Life...

Things have been going well here in PA. Ender is truly sleeping through the night now. He wakes up much earlier than his Mommy would like, but he takes an early nap (around 10 or so), which makes up for it. I have been able to keep up on the housework and such because he is generally content in wherever I put him. He is just growing so fast! I can't believe he is nearly 3 months already!!

I am very much looking forward to coming home for Christmas. My Dad has already bought my Christmas present for me... my ticket home! I will be arriving on the 15th and staying through the 27th. I love PA but I'm looking forward to going home.

There is a lot of other stuff going on... but I do not feel overly compelled to share everything. However, I'm excited to report my best friend, Laura will be moving in with me and ScottE this coming December! I am very excited about it and cannot wait! It will be nice to have another adult here all of the time. =) I think once things calm down a little, I may share a little bit of more of what is going on... so, until then, just pray that Heavenly Father's will be done.

ScottE is gone a lot for work. It's been nice when he comes home... Ender gets all kinds of excited. He recently discovered his tongue - so he sticks it out a lot. It's adorable! I'll try to get some new pictures up soon. We also got him a bouncer recently, but he seems to still prefer his swing. Here is a list of a few other things he does:

• He turns his head a lot. ScottE says it seems like he's doing reps to strength his neck muscles. He loves to look around at things. He turns his head so much, he has worn out a path across the back of his head! I know it will grow back, but it looks kind of funny right now... =)
• He is holding his head up really well. I try to give him some tummy-time everyday, but with the dogs, it's a little difficult at times. I am working on it though!
• He talks constantly! His little facial expressions and noises are so adorable. I'll try to get a video of him talking.
• I love watching him learn. I seriously can see the hampsters just running around in his little head. He gives my world meaning and has opened my eyes to the little things. Having him here has reminded me of what it's like to be new. I can't remember life without him.
• When Laura was here on her visit, she constantly talked about how "unfair" it was that he is such a good baby. With her first, there was a lot of issues getting her to sleep through the night and she was constantly fussy. Ender, however, is such a great baby! He rarely fusses (unless he's hungry or tired) and is putting himself to sleep!
• I really don't feel like a first time Mommy. I think about all of those things that typical first-time parents do - changing clothes because they spit up a little; changing a diaper because it's a little wet; rushing over because baby is crying... I don't do any of those things! I let him fuss for a little while before going over to see what's wrong. I wait until his diaper is full before changing it. I try to change his clothes everyday, but it's so difficult sometimes to get his appendages to cooperate. As he is growing, though, this is becoming much easier!
• I look at other newborns and remember him being so little... but most of the other newborns I've seen are under 7 pounds! He was nearly 9 so I've never thought of him as truly tiny or even fragile.
• I love that just him seeing me makes him smile. When I go to get him in the morning, I peer over the crib and his smile just lights up the room. I still can't believe he's mine...

Our ward recently changed from meeting at 1-4 to 11-2, which is so nice even though it's Ender's nap time. Here are some pictures of him just before leaving for church.

He wasn't too happy... but I really wanted the shot!

Much happier here... The outfit is a little big on him but soooo cute!

Look at that face! =) But I have a biased opinion...

I think that's all for now... We didn't have an eventful Halloween because of ScottE's work schedule. We did have a costume for him though. Here is a picture. Enjoy! =)

I know the blue socks don't really go, but he needed something on his feet!

Life with Ender

Laughin with his Mama =)

Life with Ender has been wonderful. He is truly the best baby... he is nearly 3 months old already! =) Where does the time go? It seems like just yesterday he was born. I never really thought of him as truly fragile because when he was born, he already was trying to hold his head up, he caught on to nursing so well, so quickly and he was nearly 9 pounds. I knew there would be things I would forget about his birth when I posted to everyone. There wasn't much... and I can't even think of anything specific right now! =)

Our days have quickly gotten back to normal. Ender is pretty much sleeping through the night and has been for some time. We've been trying to get him to bed between 9 and 10pm, which usually happens. He generally wakes up between 5 and 7am. He takes a good nap during the afternoon. It seems he's been eating more, but since I don't have him on any kind of schedule it's hard to say.

