Caleb and Ashley are blogging!

Don't read this if you don't want the fun details a pregnant woman just loves to talk about :)

2011-11-18T08:36:00.001-08:00

I know lots of people are interested in my progression, but I'm sure many people aren't...so I thought I'd post a quick blog to update if you were interested. At 37 weeks I was 4cm dilated & 60% effaced, at my 38 week appointment yesterday I was still at 4cm but 80% effaced and baby is at a '0' station. Lots of new things since I hit the 37 week mark that make me hope I'm nearing the finish line- like horrible heartburn which I NEVER had with Micaiah, sleeping very little at night for no apparent reason, fuller & much more tender breasts, bloody show (or most likely a result of checking progression), stronger contractions, and of course an overwhelming sense of horrible pain soon to come...haha =) I'm hoping to go into labor before my scheduled induction around Nov. 28th. I'm not way into the idea of an induction, but hopefully my doctor is right when she says I won't make it that long. Thanks for continued prayers. I feel much more ready to give birth since my last post, of course I still feel crazy anxious and full of mixed emotions. Lucky Caleb. hehe.

Labor is just around the corner and...

2011-11-14T18:19:00.001-08:00

I'm terrified! I'm just about 38 weeks now, I gave birth to Micaiah at 39 weeks. At my 37 week appt I was 4cm dilated which surprised me. I'd be fine waiting until December to give birth, yet somehow I'd be fine with tomorrow. I don't even know how I feel other than full of mixed emotions. I'm excited for the surprise of when I'll go into labor, how long it will take, what the baby will look like, how big or small he'll be, how Micaiah will respond to the sight of a new baby brother, how he'll behave, just so many things! I'm NOT excited for the actual labor and recovery. Saying I'm terrified doesn't even begin to describe my feelings on the subject. Labor is the worst pain I've ever experienced, and 12 hours of it was enough. I pray this time it doesn't take 12 hours, I'm praying that it won't be so horrifyingly painful. I even prayed that the baby would just kind of 'slip out' with little pain! I'm also scared of the recovery and hope that this time it's not as prolonged. I'm even more afraid of life after baby comes. I remember the first 2 weeks after Micaiah was born I felt like my world was crumbling. He just cried non-stop. I barely made it through with Micaiah, I can't imagine doing that with a baby and a toddler. For someone who has been incredibly blessed with a miracle pregnancy, I sure am untrusting and worried! I know the Lord will take care of us, I just naturally tend to fear life changing, and fear the pain of natural child birth. A LOT. So if you're reading this, please pray for me to trust, for me to have rest before the baby comes, for me to be strong during the process, for me to feel capable to handle what the Lord has given me, for me to see the joy in all things, for me to recover after the birth well, for breastfeeding to go more smoothly this time, for the baby to sleep and be healthy, and for Micaiah to adjust well! I could go on...Thanks for reading, thanks for praying. (I'll probably post again in 2 more weeks angry that I haven't given birth yet and complaining that I want him out of me. haha.)

Family Pictures by Felicity Anne Photography!

2011-09-07T12:05:00.000-07:00

We got our family pictures done last month all thanks to Felicity Anne Photography! It was a fun photo shoot and we got to keep all the pictures (which was a lot!!!) We got tons of pictures of just Caleb and I, just Micaiah, each of us with Micaiah, family shots, and maternity!

Here are a couple of the couple shots.

Here are some of Micaiah:

Those (obviously) were a few of the family pics, now here are some maternity and parent pics!

There are a ton more where that came from. I'm so glad to have some pics of just the three of us before baby comes and very excited to have some maternity shots to always remember this sweet time in my life.

Thank you Felicity for doing these great pictures for us! You all should check out her blog/website and get your family pictures done while it's still pretty outside! (I posted a link to her web page, just click on this.)

Potty training-everyone's FAVORITE topic. ha!

2011-06-16T14:02:00.000-07:00

I never really understood why every parent loves to talk about their kids pooping in the potty on Facebook. I guess I don't really like to think about people pooping.. Now that I've started potty training though, I understand. It's a proud feeling you have when your child learns something new and amazing to watch them grow up. I'm still refraining from posting an update every time he 'goes' but I figure I can blog about my it since no one has to read it, and I gave a fair warning in the title :)

One of our friends had great success with a 2-day method. We didn't really talk about it, I just thought it would be a good 1st approach without thinking it would work for Micaiah. I found a little article online about potty training in 2 days and started Tuesday. I just did some of the things it said but it's working well!

Day one he had 3 accidents and was really just freaked out about going in the potty instead of a diaper. Day 2 (yesterday) was so much better. He went 5 times, and the last 2 times he was excited about it. He didn't have any accidents either. Of course, I still put a diaper on for his nap and bedtime, but for now 2 diapers a day equals to be about .35 cents a day which much better. Once he's mastered this we'll of course move on to taking those last 2 diapers away.

Day 3 I had errands to run and didn't want him to regress so we left the house without a diaper and we were gone for hours with no accident! I'm very proud of him for learning so well. And he's liking the Toy Story stickers he gets as a reward :)

New Life

2011-06-01T08:08:00.000-07:00

We are witnessing a miracle and have been for about 14 weeks now. The Lord has given us a surprise little baby and a perfectly healthy pregnancy. It was nearly impossible for me to conceive when I did. I won't get into the details, but the fact is we conceived in God's timing. We weren't trying, we were definitely NOT the people who try again as soon as possible after a miscarriage. I was broken and couldn't do it again. I was considering not ever trying again. I was dealing with it by praying that the Lord would either 'make me pregnant' or show me that I could never have another baby again. We needed Him to make the decision for us and He did. The shape my body was in after the miscarriage, the timing, everything. Nearly impossible but here we are!

To make this even more of a miracle, so many prayers have been answered. (And THANK YOU everyone who prayed for us!) I was telling my mother-in law 2 out of 2 pregnancies have had the same complication, the 2nd being worse and ending, so what were the chances of me ever having a complication free pregnancy? I wouldn't know because I never had one! We were pretty close to losing Micaiah too, luckily by the time we found out everything had already started to heal. She said we just need to pray for God to heal me and I honestly at that time thought nothing would give me a pregnancy free of bleeding. I was wrong. So wrong, I hope I never doubt the power of God again.

This pregnancy hasn't had any bleeding, no signs of it on an ultrasound. I've had some serious morning sickness and I'm exhausted most of the time which are GREAT and wonderful things for a healthy pregnancy. I had light morning sickness with Micaiah and none with the second. Needless to say I've never been so happy to throw up :)

So, I'm about 14 weeks and feeling good that this one will be okay. I'm already showing so my secret keeping probably has just kept people guessing or wondering how they can politely approach me with a gym pass ;) I'd love your prayers on a continued healthy pregnancy!

March was good...

2011-03-28T20:16:00.000-07:00

We had a GREAT time on vacation to California. It was amazing, just the three of us with no worries, no schedules, no work, no people...It was exactly what we needed.

We also just celebrated Micaiah's 2nd birthday! He didn't get it throughout most of his birthday, but by the next day he understood that it was gift time! He loved the attention, the gifts, and of course the balloons! We're so incredibly proud of him. He's grown in so many ways over the past two years. I can't tell you how many times a day Caleb and I just look at each other and smile in response to something he does. =)

A poorly written February update.

2011-02-20T19:08:00.000-08:00

Caleb is doing good. He's working on finishing the basement bathroom when he gets a chance. He doesn't have many opportunities because of yours truly. I seem to want to spend every moment he has home from work together... He's been so sweet to me, especially the past few months. When the pregnancy was hard or scary he'd show true care and concern for me. Since the miscarriage he's been so understanding and comforting. I've been extra needy and easily emotional ever since, so it's been a huge blessing to have a husband who is patient and loving.

I finally thought I was finished with the physical healing from the miscarriage, but disappointed with the sudden onset of contractions again the past couple of days. It wasn't bad though. I think I've just had enough, so any little thing that happens makes me want to throw in the towel and pretend I don't care about anything. All is well though. God is faithful and worthy of all my trust and praise.

We're excited for our upcoming vacation to California! We drove through many different areas along the California coast on our last vacation. This time around we considered going to Florida since we both have people we'd love to see again out there...but unfortunately the round trip flight alone was over $800 the week we have vacation time. That didn't include transportation, food, or activities, so we decided to go the place in California we enjoyed most last time. We had gone through San Francisco, L.A., and San Diego. We're going to L.A. this time, believe it or not! I loved Hollywood and can't wait to go back. We also have much more planned this time around, as Micaiah will be almost 2, instead of 2 months old like last time.

I've also been thinking about Micaiah's 2nd birthday. I don't have any idea for what to do to celebrate, but I know he's getting sports balloons and I'm going to make a basketball cake. His pride and joy is basketball. Ball was his first word and basketball hoop is the longest thing he can say now. Even if we don't have a little party, his actual birthday will be basketball themed to make for a perfect day.

Other than that, we haven't been up to much. We've been thoroughly enjoying our ping pong table that replaced the coffee table. We've also been way into watching The Newlywed Game on GSN, so much that I wanted to buy the game so we could play with friends. When I was online looking for the game I found a printable version of it. My creativity kicked in and I made an entire game myself. I didn't make up the questions of course, I just took some out and added others from different websites. It was a fun little project and definitely fun when we got to give it a try with our awesome friends Cliff and Linda.

Well, I can't have a blog update without mentioning what's new with Micaiah! They say after a child's first year their growth slows quite a bit.. His physical growth did slow down drastically, but we're shocked every single day at how much he's learning and how quickly he's learning everything. It's not just him of course, all the little ones around us that are his age are growing just the same. It's just amazing to watch. Being a stay at home mom is an incredible gift. I would be sad to miss out on all of his so many 'firsts'. He goes from making sounds to one syllable words to two, then sentences, etc. His understanding is so much greater than his vocabulary though. I'm excited to do home school with him, I won't have to miss out on anything. I love spending time with him. He's amazing.

I've been spending a lot of time with different friends and have realized how grateful I am for everyone in my life. I love my family and especially my husband and my baby. Life is good.

Life...

2011-02-06T21:17:00.000-08:00

Things are getting better. I've realized with the miscarriage that it's going to take a lot more time before it can be brought up without bringing tears to my eyes, but that's okay. Lately the tears that come seem to be out of my heart being touched by people who still after over a month has gone by are actively praying for us every day. I'm touched by the love and compassion people have.
I'm seeing that God has his way of answering my prayers and comforting me. I've been struggling, wondering how I'll ever truly know where God is leading me in my child-bearing years. Just in the past couple of days I'm feeling much more at peace with all my questions and our future. I feel that God is softening my heart for something. I don't know His plan for us, but God is definitely changing my heart in ways I wouldn't have expected.
I don't know if I'm physically capable of carrying another pregnancy, it doesn't seem like doctors know the answers to the questions I have. The reason I most likely miscarried also caused a threatened miscarriage with Micaiah. 2 out of 2 pregnancies have had the same problem, one ending because of it. Will Micaiah be my one and only? Will we have 7 more kids? I don't know, and I'm finally okay with that. I will trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding.
It's amazing, just days ago I felt alone. I didn't feel God's presence through this. My faith stayed strong and I clung desperately to knowing God's truth. Knowing that He wouldn't leave me, ever. I'm grateful for the trials in life that bring me to my knees, the times that seem to test my faith and trust in the Lord. I'm grateful for those things because it strengthens my relationship with Him. It brings me closer to Him, I surrender all over again.
Thanks everyone for caring so much about us. Time has gone by and life is moving on, but everyone is still praying for us, showing their love to us, and helping us get through this. I have to say a special thanks to my hubby. I can't even begin to explain his love through this. I love you all!

