Just Kidding

Oh, Silly Birth Control

2012-02-01T14:37:00.000-08:00

So a funny thing happened a few weeks ago. Spoiler ALERT: I'm on birth control. Anyone who reads this and doesn't agree with birth control...get over it :) Anyway soooo a few weeks ago I do my nightly routine of brushing and flossing and taking my meds which include an inhaler and a birth control pill. Everything goes according to plan until I get to the birth control. Upon further inspection of the pack I realize the empty pill spaces seem off. I proceed to count said spaces and discover: holy pregnancy batman I've missed 2 pills in a row! Some at this point my think to themselves "Jeannette, the birth control would still be in your system so there's a really small chance you could be pregnant". Well misinformed reader, I got pregnant with Berick the month I stopped taking birth control so basically I am blessed to not have conception issues. At any rate I walked into the living room and informed Kenyon of the news. Let's just say he wasn't mad at me but he got remarkably worried.

Pros to being Pregnant:

kids close in age (18 months apart)
we're still on medicaid
newborn cuddles

Cons to being Pregnant:

kids close in age
2 kids in diapers
non-medical expenses
Kenyon, if accepted into the Landscape Architecture program, would be in the middle of one of the hardest semesters of schooling when baby 2 would come

The things I've just listed are merely a few points for both sides. Needless to say we were a little stressed. Well to break to suspense I am not pregnant but oddly enough I felt slight disappointment by not seeing those 2 pink lines on the test. It would have been incredibly hard to have kids that close and not planning on it and there's a chance I would have a breakdown after the baby was born but I still had gotten a little excited over the possibility. I feel like I was a little cheated of those newborn times with Berick because he struggled so much with his milk allergy. It would have been quite sweet to know what was wrong and have a sweet new spirit in the house. However it is still a relief that I'm not pregnant. I'll get more time with Nugget. Sorry this is just a "word" post but I wanted to write about this gem :) As long as we don't have anymore accidents we're still on track to try for Baby #2 in the fall. Its not too far off! Until then I'll just enjoy the newborns who are to be born soon enough around me.

9 Months Plus Videos

2012-01-23T18:45:00.000-08:00

So my little Nugget as of January 20th turned 9 months old! I can not believe it! He's growing up so dang fast! He's quite the little handful but I love it! His 9 month stats go as follows:

Weight: 18 lbs 15 oz
Height: 27 inches
Head Size: 18 1/4 inches (A funny note: at 6 months Berick was in the 31st percentile for head size and is now in the 81st! He's got such a big brain!)

His likes include:

Pears (baby food)
daddy time
cuddling with mom
standing along the edge of things
playing the "I'm gonna get you" game which is funny because we'll say "I'm gonna get you" and move closer and it gets him all excited but then once you actually "get" him he doesn't seem to care
loves people and flirting and going to church to see people he knows
growling if you growl at him

His dislikes include:

wiping his face off after he eats
sliding in the bath tub
going to other people when he can't see Kenyon or I
being left alone in a room unless its nap time or bed time
loud noises

He's a pretty awesome baby and as of today I SWEAR I can feel a little tooth coming in! He's going to look so funny to me with a tooth! I love my little man so much and I can't believe we're only 3 months away from having a 1 year old! In closing here are some cute videos of my man doing some silly stuff:

This first one is Berick giggling like crazy at Kenyon saying the word "wiggle"

This next one is Berick trying some jello...sorry for the crummy camera holding!

He's learned how to talk into this empty Puffs container...

I have more videos to upload but I'll save that for another post! Enjoy these gems for now :) Hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Getting Started

2012-01-12T20:36:00.000-08:00

Well Berick is getting bigger and doing so many cute, funny little things! I feel like I can't keep up and I'm so worried about missing something! I catch it on film when I can but alas sometimes I miss! So I've started a journal for Berick. I don't enjoy writing a journal for myself so I figured I'll write one for my children! Its basically just a compilation of the cute things he does and the feelings I have towards him and my experiences with him. I figure I'll keep one for each of our children and then when they hit a certain age say like 18 I'll give them the journals I've kept over the years so they can have them. I realize this is a bit of an undertaking but its something I'm going to give a try and see how it goes! Next week will have an exciting post because it'll be Berick's 9 month appointment and I'll get his stats and make sure all is developing well! Until then here are a few pics to appease the masses...well or the few people who read my blog :)

Yep you can squeeze him if you see me in real life...I do it multiple times a day :)

It kind of looks like he wants to fight me but don't worry I know he loves me!

Silly boy put his binky in upside down!

He can throw out some excellent faces!

Aside from the journal writing, on Monday I'm going to start working out again. A big part of me not wanting to workout at night was that I hated leaving Berick but I'll go after 8 when he goes to bed and I won't feel like I'm missing anything! I'm not saying I'll successfully start working out on a regular basis but I'm going to try! I need to get out of the house and without all my stay at home mom friends around anymore I need it! Don't worry I'll be making more friends but until that happens I need something to get me out! I'm looking forward to the summer/warmer weather already so I can go out again without freezing and hit the Aquatic Center! That's enough ranting for now! Until next week...

Past, Present, Future

2012-01-01T20:41:00.000-08:00

Well its 2012! Huzzah! Before I talk about what I hope 2012 has in store for us, I first want to look back on this past year :)

January: I was a little over 20 weeks pregnant and all was well! Coincidentally it was the last time I'd go to the Temple before little Bean was born!
February: We celebrated our last Valentine's Day alone. Kenyon surprised me and took me to a hotel for a relaxing stay! We went to the restaurant there and just relaxed and he took me to breakfast the next day!
March: Kenyon turned 24 on the 6th and we went to AZ for Spring Break! Let's just say we had so much fun that that month I gained 11 pounds! Luckily for me what I didn't know is Berick would be here sooner than expected :)
April: The 20th brought the man that would change me life forever :) He looked like this:

He rocked our world and is still rocking it today!...but we'll get to those pics in a bit :)
May: Kenyon and I celebrated 2 years of wedded awesomeness on the 29th! My parents were in town seeing Berick and watched him while Kenyon took me to some Italian dinner :) It was also the first time I left Berick and I kept checking in on him the whole time! I also celebrated my first Mother's Day as a mother :)
June: I turned 21! It wasn't anything too crazy but I didn't need that! Calm was good!
July: We took Bean on his first road trip to Arizona! We visited Brian and Beth and their family and had a hoot! I didn't eat nearly as much food as I had in March ;) Berick wore his first pair of swim trunks and was adorable and looked like this:

August: Kenyon and I started school! Kenyon rocked the semester and it was my first time back since forever ago!
September: We took Berick on his first over night camping trip! It was interesting but all around fun :) Berick enjoyed himself and looked like this doing it:

October: Berick turned 6 months old! I was a good enough parent to keep him going for half a year! He learned to sit up that month! Here he is in the tub sitting up by himself like a big kid:

November: We celebrated Berick's first Thanksgiving! It was fun seeing him enjoy the food and what not! I took some pics of him outside in the beginning of November before the snow hit Logan and here are some from that shoot :) :

He was really digging the leaves :)

December: Christmas time! Berick got tons of presents! I may have to take a pic of him in his Christmas jammies because I forgot to! I was so wrapped up in watching that cute little man dig all the wrapping paper :) We also spent lots of time with family which was great too!

We have hit the beginning of 2012! Here are some current pics of my little Nugget! Sorry I don't put many up of myself! I'm generally taking the pics and well...Berick is just more fun to look at :)

Enjoying some puffs :)

This kid will wolf down a pizza crust like its his job!

Faux Hawk: No my baby is not obese :)

One of the most handsome guys on this planet!

Who doesn't love a good box?

Real men just take a bite out of the bell pepper!

Yep, I get to kiss this guy everyday!