He talks a lot and gives us the biggest smiles. I love hearing his little voice. It makes me smile just thinking about him smiling. =) When I go to get him out of his crib in the morning, I usually wait until he's been talking for a little while because sometimes he goes back to sleep. When I walk in the room, I just get all giddy listening to him. When I step up to the crib, I look down at him, rub his little tummy and smile at him. Sometimes he smiles back and other times he just keeps talking to me. But that first glimpse of him, first thing in the morning, just makes my day. I love that little boy so much...

Smilin for Mama =)

The other day, ScottE told me something that made my... month, I guess you could say. He told me that Ender loves me. He said Ender's face lights up when I walk into the room. I nearly cried! I am so grateful to have two boys in my life that love me for who I am and what I am able to do for them. I don't know where or even who I would be without them.

My best friend Laura came out for a visit recently. It was good to have a familiar face around the house as well as another set of hands! She was very helpful with the dishes and the puppies. I think the dogs is where I typically fall short. I try to get them out on a regular basis - for walks as well as frequent potty sessions. While Laura was here, she needed to get out of the house for some personal clarity at times (she came without her two girls whom she hadn't been away from since they were both born - over 4 years!) and she usually would take the dogs with her. I know they really enjoyed the time outside! It's going to be increasingly difficult to get out with the weather changing...

Other than the frequent dog walks, ScottE and I took Laura out to the Amish country and we did a little bit of shopping... I got this adorable jacket for Ender at a thrift store here in town as well as some new shirts for me on clearance at Target. There is a very real possibility she could be moving here with us permenantly but plans are still very much up in the air.

I'm very much looking forward to coming home for Christmas. There are things I miss about California but I love it here in PA. We are planning to spend Thanksgiving with Jana, Ty and all of their children. I know Ender is going to love spending time with all of his cousins =)

I think that is really all that is going on here! I have posted some pictures on my Facebook but I think it's wise to post some here as well. Hope you all enjoy! =) Until next time...

From smiling to...

... pouty lip... in no time at all!!

Hangin out with Daddy =)

Ender's birth and life thus far...

Well... they say to enjoy every moment with your little one – I guess I've been taking this to an extreme! I've been spending so much time with my baby that I haven't updated everyone on what has been happening.

Life with Ender has been wonderful. He has been the perfect baby! He sleeps pretty well... although not quite all the way through the night yet. He is just like Mommy and Daddy – a night owl! He typically will sleep from 7–11; eat and go back to sleep until about 5am. It has been wonderful even though I am not a morning person! We usually go back to sleep unless we have something pressing that we need to do. =) He has been pretty good about sleeping in his crib which helps me get a better night sleep because I don't hear every little noise he makes (we originally set up his bassinet in our bedroom).

My mom was able to come out for a week, which was fun. =) She got to spend a lot of time holding Ender while I worked on the house. ScottE and I were just so ready to have Ender that it hasn't been as much of an adjustment as we had originally expected. We thought he would have sensitive skin – he doesn't. We thought he would cry a lot – he doesn't. We thought it would be difficult to get him to go to sleep – it hasn't been. There have been a few fussy moments, but for the most part, he is a very happy baby. He recently started smiling and I can't wait until he starts reaching out for us and laughing. He tends to smile most for Daddy... =) which just thrills my soul because Daddy doesn't get to spend a lot of time with him due to his work.

I know I haven't shared his birth story yet... and I'll get to that in just a moment... ScottE has been gone a lot for work. Right now, he is in California to get his work truck which we loaded with a bunch of stuff in the move. We have been living without a vacuum and several lamps since April! It makes me wonder... do we really need all that stuff? Of course, the answer is yes – we've survived thus far, but it will be nice to get all of our stuff into the house. I'm gonna have to find a place for all of it. =)

My recovery has been going well... I didn't tear at all during labor and I'm already below my pre-pregnancy weight. I know I need to get exercising but for now, my metabolism (and nursing) has done all of the work. I truly have been blessed and I thank my Heavenly Father everyday for Ender and how great I've been feeling.

