Hard Day!

Trent left for Tallahassee Florida this morning. WOW...I knew it would be hard, but man, I didn't know it would be the absolute hardest day of my life! We both cried and hugged and cried and hugged and I finally realized that I needed to just be strong and let him go, otherwise we'd both still be standing in the driveway!

The kids both left last night to spend the weekend camping with my mom and Steve, so they said their goodbye's last night. In a way, I'm glad that they weren't here this morning because it was so hard...but on the other hand, now I'm all alone until tomorrow night and that isn't easy! Trent and I spend last night getting his car packed up and just spending time together. We went out to dinner at La Puente...just a cheap Mexican restaurant here in Tooele...but also one of my favorites (as I crave all things spicy with this pregnancy!)

This afternoon, my sister and I went and did a little shopping. We went to Kohl's and found me a cute nightgown that buttons up the front to take to the hospital. We also went to JC Penney and bummed around Costco (and ate all the free samples). It was a nice distraction.

Although the next 5 weeks are going to be hard, and are going to test my strength and faith, I know without a shadow of a doubt that we are doing the right thing. That we are meant to move to Florida and that great things are waiting for us there. If I didn't know that with everything in me, I don't think I'd be able to handle this time away from Trent. I hope that all of my family knows how hard this is for me and that we're doing this because we KNOW we are supposed to. There have been many times during the past 3 weeks when I have said to Trent, "do you have any doubts?"...and he, like me, has said "no...none whatsoever!". Because I can tell you all that if either of us had any doubts at all, we wouldn't be doing this. It would definitely be easier to just stay here where we've grown up, where we are comfortable, where our parents are, where my sister is...but life isn't about being easy!

So, OK...enough about that...just all of you please know that we BOTH know we're doing what's right for our family! This isn't about Trent dragging us away kicking and screaming. Even Karlee, who is going to have such a hard time leaving her friends behind has told us that even though "it hurts and she doesn't want to leave her friends...she FEELS in her heart that it's right!" Wow, what an awesome teaching and learning opportunity for her!

So, the countdown is on...for baby Grace (37 days) and for Trent's return (35 days). Hopefully, within a month of her birth, we will all be able to join Trent in Florida and all be together again! Let's all just keep praying that we can get the house sold!

Here's a picture of Trent as he was getting ready to leave at 6am this morning:

...and the backseat of his car - loaded up! (The trunk was chuck full of suit cases holding all of his clothes):

And last, but not least...my week 34 belly pic! Man, I'm getting huge! But loving it! I LOVE feeling miss Grace move around. And...my ribs have almost healed from the kicking that she gave them almost 3 weeks ago! Trent and I saw my Dr. yesterday morning and I am measuring right on schedule and her heartbeat is good and strong! How blessed we've been this past year!

I just want to end by telling all of our family and friends how much they mean to us and how much their kind words, thoughts and prayers have meant to me these past few weeks...and especially today as you have dropped emails, wall posts (on facebook) and called me! I couldn't (and wouldn't want to) make it through this without every single one of you!

Exciting new adventures!

Last Thursday, Trent accepted a fantastic job offer in Tallahassee, Florida! This is a result of lots of prayers and a few miracles. Both of his brother's are in Florida and he has "kept his eye out" for a job in his industry there for years. His current job is with a government contractor and is scheduled to end in the next 12-18 months, so he has been searching for a few months now. He is excited for a fantastic job opportunity and to be with his brothers.

However, there have been a couple of unexpected snags. He is set to start his new job on June 30. He will not be eligible for health insurance for 90 days, although his new employer will pay our cobra premiums on our current insurance. However, our current insurance is with a Utah based insurance company and they are an "in network only" plan. So...Florida is out of network...which translates to the fact that the kids and I will be staying in Utah until after the baby is born. We met with my Doctor on Friday, and he has scheduled an induction for Monday, Aug 2...and Trent will fly home the Friday or Saturday before that. So, we have listed our house (and praying that it will sell in this tough market), I am trying to get Trent ready to get out of here in time to start his new job, and praying with everything in me that my baby girl stays put until her scheduled induction. So, I'm excited for a new adventure but also very stressed...to say the least :).

Karlee has struggled with leaving her friends but she has done a lot of praying and feels peace and told me that even though it’s going to be hard, she knows that it’s the right thing for our family. She is also excited to be with her cousins in Florida! Carson just seems to be going with the flow. I''m sure that when it comes time to leave, he will have a hard time, but he is also excited to move to Florida! He told me last night that after Daddy leaves for Florida he "will protect me". How great is that? I am so nervous about being without Trent until the baby is born (and then for a little while afterwards), but I know that both kids are going to be a huge help and that together we will be just fine! We also have so many wonderful family and friends here to help us through this trying time...of which we are SO grateful for!

