Baby Shower- Feb 19th 2011

Well, my mom and sister's threw me the most beautiful baby shower yesterday. Of course they went above and beyond the call of duty, but everything looked perfect from the decor down to the labels for all the food. I think the only down fall of the day, were the candies they made, they tended to really stick to your teeth, sorry Debbie, if you need a new crown, send them the bill!! It was a good laugh for me though, maybe not so much for her and the others that experienced something similar.
It was so good to see so many family and friends come out and support Bryce and me. We really appreciate it more than you will ever know, so thank you for the turn out. Speaking of turn out. Why is it that you get so nervous for these sorts of things? It's like getting stood up on prom night, not that it ever happened to me, but there is this major fear that hits you when the clock strikes "time for people to arrive" and no one is there yet!! You finally hear the door bell ring 20 minutes later and then there is a constant flow of people after that. So thank you for not standing me up, it wouldn't have been that bad since I wasn't in an awful prom dress, hair and make-up done, fancy shoes and jewelry, but still, feelings would have been hurt.
Here are some pictures that were taken of the day

my sister's, mom and me....














the beautiful blanket my mom made....

Darci just had a baby girl and me pregnant with mine....

the mess after 1 shower....

newborn-3 month clothes.....

3-6 month clothes.....

6-9 month clothes.....

9 month clothes....

12 month clothes.....

accessories....

toys.....

blankets.....

hygiene.......

It was a fun day, I'm sorry to those friends and family that couldn't make it, you were missed!! Thanks again for the best 1st baby shower ever!

It's a Christmas Miracle!!!

The results are in....I don't have gestational diabetes anymore. Just like that it's gone. Who would have thought? I'm sure it had to do with all of your heart felt prayers in my behalf. You can stop praying now.
Well, it's gone for now but the second I found out the news, I dove right into a sugar cookie. I had some making up to do people, I missed a couple good days of eating sugar!! So cross your fingers that it doesn't return.
My results:
fasting hr.-95
1st hr.-102
2nd hr.-104
3rd hr.-62
I really plummeted in that last hour, now I probably need to watch that.

Pin Cushion

1 hr. gestational diabetes test.
Needle in one arm.
Pee in cup.
Drink sugar water.
Go back in an hour.
Needle in other arm.
Normal blood sugar 70-140
Test results next day--I have gestational diabetes--165.
Go back for 3 hr. testing
Needle in one arm.
Pee in cup.
Drink sugar water.
Go back in an hour.
Needle in other arm.
Pee in cup.
Come back in an hour.
Needle in other arm---no blood comes out soooo, needle in other arm.
Pee in cup.
Come back in an hour.
Needle in other arm---no blood again comes out soooo, needle back to other arm.
Pee in cup.
Test results, still waiting..............

Fun post I know, that's how I felt about the "fun" day I had.

Ecstatic-Unprepared-Surreal-Happy as a Lark-Body Stretching-Can't Wait-Joy-Anxious-Thrilled-

