~Natalie~

New Direction...

2009-06-15T18:50:00.001-07:00

If you are looking for me, then you need to go here; www.kissincooks.blogspot.com.

A Look Back...

2008-12-31T15:59:00.000-08:00

...at 2008.
Since today is the last day of 2008 I thought it would be fun to take a look back. This year has been one of the most eventful years thus far for our small family.

This picture was taken on Mother's day/our Wedding Anniversary. We were married 1 year this day and two days later had our Beautiful....Aubri Jean Cook. Born on May 13, 2008 at 12:45am. We are so happy to have Aubri in our lives and LOVE being parents!

This was taken at my baby shower the Friday before Aubri was born, you can tell I was ready to POP! 3 of my friends in this picture have since had babies! (from the left) Sophia had her baby boy, Kason on September 4th, Tashina had her baby girl, Maddison, on July 17th, Suvi is currently serving a mission in Chile, and Ashley just had her baby girl, I don't know the name yet, yesterday December 30th. How Crazy!! Speaking of babies, 2008 brought a lot of them! Michael had a baby girl, Keija, on July 20th. Rachel had her baby girl on October 12th.

We did so many things as a family but this had to be one of my favorite! I love the circus and it was so fun to take Aubri and see her reactions to everything that was going on! Thank you dad for taking us!

I never thought this would have happened in 2008, but having a house of our own has been amazing! I absolutly LOVE it!

One of the most relaxing times of 2008 came with a vacation to Cancun, Mexico. At first we were nervous taking Aubri to Mexico at 6 months old, but it was SO fun, and went off without a hitch. THANK YOU Dad for taking us!!!

Christmas is my Favorite time of year. It was so fun having a child of my own to spoil. She was so cute ripping and eating the wrapping paper off her gifts. This is one of my favorites from my mom, the "bunny outfit" from A Christmas Story. (my favorite christmas movie)

2008 was a wonderful year, scrapbooking, blogging, growing with my family, loving my husband and learning how marriage works, being a mom, and everything else, I wouldn't change a thing.

After all that I thought I would leave you with the last picture taken this year (unless I take some before midnight)...enjoy

leave her alone for a moment to get clothes after a bath and this is what I find! Hilarious.

May you have a happy new year!!!!!

So Long...

2008-12-27T13:49:00.000-08:00

Recently I have been telling people to view my blog and when I give them my web address I feel silly. SO, I have started a new blog at www.kissincooks.blogspot.com, kinda catchie eh? I like it. Anywho I will continue blogging at the new address starting today. See ya there, and sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you. :)

Rudolph the Red-Nosed....

2008-12-19T15:33:00.000-08:00

Reindeer!!!All the cute reindeer in my life!

This is what I saw this morning, a winter wonderland FINALLY!!
This is what it usually looks like in my back yard, simply amazing!

My tastey creation!! Chocolate somthered rice crispy treats = yummy.

unfortunatly this is what my kitchen looks like when I venture into cooking....

Poor guy cannot come into the kitchen with out having a heart attack. His famous words to me.. "Natalie, a good cook cleans up as they go" well, I guess I'm an ok cook, cause I have tried, really, but so far no luck. At least he likes what comes of it when I do cook... :)

Finally I have pictures of our house, as you will see we still have a lot of work to do, but I promised :) This is our little bathroom, the toilet is off to the right in a little nook.

Aubri's room is so cute, just a little left to do. Also we no longer have blue tape holding up the chair rail, my wonderful husband nailed it up two days ago.

Our living room/dining area (what you see when you walk in the front door.)

Our lives have been a little crazy with not working full time, but we have ben lucky to be able to work with my mom and dad. Chandler is close to getting his Real Estate License he starts his in-class hours Monday, he is excited for that. I am learning the business of billing and collections, I kind of did this when we were working at the apartments but just not to this degree, so far I like it :)

Well happy holidays to everyone!

Long Time No Talk....

2008-12-10T18:41:00.000-08:00

...and I'm sorry.

So much has been happening in our lives that I have not had the time to update this thing.

First things first, we went on an awesome vacation to Cancun Mexico for a week with all our family, and it was a blast!!!

Second, I have finally been getting my house put together, I got our living room all cute, and My kitchen for the most part, I am still working on Aubri's room, Our room, and the office. Hopefully it will happen soon. AND I'll have pictures soon as well.

Third, The AMAZING Mrs. Brandy Dial, Photog Phenom did the cutest photo shoot of Aubri, Maddie, and Kayson. (Maddie and Kayson are the children of two of my friends.)

This is the cutest Picture of Aubri in her Blessing Dress!! And it still totally Fits her!!!

I LOVE this picture too, I think I love them all, actually I know I love them all! I can't say thank you enough to Aunt Val for this beautiful dress!!!

Aubri's 1st Christmas outfit, I thought it was cute!

This cunk of Baby is Maddison Lilly Spencer. She is 4 months Old and is the daughter of my friend Tashina. She is so stinkin' cute!!

And this is Kayson Alex Desposorio. He is 3 months old and is the son of my other friend Sophia.

these are the cutest pictures ever!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!

Well, I am supposed to be getting internet at our house some time next week, so I'll be able to post more once again. have a good one!

Its Beginning To Look Alot Like....

2008-11-05T09:31:00.000-08:00

CHRISTMAS!!!!

And oh how excited am I?!!? ILove Christmas time, it's just so fun!! I can't wait to go skiing, and sledding, and hang lights and decorate my tree!! YAY

Here is the front of my house. (Picture taken this morning as it is the first major snow fall of the season!)

This is my back yard. Kinda reminds me of Grandma & Grandpa's back yard cause of that huge tree :). You can't see it now, but all along the tree line you can see Utah Lake. It is amazing!

My poor tired Kitty Kat, Trick or Treat-ing is hard work. If this costume looks familiar to you...It should! Kailye wore it when she was a baby!! Lucky for us Keija is too big for it, so Thanks Trish for lending it to us, she was adorable!!!

We went and got our pumpkins!! So much fun, and that place had big ol' fatties!! The best kind.

How about this... LOL Aubri's first taste of Rice Cereal!! It was hilarious and all over her! I think she hated the spoon more than the food. Every time the spoon came close to her face this is what she did. Lucky she likes to take baths!!

So much is going on lately, Aubri is growing up fast. She automatically rolls over when put down and is trying with all her might to get up on all 4's. She grunts and puts her face down and tries to get up on her knees, it's funny. She also has been sitting up very well. She cant get to a sitting position on her own, but when we sit her up she can hold her own for a while before tipping over. I absolutly love being a mom!

Well, I am still trying to get my house put away, so as soon as it is done, I will post pics of the inside, until then I hope this will tide you over! :)

House Information...

2008-10-27T07:27:00.000-07:00

Finally...I know! I'm sorry, I have been extremely busy with moving and all... :)

As of Saturday, October 25, 2008 The Cook Family officially are living in Orem Utah!! I absolutly LOVE my house!! I will post pics soon, I am still painting Aubri's Room. It is going to be so stinkin' cute!! We did the top half a light green, (Thank you Rachael) and the lower half is going to be Red Beadboard. I am so excited to get it all done. The only other thing we did to the house was paint our room. My house is a mess right now, but we are working hard on getting it all put together. If any of you would like to come help me decorate you are More than welcome to come over anytime! :)

Other than moving, life has been the same old, same old. Aubri has finally been consistantly sleeping through the night!! She will go to bed around 9-10pm and wake up at 8am on the dot. She is such a good baby. She is getting big, we started feeding her real food last week, I think she likes the food but is not too crazy about the spoon. Aubri has done surprisingly well with the move and all, no disruption in her sleeping pattern at all! The thing that has been hard is she has been spending a lot of time away from us. We had my mother in law watch her a couple days while I painted and my mother another couple days, and my sister in law the other days.

well, I need to get back to work, I will post pictures in a few days.

