Thank Goodness for Grandmas!!

When Bridger turned 2, we were excited to be able to keep track of his age by years (or even years and a half). However, we have now reverted back counting the weeks and months for Kacy and after just one week can already see a difference in how much she has grown. 
We got Kacy and Bridger to hold still just long enough to snap some photos of them together and by themselves. Below, Bridger apparently felt this was the best way to remove his sock. 

It has been interesting to see how Bridger responds to Kacy. In the hospital, it was totally not interested in looking at her at all. Since coming home, he will give her a good morning kiss (after we suggest how nice that would be) then go on with the rest of his day not too interested in what she is doing. I am grateful that he has not exhibited any hostile behavior toward her, but do find his indifference interesting.  Every once and a while he will be holding a favorite toy (a bear, ball or car) and look right at Kacy and firmly state: "My Bear!" So, this may just be the start of something interesting...

Here Kacy, let me give you a rose and a kiss. Then will you please stop crying?

Here's a little moment where they both happened to have the same facial expression. 

Kacy is showing off her long dark hair with the combed out straight up look. 
Bridger, where is your happy face?
This is the point where Bridger started repeating "All done now. All done now..." 

This week we are so grateful for GRANDMAS!! We have been lucky enough to have both my mom (from AZ) and Jim's mom (from OH) in town. They have been a huge help in entertaining Bridger, making meals, helping clean, entertaining Bridger, snuggling with Kacy, giving support & feedback, and entertaining Bridger. I love Bridger and his energy so much, but, well, he is two and I just do not have the energy right now to give him the stimulation and attention he would need. 

You can tell Bridger loves his Grandmas, too. Who wouldn't love waking up to a tickle-fest and lots of laughs? 

Despite having 4 adults in the house (2 parents, 2 grandmas), it seems that Bridger still feels the need to fend for himself at times.  One evening, we were taking a little too long to put the pasta on the table for dinner, so Bridger poured himself a nice big helping of Parmesan Cheese and started shoveling spoonfuls in his mouth. Yum?! He actually really seemed to like it and was proud to have made it himself. I can not begin to fully understand the taste buds of a two year old, but hey - if he likes it, and it is not play dough - I can't complain. 

One final note; Thank you everyone for your sweet notes, messages, prayers and well wishes. We feel so blessed with the outpouring of love and support we have recieved. Our cups are full with joy at the moment. Thank you again! We love and appreciate our family and friends so much. 

Kacy Ann Schaffer

Introducing, in her world premier appearance, Kacy Ann Schaffer!

Weighing in at 8 lbs, and measuring 20 1/2 inches long, she's winning the hearts of everyone that meets her.

After much thought we decided on the name Kacy Ann. The name Kacy was originally suggested by my mom and comes from combining the names of Kacy's grandmothers - KAren & nanCY.

Melanie was born the day after her parents' anniversary and her middle name is Ann.  Kacy was born the day after our anniversary, and her middle name is Ann - just like her Mommy!

Melanie & Kacy, right after she was born.  Way to go Melanie!

As a father and a male, I have a newfound appreciation for what women go through in the birthing process.  Since Bridger was a C-Section I didn't fully appreciate the intensity of effort that goes into delivering a baby until now.  And how some women do it without the epidural, I will never know.

Bridger, meet Kacy, your baby sister.  

Kacy, this is Bridger, your big brother.

I asked Bridger this morning if he wanted to go see his baby sister, Kacy.  He said "No".

We'll see how this goes.

And here we are!

Happy Anniversary

Today we celebrate our 5th Wedding Anniversary!

We met May 2003  when the sun and the moon aligned to bring us together. There was an activity to go have a bonfire at Utah lake to watch a lunar eclipse. I was drawn to Jim's enthusiasm and excitement over lighting wood palates on fire, and Jim was flattered that my roommate & I jumped in his car to hitch a ride (then wrote flirty things & BYU pick up lines on the insides of his windows with dry erase markers we found in the back seat). Love was budding in the air; I was going to the lake to try "to get to know" another guy there, and Jim was trying to figure out if the date he had had the night before was going to go anywhere. Little did we know two strangers would capture each other's attention and end up instantly hitting things off, like the stories you read about in fairy tales. 
After a summer of fun courtship, and each of us meeting each other's families, I was really starting to struggle with two roads that were about to diverge. I had always wanted to and planned on serving a mission for our church. I met Jim the year before I was eligible to go. I was feeling that if I continued our relationship, I would miss out on the experience I had been waiting to have. However, if I continued my plan on going on a mission, I knew I would lose this amazing friend I had grown so close to. I received some very clear and needed direction at the Relief Society Conference October 2003 from our Prophet & President of the Church, Gordon B. Hinckley. He was addressing all the women in our church, but specifically gave this counsel to young single women in my situation at the time:

