Many Updates: No Pictures

• I've been waiting to post until I upload pictures and have realized that if I keep doing that, I will never post.  So you're just going to have to take it like this.  When the baby is born, Nate will upload pictures and I'll finally get them all on.

 Over the last 3 months...

• Nathan tore his ACL and meniscus and had to have knee surgery
• Nathan has been going to physical therapy 2-3 times per week
• Nathan couldn't drive for a few weeks with his knee so Eden and I have been taking him back and forth from work.  (80 minutes in the car everyday with a 17 month old gets a little old).
• I sung "Old McDonald Had a Farm" at least 600 times during those weeks of driving.
• Eden has discovered that I have a baby in my tummy and will kiss my stomach anytime the baby is mentioned.
• I have been going to ultrasounds twice a week to make sure that the heart is doing fine.  So far, so good. (This means that I have been juggling my work schedule, Nathan's work schedule (along with driving him back and forth), getting both of us to our different doctor's appointments-which means that between the two of us, we have one EVERY SINGLE DAY, getting Eden her naps, preparing for a baby, and trying to pack and clean for our move)
• I found out that Eden is TERRIFIED of the doctor's office.  When they take my blood pressure or have me lay down on the table she SCREAMS which is totally unlike her.  She is normally really independent.  Let's just say that going two times a week (and the appointments last at least an hour) has been a little stressful.
• I've had amazing friends step up to help me out by watching Eden twice a week while I go so that she doesn't have to scream for an hour, and now that Nate can drive himself, they also let me use their car sometimes so that I can get to my appointments.
• I've been working in the office.
• We found out that we are hired by seminary and will be moving to the Bountiful area to teach.
• We found an apartment
• Our baby will be induced on May 29th if he doesn't come before (he's getting pretty big and they want to make sure he can handle labor)
• We will be moving two weeks after baby is born.
• I'm starting to get a little stressed about moving with a brand new baby and Eden.  Eden being the main concern.  That girl can unpack a box faster than I can snap my fingers.

So, it will probably be a little while before I post again, I will be having a baby, packing, cleaning, moving, unpacking, settling in, and figuring out how to do life with two kids and without managing.  So bare with me, I'll update you as soon as I can.

Grandma

I am one of a privilaged few who grew up close to my grandparents.  Sundays included going to grandparent's homes for dessert and spur-of-the-moment piano concerts and reading tucked up close to grandma.  I married a man who didn't have this blessing.  His grandparents lived far away or had passed away by the time he was old enough to know who they were.  He is now so grateful to have joined a family where I have two sets of grandparents that helped to raise me.  My grandparents were at my sports games, my piano recitials and choir concerts.  My grandparents were there for me to talk to when I needed some much needed advice.  I learned from their past and hope to spend more time doing so.

Grandpa Peterson took me to the open house of the Bountiful temple.  I was 8 years old and I remember holding his steady hand walking through that temple and knowing that this was a special place because my grandpa knew it.  He took me to Baskin Robins afterword and let me ask him questions and tell me what I thought about the temple.  I will never forget that.  I chose to get married in that same temple-and there was Grandpa (along with all of my other grandparents) back in this temple we had been to so long ago.  Times like these are special to me.

Today is my Grandma Peterson's birthday.  She has been such a pillar for me during my life.  The majority of my memories include making cookies with her in the kitchen, getting together with all of the in-town cousins for an annual Halloween party every year, going to Marie Calendar's during Priesthood session every conference, snuggling in her lap while she read me story after story, and coloring at her welcoming kitchen table with the tin of crayons beside me-I can smell that wonderful aroma of tin mixed with crayola even now-not because I love coloring-but because that smell is a symbol of my grandma's love for me.

Now I'm grown up and I've moved away and I no longer get to see my Grandma very often.  She still is a beacon of hope and courage to me on the hard days of parenting.  Grandma has told me of the many crazy days of her motherhood (at that very same table I colored at), many days with tears running down her cheeks she was laughing so hard.  I try to tell myself that when I'm struggling, "someday I will laugh and laugh about this, Grandma did it, and so can I!"

