10 Weeks to Go/Thanksgiving & Black Friday

30 Weeks Along

Our little Alice is only about 10 weeks away from being here and we are getting so excited. It's remained busy with work, school and Thanksgiving and we have had a nice relaxing Saturday together. We are so blessed and I'm glad that we have stayed busy.

Thanksgiving was really fun. We got to go to the Farr's for breakfast (cinnamon rolls and yogurt parfaits) and visit, then we went to my parents for dinner. All the food the entire day was amazing and all three of us enjoyed ourselves. Shane had to work from 6-10 on Thanksgiving so he could have Christmas off this year, so I just stayed and hung out with my family. We all decided to look through the Black Friday ads even though none of us really wanted to participate in the madness. (Having worked at Build-A-Bear for 3 1/2 I had had my fill of crazies at the mall at midnight and beyond). My sister Kelci, however, being the talented shopper/deal seeker she is found an insanely good deal at Babies R Us for a crib and changing table for $150. The deal started at 5 AM and I was really torn- save the money and be crazy, or go home and loose out on a deal? When Shane got off, we talked it over and decided to try it. On our way home, we stopped at Babies R Us to see if there was a line and if we would have to wait there and then. Luckily, there wasn't so we went home, changed, had a snack and geared up for an adventure. We got back to BRU at 1:00 in the morning-no one was there. We decided we would rather be safe than sorry. I slept for a couple hours and Shane stayed awake and scouted (he had his Gameboy to keep him company). After I woke up, we talked and watched as people started showing up. No one was waiting outside just yet, it only being 2:30. Around 3:30, we decided we were going to go wait outside. A truck that had pulled up minutes before saw Shane getting my coat from the back seat and he bolted for the door. Shane left me to get my coat and ran to the door to be second in line (he was not happy after already waiting for 2 hours). Then everyone started emerging from their cars. It wasn't too long of a line- there was still an hour and a half to wait in the cold. We brought plenty to keep us warm and we were determined to get the deal. Chatting with people in line, we found that the guy in front of us, and the couple behind us were both in line for the crib deal. We just hoped that there was more than one. 5:00 rolled around and no staff had come out to do a ticket system like we had hoped. After all, a crib is huge and not something you can just grab. As soon as the doors opened, Shane was a speed walking bullet to the back (thank goodness for his long legs). The guy in front of us was first the the service desk and got his request taken, then it was our turn. Shane quickly told her, "Same thing as that guy," and she told the worker in back to get two of the cribs and changing tables. While anticipating for them to come from the back, we watched as customers climbed shelves to get items that they wanted. It was quite a sight to see. But, we got our crib and changing table and we are so grateful. They are now set up and look beautiful. We also got a dresser a few weeks ago from RC Willey Clearance center so she is all set up furniture wise. I want to post pics when we have the bedding and stuff as well. Merry Christmas to us!

Update on appointments: I've had a lot of people ask how Alice and I are doing, seeing that the last few posts have been about her heart and how doctors were concerned. I am happy to report that everything as of now is just great. The only thing my doctor hasn't been thrilled with is my blood pressure (it's been borderline- not crazy high, but not where they want it). So every week I go to IMC and have a Non- Stress Test. All they do there is monitor Alice's heart rate, my blood pressure and check my amniotic fluid. I actually love it because I get to sit in a relaxing chair, listen to my baby and see her for a few minutes on an ultrasound. I've had two so far and both have gone splendidly for her and for me. My blood pressure has been perfect at both appointments so everyone is happy. She even had hiccups at this last one...it was adorable. So, baby and me a great and she is growing like crazy, as you can see from the size of my belly. We couldn't be happier or more blessed and are grateful to Heavenly Father for all of our blessings.

I am really looking forward to Christmas break. Work has been particularly draining and I'm excited to spend some time with family and Shane. At this point, we have heard from all but one of the PA schools Shane applied for and he hasn't been accepted into any of them. It's a little discouraging, but we are looking at it as a blessing. That way after he graduates in May, he can hopefully find a better job and we can stay in our house which will be nice. Life is just full of surprises and I'm just glad I have such an amazing husband and soon to be daughter to share them with.

Well, I don't know if anyone will read this whole thing but it will be nice to use this as a journal entry that I can just print out instead of having to write over again. Thanks to all for your continued love and support. Know that we love and appreciate everything you do.

3 Years of Bliss

Today is mine and Shane's 3rd wedding anniversary. We were going to go to Wolf Creek in Ogden where we went for our Honeymoon, but our funds didn't agree with us so we have laid low this weekend. It's been very restful and fun to just sleep-in, be together and eat amazing food. I can't believe this will be our last anniversary with just the two of us, but we are both excited for our new little bundle of change coming in February.

Life has never been better. I grow more and more in love with Shane everyday. I never thought I could ever care about someone so much and am so grateful that Heavenly Father gave me the ultimate man to be by my side through everything. Marriage by no means has been easy, but loving each other has. We hardly ever argue and compliment one another so well, life at times feels like clockwork. We have faced our challenges head-on and have always agreed that we need faith in every footstep. I love my husband and can't wait to see him in his new role as a dad. It will be exciting and scary for the both of us and I couldn't do it with anyone but him.