Are just of few of the adjectives that can explain how I'm feeling right now. I know it's been killing some of my family members that know and so, for those of you that don't, Bryce and I are having a baby. In fact, we are having a baby girl! She is due between April 23-27th we'll say. Because as many of you mothers out there know, those Dr.'s just can't seem to stick to a date.
So yes, you did the math by now, I'm 26 weeks along, just a couple weeks shy of entering into my 3rd trimester. How did I keep it a secret that long???? I have no idea. Quite frankly, I can't believe it myself!
I was going to wait until the baby had been delivered and just post a picture for all you readers out there, but since this is a journal for me, I thought I better get some of these memories down on paper.
As you all know, it hasn't been easy, but we both knew it would happen. It just had to be on His time, or maybe it was on baby girls time, could she be that stubborn, especially in Heaven? (that could be scary!!!)
After a few years of trying with Dr.'s and getting the run around, we finally came across Dr. Johnson whom we've been with for just under a couple years now. What a Saint. He has been the most caring Dr. and obviously helpful because, well, here we are. It has been a long road with him though. Lots of monthly blood work and shots, lots of pills trying to get hormones leveled out, taking a LOT of fertility doses, having another surgery and we finally got to the point that he thought we could actually do artificial insemination. Wouldn't ya know it, it took on the second try.
So far it has been a great pregnancy for me. Other than the Dr. telling me I'm pregnant, which I still have a hard time believing, I don't feel all that pregnant. At the beginning of my pregnancy, I kept telling Bryce, that I just don't think I'm pregnant anymore, it's just not normal to feel so normal. Every 4th appt. when I go back in for an ultrasound there is a sense of relief that comes with hearing her heart again. At about 18 weeks I started to feel those flutters in the belly, you know the ones that could be mistaken for gas. I haven't thrown up once. People say," that's so not fair", and I say, "oh gees, you don't think after all I've been through, it's not fair to give me that?" I have had heart burn since day one and the back aches came not too far behind that. I have the heart burn under control for the moment it's the back that makes me nervous. It just seems to get worse and worse.
Christmas came a little early for Bryce, on the 23rd, he got to feel the baby move for the first time.
We had our big ultrasound appt. last week and she's measuring in at about 1 pound 10 ounces. Everything seems to be healthy as far as they can see.
It's such an amazing feeling to have something inside of you. I think that only mothers can relate to the instant feeling of protection and worry that comes the second you find out your expecting. Suddenly your conscious of everything you put into your mouth, well maybe some of you were conscious of that before hand, not me. Every time I take a bath I'm worried about the water temperature, how I sleep, etc. etc. etc. It's a scary thought to have someone else's life in your hands. I can explain it to Bryce all I want and he says he understands, but I don't think that he will ever truly get it. What a privilege it is to be a woman. I'm so grateful for this gift that my Father in Heaven has entrusted me with and can't wait for her to get here. We are so excited to be parents, the funny thing is, it really doesn't matter how long you can want and wait to be a parent, the thought of her coming into this world still scares the crap out of me!

Holiday Season/ A Present to Remember

Well, Christmas has come and gone and I'm left sad:( I don't know where this season ran off to, but I swear it did a 100yard dash in 3.2 seconds. (random #, I just thought it seemed really fast).
It was filled with lots of family time and fun traditions.

This year for Christmas, Bryce and I started a new tradition with our stockings. Our new tradition was nothing special, just fun. We picked a couple of isles each, that we were to go down in a store not knowing what was down the isle before we got there. Once we got down the isles we were to find something for the other person. We got some pretty different gifts in our stockings this year, it definitely mixed things up.
Bryce got the stroller isle and at the end there were some baby blankets. He also scored with the movie isle, "Despicable Me".


I got the little kid toy isle, luckily at the end of the isle they had Apples to Apples and he also got himself a six pack of colored pens, awesome!

Christmas Eve was at my parents this year where we had fondue, I count the days down for this fondue because we only get it once a year. Can you tell I really like it? We ate and ate and then acted out the nativity scene, which I must say, really needs some work people!



Christmas morning was back to my parents for breakfast and presents, it was delicious as usual. The breakfast not the presents. The presents weren't too shabby either.

My parents do not have enough room in their freezer, so we bought them a freezer chest for Christmas. Us carrying the freezer through the front door.....

Mom figuring out what it is......

Opening the box.....

Me saying, "turn around so I can take your picture", and my dad saying,"let's kiss over the freezer honey". What a weirdo

Then off to grandparents and grandparents and then to the Stevenson's. We spent the rest of the night together as we always do, eating, playing games, spending time with one another and eating again. I really do love the holidays and am so thankful that we get to spend them with family.
Playing games at the Stevenson's....I think I took more pictures with Kaylee's new fancy camera than I did on my own. Send me some pictures Kaylee!!

I'm grateful for a Savior who was brought into this world many moons ago. I'm so thankful for him and for everything that he has done for me. I'm grateful for this time of year that we all get to reflect a little bit more on our Savior and really contemplate things. I love that I have family that keeps us grounded during the holiday season and to remember the true meaning of why we celebrate Christmas.

I hope that you all had a fabulous Holiday season!

