For your information...

Hello everyone. I feel like its been a while since there has been an update on what is going on with us, so this should catch everyone up. Lately, Shayna (my sister) has been asking what baby stuff I had and didn't have and so everyone knows- I don't have a lot. I have a changing pad, 2 outfits, a blanket (thank you thank you, Marilyn!!) and a snuggli (that shayna got me). Don't worry...I will be purchasing more.....I am not a horrible mother.

We had a doctor's appointment earlier this week. The baby has been moving a lot and apparently that's normal. Regular everyday activities are slowly becoming increasingly uncomfortable. For instance, today I got my hair highlighted and cut. Sitting there for 3ish hours was soooooo uncomfortable. Also, I barley fit into my jeans anymore, so I may just have to give into the maternity jeans. Bending over may start becoming a hazard too because I am top heavy thanks to my ever growing daughter. Randomly, I will grab Gordon's hand to feel her kick and move. Its fun. Anyways, at the appointment, the baby's heart rate was at 157 which is normal and good. The doctor also said I've only gained 16 pounds which I was extremely happy about (considering I though I had gained 25). From this, I've calculated that I've gained .6 pounds per week. This means that if I continue on this track, I will only gain 26 pounds with the pregnancy. Time will only tell. I also found out that my blood type is O-negative. Because Gordon is A-positive, there is a chance that the baby has blood with a positive rH. If our bloods were to mix in any way, my red blood cells would attack the baby. This all basically means that I need to get rhogam shots to prevent this from happening. No big deal and even if it were, I'm pretty sure the baby is worth it. My next appointment is at the end of November, so stay tuned for new baby news.

Gordon has a job! He works for the university at night cleaning carpets and upholstered furniture. He took a job so we could have more money, but also so I could cut back on work. The hours are really tiring me out, so this was our solution. This job could potential lead to a supervisory position which has a higher hourly wage as well as insurance. We are keeping our fingers crossed, but no matter what happens, we know the lord will provide.

Just tonight, Shayna, Tony and their kids came over to make Halloween spider cookies. We took sugar cookie dough, rolled it in chocolate sprinkles, added mini M&M's for eyes and pretzel sticks for legs and then baked them. They were really fun to make and really good. After a while, Shayna and Gordon got creative and tried to bake spiders that were actually standing on their pretzel legs. We baked them and it didn't quite work...but they were still tasty! Anyways, I think that's all for now. Of course there will be more to come in the near future. Keep reading and blogging-we love reading up on our family and friends!

Look at her belly!

She's so pregnant...6 months to be exact.
We're very excited to have a baby girl joining our family.
No doubt she will bring a lot of joy into our lives!

Oh Canada!

On Sunday the 12th we had a get-together with friends and family to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving which is actually on the 13th. The celebration was at our place which we're renting along with some friends of ours-the Gatewoods.

Apple pie, Pumpkin cheese cake, and pumpkin tort....So good!!

As you can see in the picture, there was tons of food including a 16 1/2 lb turkey, gravy, rice stuffing, mashed potatoes, Lauren's Grandma's cauliflower, rolls, banana bread, and salad.

Its a GIRL!

After much debate, we are happy to announce that there is a little baby girl growing in Lauren's belly. We are so thrilled and excited. Here are a few photos from yesterday's visit. The doctor said that according to all the measurements, the baby looks wonderful and so far there are no problems. Lauren got some blood drawn for a quad scan (which tests for trisomy 18, downs syndrome, etc.) We should be getting the results from that in a week, but so far so good.

Here's the infamous crotch shot in all of its glory. Its definitely a girl.

Here's a profile of the little one. You can see her hand that is close to her mouth like she's about to suck her thumb. She will take after her dad.

You can see the long spine across this photo and the femur at the base of the spine.

My trip to Chicago and more baby blogging!

View of Chicago from the aquarium downtown.

My good friend Amy got married a few months ago and moved to Chicago where her betrothed was from. She only started work recently and apparently is loaded, so she decided to fly me and another friend out to visit her because she was a lone girl in a big windy city. I of course came to her rescue. We all were there from the end of august to september 4-ish. Anyways, it was lots and lots of fun and I really liked having somewhat of a vacation! When we got back, Gordon and I stayed with David and Gisella for a few days in Utah before the fall semester started.

Cute little Hyrum in his chair after dinner one night. What a little muffin.

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We are back in the daily grind and I'm constantly tired because of the pregnancy, and Gordon is constantly tired from not getting enough sleep. We try to rest, but apparently, the amount we get is not enough. As a side note, I should probably put a photo of my ever growing belly on here too. Maybe later. Two days ago I was in the bathroom brushing my teeth and Gordon said "wow, I've never seen you look so big!"(ha--music to a girl's ears) I pretended to get upset and he made a pretty good argument- "its good that you're getting bigger...that means the baby is growing and getting bigger!!" Nice save.

Anyways, this weekend, Gordon and I will be moving into the basement of a newly built house. In the basement, we will have 1500 square feet; 3 bedrooms, a huge living area and a bathroom with granite countertops and tile floors-all for $400 a month. We lucked out and are so blessed to be moving into it! Also, being pregnant and moving is really a good combination ("But Gordon, I can't lift that...can I hold the door for you?!".....works like a charm)


Gordon and I at a restaurant

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Also, there was a mix up at the Doctor's office last week and apparently, I wasn't 20 weeks. Its all fine and good because I will be this coming Sunday. We go to the doctor's office on the 25th to see the gender. So far, the baby has been pretty mellow in the belly. We've started a pool to see if all of your predictions are right. The majority so far is saying boy, so we'll just have to see. Exciting, though!


My ever growing belly (19 1/2 weeks)

Family visit

Since Shayna and I live in Rexburg, and our family is hundreds of miles away, they decided to come visit us and drive from Ottawa! We had a pretty awesome time while they were here! We went out to eat, we travelled to mesa falls, we learned new card games, and had one huge birthday party for Gordon, my mom, Shayna, Tony, Keegan, and Zoe. Lots of birthdays in the summer months! We definately were sad to see them go. Hopefully, my permanent residency will be completely processed by the time Christmas rolls around so we can travel to Ottawa to visit everyone there before I have the baby. We'll see! Cross your fingers.

Chelsea, my sister who brought me a new wardrobe

Matthew and Keegan

Mesa Falls

Happy Birthday Gordon!

Today is Gordon's birthday and he celebrated in style. He only had to work a few hours this morning and then saw the new batman movie with Tony which he was DYING to see. Because it was his birthday, he got into the theatre for free. Lucky guy! He went out for a late lunch with a mission friend at, of course, Taco Bell and then came home to me with wonderful gifts and dinner. We later went over to the Potters house to celebrate and sing, finishing the day off with some mighty tasty chocolate cake. Overall, I think it was a good day! Thank you to all the family members who have sent gifts and cards! He really felt special on his big day. I took video of this blessed event so you can email me if you want to see the festivities.