been occasionally filming us like i had asked. i wanted to capture this great miracle on video so i would never forgot God's mercy and the moment i would lay eyes on my newborn. so as i was bearing down with everything i had in the tub, i still wasn't finding a comfortable position, so i got out again, and went and squatted down beside my bed holding on to the wooden bed frame at about 9:45. i thought i had given it all i had, but every time i just kept getting more and more to give! when you think your done and spent, God just grants you a little extra to keep going. garret was behind me telling me how good i was doing, and that he could feel and see the bulge as well and i just had a little longer to go. i don't know what i would have done without him being there for me and helping me go one step further each time. mama was just to the side of garret and she was trying to look to see how things were going on down there. and sarah was behind them and my 2 dogs were also in the room. my girl dog jane was a little scared of the commotion and was hiding on the other side of the bed, but my boy dog duke was real close checking on how things were going. it didn't bother me at all. it was my world, my environment, my room, my family, my animals, my everything! everything was just how i wanted it! i was comfortable and i felt safe and i felt peace. and i also felt a lot of pressure and a lot of eagerness to just be done with this all! so i just kept bearing down harder and harder and just in the nick of time sarah got the video camera on because the baby's head just shot out! it didn't crown, i didn't tear, the head just was right there! i could feel it of course, but in my mind i was thinking so hard on how so many say this was the most intense and worst part of labor was "the ring of fire." when the biggest area of the baby's head is out. but mine honestly was so fast i didn't really feel this ring of fire! it all hurt! my whole body hurt! so then... the shoulders! took a few seconds longer than i thought it would, only because watching other birth videos after the head was out, the rest of the body just shot out... and mine, i think still did, but that pause in between felt longer. i let out a huge grunt and sigh of relief! finally it was over. only 14 hours long from start to finish. Joel Mitchel Smith was born at 10:07 8 lbs 10 oz 20 inches long!. looking back it was such a fast delivery, and i'm so thankful for that. however that last hour of labor seemed like several hours. but anyway, now the baby is out and i already feel such a joy with it just being over! and then i see my baby! Daddy got to catch him and cut his cord! that is how i wanted it and garret did so good! and he is so proud its unreal!!! garret saw it was a boy but was just waiting for the cry. seconds later a couple coughs and then the sweetest baby cry our ears have ever heard! then sarah, mama, and the new daddy all yelled out ITS A BOY!!! i knew it was, i just had that feeling. they handed me my son while i'm still squatting down and there are no words for how that felt. i could try my best to describe it, but it wouldn't come close to how much joy and disbelief and love i felt! no mother could ever say there is no such thing as love at first sight! because there totally is! i loved him for 9 months, but when i got to hold him in my arms and know that i worked so hard and by the grace of God have a son!!! it truly was awesome! then, what i thought was only seconds, happened to be like 5 minutes later, i was getting ready to get up onto the bed and felt a small urge to push and out comes the after birth! i was so surprised, but not as surprised as everyone else in the room. they weren't even ready for it haha. i was over a bunch of pads, but i was just pouring out with bloods and fluids! i literally thought someone left a sink running, i even asked, is that me?...and it sure was. just a waterfall draining out! only a couple spots got on the carpet, but with my super handy dandy husband, he got the stain out in no time! finally i got in bed and rested while i watched the new grandma and daddy put on joel's first outfit and weigh him and measure him! of course after i had my much needed skin on skin with my new child! his slippery white little body never could look any sweeter! or so i thought! to my surprise he gets more beautiful and pretty every day and with it my love grows deeper and deeper! i had to get up to go to the bathroom and the first couple times i did, i passed out. mama and garret were holding me so they just carried me back to bed. and the other time i passed out on the toilette. i have only passed out one other time and it was from my menstrual cramps, but i was laying in bed at that point so the aftermath of it all was totally different. but i would see everything start to get really bright and i would hear a ringing sound in my ears. then the next thing i knew i had garret and mama saying my name and things slowly came into focus. ha, it was weird, but i felt safe still and very well taken care of. i got to lay in bed with my newly swaddled baby! so warm and sweet! and smelt so good without even having a bath, just a quick wipe down. i never felt more relaxed and at peace! that first night mama took joel with her so garret and i could get our rest. that was much needed. and we had a good first day. i had a good amount of company, and didn't get to sleep much that day, so i was wiped out by that night. and it was so hot in my room. and i sweat so much through labor and trying to breast feed. so by mistake we slept with our window opened and with a combination of things, i got a fever the second day! that was pretty miserable! i felt worse that day than before, and i felt so weak and tired and burning up and freezing all at once, and on top of that had company and a new baby i wanted to spend every second with. but i needed more rest. but with lots of prayer my fever broke that night and day 3 was great! i got to shower and that made me feel like a whole new person! also my milk came in that morning. it was gradual, so that surprised me from other stories i had heard. we got a couple good feedings in that day. my strength grew more each day! garret did the sweetest thing for me that day as well. he said he was gonna go outside and do some yard work, and i was kinda surprised that he didn't stay with me all day, but i just shrugged it off. and a couple hours later, i kept thinking why in the world this yard work was taking so long, he comes upstairs and tells me to look outside. i'm thinking, i have seen your weed eating jobs before! i'm sure you did fine! but to my surprise, a beautiful blossom tree stood out my window! we had been talking for a long time about putting a tree there, and just never got around to it. and in mine and my son's honor garret planted this tree pretty much by himself! my heart just melted and i wanted to cry i was so happy! i will never forget how it made me feel, and now we can always remember it was planted right after the birth of our firstborn! day 4 i got to come downstairs and that also was a big deal! change of view and i didn't feel so trapped and tired of being in bed. my days are starting to already run together now, but its already day 7. i cant believe his first week has gone this fast. he has had several baths, we got his hand and foot prints, he has been eating good, and just so much to be thankful for. as far as pain and healing go, i feel great! each day i got better and better. it really did take it out of me though! after the baby came i thought all the pain was over, but thats not really true! every time i would breastfeed baby doll i would get contractions... ugh, i thought they were gone! but that has gone away now! but... the whole breastfeeding thing in general.... tough! i really was shocked how hard it has been. first with the milk coming in, pretty painful when fully engorged! but most of all, the latching on! ...so so painful! it gets easier every day, but man has it been hard! i have these sores that reopen every time little man latches on. and it would be easy if he latched on first try and stayed on, but no! he has to get fussy and frustrated and try a few times and each time it hurts worse and worse! its pretty crazy! but the joy once he is on, and the satisfaction and comfort he gets from it outweighs it all! God has just granted me so much grace and strength! and i can only look forward to when it won't hurt at all. but till then, i can manage, and the little guy loves to eat! he has been such a perfect baby! he calms down pretty fast and just has the sweetest nature already to him! and he is already so strong! the night he was born he was already lifting up his own head! and his little arms and legs are strong! but of course me being the mom will always think he is the best at everything. this has been a great experience and i don't want to go without thanking the Lord. i couldn't have done it without Him. each day i see more beauty and more blessings and He is so quick to answer my many prayers! i'm thankful for all the help we have had! its such a blessing to have my family, and the brothern for comfort! this saturday is the baby shower! i can't wait! i want everyone to get to see and hold my baby! it brings so much joy when others think your baby is precious! and i think monday or tuesday mama and sarah will head home! i wanna cry thinking about them leaving. our family of was 5 going to family of 3, but at the same time i know i will really get to be a mom and joel and i will grow together on our own during the day. and our family of 3 will just need each other! that will be nice! well, hope i didn't leave out too much! its been a good but busy week! thank you again for all your prayers! thanks be to God for our little miracle! i love you joel

my 40th week!