Well for the future of this Petersen clan, we've got a lot going! Kenyon applies for the Landscape Architecture program in March and that will determine a lot for our future! Little Nugget will turn 1 in April! Then this summer we're looking into getting a modular or manufactured home of our own! Fall we'll be trying for the next little Petersen :) Those are our plans but who knows what will really happen or what the Lord has in store for us! A lot has happened this past year and I look forward to what is to come! Right now I'm just enjoying my life, caring for Berick! I wouldn't trade my life for anything. I love my baby, I love my husband and family and great friends and LOVE the gospel of Christ! This year I'll have been a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for 3 years! They've so far been the best 3 years of my life!

That's all! New Year's resolution for the blog world? POST MORE! Thanks for reading :)

6 Months and October Fun

2011-10-31T11:48:00.000-07:00

This post was a little late but that's mainly because Berick's 6 month appointment was 6 days after he turned 6 months...ANYWAY!

Berick is a gigantic bundle of awesome and it keeps getting better! His stats go as follows:

Weight 16.4 lbs
Length/Height 26 1/2 inches
Head Size: he's now in the 31st percentile for head size so his noggin' is still little but that's ok!

At 6 months Berick can now officially sit up on his own! Its pretty stinkin' cute however he gets upset if he sits for too long...maybe it hurts his little abs?...He also likes:

talking to himself
fake coughing
playing with toys that aren't really toys ie. the box that we keep the toys in
being outside
cars and trains
anything he can shove in his mouth
baby fruits
examining things thoroughly like he's a scientist
blowing raspberries
breathing in and out really fast when he's excited which is generally accompanied by extreme leggy kicking
cuddling with mom
playing with dad: correction he LOVES dad! I swear this boy could be having the worst day and as soon as Kenyon walks through that door its all smiles on the Western front!

At 6 months Berick dislikes:

getting his arms put through the arm holes of clothes: when I do this he will try to squirm and scoot away
shots at the doctor
strangers and certain women: he's in the beginning stages of stranger anxiety where he gets scared and cries if someone he doesn't know holds him and for some reason certain females really get him upset
sitting up for too long because he can't figure out how to lay back down
too much tummy time
most baby veggies
not being put down when its nap time

This funny boy lights up my days and is learning so much! He's silly and sometimes whiny but I just can't get enough of him.

The pics below are from Berick and I's time at the Pumpkin Walk here in Logan! It wasn't as good this year and Berick wasn't 100% interested but whatevs! Kenyon had to work but we have hopes he'll be with us next year!

My baby and me :)

He's really excited to be there...

Berick as some weird bunny candy man...

Nightmare Before Christmas

Despicable Me

Candyland!

Berick as Buzz

National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day

2011-10-15T09:11:00.000-07:00

I got the inspiration for this post from a friend with super cute twins :)...Today is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day. As pretty much all of my blog followers and friends know, I myself had a miscarriage last year in March. It was probably one of the hardest, if not the hardest thing I've ever gone through. I won't go into detail but the gist of it was I was 8 weeks pregnant but the baby stopped developing at six weeks. We saw the baby on the ultrasound which was not a good idea because although we saw it, there was no heartbeat which coincidentally left me heart broken. In retrospect it brought Kenyon and I closer together and we learned how to get through tough times.

After that ordeal a few months later I got pregnant with Berick and its completely changed my life. The entire time I was terrified I would lost him but month after month he kept growing. When I first laid eyes on him and they placed him on my chest I started bawling because God had given us such a miracle. Now when I'm having a tough time with him or a sleepless night I just try to keep in mind how blessed we are to have him when other mothers out there are struggling or have gone through losses. A woman I know gave birth to her baby 2 months early that sweet spirit passed away a day later. I can't imagine what the family is going through but I know if they turn to the Lord he will see them through it.

I get so excited when I hear about my friends who are pregnant and pray that everything goes well. Heavenly Father entrusts us with these little miracles and its our job to raise them and love them. I thank God everyday for my little Bean and I love him so much. I know that Heavenly Father loves me because I can feel it when I think of how much love I have for Berick. Its so amazing the how instant the love is and how intense.

Berick, I love you with all my heart and am so grateful to Heavenly Father for him sending you to Kenyon and I. You light up my day every morning even if its early. Your little smile could turn my darkest days bright. You give everyday new meaning. Your laugh makes me cry because its just so precious and to see you with your dad puts everything into perspective. I pray that I will raise you right and with gospel standards. I one day hope to see you serve the Lord on a mission and then marry a sweet woman of your choosing in the Temple. Know that I will always love you and do literally anything to see you happy. You're my sweet, handsome guy and I love you with all of my heart and soul.

Love Always,
Mom

Blessings

2011-10-11T20:46:00.000-07:00

Soooo let's just say things in the Petersen home have been a little bit hectic lately. I'm not saying that things have been unbearable but for sure stressful at times. My dad has moved in with us for a bit while he gets things together to go to rehab here in Utah. Its been hard for a lot of different reasons but especially monetarily. Kenyon's hours have been less since he started school and we weren't sure how we were going to make ends meet especially with a certain baby boy whose formula costs almost $30.00 a can and goes through about a can a week. I was really starting to get worried because Kenyon was starting to get worried. Kenyon is the type to stress only when things really start getting bad.

So what does any faith based Latter Day Saint family do in times of trial and struggle?...pray, pay tithing, and turn to the Lord for guidance and strength. Needless to say we did just that and things have truly come together in ways such as:

We are still on medicaid so Berick's doctor visits are covered
WIC came through again so Berick's formula and baby food is covered
Food stamps came through again so we can buy plenty of food for ourselves (for the record we aren't people who believe on living off the government for life but we've been paying into the system since we were 13 so why not benefit from something we've put into for so long)
We've been healthy and haven't had any medical needs
Everything with my dad has for the most part worked out and come together (we prayed about him coming to live with us and got the revelation that it was the right thing)
And most recently and AWESOMELY Kenyon just got a new job that will compensate for the hours he lost when school started so we'll be able to get off food stamps quicker and pay our bills without feeling so stressed!

I know that there are many worse things that could be going on in our life but when you begin to worry about how you'll afford essentials, things appear to be a bit hopeless. Thankfully we have faith and trust in the Lord and know that He will never give us anything we can't handle and if we follow Him he will provide for us. I love my family and I love my Heavenly Father.

In other news, Berick is working on sitting up on his own which is funny to watch and he giggles ALL THE TIME! I love him more and more everyday! He keeps me busy and happy. I find myself waking up in the morning at 7 wanting to go back to bed but as soon as I pick him up and see his little smile I get over the fact that I'm tired :) He's growing sooooo much and sooooo fast and it makes me tear up a little. I love watching him develop but I hate the thought that he'll never be the age he is now ever again. His little personality is coming out and he's starting to eat some baby food! He quite likes the fruits :)

Kenyon and I are just going to school and trying to enjoy life as it comes! I love seeing Kenyon with Berick! Every time Kenyon comes through the door Berick will look over at him and get this huge grin on his face knowing that it s play time. Kenyon is such an amazing father to our boy and my love for him just intensifies when I see him play with Berick.

Life is coming together and I'm trust trying to keep up with everything! I'll get some more pics of Bean up soon but if you're really itching to see him either come see me or check facebook! I've just discovered how to upload pics from my phone to facebook! It's pretty cool!

End of Summer

2011-09-16T13:26:00.000-07:00

So these pictures below are from the fair over the summer! We had so much fun that we went twice! I think Berick enjoyed walking around but as you can see to the left here he got a little sleepy :)

Here's a cute baby cow! I wanted to lay Berick next to it but I was worried it would get up and step on him.

These pigs I thought were cute because they were cuddling :)

He is quite kissable!

Here I am at the Train Festival thing in Brigham City. Berick liked watching the trains but was not a huge fan of the train whistles!

My men!

Holding his bottle by himself for the first time! He doesn't do it all the time and the picture was probably a fluke but it was kind of nice while lasted!

Apparently the box was a lot more fun than his toys...

He's my happy, smiley boy...I love it!

