06.21.09 ~ Exactly 7 Months Pregnant ...

Here I am at 7 months pregnant! I almost think I look bigger in my 6 month picture, but whatev ... I'm happy the pregnancy is going smoothly so far! I have officially started to get "cankles," as the result of having swollen ankles and feet. It just started to happen a couple of days ago, and now every time I sit for too long ... yep ... "cankles." I have my 28 week check-up in a couple of days, so hopefully everything will still be okay. I'll keep ya'all posted ...

06.20.09 ~ Time to Register for Baby ...

Nate and I were able to go and register for our baby today! We decided to just register at Babies 'R Us, since they have everything that we need ... one-stop shopping is my kind of shopping! If you'd like to see what we registered for, just click on the title of this blog entry, and it will direct you to our registry ...

06.07.09 ~ Tennis and Tornados ...

This Sunday, I got to experience something pretty amazing ... watching Roger Federer win the French Open for the first time. He has now tied Pete Sampras for holding the most grand slams in history - 14. Hopefully, he will do well in Wimbledon coming up in a couple of weeks and make it 15 grand slams! Man, I am Roger's biggest fan ...


... So as I'm watching the French Open on TV, I hear a tornado warning go off outside our home. I wake Nate up and we go outside and we see this outside our door ...




So SCARY! I am so thankful the tornado did not touch down where we live! It actually landed and destroyed a considerable amount of homes just three minutes away from where we live. The worst damage we got was from the hailstorm that came our way. The hail was as big as the size of golf balls - no joke - and the hail dented both our cars a "bajillion" times! We are bummed that now our cars have dents all over the top, but at least none of us were hurt, and our home did not get damaged from the awful storm.





I hate tornados.

05.26.09 ~ Exactly 6 Months Pregnant ...

Here I am! ... In all my "fat" glory! I feel like I am getting a lot bigger lately, but I'm feeling great! Acid reflux is still my main issue, but I have started to notice swelling in my ankles if I stand too long as well. And yes, of course, more stretch marks on my belly ... yuck. I saw the doctor today and got to hear the heartbeat again - such a nice sound to hear. Dr. Tyler said everything looked great and sounded fine, and I can't believe I am only a few weeks away from being in my third trimester! It is all going by almost too quickly.

05.25.09 ~ Camping at Estes Park ...

For Memorial Day Weekend, Nate and I went camping up at Estes Park Campgrounds with our friends, the Browns. We had such a good time! There is nothing that compares to camping. Even though it rained off and on, and it was cold at night and in the mornings, we still had a wonderful trip. We both had "blow-up mattress" issues ... Kristen and Cody's mattress never fully inflated, and our mattress completely broke and deflated through the last night ... but that was seriously our only issue! The rest of the time was a blast, and we even got to see stars our last night there, as we sat around the campfire, eating s'mores. Good times ...

Relaxin', reading a book around the campfire...


Nate, the great cook - we ate so good over the weekend! Thanks to Nate's parents for letting us use their nice camping stove.








Cody, Kristen, and Tessa ... we went on a walk while the sun was out and saw deer, elk, and beautiful nature ...


Baby Tessa - she was such a trooper and so fun to have around ...




Chillin' in our tent ...






Nate and Cody - the "firemakers" of the trip!

05.17.09 ~ Visiting Family in Utah ...

Last weekend, I got to go to Utah and babysit for Tiff and Brian's family. It was a short trip - I stayed in Salt Lake from Wednesday night to Sunday night, but was so worth it in so many ways. I loved being able to spend time with my amazing nephew and nieces, I got to see most of my family on Sunday afternoon, and spending lots of time with my mom is always an added plus. The kids were great, they were all really helpful ... I had such a good time and can't wait to go back to Utah to see them all again! The picture below was taken at Aubrie and Taylor's soccer games, in Orem. We made a fun day of it, and spent time with Cami and Taylor down in Provo as well.

05.13.09 ~ Messy Baby Room!

I am so excited about all the garage sales I've been to lately, and for free baby stuff people have given me. I also went and got baby furniture for the nursery - that was quite the adventure putting it all together ... never again. So now this is my next project - to get the nursery all organized! I've got a lot to do, as you can see. Good thing I enjoy organizing and cleaning, eh? I'll definitely have to submit an "after" picture once I've got the room all set up and lookin' good for all to see.

05.01.09 ~ Gotta Love Springtime ...

I just had to take a picture of my beautiful potted plants outside my door. I got them for way cheap, and they have been a true joy to have as we have moved on to warmer weather. I love Spring ...

04.30.09 ~ Turning 28 Years Old ...

