Last Day

Today was officially my last day of work at UConn. Although, luckily, I didn't actually have to go back to work. I am now a "work at home" mom. I have never liked the term stay at home mom because it sounds like you aren't doing much. I beg to differ and I am sure other moms would say the same thing. I am so grateful for the blessing of being able to stay home with Eli! I know that it was an answer to prayers. I know that my Heavenly Father loves me and he loves each of his children.

Two Months

I am a bit late, but I thought I'd post some photos of Eli at two months. I can't believe we've had him with us that long! He is starting to raise his head and chest up while on his tummy, roll from his side to his back, and smile a lot. His smiles just make your heart melt. We love our sweet boy and we are enjoying his happy disposition. He does have hair by the way, but it is getting very light in color. He also still has blue eyes, so he may end up with blue eyes. He would be keeping with the Allen grandkid tradition if he did. All of his Allen side cousins have blue eyes. He loves music, listening to stories, and being tickled. He is a joy to have around!

Pictures at 1 month and News

I know there have been several people who want to see more pictures of Elijah. He has already changed so much since he was born, I can hardly believe it. I also wanted to add a picture of Michael and I to show that we are still alive and not too sleep deprived. We are enjoying being parents and we love our little boy. Both sets of grandparents got to visit soon after Eli was born. Uncle Matthew also got to come and see the baby.

I also wanted to mention that Michael got a job! He will be starting sometime this week we hope. We are so excited about this turn of events. It all happened so fast that it is still sinking in. We are so grateful for all of the faith and prayers on our behalf as Michael was looking for a job. It is a tough market right now and we are extremely grateful to Heavenly Father for the blessing of a job!

He's Here

Our beautiful baby boy arrived September 16th and our waiting came to an end. He is 3 weeks old now. I can't believe it!! He was 6lb 13oz and 19 inches long and had the ideal amount of hair (in my opinion). Elijah Michael quickly stole our hearts with his curious and calm nature. We are so grateful to have him in our home!

Waiting

Well, we have just about 2 weeks until our baby is due. We are waiting to hear back on the job front for Michael. Much of what we will be doing for the next little while is waiting.

We got moved into our house at the beginning of August. Michael has been very helpful at unpacking and getting things put away and in order. Although I want to help and I did do some, I find that my energy level is so varied and I get worn out really easy. Pregnancy requires just about all of my energy, well that and work. I am still plugging along at work. I will have to post some pictures of our new house once I get a chance to take some. We are really enjoying being in our own place!

Since we moved, we now have a whole new area to explore. We found this really pretty spot called Diana's pool and we took a little trip there last weekend. We took a walk and took some pictures. I hadn't really posted many pictures of me pregnant, but this is one of me at about 37 weeks. It really looks like I have a basketball in my shirt. =)

This picture is of the waterfall there at Diana's Pool. Connecticut has some beautiful spots!

Well, probably the next time I post we will have baby pictures to post. We are both very excited to welcome our new little one into our home. We are really hoping he is healthy and that all goes well with the birth and delivery. It will be an exciting new adventure to become parents. I am sure it will also be very exhausting, but well worth it.

We're Still Here

Well, it has been a long time since I posted on the blog. We have been extremely busy and so much is going on. Since it has been awhile there is much more to tell than I have time. I am writing this during a break in packing.

As many of you know, we were in the process of buying a house. We closed on it today and tomorrow we move in. We have joined the ranks of homeowners! It has been exciting and stressful going through the process. It is safe to say that finishing up that was quite a load off. Since we are moving tomorrow, this week has been jam packed with packing, cleaning, and trips to buy needed supplies. Thankfully, we have had a lot of help from our friends and our ward here in the process.

