04.19.09 ~ What the ... Winter?!

Just over this last weekend, we had probably the biggest storms of the year. On Friday, it started out as rain, then turned to some pretty heavy, wet, snowfall for the next couple of days. It snowed all day Friday, and never let up on Saturday either ... until the evening. So crazy! It's mid-April, and we have piles of snow outside our door! Luckily, it was really "wet" snow, so the roads were okay to drive on - just really slushy. Thankfully, it'll melt pretty quickly, as weather for Colorado is going to be in the 70's this upcoming week. Hopefully, this precipitation will have helped the grass get green again and get some leaves on the trees!





It's days like this that remind me how blessed and thankful I am to have a cozy, warm home to live in.





04.10.09 ~ Dying Easter Eggs

Even though we don't have children of our own quite yet, we still like to keep traditions alive when we can! We had our friends, Robby & Shannon, come over, and we had dinner and dyed some eggs for Easter! It was a bunch of fun, and it's great to feel like a kid again!



04.01.09 ~ This Pillow Has Saved My Life ...

I just got my pregnancy pillow in the mail, and can't tell you how much it has helped me to sleep the last few days! I had a very hard time trying to sleep on my side at all times, and my doctor said I should start trying to as much as I can now. So this pillow is a must, and I absolutely love it! ... No more kinks in my neck, no more hip pain, no more arms falling asleep ... such a life saver.


I feel bad for Nate though ... it tends to take up more than 1/2 of the bed when I'm all wrapped up in it, so things feel a little snug in our queen-sized bed. He is really great to put up with it. What a wonderful hubby.

03.29.09 ~ Exactly 4 Months Pregnant ...

Nate convinced me to track pictures of my belly ... and see how big it gets each month. We decided to take one now, because I'm starting to get a little bump. I'm definitely "fatter" all-around, but can't complain. I'm just so happy every day that I'm pregnant! It will be fun to see this little bump get larger and larger each month ... I hope!

03.20.09 ~ "Miracle Baby" at 14 Weeks, 6 Days ...

This is the first ultrasound taken by my new OBGYN - Dr. Jillian Tyler. My fertility specialist said it was fine for me to now get a doctor that will continue to do my check-ups and delivery, etc ... now that I am through my first trimester. So this picture shows what "normal technology" looks like - compared to all the pictures and video that was taken by my fertility specialist. I really like my new doctor and the hospital I will be delivering at, so that is really all that matters ... not if my ultrasound pictures are extremely clear or not!


This was also the first time I could get my ultrasound done on my belly, rather than having a pelvic ultrasound, so that was really nice! And that's probably why the picture is a bit more fuzzy than the previous ones. Dr. Tyler said everything looks great for how far along I am ... always good news. She also said that in my next appointment (end of April), she should be able to hopefully determine the sex! Can't wait!

03.15.09 ~ Best Pregnancy Book Ever!

Every Sunday, Nate and I get together after church and read about my "weekly progress" from this pregnancy book. My good friend, Kristen, gave it to me, and it has been a joy for Nate and I to have and share our feelings and excitement together about the baby! It really gives Nate the chance to feel a part of the pregnancy, and we love to read and learn new things each week about the baby's development. Thanks Kristen!

02.23.09 ~ "Miracle Baby" at 11 Weeks, 3 Days ...

To be honest, I was holding my breath, crossing my fingers, up until just yesterday, February 23rd, when I saw my doctor again and she said that everything looks "perfect." I am a little over 11 weeks along, and we could hear a healthy heartbeat, we could see many distinct features of the baby, and the placenta was in the right place, etc. It was such a wonderful sight to behold and such wonderful news to take in that everything looks good ...

(especially watch the end of the video below ... in the last minute it shows the baby just kicking, and moving around ... so awesome!)