A PRESENT TO REMEMBER

This year on Christmas Eve, my sisters and I received a present from my parents. A journal from my grandmother and a few pieces of her china. I never had the opportunity to get to know her because she had passed away from breast cancer when I was only a few months old. My mom had gone through my grandmothers journal picking out key portions that she wanted to put into a book for us. It was fun to read little bits of her childhood, to scan through pictures of her, to read about all of her kids and their accomplishments, but the part that touched me the most was her testimony. I read the whole book to Bryce, and when I got to the part of her testimony and her final journal entry, I just cried. I loved reading her testimony of how strong of a women she was even when she knew her time was about done on this earth. She still had such a strong testimony of Christ in her last moments here. She mentioned that one of her most precious possessions was her testimony. It made me think, how many of us truly cherish our testimonies? Does it take something like death to make us hold them dear and remember the things that are truly important in this life. I know that I need to live my life more to the fullest and to be grateful for this simple possession that I hold so dear in my heart, that no one can ever take from me, my testimony. I'm so grateful for this gift that I received this year. I will forever cherish it and I love that it is something that can be passed down from generation to generation. I feel that I know my grandmother a little bit better than I did before this Holiday Season and I know that I will get the opportunity to meet her again someday to swap stories with her. This truly is a gift to remember and these are the kinds of gifts that matter most.
Till we meet again, sweet Grandma Afton Vaughn Bryson

Merry Christmas!

Love, The Stevenson's

Back to Reality

Well, we're back from our cruise. We had so much fun! Just like every other vacation we take, I count down the days until we have to come home, they go so quick, I hate it! We flew into San Juan, Puerto Rico, spent a couple of days there. We boarded the ship and it took us to 5 different islands: St. Thomas, St. Marten, St. John, St. Lucia, and then Barbados. Barbados really threw off the "St." thing we had going on.
We mostly went to beaches and did some body surfing and snorkeling. Barbados we went golfing. Then the rest of the time I think we ate and ate and ate. Oh, we managed to fit in massages to. It was so weird going to the Caribbean during Christmas time. Riding around in cabs listening to Christmas music where it was 85 degrees, sandy beaches, wearing flip flops and swimming suits. Just weird. That is the only time I wanted the trip to end at some point was so that I could come home to UT and enjoy my Christmas with snow, that's how it should be.
We had a blast, I'm so glad that I have Bryce to spend my time with, I honestly never get sick of spending every minute with him.
Now it's back to reality, homeowners, unpacking, cleaning, laundry, getting ready for Christmas and did I mention laundry-HOLY CRAP!!
I stink at taking pictures. We had been to most of these places before so I found myself not taking repeat pictures of Bryce standing in front of something or vice- versa.

Christmas Lights

I can't believe it, I have Christmas lights on my house. I love it! We bid on the lights and the lights to be hung at a silent auction for a friend and I won! I won I won I won! Whoowhoo! Every year I have to drive up the street next to mine a.k.a gum drop lane, and look at all the lucky people who get Christmas lights. I'm no longer sad Janica, because I have lights baby! Happy December to me!
These pictures don't do the lights justice, but it's so shiny and beautiful. Come see them this year, it will be the first and the last for me I'm sure. Maybe I should be one of those lame people that leave them up all year long so that I can have them last for years to come. Any thoughts? (Sorry if your one of those lame people, I didn't mean to break the bad news to you).

Read the Box

I had some major heart burn all day yesterday, (it could have been the Famous Dave's we ate the night before). So I took some expired tums and of course they didn't do a thing, so later on that night I thought I would take something else since the expiration date really does mean something I guess. I opened up a box of Zantac, popped it in my mouth and began to chew, only immediately to find out that you aren't supposed to chew them, your supposed to take them like a pill. That was the worst taste I have experienced since I can remember. I ran for a bottled water, nothing would take that taste out of my mouth. I ran to the sink and started to spit it out, coughing and coughing. Bryce came in concerned wondering what in the heck had just happened from the two seconds I had just left him previous. I finally stopped coughing, yes the taste still there, and then came the throw-up. A couple times actually, sorry for the details, I just thought there was a lesson here for us all. As Bryce put it, "you should always read the box, it says right here to take with water. If you would have asked me, I would have told you." Gee thanks hun. I didn't have that exact thought run through my head as I was throwing-up. Needless to say I had even worse heart burn then before. Lesson learned, read the box!