Oh bittersweet December

December is always a bittersweet month for me. As yesterday was November 30th our sweet Aubree turned 7 months old and I tried to think about how she is such a happy healthy baby girl and how much I love and am thankful for her but in the back of my mind all day I thought about December. I thought about today and how much joy the holidays are suppose to bring. I put up our Christmas tree last night and Ben played some Christmas music this morning. Every year I try to get in the holiday spirit but at the beginning it is always hard for me. I can't help but think of the anniversary of Dylans death. I say this every year but I can't believe this year will be three years. It no longer feels like just yesterday for me. It feels like a lifetime ago but I can still remember every detail of that night. It plays like a movie over in my head. I still can't believe that happen to me and my family. I still can't believe my brother died in an accident almost three years ago. The pain in my heart has changed over the years but it is still there. I wish I could just visit with Dylan and watch him interact with Ben and Aubree.
I was able to go to Safford to be with my family on the anniversary of Dylans death. It was so nice being with them to remember our brother. As soon as I got into town I just started to cry and as soon as I pulled up to my house I ran to my mom's arms and started bawling. Now that I have Aubree I can imagine the pain my mom must feel losing a child. My heart would be broken if I lost Aubree. My dad took off work and my siblings got out of school early so we were able to have lunch together and visit the grave and have a word of prayer and let balloons float up to heaven.

Now that it is almost Christmas it seems that December has flown by for me. It has been fun getting ready for this holiday by putting up our first Christmas tree and getting stockings and making crafts. Aubree has brought so much of the holiday spirit out in me. I am so grateful for her.

I have put off posting this all month and tomorrow is christmas eve! I am so looking forward to celebrating with my family. I can't believe Aubree is going to be eight months in a few days! She is growing so fast and developing such a fun personality. She had discovered how to crawl and is now trying to pull up on things. She loves food and would eat all day if I let her. She brings so much joy and happiness in our lives and we are blessed to have her!

... and for you I am Thankful

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and as I lay in bed thinking about the day I feel so much joy and love. Last night we traveled to Safford to get me a new car. I was able to visit with my family and get a beautiful new car that I love. Today we spent the afternoon with Bens family and friends. We had a wonderful time. I can't help but feel so lucky to be married to such a giving man. I know he would do anything for me as I would for him. I am so grateful for our marriage and the life we live together. I know heavenly father placed us in each other's paths so we could meet and be together. Ben makes me want to be the best I can be. I fall more in love with him everyday. He has been the best daddy to Aubree and I love watching their relationship grow. Aubree had been one of my biggest blessings. After my brother Dylan died I felt like I would go through these moments where I would relive his accident and the night he passed away, but as soon as I found out I was pregnant it was like I had something to focus on and I felt so much love. My mind never went back to that dark night and I honesty believe that Aubree was the lip  I needed. I have felt so much love since finding out I was pregnant and then her being born I didn't have time to be sad or dwell on Dylan death. I am so thankful for the Knowledge I have that family's can be together forever. Knowing that I can see Dylan again if I love worthy makes my heart hurt a little less. We had the opportunity to go to the mesa temple with some of Bens family the day after Thanksgiving. I haven't been through very many times but I love the feeling i get while I am there. I leave with my mind focused on what's most important and my priorities and goals changed. I want to be my best. While sitting through the session I thought about Dylan and thought he might be watching over me smiling and happy to see me in the temple. I felt closest to him there then I have in a long time. I had no worries and just felt peace.

My little sunshine is now seven months old... She is now crawling, she still loves playing with her toys and empty water bottles are still her favorite. She loves baby food and has been learning how to wave bye bye. She loves giving kisses and sometimes she even will say momma she dada. She is getting so fun and we love watching her grow. 

Can time slow down please!

