Best news was finally announced today. 

I'm going to be an AUNT (again), but the first time on my side of the family. 

My awesome sister and her husband are PREGNANT!

She will be the best mom and I'm so excited my little girl will have a best friend/cousin so close in age. 

My mom and I are convinced it's a girl.

Guess we will know in a few weeks!

 

Week 29

My little Baby Center app just went off this morning alerting me that I've hit week 29! Only 11 weeks to go. I thought I'd do a little update on how things are going.

Total weight gain: 15 pounds. I lost 5 pounds at the start of my pregnancy, so I guess I've only gained 10 from my original weight but I did gain the 5 pounds lost back. I swear half the weight is in my boobs.

Maternity clothes? Yes. I love my maternity pants. They are way comfortable. If I wear any of my old pants, I have to have the belly band. It's just too uncomfortable around my waist.

Stretch marks? No! Drinking lot's of water to keep it that way.

Sleep: Okay. I get up once or twice a night because baby E's head is on my bladder. And my back hurts so I have to move around quite a bit.

Best moment this week: Lake Powell! We went to Lake Powell with Alex's dad to help him with the youth. Baby E got to surf for her first time. If she's like her parents she will be a water baby.

Food cravings: Powdered donuts. And watermelon. I ate 6 slices of it at dinner last night!

Anything making you queasy or sick: If my back starts hurting really bad it makes me nauseous. But luckily nothing like the first 20 weeks.

Gender: Baby GIRL

Belly Button in or out? IN! But coming to the surface.

Wedding rings on or off? On, but I take them off quite a bit.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!

Looking forward to: Baby Meibos being born this week! My sister in law is being induced on Wednesday! We can't wait to meet him! Also, my parents come out in 2 weeks for my baby shower and to go to Lake Powell!

Long Over Due Update

Wow! Haven't been on the blog for a WHILE! I think it's probably time for an update. I'd really like to be better with the baby on the way! Since the last post here's our exciting news: We left our cute little apartment in Provo and moved to Parowan, UT. What the heck?! I'm sure many of you have no clue where it is. It's a small town in southern Utah. Just outside of Cedar City. It's actually where Alex grew up. Alex finished school and decided to work with his dad in the trucking company. He has some really great ideas and will be great at his job. Not to mention he is much happier with his work than he is in school. Which is great for me! Right now we are renting from Alex's Aunt in a cute little house in town. We are starting to work with a builder and are planning on building a house! I'll keep that updated as it goes along.

Baby News: Our last post was us posting that little baby E was a boy. Well surprise surprise, the ultrasound tech was wrong! We are actually having a girl! I'm still kind of in shock about the surprise, but thankful we didn't have much bought. I'm also measuring small, so the doctor thinks I will have the baby at the beginning of November instead of at my original due date, October 21st. We are just praying she isn't born on Halloween. I don't believe in mixing holidays. I prefer to add more than to take any away.

I have had an interesting pregnancy. The first 19 weeks I was really sick. Never throwing up, but I was sick from the time I woke up in the morning until I went to bed. I had a really hard time eating. I had lost 5 pounds in the first 12 weeks of my pregnancy. After week 19, it went down to only about an hour each day, and then I just didn't feel sick any more. I was so thankful no to fee sick. Because of a bulging disk in my back, the back pain is out of control. It also doesn't help that little girl is kicking me in the ribs a few times a day. This week I go in to take my glucose test and get the rhogam shot, because Alex is a positive blood type and I am a negative. I made it to the 3rd trimester today! We are so excited to meet out little girl. Alex and I talk about her all the time. He is so excited to meet her. He'll be the best dad. And it's probably good we'll have a little girl first because the way he beats up on his nephews, I don't know if a little boy would have survived! I can already tell he will be very protective of his little girl.

27 week picture. 

As for me, I finished teaching in May and now I just do customer service from home. The plan is to continue to do that even when the baby's born. It's just really convenient and the extra money never hurts. I have driven up a few times to hang out with my sister in Salt Lake and have plans to go up there again in August. I get to see my in-laws a lot which is nice. I also get to see my parents in August for our family vaca to Lake Powell. I am counting down the days! Can't wait!

That's our update for now. I'll really try to be better at blogging (famous last words) but the goal is to have it like a little journal since I don't keep a journal either! We'll see if I can keep it up!

Baby BOY E

Knee Surgery

So on New Years Eve last year, I hurt my knee wakeskiing.
I never ended up having surgery for my ACL and my knee did really well for a while.
I was really active this summer and fall.
During a flag football game, I forgot to put my brace on.
I ran a play and stepped on my knee so wrong. It hurt so bad.
This was just before Thanksgiving break, so I was happy to have the time to let it heal.
During Thanksgiving break I tried to go on a run and I normally have no problem running 3 miles non-stop, but I had to keep stopping cause of my knee. It was so annoying.
It felt better though the next week.
I had a flag football game after break.
I played and I made a cut while running with the ball. It KILLED.
I played the rest of the game and could sort of run on it, but it was painful.
We went to dinner with a friend after and when I tried to get up from the table I couldn't even put weight on my leg.
It was a different injury than I had had.