These 2 are from when we went to Tony's Grove up the canyon. It was in the middle of Berick's nap time so he was a little fussy but I love his little sweater :)

These 3 are from when we went camping! It was a lot of fun and as you can see Berick liked it! He slept in a little tote next to us and stayed nice and warm the whole night. He woke up a little earlier than usual but it was ok :)

This is just a funny one of Berick :) Kenyon like to play with him sometimes when we dress him.

So basically we've been super busy this summer but we loved every minute of it :) Kenyon and I are both tackling school and enjoying watching our baby boy grow and learn! Sorry it took so long to post!

4 Months!

2011-08-24T12:32:00.001-07:00

Ok so I realize I've been quite the slacker with blogging but to be honest I'm just trying to enjoy the summer with the babe before I start throwing school into the mix! We've been keeping busy with going to the fair (twice), family events, and being with friends! I don't have pics for this post but I'm going to include some in the next which I promise will not take nearly as long to post :) As of August 20th Berick turned 4 months old! He's getting so big and I love him more and more everyday!

Stats:
-Weight: 13.5 lbs
-Length: 24 inches
-Head Size: I don't remember the exact measurement but he's now in the 36th percentile for his head :)

He is learning so much these days! He giggles now and it completely melts me! He's a little stinker though because from day to day the things that make him giggle change but I guess that just makes each time he does it more special :) He's still hanging out in 3 month clothes but that's just fine with me! He really likes to cuddle with this fuzzy, green blanket that we have and he really loves to go swimming! He just floats around with me holding him and takes it all in! Each month that passes I can't believe how much he's grown. I just keep thanking Heavenly Father for the blessing that he's given me. I love Berick more than I have ever loved anything in my life. Don't get me wrong I love Kenyon and my family but the love for your child is just amazing!

Well in closing just wanted to say thanks to the people who read my blog! I think I might be switching to a different blogging website though of something because for some reason blogger is acting so bizzarre on my computer! We'll see if I can figure it out! Stay tuned for the next post with pics!

3 Months

2011-07-26T18:57:00.001-07:00

Our litte man is growing so fast! We've been keeping him busy this summer! I didn't post all of my pics because blogger drives me nuts with uploading but if you want to see them all just go to my facebook page :) We've been so busy with traveling, seeing family, and just enjoying the summer! Berick is learning and growing and doing new things and SMILING all the time! I just love it and I love him! Here are a few of my favorite pics! I'll post more next month when I have some stats on him. He is however getting quite long! Love him to pieces and thoroughly enjoy seeing his personality come out! I try to thank Heavenly Father everyday for the great blessing he's given Kenyon and I.

2 Months :)

2011-06-22T10:32:00.001-07:00

June 20th Berick turned 2 months old! He's getting so big! I posted a bunch of pics on facebook and will put 1 on here but if you want to see the rest just go to facebook :) At any rate, Berick is learning and doing something new every week it seems! He's finally on a schedule and is sleeping pretty much through the night! He smiles ALL the time now and I LOVE IT! I'm very biased but I think he's got the cutest smile in the world! Every time he smiles at me it validates the reasons I became a parent :) At 2 months Berick weighs a little over 10 lbs and is 22.5 inches long! He's skinny everywhere except for his THUNDER THIGHS! I love 'em! He loves smiling, eating, being cool (temp. wise) and having a good poop! He dislikes super cold things, not getting fed when he wants it, being bored, and having his diaper changed! I'm still very much in love with him and can't wait to see what the next months hold for him :)

1 Month of Love

2011-05-27T17:07:00.000-07:00

Our little Bean is officially 1 month old! Well he turned one month on the 20th but I wanted to make sure I had plenty of pics to post! This past month I won't say has been easy but its been rewarding and Kenyon and I are very much in love with this little man! Here are some stats for Berick at 1 month:

Weight: 9lbs 2oz

Height/Length: 20.5 inches

We don't know the exact measurement but his head size is in the 10th percentile! Although he has a tiny head, he doesn't have a tiny brain!

Here are pics from the last month of our little Bear!

I could kiss these cheeks all day!...and I do!

A little smile for Grandma Nina

These next few are of him sleeping which isn't all that interesting but I think his hands are hilarious! He never really relaxes them!

For this one he's actually grabbing on to the blanket!

These next ones are of him nakey 'cause I think he's so dang cute when he's naked! I'm going to embarass the crap out of him when he's older and tell girls how cute his bum was!

It still seems surreal to me that this little man is mine but I'm so grateful that he's here! He's starting to smile more which I LOVE! I get about 1-2 good smiles a day! They melt my heart! His likes and dislikes are about the same as previously posted. We've figured out the formula situation for the most part. I think we've come to the conclusion that our little guy has a milk allergy so we've got him on a formula that is milk free! I can't believe a whole month has gone by since we had him! He's a sweet boy when the gas isn't bothering him and even then, he's cute! I'm so grateful to Heavenly Father for giving Kenyon and I this blessing and for giving us the patience through the frustrating times. I'm also grateful for Kenyon. He can see when I'm at a breaking point and takes over and is constantly telling me I look good even though I certainly don't feel it yet. I'm excited to see what kind of personality Berick ends up with but if now is any indication, we're going to have a fiesty one on our hands!

Due Date

2011-05-10T13:17:00.001-07:00

Well today (May 10th 2011) was my estimated due date for the babe seen below! It'll have been 3 weeks tomorrow that he's been in our lives! I can't believe that Heavenly Father has trusted Kenyon and I to raise this precious little guy and teach him the gospel. Someone asked me if I felt a lot of responsibility and if I was nervous and I said no. I mean there is a lot of responsibility but as long as Kenyon and I are living the gospel then it'll be easy to teach him! In lew of today being Berick's intended birthday I'll highlight some things about him!I like this picture 'cause I think Berick has the cutest little head! He just looks like a little bean to me!

At 3 Weeks Berick Likes:

Eating

Being Warm

Pooping: how can I tell you ask? Well everytime he's done grunting he just has this relaxed look on his face :)

His binky

Fluffy warm blankets

From time to time he enjoys cuddling and sleeping on mine or Kenyon's chest :)

At 3 Weeks Berick Dislikes:

Being cold: this includes coming out of the bath, wipes, and being naked

Being burped

Hiccups

Not getting food as soon as he wants it

Painful gas

I won't lie and say parenthood has been a breeze and I've totally gotten the hang of it. I will say that there are moments in the middle of the night when I'm frustrated and tired and he's being fussy when he will all of a sudden calm down and smile at me. It brings everything into perspective. Its only been 3 weeks but I couldn't imagine our lives without this little guy. I love him so much and hope he can feel that love! In closing I'm posting a video of Berick doing some tummy time! Some may think its boring but I think its cute!

Hospital Visit

2011-05-04T17:30:00.000-07:00

Well Berick has certainly not been a boring baby! Since Sunday we've been at the hospital with him! It was scary at first and now we're glad to be home. It all started last week when Kenyon had a sore throat. We didn't think much of it at the time...
Sunday during the day the little man was acting a little off so that night we checked his temp. and it was at 101.1 which is high for a newborn and can be very serious. So we went into the emergency room and they proceed to tell us all of the tests they were going to do on him. I proceed to start crying because they were going to have to catheterize him to get a urine sample, do a spinal tap type thing to get spinal fluid and then draw blood. They do all these tests and then send us upstairs to stay the night in the NICU. Poor baby slept hard that night (don't worry he had IV fluids so he didn't really want to eat) and was fussy 'cause he kept getting poked. All of the tests came out well but we had to wait on the results for the viral test. They gave him antibiotics and Tuesday night his viral cultures came back negative for everything but because they were negative, they didn't know exactly what the problem was so they continued the antibiotics. This morning they told us that Berick has a viral sore throat that he most likely got from Kenyon. He's doing fine now that he's home and I think he's a lot more comfortable. We've been blessed to have amazing nurses who cared for us and to have family that is willing to help and lend support. I know a sore throat doesn't sound super serious but when your baby is all hooked up to things and is upset from testing and such, your heart just breaks. Kenyon's brother and brother in law came up the other night to help give Berick a blessing and it was a very spiritual experience. We're grateful for the gospel in our life and that we have the Big Guy Upstairs to watch over us and our family. Thank you for all the well wishes and prayers!