This six month old sweetheart is growing so fast.. She now weighs 17lbs 13oz and is 27 inches long. I can't believe it has already been half a year, she makes life so much fun . We are finally settled into the apartment and attended church at our new ward. Aubree and I are learning to enjoy taking Stella out twice a day. She has been such a loving puppy to Aubree and for that I am grateful. Halloween just passed us and we got to enjoy making memories with our little girl. Ben carved out a pumpkin for Aubree to sit in so I could get a picture and then we got to dress our baby girl up as the doll Raggedy Ann. Everyone thought she was the cutest thing! She was such a happy girl, just like she is everyday. Thanksgiving is up next and I am looking forward to making memories for that as well as Christmas. Having Aubree in our life has made every holiday and birthday so much more fun. Time had passed so quickly and Aubree had made many milestones this month. We have given her baby food mixed in with the rice cereal,  apples and bananas. She loves both as well as trying to get everything off of mommy and daddys plates. She has mastered the art of sitting up by herself and enjoys playing with all her toys. Thankfully she has not started crawling, just like any other mommy I would love if she could just stay little. I am enjoying this time with her and learning about her sweet personality. She surprises me everyday, just yesterday I caught on camera her waving, and she has given those open mouth wet kisses to a few lucky people including her daddy and I.

F I V E months

Our growing girl is five months old and changing daily. We have been so busy this month and are so excited for our new adventure. We just moved from the lovely house we were renting into a two bedroom apartment a few miles away. The owners of the house we are renting decided to sell their house so in the meantime we got pre qualified to buy a house but needed to save up for a down payment and pay off some debt. We decided to downsize in order to save money and in 10 short months buy a house. It has been a bittersweet move going from a spacious house into an apartment. I didn't realize how much stuff we collected since Aubree had been born. Our sweet pea has her own room and we get to decorate if just like it was.
Little Miss Jane has been full of new tricks recently. She can now roll from her tummy to her back and loves to sit up by herself. She can hold and grab on to anything and everything in reaching distance, and loves to put it in her mouth. Her little high pitched screams cracking us up as well as her baby babble. Food has recently become of interest to her and she loves to reach for it and try to taste it. She has nawed on lettuce leaves and celery sticks and loved it. I can't wait to give her baby food. Nursing is still a favorite for both of us, I feel like we bond after each feeding while she looks into my eyes, grabs my face, plays with my hair, or snuggles into my shoulder. I love learning more about her personality and wish I could understand what she was thinking. I feel so blessed to have her be apart of my life. She is the best part of me and I feel so loved by her.

My little love 💗

I love watching my little love fall asleep on the video monitor. The way she plays with her blanket, sucks her toes, rubs her eyes and falls asleep is so precious to me. She is so beautiful and peaceful I could seriously stare at her all night. My baby has grown so much in these last four months I can't believe she is going to be five months in a few days. Life with her has been sheer bliss. I thought I was in love when she was in my belly but over the last few months I feel as though we have gotten to know each other in a way I can't explain. Almost as if our spirits remember and know each other. She is my best friend and playmate during the day. We love to snuggle in bed in the mornings and read books in the afternoon. We love showers and looking in the mirror. I honestly get bored while she is taking her afternoon nap. It takes all my might not to wake her up early some days. Aubree has given me a whole new outlook on life. I love my parents and I always knew they loved me but I now I can truly understand how much and it can't be explained. Life will give us storms and we will have to sail through them but our children will be our biggest supporters and we will be theirs. Ben is such a good daddy and I look forward to watching his relationship grow and develop with Aubree. 