So... his birth! =)
Friday (August 7th): ScottE was given the day off and needed to take in his work truck. So we took it in and dropped it off. We decided to go walk around the mall for a little while to see if we could get our little man to come out. After a couple hours, I was pretty tired and ScottE's truck was done, so we picked it up and came home. I think we ran a few other errands as well and it seems like we went to the movies too, but eventually we got back home. I was feeling pretty uncomfortable but no major contractions to speak of.

Saturday (August 8th): I was feeling really uncomfortable. I didn't want to move a whole lot and so we spent a majority of the day in bed or around the house. I wanted to walk around some to get things moving, but I was in some major pain. I wasn't really having contractions, but I was experiencing some major cramping. I called the doctor but they basically told me I was in the beginning stages of labor and unless things got worse or my water broke that I should just stay home. I didn't sleep much that night...

Sunday (August 9th): That morning, I decided it was time to go to see the doctor. Upon arrival, we had the Bishop and another priesthood holder come to give me a blessing. I felt better afterward... then the nurse came in to check me. She said I was dilated about 2 cm and that they wouldn't admit me unless my water broke or I was 4 cm dilated. I was crushed... but she told us to walk around the hospital for a little while and then come back. We decided to walk around, but it was raining so we couldn't really go outside and there weren't many places we could go. We ate a little something and then went back. The nurse told us we would be going home... but that we would be back later that night. I put my hope in that and made the trip back home...

Once we got home, I felt a little bit better simply because I was more comfortable, but I didn't want to be at home. I wanted to be in the hospital! We called my sister-in-law Jana to see if she was available to come down and help out in the delivery room. She said she would be delighted... so we decided to wait at home until she arrived. Once she got here, we drove to the hospital.

In triage, I was checked. I told the nurse I had been having some bladder issues (or what I thought were bladder issues). She decided to test the fluid to see if it was urine or amniotic fluid. Come to find out, my water had broken and I hadn't even realized it! I was stoked!! That meant we HAD to stay! The doctor finally arrived to check me again - I was still at a 2, but since my water had broken, they were going to admit me into the Labor and Delivery room.

Once I got to my room, all I wanted to do was lay down. The nurse came in and put on the monitors. I stayed on the monitors for a little while and breathed through my contractions as best I could. We tried different things to make me more comfortable - I sat in the tub for a while; rolled over on opposite sides. Mostly I stayed in the bed - I considered walking around a bit, but my legs were so weak... We talked about trying different things, but I was most comfortable in bed, lying on my side doing my best to breathe through the pain.

At some point (my grasp of time was non-existent and I think it was around midnight), my nurse checked me to see how dilated I was. She said I was at an 8 - the first thing that ran through my head was, "Are you serious?! It's nearly over!" I definitely felt it was too good to be true... She went to get the doctor and came back with another nurse who rechecked me. My fears were confirmed as she said I was only a 3-4. I wanted to sink into the bed and die. I couldn't take it. I was exhausted and unable to sleep...

My nurse suggested some pain medication - just to help me sleep. I knew I didn't want an epidural but I NEEDED to sleep! She recommended Benedryl and Nubane which would help me relax so I could, at the very least, rest for a little while. It helped for a little while but didn't last as long as I would have liked.

Monday (August 10th): We finally got to the pushing the next morning. As I said, my grasp of time was non-existent but I know I pushed for over an hour. He came out with a slightly smooshed head, but he was perfect. If you don't know, he weighed 8 pounds, 14 ounces and was 22 inches long. Thus far, his eyes are staying blue and I hope they do. He has a head full of hair which he was born with – which is sort of a strawberry blond. We think it may go blond later...

We went to the doctor last week... he got his second hepatitis shot. He was such a sport. He cried after the nurse stabbed him, but I started talking to him, trying to reassure him and he calmed down almost immediately. He now weighs 11 pounds and is 23 inches long. Gotta love breast milk!! On that note: nursing is going really well. He likes to eat at night – which is sometimes frustrating for me, but we're surviving. I occasionally pump a bottle for him so Daddy can help with the feedings.

I have posted some new pictures on my Facebook and will do my best to keep them coming. Life with Ender has not only been wonderful but incredibly natural... and I think that's all for now. =) I will do my best to not let things go for this long, so you don't have to read so much at one time!

Slackin...