We feel confident that we are making the right decision and know that once we get through the next few months and we can all be together in Florida that all will be well!

For those of you that are reading this that we had already "told"...you may notice that my induction date has changed. It was originally going to be on Aug 5 so that Trent wouldn't have to take quite so much time off from his new job. However, his new boss told him to take what he needs and since Aug 2 is the first day that my doctor was willing to do an induction (because I'd be exactly 39 weeks and they won't do one before that), we figured that it would give us more time together because Trent would be able to travel to and from Florida on the weekends on both sides of the delivery...hence giving him more time at home. Plus, the new wing of the women's center at the hospital where I'm delivering is on schedule to open on Aug 2...so I'll be the FIRST one to deliver there! Bonus!

Oh What a Difference a Week Makes!

So, the books and the weekly email updates all tell me that from here on out my baby is growing like crazy...but man, I didn't realize how much until I compared my belly picture from yesterday to the one from just last week! Check it out!! Can you see my little Grace in there now??? I can sure feel her...all of the time! And, other than the fact that I had a little pity party for myself today because I don't have any summer shorts that fit, I am loving seeing myself and Grace grow! How blessed we've been throughout this entire pregnancy!

So, what is Grace doing this week?

From this week on, your baby will continue to gain around 1/2 pound a week until shortly before birth (even though it may feel like a whole lot more with every step you take). Other highlights this week:

Due to increasing space constraints, your baby's arms and legs stay drawn up close to the body now, known as the fetal position (oh, so that's where that name came from!). Plus, your baby can now process information from all five senses—so she'll be all set to smell the pureed peas, taste them, feel them as she mashes them into her hair, hear you crack up and then see the flash as you grab the camera to snap picture after picture.

By now, your baby's lungs are the only system not fully mature. And by mature, we're not saying that the rest of your baby's systems are mature enough to be out past 10 PM with the neighborhood hooligan, just that her lungs need a little bit more time to bake before they can kick it in the outside world.

Your baby weighs about 3 1/2 pounds and measures a little over 16 inches.

No wonder I'm getting bigger...LOL! It's hard to imagine that she's in there and is 3 1/2 pounds...crazy!!

Last Day of School!

Yippee!!! Today was the last day of school for the kids! They are so excited to start their summer fun! They already have big plans to go to the pool, have "late nights" with their friends, and just enjoy playing in the sunshine and being able to stay up late!


Mom, well, I'm excited to not have to go through the "routine" every morning! I'm not sleeping well anymore, so regrettably (and sadly unavoidably), I am a BEAR in the mornings. So, it will be nice not to have to rush to get breakfast, remind the kids to make beds, clean rooms, brush hair, brush teeth, make lunches...etc!!! We can just chill out and mom can even stay in bed if I want and let them get their own breakfast...lol!


They each brought home their report cards. Karlee, once again had straight A's (not even an A-) and straight H's (honors for citizenship). Way to go Karlee!


On another note, last week, the school had their year end awards assemblies. Karlee received 2 awards; one was the "Tooele County School District's Superintendent's award" - a very prestigious award given to those students who achieved a 3.75 grade point average or above for the entire year! The other was the Citizenship Award - given to those who maintained H's (Honor's) all year! We are so proud of Karlee and all her hard work!
Check out the pictures of Karlee and then I'll tell you all about Carson's report card and awards!


Karlee with her awards:



Karlee with her fabulous teacher, Mrs. Douglas:



Carson's report card was also FANTASTIC! He had such a wonderful year and he progressed by leaps and bounds! He had all 3's and 4's (they don't start doing actual letter grades until the 4th grade...but a 4 is equivalent to an A, 3 a B and so forth! He really improved on his math facts, which were a 1 on his very first report card of the year...and were 3's on today's end of year report card! Way to go buddy!!! His citizenship also improved and he finished out the year with all H's! Pretty good considering he had an N (needs improvement) in one area last term! Citizenship grades are based on behavior, attitude, respect of others, etc. We are SO proud of our little man! His speech also continues to improve each day! You never would have thought that he would be speaking so well. For those who don't know, Carson was diagnosed with "Apraxia of Speech" at the age of 2. When he started Kindergarten, he had less than a 12 word vocabulary (and many of those words were only understandable to those of us who spent a lot of time with him). He has broken down barriers and truly beat the odds with his speech!

