She's here!

Our little Naomi has arrived and today marks her two week anniversary of life. She is so precious. She already has a personality with things she likes and doesn't like. It's so cute to hear her little squeaks and noises.
     Right now we are trying to put her to bed and sometimes she just doesnt want anything to do with it. but then again she's a baby and cant tell us what's wrong so we just have to guess.

Best anniversary ever!

     Yesterday was our second-year anniversary. It's been two years since we got married. It's hard to believe two years have gone by so fast. We had a great time yesterday. We woke up around 8 had went for a morning walk. it was so nice outside. About a half mile from our house is the national guard armory. One of my good friends was at basic training for the past few months and on Sunday Shalyn and I learned that she was back from Basic. As we were walking we saw someone get out of the car that looked a whole lot like my friend and it was her. Shalyn yelled out her name and she came running over. It was really nice to see her and she was sooo excited about the baby.
     After the walk we made a really nice breakfast with eggs and toast and an omelet that I loved. As we were sitting their eating breakfast a rabbit hopped right up to our back patio. Shalyn got a kick out of that. We also started thinking about how we met and the people that influenced us and we remembered our singles ward bishop, Bishop Squires. We decided to give him a call and see if we could come over and visit him. His number was the same and he was available so we planned for 1 p.m. He later remembered he had some work to do and couldn't meet till after 3 so we changed our plans around.
     After we got off the phone with him we read some in the second hunger games book. We are both really enjoying this series and cant wait for the third book to come out Aug 24th. We then decided to go to the park here in Rexburg and get a snow cone while there. It started to rain on us so we went home.
     Our couch had a broken frame so we called the furniture company and they took the couch to fix it up. Around three they dropped the couch off and we took off to go to the bishop's house. He was held up longer than he thought he would so we visited with his family while we waited for him. He wasnt able to make it back till right as we were leaving so we planned to met later in the week.
     After that we drove to Idaho Falls and cashed in our change for dollar bills and had a great dinner at Johnny Carrinos. That restaurant was the same one we had lunch at after the wedding two years ago so it brought back a lot of memories. After the restaurant we wanted to go see a movie but decided there were none we wanted to see in the theaters. We went to Walmart to find a movie in the red box and found two we liked.
    Went home and watched a movie. Then we went out and looked at the stars. I heard that Venus, Mars and Saturn were going to be next to each other during the month of August so I wanted to check it out. We saw the most beautiful shooting star I had ever seen. It was really long and had a blue green flare to it.
     It was a really great anniversary day.

A fun night last night

     Last night Shalyn and I went to see the movie The Prince of Persia and we were thoroughly entertained. We found this website, kidsinmind.com, and it tells you exactly what's in the movie as far as sex violence and profanity goes. We were going to see Iron Man 2 but weren't impressed with what the website said was in it.
     Then after the movie let out we walked around Rexburg. It was slightly sprinkling and quite enjoyable. Then we came home and read some in Shalyn's book she got for her birthday, The Hunger Games. It's actually a really interesting book about what life might be like after the USA loses a world war.
     We have 21 more days until Naomi is projected to arrive. Our neighbors were pregnant with their first child and her due date was the 18th, one day before Naomi's. But our neighbor's child came on Monday. Than opened our eyes to how close we are to birth. We're excited though, well, I'm excited. Shalyn's a little nervous.

I love my baby!

There are only four more weeks till Naomi arrives. I am so excited and Shalyn is a little bit nervous. Naomi is kicking stronger now, so strong that there are many instances where I can see her kicking inside Shalyn's belly.
     This afternoon we were sitting next to each other watching a movie. I felt this pushing on my arm that was resting next to Shalyn's belly. At first I thought it was just the muscle in my arm twitching, which it often does. But as I started to realize what was happening I saw Shalyn's belly flutter on top. It was so neat. Sometimes it makes Shalyn feel nauseous when Naomi kicks like that.
    Hope you're doing well.

Baby movements!

     Last night was the coolest. As Shalyn and I were going to bed we were just laying there. I decided to put my head on her stomach to feel the baby. Naomi was moving a lot. I felt her move her entire body to the right. It was pretty neat. And then, after she moved I could hear her heartbeat. She must have put her back right up against Shalyn's stomach. Her heart was beating about 140 per minute.

Shalyn was jealous :)

Sister Sarah Is a Married Woman!

