Baby Face

She's got the cutest little Baby Face!!



We went and had a 4D Ultrasound today and got to sort of see our baby girl. She was being very shy. She wasn't happy about having her photo taken. I think she gets that from her Mam-Maw! My mother thinks she takes horrible pictures. If only my mom knew how cute she really is.

We went for the Ultrasound and took my parents and Jason's parents with us. They had a nice big room for everyone to sit comfortably and they projected the ultrasound on a big screen so everyone could see. There were so many oohs and ahhs. Mainly from the women. (of course) We spent quite a bit of time trying to get her to remove her face from the placenta and let us take a good look at her but she was very comfortable.



The technician had me walk around and bounce and she poked and proded, all trying to get our little lady to remove her face from the placenta and let us take just a quick look at her. Well, she finally did, and what do you think we saw?



Here she is, with her hand over her face! She was really trying to maintain her mysterious status. She knows how excited I am and how much I really want to see her beautiful little face so she was playing games with us. Typical!

Once we finally did see her little face Jason's mom said she looks like her daddy. I wouldn't be upset with that. I just hold hope that one of these days I will have one that resembles me just a little!

The British Are Coming!

My in-laws have FINALLY arrived.

They are a blast to have around. It has been non-stop action around this house. Friday they went shopping around town for several hours, Saturday we went looking at cribs, Sunday we had a fantastic English Sunday Dinner, Monday Jason and his dad started painting Baby Girl Clarkson's room and then we had dinner at Longhorn with My brother, John and his family and my sister, Casey and her family, then today my dad came by and the boys finished painting the nursery and now we are off for some YUMMY beef stew at Mom and Dad Gullett's house.

An "English Sunday Dinner" consists of Roast (usually beef, occasionaly lamb), broccoli and cauliflower, Potatoes, both mashed and roasted and Yorkshire Pudding. Yorkshire pudding is NOT like a pudding cup. It is a pastry of sorts. Almost like a really puffy and light biscuit that you eat with gravy. Difficult to master if you are American, I promise you that. My mother in law, Joan, has been gracious enough to try and teach me the ins and outs of yorkshire pudding for I fear if I don't get it soon my husband may leave me. He literally handed me a pen and told me to "take notes". My parents came down and we all had dinner together. It was a really nice Sunday afternoon.

Everything was gobbled up so fast I didn't have time to get an "after picture". All we had was empty plates. I'm so grateful for my wonderful new family and the love and happiness they bring into my life. They really are top notch!!

Puppies, Puppies and More Puppies!

Our family added new members!!! We are proud to welcome Bonnie and Clyde into our lives. They have already brought us much joy and poop! They certainly keep us on our toes. Bonnie is 9 weeks old and although the older of the two she is the smaller. Clyde is 6 weeks old and he is a pudgy little bundle of joy. My favorite thing to do is kiss their belly and rub their ears. Beagles have the most wonderful ears. Our new babies smell so sweet and we just love having them around. As with most babies they spend a lot of their time sleeping. It's really funny to watch them. Last night Jason and I were trying to keep them up a little longer so they would sleep through the night. Jason had Clyde on his back playing with his belly and the next thing you know Clyde was fast asleep.

As Bonnie is just a tad bit older she can stay awake for just a bit longer. She has found her favorite nap spot. During the day when Jason is gone to work and I am here in the office at the house both of the babies like to come in and just hang out with me. I have a box of checks that sits next to my desk and she has figured out she is just big enough to fit in and nap comfortably

This is such a fun life!!

Pure Bliss!

Have you ever had one of those moments in time, whether it be a day, a week, a minute, where you know your prayers have been answered? Monday was a very peaceful day for me. I mentioned it already. Everything seemed to go right. Tuesday was uneventful, which for us, is a blessing unto itself. Wednesday I had to meet someone early in the morning and then go get tortured. I had an appointment to have my eyebrows waxed and I find it incredibly amusing that I actually pay someone to hurt me so terribly. Right before my appoinment my sister called and said "Can I ask you a question?" I asked her if I could call her back as I was still with the person I was meeting with. She said ok. There was no urgency in her voice, which, knowing what I know now I could have killed her, so when I was done I called her back. She asked if she could me back because something had come up. I went to my appointment and then got all the way home when my sister called me back and the conversation went a little something like this....

