Update

We don't have internet at home so that is why I haven't updated in a while and why there won't be any pictures with this update. Lexi is growing up so fast. She will be two months old tomorrow. She is a beautiful little girl. Unfortunately, she has colic. We've got her on some reflux meds that seem to help. It is really funny to watch her take her medicine because it is winter green flavored and isn't her favorite. We made it to Utah for Christmas and are excited to be here. We had a very eventful drive here. In the end we got stuck and ended up sharing the last hotel room available for 100 miles with 4 strangers. I stayed up the entire night holding Lexi because I didn't want her to cry and wake up the strangers. It's a great story and if you want the details feel free to call and we'll tell you. Lexi was a trooper though and did great. We hope you all have a Merry Christmas and we'll try to get some pictures up of our cute Lexi Jane.

Lexi's Story

I am finally able to update the blog. WARNING: this is LONG and is taking the place of my journal entry

Lexi was born on October 23. That morning I went in to the see Dr. Lindstrom (the one who was filling in for my Doctor while he was on vacation). Cole came with me this time. My blood pressure was high again. I was 38 weeks so the doctor said that if I wasn't opposed to being induced he thought I should go ahead and do it before pre-eclampsia developed. He then said we could have the baby that day or one of the upcoming days. If we had her that day he could deliver her. I really liked him and wanted him to deliver our baby. He left the room to call the hospital to see if they could take me that day (the 23rd). While he was gone I had Cole offer a prayer. I didn't know what we should do. I was scared to be a Mom and didn't feel like I could make the decision because I was too scared. Cole said he felt like we should trust in the doctors opinion and go ahead and have her that day.

The doctor called the hospital and they said to be there in an hour to be induced. AHHHH... I was so scared and excited. We ran home and packed up our stuff and then went to Quizno's to eat lunch. We then went to the hospital. They started the induction process. They did a gel insert followed by an hour of rest then an hour of walking. This process is to be repeated three times. I had the first insert and rested and walked. They then came in and put in the second insert.

After the second insert I had an odd pain. The nurse checked me and then the pain continued and my blood pressure dropped a lot. They immediately told me to get on my hands and knees in the bed. A lot of other nurses came rushing in. They gave me a shot to stop my contractions. They started the IV. A nurse reached in and started rubbing the babies head. Lexi's heart rate dropped as well and she was trying to stimulate her to get it back up. They then called the doctor to come. Then they started to ask me if I'd ever had surgery before. I remember the nurse saying, "Do you know why we are asking you if you've ever had surgery before"? I knew exactly why they were asking me that...c-section. The doctor got there and broke my water. He then put internal monitors on Lexi. I was shaking uncontrollably. They thought my placenta had separated from the wall. It hadn't. They decided I had a reaction to the insert. The baby and I started to do better. The doctor then left and we decided to start the epidural.

The epidural was wonderful and didn't hurt at all. I loved it. My contractions started coming fast and hard. The nurse came in and told me I needed to lay on my side. The babies heart rate wasn't doing what it was supposed to so they wanted me on my side. She then came in a few minutes later and said I needed to switch sides. Lexi's heart rate was dropping really low and then when it went back up it would level out and didn't have enough variability. They said changing my laying position would help that. It did help for a minute or two but then it would go back to being too low.

I was only dilated to a 4. The doctor was called back. He said that because I was only a 4 and Lexi's heart rate was dropping they needed to get her out soon. It would take too long for me to get to a 10 on my own. She wouldn't have been able to tolerate it. He said we needed to do a c-section. Before I knew it Cole was in scrubs and I was being wheeled off to the operating room.

The worst part was when I first got to the operating room Cole couldn't come in. I hated being alone. My parents were in Africa and my Mom wouldn't be back until the 29th. I was scared and wanted her to come home sooner to help me. I knew that the recovery would be difficult and I'd need help. I also knew I could count on Cole and that even if my Mom couldn't come for a while he would do everything he could to help me.

