So this is Love

New Blog address.....

2010-09-07T14:53:00.001-07:00

I am moving my blog :)

Here is the new address... bookmark it ;)

For those of you getting emails you will still get them but now when you reply they will come to my email instead of Joes. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Worlds best wheat pancakes!

2010-09-02T20:33:00.000-07:00

Granny Smith’s whole wheat pancakes
Get your blender ready!
Add 2 cups of wheat flour and 2.5 cups of milk
(Blend 1 minute)
Add 2 Tbsp of honey and 4 eggs
Add any fruit that is desired
Banana’s and strawberries are great!
1 tsp of Vanilla
2/3 cups of virgin oil (coconut or olive)
(Blend for 30 seconds)
Add 2 Tbsp of Baking Powder
(Blend for 10 seconds)
Cook on griddle and enjoy!

These pancakes are super delicious!!! They come out even fluffier and yummier if you use soft white wheat but any wheat will do. My sweet Grandma Smith perfected this recipe and its by far the best I have ever tried!!! I brought some batter to our ward campout and a few people asked for the recipe.... They were delicious!

Trip to Washington

2010-08-30T16:08:00.001-07:00

We took a week long trip up to Washington for my Cousins wedding. Really that was just our excuse. We have been wanting to get back up there for the last two years. I spent every summer there until I was 18 so its been rough not getting to visiting. Now that were in Utah many more visits are in order. Its do-able now that were only an 11 hour drive away.

This is the view from my grandparents back porch! Its gorgeous!
The sun sets right there in the middle, its stunning

Amanda's wedding was super fun! I havn't been to a wedding since my own! The food they had was amazing! I ate until I was stuffed. There was a fountain in the middle of the eating area and Nolan spent most of his time playing in it. Shyloh was a doll as always and there was lots of fund dancing. It was so fun.

During the week we went on lots of walks on their 200 plus acre property. We saw moo cows and petted uncle Dennis's horses. Grandma taught us how to bake whole wheat bread. It was delicious! We had so much fun it was hard to leave! Joe made pancakes every morning. We used white soft wheat! they were amazing. Recipe to fallow in next post :)

Oatmeal face mask

2010-08-01T14:28:00.000-07:00

Shyloh broke out in a nasty case of acne! (see picture below) It was really bad. It started with just a few little bumps on her cheek to full blown pizza face within a few days. It was really sad. Her skin was so dark and flawless. I googled it and read that it's caused by hormones that the baby receives from the mother at the time of birth. So I jumped on facebook and made an announcement (mostly just to get sympathy) and one of my friends suggested to give Shyloh an oatmeal face mask. It sounded yummy so I gave it a try. I just ground up rolled oats and added water until it became a past then applied. It smelt yummy and looked soothing. I did this a few times and its already looking better. She was such a trooper. Even with this hard crusty stuff drying on her face she never made a peep. I think she just loves the bath that much or maybe its just her angel personality. She is such a good baby and Nolan still adores her!

On a side note: the cloth diapers are working great!!! They are not nearly as much work as I thought they would be. Just a few more loads of laundry a week. Now that she has put on some weight we aren't having hardly any leaks now. I wish I would have used cloth on Nolan.... Oh well. I am making him some cloth pull-ups though : )

Soothing homemade oatmeal mask

Who can resist that face?

So proud

2010-08-01T13:41:00.000-07:00

I am so pleased and proud to announce that my sweet husband Joe, received the Melchizedek priesthood today! I am so very proud of him! How special it was that Joe's father was able to perform the ordinance. It was very beautiful. Moving in with Joe's folks has been such a blessing for us, we once again have the spirit in our family and our home. We started going to church with them when we moved in and now we have been called to be primary teachers for the CTR 6 class. We have changed our lives for the better and I am excited for what lies in store for us! I can see patriarchal blessings and the temple in our futures! I am so thankful right now for family and the examples they have been for us. Joe's parents have taken us in without thinking twice. They have showed us so much kindness and have pointed our spirituality back in the right direction. We are no longer stuck in limbo but moving forward.

Joe will be blessing our sweet baby girl this next fast Sunday... September 5th. I can't wait to see him holding her in a beautiful white blessing dress using his priesthood power to give her a blessing. I get teary just thinking about it! How blessed I am

Good helpers!

2010-07-29T09:58:00.001-07:00

I wanted to make a special post for my mom and sister! I will be forever indebted to them for being here for me during the time of Shyloh's arrival. They cooked, cleaned, entertained, and gave me some much needed friendship and emotional support when I really needed it. I was super excited to have this baby unassisted but I didn't realize until they arrived, how much I needed some strong, supportive women with me. They were such a huge encouragement. Summer's husband is a full time student and yet she spent the money to fly out here and be with me. I am so grateful to her for that. My mom made the 13 hour trek here and back so that she could witness this baby being born. They were so amazing during the birth. Summer documented and mom ran around like a chicken with her head cut off grabbing towels, beanies, snacks, drinks and even a pooperscooper haha. As we headed out to go to the hospital, Mom was waiting there with her purse! She was willing to go to the hospital at 3am but we insisted that she get some sleep so she could help with the kids in the morning. She made sure I was well nourished during the week after the birth, making delicious nutritious smoothies and wonderful meals.

Thank you so much you two. You will never fully understand how much your presence meant to me. This was my dream birth and you had a part in that!

Home is where the heart is

2010-07-29T09:08:00.001-07:00

Joe's parents have asked us to stay here until they get back from their next Mission!! They may not be leaving for another year but I guess they are willing to put up with us until then ;) We are so grateful and excited! When our house was being foreclosed on I never imagined we would be living here in this beautiful house and in such a lovely state. We would have ended up in some shabby apartment probably. Look how blessed we are! We are truly grateful to them for their sacrifice. Joe is still job hunting but were hopeful that he can find something close enough to commute to. Thanks Mom and Dad, We love and appreciate you both!!

2010-07-22T12:15:00.000-07:00

We found this bike at a thrift store for 15 bucks! Gotta love second hand stuff! Nolan is so cute when he peddles around on his bike and wears his little helmet! He's just such a cutie! It is so beautiful here. We love going outside. Mom and Dad have such a beautiful back yard with a jungle gym and grass! Definitely a step up from our concrete little patio! We feel very blessed to be here.

Great Grandparents

2010-07-20T18:26:00.000-07:00

Shyloh has had the honor of meeting two sets of Great Grandparents and her last living Great, Great Grandmother! How special she is, and only three weeks old! Grandma and Grandpa Smith came to visit some friends here in Utah during the fourth of July weekend. They came and had dinner with us. It was so great to be able to see them! Were planning a visit to Washington in August so that will be fun to be able to see them and the rest of the family up there!

We were able to attend a family reunion that fortunately happened to be just across the freeway from us! It was really neat to meet some of my great grandma Jenkins relatives. She now has 6 great grand-babies including Shyloh! I wish we could have gotten a five generation picture but my mom couldn't make it. I am so thankful that I have so many grandparents living today!

Shyloh and her Great Great Grandma!

