Can you believe it???

More pictures of Lilly's first week

2009-06-22T18:37:00.001-07:00

Here are some pics of Lilly's first week at home. Mommy has been busy and will get a blog about her birth put together soon (and fix the side ways pictures).

Lillian Grace Genessy

2009-06-21T20:09:00.001-07:00

Pregnancy Photos 35 Weeks

2009-05-21T07:50:00.000-07:00

Last week (35 weeks) we went and took maternity photos. It was a bunch of fun. These are a few of the pics. Some of them are so funny because she kept telling me to do serious looks and I was smirking in them. Oh Well!! Shawn was really exhausted from a long day at work so he is half asleep in some of them. When Margo didn't have him in the picture he was laying half asleep in her recliner chair. All in all it was a fun thing to do and I am glad that I have them for little lulu.

Excuses Excuses Excuses

2009-05-10T20:18:00.000-07:00

So I officially feel horrible for not giving my blog the attention that I have wanted to. I have been taking pictures, but some of them are so old I have no idea how far along I am. I do plan on getting them up I promise! My camera and computer do not like each other so I have to fight both of them to cooperate to get my pictures downloaded.

Just a brief update on my life the last several weeks (months). We decided about 4 weeks ago to paint the nursery. I thought this would be something that I had Shawn do some of the heavy lifting and leave me to the painting so he could work on the basement. WRONG!!! It has been a month long project and we are still trying to wrap up the odds and ends because my painting project extended into the hallway and the bathroom as well. This house is in major need of paint and attention and It is a big job!

Basically what it all boils down to is that I am nesting majorly bad!!! I feel completely exhausted and I see something that needs to be done and I do it anyway because I can't sit and look at it. I feel bad for poor Shawn. He doesn't say anything about the projects I start that he has to finish he just bites his lip and happily does it. I am so lucky to have a patient husband like that. I think if I were in his shoes I would have choked me a long time ago.

I have a 5 1/2 weeks until my due date. It is here faster than I expected. I think we have been so busy that it has just gone by. The baby is getting really big. I feel every movement and my tummy is rock hard. Everyone keeps telling me that I am carrying her really high which I am. I am so excited to meet her but I know I will miss feeling her move around inside.

Today was my first mother's day. It is really strange to look at myself as a mom, but I am so excited to be! Shawn did an awesome job of making my day special and I enjoyed every second of it and his kind gifts.

We went to the Dr. last Monday for my thirty four week and the baby is doing really good. Her heartrate was 165 bpm and the dr. said everything looked awesome. My next appointment will be next monday. I will officially be in my last month!!!!

Some People are serious about their doughnuts

2009-04-03T15:17:00.000-07:00

So my eating is back to normal now from being sick. Because I went so long with out eating normally, I have had a hard time with sweets and eating too much. I try really hard but it is a working progress.

I had the funniest thing happen to me at work yesterday that I have to share. One of those little things that happen that you laugh about for a long time. We had a meeting first thing yesterday morning Chris (owner of the company) had me go pick up doughnuts at the grocery store.

After the meeting was over, there were 4 or 5 doughnuts left over. Becky, my boss, brought them out of the conference room and said to me and Curtis (a co worker) "pick which one you want". So we all three drooled over the doughnuts and chose. I picked up the doughnut that I wanted but decided to put it back in the box and save it to eat after lunch. Becky asked me if it was pudding filled and I said "I don't know maybe I should claim it as mine so nobody else takes it" and proceeded to put my finger in it to see if it had a pudding center in it. After we verified that it indeed was pudding filled, she put the box with our claimed doughnuts on her desk.

Not more than a half hour later, the other owner Wayne walks into Becky's office and says "Oh is that a creme filled doughnut?" Becky and Curtis proceeded to tell him "Yeah but it is Jill's she even put her finger in it see?." He looked at the doughnut and said "I don't care", picked it up and took a giant bite out of it and proceeded to eat the doughnut that my finger had been in.

I was not there when it happened but I walked into her office right after the incident. Curtis and Becky were still in shock that he actually ate it and the looks on their faces were priceless. They literally sat there and looked at me and didn't know how to break it to me. I was laughing so hard I could hardly stand it. He must have really wanted that doughnut. I think the funniest thing about the whole story is that Wayne is a very clean cut guy. He never so much as has a hair out of place and is always dressed really nice and is very meticulous. For him to not care and want my doughnut just kills me. Every time I think about it I start to laugh because it is so not typical.

I look back at it and think how thankful I am that Wayne ate my doughnut because I was trying so hard to be good. Problem solved!!!

3rd Trimester Here I Come!

