35 weeks 4 days and counting

Time sure flies when every time you try to use the computer on your lap your hands become numb!  I have tried to sit down to post or really do anything on the laptop and find my fingers and hands getting numb after only a few minutes.  Just another fun side effect of pregnancy I hear :).

There isn't a lot to tell about the babies until this Thursday's Ultrasound.   Since my last update we met with the doctors and decided to schedule a c-section for sometime between 36-37 weeks.  The only date Dr. Sean Esplin was available was July 8th so that is the special day. (Which is also the birthday of another dear friend!) He is one of the perinatologists we have met with at IMC and happens to be the cousin of a dear friend in our ward.  After meeting him a couple times we felt very comfortable with him delivering our babies since my regular OB is not able to deliver at the U hospital.  At first we were hoping for something closer to July 2nd but after discussing Baby B's condition further we all agreed giving both babies another week would make them stronger to fight any aliment that they may face.  Also, July 2nd -5th is holiday time and some of the best doctors at Primary Children's would be on vacation. So we are hoping I don't go into labor on my own before July 6th just in case we need those doctors.

I met with Dr. Esplin yesterday to discuss the day of delivery and what to expect with a c-section as well as what to expect with the babies care after delivery.  He said that Baby A will have a pediatric team in the same room as us to look him over and see if he needs any additional help breathing or if he is ok on his own.  If all is ok we will be able to hold him right in that room.  Then he said Baby B will be handed through the "window" into the care of the neonatal ICU doctors to see what issues he/she will have and we should know within 30-40 min if there were lungs enough to sustain life or if the baby will pass away.  If there are enough lungs developed, then over the fiirst couple days we will find out if the kidney's are slightly damaged and will be ok or if they were severely damaged and the baby will need a transplant.  They will also try to find the blockage to take some pressure off the kidneys as soon as they can.  We meet with a neonatal doctor this Thursday to find out exactly what they will do and how they decide what next steps to take depending on multiple outcomes. We also want to find out how long we can anticipate baby B being in the hospital for each outcome.

As you can imagine, we have experienced many emotions throughout this journey and in the past week we have experienced many more.   The anticipation of this day is finally here, we have a set date for delivery which makes the end more real.  We are so excited (and nervous) to be parents and can't wait to meet these 2 spirits that have been growing inside me the past 9 months but at the same time a bit cautious knowing the outcome of baby B could vary so much.  Brad and I have talked a lot the last few days about what we have experienced so far and what we have learned.  First of all, we have learned we have no control over what happens next, it is all up to our Heavenly Father and His will for us and our family.  Second, we have had good days and bad days, answered prayers  and unanswered prayers, hope and fear, faith and discouragement.  And what we determined from all this, is that without trials we wouldn't learn anything, we wouldn't know or understand our purpose in this life, we wouldn't develop faith or have a reason to strengthen our testimony in our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  Life is definitely a test and how we react to each challenge or trial we face helps determine who we are and helps us to become stronger.  As much as we want life to be easy it wouldn't help us learn and grow.   I feel like I am rambling but I hope this makes sense to at least one person or that our children will look back on this and learn something from our experience.  I know our marriage has been strengthened throughout this experience as well as our testimony of prayer and the power of the priesthood.  Every day we both look at each other and think we couldn't love each other more and then a day later we feel that same way again, as cheesy as that sounds it is true. What a blessing to be married to my best friend and love him more today than I did almost 8 yrs ago on our wedding day, even with each of our faults.

Finally, we are so blessed to have a gracious Heavenly Father who loves both of us and lets us know on a daily basis that He is aware of us and knows what we are experiencing. A caring and inspired home teacher that has, on many occasions, given both Brad and I priesthood blessings when needed.   I am grateful for a loving husband that helps me to be calm when needed, exercises his priesthood when needed, helps me to talk things through, and will also share his feelings so we feel like we are a team walking side by side throughout this journey and not going through this alone.   Family and friends that continue to inspire and support us as the time draws near. We are lucky to have so many wonderful people in our lives and the knowledge of the gospel to remind us we are not alone and that our Heavenly Father's plan is perfect.

