Phone Call

Wow. What a crazy week. So many things I want to talk about and blog about. We're officially in our new house, my in-laws are here and Scott's paperwork for work finally came through -- but those will have to wait for another day. Today, its all about the phone call I got from my doctor.

I had an ultrasound yesterday that revealed our newest little boy. I have known I was pregnant for awhile, but we kept it secret for some time. We wanted to make the big announcement when we found out the sex of the babe. We saw that little baby on the TV monitor and my whole world seemed complete. We walked out of the office elated to be bringing baby boy #3 home soon and thinking of 6 consecutive years of missions to pay for. Wrestling in the home is going to double. I'm sure the level of crazy is going to be insane. And I couldn't be happier about any of it.

Then, last night I got a phone call from my doctor. I missed the call and got a message saying there was something in my ultrasound that we needed to talk about and he would call me back first thing in the morning. So, of course I worried all night. Thinking the worst. We finally got the phone call around noon today. Dr. S stated my ultrasound showed some abnormalities in the baby's intestines, technically known as echnogenic bowel. Its a 'soft marker', meaning a abnormality that may indicate an increase risk for chromosomal abnormalities. Things such as downs syndrome. He wasn't too worried about, but said it was something we needed to discuss.

We were at a Walmart and I immediately started to panic. A million different thoughts ran through my head and I started to feel my world collapse. I couldn't wrap my head around any of the information I had been given and couldn't make any thought in my head clear. I talked to the doctor and opted to get further blood work done at my next appointment on Monday, but all of a sudden that wasn't soon enough. I wanted to go the doctor now to get the blood work done. I wanted to know now what was going on. I wanted to know now if my precious baby was going to be okay. 

However, we were getting ready to head to Red Rock Canyon with Scotts parents and I was forced to sit in the car alone with my thoughts. What a huge blessing that was. It gave me time to think and clear my head. It made me sit back and breath and really assess the situation. It helped me think of the bigger picture and what really mattered. It reminded me of the pure love of the Savior.

Then it hit me like a ton of bricks, so what if my baby has downs? Will I love him less? No. Would I even think about aborting the pregnancy? Not it a million years. This doesn't change one thing about how I feel about this baby. I love him. I love him so much.

We are still going to get the blood work done. If something is wrong I would like the chance to prepare, but the worry is gone. There are many other things this marker can mean such as blood in the amniotic fluid, viral infections or obstructed bowel. And in most cases, it clears up on its own. It is actually very rare that it means something negative at all. 

Either way, I am grateful I was given this opportunity to truly think about the gift of life and how our Savior loves each and everyone of us. I'm grateful to know the love of a mother and how it can overcome any obstacle. I always find it strange how a trial or an unexpected happening happens, it always leaves me feeling empowered. I know because the Lord is on my side I will come out on top. 

 Stay tuned for some more exciting posts about Scotts paperwork, fun visitors and the new house.

Wow, we really are blessed.

Ready or Not...

...here HE comes!

Baby BOY #3 coming October 2012!

We are so excited and so blessed.

More details later!

New House

We scored a great deal on a new rental. Our landlord has been pretty awful and really hard to work with and so we have been anxious to get out of this house. Luckily, our friends have some friends who were looking to rent their home out due to a new job out of town. The timing worked out great for everyone. We are excited because the home is about 600 square feet bigger, the appliances actually work, we get an extra bedroom and we are we will be paying the same for rent. Plus, no more property rental agency. We get to work one on one with the landlords and that in itself is amazing. Some family has been asking for pictures. Here are a few.

The kitchen. This is the first time since Scott and I have been married that our fridge is full size. I can't tell you happy that makes me.

Looking from the kitchen into the living room. 

From the front room looking into the living room/kitchen. 

From the stairs.

The itty bitty backyard. I laughed with Scott that even though our homes keep getting bigger, our yards keep getting smaller. Its usable though and that is all that counts.

One of the bedrooms upstairs. All the rooms have ceiling fans. In Nevada, that is a dream come true.

Upstairs bath.

Master bedroom fan and ledge. I am excited about the ledge.

Upstairs going down. I'm excited to have a split stair case. Its a little less scary with my two crazy boys.

Dining area.

We are ready to move and even more ready to get unpacked.

This is huge blessing that has been given to us and we are so grateful for it.

16 going on 26

Day 4 of 30: List 10 things you would tell your 16 year old self, if you could.

