The Smith Life

3 year anniverary!

2011-10-24T13:31:00.003-06:00

It has been an amazing 3 years so far and I can't wait to spend the rest of eternity with my wonderful husband. I love him soooo much!

For our 3rd year, we celebrated it in Vegas babyy! We had a blast! We got a really good deal on living social deals and stayed at the Palms that also came with $75 gift card to NOVE Italiano Restaurant, 2 free breakfast passes to the buffet for each of us and a 2 night stay..It was a good deal and we loved every minute of it! The food at Nove was veryy good however those kind of restaurants are sooo dang expensive. On top of our $75 gift card we still paid $62 and that included the tip. crazy right? Overall, it was so nice being able to spend time with the one I love and away from reality. Even though we missed our daughter greatly, the time spent with each other was so memorable! Hopefully we'll be able to do more vacations like that.

We did so much stuff while we were down there. We went to the Adventure Dome, saw Mystere from Cirque Du Soleil, went to the Shark Reef, M&M factory, walked around everywhere, Bellagio Waters, and so much more!
I'm glad I got to show Ben around my home town a little more, even though I'm not really proud of the fact that it's sin city, but at least I was able to prove to him that there are other fun attractions to do around town other than seeing "dirty" shows. I'm glad that he had fun and so it made it even more fun for the both of us!

MY SALON!

2011-08-29T09:07:00.006-06:00

We just finished building my salon in my house this past weekend. Can I just say it's a relief? haha It's been a project we've been talking about ever since we moved in, then when it actually became real and we started working on it, it was definitely a work in progress. One thing after another kept coming up, but here we are, with it FINALLY done! I am soooo excited!! I had my first client the day we finished it. Although Ben was technically my first, cuz he couldn't wait for me to wash his hair to give him a nice massage. haha But it's much better than doing it in my kitchen and I am so excited to finally have my kitchen back! yay! so whoever would like to come get their hair done, come on down!!! =)

(I'm still not quite done with the shampoo wall quite yet.)

Our 1 Year Old

2011-07-26T12:45:00.003-06:00

Here is an update on Brynnlee and all that she is doing now:
Stats: 21 lbs 10 oz-50th %
31" long-90th %
(She has her daddy's metabolism, and she's going to love that when she's older!)

1. Talks and babbles on and on all day long
2. Has an attitude and has started to whine. yippee :/
3. Gets SO excited to see Dadda when he comes home. Then the rest of the night it's "dadda-dadda-da-da-dadda"...it's adorable.
4. Gets into E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. oh the fun stage. And I heard it never stops either.
5. Says please and thank you in sign language.
6. Walks like a pro and goes down the stairs like a pro.
7. Has 6 Teeth, 2 on bottom, 4 on top.
8. Still has no hair.. =( oh well, it will come soon, I hope.
9. When she is sad or gets mad she will say "ma-mmm-ma" it just melts my heart. It's especially cute when she gets mad. haha
10. Dances to every type of music that comes from anything playing like the tv, car, (yes she will wiggle in her carseat) my phone when it rings, even when I sing her a song before bedtime. haha. its so cute to watch! she will even sing sometimes too in her high voice. It's amazing how much she's grown in just a short year.

She is a healthy baby girl and we don't know where we would be with out her!

Blog Update...

2011-07-19T21:56:00.021-06:00

It has been wayyy too long since I last blogged. It's been over 2 months! holy cow. well here's an update of what's happened so far...

-Finished our yard
-Ben started cooking! (bahaha I really wish that was true though)

-Got to my goal weight ( I even passed it by 6 lbs! So i set a new goal and only have 4 lbs to go! woot woot!

-Brynn started walking

-Got to see Brynn's future boyfriend =) Oaklen

-Got to go shopping in Vegas with the bestie!!!
-Played with the fam in St George..ALOT! which was soo fun! but LOTS of driving the past 2 months.

-We went to a trampoline place there and it was a blast! brynn loved it!

-Played with my baby girl even more now that she has grown up sooo much! She understands so much its crazy! She even knows "please" in sign language!
-Brynn now has 6 teeth total! 4 on top, 2 on bottom

Oh and I can't forget that she turned 1!!! We had a birthday party for her and she got so many fun new toys! thank you everyone who came!

-Threw a Bridal Shower for my Sister Alicia. It turned out great!

-My cousin Ammon got married!!

-Brynn kept getting cuter!

-Then she learned how to go down the stairs all by herself! she's a pro now!
-Had a bachelorette party for my sissy the night before her wedding and waxed all the girls eyebrows! it was fun!

And last but not least...Alicia got married!!!

Whew!!! sorry, that was a very very long post, but now I am up to date so hopefully I won't procrastinate the next time. =)

My Sister is Engaged!!!

2011-05-01T20:07:00.003-06:00

We are all just soooo excited for my sister Alicia. She got engaged on April 30th, to the cutest boy ever! His name is Carsen Ware and you can totally tell he loves my sister sooo much and we know that he is going to take good care of her. They still haven't picked a date yet, but they want to get married in the Manti Temple hopefully in the summer sometime. They are just so cute together! And I can't be happier for her!!! CONGRATULATIONS ALICIA!!!

eAsTeR TiMe

2011-04-26T13:03:00.013-06:00

We went to St George for Easter and had a fun time!

Sarah and I on the dirt bike

Ben was rooting Derek's phone

At the fabric store where I picked out material for Brynn's new rag quilt, which I will post on here once it's finished.
Brynn wasn't feeling too well over the weekend. She had a little cold with a slight cough and her nose NEVER stopped running..But it was mostly because her 2 top teeth have poked through and just over the weekend they have been growing like a weed! Her teeth kept getting bigger everyday I looked at them!! I'll post a pic soon too of her cute smile. =)
Coloring the Easter eggs!
Ali and Carsen, aren't they just soooo cute together?? Hopefully we'll be seeing a ring on that finger of hers soon!!! heheheh
Whew! Lots of kids=Lots of baskets! Especially when Brynn gets almost triple the amount of everyone else! haha she's so spoiled.
Bahahahaha probably our best family pic yet!
Grandpa!
Grandma, Auntie Sarah and Badger! and boy does Brynnlee LOVE dogs!!
My favorite thing to do when I go home...I love that baby grand...

9 month check up

2011-04-12T11:26:00.002-06:00

Stats:
17 lbs 11 oz-25th percentile
29" long-90th percentile

Doc says she's growing healthy and that she's got her daddy's metabolism! NOT FAIR! But I'm sure she'll love it when she gets older!

PLEASE VOTE!!!

2011-04-12T11:18:00.004-06:00

Hey Everyone!! I put Brynnlee in this baby contest that goes til the end of April and that's the pic that I submitted. So if you could please take the time to vote for her that would be great! THanks GUYs!!
This is where you can vote:
http://www.thecutekid.com/ckgalleries/cutekid-cutelids?page=10

9 months today!

2011-04-04T11:36:00.004-06:00

I will put up a pic soon. =)

At 9 months you:
1. Crawl, sit, play, crawl, sit play...and so on..
2. Crawl, stand up on something, then get into whatever it is that's at your reaching level..ex: toilet paper, trash cans, drawers, pantry(when mommy leaves it open on accident), plants, ETC!!! the list never ends! Did I mention my PURSE??
3. Want to be a part of EVERYTHING we do.
4. Cry when mama leaves you...which I LOVE, but not when mama needs a break. =)
5. If I point to a pic that has mama and dadda and brynnlee in it, you will point to who's ever name I say. You're so smart!
6. Clap when you get excited about something.
7. Wave to people not only just to wave but because you think its cool how your hand opens and closes.
8. Say Mama really good, and you can say dadda, but still trying to work on it.
9. Love helping mommy with dishes.
10. Got your first bruise on your head the other day on a window seal at a store. You stood up on the chair, then tried reaching over to hold on to the window so you could walk over to it and instead you lost your balance and fell. =( It was so sad! You cried so hard that it looked like you popped a blood vessel on your forehead and gave yourself a big indent from where you landed! I wanted to cry! But luckily you are ok and 5 mins after you stopped crying you went right back to playing! You're such a tough little girl! And that popped blood vessel is now a big bruise on your forehead...and thankfully is healing pretty quick.

It's so fun to watch you grow!!! I just can't believe that in 3 months, you'll be ONE! AHH! We love you Brynn-Brynn!!

Soooo fUnNy!

2011-03-30T16:06:00.004-06:00

PLEASE, don'T mind the fact that I just look oh so great in these pics....NOT!!! Definitely not one of the days I got ready to take pictures, BUT my baby is just so darn stinkin cute that I just had to put these pics up cuz she just thought it was sooo funny everytime I told her to smile for the camera. haha and these were the faces she gave...I JUST LOVE HER PERSONALITY!

P.S. Can you count how many times I said "just"??? lol You don't realize it until you actually go back a re-read your post. haha oh well...=)

Piggy Pank

2011-03-22T21:21:00.004-06:00

So we started a piggy bank for Brynnlee which currently holds $32.46. I am wondering what to do once the bank becomes full..Does anyone have any suggestions? We thought maybe once it filled up that we would open a savings account for her..But then I keep telling myself she's wayy too young to have her own savings account, and that maybe we should just keep it in the piggy bank but then there would be no room for more money to go in, and so why not open a savings account for her cuz that's the smarter thing to do? ..So, we're kind of undecided and are wondering what other people have done for their kids when they are this young.

Such a BIG GIRL!

2011-03-22T20:03:00.002-06:00

Ok, so picture the high chair right next to the chair. This little stinker, crawls in between the chair and the high chair, uses the chair to stand up, then turns towards the high chair to hold on to the foot stool, then ends up pushing the high chair back towards the wall and walks with it. Can I say HOLY COW? She's only 8 1/2 months!! dang!!

More pics..and officially 8 months TODAY!