2010-04-09T10:35:00.000-07:00

well... my last week already! could be today, could be another month if im 3 weeks late. everyone keeps asking me, how much longer? i know its sweet, but it does get old! time is still going at a good pace for me! yesterday was actually the first day i felt really prepared and ready for the baby. i dont need it to be today, but im finally at the point where im really ok if it is today! we have everything i think we will need, and we feel ready for the Lord's will. it is easier said than done though! we will see how much i really want it to be here when things get hard! but i dont want to focus on the hard parts! i want to embrace the good and focus on the end results! try to stay spiritual and close to God through it all! i think after this post i will start the first load of baby's laundry. i wanted to save that chore for an early labor project, but thought just in case i have the baby faster than i anticipate i will still have some clean clothes ready! we have our scale, measuring stick, string for the cord, new bottle of olive oil, cloth diapers, breastfeeding bras, pads, and ointment...and anything else im missing. garret and i feel confident in how to lean on each other and what tools and techniques we can use during labor! my sister plans on coming up maybe after this weekend unless i start feeling pains. and i have had a lot of comfort from those that have prayed for me. i know many are praying in their closets for me, but those who have got down and laid hands on me have really comforted me! it makes me realize how close it is and how much i will really need to trust in the Lord! i know i will be busy after the baby comes, and my sister in law jen is right behind me! but we will try to get out baby shower invites to everyone! i hope to have it a couple weeks after or so, just depending on how i feel. nothing new this last week for me, i still feel good and my work outs are going great! its nice to have my mom here! she is such a help and comfort to me! here are some pics of easter, and then some pics from our confident birth classes! keep me in your prayers! love you all

How your baby's growing at 40 weeks:
It's hard to say for sure how big your baby will be, but the average newborn weighs about 7 1/2 pounds (a small pumpkin) and is about 20 inches long. His skull bones are not yet fused, which allows them to overlap a bit if it's a snug fit through the birth canal during labor. This so-called "molding" is the reason your baby's noggin may look a little conehead-ish after birth. Rest assured — it's normal and temporary.

39 weeks

2010-04-03T12:03:00.000-07:00

wow... am i already this far! every week i am amazed how fast it has gone by! i look back at my pictures of my pregnancy and i just cant believe its almost here! and thursday my mom got here, and that makes me so happy! it makes it feel more real, but at the same hand i almost feel like it cant be real. if i really just sit back and think about it, its like im playing house and its not real... haha! like im still a little girl pretending to be a little house wife and soon to be mother. and i doubt i can really know or understand or believe it until baby doll is in my arms! so thats kinda funny to think about! as of the last week, i have been getting more of the braxton hix, and i have more than usual discharge, and as of the last few days my nipples have been more sensitive and i have been getting a lot of what feel just like menstrual cramps. and from what i read thats a sign on early labor, but that could last for several days! so to think its happening right now is silly, but it does make it more real that its getting close! and garret said i was moaning and saying ouch in my sleep last night, so who knows what level of labor i would be close to! haha, but its just one day closer every day! so anyway, please keep me in your prayers and i will be in touch with anything new or exciting! much love

How your baby's growing at 39:
Your baby's waiting to greet the world! He continues to build a layer of fat to help control his body temperature after birth, but it's likely he already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, a mini watermelon. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) The outer layers of his skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.

38 weeks

2010-03-26T12:09:00.001-07:00

well its almost here! could be today, or if im late could be another month! its too crazy for me to think about that im so close! garret and i have a list of things to do before baby comes. there are only a few things on there, but we need to book it if we are gonna get them done! and my mom will be here thursday, so i cant wait for her arrival! i remember when i found out i was pregnant, i was trying to think of what it would be like right before the baby came! spring was mostly on my mind! and its right around the corner! our sprinklers are on, and our grass is slowly but surely starting to turn green! i have never been more excited for spring! things are normal! baby gets the hiccups a lot! thats fun! and cause there is not so much room anymore for he or she to move around, the kicks are stronger and my belly moves around all they time! i will miss that, but im so much more eager to have the lil one in my arms instead! my braxton hicks are getting stronger and lasting longer! so thats exciting! but they are still just braxton hicks! im looking forward to the real contractions! as funny as that sounds! but its true! and im really excited for all the early labor projects i have planned! we will see how many of them i get to do! things i have in mind; making a collage, washing the baby's laundry, cleaning and organizing things around the house, playing cards and board games, maybe doing a belly cast or doing yard/garden work.....so much that sounds fun to keep my mind off the contractions! the following pics i posted are obviously of before being pregnant, and then 40 weeks! i think its so awesome and such a miracle how God created our bodies! too cool... well hope everyone is doing good! till next week!

How your baby is growing: 38 weeks
Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb. Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

37 weeks! FULL TERM

2010-03-19T12:57:00.000-07:00

wow. i cant believe it is so close! it could happen any day now, or still be weeks away! i try not to think too much about it being now. but its kinda hard not too! i dont feel that different, but just knowing im full term sounds so weird and makes me wonder, what if, every day! im not in any hurry by any means tough! my mom wont be here till the 1st! but thats right around the corner! they baby keeps growing and getting bigger inside me, and i dont seem to be growing at all now! im happy, but its weird! harder kicks to the ribs, and stronger punches to my bladder and cervix! that is never any fun, but it is sweet knowing that the baby is strong and active! here are a couple pics of garret and i in our confident birthing classes! we are doing wall squats to try to breath and cope thought the pain, and then garret is massaging me afterwards! he is such a sweet husband! i feel so blesses to have him! soon enough i will be blogging about life as a mother! we are so excited!

Your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is three weeks away. If you go into labor now, his lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. (Some babies need a bit more time, though. So if you're planning to have a repeat c-section, for example, your practitioner will schedule it for no earlier than 39 weeks unless there's a medical reason to intervene earlier.) Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

36 weeks

2010-03-13T17:25:00.000-08:00

wow! only a month left! that seems too weird to me! everyone says the last little bit takes forever! but overall it has gone by so fast to me! but in a good way! we have had just the right amount of time to get our nursery as much ready as we can prior to our baby shower! we put up some frames and shelves on the wall, and got everything put exactly where we think it will be for now! we put the bassinet in our bedroom, and the swing downstairs in the living room! i was reading that its best to prepare your animals before the baby comes with all the new toys, furniture, and rules that would be set! we have been pushovers when it comes to our dogs! we have let them on the bed and couches! not the most convenient when we have company over that are not dog lovers, or have pet allergies! but non the less, this worked for us! considering we dont have a ton of friends, haha! but now is the time if any, that we can buckle down on them! its hard on me because i love to cuddle with my pets! they are so affectionate and loving and this month will be hard having to tell them NO all the time! but i understand they wont be number one once i lay eyes on my own flesh and blood baby doll! so i got the dogs a bed from costo that we love! only $19! they love it so far! they dont like that they cant be with us on the bed or couches, but they are learning really fast, and we are trying our best to show them just as much love coming down to their floor level! hopefully by the time baby comes they will have it down so we wont have to spend as much time teaching, because i know we will have our hands full! i dont know if i can brake my cat of these things though! he is pretty stubborn, but he doesnt really ever get on the couch cushions, and only lays on the bed sometimes, but doesnt ever really like to be by anyone! so we will see how he does with the baby! he loves to go outside so i can always just put him out there if he is bothering me! anyways! everything else is good! im excited for my mom to be here in just a couple weeks! hope you all are enjoying your weekend!

How your baby's growing at 36 weeks:
Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.
At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

35 weeks

2010-03-08T09:32:00.001-08:00

well not too much new this last week! finally back to the norm of things after our trip! i got all my pictures and home videos edited! thats always so much fun to me! and im just getting the hang of imovie 09 and the features! i love it! and i know the more i do it the better i can get! i wouldnt say that im getting that much bigger, but i can really tell that the baby is getting bigger! kicks are harder, ribs are more sore, harder to sit up out of bed! the list goes on and on! but its all enjoyable! and im getting so excited, but trying to tell myself it could be a couple more months till i have the baby so im not sitting at the clock waiting for the big day! my mom will be here in a few weeks! that seems kinda weird! i know its just right around the corner! i have been having more and more baby dreams! mostly about going into labor and then after the baby is here....the actual delivery never seems to come up, mainly cause i think i have no idea what to expect! but non the less, its nice dreaming about my little one! all the what ifs on who it will look more like and everything! but yea, thats my weekly update! nothing too special! hope you all have a great week!