2009-03-29T13:16:00.000-07:00

I am hoping now that I am done with my statistics classes I will have more time to put regular posts on. I have a picture from last week and am going to get one on for this week.

So much changes with the baby from week to week and most of it is over night. I swear I wake up looking so much different everyday. We are getting so excited for little LuLu. We have been working hard on finding a name for her. I am thinking that like Mom Genessy and my mom, we will be naming her in the delivery room. I have three or four names that are sticking out to me right now. One that I have really liked is Callie but that name is too close to Kaylee.

It is so neat to see the baby's little personality come out. The other night I had the lap to sitting on my lap. After it had been on my lap a while it had started to slide down the lap pad and push on my tummy. Not more than two minutes later she was flopping around and kicking like crazy. I moved the lap top off my belly and she stopped kicking. Later that night Shawn was laying on my tummy and within a minute or two she started kicking him in the ear repeatedly. It was pretty funny. She does not like stuff pusing on her or restricting her in any way. She was the same exact way both times I was at the hospital with the monitors on my belly. She kicked them like crazy and wouldn't stop. I think she is going to be a feisty little girl (with red hair).

This last tuesday was our 28 week appointment. The doctor said everything is looking right on track with the pregnancy. My belly measured 27.5 which is what it should be. The baby was moving around so much that he was having a hard time getting her average heart beat. He said she was ranging from 128 bpm to 148 bpm. Now that I am in my third trimester, I go see the Dr. every two weeks. This is all flying by so quckly. I am definately seeing that I am much more tired and have much less stamina. I thought it was due to my recent health problem, but I am doing much better from that, but my energy hasn't come back so I am concluding that it is third trimester tiredness. My desire for nesting is starting to get stonger than ever before. I am constantly thinking about all of the projects I would like to do before Lulu comes, but we will see how far I get. I am not to the point of cleaning with a toothbrush yet, but I am sure my day will come!

The last two Saturday mornings, Shawn and I have gone garage selling in search of baby items. I am so excited because we found a yard sale with nothing but baby stuff! We cleaned house big time. We found a Johnny jumper, a brand new Carter's diaper bag, a sleep positioner, a few pairs of jammies, two sleep sacks, a bib, and some cute little hair clips all for 13 bucks!!!!!!!! It is so exciting finding good deals! There is no telling how much we would have spent buying all of that stuff brand new. All of it was barely used if used at all. It is fun getting ready for her. It makes me that much more excited.

Progress on the basement is moving along. Every weekend my dad and brother Robbie have come over to help Shawn for a few hours and they have almost half of the basement framed!! It is neat to see the progress. I think Shawn is a little "gun shy" since his little mishap so it has been nice having help with the basement. I am really looking forward to getting it done so we can put our house back together and get a nursery set up. I think Kaylee is even more excited than anyone about her new room. She has it all planned out how she wants it decorated and is always asking Shawn how her room is coming along.

It's About Time!

2009-03-07T19:12:00.000-08:00

So I uploaded these photos backwards. OOPS!! I feel like a bad blogger for not posting in a month!!! Or not taking pictures in forever. You can tell a big difference in my belly for sure. It is crazy.

The baby moves around tons! Last weekend she figured out how to flip head down which was a bizarre feeling. You could tell she was lower just by looking at me. She hung out upside down for most of a day then moved back to normal. She is all over the place which I absolutely love. I am enjoying every kick and movement thoroughly.

Life has been a bit crazy lately for us. Both of us have had some bad luck lately. Last Saturday while framing our basement, Shawn had a mishap with the nail gun. He actually shot himself in the foot with a 3 inch nail!!!! I was running around and in shock trying to get him out the door to the insta care. After about an hour and a half they were able to pull the nail out of his foot. The reason it look so long is that they had to cut the shoe off around the nail so they could deaden his foot. The nail went about an inch into his foot and actually missed the bones which is a miracle in itself. Needless to say he has been limping around all week but his foot is healing nicely.

Early early sunday morning I ended up at the hospital due to an unfortuate event with a reaction to an antibiotic I have been on for an ear infection. Of course we didn't know what was going on at that point so the on call OB dr. thought it was best that I go get some IV fluids and have the baby monitored to make sure I wouldn't go into labor (due to being dehydrated). It was neat to hear little lulu's heart beat on the monitors. She didn't like the monitor at all and kept moving around. The nurse had to come back in several times to move the monitor onto her and within a minute or two of her leaving, the baby would move again. She also would kick it and that was entertaining because it made a funny sound. Shawn and I were quite the couple. The nurses at the hospital made sure they gave him a lot of grief about his foot. They told him that since his wife was too sick to make fun of him that they had to do it.