2011-03-04T09:58:00.010-07:00

At 8 months you:
1. army crawl EVERYWHERE and roll, and scoot and slide...
2. said "Ma-Ma" for the first time!!! YAYYY!!!!
3. love to play with your toys.
4. watch every little thing we do
5. can eat almost anything (except anything with milk, cheese, and peanut butter)
6. love it when daddy comes home and you kick your legs and smile soooo big.
7. get sad if we leave you alone
8. started pulling yourself up on things, but you're still trying to get the concept down.
9. still smile each and every day
10. are getting your 2 top teeth and 2 teeth on the sides of your 2 teeth on bottom already.

We love you Babyy GirL!!!

Don't you just LOVE the huge boots in this pic?

Thanks again Mikki Grimley for these amazing pictures! you did such a great job! Go to her link to check out more photos she's done!
mikkigrimleyphotography.blogspot.com

8 MONTH PICS!

2011-03-03T12:31:00.006-07:00

We finally got her pics done professionally and I am soooo excited at how they turned out!! Here are a few that she has put up so far. Thanks again Mikki!!!

Day 14-Valentine's Day!

2011-02-17T13:30:00.008-07:00

So for Valentine's Day, I made him a nice candlelit dinner and decorated the house so when he came home he had to follow the rose petals up the stairs then i blew up some balloons that said happy v-day on them, and it led him to the dinner table..The best part about it was that Brynn was taking a nap that whole time! So it was just me and him for dinner. Then for dessert we had strawberry short cake! yummy!!

Ben and I on V-day. <3

And when he came home he had a pink rose especially for Brynnlee so when she woke up, daddy was so excited to give her the rose! It was so cute! She loved it!

Day 13

2011-02-14T09:45:00.003-07:00

Today was Sunday...Love month was suppose to be about me doing all this stuff for Ben..well, can I just say that he is so amazing?? I made Valentine's cupcakes for him pink frosting and everything..and that's it. Now let's go through what Ben did for me:
1.Woke up and made me waffles and eggs and hashbrowns.
2.Changed Brynn's poopy diaper.
3.Helped me clean the house
4.He watches Brynn during church since I'm so busy with my calling, not only that..he always asks me if I need subs for any classes and is willing to help if needed. Which you really don't understand how important that is until you actually are in charge of making sure each class has a teacher.
5.Came home and fed Brynnlee..Of course I had to do the other part of feeding her since I'm still nursing her.
6.Did the dishes, which were stacked SOOOO HIGH!
7.Then he totally made dinner which was super yummy! Even Brynn liked it!

Simple things like that are seriously the best thing a wife/mom could ask for! I am truly blessed to have him as my husband. =)

Day 12

2011-02-14T09:38:00.003-07:00

Today was a crazy busy day..like always..But I've been wanting to get Ben a really nice ping pong paddle because he plays ping pong EVERYDAY at work and now "supposedly" he's a pro. So he's been wanting one for a while, and since it was Saturday, we had a TON of errands to do and we also went to my Aunt and Uncle's house so that I could have my Aunt show me how to make an all-in-one carseat cover, shopping cart cover, nursing cover, etc. IT'S AWESOME! (i'll definitely post a pic when I'm done with it.) But any who...while I was there for almost 7 hours haha Ben went out and did a little shopping..He was able to get his ping pong paddle..and he loves it. =) along with another board game..and then that night when we got home..there was a box on our front porch. While I was putting Brynn to bed, he went and opened it up and turns out they were BEAUTIFUL red roses just for MEEEE!!! I was so excited!! I LOVE getting flowers! So anyways..they are now on my kitchen table and it just makes the whole house look gorgeous! THANKS BENNY BOO BOO BOO!!! I LOVE YOU!!

Day 11

2011-02-14T09:35:00.002-07:00

I found a red mug because he LOVES hot chocolate, then I got a box of Hot Tamales and wrote over the top of it "you're my HOTT Tamale" and put it in the mug in his car before work. bahaha I feel so cheesy, but that's what Love is all about! It doesn't matter how much you love the person..you will do anything to show them. =)

Brynn 7 months

2011-02-10T23:34:00.004-07:00

Ok so I feel like its been a while since I've updated about Brynn...
She turned 7 months on Feb 4th.
She mastered the whole sitting up position.
LOVES to play with her toys.
Rolls from front to back, then back to front EVERYWHERE!
When reaching for a toy, you can tell SOOOO badly she wants to crawl, and she brings her knee up and pushes forward a little but isn't quite there yet...ALMOST!
If I put her in the crawling position she rocks back and forth and it's so cute!
She LOVES to laugh...and she still smiles at everyone who even looks at her haha
She definitely knows who her parents are =) but she's still ok with other people holding her too.
She likes to be part of whatever we are doing. haha its super cute cuz she totally is starting to know what things are..I don't know if that's good...or bad... =) hahaha
She's down to only 2 naps a day..and she still sleeps through the night! (except when she's teething, those nights SUCK!)
She has her two bottom teeth fully grown and now the 2 other bottom teeth are coming in on both sides. Still haven't seen any sign of the top yet. =)
We just love her soooo much! Why do babies have to grow so fast? It's not fair...Oh well..I guess that's why Heavenly Father made them so cute just so that we would have more...hahaha it all makes sense in the end. =)

Day 10

2011-02-10T23:32:00.003-07:00

Well...today was suppose to be chinese day but it didn't really work out so well so i'll do that one another day, but today I made him strawberry lime jello and cut it into hearts. it was nice and easy at the last minute!

Day 9!

2011-02-10T10:07:00.002-07:00

We went to Applebee's after 9pm to get the half off appetizers, then we came home and watched our wedding video while eating muddie buddies..it was a good night..=) it definitely made me miss our wedding day! i wish it wouldn't have gone by so fast! it felt like everything just happened at once! haha

Day 7 & 8!

2011-02-08T18:05:00.003-07:00

Day 7- He was back at work, so I thought I would just send him a cute little quote that fit us SOOOO perfectly. haha
"We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone who's weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love."-Unknown

Day 8- I went and bought him a pack of gum and wrote "I'm so glad you 'chews-ed' me."

Just a little late on blogging!

2011-02-07T12:13:00.002-07:00

Day 3- I made him Triple Berry Muffins with a little note inside each of them that said something special about him and how he makes me feel, and what a blessing he has been in my life. And then I set it on the sofa table so that when he walked in from getting home from work he would see the muffins and a little silly not that said "you are MY stud 'muffin'.." hahah cheesy..but who cares! =)

Day 4-I got a lotion bottle from somewhere around the house and tied it with a note that said a "free" 15 min massage. He LOVED that one!

Day 5-So today was Saturday, and I was suppose to let him do whatever he wanted all day long...well..of course it didn't really turn out like it was suppose to cuz we did have to run errands, but he told me he still enjoyed the day cuz he was able to spend it with me..aww..he is so sweet!!

Day 6-It was Sunday..and I always seem to make Grilled Tuna and Cheese..So I had bought a heart shaped cookie cutter and ended up makin heart shaped grilled sandwiches..=) from now on I think we will stick with the normal shaped grilled sandwiches, cuz it cut off most of the bread! haha but they still turned out yummy!!

LOVE MONTH!

2011-02-02T21:49:00.003-07:00

The past 2 weeks I have been trying to figure out what to do for Ben for Valentine's Day and then I got this phone call from my sister in law and she gave me such a great idea! Well, February is the month of love right? So each day you are suppose to do something special for them even if it's just a little note they find in their pocket or in their lunch bag, etc. So for the next month, I will be posting what I have done for my sweet husband who has made these past 3 years we've known each other AMAZING...He truly is a man who deserves sooooo much. And that's what's going to make this month so special.

DAY 1-February 1st
I haven't totally gotten prepared for all the things I'm going to do so I did something simple but cute yesterday. So usually when Ben comes home, first thing he always does is give me a hug and a kiss and I LOVE IT! But of course right after me he goes for the fridge, If I don't have dinner made quite yet, and then straight to the computer..of course..he's a computer guy what do you expect? lol So I had made a picture that said I love you on the computer and set it as the desktop background so that he could see it when he turned the computer on. It was a simple thing to do but yet something that expresses so much more.

Day 2-Today
I found a poem online that defined our love perfectly. So I printed it out, put it on some construction paper, decorated it a little bit and taped it to the door so right when he walked in he was able to see it. He said he liked it. =) (please excuse my creativity, it was last minute!) haha

Her ears are officially pierced!

2011-01-11T14:16:00.002-07:00

So..Ben and I have been debating for a while now when we should get her ears pierced. First it was, "wait until she tells us", then it was "wait until her 3rd birthday" (cuz that's when I had asked and gotten my ears pierced), then "wait until her 1st birthday", and then it was "oh benny boo-boo-boo-boo-boo please oh please can we get them done NOW?" SO...I talked him into it and we just went this past saturday and got them done! And she did such a good job! She's such a tough girl, just like her mama =P hehehe. At first, she was looking at the lady, like what are you touching my ears for? And once they pierced it, she held it for a second and then started to cry. haha so they hurried and did the other one and right after she cleaned them, they gave her a teddy bear to hold and she immediately stopped crying and just smiled. She is such a happy baby and I just can't believe how well she did! And I am so excited she finally has her ears pierced. =) She looks adorable with them!

6 Month Check Up

2011-01-05T18:05:00.007-07:00

Well, my baby girl is now 6 months!!! Holy Cow! Half a year old already? I'm amazed at how fast it goes because you're not just sitting around waiting for a baby to come anymore like you would do when you were pregnant, and boy do I remember those LONG 9 months that were never going to end, but instead you're changing poopy diapers 5 times a day, feeding them every hour it seems like, always making sure they've got toys to play with, laughing and loving every time they make a funny face or do something silly, kissing those cute cheeks cuz you just can't get enough of how cute your own baby is, cleaning up after them now that they like to throw things, and so on, time definitely flies by! But, I LOVE it and wouldn't change it for anything! It is SOOOO worth it!
At 6 Months you:
1. sit all by yourself
2. roll all different ways
3. chew on EVERYTHING
4. say "MaMa" accidentally when you talk and babble on and on...
5. Smile all the time even when you're sick
6. Like to help MaMa pick out your outfit. (We go to the closet and you grab what you want to wear, it's so cute even though you don't know what you're picking out).
7. LOVE to touch people's faces
8. LOVE to pull hair
9. hate when MaMa tries to wipe your nosey(but is ok when Dadda does it)
10. tries to grab EVERYTHING
Also, your two bottom teeth are finally coming through!