He also received 2 awards at his awards assembly! The first one was the "responsibility award" and was given to those students who turned their homework in on time and complete and ALSO read at least 100 minutes per week. The other award was the Math Award and was given because he passed off 100 addition facts in 5 minutes or less! Way to go Carson! We are so proud of you!

Here's a couple of pictures of Carson...the first of him with his awards:




and this one of him and his teacher, Mr. Carter - who truly is a gifted, dedicated teacher, and who, I believe was instrumental in Carson's successful year!

I guess I want to end this post with a special shout out to teachers everywhere! Both of my kids have been extremely blessed with their teachers so far. I couldn't ask for more dedicated professionals working with my children! It's too bad they don't get the pay or recognition that they truly deserve! Both of my kids had some of the very best of the best this past school year!

And then there were 2...

So you do all remember my post a few weeks back about my aerobics group? Well, in that post there were 3 of us...all about 7-8 weeks apart. In our last picture, Amber was 36 weeks... Well, I took my camera to aerobics today (yep...still teaching!) because Kirsten and I decided that we needed another picture. So here it is...Kirsten is 36 weeks and I am 29 1/2 (gotta get that 1/2 in there). Can you all see my baby Grace now???

3rd Trimester...and Mother's Day

First off, yesterday marked the 28th week for me...also know as the beginning of the third trimester! WOW! It's hard to believe that I'm already at this point! I remember being only 12 weeks and being so sick and wondering if I was going to make it through this...now I only have 12 weeks LEFT...how great is that!

I was talking to one of the teacher's at the school where I work the other day...I was telling her that with our 2 children's adoptions we didn't have that much notice. Sure, we were on "the waiting list" for months and months...but once we found out that we'd been chosen by a birthmother, it was just weeks. Karlee's birthmother chose us towards the end of August 2009 and Karlee was born the second week of Oct...so we waited about 7 weeks for her to be born. Carson's birthmother chose us on the 27th of December and he was born on the 22 of January...so we only waited 3 weeks for him. So...this 40 weeks stuff is for the birds!!! LOL! But, I'm sure I'll make it!

So, what's baby Grace doing this week? According to parentsconnect.com:

Your baby's eyes are partially open now and can blink. Truly superior babies can actually wink. (OK, there is no way to prove that, but it's fun to imagine, no?) Your baby can also now become a shiny, happy person as she has begun having rapid eye movement (Get it? REM? Shiny, happy person?? We'll be here all week.)


Her eyes have color now, too. It may not be the color she ultimately ends up with, especially if they're light gray or blue. The eyes typically don't settle on a final hue until nine months after baby is born. So when your mother-in-law says that the baby has her eyes, you can politely inform her that they'll most likely change soon. Sorry!


Your babe is downright chubby compared to a few weeks ago. She is about 15 inches long, about the length of an amusement park cinnamon-sugar-coated churro (yum!), and weighs 2 to 3 pounds.


And, as always, here are week 28 belly pics!



On another note...my Mother's Day was fabulous! Karlee's activity days leaders had worked with the girls the previous week and taught them how to make pancakes. They had also given them each a bag with pancake mix, the recipe, a packet to make juice (crystal light that you add to a water bottle), a couple of chocolates, and a few other things to make mom breakfast in bed. According to Trent, she had talked to him about it a few days before Mother's Day...she had it all planned out. She wanted him to wake her up at 6 am so that he could help her get it going. He convinced her that 6 was probably too early for mom. So she compromised at 7 am. Her, Trent and Carson got up at 7 and worked oh so quietly to make me a fabulous pancake breakfast in bed. We ended up bringing it downstairs, as I wanted to eat with all of them. It was such a wonderful gesture. The kids had also made me cute little gifts at school and then they had helped Trent make a hanging flower basket to put out on the front porch. It is beautiful! Later that afternoon, we headed to my mom's house for a BBQ and then on to Trent's parents for a nice visit! It truly was a wonderful Mother's Day! Next year, there will be 5 of us instead of 4 to celebrate...and we all can't wait!

Both kids are finishing up their CORE testing at school this week (CRT's). I am so proud of both of them and look forward to seeing how they do! They have about 3 more weeks of school left...and in those 3 weeks will be field trips, awards assemblies, programs, "night of 1000 stars" and field day! I love the end of the school year...adn the kids are definitely looking forward to summer! Now, if only it would warm up here!!!

Couldn't resist...

So, as most of you know, I am a digital scrapbook kit designer (see link on the right for my scrapping blog). Well, the "motto" challenge in the Stuff to Scrap forum for this month is "Watch Yourself Change...(it's from weight watchers)". Anyway, I couldn't resist doing...yep, you guessed it pregnancy belly pics! It was just too perfect of a motto to not do...so, I thought I'd show it off to you all!