The c-section went well. The hardest part was I was shaking really bad and couldn't stop. I guess everyone does. They actually strap your arms down while they do it. I could kind of feel when they pulled Lexi out. It didn't hurt but I felt a pressure change. I was worried because she didn't cry at first. It turns out the cord was around her neck and that was probably why her heart rate was dropping. When she came out she was really pale and they gave her oxygen. She ended up in the NICU overnight for about 10 hours. It was hard because they needed to take her to the NICU and Cole didn't know who he should stay with. I only got to see her for about 5 seconds before they took her and I didn't get to hold her.

Cole went to the NICU with Lexi while I was in recovery. They had to give her an IV and it took them four tries to get it in. She was a trooper though and hardly cried. She is such a patient girl. About an hour later I finally got to go down to the NICU in my hospital bed. They put her on my chest and I got to hold her. Cole got in touch with my parents and they decided to come home early so my Mom could help me (thank you sooooo much!). Things were looking better. I only got to hold Lexi for a little while and then I had to go upstairs. It was hard because I really didn't get to see her. I felt bad because I couldn't remember what she looked like. Everyone wanted to know her name the next day when we called to tell them she was born. I had hardly seen her and didn't know what to name her. It took us several days to decide. I was glad that the day after she was born she got to leave the NICU.

We stayed in the hospital four days. The day after we got home my Mom came. Things have been going well and they get better each day. I feel really good now and can do most things. Lifting really hurts and I get into pain if I walk for too long. I am so lucky Lexi is so good and patient. She is a really content baby. I feel very blessed to have her. Even though it was a eventful experience it was well worth it. Love you Lexi!

Lexi's 1-2 weeks of Mommy and Grandma having fun!

Per Mckenna's request (and others) we give you some more pictures of Lexi, aka Cinderella, to enjoy!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

The Stork delivered!!

She is here! Michelle is still recovering and can't get to a computer. So, per EVERYONES request I (Cole) will be posting some pictures of our baby girl Lexi Jane.

Michelle can give the details later.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

180

My doctors appointment today went totally different than last week. My blood pressure was 30 numbers lower than last week. Needless to say we won't be induced any time soon. Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers. I guess the bed rest is working.

He Remembers Us

I just wanted to share an experience I had yesterday that helped me remember that Heavenly Father knows me and is watching out for me. I went to the Doctor yesterday and was told my blood pressure was high and that they wanted to deliver me soon. My Doctor was leaving for vacation though so he couldn't induce me yesterday. He wanted me to see his associate this Monday so that the associate could see if I still needed to be induced or if I could wait until the 27th when my Doctor comes back. He also put me on bed rest.

Needless to say I was in shock. I wasn't emotionally prepared to have the baby so soon and by a different doctor. I kept a happy face while at the appointment but once I reached the door I broke down. I tried to call Cole but he was in training in a building that doesn't get phone reception. I then called my Mom. Luckily she answered. I cried my eyes out to her and she helped comfort me. I was so glad she was available. I then went home.

I was still quite worried. Then, by very odd coincidence the only person I know that sees the Doctor that I will be seeing on Monday called me. I was able to ask her about him and felt a lot better about the possibility of him delivering my baby. I then tried to take a nap so I wouldn't worry myself to death. A few hours later a girl in my ward invited me to come hang out at her house with another girl that just had a baby. What a blessing she called because I really needed to get out and to have some "girl" time. The girl that just had a baby also sees the doctor I will be seeing Monday. She made me feel even better about the possibility he might deliver me.

The last thing that happened was that the day before all of this happened we finally got our crib from the lady that was giving it to us (it has taken her 4 months to give it to us). This has really been stressing me out. I was so grateful that before all of this happened we got the crib. I think that I would have had a panic attack at the thought of having my baby without knowing that there was a crib at home ready for her.

I was so grateful Heavenly Father timed all of these things to help me deal with the news I got yesterday. Too many things happened to call it coincidence. He knew what I needed and sent people my way to help me. I am also grateful for the people that listened to the promptings to do the things they did that helped me yesterday. You truly never know when you are answering someones prayers. I am so thankful for all the people that answered mine. I am feeling a lot better now and am over the shock and am just excited.

Bows

One of my friends from my old ward found this site to show you how to make headbands and bows. It is really fun and not too hard. http://bowdesigns.50webs.com/index.html Just click on the titles at the top and it will show you step by step directions. One of my favorites is the pinwheel.
I made the interchangeable headband and then the bows separate. You just put clips on the bows to attach them to the headband. Then you can switch them out and continue to use the bows as the baby gets bigger (by making a bigger headband or wearing them as a bow not headband). Mine aren't that spectacular but it has been fun making them.