I had a great 28th birthday! My boss, Suzanne, gave me two very nice gift cards (one to Baby Gap, and one to a yummy restaurant), and she also gave me the afternoon off from work! What a great lady. Also, Chelsea, a good friend of mine, came by my office at lunch time and surprised me with balloons and a yellow carnation! She also took me out to lunch, and it really made my day. She was so thoughtful. My day was not over yet though ... I then went home after lunch, and took a fabulous nap. After I woke up, Cindi (my mother-in-law) stopped by to give me gifts! They were all so thoughtful and it was fun to sit and chat with her for a bit. After Cindi left, another good friend of mine stopped by ... Kristen ... and she came by to give me a gift as well! I visited with her for awhile, and it was great to have good company on my b-day. I also received many texts, phone calls and emails/facebook messages from friends and family ... and to end it all ... my Dad, Mom, and Aubrie called me at 10 PM and sang "happy birthday" to me over the phone. I must say, I teared up after hearing my Dad singing in his operatic, booming voice ... gotta love family.


Nate was out of town for work this week, so he made sure to make my birthday special even though he wasn't with me by sending me some beautiful roses ... with this note (attached below) ...


I love my husband. He's the best ...

04.27.09 ~ We've Got Some Visitors ...

My sister, Cami, and her husband, Taylor, came to visit us over this last weekend! They arrived Thursday evening, and left Sunday morning. It was a short trip for them, but very memorable! I loved having family come and visit, and I think Cami and Taylor had a good time. I really tried to "sell" Colorado and show them why I love living here so much ... it was a great weekend.

Friday was a beautiful day - the weather was in the 70's, and we took advantage of that. We headed up to the Red Rocks, went on a mini-hike, and then had a yummy picnic lunch at the amphitheatre up there. It was the first time I've been up there, and well worth the visit! So pretty ...








Friday evening, the plan was to go downtown and see the sights, eat dinner, and then head to the Rockies baseball game. But the weather turned extremely cold after the sun went down, so we headed home after having dinner at Marco's Pizza (really good authentic Italian pizza). They got to see some of 16th street mall, which is a great part of downtown Denver ...



Saturday, we went to the Denver temple in the morning. It is always wonderful to be able to go to the temple with family. After the temple, we ate lunch at Panera, then went to Southlands mall to catch a matinee movie - The Soloist. After the movie, we went home to play some Settlers, and then we went out to dinner at an Italian Restaurant called Brio. It was extremely yummy - one of Nate and I's favorite places to go and eat. It was great that we still found ways to have fun - even though the weather was cold and rainy today ...



The tulips were in full bloom at the Denver temple grounds. They were absolutely beautiful!

04.26.09 ~ Exactly 5 Months Pregnant ...

Man, I feel like I already look huge, so it's a little scary to think I'm going to get a lot bigger from here on out! 5 months ... 20 weeks ... half way done with the pregnancy baby!

04.23.09 ~ Pregnancy Update ...

The last couple of days, I thought I had started to feel the baby move, but wasn't sure. After having my anatomical ultrasound, I definitely know what it feels like when the baby moves. After all of her poking and prodding, she made the baby move a few times, and I then confirmed what I had been feeling really was the baby moving! It is such a wonderful feeling and I am excited for the day when Nate will be able to feel him move as well.

I also just wanted to quickly mention how grateful I am for not being a "sick pregnant woman." The worse thing I've had is acid reflux, but the doctor told me it was safe to take Zantac, and that has helped immensely. I was getting it every day, but now that I'm taking Zantac, I hardly ever get it anymore. Phew! Other than that, I can't complain! I can still exercise (in moderation), I sleep very comfortably with my body pillow, I don't ever get sick or throw up ... I'm so lucky and feel so blessed!

I did get my first stretch mark a couple of days ago, but I am trying out three different body lotions/oils on my belly right now to see if it will help minimalize how many I get, and hopefully it will make the one I got go away! If not ... again ... not the end of the world ... I've accepted the fact that when you are pregnant you get bigger, you get stretch marks, your body changes - and that's okay.

I've been very blessed and I can't believe I am already half way through my pregnancy! And now that I know we are having a boy, I get to go shopping and make this all a reality by putting together our baby nursery room. So exciting ... I'm so happy to be pregnant! It was well worth the wait to feel this happy!

04.22.09 ~ "Miracle Baby" at 20 Weeks ...

I went in for my anatomical ultrasound, where the ultrasound specialist goes through every detail of the baby and measures its organs, bones, brain, etc. She also announced that we are having a BABY BOY! The picture below has an arrow pointing to his "boy parts" and she said she was very sure that it is definitely a boy! You are looking at the bum, and you can see the bottom leg with his thigh bone, but the other leg at the top gets blurred out ... and in the middle, is his "boy parts." I am so happy for Nate - he really wanted a boy. I was happy to just have a healthy baby - she said all the measurements were perfect for 20 weeks - but now I'm also relieved that we are having a boy, so Nate can be just as truly excited as I am!


This next picture is of our baby boy's face ... he looks very "skeletal" at the moment ...


The next picture below is the best side profile she could get of our baby. He was curled up in a ball during most of the ultrasound, and it was difficult for her to get the whole side of the body. I thought she got a great shot, nonetheless. It is a side profile of his face, and his arm is sticking up, with his hand up in the air - like he's waving! Say "hi!"

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!