Stats:
14 lbs 9 oz
26 1/4"
*Doc says she's got her daddy's tall, lean body with a super fast metabolism rate. She'll love that when she's older. =)

I got a NEW PHONE!

2010-12-14T16:50:00.003-07:00

Just to let everyone know...I FINALLY got a new phone. woo hoo! I have had the same purple motorola phone for over 2 years and it was broken and I could only talk to people on speaker phone and it was just not fun! So finally..Ben and I were able to get new phones and we got the new Droid Incredible and I love it! However I'm still trying to get used to having a smart phone..I didn't realize how hard these things are to get used too! But overall, It's amazing and I love it!! Thank you Honey!!!

Oh and here's my cute cover Ben got me..He would rather the cover break first rather than the phone when I eventually drop it by accident. haha He just knows it's bound to happen sooner or later and sadly, I have to agree..I am a clutz!

5 months

2010-12-09T12:30:00.003-07:00

So I'm a little late because she was 5 months on Dec. 4th. But that's ok. =) It's gotten to be a little busier right now with Christmas being just around the corner and Brynn needing a little bit more attention now-a-days. haha She is definitely becoming her own individual. She understands so much more now and I love it.
We've started her on baby food. and so far she doesn't like green beans and carrots, but if I mix carrots with the oatmeal I have for her it's not so bad and she'll eat it.
She's also started to sit up.
She's still in the process of trying to learn how to get her arm out from under her when trying to roll over. On the bed she does it just fine, but on the floor she can't quite push her self over her arm. haha
She laughs a TON.
Still talks a TON.
She started turning her head to look at you when you say her name and then she smiles. It makes my heart melt everytime.
Still sleeps through the night.
When I lay her down for a nap, she goes right to sleep.
She grabs everything she can reach and tries to eat it.
We have now started pulling her fingers away when she goes to put them in her mouth and replacing it with her passy. I figured I need to break this habit early especially if she's so addicted to them right now.
Each and every day, she makes both Ben and I smile. We love her sooooo much and I know I say that everytime I post about her, but it's because it's true. =)

FLORIDA!

2010-12-01T13:59:00.003-07:00

This past week, we were in Florida. It was so nice and sunny and warm!! ahh...We did so many fun things and even got our family pictures taken! We went to Busch Gardens, played at the beach, stayed in a Beach house, went out to dinner on the pier, went to the most amazing juice shop that had the most amazing orange juice! (and for those of you who really know me, I absolutely HATE orange juice, I would drink sunny D over OJ any day!) But this OJ was amazing! We also were able to spend most the time with the family. =) On Ben's side, there are a total of 21 kids and adults. It was super fun! But with 11 kids under the age of 11 it can definitely get crazy sometimes! =) But we all had fun! I just wish we could go back and stay for the winter, cuz I'm totally not into the snow right now. It was definitely a nice trip to get away for a bit. But at the same time, we are glad to be back home.

She actually enjoys mush!!!

2010-11-17T17:58:00.002-07:00

I don't know why they have babies start out eating rice cereal. It is seriously so gross! And no I have not tried it, nor will I ever try it, it's just one of those things to where you feel bad that you are even giving it to them! lol It just smells nasty! Maybe it's the formula smell since I'm not really used to that, but still! The very first bite she takes, her face is hilarious! It turns so sour! Then after a few bites she's ok with it. I hear babies gag when they eat that stuff, and so Brynn, you are a tough girl..the yummy tasting foods will come soon, very soon, I promise. =)

Brynn 4 Months Old

2010-11-09T22:05:00.004-07:00

On November 4th, Brynn turned 4 months old! She's getting so big!
Stats:
13 lbs 6 oz
25 inches long
Things you have accomplished:
1. You talk A LOT..and you like to sometimes scream even just for the heck of it..
2. You prop your head up so well now while on your tummy
3. You roll from side to side laying on your back, not quite rolling over just yet.
4. Still sleep through the night. (thankgoodness!)
5. It seems like pulling hair is your favorite thing.
6. You reach for toys, grab them, then try to eat them.
7. You're starting to get mad at mommy when i change your clothes. (you squeal as if I've changed them once too many times already =) lol)
8. You've started laughing. It's the cutest thing ever!
9. You smile at everyone who smiles at you
10. You're still not too sure about rice cereal because everytime I feed it to you, there's always a sour look on your face. hahaha it's hilarious!

WE LOVE YOU SWEETIE!!!
You make mommy and daddy SOOO happy!!!

Halloween 2010!

2010-11-03T12:56:00.004-06:00

The weekend of Halloween, my sister Alicia got to come up here and hang with all of us and is hopefully here for another week in a half! woo hoo! It's been so much fun having her up here so far! And Brynn LOVES it!

Here is what Brynn was for Halloween. Minnie Mouse! haha except we couldn't find ears for her, but she was still cute! Her Aunt Ru gave her this dress from the disney store! And she fit it!

Ben was a Samurai dude and he's had this outfit for a few years so he figured it was time to put it on. =) and of course I wanted to be something with Ben, so I was a Geisha. Not my total favorite Halloween costume, but what the heck, it was only one night. =)

Visiting Family in Cali

2010-10-21T14:35:00.013-06:00

This past week my family, Brynn and I, (sadly Ben couldn't come because of work), went to Sacramento, CA to go visit my Mom's family but mostly my Grandpa since he's not doing to well. It was way fun to see everyone and all my Aunts and Uncles and cousins! Boy how I miss them!! And most of all my Grandpa was able to meet Brynnlee along with everyone else who I haven't seen in a year. That was such a special moment when he saw her. For a while, when he was still at home, him and my Grandma were calling me almost every week after she was born. They both could not wait to hold her, so it was definitely a special moment when he got to see her. It was such a fun trip. I wish we could've stayed longer.

2010-10-11T09:54:00.008-06:00

So today is our 2 year anniversary! So much has happened in the 2 years we've been married..And I wouldn't change any of it for the world! We've been through our ups and downs and have only grown stronger. We are still happily married and our love for each other has grown sooo much more!!! I still LOVE being married and I'm pretty sure he still loves it too. At least I hope he does since I make him dinner, do his laundry, clean up after him, etc, etc, etc.... =) Nah, that's what makes it fun. Being able to make your best friend happy is really all that matters. And I am so glad I have all eternity with him. He is the LOVE of my LIFE and I am so glad I married him. =)

We celebrated our anniversary on Saturday since he wasn't able to get work off today, plus my friend Christina came up here to babysit Brynn for us this weekend. Thank you again Tina! But we went out to dinner at this place called Madeline's Steakhouse & Grill. You see, last year we went to Park City and ate at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse and holy mama that was the best steak I've ever had! It was cooked in an 1800' oven! IT WAS DELICIOUS! So I guess this Madeline's place was ranked the 2nd most romantic restaurant in Salt Lake County along with the 2nd best steak too and so we went and ate there. And we both had the fillet mignon steak and it was sooooo similar to the steak we had at Ruth's Chris. It was sooo good!!! We ate wayyy too much! But it was worth it! Then afterwards, Ben said he thought he should take me to the place where it all began, so I of course was thinkin our work place, Convergys, and I was like what? seriously? oh please no, I don't ever want to go back there! haha We both did not like that place at all. But come to find out we were driving for a while and he took me back to the Great Salt Lake where we watched the sun set and he asked me to be his girlfriend almost 3 years ago. It was so romantic. Oh! and I almost forgot! We stopped by The Cheesecake Factory for some dessert first then got it to go and drove out to the Great Salt Lake..So while we watched the sun set we had some delicious Linda's Fudge Cake(which is my favorite dessert ever!) We had so much fun!!

Then to top it all off we totally missed an exit on the way back and it took us SO LONG to get home. Haha but it was so relaxing in a way that I didn't care if we got lost because I didn't want the night to end. =( But, now having a baby waiting for us at home, having been gone for 6 hours and me nursing her, it was definitely time to come home. But what's also nice is that she takes a bottle too so my friend was able to feed her while we were gone, that's why we weren't too worried, it was just me who needed to get home cuz I couldn't go any longer with out feeding her. If all you nursing mothers out there know what I mean. =) hahaha But overall, we had an amazing night and I wish we could spend that time together every day, but Life has its ways with so much going on, which is ok, but when we do get that time together, I cherish every moment I have with him. =)

I LOVE YOU BEN!

Here is the sunset from this year.

And here is the sunset from almost 3 years ago in April 2008 when he asked me to be his girlfriend.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATIE BEDDES!

2010-10-05T10:43:00.008-06:00

So today is one of my best friend's birthday. She turns 21!! And I would like to dedicate my blog today to her for her birthday because 2 years ago, today...I forgot to wish her a happy birthday and it is still killing me to this day. =( I did not forget it, because I knew it was coming up, but when the time came, so much was going on..such as Ben and I going through the temple on Oct. 9th, getting married on the 11th, and all the planning and trying to figure out what was going on was just so overwhelming, and I know that is no excuse to not have wished you a simple "happy birthday" that day, so I hope you forgive me now!

I LOVE YOU GIRLIE!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

And I have plenty of more pictures to put up but now my computer is being slow so this will have to do for now. LOVE YOU GIRL! xoxox

Had to blog IMMEDIATELY!!

2010-10-04T15:14:00.004-06:00

I seriously cannot BELIEVE this picture! This just happened TODAY!! My baby is just barely 3 months old and she sat up for the first time all by herself! YES! ALL by herself!!! As you can see the picture tells all! AHHH!!! she is super crazy strong!

Brynn 3 Months & Picnic in the Canyon!

