I changed my font at Lily Puff

Sunday, October 30, 2011

A month later...

I can't believe my little Chaser Mac is a MONTH old already! Where on earth has the time gone? We have had lots of help for the past month. The Sunday after Chase was born, my Grandpa arrived here in Arizona to help us out. It turned out to be a good thing he was here because we ended up in the ER with Chase for his jaundice. We spent two days back at the hospital while Grandpa hung out here with Will. After my Grandpa left, my Mom arrived. It was fun to have her here and for all her help. We went to the park and bought Will a tricycle! Andy had his white coat ceremony at school on October 21st. Andy's parents came down to be here for that, as well as to help out and visit Will and Chase. Everyone just left on Wednesday, and I have been adjusting to taking care of the little ones on my own. It involves a lot of tv (luckily, we have a patio. So, I can send Will "outside" without having to actually go out there myself. Even though I LOVE being outside. It's hard when one is nursing.) and Will had to learn to wipe his own bum (finally!). The dishes also don't always get done and we had grilled cheese for dinner last night and tonight...Will just ate about a kajillion crackers.

The adjustment has been going well. Chase and I had some MAJOR nursing issues in the beginning. It involved a lot of crying, mostly on my part, a phone call to the Breastfeeding hotline at 9pm and another phone call to my sister in law Becky, where I had a complete melt down and everything just started working again. Will is loving being a big "brudder". He's really just too darn sweet! He plays this little piggy with Chaser's toes while I nurse. He is always trying to get Chase to laugh. It's really the most amazing thing to see my boys. Seeing Will be so loving and concerned with Chase just melts my heart. Chase started out sleeping pretty amazingly...but the past few nights, he's been waking up about every 2-3 hours. It's taking it's toll on the old Moms over here. We'll work it out though. He's got a little while longer still to be in our room, then it's off to share a room with Will. Oh goodness, am I nervous about it! We'll cross that bridge when we get there.

In the next few weeks, we'll be missing Andy, as he has finals. That means he is going to have to STUDY! STUDY! STUDY! But, once finals are over, we get to have TWO uninterrupted weeks with him for fall break! We'll spend the first week here in Arizona, but then we'll drive up to Utah to spend Thanksgiving with family! We're excited for the next few weeks to go by so we can spend some time together!

Welp, that's our update. I'll post some pictures later...probably. hahaha

Friday, October 7, 2011

Andrew Chase Fraser has arrived!


"Look! Baby Chase! Sleepin! So cute!"

Mommy and Chase!


My three boys, watching Star Wars!

Hey y'all! I thought since Chase is now a week old, I should probably post his birth story! Things have been pretty crazy, and I have been tired, so that's my excuse!

I guess you could say it all started on Wednesday. I had my weekly appointment with Dr. Clinch. When he checked me for any dilation, he says "Wow. You're a good 4 centimeters! I will be shocked if you make it to your appointment next week!" Whoa! What?! So, I picked up Will from my friends and we went to the store to get some meat I needed to make some crock pot meals to freeze. We went to the store and came home to cook dinner...when I decided I was too tired to make what I had planned and we had frozen fish instead. That night I was having some pretty intense contractions, but nothing consistent enough to head to the hospital. Thursday I took it easy, with even more contractions. I was starting to cut some chicken up when Andy came home. I looked at him and said "I think this baby is going to come, but maybe we should go get some spicy Indian food to ensure he comes sooner rather then later..." Of course, at the mention of Indian food, Andy was all over it! We went to a place near our house and I got some spicy tandoori chicken wings. They were SPICY! When we got home, we put Will to bed and Andy decided to go to bed and get some shut eye. Just in case. I stayed up watching some Law & Order and timing some contractions. They were pretty random like they had been the few days before hand, so I headed to bed. I wasn't sleeping well at all. Andy woke up and we were just hanging out while the contractions were going on. Suddenly, I had some pretty intense ones and they started getting closer together. We got our bags packed, called our friend who were going to keep Will for us and headed to the hospital! When we got there, Andy dropped me off and went to park while I checked in. I walked into admitting and they said "How can we help you?" And I said, as calm as can be, "Well, I am pretty sure I am in labor." I could see it written on their faces "Psh, yeah right chick. We'll be sending you home for sure!" They sent me to triage and the nurse came in to check on me. When she checked me, she says "Ohhh! Wow, you're dilated to a good 6...I'll call Dr. Clinch and let him know you're here!"

They took us back to labor and delivery. At this point, I had been pretty open to whatever came my way. I was still feeling pretty awesome, so I denied any pain meds for the time being. We decided to watch some free movies they had on the tv. My contractions were getting more and more intense. I just remember while they were going on I would think "UGH! This is SO painful, WHY am I doing this?" Then the contraction would end and the endorphins would kick in and I would think "Ah, that wasn't so bad. I can do this."

Around 6:30 am, Dr Clinch showed up to break my water. I was also dilated to about a 7. He looked at me and said "Ok, girl, are we doing this natural or what?" I said "...well, yeah. I can do this!" So, that was that. It was too late from then on out! My contractions got more and more intense. I was having to focus more and more on breathing. This lasted for a few hours. I was getting more and more uncomfortable. Around 10 am I started to get the urge to push. My nurse call my Doctor. He had gone to the office to see some other patients. I was able to wait for him to come, and when he came in, he was all business. I have never seen someone work so fast. "Ok! It's time. Wait for the contraction, PUSH!" I did three sets of three pushes and BAM! Chase was in the world! I kept saying "I can't do this! I can't do it!" My doctor finally said "Stop saying that. You're doing it right now!" Oh...uh, right. I ended up with a pretty bad tear because he came so quickly and he had a 14 cm head.

It was not fun at first, but here we are, one week later and I feel great! Besides the discomfort that comes from nursing (which has been a whole different battle on it's own) I have been taking some walks and trying not to sit in the same spot on the sofa all day long. But, that's hard when you're always nursing :P We've been trying to get some sleep and make sure Will doesn't feel left out of things. He loves to see "Baby Chase" sleeping and to help me change his diaper. He's been a great big brother and we're so blessed to have such wonderful boys to come to our family! We love them so much and couldn't be happier...(except if we could get a little extra shut eye!)

Thursday, September 15, 2011

"Go into labor anytime now, and we don't care!"

That's what my doctor said to me at my appointment yesterday! You've made it this far, any time after this is just icing on the cake. If this was my pregnancy with Will, I would have had a baby this past weekend! Thankfully, I did not! I am dilated two centimeters and about 60 % effaced. Who knows what that means right now, anyways, right? I could be dilated two centimeters for the next 3 weeks! Things have been going really great! My Grandma spent the week here with us last week. I just love having her here! She is amazing and I couldn't have asked for a better Grandma. We spent time visiting and going to the Zoo. She also took me shopping to get a few post-baby outfits that don't look like "fat clothes". We also got some things for Andy, Chase and Will. Now that she is gone, I am trying to get everything ready for Chase to be here! I am nearly finished washing baby clothes, baby blankets, baby sheets, Will things and anything else I see that might need washing! We're really excited for Chase to be here! I still can't believe we're going to be a family of FOUR! It has not fully hit me...at all. We moved Will's car seat over and are going to get the infant seat out soon. I picked up a friend and her son (who is best buds with Will. They ask to play together...everyday!) from the car shop. We had both of their car seats in the back. Every time I looked back there, I had a glimpse of what my life is to become. I am aware of how incredibly hard it is going to be to have two kids...but I don't think I am understanding it. I just hope that I can get Will to the potty and not interrupt Chase nursing at the same time! I hope I can get dinner on the table most nights and help my husband with the things he can't do because he's busy learning all he can at school. I see lots of positives from this blessing we're about to receive, but I have a secret wish...that I'll be busy enough and moving enough to loose all this baby weight...fast! But, shhhh, don't tell anyone I said that!