The kit that is used to make this layout is called "Labor Of Love" and is by Mommy me time scrapper and The Scrappy Kat. Available here

Belly Pic - catch up: weeks 24, 25, 26 and 27!

First off, here are the stats for this week (week 27) from Parentsconnect.com:

Baby's lungs and immune system are maturing this week as baby prepares for her grand entrance. If she were born today she would have an 85 percent chance of surviving as her lungs are capable of breathing air (with medical assistance, of course). Other exciting developments:

Baby's done a lot of growing over the past few months. Her length has more than doubled in the past 15 weeks! And that's not the only thing growing—baby's brain tissue and neurons are all developing at a rapid pace. Her brain waves are now firing away just like those of a newborn baby.

Your baby now weighs in at approximately 14 1/2 inches and just over 2 pounds, or about the size of that roast you made last time your in-laws were in town.


So, I realized that I've been a slacker with the belly pics...I totally missed 4 weeks worth...and when you're growing like I am (and little Grace), 4 weeks is a lot to miss...LOL! So anyway, here they are:
I took 2 of week 27 (Trent thinks I need to still do bare belly...so I took 2)...

Week 27 again (May 6 2010)




Week 26 - April 29, 2010Week 25 April 22, 2010 Week 24 April 15, 2010

And...I just have to add that I AM SO EXCITED TO BE GETTING FAT! Yep, mark that down in the history books, Tracy actually said that! I LOVE looking at my belly and knowing that our little Grace is in there growing!

I noticed that as of today, I have 90 DAYS left...holy cow...hard to beleive! We are all SO excited!

A good cry!

Warning...you are about to read the ramblings of a weepy pregnant woman!!!

So, two of my good friends have had their babies in the last couple of days (congrats Amber and Breann!). As I have read their blogs and looked at the beautiful hospital pictures, I can't help but get weepy! Last night as I was laying in bed and thinking about this, I of course, started to cry. A silent cry...the kind you do when your hubby is laying beside you! I was crying because I just can't wait...I can't wait to meet her, hold her, love her, kiss her...and I keep thinking, "Ok...15 more weeks - that's not really too long in the big scheme of things, right?"

But of course, being pregnant and emotional, one thought led to another...

I remembered crying myself to sleep 12, 13, 14 years ago because I longed to have a child and it just wasn't happening. This crying myself to sleep went on for years...not just weeks :)

I then remembered crying because we found out we'd been chosen by a beautiful young girl to be the parents of the precious girl that she was carrying. This time I cried with happiness, gratitude, love. Then the day came that we brought our little Karlee home...ok, yep, I cried some more. More tears of gratitude and happiness. But also tears of sorrow, sorrow for Karlee's birthmother and the pain that she was undoubtedly going through.

Fast forward 2 years...more crying myself to sleep. We found out that we were going to be blessed again, this time with a baby boy! More tears of gratitude and happiness. Carson was born and we awaited placement. But it wasn't happening, his birthfather was trying to stop the adoption. Ok, here were some major tears! For 7 days we prayed and cried. And then we cried some more as it all worked out and his beautiful birthmother placed him in our arms. We cried for her and her pain and we wept with pure gratitude for another miracle in our lives.

Of course, there have been so many other times that I've cried myself to sleep. What is it with crying and bedtime? For me, it seems like that's when it always happens! We've experienced our share our joys, trials and triumphs - and had countless cries over them.

So here I am again, pregnant with another miracle. An unexpected, shocking miracle! And now I cry because again, I am overcome with gratitude for the blessings in my life. I cry because I'm hormonal and I cry because, darn it...I just can't wait to bring our little Grace into this world. And ok...I probably cry because, "oh my gosh...I'm starting over again..."

So, I guess this post is more about gratitude than crying. Of course, a good cry never hurt anyone! In fact, I think it's therapeutic! But what it all comes down to is that I am so blessed and so grateful for my blessings! A wonderful husband, 2 beautiful children - (brought to us by a loving Heavenly Father and 2 beautiful, selfless birthmothers), and another miracle growing inside me!

Aerobics and Preggo!

Most of you know about our 3 times a week aerobics class at the church...we started it almost 3 years ago. I teach step on Monday's, Amber teaches step on Wednesday's and then Holly and Kirsten rotate teaching strength training on Friday's! We started teaching this class so that anyone could come and we wouldn't have to pay exorbitant gym membership fees!