Just another 'diary entry'

2011-01-23T22:16:00.000-08:00

I'm so tired of this, this pain, crying, the questions, the future. I do everything I can to stop myself from crying because I'm so tired of it. I don't know why this has to be so hard. I have my trust in the Lord that he'll carry me through this... If I just had that sweet little baby that's in Heaven with me still everything would be okay. I accept what has happened and find comfort in my beliefs. It's just the pain that took over my joy would be gone. My hormones wouldn't be literally out of control. I'd have a baby to wear all the clothes hanging in a closet that now haunts me in the nursery that I keep opening the door to prove that I'm okay, then closing it when I realize I'm not.. I wouldn't have to feel like I lost my child. I wouldn't be plagued with a decision of whether or not Micaiah will ever have any siblings or the guilt I feel when I every part of me feels unable to try again. I feel so lost and scared. I see everyone moving on in life in all sorts of ways, but I feel stuck in this nightmare. My heart is breaking, over and over again.

There's a song that has been playing in my head since the day I found out the baby died.
I was sure by now,God, that You would have reached down
and wiped our tears away,
stepped in and saved the day.
But once again, I say amen
and it's still raining
as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain,
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away.

Chorus:
And I'll praise you in this storm
and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are
no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to You
and raised me up again
my strength is almost gone how can I carry on
if I can't find You
and as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away

Chorus

I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth
I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth

Chorus

It's an amazing song that reminds me to praise my Savior even when my heart is torn. I feel lost and alone, I could see now how people would feel that they've been abandoned by God. But I hold fast to what I believe in. My faith in Christ can't and won't be shaken. I know God's character by studying his Word, so I know he is with me. I will praise him for bringing me closer to him through this. I'll seek his comfort and guidance every day. This is so incredibly hard and emotionally exhausting, but I couldn't make it through without him. Without the comfort of knowing that even though my baby isn't with me, my baby is with Jesus.

What a week!

2011-01-19T20:51:00.000-08:00

I finally started jumping back into the social scene after everything that's happened. It's been great to see friends and just hanging out. I've been surprised the past week with myself though. My emotions have taken me on a roller coaster. (Aside from the miscarriage, I've been crying at the drop of a hat! Hormones? Who knows...)
I got the chance to spend time with a number of different friends, most on different days, and I just couldn't believe how much my mood will change from day to day. With a few closer friends I WANTED to talk about everything that happened with the miscarriage and recovery. I wanted their advice and to vent a little...Some friends I just talked about the facts and refused to lay any emotion out on the table, with some friends it never even came up. Then with one friend (most recently) the tears just flowed with a simple "how are you doing?" Yup, it's been an emotional week.

I don't mean to keep talking about it, I really don't want to be the kind of person that can't let it go or think of anything else. Actually, I'd say I go through most days without talking about it...but I think it helps to get what I don't talk about out in some way, even if it's just in a lame blog post. Anyway....

I'd say most days are fine and we're our normal goofy selves. Other days the little things remind me of everything, and those days are long and tiring. Physical symptoms go away and come back, big reminder. Half of my friends are pregnant it seems(I'm so excited for all of them!) but the thing that brings it all back is when I hear they have an ultrasound date to find out the gender. As happy as I really am for them, it's also a small reminder of the loss...probably because we were so close but never made it to that date. And most recently, someone who didn't know asking about the baby on the way. That one wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, I was more concerned about making sure the person didn't feel badly afterward.

Anyway, if you've made it this far I have a prayer request. Please be praying with me to finish healing physically and for emotional strength. I'm really grateful for everyone's prayers and love through everything!

Maybe soon I'll have something awesome to blog about, like a family vacation or a little boy's 2nd birthday! Neither of those things will be happening until about March, so until then I get to pretend like 'our' blog is a personal journal. :)

Everything's fine, mostly

2011-01-09T19:42:00.000-08:00

The past few days have been great. Lots of smiling, laughing, and just enjoying life. It feels good to not be consumed in sadness and heartbreak. I've been given good space and time to get through things, we both have.

Friday Micaiah and I went to Salt Lake to let Caleb have the house to himself to relax and for the 2 of us to get out. It was a great day all around. Micaiah and I hit up a DI in SLC to start off the day. In mid-shopping Micaiah got hungry and started saying "fries fries fries FRIES FRIES FRIES!!!!" which means he really would like some fries, I think. So we left the store to head to Fashion Place Mall. I stopped by a Wendy's and got him his favorite food of course. We had a great time at the mall, we were out for hours and he was as happy as could be. It doesn't sound like an incredible day, but with everything we've been dealing with it was so nice to get out and do some fun stuff with Micaiah being so happy the whole time. It was stress-free fun for all 3 of us.

Saturday was great, too. Caleb's boss let him leave work at 8:30 as a favor owed to him so that he could coach his Jr. Jazz team. He coached a team who won by 30 pts, if I remember right. After we went to La Frontera with Susanna, grocery shopping, and visited with the Metzgers for a bit. Then we headed home and my best friend from high school (Michelle) came over. She was visiting for a few days from Idaho. We went out and had amazing dark chocolate peppermint ice cream at Coldstone and had a great time, just like we always used to. I miss her already!

Today was fine for the most part. All was well until I realized that tomorrow was the day I've been looking forward to for a long time. We were scheduled to find out the gender of our baby (19 1/2 weeks) at 1:30. Everything has been great these past few days and I know I'm starting to move on with life, but I had a feeling this day would be hard and I was right. It's not even tomorrow and I keep getting these twinges of sadness whenever I think about it. I know I can't change anything, I accept the situation and feel grateful for the goodness that has come out of this hard time...but I'm sure for the rest of my life I'll have little random and out of nowhere things that bring it all back into my mind. The day we were supposed to find out the gender would be one of those times. I'm sure the due date will be difficult, too. Oh well, all I can do is take one day at a time and pray for the Lord to continue to carry me through the hard times.

Praying and healing...

2010-12-30T20:26:00.000-08:00

Today was actually a better emotional day then I was expecting, for both of us. Don't get me wrong, this is still so painful...but I was blessed and surrounded with love and comfort today. I think the Lord has been showing his love through all of the many people who have shown their love to us. The support, offering of help, meals, prayers...everything that everyone has done for us in these few short days has made this situation so much more bearable.

My sleep is so off right now, I got a few hours of broken sleep last night. I just kept waking up and thinking. But this morning I felt refreshed in a sense. I was able to focus on all of the wonderful things in my life. I have an indescribable little boy who brings joy into my heart even just thinking of him. My husband shows more love for us every single day. He's selfless, loving, caring, adoring...amazing. I have such great family that will drop anything to be there for me. Our friends have offered any kind of help we need, I have an impossible time accepting the help if it's offered for some reason, but the offer alone makes me feel incredibly loved. I even felt loved by the OB/GYN I tried to make an appointment with today. The doctor actually called me herself to apologize for the loss and to tell me they were doing everything they could to see me as soon as possible.

My physical state is not the best at the moment. I was able to rest a lot today and it did wonders, then after hours and hours of rest I sat on the couch for a while and I started the cramping back up. The only 'work' I had to do today was bring the dishes from the table to the sink, change a diaper, and put Micaiah to bed and I felt like my whole abdomen was in a big knot. Cramps, tightness, and contractions. I'm sure it's all normal, but it's just an unfortunate thing to deal with when there's no baby to make it all worth it.

I'm hoping each day brings more joy and healing. I'm looking forward to a bright and happy new year and will do my best to appreciate all that I have despite what I've lost. I thank my Heavenly Father for being my comfort, my strength, my inspiration.

Never thought it would be so hard...

2010-12-29T16:00:00.000-08:00

Just 2 weeks away from finding out the gender, things take a turn for the worse. At 16 weeks pregnant I lost my mucus plug but was told not to worry as it will regenerate itself. I spotted over the next week, the spotting turned into cramping and bleeding, I feared the worse possible scenario. I stayed up all night Monday trying to prepare myself for a miscarriage. Well, I couldn't possibly sleep under the circumstances, so I dealt with the fear by preparing myself for it.

My mom came over Tuesday morning because she was in the area. I told her what was going on and she took me to the ER. They did blood work and wheeled me over to get an ultrasound. They couldn't see the baby well enough over the belly so they did the ultrasound trans vaginal. I knew that was a bad sign. With Micaiah's pregnancy we had an ultrasound at 18 weeks (I was 17 1/2wks at this point) and we saw a perfect baby just fine over the tummy. The ultrasound tech couldn't tell me anything, so I'm there waiting for the doctor she sent for to come break the bad news. He says the baby didn't measure bigger than an 11 1/2 week old fetus, which broke my heart. I saw the baby via ultrasound at 12 weeks and it looked fine. I heard it's beautiful heart beating at my 14 week prenatal visit. So why was it so small? Why did it's little heart stop beating?

They took me back to the 'family' room where I waited for a doctor. Then Caleb walked in, as soon as he could get there from work. He was expecting everything to be okay and for me to have the surprise of the baby's gender for him when he got there. Sadly, I only had the awful news.

I was eventually released. Later that night I was woken by painful contractions every 2 minutes. The labor lasted a few hours before the pushing contractions came. I can't explain, nor do I want to, the emotional agony it is to deliver a child who didn't survive in the womb. It was an awful experience I pray I never have to go through again.

I'm getting through this time with God's comfort. I know my sweet little baby is with Jesus. I don't know if I'll ever get through this and be the same, but I know of God's truth and know he has a plan for our family. He loves us each and cares for us. He knows what it's like to lose a son. He knows my pain and can bring me out of it. Thanks everyone for your prayers and love.

It's my favorite time of year for a reason!

2010-12-27T02:53:00.000-08:00

Here are some highlights:

Dec. 16th I get a call at 2:30am from my lovely friend in labor asking how to breath during a contraction. I breath with her during her contraction and anxiously wait the arrival of her sweet little boy. She has a smooth delivery soon after and he's the most precious little guy.

Dec. 24th is the Christmas Eve Service. I help with decorating and singing. Never do I mess up when I sing on Sundays, but did I mess up too many times to count during the service? Yes, yes I did. At least it's a humble reminder to remember it's about singing praises to the Lord, not about worrying about myself, how I sound, how I look..
During the service cleanup I get a phone call from my mom. She says the FBI and some undercover police men went to my Poppy's house. I get a sick feeling in my stomach. Then she says they were looking for me. Ashley Goddard. Warrants out for my arrest in 4 different states. My grandpa insists it's not really ME they're looking for but they use their search warrant anyway. Then my amazing grandpa shows them a picture of me, that doesn't match the picture of the person they were looking for. The middle name didn't match either. I'm creeped out about the whole thing, I'm just hoping my identity is safe.
Then after the service, my sister came over and we hung out for a while. I love that lady.

Dec. 25th we're up early at my parents house for presents and the annual crepe breakfast :) Micaiah got spoiled beyond belief. I guess that's what you get when you're the only grand child...until next May or June that is! My parents and sister spoiled us as well. They are all so giving and thoughtful. My mom and dad made us all copies of our childhood home movies. They converted the VHS to DVDs for us. What a special gift!!!