All week has been an adventure in itself. I have been going to the hospital every day all week (and weekend) for IV fluids to keep my self hydrated until I can eat enough and keep it in to substain both myself and the baby. I am sure ready to get back to normal life and get my house ready for a baby.

Some other good news to report... My sister had her baby yesterday. He was 7 pounds 13 ounces, 20 inches long. His size was pretty shocking to everyone because all along they have been telling my sister he was over 9 pounds. The really neat part is that my parents had planed a trip back to see her (and hopefully a baby) for this weekend. The second my mom could turn on her phone when they landed she called my sister and she had litterally delivered the baby 4 minutes prior. They were super exited and he couldn't have come at a better time. I am really excited to see some pictures of him.

Week 25 1/2 (taken tonight)

Week 21 1/2

week 21 1/2

Week 21

2009-02-06T15:12:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I am past the half way mark!! I am so excited to meet little Lu Lu but I am a bit nervous about how fast time goes by and my house isn't ready for another body. The last few days I have felt tons of movement. It is really neat to feel her moving around inside and definitely something to get used to. Monday night I put her glow worm up to my stomach and played the songs. She immediately started moving around A LOT! It was really really neat! I am definitely looking a lot more pregnant these days. I will get a picture this weekend sometime and post it.

We are trying to think of some names and are having a really hard time! We like the nick name Lu Lu and thought it would be cute to name her something that we could call her Lu Lu for short. Any ideas? We are completely open for suggestions!

2009-02-06T14:30:00.000-08:00

she.

1. Sitting in front of the TV, what's on the screen? Desperate Houswives, any HGTV remodeling shows, Fox 13 morning news (while I get ready for the day)

2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does she get on her salad? Honey mustard or ranch

3. What's one food she doesn't like? Raisins

4. You go out to a restaurant, what does she get to drink? Water

5. Where did she go to high school? Cottonwood HS

6. What is one phrase she says all the time? "You have to be kidding me!"

7. If she was to collect anything, what would it be? Clothes, shoes, lighthouses, tea sets

8. What is her favorite type of sandwich? Village Baker turkey and cranberry on sourdough

9. What would this person eat everyday if she could? Icecream! (I will never be skinny because of this LOL)

10. What is her favorite cereal? I have never been a cereal person until I got pregnant, but I LOVE granola and lately Cinnamon Toast Crunch

11. What would she never wear? Sandals with socks or any clothing item that fits too tight

12. What does she always wear? Hills, Jeans, Dress pants, various kinds of shirts

13. Who will she vote for? It depends on the election

14. Who is her best friend? Shawn and Crista

15. How many states has she lived in? Just good Ol' Utah

16. Does she have any nervous habits? Licking my lips (I get it from my dad)

17. What could she spend hours doing? Cooking, sleeping, watching tv or movies, boating (in the right weather of course), shopping!

18. She is: Organized, happy, content, hard working, dedicated, loving, etc...

Get to know Shawn

2009-02-03T07:32:00.000-08:00

he.

1. Sitting in front of the TV, what's on the screen? Definitely hands down the Simpsons

2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad? He LOVES balsamic vinaigrette and lots of it. If he can't get that he likes caesar.

3. What's one food he doesn't like? He HATES sea food

4. You go out to a restaurant, what does he get to drink? Dr. Pepper or Corona

5. Where did he go to high school? Drive by High and a school in California while he was staying with his bro

6. What is one phrase he says all the time? "because I can"

7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be? All sorts of coins, sports cards, name tags (believe it or not he has quite the collection of random name tags), and Olympic pins

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich? Ham and Swiss

9. What would this person eat everyday if he could?Any junk food he could get his hands on particularly Lindt chocolate or reeses peanut butter big cups.

10. What is his favorite cereal? Honey Nut chereos with a lot of sugar.

11. What would he never wear? anything that is "preppy"

12. What is his favorite sports team? The Cowboys and the Jazz

13. Who will he vote for? He is not big on voting. He is taking more of an interest in it since he has known me, but doesn't take big political stances.

14. Who is his best friend? ME!

15. How many states has he lived in? Utah and California

16. Does he have any nervous habits? fidgeting and whistling

17. What could he spend hours doing? anything that keeps him busy. He is a busy body and loves to be outside working in the yard or anything he can think of.

18. He is: Intelligent, Funny, Hard working, Loving, Caring, Compassionate (I could keep going on and on) but most of all he is my husband and my partner

Thank Heavens for Little Girls and Best Friends!

2009-01-31T22:17:00.000-08:00

Look at all of these toys!!! Shawn's favorite part!

These are the softest blankets ever!

