Katelyn Mae Stonehocker

 

My last pregnancy picture, hurray!  THIRTY SEVEN and a half weeks! We took this shot as we were walking into the hospital Monday morning.  Due to a condition I developed called cholestasis of pregnancy, KATELYN had to come a little early.

The C-section went really well.  A rougher ride then I remember but Joshua was there to hold my hand (and watch) through the whole thing.  When they pulled her out Joshua said "she has some hair", and the nurse said "no, she has lots of hair!"  I was really excited, and almost didn't believe them.  She was 7lbs. 9oz.  After the delivery Katelyn couldn't leave the nursery so I couldn't see her.  Joshua was so wonderful.  He spent the whole time going back and forth from the nursery to my room to check on Katelyn and then give me updates (including pictures) so I could see how she was doing.  Five  hours later I pulled myself into a wheelchair so Joshua could wheel me down to the nursery, and I finally got to hold my baby. And even with all the tubes and wires she was PERFECTLY BEAUTIFUL.  Because she was a little early Katelyn needed some TLC so she spent the first two days in the NICU.

Lizzy had been with my mom excitedly waiting until the time when she could come to the hospital and meet her new baby sister.  Joshua and I were with Katelyn in the nursery when I looked up to see Lizzy and my mom looking through the glass windows.  Lizzy was so excited, with a look of pure JOY on her face, I thought she was going to try to come through the glass. One of my favorite days at the hospital was when Lizzy came and we spent the morning together just the two of us.  We ordered breakfast and ate it in my bed while we watched cartoons, and held Katelyn. Lizzy is such good BIG SISTER and is so in love with baby Kate! 
(can't keep her lips off her) 

34 weeks

   So I generally make it a rule not to write in my journal about being pregnant, for fear that re-reading my thoughts and FEELINGS about my ever expanding body may prevent the conception of any further off-spring.  However I feel inclined to put some of my thoughts down today.  I am now 34 weeks pregnant.  I have started to experience pre-term contractions and so my doctor, fearing the contractions will lead to labor, has put me on modified bed rest.  This has been a really hard thing for me and we're only on week one.  However what I wish to document today are some of the BLESSINGS that I have been able to see in my life because of the mandatory yellow light placed in front of me. 
   I have the most AMAZING HUSBAND in the whole world!  And now he also gets the title of best house wife in the whole world.  He comes home from a full school and work day, takes over Lizzy duty, cleans, cooks and carts the laundry up and down the stairs. Joshua will send me texts thought the day asking what I am doing to relax.  I am so blessed to have him in my life! 
   I have the most amazing little girl in the whole world!  Lizzy is the most CAPABLE three year old!  We've explained to her that mom can't pick her up anymore and she is treating that like the law.  She gets out of her seat belt all by herself, she gets her stool so she can wash her hands by herself, she even walks herself to time out.  Her every PRAYER includes "bless mommy's tummy that it won't hurt"
  The Power of positive thinking. Attitude truly is everything! Today will be a GREAT DAY because I say it's going to be, and so will tomorrow for that matter.  Even if I get nothing done but make my bed and read some books with Lizzy.  Tomorrow will be a great day!
   I am so EXCITED to have this baby, and not just so that I can be done being pregnant.  But because I already love her so much.  I love my little family and I know that when you add family members the LOVE GROWS EXPONENTIALLY. 

26.2 miles

 My dad is one amazing man but last weekend he truly outdid himself.  My father ran a MARATHON!!  The Huff to Bluff marathon, 26.2 miles.  The whole family went down to southern Utah to support him.  We surprised dad with TEAM TUCKER shirts.  It was such a fun weekend!  I'm so proud of my old man!  He ran the whole thing and in under five hours! Of course if you ask Lizzy the highlight of the trip was the hotel swimming pool.

 

Happy Anniversary

 

Joshua and I celebrated our one year wedding anniversary on the 7th of May.  ONE YEAR!  Wow!  We Had such a fun weekend.  We went up to Salt Lake City and stayed in the downtown Marriott.  It was so nice to have some uninterrupted Josh and Meagan time.  We went to the TEMPLE, shopped, ate, saw some movies, did some more shopping, and then ate some more.  What more could a pregnant girl ask for?  This past year has been the HAPPIEST of my life!  I am so blessed to have such an amazing husband!  Happy Anniversary babe, I love you TO THE MOON!   

April 2011; Moving day

  It should be a crime to move when you are 29 weeks pregnant.  But it feels good to have it over and done with.  I couldn't have done it with out my WONDERFUL FAMILY!  I put everything in boxes and they all came over and moved us in one night.  Of course that meant that everything we owned ended up in the front room of our new apartment, but that just makes for a great BEFORE SHOT, right?  The after shot is coming soon I promise. We love our new apartment.  We're living in my GRANDMA MONA'S basement.  It has so much more space and we love getting to spend time with Grandma. 

