...Ben and Ivory...

These two are so cute together! Our family loves Ivory!! :) She fits right in....

**MeRRy ChriSTmas**

Merry Christmas to all!! We hope everyone had an enjoyable Christmas this year. We sure had a good one! The best part was giving gifts and seeing people happy! Ethan has grown so much since last year so it was fun to dress him up and take some cute pictures. He was definitely worn out by the end of the day.

Here is my little cutie!

He looked so stylin' with his hat and sweater!!

Isn't the reindeer suit just so cute on him? He loved all his presents but was so happy to play with the bows.

Getting ready for bed!

What a cute little smile.

Christmas time...

My brother and his girlfriend Ivory made a gingerbread house!

Still waiting...

So I'm 36 weeks and going nuts! Part of my wishes I would've had the baby when I was in the hospital for that long weekend. Since then I've just been so uncomfortable and having contractions quit often. My midwife just keeps saying she's happy I keep adding on more weeks. I can deliver here in Moses Lake now too so I guess that's a good thing since I DO NOT want to be airlifted ever again!! That was freakin' scary...so all we do is wait...and wait...and she's huge. I can feel her all the time. She is head down and ready to go. I would like to have her before January since all I hear from everyone is how big I am and I just hate it! Of course I'm huge I had just barely had a baby 5 months before I got pregnant again! And do you really think I lost all of that pregnancy weight? HECK NO...so yeah I want to get really fit this time and we're probably going to wait 3 years to have another. Can't wait for Christmas!!

Ethan LOVES Blaze!

My parents just bought this new bed for Blaze at Costco last week and Ethan thinks it can be his bed too. So he runs and jumps onto it with Blaze and rolls all around trying to cuddle and play. Blaze is such a good dog that she usually just licks Ethan but if he does kick her she gets a little angry. The pictures aren't the best because Roger just snapped them real quick with his iPhone, but they'll do!! My little man is growing up so fast!

I've been tagged

I was tagged thanks to Heather but it was right before I had my little trip to the hospital so I need to fill everyone in on six things about myself. I know my photo is a little out dated since it is from my senior year...three and half years ago, but I'm hoping it will help me to have motivation to get back down to a smaller size like I was in high school. It doesn't help that my husband is incredibly skinny either. Okay here goes!!!

1. I hate putting lotion all over my body. I get it from my dad. I think all women assume everyone does it after they get out of the shower, but I can't stand putting all the lotion on my hands. It's just the nastiest feeling having liquidy junk in between your fingers!! It's not something I am proud of either because everyone tells me if I would've lotioned my belly I probably wouldn't have as many stretch marks!! Guess I just have to live with them!

2. My biggest fear is losing a loved one. I don't know that I can say much more without tearing up. I love all of my family and friends so much that I just can't imagine my life without them. I read an article in the paper today about a family who lost three kids to carbon monoxide poisoning. The parents came home from work and found them all around a gas generator because the power was out on there street and it was cold. The youngest was 4 months. It just breaks my heart that things like this happen. Families are so important and our church really puts that emphasis on them which I love.

3. I can be a push over. Roger reminds me of this often, because when he tells me I need to tell someone something specific I tend to not say specifically what he says because I feel it's a little harsh. And I never argue just take whatever they say as the right answer. For instance when the temporary agency was looking for jobs that I could fill they were telling the businesses I was pregnant without me even having an interview so no one wanted to hire me. It's illegal for them to do that, but I didn't have the balls to tell the lady because I didn't want her to be mad and just stop looking for jobs for me!

4. I hate it when I tell someone something and they don't believe me! I'm not a liar especially if it's about myself. Like since I've been pregnant if the monitor doesn't say I'm having contractions they just say "oh you aren't having any contractions" when indeed I'm in horrible pain because I AM having contractions!! I remember when I was in labor with Ethan there were some contractions the monitor didn't pick up so I know I'm not lying!!