Delictable Dinner...

2008-10-05T22:15:00.000-07:00

Well, I don't know if I would use delectable, but it was pretty darn good!!! I made sweet-n-spicy pork, steamed veggies (thanks Kari), and garlic pasta. The pork was amazing, I think I could have maybe cooked it a little longer, but it was juicy and de-lish.

I never knew I had it in me to cook quite well if I do say so myself, apparently I am a good recipe follower. :) I got this particular recipe from the biggest loser cookbook, pg 161. If you want the recipe, let me know...I just don't feel like writing it all out right now.

Speaking of the biggest loser, I have FINALLY been going to the gym!! Yay! I don't know if I have lost weight yet, but I weigh tomorrow, so I guess we'll see. I better go to bed so I can get up and go to the gym tomorrow... Night!!

A Game Of Tag...

2008-10-05T21:39:00.001-07:00

So, I got tagged...

My 7 random Facts...

1) I LOVE it when people trip and fall. I don't know why, but it gives me so much satisfaction. I used to watch people fall on the ice on the Quad at USU....

2) I get major anxiety when I have to speak in front of people...

3) I am deathly afraid of Spiders and Dentists...

4) I am the most organized disorganized person you may ever meet...

5) I don't like beans or peas simply because of the texture...

6) I am a people watcher...

7) I still wish upon the first star I see at night...

I now am tagging...

1) Trish

2) Kari

3) Rachael

4) Mrs. Beck

5) Andrea

6) Tammy

7) Karissa

Have fun!

Circus Fun...

2008-09-29T13:15:00.000-07:00

That's right, we went to the CIRCUS!!! It was so much fun!!!

The elephants were so cool!! Almost the best part...

This one really skipped as it walked!!

My brother is SOOO excited! lol

Aubri is a slobber monster!!
our cute family!

Jayci really was smiling..
Aubri was so into the circus, she just sat and stared the entire first half! She fell asleep during the intermission for a minute. We really had a fun time, it was a lot better than I remember as a kid. I love the trapeze people the best.

So this is the jumper I told about. Aubri LOVES it!! I think she will like it more when she can reach the floor with both feet and can turn around to the different stations herself. but it works for now. :)

Now for the BIG NEWS!! My husband and I have finally bought a HOUSE!!! woohoo!! We found the cutest house in Orem, it's close to Michael & Trish and Chandler's brother and parents!! I am so excited!! We should be moving around the end of October! It happened really fast. The house was listed on the 25th, we went to see it on the 26th, put an offer on the house the 27th, the owners countered and we accepted on the 28th! Now we just have to get approved for the loan and get the inspections done and close the deal!!! I am so excited to be back down in Utah County, I love it there!

So ya, that's how my weekend went, pretty sweet eh?

So Much...

2008-09-25T19:00:00.000-07:00

...has gone on around here lately!!

First, at Aubri's last docotor's appointment, he said she was just fine on her weight and a little short, like her mother but hopefully not that bad. :) Soon after that we put her in her own room to sleep and she is doing great! I still am working on putting up pictures and some other things so when I'm done I will post pics.

Second, Chandler and I are finally looking for a house down in Utah County!! We have seen a couple we like and are going to look at a few more in a couple days. I am so excited to be back down there around lots of family!! We just love that area and want to be back asap.

Third, I have started cooking at home! I bought a cook book and bought ingredients and I actually am doing half good at it! Currently I am making lemon chicken and it should be done in about 5 min, we'll see how it turns out....

Other than that we have just been doing the usual, raising a baby and working our tails off!

The Room...& Hourly Wages

2008-09-09T22:53:00.001-07:00

This is the newest addition to Aubri's room!! I absolutly LOVE IT....
...and THIS is what I use it for....
...It's a perfect tutu holder/displayer. :) I still am in what seems like a never ending struggle to get Aubri's room totally finished so she can actually sleep in there, but now that our carpets have finally been cleaned the end is near and I will then be able to post pretty pictures. So I had a pleasant surprise today...Chandler and I have been putting our spare change (you know, the stuff you find in the washing machine because you didn't empty your pockets) in the cutest "piggy" bank (Aubri's is a ladybug), anywho, today I went to get the change turned into dollars and there was $20.00!! That might not seem like a lot, but for a 4 month old to have $20.00 seems to be pretty cool to me....Chandler and I would like to start some kind of savings for Aubri mostly for schooling but we are not quite sure what kind of savings account we should get, SO if any of you have any ideas for us that would be great!!

Now as some of you know, I have been butting heads with my boss about my hours and I have been getting frusterated. Well, we had a meeting on Monday and my boss came to the decision to have me go on an hourly pay instead of my usual salary pay. Oh man, I was not a happy camper at first. When I get mad and someone is talking about how they feel, or telling me what they think the way I react is in silence. I like to just take in what said person has to say and then I process and eventually come up with a response. So I reacted to what he was saying to me in the above listed manner and when he was done talking he goes, "So Natalie, is this fair? What are you thinking?" So instead of telling the boss what I really thought about the whole thing I simply said, "eh, it's ok." so he proceeded to tell me that was a cop-out. So then I spoke with out prior approval from my brain and said, "well ya know, I have told you what I do at home I don't know how many times. (cause he said he has no idea what I do when I leave for the day) Yeah I may not get 8 complete hours of work done every day but I do feel like I do get 40 hours a week, which I thought was the whole point of being on a salary. SO if you REALLY don't feel like you are getting your monies worth (cause that is what he said at one point of his rambling) then yeah, lets do hourly. I actually would like the extra time with my child, so really thank you!" He seemed flabbergasted and didn't quite know what to say after that so he kept talking and I kept not quite listening. then he asked if I was mad at him and/or if I hated him, so there I am being put on an houly pay and consoling my boss telling him that I don't hate him......wow what a day. But in retrospect I think it will be ok. I really don't mind cause now I DON'T have to worry about lame work stuff when I come home and I can keep my house clean, etc it's great!
I guess that could be considered as a "funny Monday" to add to Sarah's blog eh?? I think so. :)

Blessing Day...

2008-09-07T21:52:00.001-07:00

Today was a Wonderful Day!! This morning Chandler said to Aubri, "Aubri today is your special day!" and Aubri got this big smile and gave him a pleasant sigh of joy as though she knew what he was talking about.

What a Beautiful Child we have.

3 Generations...

In the days leading up to Aubri's blessing I kept finding myself asking heavenly father to remind Grandpa to bless Aubri with this or that, I actually had a LIST of things I would have liked Grandpa to say!! Even last night as I was blabbing off my list I suddenly stopped and said to Heavenly Father, WAIT, I probably should be saying, please remind Grandpa of the blessings YOU want Aubri to have, because I'm sure you know much better than I do what blessings this child will need in her life. Well Aubri's blessing was Beautiful! Grandpa did a wonderful job. How silly am I??

Our Beautiful Family...I couldn't be happier

I decided to bear my testimony today....wow I have not done that in a long time. At the start of the meeting the bishop gave a call out to all those who had not born their testimonies in a long time to take the opportunity to go ahead and do so today, well all I heard was "Natalie, it's time to get up there" I really was not going to do it until Chandler got up first. Then I was like, GREAT now I HAVE to do it...haha but I really am greatful for a husband who will show me the way. That was the first time I have heard Chandler's testimony, and I am so greatful for his testimony.
MUCH MUCH MUCH thanks to Aunt Val. This dress was more than I could have ever dreamed of. I absolutly LOVE it!! I can't say thank you enough. I love you.