Trying

2011-04-28T14:26:00.000-07:00

Well as some may know and others may not know, I never made it to May 10th :) Berick Vern Petersen was born April 20th at 8:40 pm weighing 7lbs 10 oz and 18.5 inches long. This little man has totally changed out lives. My labor and delivery story isn't a long one but here it goes.

On Monday the 18th I went in to the doctor's office for a regular check up. They checked me and I was only at a 1.4 and 60 % effaced but everything looked great! I was due to come in the next week for another check. That night I had some slight contractions but nothing too worrisome until the next morning. I woke up to some bleeding and went in to the hospital to get hooked up to the monitors and checked. I was still only at a 1.5 after a few hours but let's just say I think them "checking" my dialation may have jump started things because that night and into the morning I was having some rough contractions that I just couldn't sleep through. Kenyon stayed home with me that day and that afternoon we decided if I'm going to have contractions like this then we better get things moving so we went for a walk around aggie village and that did the trick!

After our walk we went to the hospital and after I was admitted they checked me yet again and I was at a 3.5 which was music to my ears! After an hour I went to a 4.5 so we got to stay! We informed the masses that we'd be having the baby that night and began to get things together! I had no intentions of going natural with this one (this detail will come in to play later) so I got set up with my epidural! Funny thing is while they were giving it to me something went crazy in my spine and I ended up basically kicking Kenyon in the junk! Luckily it was merely a graze and he made it through!

Another hour goes by and I'm at a 6 and then 2 hours later I'm at a 10! The 2 things that were bothering me were uncontrolable shaking and the fact that my epidural was wearing off! I could feel all the contractions right in my pelvis and let's just say, baby was ready to come out!

I pushed for 40 minutes and he was here! I ended up sort of having a natural birth. It was worth it though because as soon as I saw the little man I burst into tears. I looked up at Kenyon and he had tears in his eyes as well. I felt so blessed to have such an incredible family!

Here's Berick! I have no idea where those cheeks came from but I love kissing them!Here is my AMAZING husband who I also can't believe I've been so blessed to have him in my life. I've never felt so close to someone in my life. He has been so insanely helpful and I love him more than ever. During the delivery he was great support! He kept saying "Yeah keep going babe, I can see the head" and I could just see the excitement in his eyes as I was pushing. Later he told me that watching me push made his love for me intensify because he saw how much pain I was in and how hard I was working to get the baby here. After delivery I was in a lot of pain (as I'm sure all women are after having a baby!) and Kenyon was there by my side through everything. He helped me while I was crying for nothing or when I was hobbling around the room. He made sure I had everything I needed and even changed all the diapers! It came time the next day for me to shower and you better believe he was in there helping me. He cleaned me up and didn't once complain that it was gross or anything. He literally has helped me so much and I hope he knows how much I truly love him.

Here we are ready to go home. It was hard leaving the hospital because the nurses there are so wonderful! I wish here at home I could just push a button and have one of them come in. Now that we are home I feel so grateful to have love and support from my family and friends. I've had some struggles and I'm still trying to work through them. I'm attempting to breast feed but I just don't have enough milk! He's still hungry after I feed him so I've had to supplement with formula. It was a hard decision but we made it and I'm happy with it.

No one prepares you for how hard being a parent is in the beginning. With these crazy hormones I've cried everyday since we've come home. I'm lucky I have a husband like Kenyon because he just holds me and works through things with me. I want to be a good mom to this baby because he's only a week old but I'd give up anything and everything for him. I think of the man he's going to be one day and I just cry because whatever happens in his life I'm going to love him.

To wrap up this post I must mention how much Heavenly Father has influenced my life. I pray to him everyday now that I'm making the right decisions for Berick. I feel his love for me even more now that he's sent this little one for Kenyon and I to care for and teach the gospel to. Yesterday as Berick was having one of his awake periods he was just staring at me so I sang to him so hymns and began crying. It amazes me that Heavenly Father trusts us with these tiny creatures. I know I have a rough road ahead of me but there will be plenty of wonderful moments in store. Thanks for reading and for all your support :)

5 Weeks

2011-04-05T09:47:00.000-07:00

Well I don't have much to report right now, nor do I have pictures to share but I figure its time for an update! I'm 5 weeks away from my due date putting me at 35 weeks pregnant! Baby Petersen is doing really well. He's moving all the time and getting bigger, coincidently making me bigger :) We've basically got all the essentials we need for when he comes so I feel pretty good about that. I've really loved watching Kenyon assemble our big items like the pack 'n' play and swing! I think he's getting more excited even if he doesn't show it all the time! I had a baby shower a few weekends ago and we got some really cute stuff and I've got a baby shower here in Logan this weekend that should prove to be fun! I keep looking at the clothes and thinking how we'll have a baby to fill those clothes soon enough! I'm just so excited and feel so blessed to have this baby and I can't wait to see how he fits into our lives and see the personality he has! In other news, this up coming fall I'll be going back to school! I'm pretty excited about it and a little big anxious! I have a lot of people asking me how I'm going to go to school and care for a baby. Well, let me tell you our plan! I'm going to take 2 online classes and 1 class on campus! It'll be fun because Kenyon will get out of class at 4:15 and I have to be to class at 4:30 so we'll be doing a baby hand off on campus! I think it'll be difficult to manage a baby and take classes but I feel that this is what's right for us! We've made a plan and hope it goes the right way! Other than the previously mentioned things I'm just waiting for the baby! I keep myself busy though with institute and time with friends so have no fear, I'm not just sitting at home all the time although I'm ok with not having a ton to do right now. Its like the calm before the "storm". Its nice to rest before life gets hectic with the baby! Plus walking around recently has proved to be less than fun because my hips hurt but alas we're nearing the end! I think for the next post I'll put some pictures in of the cute stuff we have for the baby and some of Kenyon and I! I just wanted to post something to keep people reading...that is if anyone does read this!

Baby Petersen Update!

2011-03-17T14:10:00.000-07:00

You must forgive my cheesy smile in all of my maternity pictures...Kenyon likes to take the picture and be done regardless of if I like it or not so whatevs! Here I am at 32 weeks, 2 days! I'm on target with weight gain, but I can't go crazy with eating or I'll be screwed! I'm ok with my weight right now though because as previously mentioned in the post before this one, it was spring break and any healthy eating habits went out he window!

I wish I had some cute ultrasound pics to show but Baby Petersen was hiding his little face! I'm happy to report however that his kidney's are free of fluid! For those that didn't know, he had fluid in one of his kidneys which isn't a huge problem but was a bit worrisome but it appears the problem has worked itself out! Here are some fun little facts about our little man:

Weight: around 4.9 lbs.
He's in the 55th percentile for growth (which is right where he should be!)
He has hair! We don't know color or how much but we did see it on the ultrasound
He's still very much a boy!

We're getting very excited to meet this little mystery man who keeps hiding his face! I've said it a few times before but I don't even know for sure what he looks like or what his little personality is but I already love him! I dream of who he'll be one day and the example he'll hopefully set for his younger brothers and sisters. I wonder all the time what he'll look like! A lot of people think he's going to be a mini Kenyon and I'm totally ok with that 'cause it'll mean we'll have a handsome first son! I'll post again after my baby shower on the 26th of this month! I can't wait to see the cute stuff he gets!

AZ!

2011-03-14T16:00:00.000-07:00

I'm aware that its been like a month since I last posted BUT I was waiting till after our trip to Arizona to post a good one! However you'll just have to wait little longer for some pictures!