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

34 weeks? Or wait...35 weeks?

I had another doctor appointment today! I am 34 1/2 weeks, but I am measuring about a week ahead. Baby has dropped, so I can now breath. Thank goodness! So far, everything is still looking great! I see my doctor again in two weeks, then after that it's once a week until baby gets here! How crazy is that?! We are getting excited to meet Chase! Will carries around his stuffed animals calling them "baby". I think he'll be a great big brother! It will take some getting used to, for all of us, but I think we can handle it!

Will uses the potty like a pro now! It's so awesome! We've been going to the pool to keep cool and playing with friends a lot lately! I hope to be able to keep up play dates once Chase gets here, so Will doesn't feel like his whole entire world has just been flipped...cause that's exactly what's happening!

We're into week three of med school. Andy is so amazing! He leaves early every morning, any time between 630 and 730, depending on the day. He doesn't usually get home until between 7-9 every night. He works so hard! He's a studying machine! He's still getting A's on his tests, which makes all the time away from him worth it! Being a single Mom is hard, but I know Andy is working his butt off so we can one day have a good life and he can help others! He's going to make a great doctor! We found out our rotation site is Tucson. We're not too thrilled about that. It means we would have to move to Tucson during his 3rd and 4th years. Hopefully he can switch with someone who has a rotation site here in the "valley" (it's a HUGE valley...we still haven't figured out WHY they actually call it a valley...) It would be nice not to have to move again in two years...then again two years after that to do a residency! We are so proud of Andy and enjoy every minute we do get to spend with him!

That's a current update to all you "readers" out there. I don't even know how many people read this thing, but I don't care. I like to go back and read things that happened a year and two years ago!

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

32 weeks + Frist week of Med School

I am officially 32 weeks now! It's hard to believe that Chase could be here next month! I had a doctors appointment today and everything is looking good. Chase has moved down some more, but I am not dilating and everything else is in tip top shape! My grandma is coming to visit the week of Labor Day and I am so excited! I love it when she comes to see us! In the mean time-I am trying to take it easy, when I feel too tired, I rest. This is about the time I went into labor with Will and I don't want to push myself to see how far I can make it.

Andy had his first week of medical school last week. Things went really well. I think we are setting up a routine. It's a little lonely not having him around as much, but we try to keep busy with play dates and potty training (I'll get to that.) He studies pretty much every minute he isn't in class. He got an A on his first test this past Monday. I am happy to know that all that studying is paying off! It's a lot of stress on him, and he's handling it so well! He's such a great husband and Dad!

We've started potty training Will. He's into his second week, and I would say he's pretty much potty literate! He tells me when he needs to go and he goes. He loves wearing "big boy underwear" and getting a treat after he goes in the potty! I am happy I am not buying diapers for him anymore! Although, I think he would rather walk around completely naked most days. Who can blame him, it is still 107 outside these days! We look forward to cooler weather and meeting brother Chase!

Thursday, August 4, 2011

30 weeks + a little piece of my mind

Yesterday was a busy day! This is Andy's last week before school "starts". Really, they should just say it starts the week before it actually does. The first year students have orientations everyday, all day Tuesday-Friday. So, it's been my first week in about two months that it's just me and Will. I didn't realize he had orientations all week, when he woke up early yesterday morning and got ready to head out. I was pretty stressed out when I realized I had laundry, dirty dishes, a doctors' appointment, grocery shopping and a significant others' orientation at Andy's school...and I was going to be doing all these things by my large self! I was definitely spoiled having Andy here these last couple months. Since my stress wouldn't let me sleep, I decided to go ahead and get up, even though Will was still zonked out. I showered and got ready for the day, as well as got a couple loads of laundry started, and was working on my menu/grocery list when my little ball of sunshine woke up with a smile on his face because Mommny was right outside his door! We have Netflix now and Will had discovered "The Backyardigans". He loves the show! I put that on for him and got him some breakfast, finished my menu and list.

Then, it was time to get Will dressed and head to the doctors office. My office has a huge fish tank that Will just loved looking at. There is one fish in the tank that has a bumpy face and Will asked "Owie?" It was pretty darn cute. I was so impressed at how well Will behaved and listened at the office and during my appointment with my doctor. He was a little freaked out when I sat on the table and he was on the floor. My doctor had me scoot over and put him beside me while he checked everything. Will was fascinated with hearing the heart beat! My doctor says I am measuring right on track. Baby is head down still, so that is great news! The best news is that I only have FOUR more shots to go! He says I can be done with my shots at 35 weeks! I am so excited! My poor bum is pitiful looking and the shots hurt like a mother!

After going to the doctors' office, I had to go to the grocery store. I shop at two different stores, and I like to go as early in the day as possible. Otherwise, it's too hot and things start to go bad. It was already about 1045, so I decided to just go. Will was being great! We went to our first store and he was doing a great job. He doesn't usually like to sit in the cart, and he was being a great listener and helping me put groceries in the cart. We then went to our second store. I was nervous about this one because he usually acts up more in this store. He was great though! He sat in the cart most of the time and when he wasn't, he was standing right along side me. I hate check-out lines because they put all the candy right in a little kids face. I picked a line and Will brought me a bag of candy, which I told him he could not have, I would give him a treat at home. He yelled at me, and I bent down and was telling him we don't yell at Mommy or in the store. I happened to glace at the cashier, who gave us this annoyed look and then said to the current guest she was checking out "Oh, the melodious sound of children!" Very sarcastically. I could not believe this lady had just said that, to another guest! I was so upset, I got my cart and moved to the next open line. I have read a lot about this whole "kid-free" movement, where people who don't have kids are basically annoyed with people who do have children. It upsets me that because some people do not care how their children act in public, these people want all kids to not be allowed places. These include restaurants, stores and people are even trying to get kid-free flights. (Sorry, but I paid the same amount of money that you did for this flight. In fact, I paid more because I had to buy my TWO year old a seat!) These are people who are either empty-nesters or don't have children of their own. I can totally respect the annoyances of children (Obviously, I HAVE ONE!). I don't like it when parents just let their kids run wild. But, I am trying to teach my child how to behave and use his manners. He's a KID, he's going to act out sometimes. And I am NOT going to take my child to the parking lot and beat his bum. I was so upset when I got home, I got Will some lunch ready and wrote a letter to my local store about my disappointment. Andy walked in the door about that time, and I started telling him what happened. I burst into tears! Will had done SO well the entire day of errands! I had done so well during all the errands. I did not appreciate being treated like one of those parents who doesn't care! I did not appreciate having a cashier speak to ANOTHER guest about me. If you have a problem with the way a child is acting, SPEAK TO THEIR PARENT. And I really did not appreciate the way my child was spoken about by perfect strangers. I hope my letter does some good. It at least made me feel better in the end. Even though I totally broke down when Andy came home. I didn't realize how hurtful it really was to be treated that way.

