IT'S A......

...well, isn't it obvious?!

In case you're blind, our little baby is a BOY!

On Tuesday we had another ultrasound to verify the sex of the baby, and most important, to make sure he's okay. Each thing the tech checked ended up being perfect, and of course we couldn't help but be relieved and extremely grateful throughout the ultrasound. Bailee was a little sad that it was a boy, but having the 16 week ultrasound prepared her quite a bit and she did much better this time. Yesterday Bailee said, "mom, I'm excited now that the baby is a boy. It's okay that I'm not gonna have a sister." I'm so proud of her and happy that she is excited to be the big sis of another brother. Trey of course is thrilled that it's a boy. He's even excited that he gets to share his things!


Baby's profile.

Baby's lips. Mouth wide open.

Baby's healthy spine.

Baby's face.

Sweet baby boy!
One last thing........we'll be naming our little guy Nash. Little Nashy. Not quite sure about the middle name yet. We're so excited about the name. I can picture the baby with the name and can't imagine anything different.

Proudest Sister in the World

On Tuesday my baby brother left for boot camp. OK, so he's obviously not a baby anymore, but I can't help but be a little protective of him. He returned home from his mission in October, 2009 and moved in with us shorty after. He only lived with us for about 6 months, but in that short time we really got to know each other for the first time. John and Trey became the best of buddies and even after he moved out, he made a huge effort to spend the night on Thursdays so he could spend Friday with Trey. What young adult does that for their 4 year old nephew? Not many would, and Trey is going to miss John so much. I don't think Trey really understands just how long his uncle will be away. John has been very motivated in trying to discover his career path since he got home. He made the huge commitment of joining the National Guard and is focusing on intelligence. After basic training for two months, he'll be studying intelligence for 5 months and then Arabic intelligence for 18 months. It will be 2-3 months before we can do much communicating, but eventually we can visit him and he can come home for Christmas. I seriously can't express how proud I am of him.
Last Sunday our family had a going away party for him with a massive Easter candy hunt for the kids. John changed into his uniform for pictures and we loaded all his pockets full of candy and watched the kids attack him. Unfortunately I can't post any pics of him in his uniform and can't post any other info about what he's doing in the Guard than I already have. I'm gonna frame one of the pictures of Trey and John and put it on his dresser. The poor kid asks about John every day.
Well, I know this is just a big brag-fest about my bro, but I really am proud of him. I will miss him so much. The late night laughs Damon and I had with him, the selfless help he did for me, all his advice-seeking (it made me feel smart), and the time he put into playing with our kids. I'm totally sad that he's not gonna be able to see our baby till it's a little older, but as Damon keeps telling me, I know I'll survive. Barely.
Love you, John!

Throughout Our Week

This week we saw a glimpse of SPRING! Everyone and everything just seems a little brighter now that we've seen the sun peek out again. After enjoying a little shopping last Saturday I came home to Damon playing outside with the kids and giving Bailee some golf tips. I love watching Damon interact with the kids. It means the world to them.

Monday was the start of my 18th week. The baby has definitely been growing! I still can't believe how blessed I am to be feeling well enough to enjoy this time like I have. Bailee had a blast taking my profile pictures. As much as I would like the time to pass, I kinda want time to stop as well. I love this experience.
Loving the baby belly!

Thursday through Saturday were the warmest days so far. The kids spent every available minute outside with the swarm of neighborhood kids. All day Friday I spent doing yard work. I've missed yard work so much! My brother spent the night on Thursday and ended up doing yard work with me. It was fun spending the day with him, enjoying the chatting, the gardening, and of course the sun.

During the past several months the 3rd graders at Bailee's school participated in RAD kids, a self defense program. To finish the program , the kids with 100% attendance went to the school on Friday evening to show off their skills to their parents. Bailee has loved RAD kids and talks about it at home constantly.
Bailee waiting for her turn.

My boys just watching the show.

Bailee making some sweet hits.

You go girl!

Saturday and Sunday were set aside for general conference. In church we talked about King Benjamin preaching on a tower and the people pitching their tents to listen. Bailee and Trey put up their tents in the living room in front of the TV to listen to our prophet. We watched all 4 sessions together; listening, playing conference games, and eating munchies. Saturday we enjoyed a BBQ and some bad mitten between sessions. Unfortunately, we woke up to a couple inches of snow this morning and had to forget about playing outside. Other than the snow, what an amazing weekend. Perfect family time, and we got to listen to our prophet speak.
Precious.

Last exciting news before we begin a new week. Today Damon was resting his hand on my tummy hoping to feel a kick, and he actually felt one. We were pretty excited. Love sharing this with him. And only 1 more week until my next ultrasound.

Then the shopping begins!