So on Friday March 4th we packed up the car and headed down to Arizona to spend some time with Kenyon's brother Brian and his family. We stopped in Riverton on the way to pick up our 19 year old nephew Brandon and proceded on to Page! We stopped in Page for the night and had dinner at Pizza Hut which would be the first of WAY too many times we went out to eat! Also I noted that it was the sketchiest Pizza Hut we had EVER been to but whatevs, I love 'Za Hut!

Saturday: We arrive in Glibert, AZ sometime in the afternoon and proceeded our week long relaxation. I should note here that we had intended at this point to leave to go back home on Wednesday so we could be back in time for an ultrasound for Baby Petersen...

Sunday: March 6th is my wonderful husband's birthday! We went to church that morning and then the men folk and the kids went camping that night! Kenyon's brother has 3 kids: Sadie (9), Brannon (4), and Jessie (5 months). My sister-in-law Beth and I stayed home from the camping because she needed to stay with the baby and me at my 31 weeks pregnant didn't feel like sleeping on the hard ground and getting in and out of a tent every half hour at night to go pee where TARANTULAS and SCORPIONS could grace me with their presence. SO we stayed back and went to Olive Garden and had a nice girls night although it was a bit bizarre not having a warm body to sleep next to!

Monday: I slept in and the guys and kids got back around noon! They were all quite tired but seemed to have had a good time! Once everyone was settled Beth and I went and got Jamba Juice and pedicures! It was a great combo and I thoroughly enjoyed the pampering! After that we did a little shopping at the mall! They had a Carter's there and said store was having a mega sale so I bought Baby Petersen some cute clothes! Walking around the mall however made me quite tired so needless to say I was ready to lay down when we got home!

Tuesday: Because we thought we were leaving the next day we wanted to make sure we went to the movies! Brian and Beth got Kenyon 2 free movie passes but tragically we didn't have those theaters in Utah so we used them while we were there! We saw Rango! It was on the cutest movies I've seen and we really liked it! We walked around the mall a little more and I held a sweet little Boston Terrier puppy! (For those that don't know Kenyon and I were planning on getting that breed of dog before we made the decision to try for Baby Petersen). That night the guys went and played some basketball.

Wednesday: We decide to leave the next day at this point. I can't quite remember what we did during the day but that night we went to my favorite restaurant in the world: CHILIS! We met some of Brian and Beth's friends who came with us to dinner and had a very nice night! The guys after dinner went to play raquetball and that was that!

Thursday: I ended up getting my appointment for Friday changed to that next Thursday so we stayed an extra day which ended up being a very good idea! Kenyon was feeling way under the weather that day and needed to be close to a bathroom so thank goodness we didn't leave that day! We didn't do much that day but that night we went to COLDSTONE! I made the most delicious concoction in the world! It consisted of Oreo Cream Filling ice cream as the base flavor and mixed in was peanut butter and cookie dough! It was heavenly!

Friday: I got Dunkin Donuts that morning for everyone 'cause they don't have them in Utah and I miss them from my East Coast days! Kenyon is feeling MUCH better so we go to the mall again where the guys go play at the arcade there and Beth and I did a little shopping! I was planning on getting some more things for Baby Petersen but instead ended up using my Victoria's Secret gift card that I've had since Kenyon and I got married! We went back and relaxed the rest of the night.

We left Saturday and are not back in Logan! We had a great time and a great visit with family! We just love staying with Brian and Beth! They treat us entirely too well while we're there! Beth even took me shopping for my baby gift...although it benefited her as well so she didn't have to go to the post office! As another side note throughout the days I didn't note all the different times we went out to eat and got fast food! I can't even remember all the times!

In Baby Petersen news he's getting big and I can tell his space is becoming limited in there! He moves around like crazy and enjoys making me nice and uncomfortable by pushing really hard on various sides of my torso! We're going to see him Thursday as previously mentioned and hopefully the fluid in his kidney is gone! I can't wait to see him in 3-D and maybe see his little face! I'm 32 weeks pregnant tomorrow, meaning I've got about 8 weeks left till the due date! I've got some baby showers coming up that I'm excited for! I can't believe how time has flown by! It seems like just yesterday we found out I was pregnant! Its crazy but I already love this little guy and I can't wait to meet him in a few months! Thanks for reading this far and I'll do another post Thursday to report on baby and post a belly pic!

Valentine's and President's Day Weekend!

2011-02-21T15:01:00.000-08:00

Ok so this post is basically about Valentine's Day and the weekend after! For Valentine's Day this year Kenyon had the work literally all day the Saturday before and had work and school on the actual day so we opted to wait until the next weekend to do anything special. I left it up to Kenyon to plan because well I think if the man doesn't care about getting anything then he can plan something nice! So on Valentine's Day we kept it simple and I made him a delicious chocolate trifle (insanely easy) and he got me a card and some chocolate covered cookie dough pieces and a stuffed animal dog! Also that morning he surprised me and brought me 2 roses in between classes. That night we went to a dinner put on by our housing department where Kenyon through shear luck ended up serenading me. (Its a funny story but I'm just too tired to type it all out but ask me about it if you're interested!)

This brings us to the next weekend or President's Day weekend. Friday we headed down to Riverton after Kenyon got out of class. We had dinner with some friends of mine (which was great seeing them), played games with some other friends, and just relaxed. Then Saturday Kenyon changed the oil in both our car and my mother in law's car. We went to lunch at Taco Time, went and saw Little Fockers, and had a surprise came night for me with yet another group of friends! I was quite pleased with the way the day had turned out. That Sunday we went the church then had dinner with family. I was thinking that we would just have a quiet Sunday afternoon but Kenyon had other plans :)...

Around 3:3o Kenyon gets a phone call from his boss in Logan saying that one of the bus drivers was doing a charter in Salt Lake but had fallen ill and they needed someone to drive the bus back up to Logan. Kenyon without consulting me volunteered for the job which meant we'd be leaving within a half hour and that I would be driving up to Logan following the bus in our car. The reason why I wasn't thrilled about this prospect was A. I'm in the 3rd trimester and have to pee ALL the time, B. I HATE driving in downtown Salt Lake and although the grid system is supposed to be crazy easy, I still find it difficult to navigate, and C. I was looking forward to spending the rest of our 3 day weekend in Riverton spending time with family. SO I grudgingly get in the car on the verge of tears 'cause I'm hormonal and we head into downtown Salt Lake to meet the afflicted bus driver at a hotel. NOW I should have seen all the little signs to what happens next but I was too busy being in a pissy mood to notice! We pull into the Sheraton Hotel and I wait in the car as Kenyon goes to "check on the bus driver". He comes back to the car and we pull out only to park in the hotel parking lot! Kenyon booked us a night at the Sheraton! It was awesome! He loves to surprise me with stuff like that and has a very good poker face! That night we had appetizers and dessert in the hotel restaurant and slept on a nice KING size bed with down pillows and blankets. This morning we got breakfast and met up with my sister-in-law to get some fabric for the car seat cover I'm making for Baby Petersen. NOW we're home and relaxing 'cause I'm tired! It was a great weekend and as a reward for reading down this far here are some pics from the weekend PLUS a belly shot!

Here are 2 pics of our super comfy room on the 8th floor!

Here's my handsome hubby enjoying his skillet at Denny's!

I myself had the French Toast Slam! It was quite good!

Last but not least here's me at 28 1/2 weeks! Sorry if the picture looks wonky...blogger is annoying the crap out of my with picture posting...I need to figure out a new method. ANYWAY I've reached the 3rd trimester (as previously mentioned) both week wise and month wise. For those who don't understand that last statement the weeks and months during pregnancy don't match up completely. My nausea has OFFICIALLY gone away and now I'm just steadily getting rounder! Baby Petersen as far as we know is doing just fine! We'll get to see him via ultrasound on March 11th! Hopefully we'll get another CD of pics and I could post one on here. Well thanks for reading this wicked long post! I'm off to take a nap or eat...did I mention I'm RAVENOUS these days! Must be the half pound that the baby gains a week now ;)

Hardware Ranch and a Belly Pic!