Here is Shyloh and her great Grandpa Jenkins

Childhood Poem

2010-07-16T20:14:00.000-07:00

My mother had this poem memorized when I was child and would tell it to us kids often. It brings back some neat memories reading it. I started to tell it to Nolan but only knew the first line or two so I googled it....

Winkin', Blinkin', and Nod

Winkin', Blinkin', and Nod, one night sailed off in a wooden shoe; Sailed off on a river of crystal light into a sea of dew. "Where are you going and what do you wish?" the old moon asked the three. "We've come to fish for the herring fish that live in this beautiful sea. Nets of silver and gold have we," said Winkin', Blinkin', and Nod.

The old moon laughed and sang a song as they rocked in the wooden shoe. And the wind that sped them all night long ruffled the waves of dew. Now the little stars are the herring fish that live in that beautiful sea; "Cast your nets wherever you wish never afraid are we!" So cried the stars to the fishermen three - Winkin', and Blinkin', and Nod.

So all night long their nets they threw to the stars in the twinkling foam. 'Til down from the skies came the wooden shoe bringing the fisherman home. 'Twas all so pretty a sail it seemed as if it could not be. Some folks say 'twas a dream they dreamed of sailing that misty sea. But I shall name you the fisherman three - Winkin', Blinkin', and Nod.

Now Winkin' and Blinkin' are two little eyes and Nod is a little head. And the wooden shoe that sailed the skies is a wee one's trundle bed. So close your eyes while mother sings of the wonderful sights that be. And you shall see those beautiful things as you sail on the misty sea,
Where the old shoe rocked the fishermen three - Winkin', Blinkin', and Nod.

Me, Summer and Shane

Proud Daddy

2010-07-16T10:27:00.001-07:00

I think he's in love!

Love at first Sight

2010-07-12T14:22:00.000-07:00

I really didn't know what to expect from Nolan after Shyloh was born. Especially after I saw how he was treating his cousins. I was a tad bit scared. I had images of him hitting, sitting on or throwing random objects at his new sister. So the first time he saw her I was pleasantly surprised. He came in the room saying "where's my baby" Then he crawls up on the bed and just sits there petting her. With all that dark soft hair who can resist? Suddenly he blurts out "can i hold her?" I though this love at first sight would wear off but still three weeks later he is the best big brother I could hope for. He pets her head all the time and still loves holding her. He gets sad when she's upset and though I'm holding and feeding her a lot he has never shown one ounce of jealousy! We'll have to see how he reacts when she goes after one of his toys.

Bath Time

2010-07-11T19:54:00.001-07:00

She Loved taking a bath! It was so pleasant. She just floated in the water with me and was wide awake. I still can't believe how much hair this little beauty has! I read online that women who experience a lot of heart burn are more likely to have a baby with a full head of hair, luckily that wasn't the case with me.

Shyloh- (usually spelled Shiloh or Shilo) Originated from Isreal meaning Peaceful. Shilo is also used by the Navajo and it means Brother. The Hebrew meaning for Shyloh is His Gift

How Shyloh entered the world

2010-07-01T11:26:00.001-07:00

I woke up Sunday morning two days past my due date. I was feeling a tad rushed because my mom and sister were here and I wanted them to have some time with the baby before they had to leave. I was ready to birth this angel but babies are easier to take care of in the belly I wasn't in any hurry. Church was nice. All the ladies came up and lamented the fact that I didn't have a baby in my arms. One lady said "Maybe tonight". I wasn't getting my hopes up.

I kept busy that day. Helping with the kids and trying to keep things clean. It was around seven when I started having contractions that were about 7 minutes apart. They didn't feel like anything special and this had happened several times before so I didn't get too excited.

At 8:30pm I was reading Nolan bedtime stories when a contraction hit that sent me to my knees breathing. Then the next one was a bit stronger. I imagined a newborn in my arms and began to get super excited. I kissed Nolan good night and went out to tell Summer and Mom what had transpired. You could taste the excitement!!! We walked around my room getting things set up while I stopped and rocked through contractions. I was feeling a tiny bit of the contraction in my back so I did the side lunge just for safe measure. I wanted this baby in the perfect position for launch.

The contractions started burning and it felt like my cervix was opening. A lady in our ward came over around 11pm to wish us well. She had been a labor and delivery nurse before she had children so she was super excited for us. While sitting there chatting with her I had two really strong contractions but tried to hide it. OUCH! After she left I went back to laying on the bed completely relaxed and calmly breathing through contractions.

11PM-Summer and mom were great but I just felt like I needed to get in the zone so I got in the shower. Plus I wanted to be clean for the birth. Joe put a knee high stool in there for me to lean on and I just did hands and knees or squatting during contractions. I was really having to breath and concentrate. I wasn't timing these hugs but they felt about 5 minutes apart. The shower was wonderful but my legs and arms were getting tired and all I could think about was my nice warm bed. I crawled out and put on my labor outfit. They put some chux pads on the bed just in case my water broke. I wasn't expecting this because It has always broken just as the baby comes. The contractions were pretty intense at this point. I was so relaxed and in tune with my body that I wasn't freaking out like I would have before. I was still just calmly breathing. When a contraction would hit its peak I would purse my lips and let out a slow deep breath. They were leaving me feeling a bit nauseous but I still thought I was in early labor. (I was actually in transition at this point) My mom was massaging my feet and Joe was rubbing my back while summer pressed a hot pad to my back. I was thinking I should go into labor every day!! : ) I was feeling so pampered! But I know it helped me stay relaxed.

12am- Suddenly i felt something very strange. It felt like a thick rubber band snapping. For a split second I though it was just the baby punching my cervix. I sort of jumped then waited a second and realized my water had broken. It just came gushing. My eyes flew open and I announced suddenly "my water just broke, I need to get in the tub NOW" I sort of made this fake cry and Joe asked me what was wrong. I told him that I was scared. I'm not sure what I was scared of. I think deep down I knew that things would be moving really fast and I was afraid of the pain. They calmed me down and we moved to the tub with a chux between my legs. The water felt wonderful!! It was amazing. I was so in the zone. I waited patiently for the next contraction. When it came I had the urge to scream through it but I just breathed. I felt a soft urge to push but wasn't ready yet. Summer was sitting there with me and when the contraction ended I told her breathlessly that the baby was coming and that I was feeling the pushing urge. She loudly announced "she's coming!!" It made me smile.

The next contraction was more intense. I had to push that time. There was no breathing through it. I tried to just let my body do the pushing and stay completely relaxed. The next few contractions are a bit of a blur. With each contraction I would push a little more. I could feel her moving down the birth canal. About three contractions after getting in the tub I saw Joe standing in the door way. I called for him and he came and sat where Summer had been. I gripped onto his hand for dear life. He checked me and said he could feel the head. The next contraction was insane. I was trying not to push but had to! I started to lose control and muttered "I can't do this" My sweet husband told me to open my eyes and look at him but they were sealed shut. I finally got them open and he looked at me deeply and said "You've got this baby! Your doing this" Then a contraction came and I could feel her crowning. I pushed as hard as I could and felt her head pop out. It was so intense.