Then 3 short hours later we have to leave so Micaiah can nap. Caleb and I open our gifts to each other and Micaiah opens his after his nap, then we head to the Metzger home for dinner. It was a lot of fun spending time with them. I also got a text letting me know one of my best friends is in the hospital, 5 days past her due date, ready to meet her little miracle...

Dec. 26th I'm up many times during the night getting updates of the labor and delivery. The last update I got she was at a 9, a few hours later I get a picture of a beautiful baby girl. We skipped church to go see them in the hospital, Dr. Pepper in hand for the mommy who went without her entire pregnancy :) Their baby girl was amazing. Just looking at me the whole time I held her, full head of hair, and as close to perfect as she could get! They're amazing parents already.
After the hospital visit we went out to the Metzger house again to celebrate Christmas a day late so everyone could be there. It was a lot of fun, but I was super tired. Now it's time to put the house back together and catch up on our sleep. I'm not sure either of those will get done with a little Micaiah running around, but I can always hope.

It's been nice to have a lot of time reflecting on Christ this month. I think I have a bit of a hard time saying Christmas is about Christ's birth as his birth date is unknown. I think it was in September? I don't actually know. December 25th was a pagan holiday long before Christ's birth and Christians tried to turn the time of pagan festivities into a time about Jesus. Caleb likes to call it Christ's birthday observed. :) I like to think of it as a time to reflect and give thanks for Jesus, his birth, his life, and the saving gift of his life for us.

It's been a great time of year, beautiful babies being born, spending great time with family and friends...but there is one thing we could use some prayer on. The pregnancy again has hit a rock or two. I'm 17 1/2 weeks now and still bleeding. I'm pretty sure I lost my mucus plug already (about a week ago), which started the expelling of old blood. I'm hoping this is one of those 'not normal but completely common' aspects of pregnancy. 2 more weeks until we find out if 'it' is a girl or a boy, and hopefully find out whatever is wrong is actually okay... Thanks for reading. Sorry again for no pictures...We don't really have the fastest or easiest way to upload them to my computer.

Nothing New...

2010-12-08T19:23:00.000-08:00

Just a little pregnancy update: Since I've entered my 2nd trimester I've slowly stopped bleeding (thanks to the Lord). I and my midwives are pretty sure I've been dealing with a Subchorionic Hemorrhage
which I had a minor case of with Micaiah in his early pregnancy. This one was a bit more serious as it was later in my 1st trimester/early 2nd. We haven't had a medical ultrasound to confirm it, but I just pray that it doesn't progress. So far I've gone a little over a week without any issues so hopefully it'll be smooth sailing from now on.
I've been proud of the fact that I haven't been showing yet. I showed at 10wks with Micaiah, and I hit 14 weeks hardly showing at all. As much as I love to show, I didn't really want to show because I was bloated. I wanted to show because the baby is growing. I'm just about 15wks now and a couple days ago I found myself with no pants to wear...out of no where! I bought some in-between maternity clothes luckily because the day after I couldn't hold my belly in even more. Let's just hope it has nothing to do with my constant craving for chili cheeses fries :)

A little update for Micaiah: He's been sick (but always seems to be) but is getting better slowly. He's saying new words and saying them well every day. It's amazing! Some words he can say pretty clearly considering are: hi, bye, cookie, cracker, drink, ball, sock, shoe, purple, blue, mom, dad, pops, play, please, help, breakfast, car, bus, dog, happy, poo, pee, bread, snack, and there are so many more. We love that little dude.

A Caleb update: I'm sure if he were writing this he'd say something about how he's doing well in Fantasy Football and that he's got the best wife ever. :) He'd also mention something about how excited he is to start finishing the basement. I'm sure it'll go by slowly, but it's something he enjoys (for some reason) and will have fun doing it (who knows why). He's starting on the bathroom soon!

If you've read this far I'm honored. Hehe :) I feel like we're less busy this month than any other time of year, which seems complete opposite of most people. I think the reason is because everyone else is busy. I kind of like it. I've been spending a good portion of my free time preparing for baby #2, I've been trying to find good deals on baby stuff. I figure if I start 'hunting' now I'll have decent luck finding the deals I want to find. We'll find out the gender next month so that will make the planning/shopping/nursery set up much easier. After realizing we'll have to basically take care of everything for this baby since it's our 2nd, it's made me really really appreciate the generosity and thoughtfulness of everyone who gave us baby gifts when Micaiah was born. The only thing we really had to buy for him up until now was diapers/wipes and shoes!

Gender ultrasound, cute little Micaiah, and everything else.

2010-12-04T07:34:00.000-08:00

I had my 14 week prenatal visit with the midwife and was able to ask a lot of questions and get some peace of mind about the issues I've had this pregnancy. Still unsure of exactly what's causing the issue but I had to spend a couple of weeks resting and not lifting anything. I'm still in that boat, but who can complain about taking it easy?! I was on bed rest with Micaiah for almost 2 months and I hated it. Now I wish I could go back and soak up the excuse to do nothing. :) We plan on seeing our sweet little baby and finding out what we're having January 10th, right around 20wks.

Micaiah spent the night sleeping on his "big boy bed" which is actually just a twin mattress on the floor. It's the 1st time we've tried it in months and he did great! Sleeping from 6:15pm-8am. Hopefully he'll keep it up so we can start working on the nursery. He's definitely growing up fast, talking nonstop, and becoming mommy's little helper already.
:) Hopefully I'll have pics up soon!

Lots to be thankful for...

2010-11-26T13:28:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how much I have to be thankful for. In honor of Thanksgiving, here's my list:

I'm thankful for....
The Lord, my Savior.
The scriptures that guide me every day.
My incredible and so perfect for me husband.
My adorable little Micaiah.
The newest member of our family.
Penny, my sweet, loyal, and annoying companion.
The Lord's provision in a job to provide for us and others.
A beautiful place to call home.
A husband who is wise with money.
The indescribable little baby movements I can feel inside of me.
My caring mom and dad.
My thoughtful and loving sister.
My amazing friends and in-laws.
Owning all 7 seasons of The Golden Girls on DVD :)
Always having enough food on the table.
Being a stay-at-home mom.
Being the luckiest mom and wife in the world.

Ultrasound

2010-11-19T19:35:00.000-08:00

I've had a lot of bleeding this pregnancy and we've been unsure if the baby was okay. My midwife was concerned that I had a miscarriage because of the amount of blood. She recommended I head over to Fetal Fotos to get a Pregnancy Verification Ultrasound. I always thought that was a place weird pregnant went to get naked belly pics of themselves to be honest..But I went to their website after I talked to my midwife and all it is is a place to get 2d, 3d, or 4d ultrasounds & pregnancy massages. I'm not a fan of over doing the ultrasounds due to lack of evidence that it can be harmful or harmless to the fetus. I'd rather not risk anything so I normally wouldn't come to a place like this for the joy of seeing the baby. In this case though it was much less expensive and all I wanted was to see that little incredible heartbeat.

I made a same day appointment and saw the heart beating instantly.The baby was sleeping during the 1st half of the ultrasound with it's hands and arms above the head and with its legs crossed :) Then it woke up and started bouncing and stretching it's perfect looking legs. It was pure joy to see the little baby I thought I may have lost. It was so cool to see Micaiah watch his little sibling on the screen. He kept saying "bay bee bay bee!!" and then for some reason he said "mom" and my heart melted. I felt so proud to be 'mom' to these two beautiful children.

We got 2 pictures and a DVD that I think is over 7 minutes long of the ultrasound. The pictures don't do the ultrasound justice, but the video is so amazing! (To me at least...) I took a picture of one of the pics with my phone, but it's hard to see anything by my pic. Better than nothing!

X-ray looked good!

2010-11-16T03:23:00.000-08:00

We are so thankful to have found out Micaiah's ankle looked alright in the X-ray! It was a LONG weekend with him being unable/unwilling to walk. Gammie, Papa, and Aunt Cori brought him some great stuff to cuddle with and keep him entertained while he was down, so that was a great help to me!! We received the phone call with the good news while Micaiah was napping (his 3rd one of the day...) so the moment he woke up we took off his splint, unfortunately he still won't walk. He walked with the help of both of us holding his hands but was incredibly limpy and can't walk by himself yet. Not being able to walk for 3 days does a number on a little guy who's only been walking for just over 8 months. Thanks for your prayers!

Micaiah's 1st trip to Urgent Care...

2010-11-13T03:43:00.000-08:00

Since the day I found out I was pregnant, I've done my best to make sure he's taken care of and safe...Then yesterday we decided to take him to the park so he could get out of the house and play. We were about ready to head home because it was so cold and I climbed to the slide to go down with him 1 more time. He was following behind, then didn't want to go anymore. I made Caleb hand him to me since I had already climbed all the way to the slide, I thought we might as well go down the slide rather than the stairs! Now usually I'm very cautious of where his feet are because I've heard stories of parents and children going down slides together and the child's shoe gets caught under the parent's leg and breaks. Well, this time I heard the other children at the park were throwing wood chips up the slide, so when I sat in the slide with him I was only checking to make sure the kids weren't throwing stuff in before we went down. This made me completely forget about holding his feet in my hands on the way down. His right leg was hanging off the side of mine as we went down, we hit the first curve and his little foot went under my leg at the most awkward angle and I quickly realized it. And so did he...

I ran off the playground and took his shoe and sock off to check. He was hysterical. I held him most of the way home to comfort him. We put him in his crib until we could decide if it was serious enough to get it checked out. He refused to stand on it & didn't want to get out of his crib. So we went in and he got his first X-ray. The Dr. thinks he has what is called a Torus Fracture (or Buckle Fracture). He said children have bones like rubber, where as a child their bones will bend rather than break like an adult's would have in the same situation. He showed us on the X-ray where he saw the bend in his bone and splinted his leg and foot. If it is a fracture he'll have to get a real cast next week for a couple of weeks, if it's not then he's safe with his splint until he can walk. We'll hopefully get a call on Monday after they hear back from the Radiologist.

In the meant time he's not allowed to walk. Do you know what that will be like for him? He's the most physically active child I know. He plays basketball, runs, jumps, climbs stairs, bounces, spins, everything you can think of allll day long. He's not one of those kids that can sit and watch a movie. He can't even sit through an entire commercial! He hates sitting. He always wants to get down from his high chair to go play 'basse ball' As much as I don't want him to be in pain, I hope he doesn't WANT to walk because it hurts rather than feeling frustrated at not being allowed to walk. He's just too young to understand why. I'm super nervous about this, but in time all will be well. Poor kid. Please keep him in your prayers.

Good weekend...

2010-11-08T10:38:00.000-08:00

Abi came over to start off the weekend and we made doughnuts. They looked so much like the ones you buy from a bakery, but they tasted horrible. Fun nonetheless.

Then we had our 10 week prenatal visit, got some chili cheese fries, then got our family photos taken for the holidays. For the price and place we went to they sure turned out cute!

We then went out to eat with my family at Texas Roadhouse for Caleb's birthday, they treated all of us. There was more food than at Thanksgiving! I have very generous parents and we had an incredible time celebrating. (and Micaiah ate the WHOLE time, which meant he wasn't fussy one bit!) And to wrap the great weekend off my sister and I watched Dispicable Me at the Dollar theater, did a little shopping, and ate McRibs!!!

It was kind of weird to have a packed weekend then have almost nothing planned all of next week, so I spent the morning baking chocolate chip cookies and blueberry apple sauce bread. I'm a horrible baker, but everything turned out great! I also made some Christmas gifts for the fam and now I'm just trying to hold myself back from wrapping them all! :)

Thanks for reading!