"You are hoping to catch that perfect man. I have yet to see one who is perfect. Aim high, but do not aim so high that you totally miss the target. What really matters is that he will love you, that he will respect you, that he will honor you, that he will be absolutely true to you, that he will give you freedom of expression and let you fly in the development of your own talents. He is not going to be perfect, but if he is kind and thoughtful, if he knows how to work and earn a living, if he is honest and full of faith, the chances are that you will not go wrong, that you will be immensely happy."

This message really struck a cord with me, and I knew I had found the perfect man for me. I told Jim what I was feeling the next day and within a week, he proposed. 

In our 5 years together as husband and wife, here are a few of the highlights we have experienced: lived in 3 states (3 apartments, 2 houses), graduated with our bachelors degrees (finance & exercise science), bought 2 cars, had a boy, expecting a girl any day, held 8 jobs, camped 100 times (give or take), loved & lost family members, replaced 2 wedding rings,

 traveled to 3 countries, hiked many mountains, skied, ran, biked, laughed, and loved...

Happy Anniversary Jim! This is just the beginning...

I don't get many things right the first time

In fact, I am told that a lot

Now I know all the wrong turns, the stumbles and falls

Brought me here

 And where was I before the day

That I first saw your lovely face?

Now I see it everyday

And I know

 That I am

I am

I am

The luckiest

 What if I'd been born fifty years before you

In a house on a street where you lived?

Maybe I'd be outside as you passed on your bike

Would I know?

 And in a white sea of eyes

I see one pair that I recognize

And I know

 That I am

I am

I am

The luckiest

 I love you more than I have ever found a way to say to you

Next door there's an old man who lived to his nineties

And one day passed away in his sleep

And his wife; she stayed for a couple of days

And passed away

 I'm sorry, I know that's a strange way to tell you that I know we belong

That I know

 That I am

I am

I am

The luckiest

Update on the Eternal Pregnancy

Thank you everyone who has been giving me encouragement, laughs and support this past week - it has all helped my mental state a lot. 

I had a doctor appointment this morning and I am still pregnant and baby is still doing well (I am happier about that latter than the former). 

We did schedule a C-Section for January 21st, so now there is an end in sight just in case I do not go into labor in the next 9 days. Until then, my mom is in town and Jim and I will find a reason to have a "date night" every day until our little girl decides to join us - hooray!

At this point, I do believe that whatever is supposed to happen will happen. We will keep you updated on any news or developments that may arise in the next week and a half. 

One more week...Maybe...Hopefully...Please?!

So here I am... 39 weeks along and one week to go, right? Ha! I am trying to stay positive, but can't help but be reminded that the last few weeks seems to take longer than the first few months with all the puky sickness (and believe me that lasted a LONG time this go around). 

So, please forgive me for any sarcasm or cynicism in this post because I know people have been nice and wondering how things are going and I really appreciate your caring inquiries, but it is hard to tell people that you are not progressing in the last stage of your pregnancy and feel happy to talk about it. If you ask a pregnant woman how things are going the last weeks of pregnancy, no matter what she says, she probably just wants to cry.However, here is our update... The last few weeks of doctor appointments have only affirmed that I am definitely still pregnant. I had an emergency C-Section with Bridger and am trying to send positive affirmations to the universe that I can do a successful VBAC this time. The parameters here are that they will not do anything to help me go into labor, and will only let me go 7 days or so after my due date before scheduling an elective C-Section. 

So, I am trying to stay positive, knowing that my due date is still a week away, but with each passing day I feel a little more anxious to have my body back and try to keep myself from calling the Dr. and scheduling the surgery for, say, this afternoon. A lot could still happen, but for now this little girl's position is still very high and my cervix is still very closed. On a positive note, I have been having those fake, painless, Braxton-Hicks contractions that do not really have anything to do with labor, BUT I never had them with Bridger, so maybe, somehow, this could be a good sign, right?

Anyway, any positive encouragement, good jokes, or even guesses on this baby's height and weight that you want to send my way to help keep my mind of still being pregnant will be much appreciated. 

Okay, one more thing I do have to bring up is my beef with some of the terminology that the experts start using in this late stage of pregnancy, and how it is NOT conducive to creating hope and happiness when it comes to labor. Unfavorable cervix, false labor, and anything that references "not progressing" are just a few of the repeat offenders. Can't there be another way to describe some of these things?