     This past weekend, June 3rd - June 7th, was the weekend Shalyn and I went down to St. Louis, MO for my sister Sarah's wedding. It was a very eventful few days. On Thursday we got everything ready and drove down to Salt Lake City in order to fly to St. Louis. We made in with time to spare and the flight was uneventful. It was a happy reunion with my dad at the airport. We learned that my mom and Sarah both werent feeling very well. Not fun, especially right before the wedding.
     On Friday we got up and ate a wonderful breakfast of waffles and fruit. Dad, Scott (Sarah's husband), his brothers and me all went over to my parents' house where they are constructing this big second level. It looked really cool (I'll put pictures up as soon as I get a CF card reader). We then went to the farm to get everything set up for the reception. I got to mow the grass. :) Dad and I came home just in time to take a quick shower and be out the door to the temple for Sarah at 4:00p.m. After the temple we went to this restaurant, The Old Spaghetti Factory. It was pretty good. I must say though, I like Johnny Carino's better. The real excitement was after the restaurant when we realized that quite a few cars had been broken in to in the parking lot, to include a few from our group. At first we just thought that Shalyn's camera bag was at the house, but after looking everywhere and hearing that my sister had put it in the van that was broken in to, we concluded that the camera bag was stolen. Luckily the camera was with us in the restaurant, but the really nice lens along with the CF card reader and some other stuff was stolen. What a drag. But we tried to not let that put a damper on the wedding festivities.
     On Saturday the big event took place. It was at 11:30a.m. She looked beautiful and he was handsome. After the ceremony my uncle John and myself went back to the farm to finish up what needed to be done. There was a lot more than we thought there was. We finished just as people were arriving for the reception. It started at 6:00p.m. I really enjoyed being able to see old friends. A lot of our friends from Tennessee came down to wish her a happy wedding. It was a really great time with dancing, S'mores, and a hay ride. The Fire Flies were incredible after the sun went down. It was like something right out of a Disney show. And the stars were amazing, very bright.
     On Sunday we went to church and then just relaxed until 4:00p.m. when we went to the grandparents' house to decorate the cake for my dad's birthday. It was such a fun event. We had a couple friends from church over in the club house at the grandparents' apartment.

Yay! Today is Friday!

Today is Friday. We love Fridays. For one, I dont have any classes on Fridays. Today has been a special day though. Yesterday Shalyn drank this mixture that had 50 grams of glucose in it. That is a lot of sugar! The doctors were checking for gestational diabetes.
    Well, she failed that test. The cap was 140 and her levels were at 144. So we had to come in today and she did the next level up test. She had to fast starting at 12 midnight last night. At 8:30 this morning she drank the same drink only this time it had 100 grams of glucose in it.
    As she was drinking it she told me, "Why would anyone put this much sugar in their body?" At about half way she said her body was telling her that she was done. It didn't need anymore sugar. She downed the whole thing as fast as she could. And for the next three hours we had to stay at the doctors and get her finger pricked every hour.
     After the first two prickings they told us that we could go home because she passed both of them. They didnt see a reason for her to stay around for the third prick. After that we had lunch at Quiznos. I tried one of their $5 subs. It was the honey-cured ham and Swiss and it was good!
     There were these tents set up across the street next to Arby's so we decided to head over their and check in out. It was the National Guard doing a fundraiser for veterans. We bought some raffle tickets and put ours in the jar for the camping deluxe kit. Hopefully we'll win. The drawing is right now so if we do win we'll be receiving a phone call shortly. :)
      Here are some pictures from the window fiasco we had a few weeks back at Cougar Court:

I'm a bum. Sorry Karen :)

     So I'm a bum. I haven't posted anything for a while because I dont have a lot of time and I also thought that no one was reading it. Today I heard through the grape vine that someone was bummed that I hadnt updated in so long. That has given me new energy and determination to stay the course and pick back up where I left off. :)

     This past Thursday was 25 weeks for Naomi. That's the name we have given her, at least that's what her name is until we see her. She might pop out and not look like a Naomi at all. At 25 weeks she weighs a pound and a half, about that of an average rutabaga. She is doing great. It's kinda funny. Every time Shalyn says Naomi is kicking and moving I put my hand on her stomach to feel. And as soon as I touch Shalyn's stomach it seems like Naomi goes dead still. I havent been able to feel her yet. But she's only at 25 weeks so that will probably change later on down the road.
     This past mother's weekend Shalyn and I went to Pocatello for her brother's graduation. That got me all excited about my own graduation in July. Big things are coming. Then we went back to Blackfoot and had a huge feast in honor of both his graduation and his wife's birthday. On mother's day we went to church and then called all our mothers. I got Shalyn this pearl necklace. The best part about that was she had no idea it was coming. She was very excited. :)
    Right now we are both in the thick of school and work and baby stuff. I'm applying for grad school at ISU and Shalyn is doing her thing. I've learned that it's very expensive just applying for grad school, let alone paying for each semester. Oh, and we moved to a different apartment complex. This one has so much more room for the same price. We just couldnt say no. Life is good.

