An Inconvenient Truth? Really?

So it has been just a little bit on the chilly side lately:

It has sucked all the energy out of me and I havent left the house for days. (Would you??) Not only that, but the last time I DID leave the house I got stuck. On flat ground. 1/8 mile from the house. The wind was blowing so hard that it made a huge snow drift in the middle of the street that when I tried to drive through, turned out to be 18" deep or so. The Pathfinder would have made it, but since the Pathfinder is in the shop, we are driving the "loaner" which is a cross-over.. (that cannot cross over much, apparently.) There are more stories behind that but I'll spare you.

I guess staying inside isn't so safe either since yesterday as I was standing about 7 feet away from the kitchen window it completely BLEW OUT all over the kitchen for no reason!? It was scary and wierd... although thankfully it was just the inside pane and not the outside so we are still toasty warm. SO- who wants to come visit?:)

Christmas was good- I will do a christmas post once I get all my thoughts and pics together. 2008 was another good year to us and I am just amazed every day at what I have. I find joy in everyday life and love it! May 2009 bring much joy, happiness and prosperity to your lives as well...

Busiest time of the Year

I have been loving Christmas (as always) but have felt so busy this year. Part of that is having two kids, part of that is doing a few homemade gifts, wrapping up loose ends on the closet business (which I dont know if I ever mentioned that we quit doing... it was too stressful) and now I'm also taking on some work for the Interior Design company that I used to work for.



We met with a builder on Friday, I feel really good about him and am excited to get things finalized. After hours of tweaking this is what the exterior of the house looks like that we plan to build (barring unforeseen circumstances like the economy completely falls under and houses go for next to nothing... then, we'd buy instead of build obviously)

To be able to "get in" to this house, we are only finishing the main floor which has 2 bedrooms (technically a guest bedroom and a den but it works), a bathroom, the great room, kitchen, and dining. I hope all goes well and we can build because now I've got my hopes up! :)

I hope everyone has a great week, and has better time management skills than I!

Here's the page from Jack's party..

because I'm too lazy to post all the pics. So here you go!

The highlight of his party was the balloon pit. We used a large dog pen (don't know what else to call it? Its about 6' diameter or so and made of metal) and filled it with balloons. Most of the balloons had small prizes in them so when a kid found a prize they could pop the balloon and keep the prize. Luckily we had enough prizes for each kid to have 2-3, especially since they didn't want to get OUT of the pit.

I've spent the last few days cleaning and finalizing my pages for my viovio.com order. Their photo books are amazing! However, you need a minimum of 24 pages.. so I also had to pull together about 6 pages in the last 2 days. (That's what I love about digital scrapbooking though, you can throw a whole page together in 30 minutes if need be and still have it look okay) BTW- this page is one that was thrown together so not my best work, but it gets the job done.

Tomorrow, I am meeting for book club (which I still haven't read the book- haha- I'll start it today and should be good. It's a shorter read) The book is "Finding Noel" by Richard Paul Evans.

Then tomorrow night Jeremy and I, my parents and my sister Heidi and BIL Scott are going into Anchorage to go to dinner and to the temple.

I love weekends!

It runs in the family..

My sister Holly wrote a post recently about my father that describes this man to the T. (Or is it "to the tee"?)
What is it about saving a few bucks that makes us feel so great?
I was thinking last night about what the "perfect day" would entail. I thought "Well, everyday is a perfect day that I have my family safe and healthy". And then I realized.. that somewhere in that day I would also go shopping and get some great deals on clothes, shoes and home accessories that were just the right size, color and fit for my needs. :)
I realize that christmas is over commercialized. But my argument is that there is room for all aspects of christmas. Just because I decorate my house with garland (shiny silver and gold, please) (kidding!!) does not make me any less aware of what this holiday truly means... does it?;)

Time Flies!