12:30AM-Joe peaked and said she was out up to her mouth. I waited for the next contraction then gave a good push and out came her slimy seven pound five ounce little body. Joe maneuvered her through the water and placed her on my chest. The flood of emotion at that moment was incredible! Pure bliss! The only words I could muster were "I Love you!" I just kept repeating this phrase, I love you, I love you! I loved everyone at that moment. My wonderful husband who brought me out of the deepest contractions, my sweet sister who was documenting and encouraging me and my sweet mother who was an awesome birth assistant. But most of all I was in awe of this tiny little being in my arms. Her head was covered in long black hair and it was super slimy. I thought if felt really neat. She had luscious creamy vernix all over her sweet little bottom. I just rubbed it all over her back and arms. She was deliciously perfect and I loved her completely!

We couldn't believe how fast and easy everything had gone. I though I was in early labor then my water breaks and thirty minutes later she's here in my arms! The excitement in the air was so tangible! It was a sacred experience that I will forever cherish. I have never felt so much love in my life! I still get chills thinking about it. I was truly in baby birthing heaven!

Belly Cast

2010-06-18T21:21:00.000-07:00

Today is my due date : )

We did a belly cast last night. (talk about waiting till the last minute) I really like how it turned out! Next I'll sand and reinforce it then decorate it. Maybe paint it or do a mosaic. We'll see. It was a lot of work but I'm so glad we did it. We used four rolls of gauze and a whole thing of plaster of paris. It took about 40 minutes. Major props to hubby for doing it for me and my mom made a great assistant!

I'm feeling good. Huge but good. I'm totally ready to have this baby and am in no rush! Can't wait to snuggle a squishy newborn. Dreaming of crazy baby bliss! So thankful to have my mom and sister here, what a blessing!

Baby booties

2010-06-09T21:33:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to show my parents that the fancy sewing machine they gave me isn't going to waste ; )

These are so cute and super fun to make! I just used fabric I had laying around!

Here is the pattern if your interested : )

http://www.michaelmillerfabrics.com/blog/cloth_shoe.pdf

37 weeks!

2010-05-31T09:38:00.000-07:00

Guess its time for a pregnancy update. I can't believe I'm 37 weeks already! This baby has been my most active yet. She does summer salts that take my breath away. She'll stick her foot out as hard as she can right below my belly button and leave it there for a few second. Its the strangest thing I have ever felt, Really cool but strange! My mom and my sister Summer are coming to visit on the 11th of June! A week before I'm due. I can't wait. I'm sure the thought of helping your wife birth a baby alone is a daunting thought so I know Joe will sleep easier when they get here. Hopefully this little monkey doesn't decide to emerge here before then.

My cloth diaper stash is coming along nicely! I have a few more diapes to sew up and I want to make some wet bags for traveling and some flannel cloth wipes. Its been really fun sewing different things and I am so glad to have found this hobby. My sewing machine and I have become good friends (we had some small fights at first due to my lack of knowledge) But I'm learning and as I'm getting better at sewing I'm really enjoying it!

Here are pics from the last few weeks! Can you tell I love my belly!?!

33 weeks

34 weeks

36 weeks

37 weeks

Daddy and Nolan

2010-05-29T14:29:00.001-07:00

I am so terrible about getting pictures of Nolan with the two of us. Last Sunday daddy had just done his visiting teaching, he was looking devilishly handsome so I had him sit and take some cute shots with Nolan. They turned out really good.....

My friend the beetle

2010-05-20T08:41:00.000-07:00

So i guess Nolan inherited my fascination with bugs. I'm over it now but when I was little my mom and other various relatives tell me that I loved bugs and other small animals. I was sitting on the grass reading the other day and Nolan walked up and stuck this beetle right in my face!!! It really caught me off guard! My book went flying and I let out sort of a shriek. I don't know where he found this beetle but they were immediately bosom friends!! I was so impressed at how fearless he was, letting it crawl all over him. He played with this little beetle for quite a while then let it crawl away. He missed his beetle though and asks about him every time we go outside

32 weeks!!! And my newest cloth diaper!

2010-04-26T10:30:00.001-07:00

Wow time fly's!! i cannot believe I am already 32 weeks along in this pregnancy. I know I still have eight weeks left but it feels like just around the corner. I am feeling very prepared for our unassisted home birth. Joe still needs a few "baby catching" lessons and I need to order cord clamps but other than that our birth kit is complete and I am feeling very confident and ready to give birth to this baby. (We plan on using braided embroidery thread for the cord so the clamps are just for an emergency) Here are my latest round of preggie shots : )

30 weeks

32 weeks
I was really trying to look ecstatic to be preggie here lol

I have also been hard at work sewing "practice" diapers. After sewing several of those I finally decided that I was ready to attempt to make a "real" diaper using my special fabrics and snap fasteners. I'm hoping to get about 15 diapers out of the fabric I bought so one down 14 to go! Here is my finished product...

This is an All In One (AIO) One size fits "most" Pocket diaper. There is a pocket in the back where the absorbent insert is placed. I used the Snap Sprout diaper pattern...

http://www.doddlebee.com/SproutSnap.pdf

This is the inside of the dipe that will be touching the baby's skin. Its suedcloth. I wanted to use organic bamboo velour but at almost 20 bucks a yard I just couldn't justify it

This is the outside. The white you see is Poly Urithane Laminate (PUL) Its completely waterproof! So cool

front view on the smallest setting. The material on the wings is minky (so cute) I happened to have some minky scraps from a blanky I had sewn a friend while she was preggie. This diaper still looks huge for a newborn so we will probably use prefolds for the first few months.

side view on smallest setting

Back view

Medium setting

And here is the large setting

Thank you so much Mom and Dad for my steller sewing machine!!!! We have become very good friends and without it I could not have been able to sew these awesome diapers!

Frosty the snow man

2010-04-21T11:01:00.000-07:00

It snowed a few weeks ago so we took the opportunity to make a snow man. (and it turned out pretty cute in my opinion) This was Nolans first "real" encounter with snow. We put his little mittens on and plastic bags on his feet to keep his shoes dry. He LOVED it. Joe and I were hard at work building frosty when I look around to see where Nolan had run off too, he was sitting in the snow at the top of the slide. It was so cute. He really loved the snow man we made. He kept pointing to him and saying "Frosty!!" We sang the "frosty the snow man" song a few times and also "once there was a snow man". It was great fun. Frosty only lasted a few days. It amazes me how fast that much snow can melt!! Here are some pictures. Now the weather is gorgeous. Spring is quite a sight to see here in Utah. I'm still not used to it. We are loving life here!

Our little singing star

2010-04-02T10:19:00.000-07:00

Mr. Nolan is such a ham! He absolutely LOVES singing his favorite songs..... Give said the little stream, The itsy bitsy spider, Twinkle twinkle little star and various others. Last Monday after family home evening Nolan decided to serenade us for quite some time. He would loudly announce the name of the song he intended to sing then he would sing the song just like a little performer. It was so cute. Here is a video....