I had to take a picture of the bum in this little outfit! It is too cute!

Gown sleepers! I am sure these will get a lot of use!

Cute ducky outfit

Look at the little feet on these Jammies!

7 onsies, a baby spoon, 4 binkis, and some little mittens

This is yummy tea and very good for pregnancy!

Crista's favorites for me to try out!

Look at how tiny these socks are!

A whole bunch of baby books! She even sent a DVD of a nova special on babies that was so neat to watch!

I have really learned a lot about friendship over the last year or two. When we grow up friends come and go, but the true friends stay through good times and bad and understand what you are going through and know what you need and when you need them. I am very fortunate to have a very sweet caring friend that always thinks of everyone first over herself. To me that is one of the most Christ like attributes any one can have.

Tuesday I came home to a huge care package from Crista. I was so excited! It was christmas time for me. I looked through the box and teared up thinking of how blessed I am to have such a good friend. As you saw, we got all sorts of good stuff to get our baby collection started. Thank you for taking care of us aunt Crista!!! We love you!!!

Gifts from Grandma Carter

2009-01-31T22:15:00.000-08:00

There is a funny story behind these gifts. My mom went out before we found out what we were having and bought a few things for the baby. She was that sure it was a girl! She got us some socks, onsies and matching blankets, two pairs of pants, and some burp cloths. Thank you grandma!

Gifts from Daddy

2009-01-31T22:08:00.000-08:00

"Does this diaper make my butt look big?" and "thank heavens for little girls"

The day after we found out we were having a girl Shawn went out and picked up a few surprises for me. It was exciting getting my first pink gifts! The onsie cracks me up!

Week 20.5

2009-01-31T22:06:00.001-08:00

Week 20.5 January 31, 2009. I do not like the look on my face in this picture but it was the best one that showed my growing belly.

Week 18. 5 January 18, 9009

2009-01-31T22:02:00.000-08:00

Week 18.5 It isn't the best photo but better than week 18 pics.

Hello World! Here I am!

2009-01-30T15:43:00.000-08:00

Right profile view where she is wiggling her fingers at us. You can see her finger tips and her kidneys.

This is a left profile view where you can see her eye, spine, heart and left shoulder

This is the shot where she reveals her girl hood to us. It is hard to make out on this electronic copy but you can see the bottoms of her feet on the left and where the arrow is pointing is her bum, bottom of her spine, and girl hood.

Here is another left side profile. She had her hand in the air flexing her right pointer finger like she was waving at us. It was adorable. She kept doing it.

Another side profile where you can see her cute nose, heart, and the little blurry thing floating is her hand with a flexing finger.

This is a very clear hand/arm picture.

Here is another picture of her showing us that she is a girl

A very clear side profile where you can see her heart and spine.

I was able to finally get the ultra sounds scanned from our appointment January 19th. It was the most miraculous thing I have ever experienced in my whole life! My friend told me that when she had her ultra sound done she wanted to lay there and watch for hours. I can definitely see what she meant by that!

About 5 minutes into our appointment we knew it was a girl! She showed us plain as day "Hi mom and dad! Look I am a little girl!" I had a feeling throughout my whole pregnancy it was a girl and was 90% sure. Shawn was 80% sure it was a boy but he was so excited and thrilled he didn't even care. We are both so happy and really excited to meet her.

The ultrasound technician was awesome! She worked with us for over a half hour and gave us 8 great pictures to take home to show off. It took the tech about twenty minutes to get the baby to roll over to get a side profile picture but when she did it was amazing!!! she was laying facing my back so we kept getting bum shots until we poked and prodded her to get her to turn to face us. In the side profile picture it shows her cute little nose and it reminded Shawn of a Who from Horton Hears a Who so we have been calling her "Cindy Loo Who" until we find a good name for her. I am so in love with her it is amazing! According to the ultrasound tech my due date is June 20th but they left my date the same because it is only three days off. All of the things that they check for came out good. It was so much fun but so nerve racking waiting to hear if she is ok but you become mezmarized when you watch her. I wish they had a video of it for us but they don't.

We are so blessed and I am so thankful for her. It is amazing how much you can love something that you have never physically held in your arms so much. When ever I look at the ultra sounds I always tear up and get so excited!

Our appointment with the Dr. went well. He said that her heart beat was 165 bpm and everything looks good. I am so glad!