I canNOT believe that November is over, I swear it was JUST Halloween!? We have had so much going on. Jack turned 3 last Monday so we went to Bouncin Bears, had hot dogs for dinner (his favorite), ate cupcakes, and opened a few presents. Tuesday I spent all day helping my mom get ready for Young Women in Excellence- we made 35 hand stamped programs and slideshow CDs with cute labels etc. Seems easy, took a while! Wednesday was a little grocery shopping, had lunch with my sister Lindi who came up from Utah State to spend Thanksgiving with the fam, and then that night we went to Twilight. (Thumbs down)
Thanksgiving was amazing as always-- all of my immediate family was there and much of Jeremy's as well. How lucky am I that my parents and my in-laws are friends so my parents invited them over. No picking houses for us which is SO NICE!
Friday I had some shopping to do for Jack's "friend" birthday party. I was the only person out there NOT shopping for christmas-- so dumb on my part!
Saturday was a great day-- at Jack's party we played games, ate pizza, pinata, cake, presents etc. Then my sisters, mom and I went to a Holiday Bazaar where I got an amazing twig/green apple wreath for $30!
So here I am 4 days from the deadline to submit my scrapbook pages to have my books by Christmas, 3-4 UNsewn christmas presents to finish, and still some shopping left to do.
Still- I LOVE the Holidays! Bring on December!

Little Sickies

Both my boys have been sick these past 2 weeks. Jack had what we thought was strep, but turned out to be a "viral sore throat". It's accompanied by both eyes being completely crusted over every morning and throughout the day. Great. Jack is better but now Tate has it. There's nothing sadder than a poor, defenseless baby who's eyes are unable to open because of all the "stuff" on them. Luckily, he likes showers. Poor little guy. Jack then got a little 24 flu bug and was throwing up. (so gross..we just threw his pillow away!)
I had some dissapointment recently as well. My "Hippie Chick Half" that I ALREADY BOUGHT TICKETS TO filled up in 8 hours! The tickets went on sale at 12:01 am on a Saturday and by 8 a.m. (7 a.m. Alaska time) the race was full. Arrrghghghgh.. Who'd have thought?! If I had known the race filled up that quickly I would have stayed up or set my alarm. So frustrating. So, I found another run- "The lake Run" on Lake Oswego. It's a 12k and will be the perfect pre-cursor to the half marathon I will now be doing in June up here in Alaska.
The builder FINALLY started my parent's cabin yesterday. We were hoping it'd be done by now but he's of course running behind. I can't wait to just "get out"- I think I'm going to do some cross-country skiing this year and maybe even try snow-shoeing?
What do YOU do to pass the winter time??

Halloween '08

The night turned out to be a success despite the frigid temperatures (7 degrees). We took the boys trunk-or-treatin' and split the duties. Jeremy had Tate and gave out candy while I walked around with Jack and spent half the time having to coax him to approach the cars that had jack-o-lanterns, spiderwebs and scary music playing. In the end, the promise of candy always won out. We definitely gave away more than Jack acquired but it was fun to see the kids all dressed up. Then, after that was done, we went over to my mom's house and dropped the boys off while we went out to dinner. It was a last minute idea but was SO NICE! Plus, Jeremy and I got engaged on Halloween (5 years ago! Time flies!) so it was fun to celebrate that as well.

A 2 holiday weekend!

Jack has not been a big fan of Halloween so far. He hates going into stores because of all the displays and scary witches, skeletons, etc. that are on display. It does not matter how silly or smiley the expression- somehow he knows these items are meant to be scary and I have no idea how since he's never seen any movies depicting them as so.
However, I'm sure tonight will prove to be different the second the first piece of candy drops into his bucket. He's just now at the age that he understands how monumentious the occasion is when people are anxious to just give you candy- since at home he has to work so hard for it..like say, going on the potty chair. ("snake poop" as he calls it- haha)
And my favorite holiday- FALL BACK! This meant more to me when I worked but I am still excited. Bring on more sleep!

Hippie Chick Half!

