Holidays

I am so excited it is Holiday time now that we have a child.   Now the Holidays bring more meaning with them.  I know she is still to young to understand but at least now they have more reason behind them.  It has been fun to go and do the "typical" holiday activities. 
On Thanksgiving we gave Leah some baby food Turkey, yes I was excited.  Leah didn't seem to care one way or the other about it.  I do have to say that meat baby food is gross and I do not think I will be giving her any again.  I will just wait  until she is old enough to eat meat that isn't mushy! That was pretty much it for Thanksgiving. Oh I almost forgot Kevin's sister Cindy and her family came down.  It was so fun to have Leah's cousin Jack there to play with.  I have to admit I was trying to talk them into moving her the whole time during there visit, haha.  I just love having family close by.  I want Leah to grow up with her cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents all close by...just like how I had it. 
So far for Christmas we have taken Leah to get some picture with Santa.  It was really cute!  She just grabbed at his beard and had a confused look on her face.  Typical Leah story..on the way to see Santa I dressed her in a cute dress right before leaving the house.  Then when we got to the mall, like 15 min away, I went to take Leah out of her carseat and she was dripping in poo! Her dressed and tights were covered, I didn't know what to do.  I really wanted pictures with Santa and her.  So I ended up having to go into the mall and purchase another dress, but it was worth it.  She also got her first pair of shoes, yes I am that mom that doesn't put shoes on her children.
I do feel bad because our apartment is so small that we do not have room for an actual Christmas tree.  Instead we just have a tiny one in the corner. It sucks but hopefully one day we will be in a larger place or an actual home.
Kevin and Me are doing well.  Work has been extremely busy, it is very stressful managing my workload and my family time/responsibilities.  Kevin has been having to do many solo nights with Leah, but he is so great and helpful. 
 Recently my grandmother passed away.  She was such a wonderful grandma and there are so many precious memories of her that I cherish.  I wish I could have been there to say goodbye.  I just hope that she is at peace now and no longer suffering.  She was a great grandmother, she was a nurse and I remember I use to love playing with all of her nursing tools.  Oh and she always made the best homemade vegetable soup and collard greens!(I am from the south)

Leah and Briggs playing together...Notice my dad talking with Brinley in the background

Videos

Kevin made a you tube channel for us.  We have taken some videos but they were to big to email to people.  So the you tube channel was the best option so our family can see them.  The channel is www.youtube.com/imkevinclark  So go there and check on the videos.  So far there is only one video of Leah eating apples.  She hated apples, so weird.  She loves all veggies but is not a fan of fruits. 

4 months

Leah is 4 months old.  She had her 4 month check up and that did not go well.  I had to rush back to work on the worst case I've had.  Leah got sick from the immunizations and was miserable. 

She has started to roll over and grab things with her hands. Yes I know these things sound simple, but it is exciting watching her learn it.  She tried her first food, sweet potatoes, and it was awesome.  She liked it  but wasn't sure how to eat off of a spoon so most of the food didn't get in her mouth.  haha

My wonderful parents are watching Leah while I am at work, I am so grateful for there sacrifice.  I feel guilty that they are having to take over my responsibilities.  ONE DAY I hope I will be able to stay at home.  My parents do such a great job with Leah. My mom gets excited to tell me all the things that Leah does during the day and she is teaching her all sorts of things. 

Recently we went to Gardner Village for the Witch Festival.  It was fun to see Leah and Briggs dressed up together.  Leah was so tired and had grump face all night.  I love being close to family and I am desperately trying to get Kevin's family out here.  I love my sister in laws and they have all babies around Leah's age and it would be so fun. 

Kevin and me are doing good.  We both stay busy working.  We are adjusting to having a child and being on "family" schedule instead of our own schedule.  It is hard to find time for yourself and when I do I feel guilty for leaving Leah since I already leave her all day for work.  We are slowly figuring it out and adjusting.  I love my husband so much for all the help and support he gives me and Leah. Family life is  hard but so wonderful.

back to work :(

Cindi, Dave, and new baby Jack
My little family
Leah and Jack, yes Leah looks ginormous next to 3 week old Jack
Leah, Brinley, and Briggs (all the babies are drooling lol)


Yes it is that time already, I mean work time. My maternity leave went by so fast it was unreal. At first I didn't know what to do with myself being at home all day. But I quickly adjusted to being a "stay at home mom" and I loved it. There is nothing better than getting to spend all day with your child. I am going to miss seeing Leah learn to do new things and watching all of her fun expressions on her face.

Over the last few weeks as the day came closer to returning to work, I spent my days looking for work from home jobs. Unfortunately most of them were scams. I am hoping that I can adjust to working again, it is going to be so hard leaving Leah for the whole day. I am so thankful that I have wonderful parents who are able and willing to watch her while I work.

Kevin and me recently took Leah on her longest road trip all the way to CO. She did great on the drive. We went to visit Kevin's sister, Cindy. She she just had her baby and we went to see him and join in on his baby blessing.