f o u r months with my little l o v e

Aubree Jane is now four months old! She weighs 15lbs 14oz and has now started eating rice cereal and loves it! She is getting so big and smart, it amazes me everyday the little things she does. Rolling over is one thing I have yet to see her do. I did put her on her belly only to look away for a split second and look back to see her on her back. I swear she rolled over without making a sound. We practice rolling over everyday. We are officially moved her to her big girl crib in her own room, so she no longer sleeps in our bedroom. It was such a bittersweet transition. That first night I had so much anxiety and barley slept. Thankfully she is just the next bedroom down and we have a video monitor so I can watch her all night if I wanted to. Morning is still our favorite time of the day although she is a pretty happy baby all day. Going into her bedroom and telling her good morning is my favorite. She gives the biggest smiles and giggles that melt my heart. Aubree loves the afternoon when her daddy comes home from work. As soon as she sees him she is all smiles. She also loves her Stella Marie and will watch her all day. I must say Stella is pretty fond of Aubree as well, she is very protective and gentle. We are very lucky. Grabbing at everything in sight and putting it in her mouth has become one of her favorite things to do. We love to read books and she tries to grab them to chew on the corners. We also got her ears pierced and she was such a champ. I held her while she got them pierced and then handed her off to daddy to be comforted. After a few moments the tears were gone and she was her happy self again. I love her little diamond earrings and am so proud of her. She is still a pro at nursing and I have decided to continue to breastfeed. We are four months going strong exclusively breastfeeding. I have become more comfortable breastfeeding in public. This has been a struggle for me from day one. There are so many people with negative comments about nursing in public but overtime I have become more confident and feel like I could inspire other moms to also be comfortable. I love the bond Aubree and I have formed through breastfeeding.

I breastfeed

Not because I think I am better

Not because I think less of formula feeding moms

Not because I want attention

Not because I want to show my breasts to others

I breastfeed

Because I couldn't imagine it any other way

Because my child wants to be nourished from me

Because this is what nature intended

Because this was the right choice for my family

Breastfeeding gives us a chance to claim an aspect of our power as women. I have learned so much over the last four moths and am loving it. I have learned that motherhood is unselfishness. The moment I became a mother it was all about her. My heart as grown and given love a whole new meaning.I never knew how much love I could feel for two people. Ben and Aubree are my best friends. I love the life we live and feel so blessed to be loved my them.

When Two Become One.

The last few days I have felt happier and more loved then ever before. When I first met Ben I knew right away he was a good guy. He seemed so genuine and kind, the kind of person who would do anything for someone he cares about. The more I got to know him the more that became clear. I remember our first dance, our first kiss, the first time he told me he loved me. It all feels like yesterday but at the same time so long ago. It reminds me of the lyric "We've come so far since that day, and I thought I loved you then."

I never thought I would be blessed with such a beautiful life so early on. Most of the time I don't feel my age at all. I feel so lucky to have a husband that supports me and let's me stay home with our sweet daughter to teach her and care for her. Without him and his hard work that wouldn't be possible. I owe it all to him. I love how much our love has grown since we first met and I feel as though this is just the beginning. The best days have yet to come and I couldn't be happier. 

 

Before you were my baby daddy, you were my husband.

Before you were my husband, you were & still are, my best friend.

 

The moments we create together, they're my favorites. <3

Blessing Day

 

Sunday August 4th our sweet girl was blessed. It was such a special day! I was so stressed about it all and wanted everything to be perfect and it was. She looked beautiful and her daddy gave her such a wonderful blessing. Her great grandmother Sharon Farar French recorded it and I just want to share it so I won't forget it and so she can read it later in life.

Our father in heaven by the authority of the melchizedek priesthood which I hold we give this baby a name and a blessing. The name which she will be known as is Aubree Jane Mulcock. Aubree I bless that first and foremost you will have a wonderful relationship with your heavenly father and you let him influence all your decisions in life. I know if you do this you will be blessed because of it. We bless you that you will be a good example to your friends and peers and that you will seek to choose the right. We bless that you will be worthy to enter the temple one day and be sealed to a worthy companion. We bless you that you will be a good example to your brothers and sisters and to the rest of us. You are a very large blessing in our lives and everyone can see that. Aubree we bless you and we want you to feel susceptible to everyone's love and feel open to the sprit in time of need. In the name of Jesus Christ amen.