My sister Holly and I have been plotting for years now to run a half marathon (OK eventually.. a full marathon..but baby steps, people) We found this half marathon in Portland that has great reviews and winds along the Willamette river. There are live bands, Jamba Juice, Old Spaghetti Factory, The Body Shop with their foot spray, and plenty of tie-die on site to make the day great! It's held Mother's Day weekend so of course our Mom is coming as well along with my older sister Heidi. They will be walking the quarter marathon and Holly and I will be running the half! Wish us luck, I'm starting my training now. We already bought our plane tickets, have our accommodations etc.! I'll let you all now how the training goes.. I warn you it will be s-l-o-w..I can only run a mile right now! How sad!

SNOW!!

Yes, it is in the 20s here and winter is in full force. Last Friday, I woke up at 3 in the morning to feed Tate and practically beat my touch lamp to death before realizing the power was out. Jeremy and his dad didn't go to work because it was still out at 6 and because we are on well/septic there was also no water, heat etc. (My brother in law said to Jeremy: So, you didn't go to work because you couldn't take a shower? Haha..yep) We bundled up (although the house stayed in the 60s) and the power didn't come on until almost 1 in the afternoon!! It was kind of a fun day though- makes you appreciate what you have. I wanted to make good use of my "down" time- sewing? Nope. Digital Scrapbooking? Not so much... So, we SAT and talked.

I was asked to be in charge of the Book Club for the ward. I picked "Recovering Charles" to start with by Jason F. Wright. Has anyone read it? I just got it yesterday-it looks like a way easy read--maybe too easy-- but what can you do...

We also had someting else exciting happen- yes, Wasilla, AK now has a Target! My sister and I went last Wednesday night and salivated all over.. we felt like we had gone on a mini-vacation when we came out of there. Target is one of my favorite places to go when I go to the "Lower 48".

Tate is now 4 months old- I can't believe it. We tried rice cereal on Friday- which went over like a ton of bricks. If he actually did swallow any of it-- it was purely luck. He is just as smiley and wiggly as can be:

Pele

I finally have pics of our little soccer star. He loves going but is a little shy once we get there. His coach does an amazing job with the boys.

Jack is at such a fun age and makes me laugh everyday. A perfect example of his personality happened the night Tate was born. At the hospital, he and my family were waiting in the recovery room for Jeremy, Tate and I to move in from the delivery room. Jack was being loud and boisterous so they told him he needed to be quiet or else he would wake up the brand new babies in the hospital. He thought about that for a second, smiles and yelled "WAKE UP BABIES!!"

Problem solved.

Last fishing trip of the season

At least for me..

We went down to the Kenai on Saturday and fished (catch and release) for trout. The trout are not huge but it was fun to just be out on the water. We saw 2 brown bears and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. I caught this little guy but would not touch it! Haha..

>

Fall Weekend

A few of you have asked.. YES, it's getting cold here. Not freezing, but in the lower 50s most days. Alaska is notorious for 2 seasons (winter, summer) but we do have a few weeks where the trees have turned their colors and havent lost their leaves yet. It's so beautiful out right now!

We had a great weekend!

Friday, we met with the builder we think we're going to use, we're getting SO excited about the whole building experience. We're breaking ground in the spring and the builder said about 4-5 months to build which means we'll be in our house next year at this time, yeaah!!

Saturday, the boys and I bundled up and went to my little brother's football game.

Jeremy went fishing on the Kenai and had a good time until he lost his brand new Cabelas fly pole that I got him for Christmas last year. He had the pole in a holder while he was rowing the raft and it got caught in some low-hanging branches that eventually dropped it into the river, never to be seen again. Sad day, but still better than a day of work.

Yesterday, we went out to my parent's property and staked out the exact placement of the cabin. We are getting so excited for that project to start as well!

Gift Idea

If you dont have Photoshop or some form of Photoshop, get it!

I found a great site, http://www.viovio.com/, which has really great prices for digital printouts, pre-bound books etc.

I've been working on my pages in my spare time and should have a complete 2008 album by the end of the year for Christmas presents! It feels so nice to have at least one gift that I know will be treasured by grandparents, great grandparents etc.!

