So Much to Blog About...

Jane is 3 weeks and 1 day old today. How times flies! I took her in for a 2 week check up last week and she weighed 7lb 3oz. She gained 1lb 3oz in just 2 weeks! I was impressed. It means she's getting plenty to eat. We are working on getting into a routine now. My biggest worry was being able to wake up and get Dawson to school on time. His school starts at 7:45 which makes for us being up rather early. Jane is usually asleep during this time so getting Dawson up and ready and to school has not been a problem. I have been able to get out of the house a few times which is nice. I haven't been able to spend as much time with Mary's kids but hopefully now that Jane is a little bigger I will get back to seeing them more. Cora loves baby Jane. Asher has only really noticed her once and wanted to play with her feet and was laughing. It was pretty sweet.
Brad and I took the kids into Sears to have their pictures taken together and seperate. While we were at the mall we also decided to take them to see Santa. It was perfect going during the week. There was no line at all to see Santa and Santa really enjoyed holding Jane. Their pictures all turned out so cute and I had a hard time choosing my favorite ones.
Brad has officially passed his last Master's class and is a graduate now! I'm so proud of him. He had his winter concert last week and has nothing to worry about for school for a couple of months. I've already noticed a huge difference and we have gotten to spend a lot more time together. It was almost strange to be able to sit and watch TV together knowing he didn't have to get up to go back and do homework or work on musical music.
We had a great Thanksgiving. Jane was 5 days old and was an angel. She did decide to wake up as soon as it was time for us to eat as did Mary's son Asher. Gotta love the babies though! Brad and I hosted Thanksgiving at our house (although we didn't do all the work....every time I got up my mom told me to go sit back down.) It was really nice to have my family here and I am thankful they were willing to travel here. For the past 10 years we have always gone to my Aunt's house and before that my Grandparents house. I just knew I wouldn't be able to travel yet.
We are looking forward to having Christmas dinner at our house again this year. Our home is all decorated now and we are definitely in the Christmas Spirit. We love this time of year. We have so much to be thankful for. My brother and his family are moving back to CA this week! I can't wait to have them close by and to get to be around their kids more. I hope he is able to find a job here in Redding (or near by) so that we can get together a lot. We are also excited that Brad's sister is having another baby. She is due on my birthday (June 21st.) She just told us last week-although I've had a feeling since mid October that she was. It will be nice for Jane to have another little cousin. We are hoping they have another girl since they have 3 boys.

Jane Elizabeth Fowers

Sweet baby Jane was added to our family on Saturday, November 21st, 2009. She was born at 12:45pm weighing 6 pounds 10 ounces and 18 inches long. She is absolutely beautiful and the perfect addition to our family. Dawson adores her and is thrilled to finally be a big brother.
I went into labor early Saturday morning. I went to bed feeling like she was lower than normal and it was hard to walk. At 3am I woke up to a contraction (I was also dreaming I was in labor at the same time.) I didn't think much of it because this had been happening for a couple of weeks now. I went back to sleep and woke up 15min. later to another contraction and dreaming again that I was in labor. I decided I would time them. They were not too consistent about every 6-10minutes. Around 4:10 I decided I should wake Brad up and go to the hospital to get checked just in case. We got there around 5am and I was still only dilated to a 4 (I had been a 4 since my Drs. appt on Wednesday.) I was a little disappointed about that. The nurse hooked me up to monitor my contractions. After an hour she said they weren't regular so they might send me home but the Drs. were changing over at 7 so they would wait until then. At 7:30 they checked me again and I was still a 4 with irregular contractions (3-8min. apart.) They mentioned sending me home again...I was not so happy about that At 9am the nurse came in and checked and said that although I hadn't dilated anymore I was showing some progress so they would admit me. I then asked for an epidural because I was tired of the pain and figured at the pace I was going this was going to take a long time. The anesethelogist came in around 10 and got it going. I wasn't feeling much just a little pressure here and there but the monitor wasn't picking up contractions at all. I thought great the epidural stopped my labor and this is going to be awful. The nurse checked my progress around 10:45 or so and said I was now 6cm and 100% effaced. I was shocked! She said my water needed to break and if it didn't break soon she would try to help me with that. At 11:15 I'm having Mary read to me what is for dinner and the other options in the cafeteria when I felt a lot of pressure and told her to hold on. I then heard and felt a pop (she heard it too) and sure enough my water broke. We got the nurse in there and she checked and said sure enough that was your water and you are now a 10 and ready to push. The Dr. came rushing in and I started freaking out. The baby's heart rate dropped so they put the internal monitor on her head (which was tangled up in her hair after I delivered.) They gave me oxygen to help me and the baby out. With the epidural going I couldn't feel anything so the nurse turned it off. Within minutes I was feeling intense pain! I ended up pushing for 3 contractions then took a 10min. break. I then pushed again for a few contractions and they said to take a 15min. break. I was having to breathe through the contractions that were very painful. Mary became my focal point for whatever reason and I just kept staring at her and saying breathe. She lost it at one point and laughed at me. I apologized after wards for being a little bit crazy/creepy by looking at her. All the sudden I had the worse pain/pressure feeling and the nurse had me try to push and sure enough Jane was ready. The Dr. came back in and I pushed a couple of times and out she came. It was rather scary and exciting at the same time. It was not my finest hour in life and I'm thankful to not be pregnant anymore. I have so much more energy and am feeling more like myself again.
Brad has been an awesome dad and husband. He just loves his daughter. Dawson wasn't able to come see us at the hospital because of h1n1. He adores her though and has been a huge help when he's around. He just looks at her and you can see his love for her. Nothing makes me happier than that. I'm sure he will be very protective of her.
I have to end my post with a HUGE THANK-YOU to my amazing twin sister Mary. She showed up at the hospital at 5am (with her make up on) and went through labor and delivery with Brad and me. She brought us food when we needed it and kept everyone updated. She let me squeeze her hand and stare at her when I was freaking out. She kept Dawson Sunday night and took him to a movie on Monday so Brad and I could have some time with Jane. I can't thank her enough. I also have to thank all my family who came to visit us and who have been helping us out. It means so much to us. We are indeed blessed.