Anyways, that's my rant and rave...sorry it's so long! If you have made it this far, you should probably earn a prize! So, here's a hug to you from me! Thanks for listening!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Wow!

Wow! I can't believe it's been nearly a month since I last updated all of you! This past month in Arizona has been great! We have really been enjoying spending time together! We have a wonderful ward and absolutely love it! It's been quite warm, but we spend just about every afternoon at the pool, so it's not so bad. Our home gets super hot when I start cooking dinner...I am pretty sure any calories I consume during dinner are just replacement for the ones I burned cooking said dinner. I found a new doctor, who I LOVE! He's amazing! We celebrated the Forth of July in Sierra Vista, visiting my Aunt and Uncle. They were close to where all the wild fires were happening here in AZ, so we didn't get to see fireworks. It's ok though. We spent a lot of time getting to know their family and eating homemade ice cream! We also went to "The Town Too Tough To Die: Tombstone, AZ" We got to see the gunfight at the O.K Corral and eat at Big Nose Kate's. It's a great little town and it's fun to learn about all our favorite cowboys!

Other things that blow my mind...I just entered the THIRD trimester of this pregnancy. It's been a good one so far. Aside from the sore tush I have on a constant basis from my progesterone shots, things have been great. I definitely am smaller this time around then I was last time. I have felt a few pretty big braxton hicks contractions, but I am sure to take it fairly easy. Next week I get to take the wonderful glucose test and get my rogam shot. Joyous! We are excited for this little guy to come into our family! Will is going to be such a great big brother. He always points to my belly and says "baby?!" These next 12 weeks are going to just fly by, I am sure. I am going to get curtains made for the boys' room in the next month. I think I am going to go for a woodland creatures theme. I saw a cute spread at Babies R Us that I am pretty sure I could replicate. My grandma will be here when I am about 4 weeks away from my due date and help me clean and make meals for after the baby comes. Then, my mom will be here and then Andy's mom will come. I don't know what I will do when all our help goes back home!

Here are some pictures from our trip to Tombstone, enjoy!

Will, riding a 'horsie!"

There is my favorite cowboy in the West, Doc Holliday!


Andy, with the Earps!

Me, with Doc Holliday.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Welcome to Sunny Arizona...seriously, it's sunny here!

We finally have internet, so I feel now is a good time to post about our move to Glendale! The last week before our move was an absolutely crazy time, and I am SO glad that part of our move is over! We moved on June 9th, so on June 8th, my wonderful sisters and friend Malina, came to help us clean the apartment! We got something that would have taken me all day, finished in just a few short hours. Plus, we got to spend time together. There were some teary goodbyes to my sister, Becky. It was the last time we were able to see her before the move. I also had my last appointment with Dr. Lamb. I then had to go back to the dermatologist to have stitches removed from a mole I had taken off. After we finished cleaning, we just hung out in our old place for a few hours, mostly packing the last few valuables in the car. After wards, Andy went to have dinner with an old mission companion and Will and I had dinner with one of my best friends and favorite volunteers, Lisa. (Hawaiian BBQ, yum!) When Andy got home, we shut off the lights and headed to his parents house, where we were staying the night. They were going to make the drive with us, so it only made sense to stay there...seeing as there was a bed at their house and not one at ours. When we finally got there (around 10pm) Our sister, Cassie, was there with her little girl, Kenadie. We had fun hanging out with them, even though Andy, his Dad and brother, Jake, spent most of the time reorganizing the car. After Cassie left, we all got ready for bed and tried to sleep. I think we were all so exhausted, we conked right out! We decided to take a late start in the morning, since we were up so late the night before. It was quite an exciting night! I decided I wanted to shower before going to bed. I had just cleaned a yucky house most of the day. While in the shower, the band-aid I was wearing from the dermatologists came off. So, I just left it off. I thought everything would be fine with it. After showering and having my shot, I went to give hugs to everyone. I had my hair wrapped in a towel, and the towel had my ear in it, just a little. When I went to give hugs, it must have been wrapped just enough to get tugged on because my incision popped right open! So much for the stitches! I had to butterfly bandage it up and sleep on the opposite ear!

Ok...so, to the actual move. We left around 830 on Thursday morning. We stopped at Subway for breakfast and hit the road. We were making pretty great time! It helps when you don't have any little people who need to go potty (which we're working on...that's for another time though) We stopped a couple times for gas and to just stretch out our legs (mostly mine, which kept swelling up from sitting so much) We had lunch in Hatch at the Adobe Deli. Yummy! We almost didn't go there though. Andy and his Dad were chatting so much, the completely missed the exit and didn't realize it for quite a while. Luckily, we HAD to go through Hatch to take the route we wanted, so we back tracked. I tend to get car sick on long rides. I usually fall asleep on trips so I don't end up sick. I slept most of the time after lunch and didn't wake up again until we were already in Arizona! We stopped at a Maverick for gas and I couldn't believe how hot it already was! Driving through Arizona was pretty uneventful. We made it in about 930pm, which is 1030pm in Utah time. It was still HOT outside! When we woke the next morning around 8, it was already 86 degrees outside! We were able to get all of our things moved in and we are pretty much unpacked. We are taking our sweet time because we are going to move to a different apartment in the same complex for a better view and more shade. We've spent most of our time unpacking, going to the pool, playing Mario Cart and watching movies. Will has had a hard time adjusting. We've had lots of time-outs around here. He doesn't like to eat the dinners I cook...it's been a long time since I have cooked! haha We have a really great ward and are excited about this adventure. We do feel pretty alone and miss family and friends dearly. We're excited to go to Sierra Vista on July 1st for a week to spend time with my Aunt Maureen and Uncle Jack. They are the closest family we have and we are excited to get to spend time with them! Andy doesn't start school until August, we're going to spend as much time together as we can...then he'll go MIA once school starts!

We're loving AZ and loving even more that we are getting tans!!

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Fun in Bryce


This past weekend, we spent time camping and being with family. This is Will with his two cute cousins, Kenadie and Melanie. They spent a lot of time together playing in Uncle Steve's truck bed.

Our family spent two days exploring Bryce Canyon National Park. This is Natural Bridge. It's not really a natural bridge, because there is no water that flows under it. It's an arch, like you would find in Arches. But, then again...Bryce Canyon isn't a real canyon.

This is a tree that is growing on the Navajo Loop Trail. It has no branches until it reaches the top of the slot canyon, and then it has branches a leaves. It was such a sight to behold. We did this hike. It was so fun. And even being pregnant, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. We did end up stopping about every 20 feet so I wouldn't run out of breath or start getting cramps.


This is our cute family (all FOUR of us!) at the entrance to Bryce Canyon. It was May 30 and the high was 45. It was pretty chilly and super windy. We came home with dry skin and wind burn.