How your baby's growing at 35 weeks:
Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

baby's first video

2010-03-03T16:32:00.000-08:00

34 weeks

2010-03-02T13:07:00.000-08:00

well we are getting closer, and i am getting more excited! we have had a great week! last tuesday we started our first confident birthing class! we loved it! i wish i could remember everything we learned and post it, but all those who would want or need to know the awesome info should just take the class! but we are looking forward to our second class tonight! wednesday we left for our cali/vegas trip! we had a blast! the driving wasnt as bad as i thought it would be! we split the hours, but garret did drive more! he does so good! we only pulled over to sleep for a couple hours and surprisingly slept really well! we left caldwell about 4pm and got to my grandpas about 9am! freshened up and had a nice day with the family. we went out to lunch in carlsbad right by the beach and then walked on and played on the beach! my sister took some pretty cute pics of the belly! friday sarah and garret went surfing, and mama and i had fun watching! i got a new pair of tennis shoes and we just relaxed and visited the rest of the day! and we played a board game to end the fun day. we left sat morning about 6am and got to vegas about 11! i slept most of the way! we had a fun day being with garrets family just visiting and catching up on things. not to mention the food was wonderful! sunday we had church which was very enjoyable, and continued to just visit and laugh! garret and i got in the hot tub, not too hot, for a while, and that was really nice and relaxing! and then the family all played a game and the night came to an end! we left monday morning about noon our time and got home about 11pm. it was a longer trip, but sharing the hours helped and pulling over every couple hours to walk around helped a lot! we are happy to be home, and we missed our pets! it was such a great trip! im catching up on housework today, and got my pictures and videos downloaded! now i just need to post them! baby is doing great!!!! moving all the time! we got a little clip on video of the doll kicking! its pretty cute! i have felt a lot of high coughs. most days are great! but some days or moments are getting pretty uncomfortable making me more anxious for the baby to be out of my tummy and in my arms! but 6 weeks im sure will go by fast! well here are some pics of the trip! hope you all have a great week!

How your baby's growing at 34 weeks:
Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

33 weeks

2010-02-22T18:19:00.000-08:00

well i have had a stressful past few weeks doing a ton of research on camcorders and mac upgrades! but im not in the mood to tell all now! im finally just at the point where i can relax and enjoy the moment! but short story, i upgraded from tiger to snow leopard! and i love the results! im about to install ilife and then i will be done! we purchased a video camera this weekend from best buy! its a sony handycam sx40! so far so good! i was so worried about finding one compatible with imovie 09, but turns out there are so many available! the man at the store even uploaded the footage on their mac to show me! so soon enough i will find out how it works! tonight im looking forward to bachelor! i hope jake chooses tinley! and tomorrow is my sisters 26th bday! and we have our first birthing class! i am so looking forward to it! and wednesday i pack and we leave for Cali and Vegas to see my gpa, ma, and sis, and then garrets fam! it will be nice to get away for a few days and not have to worry about any computer or camera things! hopefully! pregnancy is going good! i hear so much "oh my, your huge, are you having twins?" and then so much of "your so little, you are finally starting to look pregnant!" truth is im sick of all of it! why say anything? do you not think i know who i look? does it really matter if im big or little! ahhhh.... but it is sweet that people notice and i get that its a conversation starter! but i can sure say that i will never comment on any other prego i see on how she is growing! i will just say she is the perfect size and beautiful!!!! heartburn has got a little better, im more aware of it now, and can catch it early if im lucky drinking milk, having some yogurt, or sucking on some candy or gum! i finally get now too how women have complained about the baby being in their ribs! i never did get that, i couldnt picture a baby being rough with the ribs.... but know i now! not that its like i thought it would be or understood it to be, but i can really understand now cause my baby just hangs out behind the ribs...and that alone is so uncomfortable! but i keep saying only 7 weeks left, and that will be over before i know it! well i hope you all have a great week! keep us in your prayers on our trip!

How your baby's growing at 33 weeks:
This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

32 weeks

2010-02-15T11:50:00.000-08:00

well the past week has been really good! for starters we sold our boat! its really a bitter sweet! we bought it for a great price, and had a ton of fun with it! we were so sad to let it go, but we knew it was the right thing to do to help out with times ahead! we paid of what was left of our credit card, and that could never feel better! i hate credit cards and hope to never use them, but they are nice in the rare times you need them! and now we have a little more in the savings, and feel good about the video camera we are looking to buy soon, along with the new computer updates i have to get for my macbook. thats a long story! but it has all worked out great, and things feel good! and... i got a new juicer as well! i had been using a hand me down from my brother, that we loved, but it was older and kinda a pain! so after months and months of searching craigslist, we found the one we wanted for a good price! we made our green juice that consists of cucumber, spinach, parsley, ginger root, beat, carrots, celery, apple, and lemon! sounds kinda weird, but it is so good, and so good for you! and the more we drink it, the more our bodies crave it and love it! so i am very happy with my new juicer!!! also, we got a new dog fence kennel! our black girl dog Jane, we found out, can jump out 6 foot fence!!!! she has got out a few times, and luckily has stayed near home and either waited for us to come home, or our neighbors know her and put her back in the fence! so we are thankful nothing happened to her! but we are going on our trip in about a week and need the peace of mind that she wont try to get out! so garret had some people that work for them build us a nice chain link kennel for them to stay in! it will be really nice to have, and we got a great deal on it too! on saturday we took the dogs to the river for a few hours and had a blast! its so fun to watch the dogs run around free and play in the water! and i got to watch garret try to build a bridge across the water which was hilarious! and for the evening we had dinner over at kim and tony's! along with a few other couples! the food was great, and we had a good visit! for valentines day, we started off with church at nampa, and then tried the new theater that serves food, for lunch! it was pretty good. get what you pay for though. $3 each for movie, we saw New Moon. we liked it, but the food was kinda high and not that great, but still alot of fun and a pretty cheap date! we came home and rested up, and did some more research on what video camera will work best for us, and then went to dinner at perkins just up the road. garret worked there for like 3 days a few years ago and said their food was pretty good! he ordered breakfast for dinner, and i had a chicken and bacon sandwich. it was pretty good and fun to be out! we dont go out very much so yesterday was nice! and then we had our neighbors over and had chocolate fondue with strawberries, bananas, grapes, apples, and oranges! followed up with games and watching the olympics! we had a great weekend! and my pregnancy is still goin good! work outs are still good, im taking it easy. i have started to notice the past couple weeks im getting more fatigued and need a nap most days! also i have had heart burn a lot worse the past couple weeks. of course over eating dosnt help, and the fact that the baby is growing more, and im not growing that much is putting a good amount of pressure on my stomach and everything else in there! its the worst at night, but sucking on candy or chewing gum helps! well thats about it for this last weeks update! hope you all had a great V-day!

How your baby's growing at 32 weeks:
By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

31 weeks

2010-02-06T08:37:00.000-08:00

well not too much new this week! i finally decided how i would like to do my baby shower! i want to wait till after the baby is here and do an open house baby shower! that way we will know boy or girl and i can get more one on one time with friends that come! not to mention they will all get to see and hold baby! im really excited about it! so we will see how it goes. also, i found some cheap cloth diapers! i have been looking for some time now and there are soo many kinds out there. but my favorite are all in ones! they are so much better than they use to be! they have pretty cute ones that snap instead of having to use pins like our parents did! also, they have water proof material so no need for the plastic covers! but of course the ones i love best are like $20 each...that adds up! but i found some like them that a lady had bought for $18 each, and she sold them to me for about $5 each. she had twins and that was way too much laundry and work cut out for her. so they are good as new! i just got 12 of them cause i dont know if i will love them. i would like to try different kinds and then stick with the ones i like best. so im really excited to use them now! i hope they work as good as they sound! here are the 3 big reasons i would like to do cloth... #1: you save a ton of money, on average at least $1,500... #2: babies potty train an average of 6 months faster because they can feel immediately when they are wet and its more uncomfortable... #3: environmentally friendly, a disposable diaper takes about 500 years to decompose, and over 7,000 diapers are used per child. you only use about 10 cloth diapers a day and can use them for several children down the road. so wish me luck ♥

How your baby's growing at 31 weeks:
This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

30 weeks

2010-01-29T10:02:00.000-08:00

well not too much again for this week! except for the fact that when i say im 30 weeks i cant hardly believe it! only a couple more months, depending on if baby is early, on time, or late! i will expect it to be late so i dont feel too anxious at the end! however i wanna be ready if baby comes early! seems like everyone is having babies! first it was everyone was preggo, now its everyone has already had their baby and just a few of us left to go! i have had several friends in oklahoma have their babies, and some in colorado, and then we had a couple here recently in idaho! babies everywhere! we had my bro and sis in-law over last night and they have their lil baby just over a month old now! i got to rock her to sleep, and it made me feel so excited for my baby! i cant wait to hold my little one in my arms! i am already working on the baby album! i printed out my maternity pics and a few others of the journey! and now i cant wait to fill up the rest of the album with baby pics! also if i see clearance baby clothes and get them, when i get home i just want to have a baby to put them on! haha, all this is building up and every day becomes more exciting! i guess they say the most weight is put on at the very end of the pregnancy! they say i will gain about a pound a week at this point! thats alot! not that i have been gaining alot anyways, but i just hope i can gain whats healthy for my body! so we shall see how this next little bit goes! well, hope you all have a good weekend! TGIF