We will have the majority of our family there on the 8th - parents, siblings, etc... just in case.  We are still hopeful for a miracle but we have faith that whatever happens is in the best interest of our family. Thanks again for the continued prayers and support... keep them coming!

Realizations this past week...

I thought I would post some of my fun realizations this week. I am sure many of you can relate!

Hopefully you will smile a little bit!

Within this last week…

• I started getting cankles - you know where it looks like my feet are connected to my calves and no longer to my slender ankles. I miss them! :)
• My feet no longer fit in my shoes - they puff up over the top of my shoes and they look like mushroom tops!
• Brad affectionately told me I started waddling like a duck.
• Realized that finding a comfortable position to sleep in is never happening again.
• At the end of working all day it feels like the babies are going to start coming "out" a little with each step!
• I am SOOOO tired because...finally after trying to find a comfortable position all night I am so worn out by 5am I at last fall to sleep. So when the alarm goes off at 7am I have just barely slept 2 hours.
• This is only going to get worse!
  

However, with all of this I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to finally be a mom and feel very blessed!! Most of all because Brad still thinks I am beautiful! I love it when he rubs my tummy and says "You have a cute preggie belly!" or "You are such a cute pregnant mom!"

Brad has also been an amazing support during the entire pregnancy, with all the bed rest I have been on and limits on activities, he has never complained. He has always been a great help around the house but in the past 7+months he has done most all the cooking, vacuums and sweeps the floor, does the grocery shopping and does all the laundry - while also setting up the nursery, moving furniture around, and finishing the playroom. He is an amazing husband and my best friend! I am truly blessed!

Hope you all have a great day!

7th Anniversary

I can't believe yesterday was our 7th anniversary, time really does fly! As Brad and I were discussing our previous anniversaries, we realized we have forgotten some of the details. That is when I decided we should document them all now in a count down format starting with yesterday. Of course yesterday will be the most detailed. So you can keep reading.. :)

7th Anniversary...

This year I was supposed to attend Youth Conference on our anniversary but since I was released a couple weeks ago I was able to spend the day with my husband instead. Yippee! There have been very few anniversaries we have actually spent together due to Girls' camp or Youth Conference in the past 7 years. I have an extremely supportive husband and he has never once complained and for that I am grateful. I have to admit there was a part of me that missed being with the youth this weekend but I thoroughly enjoyed my day with Brad!

Brad had been great about making sure we did things that I enjoy so this year when he asked what we should do I suggested fishing. I actually enjoy fishing in the summer when it is warm. At first he thought I wasn't serious but after I told him at least 5 times that I thought it would be fun he finally believed me. And it really was fun! We hadn't been to this place for about 4 yrs, it is on the Mirror Lake highway above Kamas, UT by Clear Lake. There is a beautiful waterfall hidden in the trees that Brad found once and it has great fishing...usually. This year the fishing wasn't as good as we remembered but the scenery was beautiful. We really enjoyed being in nature and being together. Here are some pictures from the day.

Luckily a random couple were enjoying nature too and were able to take this picture of us. :)

Beautiful right?

Abby (our dog) loves to wait for Brad to catch a fish then she tries to capture it while he is removing the hook. She is so intense while waiting.

I have a video of Abby jumping up the waterfall but couldn't figure it out. I know I am slow to the game but can someone educate me on uploading a video to my blog?

Finished project

I know you have all been patiently waiting for the finished product. Well here it is!

It turned out pretty nice don't you think?

Brad was curious... how many of you would buy something like this? If so, how much would you pay for it?

A nice surprise...