2010-10-04T11:47:00.009-06:00

Today Brynnlee is 3 MONTHS OLD!! WOW!
What she's learned to do:
1. Stand (with help of course)
2. Talks..ALOT!
3. Sucks her thumb AND fingers
4. She tries to sit up when propped up on pillow. She's crazy!! Everyone's been calling her super baby cuz she's doing all this stuff so early! And here I just thought it was normal! haha
5. Started reaching for anything that catches her eye. Doesn't fully grab yet though.
6. Sleep's through the night!! WOO HOO!
7. Scoots on her tummy about an inch every few minutes until she gets frustrated and doesn't wanna be on her tummy anymore.
8. LOVES taking baths
9. LOVES her daddy
10. And on Sunday, when Ben and I woke up, we were playing and talking to Brynnlee and she was smiling so big and talking to us a TON! next thing you know...she laughed!!! IT WAS SO DARN CUTE! I wish I would've recorded it!

Ok, so on to the next event: PICNIC IN THE CANYON
We went to Timpanogas Canyon with Paul, DeeAnn, Cooper, Zoe, Beck, Grandma Smith, Grandpa Smith, and then our little family and we had so much fun! Here are some pics from Saturday. =)

Posing for the camera

2010-09-30T17:35:00.003-06:00

Brynnlee's personality is finally coming out and it's so fun to see how she's starting to react to things! And I just LOVE how she's got her leg up with her hand on top of her knee. A drama queen already?!

Why do I blog so much of just my baby???

2010-09-24T10:04:00.002-06:00

BECAUSE SHE'S SO DANG CUTE! THAT'S WHY!!!

Stong Legged Baby!

2010-09-17T17:38:00.003-06:00

Look how crazy strong she is!!! She can stand for a good minute now all by herself but of course we still have to help her balance herself. And in this picture, the chair was helping her obviuosly, but it's so crazy don't ya think?? She might be walking before she even starts crawling!! lol

Just thought this was cute. =)

LOVE LOVE LOVE HER!

2010-09-16T09:30:00.002-06:00

Ok, seriously? I never thought I could love something and someone sooooo much!! well, besides my husband of course. =) But seriously?? The love that both Ben and I have for her is never ending. I cannot believe how beautiful this young daughter of Heavenly Father's is inside and out! Even at such a small age! We are so blessed to be her earthly parents. At 2 1/2 months, she just keeps continuing to make us more and more happy each day and we are so grateful to have her in our lives!

Brynn's 2 Month Check Up

2010-09-03T17:43:00.004-06:00

I can't believe she is already 2 months! For some reason, I feel like I've known her for so much longer than that though. Maybe it was the feeling of knowing her for 9 months prior. But we just love her so much!!

Brynn's Growth:
10 lbs 12.5 oz
22 3/4"
just under the 75th percentile for girls

Doc said she's looking so good!! She's a healthy baby and she is now holding her head up so well! and she loves to stand! She has such strong legs I can already tell you she's going to be a soccer player. =)

She also got her shots today, poor thing, but she did so good. I'm so proud of her. Of course it kills me to see her cry like that when they poked her but just after they were done, she stopped crying. She's definitely a tough girl.

Puppy Love

2010-08-28T12:57:00.002-06:00

For those of you who know our dog Browser, he is definitely a hyper dog right? He just turned 1 on Aug. 5th. So he is still a puppy of course. But, surprisingly, when visitors aren't here at our house, he is literally such a good dog. Of course he has his times where he likes to play, he's a puppy and that's what pups like to do but for the most part, he just lounges around the house all day. It's so nice! I know it's hard to believe, but it's true! Yes, he still gets into things he's not suppose to, but he's learning and the best part is, is that he hasn't gone potti in the house for a whole 2 weeks!!!
He was potti trained, until we brought Brynn home. He was very confused and thought we weren't paying attention to him as much so he would sneak away in a corner somewhere in the house or down in the basement and go to the bathroom. Sadly we don't have a fence yet or a doggy door, cuz if we did we wouldn't have to worry about Browser at all! But, for the longest time, he wouldn't tell us he needed to go potti and he would just go in the house!! It was so aggravating! Lately though, we've been trying to give him lots of attention and trying to get him potti trained again. It's been working thank goodness. And now that he's used to a baby being in the house, I decided to put Brynn on the floor for the first time last night. I was so nervous to see what Browser would do to her. But come to find out, this is what he did instead. I thought it was the cutest thing ever!!
All he wants to do is just protect her. If anything he will just sniff her and lick her(probably cuz of the baby lotion that smells good, he loves the taste of lotion it's disgusting!) But I am so grateful that Browser likes Brynn. Everyone thinks of him as being such a crazy dog, which he is when visitors come over for sure, but here is a little proof that he can also be a great dog. =)

My Adorable Nephew's 1st B-Day

2010-08-25T17:22:00.006-06:00

Beckham Smith turned 1yr old on August 15th! I can't believe it's already been a year! He is so cute! and gettin so big!! he's walking all by himself now! When he was just a baby, I hogged him everytime I saw him. =) And I still try to, but he likes to squirm and wiggle cuz he wants to walk and play all the time now. I would've done the same thing to Cooper and Zoe, (his two older siblings, Cooper 6yrs, Zoe 4yrs) if I knew Ben 6 years ago which sadly I didn't. I've barely known him for 3yrs. haha But both my nephews and neice are so stinkin adorable! I just love going and hanging out with all 3 of them!

Here is Cooper and Zoe with Brynnlee..They just love her so much! I'm excited for her to play with them when she gets older.

Cooper is wearing Grandma Smith's glasses.. I think he looks pretty handsome with them on! haha

I have a ONE Month Old!

2010-08-05T15:42:00.002-06:00

August 4th, 2010 my baby girl turned One Month! Crazy how time flies!!!

2 week check up

2010-07-24T13:55:00.003-06:00

Well Brynn had her 2 week check up last monday on the 19th and she dropped down to 8lbs 3oz. So the doctor is having her checked each week. She was suppose to be at 8lbs 5oz by thursday and luckily she was! So I am now having to feed her every 2-3 hours so that she can reach her goal weight of 8lbs 12 oz by thursday the 29th. and then hopefully by the next weigh-in on the 5th of August, she will be back up to her birth weight which was 9lbs 2oz. Another thing is that she has to have an ultrasound to check her hip placement. Doc says it feels a little off but she should be ok. They just check it as a precaution so that she won't have any trouble walking when the time comes. The ultrasound is scheduled Aug. 4th. But overall, doc said she looks great!!

Brynnlee Marie Smith

2010-07-08T11:28:00.003-06:00

July 4th, 2010
9 Pounds 2 Ounces
21 inches long
9:57pm

The Birth Story
On Friday, July 2nd, contractions started and eventually started coming every 10 mins. Didn't really think anything of it since they weren't terribly painful. Woke up Saturday morning, still about 10 mins apart. We walked around our neighborhood, then tried running up this huge huge hill, then walked back down to our house, then walked back to the mailbox, went to Walmart, pretty much just tried to keep busy and yet the contractions still kept coming. Obviously, early labor had begun. Woo hoo! So by later afternoon, they were coming every 5-7 mins. We figured, why not go to the hospital just to see where I'm at even though we knew we would be sent home. Well, they said I was dilated to a 2 1/2 and effaced 80%. Not quite there yet. So we came home and contractions kept on coming.

Woke up around 3am Sunday and in PAIN! I felt like I had to go to the bathroom, but then couldn't and they just wouldn't stop! So i tried sleeping in between contractions cuz even though they were more painful they only happened about every 10 mins so by the time everyone was awake say around 7-8 or so, I was practically crying with every contraction that came. Thank goodness my Mother in Law and parents and siblings were here already. It was the perfect time for her to come. So by noon, I had to go to the hospital. I said I couldn't take it anymore. The pain just kept getting stronger and stronger and they weren't going away.

We went to the hospital, went to the front desk of labor and delivery and the lady is like so you're contracting then? I was like, DUH! can't you tell I'm crying and in PAIN?! So they took me to a room, I was dilated to a 4 and 100% effaced. They admitted me and we were ready to get the show on the road! Yippee! So I must say that I am a wuss cuz i asked for the epidural once I got into the delivery room. =) For one reason is that I thought the guy would take an hour or so to get there but nope he came 10 mins later! Thank goodness! Anyways, once the epidural kicked in, must I say I was in Heaven? cuz that's sure what if felt like. It was so nice to not feel those contractions anymore.

An hour later I was dilated to a 5, so the doctor was on her way to come break my water. She came a couple hours later and I was then 6 1/2 cm dilated. Until, all the sudden, when I had gotten checked about an hour in a half later, I was still at a 6 1/2 and I had a fever and my contractions weren't active labor contractions. Of course I was trying to stay calm but I was nervous of what was to come. I definitely did not want a c-section and was Brynnlee still ok? I was treated with anti-biotics, and had to put an oxygen mask on so that it would "gas" her up again to get things going. I was also induced with Pitocin to help things get moving again.

So with in an hour, my fever was gone, Brynn was doin great once again, and soon enough I was dilated to an 8 1/2 and a 0+ station. Which means her head was in the perfect position. By 9:30pm, I was finally at a 10 and +2 station. (head is almost out) I was still in Heaven at this point and all I felt was pressure. But I didn't think the pressure was good enough to push quite yet, but once she said we're ready to push, I was like, really?? Sweet!! We did a couple practice pushes before the doctor came in. By 9:40ish she was there and Brynn was on her way..=) 9:57pm, my beautiful baby girl was born.

She had a few complications and had a hard time breathing at first because she was holding onto the umbilical cord and so there was a lot of stress that was put on her and her body. They had to take her to the nursery right away so I was only able to hold her for about a minute. It turns out that she also had some sort of "infection" to where her body was having a hard time fighting something off and so they had to take her to the level 11 nursery where she had to be put on anti-biotics and her blood sugar was low so she had to get an IV and also had to hook her up to oxygen for just a short amount of time because she was soon able to breath ok on her own, so that, they weren't too worried about anymore. So the whole time we were in the hospital, we had to go visit her in the NICU, which was ok but it definitely wasn't fun to see her all hooked up to the monitors, but we knew she was in good hands and that she would be ok.
The pediatrician did blood cultural tests on her and so we had to wait for the results to see if we could take her home or not. Thank goodness the result came out negative cuz if it didn't she would have to stay in the NICU for another 7 days. =( So we are very blessed that nothing was wrong with her and that we were able to take her home with us. We love her so much!