Halloween and Pregnancy

Dawson had a fantastic Halloween. We didn't get to carve pumpkins with Mary and her family this year because time just flew by and our schedules were a bit crazy. Dawson and I carved pumpkins together (Brad has been SO busy at work with musical.) I let him be in charge of his own pumpkin and he was very proud of his creation.
Halloween was a busy day. Dawson had his last soccer game of the season followed by their team party. Brad and I stayed at the house to hand out candy and babysit Asher while Dawson went out with Mary's family and his dad. He had a blast and loved being a skeleton. I loved that he was a skeleton because it's a costume he got last year for Christmas so I didn't have to buy him a new one this year.
Today I am 35 weeks and 4 days pregnant. I am pretty sure I will be having this baby early. I went to the Dr. last Thursday and was already dilated to 1 1/2cm and 70% thinned out. I have been having inconsistent contractions daily and my hips are killing me. Brad and I feel pretty ready for the baby but it is a stressful time of year with him having his school's musical and finishing up his Masters Degree. Once Dec. 10th comes life won't be as crazy for him. I just worry about going into labor at the worst possible time for him. Thankfully I go to the Dr. weekly now so should get updates on my progress and if he thinks labor is close.
And another Dawson update is that he's FINALLY able to read chapter books and loves it. I'm so proud of him. I'm so amazed at how well he can read now compared to what he was doing a year ago. He's also really good at Math and seems to enjoy it. He does not really enjoy spelling at all.

33 Weeks Pregnant

I went to the Doctor today for a routine checkup. He says everything looks good so far. I was worried that the baby was transverse (sideways) due to where I feel movement. He said he's pretty sure that she's curled up on my right side with her head down and her bum by my belly button which is why I feel the movement where I do. I am glad to hear that but as time goes on we will know for sure. I was worried that I might have to have a c-section. Brad and I are finishing up our childbirth education classes. It has been a good refresher for me but thinking about the labor process gives me anxiety. My Dr. did tell me that I should be able to get some medication even if I'm progressing quickly if I request it. He also said that I shouldn't have to push for 2 hours like I did with Dawson. I sure hope I don't! It was too tiring. We are getting more and more anxious as the time draws nearer. I am hoping to have the baby between 37-38 weeks so keep your fingers crossed for me! If I have her a little early it means I can get my gallbladder out sooner. I have had a couple attacks recently that were pretty intense and resulted in driving to the ER only to have the pain disappear on the drive there. Brad has been pretty good about it and is very helpful.