How your baby's growing at 30 weeks:
Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

29 weeks

2010-01-23T09:36:00.001-08:00

not much goin on this week. its been rainy the last couple of days. nothing comes to mind to blog about. i have been doing weekly blogs more or less to have some kind of journal about how my pregnancy has been goin! nothing has changed! i still feel great, still workin out a couple hours every morning, i still wake up and am reminded i cant sit up, walk, or bend over like i use to. but it doesnt bother me. i love it all! im looking forward to february! i cant believe this month has gone by so fast, but i have to admit im glad! tomorrow is my brother IAN's birthday! he will be 24 on the 24th! alot of people dont even know i have a brother or forget about him. but some are so good to always ask how he is doing and they think about him often! he is a big part of my life even though i dont get to see him much! he has one more test to take to be a CPA! my family is all really proud of him! i hope i can see him and his awesome wife jamie soon! i miss them so much! alot to look forward too though for feb....the 2nd is the premier for LOST!!!! one of garret and my favorite shows that we got hooked on! i use to make fun of people who watched it, until i started watching it! it sucks you right in, and we started from the beginning and watched all 5 seasons on netflix within a few months! and waiting for season 6 has been hard for us along with many other lost fans! and we cant forget the 14th! VALENTINES DAY!!! we dont have any plans, but i am excited to spend it with a loving husband! also, the 23rd i mentioned is my sisters bday and when we start our birthing classes! and then Lord willing on the 24th we hope to leave for california! we hope to spend a couple days with my grandpa, mom, and sister out there, and then a couple days with garrets family in vegas on our way home! so that should be a fun trip! well thats about all i can think of for now! hope all of you are doing great!

How your baby's growing at 29 weeks:
Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

28 weeks

2010-01-18T10:51:00.000-08:00

this has been a great week! God has just done so much for us! we were still so filled from our trip to prosser, and then friday my aunt ruth called and said she and my cousins jacob foote and his family wanted to come stay the weekend with us! i was so excited! first of all, being home sick 24-7 makes any kind of family seem like the greatest thing in the world! and second, there is no better motivation to get your house clean than company on their way! the house wasnt a mess or anything, but just had alot of little things to clean and get done! we had the most wonderful time with them here! they got in saturday about 3, and we had just enough time to run our errands and get just about everything done! of course i thought we had time to go around the whole house and paint the little scrapes and scuffs on the walls we had been wanting to fix for some time. and that led to fixing some big things and so on and so on. so we had a couple little places that didnt get touched up all the way! but we were so happy to have our family! we visited, had dinner and visted some more! we went to church at nampa on sunday! we had a great meeting! i was hoping to hear jacob talk, i have always liked his preaching! its the kind that steps on my toes, and i need that! i wish we heard more of that! jacob's wife jai started a song i hadnt heard in a while either that really touched me! called treasures unseen! here are the lyrics:
MY HOME MAY NOT LOOK LIKE A CASTLE
AND MY CLOTHES MAY BE LACKING IN STYLE.
AND IF YOU COME SIT AT MY TABLE
A MEAGER SUPPLY YOU MIGHT FIND.

CHORUS

BUT OH ITS NOT WHAT YOU SEE
THAT MAKES ME A KING, MAKES ME A KING.
FOR TO ME I'VE EVERYTHING, ALL THAT I NEED
ALL THAT I NEED, I'VE TREASURES UNSEEN.

NOW GOD MADE A WORLD FILLED WITH BEAUTY
OF THINGS WE ENJOY EVERY DAY.
MY SECRET TO HIDDEN POSSESSIONS
IS TO LOVE HIM AND SERVE HIM EACH DAY.

the chorus was really sweet to me! there are so many songs that i miss, but every church has different favorites. so anyway, after church, we came home and ate and hung out! we had travis, amy, and kris over! we all had a great visit! it went really good! and garret and jacob stayed up later and still visited! makes me really happy to have family and brothern in our home! so they left after breakfast this morning before 10! and i was sad to see them go, but i like to think about all the great things and really meditate on all the good! so im getting back to my email, blogging, facebooking, and what not. then i will clean house...again! it never ends! but there is so much joy knowing its what God wants us to do. hope you all have a good week! and as a side note! ...... i am pretty sure i have been feelin the baby's hiccoughs! so thats a new fun feeling! less than 3 months...wow! so excited <3

How your baby's growing at 28 weeks:
By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

6 months ❤ Maternity Shots ❤

2010-01-11T09:33:00.000-08:00

Cant believe i am in my thierd trimester! the first two went by pretty fast, and with no complications! God has blessed us so much! garret and i had a great weekend! got to visit the brothern in Prosser Washington! we stayed with Jaydon and Jessica Rose! they have two precious lil girls! Jessica is one of the coolest people i know! She took my maternity pictures and she will never know how much that meant to me! we had alot of fun takin them, and i loved watching her work her magic with photoshop. we stayed for church on Sunday and sat in a great meeting! a small assembly, but i like it that way! got to feel the spirit move around and we left comforted! it was fun spending the day with the brothern, they all took great care of us, and we are looking forward to going again hopefully soon! i have gained almost 15 lbs so far all in my tummy. hope i can keep a good weight and have a healthy baby in just a few more months! cheers ♥

♥ How your baby's growing at 27 weeks:
This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

26 weeks

2010-01-04T11:50:00.001-08:00

well things are back to normal at last! the holidays were great, but busy! i feel like i can finally relax and have all the time i need to back to square one! this is the last week of my second trimester, so i am really excited about that! garret and i signed up for a lamaze class! it starts feb 23rd (my sisters bday) and goes till april 6th. we will meet every tuesday and get to learn alot of breathing and body positions that help to cope with the pain! i give all the glory to God when it comes to birth, but it will be fun to learn together ways to maybe help out! the lamaze instructor is really cool and is really excited i am gonna have the baby at home! and she really liked that my mom would be with me! so that made me feel happy! she also offered to drop our class fee down if garret wanted to paint her office for her! so that was really cool, and garret should get started next weekend! as for this weekend, garret and i, along with our good friends traivs and amy will go to prosser! we are really excited! not only to see and visit the brothern there, but my friend jessica rose up there offered to take some of my maternity pics! and i couldnt be more happy about that! i love her photography and it will be a fun way to get to know everyone better! well thats about all thats new over here! happy 2010 to all my loved ones!

How your baby's growing at 26 weeks:
The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

25 weeks

2009-12-28T18:18:00.001-08:00

well things are great! we had a wonderful xmas! spent the day in our pjs, and then had dinner with garrets family! it was nice to have my hubby home for 4 days!!! no plans for the new years...we will have our neices and nephew. they are great kids! we also got a new neice and nephew! grandbabies number 18 and 19! clay and danielle had baby girl zoey 6 lbs. 10 oz, 21 in. long on monday the 21st. and kirk and anali had baby boy reece 6 lbs. 8 oz, also 21 in. on xmas day! only 4 days apart! they are soo cute! makes me more and more excited to hold my little one! we really think we are going to have a boy! and i guess so does everyone else cause i keep getting boy clothes! haha, makes me laugh. well thats about all that is new here! hope your all doing great!

How your baby's growing at 25 weeks:
Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

24 weeks...Happy Holidays!