Look at all these handsome men!! I am so lucky to have all of you in my life.

Traditional BIG family Photo. Thank you all for your support!! I love you all!!

I wanted to say sorry to those of you who may not have known about the blessing in advance. I really should have done some kind of invite, but call it lazy-ness (cause that's really what it is) as to why I did not.

Aubri Jean

2008-08-27T14:26:00.000-07:00

Ok, So some of you have been asking for more pictures of Miss Aubri Jean so here you go.....

Aubri and Daddy getting ready for church

Aubri is on the Left and Keija is on the Right...remember that Keija is 5 Weeks YOUNGER than little Aubri....this makes me laugh. They were sooo cute cooo-ing at eachother. It was so cute.

Now Aubri does this a lot, I can't believe I caught it on camera! What a charmer.

Camping Cousins!!! This was at Flaming Gorge with my dad, and just so ya know, the matching outfits was completely not planned. Jayci kept growling at Aubri while we were taking these pics, it was so funny.

Well, that's all I really have for today...not much goes on around my place, so yeah....Later! :)

Hiking....

2008-08-26T18:40:00.000-07:00

I almost died....well, at least that was how I felt the entire mile and a half up the trail. I have not worked out seroiusly until we hiked to the Timp Caves last Saturday. Although I was huting and my heart was POUNDING and I couldn't breathe I LOVED EVERYSECOND. It was a beautiful day and we had so much fun. Here are some pics from our adventure...

Thanks to Trish and Kari for planning this wonderful day!!

To Blog or Not to Blog...

2008-08-15T18:03:00.001-07:00

Apparently there is no question...it is a necessity! (or so they tell me, they being YOU)

So, here you go...

In the last oh month a lot has gone on!!! My sweet baby is now 3 months old!!! We have gone through thrush, stuffy noses, and Malnutrition!! Yes, it is sad but apparently I have not been giving my baby enough to eat! Oops!! I noticed that Aubri was not gaining as much weight as I thought she should (especially since Keija is like 3lbs bigger and 5 weeks younger!!) I also noticed that she was getting frustrated while nursing leaving me to believe that she was not getting enough milk, SO first went over to aunt Val's and she and Sarah gave me some great advise and were so supportive then I went to see a lactation specialist who gave me a lot of tips and helped me with nursing. She also confirmed my fear that Aubri was not getting the nutrition she needed, so I started supplementing her nursings with formula after. At first I felt really sad that I had to do this, but after the first day I realized that she really did need it, she became a happier, more content baby over night. She also is GROWING!! It is crazy how fast she seems to be growing now, weird what a little food will do for ya huh? :)

Aubri has also gone camping a few more times since the last post, so far she seems to like it, she also has gone swimming! I don't mean simply being in the water, I mean swimming! My mom did a mommy and me swimming class with all of us when we were little so I let her put Aubri under the water! It was cute, a little scary, and boy she did NOT like it! lol And Kari looked like she couldn't believe what was happening! LOL She likes the water, she just does not like to be drowned I guess....who would have thought. :)

I have been working and being a mom the rest of the time and I love it!! Although I get a little frustrated with my boss some times I still think it's an ok job. Chandler and I want to move down to Utah county ASAP. I don't know how soon ASAP is but we like to dream anyway.

So, to promote Trish's new endeavor....I Love her Stuff!!!! She made me a wipes case and I ended up buying 2 more for my friends who are having babies. Those covered cases are the cutest things I have ever seen!! So yeah, buy some!!

Well we are going to my dad's for dinner so I have to go, sorry so short. Ill be sure to keep blogging.

Birthday!...

2008-07-06T21:03:00.000-07:00

It's Official. I am 22 years young!

I never thought in a million years that I would be married with a baby, at this age, but I couldn't be more happy than I am right now!!

For my birthday I got...

Nintendo Wii from my husband!! I actually wanted this because it has a workout "game". (I need to lose this baby weight ASAP) I didn't think he would actually get it! Big Surprise!!!

My two best friends, Tashina & Spohia, took me to get a pedicure! So wonderful. You can tell that Tashina is about to have her baby cause her poor little foot is totally swollen (Left).

My mom got me a hefty gift card to Roberts Arts & Crafts!! My dad paid to get my hair highlighted (picture coming soon). Those were the main things and I am so grateful! The whole family went to dad's house for a BBQ dinner, I loved it, way better than going to a restaurant! :)

Now for news on Aubri! She is the strongest little girl I know!! She has been able to hold her head up practically since day ONE! and now she is STANDING! You can just about let go of her and she just stands there!! I can't believe it, she isn't even 2 months old yet!! She also is getting to where she notices you and can interact a little bit. She smiles and coos a lot more these days, I LOVE IT!!! Just the other day I noticed this happening...

She starts on her side...

rolls to her side...

and ends up on her other side!! Soo stinkin' cute!

She is still as tiny as can be though, Keija and Aubri are practically the same size! haha. Her 2 month check up is on the 15th of this month. I'm not too excited cause she gets her first round of shots. Poor kid. The 4th of July was fun too! we went to dinner with Adam, Kik, Michael, & Trish, then watched fireworks in the shopko parking lot. I love the 4th of July, it's one of my favorite holidays. Partially because I used to think that people were celebrating my birthday. :) This 4th was Aubri's 1st holiday!! She had a cute outfit, but not as cute as Keija & KK's. (Trish is an expert!)

Today we went boating with dad. What FUN!! Aubri did great! She just fell asleep while the boat was going. Chandler pushed me in the water which was COLD!! then he threw our dog, Rusty, in the water too. Poor dog did not like it! but it was funny and he did good.

Well, that is what has been happening lately. I love my life!!

Work...

2008-06-19T20:38:00.000-07:00

So I started working again this week....WOOF!
I'm not excited in the least. I don't think it will be too bad, it's just that right now everything is trying to get situated with the new owners and everything and it's kinda frusterating. I was speaking with the new owner yesterday and he was asking me when I would be working in the office. I told him that I would come down a couple times throughout the day but that the majority of my time would be spent at home. Well now he wants to know what hours specifically I will be workin in the office. I told him that it's hard to say right now because Aubri is not on a schedule, she is only a month old! Now, I don't know if she should be on a schedule by now but whatever. So now I'm perturbed. Oh well, it will all work itself out, it's just getting there that is lame.

So that brings me to my next topic...How do I get Aubri on a schedule?? I have noticed that if I feed her at 12am she will sleep until 5 or 5:30am, which is nice. But other than that, I just feed her when she wants and she sleeps when she wants and that is how life is going right now. I'm just not sure how to change all that around to a set schedule. Suggestions would be wonderful!!

As for Aubri, she is just growing and growing! Although she is still tiny!! She is just over a month old and is still wearing newborn outfits! I am exctied for her to get chubby rolls on her legs, that will be fun!!

Woo Hoo!!...

2008-06-12T21:16:00.000-07:00

Yay!! I finally have the internet in my home! After only a year and a month we have the internet and cable TV...now I can blog more!!!!

I will "go back to work" this Monday...however I will be working out of my apartment, life is good.

For all of you who are wondering Aubri is doing great!! We are still working on getting on an actual schedule. She eats about every 3 hours and has 1 sleeping spell that lasts about 5 hours sometime during the day or night...it varies. She is so cute and is growing every day. I looked at her legs the other day and noticed some little rolls forming! I am so excited for her to get chubby! haha is that a good thing?? I want her to look like Jayci...She has giant legs and they are soooo cute I couldn't stop squeezing them last night when we went to Adam & Kari's house. Speaking of Jayci, she is getting so big!! Eating baby food and smiling and laughing! I can't believe she is 7 months now. Aubri will be 1 month tomorrow! Holy Cow!!!