(for those of you getting the emails you will have to go to the blog to see the video just click on the link at the bottom of the page ; )

Adventures in sewing

2010-03-24T14:34:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know, I have decided to use cloth diapers with our next little monkey. After long grueling hours of bidding on ebay and looking at dozens of different styles and types of diapers I have decided to sew my own. (I had no idea how many styles and how pricey they could be!!!) So this was my first attempt at a fitted pocket diaper Also known as an AIO (all in one). It has a fleece inner, a waterproof middle and a soft flannel outer. You stuff the pocket with an absorbent insert and you have no need for a cover because its waterproof! I also plan on using snap fasteners to secure the diaper, just haven't gotten around to ordering them or the tool yet ;) Most people cringe and run in fear at the mention of cloth diapers but I can assure you these are not your mamas diapers!! They are almost as easy as disposables just a little more laundry! for those interested I'll put links at the bottom ; )

Here is a shot of the diaper folded. This is how it will look on the baby

See that flap in the back? That is where the absorbent insert is placed Not bad huh???!!!!??? I just got this amazing sewing machine and am pretty impressed that my first project turned out so good! I have sewn a bit in the past but am still definitely a beginner!

Here is another project. Its a pouch sling!! I made it using a video tutorial on Youtube! It goes around the body like a pageant banner. The baby rests in the soft fleece layers and is snug and secure against mommys body. I'm super proud at how cute it turned out ; )

This one I crocheted so we'll see how it works

I'll keep you updated on my crafty adventures!

One size Diaper pattern
http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2010/03/homemade-one-size-cloth-diaper-pattern-and-wipes-recipe.html

Pouch sling tutorial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HW9m_8w_btc

Pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP)

2010-03-20T06:51:00.000-07:00

What is this you ask? Its a rash that a small amount of women (and myself) get while pregnant. I had no idea what this was when I had it with my first pregnancy. I thought it was due to receiving my lovely stretch marks but when it didn't clear up for a few months after the pregnancy was over I thought it was something else. My doctor tried giving me a steroid cream but since I was nursing I wouldn't touch that stuff with a ten foot pole! My dad finally gave me a natural (but smelly) salve and it cleared up quickly.

For some reason this dreaded rash skipped my last pregnancy. I have been doing some reading and according to research a biopsy of the rash has shown that male fetel DNA can be found. And that 70% of women with PUPP's give birth to boys. They believe that the male fetel DNA acts as a skin irritant (Which is just another reason I'm still convinced were having a boy!) I also read that usually you don't get this lovely rash with subsequent pregnancy's.... Guess I'm just lucky. Perhaps the surrogacy was skipped because I was having a girl??

So Yesterday my belly was itching like mad! I though I had just gotten a little too much sun and put some aloe vera on it. When I looked in the mirror my belly didn't look sun burnt so I just tried to ignore it. That night I turned on the bathroom light and really tried to get a good look at the underside of my belly ( something I cannot see on my own any longer) and sure enough, there was the rash! NOOOOO! I called Joe in and asked if he could see it (He had to put up with my itching and whining all day I just wanted to show him I wasn't faking lol)

I guess I'll venture to the health food store and see if they have any smelly salve that may help. There are some drugs you can take but since this rash can't hurt me or the baby (its just really annoying) I'll live with it if it cannot be treated naturally. Pregnancy is hard enough without having a super itchy belly to accompany it! Pray for me that I don't loose my mind before this baby is born

Just had to share

2010-03-16T18:07:00.000-07:00

Nolan has been having a really hard time saying the word "shut up" Anytime we try to scold him he'll say it or he'll just randomly blurt it out. He has even said "shut up momma!" AAAHHGGG! (In all fairness he learned the word from me, I like saying it when I can't believe what I'm hearing but have nipped that bad habbit over the last month) No matter what I do he won't stop. I tried putting him in time out every time I would hear it and that made it worse. Then I tried ignoring it for about a week and that didn't help. So lately when he says it we sternly say "that is NOT a nice word" and sometimes we put him in time out if he won't stop or acknowledge its not a nice word. So here's to the funny part. I'm in here in the den writing some emails and I hear him singing the "once there was a snow man" song in his room. We have been singing it a lot since it snowed. Suddenly in the middle of the song he sings "shut up is not a nice word". It was so funny. Then a few minutes later while playing with his buzz light year he sternly said "Shut up is not a nice word buzz.... Go to time out" I had to giggle.

Our move to Utah

2010-03-16T10:30:00.000-07:00

Who likes to move? No one I know!!! We ended up selling a TON of our junk that has accumulated over the past years which felt very nice. Whats funny is people actually bought most of it!!! Stuff that I didn't think we would ever sell. So by the end of all of our craigslisting and yardsailing we only had a few boxes of stuff for D.I. I was procrastinating us moving but Joe cracked the whip and finally set a date. I'm glad we waited though because I was able to spend a whole week with my Grandparents from Washington. Although now were only a twelve hour drive away so I think a visit is in order. Maybe for my cousins wedding in August!

Two of Joe's friends came to help us move and we are so so grateful to them because there was no way we could have done it alone! We ended up using a 22 foot Penske diesel and it was completely full by the time we finished!! We had to really shove our mattress in at the end so I am so thankful we didn't end up using the 16 footer we had originally booked. That would have been a nightmare getting it half way loaded then realizing we didn't have nearly enough room!

So our journey began. We were loaded up in the cab of the truck (which Nolan loved) with snacks and drinks at our feet. About two hours down the road Joe noticed in his mirror that the front tire on the trailer was flat! So we stopped at the nearest gas station and filled her up. Within twenty minutes of driving it was flat again so we called Penske and they send a service guy to come fix it. I was really impressed that they were there so fast and got it all taken care of so quickly. We were only pulled over for a total of about an hour! We got some cute pictures to document our journey....

The sky was so stunning!

That night we decided to stop in Laughlaun because their Hotels were so cheep. We stayed at Harrah's for only 25 bucks! They even gave us a free buffet pass so we had an awesome dinner. After a good nights sleep we were on the road again. Joe did all the driving (I think he was scared of me driving) which is totally fine because I was actually really scared of driving too! We got to Mom and Dads around five on Friday night. We unloaded our suitcases and mattress and slept. The next morning some awesome men (including the bishop who lives a few doors down from us) came and helped us move into the house. It didn't take very long but we were so grateful for the help. I didn't have to move a single box! Then Christie and Sean (Joe's sister and her hubby) helped us unpack a bunch of stuff. They even hung all of my clothes!

We have been here in Utah for a week and are really loving it. We left our rundown old townhouse in a not so good area and now were here in a great neighborhood with snowy mountain peeks behind us. Nolan has an awesome park down the street and a big backyard to play in. We are so thankful to be here during this time. Mom and Dad Hartzell are taking very good care of us and have given us three whole bedrooms to occupy while were here! We feel so blessed right now!

There was a big snow last week! It was so beautiful! Being an AZ native it will defintely take some time getting used to seeing it snow! I'm not a big fan of the cold but it was just so beautiful I couldn't be grumpy about it! And I couldn't believe how fast it melted!!! Just two good days of sun and it was gone!