Here is Will playing on a bench at one of the stops. This was the day is was super cold. The cliff off the side of the points are unforgiving. I was a nervous wreck anytime Will would go to the fence. With my vivid Mommy Imagination, it was not a pretty sight. But, this sweet face is just amazing!


We really enjoyed our last hoorah here in Utah. It was great to be able to take a break from life and just hang out with our family, while seeing some of the beauty Utah has to offer. Our camp site was at my brother-inlaw's cabin. In the middle of no where! And I loved it! It's totally my kind of spot! Andy, Will and I loved spending days together, uninterrupted from the phones, or tv, or computer! We are sad to be leaving Utah and our families. We are excited for this new journey in our lives and look forward to whatever The Lord has in store for us!

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

"You haven't been sleeping well for days."

Today is the first real nice day we have had in days. It's going to reach 74 today. It's almost June. My family and friends in Georgia have had their pools open for weeks. Don't get me wrong, I love the rain. I just don't like the rain when it's also cold. I love a nice spring rain, with the windows open and the air muggy after. I am glad Mother Nature has a smile on her face today and decided it was okay to let the sun shine down on us.

Will and I went to the mall yesterday to walk around while it was raining. We just needed to get out of the house. I was feeling so on top of this move...Now that it is literally 14 days away, I am feeling SO overwhelmed! I have gone through all of the baby clothes (It's weird that most of the clothes are no longer just Will's clothes. He's gonna be handing 'em down to his new little brother!) I have them organized and put into large bins. I have gone through my clothes and organized them, as well as have had Andy go through his clothes and get them organized. I have gone through, organized and packed all of my craft desk. (Yes, I have an entire desk just for crafting and sewing) Other then that, I don't think I have done much. I still need to go through the toys, box those up, go through the pantry and throw most of it away. I do not want to pack food that probably won't last the trip anyways. Changes in elevation will cause cans to explode. That's a mess I just don't feel like dealing with at this point in my life. I would rather start over anyways, get things which are healthier and we will actually use. I think I am going to get all the books packed. Andy has school books, which I will leave for him. It feels like so much, but so little. It doesn't help that I have been sleeping horribly the last few nights. My nose is so stuffy, I can't breathe well. My hips are killing me, so it hurts to sleep on my sides. So, I end up on my back, which also hurts. I am always hot. Andy and I have battle of the thermostat. I either turn it off because the temperature is perfect inside because it's cool outside, or I turn on the AC, to cool things down. When he gets home, he turns the heat back on. I don't know why the man does it, he's a furnace as it is. It seems like every time I finally get comfortable and fall asleep, I am rushing to the bathroom! I feel like I have exploded in the last two weeks. I actually look pregnant, which is nice. I just don't enjoy the growing pains and itching.

We are so excited about this move....I am pretty nervous about starting over and making all new friends. But, at least Andy and I will be starting over together. He'll have to make all new friends too! For now, I am going to do the dishes and put some things in boxes. Then, I am taking Will outside to enjoy Mother Nature's good mood!

Sunday, May 15, 2011

The Results Are In....

I know, I know, you've all been waiting to hear about the gender of this baby. I have to apologize, I haven't had any time to blog since we found out on Friday. (We had one last trip to Idaho to visit Andy's sister, Nikki!). It was such a crazy day! I took Will to the park, to feed the ducks and play at the playground. That was a blast. I am afraid of Geese. And there are a ton of them at the park. I don't like to not let Will do things, just because I am afraid, or don't like something. (Which is why the child looooves peaches. Yuck!) So, we hung around the geese. Until they started getting aggressive. Not cool. Afterwards, my dear friend came over to watch Will while Andy and I headed out to the doctors office. We had the ultrasound done. The tech was actually an old neighbor of ours, so it was a lot more fun the usual. I honestly had NO idea what we were having. Last time, Andy and I could agree on names, which were all boy names. And we had a boy. So, being logical (and just trying to come up with a reason WHY I thought this baby is a girl) I thought because we had girl names picked out, we would probably having a girl. Well, this little baby is quite the mover and shaker! This baby would NOT cooperate with the tech. In fact, this baby did a complete somersault while we were trying to get a snap shot of the profile! The baby also waved at us in the first couple of minutes!

It was so cute, and great fun to get to see our little.....BOY!!!!

Yep, I am going to be even more out numbered! There were only two of you who thought we were having a boy! I am so surprised! I was completely shocked! The first words out of my mouth were "Are you kidding me?! What are we going to name this child?!" We're excited to have another little man running around our home (and to not have to buy all new clothes!) I am also glad they are far enough apart that I won't have two boys on missions!

Now...the name search begins!

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Officially Utes!

I wanted to post the picture above, only because I feel like it captures our family how we really act all the time. Will isn't paying any attention, Andy is trying to get Will to pay attention and I'm being goofy to keep my sanity!
Here is the graduate! We are so proud of Andy! He worked so hard in school! He received a bachelors degree in History with a minor in Business. He also completed all the requirements for medical school, which is pretty much a double major in science. We are so grateful to him for all the hard work he has put into his education. He earned good grades, studied his tuckis off and pulled more all nighters then I can even count. Now, he gets a well deserved break. Once we move, he won't have a job, which means we can just all spend some quality time with him before he goes MIA during the school year!

