"Santa Baby"

December 25, 2008

Just walked in the door from the hospital on Christmas morning and opening my second Christmas gift.  Nate was my first and greatest gift.

Baby Nate

Nathan William was born at 11:16 pm.  He is 7 pounds 9 ounces and 20 3/4 inches.  Mom and baby are doing well.

Marie in labor

Josh visits Santa Claus and update on Pregnancy

JOSH VISITS SANTA CLAUS AT WARD CHRISTMAS PARTY

Josh wasn't a fan of sitting of Santa's lap, but he really wanted to ask Santa for a baseball bat.  Josh though it would be fine to sit on the rocking horse next to Santa.  He quietly asked for his baseball bat.  I have a hunch that Josh has been a pretty good boy this year.  Maybe next year he'll sit on Santa's lap.

JOSH SAYS THE DARNEDEST THINGS

On Monday, we had an FHE that John planned.  After the song and prayer John said, "I have a surprise for you Josh."  Josh's reply was a very enthusiastic "Santa's coming?"  Not quite yet.  The surprise was a small photo book of Josh, friends, and family.  John had a cute story with it that really helped with Josh's understanding of the new baby coming.  John did such a great job!  The next day Josh talked to me for 30 minutes about baby Nate!  He is starting to understand!  He is really going to understand here in just a few days!

UPDATE ON PREGNANCY

I went to my very last OB visit for the pregnancy this morning!  Yeah!  I have a scheduled induction on Tuesday December 23rd, unless I go into labor on my own.  We are going to bring home the best Christmas gift ever (if everything goes well) a brand new baby boy on Christmas Day!  This will definitely be an unforgettable Christmas!

Christmas Time & Pregnancy Pics

Here's the Pregnancy Pics.  I'm about 36 1/2 weeks or 37 weeks here.  My official due date (or in other words the due date my doctor is going by) is December 22.  That's just 16 days away!  On Monday I'll be 38 weeks (just 2 days away).  I had Josh at 38 weeks.  I'm pretty sure this baby won't come that early, but I guess you never really know.  Ahhhh, I hope I'm ready and on the other hand I'm totally ready!  My other due date from ultrasound is December 31st!  It will be interesting to see when this baby actually comes.

  I think it would be so fun to have a new baby to hold Christmas morning, since we are celebrating the birth of our Saviour.  Since I'm due the week of Christmas, I've thought so much about Christ's birth this year and reflected much on what Mary & Joseph must have been feeling.  Christ was brought into this world in the most humblest of circumstances.  I know that he is our Saviour and our Redeemer.  I'm so grateful for the power that the atonement brings into our lives.  I hope that this holiday season that we can take the time to reflect on our Saviour and all that he has blessed us with.

John & Josh setting up the Christmas Tree!  I love Christmas!

Trip to St. Louis in November

John had an interview at Washington University (Wash U) on November 14th and 15th.  We decided to make it into a family trip to visit our good friends, the Bylunds.  They were so nice to let us stay with them.  After 2 days of interviews and dinners, John drove from St. Louis to Gainesville, Florida (14 hour drive) for another interview and Josh and I stayed at the Bylunds for a few extra days. When you are about a month away from having a baby, driving in the car for 14 hours just didn't sound fun.  Josh and Grace had a blast together.  They get along so well! We did some fun things like go the the Children's Museum, Library, a really neat park, and we drove downtown by the river and saw the Arch and the hospital.   

Today Josh called Grace on his pretend cell phone and pretended to talk to her.  He talks about Grace and her house all the time.  He really misses her.  I'm glad that he got to spend so much time with her.

Josh and Grace on the Tite Rope at the Magic House (Children's Museum)

Josh Fishing at the Magic House

Josh and Grace Holding Hands

Halloween 2008

Josh with his friends Sam & Elizabeth trick-or-treating at our Apartment Complex.  

Josh had fun trick-or-treating with his friends.  He always wanted to eat the candy that he got at each house, but I usually didn't let him and tried to encourage him to put it in his basket.  We'd get to the next home and he'd put the candy from the last house into Elizabeth's bag and get a new one and wanted to eat it.  It was funny, he ended up with less candy this way and Elizabeth ended up with a little more.  We did get some of his candy back.  

October 2008

John, Josh, and I went on a couple of his residency interviews together.  Our first stop was Peoria, IL.  That night we all got sick and we didn't sleep more than a few hours in the hotel, since Josh didn't sleep and he just roamed around the room all night.  The next day John woke up without a voice.  All his interviews John just whispered and you could hardly understand him even when he whispered.  After John finished his interviews we headed to Indianapolis, Indiana to visit our friends John & Mel and their daughters (Hailey & Kate).  On our way their we found out that their entire family was sick too.  We had a great time although we were all under the weather.  John did get his voice back a little for his Indiana interview, thank goodness.

Here is a picture of Josh and Kate reading a book together.

September 2007

Our visit to John & Mel's a year ago.  Hailey and Josh have changed so much since then.

Josh and Tess

September 2008

I know that I'm still a good month behind in blogging.  Mostly because I think it is fun to reminisce and because it usually takes me about a month to finally download pictures from my camera.  

