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!

The small, temporary move!

School starts tomorrow! A few months ago I received a letter in the mail from Utah State University that I was accepted into their Speech Language Pathology Outreach Masters Program! It has been crazy every sense- deciding on rather or not to go, getting ready, deciding, getting ready! I've almost backed out a few times because the timing is cutting it really close for when the baby is coming. But here I am, ready to give it a go! I thought I would share just a few pictures of my new temporary life!

On our drive to Logan... its so pretty here!

Where I'll be spending a lot of my time... with my nose in a text book!

or at my desk on the computer (how sad does the chair look with a small tilt to it, supposedly we are getting new chairs soon- sure hope so!)

My hopefully (but doubtfully) comfortable bed- I didn't forget all my pillows!

Glad this is only temporary- maybe six weeks...ish? Nate is going to be living the bachelor life, but basically only on week days. We'll see how everything goes. All I hear about this program is how drilling it is and how often you'll cry, but not to worry... "you'll make it through", or "you'll survive" they say. Is that suppose to be comforting??

We are excited for this opportunity and its only summer time that I'll have to spend time on campus, everything else will be on-line or broadcasted classes that I can do from home. So for now we'll just hope I can "survive" this summer- especially with a little one on the way!

Memorial Camping

For memorial weekend we went camping with some friends.

There were 12 adults, 16 kids, 8 horses, 7 dogs, and 1 sheep!

Yes... a sheep! And I didn't even get a picture so you'll just have to believe me! But needless to say we had a full camp!

Again... I didn't do a very good job of taking pictures! But here are a few to paint a small picture of what our trip was like.

Horses come with horse trailers! Here they are all lined up.

The horse coral, where we keep the horses.

Nate and Janice getting ready for their horse ride

Our nephew, Hans- who everyone kept saying looks just like his Uncle Nate!

Hans again after he feel and scraped his elbow (he walked around holding his injured arm like this for a while!)

Little Cash- our friends little boy- being shy when I got the camera out!

There was two of us there that are about 7 1/2 to 8 months pregnant! We faired pretty good considering. I made sure I had my father-in-laws comfortable cot with extra pads and a couple pillows to sleep on. It was perfect, minus the midnight trips to the outdoor bathroom (a tree!).

It was a fun trip and a last yah-hoo before I start school... next week!

Ryan's Graduation

My little brother, Ryan, graduated from High School! We took the long trek to Arizona to see him in his cap and gown... and then didn't even get very many pictures!

So here are the whole... two.... pictures we took of him!

Here he is getting ready for the famous graduate walk across the stage to get his diploma!

He was the very last name called.

Before the graduation we had been teasing about having a last name that starts with "W" and how you are always at the back of the line in grade school... but usually there are still those few who came after you that have a last name that starts with a "Y" or "Z". I didn't think Ryan would literally be last... but turns out he was!

After the ceremony with the nieces and nephews (we were still in the stands so he came to us).

And... some Future Graduates!

Harlee

(I have a feeling thats what her brothers will still be doing at her own graduation!)

Trex

Dax

Congrates to Ryan, who I can't believe is old enough to be a HS Graduate!