Thanks for all you do for our family, Andy! We love you more then you can know! (Even though I know you get pretty peeved when you leave for work and Will and I are still snoozing in the bed and I have completely taken over your side! I love you!!!)


~~~~~~~~~~

We have our ultrasound on Friday to find out the gender of this baby. We're still kind of, well, ok, we ARE at a complete loss as to what this child should be called.

For a girl we like:
Katherine-We would call her Kate. (I wonder how many of you have put it together...William and Kate?!)
Sofia-Andy threw this one out there last night, I think it's pretty cute. But, I am pretty sure it's ridiculously common.

For a boy we like:
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Charles?-(we're going with a Royal family theme here. Apparently.) Charlie is a cute name...but I don't know.

So, I guess we will see. We still have 4 1/2 months to figure out what to name his kid. I can't believe I am nearly half way through this pregnancy...and I can't believe I still have half way to go!!

Monday, May 2, 2011

History, in the making, right before our eyes!

Well, I am a big history fan. I love to learn about the past. In high school, I took AP European History just because I wanted to take the class. I didn't even bother with the AP exam. Andy is a history major and I love hearing about all the things he is learning about. It's so fascinating. This past weekend has really made me reflect on history. With the wonderful Royal Wedding of Prince William and Princess Catherine, I was completely enthralled. I love British History. You can't learned about British history without learning about the rest of the world. They really were a total powerhouse (Until some Americans decided being free was better and totally kicked their butts! It's ok, we're the favorite ex-colony of Britain!) I actually debated staying up until 2 am to watch the entire wedding. Then, I realized it would be shown all day long, and I needed to do laundry. What's better then watching a Royal wedding and folding your undies? It was so fun to watch all the tradition! Reading about Royal weddings of many different Kings and Princes is much different then watching it. While there were obvious modernizations, I loved watching history in the making before my very eyes! It was such a treat for me to watch everything I have read about in the past. It was a real treat for me!

(Andy and I actually really love the name Catherine. Can you imagine if we have a girl and name her Catherine? We'd have a Will and Kate...bahahahahah!)

Last night, we were watching SVU (a guilty pleasure of mine). Andy was online. He turned to me and said "Have you seen the news? Osama bin Laden is dead." WHAT?! There is no way! How can that be?! So, we turned on FOX News and sure enough, there it was, in big, bold letters. "OSAMA BIN LADEN DEAD!" Osama bin Laden is actually dead?! I was 13 when he sent two air planes into the Twin Towers. I was late for school. (I was actually waiting on my mom to take me) I sat on our coffee table and watched the billowing smoke from the first tower. I walked into class and told my teacher, one minute later, our Principal came on the loud speaker and asked all the teachers to turn on the TV. We watched as they replayed the second plane crashing into the second building. Many of my friends checked out of school, their parents afraid that Atlanta (Delta Airlines Hub) would be next, or they had family in New York City. I have never actually been afraid for my safety until that day. My mom had the front page of the paper laminated the next day. For ten years now, our country has been fighting a war and searching for the man who was responsible for the death of so many American's.

It seems surreal to me, to be sure. But, I do think that credit is due where credit is earned. To all the men, woman and children who were lost on September 11, 2001, may peace be with you this day! To their families, may you also feel peace. May you feel a little bit of justice, which you so rightly deserve. To the men and woman who have bravely fought for our country, our safety and justice, may you know how grateful I am to you. Today is a great day to be an American. Today, I will wear red, white and blue. Because I am proud to be an American.

So, while you are going about your day, maybe take a moment and reflect on all the history that has happened in your lifetime. While history is amazing, it's even more amazing to me that my children will read about something I lived through.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Are we absolutely CrAzY?!

Well, the place we were going to live ended up being too good to be true. After I called them to confirm our move in time, the lady told me "Yes, we have you. You'll be getting our move-in special. First and last month free, as well as no security deposit OR move-in fees." Wow, really? That's...awesome! So, I told Andy. He was shocked. The more he thought about it, the more we realized this may be too good to be true. I had looked up the reviews on the complex. I did think it was a little odd that the reviews were mostly glowing and that they were just from about January. So, I dug a little deeper. I learned that the complex recently changed it's name (in December-ish) and the reviews I found for the old name were....less then glowing. Let's just say, we didn't feel comfortable living somewhere like that with Andy being gone 12+ hours a day. I was more then disappointed. I had done so much work to find this place. I guess my lesson is learned.

We weren't sure what we were going to do! My step-mom has family in Mesa, maybe we can stay with them while we try to find somewhere to live. Except we don't know them at all. It might be a little awkward. I was determined to find us a new place to live. I used a different search site and found a few places. We decided if we wanted something worth living in which had a good, safe reputation, we were going to need to pay more then we had originally planned. I was also ready to be disappointed. I not only searched reviews, but I searched Family Watchdog. The national sex offender registry. It not only tells you which offenders live in your area, but it also gives overall ratings for your area in categories like forced rape, murder/manslaughter, robbery/burglary, ect. While this doesn't seem like something fun, it is really important to us to live in a safe area. So, I contacted a place via e-mail. I was completely shocked when they called me back within the hour. This neighborhood is closer to the school, it is a gated community with an access card, they do monthly activities for the families, they have three swimming pools, two spas, a 24 hour fitness center and so much more! We decided this was an answer to prayer. We'd been praying hard, too. We figured if the Lord wanted us there, he would help provide a way. We were able to get approved and assigned an apartment the next day. They do rigorous background and credit checks. Which we passed. They also do a rental history check. I am absolutely willing to go through these steps in order to live somewhere I feel safe. We are very grateful The Lord sees fit to guide us in our lives.

So, I know you're wondering, geesh, enough talking already. But, I still have to tell you why we are absolutely CrAzY! You all know, we recently bought a VW Passat Wagon. We love this car, but it's falling apart before our eyes. The one thing we can't afford is to move, living off savings until August and have our car breakdown. We have been praying about it and we finally decided we would look into buying a new car. Not brand new, but something we knew would be safe. We were worried about paying rent, food and taking on a car payment. We searched online to see if there were cars which we would be able to afford, with good gas mileage and a great car fax report. Again, we figured if it was meant to be, the Lord would provide a way. We found a couple crossover cars which fit our needs. Last night, we test drove them both. One was a Buick Rendezvous and the other was a Chrysler Pacifica. We were pretty disappointed with the Buick. It was pretty trashed on the inside. We want something which will last. Andy went to the other dealership and brought the Chrysler to me at work. Let's just say, it was love at first site. I couldn't believe there was this wonderful car, right in front of me, with everything we need and we could afford it. I drove it around town. It drives as great as it looks! Well...you're looking at the new owners of a 2006 Chrysler Pacifica!

See, I told you were were crazy!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

What do YOU think we will have?

I had another doctor appointment yesterday. Baby's heart sounds great! I talked with Dr. Lamb about my hip pain, my radical emotions AND the fact that I have lost six pounds since becoming pregnant. Oh, and that little bit about my progesterone shots. Well, my hip pain is normal...rest more. My radical emotions? While not typical for me, it's normal when pregnant. Loosing six pounds? Well, it's not unusual to loose weight. Someone brought up to me today that maybe I am having twins...Ekkk! We talked about new developments with the progesterone shots. I will be able to have them! That means NO bed rest starting in July for me! That means NO bed at all.