Happenings over the last few days...

What a last few days it has been! We have done quite a lot over the past 5 days. Thursday the 8th was the last day of school for both Shalyn and me. We are glad to be done with this winter semester and starting on the spring semester. This will be my last semester for my bachelor's degree and Shalyn will have three more.
     On Friday the 9th Shalyn had to work. Like any other work day she got ready by putting on her work outfit and doing her hair. She drove to work, which is only a quarter mile away. She doesnt like it when the AC is right in her face. She reached over to change the vent's direction and drifted to the right. As she looked up she realized that she was in the process of going over the curb. As she tried to re-correct the front passenger tire popped. I got a call from her and ran to her rescue. It was a crazy event. She called me her knight in shining armor then took my car so she could get to work on time. It wasn't a cheap ordeal either. But we got new tires just before our trip to Utah, so we're happy. We don't have to worry about it for a few years now.
     A few days later on Sunday night Shalyn and I were laying in bed having our pillow talk and just slowly falling asleep. She was laying against my stomach. It's a pretty comfortable position but I wouldn't want to fall asleep like that. As our conversation was winding down she rolled over onto her left side. There was this big wet spot on my stomach. I asked her if she peed on me and she said,, "I don't think so." She thought I was just joking so she put her hand over on my stomach to tell me that I wasn't wet. As she put her hand on my stomach she was like, "Oh wow, you are wet." We spent a few minutes trying to figure out what was going on.
     Ladies and Gentlemen, when a woman is pregnant she sometimes "lactates." Well, while we were laying there just talking, she was "leaking" on me. It was the funniest thing as we were trying to go to bed that night. We were thinking about all these funny experiences that we get to have here on this earth. It's truly fun.
     And then today it freak snowed all morning. Later this afternoon Shalyn and I went to the store to buy some sandwich fixings. As we were leaving to go to the store we were playing in the snow. I threw a snow ball at our front window but missed it and hit the brick. Dissatisfied, I made another snowball and threw it at the window, wanting to see the "splat" on the glass. There was a "splat" aright, accompanied by a "shatter" and a "crash." Shalyn looked at me and I looked at her. We then busted up laughing and drove away as fast as possible. Later I realized this was dumb because it wasn't like I had broken someone else's window. The window was our own. The snow was melting so it was really heavy. I didn't think it would break the window though. Pics to follow. :)
     And just now Shalyn was sitting on the couch and started giggling, saying that the baby was moving. I came over, sat down beside her, and put hand on her stomach. That kid kicked my hand hard! It was so neat to be able to feel her in there moving around. It was the first time I've been able to really feel her in there. It was a real eye opener to the fact that I'm going to be a dad. Exciting times!

And as if April Fools Day wasn't enough...

So today when we woke up and looked outside the window.... this is what we saw. This is as if you were looking out from our stairwell. This is just amazing. Only in Rexburg would this much snow fall in April. Well, maybe not only in Rexburg but it's crazy here.

And this is a shot a little to one side from outside our stairwell. The first two cars are ours, the black one and the bluish one, all covered in snow. Earlier it was snowing so hard that you couldn't see that building in the far distance.

This is our front door. The wind is so strong that our door is being caked in snow. The door is at least 10 feet from the edge of the stairwell.

And these two pictures are of our bikes underneath the stairwell also caked in snow. This is pretty crazy.

April Fools!

Or at least that's what it seems like here in Rexburg Idaho. It has been snowing none stop for the past three hours. What a way to bring in spring!

Hump Day!!!

So today is Hump Day! For those who don't know, hump day is the middle of anything, in our case, pregnancy. Shalyn has completed 20 weeks of being pregnant, and she doesn't even look like it as shown in the photo above. That's part of me in the corner.

So the baby is approximately the length of a banana and about 10 oz in weight. On the 25th of March we found out that the baby is a girl! So we will refer to the baby as Naomi from here on. Although, both Shalyn and I still kind of think that Naomi is a boy. The only reason the doctor said that she's a girl is because on the ultra sound there was nothing there to indicate "boy." We are really excited no matter what gender the little tike is.

Shalyn, not quite awake

So this morning we were just slowly waking up. Above our bed is a window and that window has a window sill. Shalyn likes to keep a bottle of water there in case she gets thirsty at night. Well, this morning she goes to take a drink from the bottle. I'm just lying there on my side of the bed. She goes to offer me a drink and I'm thinking, "sure, why not."
     Now, mind you, when water is in one's mouth, speech is not an option. Shalyn wasn't fully awake and didn't realize this. So she starts to pour the water into my mouth and my mouth starts to fill up. As the water level reaches my lips I start tapping her back. (we have this thing where when we're hugging or something, if the other one starts tapping you on the back, that means they're done with whatever is going on.) The water is now starting to spill out of my mouth.
     I tap harder.
She pours more.
     Later I realize that she thought the tapping meant that I wasn't getting any water. Well, I was. so was the pillow and the bed sheets. I was a little miffed at the time but quickly started laughing when I realized how comical this must look. Only after most of the water was gone from the bottle did Shalyn realize what was going on. This is one way to wake up, and know that you're awake. We had fun.