This is the view from the back porch!! So stunning
(Omit power lines :)

Baby Bump ; )

2010-03-13T11:54:00.000-08:00

I believe I was born to be pregnant! I love it. This has been my easiest pregnancy yet! I am so excited about being a mom to a new little life. I feel as though I already know this little person growing inside of me. I have spent countless hours researching all things baby, cloth diapers, slings, co-sleeping, PBA, proper swaddling! This time around I feel much more informed and plan to be well prepared!! I cannot wait to give birth with just me and my sweetheart and other loved ones around. I want my amazing husbands hands to be the first thing that touches our sweet baby. I know it will be a life changing experience for the both of us!

23 Weeks
Nolan loves giving the baby (or my belly) smooches! Its so special that he understands. He often tells the baby that its time to come out so I explained to him that our baby must get bigger than he/she will be ready to come.

23 weeks

24 weeks

26 weeks

Tucson visit

2010-03-09T10:13:00.001-08:00

I was able to see my sweet Grandma and Grandpa Smith this last weekend in Tucson. Even with our move looming I just couldn't pass up the chance to spend some time with them. Tucson is always so much fun. They have skate boards, a chicken coop, a tractor!!! and a big trampoline! Every three year olds dream! The weather was rainy some of the time but we did get some fun in before then

Here is an older pic of me and Grandma

Skate boarding was a hoot!!! Nolan looked so cute when he would kick off then put his little feet up on the board and coast down the hill.

What can I say?! Little boys and tractors! Its like love at first sight. Nolan had a blast playing on his Grandpa Smiths tractor. It was so fun and I got some awesome shots. We'll probably hang some on his wall!

The Chickens are so fun. Someday I would LOVE to have some chickens and other various farm animals! But for now I live vicariously through my parents chickens : ) One morning I went to make eggs (my faveorite breakfast food during pregnancy) and there were only two left!! So I ventured out to the chicken coop and to my great surprise there was a whole plethora of eggs waiting for me. A chicken was on them so they were still warm too!

Maybe I'm bias but I think that Nolans little jump on the trampoline is just about the cutest thing I have ever seen!!! And in case your wondering whats on his face.... He got into a fight with some white out he found on the counter. I was just to lazy to try and scrub it off. Here is a cute video of his jumping.

Its A Girl!!!! (Maybe)

2010-02-04T13:25:00.000-08:00

So I was really bummed that our little monkey wouldn't reveal its parts so I called that night and they said I could pop back in the next day to do a quick scan. She was still in a funny position but after some searching we were able to get a clear crotch shot and there were definitely no boy parts there. I'm still preparing myself for a boy since ulrtasound is NOT 100% accurate. Also my teck was a student and she seamed a little unsure but for now I'm saying its a girl ;)

I'm still throwing around a few names

Girl

Shylo
Lilli
Bell
Bailey
Kimber
Marley
Paisley
Sasha

Boy

Kylo
Shane
Logan
Aiden
Coltyn
Kai

And as for a middle name I either want to use my middle name... Lamoyne or my Mothers middle which is Dawn. And I'm totally lost for a boy middle name

Pregnancy update

2010-02-02T13:41:00.000-08:00

19 weeks
16 weeks

20 weeks now and feeling great! I cannot believe I am half way to seeing our new little monkey! This pregnancy has been awesome! No morning sickness whoohoo. Nolan is the cutest! He loves giving the baby (my belly) lots of loves and kisses. He can't go to sleep without kissing mammas belly. We decided to have an ultrasound because I was dyeing to know the sex but unfortunately he/she was not cooperating and its still a big surprise. Which is fine. Nolan was able to see the ultrasound and he kept exclaiming "baby"! It was very special.

Its Twins!!!!

2010-02-02T13:31:00.000-08:00

No were not having twins but I did crack open a twin egg the other day! It was super yummy too

Big Smile

2010-01-19T12:24:00.000-08:00

So Nolan has finally learned how to smile!!! Its so great. I say smile when I have the camera ready and I truly have to be ready because he will give one really great smile and if I blink or am not focused I'll miss it. Here he was sitting in the ottoman to my rocker! Don't ask how he got in there and was able to get out again, still scratching my head over it : )

Bath in a box

2010-01-19T12:20:00.001-08:00

This box was in the bath after being cleaned so I though I'll just fill it up and stick Nolan in it. It was so great! It only took a quarter of the amount of water that a normal bath would have used and instead of sitting in a few inches of water, it was up to his armpits in here. He loves it. Now he takes 1 hour baths and stays pretty warm the whole time. So high five for the bath in a box!!

A Celebration

2010-01-17T12:11:00.000-08:00

Wow how time flies! A year ago today I gave birth to an angel. Today was more of a celebration of the entire journey and the time I spent with this wonderful family. What an amazing journey it was. Happy Birthday Miss Cornelia! I love you!

Rachel and Magnus sent me flowers! Thank you both!

Family Photos 2009

2009-12-17T18:32:00.000-08:00

My sweet sister in-law Shelley took some fantastic family photos of us during the Thanksgiving holiday.

Here are a few of my favs and thank you so much Shelley they are so awesome!!!! Your a natural girl!

Halloween

2009-11-17T09:25:00.000-08:00

Every year we have been going up to Anthem and hanging out with my aunt and uncle. This year we decided to do something a bit easier and closer to home. Joe's new boss Gordon and his wife Bethany were taking their kids to the mall where supposedly all the stores were handing out candy. We decided Nolan would be superman. We had this really cute tiger outfit but dedided it was just too hot : ( Maybe next year. First we met at Gordons and had some Pizza then off to the mall. It was totally lame. We walked for about five minutes and their were only about five people handing out candy. Then Nolan started acting really strange. He would just start walking in weird directions then refuse to hold our hands. He seamed to be in a daze. I feel bad now because at the time I was calling him a grouch. So we were only at the mall for maybe 15 minutes. On our way out to the car Nolan's stomach decided it didn't want to continue holding its contents and he threw up all over his daddy. No wonder he was acting wierd!!!! I am so glad I was not the one holding him because had I been thrown up on I probably would have thrown up too! Not that I'm usually queezy about that stuff but being newly preggie I don't think I could have stomached the smell of barf! He was fine after that, must have just been something he ate?! I on the other hand went on to have a bad cold for the next two days. So that was our Halloween adventure! Hoping next year will be funner!

Gordon, Lindy, Presly, Nolan and Joe ( look at poor nolan! you can see it on his face)

He got a little tattoo at the mall so I put it on him. As it started to fade he would announce... Oh no! Tattoo!!

Birthday Cake

2009-10-28T13:57:00.000-07:00

Nolans big gift from us was this car garage storage unit that came complete with a twisting ramp on the side. He LOVED it.

This video is so cute! I loved how he had to give each scrap of paper to Grandad Hartzell

The blowing out of candles was the best. The song was a bit long but we made it through. I thought it would be funny to buy trick candles and it was! His little face when He is trying to blow was priceless.

Nolans 3rd Birthday

2009-10-28T12:56:00.000-07:00

On the way to his birthday adventure we gave Nolan this amazing See's vanilla sucker. I just though it was so cute how he was holding it and kept staring at it.