I set up my next appointment for May. I will be meeting with the High Risk Specialist at Millcreek Maternal-Fetal department as well as having my ultrasound done to find out what we are having! We are really excited and grateful to know what we are having before we make the big move to Phoenix!

Speaking of Phoenix...We officially have a place to live! We got a slammin' deal on some great apartments in the Phoenix area. I also have an appointment June 10 with the Doctor. So, I am hoping we can leave on the 11th. Or even after my appointment on the 10th. It's crazy to me to think we won't be living in Utah anymore. I have to say, with the weather being as it has been for the last, I don't know, MONTH, I am ready for a little dash of sunshine in my life.
I have already started getting some things organized and just keeping up with some deep cleaning so it's not as much to do when we actually empty our place out. The Ronald McDonald House has been our home for nearly two years. It will be sad to leave the wonderful people we are able to meet here. That being said, I am also SO ready and excited for this new adventure of ours! It will exciting to have Andy for the summer, just with us! We're excited to have a new baby and work our way towards being 'real' adults!! Who knows, maybe we'll just stay a young, hip family forever ;)

As far as what we will be having in October, I have no idea! Sometimes I think "oh, a girl would be fun...but not if she ends up with an attitude..." "Boys are great...plus, I already have everything I need!" But, only the Lord knows for now. What you all think? I know some of you have a 6th sense about these things. I usually do, but this pregnancy is doing crazy things with my mind!

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

It's been an exciting time!

It's been a week since we made the final decision to attend Midwestern University and I have been VERY busy! I have decided I will be going through all of our things and getting rid of a bunch of JUNK, including my clothes I will probably never be able to wear again. I was doing some wishful thinking, don't judge me. I have also been busy finding us somewhere to live. At first, we wanted to BUY a house. The market is really soft down in Arizona right now and we could actually save some money with a small mortgage. Unfortunately, reality hit and we realized there is no way we could find a house and move into it...all in TWO months. So, we decided that renting an apartment or house right now would be the best option for our family. It will give us a chance to get to know the area and check out some places ourselves.

So, I have found some places to check out. And by "check out", I mean "This place has great reviews and the pictures are legit...let's apply". But, really, I spent the WHOLE day yesterday at the computer, compiling "pros and cons" lists of our top 6 places. I mean, I hooked the computer up at the kitchen table, turned on some Jimmy Buffett, and gave Will some paper and crayons. Of course, Will wanted to draw on the table. While we don't have the nicest table on the block, I still take pride in the little space I have on that table which isn't covered by Andy's school books and my borrowed Work and The Glory series. So, I taped about 10 sheets of blank paper to Will's half of the table and let him go at it! He LOVED it. I couldn't believe my stroke of genius! Last night, Andy and I went through the list and picked our top three to apply to. THAT is what I will be spending my day on today. We are SO excited to go to Arizona! We are so ready to be OUT of Utah winters, which last entirely too long. We are so excited to be on this adventure of building our lives and our family!

In other news, namely, WILL...We ordered him a big boy bed over the weekend! He was looking so cramped in his crib. We were going to wait until we move, but we decided that might be TOO much change at one time. We got a very cute bed from the internet. It's not very high, it's maybe 6-8 inches from the floor, and you just use a crib mattress. Well, it came yesterday. I thought we would wait to use it until the weekend, but Andy put it together last night, with the help of Will! It was so cute to see them working together! I love my family! One thing Will loves to do is 'pretend sleep'. He will lay down almost anywhere, squint his eyes shut, and proceed to snore. I told Andy that Will would probably do that when the bed was all finished...I was so right! The first thing he did was get under his blanket and snore! We have raised a "jumping child". We let him jump on the couch, our bed, the big chair and his crib. Well, now we let him jump on his BIG BOY BED! Last night was our first night. We were pretty laid back about it. We stuck to our normal routine. I let him climb into bed on his own, tucked him in and said a prayer with him. I turned out the lights and shut the door. He opened it about 5 minutes later, and Andy went in to put him back down. He came out two more times. The last time, with his horse in hand and he actually walked all the way into the living room. Andy told him "William RAY. You get back in your bed." Will then started to cry. I took him in bed, realized his noise maker was on the wrong setting, changed it, wiped away some tears, asked Heavenly Father to help Will to sleep and give me and Andy patience through this transition. I kissed him good night and walked away. He didn't make a peep the rest of the night. I woke up to use the bathroom at about 3am, peeked in at him and he was in the middle of the floor. I just put him back in his bed. I am grateful that our first night was a success! I think the fact that we were so laid back about it and that Will actually helped put the bed together and saw Daddy put his crib mattress from his crib into his bed helped a lot. It was only the first night, we still have our first nap time and night 2 ahead of us. BUT, I have faith that we can do this! It will be wonderful!

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

The FINAL decision!

Andy spent last weekend in Erie, Pennsylvania and Lebanon, Oregon interviewing at some schools. (Well, he actually over slept for his interview in Oregon. So, instead he played at the coast and enjoyed fresh clam chowder and halibut. I was quite jealous!!)

Now that he has seen all the schools...we've made a decision of where we would like to live for the next four years! We're going to Glendale, Arizona! We'll be moving sometime this summer. I prefer the sooner the better. Seeing as I will be about six months pregnant and it will be SUMMER...in ARIZONA! But, we can't move until we find a place to live. Duh. Something about having a roof over our heads is kind of a big deal! We know this is the right choice for our family. This school has just been at the fore-front every step of the way...and not by our doing. We actually saved it for last...and they always got back to us first! There are plenty of homes in the area for us to either rent or buy. The school itself is great! There is still a large LDS community, which will be good for me. Hopefully, I won't end up on bed rest and won't NEED the ward as much as I think. Our old ward was great last time I did bed rest and I can only pray that our new ward is willing to help us out if we need it! It all just feels right and I am actually...EXCITED! I can't wait for this next phase in our lives! We're grateful for a Heavenly Father who leads us on the right path!

(And I'd be REALLY grateful if Will would take his nap already!)

Sunday, March 27, 2011

"Mom...Mom...MOM!"

So, Will uses my name. ALL THE TIME! It's seriously the cutest thing I have ever heard in my whole life.

Here is an example of Will:

Will:"Mom? Cookie?"
Me:"No, Will, we aren't going to have any cookies."
W:"Mom? Choco?"(Chocolate)
M:"No, Will, no chocolate right now. Maybe after lunch."
W:"Mom? Orange?"
M:"Will, we're going to have lunch in an hour. Just wait, ok?"
W:"Ok."

Five minutes elapse...
W:"Mom? Nusnack?" (Fruit snacks. I bought some super yummy ones and I think he is addicted.)
M:"Will, no more food right now. Ok?"
W:"Ok, Mom? Apple?"
M:"Hey, Will, let's start making lunch!"

So, he does this ALL the time. Multiple times a day. I love it! Tonight, I was sitting with Andy, asking him if he would take out the garbage and help me with the recycle bins when Will walks up and says:

"Mom? Cookie? Choco? Orange? Apple?"

He didn't even wait for me to say "No, not right now." He just went through the list of things he loves to eat! It was the funniest thing ever! Andy and I were just dying, we were laughing SO hard! I love this kid and I can't get enough of him!!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Baby Update!

Today I FINALLY got to see our new little munchkin! Everything is looking great! The baby has a nice strong heartbeat and was full of the wiggles! Dr. Lamb (I know, it's such a coincidence that his name is Lamb. And he delivers babies...) had a hard time getting a good shot because it kept moving! Andy couldn't get off work, so I went alone. My doctor had another patient in LABOR, so he had to leave in the middle of my appointment to make some phone calls.