What a long day, long awaited that is...

2010-11-05T16:55:00.000-07:00

Today was a day I could NOT wait for. I was growing more impatient by the second for this day. I think I'm not trusting the Lord like I know I need to be with this. Anyway, I FINALLY sit down with the midwife anxiously waiting for her to get her doppler out to see if we can find a heart beat for the 1st time and one of the first things she said was that the baby is most likely too small to hear a heart beat. (Yes, Micaiah's getting a little brother or sister!) I asked them to try anyway. The 1st midwife had no luck and I prayed God would let us hear our sweet baby's heart. The second midwife after some time smiled and said she could hear it (about a 160 heart rate). I couldn't really hear it over my own pulse so I still for some reason feel somewhat unsatisfied with the 10 week prenatal visit.
You may be wondering why I've struggled to relax and be patient with this one. I feel GREAT. I feel the opposite of how I felt when I was expecting Micaiah. I know it sounds silly, but the only thing I knew of the 1st trimester is how sick and horrible I'd feel. I feel better than ever, not showing like I was with Micaiah this early, nothing! So hearing the heart beat today was supposed to be my reassurance. But I need to thank the Lord for such a smooth 1st trimester and the ability to keep up with Micaiah in a time where I expected to feel so sick and exhausted that I didn't know how I'd do it instead of being so full of fear and doubt. I need to trust in Him!
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5).

Micaiah's still asleep...

2010-11-04T07:11:00.000-07:00

SO I think I'll blog! It's better than getting out of bed and doing something.. :)

I'm looking forward to this weekend! Tomorrow is a special day but that will be a blog of it's own.. Anyway, we're also getting family pics done tomorrow (we got a coupon for a portrait studio, they're never as good as what some of our amazing friends can do with a camera (shout out to Cassie and Felicity!), but for the price it'll just be something fun to slip into Christmas cards) and after we're going to Wienerschnitzel--I love that place!!

Then Saturday we're going out to dinner with my fam for Caleb's 28th birthday. I always love when we get together like that, but 28? Wow! Then Sunday I'm spending the day with my sister. Perfect way to wrap up a perfect weekend.

Getting ready for the holidays? Why not!

2010-10-31T20:56:00.000-07:00

It's just about the 1st of November and I'm already full of plans and ideas for the holidays. Why? When I turn the heater on and the smell and warmth fills the house it reminds me of Christmas time, a time where every where you go people seem so much more cheerful and full of love. So of course I start making soups and stews for dinner, getting the cozy sweaters and blankets out, and of course I'd be crocheting scarves if Micaiah hadn't found the perfect hiding spot for my crochet needle. :)

This year I thought, why wait and wait to get ready for the holidays until December and only enjoy the pretty Christmas tree for less than a month? It's too much hassle for such a short time. So I came up with a solution! I'm putting the tree up first thing in November, but I'm not going to decorate it for Christmas. I'm going to make little ornaments with Bible verses about being thankful, giving thanks, etc for every day in November. Then each day we're going to take off one of the ornaments and read the verse or section of the Bible together and pray in thanks together as a family. By the end of November all the ornaments will be gone and the tree will be ready for Christmas decorations, and of course I have a fun way to incorporate the events leading to the birth of Christ that will help us focus on the true meaning as a family...but I'll blog about that next month.

Thanks for reading! I'll have pictures soon!

My 10 second post.

2010-10-30T13:29:00.000-07:00

I just realized our last post was in June but I've changed the background like three times since then. I think I spend so much time finding a background I like that I end up not having time to actually blog about anything. Now that I found a background I like I can blog, maybe something will happen this week worth writing about. We'll see!

Life at 2am.

2010-06-02T00:57:00.000-07:00

Here's a little update with each of us:

Caleb- He's on a new route at work that has him up at 1 AM which of course means an early bed time. He's loving his job and balancing sleep, work, and life way better than I could. He's worked hard for his CDL which will help the route go much faster, hopefully he'll have it by the end of the week.

Micaiah- He's doing tons of stuff now. He can dance, high five, brush his hair, walk backwards, crawl backwards(that one's just for laughs), he knows where his nose, mouth, and ears are, he's sleeping through the night, nursing significantly less...He's learning to throw balls and set other things down, he can pet penny without yanking out her hair, he's in phase 1 or 100 of potty training...Or so it feels like. He's amazing and so incredibly lovable.

Me- I'm just busy. It's crazy how so little going on in my life can fill up the calendar so fast! I'm not working from home anymore, which is a bigger relief than I thought it would be. I've been working hard at gardening and even harder at not letting the disgusting bugs get in the way of my work. Knowing nothing about gardening it's exciting to see corn, squash, watermelon and pumpkins growing already!
I've been painting a little, entered some of my art into a friends art show that will be this Saturday and looking forward to it. Other than that all my time is spent working on how to be a better mom, how to be more healthy, how to spend my time more wisely(which is the most challenging) and how to be a better wife and friend. I always seem to have a lot to work on within myself, but who doesn't?

In other news, we're quickly approaching our 2nd anniversary! Feels like I've loved him a lot longer than that though! =)

We both have come close to the idea that it would be fun to have another baby, but then Micaiah misses a nap and we change our minds. So for now, it's just be the three of us!

...........and Penny..

I guess I'll update...

2010-03-05T12:54:00.000-08:00

So I guess this blog will be better than no blog, but no promises =)

We've been INCREDIBLY busy. INCREDIBLY. We haven't had a free night in...I don't remember actually.

Caleb is loving his new job, most aspects at least. The one thing that's hard to get used to is the time he has to wake up in the morning, or should I say the time he needs to go to bed at night? Probably both. But he hasn't really complained, despite how hard it's been for him. What a man!

I've been busy working my stay at home job, and feeling so blessed to have it. We've both been as involved with our church as we can. We're both involved with the worship team- Caleb with bass and me with vocals. Worship is definitely what I want to be apart of, I'm just praying God gives me the ability to help others into worshiping Him and not worrying about how I sound. Sundays have been a bit difficult for us because we're both equally involved but we also have Micaiah to take care of, so we basically have to take turns fulfilling our commitments with church and taking care of him. What a challenge it really can be.

Micaiah will be turning 1 this month, and I can't believe it! I also can't believe how much he's growing. He's imitating us so much, and he loves standing and walking with his toy that Aunt Heather and Uncle Peter gave him for Christmas. I've noticed myself standing back admiring his new abilities in awe. It truly is all happening right before my eyes. I love those moments when he stands all by himself and he looks at my and just starts giggling because he's having so much fun becoming the young boy he's bound to become sooner than I'm ready for. I've figured out that there really aren't words to describe the joys of motherhood.

We are in LOVE and want the whole world to know!

2010-01-15T13:26:00.000-08:00

Haha. Dumb Blog Title....

Anyway, we had the cutest married moment today. For reasons not yet announced to others, we both apparently wanted to get each other a surprise. So Caleb calls when he gets off work and I said I'd be home soon, and that I was at Walmart. Then to my surprise he asks why I'm there...So I said I was looking at picture frames, which I was at the moment.

So then I work my way over to the candy isle to get him some much loved gummy worms that he hasn't been willing to get for himself. Then as I put the bag of gummy worms in the cart I hear someone down the isle say "OH SHOOT!!!" and I look over and there was Caleb holding two bags of potato chips(my much craved treat) and some Reeses Fastbreaks(a favorite candy of mine)...

We were both there buying each other treats we both knew the other had wanted but not been able, or willing to buy them 'just because'...

After I looked at Caleb and started laughing he said "Ohhh i shouldn't have said anything, I could left and you wouldn't have even known!" But it was definitely the cutest moment ever. What a cute hubby I have.

It doesn't sound as cute/romantic as I made it out to be, but oh..it was.

Reflections of 2009...

2010-01-03T18:00:00.000-08:00

Time to reflect on 2009....

January I was put on bed rest, had a really hard time but saw the love of God through people who made and dropped off meals and spent time with a sad, lonely girl.

My beautiful Grandma passed away, I continue to pray that family will be comforted and brought back together.

In March we met our beautiful baby boy who we named Micaiah. Our lives changed forever.

We celebrated our first Mothers Day and Fathers Day as a loving mommy and a proud daddy.

In June we went on a road trip to California, alone time with the love of my life and the sweetest baby boy was incredible.

In July we went through one of the hardest times we'll ever go through. God provided and continues to provide. He is the reason that a hard time turns into many blessings.

After that our love for the Lord, each other, our little guy, and all of our family and friends grew tremendously. What an amazing life experience it is to be broken, then to be healed and made stronger than ever before...

We went to a Metzger family reunion in the Tetons, how nice it was to get away and see some of God's most beautiful creations!

The rest of the year was spent falling more in love with each other and more in love with our baby Micaiah. Also meeting new friends and spending time with old ones, family included.

A special shout out to those who have made 2009 extra special: Micaiah and Caleb, Steve & Belinda, Cori, Goddards, Wendy & Rich, The Goodrich fam, Jeremy & Sofi, The Johnson fam, Susanna, Micah, Mary Kate, Abi, Metzgers, the Halford fam, Thelma, Heather & Peter, Kortney & Anthony, Shay, Cliff, Linda, & Piper, Julie & Andy, Pastor Pete & fam, Whitney, Michelle, Daniel, Marco, Brett & Erin, Shannon & fam, and sooo many others... Thanks for being such great family and friends you guys.

Here's to 2010!!!

photo session giveaway

2009-12-30T12:28:00.000-08:00

Wendy Anderson Photography is having a free session contest giveaway!
http://wendyandersonphotography.blogspot.com/2009/12/giveaway-time-salt-lake-utah.html

How many pictures does it take to say a thousand words?

2009-12-06T19:40:00.000-08:00

Our life in pictures...

November...

2009-11-14T03:11:00.000-08:00

I'm always excited when friends and family write a new blog to update on their lives, but I rarely update ours. Usually because not too much is going on, which is definitely the case now but it's 4 in the morning and I can't sleep so blog update it is.

November 7th was our 2 year engagement anniversary, but who's keeping track...

Caleb's 27th birthday was November 11th, what an oldie. ;) We celebrated by doing the one thing Caleb's been wanting to do for quite some time now, spending time with Zac, Brook, and meeting little Elijah. We were lucky enough to spend time with them the day they flew back from living in Hawaii, despite how long of a night/day they had. It was, so nice... We're excited that it's only the beginning of many memories to come!
It was also way awesome meeting Eli, he's cute and a perfect fit for Micaiah's best friend!

My wonderful parents treated us out to dinner last night to celebrate Caleb's birthday, it was great! They really love us and Micaiah, we love them too! (Not just because they treated us to an amazing meal either) =)

This Sunday we're having a small family get together and Caleb will get to finally open the birthday gift everyone pitched in on, can't wait to see his face when he sees what he's getting! And seeing everyone who's coming will be great, especially Wendy...It's been too long!

To top off a great month so far, we've met a couple our age from church and we're having fun getting to know them and can't wait for future adventures with them! We've also really been enjoying finally getting to spend a lot of time with Charity, Jordan and Adelaide. I'm grateful they've moved to Utah, I always love hanging out with them and it's so easy with us living in the same county!

Well, that's all I have to blog about. Sorry I have no pictures- Micaiah's favorite thing to do now is jump in his jumparoo and tire himself out to falling asleep right in the jumparoo, jumping in his sleep, waking himself up from jumping, then jumping some more...So it's kind of hard taking a picture when every one I take turns out blurry =) We love that little guy...