The other day I went to Aunt Vals and my friend, (well, Sarah's friend, who also was my wedding planner) came over to take pictures of Aubri. She took some amazing shots and I totally love them!! You can see some of them on her blog at www.1dialtone.blogspot.com. she is the coolest and is so talented in so many areas!!

Well, Sarah, I must thank you a million!! I LOVE THE MOBY!!! I have not used it a ton, but I have been using more and more lately. We walked to church last Sunday and I had her in the Moby all day, it was wonderful! So thanks a bunch!!!

well, sorry this blog is so short, but I have a hungry baby I must feed!

3 Weeks...

2008-06-03T18:02:00.000-07:00

It's insane how fast time flys by! I can't believe that my baby is already 3 weeks old!! I was talking to Chandler the other day and I told him, "Aubri is going to grow up so fast! Tomorrow you are going to wake up and she is going to be 6 months old and we will be in Cancun, then the next day you are going to wake up and she is going to be 1 year, then the next day you are going to wake up and she is going to be 13!!!" I literally almost started crying!! I like her the size she is now! But I also am excited for her to giggle, and walk, and be potty trained, and everything else that she will soon be able to do....I just don't want to forget how she is now...

She is so stinkin' cute!! At first we had a little trouble with the breastfeeding, but she quickly learned, and I quickly learned and now we are totally set on that subject. :)

Yesterday we took Aubri to her 1st doctor appointment. She is just a perfect little baby. She gained 1lb and grew 1/4 of an inch since birth.

Well, I better go, my baby is hungry and I am the only one who can feed her....sometimes I wish both parents were able to breastfeed...give the men a hint of what we go through, and give me a break at 4am!! yeah, that could be nice. :)

And I'd Like To Introduce.....

2008-05-18T13:23:00.000-07:00

Aubri Jean Cook

It's a crazy story....

Monday, May 12, 2008 8:45am my nose starts to bleed. 9:20am my nose is still bleeding so I go to the hospital. 10:00am my nose stopps bleeding and they send me home. (apparently I was having contractions at the hospital that I could not feel). 2:00pm I wake up from a nap and go to the bathroom to discover I am bleeding. My thoughts = "what is the deal with me and blood today?!?" so I call the nuse...again! 2:45pm I bend over to pick up a hairtie that I dropped in the bathroom, my water breaks, and the nurse calls me back all at the same time! So back to the hospital I go.

We arrive at the hospital and I tell the lady at the front desk that I thought my water had broke, she in turn looked annoyed and asked me my name, some medical questions then said, "so you are planning on having an epidural right?" I said no, that I wanted to go natural. Her response = "well.....you are brave." (with a snooty tone) Her next question = "who is your pediatrician?" I told her we had not chosen one yet. Her response = "well, you are off to a bad start!!!" my thoughts = "who do you think you are??!!! Ouch, this kinda hurts..." She then types stuff in the computer and tells us that there are no available rooms and that we needed to have a seat in the WAITING ROOM at the end of the hall! So, I go to the bathroom and pass a blood clot, mention it to the lady at the front desk. She asks how big it was and I told her about ping pong ball size. She looks annoyed and shows us to a room, holds up the gown hands it to me and says "you know the routien" and walks out of the room. I look at my husband and ask "do you know the routien? because I sure as hell don't!" He looks like a deer in the headlights. We wait for about half an hour (or what felt like 1/2 an hour) as fluid spontaneously gushes out of me (I have no idea if that is normal or not) then I semi-politely ask my husband to go get a nurse. Nurse Aubree finally arrives and tells me that when I put on the gown I was supposed to take off ALL my clothes, not just my pants and undies. Oops. She shows us to our room and checks me, hooks me up to those annoying monitors, and leaves. What a relief! By now I can feel the contractions but they are not too bad. My mom shows up and is ready for action. I love her.

We get a new nurse, she tells me that she sees that I do not want an epidural, so she is not going to bring it up again unless I ask for it. I love her.

My contractions are getting stronger and stronger, I am doing everything I learned in my lamaz class. I lay down, I get up, I walk around, I empty my bladder, I breathe Hee Hee Hoooo, I am feeling confidant, I eat ice, I cry, then I do it all over again. This goes on for about 6 hours, people come to visit and check on me, I try to have conversations with them but it gets hard. I get very annoyed when those people have a conversation while I have a contraction, then I feel bad. About 10:30 the nurse checks me, I am dialated to a 4, and my contractions are about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes apart, and they are STRONG! I am losing confidance at only being a 4. I am so tired I can hardly stand it. I decide to get an epidural. Feeling sad, releived, tired, failure, excitement, fear, paranoia, and a couple emotions I don't know how to describe, I get an epidural. My nurse tells me that I am ok for wanting an epidural and that she is surprised I made it as far as I had. I love her. Life is good. I make jokes, watch Jay Leno with guest star Jack Black (my favorite) and fall asleep. Life is good.

12:15am suddenly I feel like I have to go to the bathroom and I don't mean to pee. A doctor comes in and checks me. I am now dialated to a 10 and am ready to have a baby!!! I feel nervous and excited! The doctors prep, my mom paces the floor, Chandler puts our wedding video in and presses play. My doctor arrives and decides to watch our video for a min while I am left wondering "is her head coming out of me?? Is anybody seeing this??" Finally, I become the center of attention again. I push about 5 times.

12:45am I have this cute little thing that is screaming at me on my belly. We called it Aubri. They give her a little oxygen, clean her up, and give her back to me. She weighs 6lbs 6oz and is 19in long. She has big cheeks, almost red hair, and a nose that looks just like Grandma Cox!! I love her.

So that is my story...Aubri is a wonderful baby. She looks like me to the point that my mom had a flash back when her cheeks popped out of me! hahaha However, she also looks so much like Chandler, it's crazy!! We are so happy!

Here are some pics of our new addition...

No worries, Daddy's here...

Cheeks and nose...That's all!!

Content at 6lbs 6oz...

Long Extremities!!

This Grandma Loves Her Baby!

Our Little Princess...Crown, courtsey of Aunt Val (thank you)...

She LOVES her Daddy!

This is a Yawn, not a scream...

She has Monkey Arms!!

38 Weeks & A Baby Shower!....

2008-05-10T10:11:00.000-07:00

I am 38 weeks prego now...wow

-as you can see My butt sticks out just as far as by belly does....story of my LIFE! hahaha

Enough of that....I had a baby shower last night!! I had soooo much fun! My math teacher (Ms. Zachreson) threw me a shower for all of my friends last night, what a sweetheart! I took Ms. Z all 4 years in high school cause she was the only one who could teach me! I tried to take another teacher my senior year, but that only lasted ONE semester and I had to transfer into Ms. Z's class. I also would come home early on friday when I was going to school in Logan so I could get help with my homework from Ms. Z...it's funny the people who make an impact on your life...you never would have guessed it in the beginning. Anyways, here are some pics of my baby shower...

The cake (and other food) was soo cute and Soooo delicious!

My Friends are soo cute!! It has been forever since we all have been in the same room together...

so starting at 8 weeks, 5 months, 7 months, and finally 9 months...this is crazy madness!!

I had so much fun seeing everyone again! It's crazy to see how life turns out, even after only 4 years out of high school. I never thought in a million years that I would be married and have a baby at the age of 21, I was so adamit about not doing either until I was AT LEAST 24 or 25. But I also am so happy where I'm at in life right now, my husband pulled me out of a slump and dangerous behavior and my baby girl made me realize where I need to be on Sunday and where I want to be for eternity. I could not ask for more in life than what I have = amazing family and wonderful friends!!