2011-01-23T16:56:00.000-08:00

Ok so I haven't posted in a few weeks but to make up for that I've got some pictures so it's all good! At the beginning of the month some friends of ours from Boise, Toby and Sandra, came to visit for a weekend! We had a blast! We went sledding, ate tons of food, watched movies, and played games! One of the high lights was going to the Hardware Ranch to see the elk! Here are some pics from that adventure. Sadly we didn't get any pics of Toby and Sandra...I know it doesn't make any sense!Here is some of the beautiful scenery we encountered. This is the valley where the ranch is!
Here is Kenyon and I! He was very cold but lucky for me I have a baby in the front keeping me nice and warm!Here are some of the elk! I always wonder what they're thinking when a big horse drawn sled full of people comes by them every few minutes...I'm going to go out on a limb and say they don't think we're nearly as cool as they are!Here's another one of my dear husband and I! I was getting mad at him because both of his smiles looked like he was less than thrilled to be there! I kept saying "Look happy to be my husband!"
Look at this guy! I don't have any insightful things to say about him but he looks regal to me...majestic!
Once in the car Kenyon proved to me that he wasn't a cyborg and gave me a big excited smile! I knew he loves me!
Here are 2 pics of me rocking my baby bump! I took them today which is why I'm in sweats and looking a bit lack luster but hey at leasts its a pic! According to the doctor's office I'm 24 weeks, 3 days pregnant but according to the ticker at the top of the blog I'm 24 weeks, 5 days. Either way I'm inching my way to the 3rd trimester and will only get bigger from here!
Baby Petersen is doing well! At his 20 week ultrasound they found a little bit of fluid in his kidney which at first really got me worried but the doctor thinks its not anything to worry about and we get to have another ultrasound sometime in March to check on him! It'll be so nice to see him again before he's born! Thanks for reading all the way down to here! Perhaps I'll start being more dilligent about posting pics but for the record it's been in the last like 2 weeks that I've really started looking preggo! Kenyon commented the other night that I had "exploded". If I didn't know the person he really was I would have punched him for calling my fat but I know he merely meant Baby Petersen was making his little 1 pound presence known! That's all for now!

2011

2010-12-31T23:42:00.001-08:00

Well its a new year and I find myself to be pretty excited yet nervous for the events to come. I wanted to start this post with listing major things that happened in 2010:

January: got pregnant
February: took out my endowments in the Jordan River Temple and had a great experience
March: devastated by loss of baby. Although this was one of the toughest things myself and Kenyon had ever been through, we learned a lot and grew closer as a couple. At first I couldn't see it but blessings did come from the loss.
May: began working in Ketchikan, AK. (an experience and blogpost all in itself); also celebrated our 1 year anniversary with Kenyon!
June: finally hit my 20's!
September: got pregnant!
October: returned to Utah and visited AZ; Baby Petersen got its due date! May 10th 2011
November: traveled the country to visit my family. Kenyon and I became even closer during this time because we talked about anything and everything on the long drive!
December: found out Baby Petersen is a boy and has a 100% clean bill of health, moved into our new apartment, and celebrated Christmas with Kenyon's family for the 1st time since we've been together

We've had a pretty busy year filled with ups and downs but overall it was an amazing learning experience. Kenyon and I grew as a couple and I think are making steps towards being ready for our little man to come in May. There were times throughout the year when I couldn't see the blessings in my life but looking back there were many. God does things on his time and in his way which may not be the most convinient for us at the time but He knows that in the long run it is the best.

I'm looking forward to 2011. This year I'll have Baby Petersen, celebrate 2 years of marriage to my best friend and turn 21. I'm ready to take on motherhood and hopefully succeed! I know there will be challenges with what comes this year but with the Lord's help and that of Kenyon and my family, I'll get through them. Thanks for all those who have read my blog and stayed interested! Happy New Year to all!

Stay tuned for my next post that will hopefully include a bumpy bump and ultrasound pic!

It's a...

2010-12-25T09:34:00.000-08:00

Well Wednesday we had our 20 week ultrasound and discovered we're having a BOY! I'm so excited! I totally knew from the beginning that he was a boy! All of the old wives tales and gender calender predictors were correct! He wasn't shy at all about showing his man parts! We feel very blessed that we've come this far in the pregnancy and that he's healthy! He's got a brain (thank goodness) and his heart is great and I couldn't be happier! We celebrated Christmas morning by opening presents with my mom and stepdad Lee via webcam which was great and then we'll have dinner tonight with the fam. here in Riverton and celebrate my brother-in-laws b-day!

I love Christmas and the sense of family that we get. I'm grateful for all of mine and the friends I have as well. I'm grateful that Christ was born (not actually in December but whatevs) and gave the greatest sacrifice for us. I hope Kenyon and I can teach our little boy the true meaning of Christmas throughout the years and the amazing gift Christ was and gave us. Merry Christmas to all!

Travels and The Bump!

2010-12-05T15:55:00.000-08:00

Ok I'm sorry its taken so long but I didn't want to do a post per day so here is a picture post of our travels and a picture of my emerging belly!

As a little outline: we started in Denver, CO, then to Newton, IL to stay with my Nana for 3 weeks until right after Thanksgiving. We then traveled to Jackson, MS to see my Grandma on my mom's side, then to New Orleans, LA to see my dad and that side of the family, then to Phoenix for our niece's baby blessing. This is the documentation!

This is a baby white squirrel...why is it cool you ask: because you can only find them naturally thriving in the wild in a few areas of the world and Olney, IL is one of them!
Here is my handsome husband hanging out in the woods in IL.

Kenyon and I at that same park!

Our Thanksgiving feast! I made sure to take a nausea pill early in the day so I can enjoy it all...I made the green bean casserole!
This is my Nana and Pepaw and their dog Bubbles! We had the pleasure of staying with them for 3 weeks!

This is my Grandma Jean who we stayed with in Mississippi for a few nights. (My mom's mother)

Here is my dad and me! He made us dinner while we were there and it was quite delicious!

Its me and my childhood pet Roxie! I think she's the cutest thing!...Kenyon thinks she's annoying.

These next 4 are from when we were in New Orleans. The delicious fried treat seen below are called beignets...they're divine! The other 2 are from this clown sir that accosted us and made us get pictures with him!

These next 2 are from a park my parents used to take me to when we lived in Abita Springs, LA. It was fun to see it again!

If my teeth look green its because I had a delicious green spearmint snowball whilst in New Orleans a few hours before!

A nice sunset.

We also went through Texas and saw some family there and to Phoenix but I'll post those pictures at a later date! Thanks for reading this far! Last here is a picture of my "bump". I would have been 16 weeks 6 days! I'll be 18 weeks tomorrow and can feel the little one everyday. Kenyon and I have been so blessed and I'm thankful we've had this experience to spend time with family!

Its not much but its getting bigger by the week!

Hopefully our next post will be the big baby gender post!

Things to Come...

2010-11-30T22:12:00.001-08:00

I realize that there's been a big lack of posting and pictures from me but have no fear! Once we get to Arizona I plan to make a very big picture post that shows the travels and my emerging baby bump! Thanks for still checking in from time to time, for those of you who do!

The Past Few Weeks (W/Pictures!)

2010-11-08T20:07:00.000-08:00

Ok so I finally have some pictures and some exciting things to blog about! First off I'll start with our Halloween festivities! The weekend before Halloween we went with my sister-in-law and her husband and 2 boys to the Pumpkin Walk in Logan...we had a blast and here are some pics!

Here is our nephew Isaac! He and his brother Alex couldn't get enough of putting their faces through the little picture holes!

Here is little Alex! He's a character! It was fun hanging out with these guys!

Next for Halloween we went to Layton for Trunk or Treats at Kenyon's brother's and sister's wards with their families and a few others came up! Here is Kenyon's brother and his wife and their 2 cute little girls!