Grandma's unwavering faith has shaped me into the person I am.  Her life hasn't been without challenges, but she faces them with the knowledge that her Heavenly Father loves her and that everything always works out in the end.  She continues to leave me a beautiful legacy, one that I can lean on for courage and strength, one that I would be proud to tell any person.  My grandma is Carol Peterson, a beautiful, faithful, loving, patient, perfect grandmother.  And I love her.

Happy Birthday Grandma!  I so wish I could've been there to help you celebrate your 75th birthday!  If only for the love of your children and grandchildren, you must be the most loved woman in all the world.

God is Good

Have you ever had one of those days when the love and understanding of a Heavenly Father simply overwhelms you?  I had such a day today.  It's not necessarily when everything goes just your way or just because you received a blessing for which you've been praying; it's more that you just feel in your heart that no matter the outcome of any certain project or goal, there is someone who loves you and is guiding your life.  It's such a beautiful thing, really-an empowering thing.  And today I feel my heart shouting "God is Good!"

And the Gender Is...

 First up in exciting news... We found out that we're having a boy.  We are thrilled to have a few more footballs and trucks around here and we're especially excited to watch Eden take on the big sister role.  She turns into such a little mommy whenever I watch kids that are younger than her. It's bound to just be hilarious!

It's pretty amazing to think that in just 4 short months, our lives will change so dramatically.  New baby-2 under 2; new job-hopefully; new home-okay, okay, apartment; new state-probably; and no homework-YAY!!!





Next up in news is that Nathan's little sister, Cami, just received her mission call.  We love being at school with so many of our siblings and Cami lives in the complex that we manage, so it's fun to see her every day.

She will be leaving June 12, so she'll get to meet our little guy, and is going to the Belem, Brazil mission.  She'll be speaking Portuguese and as you can tell from the picture, she was pretty surprised and SO EXCITED about it.

 Eden LOVES to sing.  Here she is with Nathan listening to some popular song and singing her little heart out.  In church she gets so upset because I don't sing during the prelude and she wants me to sing with her.  If the piano is going, she is singing and thinks everyone else should be too.  The intro to the song is also a burden for this girl:)

 The fridge is her most favorite toy.  If I'm cooking, she runs into the kitchen so that she can play in the fridge before the door closes.  She is known to climb up the shelves and try to sit amongst the butter.  I guess it's a good thing she lives in Rexburg, because the cold doesn't seem to bother her at all.

This is my office.  Eden is such a little copy cat these days and loves to do whatever Nathan or I is doing AT THE EXACT MOMENT THAT WE ARE DOING IT.  I made the mistake of forgetting to close the office door when I came out the other morning and as you can see she took full advantage of the situation.  Her little hands are placed perfectly on the keys and every once in a while, she would move her right hand over to maneuver the mouse.

Anyway, that's a little bit about our life.  Nathan is still going to school and teaching seminary and we are truly loving our last bit of time in Rexburg.  We look forward to the new changes and opportunities that are coming to us, but are so grateful to have a few more months of consistency.  We've had a bit of a scare with Jr. (the one in the tummy) and it has made us so much more aware of the many blessings we have.  Sometimes I forget how precious life is...I hold Eden a little closer each day and find that my patience with her has been increased to overflowing.  I'm grateful for the moments that help us to gain an eternal perspective again and even more grateful for a Savior who truly understands, grieves and loves.  It is through him that we can have the strength to choose faith over fear.

Yes

"Tomorrow" was one of those days.  The kind that leaves me strutting through the house because I've got to be the world's best mother.  In fact, I bet they'll make a movie after me one day!  Luckily for my pride, I know that tomorrow will come and I'll be back in the races again. But for today, I'll strut all I like.

What's Red and Raised and Itchy all over?

Shingles.  I started finding symptoms for shingles around Thanksgiving and I've been on this AWFUL medicine ever since.  The actual shingles wasn't so bad.  I was a itchy and my side was pretty sore to touch, but it wasn't anything I would've gone to the doctor for had my sister Katie not looked at it and told me she was pretty sure it was shingles and that since I was pregnant I should go in right away.