Cheers

The people we bought our house from are really nice. They left us some fun surprises. In the fridge they left some sparkling cider and glasses for us to celebrate with (they're LDS too). We were so excited when the house closed so we could officially celebrate and drink our cider. We each made a toast and had fun celebrating and being silly. I haven't put pictures in all of the frames yet because some of them are reserved for the baby.

Can we say fetal alcohol syndrome...

Finally...Home Sweet Home

We purchased our first home. We are soooo excited. We actually moved in a week ago. It is so nice to be in it finally. It has been a long process but in the end we got a great deal and a great home. It is 3 bdr 2.5 bath. It feels like a mansion to us. I am so glad to be in it before the baby gets here. Cole has been just wonderful. He moved us all on his own due to the fact that I am pregnant. He never complained and even when he was tired he would still offer to do even more to help out. My favorite was when I would say I was tired and my back hurt. He would then say his hurt too but then proceed to offer to rub my back. Isn't he the best!! I am so blessed he is mine. I will post pictures of the house soon...when it is a little more put together.

Home Improvement

Cole and I have recently done some fun home improvement projects. Our favorite was our headboard. We designed and shopped for it together. Cole, of course, built it. Luckily he didn't build it in my kitchen. We really like the way it turned out but the stain is a little darker than we thought it would be. It is really fun to be able to say we did it ourselves. Now Cole wants to make and redo everything we have. It's nice having such a handy husband.
We recently finished our child birth education classes. We learned a lot but are glad to be done. We did 6 classes that were 2.5 hrs each. Cole also did a separate Daddy Boot Camp class so we could get a free car seat. It's a really nice one and now we have two. One infant seat and a convertible seat. I went to the doctor yesterday and had my strep test and my first examination. I am dilated to a 1-2 and am 50% effaced. I am excited about the thought of not being pregnant anymore but am nervous about all the work that is ahead once she is here. I hope I'm up for it and will be able to figure it out.

Names...HELP

Cole and I have a list of names but haven't picked one yet. We've decided to take our list of names to the hospital and wait to see what "fits" her. Well, we kind of forgot about the middle name. I would like to name her middle name after a relative. I am thinking of tweaking or using part of a name to make it more modern or combining names to get a new name. This is kind of hard so I am enlisting your help. The names you have to work with are: Janet, Marilyn, Ray, and Dale. Good luck! (Just FYI I really want to use my Moms name somehow if you can make it work)

Wonderful Times

Cole and I had the best weekend. It is hard to explain to you why it was so good but I will try. Since I've been pregnant I get really tired really fast and it's gotten a lot worse. I not only get tired now but when I move about I get dizzy and stomach pains. Needless to say I can't leave the house a lot or for very long. I barely make it somewhere and I need to sit down. On Saturday Cole made me breakfast. I hate making my scrambled egg each day and it tastes so much better when he makes it. (I have eggs to try to get some protein) He is so kind. Then we went to the house we are trying to buy. Cole mowed it's lawn (long story why). I love going to the house. After that we went to Quizno's... mmm so yummy and pretty much the only place I can get myself to eat meat. Then we took pictures of Flagstaff. The big white dome/spaceship looking thing is NAU's indoor football stadium. Flagstaff is deceiving because there are so many trees. It makes you think there isn't much around but there is. You just can't see it because of all the trees.Normally by this point I'd be ready to go home. We wanted to do some window shopping though. Cole teased me and said he'd get me a motorized cart so I could shop longer. We went to our first store and I barely made it 15 minutes. Then we decided to try for one more store. When we got inside Cole saw the wheelchairs and begged me to get in one. He said it would be fun. I was worried we'd see someone we knew (and in the end we did). He persisted and I decided to get in the wheelchair. It was so much fun! I got to stay in the store for an hour. We got to move at a rapid pace and look at everything. Cole loved being able to walk as fast as he wanted. He was a really good pusher too! We had so much fun we decided to go to another store. When we got in there they only had the motorized carts. I didn't want to use those. I was going to try to walk. Cole took care of me though (like he always does). He went and asked them if they had any wheelchairs and they did. I was touched that he would go and track down a wheelchair for me. We got to stay in that store for a long time too! I got to look at everything I wanted. I know this sounds weird but it was so fun. In the end I was gone from my house from 10:00-6:00. This hadn't happened for a long time. I feel like pregnancy has prepared me for old age. I want to go and do all of these things but my body just can't. Cole was such a good sport pushing me and finding wheelchairs for me. We both had a lot of fun. It was the best day ever.Cole even got up early on Monday and made me a surprise gourmet breakfast. He is the best husband ever. He always does so much for me and makes me so happy. I love you Cole!