We carved pumpkins that night with some friends and for my first carving job I think I did pretty well! This top one was mine and the one below is Kenyon's!

We were Salt and Pepper Shakers but we don't have a picture of that yet! I also made these little hot dog mummies for fun and they turned out great! This is what they looked like:

The cheese on the bottom went a little crazy but I felt quite proud of my little project, especially 'cause I'm not what some people like to call crafty!

Lastly, as most know Kenyon and I have embarked on quite the trip! We're currently in Newton, IL enjoying my Nana's hospitality. We left Logan on Thursday the 4th of this month and hit up Denver for a few nights then drove the next day and spent the night in Kansas City, MO and we arrived here in Newton on Sunday! It's been a long trip and it'll be nice to relax for a while! These next few are pics of the trip!

A beautiful sunset at one of the over looks in Denver. This is a gorgeous state!

A shot of the mountains...awesome!
Lastly we went to Independence, MO and were hoping to go to the visitors center but it didn't open for another hour and we needed to jet so instead we listen to the Nashville Tribute to Joseph Smith and took a picture of the crazy looking RLDS temple...I think I like our better ;) .

I realize there are no pictures of Kenyon or I but have no fear we will take some whilst in Newton and on our adventures! On a final note we had our 2nd ultrasound and the baby is doing great! We didn't get an ultrasound but we did hear the heart beat and its at 152 which is awesome! We find out, as my dad puts it "if this apple has a stem" (gender) on December 22nd so we're pretty pumped! Should be an awesome Christmas gift! If you've read this far on my post, thanks for listening and being interested and I promise more pictures in the coming weeks!

Things Happening in Our Life!

2010-10-20T08:54:00.001-07:00

Well there won't be any pictures in this one either 'cause I keep forgetting to bust out the camera but I've got some fun things to post about!

This past week we spent time in Arizona with Kenyon's brother's family! It was a blast! We took our nephew Brandon with us and had lots of fun adventures! Brian and Beth (Brian is Kenyon's older brother) have a 3 week old baby named Jessie who is adorable and I got to help out a lot with her! This was great because I don't have a lot of experience with little babies but Beth was awesome and let me hold her and bath her and what not! We also went to the AZ state fair which would have been fun except it was BOILING HOT! Kenyon wants to move down there but I just can't live there with that heat! I'm a cool weather kind of girl! It was nice to relax and at one point we went to a pool and went to dinner a few times. All in all it was an awesome trip and we wish we could have stayed longer!

The pregnancy is going really well as far as I know! This week the baby is the size of a fig! It's not that big but I'm still excited about it! The morning/all day sickness has gotten a little worse but only a few more weeks and I'll be through the first trimester and perhaps it'll go away?...wishful thinking! Our next appointment will be at 14 weeks and is November 4th so it'll be nice to see our litte creature again!

We're leaving for IL shortly after the appointment to visit my Nana for the month of November. It should be a ton of fun! I promise I will start making an effort to bring my camera and take pictures! Thanks for listening!

P.S I totally love October and am in need of someone to watch scary movies with!

We're having a baby!

2010-10-01T09:39:00.000-07:00

It seems like old news now but for those who haven't been kept up to speed: I'm pregnant! I'm pretty excited but nervous at the same time. I got a little teary eyed when we went to the appointment last week just because I was so amazed at this little life growing inside me! For all those moms out there I'm sure you had the same feeling. One of the first questions I asked upon seeing the heartbeat was if it was a good heart beat and the doctor replied "its a great heart beat". I feel so blessed right now that Heavenly Father is trusting me to care for one of his children. People keep asking me what I want to have and honestly I just want it to come to term and be born healthy! For those not in that loop, I miscarried in March and am really hoping this baby sticks around for the long run!

Kenyon has changed a little bit this time around. He tells me how much he loves me everyday, a couple times a day. Right now although I'm not big, but I've already started gaining weight and I feel like a heffer! Kenyon on a daily basis tells me how beautiful I am and that I don't look fat at all! I've felt pretty sick this time around as well (which they tell me is a good thing) and Kenyon is always right there to make sure I'm ok or get me whatever I need. He's an amazing guy and I feel so blessed to have him for eternity

Oh! I almost forgot! For those who didn't know, Kenyon and I were sealed this past Saturday at the Oquirrh Mountain Temple! Kenyon surprised me by taking my wedding band and engraving it with "Forever 10/25/10". He's so cute! It was an amazing experience! The spirit is just so strong in the Temple and I hope I remain worthy for a Temple recommend all my life.

Well this post has been long enough without any pictures! Next time perhaps I'll figure out a way to scan the ultrasound so all can see our little creature! The next appointment is November 4th! It seems so far away! I also want to thank all my friends who are mothers who've helped me through all my fears. Trust me they're still there but just a little subdued!

Back in the Lower 48

2010-09-20T20:25:00.001-07:00

Well my friends it appears there's going to be another change of plans! We're currently in Bellingham, Washington and I just finished the most delicious blizzard! Our next step is, we're renting a car tomorrow to pick up our car in Portland, then leaving extremely early Wednesday morning to get to Riverton that night!

We're delaying our travel plans till later in November which means for the next little while we'll be moving in with my mother-in-law in Riverton. She's got an apartment downstairs with 2 bedrooms that we'll be sharing with Kenyon's sister and her husband. Should be a good time!

We're also getting pretty excited about our sealing Saturday! It's going to be awesome!

I don't have any pictures to add but whatevs! At least what's going on in our life is known! Hope everyone is enjoying their transition to fall! It's my favorite season!

Drawing to an End

2010-08-18T19:16:00.000-07:00

Our time here is rainy Ketchikan is FINALLY drawing to an end! Our internet hasn't been working properly so there won't be any pictures for now but all is well in the Petersen world! We're about to enter a very busy part of the summer when lots of fellow employees leave and we're left with a TON of hours at work! This should make for some nice paychecks! At any rate I have a few updates on life!

1. Kenyon and I are getting sealed! I'm wicked excited and I know he is too! We get sealed September 25th at the Oquirrh Mountain Temple! It will be a crazy time right before then because we have about 6 days to get back to Utah after we leave Ketchikan and we've got plans to see some awesome people along the way! The only down side is once we're sealed we're leaving again!

2. We leave Ketchikan September 17th! It should be a hectic day because it's the last busy day of the summer. I get off work that day at 7 and we have to be at the ferry terminal around 8, but at least we're leaving!

3. Once we're done with the ferry ride and the sealing we're headed on a little road trip! Here's what it will consist of:

First to Arizona! My sister-in-law is having her baby and could use some help so we're going down there for around a week and a half.
Once done in Arizona we're headed for Louisiana to visit my dad for a few days and potentially over to Mississippi to visit my Grandma on my mom's side.

After we've finished our time in the South (stopping along the way to see temples and such) we're headed to Illinois to stay with my Nana on my dad's side for a few weeks. It's going to be awesome!

Once done with our adventure we'll head back to Utah to settle down for a bit! We'll be flying my parents out for Christmas so that should make for a nice end of the trip!

We're very excited for all the things along the way and I'm somewhat saddened to note that we will no longer be getting a puppy but don't worry...I'm ok with it! I'll be posting pictures as soon as our internet stops hating us and allows us to post them!

Life in Ketchikan

2010-07-14T10:46:00.000-07:00

For the record my life here in Ketchikan isn't one big adventure/money saver like I thought it was going to be. It's been a lot of fun seeing a different part of the country and meeting new people but its not quite the experience I hoped it would be for various reasons.