I don't use the pre-made templates. I dont know, there's something about me that just can't bring myself to do it. I feel too constrained.

I have become somewhat addicted to stock-piling my collection of scrapbooking kits and now have over 45 kits to choose from- some purchased and some freebies. I know I've posted about it before, but I still highly recommend it!

Who Am I?

Does history really repeat itself?

Who Am I?

I am under 45 years old,
I love the outdoors,
I hunt,
I am a Republican reformer,
I have taken on the Republican Party establishment,
I have many children,
I have a spot on the national ticket as vice president with less than two years in the governor's office.

Did you guess?

I am Teddy Roosevelt.

Officially..

a soccer mom. Jack started Lil' Kickers last Tuesday. It's quite humorous to watch 2-3 yr. olds attempt to do anything structured, so I'm glad that our coach doesn't expext much other than for the kids to have fun. They are learning the very basics and Jack's adorable in his uniform. I'll get some pics posted soon!
My parents recently bought some recreational property on Willow Creek, a popular King salmon fishing site as well as snow machining, 4 wheeling etc. They are having a family cabin built and it should be done by Thanksgiving so we're really excited for that! We'll have some place to go to make a whole weekend out of our winter sports instead of trying to squeeze everything into one day. I've been helping with the space planning and drawing everything up for the builder on AutoCAD so it's been fun to be involved! My mom is not much of a camper so the cabin will have a full kitchen, bath, etc. which is.. pretty much.. essential.
We took Tate to the doc, he is over 14 lbs. now and is in the 90-95% for everything. He's just adorable and gets cuter everyday!

Sarah Palin: Alaska's sweetheart

I am not usually a Political person.. okay, I'm still not, but I will say this: Alaska loves Sarah Palin. (And it's Pay (as in rhymes with day)- lin.) We loved her long before she made national headlines. She came to office and immediately tried to clean up after our past loser Governor, who thought he needed all the luxuries life can bestow. One of her first orders of business was to sell the State Jet that he had to have. She has done some "cleaning house" to say the least. She is a strong woman and one of great character. She is a family woman. And yes, her daughter is pregnant. I think we can all agree that no matter how well you teach your children, in the end.. they have their agency.

This was her statement after giving birth to her Down syndrome baby, Trig, in April:
"We knew through early testing he would face special challenges, and we feel privileged that God would entrust us with this gift and allow us unspeakable joy as he entered our lives"..

We may be a little biased up here in Wasilla. :) It is small enough that we all have connections to her:
-Her parents live literally around the corner from mine.
-Her sister works at the same dentist office as my mom.
-I babysat for the loser trooper that she is under investigation for trying to get fired. (I worked with his wife at the time, whom he cheated on.)
Anyways just wondering your opinions on her?

Alaska State Fair

Last night we met up with Dustin and Melinda and the boys at the fair. Our friend Aaron who carves AMAZING Alaskan art from whale bone and had a booth at the fair got us free tickets and parking (Thanks again!) His booth won Best Vendor Booth- he made the outside look like a cabin and carved Barret's Carvings into it. (See "Debbie" on my sidebar, she has a link to his site, considering she's married to him and all:))

The boys of course loved the rides best of all. Jack loved the roller coaster (or "choo-choo" as he called it) best of all and would have only gone on that ride over and over again had we let him.

Tate was my little star in this ADORABLE fleece "star" shaped suit. We got so many compliments on it, thanks again Val!

Vicky entered her quilt off her bed to the fair quilt show. Jeremy's sister Stephanie pieced the top and Vicky quilted it and finished it. It made the main aisle, I was so proud of them:)

Wrapping Up Summer

Well, the fair is almost here which is the sure sign that fall is on deck. We have exactly 3 months of summer, no more. September, while sometimes warm for Alaska, is most certainly not proper summer weather-- although after the summer we've had, don't get me started on proper summer weather. Meteorologists all over the state have changed their names and phone numbers to ward off the angry mobs that have been created in protest to the abnormally cool and rainy summer. Typically, August is our rainy month- this year, summer was our rainy month. Needless to say, we have been thinking about a warm destination for a winter vacation.. besides, we need to use these air miles that we've been saving before they do away with the program altogether or start charging you for each piece of clothing you're wearing as well.