I have been wanting a new jewelery box to display my necklaces better and to help keep them from getting all tangled. The problem is, that in our bathroom or bedroom there is no place to put a large jewelry box that wouldn't be in the way. A few weeks back, I went to a small group enrichment night with my ward on decorating our homes. One of my neighbors talked about using an old frame and by putting screen material (like a screen window) she was able to use it for hanging or displaying earrings. She also said it can be like a piece of art in your room. I thought that was a great idea so I came home and told Brad all about it. I thought there must be a way to make something to hang my necklaces on as well. Over the past couple weeks he has asked me questions about such a display and what I thought it may look like. I mentioned a few things and to my surprise I came home yesterday to this!

It still needs a few final touches - paint for one! But how cute is that? He even put a little frame around the edges and was so excited on how straight the edges were and smooth ready for painting. It will hang nicely in our bathroom and allow me to rid myself of a cluttered mess in my drawer.

I have such a thoughtful husband, he is always trying to find ways to make me happy. He seeks for opportunities to do nice things for me and makes me feel like a queen! He is so supportive with everything I do or even sign up for. :-) I couldn't have found a better match for me!

Thanks Brad for all you do! I love you!

Halloween flashback....

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!

Can you believe it is already Halloween? I am a bit sad; that I was unable to dress up this year and go to a Halloween party. We usually have a party with my old roommates, but this year I was out of town. And... they ended up canceling the party because my friend's son was sick.


Halloween holds a special place in my heart. It was the first time I really spent time with Brad over 7 yrs ago. We had "officially" talked for the first time the previous Sunday and I had invited him to our annual Halloween party that week. I think deep down I kind of liked him but told myself I invited him because we needed more guys to come! It was surprising to me, that when he got there I was kind of excited to see him. At the time, I also liked another guy that was coming to the party, so I wasn't sure how I was going to balance my attention. Luckily Brad had homework and had to leave early so I was able to pull it off. It was also funny that when one of my friends asked who he was - my immediate response was "he's with me!" That was so NOT me and I didn't realize what I said until my friends pointed it out to me. So.. random. Anyway, it all worked out and that's what is most important! I am glad that a loving Heavenly Father helped us overcome our differences and see the happiness that was right in front of our faces the entire time.


I didn't have time to find pictures from our first Halloween together..but soon! For now.. the best I can do is the YW Halloween activity from last year. Enjoy!

Halloween activity 2007

The original leaders... Bethany (mia maid advisor), me, Hilary(laurel advisor), Kim (1st couns), & Mindy (2nd couns)

Our cute laurels Janneka, Suzy, Hilary, me, Audrey & Aaron (one of the boys)


Jaada (beehive advisor) & Mindy (2nd couns)

Close up of the teeth..isn't this a great costume?!

New post ....kind of

Here is a link to my post on Maui 5th day.. http://angandbrad.blogspot.com/2008/07/maui-5th-day.html I know you are thinking really? You are not finished yet? The answer is NOPE! still one more day to blog about. I want to keep them in order so I backdated! I know I am slow but now that summer is over I have hope to update more often.. we shall see.

Quote for the day...

“The Lord has said, ‘Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers’ (D&C 112:10).

“What a tremendous promise is given in this statement. If we are without conceit and pride and arrogance, if we are humble and obedient, then the Lord will lead us by the hand and answer our prayers. What greater thing could we ask for? There is nothing to compare with this.”
Gordon B. Hinckley, “A Prophet’s Counsel and Prayer for Youth,” Ensign, Jan. 2001, 10

I have had one of those weeks that at the end of it - you are so glad it is over! I find comfort in knowing that God will lead me by the hand and give me answers to my prayers. I have such a wonderful husband that loves me no matter what and supportive friends that know how to make me laugh or just know the right thing to say. I am truly blessed!

Park City....

So... finally I am blogging about our anniversary celebration! First of all, we went the night of our anniversary to the Mt. Timpanogas Temple to do sealings. We started this tradition on our first anniversary while in Las Vegas at the Las Vegas Temple and have been able to do this every year except 2 years ago when Brad ended up in the hospital while we were in San Diego (long story that I will have to share at a later time!) It is great to be reminded of the covenants and promises we experienced on our wedding day.