Thanks Shane for the best three years of my life. I know that life will only get better and can't wait to continue our adventure. I love you!

26 Weeks...Holy Cow!

I can't believe I am already 26 weeks along! This has been a crazy adventure but Shane and I are loving every second of it. I've had a few doctor appointments since I last posted. Alice is doing great. She is growing, kicking and moving like crazy and we absolutely adore her. She has had, however, what the doctor and specialist call PAC's (premature atrial contractions) which basically means her heart sometimes skips a beat. We've seen a specialist several times now, but the last time we went we were very enthused-she only had one PAC the whole appointment and the rest of the time her heart sounded great. Then I had an appointment with my regular doctor Tuesday and she had more frequent PAC's. Needless to say, we were both a little discouraged-we want what's best for our little Alice. We went to the temple Tuesday after I got home from the appointment and we both feel at peace about everything. There's a lot of uncertainty in our life right now and all that we can do is put our faith in the Lord. I will have another appointment with my doctor next week to have another listen at Alice's heartbeat to determine where to go for the rest of the pregnancy. My blood pressure has also been a little higher ever since I've been pregnant so that's another thing we are keeping an eye on. We would ask for your continued support and prayers as we are in the 3rd trimester and getting closer to meeting our little Ali-Bug. We love you all and appreciate all that you do for us.

Over Half Way

Well, I am currently 24 weeks along and can't believe it. It seems like just yesterday we found out we were pregnant and now it's almost over! Alice has been moving like crazy. It's exciting now that we can actually watch her moving in my belly. She is extremely strong and loves kicking Shane. We can't help but grin and grin every time it happens. We can't wait to meet our little Ali-Bug when that time comes. I have two doctor appointments this week so we get to see how she is doing and if everything is going smoothly. Last appointment she had an irregular heartbeat and I had to see a specialist but they didn't find anything they were concerned about. I hope it's the same story this time around, but we are sure praying and hoping for all to go well.

We're busy as usual with work and Shane with school. He's also been able to go out camping and hunt which I'm glad he's gotten to do. We got a letter from the U that told us that Shane didn't get into the the PA program there which we are super bummed about. But Shane took it extremely well and I couldn't be more proud of him. Over 800 people applied and only 44 get seats so it's a very competitive field. We have yet to hear from the other schools he applied for and we're anxious to see what could happen.

Life is a roller coaster right now with a lot of uncertainty but I couldn't do it without Shane or the Lord. We were grateful for such great inspiration with general conference a couple weeks ago and felt like a lot of them were specifically for us. We are so blessed and we know that if we stay  faithful that everything will be ok. I love this gospel, I know that it's true and couldn't take life head on without it.

Today was our ward's primary program and I am the chorister. It has been a stressful time getting it ready since we have so many kids in our ward (the primary room is constantly packed). But today reaffirmed my love for kids. They have such an amazing spirit and even though they can be a pain, I learn so much from them, not only at church but from my job as well. I'm grateful Heavenly Father has blessed me with opportunities to work and grow with the kids I serve.

It's been a crazy few weeks and I know it's only going to get crazier. Life never stops being stressful, busy or wonderful. I'm just thankful I can share it with such wonderful people, especially my families and husband. Life isn't worth anything unless you're surrounded by the ones you love and in that department, I'm the luckiest person I know.

It's a Girl!

Well, the word is out...Shane and I are having a baby girl! We couldn't be more thrilled. We had an ultrasound on September 6th and got to see our sweet little angel. She is so far normal and healthy which we are relieved about. It's been nerve-racking for me not knowing if she is healthy or not, but our technician said she looks great. We have picked a name for her: Alice Harli Farr. We decided on it long before we got pregnant, and feel that Alice is just right for her. I'm glad I get to honor my mom in her name as well. My mom definitely deserves it and I'm excited to explain to Alice one day where she got her middle name and why.

As far as right now goes, she is due February 6, 2012. I'll be 19 weeks this week and can't believe I'm almost halfway through the pregnancy. Time has just flown by and it's amazing how much closer Shane and I have become through Alice. I didn't think I could be more in love with him than I was before we got pregnant but I was wrong. It has been a journey for both of us so far and will continue to be one for eternity. But I wouldn't want to share it with anyone but him.

In the mean time, we're still waiting to hear from the PA schools Shane applied to. He is going to school and working full-time at Legacy still while I'm working full-time at American Prep. Life is good and busy but incredibly exciting. I'll be sure to post as often as I can. :)

                                 This is me at 18 weeks and 2 days. Finally poking out a little bit.

School, Work, Our Baby, The Drill

It has been a while since I have posted. I was mostly waiting for our 2nd baby appointment to be done to give an update. It was very short-just a check up, heard the heart beat and asked questions. So far I am healthy and the baby's heart beat is strong and healthy. Shane and I were both very glad to hear this news. The most exciting part of the appointment was making our ultrasound visit to find out what our baby is! We will know in over a week and we are so excited. My belly is definitely starting to poke out a little more. People that don't know I'm pregnant can't tell, but everyone who does know can see it. We're excited about all of this change going on and can't wait to find out what our lil jumping bean will be.