For the month of September John did a sub-internship at the U of U.  We were so lucky to stay with the Bailey family.  They were so nice and treated us as though we were family.  Josh immediately made a new best friend who also became a full-time baby sitter.  That friend was Tess (a white Labrador).  He still asks for Tess all the time.  Poor kid, Josh may never have a pet of his own, but he sure loved having a dog for a month.  

Visiting Temple Square

September 2008

Josh had way too much fun playing in the reflecting pool at temple square.  In only a few minutes Josh was soaking wet, even though it was quite chili outside.  He absolutely refused to leave, he loves water!

Josh looking at the Temple and the water in awe.

Josh pointing to the temple and talking about everything he sees around him, he is becoming quite the talker.

Josh talks about Jesus Christ all the time and one of his favorite movies is "Finding Faith in Christ,"  which he calls "Jesus Christ movie."  He actually watches the entire movie.

Something really funny about Josh is that everyday without fail Josh will announce, "Clean up, watch Jesus Christ Movie" and then before I can say anything he starts cleaning up all his toys while singing the "clean-up" song.  He knows that I can't say no if he cleans up, he's a smart boy.  He does this with any movie he wants to watch.  What do I do if it is the 2nd or 3rd time he cleans-up?  Do I really let him watch all those movies in the day?  Still it is cute and I really enjoy having a clean home, especially when I don't have to clean it up myself!

September 2008 Visiting Friends

Josh and Andrew(Elisa's boy)

Visiting Elisa(good friend from BYU nursing school).

Elephant parade in Salt Lake City

Josh and Zac in awe seeing the elephants so up close.

Jill(good friend from college) came to the Elephant parade at the Gateway Mall with her cute daughter, Ella.  

It was fun to see friends and for our kids to have fun together.  I also got to see Wendi and we got to go to Cafe Rio without our kids, it was fun to be able to talk without the usual distractions.  I also got to go visit Jocelyn and her daughter Abby at their home.  Ericka Winkefield and her son Nickolas came to visit us as well as Nancy Kirk and her daughters (Abby, Anna, and Megan).   I miss my friends.  I have such great friends and hope that the next time I'm in Utah, I get to see some of my friends that I wasn't able to see.

September 2008 and the Hoogle Zoo

Josh loved the Hoogle Zoo.  He got to go twice; the first time with Mom and Dad and the second time with Grandma Stephens.  To say he loved it is an understatement.  He talks about the zoo several times everyday.  His favorite animal was the elephant, but he loved them all.

September 2008 and BYU Football

John and I got to enjoy the good old days of going to BYU football games.  We went to the BYU vs. Wyoming.  Of course BYU won and played well.  It was a blast and I was able to run into some old college friends that I hadn't seen for almost 5 years.  We sat by John's brothers for the first half and then my Dad and my brother Ben for the second half.  It was a fun date!

September 2008 Hanging out with Grandma and Grandpa Stephens

For the month of September John, Josh, and I headed to Salt Lake City for John to do a sub-internship at the University of Utah in Neurosurgery.  John had a really good experience and Josh and I were able to spend a lot of time with family and friends.

Grandma taught Josh to swim and took him to the Hoogle Zoo.  Josh was spoiled with attention from his grandparents and uncles on the Stephens side and of course the Edwards side as well.

Josh jumping in the pool to Grandma Stephens

Josh hanging out with Grandpa Stephens

Lake Powell August 2008

Gary and Scotty

John wake boarding.  He is so good at both water skiing(slalom) and wake boarding.  I love to watch him every time.

Becca and Nate.  We actually got a picture of Nate smiling, Yeah!

Gary, Becca, John, Chantell, Ricci, and Scott on banana boat.

Our evening family walks on the beach.

Marie & Becca (One of my best memories with Becca was the night when John and I got engaged.  As soon as we got home to John's house everyone was waiting up and Becca was first to say "Yeah, I now have a sister" and I immediately replied "Me too!")

Josh giving Dad a high five after jumping off the water slide.  Josh couldn't get enough he loved it.  They probably went off the slide 10 to 15 times, until Dad was too tired to go anymore.

Sunrise at Lake Powell(photo taken by Shawna).  Isn't this place beautiful.

John and Becca comparing tans.  This is what happens when you go to medical school, you no longer get a tan.

Gary and John(John's dad).  John's dad went on a six hour paddle boat ride.  Gary did the first three hour and my John(Johnny) did the last three hours.  John's dad of course did the entire 6 hours.  Wow!

Another family evening walk on the beach.  I love the beach!

Marie wake boarding at 6 months pregnant!  It was so much fun!  I only wish I could have waterskiied.  I'm afraid that I would have torn a stomach muscle with all the changes that your belly goes through during pregnancy.  I was a little sad because this was the first summer in 10 years that I hadn't waterskiied.  Waterskiing is one of my biggest passions.  Hopefully next year.

Josh laughing hysterically on the beach.  Josh loved the beach and played for hours and hours on end in the sand and water.

Becca and Nate hiding from the camera