2009-12-22T11:33:00.000-08:00

well not too much is new here...baby has been so active and we are soaking that up! i feel great, and we are excited for xmas! we will be staying here in idaho this year. yesterday we got a new neice! garrets brother clay and his wife danielle had their little girl zoey! she is so sweet! made me excited for my little one holding her! will april be here soon enough?? here is one of our xmas pics for the year thanks to amy! hope we get a white christmas! love to all

How your baby's growing at 24 weeks:
Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

23 weeks

2009-12-12T11:38:00.001-08:00

so here is a new pic of the belly. we will be busy this week having our neices and nephew. its snowing here and that makes me happy! hope everyone is doing good! <3

How your baby's growing at 23 weeks:
Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

22 weeks

2009-12-09T15:31:00.001-08:00

well here are the pics from thanksgiving. and the first snow of the year! all is well! gonna be really busy soon! i will have my sister in-laws 3 kids with me for a week, and then Lord willing, if we can afford it, we hope to make a trip out to vegas to see garrets family, and then spend xmas in cali with my mom, grandpa, uncle and his family! so we shall see how things play out! hope you are all well. <3

How your baby's growing at 22 weeks:
At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

21 weeks

2009-12-01T12:25:00.000-08:00

well its been a busy and great last couple weeks! we had a great trip to oklahoma! we got to be with all my family for thanksgiving! that was really nice! had a little car trouble getting to colorado, but the Lord worked it all out! garret was able to fix the problems. it feels good to be home! we missed our pets and our friends! i got a little sore throat and cough, but i feel pretty good. we got our christmas tree and decorations up yesterday! that feels really good! i have been pretty tired still recovering from our trip, so i feel like i have alot to get done! but its just little stuff that i will get to soon enough. my pregnancy is still going great! i grew really fast in a few weeks time. i think i have gained about 6 pounds so far. for a couple weeks i just felt the baby rolling around and my tummy would get really hard in areas for a time. but now i can feel the kicks! not too hard or anything, but obvious to me, and if the timing is right garret and others have been able to feel them as well! its been alot of fun! im getting more eager every day to hold my little baby! hope your all well! xoxo p.s. i cant seem to upload any new pics!

How your baby's growing at 20 weeks:
Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.) He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).

How your baby's growing at 21 weeks:
Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well.

19 weeks

2009-11-13T12:20:00.000-08:00

well my time with my mom here was great! she plans to leave monday, and i would be a lot more sad, but Lord willing, friday garret and i hope to go to Oklahoma and we will ride with my mom, my aunt, and my grandma!!! so that should be great! update on the car trouble...it was gonna cost over $600 to fix it because of the labor. so garret has been trying to work on it himself. so far so good i guess, except we have 4 more days to get it done if we wanna take the car to colorado. if not, we can just take the jeep. we will still save money by riding with my family the rest of the way. but our dilemma now is what to do with our dogs. a cheap/free option is ask our good neighbors to check in on them and feed them while we are gone, or have better peace of mind and just pay the money we would have for gas to keep them in boarding. 10 dollars a day per dog...that adds up. so we will see what we end up deciding. well, thats about it from this side. oh...i did get a few more toys for the baby...CRAIGSLIST!!!! we got a dresser/changing table for $24, and we can use the other changing table we got for way cheap for downstairs. and we also got a cover for shopping carts that match my crib bedding for $20 (kinda high for me, but its too perfect!) and i got a diaper bag for $5!!! im so happy. shopping for baby is fun! hope you are all good! much love

How your baby's growing at 19 weeks:
Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.

Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

sewing with my mom

2009-11-12T10:45:00.000-08:00

it has been so much fun having my mom here! she is a huge comfort to me and we have got alot done! we made the crib skirt and matching bumper and valance. doesnt sound like much, but it took a few days! we could keep going, but i think i wanna wait and do the rest of the bedding gender specific colors. well here some pics! <3

half way there 18 weeks!

2009-11-06T11:31:00.000-08:00

well alot of fun going on!!! my mom is here for a week or so...just depends. its a blessing she has the freedom to come see us kids when she can! and the Lord knows i needed her! we are gonna be sewing stuff for the baby!!! i cant wait. i feel really good, and im growing every day. not huge, but noticeable and fun! beth gave me some maternity clothes so that will really help out. its about time. having to unbutton my pants every time i sat down was getting a little old! so im thankful for alot right now! there isnt a ton of time to just write on my blog! but i like to do a weekly update of at least the basics! hope you are all doing well! <3

How your baby's growing:
Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

17 WEEKS-HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2009-10-30T10:30:00.000-07:00

its the day before halloween and we still dont know what we are gonna be. i plan to run to the store today to see if there are any costumes on sale, and if not we are gonna make it up out of our wardrobe like we did last year. im making gingersnap cookies that look like pumpkins today! so that should be fun! i was running errands yesterday in my lil car and it broke down. we think it is the fuel filter...please God let it be cheap! we hope to take that car to oklahomaand california in the next couple of months so better now then on the trip in the middle of no where. so im driving the jeep today till they call back from the shop. garret had to tow me there in the rain/snow! but we kinda had fun doing it! instead of getting mad at the stupid things we are laughing and enjoying life the way it comes to us! we had a good bday for garret last weekend! and this week we both kinda got the flu. both just having it one day thankfully. but garret was fortunate enough to not throw up...i wasnt! but its wasnt that bad. i got my massage yesterday, and its to the point where i have to lay on my sides now, so that was different for us, but fun and still a great massage! im so thankful for this older christian man that i can trade massages with every other week. that has been such a blessing! well i hope you all have a greathalloween weekend! here is a pic of my slowly but surely growing belly! and garret with his new daddy shirt! xoxo

How your baby's growing at 17 weeks:

Your baby's skeleton is changingfrom soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.

❤ 4 months ❤

2009-10-23T10:12:00.000-07:00

so things have never been better! i feel great and im so excited!!! i have a big day and weekend ahead of me! tomorrow is garrets birthday and he wants to go hunting, so we are gonna kinda celebrate today. i got him some new clothes and shoes, and a baby shirt that says DADDY IS #1 ...or something like that. i already forgot. haha, but it was really hard to find a daddy shirt that was neutral! but of course i found some after i was dont looking at kholes. who knew! and today im gonna bake a pecan pie...from scratch! it is garret, and my favorite pie!!! and then im gonna make his favorite dish that his family makes...if i was a better wife i would have made it already, but maybe when i grow up i can do a better job, haha! then i will go camping/hunting with him, leave tonight and be home most likely sat. night. half of me wants garret to catch a deer, cause it would be the best bday gift ever for him! but at the same time, i have heard its expensive to have all the meat dealt with, so we will see. and sunday night we are getting together with the family for cake and ice cream! so that will be fun! i bought some oreos and a bulk bag of assorted candy yesterday! that really means its a camping party! haha, we are excited and i hope we can have fun! its nice to get out and away, while we still can! i am feeling great! my stomach is getting bigger! not big yet, but getting there! if you know im pregnant, i look pregnant, if you dont, i just look fat and bloated! its funny, but i love it! and its gonna grow fast now too! well i hope you all have a good day and good weekend! love you all

See the big picture

How your baby's growing at 16 weeks:

Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.

15 weeks

2009-10-15T11:28:00.000-07:00

this week i have been daydraming about all the fun stuff! now that i can feel the hard ball in my tummy i cant take my hands off of it! and it just makes me smile and think of finishing the nursery, the day i go into labor, having a sweet baby in my arms, and so much more! i was sitting at home yesterday thinking of how i wanted the babies room to look and so i downloaded the application paintbrush so i could draw it up...of course i am no artist, but i had alot of fun and it gives a good idea of how i want the results to look. i did one for both boy and girl! here they are! hope you all are doing well!

How your baby's growing at 15 week:

See the big picture

Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl! (Don't be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby's position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the goods.")

14 weeks ❤

2009-10-09T15:49:00.000-07:00

so last night as i was asleep, well half asleep i guess, and i had my hand on my stomach and felt a hard ball about the size of a grapefruit or bigger! it woke me up all the way right away, to make sure i wasnt dreaming. and sure enough, i can feel my uterus! better when i am laying down. i am really excited as small as it is now! but just knowing over the next month or 2 it will triple in size! it feels a little more real than just thinking there is a baby in there, i can kinda feel proof now! so thats fun and new for us! and i am still feeling pretty good. for the past few days my upper back was kinda hurting, and i looked it up. i thought back pain during pregnancy would only be lower back pain, but i guess its normal for upper back pain too. because all off the muscles and ligaments are weakening and lengthening, and can cause pain. but it only bothers me when i first wake up. and exercise helps. also this morning i got some serious pain under my sternum. i cant decide if it was heart burn or just pain from the uterus shoving all my organs out of the way. but other than those things, i have been feelin good! looking forward to the weekend!

How your baby's growing at 14 weeks:

See the big picture

This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.

In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.