As you can see from my pregnancy counter, the baby will be coming in just 6 1/2 weeks! We still have quite a bit of prep to do before he comes, but we are excited. It will be an interesing adventure. I am excited for the new addition to our family. If you are wondering about names, we aren't sure either. We have narrowed it down to two, but we may have to wait to see him to decide. I am still fairly comfortable aside from a sore back and feet, but I am pretty sure it just comes with the territory. =)

Michael finished up the last of his hours and one final paper he had for graduation. He will officially be done on August 22nd!! I am glad he is now done with that. He has been feverishly applying for jobs since he finished in May. He has had a couple of good prospects and even an interview last week. Hopefully he will be able to find something soon.

I am still working at University of Connecticut and I hope to finish up just before the baby comes if everything works out. Although, I may have to head back to work for a little while after I take my leave. That will be tough, but I am sure we will be able to work things out if we need to. It is all still up in the air as far as that goes.

Well, that is the major event update. I keep telling Michael that the next time we are going to have a baby we need to not have anything else going on. I get frustrated that I can't do what I could before and I never know when I am going to burst into tears. Aw the joys of pregnancy!

It will likely be awhile before I update this again, what with moving and everything. I just wanted to let everyone know we are still here and that we are making it through!

26 weeks

I am at 26 weeks now. I can't believe the baby will be here in 3 months! This is me on the Boardwalk in Niantic, CT. We went there this weekend with some friends of ours, the Huffs. We were afraid it would be a rainy day, but it ended up being pretty nice. We got a good walk in and enjoyed seeing the ocean. We also went to the Book Barn and browsed for some used books. I wish I read faster! There is never enough time to read all of the good books there are out there.

Our House

We are in the process of buying a house. Since many of your are not here to see the house, we took some pictures at least of the outside to post for everyone to see. We will have to post inside pictures once we get closer to moving in.

Weekend Getaway

I never got a chance to post pictures from our weekend getaway toward the end of May. We went to Kent Falls State Park and stayed in a bed and breakfast in Bristol. It was fun!

I had no idea that there was sign out there that said this, but if you ever see one, turn around! It is a pretty good scare tactic and it worked for me.

Michael at Kent Falls State Park

Kent Falls! It was beautiful. This is only a small section of it. It falls some 300 feet or so.

Cornwall covered bridge - It reminded me of Indiana.

The bed and breakfast in Bristol. It reminded me of the scene in Pride and Prejudice where they are all sitting talking and one of Mr. Darcy's sister's asks Elizabeth to take a turn about the room. It was a pretty cool place!

Of hours, babies, and planning

Michael now has over 500 hours of supervised therapy under his belt. He had to get 500 hours of client contact in order to finish up his MFT program and be officially done. He can tell you that the last bit was a rush to the finish. Although, we were disappointed to learn that even though he did get all of his hours done in time, he will still be graduating in August officially. We are hoping that this won't prevent him from getting a job before then. He is relieved, though, to now just be able to finish up his last week of his internship this week and enjoy the last bit without the crunch of hours.

I am feeling more and more pregnant every day. I am now almost 25 weeks along. I can't believe how quickly it has gone by, but at the same time I can't believe that I have 15 more weeks for my belly to grow. I guess the nice thing is that by the end I will have a really strong back from carrying the extra weight. I am also beginning to realize how little time 15 weeks is to prepare to have a baby. Where did the time go?

I would like to say that not much else is going on but that would be a lie. We are extremely busy planning and figuring out things. Life comes at you fast and it definitely throws curve balls. To detail everything would take too long and bore you so let me just say that things are going well and we are keeping out of trouble. =) I can say, though, that the last while I have been so grateful for prayer and for a loving Heavenly Father. I know that if we let Him, he will lead us along and guide us through the Spirit. I know that despite the challenges, if we rely on our Savior and our Father in Heaven we can learn and find the right way to go.

A Full Month

It has been a very busy month for us. It has been hard to find time to sit down and write anything, especially since Michael had a gazillion (yes I made that up) papers and projects to do and he needed the computer. Things are much less hectic now and I finally have a chance to look back and figure out what happened.