We caught it really early on so it never got to the intense stages.  I'm really lucky that we caught it so early because with my pregnancy it could've been really dangerous for the baby/me.  I'm the girl that doesn't take medicine for anything and NEVER goes to the doctor.  I probably would've been a sea of rashes before I had said anything to my OB/GYN.

Anyway, like I said, the actual shingles wasn't too bad, it was the medicine that threatened my life:).  They warned me when they gave it to me that during pregnancy it can make you really sick and drowsy.  As in, I wasn't allowed to drive the whole time I was on the medicine drowsy.  That was a bummer as it's Christmas time and I really needed to be running errands.

I was much more sick during the 10 days of medication than I was the entire first trimester with baby and I was pretty mad about it too. Wouldn't you know this would all come during Eden's "I'm-really-onery-and-getting-teeth-and-a-cold-and-deciding-to-tear-the-house-apart" and while Nathan has been pulling practically all nighters to get his homework/work done.  Luckily I have some awesome friends who helped me with some of my office work and even took Eden one afternoon so I could take a nap.  THANK YOU!

But, now I'm done with the medicine and I'll be able to handle Eden's temper tantrums and craziness a little better.  (Yes, my 13 month old is throwing temper tantrums!!! AHHH! I'm only imagining what will be coming in another year.  YIKES!)  This child knows what she wants and she lets me know.  Not to worry, I'm a tough cookie and I'm just as stubborn as she is.  I pick my battles, but once I've acted, I hold my ground.  Most of the time.  Sometimes after 45 minutes of her crying that she wants more food while there is perfectly good food that she likes on the high chair tray in front of her (she just wants something else) I give in because I will punch myself in the head if I have to endure this for any longer!  Can you tell it's been one of those days?!  Some nights I put that adorable child in her bed for the night and want to shout "Hallelujah!!!  Some nights I put her in her bed and wish I could keep her up with me because we've had so much fun together and she's been my little sweet heart... maybe tomorrow will be one of those days?????

A Stranger's Advice

Do you ever wonder if some people simply don't have filters that alert them as to what things are publicly acceptable to say to strangers?  When Eden was about 2 months old, I was walking through the grocery store, searching for the best deals and minding my own business when a woman stops me.  **note to all "to-be" mothers.  The stopping was not unusual.  You will automatically need to factor in about a half more hour of time when going ANYWHERE public because people will want to see your baby and talk to them and touch them and other creepy things.  Maybe this should only be a warning to mothers in Rexburg, Idaho-I'm not sure...I've never lived somewhere else with kids.

The unusual part comes when said woman tells me that "[I] need to get busy" because if I produce children as beautiful as this, I should not be holding back.  Enter awkward pause to which I say something really clever like..."haha..............thank you?"  I mean what do you say to that?  "Ok?", "I'll keep that in mind?", "Stick your nose in your own business?" Well, whatever I should have said, I didn't (I obviously don't own the "what-to-say-when-strangers-say-crazy-things-to-you" filter, I left the store laughing pretty hard.  Classic Rexburg.  Classic.  

I had forgotten that story until I sat down to write this blog...funny how we have little flashback memories.  Who knows...maybe this next baby is here is large part because of that crazy lady.  But, probably not.  

I keep telling Nathan...maybe we should've stopped with Eden.  Our poor other children have no chance after she's taken all of our good genes.  What about that poor 27th child that somehow ends up with all the worst parts of both of us?  

In all seriousness...we're thrilled to be welcoming another sweet child into our home. 

 Nathan will graduate in April and baby will come in May/June.  Hopefully by June we'll know we have a job somewhere and we'll probably be moving about a month after the baby is born.  Joy. (I mean that both literally and sarcastically).  But, if not, we have our managing position here until we can find a job.  I'm not sure what our future holds, but I'm grateful for a Heavenly Father that has shown me over and over again that if I trust in Him, everything somehow works out. I'm grateful that (with a lot of coaxing) I can have faith enough to say "okay" even when I don't know what's ahead.  And who knows, I may turn into a crazy lady at the grocery store one day and alter someone's future.  But, probably not.