Last week, we did another Bouncin Bears run. We met up with Steph and Debbie with kids in tow. No pics this time, what was I thinking!?

I was on top of things this year and got my Halloween costumes early. Last year, everything sold out before I got around to ordering anything.
This will be Tate's costume:
And Jack's:

I'm still trying..

to get better at updating my blog more. I really thought I would have more free time on my hands now that I'm staying home, but these two little guys have proven otherwise. I know I keep saying that, but it just seems to be on my mind lately. Seriously have a whole new respect for all mothers, everywhere! 2 year old + baby= exhausting.

I have finally met with Megan and given her her wedding present 9 months late... because I'm classy like that. ..does the 1 year rule apply here too? (Okay, okay.. I do not really believe in the 1 year rule, just trying to make myself feel better!) My in-laws were nice enough to climb the jungle gym, Vicky holding both Tate and the quilt, to let me get this picture:

It's a full/queen and the most involved project I've done to date but it was fun. I'm sure I'll have more to follow, I definitely have enough fabric!

We have been hooked on the Olympics.. although am I the only person who feels a little bad for all the other swimmers who have no chance when Michael Phelps is in the pool? It's just so fun to see someone who really gets excited about winning, the underdog.. Anyways, it's been fun to watch at night, I'll be a little sad when it's over.

Has anyone else been watching??

The Preciousness...

If you can resist those big blue eyes.. you are a stronger person than I.

Lost camera, Woman's Conference and too much on one plate...

Those are my excuses as to why it's been so long since I've posted!
A LOT has happened!

Grandpa Lehnhausen and Tate

Tate was blessed last Sunday, July 27th. We did it a week early because that was one of the few weekends my dad has been home all summer. He has been fighting the fires in California. (although in his case, "fighting" is a loose term. He has the cushy job of driving the "Fire SUV" around and talking to the media.)

After Tate's blessing, we had dinner at my parents house and all of Jeremy's family came as well. It was such a nice day! A friend in our ward wrote down Tate's blessing in sacrament meeting as Jeremy was giving it and gave it to us afterward. She said she does it for all baby blessings, what a great idea! We were so thankful.

Because it's been a little on the overcast side, we have been trying to find ways to entertain the kids indoors. There is a new place here that recently opened called "Bouncin Bears", a large room with 10 or so of those bouncy "things" you see at the fair... Slides, obstacles courses, etc.

Jack went with his cousins and had so much fun!! I bought a 10 pass, so we will definitely be back!

Yesterday, I was in the kitchen finishing up a sewing project/birthday present before church. This project to be exact:

In my peripheral vision I saw a black dog come up to the sliding glass door and put his snout on the glass. I called to Jeremy- "Jeremy-- there's a big dog at the door" in a lackadaisical way. He always goes out and scares the stray dogs away so they don't poop on the lawn.

Anyways, Jeremy walks into the kitchen and says" Laura, that's not a dog. That's a bear." That bear would've walked right into the house had that slider been open-- scary!! He was small, but a bear nonetheless. He had already wandered to the front yard by the time we got these pics:

Projects!

I've been working on quite a few sewing projects this week and finally finished up piecing Jack and Tate's quilts. Some of my projects are gifts- (3 out of 5 of them- geesh- guess I can't post many pics right now)

Tate's quilt:
Here is Jack's quilt (or quite possibly Tates. It was originally for Jack but every time I show it to Jack he says "No, mom, that's Tates!" Hmm.):

I have been having so much fun working on this stuff. I've also made a hooter hider and matching burp clothes but those got out the door before I took pics.

What projects has everyone else been up to?

Summer so far...

I don't usually do these little "tagged" deals, but I will for Tina ;)

I've been tagged! Here are the rules: Post these rules on your blog. Answer these 15 questions about yourself on your blog. List 3 Joys, 3 Fears, 3 Goals, 3 Current Obsessions/Collections and 3 Random/Surprising facts. Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names.