The next feat was to tell everyone but where to start? We decided to tell my parents by giving them a little burp cloth and bib that says "It's a girl". While we were at the store right after the appointment we found out that my dad was on his way to the emergency room (that is a whole other story). My parents were so excited to find out and they were so upset that we wouldn't just tell them over the phone. We decided to get some dinner and wait for my dad to get checked in and evaluated and then we would take them their present (which was wrapped in a blue bag-Shawn's way of throwing them off). They were both so happy to find out and definitely thrown off by the blue bag. I wish we didn't have to tell them in the middle of the emergency room, but I don't think they could stand it very much longer

After we left the hospital we went to tell big sister Kaylee. We stopped at her mom's apartment and showed her the ultra sound pictures. She thought the whole time it was a girl but says she wanted a brother but is happy either way. I think she is excited to have a little sister that will look up to her.

Shawn's parents have been out of town on a cruise since January 16th so they still have no idea what we are having. They are going to be home this weekend so it will be fun to go tell them and show them the ultra sound pictures and give them their little present.

Christmas 2008

2009-01-16T20:54:00.001-08:00

It looks like santa was in a hurry because one of Kaylee's presents was stuck in the tree

Shawn got a comfy robe

Trouble got a box (that we was thrilled with)

I got undershirts for my maternity clothes

Kaylee got a Littlest Pet Shop toy

Shawn's parents got us pajamas from their Alaska trip. Last year Shawn got some pajama pants and I confiscated them so they got us both a set this year.

Shawn and Kristi. I think they look like twins but I bet if you asked either of them they would say no.

Shawn got Mario Cart from my parents.

We were very blessed this year for Christmas! We had a realy nice Christmas and recently finding out about being pregnant made Christmas very special for us. We also had Kaylee Christmas morning for the first time ever. She got to wake up to the mess that Santa left as he was coming out of the fire place and he even got a present stuck in the tree.

We started our day by opening stockings at home. We then went to my parents house and had a big breakfast and opened presents. After mom and dad's house, we took Kaylee to her mom's house so she could spend some time there. Christmas evening we went over to Shawn's parents house and opened a few gifts there and visited. It started to snow really bad so we headed home to open gifts. It was a super long day but very nice!

3 more days!

2009-01-16T20:39:00.000-08:00

Monday at 3:00 we have our first ultrasound! Both of us are so excited to see the baby and hopefully he or she will cooperate so we can refer to it by a nick name or an actual name. Here is a list of what people have said they think it is. Let me know your guess so I can add it and we will see who is right on Monday!

Grandma Carter: Girl
Grandma Genessy: Boy ( just like Shawn! - the mothers curse!)
Becky: Boy
Crista: hopes it is a boy
Grandpa Carter: Undecided
Grandpa Genessy: A baby
Uncle Todd: A boy
Dad: Won't say but I think he secretly thinks it is a boy
Mom: I am not going to say yet because I don't want to sway any one's vote

Week 18

2009-01-16T20:28:00.000-08:00

Between the holidays and getting back into school for the year, I have been horrible about updating the blog. Last Tuesday morning I woke up and was going about my normal morning routine and noticed my abdomen looked a little bloated. I thought it was strange but didn't think much of it. I went to work like normal and my boss saw me and said "Wow you are all of a sudden showing!" I guess that litterally over night I started showing. Every day since, I have gotten bigger and bigger and my abdomen has changed dramatically. Needless to say, I am now wearing maternity clothes and actually feeling pregnant now. It is exciting to see all of the changes that are happening all at once. I took a picture but it is hard to see what it looks like because of the clothes I was wearing but here it is anyway. I will get better at taking the pictures as time goes on I am sure.

A Very Special Gift! January 13, 2009

2009-01-16T20:04:00.000-08:00

It was so exciting opening it up to see it!

The assembly begins

It took us 2 hours to get it to this point

two and a half hours later we are done!

All done! Look how cute it is!! Now how are we going to get it out of the front room? (yes that is my Christmas tree in the background)

A very sweet friend that is near and dear to my heart sent me a really special gift. I was so excited when it showed up that we had to put it together that day! This friend whom wishes to remain nameless is a god send to us and I will never forget her generous thoughtful gift. It is so exciting to get my first baby item that I took a ton of pictures while we were putting it together. I said "we" but it was Shawn that did most of it. It took us about 2 1/2 hours because my being helpful caused more work than it did help. I kept putting things on backwards and Shawn would have to go back and fix what I did. I guess I shouldn't quit my day job. It is a way nice crib! It is solid wood and it converts to a toddler bed and a full size bed. I am so excited to find out what we are having so I can get sheets for it and get my nursery put together!

Week 14!!!

2008-12-22T10:41:00.000-08:00

I am a little late on Week 14. Last Wednesday we went and saw the doctor for my second appointment. It was really quick. The doctor was able to set the doppler right down on top of where the heart beat was. It was crazy. The heart rate was 142 bpm. I have my first ultra sound scheduled for January 19th. By then I will be almost 19 weeks along.