5. I am falling in love with Photography! I like so many different things and so many occupations still sound good, which is why it's good I'm just getting a degree in business, but I've found a love for photography. My mother has really instilled this in me. I find myself just itching to sit at the computer and play with photoshop. And when my mom and I are out on a shoot I just want to grab that camera and take over, but I know I am still learning and it will take practice.

6. I love scrapbooking!! However I haven't scrapbooked anything since my best buddy moved away from me in VA. We used to scrapbook together and we helped each other brainstorm. We also really loved to just SHOP for scrapbooking stuff. It was always fun to get out and do something girly and fun. I really miss having a close friend around. I know we all move on with our lives, but it's weird to think my closest friends aren't near. Why don't you all just move to Moses Lake so we can all have a scrapbooking party or even just a girls night out?



I hope all of this information helps everyone know a little more about me! I think I'm a pretty easy person to get along with, but some of you may disagree, who knows???

I tag....Lydia, Megan, Kristina, Kellie, and Stephanie.

Pregnancy Update

So I went into the doctor Tuesday and she told me that I needed to get up and move around a little more since I am not dialating!! I kind of figured she might tell me that! I am very thrilled because I was getting so bored stuck at home all day and not being able to play with Ethan was making me crazy. I just want to enjoy my alone time with him before the little one comes. I'm sure anyone who has more than one child knows what I mean...especially if you've had them pretty close like I'm going to. I'm pretty sure since I was almost 33 weeks she wasn't as worried because at 34 weeks you usually have decent size babies with hardly any complications. I have enjoyed being up more, but do still feel those contractions and since I can't take anything they get worse. I do have good days and bad days though. I did start a rash though on Tuesday. I don't know if anyone has heard of it but it's called PUPPs. My midwife thought it was that but nothing was helping so my dad had a dermatologist look at it to make sure that's what it was and he agreed. It's awful!! I mean it's spreading everywhere, except my face so I guess that's a plus, and it started out with little dots and now it's turning into one big red blob all over. The weird thing is even though I'm a redhead I've never gotten anything like this before. The doctor suggested a steroid cream for it, but I have to be careful not to do too much of it because my body will absorb it and it's not the best for the baby. He did however also say that it could last 2-6 weeks or until I have the baby whenever that may be!!! I hate itching myself everywhere and I hate that it feels like a bad sunburn when I'm taking a shower because it's like needles. If anyone has had this before please let me know if there is any good way to help it. It's been three days and I just want it gone!!! Aliana is kicking right now. She is one active baby! When I was in the hospital they kept saying she looks really healthy so it just must have been my body not wanting a baby in there. I guess it really never got it's break. I hope that I can get back into shape faster this go around. I don't have any excuses since my parents have a treadmill!!!

I just want to thank everyone again who has been so helpful through this whole ordeal. It really is comforting to know that we have so many great friends who are willing to do whatever they can. We love you all!! I just hope to have this baby soon, but not TOO soon...if that makes any sense!!