We talked about my high risk state. Because I had Will early, for no real reason, I get to be put in the high risk category. Joy. They have these really amazing shots, called Progesterone. You go into the office once a week for weeks 17-37 and they give you this shot in the stomach. These shots have a great success rate as far as preventing pre-term labor. I am the perfect candidate for these shots because I pretty much went into labor for no known reason. The only problem with these shots is the patent for them has been purchased by a company who is charging $1,500 PER SHOT. And you get TWENTY SHOTS. Obviously, that is NOT affordable. It comes out to about $30,000. That is almost 6 times the price of delivery. If I can't get these shots, there are obviously other options, but none as successful as these shots. There are some pills I could take. Realistically, if I can't have these shots, I am looking at starting bed rest in JULY. Yes, 3 months of bed rest. With a two year old. In a new town. So, if you pray, please pray that these shots will be affordable and I will not have to go on three months of bed rest.

So, baby #2 is healthy and active and we couldn't be happier! Next month, I see Dr. Lamb and a high-risk specialist who will talk with me more about my options. Hopefully they give me good news!

Friday, March 18, 2011

What was I supposed to be doing?!

This pregnancy has been very different from my first. I don't know if it is because I already have one child, or what, but it is something totally new for me. Some of the biggest differences are how tired I really am, many foods do not sound appetizing to me, I can only eat very small meals at a time or I feel sick the rest of the day. Although I haven't been physically sick in about 3 weeks, I was violently ill for a while there and still get a weak stomach on a daily basis. My dreams have also been much more vivid and...CRAZY this time around.

All of those are much different, but the biggest change is my memory. I can't remember anything. My brain feels like mush. I really feel like Chef Anne Burrell has taken my brain, put it in her beloved food mill, and food milled my brain. Then, she took said brain and put it back in my skull.

Here are some examples of my loss of short term memory:

When Andy had to go to to Florida for his interview, I had to pick him up from school. He had called me earlier in the morning to tell me that he would need to go to Smith's and pick up some things for his stay and he needed to go to the UPS store to send something back to amazon.com. That was fine. So, I picked Andy up and took him to the UPS store. As we were leaving, I was pulling out of the parking lot, turning right. I should have been turning left. Andy didn't say anything. We get to the street our house is on and he says "You're turning right?" Um, yes, I am. Thanks for noticing my blinker..."Where are you going?" Why, I am going home, to drop you off and go to WinCo. "Don't you remember? I have to go to Smith's?" WHAT!? No, I didn't remember. Why didn't you say something when I turned right out of the parking lot instead of left? Of course, he thought I was going to the OTHER Smith's, which I never shop at because I don't like it. So, instead of turning to go home, I turned to go back the way I came. I was stopped at the first stop sign I came to...waiting for said stop sign to turn green.


In case you all didn't catch that, I waited for the stop SIGN to turn GREEN. I sat there for a good 5 minutes before I realized "This isn't a light...."

I should start making a list for my day. I constantly forget things at the store. I forget conversations I have had just the day before. I forget the keys to the office on a daily basis. ( Good thing I have a spare. Or my boss would hate me for calling her every time I lock myself out.)

Well, although I don't remember much, I do know Spring is coming! I am so excited for all the flowers and plants to come up! It will be a wonderful season and I plan to enjoy it with walks and days spent at the park!

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Will-isms

We are in the 'terrible two's' stage of life with Will. I keep reminding myself of a psych class I took in which the professor told us that the more 'terrible' a toddler is, the better person they become as children, teens and adults. It means they know what they want, whether they know how to express that or not. It means they naturally question life. So, let's hope my professor was right, and Will ends up being the greatest mind on Earth. We've been going through some tough patches lately. First, there is the throwing yourself on the ground and screaming. If that doesn't work, there is the "NOO!!!!". Obviously, I don't talk to Will in that tone of voice...unless he resorts to number three, which is hitting.

It usually goes a little something like this:

Mom: "Will, please don't climb up there."

Will: "Shhh!" Continues to climb on the top of the sofa.

M: "William, I am going to count. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Now, get down!"

W: Throws self onto the couch and begins to cry.

M: "Will, you don't need to cry. It's not safe on the top of the couch. You can jump on the cushion, but not on the top."

W: Continues crying.

M: Goes to pick Will up because he is so pitiful.

W: "NOOOO!" Raises hand back to strike.

M: Grabs hand. "NO! We don't hit. It's not nice!"

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I post this scenario to introduce our evening last night.

I had just gotten off work and Will was standing, stark naked, with Andy. It was right after his bath and Andy was making sure he was all lotioned up because Will has dry skin just like Andy. I sat down on the floor next to them and Andy said "Will, tell Momma your new word." I looked at them and Andy had Will's hand, palm up, and said "Will, what are these?" I was a little confused and then Will said "Wrinkles!" I thought it was the cutest thing! He has what we like to call "old man hands". Once I had Will in his jams, he pointed at my glasses and said "Wusat? Eyes?" Yes, those are my eyes, now don't touch them! He then points to my chin, where I have a mole. It's almost flesh colored, so it surprised me that he noticed it. He points to it and said "Wusat?" I said "That's a mole." He says "Caca?!" Andy covered his face laughing, I swatted at him and Will says "Be nice!"

The moral of this story is this: Be the example you want for your kids, because they are watching you more closely then you realize!

Friday, March 4, 2011

Midwestern

Andy was accepted at Midwestern in Arizona! We are so excited! We still aren't sure if that is where we will end up, BUT we now have an option! Andy really liked the school, and believe it or not, Arizona has grown on me. I have had a good feeling about going there for a while. (Maybe it's because we could actually afford to live AND eat. Not one or the other...) Anyways, he just got back from his interview in Florida and he leaves on the 23rd for his interviews in Pennsylvania and Oregon. So, we shall see...our choices are still all over the place. It is so crazy that this time is actually here! We always talked about 'when we go to medical school....' and it always seemed to be YEARS away. But, HERE it is!

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I just wanted to post some cute things Will does now:

1. He LOVES to jump on the bed. Or the chair. Or the couch. Basically, if he can bounce on it, he will jump on it.

2. My friend came by the house the other day while I was working. She brought her new baby Claire and her dog Bronco. Will loves dogs. When we were leaving Bronco, Will said "Bye Bye Bronco!" What?! Did you really just say Bronco? I only said his name once! It was so cute!

3. He is such an eater now. Every morning he eats his breakfast, then 30 minutes later he is asking for food. "Mama, manna, pleeeeese?" (Manna is banana, I am sure it tastes better then manna, although you would think it was from heaven the way he eats it!) "Mama? Nunch? Pleeeeeeeeeeese?" He's so fun to talk with now. I love it!

4. He loooooves to watch fish. We have a salt water tank here at the house, and when he comes out, he goes straight to the fish.

5. He always asks "Wusat?" He will point at something or bring it to me and ask "Wusat?" I love that he is exploring the world around him! It's so fun!

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Where will this baby be born?!

That's right everyone, we're having baby #2! Due October 7th! It works out perfect because we will be settled...wherever we go! This baby could be born in Arizona, Florida, Pennsylvania or Oregon! I have felt pretty great...scratch that, I feel like poo. Don't come to my house, you'll think I am a complete slob. I know Andy does. But it's not my fault. I am sick ALL the time! I go from feeling like I am going to loose all my breakfast to feeling like I haven't had any food since last Monday. Don't ask me what I want to eat, because everything sounds gross to me.

But hey, that's alright. This is the first and only post I will be complaining about this little life inside of me! Andy wants another boy...but my gut tells me it's a girl. (Could be because I wasn't even close to being this sick with Will....)

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Arizona

I am trying to be better about posting on here. I know, I know, I am HORRIBLE at posting pictures. BUT, at least you're all getting a little something! This past week has been pretty crazy! Andy had to work the past two Sunday's, so I was at church solo, with Will. Who thought it was cool to be crazy. To which I replied that it wasn't, and we spent sacrament in the mother's room with the speakers on. Will couldn't play with toys or eat any snacks. I'm such a mean mom! Andy and I both had work Sun-Wednesday.