16 Weeks!

Today marks the 16th week of pregnancy for Shalyn. She is currently overcoming sickness. It has not been fun for her. She's been coughing and sneezing and sore throat-ing for much of the past week and a half.
     The 16th week is the start of a double in growth for the baby over the next few weeks. Shalyn hasnt really started showing yet. So over the next few weeks she'll probably show significantly. We'll put some pics up of her here in the near future. The baby is about the size of an avocado right now. Tiny bones forming in the baby's ear means that the baby can pick up sounds and hear us. This is really exciting!

Winter 2010 STX!

This has got to be the best STX ever! We got to fly around in Black Hawks!! That was cool. STX stands for situational training exercises FYI. Here are some pics for your enjoyment.

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

  

  

 

 

  

  

  

  

  

 

The 15th Week

We have now entered into the 15th week. As I write that I kind of feel like I'm one of those narrators for some science horror movie. But no, we aren't building a Frankenstein. At least I don't think we are. The baby is about the size of an apple. Shalyn is kind of allergic to apples though. They give her tongue a rash.
Our baby can currently sense light although the eye lids can't open. If we were to shine a light onto Shalyn's belly, the baby would shy away from it. But she can't feel the baby so it wouldn't matter.
  

The Riverside Sermon

This is a funny joke I just read: The Riverside
      A preacher was completing a temperance sermon; with great expression he said, "If I had all the beer in the world, I'd take it and throw it into the river."
     With even greater emphasis he said, "And if I had all the wine in the world, I'd take it and throw it into the river."
     And then finally, he said, "And if I had all the whiskey in the world, I'd take it and throw it into the river."
He sat down.
     The song leader then stood very cautiously and announced with a smile, "For our closing song, let us sing Hymn # 365: "Shall We Gather at the River."

I thought this was funny, just having come from church.

The 13th Week

 

 On Thursday Shalyn and I went to the doctor's office for another check-up. This time we got to hear the baby's heartbeat with the microphone equipment that the nurse used. It was pretty neat; Shalyn said, "the heartbeat sounds like a train."

     After we visited with the doctor we went down to the basment of the clinic and talked to the financial guys down there. This kid is going to be expensive if we cant get on Medicaid! We're talking $8,000 minimum. I was blown away, and started praying that we would qualify for Medicaid. 

     The picture above refers to the size of the baby. It's about the size of a medium-sized shrimp. When I compare last week's comparison to this week's, the shrimp actually looks smaller than the lime.

     On another note, school is definitely keeping us busy. I am always either in class, doing homework, or at work. Shalyn and I do find time to go have fun though. The other night we went to Craigo's to get some dinner and then came home and watched the next episode of Lost. Man, we are so into it. But this season is taking it's time to give answers. As of now, we don't really know what's going on.

     The last time we went on a date, we played Rummikub and watched a movie on the Netflix instant watch. The movie was "The Iron Giant." We were so wrapped up in the movie that we kept forgetting whose turn it was in the game. Funny.

Baby Lime

Today is the 12th week for Shalyn's pregnancy. The website we are following says that baby is about the size of a lime. Reflexes are forming as well as the kidneys are starting to function. This is all really exciting when you think how intricate and impossibly complex the growth of a baby is. In my opinion there's no way this is all happening by chance, by some "Big Bang."

"Row-t-c"

So I joined ROTC last semester and it's been tons of fun ever since. This semester every morning I wake up at 5:35 a.m. and go do PT with the other cadets. The waking up part is probably the hardest part, but once I get there I have fun.
     The other day I was preparing for the lab we would be having in ROTC and Shalyn asks me, "When do you have to leave for 'row-t-c?'" I thought that was the funniest thing. She calls it 'row-t-c.'

     

Hello and Welcome!

Welcome to the first post of my blog. The intent of this blog is to inform relatives and loved ones of how our little family is doing. And to just have fun. :)
     Shalyn, my wife, is doing well. She is 11 weeks pregnant and looking great. Just yesterday she came to me saying, "This is the first time I've had to keep my pants unbuttoned because it was uncomfortable."
     We are so excited for this new edition to our family in August and will post pictures of baby as he/she grows.

(above is a picture I took for my photojournalism class. I really like it. as you can see, there is snow everywhere here!)