I know I have been completely slacking on getting a new blog posted. Things have been hectic - between having guests (my sister-in-law and my mom) and the arrival of Ender. We are already getting into a decent routine and I know things will only continue to get better when it's just the 3 of us. It has been really nice to have family come and help out. Jana, my sis-in-law, was able to come down for Ender's birth and to stay with us for a couple of days... then this past Friday, my mom flew in from California. She has been staying with us and will be going home tomorrow morning. I will be posting some pictures - both here and on Facebook - along with his birth story. I just wanted to write a brief something! =)

For now:

• He weighed 8 pounds and 14 ounces, 22 inches long. He came home at 8 lbs, 6 oz but I think he has already regained that weight. I need to take him to the doctor this upcoming week just to be sure.
• He was born on his due date - August 10th - which was pretty neat.
• I was in active labor from Sunday evening (my water broke around 7:30ish) until he was born at 9:51am on Monday. It was a LONG weekend...
• He nurses very well.
• While in the hospital, he had to have his sugar checked before every feeding. They said it was because he was big for his gestational age, but I think he's just perfect. =)
• He looks like me but has many of ScottE's facial expressions.
• He sleeps very well - usually from about 9pm until anywhere from 2-4am. The only problem with that is ScottE and I stay up too late and don't get to bed until he's about to wake up again! But usually I just feed and change him and he goes back to sleep and so do I!
• He likes to pee on Mommy... just today, I was at the mall with my mom. We had to stop in JCPenney to change his diaper. After wiping up all his poop, he decided to pee all over me! I just chaulked it up to being a mommy to a newborn boy! I'm beginning to learn we need to keep that hose covered! =)

So... that's been our adjustment period. I know things will only continue to get easier/harder, more and less organized. I will be writing his birth story at some point over the next week as things will be calming down and I will be home alone... So for now, that's what's going on! =)

What's goin on... =)

My deepest apologies for having not updated everyone prior to this. I guess I've allowed my resting to get in the way! Things have been going well... I'm still feeling good, but I'm getting to the point where I am very tired of being pregnant. I have been experiencing some contractions, but nothing major. Everytime he sees my stomach get tight, ScottE gets all excited thinking I'll go into labor soon. I'm trying to stay positive but I'm having a hard time... it's frustrating because I want him out!

At my last doctor's appointment, they checked me for the second time. Thus far, my cervix is thinning out but I'm not dilated at all yet. I try to walk around a little everyday to get things moving and to stay active.

ScottE has been very supportive and helpful. His office has been trying to keep him close to home but today he's in New Jersey. I'm just grateful they are at least trying. He has been home early most of this week which has been nice because we can go and walk around together. I find I walk slower when I'm by myself so having someone to keep up my motivation helps a lot!

I decided to take some pictures of the nursery today. Enjoy! =)

Here is the whole room! It's pretty big, especially for just one little guy...

Here's the changing table. I thought it would be a good idea to put some onesies on it!

This is our crib! Thanks to everyone who has contributed to allowing us to have this... Steve and Jess for giving it to us; the Herberts for the bed set and mobile; my mom for knitting one of Ender's first blankets! This boy better like dogs because we have so many stuffed puppies for him...

This was ScottE's dad's dresser when he was little. I'm so glad we have something special like this for our little guy.

I don't have all that much to hang up - having a boy and all! =) I just bought the hangers today and had to hang some stuff up! I can't wait to see him in those overalls...

I just love all of the little socks! I think they are so adorable. I thought a picture of them would be cute... and it is! I know I'm a goober, but this first-time mommy is super excited. =)

So, I'm playing the waiting game. I'm doing my best to stay well rested and hydrated. I'm also trying to finish the "Ender's Game" series before our little guy is born. I'm in the third book of four and I have less than 100 pages left in this book. I guess wish us luck - I'm really hoping to go into labor this weekend as my due date is next Tuesday. My next appointment is on Wednesday but hopefully some of you will get a phone call before then!

36 weeks??

I've let life slip away from me! It's been a couple weeks, and a lot has happened. I'll try to stay in chronological order, but we'll see how it goes... it's easier to just put things into categories - so here goes!

