Family Pictures 2011

This one is my favorite :)

Ben and I had our family pictures taken yesterday before the baby comes. I think they turned out pretty cute~ Enjoy!

Still here... :)

This blog needs an update, although I will forewarn that it has no pictures! This would be due in part to the fact that my computer is sitting under a sheet in the basement of my wonderful in-laws' house ... which is also where you will find our bed and our clothes and our dog... oh yes, and us. That's right, we have become basement dwellers once more. After trying unsuccessfully to sell our house we decided to find the perfect renters, which we seem to have done. So far at least we are very pleased with the cute couple that has moved into our baby, that darling house in Ogden where we have lived for the last three and a half years. While Ben and I are searching for the next perfect house to move into his parents have been kind enough to allow us to stay with them. When we found out I was pregnant it moved up the intensity of the plans to move. You just kinda know when the timing is right, and so we are in the market! We are looking for something in the Davis County area, and house hunting is so not my favorite thing anymore... it sounded fun, like four months ago. Not so much anymore! However, all is going well and hopefully soon I will be able to give some good news from the homefront!
Baby Girl is growing beautifully, we love her so much! I can't believe how fast time is flying by, and I'm sure with the holidays coming up it will just continue to soar on by! I am 25 weeks now, and two people yesterday said something along the lines of "You must be about due, huh?" My sweet smile was followed by an inward growl which they of course couldn't hear! So yes, in case you haven't believed me before now, this belly is getting big! I have zero complaints though, because it means our sweet baby is growing and nothing is better than that! And despite my size I am feeling absolutely incredible. I have been blessed so far with the most wonderful pregnancy and little discomfort so I am definitely one grateful girl!
Lately I am loving this sweet fall weather, which brings the welcoming in of hot chocolate season and snuggling up to my sweet husband while it storms outside... one of my very favorite things. Now that baseball and football are on the tv pretty much ALWAYS, I have discovered a new favorite... laying on Ben's lap falling asleep as he plays with my hair while watching sports. Max joins in and usually ends up curled around my head or my feet or even occassionally he will plop down quite literally right on top of my face. Cute boy can't get close enough and he is quite the snuggler!
We are doing well, sorry for no pictures! Hopefully I will do better next time, but you all know me too well to place any bets on that!

Our story

So I can hardly believe that I am already 19 weeks pregnant. It's going by so insanely fast! Here I am at 18 weeks, although this belly is poking out so fast I probably already need a new, updated pic :)

I woke up early this morning when Ben went to play basketball, and I was laying in bed feeling completely overwhelmed with gratitude. So many of you have been so happy and thrilled for us and I want to tell you all thank you. You have no idea how grateful and touched we are to be so blessed by your sweet words and emotions!

So here's our story, for the record. Last March marked our two year mark of trying to get pregnant unsuccessfully. That time included a year where we hoped we wouldn't have to use medication, despite the doctor's warnings. When we obviously needed help after a year we began a rough year on fertility meds and tests. It was on to Clomid, which failed to cause ovulation. After that it was on to a different, more brutal pill. Three times a day everyday and sick for a few months. It was, quite honestly, awful and I was no peach while I was on it. Ben was a sweetheart for putting up with me. After about 4 months on that came the day I have previously written about, when my doctor informed me I was over his head and needed more help. All this time on these meds ovulation never occurred.

Although these were a hard few months, they were also full of blessings. Never did Ben and I really feel despair over this. We always just felt that it must not be the right time and were able to feel confident in the Lord that it would work out eventually. Don't get me wrong, I definitely had my moments. But Ben was right there to reassure me and to remind me that everything would be okay. This time also provided some awesome quality time for us as husband and wife, for which I am forever grateful. I have been blessed with one stellar man and I count my blessings everyday that we have forever together.

To continue, after the doctor gave me that little tidbit of information we began to plan our next move. Meanwhile I continued on my pills, just in case, and eventually combined the Clomid with the current pill. Still nothing. I had, however, gotten over most of the sickness caused by the pill, although there were still some sweet side effects to deal with. Nothing major but definitely annoying.

In February I discovered a big bump and it was off to the doctor again... It took a few visits but they eventually decided it was a hernia. Surgery was scheduled for March 30, and Ben and I decided to call it quits on the fertility meds before the surgery. After a lot of talk we decided to plan for artificial insemination in the summer, which would give my incision time to heal before hopefully getting pregnant. Just before the surgery, while sitting in Young Women General Conference with my darling beehives, I realized that it was time for me to go back to school. It was quite the clear prompting, and I got busy signing up for classes, figuring out our payment plans, meeting with counselors and adjusting my work schedule, since I had one month before summer semester started. So busy was I with planning school, and so excited to be going back, that Ben and I decided to postpone the artificial insemination. I was excited to be moving on with school and the end was in sight for my teaching degree. Pregnancy was put on the backburner and, you guessed it.... that apparently was all it needed!!

In the middle of May I began cramping and when it didn't stop, I began thinking I should take a test. Not that I thought anything of it, mind you, but I figured I would. On May 31st I was driving home from class and still cramping, nothing major just out of the ordinary. I decided to stop by the dollar store and pick up a few tests. Ironically, as I was driving, I had a funny (in retrospect) thought. Class had been really good that day and I was really getting into the learning groove again. I thought "It's good that I'm not pregnant because I'm so excited to be finishing school right now." Ha ha ha. I'm positive the Lord has a sense of humor and was chuckling at that one.

That night I took the test. Ben had no idea I was going to take one because really, there was no reason to tell him. I wasn't pregnant, right, so this was just routine, something I did every few months. Well, when the two lines appeared, I started shaking and breathing really fast and praying really fast (it went something like... "thank you thank you thank you thank you..."). I went and told Ben and he didn't believe me til I showed him the test.... And the rest is as you know it!

