Baby on the Way!

I have looked back on my pregnancy posts of Owen a few times so I think I will really appreciate having a record of this pregnancy. Last September we decided that we would like to have another baby join our family and were optimistic that everything would work out even though Kent was in school and I was working. But then the pregnancy never happened. A lot more changes took place with Kent's school load and work load and moving and my job change and we just kept trucking along, but with questions simmering in the back of our minds about our pregnancy hopes. Our family would tell us all the time that Owen needed a sibling and we would laugh and say that it wasnt for lack of trying. I did feel really sad when I let myself think deeply about it, but mostly I just felt that timing is really important and Heavenly Father probably knew we couldnt handle the demands quite yet. We were pretty sure we wanted to go get a check-up for myself and I had even tried a fertility pill earlier in the year, so we weren't completely "come-what-may" but we were busy and overwhelmed in other aspects of life. I have irregular periods so when I missed my Sept one, I took a pregnancy test, probably too soon, and tossed it out with a vow to buy no more tests. So October rolls around and funny enough we were at Kelsey's house and she called me out on going to the bathroom three times, saying you must be pregnant. Haha, I told her I didn't know there was a bathroom toll or something like that. I also remember laying on her couch and not helping her with Jaeger's party plans. So the next day I looked up symptoms of pregnancy and checked off 8 of the 17 and showed it to Kent and asked him to go buy a pregnancy test at the store for me. He was like, really?! I took the test and we were both kinda shocked, happy, and scared all at once. I bought another test a few days later and thats that! My first appointment put me at 11 weeks with a due date of June 7th.  

 

 

Here I am at 13 weeks, with the first trimester over but still feeling very fatigued and very uncomfortable in the digestive system. A.k.a. my gut has stopped working and fiber pills, colace, and dulcolax are not working, ugh! The doctor brushed it off as a first trimester thing but I am concerned enough to bring it up at my appt next week.

Owen has been very sweet and responsive about the prospect of having a baby brother or sister. We found out just before Halloween and he asked if the baby could be a spider for Halloween and we talked about how the baby would come after Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. and then we will still have five more months :) Owen will pat my belly and say, "I am touching your baby carefully." Kent told me the other day that he prays for the baby in his morning prayer on his drive to school and that made me really happy. Obviously we want the baby to be healthy and would love a boy or girl, we have names for both that we toss out frequently when talking to Owen. Kent will tell Owen the baby's name is Joel and I will say but if its a girl, her name is Sadie. We knew Owen's name for a long time and when we find out in January, the name will be set, haha. We are very excited and blessed.

Owen thinks he turned 4

My mom has always made birthdays special with parties and fun cakes and pictures galore. So I kinda wanted to follow suit with my own. I did really good at throwing a party when Owen turned 1 and when he turned 2. It was fun for me too, to choose a theme, to make cupcakes, to get together with family, to see Owen happy. This year, I feel jipped. Owen is at the age where he loves the idea of presents and parties, just today Kamilla invited us to Wyatts and he cant stop talking about it and grinning and saying that he is going to give "Quiet" a big hug. (we are working on the "w" sound) Anywho, he chose a spiderman theme and we wrapped his presents and bought red and black frosting, but then I never got up enough energy to plan a get together. We didnt even go visit his best buddy, Jaeger because Owen had been feverish the night before. Oh well, he enjoyed the cupcakes!

 

We have been constantly working with Owen to tell people how old he is when they ask, because he usually just says his name for some reason. Well on his birthday he kept saying he was 4 and that he didnt want to be three as you can see in the movie I made. I think his answers to the questions are great, but he is a little restless and pantless. He hates wearing clothes and if I want to take a video I have to do it quick when he is in the mood :)

News Alert

Let's see, well we moved into a house with a fenced yard, storage, and the cutest neighborhood! What an amazing blessing and so fun to give Owen his own room and redecorate as well as have a fresh start. We went to our ward for the first time and I was feeling so good that I bore my testimony and joked that I did it so I wouldn't have to speak in church on a different Sunday. I'll let you know if it works. ;) It is so nice to have kent come with us to church. He was on afternoon to evening shift so he was only off once a month but now he is on night shift which has its own challenges but that may be ending soon. Owen didn't't do well in nursery and the leader came to find us, so if you have any advice in that arena, send it my way!