We spent the first 3 days of our honeymoon in Park City before heading to Cancun. I feel so lucky to have had 10 full days with Brad right after we were married before getting back to reality! The benefits of getting married later in life.. there are a few. We thought it would be fun to go back up to Park City to do some of the things we did on our honeymoon. So I took Friday off and we headed up to Park City.

We hit the Alpine slide and the new Alpine roller coaster.. it was SOOO much fun! We loved the new roller coaster, you are heading down so fast and there are lots of turns. Here is a picture of us in our cars... I seriously want to go back!

There is a funny story about the Alpine slide.. see us on the slide below. When we were on our honeymoon I told Brad not to go so fast down the slide that he would fall off... well you know where this is going.. yip you guessed it! I fell off and scraped my knee in two places - yes I still have the scar to prove it. I have yet to live that one down! Brad reminds me every time we go up to Park City. Isn't the view gorgeous!

More pictures of the Alpine slide and coaster below....

We then headed to the Baja Cantina restaurant where we ate on our honeymoon. It is at the base of the Park City ski resort and has really good Mexican food. Yummy! Brad loves it when I want to take lots of pictures.. :0)

On our way home we stopped off at the Park City outlets to do some shopping.. not a favorite past time for Brad but he was a trooper and we were in and out within 1 hour 45min. I was very proud of myself! Great memories and I look forward to MANY more!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY ...

July 17, 2002 - July 17, 2008

Wow... time sure flies... I can't believe it has already been 6yrs. I really still feel like a newlywed. We are still so corny and can't stand to be apart! I am incredibly lucky to be married to such a kind and loving man.

As I was looking through our pictures to pick a couple to post today I couldn't help remembering our wedding day. It was perfect! Beside the fact that it was over 100 degrees outside - the weather was beautiful, blue skies and sunny! Everything went on without a hitch, I had incredible friends that helped with decorating the reception center, last minute items and just stood by me the entire day. They really made this day low stress for me, I usually like to have a part in the planning and it is hard for me to hand over important planning details to just anyone. So to give all that to someone else to handle was huge for me. Luckily I had friends I could trust to handle the last minute details. Thanks ladies you know who you are!

Since I didn't get married until I was 27 yrs old I attended at least 20 sealings in the Temple of my friends or family. So when I walked into the sealing room for MY wedding I was a bit caught off guard and didn't know where to sit. I had never sat up front before! It was an amazing experience and one that I will never forget. Brad's mission president married us and he did a great job. We had all our family and friends there, I had several of my mission companions and mission friends, 2 young women leaders (3 if I count my mom!), a bishop and his wife that I served with on my mission, relatives and even a high school friend! It was an amazing day being surrounded by those I love!

I also took some time to reflect on the last 6 years and we have been incredibly blessed! Brad and I enjoy spending time together - whether it is traveling somewhere or just hanging out at home we have a blast just being together! He really is my best friend.

Brad is so patient with me and all my quirks, I don't think any other man could have handled all of this as well as he does, he sure is a champ! I am such a planner and anytime we do anything... even just running errands I have to plan out where we will go first to be the most efficient.. I think this stems from my mission and only having a certain number of miles to use in one month so we had to plan everywhere we went to make sure we didn't run out of miles! I am also very specific with how I like to clean the house and sometimes it can be a bit annoying for Brad when he tries to help and didn't do it the way I like it to be done. Thanks Brad for always trying! He really does help around the house a lot! These are just 2 examples of why being married can be difficult at times... we all enter into this union with our own way of doing things and over time you start to understand more and more why Heavenly Father put you together but it is always a work in progress. That is what I love most about being married, we drive each other crazy sometimes but the good times have always outweighed the difficult. Our relationship is stronger now than it was 6yrs ago and I am sure 6yrs from now it will be even stronger!