We had quite a hoot for Nolans birthday. I found this awesome indoor kid fun land in mesa. They had all sorts of rides, a little train and also a giant jungle gym. He was a bit shy at first but after going on some rides with me he started to warm up. The best part for him I think was just being able to run free. He ran all over with no one telling him where to go or not to touch stuff. It was great. Here are the pictures we shot......

Jungle Gym fun
Merry go round!
Shooting some hoops with Grandma, he really enjoyed that. We cheated a bit, grabbing the balls from behind the barrier so we wouldn't have to spend any quarters

Mom Hartzell taking a little snooze : )

They also had bumper cars that were so awesome. Unfortunately Nolan wasn't quite old enough but the grown ups had loads of laughs on them. See for yourself

Hartzell Visit

2009-10-28T12:42:00.001-07:00

We had a lovely visit from Joe's parents this last week. It was really quite nice being able to spend some time with them. They had some wonderful stories of their time in Tokyo and Mom cooked us wonderful Asian meal called YakiSoba! It was awesome! I will be making it again in the near future! They gave us a big box of goodies from their mission. My favorite piece was an authentic Kimono! It was very sweet of them to think of us whilst on their mission so thanks so much mom and dad. You are welcome anytime!

Seeing Lines

2009-10-12T22:29:00.000-07:00

Am I crazy or do those look like positives?? I'm pretty sure I'm knocked up! Its still super early so were just keeping our fingers crossed and trying not to get too excited.... but I'm really excited and so is my sweet husband.... in fact he may be more excited than I. Here's to a happy healthy pregnancy! My due date is very special because it is the exact due date that my mom had when she was pregnant with me!! June 18th

Warning: you may be seeing my belly a lot in a few months so sorry in advance! I can't help it!!!

Like his daddy

2009-10-12T15:45:00.000-07:00

The other day I turned around and found Nolan snuggled up on the couch with my favorite blanky. (this blanky has been with me during a birth and twice to the hospital) It was so cute how he had wrapped himself in it that I had to snap a shot

The next day I walked in to the den and this is what I found

I said hold still and snapped a shot. He asked me what I was doing so I showed him his pic then the one above of Nolan. We thought it was pretty cute how they had picked the same blanky and the same positing to watch cartoonys

Umbrella

2009-09-11T11:05:00.000-07:00

Maybe its a kid thing but Nolan Loves umbrellas!!!

Pineapple Pregnancy : )

2009-09-04T16:27:00.000-07:00

Since we are trying to conceive I thought I would share this.... Nolan and I LOVE pineapple so we will definitely be trying this

Using Pineapple to Assist Implantation:
Pineapple contains bromelain. Bromelain is a proteolytic enzyme that breaks up proteins that inhibit embryo implantation. Consuming a whole pineapple (focusing on the core as it has the highest concentration of Bromelain) during a fertility cycle can be beneficial.

For IVF cycle: consume equal amounts over five days, beginning on the day of your embryo transfer.

IUI cycle: consume equal amounts over five days, beginning on the day of your IUI.

Timed intercourse cycle: consume equal amounts over five days, beginning on the day after ovulation.

Note: Be careful not to start consuming pineapple too early in the cycle. Beginning to consume pineapple BEFORE the recommended days above can actually affect your vaginal and cervical mucus PH, making it more acidic.

Lizard fun

2009-09-03T13:15:00.000-07:00

While playing in the kiddy pool we found a lizard. Nolan LOVED it and kept calling it a Rabbit. He was very distraught when we had to let it go but I quickly showed him these pictures of our little friend and he calmed down. It was a great learning experience for him. It has been so hot out that we don't go out unless were playing in the sprinklers.... Usually I just drench myself and do yard work while he waters the flowers and splashes in puddles : )

the pressures of potty training!

2009-08-24T09:19:00.000-07:00

Why does potty training have to be so difficult?? It feels like all of Nolans cousins his age and younger than him are potty trained.... so I started feeling the pressure. about a month ago I decided that we were going to try. I had to come to a place where I KNEW I could handle it and NEVER be mad or sad at him for having an accident. After everything I went through to give him a natural trauma free birth I refused to traumatize him through potty training lol. So I just let him be naked for about two weeks. We have hardly no carpet so it worked out great. For two weeks he would always pee in his little potty but doodles were another story.... he would usually drop those under the table haha. One time he squeezed between the futon and the wall and unfortunatley one of his books was in the line of fire.....

This seemed to have an impact on him. for the next two days he did all of his poopers on the potty!! I was so excited and thought that he was trained but alas..... we went on a trip that weekend and of course had diapers on him because we were staying in a hotel and when we got home he wanted nothing to do with the potty. He was doodling and peeing all over the house and becoming angry when I would mention the potty..... sigh. So I decided he wasn't' ready and now he is in diapers again. : ( The important thing to me was that he was never traumatized from the experience. It was always very positive so hopefully when we try again he will remember and it will go quickly... hey positive thinking never hurts

Just some fun videos!

2009-03-13T14:55:00.000-07:00

Throwing balls with daddy

This is hilarious.....I didn't realize that I mouth the words to songs until I saw this video, That's what he's doing....So funny.

Zerbits!!!

This was super funny. He would growl at us but then when we would growl back he would do a little whine. Too cute!

Nolan and Pippin playing

2009-03-13T13:20:00.000-07:00

While Nolan was driving around the yard Pippin was going a little crazy. The big car scares him so he was running circles around it. So funny. By the time I grabbed the camera he had simmered down a bit. Nolan loves to go outside and throw balls around for Pippin. He pounces on them like a kitty. So fun

birth story and pregnancy pics

2009-01-08T12:30:00.000-08:00

On Friday I had gotten into bed around 9pm and instantly had a contraction. I had been having braxtons for the last month but I knew immediately that this was different. I laid for a while listening to my i-pod and timing the hugs... they were about 7 minutes apart and still feeling like real contractions but not at all painful. I suddenly got really excited.... In hindsight I really should have meditated and tried to go back to sleep but for any women who has given birth you know first hand how exciting it can be to know you are finally in labor.

Joe was playing computer games with his friend so I went in and whispered in his ear "I'm in labor" He looked up and smiled at me and I smiled back then skipped (actually waddled) out of the room. I spent the next few hours flitting around the house, cleaning and getting birth stuff ready. I would hang from our table during the hugs. It felt really good to just hang and let my body just dangle there. At this point the hugs were still not painful just getting a bit stronger. Around 3am Mom Smith and her best friend Wendy came from Tucson to be with me. Wendy is a dula and a wonderful one at that. They came in and I was so thrilled and excited to have them here that my labor sort of stoped. Nipple stimulation got it up and going again though.

A few days before this I had ordered "the business of being born" from blockbuster and it had come in the mail that morning. It a movie on natural birth. What perfect timing! We popped it in and watched as I tried to get my labor going again. I was having back labor so Wendy had me stand with one foot on a chair and lean in during the hugs. She though that it could be because the baby was posterior and thought this would help turn her. Within an hour I was having no more back labor, the hugs were all in the front where they should be. I went from the birth ball to leaning over the back of the couch while Wendy and Mom took turns doing the hip squeeze. They really were troopers!!

