I love my lips!

You may or may not understand why I'm posting this... and no time to explain!

But I now feel for the cucumber and understand completely.

Live and Learn

Sometimes you have to fall on your face a few times before you get it right!! :)

Chicken or a Bat

For Trace's first Halloween we couldn't decided.... chicken or a bat!

So he wore both for a little while!

The chicken: so cute but too big!

The bat: so cute and just right!

It all worked out!

Happy Halloween!

Tis the Season

I snapped this picture on my drive home from work today. It is definitely hunting season in Utah! I told Nate this is going to be him soon if he doesn't ever buy a truck!

Happy hunting!

And in the spirt of weird pictures... check this guy out!

I finally took a picture after the second time I saw this truck around town! Sadly though I have never actually seen the driver.

Smiles

Trace has started smiling for us- but it seems he is camera shy (like his mom) because whenever the camera comes out the smiles go away!

Then the other day Nate FINALLY caught his smile on camera.

Bath Time

The Grotto- Trace's first hike!

Trace went out for his first hike at three weeks old! Here he is taking a peek at the world!

When mom, Jen and her family where here to visit we hiked up to the Grotto, in Payson, near where M.jay lives

Mom and Dax on the trail

The big black cow that everyone passed without noticing until Jennifer spotted it. It was right next to the trail, dont know how we missed it.

Mom says "that could have been a bear".

We made it to the waterfall... it was a pretty easy hike

Dax trusting M.jay!

M.jay and Jennifer

Shelbi and Dax

Trex showing us his move on the way back down!!

Two years well spent! Welcome home Adam!

What felt like not too long ago...

Adam (Nate's little brother) received his call to serve! He was called to serve the people of the Dominican Republic to speak the Spanish language.

Here he is opening his call over two years ago!

We said our goodbyes at the MTC!

Then waited two years for him to return!

I forgot my camera at the airport- (oops)

So here is the only picture I got at his homecoming

Welcome home, Adam!!

Time to go home

Finally... we got to go home!

All dressed and ready to go!

Proud grandma holding Trace while Nate gets the car seat ready.

Into the car seat he goes...

"Wait... we can't leave without my binki!"

Now we are ready!

Look at those wide eyes, he wasn't going to miss a thing!

You always sleep better at home in your own bed!

Life in the NICU

The rest of the story...

After Trace was born and we got to take a peek at him the nurse took him away because she concerned about his breathing, he wasn't keeping his good coloring. Nate went with them when they took him down to the NICU to check things out. I wasn't too concerned, just thought they needed to clear out his lungs and he would be alright but when Nate came back with a worried face I knew that wasn't the case.

Turns out Trace had pneumonia and spent his first week of life in the NICU. This was a bit of a rollercoaster ride. He would look like he was getting better then something else would come up. Not to mention how stressful life in the NICU can be, on baby and parents. We had a strict schedule to follow. We didn't get to hold Trace much either, he was hooked up to so many tubes and monitors. I got to hold him more and more once they finally let me start feeding him. He eventually developed jaundice and had to be put on two sets of bili lights. That cleared up within a few days, the anitbotics they had started giving him was clearing out the infection in his lungs, and slowly they were able to take him off the oxygen. Things continued to get better and better and he even gained some weight! Turns out he was able to go home after he finished his antibiotics with no medication and no oxygen. We are so grateful he was able to pull through this like a champ!

Room #2

Trace's room!

Trace's information board- Trace is the BOSS!

So many tubes! :(

We were so excited when one of the nurses put him in an outfit!

Here is the luxury "hotel stay" I had at the hospital, where I tried to get some homework done!

Trace getting his hearing checked!! He passed his OAEs and Abaer test!

Bath time!

Trace was under strict Dr. orders to get enough calories, so every time before I fed Trace they would weigh him on the scale behind us, then I would feed him and then they would weigh him again to make sure he was getting enough.

Trace holding Daddy's hand (my favorite pictures!)

Our newest member of the Family

TRACE OWEN WALTER

Our story... began at about 4:00 in the morning when I woke up feeling some pain, or what I didn't really know to be actual contractions! Sense I've been in Logan at school and Nate has been in Spanish Fork for work I decided to give him a call even though I wasn't sure if this was real thing or not. We started timing the contractions, they were about 8-10 minutes apart. The Dr. said wait until they are 3-5 minutes apart. Nate decided to jump in the car and come up anyways but we were both worried we were jumping the gun and that I might not even have the baby for another day or so. But to be on the safe side he headed up to Logan.

I was schedule to give a presentation that morning in class, so I went ahead with my plans. When I got to class with my roommates (classmates) they arranged with the professor to make sure and let me and my partner do our presentation first.

When she announced it to the rest of the class she said "we're going to let Emily and Tia go first because... well... Emily is in labor!"

I'm sure they all thought I was crazy, but I really wanted to get as much school work done as I could before having the baby. So I stood up and said "I have no idea if I really am in labor but I I do know we only have 8-10 minutes to finish our presentation!" (With all the questions it ended up being much longer).

That was probably the worst presentation I ever gave. I did feel some contractions but they weren't bad at all and we finished the presentation without incident!

After Nate showed up and I finished wraping some things up with my professors, we went to get something to eat, picked something up from the bookstore then headed to my apt. I tried to take a nap, it had been a late night and an early morning so I was already tired. At about 3:00 that afternoon my water broke. This happened just as Nate ran out to get the laundry he had started. I was mad at him for not being around when I yelled for him, you know because it was all his fault!! :) So we rushed to the hospital. When we got there they took their time getting me checked in, of course. This was all new to me and though I may have looked calm I was kind of freaking out and didn't appreciate their lax attitude about getting me ready for this. Turns out I was already dilated to a 5 1/2. Once they figured this out they picked up the pace!

Trace was born later that evening at 9:45 pm!

Weight: 6 lbs 7 ounces

Height: 19 inches

Here are the proud and happy parents with the screaming and unhappy baby!