1. EAT! Not only eat, but eat and enjoy it while you can.

2. He really isn't worth it. Really, truly...not worth it. There is someone 1000 times better in store.

3. Pay more attention when Mom teaches you to sew. Believe it or not, you grow up to love it.

4. Be grateful for your job. You learn more from it then you know.

5. Work harder in Spanish class.

6. Learn to drive Dad's stick shift. Well enough to drive in traffic.

7. Relax. Have fun. Cause a little mischief. Not everything ends up in going to jail.

8. Do not take sleep for granted. You've got it easy.

9. It's okay to make a mistake or two. Great lessons come from screwing up. 

10. Keep it up. You really are a good kid and doing a good job. I'm proud of you.

Date Night!

Some friends and us have a great babysitting rotation. This means we get to go out once a month while one other couple watches everyone elses kids. Last month was our turn to watch the kiddies, so I was really looking forward to going out with the hubs this month. But, wouldn't you know it. My darn boys got sick. Not like deadly sick, but enough of a runny nose and cough I didn't want to chance it with everyone else. So, no hot date for us. Instead, we had an awesome family date night. We already had tickets to the LV 51's baseball game and since kids get in free, we decided to let them tag along. 

We grabbed some grub at Panda Express. 

 Beckett 'mimicking' my face. 

 Tayden and his trusty sidekick, batman.

We got to the game a little earlier than we probably should have. The boys started to get a little bored and restless before it even started. But man, what says summer more than the baseball diamond. I LOVE it. 

We got free 51 jerseys. So of course, we had to sport them...for a whole 3 minutes.

Anyone know why the team is called the LV 51's? I honestly had zero idea until Scott told me it was because of Area 51. I laughed at him, but then soon noticed their mascot is an alien named Cosmo. Guess its legit. Weird.

Oh funny Beckett, always doing his own thing.

Tayden was so excited that we got 'hot popcorn'. He insisted it be in the picture.

We made it through a whole four innings before we left. We knew if they came we'd have to miss half the game, so we were prepared to leave early. And quite honestly, even though we took the kids and missed half the game...it was one of the best date nights I've had.

Now, here's to hoping for a healthier next month!

Tid of Tayden and a Bit of Beckett

Nothing major to report today, just a few funny tidbits. 

First on the agenda. This morning Tayden came into my room and started sniffing. Then he ran to get some tissue and I heard him start to panic. I went in to see what was going on and he looked at me and said with a huge snot avalanche, "My nose threw up! I probably ate too many fruit snacks." Love starting the morning with a laugh.

Don't these two cute boys remind you of the old man off of UP? 

The other day Scott took the boys to Home Depot so I could have a few minutes to myself. He sent me this picture:

Tayden was showing off his new shades and Beckett was taking a little nap. Scott said he was sound asleep during this picture. Cracks me up.

And last bit for the day. We took advantage of the beautiful weather and went to the park and to feed the ducks. As we were getting ready to leave the ducks an older lady jumped out of her car. I saw her put something on the ground. Long story short, she had a baby duck. It had followed her and her dog home and she was trying to get rid of it, but every time she put it down it ran after her. Tayden wanted to hold it so she let him. And then as soon as his little heart was attached to the duckling, she ran to her car and said, "Its all yours. Good luck!" Every time we put the darn duck down, it chased after us. Finally, Scott made a little wall by the pond so it couldn't get out to chase us. Hopefully it found its mama duck.

Again, with the sunglasses.

Hope everyone has a great week!

Meet The Parents

Day 3 of 30: Describe your relationship with your parents.

My mom and dad are awesome. They are my biggest supporters and the best examples I could ask for. They raised me to be a strong, smart and independent person. They taught me right from wrong. From them, I gained my testimony. They showed me the power of unconditional love and taught me the greatest eternal lessons.

So, where does that leave our relationship today. Lets break it down.

My Dad. I look up to my dad more than words can say. I go to him for advice on most major decisions. When I don’t go to him, it’s because I’ve asked myself what he would do – then 9/10 times I do it. My dad and I have always been able to talk on a deeper level and carry on an actual conversation. Some of my favorite memories with my dad are after church sitting at the kitchen table. Talking about life, doctrine, inventions…anything really. I’m lucky I still have that relationship and trust with my dad. You never know how much a person has impacted your life until you don’t see them daily. I’m so much like him. I see the good qualities from him in me. I appreciate that more than I think I will ever truly be able to tell him.