At some point during the night we sent Joe to bed because I knew he would need to take care of me the next day. At about 6am my hugs were getting closer together and much stronger so we decided it was time to get in the pool. It was wonderful!!!!! (although now I wish I had waited a bit longer because I ended up hanging out in there for over three hours lol) I would lean against the side and rock back and forth during the hugs. At about 7 my wonderful midwife Mary came. At 9ish during the hugs I would spontaneously push. That's when we knew the birth was close. Mary asked me to feel inside and see what was going on. I poked me finger in and could feel the head with the tip of my finger. What a wonderful feeling that was. Suddenly someone asked me if they should wake Joe up and I knew he would be bummed if he missed the birth so I said YES. Lucky him, he slept through the entire labor lol. Although I don't see how, When in labor I am very vocal... I don't know how else to channel all of that energy!

A few hugs later I was starting to panic a little so Mary Held me still and said...Shanna, feel the baby. So I reached down and her head was crowning. It was all wrinkly and funny feeling. I was so dazed that I frowned and said "is that the cord" she said no hunny, its her head... How amazing!! This gave me a whole new energy. I looked over and saw Joe sitting near the pool so I crawled over to him leaned against the side, holding both of his hands and pushed her head out. What an amazing feeling!!!! No one yelling at me when or how hard to push. I just let my body take control and fallowed what it told me to do. I just sat there resting. then the contraction came except it didn't feel like a contraction suddenly my body just started pushing... I could not control what it was doing it was just doing what it needed to do! During this push I felt her turn and slither out! What a relief! Such an amazing feeling. Mary pushed her forward between my legs and i reached down and pulled her up. I then leaned against the pool and just held her.

She was pretty gergaly and not breathing right away but started to pinken up after some stimulation. Fifteen minutes later I squatted over a stainless bowl and birthed her placenta. Everything seemed wonderful until a few hours later when I tried to use the restroom and fainted.... Mary decided that despite the fact that I had had three pit shots I was still bleeding way to much so off the the hospital I went. My uterus was clamped and in the perfect position and the placenta came out fully intact but for some reason my body would not stop bleeding.... the hospital staff was even baffled. They went in to make sure I didn't have any tears on my cervix but could not find anything. I guess its just one of those mystery's. Next pregnancy I am going to take extra raspberry leaf and Cayenne pepper and pray that i have better luck next time. But I still got my perfect birth.... Thank you so much Mary, Dianne and Wendy! You were all so amazing and I could not have asked for a better birth team! Oh and My 14YO sister filmed the birth so thank you so much Bekah! Your the women. I am so glad to have the footage!

This surrogate journey has been such an amazing experience!My IP's arrived Sunday night and it was the most amazing thing to see their faces as I handed them their little angel that they waited so long to meat. This is something I will never forget. They allowed me to nurse her for the first week and a half. I loved it. Every time they would bring her into me it was like receiving a little present! by the time they left I had pumped roughly 15 bags of milk and they took it all home with them. It made me feel good that they valued my milk so much and used it all. Now i am selling what I pump to a lady who had twins two months early. She was so excited to find someone who would give her milk at such a great price. Sorry I can't post any pics of the little angel, My IP's want to maintain thier aninemity because surrogacy is elligal in Sweden.

38 week photo shoot

Joe did a lovely photo shoot of me today. Exactly 38 week preggers. . Out of 90 shots these were my favorites. The birth is looming. I technically could go into labor any day although I don't think I will. She still has a bit more room to grow. Having a home birth is definitely more stressful than going to a hospital/birth center. I feel like my house needs to be spotless and I have to prepare so many things in preparation. I know it will be all worth it and I get more and more excited every day. This surrogate journey has been wonderful thus far. I could not have asked for better IP's. They are truly amazing and I am so excited to give them their little girl. I hope this home birth experience is wonderful for them.

36 week surro belly

2008-12-29T12:23:00.001-08:00

In case you have not noticed I LOVE pregnant bellies, Including mine!!!! I can't get enough of them. Here is my blossoming belly at exactly 36 weeks on Christmas Eve. I'll be posting a pic weekly until the birth so I hope you LOVE pregnant bellies like I do : )

Our Christmas

2008-12-27T19:28:00.001-08:00

Just though this was a neat picture. My little elf Nolan

Nolan received this awesome singing hand puppet frog from Grandma Nielsen. I was able to capture a little video of Nolan and Daddy playing with it.
Christmas Eve my Mom put together a wonderful buffet that came complete with a chocolate fondue fountain. It was wonderful. I wish my stomach had more room in it.

Here is Grandma Jenkins with sweet Kayala, 6 months old

This is my Great Grandma Jenkins and my Grandpa Jenkins. They are snacking on some almond rocka Christmas morning.

My beautiful step mother, Dianne and baby Kayala.

Christmas day we went to my Dads house in Tucson. Summer and Cade gave us these funny hillbilly teeth and sky looked priceless with them on. Had to snap a shot. We had so much fun this Christmas!!! We wish we could have seen more of Joe's family but our hearts are with them.

Our Christmas photo shoot

2008-12-23T07:55:00.000-08:00

This year for Christmas we'll be at my mom's house for Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. Around noon were traveling down to Tucson to spend the rest of the holiday break at My dad's house. Were really excited. We wish we could see Joes parents for Christmas but we know their having fun on their mission in Tokyo. We love you Mom and Dad Hartzell.

33 weeks

2008-12-04T21:30:00.000-08:00

Everything is still going great!!! Loving having a belly on me!

New puppy!

2008-11-19T18:08:00.000-08:00

We have a puppy!!!!! It's actually my Christmas present, Probably birthday too : ) We got an 11 week old Cockapoo. We had to find a hypo allergenic breed because Joe is allergic and I wanted an indoor dog. The father was a Cocker Spaniel and the momma was a mini Poodle. We named him Pippin after a Hobbit from Lord of the Rings. He is super sweet. Loves to snuggle and cuddle. I'm working my butt off trying to do the crate training with him. He is doing really well already. Pooping in the spot I want him to in the yard. Wish me luck. Its almost as much work as having a new born!!!

Shopping and makeup

2008-11-10T10:58:00.000-08:00

My sweet sister Rebekah just turned 14 and is now allowed to wear makeup. As if that wasn't enough she also attended her first church dance on Saturday. I would not have been a good big sister if I had not gone down to help with this wonderful occasion. We shopped at the Tucson mall for what seemed like all day. I waddled around with my big belly but it was fun. Bekah found a super cute outfit and bought some lovely perfume. I did her hair and makeup before the dance and she looked so beautiful. My wonderful Mother Dianne watched Nolan so I was able to shop without interfierence. It was fabulouse. Thank you Dianne for letting me have this fun day with Bekah! Bekah, Your gorgouse!

Halloween 2008

2008-11-04T08:26:00.000-08:00

Daddy and his little elephant
winking pumpkin

first Nolan's birthday then Halloween, its just one fun thing after the next in October!!!! Nolan was an elephant and I was a Geisha. We like to drive up to Anthem and hang out with my Aunt and Uncle. My mom and I passed out Candy while Joe took the boys trick or treating. Nolan made it to about 6 houses then proceeded to touch peoples cars and say car over and over again. My Uncle Damon has a golf cart so Joe took the kids around and that was really fun. Nolan loved riding on daddy lap or next to him. Thanks Carry and Damon for letting us hang with you!