Disneyland and Baby Shower

Dawson had the opportunity to go to Disneyland with Mary, Ben, and Natalie. I baby sat Cora and Asher for the weekend as a trade off. He had a BLAST and can't wait to go back. He did come down with a bit of a cold on his 2nd day there. He was exhausted by the end of the day and ended up sleeping through the fireworks show. He was very brave and went on all the fast roller coasters.
This last weekend Mary threw me a baby shower. It was fantastic getting together with a bunch of family and friends. Mary did a great job planning it and it meant a lot to me. She made an edible fruit arrangement and a butterfly cake. She didn't like how it turned out but I thought it was very cute. I am feeling more prepared for baby Jane's arrival. I do have my moments of anxiety where I am not sure I can do it (but it's a little late for that now isn't it?!) The picture of me in front of the fireplace is me at 31 weeks pregnant. I think I grow more and more each day.

Pregnancy Pains and Joys

This pregnancy started out awesome for me. I found out I was pregnant at 3 ½ weeks and kept waiting for morning sickness to kick in. I had morning sickness for 5 months or so with Dawson. I never had horrible morning sickness during this pregnancy. Sure I had my moments of not feeling great or loss of appetite but it was not bad at all. I didn’t gain any weight until the 20^th week of pregnancy. Those were the weeks.

Around the 18^th week of pregnancy my leg/pelvic region started to ache. It has not stopped since and I’m now 30 weeks pregnant. I have not confirmed it with the doctor yet (I go in next week) but am pretty sure it’s called pelvic girdle pain. It should heal itself after I have this baby. I have put in bold print the symptoms that I have. Here are the symptoms of PGP:

· Present swelling and/or inflammation over joint.

· Difficulty lifting leg

· Pain pulling legs apart.

· Unable to stand on one leg.

· Unable to transfer weight through pelvis and legs.

· Pain in hips and/or restriction of hip movement.

· Transferred nerve pain down leg.

· Can be associated with bladder and/or bowel dysfunction.

· A feeling of symphysis pubis giving way.

· Stand with a stooped over back.

· Malalignment of pelvic and/or back joints.

· Struggle to sit or stand.

· Pain may also radiate down the inner thighs.

· You may waddle or shuffle.

· Aware of an audible ‘clicking’ sound coming from the pelvis.

Needless to say it is no fun at all. It makes the smallest tasks so difficult at times.

Around 22 weeks pregnant I woke up one night with this awful pain in my ribs and back. I was scared to death and was at my parents house without Brad. I had a few more episodes like this and decided it was time to go to the Dr. I had an ultrasound done of my gall bladder and sure enough I have gall stones. UGG! So now I have to really watch what I am eating. This is the time of my life I shouldn’t have to worry about everything I am eating and now I have to be so cautious. I can not do anything about the gall stones until after I have this baby and then it will be at least 6 weeks after that. I hope to have the baby 3 weeks early so that I can it removed right after the first of the year. I will have to endure the holiday’s with this and that will be no fun!

I have also from early on experienced round ligament pain. It is also AWFUL pain to endure. It usually feels like a knife stabbing into the lower side of me. It alternates sides or occurs on both sides at the same time. It has brought me to tears more than once. Needless to say between round ligament pain and the pelvic pain I have a rough time rolling over in bed at night or getting up in the morning. It’s not so pleasant. I also get leg cramps on occasion and those are also horrible. I got them toward the end of my pregnancy with Dawson but this time around they happened much earlier on. I feel like with all this pain there is no way I can go through with another natural childbirth but then again I can’t go in thinking I can get medication since they told me I couldn’t have anything last time because I progressed so quickly. I am hoping for a very speedy labor again!

I know that all this pain will be forgotten and worth it the day that I have baby Jane. I am looking forward to holding, snuggling, and kissing her. I am anxious to see what she looks like and to have my whole life as I know it changed! I know she will be a great added blessing to our family. Now let us hope she shows up in 7 weeks and not 10+ weeks.