All about Ender

Well... I thought I had an appointment on Tuesday, July 6th, but I was wrong. My appointment was actually the previous day (Monday, the 5th)! So, I rescheduled for Friday the 10th. Everything is looking good for D-day. I keep hoping it comes early, but I'm not getting my hopes up (although I may start drinking some raspberry leaf tea to get the ball rolling =) ). He's measuring to be right on time which has been comforting. At my last appointment, I asked if I could get an estimate of his weight and he's looking to be about 6ish pounds right now. The OB said they would have a better estimate at my next appointment (which is on the 24th) but that he will probably be an above average baby! I've heard stories about how my family found themselves being extra careful with my cousin as she was a preemie and extremely small. But when it came to handling me as a newborn, they weren't so delicate (I was 8 1/2 pounds)! I know ScottE is already a little afraid of handling a newborn. It's comforting to know I won't have to worry too much about him being overly small. I can definitely tell he is getting bigger because I feel a constant pressure in my ribs as well as in my pelvis. I've been trying to do pelvic tilts to alleviate the pressure, but it's hard to do by myself.

I think the nursery is as complete as it is going to get for now. ScottE and Tyler put the crib together just before they left after the 4th. So I was able to get that together and the changing table is organized but needs some boxes/baskets for the little things.

At my third baby shower, I got a bunch of diapers as well as different kinds of wipes. I also got some bottles (even though I'm planning to nurse), pacifiers, burp cloths and onsies. I was hoping to get a changing table pad and bassinet sheets, but I guess we'll just ave to get those ourselves. I think the only things we need to get are bassinet sheets, a changing pad and cover, a trash can for diapers (YAY!!) and hangers. There are a few things I need to hang up in his room, but other than that it's mostly done. Not that it really matters because he'll be sleeping in our room for a little while in his bassinet.

Other than that, I've been really healthy and haven't gained too much weight - which has been very important to me. I will keep you posted though!

Our new TV!

So, we finally took the TV back and got a new one! It was pretty easy to get the new one. We simply got the confirmation number from customer service and took it to the store. Our last one was a 32" LCD. Now, we have a 42" plasma! It's so nice and the color is unreal. ScottE still can't get over it every time he comes home. It's super cute... but then again he gets excited about a lot of things! =)

The house, the puppies and our 4th

The house is really coming together. There are still some boxes we need to take down to the garage, but I think it's pretty much done. ScottE doesn't seem to be satisfied with the arrangement of the living room so we may work on that this weekend. I just hope he doesn't want to change it again any time soon after that!

The dogs are doing a lot better about letting us know they need to go out. Halcyon has even developed her own little sign! I'm so grateful that ScottE gave us a little more time to work on things with her. I just hope she doesn't digress when Ender is born!

The 4th of July weekend was very busy. Unfortunately we didn't get to see a parade or even any fireworks... but we had a lot of fun with Jana, Ty and the children. Charli got to a point where she was pretty testy with Thomas, but I think it was mostly because he was invading her space. Halcyon ran and hid as usual, but by the end of the weekend, she was walking around in a relatively normal posture.

The weekend did not go anywhere close to according to plan - as it never does when there are children involved. They arrived late Friday night (after getting lost a couple times - boy, do I love having a GPS!) and left Monday evening. Saturday, we went to a park out in Lancaster and then to Red Robin for lunch. We did our BBQ indoors, but everything turned out great. I'm just sorry I didn't get to make my potato salad. Jana was a big help in the kitchen which was nice because I got to sit a lot. I kept an eye on the children while she did all of the cooking! =) Sunday we woke up to cinnamon rolls, which were delicious. We all went to church and then stayed home so ScottE and I could get some work done (I had finals due and ScottE had work orders to do). Monday, we went to another park and had a picnic... All in all it was a great weekend!

Other than that...

... things are going well. ScottE's work is keeping him busy and unfortunately away from home more than I would like. But, we are both adapting and are grateful it's all happening now and not in August! We recently decided we would be coming home for Christmas and not in October like we had originally thought. It will be nice to see everyone for Christmas though. Plus, Ender will be bigger and more active by that point - much more fun to be around =). I just can't wait to see him...

Plans for Independence Day and beyond

While not a whole lot has changed, I've been wanting to take the time to blog on a more regular basis. I need to get into the habit now otherwise it's going to be very difficult after Ender is born! I still haven't been able to get ScottE to take any pictures of my belly. Hopefully we can get some done this week.