So, then, what happens when all of the teachers are pregnant? We just keep moving right along is what! Here is a picture of Amber, Kirsten and I...all teachers of the class, all preggo, and all at different stages! How fun is that? This picture was taken on March 29, 2010. Amber was 36 weeks, Kirsten was 29 weeks (7 weeks behind Amber) and I was 21 weeks (7 weeks behind Kirsten)! Since then, Amber had a baby boy...yesterday, in fact! She kept teaching up until about 3 weeks ago...you go girl! Since she stopped teaching, Holly (my BFF and another regular) has taken over Amber's teaching day. We figure that by the time Amber is ready to come back to teaching, Kirsten will be ready to pop and then by the time Kirsten is ready to come back...I'll be taking "leave". I hope to take after Amber and keep on teaching and attending our class up until the very end! We shall see!

Anyway, taking the picture was Amber's idea and even though we are all just out of bed, no make-up...and preggo to boot, I'm so glad she brought her camera and insisted...what a great memory!

Tracy's February Seattle Trip and pregnancy stuff

For my birthday, this past January, Trent and the kids surprised me with a ticket to Seattle to visit my dad, step mom and sisters! It was quite a sacrifice on Trent's part, as my tickets were for Valentines weekend!!! I had such a wonderful time with my family! I miss them all so much and cherish every minute that I get to spend with them! So, I'm finally getting around to blogging about it (probably because I finally scrapped the pics from the trip). Anyway, here are some highlights!

Dinner at PF Changs...yum!!!!

Dinner at my sister, Hailey's place. Her boy friend (now fiance), Brent, cooked for us! Prime Rib! It was fabulous and he did it all himself! What a guy! Seriously, though, it was so great to finally meet him. He is a great guy and I am SOOO happy for my sis!

And, you can't go to Seattle and not spend a day at Pike's Market! And of course, we just had to Gyro's for lunch!!! Yum!!!
A Valentine's Day Treat from Laura...pedicures for all the girls! Even Devin and Ryleigh (my other sister, Danielle's girls) got Pedi's. Hailey had just had a pedi (thanks to Brent...did I mention how great he is)...so she got a manicure!

A few other highlights of the trip...my dad cooked chicken on his rotisserie attachment on his BBQ. He is a fabulous cook!!! And, can I just say that I ATE GOOD while in Seattle!! We also watched a few DVD's, hung out, shopped, and all in all had a great time! We also discussed baby names, talked pregnancy, wondered about the baby's gender (we didn't know yet)...and finally cried when it was time for me to board the plane!

Thanks to my fabulous husband for a wonderful trip!

Ok...on to pregnancy stuff. I couldn't do a post without belly pics...LOL! Anyway, things are going great! The baby is growing and progressing, right on schedule, I am on schedule for measurements and weight gain (yes, I have to add that in because I keep getting crap from people about my size!). She is kicking and moving around like crazy and I am loving every minute of it! Ok, one thing I'm not loving is the fact that I can't sleep at night! You see, I've always been a back and belly sleeper. I got myself a great body pillow, set myself up to sleep on my side each night...but alas, old habit's die hard and I end up turning onto my belly. Little miss Grace doesn't like being smashed...go figure, so she immediately starts kicking me. I wake up, turn back to my side...but alas...old habit's...end up on my back. I last about 30 minutes on my back and wake up with a horrible back ache...so I return to my side and my body pillow...and so the night goes! Oh well, I wouldn't trade any of it for the world!

Ok...so here's the latest belly pics! You can see that yes, I'm finally starting to show...I'm just carrying her high. She seems to start at my ribs and go all the way down...so when I'm dressed, I don't look all that pregnant...hence all the crap I get from people!

Week 23Week 22
Week 21

Other than the pregnancy, we (the kids and I) are on the countdown to the end of the school year! Their last day is June 4. It's hard to believe that another school year is almost over! They recently brought home their report cards from 3rd term and Karlee made the honor roll again! Yay! They don't start doing honor roll until the 4th grade (as that is the first year that actual grades are assigned), but Carson's report card was also good! He still needs to work on his subtraction facts, but we are getting there! I am so proud of both of them!

20 Weeks...half way there!

Woo-hoo!!! This past week, I hit the 20 week mark...better known as half way there! It's so hard to believe that I'm half way. Little Grace is growing like crazy, kicking every day, and I'm more and more nervous and excited to meet her! Nervous because, oh my gosh, I'm practically starting over again...and excited, because well, who wouldn't be?! I try and picture what she's going to look like and I get teary eyed just thinking about the day we all finally get to meet her! And, people are saying to me, "well, you finally look pregnant!" And that I do!