Labor Day Weekend/ Dawson's 7th Birthday

Brad and I hanging out at my parents house.
The Birthday Boy at Chuckee Cheese

Mary made the cutest cakes for the kids!
The Birthday Kids


For Labor Day weekend we headed over to my parents house on the coast. Mary and her family went as well. We had a party for the kids on Saturday. Dawson turned 7, Natalie 8, and Cora 2. It was a mellow party and the kids had a lot of fun. I can't believe that Dawson is already 7. He is growing up so quickly. I love that he is such a sweet kid. He is always full of hugs and kisses for me (as long as his friends aren't around.) He is doing an awesome job at school. He is overall such a happy kid. I am so blessed to have him and to be able to raise him.
Monday night his dad threw him a party at Chuckee Cheese. I'm not a huge fan of the place but Dawson had a great time. I just sat back and watched him and enjoyed not being the host of the party. Dawson's big present from Brad and I is a trip to Disneyland in a couple of weeks. He is going to go with Mary, Ben, and Natalie while I watch Cora and Asher. They are going to have a great time (as am I!) I don't think I could physically walk all around Disneyland.
My baby belly is getting bigger and bigger each day. I'm just about 28 weeks pregnant and everything is going pretty smoothly. I definitely have an appetite now and feel like I eat non stop some days. Baby Jane moves around a lot and it still makes me laugh sometimes. Brad saw her move my whole stomach yesterday--it freaked him out a little bit but he thought it was neat. I am anxious to meet her in less than 12 weeks (hopefully) and see what she looks like.

Back to School

School started back up on Monday. I can't believe that Dawson is already in the 2nd grade. It feels like I just dropped him off at Kindergarten. He loves his class and teacher so far. I hope it stays that way. On the second day of school he ran out of class and told me that he has a new crush. She's a new girl to the school that is in his class. She isn't as blonde as his previous crushes so I was a bit surprised but at least he is opening up to other types. The first week back is always hard getting back into a schedule. Brad starts up his musical auditions then practices next week. It's always a tough transition. I get used to having him around most of the day during the summer then all the sudden he is working 12 hours a day. We are just hoping that I don't go into labor the weekend of his musical (the weekend before Thanksgiving.)

Dawson also started his second year of soccer. His cousin, Natalie, is on the same the same team so it should be a fun season. The team seems fairly young so they probably won't do all that great but I think they will have a good time. I just enjoy watching Dawson play any sport. He has so much more athletic ability than I ever did. It just comes to him and he loves it.

I'm now 25 weeks pregnant and growing daily. The baby has days where she kicks non stop and other days where she doesn't move around much at all. I love it. The only part I do not like is all the ligament pain and sciatic pain that I have been having. I have been going to a chiropractor and that seems to help a little. We have the nursery pretty much set up and love it. It's so adorable and perfect for us. She is one lucky baby.

High School Reunion, Sunriver, and baby update

This last weekend was my 10 year high school reunion. I drove over to my parents house on Friday afternoon and came back home Sunday afternoon. Friday night everyone was supposed to meet up at the bars. Since I'm not a drinker and I'm pregnant I didn't find that appealing. Mary and I went and got ice cream across the street from the bars instead. We some some interesting characters out late at night in Arcata. We had a good time visiting with old friends and seeing people from the past. I was pretty tired by the end of the night though. In the picture above is one of my great friends, Katie, who I still keep in touch with, myself, and Mary.

Brad and I took Dawson back up to Sunriver. We always have so much fun there. Brad's parents also went. It's nice to spend time with them outside of our daily lives. We went the day after I found out I am having a baby girl so Penny (Brad's mom) and I went to a few baby stores. We found a few things that were adorable. I was a bit disappointed in some of the speciality stores with their baby girl clothing. They just didn't have any cute dresses! We took Dawson to the Sunriver mall and let him have an afternoon of fun. We had lunch, rode in bumper cars, jumped in the bounce houses, played mini golf, got a treat, and got to play in the toy store.


Here I am at 21 weeks pregnant. I feel like I wake up bigger and bigger each day. The baby is moving around a lot which I enjoy. Brad has felt her kick a few times. Mary felt her kick once and Dawson has felt her kick as well. I think it kind of freaked Dawson out because he says he doesn't want to feel it again. We are setting up the nursery (I know already!) We had found a crib and amroire that we loved back when I was only 7 weeks pregnant and last summer my mother in law had bought a red changing table and baby girl bedding that was on clearance at a baby store here. We are loving how the room is coming together. It should be complete in the next week or so and I will post a picture. I never got to set up a nursery for Dawson so this has been exciting.

It's a GIRL!