13 weeks

2009-10-06T15:11:00.000-07:00

still doing great! nothing too new this last week or so. we did get a pack and play for $15 at a yard sale, but i have been too busy or too lazy, either one, to take a pic and post it. but its cute and in good shape! my pants are still tight, but still no sign of showing. if anything i think im loosing weight around my waist. hopefully that is good, and will help me show sooner than later. i am looking forward to all the holidays! we plan to go to oklahoma for thanksgiving to see my sister, and then for xmas, we hope to go to cali, and see my grandpa, and maybe some brothern and family. im ready to bake pies, put up xmas lights, and sing holiday tunes! maybe after halloween! well hope you all have a good week!

Your pregnancy: 13 weeks

See the big picture

How your baby's growing:

Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce.

3 months and counting

2009-09-24T10:31:00.000-07:00

so saturday i will be entering my 2nd trimester!!!! im so excited! i cant believe its already going so fast. if it keeps going at this rate, april will be here sooner than i thought. but im sure that last month can go pretty slow....we will see. i have not had one drop of sickness! thats a miracle! the past couple of days i have really noticed my stomach starting to stretch. i doubt anyone else can tell at this point that im growing, but i can feel it. i might show sooner than i thought i would, but it may just be teasing me, and take a couple more months...im eager to find out. its starting to get colder out. more so in the mornings and evenings, they mid day still seems hot. but im looking forward to the winter cause we will start to paint the nursery and other rooms in the house for fun! im also eager to start wearing maternity clothes...i dont know if i will enjoy when i cant fit into my jeans anymore, but its all exciting to me! well anyways, here are a couple pics of a few couple more things we got for the babys room. a changing table at a yard sale for $15, in great condition, and some baby monitors i got from a cousin. and then here is a pic of jen and zathan, at monkey business, she, beth, the kids and i went yesterday for fun! adults are free!!!!!! and the little ones were only 3 dollars. it was a blast! they had inflatable slides, and obstacle courses, and a jungle gym thing! we had alot of fun! i cant wait to take my kids there! well hope you all have a good weekend!

See the big picture

How your baby's growing:

The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder.

Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over 2 inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.

11 weeks/baby names

2009-09-18T10:32:00.000-07:00

so im at the end of my first trimester! and i praise God cause it has gone so well! i havnt had any changes big enough to mention this past week or so. my friends that are about the same time siad they have their energy back. i guess i have more energy than i did for the first few weeks. but to say im energetic would be going too far. my work outs are still going really good! and i only take a nap if i feel like i really need it. but im sure in like 6 months i will go back to napping every day. so anyway, when it comes to names we have a pretty good idea of what we want! i jumped on that when garret and i were just dating! some couple have the hardest time choosing, so i wanted a head start. and since some of my favorite names garret hated....it took time to find names we both liked. but we were pretty sold on the boy name. since i was in about 8th grade or so i wanted to name my son JOEL. and guess what....that happend to be garrets middle name! and he likes it too! so that was easy. and we compromised on the middle names. we are going with Joel Mitchelle for our first boy. and if its a girl we are pretty sure it will be Kira Blenn. (kira sounds like *tear - a* with a k.) but we are kinda on the fence with kira, we also like kate. so who knows. but blenn is my middle name and is passed down in my family so its a must for me. also, who knows, the baby could be born and we might not even think it looks like a kira or a joel. so we will just have to wait and see. but yea thats what we are thinking!

Your pregnancy: 11 weeks

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How your baby's growing:

Your baby, just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig, is now almost fully formed. Her hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under her gums, and some of her bones are beginning to harden.

She's already busy kicking and stretching, and her tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as her body grows and becomes more developed and functional. You won't feel your baby's acrobatics for another month or two — nor will you notice the hiccupping that may be happening now that her diaphragm is forming.

family and fun

2009-09-16T09:35:00.001-07:00

❤ so my trip to CO was good, here is a picture of my sis Sarah, and my two cousins Rachel and Jacquelyn and me. my mom took the pic. we had lunch at the park after church in junction.

Also, when i was gone, last monday, Garret broke his nose at football practice. he had a bad first night, but luckly he fell right to sleep when he got home. his eye was pretty black, this pic is of it already getting better. but he set his nost by himself, and God sure had a hand in that. he is doing good though, and played a game that next weekend and even got to score a touchdown....thats my husband! they won 35 to 0. good job team!

saturday we had my nephew Zathan's first birthday! it was alot of fun! and Kyle and Jen made the announcment that Zathan is going to be a big brother!!!!!! needless to say i freaked out and even started crying! thats how much i love them! i guess Jen is due just about a week and 1/2 or so after me. so thats sweet our kids can be close in age!

And big surprise....more baby gifts! im about to run out of things i will need come april. but we are so thankful for all the gifts we have been givin. Garrets boss gave us the stroller that goes with the car seat. so we can use is when the baby is small, and when he or she gets bigger!

And last, the one thing i was wanting was a rocking chair. i didnt need anything fancy, but my mom mentioned a recliner to get comfy in since i would use it so much. so i took her up on that, and i found this black beauty on craigslist for $50. some might think its weird or even gross to get used stuff! but im all about it! i cleaned it up good, and its in great condition. they bought it for $750. call me crazy, but thats too much. $50 is just right for me! we are so happy to have it.

Girls night is this weekend! i cant wait! it always is one of the best parts of the month! hope you are all doing well! love and prayers ❤

10 weeks

2009-09-12T12:55:00.000-07:00

See the big picture

How your baby's growing:

Though he's barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his body rapidly grow and mature.

He's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy.

If you could take a peek inside your womb, you'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.

In other developments: Your baby's limbs can bend now. His hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. The outline of his spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from his spinal cord. Your baby's forehead temporarily bulges with his developing brain and sits very high on his head, which measures half the length of his body. From crown to rump, he's about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, your baby will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches.

colorado

2009-09-08T15:01:00.000-07:00

so i left for colorado on wednesday morning...well evening actually. i left at 2. i thought i could get so much done before i left, that was a mistake. but i had a good trip out here. i got to go to bro. tony morris' funeral thursday, and then my aunt that passed away last week's funeral was friday. i spent almost the whole time in delta at my grandmas. it was nice to be with family, my mom, my sister, and alot of aunts and cousins! all we did was sit around, visit, and eat! thats what we do best! im still feeling really good! im a bit over 9 weeks or so. today we came to grand junction to see some friends, and i will come back home in the morning. i have missed garret so much!!!! he told me when im gone he always seems to get sick or hurt. he was at football practice monday and busted his nose. he has a black eye and im so sad i wasnt there to take care of him! but i will be home soon! no pics for this post. just a quick update! hope you all are well. love you

Your pregnancy: 9 weeks

See the big picture

How your baby's growing:

Your new resident is nearly an inch long — about the size of a grape — and weighs just a fraction of an ounce. She's starting to look more and more human. Her essential body parts are accounted for, though they'll go through plenty of fine-tuning in the coming months. Other changes abound: Your baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form — as do her tiny teeth. The embryonic "tail" is completely gone. Your baby's organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks. Her eyes are fully formed, but her eyelids are fused shut and won't open until 27 weeks. She has tiny earlobes, and her mouth, nose, and nostrils are more distinct. The placenta is developed enough now to take over most of the critical job of producing hormones. Now that your baby's basic physiology is in place, she's poised for rapid weight gain

new gifts for baby

2009-09-01T13:09:00.000-07:00

so we had a great weekend. garrets sister amanda flew in friday and stayed with us! we had a good time! clay got married saturday and it was a great wedding! wish there was more family there for him, but i understand how some felt/feel. we also got to hang out with our cousin emily and her husband jamie! they are alot of fun. monday, garret's boss and his wife had us over for dinner. they recently lost a baby. love4lucca.com was their baby. he spent his 7 months of his little life in the hospital... he didnt get to use alot of his things. i baby sat for the family while they were away in different hospitals. and God blessed us so much, because they gave us some really nice things. we got a swing that plays music and even has an ipod connection. a car seat with matching stroller. a bathing tub thing, and diapers and a ton of smoothies and other great misc. things. God has been soo good to us! it feels like we are set to have the baby today...i wish! 7 more months to go! this morning, my aunt nancy, my moms sister, passed away. she had brain cancer. Lord willing i hope to go to colorado this weekend. sad to go for a funeral, but i am looking forward to seeing my family. i was getting really home sick. so pray for me that i can have a safe drive and have a good trip. i will miss you all, and hope to be home sometime next week. i will miss garret, but its nice not having a set date of when i need to come home. well hope you all are well! love and prayers

2 months

2009-08-30T19:43:00.000-07:00

well things still have been going good. i cant complain. however nobody explained how sore in fact your boobs get...that was a wake up call. but sports bras grant alot of support and relief...thank you Lord. still no vomiting. but im on the edge of my seat waiting to see if and when it could still come, but i did make the 8 week mark....so we will see. i still have stomach pains here and there. but i have learned it helps to eat the right amount and enough times in the day. i learned it, but i dont always follow through. i continue to be really low on energy. however it comes and goes. but i have been taking more naps and that helps. im so thankfull i get to stay at home. i cant imagine working when your body needs all this rest. but kodos for all those great women out there who pull it off! well we had a full and busy week...i will update more in days to come! love you all

Your pregnancy: 8 weeks

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How your baby's growing:

New this week: Webbed fingers and toes are poking out from your baby's hands and feet, his eyelids practically cover his eyes, breathing tubes extend from his throat to the branches of his developing lungs, and his "tail" is just about gone. In his brain, nerve cells are branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways. You may be daydreaming about your baby as one sex or the other, but the external genitals still haven't developed enough to reveal whether you're having a boy or a girl. Either way, your baby —about the size of a kidney bean — is constantly moving and shifting, though you still can't feel it.

your crib or mine?