My Mom. My mom is my best friend, aside from my husband. I talk to her on a (mostly) daily basis. I call her for everything. Seriously everything. How hot to turn the oven on. Situations with my children. Crying over the hardships of life. Just to chat. Sometimes, just to hear her voice because I miss her. We have always been good friends. We used to go run errands together after school. I would tell her everything about my day and my life. She knew exactly what was happening and was always interested and took the time to listen. That has carried on today. Even with me living 9 hours away, she knows almost every aspect of my life. She has never stopped listening to me and knows me better than anyone else. I would be lost without my mom.

I am so grateful to have the relationship with my parents that I do. They are the coolest people I know and I thank Heavenly Father everyday for sending me to their family. They are incredible parents and I hope I can be the person they taught me to be.

Love You Mom and Dad.

Swimming in Utah

I got a lovely little email from my husband today. It was full of pictures from our swimming adventure in Utah with the Packard family. I'm not sure why they are a little fuzzy, but enjoy them just the same!

I love this sequence of pictures. It went like this:

 Mom and Grandma "One more picture Tayden and we'll go swimming!"

Tayden "Okay, anything to go swimming!"

Tayden "That was one picture. Get me in the pool!"

See the little girl in the background. It reminds me of a story:

We were all swimming minding my own business. I saw Dave, my father in law, rushing to the pool and pointing to the water. I looked over and saw a little girl under the water, struggling to get the surface. I got to her, pulled her out and took her to sit down on the steps in the pool. I talked to her for a minute and asked if she was okay. She was, but wanted her dad. We located him. I picked her up, stepped out of the pool and....slipped. Flat on my bum. In front of everyone. It was awesome. When we got to the dad, she burst in tears. I told him I probably hurt her more when I fell than anything. Haha. At least everyone was okay...even my ego.

Another awesome sequence of my dunking power. And for the record, I schooled Scott in basketball. I don't think he ever really believed me when I told him I can play. Well, except for last Christmas when I was 9 months pregs with Beckett. Beat him in mean game of Lightning.

(If any of the Mennear family has those pictures, could I get them?)

Fun trip. Fun trip, indeed!

Crisscross Applesauce

Beckett enjoyed a little alone time while brother took an unusually long nap today. When I came down stairs little man was sitting with his legs crossed. It was the first time I have seen him sit that. So cute. 

He is just getting too big!

Too fast!

Fears

Day 2 of my 30 day challenge. Or, as my friend said, "30 Before 30". Haha.

Today is all about Fears. 3 Legitimate fears and how they came to be.

1.-Masks: The first thing that popped in my head was my ridiculous fear of masks. I used to have a major major fear of people in masks, but I have whittled it down to manageable. There is something about a mask and not being able to see the people behind it-freaks me out. I'm not sure where the fear came from, but it has always been a fear in the back of my head. The Halloween I was pregnant with Tayden, Scott took me to a Scare House in Idaho Falls. I literally cried out of fear before I even went in. I was terrified. I thought in that moment if I was supposed to bring a child into this world, protect him and be the brave mom to look up too--than I had better take control. And now--the fear is manageable. 

2.-Falling: Not me falling. My children falling. Not down the stairs. Falling off something high. Really high. Like the Hover Dam or a few flights of stairs. Again, not sure where this fear came from, but sometimes I picture one of my sons falling and my hand is an inch behind them. Not being about to catch them soon enough. Ah, it just makes my stomach churn. Enough that I have to quit blogging about it or I think about it all night. Maybe its not just falling, but being a step behind my kids when they really need me. Yeah, I think that's it. Regardless of the situation, I can't imagine anything worse. Not being there when your child seriously needs you. Ah! Ok, seriously have got to be done writing about it.

3.-Sickness: Again, with my children. I can't imagine one of my children getting sick. Not a cold sick, but deathly cancer sick. I have many friends and family members who have lost loved ones to horrible cancer. Its an awful thing to watch and I don't think the situation would ever be easy. But I can't imagine it being harder then when it happens to a young child that doesn't understand what is happening. I know where this fear stems from. In grade school, one of my friends little brother died of cancer. I watched the parents suffer and I will never forget her moms crying. It was the worst heartache I had ever seen up to that point in my life. That has always stayed with me.

And there you have it. 3 of my fears.

Up next: My relationship with the parentals.