First of all, we had our first full anatomy ultrasound at the beginning of this month. Michael got to be there and so it was a really neat experience. We found out that we are having a baby boy!!!! The due date wasn't really changed. We are still on for around September 22nd. We will see when he actually makes his appearence. Several people have asked for a picture of me pregnant. Well, the picture below is me at around 20 weeks. I am currently about 22 weeks. My belly has really started to grow now and I am wearing maternity clothes and feeling pretty comfortable minus the heartburn and an upset tummy. I never know what a new day will bring being pregnant.

Michael's parents and his sister Joni and her husband Chase came into town the weekend of May 8-10. We got to go down to the coast on Friday and do some site-seeing with Michael's parents. As you can tell, we had a lot of fun and picked up some pretty cool shells.

That evening there was a graduation party for all of my Michael's MFT cohort. All ten of them were there and each was recognized in turn for all of their hard work. It has been fun getting to know all of them. There are a couple of pictures below from the party. They can be a pretty crazy bunch!

Saturday was an extra special day! Michael graduated!!!! I was so glad that his parents and family got to be there with him. It was definitely a tough two years for him and I am proud of him for sticking it out to the end. He is now an MA, well once he finishes a couple more clinical hours.

Michael with Jonathan the Husky (the UConn mascot)

Michael and Eric - the bookends (the only two guys in the program)

The whole MFT crew

We were sad to see family leave after such a short visit, but we were so glad that they got to come. It is much less hectic around our house now and we are finally getting some much needed sleep. We are hoping to get away this weekend for a much needed mini-vacation.

One Month...

Well, I have been at my "new" job for about a month now. I was transferred from the Chemistry department to the Physics department at University of Connecticut. They transferred me in an effort to keep me away from the harmful chemicals that I have to work at my job in chemistry as a lab tech. It was such a relief to find out that I wouldn't have to work with chemicals anymore while I am pregnant. It was also an answer to prayer to have it happen as well. I was about at wits end with my job in Chemistry anymore. It is a long story, but lets just say that it has been for the best for me to move to Physics. I am loving my new job, my co-workers, and the new atmosphere. I know that Heavenly Father is aware of us and that he will never call us to pass through anything that we can't handle. Sometimes he will have to stretch us so that we can handle it, though. I know that he loves me and that he is aware of me and my needs.

Back to Posting

I wanted to share a little bit about how things have been going for us in mostly cold and rainy Connecticut.  (As a side note, we had snow flurries today.  Where is Spring?  I am still waiting for it to come!)

For Spring Break, we went down to Mystic, CT for a couple of days.  We stayed in a Bed & Breakfast that we went to last year for Spring Break.  We really enjoyed this mid-semester diversion.  I really wished that we could have stayed longer.  We went to a Sub museum, Olde Mistick Village, and an Old Lighthouse.  There are some pictures below.  The best part, though, wasn't the site-seeing, but the chance to relax and spend time together!

Michael and I went to the Submarine Base museum in Groton, CT.  It is actually run by the US Navy and it was really cool.  The best part was that it was free and there were all kinds of cool exhibits and we got to go on an actual submarine.

Michael on the U.S.S. Nautilus.  This was the first Nuclear sub ever built and it is also the first submarine to go to the North Pole.  Michael really enjoyed the museum and although I wasn't sure I would, it was really cool.

Olde Mistick Village - It is mainly a shopping area but we got some good cheese and fudge.  Mmmm!

This is the old lighthouse that we saw.  I was disappointed that we didn't get to go inside.  I think it must only be open during the busy tourist season.

One other really big thing that I had this month was the Cub Scout Blue & Gold Dinner.  I am a Cub Scout Den Leader (just in case you didn't know).  So, my Assistant (partner in crime =)) and I put it together along with the Webelos leader and it turned out really well.  It was a little weird to be the one in charge of a big event like this, but all in all it went well.  There were several scouts who had significant achievements and I was so proud of them!