2009-08-27T12:25:00.000-07:00

so i wanted a black crib to go with the black and white theme of the nursery. and i found the one and only one on craigslist for 80 dollars. its height adjustable and has a nice look to it. i will either go with the nutral colors for bedding, or wait till after the baby to buy the pink or blue contrast! i cant wait! but i just got it set up...all by myself! i couldnt wait for garret to get home from work. i was too excited. however i am running out of room for my massage table. but here is the new crib!!!

i wouldnt call it morning sickness

2009-08-21T09:16:00.000-07:00

the past few days i have been feeling what most people know to be a stomach ache. its not too bad, but enough to make me uncomfortable. i looked it up online and they siad it is morning sickness. also my uterus is already growing and pushing everything else that has been just fine the way it is for the past 20 years out of the way. so im thankful it hasnt made me sick to the point of vomiting yet. but that could come in a week or so. my need to eat as often slowed a little. i still get hungry just not as much and not as often. that makes me feel better. i feel a huge lack of energy though. i thought i would be the type to push through it and ignore the tired and lazy feelings. but they are getting the best of me. i have to force myself to wake up in the morning to work out. and my work outs are pretty good. as long as i listen to my body. but when i get home i just want to crash on the couch and stay there till garret gets home from work. thats a scary thought. but i try to just take small brakes, or a nap throughout the day and i can manage to keep house and do all my normal tasks. but im looking forward to getting my energy back soon. i had my aunt and uncle (my dads brother) from washington come last weekend. they stayed the night on their way to salt lake to see their daughter, my only other girl cousin on my dads side, who is also pregnant. and they gave me a bassinet that my dad slept in when he was a baby! its so cute and has so much value to me. and they also got me a big bag of the sweetest baby clothes , and my aunt made me a blaket and matching burp rags....she is the best! so it feels more real now, and its begining to look like a nursery. cant wait for more to come!

Your pregnancy: 7 weeks

See the big picture

How your baby's growing:

The big news this week: Hands and feet are emerging from developing arms and legs — although they look more like paddles at this point than the tiny, pudgy extremities you're daydreaming about holding and tickling. Technically, your baby is still considered an embryo and has something of a small tail, which is an extension of her tailbone. The tail will disappear within a few weeks, but that's the only thing getting smaller. Your baby has doubled in size since last week and now measures half an inch long, about the size of a blueberry.

If you could see inside your womb, you'd spot eyelid folds partially covering her peepers, which already have some color, as well as the tip of her nose and tiny veins beneath parchment-thin skin. Both hemispheres of your baby's brain are growing, and her liver is churning out red blood cells until her bone marrow forms and takes over this role. She also has an appendix and a pancreas, which will eventually produce the hormone insulin to aid in digestion. A loop in your baby's growing intestines is bulging into her umbilical cord, which now has distinct blood vessels to carry oxygen and nutrients to and from her tiny body.

so far so good

2009-08-14T09:22:00.001-07:00

so im about 6 weeks tomorrow. and i feel great! my boobs have been a little sore, and i have to pee like every 30 minutes, and...im really hungry about every two hours...i thought that stuff came later, but i feel it now either way. my works outs have been good. i am doing my best to listen to my body and know when i need to take it easy. i have been doing my best to eat healthy, so we will see if i can keep that up. i have never been good about saying no to sweets, but if i can say when then i will be ok. it still hasnt hit me yet that i have a baby growing inside of me! but the excitment of telling and sharing with all my friends and family has been the best! and here is a picture of my inspiration for our nursery. of course this is for a girl, and everyone is banking on that we will have a boy. but we wanna do black and white accented with blue or pink after the baby is born. and till then whatever other colors are cute! so here it is

garret wants to start painting and doing most all those things come winter...so now i cant wait for winter! everyone has said april is the perfect time to have a baby! the holidays makes the pregnancy fly and the spring baby is the best! so thank you Lord, i didnt even know. all my family are excited! my mom holds back i think, but i know she is stoked to be a grandma! she, Lord willing, will deliver me, and i will have the baby here in idaho at my house. i would love a water birth, but we will see what plays out. if possible, i want garret to catch the baby, we both think he has enough in him to pull it off...time will tell! as far as morning sickness goes, not yet, but im told if it comes its usually around 8 weeks...so in a couple weeks i will let you know. i love you all ❤

Your pregnancy: 6 weeks

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How your baby's growing:

This week's major developments: The nose, mouth, and ears that you'll spend so much time kissing in eight months are beginning to take shape. If you could see into your uterus, you'd find an oversize head and dark spots where your baby's eyes and nostrils are starting to form. His emerging ears are marked by small depressions on the sides of the head, and his arms and legs by protruding buds. His heart is beating about 100 to 160 times a minute — almost twice as fast as yours — and blood is beginning to course through his body. His intestines are developing, and the bud of tissue that will give rise to his lungs has appeared. His pituitary gland is forming, as are the rest of his brain, muscles, and bones. Right now, your baby is a quarter of an inch long, about the size of a lentil bean.

IM EXPECTING!!!

2009-08-08T13:36:00.000-07:00

When Garret and i got married we said we wanted to wait a year or two to have kids. well 4 months in we changed our minds. for the past 10 months we left it in God's hands and prayed that it would happen when it was the right time. of course the right time to us was right then. but over the months God granted us patience. im thankful we were not in any hurry because we would have been miserable. a few weeks ago, sis. tiffany (hammett) pelkey told me she had a dream a few weeks back that i was pregnant. i was so comforted by that, even if it didnt come to pass. so anyway, my last period was july 4th. and im about a week late, so i guess that makes me 5 weeks! that sounds so weird to me. all these months of waiting and now its here, it doesnt really feel real. i dont feel any different. i ran to the dollar store and picked up a couple tests, and saturday morning garret woke me up excitedly and asked me to take the test. instantly the line appeared. i didnt believe it. he was really happy, but still i couldnt register it in my brain. so we waiter a few more minutest and it just got darker and darker. even now im having doubts if this is all real. if you all know me, you know its hard for me to keep anything to myself. not secrets, but anything that i want to share with my loved ones, i just tell the whole world! but we tried to wait one more day and take another test the next morning to confirm. of course there is a small fear of if the pregnancy is terminated, the embarresment of telling everyone, and having to take it back. but i have read that you just have that much more support when things are hard. so here we are. day two, sunday morning and the test is positive again. wow, im going to be a mom! still its hard for me to understand. so many thoughts running through my mind. but mostly excitment! the joy to share with all my friends and family. and let nature take its course. to have my body do what God made a womans body to do. please pray that i can have a healthy pregnancy, and a healthy baby! i love you all

here is what my baby looks like right now

Your pregnancy: 5 weeks

See the big picture
How your baby's growing:
Deep in your uterus your embryo is growing at a furious pace. At this point, he's about the size of a sesame seed, and he looks more like a tiny tadpole than a human. He's now made up of three layers — the ectoderm, the mesoderm, and the endoderm — which will later form all of his organs and tissues.

The neural tube — from which your baby's brain, spinal cord, nerves, and backbone will sprout — is starting to develop in the top layer, called the ectoderm. This layer will also give rise to his skin, hair, nails, mammary and sweat glands, and tooth enamel.

