First Stroller Ride

We have been lucky to have such a mild December this year. We were able to take Allison out for her first stroller ride. This would not have been possible if we were still living in Minneapolis. The midwest has been hit with tons of snow and below zero temperatures. Everytime I watch the weather it makes me grateful that we are back in Utah. Last week, it was 50 degrees and sunny. We bundled her up in her new stroller. At first she didn't know what to think, but she loved being outside and eventually fell asleep. We are excited to experience many more 'firsts.'

PEACHES IS FINALLY HERE!!

40 weeks

My life has changed dramatically since I last blogged. I am a MOM!! Allison was born on November 12th at 3:01 a.m. She was smaller than expected and weighed only 5 pounds 15 ounces, 18 inches long. I was induced on my due date, but she was born the next day. I was really hoping that I would go into labor on my own without being induced. The day before my due date I didn't feel her moving very much. I was a little worried so I called my doctor the next day and they asked me to come in and get monitored. When they hooked me up to the monitor her heart rate wasn't going up and I wasn't feeling any movements. They told me to go to the hospital and they would monitor me for a few more hours, if it didn't improve then they would induce me. I drove to the hospital by myself (Ryan was still at work) and checked in. They hooked me up to the monitors and then she started doing much better. Ryan finally arrived. I thought they were going to send me home. Then the doctor came in and asked me if I was ready to have a baby tonight. He told the nurse to start the pitocin at around 7:00 p.m. My contractions started getting really bad after about 4 hours, but I was still only dilated to a 3. I held out as long as I could, but after only a few really bad contractions I was begging for my epidural. The anesthesiologist was incredible! I didn't even feel the epidural, and then I didn't have any pain. I could still move my legs and feel a little pressure during contractions. The doctor broke my water around midnight and then I started to dilate quickly. The nurse checked me once and I was 5 centimeters, then she came back an hour later and I was 9 3/4. They told me not to push until the doctor arrived. I only pushed for about twenty minutes and she was here. She came out pink and screaming. My first thought was that she was so tiny and perfect! She weighed only 5 pounds 15 ounces, but she looked healthy with cute chubby cheeks. My parents and Ryan's mom were in the room for the birth. Nobody got any sleep that night. Her blood sugar was low right after she was born and they had to give her some formula. Luckily, she is a good eater and she didn't have to have a feeding tube.

We had lots of visitors in the hospital. We were both discharged together on Saturday. All of the cute outfits that I brought to the hospital were too big. I wasn't expecting her to be so small. She wore the smallest pajama's that I had and they still looked way to big. She hated her car seat. After we left the hospital, we went straight to Babys 'R' Us to buy some preemie clothes and diapers.

We are currently living with our in-laws and I still don't have a crib. She will be sleeping in a bassinet until we move into our own house. I had been nesting for the past two weeks. I put together her bouncy chair, swing, stroller, and glider chair. She has a closet full of clothes, but they are all too big. Hopefully, she will grow into them soon. She is a good eater and a pretty good sleeper. Neither of us got much sleep the first few nights, but she is getting better.

We took her to her first doctors visit when she was 4 days old. It was a big ordeal to get her loaded in the car seat and out of the house. She weighed 5 pounds 14 ounces at her appointment. The doctor said she is doing great! Unfortunately, Ryan woke up with a sore throat and fever the next day. He hardly ever gets sick. I was really paranoid that he would get her sick, so I wouldn't let him touch her. I took her down to Richfield while he was working. So far, mom and baby are healthy and Ryan is almost 100% better. We are having so much fun with her! She is a good baby. All she does is eat, sleep, poop and occasionally cry. We have been taking tons of pictures, so check back often for updates. I wish she could stay this little forever, but she keeps getting bigger and cuter everyday.

Summer Fun!!

I really can't say that I have been 'too busy' to blog. Since we moved to Provo I have had oodles of time on my hands. Most of my free time has been spent getting ready for baby. I have bought enough clothes to last her until her first birthday. Yep, I have definitely gone overboard in the clothes department. I can't help it, everything is so tiny and cute. I will have to change her clothes at least three times a day so she can wear everything at least once. But I am still far from ready, no crib and the nursery is a mess. We are still living with our in-laws until we buy a house. So she might be sleeping in her pack-and-play for a while until we get settled. My belly is getting huge and I still have 6 weeks to go! I don't understand how it can keep growing.

We have tried to take advantage of our last summer before baby. Ryan and I both took some time off before we started working again. I was able to attend my 10 year high school reunion. We have taken trips to Richfield, St. George, and Park City and also had plenty of fun visitors. In August we took a trip to Ponderay, Idaho for a week of relaxation. It is a family tradition and I felt lucky to be included this year. It has been a great summer and now we are excited for baby to come. She is due on November 11, but I hope she comes a little early. This pregnancy has gone by so slow, and I can't wait to meet her!

Goodbye Minneapolis!