All of my pants are starting to fit tight and finding something that looks good out of my current wardrobe is currently very challenging. My sweet friend Crista (my hero because she just gave birth to a 10 lb baby with out an epidural and 27 hours of labor) sent me some maternity shirts. Yesterday I decided that I would get one of them out and give it a try becasue I desperately need something different to wear. It was pretty funny. I am not quite ready for that shirt but am sure it won't be long.

Week 13

2008-12-11T08:22:00.000-08:00

As of yesterday I am officially 13 weeks along. Tuesday night I decided to make dinner for us for the first time in forever. I cooked with one hand over my nose but was successful and made it through!!! We have been living off of pre-made frozen meals that take ten minutes to make so it was really nice to have a meal. I do think that Shawn is most excited out of everyone because he has been the chef of the family. He has been a trooper and hasn't complained one bit about his new chore.

We have been really busy the last several weeks so I haven't had a chance to put an update on. So here is a brief run down of the last several weeks:

1. On black friday, Shawn got kicked out of Walmart for line jumping (to get into the store). A police office grabbed his hood and told him that if he sees him back at that store again that day the he was going to arrest him.

2. Kaylee came to live with us last week. She started school by our house and absolutely loves it! Sunday she said "I wish it were Monday becasue I would be at school right now." She has many friends in our neighborhood that she has known for a long time and they all go there so she has pleanty of friends to play with at all times.

3. Kaylee came home from sehool on friday and said "Jill, can I jump off the neighbors roof?" That is all the detail she gave me! Mom, if you are reading this, does something like this sound familiar at all? Is this De Ja Vu? It seems to me that it is Shawn's mother's curse alive and well.

4. I passed my state real estate exam yesterday. I have been working on this since March of 2007. I will work on it for a little while then something would happen so I would stop for several months. I decided to buckle down and get it over with. I will be official as soon as I turn my papers into the state!

5. Shawn is loving his new job. He has a really neat boss who is easy going. He gets along really well with the crew he works with and has nothing but good things to say. They always send him to the residential projects all by himself because they know he will get it done. His boss likes him becasue he gets things done fast. Shawn found out yesterday that his friend Gavin is going to start with the company soon. He is looking forward to working with him again!

6. Tonight is my last class for the year!! I am really excited because I will get a very much needed three week break!!

Our First Appointment!

2008-11-18T18:52:00.000-08:00

Today was a very exciting day for us! We had our first appointment with Dr. Curtis, the OBGYN. He spent the good majority of a half hour with us to make sure he answered every little question he could for us. He also explained a lot of different things to us such as why pregnant women are so sick the first few months. He showed Shawn how big the baby was in comparison to his pinky finger and explained that we only had a fifty percent chance of hearing the heartbeat at this appointment. Despite the small odds he went on a search for the heartbeat. It took him a good ten minutes to find the perfect spot but we could hear it! It was so exciting!! Dr. Curtis said that the baby's heartrate was 160 beats per minute which is very good news!

Part of my appointment was having a physical exam. He found that I have a tilted uterus which may make delivery challenging when we get to that point. The average woman has a 10-12% chance of having a c-section, but with a tilted uterus, my chances are around 30% at this point. He said during my last four weeks, he will monitor it very close and if the baby does not turn head down and drop or if i have not dialated or thinned at all, we will consider discussing a C-section at that point.

After meeting with the Dr. we saw his nurse who had a huge bag of goodies for us to take home! I am going to post a picture of all of our fun stuff as soon as my camera is functional again (hopefully tomorrow night!)

After we got our goodie bag, they sent me to the lab for a bunch of blood work. They took 7 viles of blood! I was warned that they would get several, but I never expected 7!

It was a fun morning for us! I can't wait to hear the heartbeat again next month!

Last week my boss told me that if I am having a boy, there will be more testosterone in my system so a good physical sign of having a boy would be that I get extra hair on my body. I told Shawn what she said and he did not believe me. While we were waiting to go in for lab work, Shawn excidely told me that while I was laying on the exam table he noticed that I have more hair and starts telling me all of the areas he noticed it in. I couldn't tell if he was excited or grossed out. Which ever one, it was pretty funny! He is now on the search for signs of any extra hair he can find! I guess I better be careful of what I say to him.