Michael and I really enjoyed General Conference this past weekend.  We got to watch all of the sessions (except Priesthood) on the internet.  I am grateful to have computers and the internet!  I really felt so rejuvenated from all of the inspiring talks and messages.  I can't wait to read them all.  It is truly a blessing to have prophets and apostles on the earth today to lead and guide us in our lives!

As far as baby news, we have our ultrasound scheduled in early May and hopefully we will find out if we're having a boy or a girl.  So far, I can still wear most of my normal clothes with the assistance of a wonderful thing called a tummy sleeve.  This way I can wear my regular pants and not have to button them!!  I have taken a few pictures of my growing belly, but really you still can't really tell that I am pregnant so I will spare you. =)  Mostly it just looks like I have gained a few pounds.

Anyway, hope everyone has a Happy Easter on Sunday!

Happy news!

Well, I have happy news to share with everyone!  Michael and I are happy to announce that we are going to have a baby!  We will be welcoming a new member to our family in September.  The baby's due date is September 22.  We are super excited.  I got to hear the baby's heart beat today.  After hearing that it all seems more real now.  Well, that and that fact that my back aches and my pants are tighter. =)

It will be interesting what with us probably moving, Michael graduating and looking for a job, and now preparing for a new baby.  Life sure comes in waves, doesn't it?!  It looks like 2009 will be pretty full for us.

Anyway, we are super excited and the next little while should be quite an adventure.

Surprise!

The last week has been pretty hard for me at work.  Just when I think things have leveled off and can't get any crazier or more hard to deal with, it does! AAHHH!  But, luckily I have a wonderful husband who helps me out so much.

On Friday I had work until 5:30pm, but Michael got done earlier than normal.  He had the majority of the afternoon to work on homework and such.  Well, he surprised me by cleaning the entire house!  He washed up all of the dishes, cleaned the bathroom, and picked up all of the random piles here and there.  It had been a particularly hard day and when I got home it was such a surprise!  I thought I'd have to clean a good portion of the day on Saturday, but I got the day off!  He always seems to do things like that for me just when I need them.

In other news, Michael and I are going to sing in a Talent Show on Saturday for our ward.  We have had fun working on our song together.  Hopefully it will go well.  I am thinking that I might also bake some goodies to take since cooking is one of my favorite things to do.  Although, I am not sure if it is a talent, but I definitely enjoy it and Michael and I haven't starved yet.  =)

It is only two weeks until Spring Break and I am excited about that.  We are taking a couple of days off and we are planning to do something fun.  We haven't quite decided yet what we are going to do, but I am sure we'll find something.

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!  I am glad that this year Valentine's Day is on Saturday.  Michael and I will actually get to do something together!  I hope that everyone has a happy day!  I still have to figure out something to do for Michael.  I never know what to do for a guy on a holiday like Valentine's Day.  Any suggestions?

Well, everything is going fine here.  We are getting through the semester so far.  We have just 3 months until Michael will graduate and we are super excited!  The key will be to get through those months.  That will be the hard part. =)  We are excited that Michael's parents and his sister and brother in law are going to be able to come to the graduation.

Other than that, things are pretty ordinary.  I set a goal to read 50 books in 2009.  I am somewhat behind at this point because I got bogged down in a really long book.  But, I have 4 books so far.  If you have any book suggestions let me know since I have a lot to go to reach my goal!

Last Semester

On Tuesday we start our last semester at University of Connecticut. Michael is finishing up his program this semester and will be graduating in May and I am working my last semester there as well. I am excited, but also a little nervous. This will likely be the most busy semester we have had so far since we have been here. The time has gone by very quickly. I can't believe the program is already almost over! We have begun the job search for Michael and although we haven't found him a job yet, we are optimistic that we will be able to find one.

We went out to a movie and dinner yesterday on our last weekend of freedom from school and homework. It was a very refreshing and relaxing day! We watched a matinee of the movie Bedtime Stories. It was a cute movie.