Joys: I can't only list 3, but I'll keep it short...

-My little boys- everything they do
-Spending time with Jeremy and my family
-Spending time with friends
-Vacations
-Good Food
-A clean house
-The peace I feel in the temple

Fears:
-Losing a family member

Goals:

-Get back to my running program
-Become a better mother
-Become a better cook

Current Obsessions/Collections:

-FABRIC- I cannot go into quilt shops without picking something up. I collect fabric that I don't even know what I'll do with, I cannot help myself. When I see something I love, I have to have it. I've learned that if you don't buy it- it will be gone next time you return.
-Digital Scrapbooking
-Trying to enjoy summer and my newborn to the fullest

Random Facts:
-I'm getting my tonsils out in December
-We have one less family member as of this week; we gave our dog, Buddy, to my little brother. With Tate here now and living with limited space, it was just too much.
-Jeremy is currently building the first structure for our new property- a 10'x12' shed (and helping Scott and Heidi build theirs as well)

4th of July

I don't think these pictures need explaining:

Jack stole the tablecloth weights:

Slip 'n Slidin:

The weather up in Alaska is always unpredictable (they say if you don't like the weather, drive 5 miles or wait 5 minutes) but one thing that has been remarkably consistent is a beautiful 4th of July.

This year we went to my mom's house and she had Jeremy's family over which was great for us! We had the kiddie pools out, the slip n slide, the badmitton "court", croquet, (I know, who plays this?), card games, etc.

The food was amazing. We had such a great time sitting in the sun (we actually had to set up a canopy for my grandma and for Tate because the heat was intense..can you believe it!?) It was a 4th that truly lifted my spirits and was a great day to reflect on all we have as a country.

Tate's Announcement

For all those not in my address book, here's the finished product.. 2 posts in one day!

Arctic Thunder

This past weekend our family went to the airshow at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage. We saw everything from Bi-planes to the F-22 raptor (which apparently is a large, BAD stealth bomber) It was so fun to see Jack get so excited- he loves planes and helicopters (In fact, every time the washing machine goes to spin cycle, he's sure there's a helicopter outside and always has to run to the window and check!;)) We met up with Dustin and Melinda and their kids, so Jack had fun with Xander all day and kept us on our toes. Tate was an angel and slept the whole time which was amazing considering how LOUD it was!
Last night, our family went hiking a little up at Hatcher's Pass. I was nervous because Jeremy didn't have his gun on him and for some reason I am so paranoid about bears lately! I made Jack hold my hand because I was sure if he walked alone a bear was going to snatch him up;) But, all went well and we came home safe.
Tate is 3 weeks old today .. I can't believe it! He is such a good baby and is getting noticeably chunkier and longer. I've been enjoying having a baby I can hold without my arm falling asleep- but I'm not going to get too used to that.:)

Digital Scrapbooking

Here are a few of the pages I've been working on in my spare time. I am LOVING Photoshop Elements, and this whole new way of documenting my life! I still have so much to learn- I took a Photoshop class over a year ago but can't remember much (it focused only on editing photos- not scrapbooking) and I just have no idea where to look if I wanted to take a scrapbooking class? I have gotten most of my papers/ elements from either Shabby Princess or 2 peas- once again I open to suggestions for other great places on the net to find stuff!

I took Tate for his 2 week checkup yesterday- he is 8 lbs. 6 oz... up 12 oz. from last week so that is great! He even ROLLED OVER last night (tummy to back) at 2 weeks old!! Crazy kid thinks he is going to grow up on me.

Fishing Buddies

Jack and Jeremy have gone fishing for the past 2 Saturdays. Jack absolutely LOVEs fishing, mostly just to be outside and on the water. This past weekend they went to the Little Su river and took our little zodiak with a 10 horse motor. The boat could not go fast enough for Jack-- although most things are not "fast" enough for Jack. He tells me to go faster when Im driving, faster on the trampoline, faster on the swing set and faster on the river. Being a boy is all about speed for this little guy.