In Loving Memory

2008-11-12T11:31:00.000-08:00

Mildred Hatch Carter 1912 ~ 2008 The children of Mildred Hatch Carter are saddened but grateful to announce the passing of our mother, age ninety-six. She died quietly at home of natural causes Friday, November 7, 2008, surrounded by those who loved her.Mildred was born October 10, 1912 to Curtis Legrande and Mary Alice Funk Hatch. She and her husband John Deloy Carter, who has preceded her by 14 years, were parents of 12 children, ten raised to adulthood, 54 grandchildren, 91 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. She was our teacher, our mentor, our examplar and our most loyal friend. She was also a friend of those in need of temporal, emotional, and spiritual sustenance. None were ever turned away from her door unappreciated or unfed. Her grandchildren were the special beneficiaries of her loving care. She was a faithful daughter of Zion and an unfailing disciple of Jesus Christ. Her simple and unadorned faith was the foundation of our own, and it was by her knee that we learned our first prayers. Mid, as she was known, excelled in school. She desired to continue beyond high school, but she married young. Those were the early years of the Great Depression when surviving was the singular goal and expectation. She lamented her loss, perhaps not realizing that literary attainments cannot be compared with the wisdom gained in living and serving. Many have since eagerly sought her advice and counsel. Like their seven sons and one of their daughters, Deloy and Mildred served a proselyting mission together in Ventura, California. She served her church faithfully throughout her life. Her home and our lives are poorer without her, but we thank God for her example and memory. We will miss her beyond measure. John D. (Nadine) Carter, Jr., Bonita (Dean) Carter Thomas, Dorian L. Carter, Burton L.(Yvonne) Carter, Diane (Richard, deceased) Carter Wyatt, Vanevery L. Carter, (deceased) and Mrs. Donna (Stan) Schulz, Von H. (Janiel) Carter, Robert K. (Terri) Carter, Debra (Paul) Carter Hatton, Brett L. (Terry) Carter. Funeral services will be held at 12 p.m. Fri., November 14, 2008 at the Cottonwood 11th Ward Chapel, 1830 E. 6400 S., Murray. Viewings will be Thurs., 6-8 p.m. at Memorial Mortuary, 5850 S. 900 E. and Fri. 10-11:30 a.m. at the church. Interment, Holladay Memorial Park. Funeral Directors, Cottonwood Mortuary.

My grandma was so special to me. I was really fortunate to grow up next door to her for the majority of my life. My earliest memories took place at her house. A day didn't go by that I didn't go see grandma and grandpa. We were always welcome at her house. I would walk in and grandma would immediately ask me if I was hungry and promptly go into the kitchen and whip something up. I got my love of ice cream from her. She always had ice cream in her freezer and if she happened to be out, she always had the ingredients for orange julius. I remember getting her old blender out to mix up a batch and giving her the first taste test. My grandma was a great comfort to me. If I ever got upset I would go over to her house and she would rock me in her orange rocking chair and sing songs. A few hours later I would wake up on the couch and life was good again. Katie, Karmen (my cousin) and myself would always sleep over on the couch in the sitting room. We would always beg grandma for a bubble bath and she never turned us down. There are so many good memories of grandma it would take me all day to list them.

Friday afternoon I got a call from Katie telling me that grandma was not doing well and not going to make it very much longer. I left work immediately and rushed up to her house. I sat with grandma and family members for several hours and was there when she took her last breath. It was a very solmn experience for me. I am grateful that I was able to be there with her. I hope I was as much of a comfort to her as she has been to me over the years. I will miss you grandma!!

Yes, Belive your eyes!

2008-11-11T20:26:00.000-08:00

Yes My Husband has purple toes with white polka dots!!!! There is a story behind this. The first part of September I had my birthmark lasered. As many of you know, I didn't look very attractive. Shawn was trying to figure out a way to make me feel better so he decided to take me to get a pedicure. Shawn being the good sport he is agreed to get one with me (that's true love!). The little Asian girls at the nail salon I go to absolutely love Shawn and always ask me about him. Needless to say, they were tickled to see him show up to get his nails done (he was excited to see his girlfriends too). They kept trying to talk him into painting his nails something other than clear. After much persuasian, he decided to be a good sport and go along with a color. After they chose his color, they wanted to put a flower on his toes (like mine). That is where he drew the line and they came to a mutual agreement that white polka dots would sufice. The best part of the whole story is that the purple nail polish stayed on for several weeks (he couldn't find the polish remover). The purple toes definately made the recovery process much more light hearted. What a great husband!!

Week 8!

2008-11-06T07:53:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that I am already in week 8 (as of yesterday). I am really looking forward to being out of my first trimester! We found that if I cook something I can't eat it which is super challenging because I am the cook of the family. Last night Shawn made dinner and I feel so much better today than I have for several weeks! I can't believe that I didn't figure it out sooner but this whole thing is a learning experience. Tuesday night I made a huge pot of home made chicken noodle soup and can't touch it at all now! I guess I will be delivering a container to the neighbors because there is seriously enough to feed the whole neighborhood.