Fall...The leaves are falling as so is Micaiah.

2009-10-18T19:28:00.000-07:00

Yes, Micaiah has mastered sitting up by himself and with that new and exciting milestone comes many head bumps, falling, crying and being distracted back to smiling and laughing. He's going to be 7 months in a week, wow.

We have started going to a new small group, filled with a few different couples our age and a lot of fun! I love it. In fact, I accidentally referred to it as "fun" group when I was talking about it later on. Ha!

We have a lot of exciting things coming up in our days ahead...Micaiah is getting his baby dedication on Sunday, Caleb will be turning 27 next month...eek! and Zac and Brook are coming home soon! I love having great family and friends around, as well as making some new friends. Life is good.

Ohhh...

2009-09-29T10:46:00.000-07:00

I usually avoid expressing emotions to people especially in the form of a blog, but I'm tired. I'm just tired. Not in the sense of needing more sleep (though lack of sleep is growing these days) but in the sense of being tired of some of the things life can bring. I'm frustrated that I don't get very much sleep and I go go go all day long every single day and still, I can barely accomplish anything. It's hard to know how hard you work but to not see it do anything good.

Now I just feel like I'm short changing my family, Caleb works hard all day every day to earn a living to take care of us. He deserves to come home to a nice, happy wife who has done her best to care for things at home. Instead I feel like he comes home to the house looking the same as when he left, a crying fussy baby, a frustrated and ready to "throw in the towel" wife who's just put a room temperature ALMOST good dinner on the table.

At the end of everyday, Caleb thanks me for all I do and says he loves me.
I'm going to thank God for all he's done in my life and try to remember that in the big picture of life, making sure the house is spotless just doesn't matter, especially when I have a beautiful family to cherish and love...

...And that being said, if anyone knows why Micaiah wakes up at 12, 1am, 1:30am,2am,2:30am,3am etc every single night without ANYTHING making him sleep, please let me know. It would help :)

Just another update on our lives...

2009-09-17T07:55:00.001-07:00

We're learning to appreciate every moment we've been given. With all we've been through recently we've really seen how fast things can change as well as how incredibly fast Micaiah is growing and changing. So in other words, life is great.

We've started going to a church that's only about a 7 minute walk from our new house, which is a huge reason why we decided to start going to it. A few other reasons why we decided to try it out is because we both like that it's small and just starting out.

At the other place we loved the sermons, the teachings were great and although everyone there is super friendly and genuinely welcoming, it's very well established as far as friendships go and we both didn't feel like we really fit in anywhere. I mean, we did in a sense, but after going there for over a year we still can't tell who's just visiting and who's been going for however long...

We're looking forward to be a part of a young church that's right in our community. We'll be able to be much more involved and closer to the people that attend so making and maintaining friendships won't be as difficult.

In other life news, we're trying to take advantage of what's left of the great summer weather. Micaiah and I walk down to the lake and picnic together early in the afternoons. I/we also take advantage of the peaceful surroundings we live in to read our Bible at the lake. We love living in Stansbury, it's perfect for our family!

Micaiah is growing fast, though seeing him everyday I can't tell much of a difference besides his hair is growing thicker and darker and he's a lot harder to hold now that he's a whopping 12ish pounds :) We just bought him a new crib. He's still waking up a few times during the night to feed so he doesn't spend the whole night in his room, but he's been falling asleep well on his own and staying asleep until he's ready to eat. I'm proud of my little dude, though I'm secretly relieved when he cries for food...I miss him when he's in his room. Haha...He'll be 6 months on the 25h. Wow.
On a side note, I've lost all of my pregnancy weight as well as an extra 7lbs and counting. Yay!

Pictures of You, Pictures of Me

2009-08-21T08:01:00.000-07:00

Not big enough for his Jumparoo, but he loves the free walker we have!

Micaiah had fun at the his first petting zoo! Maybe next time he'll be able to 'pet'

Caleb and Caiah at the petting zoo

Mommy and Micaiah at the petting zoo...

Micaiah doesn't like goats as much as his grandpa Rich.

He didn't like Conners birthday cupcakes as much as milk.

Caleb's already giving him lessons.

Weed pulling party at our house!

Hanging out while daddy plays ultimate frisbee.

Micaiah is small. The chair is not.

Titles are for squares.

2009-07-10T19:08:00.000-07:00

We are so humbled before the Lord and we praise Him! To our family and friends, we thank you so much for your compassion, understanding, unconditional love, support, and encouragement that you have all shown to us through out the courses of our relationships. We're both so grateful to have such great parents, brothers, sisters, in-laws, best friends, and friends. You all truly mean so much to our little family.

Our vacation to California!

2009-06-16T13:02:00.000-07:00

Our vacation to Cali was great! For those who don't know, we went to celebrate our anniversary and to get away from...well pretty much everything.
We planned our trip to include a lot of driving and a lot of stopping, and if we were lucky with a baby we'd also get to go relax and enjoy some beaches. (By the way, we were lucky!)
The first night we planned on leaving late so we booked a cheaper hotel in Elko, NV. BAD IDEA...The hotel would have been fine if we didn't have a sense of smell. Everything everywhere reminded me of what nursing homes smell like, and if you know me you know my strong dislike of nursing home smell. Anyway, the night ended up being fun, just the three of us and some great mexican food.

The next day we drove to San Fran! The pros of the long drive were enjoying each others company and the cool scenery, the cons were how crazy I thought everyone drove. I shouldn't get behind the wheel in Cali, it just ends in an annoyed state of road rage! Caleb did the driving after that =) We went to some beaches and went to Bubba Gumps for dinner the first night. I love Forrest Gump and Caleb loves seafood so it was perfect!

We then made our way down to L.A which was way fun, walking along Hollywood Blvd was definitely a cool experience! My favorite part was seeing the huge Hollywood sign, I've always wanted to see it in real life...and i finally realized that's where the Hollywood video store got there sign from..Haha! Caleb got a good laugh from that.

San Diego was really fun, the first night we had tickets to go to a Padres game. It was mine and Micaiah's first major league baseball game, it was soo much fun! The second day we went to Bellmont Park, it was a free fair like amusement park! Yay for free! We went to an awesome beachside grill and later watched the sunset on the beach then got frozen chocolate covered bananas. It was a great and memorable day!

EVERYONE thought Micaiah was adorable, everyone kept stopping us to look at him the whole time we were on vacation! That made it even more fun, we secretly felt like famous people or something...people were even asking to take his picture haha!

We eventually neared the end of our trip and made our way down to Las Vegas, there we went to M&M World and Coke world, that was fun but we were tired by then. The next day we headed home to a cold, rainy Utah...

Little update from a little family

2009-05-29T20:33:00.000-07:00

Micaiah has already passed the 2 month mark and doing great! Although he's a small baby he's finally started to gain weight. I'm really tired as I write this and I'm guessing that's the reason why I can't think of anything else to say about the baby...I'll let pictures tell his story.

Caleb and I are doing good, Caleb's working very hard both at work and home. The house is looking great with all he's done with it! We'll have to take pictures of all the changes to show. I've been working hard at being a new mom and also preparing for the big move by packing. We should be closing on the new house we're buying in just a few days! We're so excited about making it our home and knowing it'll be the place Micaiah will learn to call home =) Tooele county, here we come...again!

The top picture is Zac holding Micaiah the first day they met, Micaiah cried everytime Zac held him but the next day Micaiah decided to like Zac and kept smiling at him! He must have realized the second day that Zac is his future best friend's dad. =) haha...

For Zac and Brook...

2009-05-08T15:18:00.000-07:00

Is Zac prepared to see him in real life?! ...And by "him" do I mean Micaiah or Caleb...?

Micaiah at the park and Red Butte Gardens

2009-04-26T10:21:00.000-07:00

Here are some more recent pictures of Micaiah. On Sunday we went to the park for a nice walk in perfect weather, then mommy and Micaiah went to the Red Butte Gardens on Arbor Day to get a free tree. I also got a few pictures while he was sleeping, one where he was smiling in his sleep and the other with his little thumb in his mouth. And of course the angry looking picture that also happens to be adorable is right after a bath. =)

Life after a baby!

2009-04-14T09:43:00.000-07:00

Life after having a baby is quite the challenge! Caleb and I have grown so much in the past couple of weeks, but unfortunately Micaiah has not. We went to his 2 week appointment yesterday and he's about a pound under his birth weight when he should be back at his birth weight so there's a bit of concern there but my guess is that he's just taking after his daddy, that is loosing weight when everyone else thinks he should be gaining it...Haha.

Since Micaiah's arrival we haven't had much time for ANYTHING which has been super hard. We've had a few moments when we were able to get out and spend quality time as the three of us. Micaiah stopped crying and eating long enough for us to go to the aquarium one day, watch a good movie we rented from Redbox another day, and on Easter we all went on a hike in the much missed sunshine. My favorite thing to do is spending time with my hubby, so I thank the Lord for blessing us with the chances to do those few things. Here are some more recent pictures...

The Amazing Mother of My Child

2009-03-30T07:15:00.000-07:00

As most everyone knows by now, our baby is now out in the cold, cruel world! He hates snow, especially at the end of March. He was borne Micaiah William Metzger, at 7:58 AM, on Wednesday, March 25th 2009. He weighed in at 8 pounds 2 ounces and measured 21 inches long with cheeks as wide as his shoulders. But enough about him, I'll get down to the important one.

On Tuesday, Ashley started having painful contractions, 5 minutes apart, at 8 PM after walking and other things for the last few weeks to start labor;) We tried to go to bed around 10:15 because we didn't really know what was going on. She didn't sleep at all and I awoke to "Caleb, RUB MY BACK!!!!" near midnight. At this point the contractions were about 3 minutes apart. I "rubbed" her back from then until about 3 am when, through some professional guidance, we decided to make the trip to the hospital. "Rubbing" her back consisted of trying to force my fist through her while rotating it at the same time. At one point while I was packing everything to leave she said that she was sorry she was making such a big deal out of it, that all she wanted was to make me proud. HA HA!!!

We got to the hospital around 4:20 am and got everything checked out. She was dilated to a 5 and 80% effaced.She progressed to a 6 and 90% by 6:15 am. An hour and a half later she was completely dilated and effaced but her water was not broken. They broke her water at 7:43 am (What an experience! Kinda like a fire hydrant! She described it as, "throwing up, not out of my mouth" Then she was told to start pushing. She pushed him out in only 15 minutes!!!

Now for why she is so amazing to me:
She didn't use any medication, take any birthing classes, and the book we read didn't seem to portray labor and delivery very well. Everything we had heard was that the painful part was pushing a baby out a very small hole, but found the hard part is the labor and contractions. The one thing she had was determination and persistence and that got her through it all.

Last night the baby was primed to stay awake all night and I suggested we should sleep in 3 hour shifts when he would eat. She said ok and decided to take the first one at 11:30 pm, since she had tried and wasn't able sleep. Then I woke up at 5 am and she and Micaiah were coming to lie next to me because she missed me. She had stayed up the entire night just so I could sleep. I gotta say, I'm a lucky man to have a wife like her. I'm only writing this so that she will do the same tonight.

I really love this brave, loving, beautiful little girl who won my heart. What a junky prize, huh???

How well do you know your husband?

2009-03-05T20:29:00.000-08:00

The "How well do you know your husband" Survey
(Thanks Lacey!)
Copy and paste these questions in your own post and see how much you REALLY know!