We had our Ward Conference today amidst a snow storm. We didn't have church last weekend because of snow and it snowed again this weekend. The roads weren't that great, but I was glad to be able to be there and take the Sacrament and feel the Spirit. I really missed that last week. Thankfully, we made it home alright and now we are in our "warm" apartment. I say "warm" but it isn't that warm. However, it is much better than the the extreme cold we have been having lately outside. I'll take our chilly apartment any day. =)

Book of Abundance

I wanted to share an idea with everyone. As most of you know, I have had some real struggles with my job. Well, I got this book called Feel the Fear... and Do it Anyway by Susan Jeffers. One of the things that I found in it has really helped me. In the book it encourages the reader to give away thanks to those who have helped us. It also mentions to increase our awareness of the ways that our lives are abundant.

The book says: "One way to increase your awareness is through what I call A Book of Abundance. Buy yourself a beautiful notebook (or journal). Start filling it by listing as many positive things in your life--past and present--as you can think of. Don't stop until you reach 150... Each day make entries in your book. Instead of a traditional diary--which for many is comprised of doom and gloom, wish and want--create this book which in effect simply states, 'I have!'"

Creating A Book of Abundance has really helped me to focus on all that is good and abundant in my life. I am richly blessed and my life is abundant! Heavenly Father does love me and all of us very much. He is aware of us and wants to help us. I hope this is a help to others out there!

Christmas!!

What a wonderful Christmas we had!  We flew out to Salt Lake City on December 16th and due to some fun weather delays, we ended up coming in early on December 17th.  We had the chance to visit with Danny, Kathleen, and Symphany.  We stayed at their house and spent the entire following day with them.  It had been a very long time since we had seen them and we had never met Symphany.  She is such a cutie!  We had a fun day and went to Hello Yogurt in Provo.  It was very yummy!  It was sad to leave after only a very short visit.  The picture below is of all five of us just before Michael and I left for Pocatello.

The rest of our trip was spent in mostly snowy Idaho.  They got a foot and a half of snow while we were there!  For the first few days it was nice to relax and rejuvenate.  Some of the highlights of the trip were:

1) Sledding on some huge hills in Pocatello.  We had fun slipping and sliding all over.  I didn't even end up with any bruises.  Although, it took awhile to convince myself to go down the first time.  It was a long way down!

2) Reading lots and lots.  Michael's sister Anna I think set the record for most read over the break, but I enjoyed reading and napping during the day.  There was one couch right by the Christmas tree and right below a huge window that I sat in nearly everyday.  I would read until I got sleepy and then I took at nap.  It was great!

3) All of Matt's fun hats!  The picture below is Michael modeling one of them.  He also had lots of other fun ones that he has collected.  He let me wear a really warm red sock hat with a ball on top of it.

4) The family dinner we had with all of the Michael's brothers and sisters.  We hardly fit around the dinner table.  I remarked that I guess no one else can have kids or get married, there's no more room.  Don't worry, I was only kidding!!  But, it is crazy to think how quickly the family is growing!

5) Christmas Eve with the entire Redd family.  There were a ton of people there.  I forget how many Grandma Redd said there were there but we figured it was only half of the family and the entire house was full!  Grandpa Redd makes this really yummy egg nog/ice cream stuff that I love.  Then we do that Christmas story and have a talent show.  It was a lot of fun.

6) Games, games, games!  We played and learned lots of new games.

7) Christmas day was a chance to really reflect on the reason for Christmas.  It is about the Savior.  What a blessing to have a loving Savior!

Joni and Chase waiting to open presents

Me enjoying family time

Mom and Dad Redd

We had a relaxing and enjoyable Christmas break.  At the end of it, we got to celebrate our Anniversary.  On December 29th, we celebrated our third anniversary!  We stayed at Bed & Breakfast in Salt Lake City.  We got to see the movie The Tale of Despereaux and we ate yummy Vietnamese food.