His heart and circulatory system begin to form in the middle layer, or mesoderm. (This week, in fact, his tiny heart begins to divide into chambers and beat and pump blood.) The mesoderm will also form your baby's muscles, cartilage, bone, and subcutaneous (under skin) tissue.

The third layer, or endoderm, will house his lungs, intestines, and rudimentary urinary system, as well as his thyroid, liver, and pancreas. In the meantime, the primitive placenta and umbilical cord, which deliver nourishment and oxygen to your baby, are already on the job

new boat

2009-08-04T21:15:00.000-07:00

so we love our current boat, but its been giving us trouble. it perfect for the 2 of us, but when we want to take friends out, it doesnt go as fast and it puts a damper on things when we want to wake or ski. so we have been looking to upgrade the past couple weeks. and the Lord provided. we found a great boat and had alot of competition but we made it first and were able to seal the deal. its an open bow, we love that, and the seats lay down to beds...how cool is that. and its 140hp..our boat now only has 60, so it will help with that speed we need...or want. how spoiled we get! but we are so thankful and have been enjoying every bit of our summers! anyway...these are the pics that were on the add. but when we get it up and running there will be alot more! and here is the dogs on our boat for the last time. and garret doing a jump on the wakeboard...why does he have to be good at everything?? haha anyway....love you all <3

morning update

2009-07-31T08:54:00.000-07:00

so this has been a fun month. i have so much company its hard to keep the house like normal, and not to mention check my blog. i only have a few followers and im either guessing people dont know im on...or people dont like me...haha not really. i know, or i hope i know that i have alot of friends. and summertime is hard to keep up. so sarah and nathan have been here this week! we have been having fun! and clint and caleb are still here too! having 2 teenage boys for 2 weeks would be harder than i thought, but my mother in-law riased them right. they are pretty respectful and clean up after themselves pretty good. clint has been out with friends more than he is here, so thats been ok. we went boating last night and i got sarah up on the wakeboard! we had a blast! tonight dinner with travis and amy! we are making peanut butter pie...my moms recipt....so good! i think sarah and nathan might leave in the morning! nathan doesnt have to be at work for a couple more weeks now, so they are decided what to do. we had a wonderful time at the camp outs. the 28th was my spiritual birhtday....i was baptized at the camp meetings 7 years ago already. how time has gone by. this morning i went out and pruned some rose bushes...to my surprise i had fun. and i got a couple vases of good blooms. well thats about all thats new here. when things settle back down i will be able to blog more! i hope you all have a great weekend!

skydiving

2009-07-20T14:56:00.000-07:00

we had a blast skydiving on saturday! it was just as fun as the first 2 times i went in moab utah about an hour from grand juntion! and it was fun to share this time with garret! he loved it! everyone that went mentioned how its not scary like everyone else makes it sound! so thats good for anyone who would consider it! well hope you are all well!

birthday adventures. rafting and yellowstone!

2009-07-17T10:53:00.001-07:00

so its been a busy month! we got to do alot of fun things! i had my 20th birthday on the 13th. we went rafting, and garret got me a beautiful orchid with 10 blooms on it! then my mom and i went to yellowstone to meet up with my other aunt and a few cousins! and it was on our birthdays! we stayed the first night with the kirkpatricks! i love them! i have known them my whole life and cliff baptised me 7 years ago this month! wow time has flown by! i wish there was more i could do for the Lord! and then we camped for a couple nights at the beautiful yellowstone national park! we saw alot of animals and really pretty geysers! including old faithful, i think its a little over rated, but it was still cool. and soo many pretty waterfalls. it was awesome! i came home wednesday night and thursday i got more company! garrets brothers, clint and caleb, ages 19 and 17 are here from vegas for a while! we will have alot of fun! we are going SKYDIVING tomorrow! i wanted to take garret for our anniversary, but clint wanted to go so we waited! i have done it 2 times before. and it is amazing. its not scary like everyone thinks. its just awesome! and i dont feel like im tempting the Lord either. its pretty serene and peaceful....but i wont lie....there is also a huge rush of adrenaline! well anyways! hope you all have a good weekend! ❤

my mothers company

2009-07-07T06:47:00.000-07:00

so my mom and my aunt came up for the weekend. they got here late wednesday night and we didnt waste a minute. the following morning we worked out, and took our time in the hot tub and spa. then went shopping and just visited the whole evening. and friday we worked out again, thats normal for my week days, and planted some more flowers in front of the house. i had seeds that were not making me happy. and garret came home early from work and we took the boat out. a storm came in and while we were fishing our fishing poles started to shock us and make a crackle noise from the electricity from the lightening close by. that was a little creepy, so we jammed out of there. but it was a fun day. mama tried wake boarding and water skiing. she got up on the skis but we had too much weight on the boat for it to pick up speed fast enough. but it was alot of fun! and ruth drove the boat and had a blast! it was fun! so after we got home went to the dollar movies and stayed for 2 films. 17 again, and obsessed. both good. saturday, 4th of july, we made home made salsa to take to our family BBQ. and went again to the dollar movie. we are crazy. we wanted to see ghost of girlfriends past. it was cute! and the bbq was fun. and we went and watched the firework show in caldwell, it was a joke. but we had a great day. and sunday morning was already time for ruth to leave. it went to fast. but my mom gets to stay an extra week. we went to church at nampa and out on the boat again for a while. garret caught another carp! it was fun. then we had dinner with travis and amy. that was really nice. monday was our work out and we did yard work. then a bit more shopping, i needed more dog food. whats new! and we made lasagna for dinner and watched a redbox and the bachelorette. and i am so glad she got rid of Wes. its about time. i was sick of him. scumbag! i miss jake, but i like reid and kiptyn. i made french toast for breakfast and we go to yoga and spin class in a bit. i really love having my mom here. i get so home sick. so it is nice. her birthday is in 5 days, and mine is in 6. we are going white water rafting this weekend! should be great!

boating

2009-06-24T11:49:00.000-07:00

so we got a boat a bit over a month ago, and it has been alot of fun! we like to fish, tube, ski, and hopefully soon wake board. we had both of the original tires on the trailor blow out on us, one happened after a weekend trip camping in brownlee as we pulled into our drive-way. that was such a big blessing. and the other when garret and some of the guys were coming home from a day if fishing out past mountain home, on the freeway. but luckly we got it all taken care of, and not have new tires. we love to take our dogs out on the boat. when we first got jane, we took her out for her first time and she dove off the bow when i was pulling garret on the tube. she did just fine swimming and you can tell she wants to do it again. anyways, here are a few pics.

getting the hang of this

2009-06-22T14:21:00.000-07:00

so im finally starting to understand the blog thing. i am finding so many loved ones to follow their blogs. im guessing thats all there is to it. feel me in if im missing out on anything. we had a great weekend. we celebrated our anniversary last weekend! its been a wonderful year of marriage, and im looking forward to many more years! we had the singing that was sweet on friday night, and saturday carries baby shower and fun with hope, allie, brittany, katelyn, and lorraine, and sunday we had lunch with mike, tudy, richard, michelle, and paul and char. and then just spent the rainy evening watching old movies and playing games. i won of course...haha. the smiths are competative, but they have another thing comin, cause i am too! i worked out this morning. i love it, the gym is a mile away! today i did an abs class, step class, strengh, and zumba! i feel so much better after i work out. i showered, and now i just need to clean house. i already did laundry and dishes. the joys of never ending chores! my mom and aunt are planning on coming up for the 4th of july! so i cant wait for that. and my mom will stay till my our birthdays, hers is july 12, and mine is july 13. i was a day late b-day present! and then garrets brothers clint and caleb are coming around the 16th. and we will go sky diving on the 18th! i wanted to take garret for our ann. but we wanted to wait so clint could come. it will be my 3rd time, and it is the coolest thing ever! i love it! i would go every weekend if i could. its awesome! then, the jackson camp outs start the 22nd. i get to meet my sister and best friend there. and they will come back to ID with us! i have so much to look forward to! well hope you all have a wonderful day! tomorrow i will go see carissa, poor cousin broke both elbows. but she is a stud and is doing great! God is so good! i love you all <3

new to blogging

2009-06-19T21:39:00.000-07:00

so i finally broke down, found the time, and made a blog. thanks to my sister-in-law jen. i have heard alot of sisters are on here, so cant wait to keep in touch one more way and know whats new in all your worlds. looking forward to it. i love you all