All about baby
I don't think I've ever seen a more active baby inutero! He pushes on me constantly. It seems his favorite position is to stick his head out my lower left side and put his back/bum out the right side of my ribs. It can get to be incredibly uncomfortable at times! He also likes to push on my ribs and hip bones. ScottE asked me just the other day if I was still willing to do it all over again so we could have more children. I can't help but smile... because it's been a pretty easy pregnancy! I'm a little worried to discover how labor will go because things have been so easy so far, but if this is what it's all about - I could do it a million times! Aside from being slightly uncomfortable, the minor back pain and the swollen feet, I have no other complaints! I guess we'll have to see how he behaves when he gets here... can't believe it's coming up so quickly! Only 5 more weeks...

His room is still a disaster area. We have a bunch of clothes spread out all over the floor. I'm hoping to get the "new" clothes washed today so I can start putting things away. Hopefully, ScottE can get his crib put together and it will actually begin to resemble a room! It's not as bad as our spare room was back in CA, but it does look a bit like a storage room right now. I just hope I can keep my energy up enough to get everything done!

My next doctor's appointment is on the 6th. I'm not looking forward to this one as I have to get my Group B Strep test done. I know they will be starting the internal exams soon and I'm not looking forward to those either. I guess it's just part of the price we pay to bring babies into this world!

Plans for the 4th
Jana and Tyler are planning to come down for the 4th of July! ScottE and I are both very excited. This will be our first family visit since the move. It's going to be so nice having family here... We have some minor child proofing to do before they get here. I'm not overly worried about it though because the children are well behaved. We simply have to communicate with them! Their visit is another reason I need to get a lot of things done on Ender's room. They are planning to come down on Thursday night. Jana has offered to help with the stuff that I can't do, so it should be a really fun and productive visit. We are planning a big bbq on Saturday after watching a parade or something downtown. I hope the children are as excited as we adults are!

Our TV
I don't think I have mentioned this to anyone! Shortly after the move, we started having issues with our tv. Basically, we were seeing red pixels in some of the dark spots and the faces would appear a little weird. We called Best Buy about the warranty and they said they would send someone out. Apparently they didn't give the technicians the right phone number and they never showed up. I called Best Buy a week or so later, and they did some minor troubleshooting over the phone. Those suggestions didn't work. So I called again and they finally sent someone out. The techs got here and basically told me we had an LCD panel out. They knew they wouldn't be able to get the part so they sent the work order in to Best Buy. I called them the following week and was told they would process the work order. Basically they were going to look for the part and if they could get it, they would send the tech out again to fix it. If not, we would get a confirmation number for an exchange. The service company has since called me and said we would be getting an exchange. We have yet to receive the confirmation, but are hoping to get it soon - it should arrive sometime today or tomorrow. Then, ScottE suggested we get credit for the tv we have now and then put some extra money on top of it and get a bigger one. When I asked customer service about this, essentially it's up to the store where we do the exchange. But that's what we're hoping for! We are also hoping we can get this done before Jana and Tyler get here. Right now our tv is sitting on the floor with a bunch of wires everywhere. ScottE doesn't want to drill into the wall until we know what we are going to be doing for sure. Can't wait to find out! It's very much time for an upgrade!

More plans:
The next few days are going to be pretty busy for me. I have a lot to do around the house to get it ready for our visitors. I also have a lot of shopping to do! We have this really awesome Farmer's Market every Tuesday and I'm planning to get a bunch of stuff there tomorrow. Tomorrow is going to be very busy and I'm going to be on my feet most of the day. I just hope it's not too hot! The humidity here is killer for my feet and my hands.

A sister in our ward allowed me to borrow her vacuum so I need to get most of that done today. There is just so much to do! And what am I doing? Sitting at my computer!! How silly can you be? Anyway... I should probably get back to working on the house. I have some boxes to go through as well as a TON of laundry. I will definitely be posting something after this weekend... or at the very least after my doctor's appointment.

Finally!

I have finally decided it is time to actually use this thing! It is taking some getting used to... so please, bear with me.