Pregnancy Etiquette

Since I've been pregnant people are really friendly to me. They always ask when I'm due and what gender the baby is. I get really weird faces when I tell people when I'm due. I don't know what they are thinking. Either they think I'm big or small for how far along I am. The funny thing is that their faces usually have the exact same expression on them each time I tell them. I have enjoyed people's friendliness towards me ... usually.

The other day I went to the grocery store. The woman that was checking me out was older. She looked at me and asked me when I'm due. I told her. She then looked at me in horror and said, "You are so low!" I didn't know how to respond. I said that I am but that I have less than two months. This didn't make that awful look on her face go away. It did, however, make me worry. I called my Mom right away and she reassured me as only she can. I also asked my Doctor to make sure I am okay. He said it could actually be a good thing I am carrying so low because when I go into labor the birth might go faster.

I've decided that you should never tell a pregnant woman how much weight you gained when you were pregnant unless it was an extremely large amount. If you tell a pregnant woman how much you gained you run the risk of either making her day or ruining it (depending on if she's gained more or less than you). I suggest you play it safe and don't say anything. We're already sensitive enough about our looks when we're pregnant.

Labor Day

We had the best Labor Day ever! My parents came into town and we had a blast! I was so excited they came. They were supposed to come visit us in Decatur but we ended up moving the week before they were to come into town. It had been over a year since they had been to any place I've lived. I don't know what it is, but there's something about being able to show your family where you live. It was so nice. The first night they got here we took them to Historic Downtown and ate dinner. The next day we got up and went to the Grand Canyon. My Dad was the only one that had been there so we weren't sure what we were in for. It was amazing. It is only 1hr 45min from my house. We did more of a scenic version where we just looked over the edges due to the fact I'm pregnant. If you're wondering why I'm wearing a dress, I am at a stage where that is all I can stand to wear for more than a few hours. I hate elastics around my waist now. Aren't my parents the cutest! They are so fun. I want to be like them when I grow up:) Sunday we went to church and drove them around town and to the ski resort. Monday we went to Sedona. I love going there because the drive is so amazing. One minute you're in a pine forest and the next you are in red rock and it's 15 degrees warmer. We are eating lunch at a fun place in downtown Sedona in this picture.

I am now done with my temporary job. It was a good experience and I learned a lot. I am glad to be done because being pregnant is getting a little harder. I have exactly 2 months left from today. We have been taking childbirth classes and have had fun with that. Sometimes they make me nervous because I realize there's no turning back and I'm not sure I'm ready for this. I am so excited though. She already has a fun personality and I can't wait to meet her.

MIA

I'm sorry we have been missing in action from the blog world. I have a temporary full time job right now. Iwork on a computer all day long so by the time I get home blogging just doesn't make the list. We are doing well and I will be 30 weeks on Wednesday. I love feeling her move. She makes me laugh because she already has a bit of a personality. Whenever she gets pushed she usually pushes back. I still feel pretty good. I'm starting to hate bending over and I think I am about done shaving my legs for a while. (I know too much information) My parents are coming to visit for Labor Day and I am sooooo excited. Cole is doing well and still loves his job. I'll add pictures soon!

Trip to Utah

Cole and I went to Utah for Drew and Ariel's wedding (Cole's sister). I stayed and my Mom and Brianne threw me a baby shower that was so wonderful. I got to see a lot of family and friends I don't see a lot and really enjoyed it. We got a lot of fun things for our baby girl that I just love!

