It's So NOT the Climb!

So, its been six months since the blessed day that Kien arrived and I began my slow descent from the weight gain of pregnancy.

Granted, I have already lost a significant amount of weight. How did I do it? Giving birth--obviously.I have already lost nearly all of the weight I gained over the course of my pregnancy, minus about 10 pounds....But I could stand to lose another 20pounds in addition to that, so I feel like I've got a ways to go yet.

And for whatever reason-it's making me feel a little Grinchy today. Perhaps its because of the holiday season and the constant presence of all sorts of "Who-Hash" and every day a party where we sit down to feast. And we feast. And we feast. And we FEAST! FEAST! FEAST! FEAST!

So, maybe because of that, or maybe its because of my four pound setback on my descent down the slope of weight gain, I'm feeling a little annoyed about it today. Boo to the people that leave the hospital fitting back into their regular jeans. I reject them! (But secretly wish I could be a part of your exclusive club).

Hence, the title to my post. Down with Miley Cyrus and her ballad of encouragement to all. Because today, it is SO not the climb.

Now, back to my usual cheery self.****

Happy freakin' holidays.

****Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this tirade are the brief personal opinions of the blog owner and in no way reflect the general holiday attitude of said blogger. She is actually quite excited about Christmas and the holiday season and wishes each and every one of you a Happy and Merry!

Let's Just Face It!

Let's just get the disclaimer out of the way and maybe I will feel a little less guilty about it having announced it to the blogging world. I am a terrible blogger. It's not that I don't want to write. I LOVE to write!

My issue is.........

TIME!

1. Yes, I take lots of pix of my new kiddo. I love him lots and I want to record this time of his life. Hence the guilt for not blogging.

2.I want to stay updated and in touch with friends I get to see and talk to far too infrequently.

.....But being a full-time working mommy of a 3-month old, wife of a busy husband, primary house-keeper and cook of my household, and other things I just don't have the time. I would love to give daily (or even weekly!) updates about my world and pretty it up with a nice fancy template but that is far too much to ask. I just can't be bothered to do it.

So I will do my best. I love ya'll and hopefully I won't completely fall off the blogging wagon.

So there. I said it.

Our LIttle Monkey

Kien Edward Grover

So, you are all wondering when I am going to post about our son, Kien, I'm sure. The truth is that being a parent has been a real shock to the system for me. I never knew how much your life could change all in a single instant with the arrival of a baby.

Being a new mom has definitely not come easily for me, but now six weeks later I feel like I am settling into it. Those first few weeks are definitely a roller coaster ride of high and low emotions, sleepless nights, worrying about taking care of your newborn baby, etc.... I think that being a dad has come very naturally for Jesse though. He is such a great daddy.

So, for the last six weeks I have spent all my time figuring out and enjoying this precious little boy. I'm sorry that I haven't posted about him until now. Call it a little bit of selfishness. I haven't wanted to spend the time away from holding him, watching him sleep, feeding him, and everything else that comes along with having a new baby. I'm sure you are all excited to see pictures of him finally and I will do my best to update with new pictures frequently. (I won't promise anything yet though because one of the many new things I've discovered about being a parent is that your time is no longer just yours. )

So, here he is. Our little Kien. He was 6 pounds 14 ounces and 21 inches long when he was born and had a head covered in light brown hair. He's a really good baby and sleeps well at night. He only gets us up once and we get to sleep the rest of the night!

He was very impatient to get here when he decided it was time to come because I was only in labor for about two hours. He was born one hour after we arrived at the hospital, barely enough time for the doctor to arrive to deliver him.

Life is completely different now that he is here, but I can't imagine my life without him now.

He has had a pretty exciting first six weeks of life. He's been on his first vacation to St. George, he has been up Santaquin Canyon to camp with his family and he has celebrated his first Fourth of July and Pioneer Day holidays!

I love everything about him. Especially the little noises he makes and the gooing noises when he is happy. The first time he smiled it completely melted my heart. I am so excited to watch him grow and learn so much every day.

Gratitude

I'm not usually one to go all philosophical on my blog--but I have felt a strong desire to write about how grateful I am for where I am in my life right now. Jess and I have been enjoying a crazy roller coaster ride the last few months, but I can honestly say that I am more content with how things are than I can remember being for a long time.