I'm so sappy right now...I am going home! :)

It's Coming!!...

2008-05-09T11:22:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe I only have 2 weeks until my due date!!

I went to the doctor last wednesday and he told me that he thought the baby seemed to be at a normal weight, her head is down and she is in a good position. He also told me that I am dialated 1 centimeter and about 30% efaced...Exciting!! Then, yesterday right before my Lamaz Class I lost my mucus plug! haha sorry to those of you who do not want to know that but I'm excited! It actually was pretty gross/weird/unexpected but after the initial shock I was excited! I told Trish 1st and then got a little embarassed that I said it so quick! haha oh well. Trish told me that I should go for a jog to make the baby come, but I told her no cause I have a baby shower tonight and hers is tomorrow and I don't wanna miss them!! Also, I can hardly walk (or waddle if you have seen me lately) let alone run! I have had dreams of running and that is about it! If she does not come by her due date, it sounds like my doctor will let me go for about a week or so over, you can bet your butt that I will be doing everything in the book to make her come. As much as I like the sound of her waiting until the 1st of June, I don't think my body can take it much longer!!! Plus, I want to be cute again, not just this giant blob, I want to wear my cute clothes again, and I want to BUY new cute clothes!!

There is a picture of Trish and I and our bellies at Thanksgiving Point on Trish's blog. You all should check it out. It's really cute and it shows how big I really am, it's insane!

Well, I have a baby shower tonight, so I better get work done so I can get out of here!!

Finally....

2008-04-26T13:52:00.001-07:00

Ok, so I have FINALLY taken pictures of my ABC's of Baby's 1st mini scrapbook! The following is my personal book I did for Aubri....

Now, I am wanting to sell these books! (if anyone is interested) I charge $120.00 per book (book included) $100.00 (pages only). This breaks down to just under $4.00/page and $20.00 for the book. If you or someone you know would like a book I would be more than happy to make a personalized book. Any of the pages can easily be changed, like for example the 'Mexico' page can be a Movie, Mom, etc page, or the 'Disney' page can be a Doctor, Day, Delight, etc page. OR I can easily change out colors of pages, for example the 'Pet' page does not have to be brown, nor does it have to be dog themed. Books will be totally pesonalized! These books are 8x8 and have enough room for 1 or 2 pictures each, depending on how you place your actual pictures on the page. It takes me about 2-3 weeks to complete a book.

Anywho, enough selling....I'm going to IKEA to get Aubri a bookcase!! YAY

P.S. I redid the blog below so the two pictures are next to eachother, it's easier to see the drop...

BELLY!!...

2008-04-24T09:58:00.000-07:00

My Belly Has Dropped!

The picture above is at 34 weeks and the picture below is at 36 weeks, to really tell you gotta look at the bottom of my belly area, its crazy!! AND it's only 2 weeks between the two pics!! I can really feel this down in my pelvis today, I cant close my legs and I have to really really waddle when I walk, it's insane!

We went to the doctor yesterday, he said that everything looked good and that the baby's head is in a good position. Pray that she won't decide to change positions, we really can't afford a c-section! :) We are getting really really excited! We now will be seeing the doctor every week until she is born. Her room is coming along quite well, we bought some closet organizers at IKEA so I got a lot put away, all we need now is a bookcase and a bassenette/playpin.

I can't believe it's really soo soon, I never would have imagined that I would be married and have a baby at the age of 22, well actually 21 if you want to be techincal...anyway it all is quite surreal sometimes.

Well I gotta get back to work!

Camping...

2008-04-21T10:17:00.000-07:00

Can I just say, I LOVE TO CAMP!! It's like camping is a part of me, of who I am and I love it!!

This last weekend Chandler, Mom, and I went down to Arches. Origionally it was supposed to be Sarah and her family, and Val and her family, and anyone else who wanted to go, however things come up, we understand. (we did miss you terribly though)...It was fun just the 3 of us, I wasn't quite sure how Chandler would like it, he seemed quite hesitant when I told him that it would only be the 3 of us. But all in all we had a really good time! We played pounce with mom about a dozen times, (that is her ultimate favorite card game, eventhough she NEVER wins)! We went shopping in Moab, I found the CUTEST tea pot for Aurbi's room, it has a ladybug on it and matching cups with saucers, I love it!! We didn't go hiking because I'm so large I can hardly walk let alone hike, we were lazy, and we read books...speaking of, Chandler and I were watching Dateline a while ago and it was on this professer who has pancreatic cancer and was given only 6 months to live, so he gave this lecture in his class on life, and how to live it day by day with optimisim. Anywho, we were shopping on Friday for camping stuff and Chandler found this guy's book! It's called the last lecture. Chandler has not been able to put it down, I have never seen him so into a book! He loves all the insights and thoughts this man has to offer. So I suggest you read it.....
Back to camping, all in all it was a nice relaxed weekend, just what we all needed!

Last night when we got home I took a shower, I WAS STINKY!! Adam, this is the only time I'll admit to it...but it's true, we all were gross. The entire weekend it was soo windy in Moab, so needless to say we had sand everywhere!! In my hair, in my eyes, my finger and toe nails, my ears!! It was bad. Anywho, after finally getting clean, I was putting lotion on my feet, well I was in for a shock! Not only were my toenails extremely long, my feet were about 4 sizes bigger! At first this didn't phase me much, but the more I thought about it the more distressed I became. I finished putting the lotion on my feet, then I laid back on my bed and all the sudden the tears came ROLLING down my face! Poor Chandler thought I was in pain, and I was sobbing so hard that I could barely tell him why I was acutally crying! All I spat out was, "My Feet Are Giant!!" and kept sobbing. I could tell he wanted to laugh, but seeing how distraught I was he made the right choice and told me everything was all right, he propped up my feet and made me lie down, then he rubbed my feet to help the swelling, I was very impressed and then he read me my relaxation story from our lamaz class. What a wonderful husband I have! I know he is going to tease me about this later, but I really appreciate how nice he was.

Which brings me to Lamaz! I love our lamaz class!! It is so helpful and informative! I am excited to have my baby au natural. At first I was scared and nervous, but now I feel empowered and am actually looking forward to it. I am excited that I'll be able to walk around while in labor to help ease the pain and not be bed ridden during and shortly thereafter, I'm excited knowing that I really can do it, and that my husband will be there to help me through it all. Mostly I'm excited to have our baby here!! Chandler wants to play with her, I want to dress her up!

Well I better get back to work!!

Baby Shower....

2008-04-08T17:17:00.001-07:00

I would just like to take a minute to say thank you to all of you who were able to attend my baby shower! We received so much stuff for our baby and I appreciate everything everyone got us! We needed every bit of what we got and cant say thank you enough.

I had so much fun at my baby shower, so many people came who I didn't think were going to make it! Aunt Val's house looked as marvelous as ever and I think every one had a good time. The only things we have left to get for the baby are, a playpen/bassinet, a breast pump, and a couple binkies....I think that is it, I really don't have any clue what we need till she actually gets here. :)

Now I just need to get set up in my house so I can start working there properly. I am getting to the point where I want this baby out of my body. I have a tiny torso, and for some reason Aubri has been sitting very high. I cant sit down with out having something crowding my rib cage. My nights have been sleepless this past week, its like as soon as I fall asleep I have to some how get my giant body out of my comfy bed (which is impossible) to pee AGAIN! "Its a vicious cycle". I have swollen feet at the end of each day and now I have a hard time getting my wedding ring on my finger and eventually have to take it off during the day because I no longer have circulation in my finger. I seem to be cranky more and more, and no one understands that I honestly cannot help it! I don't like to be cranky and I would choose not to be if I had the choice! Oh and then the funny thing is, at my last appointment my doctor told me that it would be a good idea to try and not gain more than 10lbs between now and when the baby is born, he said that I was at normal weight gain for pregnancy with a good 26lbs gained. well, what he does not know is that I have not gained only 26lbs, I, Natalie Cook, have gained a whooping 46lbs. I did not see my doctor until I was already 12 weeks pregnant. From the time I was not prego until I was 12 weeks I had already gained 20lbs. How sad.....I feel giant. Oh and need I say STRETCH MARKS SUCK!