1. My Job: my job is a blessing. I'm very thankful to have a job that gives me 39 hours a week guaranteed whereas back in Logan it was whenever Golden Corral was feeling frisky and wanted to give me hours. The problem with my job is that a. I have come to find that I hate sales and b. my boss is kind of a jerk. The sales aspect sucks because as soon as people walk in the door they look at me like I have 2 heads and am only going to sell them crap. Not the case people! It's my job to sell things and I feel like I do it in a non-sharking way. Then when it comes to my boss he doesn't have a clue on how to manage a store. Granted it's his first year managing but still it's not that difficult what he does. He is a nice person but not a good manager. His wife works across the street and he's CONSTANTLY going over there to see her but what does he tell his employees "he's working and making phone calls"...it's total bull. I work in one big hypocrisy! It also doesn't help that his whole family works there and they are what I like to call a little bit sheltered. I'm making it through working there ok but next summer if we come back I'll most likely be looking for a new job.

2. The Church: for those of you who didn't know I absolutely LOVED my ward back in Logan. The people were amazing, very welcoming and we made some awesome friends. Here however the ward has some sort of grudge against those of us who work for the summer. It's quite obnoxious and doesn't make any sense. Because a lot of us work on Sundays from time to time, now would be the easiest time for us to stop going to church all together and fall away so wouldn't you think that we should be fellow shipped even more than the average person? Our first day to church no one talked to us. Then the next time I went I had to go by myself and not a single person approached me. All I got was looks from people. It's hard to want to go to church when you don't know anyone and feel a little lonely. I just keep telling myself that it's the gospel and lessons I'm going for, not the people.

3. The Expenses: I promise that this is one of the last complaints. Alaska is an expensive place to live! I mean we're getting by just fine but we haven't been able to save as much money as we've wanted to. We also have now gotten an estimate on how much it will take to fix our car that currently resides in Portland, OR and its WAY more than we expected. We've worked things out though and we will be able to put away a little bit of money so that's good.

All in all I'm sorry for complaining but this place just isn't what it's cracked up to be. Maybe it's just Ketchikan and the rest of Alaska is cool but I can't seem to get a grip on this place! It rains all the time (that's not an exaggeration) and I'm constantly working (which is good minus the part previously mentioned in this post). I see everyone having fun in the sun in the lower 48 and am incredibly homesick. Don't worry though folks I'm not slipping into depression! The good things here are the friends we've made and the landscape. It's beautiful here!

Thanks for listening to the rant! Here's a few fun pictures so you guys no I don't just stay in my apartment all day and sulk:

Kenyon felt like quite the manly man when he caught a crab in the water with his bare hands!

It took me forever to want to hold it but I did!

Thanks for listening to the rants!

20th Birthday!

2010-06-30T20:19:00.000-07:00

So yesterday was my 20th birthday! It's crazy to think I've been on the earth for 2 decades! For my birthday Kenyon was able to get us on a zip lining excursion! It was a blast and here are some pictures from said adventure!

Here's me getting nervous for the zip line! It was cold and rainy but I was ready!

Our roommate Whitney got to come with us too!

Kenyon and I!

Me actually zip lining!

After we went zip lining, we lounged for a good portion of the day with friends around then we went out to eat to one of my favorite restaurants here called Ocean View! I got the manicotti and then for dessert on your birthday they give you free sopapias! (I have no idea how to spell that. Also for those of you who don't know what those are, they're basically fried dough with cinnamon, sugar, honey and whip cream!) Here are a few pics from that!

I know I look a bit squinty but for the record it was very dim in the restaurant!

They put a big sombrero on you and then sing! It was delish!

For presents I got some awesome stuff from my mom, including the shirt I'm wearing in the above picture, a necklace from Kenyon that I've really been wanting, and a new sweatshirt and sweatpants...here's the outfit!

Thanks everyone for all the birthday wishes!

What I'm saving for...

2010-06-12T21:32:00.000-07:00

Basically the whole reason for this summer is to A. have an adventure but B. make money. I don't know what Kenyon is saving his money for but I have a clear goal in my mind. It keeps me excited about working 8 hour days everyday. So I've decided to illustrate my blog with a few pictures since I haven't posted any of us for the past few times!

Because we're not having one of these for now...:
(I don't know whose baby this is but it's really cute and I thought it'd be good for the content!)

...we're going to get one of these when we come home at the end of September/beginning of October:
That's right we're getting a Boston Terrier puppy! We want a little girl and are playing around with funny names for now! Let me know if you have any suggestions!

I'm really excited about this guys! I would rather have the first one but right now is not our time so the second will do!

I'll post more pictures of our actual life soon but I figured now you all know what I'm saving for here in Ketchikan!

1 Year Anniversary

2010-05-30T13:22:00.000-07:00

May 29th a year ago Kenyon and I were married at his home ward in Riverton! It's been quite a crazy first year but I'm still in love with him! To celebrate our new friends Toby and Sandra who work for a jeep excursion company got us a free jeep tour! It was way fun but way dusty and bumpy! Later that night we went to dinner with our 2 married couple friends and came back to the apartment for ice cream!

I'm so happy I married Kenyon and I can't wait till we're sealed when we get back from Alaska! The first picture I'm posting is my favorite picture from our wedding! We were just soooooo tired as everyone whose been married is after their day of pictures and festivities and I want to have it framed someday 'cause I LOVE IT!

These 2 are from the excursion:

The Jeeps!

My man and I!

I have a few more pictures that I'll post at a later time but for the excursion we went on a jeep ride along old logging trails, then canoed to a place where we ate lunch and went a nature hike, then more jeeping to this really pretty overlook! It was a lot of fun!

Tide Pooling!

2010-05-30T12:51:00.000-07:00

So on Friday the 28th we decided to go look at tide pools with some of our new friends Don and Heather and this is from our adventure!

Starfish! The starfish here are soooo cool! I mean I'm sure they're cool elsewhere but I've never seen them so I think they're cool!

This one had 6 legs and was a little baby one!

Orange one and multi-legged one!

My goofy husband!

We all decided to try the local seafood!...JK!

US!

Some Pics From Alaska Life

2010-05-19T08:51:00.000-07:00

Some pictures from the trip and of Alaska life!

Portland Oregon Temple! It's beautiful in there!

Us on the ferry! That was an adventure in itself!

Look how big the slugs are here!!!!

I'll post more pictures once I start taking them! All of the ones here came from Kenyon!

This might be a long one...

2010-05-18T22:17:00.000-07:00

Ok so for the past few days I've been in somewhat of a funk. I think it's a combination of homesickness, exhaustion, various other little things.

1. Homesickness: I never thought I'd be missing Utah be I really am! I feel like I'm missing out on everything! Don't get me wrong I'm incredibly grateful for this opportunity Kenyon and I have been given but I'm missing the little things! I'm missing seeing our nieces and nephews grow and play, I'm missing my friends babies being born (SARAH CARR), I'm missing being with family and friends! It sounds like I'm complaining but I really am blessed to be here and making money!

2. Exhaustion: I have never worked so much! I'm getting 40 hours a week plus! It's great because we'll be making lots of money which is the reason we came all the way up here but I'm sooooo tired at the end of the day! All I want to do is sleep when I get home!

3. Various Other Little Things: This is one of the biggest reasons I think I'm in the funk that I'm in. Kenyon and I have chatted and we've decided to wait before we keep trying to get pregnant (for those who don't know I was pregnant but miscarried in March) and this has been a bit hard on me. It seems that everyone around me either is pregnant or has just had their baby. This is awesome and I feel really happy and excited for the previously mentioned people but every time I hear about it I get teary eyed. I keep thinking from time to time about the baby I would have had and how far along I would be or what it would look like. I hope that doesn't sound crazy. Everyone keeps telling me that it's just not my time or it'll come but for some reason it just doesn't help me. I've been praying about it but I just can't shake this feeling. I just think I need to find something to keep my mind off of it.

I hope this post didn't sound complainy or whiney but it's nice to have an outlet to get things off of my chest.

On a different note I think I'm getting the hang of this blog stuff! I'm really liking it so far!

Thanks for listening!

First Attempt!

2010-05-17T22:14:00.001-07:00

Ok so I'm attempting to start a blog but I'm still trying to work the kinks out! Let me know what you think! I've got a lot of stuff I want to blog about but I'm not sure how to get everything started! So this is the beginnings and it'll form from here!