I have felt incredible, and been blessed to skip the pregnancy sickness. This little girl

(Did I mention that? IT'S A GIRL :))

is growing like a weed and measures long and lean. She is kicking out of control and made it quite difficult for the doctor to get a good heartbeat at my 3d ultrasound on Wednesday. Every time they tried she would start kicking and mess it up. LOVE HER! The placenta implanted on the front of the uterus so it's cushioning the movements, which is why I haven't felt any of it yet. I'm okay with that, since I am sure it will come soon enough. We are already madly in love with her and are so excited that she is coming to join our little family. One thing I do know for certain is that this life is one hundred percent in the Lord's timing. And we're so thankful that now is our time for this little angel!

And then there were three

Yes, that means I am pregnant! We are so very happy and feeling so incredibly blessed right now by our Heavenly Father. We couldn't be more thrilled! Baby O is set to make an appearance around January 21, 2012. As of today I am ten weeks, three days, although by the look of my tummy you'd think it was WAY more than that!

I checked this picture dozens of times to make sure it's real. Yep, it is!

Right after we found out and I stopped crying!

Don't mind Ben's goofy smile, I'm pretty sure he was in shock!

Max is still undecided, although he enjoys jumping on my belly, which is always a feel good moment.

10 weeks 3 days. See what I mean? A small bump appeared around a week and a half ago but I chalked it up to my imagination. However, there seems to be no denying it now. Apparently, baby is growing like a weed and there's nowhere for it to go but out!

Yes, we are alive

and well! I have SO many pictures that I've been wanting to blog. First there was our Easter camping trip which was cold but wonderful. Then there was our backpacking trip a few weeks ago which was AMAZING as usual. And then there was the U2 concert which was suh-weet. And I have great pictures of them all to prove they really happened and yes, we were there! However, it is all I can do to squeeze in the time to provide even this tiny update. On May 2 I started school, and I am LOVING it. It was rather unexpected, but when the prompting came I followed, and I'm glad I did. I'm taking eighteen credits, which is insanely cramped in a summer semester, and I am still working full time. So we're still here, I usually have some sort of anthology on American literature or some advanced nutrition book in my face but Ben's getting used to the look! So sorry for the no pics, but the semester ends August 5... maybe I can squeeze some on then :)

St. George on St. Patty's

Meagan, you were right! ... I DO have pictures from a trip to St. George that have not yet been blogged about. So here goes! (Thanks for the reminder).

A few weeks back Ben and I and a few couples from our ward drove down to spend St. Patty's day weekend away from work and relaxing in the sun... too bad it was only sunny one day, but we were still not at work so it was ok! We stayed in a beautiful house that someone's parents kindly lent us, spent a day in Vegas, another day shopping in St. George, and another watching my nephew play in his softball tournament. It was nice and relaxing with too little sleep and too much food (as usual).

Jeff and Jori - my sister and her husband. It was a fabulous coincidence that the baseball tourney was that same weekend. So we drove to Mesquite and ate at the seafood buffet with them and then went swimming. Completely wonderful evening

Don't mind that some of these pics are sideways, I forgot to turn them before I uploaded them and, you got it, I'm too lazy to redo. We went shooting one breezy afternoon... Here's my baby shooting to his hearts content.

Seriously the .22 pistol was INSANELY fun. I asked Ben to get me one for our anniversary or my birthday or something... I want one, he can figure out an excusable time to buy it!

At Brayden's game... it was so cold.

Isn't he darling?! I think I embarrassed him. I forget he's 13 now... oops

soaking up the sun... sideways style

Soaking in the shade while his wife soaked in the sun.

Vegas baby :) Breezy here as well.

Love my sweet Hubby, it was an awesome trip. Wish it was time to go again!

surgery

So I'm having surgery.Tomorrow. On an inguinal hernia. And unfortunately this is the only thing in my life right now to blog about :) How sad. According to my doctor it's a rather painful recovery, which I am not looking forward to. HOWEVER, on the upside this does mean that I don't have to work over conference weekend, which we always look forward to at our house... the best two weekends of the year :) So today I'm rushing to get everything done before I veg out on pain meds for a few days. I'll let you know how it goes!

20 minutes you say?

20 minutes for this workout? All I can say is Thank you, Kara, for introducing me. And also thank you Ebay for selling it to me for six dollars and eight cents. I really appreciate it. I can definitely handle 20 minutes. And it's not too shabby that I'm out of breath and sore the next day from these 20 minutes. Well worth my time I'd say.

Meet Max

Say hello and a hearty welcome to the newest addition to the O fam. Max is our darling new baby, and yes he's a puppy! He's a Shih Poo (Which I feel like an idiot saying, obviously. Say it aloud and you'll feel embarrassed too.) He's a mix between a Shih Tzu and Poodle, which apparently is a very popular mix but I'd never heard of it before.

Anyway, he was a spur of the moment idea... I was talking to my sister who had just gotten a puppy and I decided that sounded fun, so I got on KSL, and it just so happened that about 30 seconds before I did, little Max and his brothers were posted. I had to have him, he's so cute, and doesn't shed, so for the next two days I begged Ben INCESSANTLY to let me get him. I even got Ben's sister on my side, who followed my instructions perfectly (which were, of course, to call Ben a few times a day and beg him to let me get Max, and then to send him texts as well.) Looks like it worked, and Ben is wrapped around Max's little paw... as am I. He's darling, he potty trained in about a week, and he doesn't even yap like most small dogs. So here are some pictures... tell me you could resist this 3 pound puffball. Pretty sure you couldn't.

This is his favorite spot...usually on our feet taking a nap, but he'll settle for squished in between them as well

DARLING!