Cole, Nathan, and my Dad went 4 wheeling and came home dirty!


Ariel and Drew's wedding. She looked really pretty and happy.




24 weeks pregnant. I still feel pretty good but am hoping this newly acquired double chin goes away once the baby is born.



Drew and Ariel's wedding luncheon at "One World" in Salt Lake.



Cole's brother Noah entered the MTC that week and will be serving in Japan

My parents new house has a really nice backyard but unfortunately the deer, raccoons, and other animals think so too and eat all their landscaping. This deer was sitting next to the window and we were 2 feet away inside taking its picture. It didn't even get scared. My Mom had to chase it away to get it to leave.

The food at my baby shower was so good. I loved the cute cake.



My Mom and Kayla at my baby shower. She turned 1 while I was there. Isn't she cute!



Friends from High School that came to my shower. It was so fun to see them and I wish I lived closer so we could spend more time together.

Opposition in All Things

Cole had the 3rd and 4th off so we decided to go to the Mesa temple and then to visit Taylor's family in Phoenix. We were really excited to go to the temple because it had been a while since we had done a session. Well, I don't know about you guys but it seems like whenever we plan a temple trip something goes wrong. We got in our car to go and were about 45 minutes into our 2 1/2 hour trip. I could hear something clicking but Cole was on the phone so I couldn't ask him what it was. Then the car started shaking. Yep, you guessed it. We blew a tire on our new car. Unfortunately, we were in the middle of no where and on a hill in very hot weather. I was so glad Cole was there. He put on the spare tire while I sat in the air conditioned car. We then tried to use our GPS to find somewhere to get the tire repaired/replaced. The only place we could find was "a hole in the ground" as Cole says. It was so bad they ran on cash only. We ended up having to get a replacement tire because we blew the sidewall. We just hoped that the tire they sold us was okay because we still had a long trip ahead of us. Once we were back in the car it hit me. I looked at Cole and told him something really good must be in store for us at the temple because of all our opposition getting there. Well it did. We both came away from the temple more motivated to do what is right and more committed to the covenants we've made. I am so grateful for the temple. I can always tell when I need to go because I have a harder time being kind, patient, and doing the right things. We both felt really good and glad we went. It is always worth the opposition that happens to get there, even if it means blowing a tire. I hope you enjoy the pregnancy side shot. It's really humbling for me to put in on. I'm 22 weeks in the picture. Let's just say it's pretty obvious I'm pregnant now.

It's a...

We just found out we are having a little GIRL! We are so excited. We were both a little surprised. On my side there are 4 girl grandchildren and 1 boy. On Cole's side there are 4 boys and 1 girl (exact opposite). She will be the 6th grandchild on each side. It was funny because most people on my side thought it would be a girl and most people on Cole's side thought it would be a boy. I have to say that all of our nieces and nephews guessed correct. They all said it was a girl which is kind of ironic if you think about it. She was so cute during her ultrasound. She had her feet against her head. She is very flexible. It was so fun to see her and the changes that have taken place since our last ultrasound several weeks ago. I love her feet! Everything looks good. We are halfway there (20 weeks). We are now trying to get a list of names and are open to suggestions.

Camping

We had fun on our little camping trip to Sedona. It is only about 40 minutes from where we live but it is really different than where we live. It is about 15 degrees warmer. The canyon right before Sedona is where we camped. It is like a pine forest (like Flagstaff) but once you get into Sedona (about 10 minutes away) it turns to red rock. It is really neat. Taylor's family came up from Phoenix to go with us which was really fun.
Taylor, Cole, and Taj enjoying Mexican sausage.

This is slide rock. It has natural rock slides and is really fun.

We tried out our dutch oven for the first time. As you can see we're still learning.

Taj and Mia

Isn't he cute. He got this on his mission in Ecuador.

We were having a little trouble keeping Mia away from the fire so this is what we came up with. She didn't care for it so it didn't last long.

Any Guesses?