After church we all gathered outside to get pictures. We had so many friends and family attend, it was incredible. Lot of family traveled from out of town just for her blessing. After pictures were taken we went to Michelle and Steve's house for BBQ and cake. It was so fun getting to visit with everyone and Aubree got some beautiful gifts... books, a little blanket and a beautiful antique bike. I enjoyed the day and I am sure everyone else did as well. I feel so blessed to have so many friends and family that love and support us. I am so grateful for Ben and all the positive changes he has made over the last two years. I love that he was able to give Aubree her blessing. I love the gospel and how it brings people together and makes us better. I look forward to teaching Aubree and watching her learn and grow.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aubree is T H R E E months old

I woke up today with the realization that my sweet pea is three months old. I think back to her birth and replay it in my mind and it feels like just yesterday but in the same thought so long ago. Aubree is still nursing like a champ and her rolls prove it. These days she is in love with the ceiling fan and the movement on the television and her chunky legs are forever kicking while her arms search for things to grab and hold onto. My favorite time of day is nap time while I get to rock her to sleep and she grabs my hair and looks into my eyes. She smiles in her sleep as she dreams of heaven. Like her daddy she breaths out of her mouth. She is the cutest morning person we know, her sweet coos, smiles and toots never get old. Aubrees new little tongue tricks and the way she sucks on her bottom lip always puts a smile on my face. Recently she has learned that her tiny frown and pouty lip gets her lots of loves and kisses. She showed gramps her frown and pouty lip and then burst into tears until the second he picked her up and then she went back to smiling. It made us all laugh. She now sleeps through the night and eats every three or four hours. I love nursing and being able to connect with her in a way no one else can. I can comfort and give her something that is so unique and just mine. With Aubree around everything is smiles and baby talk and I wouldn't have it any other way. Each stage is new and exciting with her. I feel as though my love with Ben grows more and more each day as I watch his relationship grow with his daughter. Seeing the love he has for her rekindles the love I have for him. Brighter and stronger our love will shine. We can thank this little piece of heaven we have in our home. Aubree you are best and most beautiful thing that has ever happen to me. Happy three months my daughter. Mommy loves you more then words can express.

The Joy Of Motherhood Comes In Moments.

After playing all morning with Aubree I watch her drift off to sleep. I honestly could spend all day watching her, and sometimes I do. I am not sure if that is a good or bad thing. Ben will walk through the door after work and I won't have the bed made or house cleaned. I will still be in my pajamas either laying next to Aubree or playing with her. Luckily he doesn't mind. I feel as though these little moments will and are going by to fast. The house and everything else will still be there, but she will never be this little again, I will never have these moments with her again. I cherish the quiet moments I have with her all by myself. I want her to grow up remembering how much fun we had together. It's amazing how much love I have for this tiny little human being. Sometimes I can't believe she is mine and I get to be her mom. She has the sweetest spirit and I feel like she knows me and we know each other. I am so grateful for the knowledge I have of the plan of salvation and I know we will be together forever. I am so blessed to be married to someone who loved me enough to take me to the temple and make me his forever. He is the best partner and father, he is my soulmate. I can't wait to see what the future brings us. This new chapter with Aubree is already so wonderful I can't imagine how the rest of our life is going to be. It just keeps getting better. I hope I can be the best mother to my children and the best wife to Ben. Elder Russell M. Ballard once said; "What matters is that a mother loves her children deeply and, in keeping with the devotion she has for God and her husband, prioritizes them above all else." I truly believe that being a mother is a gift and I will enjoy these special simple moments I have with my daughter. <3

 

Imperfection Is Beauty

                                                                                                                                                                 It's 5 am and I just finished nursing my precious daughter. I look at her in awe and in wonder of how she could possibly be mine. It's amazing to think that Heavenly Father trusts me to raise this beautiful girl to help her return to him. Over these last two in a half months I have learned that motherhood is not easy. It has taught me to be selfless and patient. I have struggled since having Aubree with many things, for one I have struggled with my postpartum body. I feel as though I was prepared more for growing my belly then I was for the aftermath. Being left with this saggy, scared skin and an empty belly was scary and sudden. The only comfort I found was holding my daughter in my arms and telling myself it is all worth it. My insecurities left as quick as they came. I soon began to remember how amazing my body is and how I was able to grow another life inside of me; one of the most sacred, precious and challenging things a women is capable of doing. I began to see that I earned my new body, I carried my beautiful Aubree inside of me and am thankful for the body that I have. I am reminded of my strength and all the amazing things that I as a women and now a mother are capable of. I believe I am beautiful and I love my body. Although motherhood is hard, it is the most beautiful journey and I as a mother will do anything for my daughter. I will raise her with love and compassion and will teach her to love all imperfections. <3 