Father's Day

I felt so lucky yesterday to have such a wonderful husband who is the greatest father to my 2 boys, and a father and father-in-law whom are both some of the best men I know. It was truly a day to reflect on all of the blessings I've been given.

We ended up staying home from church and relaxed with our new baby. He is still doing great- I am adjusting to the sleep schedule (or lack thereof) and still figuring out this nursing thing day by day. (I nursed Jack but somehow with this child I feel like I'm completely relearning!)

Hope everyone had a great Father's Day!

Introducing:

Tate Steven Huston

June 10, 2008

8 lbs. 2 oz.

20 1/4" long

We are home from the hospital and doing great! We are so in love with our new little guy!

The past few days have been such a whirlwind.

Tuesday night, just after dinner, Jeremy left for scouts (started at 7). About 7:20, I went upstairs to switch a load of laundry and had my first contraction. I didnt think much of it, thinking maybe it was just cramping. Then, about five minutes later, another one.. then another one. I was laying on my bed, next to Jack who was watching Backyardigans and completely oblivious. I grabbed my cell phone and called Jeremy, only to hear it ring downstairs on the kitchen island. Great. Jeremy's parents were home but were busy working downstairs so I really didnt want to call down to bother in case I was just being silly and was in false labor. But after another contraction, I called down to Vicky and asked her if she would run to the church and get Jeremy. She immediately knew what was going on and the panic began;) I had my suitcase out on the bed (the reason I was doing laundry.. had planned on packing that night!) but it wasn't packed so I told Vicky the things we needed and she packed for me. Jeremy arrived home and we we got in the car and on the highway (my hospital is 45 minutes away) about 8 pm.

After just a little speeding, we arrived there at 8:35 and I was immediately taken into the delivery room- at this point my contractions seem almost constant. I tell the nurse that I would like an "epidural, if I can get one" and she says "Of course you can have one!" with a big smile on her face.. until she checks my cervix. Then she says, "You're dialated to a 9, almost 10, no epidural.. you're having this baby right now!"

I am a wimp so immediately Jeremy tries to keep me from losing it. They call my doctor and he arrives in 10 minutes even though I know he lives across town because I helped with the design in his house. When he gets in to my room, he is out of breath.

Long story short, Tate was born at 9:27 pm, just over 2 hours from my first contraction. It was the most painful thing I've experienced given the lack of any painkillers, but at least it went fast!

Weekend Wrap

How sad that most of my posts lately are about the weekend rather than during the week. We've actually had another BIG change in our life that I completely forgot to post about last week. Jeremy changed jobs! He went to the current company he was working for because he didn't feel like they were paying him what he was worth. When the company resisted a raise, Jeremy went out to another company in town that was eagerly looking for someone with Jeremy's qualifications and all too happy to pay him more. It is a huge blessing, and comes to us at a perfect time since the baby is coming soon and I will not be getting any hours in for a few months, and then very few hours in after that. (We will see how I can do occasionally "working from home" with 2 kids! I really don't know what I'm in for!)

So, our insurance JUST changed which means that the hospital I need to deliver at changed. Our insurance is better too though so it's worth the last minute inconvenience!

Last Wednesday, after work, Jeremy and I took Jack just a mile down the subdivision street to a little lake (glorified pond). We went out in the canoe and tried out Jack's Easter present.. his Spongebob fishing pole. This fish is probably the tiniest fish I have ever seen, I think it's a baby rainbow trout. Regardless of it's lack of size, Jack was thrilled! Jeremy has been even happier though, because all week Jack has been telling him that he wants to go fishing again!

I have a doctor appt. on Wednesday.. I will give an update if there's any news. My mom is at girl's camp this week since she is the Young Woman's President and is really pushing me to have the baby this week so she can have an "out" and come home early:) Of course, her counselor has warned me against such a situation... but the swollen ankles are speaking louder. I'm ready for this baby ANY time now!