At the end of January, Jess lost his job because of the economy and the virtual halt in the new construction business. We had kind of seen it coming but were still a bit stunned when the time actually came. So, for the last two and a half months Jess has not been working and I've been the little pregnant wife bringin' home the bacon. :)

What a blessing this has turned out to be for us. Huhh??? I know that's what you are probably thinking because really this couldn't happen at a less convenient time what with the impending birth of our first child and all and the lovely mortgage we've taken on in the last year...but it truly is a blessing. And here's why:

1. I've always been big on tithing and never struggled to pay each month. But because I've never been in a financial bind, I've never been able to really deepen my belief about paying tithing. But now I definitely have. I am certain that it is because of obedience to this that we are doing just fine even though we've been without Jesse's income for nearly three months now. Mathematically it just doesn't add up--but I guess some things in life just don't make much sense logically.

2. I'm SO grateful that both Jesse and I come from families that taught us the importance of saving and being careful with how we spend our money. I'm so glad that we listened to this advice and have money socked away for a rainy day emergency such as this-even though amazingly enough, we haven't needed to use it yet. Again, I have to say that tithing is a total miracle.

3. I'm very grateful that Jesse's dad worked so hard years ago to establish and own a successful barber business with an impeccable reputation. Everyone down in the Spanish Fork area knows "Brad the barber" and if they don't go to him themselves, then they know plenty of people who do. Because he took a risk years ago and started his business, Jesse will have a stable and steady career in a few months when he finishes barber school and joins his dad in business. And it will give Jess and I the opportunity to take over the family business in a few years and allow Brad to spend more time with his family and grandchildren. Jesse is honestly more content with this choice of career than I've ever seen him-and he truly has a natural talent for it too. He's only been in school for a month and his instructors feel he could be ready immediately to start working.

4. Without the bad things in life, the good wouldn't seem so special. We are so happy to be preparing to welcome this new little baby into our family. It makes us so happy, and while now is not the most convenient of times to deal with job loss, we wouldn't change our situation for the world. We are so excited to meet our little boy and bring him home. And even though we won't be the wealthiest of parents right at the start, he will definitely not be lacking in love. And that's what's truly important, after all--right??

Last, we're grateful for friends and family that are so supportive with their love and concern. It's been a great blessing for us. We'll be sure to let you know how things go as Jesse gets closer to graduating.

Welcome to the Family, Ellie Jane!

On April 3, at 3:01 pm Ava was excited to become big sister to little Ellie Jane. She is such a sweet and tiny little baby and weighed only about 6 and a half pounds. Jeff and Megan are thrilled to have her and excited/nervous about having another member of their family.

When I held this tiny baby for the first time, I couldn't help but wonder and think about who she will become. It seems like just yesterday that I held Ava as a baby and now she is almost four years old, and constantly has us laughing. At the time, she was the first grandbaby in my family. Over the last year, we've had a bit of a baby boom and Ellie is the 3rd grandchild and our little Kien will be following soon after.

We are so grateful to have Ellie and another reminder of what is important in life and what makes us happy regardless of any other situations in life--family.

Snakes, Snails, and Puppy Dog Tails...

Well, if it's not obvious enough from my title, Jesse and I are having a baby boy! We went in for the ultrasound yesterday afternoon and were able to get a good peek at our little guy. It was amazing! It is crazy to me how he is moving and "swimming" around in there so much, and I really can't feel it that well yet.

But, it looks like everything is looking good. As far as the ultrasound could tell us, he is healthy and right on target for a June 30th due date. After seeing him in there, it just makes me more excited and anxious for the day that we actually get to meet him for real.

So, needless to say, we are thrilled, especially Jesse. He is so excited to be a Daddy and have a little boy to pass his love of sports and BYU football to.

...Still Waiting...

I just wanted to post a quick note to let everyone know that we are still awaiting -and waiting.....and waiting....to find out if we are having a little Phoebe, or Phoebo (Friends fans will get that).

Anyway, we are going in on the 16th for the ultrasound. So, until then, I'll keep waiting and waiting a little longer....

I'm interested to hear what ya'll would guess!

Here we go...

Ready or not, Jesse and I will be entering the world of parenthood this year. I know, I know, I haven't posted since like September. And I'm not going to try to pass it off as "I've been so busy doing this and this and just couldn't manage to jot down a few paragraphs and post a few pictures in the last THREE months."
I just didn't want to make the general announcement on the blog until I had spilled the news to family, friends, and at work so hence the belated announcement that I am pregnant. 16 weeks pregnant to be exact.
My due date is June 30th which I've been told is a perfect time because I won't have to endure the hot months of the summer whilst I'm "great with child."
So, there's the big news. I will be having my ultrasound soon so I'll send along the news of whether we're having a boy or a girl soon.
So, my new year's resolution is to post more often and to be better about taking lots of pictures. Everybody tells me that I will be sure to take lots once the baby comes, but I don't want to wait until then so I will do my best starting now.