T E N W E E K S

I can not believe our Aubree Jane has already been with us for two months. It feels like just yesterday she was in my belly. In the weeks leading up to her birth I was extremely miserable. I remember everyone at work asking everyday if I was due yet or if there had been any progress, it got to a point where people were saying, "your still here!?" and it got old really fast. I was HUGE! My feet where swollen, my hands were swollen, my face was swollen, I had the waddle, and I was so over being pregnant. I tried everything to get her to come early, I walked the track almost every night, I got my ankles massaged, I jumped on the trampoline, I went to the park and got on the swings, I ate spicy food, I bounced on an exercise ball, we had sex, I took cohosh drops, and finally I tried castor oil. Two days before Aubree was born I took half the amount of castor oil that everyone said to take... when I didn't have any contractions I took the other half the next day. That day I had some good ones but they went away as soon as I went to sleep. That weekend before her birth I could of swore she was going to make her arrival. But I was frustrated because I could not tell if I was having real contractions. I was having some cramping but I just kept waiting for the pain to get much worse, and it just didn't! That weekend I called my doctor and rescheduled my  next appointment which was suppose to be Friday to Tuesday because I was dying to know if I had made any progress. I had been two centimeters and 75 percent effaced for weeks now and after trying all those things I needed to know if I had made any progress!

          So Monday came and Ben got sick with the twenty four hour stomach flu, he stayed home from work and so did I because I didn't get much sleep the night before. So we both rested most of the day Monday and felt a lot better Tuesday. Ariel was with us all that weekend and left Tuesday morning. As I got up to tell her goodbye and get ready for my doctors appointment I was having cramps but nothing like I was expecting them to be like.

They felt like period cramps, not as painful as I was expecting contractions to be like. Ben went to work on Tuesday morning and I told my boss i would be in after my doctors appointment. I arrived at the doctors office and I felt the cramps getting a little worse, I told the nurse and she smiled and said the doctor would be with me in a moment. When my doctor came in to check me I told her about the cramps and she proceeded to tell me that I was in active labor and was four centimeters dilated and 90% effaced and I needed to get to the hospital right away. She asked where my husband was because he usually goes to every appointment with me. I told her he was at work and she told me to call him right away. The nurse told me she knew today was the day for me. My doctor told me to let my family know we would probably have a baby sometime that night. I immediately text Ben, my mom and dad and Michelle to let them know I was in labor and was headed home to get my bags before heading to the hospital. Ben was all the way in Scottsdale and had to drive back to the house to shower so I decided to wait at the house for him so we could go to the hospital together. So as I waited 30 to 45 mins for him to make the drive home I did some laundry and packed his bag and finished packing mine. I paced the house and called him multiple times to tell him to hurry.

The contractions were not bad at all. I was more anxious then anything, but I was still smiling and couldn't believe we were going to have a baby in less then 24 hours. I text my boss and told her today was the day our baby was going to arrive. I can still feel the excitement as I remember these moments... When Ben got home he showered as fast as he could and we were off to the hospital!

          When we arrived we went straight to the labor and delivery room and got set up. Since I was already dilated to a four I was able to get my epidural right away, but right before she was going to give it to me, my doctor came to pop my water. It was a huge gush of water and as soon as that was gone, my contractions got more painful, but luckily i did not have to feel that for long since i got my epidural right after that. Soon I was relaxed and sleepy. My parents were on their way and Ben's family had arrived to visit a little as we waited. The next time my nurse checked me I was already dilated to a nine, I then started freaking out because my mom was not there yet! The nurse said she wouldn't check me for awhile so that my family had a little more time. I called my mom and dad and told them to step on it because i was already at a nine. They both hurried but I was stressed out that they wouldn't make it. Soon after that i got the urge to push, I told Michelle and she told me i needed to tell the nurse, so i did. I was terrified at that point and all I wanted was my mom by my side. The nurse came to check me and said i was fully dilated and ready to push. I did a few practice pushes and then my mom came running in! Soon after that my dad came in and I felt much better. I focused on pushing and after about 30 mins of pushing my sweet baby was born. I remember feeling a huge wave of relief as she was pulled out then placed on my chest. Hearing her cry and seeing her beautiful face for the first time was indescribable. I felt so much love it was as if a part of my heart was missing and was then made whole. Holding her skin to skin for the first time was heaven. Her little eyes looking up at mine melted my heart.