Last Thursday I had my ultrasound at 21 weeks pregnant. Brad, Dawson, and Mary were able to go with me. The whole week before the ultrasound I kept having dreams about it and the equipment not working, the baby not looking like a baby, not knowing for sure what it is, etc. The night before I dreamed twice that it was going to be a boy. I was pretty sure it was a boy and was content with that.
We got to the appointment and had to wait (as usual) for what seemed like forever. I finally got called back and before I knew it my baby was on a 36" screen TV for everyone that went with me to view. There was also a resident doctor there that day so we got a super detailed ultrasound. My Dr. spoke out loud about everything he was looking for, looking at, and had some cool comments. He wasn't able to tell right away if it was a boy or girl but went back later and announced it was a girl. A part of me is still in shock about that because I thought for sure it was a boy. I am SUPER excited as is Brad. Dawson was really bummed because he wanted a brother. He did like seeing the baby on screen though. He loved when they baby yawned and when the baby covered her face with not only her hands but her feet. It made everyone laugh. The 2 pictures we got from the ultrasound are not all that great because of the fact that she kept her hands in front of her face the whole time so I won't be posting it. You really can't tell what anything is.
I have already had the chance to go baby shopping with my amazing mother-in-law. She is so excited to have another granddaughter. There are a lot of really cute baby girl clothes and items out there.
We have decided that we will be naming her Jane Elizabeth. Jane is my middle name as well as my Grandma Betsy and cousin Chelsea. Elizabeth is Mary's middle name as well as my Aunt Suzi's and 2 of my other nieces, Mae and Cora. We LOVE the name and is represents both sides of the family.

Camping at Burney Falls

Brad, Dawson, and I drove up to Burney Falls campground this past Monday and stayed until Thursday. We met my parents, brother and his family, and all my other siblings up there throughout the week. One of my aunts and 2 cousins were also able to go. We had such a great time. I wasn't sure if Dawson would like camping but he LOVED it. He wants to go again. He especially enjoyed making s'mores each night. He even slept in a tent with his cousins with no adults. I was proud of him. Brad and I slept in his parents camp trailer. Dawson could have slept in there with us. It was pretty warm up there all week so we went swimming every day to cool off. The kids all loved going to swim in the lake and building sand castles. Mary and I went up for a day trip on Friday to visit with the family again. We had a nice time again. I was happy to be done with camping. I really appreciate my bed even more and hot showers that are NOT timed.


Dawson after swimming at the lake at Burney Falls. It was SO hot this week.
Brad, Dawson, and I at the trail head to walk down to the falls. Dawson went twice with my brother. I couldn't make it due to a really bad pain in my leg and Brad had a sprained ankle.
The kids went snipe hunting every night. It was hilarious. If you do not know what snipe hunting is it's a non existent bird that you take people out after dark to hunt for. The kids learned a snipe call from my dad and took out a large ziploc bag to catch it. They even set a trap one night. During the day they would look around the campsite for snipe holes.
Dawson on his first hike to the falls. He really loved this hike.

A busy couple of weeks

The last couple weeks have been filled with visiting family. My brother and his 3 ADORABLE kids came out from Utah to visit. They stayed at my house for a couple days before heading to our parents. Brad, Dawson, and I went to visit them more at my parents house for a few days. We had a great time relaxing, going to the beach, eating at some of my favorite places, and just being with the kids. I wish that they didn't live so far away.

For the 4th of July we went to Weaverville. We went there on the 3rd and walked around town and took Dawson to the museums/tourist things to do. On the 3rd they also had their annual fireworks show. We took Dawson to the park so he could walk around and play at the very small carnival. He loved the fireworks. We stayed the night there at a hotel and woke up early Saturday so to go the town's parade. It was a lot of fun (a bit hot but luckily since I'm pregnant was able to sit in one of the few shaded spots and hold the little babies.) After the parade we came back home and Dawson went to visit with his dad. We watched the fireworks in Redding the night of the 4th up at the hospital....it's a pretty good view from there! Mary and Natalie came with us and then Mike, his girlfriend, and Dawson showed up so we got to enjoy the show with them.

Brad and I bought a fetal doppler online so we can listen to the babies heartbeat whenever we want. It's amazing and sounds just as clear as if we were at the doctors office. Dawson loves to listen to the baby and has been talking to it more and rubbing my stomach. He is so excited. We are very excited to be finding out in 2 weeks what we are having. We want to start just being able to look at more gender specific baby stuff.