1. He's sitting in front of the TV - what is on the screen?

Basketball, Football, or HGTV

2. You're out to eat - what kind of dressing does he get on his salad?

Bleu Cheese

3. What's one food he doesn't like?

There are foods he won't eat over others, but there really isn't anything he doesn't like. (Though, he does have a hard time trying a sip of my Crystal Light drinks)

4. You go out to eat, what does he have to drink?

Do to his money-saving nature, usually water. But if he treats himself he usually orders flavored lemonades, cherry coke, and sometimes Mt.dew.

5. Where did he go to high school?

His bedroom.

6. What size shoe does he wear?

Size 12

7. If he could go to any one sporting event what would it be?

A real live NFL Denver Broncos Football Game.

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich?

Anything with jalapenos on it. (Though I don't think he'd like jalapenos on his much loved peanut butter and honey sandwiches.)

9. What would he eat every day if he could?

Steak.

10. What is his favorite cereal?

If he doesn't know then why should I?

11. What would he never wear?

Clothes he had to pay for....or something that lacks shiny luster.

12. What is his favorite sports team?

Utah Jazz, Denver Broncos, and the Toronto Blue Jays.

13. Who did he vote for?

Pedro.

14. Who is his best friend?

Zac, and Daniel. (and to spare my feelings, he said I was his best friend...but I'm nothing compared to Zac...) Hehe.

15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do?

He wishes I wasn't so needy of attention.

16. What is his heritage?

German

17. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what kind?

Carrot Cake with Raisins. (Some birthday..pssshhhh...)

18. Did he play sports in high school?

Jr Jazzzzzzzz

19. What could he spend hours doing?

Computer games such as Real Estate Empire, Age of Empires, Madden, and NBA live.

20. What is one unique talent?

I'm sure he has many talents, I just can't think of any. He's got amazing character traits and a great personality. He's got tons of skills in many different areas in life...but when I think of the word talent, I think of riding a unicycle on a tight rope at a half time show during a sporting event.

Now Tag 5 People.

*If you want to do it, go for it*

35 Weeks...Going on 40!

2009-02-27T20:21:00.000-08:00

I've finally made it to 35(and a half) weeks in my pregnancy! On the 37 week mark I should be officially off bedrest and labor-stopping medication and I'm so excited. I have so many plans and things I hope to go do once I'm off bedrest...

The first and most important thing is to go to a buffet with Caleb! I'll gladly eat both of our moneys worth =) The next thing I plan to do is go shopping for baby stuff that we still need, go to a Jazz game or two, give Caleb a rest by cooking and cleaning, go out to the mailbox and get the mail, and so much more. Most of those don't sound too exciting, but when you've been lying in a bed for a month and a half those things are unbearably exciting events!!!

In other news, I want to tell everyone how great Caleb is. Not only has he been doing everything around the house and working, but he also did a great job at cheering me up during an emotional week on bedrest. He brought pizzas home for dinner one day, took a long time bringing them in then started acting weird...Then the doorbell rang. It turned out he invited my dearest friend Heather and her fiance Peter over for a "cheer Ashley up" party! They brought cake, ice cream, and games! I was so excited!!! And not just for the ice cream. I love that curly haired boy.

Pure and Unadulterated Basketball

2009-02-22T07:35:00.000-08:00

I would like to tell you a heartwarming story and it has nothing to do with pregnancy or babies. Ashley is grateful for the break in pregnancy blogging overload.

Yesterday I had a Jr. Jazz game to coach. We were only going to have 4 players show up and the rule is that you must have a fifth player by the time halftime ends or you have to forfeit the game. The 2 players we were missing were 2 of our best, so even if a fifth player showed by halftime chances were dismal that we could make a game of it.

The game started and the 4 players on our team kept the game close through the first quarter. They even had a 6-5 lead at one point. The quarter ended at 13-9 in favor of our opponents. We had word in the second quarter that Micah Metzger, a potential 5th player, was nearing the gym but still a ways away. I used all 4 of our timeouts in the 2nd quarter to stop the clock. That wasn't giving us enough time so we committed 4 fouls in the last 2 minutes to keep the clock stopped as well. Then in a moment of genius, our team was going to have an inbounds pass. I told the kid to not pass it in, but hold it, take the turnover, and buy us a few more seconds. No one seemed to know what was happening with this and it took about a minute for the other team to assemble and get the ball in. As valiantly as the 4 players played halftime hit and we were losing 23-11. Halftime was winding down and we wondered if we would have our 5th player in time, just so we could finish the game. With 53 seconds left someone yelled, "there's Micah!" He ran in and that got quite the ovation.(Think Derek Fisher a few years back for the Jazz) Our team started quickly, having the correct amount of players will do that for you, and cut the lead to 6 in the first 3 minutes. Right then something happened that could have ruined the team's morale. One of our best defensive and rebounding players fouled out. This meant we had to finish the rest of the game with 4 players, and we had the full 5 players for only 3 minutes of a 40 minute game! The ref turned to me and said, "If you pull this one out, it'll be a miracle." Our team fought back playing excellent defense and scoring just enough to have the game tied as the fourth quarter ended. This meant we would go to a 3 minute overtime. In the extra period, Micah made a jump shot and a free throw and the other team could only muster a single free throw! At the end of a 43 minute game we had played 40 minutes with one fewer player and in this age group there should be no way to win against those odds. Alas, the score stood at 35-33 in our favor!!! The team and fans were pumped! After the dust had settled and the broken pieces of the opposing team's hearts were swept up, I took a look at the score sheet. In the 23 minutes that Micah had played, our team outscored the other team 24-10, with only 4 players! Micah had personally scored 20 points in those 23 minutes. He had doubled the other team's output in the time he played.

This is a team that does not have the most talent I have coached and probably not the most talent in our league. Athletically, they are not the most gifted team. But they play with the most heart and best teamwork of any team I have seen at this age level. They have finished the regular season with a 7-1 record, only losing to a Dugway team that has played together for a long time. If you want to see some awesome basketball, be at Clark Johnson Jr High in Tooele, Wednesday at 7pm.

I awoke from my sleep early the next morning dreaming that we were playing again and my heart was racing so much that I couldn't fall back to sleep. On the same note, Ashley woke up dreaming about hamburgers, huge chocolate chip cookies, brownies, and having to choose between chili and french fries!!! Oh the excitement of our lives!

Third Trimester Ultrasound

2009-02-18T13:57:00.001-08:00

We had an ultrasound to measure the length of my cervix, which we have to wait for a doctor to review everything then let us know what's going on but in the mean time I thought I'd share a couple of pictures we got of Micaiah's face. They're kinda weird looking but I'm sure he'll look normal once he's born haha...

The ultrasound tech was amazed at the amount of hair he has on his head! So hopefully he got daddy's curly afro. Right now at 34weeks 3days he weighs approximately 5lbs 7oz. We got to see his little hand in his mouth too while we were doing the ultrasound, how cute.

34 week baby update

2009-02-16T18:13:00.001-08:00

Just to quickly update everyone, I'm having appointments every 4 days now so they can keep monitoring the baby and contractions.

The appointment I had on thursday wasn't a very good one and left me quite emotional for numerous reasons. I was monitored and still having contractions every 11 minutes, and I had an exam and found that I had progressed to being 2-3 centimeters dilated and a whopping 80% effaced. I was fine with the news since I figure he'll come when he comes, but I became very upset when my midwife said the last thing they can do to stop progression at this point was to hospitalize me and do magnesium treatments, which from what I hear they are rough.

I HATE hospitals and certainly didn't want to intervine medically any more than I already am. My Ffn test came back positive again which meant no re-evaluation of bedrest. There was more stuff that made it hard but we won't get into the details. =)

Today I had another appointment and was there for 2 1/2 hours being monitored. My contractions slowed down a tiny bit so that was good.

The best part about the appointment was that the midwife said they weren't going to hospitalize me because I had just entered my 34th week, and they won't do magnesium treatments after 35 weeks since they no longer try to prevent labor. I'd still be on bedrest and medication until 37 weeks if I can make it that far.

One of the doctors that had evaluated my contractions and positive test results last week said he thought I'd go into labor over the weekend! Haha...I obviously didn't as it is now monday and I'm still getting kicked in the ribs. =) My midwife also said in her career she's had one patient who had a similar case to mine and made it all the way to 39 weeks, so anything can happen really. I still think it would be funny after all this worry for him to come late...and to really add a twist, for him to come out a girl would be hilarious!

Anyway...I have another appointment on friday, so I'll update then.
We really appreciate everyones prayers, love, concern, and support. Our church family has been wonderful so if any of you read this, thank you!

What makes being on bedrest better?

2009-02-11T12:26:00.000-08:00

What makes being on bedrest better? The answer is a loving, supporting hubby! Caleb has been great through this whole thing, and I have to say that might just be one of the biggest reasons I haven't died of frustration and boredom.

Having Caleb take care of me has shown me just how cute he can be. For example, I'm supposed to be drinking a minimum of 2 quarts of water a day, and when I do, Caleb rewards me with a "treat drink," like Diet Dr.Pepper. I think it's cute that he came up with a little method to encourage me to follow doctors orders, he knows my weaknesses. =)

Another cute thing he did was what he made for dinner last night. Our meal consisted of us sharing a can of Chef boyardee, with baked beans and cauliflower on the side. =)

I'm having a hard time dealing with not being able to do anything, but Caleb's always doing his best to cheer me up! I have a doctor appointment tomorrow so we'll see how things are going soon.

Thanks!

2009-01-31T08:21:00.001-08:00

We really appreciate everyone's love and support through this stressful time and I wanted to say thanks to you all.

This situation hasn't been too bad luckily, just very confusing. My midwife is very concerned about our baby coming too soon, but some nurses at the hospital say they're just treating it with everything they can as a precaution but they aren't too concerned with the arrival of an early baby.

So, as confusing or stressful this may seem to a couple of first time parents, we really just feel greatly blessed to have been given this baby and also each other. Now we're doing the one thing we know we can do, and that's trusting God with this whole situation as He is in control.

Caleb and I made a bet last night, I think I'll go into labor at 37 weeks 6 days, and give birth at 38 weeks on the mark.(Although I wouldn't be suprised in the least if after all this worry I go past my due date!) Anyway, He thinks I'll give birth at 38 weeks 3 days. ;)

Test Results and More Bed Rest

2009-01-30T11:31:00.000-08:00

I think in the last blog I said I was taking a test on Thursday and I'd update everyone on the results. Well yesterday was Thursday and we went to the doctors office to take the Fetal Fibronectin test.

A Fetal Fibronectin test detects a protein that is a glue-like substance that keeps the baby in the uterus, if given the test and have a postive result that means it detected that the body is in fact releasing that protein, meaning baby could be coming any day. If negative, it would be safe to say that the baby will not be delievered within 2 weeks.

Our results were positive, so last night I was sent to the hospital for a few hours for baby and contraction monitoring. They said the baby is doing GREAT, but I am having semi-steady contractions. So they injected a steriod that is generally supposed to help the baby's lungs develop much faster in case he comes too early. I'm going back into the hospital tonight for another shot and a bit more monitoring.

Other than that who knows what's next. I was given a medicine to be on constantly to slow down the contractions, and also ordered to a pretty strict version of bedrest(I think it is at least.) The few things I'm able to do still are lay in bed, lay on the couch, or lay in a recliner. Also I'm allowed to go to the bathroom AND get a glass of water if I'm thisty! Whoo! I hope I don't get too carried away! ;)

Well, that's that for now. The next thing I know of besides going back to the hospital tonight is I have another checkup on friday the 6th, so hopefully nothing too serious happens between now and then! Please be praying for our little boy.