Super excited for kels to have her baby and to have visitors this month, mom and then kent's sister, kami is coming through this weekend to stay with us for a night (trying to find a guest room bed in time, whew). Also, kent has a week break this month before next semester when he starts a full schedule and clinicals. We are trying to come up with something fabulous to celebrate our anniversary that week. Maybe go back to the hotspings in Montana that we originally went too!

Today, kent saw a limping dog and started going off about how it had a hip something-or-other and that if it was muscular it could easily be fixed but if nerves, something, something. Then he turns to me and says, see I already know stuff from my classes and can diagnose. I thought that was cute and good, even thoug we were talking about a dog that will surely never be seen by a people doctor's office ;)

Owen loves daddy time and the two of them have been going out on little fishing trips some evenings so I can get shop stuff done. The rest of the days, Owen will ask me if he can get the worms out so he can catch a baby,one, fish and he gets the cutest little face where he tilts his head, scrunched his eyebrows and lilts out the words, "I wanna go fishing with daddy pleassse. What, why not? (before I even say anything) and I tell him he can tonight and he insists tomorrow even though I say, no ta-day!

Writing this out helps me see how blessed we are to have a healthy family in a safe home with means to eat and play. We have wonderful extended family, a bright future to hold on to and a temple-sealed family. I will try really hard to keep that at the fore front of my mind as I struggle with stress, responsibility, fear, and hurt.

The only other random thing I can think of right now, besides missing all the barnes girls together, is that I have been shopping with a weeks menu plan and it is so motivating when dinner time rolls around to have all the ingredients and to make something new! For two weeks I have been printing off a calendar list from project girl.blogspot.com and raiding my neglected simpleanddelicious magazines. We have had Cajun shrimp jambalaya, stuffed chicken, brocolli cheese and herb bread, and cheesecake tarts to name a few! Cheesecake recipe up in my "recipe tab. Warning: Ridicously addicting and not as rich so expect ot eat several!

Well, Bec and kels, are you happy;) teach me how to get the pictures off my iPod and I will post pics next time! P.s. I want to hear from Mikelle and kaycee!!! And wink, wink, Kim too! Love Kort and kels and teelle and kamilla and bec's posts! Well everyone that posts, love it :) And Kayla, I can't figure out yours but so glad to see pics!

P.S. I just clicked on Mickelle's link even though it says her last post was ten months ago and ack! she has posted alot and probably thinks I don't care. More late night reading, now :)

Sunday Snazzies

 Owen got a new set of church clothes and shiny black shoes that he looks absolutely adorable in! When Kent saw him all dressed up he said he was going to cry.

                          
 I painted up these double-sided frames for my shop and envisioned Owen as making them ten times cuter with his cheesy grin! Success!

What a fun kid Owen is! Always expressive and talking and loving!
                          
 He got a little distracted by the cat and really wanted to put the frame down, so we did! Owen loves church and talks about his friends thier, we put up on the fridge what he has colored and he gets excited to dress up and get out!

Rainy Days

Last week I went to gather all my December and even November photos and I only found three, THREE! My five, FIVE Christmas photos are on the camera instead of the card and I can't find the cord for it...

Can I tell you how sad that is, two major holidays not to mention Halloween which we didn't even celebrate because I was in a mood (the day of only) and no pictures really to speak of. Despicable, I know :)

So obviously I don't really think of taking pictures because its either a hectic holiday or the house is a mess or blah blah blah. In an effort to be more picture minded, I snapped these pics of Owen in his wagon today.

It was very rainy today, but luckily there was a break and we bundled up and I pulled him up and down the whole street. It made us both happy to get outside!