The room was silent for those first few moments after she was born, everyone was in awe. Ben was able to cut her cord and his parents, my parents, Sarah and my good friend Kimberly were able to be there. 

          Staying in the hospital for those two days was a blur. Visitors came and went but all I could think about was my little girl. She scared us a few times by not passing her hearing test the first time and then the nurses telling us there was blood in her stool. Thankfully she came home on the second day as healthy as can be. She has been the best baby ever. She is so calm and eats and sleeps like a champ. She has such a sweet spirit and fills our home with warmth and love. I couldn't imagine life without her and feel so blessed to be her mom. Being pregnant and giving birth to Aubree is one of the most cherished experiences I've ever had. I am so blessed to be her mom and could not be happier. I love my sweet little family!

Aubree Jane Mulcock

 

I haven't had the chance to blog about the newest addition to our family, her name is Aubree. She was born on Tuesday April 30th at 3:12 pm weighing in at 8 pounds 15 ounces and was 21 inches long. I feel so blessed to be her mom and I love her with all my heart. She is the light of my life.

 

 

February. March. April.

I am not even sure where to begin. The last few months have been so busy I haven't even had time to stop and think. February was filled with doctor appointments, getting Ben a new truck, Valentines day, getting our 3D ultrasound, maternity pictures, getting my endowments, and getting ready to move! I happen to be one of the lucky women that had to do the three hour glucose test where I got blood drawn four times and had to sit at the doctors office for three hours. Thankfully I have an amazing mother in law who sat with me the whole time and made the experience easy and quick. We were happy to find out that the test came back great. We also were able to trade Ben's truck in for another one that he loved. My dad was happy working with him doing that and we were happy getting a lower truck payment. Valentines day came and went with dinner, flowers and a big stuffed bear. I told Ben we weren't doing anything for each other because we needed to save money for the move but of course he always has to surprise me with something. :) After Valentines day we got our 3D ultrasound done!

It was the most amazing experience and I was beyond excited for it. We got to watch our beautiful daughter kick and yawn and got some amazing photos of her. I loved being able to see her sweet little lips, nose, chubby cheeks and hair! Michelle and Sarah got to come with us to experience that and it was a wonderful day. The weekend after the ultrasound we had our maternity photos done in Safford by high school seminary teacher, David Palmer. He is a fantastic photographer and I was grateful he was willing to take them for us. I had printed out pictures that I liked so our session was quick and easy.

The photos turned out perfect and I love every one of them! The most special part of February was being able to go through the temple. Getting that temple recommend and being able to go to Safford and go through the Gila Valley Temple with all of my friends and family was an incredible experience. I felt so much joy and I know that Dylan was looking down on me smiling, proud of me. Then to top it all off we found a beautiful house to move into! It is in a wonderful neighborhood and has a great ward. We were thrilled to move in.
 So the beginning of March came and we moved into our new perfect home! I still can't believe we live in such a beautiful home with such a nice neighborhood. I feel so lucky and blessed to be able to start our family here. Our new home has three bedrooms and two bathrooms, a huge kitchen/living room area, a big backyard and a two car garage. I am going to love staying home with our daughter in this perfect home. Soon after we moved into our new home we celebrated our one year anniversary! We spent the day together and that was all that mattered. I remember when we got married people always said, the first year is the hardest... but if you ask me.. our first year was wonderful! It was not hard at all, we grew and fell more in love each day. What more could I ask for. Ben has given me everything I could ever ask for. The weekend of our anniversary he took me to the temple to be sealed. Now he is mine forever and our children are ours forever. I am so proud of Ben and all the positive changes we have made together. He has made me a better person and has made me the happiest I have ever been. Our sealing was beautiful and we had so many family and friends there supporting us. I felt the love of not only our family and friends here but I also felt the love of my brother and our daughter in heaven. I know they were cheering us on and are happy we made it to the temple. Since we have been sealed we have been to the Mesa temple with my family. What a wonderful feeling it is to be worthy to go to the temple whenever we want.