April 2011; Easter

  HAPPY EASTER!  I have decided that I hate holidays like Easter and Halloween, where the holiday results in my daughter having way too much candy in her possession.   I end up spending the large part of the next few days telling her "no more candy," or "I think we've had enough TREATS for today."  Joshua and I filled her basket with everything non-candy; PJ's, bath toys, socks, etc.   And yet some how we still ended up with baskets of candy.  I guess that's what happens when you live close to all your grandmas.  It was a really busy Easter: Easter basket hunt, church, time with Matt, dinner at my aunts, then second dinner at Joshua's parents.  I love being able to see everyone on the holidays.  And I love teaching my little girl that the reason that we celebrate Easter is because CHRIST was resurrected.  I am so grateful for my Savior and for my loving family whom I get to be with forever.

March 2011; Fun at the Farm

  Not much happened in March.  But we did take a FAMILY FIELD TRIP to a little farm in Goshen Utah.  They had lots of animals.  Lizzy's favorite were the BABY GOATS.  This little farm was so adorable!  Someday Joshua and I would love to have a house where we could have chickens and horses, now we think we might add goats to the list.  It was a really fun afternoon TOGETHER.   

Febuary 2011; Pregnant! It's a Girl!

  We're PREGNANT!! And in February we found out it's a girl!  Joshua and I signed up for an insurance plan where you have to wait two months before you start trying to get pregnant.  Those were two very long months.  And then I think we must have gotten pregnant the day we started trying, because the affective date is July first and our BABY GIRL is coming July 5th! We found out in September that we were pregnant but we waited until Christmas to tell anyone.  We had Lizzy tell our families and they all flipped!  It was lots of fun!  Liz is so excited to be a BIG SISTER and even more excited that it's a girl.  The day we went to find out the sex Lizzy said "I hope the doctor sees lots of pink in there!"  She is going to be the best big sister.   We have decided to name our new little addition KATELYN, or as Lizzy says, "Little Baby Katelyn". She's already such a big part of our family.

December 2010; Christmas

 

  Ho Ho Ho MERRY CHRISTMAS! Writing this blog has made me realize I need to take more pictures!  And maybe include Joshua and I in some of them.  This Christmas was so wonderful.  This year Lizzy asked SANTA for  "Hungry hungry Hip-no-potamusses", and good old St. Nick delivered!  We spent Christmas Eve at my parents.  It was so fun to see Lizzy's face Christmas morning.  She also got Hullabaloo, a fun cranium game, and her very own Book of Mormon. We got to talk to Bubba (Conner) who is on his mission in California via video chat.  Then headed over to the Stonehocker's for some FAMILY TIME.  It was a very merry Christmas.     

November 2010; Thanksgiving

  We decided to spend this Thanksgiving in ARIZONA.  Both of Joshua's brothers, and their wonderful families, live down there and it was the perfect excuse to take a little family trip. It was so nice to get to spend time with them.  It was an amazing THANKSGIVING FEAST with lots of leftovers.  Jacqui made us homemade candles and place settings that we all got to light as we told what we were thankful for.  I feel so BLESSED in my life, I have so many many things to be thankful for! 

Novebmer 2010; Puerto Vallarta

   Talk about a family DREAM vacation!  In November my parents took the whole family on a trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  We did so many fun things on this trip, and the MEMORIES have gotten me through this long cold winter.  We stayed at this amazing hotel right on the beach, so beautiful.  We sipped PINA COLADA on the beach and watched the sun set. Our beach is a nesting spot for sea turtles.  Joshua and I got to watch a sea turtle bury her eggs in the sand, then make her way back to the water.  We also got to visit the sea turtle shelter and help release BABY TURTLES.  It was awesome!  We took an all day snorkeling boat trip extravaganza.  Joshua went parasailing.  I got a wonderful massage from the hotel spa. The whole family went ZIP-LINING through the jungle.  We rode mules, built sand castles, took naps, read books, soaked in the hot tubs, raced down the water slides,  haggled with shop owners, went through bottles and bottles of sunscreen, ate at amazing taco stands, and spent time together laughing and joking.  I love my FAMILY and my wonderful husband so much!  We had a blast and will remember this vacation forever.

  This post wouldn't be complete without mentioning "Lizzy's Week Of Fun"  This was the longest time I had been away form my little girl.  I planed out the week for her staying with friends and family.  We called it "Lizzy's week of fun"  Lizzy and I both did really well but I sure was glad to have her back in my arms at the end of the week!!

 

October 2010; Halloween

 This HALLOWEEN Lizzy wanted to be everything from a cookie to Little Red Riding Hood.  I was just glad that she picked and stuck with a witch, although she did have a fit as soon as I put on my cat ears. She said that she wanted to be a cat and I should wear her WITCH outfit.  We started Halloween off with a Halloween parade for Pre-School. So cute!  They had learned a few Halloween songs like "I'm a mean old witch" and "Five little PUMPKINS" One of our favorite costumes in her class was the little boy who came as a pink butterfly.  That night Joshua had to work so he missed out on dressing up and TRUNK-OR-TREATING.  Conner was wonderful came with us instead.  It was lots of fun.  Although Lizzy did cry when I told her she couldn't use her hands to eat the doughnut off the string.