Tennis, Turtle Bay, Doctor and Family visits

Monday Dawson started back up with Tennis. He LOVES it. Natalie decided she would go too (she didn't want to at first but when she found out she could swim afterwards she decided it was worth it.) She ended up loving it and will continue playing as well.
Yesterday (Tuesday) Brad and I went to my Doctor for our prenatal monthly check up. We waited for about an hour before the Doctor saw us--always a bit annoying, especially when my appointment lasted maybe two minutes. I don't usually have any questions or concerns and the ones I have I usually google online or just know it's normal. We got to hear the babies heartbeat. It was a strong and steady 145bpm. I wanted to just lay there and listen to it all day! I have felt a few other really faint movements but nothing really strong. We go in next month, July 23rd, for the ultrasound and we are DEFINITELY finding out what we are having. I am so anxious to know and wish I already did know.
After my appointment Brad and I went to Mary's. We were sitting around and talking and all the sudden Asher rolled over. It was his first roll over and he acted like it was no big deal. He wasn't angry or crying at all. He rolled over 2 more times and then Mary got the camera out and he decided he was done. It was an exciting moment.
Brad and I took Dawson and Natalie out to Round Table Pizza for lunch, then to Turtle Bay museum, and ice cream. It was a busy afternoon. The kids had a blast at Turtle Bay. They have a bunch of displays that deal with Shasta County history, science, animals, etc. It is super kid friendly and there are a lot of hands on activities. The display we were most looking forward to was the LEGO display. This artist makes sculputres and pictures out of only legos. It was really awesome. They even had a classroom set up where you can make your own lego creation and put it up on display for the week. Dawson and Natalie both LOVED that. I got there and realized I forgot my camera so I didn't get any pictures. That bummed me out a bit.
When we got home my cousin Sarah from Long Beach, her mom, and another cousin, Amy who lives here in town came by to visit. We had a nice visit with them. It's always good to see them and catch up.
My brother will be here tomorrow for a couple of days with his kids. I'm so EXCITED to see them. They will be going to the coast to my parents house after this so we are planning on going over there for a few days to spend more time with them. I wish they lived closer. It's tough to be favorite auntie when I only get to see them once a year.

Aahhhh....Summertime!

I am LOVING summer vacation so far. Dawson gets to stay up late and sleeps in. We have had fun playing many games (go fish, war, i spy, yahtzee, etc.) Dawson is at a fun age to be playing games with. My oldest niece, Kayla, graduated high school last week. Dawson and I went down to Vacaville to celebrate with her. I am so proud of her. It was great visiting with all the family, especially my brother who came out from Utah as a surprise. Lori's daughter, Iris, giggled at me and we had fun playing together. I was pretty tired after those couple of days. My parents stayed at my house that weekend and we had a really great visit as usual.
Last night I was at a church BBQ party. It is always fun to get to visit with people that I never get to see at church because everyone is always teaching or something. Mary went with me and that was a lot of fun. While we were there I am pretty sure I felt the baby fluttering around for a few seconds. It didn't last long but it was defiently something. I got home and was telling Brad about it and wrote it down in my pregnancy book and then it happened again. It was awesome. I hope that it continues to happen more frequently. I can't wait to feel it kicking a lot and to have Brad be able to feel it kick as well. I go to the Dr. next week for a check up.
On Tuesday Mary and I were so lucky to be able to visit with 3 girls who we consider sisters. They lived with us as foster sisters for about 3 years when we lived in Weaverville. We had such a great visit with them and their families. We had a yummy BBQ. The kids all got along great. We don't all get to see each other often--the last time we got to see them all together was at my wedding 2 years ago.
Brad is finishing his last day of his music/art camp today so then he will officially be on vacation too. We are looking forward to a relaxing vacation and going on a couple trips.