Another Hospital Visit

Last Friday the 16th my water broke! Yes I was only 31 weeks and freaking out. It wasn't like it was with Ethan either so I think that's why I was so freaked! So I immediately called my mom and said how do I know and she said not to chance it and call my doctor. The secretary told me if I really thought it was my water to go straight to the ER. So Roger and I got Ethan ready and headed to the hospital. I had been having contractions since my last visit but I had woken up the night before and all that day was having bad contractions so I knew something might be wrong. When I got to the hospital the nurse said she had look at the slide and had other nurses look at the slide and they couldn't give me a straight answer because they wanted the doctor to make the decision and he came in and said it's definitely fluid from around the baby so you'll be airlifted to Deaconess in Spokane in about an hour. I was so freaked out because as soon as he told me that I had a nurse come in and start an IV, a nurse give me the steroid shot for the baby's lungs, and a nurse give me a shot of medicine to help with the contraction pain which just made my heart rate sky rocket. Roger was really concerned and just kept telling me it was going to be okay and my uncle Dan came up to the hospital to help Roger give me a blessing. It was beautiful and it helped comfort me until I got on that helicopter. My heck that was so stinkin' scary. They put you up through the back end of the helicopter and it's like this little tunnel and only your head pokes out into the cockpit area next to the nurse so your body is just confined down there by itself. Yeah so anyways I prayed like the whole way to Deaconess. Thank goodness it was only 40 minutes, but all I could think about is how I never wanted my first helicopter ride to be like this. When I got to the hospital of course I was by myself for about 2 hours because it took Roger a while to get everything together at the house and talk to family about what was going on and drive up to Spokane. My nurse was really nice, but I was still in a lot of pain and everyone kept prepping me for what may happen. The bad part was that it went from extreme to extreme so I didn't know what to believe. That first night I didn't get any sleep. They had even given me ambien and I couldn't sleep. My heart rate hasn't ever fully gone down since I've been there. I've been really freaked out about this whole thing. They had someone come in and talk to my about the Neonatal ICU and that was scary. They told me everything that would happen to my baby if I had her this early. I even got my second steroid shot for the baby 12 hours earlier than I should've because I had a temperature and they thought they might have to take the baby. I mean it was just a bad experience all in all. When they did the ultrasound on Monday and said I had a lot of amniotic fluid left and the baby was already about 4 lbs. I was relieved. I can say however I wanted to just stay there in case anything else happens, because if something else does before I'm 36 weeks I'm going right back to Deaconess and I don't want any more helicopter rides!!! I got home Monday night but am on "bedrest" which my midwife said I don't have to sleep the whole time but watch movies, tv, and read. She said no cleaning, picking up Ethan, and especially no shopping. So yeah I'm stuck at home with nothing to do and I feel hopeless because I want to play with Ethan more before this baby comes, but I don't have the energy and they found out I'm allergic to the medication they gave me for my contractions so I just have to go without and hope nothing hurts too bad. But it does! And I feel like it's 100 degrees in here because I'm constantly hot and feel like I have a temperature. I guess I'm just lucky no one was willing to hire me because I don't know how I would've been able to tell a job I couldn't do it anymore. It was great working with my mom though. We've been helping each other so much in photoshop. I just can't sit at the computer that long though now but I think by Monday I will be hopefully a little better. I did get tagged by Heather so I will do that soon, but for now I can't take it anymore. REST TIME!! Thanks to everyone that was praying for us. We are really happy and lucky they didn't have to take her. We want her to be as healthy as possible! And that will take about another 2 weeks atleast so we're just trying to hold out until after that sometime!! We love you all and are so grateful we have such wonderful friends!! I hope everyone had a happy thanksgiving!!

Ethan gets wiped out!!

I love to watch my little munchkin sleep! He always gets so wound up and then is completely exhausted but still tries to fight it. I've gotten to the point now where I can't just lay down with him and hope he cuddles up and falls asleep because as long as I'm there he thinks it's play time. I miss cuddling with him while he's sleeping. This was the last picture I got of him in his old carseat! Yes, we have finally gotten him a big boy carseat and he loves being able to see out the windows. I just love being a mom and watching him grow. It's going to be so fun to have two and watch them grow together!!

Ethan's second 1st Birthday Party!!

On Sunday, November 11, we celebrated Ethan's birthday again with all my cousins in town, my grandparents, and Roger's parents. Roger's dad made some good Mexican food. Of course we had to have a pinata. All of the kids loved it, even Ethan. When we picked it up on Saturday he wouldn't stop staring at it. He thought it was cool!! It was pretty cold outside so as soon as EJ was done hitting it we took him in and Uncle Ben held him up in the window to watch everyone else swing. The last pinata picture is of my cousin Conner finally breaking it after we made it through all the younger cousins!!

Here is Ethan after he ate a cupcake!! He made even a bigger mess this time than with his other cake, but I guess I didn't get any pictures. He's opening presents and playing with them in his diaper!!

Ethan's 1st Birthday!!