This whole experience was the most amazing thing I've ever been able to experience. I would definitely do it again and again. Except being pregnant for a year minus 2-3 months definitely sucks, but the labor part I could definitely do again and again. Especially to finally meet that baby of yours and to be able to hold her in your arms is the most amazing thing ever!

Still no baby...

2010-07-02T15:05:00.003-06:00

So today is the day Brynn is exactly 40 weeks. She was measuring 2 days bigger and so today she would be completely baked. However, the doc informed me that because her original due date was July 4th, they are keeping it July 4th. They would only change it if it was at least a week off. So, in that case I technically still have 2 more days til she comes. That is, if she ever comes.

Contractions have been non stop from last night on through all of today so far. They just are very irregular. But they are definitely pretty strong. So I'm hoping they pick up and become more consistent. Is it bad I'm wishing to bring on the pain?

I feel like I have tried almost everything to get her to come, but my body and her are just being stubborn I guess. There has never been a time like now where I wish I could turn off the oven and say ok, the timer beeped (meaning my belly button popped) and now it's time to take the bun out of the oven. But nope, nature has to take it's own course. The doctor said he can't even induce me til July 11th. So, I'm hoping my body knows what to do to get this baby out! July freakin 11th?? That's 9 days AWAY! AHHH! I can't do it anymore. =(

I guess I should be grateful though. I have not had any complications whatsoever this entire pregnancy. Never got sick. Never had any crazy cravings, swelled a bit, but I guess it's not something so horrible to complain about and I have been feeling great the whole time. Never had to be put on bed rest, and our daughter looks like she's as healthy as can be. So, I definitely should not be complaining. It's just the fact that I feel like I've been pregnant for a year now. Why is that?...

Because last year in the beginning of July, I found out I was pregnant. We were so excited, but then a miscarriage happened in August. We of course were very sad about it, but knew that Heavenly Father has his reasons and at least we knew that I was able to become pregnant. Then a month in a half later, I found out I was pregnant again. Of course we were very excited again and it's been a fun journey along the way. However, if you counted that up, yep, it's been a year. And feeling HUGE for a year is never fun. So, my patience has kind of worn off now. BUT, I've gotten this far haven't I? I guess I can go another 9 whole days. =(

Anyways, enough of me being so negative. Like I've said before, in the end, it's all worth it. So this next week, I will focus on being patient and enjoying the last little bit of my life with my dear husband before our sweet little girl comes into our family. Even though I know our lives will be TEN times better with her in it. But I always say, Live Life To The Fullest. =) Every moment is a memory...

40 week check up

2010-06-30T15:51:00.002-06:00

Well, we are finally at the end of this pregnancy journey. Thank goodness!! I don't think I can go much longer. =) But at the same time it will be sad to not be able to feel her move inside my belly. I think that will be the only thing I will miss most. Haha Other than that, I just want to meet her and finally hold her in my arms. =)

Doctor's appt went alright. I'm dilated to a 2 finally and he didn't tell me how effaced I was but I'm assuming it might be at least 70% now? Anyways, he stripped my membranes AGAIN, and tried stretching my cervix. YEAH... can I say OUCH?! that HURT! But, I am willing to go through anything right now to get this baby OUT! So he said today, hopefully we will see you tomorrow at the hospital. lol Yeah...let's pray shall we? I really am truly hoping that she comes asap because I'm pretty sure I have pre-partum depression. Haha Most of my friends who were pregnant with me and are due a few days before me or up to 2 weeks after me, already have had their babies, so, why do I have to be the patient one and wait for 4ever freakin long!!??? lol But, I know it's all worth it in the end...so those of you who know who you are and have had your ADORABLE babies, I am jealous, but at the same time, I am so happy for you guys! Just be grateful you're not pregnant anymore. hahaha

So here's the latest update, and hopefully we will be having our baby girl here real soon. =)

39 week check up

2010-06-24T09:38:00.004-06:00

Yesterday was my 39 week check up. I got my membranes stripped and ouch did that hurt! But he said we finally progressed a little.. I am officially dilated to a 1..and 60% effaced. So he's hoping that when he stripped my membranes that it will help progress alot faster. All day yesterday I was having much stronger contractions but not enough to where they hurt like crazy. Darn it! But, I am praying that my body is ready and that Brynnlee is ready cuz I am done being pregnant. lol My mind is definitely ready that's for sure! Haha and the sad part is, is that they won't induce me til 41 weeks which isn't until July 9th! grrr..I can't even think of being pregnant for another 2 weeks! It's making me go insane! So I am really hoping Brynn will come this weekend. =) So we will see... This morning when I woke up, I could definitely tell where her body is and when I look at my side profile in the mirror it feels like my stomach just wants to "point" outwards. She's dropped so low and there is so much pressure down there that even when I sit down she is pretty much sitting on my thighs and I can feel her move on my legs! lol it's so weird!

Oh! And, one other thing..we painted my kitchen!! you can see it in the pic and I absolutely LOVE it! It makes it feel more like a home. Warm and cozy..And eventually, after Brynn is born of course we will finish painting the house and I will definitely put pics on here. That will be one of my few projects as a stay at home mom. And a huge thank you to my neighbor Megan for helping me paint it! It was a quick job because we didn't even need to use painter's tape around the edges because somehow Meg does an AMAZING job with outlining the edges!! I tried doing it on one little spot and I ended up getting it all over the trim of the pantry door. haha so I definitely let her do the rest. But thank you so much!! It actually makes me want to be in there more and cook and clean and do dishes!! lol But I just love it so much! And now I can't wait to get the rest of the house painted, but I understand I'll definitely have to be patient with that. haha Hopefully we can get to it by the end of summer. =)That is if Ben will let me.. hehehe

I need advice!

2010-06-18T11:46:00.003-06:00

Ok, so I am literally to the point where I want to do anything and everything to get this little one out. I didn't have my 38 week check up this week because my doctor was out of town, so I have no idea if I've dilated or progressed. Which sucks, because the anticipation is wearing on me! I feel like I have a whole month left to go! But I am praying that she will come this week..hopefully! But if anyone has advice on how to induce labor naturally, please let me know! I'm going nuts!!! And I think Heavenly Father is definitely making me learn patience right now! haha

37 week check up!

2010-06-10T12:48:00.001-06:00

Gettin closer!!!

50% effaced, but sadly no dilation yet.

At least we are gettin somewhere! =)

36 week check up

2010-06-04T09:46:00.002-06:00

Well, the first time dreaded doctor's appt is over. Now, I just have 3 more appt's and delivery to look forward too. =) But, it's all good. I just have to think that I'm not the only girl in the world that these doctor's have seen "down there". So, I'm sure I'll be fine now. But anyways, onto the results...

Good news first- cervix is thinning out and softening.

Semi good news- "Almost" dilated to a.........1 grrrrrrr

At least it's starting right? lol Of course I was just hoping to hear like a 2, almost a 3 or somethin! But, this baby will come when she's ready. All I pray is for her to be healthy and if that's going to be a couple more weeks then that's fine by me. =) Let's just hope it will ONLY be a couple weeks. Going all the way to the end just seems SO FAR AWAY!

Blood pressure is going up for some odd reason, but I'm not too high yet so it's not a concern as of now. It's always been between 110 and 120 but this time it was 134. Not a huge difference, but they check ya every week anyways. So we're good.

And last, I asked the doctor if it's normal for your heart to race while having a contraction. He said it's not that normal and if it gets worse to the point where I feel like I can't breathe right or it doesn't slow down then he will look into it. But, for now, he thinks it's just because the body is pumping 40% more blood to every where else and the baby and that my heart needs more blood flow as well, and especially during a contraction, your body just does some weird things! lol So I'm sure it will be fine. =)

I am truly grateful to have had an easy pregnancy. So I definitely should not be complaining at all.
*Never got sick
*Haven't gained a whole lot
*Didn't swell until 32 wks-it only happened when I got sunburned in St George thanks to it draining all the water out of me which I've been trying to be so good about!
*No bed rest
*Baby has been healthy all along
*Cravings never really were a "must have"
So many things I should just be grateful for. Now let's just pray for an easy delivery. lol

The Nursery

2010-06-01T19:02:00.011-06:00

We are just about there! Woo Hoo! All that is left to get is some chair rail, and the nursery will then be COMPLETED! yippee!! Oh and we are getting a rocking/glider chair for where the swing is, and the swing will probably be out of the room. I would also really like to put her crib under her name, but if you saw the room, it just doesn't look right. It's hard to explain because of the size of the room. So maybe in the future I will try it when I get bored and want to move things around.

This is the most comfortable rug ever!! 20 bucks at walmart!! great deal huh??

Top drawer organizers from Ikea-10 bucks!

It was so fun to fill her drawers finally!

And her closet! lol Thanks to everyone who got such cute things for her to wear! I am so excited to dress her up! =)
Before:

After:

34 week check up

2010-05-18T12:32:00.002-06:00

The Doctor's appointment went well today. Heartbeat is 156. Thank goodness she's still breathing!

Not only that, I told my doc that every time I've had to go to the bathroom the past week or so, there is so much pressure "down there", it seriously feels as if she's trying to push herself out! So he checked to see where she was at today and yup, there her head was, snugged nicely down in my pelvic bone. How lovely. =) Hopefully that means she will come out sooner. pshh i doubt it. =) But we can always hope right?

Next appointment is June 3rd for my 36 week check up. I hear it's the dreaded doctor's appointment for every first time mom. Well, I guess I better get used to it since i'll be over exposed during delivery huh. lol Oh well, it's all good. All that matters is that I'll finally get to meet my baby girl... =)

Can't wait to meet you Brynn!! Your daddy and I love you soooo much already!

i LOVE my family

2010-05-03T08:08:00.007-06:00

I just wanted to let my family know how much I love them. They have always been there for me and I can't thank them enough.