We bought a table today!!! A nice one that isn't a craigslist find but it was on clearance. It is dark wood and a high height with 4 chairs. I love, love it!

Yesterday, Dad was in town with the college and he made time for us and the Peterson's to meet up and eat. It was great to get together and do something fun. He just had a birthday and it was fun to talk to him on the phone about home, his calling, and everyday stuff. Love you, dad!
Ordered my pictures for my fancy shaped frames and primed the frames, can't wait to get them up on the wall!

A few fun things Owen has said lately:
"Dad, you're so cute!" As he put his arm around Kent and gave him a kiss. !!
Owen gave me a hug when I got home from work and said "Mom, I'm so happy!"

Owen will try to sing along to the radio by saying the last word or two in the sentence. It's hilarious and amazing how clearly he can hear and pick up so quickly what is sung.

Remeber the gal from my old ward that talked about potty training and it motivated me?...Well I just read a post of hers that made me laugh out loud. Apparently her son is no longer potty trained because she put him in a diaper for her husband's graduation and then to pick up family from the airport and then for somethnig else and that quick, he reverted back and now won't go in the potty. Sad but kinda made me feel better with my own inability to get Owen to give up the diapers, kid!

Still need to do that craft day!! Maybe a Valentine's decoration or a sewing project!!!

Write it down, you'll love it later!

It's random update time again!!! I think I will post random news every week and then at the end of every month I will post a menagarie of pictures-which is exactly how our life is!!

We traveled to Walla Walla for Christmas and Owen and I traveled to Rigby for New Years~~beautiful weather, amazing fun being silly wilth all my peeps, and delicious food!

Favorite gift: Do-it-yourself Curvy Frames for our fabulous family pics (will show final result on wall soon!)

This past month we have tried potty training off and on but with eleven house guests, two trips, work, business errands, and other out-the-door traveling, Owen just hasn't nailed it. But he hates having even a drop of soilness in his diaper and rips it off immediately so I know he's ready. We even have a potty upstairs and down, sigh. We will get there!

People have got the wedding fever bug! I cannot keep up with orders! It is a fun and helpful business but my house is in chaos! I am streamlining my items to candy jars, frames, chalkboards and vintage mirrors and clocks! Fun! Fun!

Kent starts up the Physical Therapy Assistant program on the 30th of this month and doesn't stop till April 2013!

In addresing last month's post: The ward party was a nightmare. I am banned from reading cause I seriously read in one sitting and get nothing done. Okay, okay. One fun book and one literary greatness book (List coming soon..but this month it's Courting Miss Lancaster~An amazing LDS author that writes clean regency romances with humor. Then The Potato Peel Pie Society recommended by a friend with rave reviews on Amazon). Still haven't had lasagna and still at my wits end with meal planning.

Chopped my hair and I just love it!!!!!! Blow dries in 1 minute. Automatically flips out and I can walk out the door. Or straighten it to show off the A-Line. Also got brown and blonde hilights. At the hairstyle college for $40 but 4.5 hours :) So needed! (Yes, yes pics coming..)

Finally a little sum up of last year. We started 2011 off with a big, faith-filled move to Boise. Kent quite is job, I started one, Kent became a CNA, I started an online business, and Kent changed majors. Boise has provided us with many avenues for success and progress that we couldn't find in Rexburg. Not to mention it has enabled us to appreciate family more by anticipating visits and trips to see the now-far-away Barnes' and participating in all the Stringham happenings by living closer to them. (Not to mention spending time with the Peterson's~ Owen just really loves Jaeger. I get to visit, call, craft, depend on and relate to Kels Bels. Kent gets to hunt, hunt and do more hunting with Lance.) So yes, Boise is about halfway between the parents and the Stringham's have had a wedding, a new baby and lots of outdoor time that we have been able to revel in! To round out the busy year of school, work, and play we celebrated Owen's 2nd birthday and we can't get enough of his loving ways, his adorable words, and his ability to make this life so worth it. Here's to another faith-filled year as we work towards our spiritual, family, and career goals! Happy 2012!