Tonight we will go to the Temple for sealings, as do every year on our anniversary, then tomorrow head up to Park City to spend the day together. We spent the 1st 2 days of our honeymoon in Park City so it will be fun to enjoy some of the same activities (especially the Alpine slide) like we did back then. Hopefully this time I won't fall off and scrape my knee! I still have a scar as constant reminder of that day. Good times!

This is one of my favorite pictures...one of the last we took that morning after we were married and we were both sooooo TIRED and HOT! I can't believe we used to look that young. I thought I was aging pretty well until I looked at these photos! Oh well, we are having fun!
I am so grateful for a husband that has such a strong testimony of the gospel and his Savior. He honors he priesthood and is always willing to serve when called upon. He loves working with the youth and he does a great job serving with them as well!

Thank you Brad for being my best friend, for always saying the right thing when I have had a bad day, for making me feel like the most important person in the world even if I feel like I have done nothing to deserve it, for loving me no matter what I do, comforting me when I am down, giving great advice when I am not sure how to handle a situation, supporting me in a calling that takes way more time than we bargained for and doing it with a smile! You have been such a great example to me in so many ways and I look forward to learning so much more from you! Thanks for just being you and loving me with all your heart! I couldn't have asked for a better husband and only hope I am the wife you need me to be! I love you!

My Cute Husband!

Brad has LOVED fishing since he was really young, he claims he was 2 yrs old when he first learned to fish and tie a line but I think that was the beginning of his "fishing tales" :). His favorite memories growing up were when he and his dad would go fishing together. So..every couple months Brad goes fishing with his dad. Usually it is just a day trip but every once and a while it is an overnight trip. This past weekend was an overnight trip with his dad and a couple men from his dad's neighborhood. During the summer I will tag along, that is, when it is sunny and warm outside. I am definitely a fair weather fisherman (woman)!

Anyway....Brad also LOVES being with me and hates sleeping alone. So, anytime he can avoid going overnight he will. So this past weekend he left me these little reminders ...isn't he so cute?

I found notes on the garage door when I got home, the kitchen counter, hallway to our bedroom, mirror in our bathroom, in the shower and in the bed by my pillow. I am sooo lucky to have such a wonderful husband that loves me for who I am and wants me to always know how much he cares!

Thanks Brad for being so supportive and thoughtful!

What would we do without wonderful friends and family?

"I don't know what would have become of me were it not for the kindness of the friends I have in my life. They have lifted my head and given me a cool drink of water when I was exhausted and thirsty. They have opened their homes to me as well as their hearts. Help me to bless them with kindness in return."

~Author Unknown

Brad had an unfortunate ATV accident on Tuesday the 18th. He was riding his ATV with a friend and as Brad was riding along he hit a jump in the dirt road that caused his handlebars to hit him just below his nose. Then as the front end came back down to meet the road he lost his balance and flipped over the front of the machine and landed on his tail bone. We spent 2 hours in the ER getting 11 stitches. The following day we headed to the dentist to get his tooth pulled back into place (ouch!), and then to the chiropractor to see what damage he may have done to his tail bone. Luckily for him he wore his helmet which helped him avoid a more serious injury. Overall, he is doing great! He is very stiff and the pain in his tail bone comes and goes, there was no fracture which is fabulous but it is tilted, which means lots of future visits to the Dr. (This is a picture of what I saw when I got home.)

We were touched by the many friends and family that called, emailed or stopped by to see how Brad was doing. Because of the timing of the accident I missed the YW activity that evening which was caroling around our neighborhood. I love to sing Christmas songs so I was a bit sad to have missed it. My cute leaders and girls stopped by to sing to us - they sounded beautiful, it was the perfect way to end a stressful evening.


We feel so blessed to have the wonderful friendships both in our ward and those we have had for years. The news spread throughout both our families and our ward. Our cute home teacher called to see how Brad was doing and he and a neighbor came over to give Brad a blessing. We are so grateful for his friendship and always being willing to help. (before stitches)



(Here is the new Brad with stitches)

We are so grateful for all our wonderful friends & family and pray that we will be as kind when needed to provide comfort to one of you!