For Ethan's 1 year birthday party on November 7, his actual birthday, we had Roger's parents, his aunt and uncle, his grandma my grandparents, and my immediate family at our house for dinner, which was hawaiian haystacks, presents, and cake and ice cream. When all of Roger's relatives got there we watched the slideshow of Ethan's birthday when I'm in major pain...waiting for him to come and the results after. He was so sweet and continues to be a good kid, but since his birthday he has developed a funny little personality with growls involved. He does give kisses now though and even makes the "muaw" sound when he does it!!

Aunt Kaitlin helped Ethan open his presents. He loves the cell phone she and Karissa bought him and couldn't put it down all night as you will see in most pictures.

He got excited opening presents. Here is a picture of him playing with his NEW toys!!

Cake time!!! We got him a transformers cake!!

Making a mess is always fun!!

More Halloween Pictures!!

Ethan had to have a sucker....okay maybe it was more like 3 suckers because he kept taking them out and holding on the sticky side and then dropping them so his great grandma kept giving him another one!!

My cousin Olivia just loved that chocolate bar so much she had to get it all over her face!




Nana and Grandpa had to strike a pose with their skunk!!















Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Waites love their first great grandchild!! Even though he may have been a little stinker that night!!













Roger's Grandma is in town visiting his family!! We were lucky to get to see her and his aunt and uncle that night!!

HaPpY hAlLoWeEn!!

Since there were so many skunks around my parents house this last year spraying a lot of family members and even friends and dogs we thought it would be so funny to have Ethan be a skunk for Halloween!! And what a cute skunk he turned out to be!!!













You can definitely tell that he loves to walk now. Everytime he falls down he gets right back up and starts chugging. He is so fun and I am just so excited for the day that he starts talking. I know he'll be saying some pretty funny things!! He is such a happy little boy!

Isn't that backside so cute??

Can you see the belly?? I look so huge!!!

Another Ultrasound

Friday we got to have another ultrasound just to make sure we were having a girl!! Here she is with a thumbs up!! And below you can see her face!! I can't wait for January!! I'll finally have a little girl!!

I went to the hospital yesterday...

So far this baby has proved to not be very happy with me. The sickness wasn't as bad the first few months as it was with Ethan, but she is causing more pain. Saturday about 5 pm I started feeling contractions. I was working full time at community health and taking care of ethan and other things when I got home in the evenings and still helping my mom with her business. I think maybe my body was just stressed out. I laid down as soon as I got home after I had started feeling the pain and all Sunday they kept getting worse so I finally called the doctor and they said if I was going into labor they would need to stop it so to go right in to the hospital. I was there from 3:30 pm to 7 pm and the contractions weren't picking up on the machine so they gave me some medicine to help the pain but it just made me feel really anxious. They did some tests but they said they won't come back for a few days so I'm just patiently waiting while still in pain. She's moving so much on top of the contractions but I have so many things to do that I can't just lay there especially since I have a little monster walking everywhere and getting into everything!! He's so adorable though. I did get another ultrasound and the pictures turned out pretty good so I'll post them soon!!

New Cell Phone Numbers!!

Roger and I are back to being WA cell phone users!! It's pretty exciting!! My number is now 509-760-8090. Roger's is 509-760-8080.

Photo Shoot

My mom had a photo shoot Wednesday and since I help her I took Ethan with me since it was to take pictures of a little 2 year old. Ethan helped keep her get focused a little bit but she was so stubborn. As soon as she saw the camera she would look away. I felt bad because her mom said that she has tons of pictures of the back of her head because she just hates cameras. I guess I'm pretty lucky that Ethan is tolerable to the camera. Well here are a few my mom took of them together when he was trying to get her to pose. Her name is Addy and was just a cutie. She had the most beautiful blue eyes! I don't think any of my kids have a chance of getting blue eyes!! That was a long day for Ethan because we spent almost 2 1/2 hours just trying to get some good pictures of Addy. He was so good though. I think I got a good workout though because my shins were hurting so bad afterwards. And I felt like my tummy had gotten smaller...which probably isn't true but I felt like I was carrying less weight. Hopefully I'll be brave enough to get a picture loaded soon so everyone can see my belly.