My littlest sister Sarah:
She's 7yrs old and is turning 8 on July 29th. Sadly I haven't been able to watch her grow up since she was about 4 but she always seems to put a smile on my face and brighten my day when I talk to her on the phone. She always lets me know I'm her nicest sister ever, maybe that's because I'm not there to tease her either like the other siblings do...=) But she is almost out of the 2nd grade now and I can't believe how time flies. I wish I could watch her grow from where I left off, but then that would mean I probably wouldn't be the "nicest sister ever". So maybe it's a good thing I left home. I feel very special she thinks of me that way. =)

My litte brother Derek:
He will be turning 15 on May 5th. Crazy! Talk about how time flies! geez! Let's just say Derek watches out for his sisters. He is the best brother anyone could ask for. He is so loving and caring, well most of the time. =) He even tries to make me feel good about myself when I see him. For example, he felt my stomach back at the beginning of March, and said, "Wow Brie! Nice abs!". Hahaha.. Thanks Derek for making me feel so good. Especially while pregnant. =)It's so crazy to think he's into liking girls now too. I remember him back in elementary school when he said he was chased by girls who had cooties. hahah he definitely was a stud back then. Ok, Ok, you're a stud now too. =)

My little sister Alicia:
She is 18 and won't be 19 til next January. 18?? Holy cow! I remember when I was 18..maybe that's because I got married at that age? lol But she will be graduating at the end of May from High School. I just can't believe it! She is literally my best friend. We are 2 years, 2 months, and 2 days apart. I love having a sister that is so close in age to me. Of course when we were younger, we definitely did NOT get along very well. It was mostly because of me, I admit. I stole all her clothes, and toys, and everything else you could imagine. She was just so passive that I felt like I could get away with it I guess. But now I look back and I feel bad. But i'm glad she's forgiven me. In return, she kept most of my clothes when I went off to college so I guess we're even. =) I just don't know how I could've gone through my youth years not having her there. When she came into Young Women's, it was a blast having her there. And when she came into High School as a Freshman, I was a Senior that year, but at least we got to spend one year of school together besides Elementary which we both don't remember at all. Haha. But it was so much fun knowing that I had a sister that could understand what I was going through cuz she would go through it the next year or 2 anyways. So i just can't explain how much I love her, even through all the ups and downs. =)

My Mommy:
She probably wouldn't want me posting her age since now she is at that number where you just don't mention your age anymore. =) But let's just say she is exactly 20 years older than me. And I am 20. Hehehe. To be honest mother, it's not that bad! Anyways, I have so much to say about my Mom. If i wrote it on here it would be at least 10 pages long or more! So i just want to say thank you for everything you've done for me. You always are there to talk to me when I need you. And i know sometimes it's annoying when you're daughter calls you so much just "to talk". lol But being able to know I can go to my Mom for anything really helps. So thank you! And I don't have to wish that I'll be just like you cuz I know I already am like you. Believe me, Ben tells me all the time how much I remind him of my mother. It's quite funny actually and we won't name the details. Cuz for any of you who know my mother, you can probably see what traits I got from her. Haha. Anyways, I just love her so much and I'm so grateful for the Mom she was and still is to this day.

My Daddy:
My Dad is 4 years older than my Mom, I'm sure ya'll can do the math. =) I just love my Daddy so much. As much as I talk to my Mom, I'm sure I'm a Daddy's Girl too. Ever since I was born, I was clinged onto his back in the little back pack they carried me around in. And let's just say I definitely grew up being a slight tom-boy. Played soccer from age 6 on, wore hats alot, and definitely never played with Barbies. lol So I want to thank my dad for that because then when I got to the age of liking boys, I definitely knew how to at least try to be like them. Haha and my favorite thing was being able to play on a coed soccer team. I felt like I could be even more tough than I was. But overall, of course I turned out being a girly girl, and he still loves me no matter what. We would do so much together, we would go repelling through the caves and then repel straight down a 180 foot drop. Yikes, that was definitely a thriller! We went on 14 mile hikes together. Actually I think we did that 14 mile hike 6 straight years in a row! Then we also of course would go ride rollercoasters which are still my favorite thing to do to this day. One other thing that I was always upset about was when Dad would go on his Scout trips and he would be telling me what they were going to be doing, like hiking, repelling, riding dirt bikes and four wheelers, etc. I was so jealous! That's the kinda thing when you wish you were a boy because then when you would have to go to your young women's activity it would be sewing or knitting or something like that. Haha. But it's all good, in the end I feel so grateful to have a Dad who was able to take me hiking and repelling and dirt bike riding and camping and I can just go on and on. Those experiences I will definitely remember. What's funny is when I was younger my Dad really wanted to go skydiving. I was the one telling him that I was definitely NOT going to do that. It was way too scary for me. Then I had a roommate who went a couple years ago and after she showed us the video and told us about it, I wanted to go so bad. So I called my Dad up and said, "Dad, we're going skydiving." He laughed at me on the phone and said "yeah right sweetie! I'm too old for that now." Pshhh...whatever Pops, you're never too old for anything. =) Sadly we never did go, and now that I will be having a baby to tend for and he's got 4 kids, I understand where he's coming from. Family definitely comes first especially over the "death fall". lol I love my dad so much and I can't thank him enough either for how much I've grown just from the experiences he's shown and taught me. I don't know where I would be with out my daddy.

I just wanted to express my love for my family who I don't get to see very often. I wish we lived closer, but that just makes every visit more memorable. I love each and every one of them, and I'm so glad I chose to be born of goodly parents who raised me and taught me everything I needed to know in order to grow up and have a family of my own. I am so excited to be married to the most wonderful man I know and to have our very first baby girl with him who is coming in 8 1/2 weeks. Starting a family is definitely a scary thing, and as long as we work together and choose the right, the 'family' is a blessing everyone is able to experience. =)

2010-04-18T17:11:00.006-06:00

Here are a couple side profiles:
27 weeks

29 weeks

And here is the front view. I figured no one really ever takes pics of the front view, and now I know why. lol

...It's because your hour glass body is definitely no longer in proportion.

Looking even more fat...ain't it just attractive? haha

Dear Brynnlee,
I know your mommy only has about 2 1/2 months to deliver you, but she's thinkin she'll want to deliver you in about 7-8 weeks when you are full term. Sound good? I'm glad we are already agreeing on things. Life is going to be so much easier when you listen to your mommy. =) She's having a hard time with the water build up. They say to drink more fluids to reduce the water retention. Well, I'm not sure it's working. Your mommy sure doesn't feel so skinny anymore. Plus, the earlier you come, the more soon you're daddy and I will get to hold you and we can't WAIT for that day! So let me know when you are coming and I will do everything I can to speed up the process. Thanks honey!
We LOVE You.

Love, Mom

Thanks for the prayers!

2010-04-05T09:48:00.002-06:00

Ben was fortunate enough to have found another job. YAY! So thank you for all the prayers! He started it today. It happens to be at the same place he was working at before just for another company. So that means that we still have insurance too! woo hoo! I guess everything had just transferred over to this new job, so he's still got his same pay rate, same paid time off, same insurance, pretty much the same of everything just a new job! lol And he has training for the next 11 days straight.. That means I will be teaching nursery all by myself this coming sunday. Yikes. I'll be 28 weeks pregnant chasing after 15 kids! woo hoo! =) nah, it won't be too bad. But then he'll continue training for the next 3 months. Baby's due in exactly 12 1/2 weeks=3 months. Hopefully he'll be able to get it off! But anyways, I just wanted to say thank you for all of you who kept us in your prayers. We definitely appreciate it!

Vacation Time?

2010-03-24T17:08:00.004-06:00

I have been craving to take a vacation. I just feel like I need to get away from life right now. Life, as we all know, is crazy.

Ben's company isn't renewing their contract with their client. So that leaves him with no job. Because insurance was a benefit included in his job, we will have no insurance.

My job is definitely not enough to support us. Plus, who wants to work even more standing on their feet all day when your almost in your 3rd trimester? No thank you. And is insurance included with my job? Heck no! We have to pay taxes in the end which sucks enough already!

So as you can tell..a vacation sounds soooo good right now. Just me and my hubby, out on a beach somewhere, enjoying the hot sun, and listening to the sound of the ocean waves. ahhhh....

Some of my stresses are:
Is Ben going to find a job soon?
Baby's comin in 100 days, insurance please??
When we get insurance again, will I still have my same doctor? (oh i better!)
Am I really going to have to work for much longer? I'd prefer not too..I'm already swelling up!!
Are we going to be financially stable when the baby comes into this world?
And, why does life have to be so difficult???

Oh the wonderful world of being a grown up. lol My motto has always been, "Live Life to The Fullest". So as long as we keep moving forward and staying positive, hopefully everything will be ok in the end. =)

24 weeks!

2010-03-15T12:32:00.006-06:00

Countin' down...

Things that aren't so great about pregnancy:

1. I haven't been the most comfortable lately..and I'm not excited for the next 15 weeks or so to come. I wake up at least 2-3 times a night either because Ben has stolen my body pillow or it fell on the ground, or the fact that Ben can't sleep supposedly because I've been congested and he says I've been snoring every now and then so he will wiggle me to try to make me stop and of course I wake up when he does that. So...we will see how much better it gets as time goes on..

2. When I shower, I tend to somehow fall over a little when I close my eyes to wash the shampoo and conditioner out of my hair. Luckily I'll catch myself just in time. One time though, I almost took the shower curtain down! lol So if you ask me to walk a balance beam, make sure you put tons of pillows underneath or even a swimming pool! I know for a fact I'll come crashing down.

3. Bending over...ahhh the joy of not being able to bend over and tie your shoes, or put socks on, or pick up your keys that tend to keep slipping out of your hand constantly. Or how bout the time when you are doing a client's hair and have already dropped 4 combs within 3 minutes of cutting their hair??! geez!!! luckily I am still able to pick up my combs that I drop, and pick up my keys that should just stay in my purse from now on, and put my shoes and socks on. But trying to shave in the shower probably won't be something I'll be able to do for much longer. Let's just say it's weird to look down and not be able to see my feet anymore.