I had my 20 week ultrasound this past Friday. Here's how it went:

Before the tech began, he heard us referring to the baby as "her" so he asked if we already knew the gender. We told him that we had paid for an additional ultrasound a few weeks ago and that they had told us it was a girl. So, half way through the ultrasound, he stops and gets quiet and says, "so they told you it was a girl, huh?"...then he was quiet for what seemed liked minutes...then he smiles and says, "well, it is!". Trent and I both started laughing and I told the guy that he almost made me pee my pants...and as you know, you have to have a full bladder for an ultrasound! Trent told me later that he knew the whole time that the guy was kidding...but of course he did, because as my friend Holly said to me later, "that sounds like something Trent would do!"

Anyway, Gracie is still a girl...and everything looks perfect...heart, brain, lungs, stomach...everything!!! :) He told us that she currently weighs 11 ounces. She's in there just chillin' out! Kicking, moving, waving, sucking her thumb, yawning...

So what else is she doing? Well, according to the parents connect website:

Your baby has established sleep patterns akin to a newborn now. Many babies even have a favorite sleep position already. Some snooze with their chins resting on their chests, while others nap with their head flung back. Many babies at this age fall into noticeable cycles of sleep and activity, so you may know before she arrives whether you have a night owl or an early bird.

If it's a girl, her uterus is completely formed and the rest of her "parts" are in development. (Is that TMI?)

From this point forward, your baby will put most of her energy into gaining weight and, not coincidentally, so will you! Right now your baby weighs approximately 10 1/2 ounces and is about 6 1/2 inches long, about the size of a can of Red Bull (which has way too much caffeine for a pregnant woman to be drinking).


And of course, this post wouldn't be complete without the famous (or is it infamous) belly pic! I told a friend recently that because I'm so OCD...I started these weekly belly pics...so I'm going to have to see it through! :) So...can you see baby Gracie in there? We can sure feel her! Well, everyone that is except Carson...he hasn't been able to feel her kick yet, despite his longing to! And I'm talking LONGING...he wants to feel her so bad! He puts his hand on my stomach, puts his face right up to it and says, "Gracie, kick me...please kick me Gracie!" One day (soon I hope), he'll be able to feel a big one!

Moving Right along...

Wow...week 19! I'm almost half way there :) I am starting to embrace the weight gain...(had a hard time with that for awhile) and am loving that I'm not sick all of the time anymore. I also look for every opportunity to feel my little "Gracie" moving! So, what's Gracie doing these days? Here's an exerpt from parentsconnect.com:

Your Baby
This week your baby starts bulking up and packing on the grossly named "brown fat" he'll need to keep warm when he gets evicted from his comfortable uterine home. Other highlights this week:

Vernix, a milky white coating that protects your baby's skin, appears all over your baby's body to keep his skin from getting pickled in the amniotic fluid. Think of it as if your baby has been dipped in yogurt, like those delicious but fake-healthy yogurt-covered raisins and pretzels. Ooh, we feel another craving comin' on. ... Under the vernix, a fuzzy layer of hair called lanugo now covers baby's body. Don't worry, your Mini won't look like Cousin It when he's born. Most of the fuzz will fall off before baby makes his grand entrance.

Good news: Your baby's kidneys are fully functioning and producing urine this week. Bad news: That means there will be lots of diapers in your future. But so far you're safe—at the moment the pee just passes into the amniotic fluid.

He or she now weighs about 8½ ounces and measures 6 inches, as long as a turkey sub from Subway

19 Weeks Pregnant

And of course, the post wouldn't be complete with my belly pics! Pretty soon, I'm going to have to start taking these pictures with my shirt covering my bulging belly bean :)

Week 18 seems bigger to me than 19. I think it must be in what I am wearing at the time. I might have to start wearing the same clothes for each picture :)


Week 19


Week 18

In my daughter's eye's...

I have been blogging so much about the baby, that I wanted to change directions for a minute! One of the scrap-booking challenges over at STS was the song lyric challenge. The song for this month was "In my daughter's eye's". I made this page with it...

Making this page really got me thinking about Karlee and how much I love her! Just like I put on my scrapbook page, "in my daughter's eye's...I see who I wanna be." This is so true. Karlee teaches me things every day. She is sweet and sensitive, tender hearted, loving, loyal and forgiving! She is also sassy, determined, independent...and doesn't take crap from anyone :). She truly is an example to me and is "everything that I wanna be". She is also an excellent student. She has made the honor roll every term this year and just last week she got called down to the Principal's office for Club 100. Club 100 means that she got "caught doing something good". Trent and I are so proud of her! I strive to live up to what she needs me to be as her mother, every single day...and I hope to learn from her and be more like her!