On Tuesday at 8:00 am we find out the gender of our baby. We can't wait. I don't know what the baby is but Cole kind of thinks it's a boy. Neither of us particularly cares what it is we are just thrilled to be pregnant. You'll have to let us know what you think it is. I think I've felt the baby. What I'm feeling feels like a little twitch every once in a while in my lower abdomin. It's pretty fun but only happens once in a while. Also, does anyone have any sleeping tips. I am having the hardest time sleeping. I've tried all sorts of things. I really miss being able to sleep on my tummy. I kind of want to get one of those airplane pillows so I can sleep sitting up. We are going camping with Taylor's family tomorrow in Sedona so I don't think I will be getting any sleep (even with an air mattress). Anyway, feel free to make any gender guesses and sleeping suggestions.

It Came!!!

Our stuff finally all came today (3 weeks later). I still don't have my home computer internet so I will have to wait to post pictures. Things are going well and Cole loves his job. I go to my new doctor for the first time tomorrow. I am now 18 weeks and am getting anxious to find out what the baby is. I learned some random true facts about pregnancy so I thought I'd share them. The lady that wrote "What to expect when you're expecting" was on TV and shared them.
1. The more heartburn you have while you're pregnant the more hair your baby will have
2. If you eat more chances are it's a boy. Don't worry, even though you eat more you won't gain more weight.
3. Your brain power decreases while you are pregnant (I knew I wasn't going crazy!). It will return within 6 months of giving birth.

We're here

We made it to Flagstaff. Only half of our stuff is here. The moving company didn't calculate our stuff well and only left 6 ft on a truck to fit everything so only half of it fit. They haven't found anyone to move the other half. Hopefully it will come sometime next week. Luckily we have our bed and most necessities. Cole was great and unpacked pretty much everything on his own. On Tuesday it snowed here which was kind of a fluke but fun. It is now in the 70's and a bit windy. I feel like we are getting to know the town pretty well. We've been looking around at townhomes. We kind of know where we'd like to be. The housing out here is super expensive so we'll see what we come up with. I am still feeling well and am anxious to find a doctor soon. On my last Friday in Decatur the ladies in my ward threw me a surprise baby shower. It was soooo fun. I love them and miss them. I will post pictures of everything when I am on my own computer (I am using the public libraries computer right now:). So far Flagstaff is fine. It's been nice to have Cole with me this week. I'm a little nervous for when he starts work on Monday. I'll have to find things to keep me busy. We went out to lunch with two of his mentors at his new job. They were nice. One of them was LDS. There are 12 wards here (some student wards) and 1 stake so It'll be different than in Decatur. I think Cole will like his job and fit in there really well.

Heartbeat

Last week we got to hear the babies heartbeat. It was really neat. I was confused at first because I thought it was my heartbeat and he was still looking for the babies. It was fast and did just what the doctor said it should (changed 5 times in 1 minute). I have thought it is a boy but now I am doubting and think maybe it is a girl. In about 6 weeks we should find out. I'm at that stage where my clothes aren't fitting but maternity clothes don't look right yet. One of my pregnancy books suggests using your partners clothes. Well, last Friday we got Cole some new shorts. For fun I took my books advice and tried them on. It was so funny. Sadly they barely fit but the best part was that they went halfway down my calf and were super super baggy. They are cargo shorts and look great on him but I don't think I'll be wearing them in public any time soon. Today was our last day in our ward. It hasn't hit me yet that I won't see these people again (at least in this life:). I have loved our ward and am grateful to them for their kindness and examples. I've learned a lot being here.

Pregnancy Update

I am now 12 weeks! I look pregnant now. I've been told by a lot of people they can tell now. It is a little hard to hear that sometimes especially when people don't tactfully tell you. One women said, "You look fat." She works with me and knows I'm pregnant, and that was her way of saying I'm showing. It made me feel pretty bad. It's exciting to be approaching the end of the first trimester and I feel a lot more relaxed about the pregnancy. I feel pretty good but still take it easy because I'm so tired. I go to the doctor again next week. I am sad because it will probably be my last visit with this doctor. I will be getting my 5th sonogram. I have really enjoyed being able to go and do those every other week and will miss that. I've been very blessed to have such a good doctor.

Cole and I just went to Utah to his Grandma Chamberlain's funeral. It was sad but happy because she had a stroke over 7 years ago. Since then she couldn't talk or move so we are glad she is free from that challenge now.