All about baby / pregnancy
As many may or may not know, we are having a boy! ScottE and I could not be more excited... he has been a very active baby. This past week (last Tuesday), I had a doctor's appointment. Everything looks perfect - he is measuring to be on-time and I haven't gained too much weight. His heartbeat is spot on (within the 140s) and he is already head down! I told ScottE and he got all excited. He seems to think that because he is head down, Ender will be here soon. I have reassured him that this is definitely a good thing but doesn't really mean anything yet.

The pregnancy has been pretty easy. I am, however, starting to be more and more uncomfortable as well as tired. This past Saturday, ScottE and I went to the mall and my feet were so swollen. I am so fortunate to have a caring husband - he offered to wheel me around in a wheelchair! At first I was hesitant because I know I need my exercise too, but he insisted. I felt so much better sitting there and we were able to cover a lot more ground a lot more quickly. I know the humidity here in PA is not going to help with the swelling as summer progresses, but the countdown is definitely on!

Looking back on everything that has happened over the past few months, I can't believe my due date is so close. I knew once we moved to PA things would progress a lot faster and it would be here before I knew it. Now, it's only 7 weeks until my due date and I am just not ready! I have a lot I need to do on his room and around the house before then. I just don't know how I'm going to get it all done with the energy level I have these days. ScottE needs to put together his crib still, but we have a bassinet as well which he will sleep in for the first couple months. We have time, I'm just in a bit of a nesting phase I guess.

The house and the puppies
Everything is really coming together! I still have a few boxes which I need to go through and really decide if we need to keep all of the stuff in them or not. I know a lot of it can go down in our garage (it is so nice to have an actual garage and not just a room which we call the garage!). ScottE's dresser has filled up faster than I thought it would... we may need to get him a new one sooner rather than later. Our bathrooms have close to no storage space. We have been thinking about getting a vanity for in our bedroom. Not entirely sure how things will work out, but our apartment is slowly becoming a home.

We still don't have ScottE's truck from CA. This is very frustrating because all of our lamps were on his truck - along with our vacuum! I have been thinking about asking someone in our new ward if we could borrow one. Having two dogs makes a big mess - plus I shed like crazy myself! What are we going to do?

The puppies have actually adjusted rather well to life in PA. However, our little one, Halcyon has been having some potty issues. She doesn't always like to let us know when she needs to go. ScottE is ready to get rid of her because he doesn't want Ender crawling around the house and discovering poop. I can't blame him, but she's my baby too! I know Ender comes first and that's all that really matters. I just hope she can get to a point where she tells us she needs to go instead of just going in the house. I try to take them out pretty often, but it doesn't always work out the best. Wish us luck though... I don't want to lose her!

ScottE's work
Fortunately, I think most of his staying away from home is over - at least until Ender is born. The first few weeks we were here, ScottE was gone most of the time. He worked up in New Hampshire, Massachusetts and New York. He told his OPS Manager last week he needed to be close to home. He has also told them if he is more than 2 hours away and I go into labor, he will be leaving the site as is, close it up (of course) no matter how much testing he has left. They seem to be pretty understanding about the whole thing, but we'll see how that goes.

He seems to really enjoy working out here. He really likes his new OPS Manager - mostly because he actually listens to ScottE! Miracle of miracles!!

Our new ward
Our new ward has been wonderful! They have been very helpful with getting us all of the information we need for the baby and we have gotten so much stuff! Saturday, they had a swap meet at the church. We got 3 boxes of clothes, a box of toys, a batheing thingy, a changing table, and a couple other things for the house! We were both very excited for all of the stuff we got. Plus, a couple of the sisters are throwing me another baby shower! I am so spoiled! =)

School
School has been going really well. By the beginning of November, I will have my Associate's degree! I am so very excited!! Then, beginning in December, I will be starting on my Bachelor's! I have decided to just get my credential in Elementary Education because the University of Phoenix does not have an English program (as I want to be an English teacher). I was pretty bummed but this will make me more marketable. Just in case we move somewhere who is not looking for an English teacher, I will have experience in elementary teaching. Plus, who knows, I may end up liking it!

I think that is really all for now. I will be updating after each doctor's appointment and then of course after Ender's birth.