Us

2008-10-30T07:43:00.000-07:00

Chucky Cheeses!!!!

2008-10-30T07:07:00.001-07:00

We had a little birthday party for Nolan at Chucky Cheeses. It was super fun. It was hard staying off the skee ball game. He was so cute, he would throw the ball and when it would come back to him he would say... oh no!!!
This is the first time we have ever just let him dig into a piece of cake. We didn't get him a fork fast enough so he just dug right in with his mouth. It was so funny. The cake was really yummy.
I love this picture!!! Joe is singing happy birthday and holding Nolan's little hand, I think its just precious! What a good daddy.

It was so fun having Robbie there. Nolan Loves his uncle Robbie! We played games for hours and Nolan danced to the little show they have. It was super fun

Eating cake

2008-10-30T06:54:00.000-07:00

I had to get a video of the cake eating...It was just so cute!

28 week surro bump

2008-10-30T06:53:00.000-07:00

Time for a pregnancy update. Being a surrogate has been a very good experience thus far. I feel great and I love having a baby bump on me. I'm not yet to the point where I'm uncomfortable all the time so that's nice, trying to enjoy it. She's been kicking up a storm in there...I love it. So far everything looks great so the homebirth is still on which I am so excited about. My IP's will fly in on January 20th unless I go into labor early. They are so excited to meat their little girl.

Our two year old Nolan

2008-10-27T09:08:00.000-07:00

Bike for Nolan

2008-10-24T09:34:00.001-07:00

I Found this awesome bike at a thrift store for 15 bucks and Nolan loves it. Of course he calls it a car. I'm teaching him bike. When I say bike he runs over to it but then he says car. It has a handle on the back so we can push him around the house on it. Its so cute. He can't reach the peddles yet his feet just dangle there. Some day he'll be cruising around on it.

Saggy britches

2008-10-22T12:49:00.000-07:00

These shorts fit him fine all day and then I noticed his diaper was bulging out the back. I waited to see if they would fall off but he proceeded to waddle around the rest of the night with them like that. So funny!

Nolans Birthday He's 2!!!

2008-10-19T14:22:00.000-07:00

Time flies!!! I cannot believe we have had this sweet little boy in our lives for two whole years. For his birthday I made chocolate chip pancakes then we opened presents . We found him a big lightning McQueen car and a big truck that holds a bunch of little cars. He LOVES them. All day he kept saying "car" over and over. It was so cute! We are so happy and lucky to have this little bub in our lives!

AZ State Fair!!!

2008-10-14T08:56:00.001-07:00

My Mommacita, Robbie and I went to the fair on Friday. On Opening day it is only a buck to get in so we couldn't pass it up. Joe had work stuff so he couldn't come but we still had fun. My goal was to eat as much junk food as my belly could hold. I had one churro, a the works indian fry bread, half a caramel apple, a chocolate covered banana and some piggley fries!!! The next day I didn't feel that I had consumed enough churros so when Joe and I went to Costco I had two more. They were just as good as the fairs but a qaurter of the price. Now I'm back to my healthy pregnancy diet!
Nolan had so much fun in the little petting zoo. They had some baby goats that must have just been a few days old. So sweet. I think the Camel must have though that Nolans hair was hay because she kept sniffing it. Once she stuck her head over the railing and bent all the way down to Nolans stroller to sniff at his head. It was so funny.

Here's Nolan with his Uncle Robbie. They always have so much fun together. Towards the end of the nigh Nolan got a bit wild but Robbie helped me play with him and keep him company.... Thank you Robbie

Here's Sammy and Nolan. This was the best Picture my Mom got of the two boys. Sammy must have found something interesting in his nose. haha. Cousins are so much fun!

Nolan Loves cars

2008-10-08T14:14:00.000-07:00

Nolan's favorite thing in the world (for the time being) are cars! This car we found and he had to have it. He has trouble going forward but he's great at scooching backwards. The car goes in a big circle. Its so cute. And of course he's got his big green bink in his mouth ( were working on that )

Shane's visit

2008-09-27T14:09:00.000-07:00

Shane Came up to go mission clothes shopping. He reports to the MTC on October 17th to Guatemala!!! We are so excited and proud of him. It was nice to be able to spend some time with him before he leaves. He'll be hangliding on his way to the MTC. Pretty cool! Here's a pic of us before church.

Our Turtles

2008-09-26T10:47:00.000-07:00

We have turtles!!! We were taking a leasurly drive last Saturday and we saw a girl selling baby turtles on the side of the street. Of course we couldn't pass it up so now we now have two baby turtles. I though it was about time that Joe and I tried keeping a pet alive. There is a family of crickets living in our house but they don't count. I think we have a boy and a girl but I can't be sure.

18 week Ultrasound

2008-09-01T10:42:00.000-07:00

I had an awesome ulrtasound done before my amnio. They put it on a CD for my IP's. It was so amazing seeing her moving around in there. What a precious little miracle. She was in a funny position with her feet resting on her head.

Missouri trip

2008-07-07T10:31:00.000-07:00

In July I was able to visit my sweet sister in Missouri. Her little two month old Kayala is so precious!!!! She is the prettiest baby girl I have ever seen. She rarely cries and smiles all the time. I can see why Summer is so proud of her.

We had lots of fun. We went yard sailing baked whole wheat bread. We made cinnamon rolls and had a fondue party with some neighbors. Missouri is so beautiful it was a nice break from the AZ heat. I wish I could have stayed longer. We went to Nauvoo and saw the pageant. It was such an amazing experience. It would have been nice to stay longer and see more of the sights but we had allot of fun.

Beach Trip

2008-06-15T11:04:00.000-07:00

In June we stayed in a time share in Oceanside California. It was such a fun trip. Nolan was old enough to be able to play in the sand. He is so skinny though that he would get cold very easily. He would start shivering from just getting his little toes in the water. We took lots of walks down the pear near our timeshare. The ocean is so beautiful. It always amazes me. Being able to leave our window open and listen to the waves was amazing. Joe had allot of fun burying Nolan in the sand.

One day we went out on the beach early. We must have tuckered poor Nolan out because we came back to our unit for lunch and he had a hard time staying awake to eat his banana. It was one of the funniest things I have ever seen. He slept like a log during our stay there. I think it was something to do with being so close to the ocean.

Surrogate Journey

2008-05-09T10:08:00.000-07:00

My dream to become a surrogate has extended back to my teenage years. After being pregnant with Nolan and seeing firsthand what an amazing gift a child can be, I knew this was something I wanted to do for another couple. I was matched with My wonderful IP's in December of 2007. On May 5th we transferred two perfect embryos. I am now pregnant with one sweet little girl . My IP's are amazing people and I am so thankful to have such amazing Intended Parents. They have put complete trust in me to carry and deliver their little girl safely. They are letting me complete the dream of having a home birth. In Sweden home births are unheard of so this will be a learning experience for me as well as them. We are due January 2009....Wish us luck!