The Year of 2009 in review...

January

Take a trip to Dan & Meg's before spring semester starts. Find out on January 28th that I am pregnant.

February

Still no pregnancy symptoms. First Mid-Wife appointment and we get to hear the heartbeat. Hockey game for Valentine's Day. Trying to figure out where to move since Grace Married Housing doesn't allow children.

March

Still no pregnancy symptoms. Another Mid-Wife appointment where we get to hear the heartbeat again. Baby bump very very small but starting to show a bit. Decide to rent the house the church has.

April

Still no pregnancy symptoms. Hear the heartbeat again at appointment and schedule our 20 week appointment and the BIG ultrasound to find out what we are having. Work on the house painting, new shower, etc so we can move in soon.

May

Randy's 30th birthday, my 21st birthday. Move into the new house. On Randy's birthday we had the BIG ultrasound and found out we are having a beautiful baby girl. Oh...and pregnancy symptoms are still a no show...so I stopped waiting for them to show up.

June

Went to Monroe to visit Dan & Meg's. had a great time with them and Tim and Trina. Being with Meghan made me even more excited to be a mom...their boys are so cute. (Still no symptoms) Belly getting bigger.

July
Paint the nursery, getting bigger. Definitely feeling a lot of kicks...especially in my ribs. Her space is slowly dissapearing.

August
New semester starts. I'm taking online classes. We get a new dog from Cori and Blake. A 3 year old Boxer named Goliath. He's such a lover and a cutie.

September
Feeling huge and ready for Aspen to make her presence. Measuring huge at 39 week appointment, talk of a growth ultrasound ensues and they think we are going to have a BIG baby. But Aspen has other plans and I go into labor on September 29 at 5:30pm. Aspen born September 30 at 5:28am. Weighs in at 7lbs 10oz.

October
Come home from hospital on the 2nd. Breastfeeding not working out. Nic & Liz's wedding. Discover that I have mastitis. Aspen isn't gaining weight. So we start formula, I stop breastfeeding...and felt soooo much better. Aspen turns 1 month old. Took Aspen to her first Hockey game the week before Halloween...and Had her newborn pictures taken by SaraBeth.

November

Spending time at home with Aspen. Enjoying being a stay at home mom. Aspen's first Thanksgiving...and Aspen turns 2 months old. At 2 month appointment she gets shots and weighs in at 9lbs 1oz.

December

At appointment she had only gained 1 oz in 2 weeks. Dsicovered thrush was causing her not to eat much. When thrush got better, she started eating more. At weight check she gained 11oz in 6 days. So she is now 9lbs 13oz. Also had Aspen's first Christmas where because of a huge blizzard we got snowed in at Randy's parents house.

Bing had no idea what he was singing about...

"Snow I want to wash my hands, my face and hair with snow! Snow, I long to clear a path and lift a spade of snow!" -from "Snow" by Bing Crosby in White Christmas

So, I think Bing never actually lived in a state that got a lot of snow if he really felt that passionately about it. Don't get me wrong, snow can be beautiful and I love to watch it fall and to play in it with kids, and build snowmen. But I love the snow that gives you enough to have some fun and to make the world look beautiful but does not make things so difficult. We can't use our front door right now because it it completely covered halfway up the door and we just haven't had the time to shovel it out. Our driveway has proven to be a royal pain in the butt, and only part of it is done, enough to park the cars and open the doors and thats about it. Our sidewalks aren't done because who has the time for that with all the other snow removal to be done and a baby to take care of. I can officially the say the Christmas Blizzard of 2009 will not soon be forgotten but I will forever cringe whenever I hear the words "Christmas Blizzard of 2009!" See right there a huge cringe that startled Aspen even. Snow and I officially have a love hate relationship these days. Oh...and while trying to take the pictures I am posting of the snow...the hard iced top of part of our yeard broke through and cut my leg...and dang it it hurts. Another reason to hate snow.

The first picture is the back pathway cleared off and the snow next to it...the back got less snow then the front. The 2nd picture is our poor mailbox covered in snow and really hard to actually get to.

The first picture is our basement door that opens to the drivway...definitely won't be using that door anytime soon. And the 2nd picture is to show part of the driveway we didn't bother plowing because it is so much freakin snow...and yes the mounds are bigger than our dog Goliath.

And here is Goliath next to the front yard standing in out driveway...o so much snow.

So now that the vent of snow is out I will continue on about everything else. Aspen's first Christmas was a fun one. I really enjoyed the holiday, it's all so new again when you have a baby to share the experience with. We did my side of the family's Christmas on Christmas Eve. Snow had started and by time we left the roads were not favorable and we knew that we were going to have issues. We were supposed to go to Randy's parents on Christmas morning but we were worried we would get stuck, so we went home got some clothes and necessities, and our dog and off we went to his parents to spend the night just in case. We got stuck trying to get back out of the driveway but I got out and helped push the car and we were free. It's a good thing we went that night because when we woke up the next morning we were completely snowed into Randy's parents house. We enjoyed our snowed in Christmas at their place. Opened gifts, played games, had an awesome dinner and watched movies. We were at Randy's parents until Sunday because that is when a plow finally decided to go through the neghborhood. So we were there for three nights. It's a good thing we grabbed extra clothes and all.

All in all a great holiday...I definitely could have lived without the blizzard but it definitely makes her first christmas memorable.

Here are some pictures of Aspen enjoying her Holiday!