As for the good things about being pregnant....People are nice to me, I get to eat ice cream all the time, I have a connection with my baby that poor Chandler will not be able to develop with her until she is here, and I get to sleep in and go to work at 11am instead of 9am. Well, enough about pregnancy...here is a picture for your enjoyment. (If you do not enjoy this picture, well then do not look at it!)

So, I also wanted to talk about how wonderful conference was this year! There was a ton on family! I have been so worried lately that I will not be so great at raising my child and I don't remember her name but a lady gave a talk on Saturday and she said "as long as you raise your children with values consistent with the gospel everything will turn out fine" that touched me because I have been soooo worried, and that eased my mind. I also liked the 2nd to last talk in the last session. That speaker talked to husbands to respect their wives, to love them, to help them out, to set time apart for he and his wife alone once in a while, and to interact with his children when he comes home from work. He spoke to wives to support their husbands, to nurture children, and to be an example in the home. And then he spoke to children to respect their parents, to clean up toys, and to say thank you for things their mothers and fathers do for them.

The talk that was hard to hear was the talk on abuse, those who were abused, those who are currently abused, and those who are the abuser. The thing I really appreciated from that particular talk was one simple and small phrase the speaker said. He said it is important to forgive, however if you cannot forgive your offender just yet, put that step aside for now, it's okay, come back to it later." How freeing that was. I still have no clue how to forgive my attacker. I don't want to forgive that man, and even after 2 1/2 years I don't know how to forgive. Maybe one day I'll be able to, just not now and its nice to know that is ok.

Anywho, I love you all!! I'm going home :)

It'S aBout TiMe!!...

2008-03-21T13:51:00.000-07:00

I have been pregnant for almost 7 months now and my dear hubby, Chandler just felt our baby move in my belly two nights ago!! Chandler has been wanting so badly to feel this baby move, with no luck till now! It was cool, he was sooo excited. At first he thought he was just feeling his own heartbeat in his fingertips, and I was like, "no, that is your baby!!" then she kicked really hard at his arm. He was funny, his eyes just lit up, and he had this big grin. It was cute.

I however, am getting quite large. We were lying in bed the other night watching a movie and I was on my back, I could barely see over my belly and all the sudden it was "jumping"! I dont' know how else to explain it, it's like I can see now when she moves, it is the weirdest thing ever!! I like it though, I still can't believe I am going to have a baby in only a couple months!! Time has gone by sooo fast. I now am seeing my doctor every other week instead of every 4 weeks, and will start a lamaz class on April 3rd that goes until May 8th. Our baby room is almost complete, Chandler bought a cute little pink bookcase to go in her room (yes, he bought something pink) and I am painting some lady bugs and dragonflies to glue on it. I have also started to make scrapbook pages so they will be done before I have her. I'm getting excited!!

Well I better get back to work!

It's About Time...

2008-03-13T14:26:00.000-07:00

I finally have a moment where I can sit down and blog!! Yay!!

I am 30 weeks along!!! I can't believe it...the count down is on! I went to the doctor the other day and he measured my belly, at my last visit I was a 24, now I'm a 33!! I feel like my belly grew overnight! I thought I was going to be lucky, yet again, and not have baby extremities pushing on my ribs...well Aubri has learned a new trick. For the last 3 days she has decided that my ribs are fun to play with, or maybe they are in her way, who knows...all I do know is that it HURTS!! My torso is so short the poor kid probably has no room to grow! My front is so heavy now that I rarely have any other option when sitting down than to slouch, which only worsens the situation for not only me but probably Aubri as well.

I must say that I do enjoy being able to feel her move A LOT, and now I can tell the difference between her moving her arms/legs and turning over or other things like that...Poor Chandler, he has yet to feel her move! 30 weeks and still nothing!!

I have found a new leasing agent, a resident here at my apartments. His name is Donald and I think he is going to be great! I can't wait till he is done training and I don't have to sit in this office all day!! Life will be wonderful :) We have decided that once I have the baby I will be working out of my apartment (since I now have a full time leasing agent) and there I can still manage my apartments over the internet only having to come down to the office occasionally to pick up payments, messages, etc. I'm excited to see how that goes.

I also have started decorating Aubri's room!! Chandler bought me the ladybug bedding and it is soooo cute!! I have hung several shelves and am getting excited to do more. Dad and Peggy are going to buy me the mattress for the crib so I can have it all ready!! I believe Mom and Aunt Val have decieded to throw my baby shower on Friday, April 4th. I don't know what time yet, and you all should be getting an invite soon!

Well I better get back to work!!!

I'd Like To Take A Moment...

2008-02-25T13:20:00.000-08:00

...TO FREAK OUT!

I did not realize that tomorrow I will be 28 weeks!! Time is flying by and there is nothing I can do to stop it, no matter how hard I try...lame...

I have, however, somehow managed to, after 13 days, steal a moment to FINALLY post a blog. It's been killing me, and apparently Trish too :)

I have decided to decorate Aubri's room with ladybugs!! I found the cutest bedding and am going to match everything else accordingly.

This is a pic of the bedding I want to get!! I LOVE IT.

Anywho, well I better get back to renting apartments!

Game-ing....

2008-02-12T15:40:00.000-08:00

As you all know, or might know, my husband loves games...not necessarily board games, although he is a fan of clue, but rather xbox, playstation, etc. We have 6 game-ing systems in our house which include; Xbox 360, playstation 2, our computer, game cube,playstation portable (PSP), and game boy advanced. Holy cow.

Although I think that many systems in one household is insane, it has been fun the past couple weeks. My uncle David has been coming over after work to play games with Chandler, and Adam came over the other night as well. I like having people over to play, it doesn't bug me as much when there are multiple players. It is so funny to watch the guys play, they can get so animated!

I am usually pretty laid back when it comes to Chandler and his games. It is his stress reliever, his get away. I try to be understanding with that cause I know how it feels to not have a stress releiver = not good. I am pretty proud of myself, I have only gotten mad once cause he kept playing eventhough dinner was done, I ate alone that night, he seemed to have temporarily lost the ability to press pause!! (luckily he regained that ability fast) Also, I have only banned ONE game from my home = World of Warcraft (internet version). Wives and mothers beware!! World of Warcraft will suck your husband and/or child into it and you will never hear from them again! Conversations will cease to exist OR they will revolve around what happened on WWC today, what his plans are for tonight while playing WWC, who he will team up with tonight on WWC, etc. It takes over their lives and nothing is more important than completing quest after quest. woof.

Well, I think I'm done for today...just thought I'd give my two cents on game-ing...I like it (for the most part)

P.S.
I go to the doctor tomorrow!! I'm excited, not for anything in particular, I just like going. :)

Today I Cried....On Accident...

2008-02-07T15:18:00.000-08:00

Today was one of the worst days at work thus far!!

It all started the moment I walked into the office at 8:55am and has been constant all day. Luckily I had an hour lunch.