P.S. Thank you Jim for playing with the color in this picture and making me feel even more like an alien... That helps a ton...

Happy New Year!!

Well I think I am finally, mostly caught up from the past week. Welcome to 2009! We wish everyone a wonderful, happy year. I know we are looking forward to it!
Here is a sneak peek of what 2009 will (hopefully) bring:

• A baby girl to join our family
• Both grandmas visiting this month
• Jim training to qualify for Boston
• Mel training for a sprint triathlon
• Potty Training a toddler (any tips?)
• Mel's younger brother going on a Mission
• Family reunion at Zion National Park
• More adventures
• More laughter
• More love

Two is Terrific!

This is where our journey as parents began...

It's official: My baby is 2. We have a 2 year old. We love this kid! Bridger brings joy to our life again and again. He is full of life, full of energy and full of love. Each week that passes he learns something new. He is always ready to try things for himself and do whatever we are doing.

Below: Bridger is showing off his 2 dollar bill from Great-Grandma Ila.

For Bridger's 2nd birthday we got him a hair cut and a twin bed. To make up for these exciting gifts we also hosted a birthday party at Chuck e Cheese and had a blast! Thank you to all our friends and family who came. It was a little crazy, but there were plenty of pizza and tokens to go around and I believe everyone had a great time.

I don't know who had a better time with the rides & games: Jim or Bridger... What do you think?

Bridger and his friends figured out the best way to play skee ball. This car actually would move up and down and side to side. Bridger was loving it! Emmett was game, but a little unsure...

Happy Birthday Bridger. We love you so much!

P.S. Thank you baby sister for not making your appearance on December 30th and giving Bridger his own birthday. However, feel free to come anytime now... Love, Mom.

Christmas 2008

This year marked the first year since Jim & I met that we were not with one (or both sets) of our parents for Christmas. We missed our families dearly, but had a great time celebrating together and keeping traditions alive from both sides.
We joined my cousin's family for Christmas Eve and had a delicious dinner then read & sang about Christ's birth.

Above is our humble shepherd, beautiful angel, sweet mother Mary and baby Jesus. Below you can see Bridger really got into the celebration.

Christmas morning we woke up to "Jingle Bells Fantasy", full stockings and a roaring fire log. We followed Bridger's lead on what we opened under the tree, and enjoyed playing with our new things along the way.

Christmas morning is so exciting seeing things through the eyes of your child.

These are a few things we hope to continue throughout the years with our family...

Traditions from my family:

• Caroling and passing out goodies to friends and neighbors
• A nice, big Christmas Eve dinner
• Christmas Eve Nativity reading & program
• Waking up to "Jingle Bells Fantasy" Christmas morning (this was the cue that the stockings are done, the presents are out and the fire is lit, so you can come out of your rooms)
  

Traditions from Jim's Family:

• Taping children in their rooms so they do not escape during the night and peek, then allowing them to break through wrapping paper Christmas morning
• Christmas Enchiladas

Traditions we started this year:

• Playing in the snow
• Getting together with friends and family in the area before, during & after
• Jim baking!

Artic Blast 2008 and Neighborhood Skiing

I have a little catching up to do. So much has happened in the last week and a half. First, we need to show what fun it is to have 2 weeks of Portland shut down due to snow and ice on the road. They said this was a "30 year storm" or something like that. Offices, stores, and museums were shut down, and most of our Christmas presents have been sent out late. However, Jim still worked everyday - either from home, or as the only person that could physically make it to the office. He had many adventures pulling people from ditches, or towing them up hills. Thank goodness for 4 wheel drive & chains.

Since church was canceled 2 weeks in a row, so on Sundays we reverently would slide down the hill and walk around the Portland Temple. It was beautiful with the frosted trees and white snow.

We are fortunate to have nice neighbors that would lend us their sled for a run or two when they saw Bridger was giving them the stare down as they were sledding.
And of course, we had more Neighborhood Skiing adventures. We were able to expand the sport and now have three levels in which to participate.
Phase 1 - Green Circle aka Bunny Hill: Skiing down our Driveway.

Phase 2 - Blue Square: Skiing down street. (*Note: Jim is telling me that technically the driveway would be the Blue Square because it was steeper, however I am the one typing - so this is how it is!)

Phase 3 - Black Diamond: (I am not sure why it took us a week and a half to come up with this one) Jim being pulled by the tow rope as Mel drove the truck around the neighborhood. Like water skiing on an icy road. We got some great looks from this one.