We drove from Utah to Flagstaff and found a place to rent. We want to rent until we know the area better and then will look for somewhere to buy. It is exciting to think we can actually buy something now. With CAT we couldn't because we moved every year. Flagstaff is pretty expensive though so we'll see how it will all work out. I'm nervous to move but hope everything works out and that we like it. We will leave Decatur around May 12th. I won't miss the city but I will miss our ward. We've met a lot of good people.

Change in plans...

We are no longer moving to North Carolina. We are moving to Flagstaff, Arizona. Cole has loved being an engineer at Caterpillar this year. If he were to stay with them he would have to go into management right away and doesn't want to do that. He wants to stay in the engineering industry a while longer. We would also probably end up in the mid west our entire lives if we stayed with CAT (which we don't like) so he found a new job. He will be working for W. L. Gore. They are a really good company and have their hand in a lot of areas. Cole will be working in the medical device industry which he has experience in and loves. I think it will be much more rewarding for him. Flagstaff isn't typical Arizona. We will be in the mountains and the hottest it gets is about eighty-five degrees. We will be 8 hrs from my parents and Cole has family in Phoenix (1hr45min away) so we are very excited. He will start work May 19th. Needless to say we are in a whirlwind getting the move going and all that stuff but are very excited.

We're expecting!

We are expecting a baby the first week in November. We are really excited. I am 10 weeks.



These are pictures of a picture so they are fuzzy. You can see the babies head, hands, and feet in the real picture. It is so cute. My mom calls it "baby who" which I kind of like for now. I have felt really good so far and we couldn't be happier. When I think about the way things worked out it is really a miracle and blessing and I am so thankful for it!

TAG
I was tagged a while ago so here goes:

10 years ago what was I doing: I was sitting in Mr. Moon's science class with Abby and Aimee making up a song when a girl named Shelley said, "You guys are such slits." It was hilarious. I was also teasing Amie about how many diamonds we each had. I was in dance/PE class with Megan and Jennie and Sarah hoping that our teacher would call on me someday to demonstrate in front of the class. I also toilet papering for my first time. Ashley's mom took us to do it. It was so fun at the time. We dressed up and thought we were so cool in our disguises.

3 Bad Habits:
1. I bite my nails
2. I will leave one square of toilet paper so I don't have to change it
3. I will ask someone their name but will forget to listen to what they say because I'm thinking of what I am going to say next. Then it is too late. I can't ask them their name again. It is so awkward.

5 Things people don't know about me:
1. I am pregnant (some people might not know yet)
2. My feet haven't grown since 3rd grade or so
3. I still have a jacket from 8th grade that I wear
4. I love to perform
5. I have nightmares that Cole just won't marry me even though I love him soooo much

5 Things on my to do list today:
This is a bad day to do this
1. Get out of bed (now that I'm pregnant I never want to)
2. Go to work
3. Figure out who banged my car door and left a big dent and red mark (hit and run)
4. Make dinner
5. Look into moving details

5 Snacks I enjoy: (this could be interesting now that I'm pregnant!)
1. Chips and salsa
2. Cheez-its
3. Root Beer (normally I hate it)
4. Cookies
5. Anything I don't have to make or clean up

5 Places I've lived:
1. American Fork
2. Provo
3. Decatur
4. My parents are moving to Highland. Does that count?
5. ??? I'm moving in a few weeks

5 Places I've been:
1. England
2. Scotland
3. Hawaii
4. Florida
5. Everywhere Heritage Tours went

5 Jobs I've had:
1. Math Tutor
2. Help-u-Mail
3. AF City internet secretary
4. Dean's office secretary
5. Middle school math teacher

What would I do if I were to become a billionare:
I would pay tithing (thanks for the good example everyone else that has answered this question). I would pay off any debts. I would buy a house. I would go on a Disney cruise and take my entire family with me. I would go to Utah a million times. . .then I would save the rest.

I tag Eden, Melissa S., and Carrie

Easter Trip to Utah

We made this video of our trip to Utah. It was so much fun and I'm ready to go back already!

New Location

We just heard last week that in June we will be heading to Raleigh, North Carolina. Everyone keeps telling us it is beautiful and really nice. Neither of us have been there but it sounds like we're in for a treat, but then again anything has to be better than Decatur:) I'm excited to be closer to a major airport and city that will have more things to do. We will also be a lot closer to the temple. This will be Cole's supervision rotation and he lucked out and got 1st shift which is uheard of so we're pretty excited about that too.