PICS

leah at one month
Funny story about this picture...Leah has on Briggs jacket at the rodeo. Reason being, that she pooped through all of her clothes and didn't have anything else to wear.
Us on our vacation in the hotel

how cute she fell asleep with her little hands laid so "proper" haha

Baby equals Busy

Amy and Jared
Brooke (Leah's cousin born just 3 days after Leah)


Leah and Briggs on their blessing day
Leah in her blessing outfit just 3 weeks old

Wow I didn't realize how much my life was going to change with the new addition of a baby into our family. Everyone told me that it was going to be different but I just didn't believe it for some reason. My day is filled with caring for Leah and also trying to find time to care for myself. I love being a mom, it is the most wonderful feeling in the world. Kevin has been doing so good adjusting into "daddy" role. Leah loves her bath and loves to be held. She has started to smile and make eye contact, I love when she looks at me and smiles.
So.. Leah had her baby blessing on the same day as her cousin Briggs. It was a great time having our family all together for this. I am so blessed to have a husband that is able to give our children blessings and thankful for that. We also took Leah on her first vacation. We went to Oakley, ID for the pioneer day festival. We went with my sister and her family. It was a great time and I have a new found love for rodeo's. Leah did good on the trip, I on the other hand felt stressed most of the time. It was hard packing for a child in addition to myself, I also had to get over my fear of breast feeding in public. I have to say it wasn't so bad. Oakley was a cute little town. On the trip Kevin had to shoot a bird (he had to to make sure it was dead and not suffering) it was so sad. Kevin and my brother in law Aaron got to play most of the time. I am still healing from the c-section, sadly the incision is not healed yet. Kevin says I have a "weak" body.
In other news my sister in law, Amy, got married this month. She was a beautiful bride. I wish that Kevin and me were able to attend her wedding but with a new baby we couldn't make it out to New York.

Baby is Here!!

she looks so sweet when she sleeps
Leah and her cousin Briggs
going home from the hospital
kevin and leah
Leah's first day out of the house


Wow what a long pregnancy...I am glad that it is over and ready to get back to "normal". I am so happy with the end result of my pregnancy of course. I love being a mom and can't believe how much all the woe's of being pregnant don't even matter now. On June 13th I finally went into real labor when my water broke. I had a few false alarms prior to that. I ended up having to have a c-section and had some complications with the delivery but all is well now. In the end Leah was born weighing 8 lbs 3 oz and was 20 inches long. She is gorgeous and I can't believe she is finally here! She is so sweet and loves to sleep for now. Kevin did such a great job jumping into his "dad" role. I couldn't ask for better while we were in the hospital. Kevin not only took care of me but he also had to do everything for Leah as well. I have to say seeing your husband being a dad makes you love him even more.
As for me I am still recovering from the c-section and can't get around the best. I am taking maternity leave from work and I have to say staying at home is new experience. Of course taking care of Leah keeps me busy but it is an adjustment being at home all day. I do love being at home with her but I was surprised at how I miss going into work and associating with othr adults..I know weird.

Busy Times

This is a diaper "cake" my mom made, she did a great job.
It was really cute.
Me, little sister, older sister, and mom
Gifts from my bestie Ashley!
Sister in law Cindi and her husband
Me and Kev in CO

A lot has been going on since my previous post. My Mom, older sister, and me went to Women's Conference. It was a great experience and we heard many great talks. I have to say it was really difficult walking around the BYU campus being pregnant.

I have also had my baby showers. I had one for family and it was fun. It was nice to catch up with family members that I don't get to see that often. I also had a little shower with my coworkers. It was really nice and unexpected. I had fun getting little baby girl clothes, they are so cute!!

Kevin and me also took a trip to Colorado. We went to visit his sister and brother in law. We love to visit them, they are so fun. It was beautiful in Colorado and the parks there are amazing! We went to the zoo there and it was huge. Yes and it was difficult to walk around while being big and prego, I had to take many breaks. There aren't any pics from that time because my camera died.

Update on the pregancy.... Well not much new going on just getting bigger and more uncomfortable. I am ready to have the baby. Terrified of the labor and delivery process, but ready to be done being prego. Oh and the belly itching has started, it drives me nuts! I could scratch until my belly bleeds. Things are just getting even more uncomfortable at this point, even sleeping is a process and doesn't give me much rest. I do have to say that the baby has dropped and now I can breathe! I wish I would have carried low the entire time , maybe it would have made things easier. When the baby moves it is so much more prominent now. It is neat to see your belly move from side to side or see her stetch out. When she stretches out you can see one little spike in your belly.

Oh my older sister had her baby. She let me stay in the room while she was delivering because she wanted me to know what to expect. That was a mistake, it is a terrifying process to watch! I couldn't make it very long in the room before I was going to pass out, I had to get up and leave. The doctor and nurses were laughing at me, but I couldn't take it any longer. I now know I won't no one in the room with me (except for kevin).

Hopefully my next post will be with the baby. I am ready for maternity leave, work has been crazy. And it is difficult to make it through the day with my swollen limbs..lol

Countdown!!