July was a busy month! I quit working in June and spent most my time getting ready to move. I also took a trip to Oklahoma to visit my sister and see Carlee get baptized. My parents drove across the country to help us move home. Ryan finished his residency on June 30 and we had most the truck and trailer packed by the time he got home from work. We had a lot more stuff than I thought! I sold the majority of our furniture on craigslist: 3 piece white furniture set, ryan's recliner chair, my armoire, small table and chairs, the wave, and my car. I was really grateful to sell my car so we didn't have to drive two cars home. I had a 2004 white Honda Accord coupe. I will really miss that car!! But with a baby on the way I definitely need to upgrade to something bigger. We loaded up all our furniture and belongings in my dad's truck and trailer and drove out of Minneapolis on June 30. We had a few minor problems on the long drive home, but it could have been a lot worse. Ryan's car broke down in Denver, but luckily his brother was there to bail us out. Ryan spent an extra day in Denver to get the car fixed before coming to Richfield. I made it home on July 2nd just in time for my 10 year Richfield High School reunion. It was fun to see everyone, most people have at least 2-3 kids. I will have to hurry if I am going to catch up by our 15 year reunion. We spent the fourth of July in Richfield. Ryan and I ran the Liberty 5K, went to the parade, ate lunch in Fishlake, and watched fireworks at Lion's Park. I love the fourth of July in Richfield!! Now we are living in Provo with Ryan's parents until we buy a house. Life is pretty good!

We had a wonderful two years in Minneapolis! There are several things that we will miss. But we are excited to be back in Utah with new jobs and our first baby on the way.

I'm PREGNANT and its a GIRL!!

Most of you already know that I am expecting my first baby in November. I just had my ultrasound and found out that we are having a GIRL!! We are still in shock. We were 100% sure that it would be a boy. Three weeks before my ultrasound I took a gender pee test and it said BOY. We were calling him "junior" and planning to name him Jordan. Now we have to start thinking of girl names. I would have been thrilled either way, but a small part of me was really hoping for a girl. I have 3 sisters and I am used to dolls, tea parties, and dressing up. I feel like this pregnancy is going so slow. I can't wait to meet my little princess!

The pregnancy so far has been a breeze. In the first trimester, I had a little bit of nausea but I never threw up. Now I am in my second trimester and I have no symptoms except hunger! I crave salty foods: salt and vinegar chips, pickles, and french fries. I feel so good that sometimes I forget I am pregnant. Except for the fact that my pants are getting really tight. I can still wear a couple of my jeans, but I will be switching to maternity pants soon. I have gained about 10 pounds so far and I am almost half way. I have a feeling I will gain a lot more in the second half.

Only one more week until we are moving back home. I have sold most of our furniture on craigs list. Ryan even agreed to get rid of his laz-e-boy recliner. We kept our bed, couch, and of course the TV. My mom and dad have graciously offered to drive out with a truck and trailer to help us move. I am going to Oklahoma this weekend for my neices baptism. The day after I get home we are moving. We still don't have a place to live, but at least we both have jobs. Ryan will be working for a pediatric dentist with offices in Draper and West Jordan. I will be working at the same family practice office in Bountiful where I worked before we moved. The temporary plan is to move into Ryan's parents basement until we find our own place. We have a lot of changes coming this year: moving back to Utah, new jobs, new house, and NEW BABY!!

Girls Trip to San Diego & Family Trip to Denver

It has been a while since I last blogged. May was a busy month for us, but now that I am unemployed I have more time on my hands. I quit my job on June 4 to relax and get ready to move. It is hard to believe that our time in Minneapolis is almost over. There are several things that I will miss (Granite City, running by the river, and my job), and several things that I won't miss (winter, being away from family, and potholes). They just built a brand new baseball stadium near our apartment and we have been to a couple of Twins games. Now we are just winding down and looking forward to being back in Utah.

In May, I flew to San Diego to be with my girls. I was so fun to have a whole weekend full of girl talk. I haven't made many good friends in Minneapolis, so I was really in desperate need of some girl time. Our weekend was filled with shopping, laying out on the beach, eating, and lots of talking. It was exactly what I needed. I love my girlfriends!

In May, we also went to Chicago and Denver in the same weekend. Ryan had to present his final project at the AAPD conference in Chicago. We were only there for 2 days, but we made the most of our time. I was able to spend one day with my friend Debra and her son Max. We went to a Cubs game at Wrigley Field. Then we flew to Denver to spend time with Ryan's family for his brothers graduation from medical school. We went to the Denver Zoo and the new Shrek Movie.

Family Vacation

You may notice that Ryan is not in any of my pictures. Unfortunately, he was unable to take the time off work. So I left him and went to Hawaii with my family and I had a fabulous time. My parents have a time share on the west coast of Oahu. It is absolute paradise! It was a very relaxing trip. I spent a lot of time laying by the pool, reading my book, and soaking up the sun. We had all visited Pearl Harbor and the Polynesian Culture Center on a previous family vacation. So instead we spent more time on the beach and sight seeing. It was fun to spend time with my parents and sister. They really know how to have a good time! I am amazed at how active my parents are, my dad went running every morning. I joined him once, but I was usually still sleeping when he got home. We hiked to the top of Diamond Head volcano. What an amazing view from the top! I can't wait to go back.