We woke up "early" on Thursday. By early, I mean we got up around 730, and finished packing so we could go to Arizona! It was just the two of us, but Will was staying with his cousins, so we still had to pack his stuff. We dropped Will off around 1030 am. Only about an hour and a half later then we wanted to, but hey, who cares? We finally hit the road about 11. We took the scenic route, and drove down through Kanab and Lake Powell. We stopped off at Glen Canyon Dam and took some pictures. Standing on the bridge above the dam was NOT really my idea of fun. Every time a car drove by, the bridge would shake. I fear in my old age, I am becoming quite the "sissy". We hit the road again. We drove down through Page, AZ. It's pretty much reservation country, there is a whole lot of nothing and some mountains. It's quite gorgeous, which is shocking coming from me! When night came on, it was fitting for the moon to be big, bright and FULL. All we needed was to hear the coyotes (You man say it "Ky-o-tee" or Ky-yote", depending on where you are from. Just know, they are the same animal. I had to finally ask the difference before I realized it was the same animal!) We made it to our friends' house around 10-1030ish, which is making very good time. Andy had to wake up early and be to Midwestern University by 7:45 am. I slept in. Well, not really, but I tried. Andy had his interview and I hung out with Lisa and Lauren. We went to the outlets and did some window shopping, though I was tempted to by a gardening book for 6 bucks. We then went home when the boys got home. Andy said his interview went well. He really likes the campus and the school does really well on the board exams and such. He was told that it will be really hard on his wife and family because he will spend any and all time he can IN school, STUDYING. We figure this can't be much different then the life we already live, we just won't be tied down to a job! We will figure out a way to spend some time together once he is in school. Lots of families go to the campus and have lunch or dinner with Dad, so I see that being a possibility. We will just have to see how it goes. We all took a 30 min 'cat-nap', then went on "a walk, down a trail". I say this in quotes because it was anything BUT a walk and it was most definitely not just a trail. It ended up being some pretty steep hiking and a lot longer then we thought it would be. But, the view from the top was amazing! We could see the whole valley of Phoenix pretty well. We went to eat at this mexican restaurant, which seemed pretty sketch at first, but ended up having pretty great food. We went home and watch Despicable Me. It's pretty funny. We all crashed about 930. Lame, I know. Saturday we got on the road around 8am and drove back home. We hit snow in Flagstaff, and again in between Lake Powell and Kanab. The snow in Kanab was pretty bad, we were only driving about 25-30 mph. We finally got home around 8.

It was a lot of fun, and a wirl-wind trip, that is for sure. We missed Will a ton, and were glad to be back home together again! Andy still has three more interviews, but I won't be going with him on those ones. He has one in Florida on March 1, one in Lake Erie, PA on March 25, and this is the kicker, he has one on March 26th on Lebanon, OR! He's going to fly from SL to Lake Erie on the 24th, then on the 25th after his interview at LECOM, he'll fly from Lake Erie to Portland, drive to Lebanon, interview on the 26th, then fly home on the 27th out of Portland again. OYE VEY! He's wonderful and we are so proud to call him hot hubby and Daddy!

Monday, January 31, 2011

WELCOME 2011!

So, updates for our year so far!

1)Will turned TWO! Can you believe it? We celebrated with a big family party, which including all the other January birthdays! Will got an Elmo potty to start becoming interested in potty training. We won't start yet, we're just hoping he becomes familiar with it. He also got a Leap Pad, a Thomas the Train Set, Elmo movies and money to go to Hire's. He was basically spoiled rotten! We love that little man! His stats were: 34 1/2 inches and 22.7 pounds. That's right, he's on the chart, officially!

2)We finished all the secondary applications for medical school! We're just waiting to hear back from them about whether we get to interview or not. (When I say 'we' I really mean Andy, but I'm involved as well!)

3) We've heard back from Nova Southeastern in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla, they want to interview! That's set up for Feb. 17th. We'll let you all know how that goes.

4) We've heard back from Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine at Midwestern University in Glendale, Arizona. They also want to interview! That's set up for April 4th. We'll let you know how THAT one goes, too!

Things have been going really great around here. Will is getting so big, talking up a storm. Andy is doing really well in school. We're so glad this is his last semester! Hopefully, when he is in school, I'll be able to go back as well. I still want to do Landscaping. I am not sure if I want to do the design part of it or the science part of it yet. We'll see once that happens. We've been having lots of play dates with friends and family. Soaking up as much time with them as we can. It's crazy knowing you're moving, but having no idea when exactly or WHERE, for that matter! I know the Lord sees us and watches out for us and knows what is best for us! If we could just get a little hint, that would be nice!!

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Join Me!

I'm not usually one for New Year's Resolutions...but I do like to set goals. I usually have the typical goals, work out more, eat healthier, help others, self-improvement...yada, yada.

As you all know, I love to read. I am a goodreads member. They are doing a "Goodreads reading Challenge for 2011". Basically, you commit to read a certain number of books for the year of 2011. I love goodreads. It's a great tool to find new books and talk with others about novels you read when you don't have time to join a book club. This year I committed to read 24 books. That's 2 a month. Can I do it? You bet. Will I love it? You bet. The question is...Can I keep my house clean and child entertained at the same time? Probably. I have already read one this year. "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" and it was great! I love history, so this was a perfect fit for me.

Reading is fundamental...but it's also just fun!

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Top 10 of 2010

I have spoken with quite a few friends who seem to have had a horrible 2010...I find that very sad. This year has been very exciting and fun for us, we've had our ups and downs, sure, but it's been a great year! With our Christmas cards this year, we only sent out a picture, no Fraser Family Top 10. So, I thought I would do our Top 10 on the blog instead. Growing up, I have learned to NOT dwell on the negative, and it pleases me to say that all I seem to remember about 2010 are the good things. I think it's important for us all to realize that good comes out of every trial or triumph we go through.

So, here's a cheers to you, 2010:

10. We celebrated Will's FIRST birthday on January 25th. He has grown SO much since then, but there is only one first.

9. We used our tax return to buy camping gear galore! And we were able to put it to good use. If I could put each trip as a top 10, I would, but it would take up all the spaces!

8. We sold our Malibu and...bought a VW Passat wagon! And it was relatively painless, and we didn't pick up a car payment either.

7. We spent our first summer driving all over the state of Utah and Idaho and Wyoming and Montana camping and prancing around in nature. Camping is our favorite American Past-time and we can't wait to see where 2011 takes us for new camping adventures.

6. I took an herbs class and grew a bunch of my own herbs and learned how to dry and store them properly.

5. Andy finished his last fall semester of his undergrad, AND got all A's with one B!

4. Will started talking...and then he kind of took off with it. I realized we needed to watch what we said in front of him when he copied me saying "butt". Oops!

3. I decided to learn how to speak French...random, I know, but I want to learn. And it's been really fun.

2. We applied to eighteen medical schools, heard from sixteen of them that they wanted secondary applications, chose thirteen to continue applying to, and have a loan just for the application process of medical school.

1. We went to Disneyland for the first time as a family. We had a blast! And we're planning a Disneyworld trip for 4 years from now!


2010 was full of so many fun memories and we can't wait to see what 2011 has in store for us! Andy will graduate, we'll move away to somewhere, Andy will start medical school, Will is going to continue to grow and I am sure there are MANY surprises in there somewhere!

So, 2010, here's to you! Thanks for a great year with lots of memories and fun! It was a great year and you deserve and nice pat on the back!

Happy New Year everyone! Let's make 2011 even better then 2010!