My first doctor appointment is in a few weeks (November 18th) and the doctor said that we will have a 60% chance of hearing the heart beat. We are both super excited for the appointment.

We had a fun Halloween this year. Kaylee dressed up as a devil and went out with a big group of six girls from all over the neighborhood. This was her first year of being able to go out on her own. We had dead batteries in the camera so we were not able to get a picture of her to post. Shawn and I stayed home and handed out candy to the trick or treaters. We probably had close to a hundred come to the door. It was a bit crazy! After the girls were done trick or treating they had a huge sleepover at one of the girls houses. I think Kaylee had a great night!

A few pics from our San Diego trip

2008-10-21T22:00:00.001-07:00

Congrats Daddy!

2008-10-21T21:46:00.000-07:00

2008-10-20T11:11:00.001-07:00

Since the last posting we figured out that my math was incorrect and I am actually a week further along than I am. I am almost to my sixth week which is unbelievable! My due date should be right around June 16th (Sorry James and Amanda!). Kaylee, Natalie, and my mom are all convinced it is a girl. I told Shawn that they think it is and he is in complete denial about it. He is really hoping for a boy, but is absolutely thrilled to have what ever.

As of yesterday, eating has been a bit challenging. I am still crossing my fingers and toes that I don't get the full blown experience of morning sickness.

I think big sis Kaylee is excited for the new baby. She likes the name Heather. Mikyla and Jazzlynn came over to visit Saturday night and Kayle was very curious about Jazzlynn and held her several times. It was funny because she just sat and stared at her. She is trying to figure the baby thing out. The second Mikyla said "oh it looks like you need your diaper changed" cousin Kaylee was out of the room!! HAHA!

Our Big News!

2008-10-17T10:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, October 16, 2008 Shawn and I got some happy news!! We are expecting a new member of the family!

Wednesday night I had a feeling that I needed to take a test because I was a day late and I am like clock work not to mention how tired and sore I had been for the last few weeks. I talked myself out of it I think partly because I don't know if I was ready to know yet. I asked Shawn when we wanted me to take one and he responded "whenever". (I don't think he thought I was)

Thursday morning I woke up ten minutes late, but I decided that I better take a test so I don't find out while Shawn is in the middle of the woods on the deer hunt (he left today). I have been told by several people that when you take the test you know within a few seconds that it is positive. I took a quick look at it and didn't see a plus so I threw it on the back of the toilet and got into the shower. I was convinced that it was not positive but I was puzzled why I was late. Shawn came in a few minutes later and handed me a towel. I asked him to take a look at the test and tell me what the test said. He picked it up and said, "well how do I tell?" I explained to him a plus sign is positive and a minus sign is negative. He got the most stunned look on his face and got a big grin and said in a very exciting voice "I think it is positive!"

I was in complete and udder shock! I didn't believe it at first. I told Shawn that he needed to run to the grocery store and buy another one so we didn't get our hopes up. He probably set the land speed record on his way to Albertsons. about fifteen minutes later (the longest fifteen minutes of my life) he came home with a digital test in hand. As you know, it came out positive!!

So our next dilema was trying to figure out when to tell people. Shawn was going hunting with Dad and Todd all weekend and I am going to go to Nat's jewlery party and dinner with mom and Jen on Saturday not to mention that Kaylee was going to stay with me for the weekend. There is no way that we could ever keep it hidden all weekend long! We came to the conclusion that dispite school and getting ready for camping that we had to tell our parents and Kaylee at the very least.

Shawn went and picked Kaylee up and told her that she needed to do some chores to throw her off. I left class two hours early so we met at my parents house. Shawn had flowers for me, my mom, and kaylee. When he mustered up the courage to tell them he ran out to the car and grabbed the flowers. He announced to my mom that we get ten baby blankets because he is the favorite (inside joke going with Katie cause she gets 5 blankets from my mom). Mom and Dad were so surprised. I think they are still in shock. Kaylee yelled "really?" and I think she was in more shock than both me and Shawn put together.

Our next stop was Mom and Dad Genessy's house. I came in the door with flowers for Mom and she got a look on her face like what is going on???. I handed the flowers to her and told them congradulations Grandma and Grandpa! They were thrilled. What an exciting night!!

Today I made my first doctor appointment with the same doctor that delivered me and my siblings. Our first appointment is in a month and I will be nine weeks along by then. According to the nurse, I am 4 1/2 weeks along as of today.

So we are starting a poll to see what you think the baby will be. We also want name suggestions! Let us know what you think!