The last week of 1st Grade for Dawson and Grandparents 60th Anniversary Party

Dawson finished 1st grade this past Thursday. He has a busy and fun filled week at school. On Tuesday 3 of the 1st grade classes went to the YMCA for a swim/play day. They got to swim and do outdoor play activities as well as have a picnic lunch. Dawson had a great time and I loved being there and getting to talk to other moms before the school year ends. I also had a great talk with Dawson's teacher (who we are going to miss!) She had the nicest things to say about him and was very complimentary on how well we are raising him. On his report card she wrote that he is a memorable child. On the last day of school the 1st graders from Dawson's class and another class rotated classrooms and did fun acitivites at different centers. I was in charge of teaching them how to hopscotch--they all had a great time. They then got a pizza party and ice cream sundaes. Right before leaving the 2 classes did awards. Dawson got 4 awards--the most out of both classes (I was so proud of him!) He got perfect attendnace for 3rd trimester, perfect attendance for the whole school year (the only kid in both classes to get that), collaborative kid award, and outstanding citizenship award (only 6 kids in each class get that a year so it's a big deal.) For earning the citizenship award he got to have lunch with the principal. After school was out Mary and her family and Dawson and I (Brad was still at work) took the kids out to eat at Olive Garden and somehow Dawson manged to eat his 3rd lunch of the day (he did not have dinner that night.) I just can't believe how quickly he is growing up. I am amazed still each day by how much he grows and learns each year. I am blessed to have him and am so proud of him.
Last night we had the opprotunity to travel to Fairfield to celebrate in my grandparents (dad's side) 60th wedding anniversary party. My mom's parents will celebrate their 60th anniversary next summer. We had a great time visiting with all of my dad's family. Instead of just having dancing/music all night they asked that each person in attendance share a talent--anything musical, something that had written, dance, etc. It was great fun seeing all the family share in what their talents were. I was very entertained and the night flew by! We didn't get to bed until 1:30 in the morning. I hope that Brad and I are as fun loving and full of energy like they are when we have been married for 60 years! They are truely a great example to all of us.

I'm so proud of Dawson

Dawson has been making great choices recently. He really is such a big help. I know that when I have this baby he is going to be an awesome big brother. This past week he finally passed level 2 in math at school. He has been working on it since January. He was so excited! Today I was teaching him how multiplication works and he figured it out instantly. He was telling me all the 2's and 10's. I love those light bulb moments--now if only he will remember it! He always makes a huge mess upstairs so we had a deal that each day he would clean a different area. The first day he cleaned off the stairs and the hallway. The next day he was in charge of cleaning his bedroom. He was up there FOREVER and I figured he was just playing (he gets easily distracted!) I told him the he could finish it up the next day because I wanted to spend some time with him before he had to go to bed. He looks at me and says "Why would you say you can finish it tomorrow?" and motions me upstairs. I go upstairs and he had cleaned his bedroom and play room. He was very proud of himself and I was so proud of him. He worked really hard. I was babysitting Natalie, Cora, and Asher the other day while Mary and Ben went on a date. I had laid Asher down for a few minutes and Dawson took it upon him to play with him and talk to him then fed him a bottle. He hasn't shown much interest in Asher up until that point. It was so sweet watching him talk to Asher. Dawson also continues to pray nightly for our baby that it will be strong and healthy. This prayer never gets old to me and just touches my heart. He is so caring at such a young age! I hope his great attitude and cheerfulness keeps lasting.
As for my pregnancy I have been doing really well. I have not had morning sickness at all. I do get sick to my stomach still if I eat chocolate (which I have tried a few times!) I do not really care for a lot of food right now it all tastes so blah. I am hoping that changes soon. I am also just so tired all the time. I remember being pretty tired when I was pregnant with Dawson. Tuesday Brad and I went to my doctor. We got to hear the baby's heartbeat...it was 150bpm. It was awesome to be able to hear it and everything is looking good. I have lost 2lbs (probably because I can't eat junk.) I was happy about that. I'm now 12 1/2 weeks pregnant so I imagine that in about 2 weeks or so I will get my appetite back and start gaining some weight.
There are only 8 school days left and so much to before school gets out. I am going to be helping out in Dawson's class a few days and hopefully going on a field trip with Natalie's class. I think that I am done subbing for the year--there probably won't be many jobs and there are only a couple days that I could work. This school year went by so fast!

I love being a mom

I had a great Mother's Day on Sunday. I woke up to Dawson climbing in bed with me all dressed (although he had to change because it was Sunday.) Brad and him each gave me a card, some roses, a kitchenaid cast iron pot I wanted, and Dawson designed a plate for me. I got lots of loves which always makes me happy. I also go to help Dawson give his first talk in primary. He read most of it on his own and I was so proud of him! My mom and dad were in town. It was great to be able to spend time with my wonderful mom on Mother's Day. After church we had lunch over at Mary's house and visited for awhile. After my parents took off we went to my in-laws to visit then over to Jill's (sister-in-laws) for a BBQ. It was a ton of fun and very relaxing for me.
I have been working a lot these last couple of weeks and have been SO tired. Today was my only day off of work for the week so I planned on sleeping in. I got a call from Dawson's school at 8:30 saying he was sick. I went and picked him up and we slept on and off until almost 4pm while we watched movies and various TV shows. It felt so good to catch up on my sleep! Mary, Cora, and Asher also surprised us with a visit this morning so that was nice.
On Thursday, I will be 11 weeks pregnant. So far everything is going great with this pregnancy. I have not gained any wieght :) In fact I have probably lost some. I can't seem to eat chocolate and most food sounds blah! I'm sure that will change shortly though. Dawson still says the sweetest prayers each night that the baby will be strong and healthy and that I will make the right food choices. It cracks me up. He takes good care of me as does Brad. They bring me water or snacks if they are up and getting themselves something. I feel so blessed! I am looking forward to going to the doctor next week and hearing the heartbeat. It will just help make everything seem real and let me know that everything is really okay.