4. Pains and aches. The wonderful world of side pains, ligament pains, your uterus contracting, feet hurting, especially when you have to stand all day long doing hair. Not so fun. Is it ever going to stop? NOPE!

5. Urge to Pee. Now that she's getting bigger and bigger each day..My bladder is definitely not cut out to hold it in anymore. I feel like my bathroom is my new bedroom! Just this morning I had gone to the bathroom plenty of times to where I felt I would be safe to watch one of my shows all the way through finally. Well, little missy inside my belly thought it would be funny to jump on mommy's bladder and there were times when I tried to poke her so she would stop, and did that work? nope..so next thing you know, pause button was hit, and off to my new bedroom!

What's great about pregnancy:

1. Your hubby kicks it up a notch and soon you'll find the dishes being done, the counters being cleaned, dinner even being made. WOW! can it be like this all the time?

2. The joys of feeling your baby move. When I finally get the chance to sit or lay down during the day, I just love to put my hand on my stomach and feel her move all around. The weirdest part is feeling her spin inside you and then also feeling her spin with your hand on top of your belly. It's just so cool!!

3. Knowing that you have a wonderful daughter on the way, and you just can't wait to be best friends with her.

4. Enjoying all the gifts and new things for your baby. It's like Christmas, but for an on-going 9 months! It's awesome!

5. The best for last. Every 3-4 weeks for the past 2 months so far..Ben has given me a full body massage. Ahhh...Why does he do it even though he hates giving massages? I have no idea. I guess he must really love me that much. I can't thank him enough. I seriously feel so refreshed afterwards and I feel good once again. I've already made another appointment with him tonight. Can't wait!!!
Being pregnant is definitely hard on a woman's body, but I would change nothing of it for the blessing it brings. =)

First Baby Shower

2010-03-12T16:14:00.010-07:00

My aunt was so sweet and had a surprise baby shower for the baby and I, and Ben, while my family was in town this past week. So it was a lot of fun just together with the fam.

My grandma, Aunt Sherie, and Aunt Janet all pitched in to get our baby girl a few necessities.

My Aunt Sherie saw these outfits at the store and because she's pregnant with a boy and I'm pregnant with a girl she just had to get the two sleepers for both our babies. I thought they were so cute!

Ok, so......We haven't officially decided for sure, for sure, quite yet on her name. BUT......We both are pretty much set on Brynnlee Marie. So there ya'll have it. =) The more and more we keep calling her that the more and more it sounds right. So it's still not official, but as of right now our new addition will most likely be named Brynnlee. =) And I have to give thanks to my Uncle who did a fabulous job on her cake.

Nursery in Progress

2010-02-22T12:37:00.008-07:00

We finally came up with colors for the nursery. We wanted to not have to paint it again when and if we ever a boy in the future. So we picked a sagey-green for the bottom and then a crispy wheat color for the top. We are going to put a "chair-rail"-a piece of wood frame-right where the 2 colors meet. Who knows when we will be able to get that done.
You can see in this picture that the top color looks like a light tan with the natural light..

But with the flash on and the house lighting, it looks more yellowish..which is kinda what we were going for. So we really like it.

And...this past saturday Ben gave in and let me get my "favoritist travel system ever". I have been REALLY liking the plaid lately and when I saw this stroller at Target about 2 months ago, I wanted it so bad. I of course searched around EVERYWHERE and looked to see if there were any others I liked and if they were plaid, were they cheaper? Well, this one at Target was the cheapest plaid one we found and WE LOVE IT!

And here is the bedding for the crib which Ben found. He sent it to me over instant messaging on gmail so I could look at it, and come to find out, he was so happy because I really liked it! So it makes me feel good that he likes it too. I think the main reason he liked it was because it's a 13 piece set for only $99. Everything you see in the picture, pretty much comes with. So he also gave in and let me order it just yesterday. So i'm hoping it will get here soon!

Getting all this "shopping" done makes me feel like I'm accomplishing something! Yet we don't have any money to spend on it, so that's why i'll be waiting for the baby shower gifts from now on. lol I think I'll be satisfied enough for a little while..However, this whole waiting game is definitely NOT helping with me trying to learn patience. I have anxiety so bad right now and I just want this baby to come now!! But I know it will all be worth it in the end. And sleep is definitely a priority these last 129 days I have left. =)

Due Date Correction

2010-02-10T21:17:00.003-07:00

I forgot to mention my due date being changed.. I am 19 weeks and 5 days today..which means my due date is now July 2nd. The doc isn't 'officially' changing it yet because it's only a 2 day difference. But we are excited! The sooner she comes, the more happy we will be!!!

It's officially A GIRL!!!

2010-02-10T19:56:00.013-07:00

I had my 20 week ultrasound today. The result was that it's for sure a girl!!! We are so excited! And I have quite a few pictures to put up plus a video or 2..

Here is our BABY GIRL..

Her profile with a cute little button nose...And it looks like she is sucking her thumb because her hand is right by her mouth but she's not, it was off to the side. But it was a cute shot for sure!

Little legs... and you can even see the bones through her skin!! She's going to be a soccer chick when she gets older! I just know it!

Oh how the baby's feet are always so precious..They're just so tiny!!

Ok, so this is for Grandpa..my dad always use to make us flex and when we did he would push down on our muscles to see how really strong we were. Well Gramps, your granddaughter is already gettin' ready. =)

And here is a video of her to where you can pretty much see that nothing's there for her to be a boy.

And another video where you can see the umbilical cord attached to her stomach, then you can hear the heart beat for a few seconds and see her spine and back.

The "up-close" shot...

Alright, well that's it for now! i'll maybe put the other videos up later, but for now they are just taking forever!
XOXOX

FINALLY HALF WAY!

2010-02-09T21:27:00.003-07:00

We've got our 20 week ultrasound tomorrow, Wednesday the 10th. We are hoping to find out for sure if it's a girl so we can start decorating! woo hoo! If it's a boy, then we will be just as excited! I will definitely post it on here tomorrow after we find out!

17 weeks!!!

2010-01-16T21:05:00.002-07:00

Today, for our date night, we went to the temple and did Sealings. It was the first time we ever did those besides our own sealing back when we got married! So it was actually really fun! While I was sitting in the sealing room, i felt this really hard kick but it was more like a fist roll punch. Haha It made me chuckle a little bit because that's the hardest "kick, punch" i've ever felt her do yet! I whispered to Ben of what just happened and he looked at my tummy pokin' out and just chuckled with me a little bit. I just can't wait to feel more of her! It's such an awesome feeling!

Cravings: I really haven't had any at all. Like I said before, it's hard for me to cook meat. I'll eat it every once in a while, but I don't really have a desire for it. I somehow am always finding myself eating a bagel with cream cheese if nothing else sounds good. And I definitely have a strong craving for any sweets. =)It's a tradition for Ben and I to go out for ice cream after we go to the temple, and so when we were standing in line, I couldn't decide what to get so I got ice cream AND a smoothie! it was delightful!!

Sleep much?? Not as good as I used too that's for sure. I usually get to bed between 10 and midnight, but lately it's been before then which has been nice, but the past few mornings I've been waking up every morning around 4:30 or so and i'll get this sharp shooting pain in my side, not only that i'll have to pee super bad, AND she's punching or kicking me like it's some kind of boxing ring! lol She won't go back to sleep for at least another half hour or so or i'll just move and because she's still small I can kinda move her around so that she can't kick me. haha But I end up staying awake anyways because I just enjoy every moment I can feel her. =)

It might be a GIRL!!!

2010-01-07T20:29:00.008-07:00

Ok, so here's the story...

We had my 15 week ultrasound today, and I was really hoping that we could find out if it was a boy or a girl. So as the doc was looking around he said if it were to be a boy the "boy part" would be alot more prominent at this stage in your pregnancy based upon what he's seen before at this many weeks. So, assuming he's been an OB for a LONG time, I'm pretty sure he knows what he's talking about.

So my point being is that he thinks it's a girl! So, we will find out for sure at my 20 week appointment on February 10th. But as it goes for now it's supposedly a girl! =) Which we are very excited for! Ben of course would LOVE a boy and then once he gets his boy he doesn't mind what gender our kids will be after that. haha But a girl is what I have been feeling like it's been this whole time. So I was actually happy to tell Ben that there is a motherly instinct that is mostly right.

I will tell you one thing about this pregnancy is that I have not craved ANY meat. Which I thought was weird and even trying to cook ground beef just made me cringe. Not that it means anything, but if I were to be having a boy and he doesn't like meat?? I will go crazy!!! So in the end if it does turn out to be a boy (which you still never know it very well could be) the first thing daddy will feed him, will be meat! lol

Overall, if the Doc is saying that there isn't enough there for it to even be a boy, Ben still thinks that "something" out of no where will pop up with in the next 4 weeks at my next appointment and show us that our baby's a boy even though the genitals are pretty much determined by now. haha So I'm excited to know for sure when that day is here. And don't get me wrong, Ben is VERY EXCITED for his baby girl. She's definitely gonna be a "Daddy's Girl".

Anyways, enough of me blabbering on...Here are the sonograms of our supposedly SOON-2-BE BABY GIRL!!!

In this picture he said that she's just over 10cm so we're right on schedule and also that everything is looking good and heart beat was right on at 156. Which is definitely satisfying to hear...

Here you can see her cute little hands and arms. Cute little fingers too!!

Here are her legs which kinda look like they're bow and arrow legs right now and let me explain that white thing in the middle. So when i saw this on the ultrasound screen, i asked what it was and he said it's just part of her leg and if you look really closely you can see the dark shadow across her lower quads which is the umbilical cord wrapped around her legs. So it's supposedly just an odd lighting when this pic was taken and you can see it closer if you click on it for those of you who didn't know. lol but who knows, Doc could've been wrong. But I'm just trusting what he says!