First thing this morning my Uncle David accidently got into it with one of my very rude, very snuddy residents, so then she called me and was giving me this giant complaint on him, (totally bogus), then I had this other resident who gave me the longest explaination/complaint letter as to why she would not be signing a new lease. A few brief moments after that I had a former resident, who we evicted and therefore have subsequently sent to collections call and yell for the attorney's phone number. I had to explain that her account was sent to collections and that they were the ones who were taking her to court, so she had to call them. Oh boy was she mad. However that one made me smile, cause she is soooooo dumb! On top of all this I have also been dealing with people paying rent late, and asking when they are going to pay, people are not that nice when it comes to their rent. Anywho after all that about an hour later I had a new resident come storming in (keep in mind that this lady usually is very very nice) yelling to know who has been in her apartment, who has acess to her apartment and/or apartment key. I told her that no body had been in her apartment that no body had been issued keys, and that the only way to get a key to an apartment is through me and when I'm not in the office it is through my leasing agent. She didn't seem satisfied, apparently 2 credit cards had been stolen out of her apartment and she thinks it was one of our staff or it's some how our fault. I even showed her my key check-out form where her apartment was not listed at all.

Well not 30 minutes after that Andy, my dad's partner, called and could tell that I was not having a good day, so he kept asking me what was wrong...well when someone tells you nothing is wrong, for me at least, I say "nothing" cause if I continue to say what is really wrong I have no other choice than to cry. well I cried. I had to give the phone to my uncle and I sat in the bathroom crying for about 10 minutes!! It was an accident....I dont' like to cry...at all.

Usually I am ok with my residents, especially when they are not happy with me, it's just been lately that I have no control of my emotions!! It's hard to deal with, especially when I am usually so calm and relaxed, I just have to cry lately. LAME.

Since my lunch break, my day has gotten a little better, but I'm just aching to go home. Now there is someone here filling out an application and taking their time, might I add....woof.

Scrapbooking & Cancun...

2008-02-05T14:40:00.000-08:00

I have been scrapbooking my brains out!!! Oh my goodness. I think that if I don't do it now then it won't get done for years! I am making the ABC's of Baby's 1st for me, 2 for Trish, and 1 for my friend that is due in July. I am having so much fun, and I jsut giggle at the pages when they are done. I have spent $ I didn't know I had, and some how am still within our budget! yay. I have been going to aunt Val's house a lot lately, my poor husband is neglected.

I actually am going to Val's this Saturday, the 9th, and all of you are invited!! So, if you wanna come let me know!! It will be fun to have lots of people there, and you don't necessarilly have to scrapbook, you can do whatever you want!

Anyways, so Chandler and I went down to Orem the other night to have dinner with his family, it was fun and I had a good time, then we started talking about how we are planning on going to Cancun again this year, I'm so ezcited, and I mentioned how we were going to take Aubri with us eventhough she will only be like 6 months by then, and Chandler's parents did not like that idea!! They are worried that she won't have a sufficient imune system by then and want me to leave her here. I hadn't even thought about that yet...so what do you all think?? Trish, are you still planning on taking Keija?? No I'm having doubts. lame, I thought it would be fun to have her there with us, and Chandler didn't want to take her in the first place, now I don't know if we Should take her, and then it's like well what about if I'm still nursing by then, and will I be able to even stand to leave her that long, a week can be a long time....

Oh well, back to work, and then more scrapbooking tonight. :)

24 Weeks...

2008-01-29T13:20:00.000-08:00

As of today, January 29, 2008 I am officially 24 weeks along in my pregnancy, assuming all the dates are correct. I'm pretty excited about this, however I am also nervous. I am going for a natural child birth and have yet to take any classes, or made any plans on giving birth naturally. The only baby things we have are a crib, 1 package of #1 diapers, between 10-15 outfits, baby books, 1 can of formula, and the crib aquarium mom got us for Christmas. I am all of the sudden feeling pressed for time. it's weird, I feel like the baby is going to be here in no time and I don't have the slightest idea what I'm going to do about work, babysitters, etc. I think I'm actually having anxiety just thinking about it all right now!

Woof.

Anyway, I am also making these baby scrap books (ABC's of Babies 1st) for Trish and I, and can I just say, I LOVE them!!! I made one for Kari, that I also love, however, with my new criket this whole thing has been sooo much easier and cheaper!! Since I'm doing 3 books all at once I've only gotten to letter E, and am now working of F. Trish- I hope you like the Disney one, I did KK & Keija's with all the princesses!! I thought KK would like that. :) As for Aubri's keepsake box, I have not added anything to it since the last pictures, lame I know.

Well, fatigue is setting in and I am bored out of my mind, guess I'll do some work....blah

Sadness...

2008-01-28T11:49:00.000-08:00

Today is a sad day. President Gordon B. Hinkley has passed away. I went out to dinner with some friends from Provo, and when I got back the first thing Chandler said to me was, "President Hinkley died." He had tears in his eyes, and all I could think was, what?? those words are not making any kind of sense! I don't think it has quite hit me that he is acutally gone. He is the only Prophet I can actually remember, and even when I wasn't going to church I would listen to his talks when he would speak in conference. He was such a kind man and I know he is back with his wife in heaven...happy. I'm just selfish and wish he could have been here with us longer. :)
I think what makes me sad is that I think of Grandma and Grandpa and how sad I will be when they go see Heavenly Father, I don't know what I'll do. I want them to be here when Aubri gets baptized and when she goes through the temple....
Ok I'm making myself way sad, so, I'll go for now....
I love you President Hinkley, and wish you peace through the eternities. Thank you for all your words that helped guide me through my life, you are an amazing man.

~Natalie~

Keepsake Box...

2008-01-23T14:40:00.000-08:00

So, I finally got my lame computer to read my memory card so here are some pics of my work-in-progress keepsake box I'm making for my baby...So, this is how the box looked before I painted it, all white...

So, First I painted the box yellow and green...

Then I added her name to the lid...

then I added cute pink ribbon to the edge of the lid and decided that there were too many colors, so I repainted the bottom from green to purple...

This is how the box looks right now. I like it a lot...I am trying to decide if I should pain the inside of the box or if I should just start gluing stuff down. also I am trying to decide what else to put on the outside... I want to one of the ultra sound pictures inside the lid, but I like to look at them still so I'll wait :) I think I am going to put some cute sayings about little girls around the outside...so if you know any please let me know!!! I am going to put pics of what I crave and other things I really like while I'm prego in there so I won't forget...and so Aubri can know when she is older (if she cares) haha I want to write her a letter for like when she goes to school for the 1st time, or some other big event in her life, I think that would be fun!

When I was in Young Womens we made these "temple cans" and in them we put a pic of our fav temple, some other small sentimental things, a letter to ourselves, and a letter from our mothers for when we get married in the temple. We then sealed the cans. I had forgotten all about my can until I was talking to my mom about going through the temple the other day and she reminded me about it...needless to say, now I'm dying to read my letters!! I can only imagine what I said to myself :) I think this was fun, and want to do it for my kids.

Well I feel like I'm blabbering so I'll go home... :)

Baby Creations!...

2008-01-18T13:50:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I went to Michael's (the craft store) last night and bought a TON of cute paper for the ABC's of my firsts' for my baby, and for Trish...by the way, do you want one for Keija now?? So I really need to get scrapbooking!!! I'm glad I know for sure it's a girl, cause now I can start it before the baby comes. Anywho, while I was shopping I found this box that you can decorate, and so I bought it for Aubri (my baby) and am going to make it a freakin' cute keepsake box!! I made one for myself when I was living in logan going through all that crap and I loved it, so now I'm way excited and I think it will turn out cute. I'll put up some pics of the progress of the box and if you like it I can help you make one or I can make one for a present....or if you have ideas on how to approve my box, I'd love to hear them!