Holly and Brinley (older sister and niece)
Baby Blanket
Me and Kevin on Easter (32 weeks)
(this was at 28 weeks)

So I finally hit the countdown stage of pregnancy. It has gotten to the uncomfortable point. I mean everything in my daily routine takes an effort to complete. Yes, even sleeping....I know who would think that sleeping takes effort. It is so hard to find a comfortable position these days and then I have to get up to pee every couple of hours.

Nothing new really going on with my pregnancy, just counting down until the due date, June 16th, and gaining weight. My mom and little sister are planning a baby shower, they are so sweet. I think they are excited about it, my mom really wants to play the "baby shower games". She is so cute. And my little sister wants everything to be a surprise..lol

My family recently got together for Easter. It was fun to all be together and eating good food. However it didn't feel much like Easter, we didn't have any children to really celebrate the Easter festivities with. But this time next year we will!

Recently I made my first baby blanket, ever, with my mom. Well I picked out the fabric and she did the rest while I watched. Thanks goodness for moms! This is the only thing I have really gotten for baby Leah. I know I am so behind, I really need to start preparing the nursery and getting the needed baby items.

I am excited for the upcoming Women's Conference held at BYU. My mom, older sister, and me have gone for the last three years. It is a really good time and we always enjoy ourselves.

Update

So I am about 27 weeks pregnant now, I think, I loose count sometime..Haha I tried to get my husband to take a picture of my ever growing belly, but every picture he took was horrible. I told him no more and I will have to find a girl to take a more flattering picture. Although I believe at this point no picture will be flattering. I can feel the baby moving more now, and it is a great feeling now that it is actual movements. And I have experienced my first case of heartburn, UGHHH not fun. I freiked out when it first happened because I didn't know what was going on. I know how silly.

What else has been going on....Well we love our new apartment. It feels so nice to be out of a basement and actually have windows you can open with light and wind coming in!! Work has been extremely busy for both of us. I am so ready for maternity leave, I know it won't be a full break but at least I won't have to go into work everyday and deal with clients.

You know I believe Pregnancies come in groups because my sister, two sister in laws, and myself are all pregant and due within weeks of each other. Then my two friends are also pregnant around the same time. Then I have two coworker that are also due within weeks of me as well. That is just crazy!

You know I have not even began to start decorating or setting up a nursery. I am being so slack but I don't even know where to start. We haven't even started buying things yet either. I did go and look at some of the baby stores and GEEZ baby items are expensive. Stroller, crib, crib bedding, play pen, clothes, diapers, wipes, and carseat. OMG it is overwhelming. I know we need to hurry and start getting things before I get so big I don't even want to move.

For those of you who haven't found the new lifetime series, One Born Every Minute, you need to start watching it. This show is awesome, it shows the labor and delivery floor of a hospital and all that goes on there. Its a pretty good eye opener and very interesting.

I will be posting some pictures soon just so everyone can see what is going on with us.

It's a GIRL!!!

So we just found out we are having a baby girl and we are so excited. The funny thing is that we had a boy name ready to go, but we have no girl names...ahh. Pregnancy is getting easier now, well I guess I should say less sucky. I am starting to accept the changes my body is going through. I am out of the awkward phase of just looking like your are gaining weight, so now I actually look pregnant. It also feels more real, maybe it is because I know what I am having now. The ultra sound was so fun, I wish I could see the baby more often. The only down side to that doctor's appointment was that when we got home our DVD of the ultra sound didn't work :( Ugghh and the next appointment is the glucose test and I hear that is awful.
So now that I know I am having a girl it is time to shop! I recently started a baby book/journal so she will know some prenatal details. Let's see what else...Oh I can definitely feel her move now and so can Kevin, it is a great feeling. In the picture above I am 22 weeks along.

Something new I am learning is couponing. My sisters are really into this right now, so they are teaching me. I do not have time with work to really delve into this hobby, however the little I do get to do does save me money. I have become brave enough to price match now and that also is a huge money saver. I have noticed now that I know I have to care for another person I am starting to really watch what I spend.

Baby Time!

Kevin and me are finally having a baby. After trying for almost a year we have success. I am 18 weeks right now and we will find out what we are having in about three weeks. I don't have any preference on the gender at this point. Ughh...Pregnancy So before getting pregnant I looked at all of the "cute" pregnant girls and couldn't wait for that to be me. Oh how my thoughts have changed. Man the first part of pregnancy is just awkward. You are hormonal, gaining weight but you don't look pregnant yet, can't sleep, and everything smells so strong to you. So you just look like your getting chubby..lol. Also you can't feel your baby move, your to small for maternity pants, but to big for your regular pants. Man I am just ready to get past the 20th week, then I will feel "real" pregnant. Then I will actually be able to feel the baby move and have more of the actual pregnancy looking belly. Haha so far my clients at work still haven't asked me if I'm pregnant they just look at my stomach and say "how are you doing" like three times!
I am so excited to start buying baby stuff, I haven't bought anything yet. I am going to wait until we move into a better apartment. Yes we will be moving again, sucky....We live in a basement apartment right now and I can't take it any longer. I need light and to feel like I have my own place not sharing a house with someone else. We plan on moving in the next month or two.
I think that is the last of the updates so far. The picture is of my baby belly growth so far and my older sister is behind me and she is 20 weeks along.