I can't wait to see her as a big sister to this baby girl that's growing inside me. If I know Karlee, baby Grace is going to be one spoiled princess...and I sure hope that she learns from and takes after her big sister!

Another first

Sunday night, as I lay in bed trying to get comfortable...I put my hand on my stomach (a new habit of mine) and all of a sudden I felt "something". So, I thought, could this be my baby girl? So, I waited...when it happened again, I gasped. When it happened a 3rd time I gasped. By now, Trent is asking me what in the world is my problem. I told him that our baby girl was kicking me! Oh happy day! It was just a small little feeling, but it was there...5 times in all! I put Trent's hand on my stomach...but of course, baby girl Ladle was done with her aerobics for the night. I'm not even sure if Trent would've been able to feel it, had she kicked again, but I'm sure he'll get the opportunity soon!

On another note, I think we've decided on a name...(of course, anything could change in the next 22 weeks)...but we're thinking of Grace Helen Ladle. Helen was my grandmother's name. We would call her "Gracie". So, what do you think?

Our baby's ultrasound video!

Carson's Baptism

Today my little man was baptized! It's so hard to believe that he is 8 years old. It really does seem just like yesterday, that we brought him home! I am so proud of him and his decision to be baptized. He makes me so proud every single day! He is such a special little boy. Trent did the baptism and the confirmation. The confirmation prayer was just beautiful. Trent mentioned Carson's birth mother and the sacrifice that she made, 8 years ago, so that Carson could be a part of our family. He also told Carson how proud we are of him and how much we love him. He mentioned Carson's health problems/disability and his ability to overcome them and told him that he would be an example to others with similar problems.

The pregnancy is making me SO emotional - so of course I cried during both ordinances. Then, brother Anderson, who was conducting, called on both of the mom's of the two boys that were baptized today to bear our testimonies of the gospel. I hate being put on the spot, but was grateful for the opportunity to share my testimony with my family - especially Trent and my two beautiful kids! I truly do love this gospel and I know that our Heavenly Father knows each and every one of us personally and sees our needs and well being!

Trent's sister, Janel gave one of the talks before the baptism and did a wonderful job! Her son, Britton gave the opening prayer and my sister, Mindy played the piano. It truly was a beautiful day!

Here is a great picture of Trent and Carson before the baptism! On a side note, the other little boy was first and after he came out of the baptismal font and they told Carson that it was his turn - Carson got a little nervous and said, no. Brother Anderson pulled Carson aside and told him something and all was well after that. Carson was so brave and walked right down into the water in front of Trent.
Our cute little family after the ordinances. Thank goodness Carson is hiding my ever increasing belly :) Doesn't Carson just look so handsome in his brand new suit?

Afterwards, we all came back to the house for a fabulous lunch of chicken salad sandwiches, pasta salad, Oma's famous "emerald salad", chips and cookies! It was so fun to sit, relax, visit and eat. But boy, we sure had a houseful! Now that most of the kids are getting older, they seem to take up lots more space! We also put in the DVD from my ultrasound earlier this week and got to watch our precious little miracle moving around for about 15 minutes of pure bliss!

Tonight, as I write this post, I am so weepy! I am overcome with emotion and love and gratitude for everything that I have! Of course, I'm pregnant, and that seems to exacerbate the weepiness...plus I'm getting fatter by the day (and that's a little hard to take)! It was truly a full day - full of love and family...what else is there...when it really comes down to it? I love my family so much and can't imagine my life without them.

Week 17 and we know....

Yep...we know..."know what?", you ask!!! Well, we just couldn't stand it any longer, so we forked over the $$$$ and went to a fetal ultrasound place and found out that our baby is a......GIRL! I just couldn't stand to wait another 3 weeks for my doctor's ultrasound and I am so glad that we did it! It was so fun to see her! She was kicking and waving and yawning...and yes, she is a girl! I put some of the ultrasound pictures below, but figured that I'd spared her future humiliation and not show the one that actually proves she's a she. But believe me, she is! So, take a look at some of these fun pics! I love the one of her profile that shows her cute little chubby face!

So, I'm sure you're wondering if the kids are excited...well Karlee's over the moon happy and Carson, well he cried the whole 45 minute drive home from the ultrasound! He wanted a brother! I'm sure that as soon as he meets his darling little sister, he will love her no matter that she's not a brother...or so I'm hoping! On the way out, Trent whispered to me that he was secretly hoping for a girl...and I have to say that I was too! Although, a boy would've made me just as happy!!!