We are PREGNANT!!

I found out that I was pregnant when I was only 3 weeks and 4 days along March 23rd--3 days before baby Asher was born (Mary's son.) I was so happy to find out that I was pregnant. I might have been in a little denial for the first few hours because it was something I had been wanting so badly for so long. I had a dream Sunday night about taking 2 pregnancy tests and the first one saying "I was a little bit pregnant" and then taking another one that said I was. So when I woke up Monday I decided to test. I took one and the line was SO faint that I swore it wasn't there. I took Dawson to school, came home and went back to sleep for another hour or so. I woke up and decided I should take another one because that first one was a cheapy dollar tree test. I took another one (not a dollar tree one) and there was for sure a line. So I was feeling pretty excited about it. I went to Mary's house to talk to her about it because I was a little bit freaking out. We went to Target and I bought a digital test and took that one around noon and it clearly read "pregnant". I was SO THRILLED. It seemed to take Brad forever to get home from work so I could tell him. I left him a baby bib and a card in his office saying "congrats daddy". He was so excited. We decided not to tell anyone until I was able to go my Dr. and to see the heartbeat. The Dr. scheduled my appointment for May 14th (11 weeks!) I was going crazy thinking something was wrong with the baby. I met with the nurse on April 22nd (7weeks6days) to confirm pregnancy. I told her my concerns and fears and she told me that it was just a waiting game. I left the office feeling so down. I was in the car and just started driving away from the office when the nurse called my cell phone and told me to come back, the Dr. would do a sonogram. I couldn't believe it! It was truely and answer to my prayers. I quickly (and safely) turned around and went back. The Dr. came in and I got to see the baby (we are calling it a blobby because it looks like a blob and a baby right now.) I was able to see the heartbeat right away and it was so amazing! I have to admit I got a little teary eyed. I don't know if the Dr. or nurse knew how much this meant to me even though I tried to express my thanks to them....sometimes words don't cut it. Brad and I are happy to finally be able to tell people that we are expecting on December 3rd. Dawson is so HAPPY and prays everyday for our baby to be healthy and strong. He is going to be an amazing big brother. Before we told him I was pregnant he prayed every night that I would have a baby. Brad has already gone a little bit baby crazy and bought a cradle, crib, and amroire. We did find them all for a good deal online though. We figure we would by that stuff because we have PLENTY that we will need. I haven't had TOO much morning sickness yet--I just have a little here and there. I'm sure it will get worse because it didn't get bad until later on when I was pregnant with Dawson. I'm always SO tired though and could sleep 10 hours every night and still take a nap or two during the day. I don't really care for chocolate either (mentally I think I want it but then I put it in my mouth and it's gross---I wish it was that way ALL the time!) Keep wishing us luck in this pregnancy! We hope it all goes smoothly.

Cora Daw. Isn't she absolutly adorable! I hope one day I have a daughter as cute and as sweet as her.

After the egg hunt....Dawson got the most eggs this year I think (thanks to his fast little legs!)

The Easter Bunny came! He was super excited (just not to have his picture taken)

Myself, Dawson, and Brad---Dawson was annoyed that we wanted a picture with him. He had better things to do (like go through is eggs.)


We had a fantastic Easter Sunday. My mom and all my sisters and their families got together. My dad had to stay home and my brother was in Utah wit his family. We went to church then had an egg hunt and BBQ. It was a ton of fun--especially with baby Iris and Asher. Cora was loving Easter this year--in fact I think she ate chocolate most of the day.
We had the week off of school so Monday morning Brad, Dawson, and I woke up and went to Sunriver, OR. We were there until Thursday. We had a great little vacation with Brad's parents. It snowed the first 2 days (didn't stick) and was pretty cold. When we got back into Redding the weather has been in the upper 80's which is a nice change.