And in this last one I thought it was so cool because she's facing toward us. So you can see both her eyes and the structure of her face(not very well in this pic but on the screen it was way cooler) and Ben said, "Wow! I can even see her skull!" lol I love him. haha So anyways, I just thought it was cool because she was looking out towards my tummy. At this time of their growth it does say that babies can sense light now. So maybe that's what she was doing. =)

I also have been feeling her kick me or poke me or whatever she's doing inside there. Sometimes if she's down low on one of my sides by my hip bone I get a sharp shooting pain there so I have to lay on the opposite side and push her down to the other side so I can actually breath. Haha. And I know all you guys out there who have had babies are saying, "Oh just wait honey!" Labor is worse than that! lol But it's all good. I'm nervous of course, but I'm ready. =) No turning back now!!!

2010-01-05T20:48:00.005-07:00

Ok, so here are some pictures that i've been taking as the weeks go on. You really don't realize how big you get until you look back at the pictures because every day you wake up and you look at your belly and just think is the baby even growing at all? But, it sure is...=)

This first one is me at 7 weeks pregnant....

This was at 10 weeks pregnant...

And this is at 15 weeks pregnant which is how far along I am now. And my next ultrasound is this Thursday. =) We will see if they can tell what it is yet. But i doubt it.=( So cross your fingers!!!

Update

2009-12-21T19:08:00.003-07:00

So I am now just barely 13 weeks and it feels like I've put on a FAT belly! It's at that awkward stage where people kinda stare at you and think "is she pregnant or just fat?". So it definitely isn't the best stage to be at. I was told by the doctor to get off my progesterone supplements and I was so scared because that's a really important part of the growing baby. It preserves and maintains the uterus in order for the baby to survive. So when they said it was ok to get off, you've just gotta trust them. But they said the placenta has taken over now so it will all be ok. YES! onto the 2ND trimester!!! So it has been about a week now and i seem to be doing fine. I don't have many cravings at all really. The one thing that I do eat ALOT of though are clementines. (there the little Cuties you get at the grocery store) I hate orange juice, and oranges are o.k. i guess, but clementines, man! I can eat those for every meal it seems like! So other than that 'small' craving, there really isn't anything else that I prefer. So I know it's still early, but I was laying in bed the other night and I had to sneeze so bad. So when I did, it was like 4 times in a row and I have to hold my stomach because it feels like I push EVERYTHING out each time I sneeze. So I was laying on my side when I sneezed, and all the sudden I felt like something was kicking me. It was the weirdest, yet coolest feeling ever! But I'm still not sure if it was the baby or not, cuz I've never really felt a baby kick inside me before! But if it was, it was an awesome feeling. When I told Ben about it, he cuddled up next to me and put his arm around me and his hand on my belly just waiting to see if he/she would do it again, but they didn't. So we will see in a couple weeks if I do start feeling some movement. That is the one thing I can't wait for. So that's all for this week! (and yes tina and amanda, I'll put up some "side profile" pics soon. I promise!!) =D

Christmas Time

2009-12-16T09:39:00.006-07:00

Oh how I LOVE christmas! It's my most favorite time of the year!
Except this is our puny little tree that we had in our apartment so in our new house it looks so tiny!!!

This is Ben trying to be all cute....haha I say he pulls it off pretty well.

And here is our Christmas Card Photo for this year.

Our Baby!!!

2009-12-01T18:57:00.006-07:00

So I went to the doctor today and had an ultrasound. We got to hear the heartbeat and see the baby squirm all over the place! It was the most amazing thing ever! Here are the sonograms that were taken, and none of them really look like a baby it just looks like a little peanut. =) But it's a cute one! We are so excited!

So there's our Baby Smith!!! I just want it to grow so fast!! I can't wait for him/her to come into our life!!

Thanksgiving

2009-11-30T08:36:00.006-07:00

So for Thanksgiving we went down to St. George to be with my family this year. Some of my cousins and aunts and uncles came and my grandpa and step grandma along with my other grandma. So it was a blast to have everyone there! And here is Ben and I at Walmart wednesday night trying to get the last bit of shopping done for the food with my Mom and brother.

My mom and I

And my brother Derek who's the goofy one. He's 14, what do you expect? =)

Oh, and I forgot to mention that i went with Ben, my brother and sister to Walmart at freakin 4 IN THE MORNING on black friday so that we could get some hard drive that Ben wanted. But it's ok because in the end I got a really nice Kitchenaid out of going with him! woo hoo! It was only $139!! LOVE IT! I made some yummy cookies with it last night and it was like a miracle cuz all I had to do was put ingredients in the bowl and it mixes it for you! Wow, I never thought I would be so excited for a mixer. Since when did I become all grown up? Oh, I guess maybe when I chose to get married. lol =) So if anyone wants yummy homemade cookies, come on over!!!

California

2009-11-16T08:03:00.010-07:00

So back in October, my mom, my little sister, and I went to go visit my grandpa and all of my mom's side of the family. My grandpa has been in the hospital and so we wanted to go see him if anything happens soon. =( So right now he is in a nursing home and they are taking very good care of him trying to get him to walk again and once he can walk he will be able to come home.

And this is my Aunt Jenise who is my mom's sister. We all took some close up pics. It turned out to be even funnier than we thought!

And here are some fun photos we took while we were there visiting...

And this is my crazyy little sis dancing around playing the clarinet.

Here is my mom, my sis, and I on the plane. It was such a fun trip. Too bad the rest of my family members didn't come, cuz it would've been 10 times more fun. We played lots of pinochle and i wish i had the video of my grandma, aunt jenise, my mom and I all laughing sooooo hard cuz it was soooo funny! We could not stop laughing and it went on for a bout 45 mins on just ONE hand! haha You of course have to be there to laugh with us. But we definitely had a good time. =)

Everything is lookin' good!

2009-11-13T13:12:00.002-07:00

So, i went to the doctor back on monday to take some more tests. And my levels were much higher than they expected so we are feelin good. =) I'm not too worried this time around, but believe me we are definitely going to keep praying for a healthy strong baby. I have another doctor's appointment this Monday for my 8 week check up. Sadly I can't get an ultrasound this appointment but my next doctor's visit is for my 10 week check up on December 1st. And they said that they will give me an ultrasound then. Which we are very excited for! We can't wait! And how have I been feeling? Well...I haven't really been sick except only when I wake up in the mornings it takes me a while to actually get ready because of how nauseous I feel. And then once my day's started, i'm fine. So I just hope that it will stay like this the whole time. But, I have been so exhausted. I fall asleep pretty much every time I can get the chance to fall asleep. And i feel so bad too because my hormones are off the chart. I feel like I get mad at Ben for no apparent reason and it's either that or I'm crying because he didn't make me a toasted peanut butter and jelly sandwich too, which is actually very funny in the end because then I think about why I just cried and it just makes us laugh. So that's kind of how I have been feeling lately and I just can't wait until the hormones calm down and the nauseous feelings go away. =)

Wanna hear some good news??

2009-11-02T19:38:00.000-07:00

Well, first off, we had a miscarriage back on August 5th. It was the hardest thing we have ever had to go through. The doctor knew that my levels weren't rising enough to keep the baby alive, but they didn't say anything. So I miscarried at almost 5 weeks naturally. When we found out we were pregnant, we were ecstatic! But when I had miscarried, we were heartbroken. It's a hard time in life, but you know that you can get through it so we just stayed positive and decided to try again the next month. So, come to find out on Tuesday, October 20th, I was pregnant again! I was in California at the time so Ben knew I was going to take a test that week so he told me to tell him if it was positive to say that "The birdie has caught a worm!" haha So when I told him, he couldn't stop smiling and saying how excited he was how he was going to be a dad again. We were both so happy and now we are praying for the best to happen. I am now on to my 7th week of pregnancy this Sunday and we seriously just hope for the best. The doctor says that my levels are much higher than expected when I went in again on Friday, which is definitely a good thing, so let's pray they keep rising. =) I have my 8 week appointment on November 16th and we should be able to hear the baby's heartbeat. CAN'T WAIT!!

Our 1 year anniversary!!!

2009-10-12T11:09:00.001-06:00

It has finally been a whole year that Ben and I have been married. So much has happened!!!! But for our one year, we went to Park City, and stayed in Hotel Park City and had a blast! It was so romantic!! It was a nice getaway too. And now we are on to our next year of marriage hoping for a child soon, and hoping to finish furnishing our house.

And continuing on...

2009-10-12T10:59:00.001-06:00

So once my family left, there was a surprise that came up about a week later. I WAS PREGNANT!! Ben and I were so excited because we were having kind of a hard time to get pregnant. BUT, it happened, and by the time I was almost 6 weeks, August 5th came and I miscarried. =( But that's ok! We just stayed positive, even though it was a really hard thing to overcome, and we decided to try again the next month. So, we are now waiting to hear...I'll let ya know in a week in a half!! =) So other than that, nothing else has really happened with us, except Ben got promoted to be training supervisor for his work, and so we really hope he doesn't get laid off. I doubt he will since he's a hard worker. And now I'm just working in a salon doing hair.. oh!!! i can't forget our other new puppy!!! We named him Browser...

Wow! We need to catch up! Here's a brief recap...

2009-10-12T10:47:00.000-06:00

Well, we got a puppy in March 2009 and we named him Chuck. Then, we didn't know we would be moving so quick and we had to get rid of him because we were moving in with our in-laws for a little bit to save up money for a down payment on a house. So we moved out of our apartment in Pleasant Grove in April, then moved up to Highland to live with Ben's brother, then went house hunting and found our house!!!

So, the weekend of July 4th, we moved in and his family was in town and they helped us move. Then we had a bbq and enjoyed our new house. =) Then, a couple weeks later, my family came up, and we went to Lagoon and the Hogle Zoo and we had a blast!

Christmas & Cali

2009-01-02T12:05:00.000-07:00

Christmas morning in St. George, opening stockings. And there Ben is, yawning as usual. =)