The next morning I was in tons of pain. Connor's (Christina's fiance's) grandad was an orthopedic surgeon.
I went to his house that evening and he looked at it and he thought I tore my meniscus.
He also worked with my orthopedic surgeon and scheduled an MRI for me.
I got my MRI Friday morning.
Saturday morning Dr. Schow, (my orthopedic surgeon who I went to at the beginning of the year and was kind enough to take time on his day off to call) called and said he looked at the MRI and that I had a torn meniscus and my ACL was still torn.

I went to his office on Monday, and we scheduled surgery for Wednesday (because I could barely bare weight on it). They were going to go in and fix my meniscus and my ACL.

On Wednesday, Alex and I went to the surgery center at 11am. I was really nervous cause this was my first surgery! They prepped me and got me all ready. At 12:30 they took me to the operating room. I went in the operating room and I remember talking to the anesthesiologist (I get really chatty when I'm nervous). I remember him asking me to tell him a story and I said I couldn't think of one, and that was it!

I woke up and Cheryl and Joyce were there. Alex had to leave to take a test in class. Apparently I am a crazy coming out of surgery. They got some good videos of me. I talked about the most random things after!

I don't even remember it, it's the craziest thing. I remember waking up and getting a sip of diet coke and seeing Cheryl recording me.
All yesterday my knee was numb so it didn't hurt too bad.
Today it has been killing and last night I barely got any sleep. Thank goodness for good pain medicine to help with the pain.

I'm also so thankful for my husband who has been super helpful even though school has not been easy on him. I'm thankful for my mother-in-law who came to help me out and for Cheryl helping out too and getting me a nice fountain diet coke. I'm thankful for my sister for bring me dinner (she brought pizza and that was exactly what I was craving). I'm thankful for my sister Ana for stopping by and bring me some treats. I'm thankful for my friend Aubrey who brought me flowers and ice cream and made me laugh when she came over. And I'm so thankful my mom will be coming tomorrow to help take care of me and help me with Christina's shower!

Thank goodness for good people in my life who have made this easier on me. Even my students have been so awesome for me since I got hurt. My doctor has been awesome and has gotten it fixed so fast so I can start the recovery.
  

 So glad that I can move on my way to having a good healthy knee again!

November

The first weekend in November, Jessika went through the temple. It was such an awesome experience to be a part of. Christina was her escort. We love Jessika like a sister and we are so excited for her mission.

Cami's "Naughty or Nice" shower was at Spark. 

It was a really successful fun night!

The next weekend was Cami's wedding.

I love this girl.

She has such a fun, bubbly, beautiful personality. 

Rhet is one lucky man.

Alex really loves his little sister, too.

It was a gorgoeus wedding.

Joyce is the ultimate party planner.

They turned an airport hanger into a gorgeous reception.

It was perfect for Cam!

The next night was their open house in Toquerville and the Olsens did a great job.

It was a little chilly, but just reason to cuddle up!

For Thanksgiving we got to go to Florida!

We went fishing A LOT!

We fished at the beach, Alex and the boys fished in the ocean, but we found out the best place to fish was actually in my parents neighborhood.

Near the country club, there is a dock where you can canoe in the brackish water.

We fished off that dock and it was where we caught the most fish!

It was awesome weather.

And we got to see Grandma and Grandpa Chatfield, as well as Mabbie and John while we were there.

We loved November!

October

October was a fun month! It consisted of Alex going to school and me working.

Mom got to come out so we could look at venues for Christina's wedding.

We have been so lucky that we have got to see mom EVERY month! 

I have loved it.

It's made living so far away not seem unbearable.

Also, Christina's best friend Adrienne was here with her cute little baby Will.

I played both flag football and soccer for intramurals.

Both teams were two of the most fun teams I have been on.

I played both flag football and soccer for intramurals.

Both teams were two of the most fun teams I have been on.

I loved all the girls.

I had fall break from school, and Cheryl and Joyce went to New York.

While they were gone I watched the babies!

One day we were in Parowan so Alex and Jared could work on the houseboat trailer.

We went to St. George to an inflatable place and McDonalds after.

We had a way fun day!

I watched them the rest of that weekend.
Alex and Jared played some flag football, and Jared ended up breaking his finger so bad he had to get pins in it.

Poor guy.

We had lots of fall ball for lacrosse and scrimmaged Lehi and American Fork.

So proud of my girls. 90% of them are new, and there has already been so much improvement.

We through Cami a bridal fiesta!

It was a blast.

Jessika got her mission call!

Paris, France, leaving February 2nd.

So happy for her.

Halloween night we went with Cheryl and Jared and the babies as a herd of cattle.

Cheryl made the most awesome Halloween dinner.

She made spider deviled eggs, pumpkin breadbowl for chili, and spooooky punch!

October was a really fun month!