After all the fantastic experiences and memories that we made we had our last ultrasound where they measured the baby and all that good stuff. Michelle was able to come with us and I honestly didn't know what to expect. I had felt huge and was thinking our little girl was going to measuring above average, but the ultrasound tech told us that she was measuring a few weeks behind and already weighed 5 pounds 4 ounces. I was so confused and upset! I went home and cried because she also moved our due date back to May 8th. I didn't know what to think, so at our next doctors appointment when the doctor said the ultrasound results looked good and everything seems great I was a little relived. She also told us that I was dilated to a 1 and 75 percent effaced. I was happy and excited. I had walked a mile the week before and planned on walking a mile once a week until her due date.
A few days after that my work had a surprise baby shower for me. Ben surprised me by being there and I was shocked at how many gifts and people had come to support me. I have never felt that loved and thankful for my job. I will honestly miss my co workers and consider them friends. March 30th came quick and we had our baby shower that Bens grandma planned. It was beautiful and I had a wonderful time visiting with some of my closest friends and family.  Easter Sunday came and went and we celebrated by painting my belly that morning. It was a blast! Ben got so creative and made it look great! If only I could have kept it painted all day. We had brunch with family and then relaxed the rest of the Sunday. I still laugh looking at my Easter egg belly.

The beginning of April started out with our OB tour at Banner Gateway hospital. We were able to see and discuss labor, delivery, postpartum and the nursery. It was a neat experience and I felt a lot better and less scared. I felt like I knew more of what to expect and I liked that. As we got into the middle of April I got more and more tired of being pregnant. My feet, hands, ankles and face got swollen and my belly got huge! People at work would say things like, "your still here" or "you look like your going to pop!" Sleeping was a joke, I could not get comfortable in any position. So all I did and focused on was getting her out of my belly. Ariel came to see me multiple times in April helped me walk laps and stay as comfortable as possible. Having her company made me less cranky. I am so grateful for her. I got my hospital bag all packed and ready and I went to my doctors appointments every week.

Better late then never!

 

So I know I am late and Christmas is long gone, but I had to share some of the memories that we made since it was our first Christmas together as a married couple. We got to go to Safford the weekend before Christmas for a four day weekend and spent lots of time with my family. We attended Brooklyn and Ashlynns dance recital and had a dinner at my Nanas. We had a wonderful time. We spent Christmas weekend here in Mesa and spent the morning at Ben's parents and then the rest of the day at Ben's grandma Suzy's house. Ben's parents surprised us with a vacation to Disnesyland, Universal Studios and California Adventure. We were blessed with lots of gift for us and the baby. I was so grateful to be able to spent time with both of our family's for Christmas. December is always a hard year for my family because of Dylan's death but I think each year gets a little easier to cope with. Ben has always been my rock and supporter and comforts me through that. As the weeks went on my belly grew and grew, I hardly felt pregnant the first trimester and most of the second but as the end of the second has come along I have began to feel pregnant and all the joys that came with it. So as our California trip with the Mulcock family came around I was interested to see how I would do. Michelle and I could not ride any of the fast jerky rides but did get to enjoy some of the boat and slower moving rides and videos. We all had a wonderful time up until the last day. I happen to get a cold right before our trip and the last day of the trip it was New Years Eve and I felt horrible! Right before midnight I threw up. I ended up getting the stomach flu and puking all through out the night. I got a fever and felt sick for the week after that as well. Slowly but surely things have calmed down and I have been able to get better. But let me tell you, being sick while pregnant is horrible! I felt so sorry for the women who get morning sickness because I had never had to deal with that. But through it all we had a great Christmas and New years together, enjoying our last holidays with just the two of us.