Ok, so I keep thinking about the cute pictures I want to take of Jayci, Aubri, and Keija...let me know what you think. 1) All babies in the grass or on a blanket, diaper only, with a bunch of jewlery, black and white. My mom has some of me like this and it's cute, I think it would be way cute with all the girls. 2) I cant remember the others right now...I've been doing that lately, forgetting a lot...anyway, I'll write about them tomorrow...

Oh, so I though this was funny...Chandler, my wonderful Husband, is afraid that the house is going to become a pink-fest when Aubri arrives. So, to prevent the "pink problem", he is going to ask everyone to not buy pink outfits any more. hahahahahaha how naive he is. We like the light greens and yellows, (her room will be these colors) however I am not opposed to pink. He is too funny, he says, well they can just buy purple, green, orange, etc. I still laughed and said "good luck buddy". So, when Chandler asks YOU not to buy pink, just smile and maybe giggle to yourself, thinking "good luck buddy" and if you decide to buy something pink, it's ok, we will LOVE everything we receive, pink or not. My husband is great...apparently he needs a boy next. :)

P.S.
I love to blog now, Trish, Kari, you guys got me hooked!! Thanks :)

Temple Question...

2008-01-17T11:27:00.000-08:00

So, I forgot to write about this in my other post, however I have a question...

As you may or may not know, Chandler and I are working on going to the temple to become an eternal family! This wont happen until after we have our baby, however I have been giving it a lot of thought lately and I was wondering if I wore my wedding dress, would that be weird?? I have this vision of Chandler in a white tux, me in my dress (with some changes to the shoulder area) and our baby girl in her blessing dress (if it still fits at the time)...I don't know if this is weird, but I think I would really like it. I want it to be a big day for all of us, especially after how hard Chandler and I have been working at it. PLUS, I don't want my mom to have paid $700.00+ for a dress I only wear ONCE! haha I just think it would be cute...

Please let me know you oppinion......

Stuff...

2008-01-17T10:22:00.001-08:00

So, ok I FINALLY got my blog looking better, and I figured out how to add links to my peeps...

Can I just say how bored I am right now?? I want to be home decorating my baby's room and the rest of my house. I really want to move back to the Orem area. Probably won't happen anytime soon, but I'll still wish, all I know is that my kid won't be going to school in SLC.

Oh, mom came up to my house last night! It was way fun, we just talked and I made dinner. I think we all need to spend more time with her, she is lonely. I would have invited you all, (Kari & Trish) but I only have 2 chairs for my table and seating in my house is minimal at the moment. We need to have a game night at Adam & Kari's again, that was fun!

Ok, I gotta work. Love you all!!

Baby Girl!!

2008-01-16T11:51:00.000-08:00

So, I just got back from the doctor's office and had a blast!! Except I had to pee sooooo bad, and then, the lady pushing on my bladder did not help at all! However, the ultrasound looked great!! We saw all the parts of my baby, including but not limited to; skull, heart (all 4 chambers), stomache, bladder, kidneys, lungs, arms & legs, hands & feet, face, etc. I'm happy to say that there are no prevlaint deformities, like cleft palet (i think that is how it's spelt...). It's soo exciting to see all that stuff!! Oh and yes, it IS a girl!! I'm 22 weeks now, due date is May 21, 2008. We will go back to the doctor February 13th for another check up. We have paid our doctor over half the charge so far, and I'm excited about that too cause then everything else we save after that will be able to go towards the hospital.

For those of you who don't know, I do not have insurance and so the doctor Adam and Kari used has this amazing plan for non-insured people where the total doctor bill (not including lab fees) is only $2400.00. If you pay that off before you deliver your baby then they take off the $400.00!! So, we have paid $1100.00 so far and it's only January!! Then the new hospital, Intermountain Medical Center, also has a savings plan for non-insured people called the Storksaver Plan, where the hospital bill for a 24 hour stay (after delivery) is only $2500.00. However this does not include an epidural, labs, etc. That being said, I will be delivering my baby au' natural!! I'm acutally pretty excited about having a natural child birth, I hear such great things about it from women who have had it both ways. So, I'll be alright.

I'm actually Really excited that there are going to be so many girls the same age, I didn't have any girls my age, so I think my daughter will have lots of fun! AND I have lots of ideas for cute pictures for all of them! ....Is it weird that the first thing I think of when I think about all the girls is what pictures I'm gonna take?? probably...

Some other exciting news....We bought a crib last night!! It's cute and was on sale! Although, it is a lot bigger than I expected. We assembled it in the living room and now cant fit it through the door into the baby room! haha I also bought hangers for the few outfits we have and hung them in the closet. Now I just need shelves and stuff. I'm really excited now.

Pregnancy...

2008-01-14T14:00:00.000-08:00

Well Trish, here are the pics I promised you...enjoy! And don't mind my cheesy smiles....

Ok, sorry it's been a while, I'm still getting used to this whole blog thing...I still can't figure out how to add someone's blog to my page....

Anywho, well I had my 1st real discomfort of pregnancy the other day. I was dying!! I want to say that I was having cramps, however "cramp" just isn't the right word for what I was feeling. After more than half the day of lying down crying I finally gave up and went to the doctor, just to find out that I have a bladder infection. ~I'm not sure if this topic is good to talk about but O well~ Anyways, I'm feeling better now after downing cranberry juice and good ol' H2O, and taking some antibiotics. My belly is getting bigger and bigger as the days go by (see the pics below), I also am able to feel my baby a lot more than I have in the past, I'm excited for when Chandler can feel her on the outside! I must say, this is a WEIRD feeling!! And there is really no other way to describe it other than a baby moving inside of you! haha and 1/2 the population is (physically) unable to understand what you are going through!! woof.

Speaking of baby stuff, I get to go back to the doctor Wednesday the 16th. At this appointment we get to do the big Ultra Sound, where we confirm it's a girl, do all the measurements, etc. I'm excited!! Chandler keeps saying, "I'm gonna laugh when they tell us it is a boy..." I dont' think that will happen, however that would be funny.

My First Blog

2008-01-03T16:06:00.000-08:00

Well, I've done it...I have finally created a blog, after numerous comments from my 2 beautiful sisters-in-law urging me to do it...here you go.

I really have no idea what to write in this thing, so I'll just blabber till I come up with something good (hopefully).

As you all know, I am quite pregnant, apparently to someone I look as though I should be having twins...sad. However, today I THINK I have been feeling my baby move around, it's exciting and frustrating at the same time because I smile and get happy, then I think what if I am smiling like a fool at absolutely nothing!? weird! My next doctor's appointment is coming up, January 16, 2008! At this appointment we get to do the big ultrasound, look at the baby, do all the measurements, and confirm that it really is a girl! I'm excited, but I'm worried I'll forget to have my bladder full when I go. It seems as though that is a big deal, they threatened me that if it's not full when I go in, then they will have to reschedule...RUDE! oh well.

I cannot believe it's 2008 already!! Time really does fly by these days, working at the apartments does not help either, days run into nights, and I never know where my weekends go without me. However, overall I have enjoyed working here. New experiences, new people, more stuff to put on my resume. Plus free rent and utilities!! Ba-Bam!! I scored on that one.

well, I'm super tired, and since I have no Internet at my apartment yet (resident's apparently are stiff on their wireless here...lame) I am at work after hours and I'm going to go home.

Kari....Trish....I hope this satisfies your hunger for me to have a blog. Let me know what else I should do on here to improve. Love you both tonzzz!!!