Bed Rest...

2009-01-28T12:34:00.003-08:00

We had our 31 week prenatal checkup on monday and found that I am a couple centimeters dilated which of course caused the concern that I may be in preterm labor. I was put on a medicine to stop all contractions and I was also ordered to bed rest. We'll be going in tomorrow for a fetal fibronectin test, which I believe detects a protein the body releases when in labor or close to delivery. A positive result is a bad sign and can result in a premature birth, a negative result is better news but means something else is causing me to be having contractions and dilating. At least tomorrow we'll find out the extent of my bed rest to see what things I'm still able to do other than put my feet up, if anything. So for now the plan is to be on bed rest for the last 2 months, and hopefully our little boy can wait until it's safe to come out!

Please be praying for the baby's health and that we might be able to postpone labor until he's far enough along for there to be little to no complications and also pray that Caleb will have strength to be able to continue with work, all of the house remodeling he'd hoped to complete before the baby's arrival so we can move into a house that better fits a family of 3's needs, and also cleaning the house, cooking, and taking care of me while I'm layed up. I feel terrible that he has such a load on his back now, but I know he'll be okay. I'll post another update once we find out what's going on tomorrow or possibly friday.

Pregnancy Prayer Request & Baby Shower Pics

2009-01-22T15:17:00.000-08:00

I just had my baby shower and it was really fun! Seeing all of the tiny baby outfits and adorable baby blankets that were picked out or made specially for our son hit me pretty hard! I just can't believe how soon all of this is actually going to happen. I thought being pregnant was a huge life change, but now I'm starting to realize the big change will be when the pregnancy is over!

Our baby (if on time,) is due in less than 10 weeks, and physically I'm feeling like I'm ready for him to come out now. I think I'm getting a mixture of feeling energetic, and drained completely. I have energizer bunny days mixed with couch potato days. It's kind of frustrating when I can't be prepared for how I'll be feeling physically everyday, especially now that sitting for more than 10 minutes at a time is so physically demanding! My ribs are feeling the pressures of the baby's growth for sure.
Please pray for the continued healthy growth of our baby, and also that I'll have physical strength to get me through each day now that everything seems to ache and even more strength once it's time to deliver. Also pray for my emotional state, that I won't get discouraged when I don't have the energy to do the simple things that I'd like to get done or when I see the few stretch marks I've recently discovered. =( Caleb could use a prayer too through these last months to continue to be patient and understanding through my many complaints and tears. =)

Thanks for your prayers and all of the love you have shown to us.

Here are some baby shower pictures:

A long awaited update and some prayer requests.... =}

2009-01-13T05:06:00.000-08:00

Caleb's Update:
Caleb got a new job promotion, he is now center-store leader. Every 6 months the top 3 store leaders will rotate positions so he'll actually be taking on 3 new job titles, center-store leader, perishable leader, and assistant store leader. He's very excited about the change, especially because he has switched to a 4-day work week and is going to be working about 6 hours less per week!
It's not all good news on Caleb's end though, over a week ago he got a terrible case of bronchitis. He missed an entire week of work, including a 3-day leadership convention he was very much looking forward to. He's still recovering from his illness, but will be ready to return to work tomorrow. Caleb is also busy being a loving and supporting husband, which isn't the easiest of tasks I'm sure!

Ashley's Update:
Aside from taking care of Caleb, I've really been working on my relationship with God. Since Caleb and I started going to Lifeline my attitude towards church has changed and I finally feel like I'm able to heal and grow. I've started taking online Bible lessons daily, turning to the Lord to heal broken relationships, and just finally learning what it means to really surrender myself to God. Also I've just contacted the Pregnancy Resource Center to learn about volunteer work. I'm going to start volunteering this week and I'm so excited to help with such an amazing cause to prevent abortion. I think I'll just help with office stuff for now, but who knows what other opportunities may follow.

Pregnancy Update:
Well, I guess I can't have a complete update unless I give a pregnancy update! We just had another appointment on friday and all is well. I was scheduled to take the much-dreaded glucose test and I was scared out of my mind because the last time I took it I got so sick, then I was diagnosed to be insulin-resistant/pre-diabetic. I thought pregnancy would only make it worse and I didn't want to ever feel that sick again, but I took the delicious orange glucose beverage and waited for that sick feeling to take over. I waited and waited and...nothing! I felt fine, if not a little energetic! I don't know what the results show but feeling good throughout the test is a great sign I think! Anyway, since we're only about 11 weeks away from the due date our appointments are no longer 4 weeks apart. We're going for check-ups every 2 weeks until we hit the 36 week mark, then they'll be a week apart. We're looking forward to the changes the 3rd trimester may bring. My belly is just big enough that I can no longer see the number on the scale until I step off, luckily I'm still finding that my weight gain is right on target which is a shock to us both. =)

Before we end the post we have some prayer requests. My Grandma isn't doing well, she's been falling apart over the past year and was just hospitalized yesterday. Last night she was diagnosed with ALS and I don't know what the near future holds for her but please, please pray for her and also my entire family. Pray that this might bring our not-so-close family closer together, and that my Grandma Rea might feel the Lords love and strength through this incredibly hard time. Thank you all so much for your love and prayers.

Zoo Lights!!!

2008-12-16T17:58:00.000-08:00

Caleb and I had a fun, romantic trip to go see the Zoo Lights at the Hogle Zoo. It was super fun, to me at least. =) Here are some pictures:

Baby Update and Baby Bump!

2008-12-04T19:03:00.000-08:00

We had our 24 week pregnancy follow-up today. We realized that not only does he move in response to my movements, but he'll put up a fight if he doesn't like the "tummy touching." The funny part of the appointment was when our midwife tried to hear his heart beat. Almost as soon as she found his heart, he moved away. He kept moving until she finally had to push on my side in order to make it impossible for him to move somewhere else...But of course he didn't like that! He started kicking her hand harder than he's ever kicked before! (Trust me, I know his every kick these days.) It was so funny! Caleb actually got to see him kicking her hand, and I of course felt it. We definitely have a spunky little guy on the way! That was the most enjoyable part of the check-up. In other good news my weight gain was just about perfect, and we ended the appointment with the midwife laughing at our little boy kicking her and saying "Wow, there is definitely nothing wrong with this baby! This is just great!!!" So it was good to end on that note.

THIS WAS 15 WEEKS PREGNANT:

THIS WAS 19 WEEKS PREGNANT:

THIS IS 24 WEEKS PREGNANT...Getting kind of huge... :|

Our First Christmas Tree!

2008-12-02T14:25:00.000-08:00

My phone doesn't take the best pictures anymore, but these will have to do. Check our blog again on Friday, we'll have a new blog with a baby update and maybe even some belly pictures!

Blog game, thanks Brook!

2008-11-19T14:43:00.000-08:00

This one is called "My Man Tag"....I just wanted to take the opportunity to tell you all how wonderful my hubby is!

1. What is your husband's name? Caleb
2. How long have you been married? 5 months and 11 days...to be exact.
3. How old is he? He says he's ONLY 26, and I say "ONLY?????!!!"
4. Who eats more sweets? I think everyone can see who enjoys sweets more.
5. Who said "I love you first"? He did! Then I asked what he said because I was suprised and he said something else..haha...but I knew.
6. Who is taller? Caleb, but if I had an afro I'd look taller too.
7. Who can sing the best? Not a clue
8. Who is smarter? Caleb for sure!
9. Who does the laundry? I do.
10. Who pays the bills? Caleb of course.
11. Who mows the lawn? Last time I mowed while he weed wacked. That was our date night. ;)
12. Who makes dinner? I usually do unless I'm not feeling well or something.
13. Who drives? The one with the better gas mileage
14. Who is the first to admit they're wrong? He is always better than I am at that.
15. Who kissed who first? I don't know, it was kind of like a team effort.
16. Who asked who out first? Caleb
17. Who wears the pants? Caleb definitely wears the pants, I don't fit in them anymore. ;))))

I am really flexible on tagging....anyone who has a man and wants to take time to acknowledge them can fill this out! Oh, guy readers with girls can post too!

By Caleb; I need response!!!

2008-11-12T20:49:00.000-08:00

What is worse to everyone:

1. Pouring a nice bowl of cereal, only to open the fridge and find out there is no milk?

OR

2. After fighting a long, courageous, and victorious battle, only to glance over and realize there is no toilet paper?

It's a Boy!

2008-11-08T10:14:00.000-08:00

We went in for our ultrasound on thursday, November 6th. When we got there we were asked twice by the nurse and the midwife if we've already had our ultrasound. When we explained that we were supposed to have it that day we only got looks of confusion. The midwife said, we should have scheduled you by now but we'll get you in tomorrow. It doesn't sound like a big deal at all, especially considering we only had to wait until the next day to see our baby but I can't even begin to say how dissappointed I felt. Anyway, we went on with the appointment and eagerly waited for the next day to come.

November 7th, 2008 we were going to find out the gender of our first little baby, and it was the one year anniversary of our engagement!

Our first reaction to seeing our baby was suprising! The last time we had seen it, which was at 7 weeks, it was the size of a peanut. This time it actually looked like a real baby! The ultrasound technician made a great attempt at finding the gender, but it's little foot was in the way. A few long minutes passed and it spread it's legs wide open for the world to see that we have a little boy on the way. (Actually, Caleb and I think he's a big boy...but we didn't ask what 'normal' size is for that age.)

As the ultrasound went on we got to see his long legs, feet and toes, arms, hands and fingers, spine, head, nose, lips, ears, eyes, and belly button. It was truly amazing, especially when he started moving! (I've been able to feel the baby moving since week 16, and this week for the first time I've been able to feel and see him move from the outside!) At first he appeared to be sleeping with his head resting on his hands, then the technician jiggled my belly to wake him up. Then his arms started moving, his legs were kicking and squirming all over the place. I even got to see him open his mouth! The experience was great, and knowing that everything is growing right and being told that we have a healthy, happy baby is such a blessing!

Also, we were told that I'm a week farther along then we thought which we didn't think was possible since I shouldn't have been fertile then, but with God all things are possible.

Our Hawaiian Vacation with Zac & Brook

2008-11-02T18:47:00.000-08:00

After spending an entire week with our dear friends Zac and Brook in Hawaii, we can definitely say we miss it! (By "it" I mean Zac and Brook, the fact that we had to go to Hawaii in order to visit them was just a bonus!)

We did so many fun things together, such as going to the Dole Plantation, visiting Pearl Harbor, Brook and I watching Caleb and Zac getting attacked by the oceans waves, having a sunset dinner on the beach, shopping, and of course a lot of football (played not only on the beach, but on the tv, and computer) and also countless games of Sequence and Scrabble. Note to all: Never play Scrabble with Zac unless you plan on playing multiple times per day until he wins. =)

Those are just a few of our many pictures. We have to say that Zac and Brook are better hosts than we could have ever hoped for. They gave us a room made especially for us =) they provided all of our food, which is no easy task considering the pregnant person with a black hole for a stomache. They also showed us all sights, and most importantly...they lost countless games of Sequence to us because they're not as good at it as we are. Well Brook was, but it's a team thing. ;) Hahahaha!! Just joking.
There was a lot more to our vacation than that, growing closer to already close friends was the best part. I never thought it would be weird coming home from vacation, but it was. We really missed being away from Zac and Brook, and still do. We can't wait to see the Halfords again!!!!! Hawaii or Utah!