Shane started school on the 22nd. This is his second to last semester at the U and then he will get his bachelor's degree in the spring. His classes aren't too strenuous which we are both grateful for. There is enough going on that having more stress wouldn't be very helpful right now. I am so proud of his determination and dedication in getting his degree. He is such an example to me, and will be for our family as well. Shane also applied for PA (physician's assistant) school over a week ago. He applied to 6 different schools: 2 in Oregon, 1 in California, 1 in Arizona, 1 in Colorado and of course the U. I'm sure he'll get in somewhere, he's too amazing not to. We are obviously hoping for the U, but wherever he gets in is where we will go next summer. Life is full of change right now but we are just taking it one day at a time.

I start school (work) on Monday the 29th. It has been such hard work getting my teacher's room ready. But I was also assigned to be head over a project at our new campus that will be opening Monday. It's a K-10 high school that is massive and has needed a lot of work. I was in charge in finding rooms for the elementary teachers to help get their stuff ready so on Friday they could just move everything in and get their actual classroom ready for Monday. It's been hard work, and a lot of stress for me so I've had to be really careful. I'm just ready for school to start so I can see my awesome students and remember why I put myself through such craziness. The one thing I don' have to worry about is...school. I'm done at SLCC! So I don't have to take evening classes throughout the school year which is a huge relief. I have my associates degree and I'm planning on chipping away at my bachelor when baby gets here. We'll see how everything goes.

I will be sure to keep our blog as updated as possible. There's lots going on, but we are especially looking forward to knowing what our sweet munchkin will be. Stay tuned!

Our 'lil mover'

It's been a while since I have posted. School has been insane and I have had a lot going on with work and vacations. Life is exciting though! Shane and I had our first baby appointment yesterday, and man what an experience that was. I will never forget it. They sure put me through the ropes though. Lots of prodding, poking, tests, etc. My favorite part was the ultrasound...that is when it became real. My doctor used a doppler to try and hear the babies' heartbeat, but only got it for a couple seconds. So we were really ready for the ultrasound. As soon as our baby came on the screen, we knew why Dr. Bowman couldn't get the heartbeat, our baby was moving like crazy! It was bouncing all around, and it was amazing to witness. It's weird to think that I have a living thing inside me, but it is so exciting. I can't wait to see this little baby when it arrives in February.

I will be sure to keep this updated as much as possible. I will have a lot to report so stick with us, it's a thrilling time right now. :)

Thank Goodness it's Friday

Shane and I are both so thrilled it's Friday. We both have the day completely off. No work, no school. WOOT! Being pregnant, especially this early, has worn me out with working and 14 hours of school a week. I've had to take a couple power naps a day at least or I don't survive. I'm lucky that I have such good friends in my classes that help me catch up on notes, or nudge me when I do nod off, because that's been just about every class. I couldn't be more happy though, knowing it's for our little baby inside me.

We spent the morning updating the blog-new background and pictures. I didn't think it would be so complicated to decide on a background, but it took us about an hour to figure everything out. We spent the whole time laughing of course, seeing how we are both so picky and analytical. I could have honestly cared less about how long it took, because I was with Shane. I have really missed seeing and being with him and it's twice as hard now with baby missing him too. We're just happy to have a weekend together and to catch up. Unfortunately, I've got a pile of homework that's calling my name and I don't want to heed the call. But, this is my last semester before my associates, so I just have to plunge ahead and get it done.

I called my doctor's office yesterday and scheduled my 12 week appointment. As far as we know right now, I'm about 6 weeks along, so I'll have my first appointment at the end of July. We're so excited and nervous. We want the baby to be growing well and healthy so we're very antsy for the end of July to be here. We will be sure to post any news we find out.

I'm excited to be blogging. It's nice to have somewhere to post thoughts, ideas and questions because I know I'm going to have a lot these next few months. Please post comments and keep following. We love the support. :)

This is our positive pregnancy test. I wanted to post it last time, but there were some issues

Another Reason I Started a Blog...

Shane and I had some exciting news happen on Tuesday night. We found out that I'm...
PREGNANT! We are beyond stoked about the news and about every other emotion you can imagine. We're so grateful to Heavenly Father in trusting us with this little child of God. I'm not very far along (about 4 weeks) so we won't know what it is until October or so. We will keep our blog up to date with how I'm feeling, and how our little munchkin is. So keep following, it's going to be an exciting ride!
 

I Started A Blog!

This is all the craze right now, "blogging." And I can't lie, the main reason I started was for a class at school, but I'm glad because it kicked my booty into gear. I'm actually really excited about it and I think it will be nice to write out my thoughts, ideas and what's going on in our crazy lives. I will be sure to post as often as I can. Thanks for being such supportive friends and family. We love ya!