(Casey) Hey
(Me) Hey
(Casey) (something I could not understand because it was totally under her breath)
(Me) Hello?
(Casey) Hey
(Me) uhh, what's up?
(Casey) (again really low and I could barly make out the words) I'm pregnant

Let me stop here. For those who may not know, my sister has been trying, unsuccessfully for 4 years to have a baby. They have seen specialist and the whole nine yards. It has been agonizing to watch this couple who so desperately want a child not be able to have a child. When I found out I was pregnant I was nervous about telling my sister. I never thought she would be jealous, I knew she would be so happy for me. I just didn't want her to be happy for me but also disappointed with herself. I'm just so lucky to have her as my sister and best friend. Ok, back to the conversation

(me) what??
(Casey) I'm pregnant
(me) NO YOU AREN'T
(Casey) Yeah, I am
(Me) (in tears at this point) Casey, if you are kidding me I am going to KILL you!
(Casey) I'm not kidding, I've taken 5 tests and they've all come out positive

While I don't really remember everything else that happened after that what I do know is I felt complete and total happiness. A happiness I have never felt before. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that our Father in Heaven not just hears our prayers and knows the desires of our hearts but he listens, he ponders and he answers those prayers that are pure in desire. We were at the temple a couple of weekends ago and I bought a book about infertility in LDS couples. The book was written by a woman who has a phd and had fertility issues. Her and her husband ended up adopting two children. I bought the book and read the entire book on the way home from the temple. Jason was driving and Casey was snoozing in the backseat. The first chapter was about about distinguishing between our time table and the Lord's time table. And also to remind us that infertility is not the Lord's way of punishing anyone. Look at John the Baptist and his parents. John needed to be born at the exact moment in time he was born. Zachariah and Elizabeth longed for a child. They spent many years longing for a child. The Lord heard their prayers but had an agenda all his own for their son. Finally, they conceived. We are on the Lord's time scale, not our own. That story alone gave me peace. How many times have we heard the story of John and his aging parents? Have we ever really considered the story from a "conception/infertility" point of view? I know I never had. After reading the book I gave it to Casey and hoped it would give her some kind of peace. Casey and Mark are going to be amazing parents. I have watched Casey for the last 29 years and have seen her blossom into the woman and wife she has become. I've only known Mark for a little while but I love him like he's been ours forever. There is no couple in this world more deserving of a baby then them. The Lord has certainly taught them patience and they will need it. I am so excited to be sharing this journey of pregnancy with my sister. I was beginning to feel like our little lady was all I could talk about and when your sister is dealing with the issues Casey has been dealing with you don't want to talk about or complain about the little blessing you have growing inside you and the havoc it is bringing on your body. I cried all day yesterday. And for the first time since I became pregnant, it wasn't hormone related. I am beyond thrilled for Casey and the little neice or nephew she will be giving me. That is one lucky little baby!!!

I guess you could say I know exactly what the Pittsburgh Steelers are going through. The first (neice/nephew) one is wonderful but the sixth one brings pure bliss!

Yesterday was one of those days a wife and mother can only dream about. Christian got up on his own, got ready for school and was out the door and barely needed me for anything. Jason was out of the house by 9 and I was in the office by 9. After working a full day Christian came home and emptied the dishwasher and I was able to have all the dishes done, some by hand, and dinner ready before Jason came home. It was bliss. This is all new to me because I've always been a worker. Even before Christian came into my life 12 years ago I always worked. I spent the first 5 months of Christian's life home with him, mainly because I was so nervous to leave him after his struggle coming into this world but after those 5 months I was ready to get back to the grind. I had too much help getting back to work as my mother insisted on keeping him for me during the days. If there is anyone in this world I trust to look after my children it would certainly be the woman who raised me. He was in better hands than if I stayed home with him! At the end of October of this year we decided to move the office to my home. We are saving tons of money and with the real estate market being so fickle it just made sense. Now I get the best of both worlds and it is really agreeing with me. I get to work. I get to satisfy that need within me to work but I also get to satisfy that hunger to be home when my son gets home. To take care of my house. To make this a beautiful environment for my family to be in. I always thought of women in two categories, those who worked outside of the home and those who worked in the home. I've become less black and white and much more gray. I realize now I can be both and I love it!