Birthday Boy

Sunday was Cole's birthday. He turned 26. We celebrated on Saturday. He got a band saw which I'm hoping he uses outside but we'll see. It is kind of funny because now his drill press has a friend to sit next to it on my living room floor. They look good together. I have to admit I love having such a handy husband that knows how to use tools.

Clark Bridge

Yesterday we went to the St. Louis temple. We decided to take a little detour and go throught Alton, IL to see the Clark bridge. It is pretty cool because it is suspended. It goes over the Mississippi river. Just FYI if any of you are going to go to St. Louis I-64 is closed and traffic is a mess. We spent a lot of time trying to figure our way around and we even had GPS. The best part was we decided to eat lunch at Macaroni Grill near the temple before we went to our session. After eating we got in the car and decided to check the temple schedule I had in my temple bag. The last session was at 2:15 and it was 2:00 when we got in the car to leave the restaurant (which was about 20 minutes away).












We got there as fast as we could but we were too late. They were nice enough to let us do sealings. It was nice to get to go.

We're Coming!

I am so excited...we're coming to Utah for Easter. After talking to my Mom I realized if I didn't come in March I wouldn't be able to come until July. That would mean 8 months without seeing my family. No way! So I quickly planned a trip to come and then...I realized Cole gets a day off of work in March so we were able to work it out so he can come too! We will be there March 20-25 (but don't really count the 20th or 25th because we will be in the sky most of the time). I am really excited we will be there for the Easter festivities. I think I will make myself a count down. It is so nice to have something exciting to look forward to. If only we could swing by Pennsylvania too so we could see Cole's family then it would be perfect. We had so much fun there over Christmas and can't wait to get back there.

Valentine's Day

We had a really nice Valentine's day. I made Cole breakfast in the morning. We both made each other cards. Cole's is awesome. He told me it is a 4 bar mechanism. He made it so that you spin one thing and then it changes the words it says. They are discriptive words about me...the catch is they are missing the first letter. Above that he has my name written on a paper that slides back and forth so you have to use one of the letters of my name to start each word. What can I say he is amazing (and romantic)! He also gave me a gift card to Hobby Lobby (my favorite place and I've already spent it:). We went to my favorite place in central Illinois to eat Biaggi's.

It is an italian restaurant and is reallly scrumptous. The neat thing was I always thought it was only here but I read on the back of the menu there is one in Salt Lake City. Whew who!! All you Utah'ans should go try it. Thanks Cole for a special day!

Workshop

This is what my kitchen has turned into.
We don't have any place to do projects so Cole's latest awesome invention has been crafted on my kitchen countertop. The limited counterspace you see is pretty much all the counter space we have. It can be pretty interesting trying to find a space to prepare a meal. I am waiting for the day I find plastic and metal shavings in my food. He uses the little red dirt devil to try to keep it clean as he goes. It has been really fun to watch him make his invention but for now it is top secret!:) It has made us quite antsy to get into a house but we still have two more years of this moving stuff. Next month we should find out where will be moving next June. Cross your fingers for CA or NC!

Snow day and COLE day

Today all the schools are cancelled because we had a big snow storm yesterday. It wouldn't be too big of a deal in Utah but out here snow can be very dangerous. They don't really plow the roads until it is completely done snowing (so it doesn't really work too well). The people that live out in the country don't get plowed out for days and they often close their roads completely. It is really dangerous out there because when the corn is gone the winds get really strong and can blow you off the road. We're just fine and luckily we live really close to CAT so Cole can go to work easily. We live in town so our roads are okay.

Cole kind of gets left out of the blog sometimes so this ones for him.

C ~ Creative, Compassionate, Charitable, Caterpillar
O ~ Outstanding, Optomistic, Out of this world:), Original
L ~ Loving, Learner, LOST #1fan, Logical
E ~ Efficient, Entrepreneur, Energetic, Exciting, Engineer

What can I say... english was never my best subject but hopefully you get the point. I'm lucky to have such a great husband and I love him a lot!