Looking back, I have been so blessed ... I was only nauseous a few times - mostly in my 8th and 9th week - but have never thrown up so far. I hope to keep that record as well! I hate throwing up. Mostly, I've been tired more than anything else, and my body is starting to change a bit - I look bloated, like I can't suck in all the way. It's not quite time for maternity wear, so it's a bit difficult in figuring what I should wear to work each day. When I'm home, I'm usually just in grubby clothes - or exercise clothes when I go and workout. It'll be fun to go shopping for cuter clothes once I actually start "showing," and I don't just look "fat." ☺

Sometimes I still can't believe it ... it is becoming more and more real as I have been starting to tell everyone though. I was able to call all my "BDB" girls and let them know on the phone, and then announce to my young women in my old ward at Tuscany, and then on facebook - announce it to the whole world! Nate has been wonderful - so supportive. He is really excited (I think he knows more than I do about what is going on with the baby's development), and probably a bit freaked out, but that's okay. I would say I'm a bit freaked out as well ... but mostly just really excited.

I feel so blessed and so thankful to my Lord right now. Life is wonderful and I can't wait to have a little addition to our family! I thank all of my friends and family, from the bottom of my heart, for your prayers and fasting, for your love and support. You are all so wonderful and I love you all so much. I can't thank you enough. This really is going to be our little "miracle baby."



We also got this cool "extreme" photo of the baby - pretty cool having a fertility specialist doing the ultrasounds ... she's got all this hi-tech stuff and we've been lucky to get such great shots of the baby so far ...


This picture actually scared me a little - it looks so "alien-like" right now!

02.22.09 ~ Telling the Colton Family ...

I can't believe I was able to wait to especially tell my mom, but I so badly wanted to tell her, along with everyone else, in person. And I did! It was awesome. I had come to Utah to watch Tiff and Bri's kids while they went to Hawaii for a week, and it was coincidental that Nate was coming to Salt Lake for work as well. The hard thing, was that I had to wait to tell my family until the very end of my stay, because Nate wasn't arriving in Utah until the end of my trip. But it all worked out perfectly ...

I told my mom that I wanted a big family get-together on Sunday, so that Nate and I could be together with everyone. We pulled it off - everyone was there, except for those out of town (Jake in Chicago, and Jeff on a mission). Jana wasn't there right when I announced it, because she had just had a baby (Natalie) a few days ago, but she came later and I was able to tell her in person as well. Grandma Colton was able to come as well, and it made it all the more special.

So after we ate our famous "Sunday dinner" - omelets and toast - I actually was able to get everyone together for a "picture." Kristen, Nate's sister, came down from Park City to visit us, and she was a great help in my grand scheme as well. She was the one taking all the "pictures," and when it came for her to take a picture with my camera, she instead switched it to "record." It's so funny how my family stays still forever after, "waiting for her to take the picture." Some of them thought Kristen was joking, in some cruel way ... to get us all to smile. Obviously, after I explained to them all that I "really am pregnant," they caught on.



It was a very memorable moment, and I am so proud of myself for being able to wait to tell them all in person! It was especially hard when I went on a couple of walks with mom throughout the week I was tending, and we would talk about the next steps in my "fertility treatments," etc. I really kept the secret well with all my lies!

02.08.09 ~ Telling the Jorgensen Family ...

We were at the Jorgensen house on Sunday, after church, visiting. I told them all that I had a "family video" to show them on our computer. We sat them down, and showed them the video of the ultrasound taken at 8 weeks. Cindi, obviously new right away!



We then called Hanah, Kristen, and Grandma Helen and Gary to let them know, along with all of Cindi's siblings. She was too excited to keep it in, and it was fun to call everyone on the phone and let them know. Now they all just need to keep it a secret until we can announce it to my side of the family when Nate and I go to Utah next week! I am so excited to be able to tell them all in person!

02.02.09 ~ "Miracle Baby" at 8 Weeks ...

The 2nd ultrasound picture ... and my fertility specialist, Dr. Smith, said that the sac looks fine. That was good to hear! It's our little "peanut" ...



Listening to the heartbeat ... what a wonderful sound. It brought me to tears to hear that.


Baby's first video ...

01.19.09 ~ It's Official!

After getting my blood drawn through the last week (multiple times I might add), I finally got to have my first ultrasound to verify that yes, I am officially pregnant! My fertility specialist said that my sac looks a little misshapen, but we will closely monitor it within the next few weeks to make sure everything is okay. But that little blob is a baby! Woohoo!