So, what's up with me this week? Well, I hardly throw up anymore...yay! Ice cream (which I still crave...and therefore still eat), still makes me throw up. You'd think I'd learn! I still crave spicy things (jalapeno cheddar bagels from the local bagelry, chips and salsa), I also crave popcorn, pudding (french vanilla is my favorite) and I'm finally able to eat my favorite sweets again (licorice, hot tamale candies, cinnamon bears). Also, as you'll see below, my tummy is starting to make itself known. And, I think that I'm finally ok with the idea of getting fat :)

So now that we know the gender, the name game begins...what's your vote?

So...what's happening with baby this week:...This week she's adding fat stores that will keep her warm and cozy after she's born. Your baby's weight will increase approximately six times over the next four weeks. Good to know you're not the only one tipping the scale. Also this week:

Your baby is hard at work honing her sucking and swallowing reflexes—all the better for eating that 2 AM (and 5 AM, and 8 AM ...) meal in a few months! The finger- and toenails are beginning to grow from their nail beds, which would explain why she'll need them trimmed almost as soon as she's born!

Your baby weighs nearly 5 ounces and is a little over 5 inches long—about the size of a baked potato (load on the butter and sour cream, please).

Week 16 - We're moving right along!

Whew...It's hard to believe that we're at the 16 week mark...just 4 more weeks and we'll be able to find out if this little miracle is a boy or a girl! Should we take a poll? Carson wants a brother, Karlee wants a sister, and both Trent and I just want a healthy baby! What do you think? I'm also happy to say that most of the throwing up has stopped...yay!!!!...and my appetite is ever increasing!

Here's a few little facts about the baby this week:

Your baby is already mugging for the camera as she practices all sorts of facial expressions, such as squinting, yawning and grimacing.

Your baby's skin is still translucent and wrinkly, not unlike an old man's, but more fat will soon accumulate under the dermas to plump her out. If you could peer inside right now, you'd be able to see all of her veins under her skin. And speaking of veins, your baby's heart now pumps about 25 quarts of blood per day! Also, her eyes are now locked and loaded at their final destination, facing forward rather than to the sides. (Whew!)


Your baby weighs between 3 to 5 ounces this week and measures between 4 and 5 inches, about the length of your mascara. Muscles are getting stronger, especially the back muscles, enabling the baby to straighten out even more. The baby has eyebrows and eyelashes and the eyes are actually working! Though the eyelids are still sealed, the baby's eyes are making small side to side movements and can even perceive some light. The baby is becoming more sensitive to touch and will even squirm if you poke your belly (though you won't be able to feel it just yet).

And finally...some pics of my growing belly!

Week 16 (Feb 18, 2010)

Week 15 (Feb 11 2010) Week 14 (Feb 4, 2010)

16 Weeks Pregnant

14 Weeks = 2nd Trimester...whoo hoo!

Whoo hoo! Today marks the 14 week mark, as well as the beginning of the 2nd trimester for me and my little miracle!

So, here's what's happening this week:

Think of it this way: You're a third of the way through and baby's a third of the way cooked. Now that the "big stuff" (like skeletal and organ development) is taken care of, your baby starts a period of rapid brain growth, fat buildup and detail work. Highlights this week include:


Your baby now has fingerprints! Believe it or not, he actually created them himself while swimming around in the amniotic fluid. As he moved his hands, the skin on the tips of his fingers formed unique ridges and folds. That's why no one on earth has the same fingerprints, not even identical twins! Cool, right? Baby's arms are now in proportion to his tiny body, but his legs are still on the short size in comparison.


Meconium, that tar-like, sticky first baby poop, is now loading up your baby's intestines, which means you might want to set aside a bottle of olive oil, one of the few things that will get the gooey poop off of baby's bottom.


Your baby continues to gain new and impressive skills such as practicing and controlling voluntary muscle movements (this will help him fling food across the room later in life). Your tiny dancer's movements are no longer the jerky, uncontrollable twitches of yore—he now moves with graceful control.


Your baby is now weighs about an ounce and is the length of a flip phone, or roughly 3 1/2 inches—he's tripled in size from a mere three weeks ago! Luckily, you haven't done the same.

14 Weeks Pregnant

And...we've been trying to keep up with the weekly belly pics...so here are weeks 12 and 13!

Week 12

Week 13

Nuchal Translucencly Ultrasound - Jan 22, 2010

This is hard to see because the ultrasound was done as a very close "close up"...as the whole purpose of the ultrasound was to measure the fluid at the baby's neck. But, you can see the baby's hand and fingers as well as it's head...totally amazing!