A little 15 week baby update...

2008-10-10T13:51:00.001-07:00

We had our 2nd doctors appointment yesterday and all went well! The heart beat was stronger than ever and still going at about 150 beats per minute. Our midwife said the uterus is bigger than usual at 15 weeks so maybe my dates are just off a bit.
Our next appointment in about 4 weeks is the big one! We get an ultrasound that will hopefully reveal what gender the next Metzger is going to be! Also it'll be a relief to actually find out how far along I am for sure by measuring the baby and seeing how well our little baby is growing. Keep praying for us! We love you all!

New post, No news...

2008-10-05T18:29:00.000-07:00

We thought we'd update you on our slow moving, not much happening life since we haven't in a while.

Ashley says:
Of course in my stay at home life, not much is going on but the baby growing inside me. We have our 15-16 weeks pregnant appointment later this week, which doesn't seem to be coming soon enough. Being a first time mom-to-be I can tell you there's nothing more trying on emotions than the every day changes that come with pregnancy. I know not to stress, but to my suprise every day something new happens and with every little change brings a lingering thought to my mind "is that normal? Do you think the baby's okay?" Or the daily need of reassurance from my very loving and probably annoyed by now husband telling me that I don't look fat, just pregnant.
That's about it in the pregnancy department for now. Another thing that's going on in my life is my very much growing love for my hubby. He's amazing, God is really working wonders in our lives everyday. Things like finding a new church to attend that seems just perfect for us is bringing us closer together and to God. Life is good!

Caleb says:
Not much going on here...(break to talk about a fantasy football moment...and another break to talk about a disaster in the gulf...) Anyway, I've figured out in all of my experience at Maceys that anytime it's about to get really busy at work, that's the time people choose to quite or get fired. It happened like a charm this time with people being absent, so for the month of September I worked a lot of hours...I think Ashley hated me, but she was really good at hiding it and delt with it really well especially considering that she's a pregnant beast. (Beast means hot.)
I got through it okay, this last week was very relaxing and I got to spend extra time with Ash...I don't need to say what we did together, you all should know by now what married people do.

Our Update:
In addition to being pregnant and working hard, we've also been spending time with some friends. It's been great to get out and do things with people we don't see often. Speaking of which, we're also super excited about our upcoming trip in a few weeks to visit Brack and Zook in Hawaii!

Baby Update for week 12....or 16???

2008-09-15T14:13:00.000-07:00

This should be a baby update for week 12 of pregnancy but after the appointment, our midwife can't tell if I'm 12 weeks along or 16....WoW!!! She thinks it's very possible that we are actually pregnant with a honeymoon baby instead of a july baby. We have evidence that it's possible, but we also have contradicting evidence showing that I might really be 12 weeks along.

My uterus measured the size of about a 15 week pregnancy, but when she was looking for the heart beat the baby seemed to be sitting pretty low, hence the probability of only being 12 weeks along. So the mystery remains and shall remain for about 8 more weeks when we get an ultrasound!

At least we were able to hear the baby's heart beat for the first time! This time the heart rate jumped from 167/minute to 150/minute.
We'll have another update in 4 weeks!

Ashley is going to post later

2008-09-15T09:03:00.000-07:00

This is K-LUB's first attempt at blogging. He has no idea how it all works, so he is just going to go for it and see how it looks after. Ash will post later if the baby news is good.

We had a family party with the Metzger side last night, but Sarah, Luke, Shalom, Charity, and Jordan didn't make it and I don't know why. But I do know that I am furious. Regardless of missing persons, it was muy enjoyable.

I am starting college soon, so I won't be able to post as much as I have been. Let me know what you think of my blogability and who you like better, me or Ash.

New Family-Mobile for the Metzgers!

2008-09-05T13:30:00.000-07:00

We thought with a baby on the way we needed a 4-door car for easy transportation, and obvioulsy it would be my Saturn Sc2 that we'd be needing to replace. Then we found out on our recent camping trip that a simple 4-door car wasn't going to work. We filled up the trunk, backseat and some of the front full of camping gear. With the addition of a baby next year, we'd never have room for camping gear. Anyway, we thought the perfect sized car would be bigger than a normal car but smaller than a mini-van and hence our new sporty and spacious Mazda5!

Well, it wasn't that easy. We went to the Delta 500 which was a huge car "sale" by the Larry H. Miller dealerships. HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE! We knew the salesman was lying as soon as he started talking. He told us the prices were as low as they could go, they were all just marked barely above what they paid for them at auction. NOT true, we saw a car we were interested in that was $17,000. but our clearly stated budget was only $13,000. He said he could work it out to our budget, even though moments early he had told us they couldn't go lower than they were already marked. DUH!

So we go with him to see (out of curiousity) if he could get the car down as low as we needed it. We told him we weren't seriously considering buying the car whatsoever but he said not to worry about "wasting his time." Well he does an evaluation of my car for a trade-in value. He comes back after "he talked to his boss to get us a better deal" and got it from $17,000. to a whopping $16,000. Whoo hoo? No. Not only that, but he only offered me $1500. MAX. for my car which Caleb and I did research and new it was at minimum of $3,400. trade in and up to $5,000. for sale by owner.

So once I glanced at those two numbers I(Ashley) told him that "deal" wouldn't work for us, and that's when he started treating us as if we were less than dirt. He got an attitude and asked what about it wouldn't work. I said "first you said you could get it down to our budget of $13,000. and second, my car is worth much more that fifteen hundred." So he covered up the $16,000 they were asking for and said "Don't worry about this number, how much per month can you pay?" I then told him that we weren't going to say what we could afford per month, who wants to pay two bucks toward principle and the rest towards interest? We're not stupid. He kept insisting that we just tell him how much we'd be willing to pay per month. I at that point was feeling very frustrated at his fighting with us and asked for my car keys back, which they had in order to look at my car for trade-in.

He agreed, left to get them and came back empty handed. He then said "what is it about the car that you don't like?" ??????????? We said it had nothing to do with the car itself, it was the price as we've ALREADY talked about! He again tried to tell us to forget about the price and think about the monthly payment. I denied his request and said, "I've already told you we're not interested, I'm not selling my car for that little of an amount, and we want our keys!" He then treated me like an idiot. He said "Look, you don't understand anything about market value. You car in the condition it's in (which is good condition) isn't worth more than that." I stopped him and told him I understand market value and that we didn't need him to explain. I also said we knew of a few people willing to pay more than that for the car and he looked at us as if we were lying and he asked "Who?". So I then asked for the keys once more.

He then told us we were NEVER going to find the car we were looking for in our budget anywhere else. We mentioned we'd found many, many cars online that fit our needs and budget that weren't high in miles or rebuilt and we'd much rather go to those dealerships. I then said "Look, I'm pregnant, hungry, and ready to go. Get our keys so we can leave." He left to fetch the keys after giving us much more attitude. We were sitting there waiting and Caleb noticed he wasn't getting our keys, but talking to his boss again meaning he wasn't planning on letting us leave. We walked up and demanded our keys, he said "Hey I'm just trying to explain something to you," and of course I angerly interupted and told him I didn't need HIM to explain anythinng and I held my hand out for my keys and got them back.

It was much worse in reality. Caleb and I were both shaking by the end of that fun conversation. Oh, another thing that was a lie was that they advertised free hotdogs, creamies, and drinks. Turns out they were only offered to people buying one of their rip-off cars.

Being threatened with the "fact" of not being able to find what we were looking for at our budget, we went to one more dealership.....And bought our new car. Thanks Rands Auto!!!!! =) www.randsauto.com So NeVeR go to a Larry H. Miller Dealership, as well as a MenLove or Quality dealership. They're all horrible lying people who don't care who gets ripped off next.

Camping with flushable toilets, grocery stores and gift shops...Talk about roughing it.

2008-08-28T12:31:00.000-07:00

Caleb and I went camping this past weekend in the Tetons and Yellowstone! For someone who has only gone camping once before I did pretty well! Flushable toilets, restaurants, grocery stores, and gift shops...Yeah I did just fine.

First we stayed at a KOA in Wyoming, then we headed out the next morning to the Tetons! We set up our tent then left for Yellowstone. It was definitely a busy day but the best one!

That night we found out that if you want an air mattress that holds air, you should probably go with the more expensive name brand. I don't think it should even be called an air mattress, because without the air it's just a mattress but ask anyone who's slept on an air mattress without the air...it's not even close to a mattress. Argh!

Anyway, we were supposed to spend the entire next day enjoying the Tetons and hopefully a hike around Jenny Lake. We arrived early in the afternoon to the lake's parking lot and circled it too many times to count before we gave up on finding any legal space to park in. Caleb drove around trying to find another place to go when we saw an entire herd of elk! That was exciting! Long story short we found a parking spot at Jenny Lake and I "decided" to have morning sickness and couldn't do anything but go back to the campground and sleep.

Despite that disappointing afternoon we had a great day. After I started feeling better we went to Jackson Lake and attempted a swim in the freezing waters. It was great, there were baby fish everywhere! Then we headed back to the camp and started a fire, while we were waiting for our dinner to cook we pulled out our new portable DVD player that Caleb won from work and started watching Dan in Real Life. Caleb went up to the car for something and I stayed watching the movie. I happened to look up when Caleb was coming back and my jaw dropped! I pointed in disbelief at what was following Caleb to our campsight. He of course thought I was trying to trick him, when he turned around there it was! A 5-point buck! It was walking about 3 feet away from Caleb and he didn't even notice! We got some pretty great pictures as it ate the leaves from a bush right next to our campfire! What a fun trip.

Ooh baby baby!

2008-08-18T10:30:00.000-07:00

There's a baby on the way! What exciting news!

We had an ultrasound at about 7weeks 5days into the pregnancy, and this is one of the pictures.

We got to see the heartbeat (167 times per minute,) and both brain ventricles forming, along with the tailbone and little arm and leg nubs forming.

At the time of the picture the baby(embryo) was 1/2 an inch long, and should double in size in the next two weeks.

In the picture, the black spot in the bean shaped embryo is one of the two brain ventricles. You can see that's the head and the rest is the developing body.

I'm currently a little over 8weeks approximately, which is 2 full months along! By the end of next week our little embryo will become a fetus and one more month to go and the 1st trimester will be over!

We'll need all the prayers we can get, complications are scary during pregnancy but trusting God is the only way to get through it.

The ADD Hiker...

2008-08-18T10:13:00.000-07:00

Our goal? An evening hike to Dog Lake in Big Cottonwood Canyon before darkfall.

Accomplished? Not even close, hence the title "The ADD Hiker."

We started off around 7pm up a beautiful canyon. I (Ashley) don't go hiking very often, so when I do, I become a little kid at a zoo for the first time. Stopping every 10 steps to smell the flowers, take pictures, look at a squirrel, and so on. Due to my lack of understanding the time frame, we didn't even make it half way up before it got dark. Good news though! I got some fun pictures! =)

We're blogging!

2008-08-18T09:55:00.000-07:00

We never thought we'd actually start blogging!
There are so many changes going on in our life, and in the life of all our friends. We have been looking forward to reading the blogs of close friends that we won't have the chance to see for quite some time so even though they're gone, we still get to be apart of their lives. (Cough Zac, Brook, & Elizabeth) That's why we started our own. We want to share all of our new and exciting life news with you guys as you have with us.