3-5 Months! 

Marlee grew and grew as the weeks went by. 
Month 3: She started teething, and slobbering everywhere as all normal babies do. She also started to "attempt" to roll over, although not quite there yet. I was still breastfeeding her at the time, so no rice cereal yet. She was actually starting to lose some hair instead of grow it, making her look even more and more like a boy. 
Month 4: She continues to teeth and drool everywhere. She can now roll over completely by herself! I started feeding her Rice Cereal a few days before Thanksgiving, but she didn't like it so I don't feed her that too much anymore. I'm still breastfeeding full time and love every bonding moment I get with her. We also decided to get her ears pierced. She hated getting them done but literally a minute after she got them done, she was fine. Such a trooper! We got her birth stone "ruby" and it was perfect because we took my sister in to get hers done and she got her birth stone which was "emerald" = green. So she loved that they were Christmas colors together. Anyway, we are coming up to her now 5th month and her FIRST CHRISTMAS! We are stoked to have this be her first Christmas! She has grown so much since she was born. I can't wait to see what the future holds for us. 

Logan: 
Now that we're home, everything has gone so smoothly. Family near us, and people to count on is such a good feeling. Knowing that my family is just a few minutes away, and that they are so happy to have us near makes me feel so good. My husband found a wonderful job. Unfortunately we are not being paid as much as we used to with the military job he once had, but he goes in for over time whenever he can just to support us for Christmas. He is such a hard worker and I'm so proud of him for going out in the cold and working hard for Marlee and I. He is my Hero and Marlee's Hero! I think we are so lucky to have a father/husband who is willing to go out and work so hard just to support a stay at home mother and baby! I love him so much and can't wait to spend Eternity with him! 

3 Months old and getting bigger!!

Marlee is 3 months old now and has been growing bigger every day. She has started to smile and laugh and grab her toes! It's amazing how fast she is progressing! She is just getting so much cuter every day!! She is a blessing in our lives, and I am excited to continue on this journey with her! She is my little miracle! 

SHOTS :(

September 26, 2012

Today we went into the doctors to get Marlee's immunization shots. It was the WORST DAY EVER! The poor thing had no idea what was coming. She was smiling at us just before she was poked with the needle. Her eyes filled up with her FIRST real tear. I had to hold back my own because I felt so bad for her. I am not excited for the next time we have to do this again. It was no fun !

Getting Organized

Getting Organized is something I love to do. Unfortunately with a newborn baby, it's hard to find a good amount of time to dedicate to organizing my home. Before I had Marlee I could organize the entire house in one day. Now it takes me 2 weeks. BUT, can I just say it is SO worth it! Marlee has been the BEST thing to happen to me since I got married! She is just my little bundle of joy, and I can't wait to wake up every morning to spend another day with her. To look into her eyes, and know we have a special bond. To see her grow and progress with every second of the day. Speaking of growing, she is starting to smile more often, and it is really starting to get fun! She knows who I am in a crowd and tries to find me if she hears my voice. Who knew being a mom could be so rewarding! I would hear moms come up to me saying, "It's totally worth it" or "Being a Mom is the hardest but most rewarding thing I've ever done" or "Motherhood is the BEST job you could ask for" All of these I thought were things people said to you to give you a good impression on Motherhood, when in fact, their telling the absolute truth! IT is AMAZING!!! Being a mother really changes you, and your priorities! It has given me a different motivation for so many things like, staying in shape, eating healthy, maintaining a temple recommend, being a better person, being a better wife, being a better home-maker, learning new things, and so much more! It's mind blowing the things that come from motherhood! Words can't describe the love I have for my husband and my daughter! I'm so overwhelmed with it, I can hardly speak. 

Baby Blessing

September 16, 2012:

At 11 AM we had Marlee Talavou Ochsenbein's Baby Blessing. We were so excited to finally bless her! My husband, although he said he was super nervous, looked so calm and ready to bless her. We had the whole family there, just the way I had pictured it. We blessed her at my old family ward where people I grew up with were there. I saw a whole bunch of familiar faces. I was so excited to see everyone gathered for our blessing. Now the time came to have Landon take her up and bless her. 
The people in the circle: My Dad, Landon's Dad, Grandpa Roy, Grandpa Brazzeal, Jody Orme, Isaac Nydegger)
My husband did an outstanding job blessing her. He said all the right things, and got emotional, but pulled through and made me the proudest wife and mother in the room. He came back to sit by me, and he mentioned how nervous he was, but throughout the entire blessing, he was calm and looked like he knew what he was doing. The spirit was so strong. I felt so blessed to have all my family and Landon's family present. 
After the blessing, we all gathered at Willow Park for a lunch, where we celebrated Marlee, and the blessing she is to all of us. Thanks to all the family members we had so much food! After we ate, we played Volleyball. It was amazing, and I don't remember the last time we had a family get together with both sides of the family where we had this much fun! We'll definitely have to do this more often. I'm so glad we were able to do it in the first place! 
I'm so proud of my husband and am so glad he is worthy to give our daughter Marlee a Baby Blessing. He has been the most amazing husband and father any wife could ask for. I'm so proud to call him mine, and to stand next to him for all eternity! I'm so happy that I have a daughter who will be raised by parents who love her no matter what, and will show her the right way to love. We have been truly blessed to have family around us who care so much about us, and are willing to take care of us in times of need. I appreciate all of you who made it to the blessing, and for those who have supported us from the beginning. We love you all and hope to return the favor one day! 

Traveling back to Utah!

Marlee and I flew home September 3rd, leaving from Monterey, and headed towards San Francisco where our next flight was to S.L.C. Landon was super sad to see us go, because he had to stay home for another day and a half to finish packing everything into the U-haul and move the following day starting at midnight. The poor thing ran into so many problems while Marlee and I had a smooth ride home. 

Problem #1: Going through security at the airport! 
-Now I was alone with Marlee, and she was also in a Carrier, which they made us take off as soon as we went through security. Now when I came out of security, I found myself with a baby, and no one to help me put her in the carrier. Fortunately, the man behind me was more then willing to help us out! He held Marlee for a few seconds while I slipped on the carrier so she could ride with me. She was such a good sport, didn't cry at all! Well it took me a while to put my stuff back on (shoes, back pack, gather up the diaper bag, etc) Then I took one last look at my husband who was waiting patiently on the other side of the glass wall, to bid us goodbye. He looked so sad, I could barely stand to look at him. He was going to make ME cry. I gathered my things, and flashed him the I LOVE YOU sign, and I was off! 

Now, lucky for us there were only a few problems, but they were surrounded by AMAZING people, and events! 

When I arrived at the terminal to wait for our first plane, I met a couple. We spoke about how they were off to Paris, and how I had become a new mom, and how to handle and teach my baby. We had a very mature conversation while sitting there waiting for our plane to come. Now our plane was delayed a little, but it just allowed us more time to get to know each other. 

Problem #2: Getting onto the Airplane
-Now when I finally reached the airplane (which was a small airplane, that you had to walk outside to board) I got up to the door and met the lady there. She noticed I had the wrong seat on my ticket, so she said I had to kick someone out of their seat in order to be on the plane. She pointed out an empty seat, so I took it. Lucky enough for me it happened to be one of the guys that I had met earlier. They were both very understanding, and I was able to sit next to one of them the entire way! Now the flight attendant came up to me and said I had to take Marlee out of her carrier for take off and landing, so I did, and the guy next to me wanted to hold her. So he held her the entire flight (which was around 20 minutes long) He was so good with her, and I was glad she returned the favor by not crying, and staying asleep. (I was truly looked after for this journey) 

Now when we finally landed, the guy next to me helped me out by carrying my bags inside. Sadly this was our time to say goodbye, so one of them handed me their card so I could keep in touch. I was very excited about this! So then I was alone again...I quickly found someone to help me out to my next destination. They were very nice in helping me. I had to take a few detours in order to get to my destination such as, stairs, a bus, more stairs, a long hallway, and then finally we arrived at our Terminal. 

Problem #3: Marlee was getting hungry...
-Now at this point, Marlee was starting to wake up, and get fussy. I knew she was getting hungry, so I picked a seat (Unfortunately there were no empty seats by themselves, so I was sandwiched between two people) I got out my hooter hider so I could feed her in privacy. The lady next to me was staring at me the entire time, probably thinking I was crazy to nurse my baby in public, I just laughed quietly to myself as she kept staring at me. Finally Marlee had finished feeding, but she was still a bit cranky, so I had to stand up with her and rock her until she was asleep again. The binky was such a Miracle worker throughout this trip. She finally was fast asleep, just opening her eyes here and there. The flight attendant went over the intercom saying our plane was ready to be boarded. I waited for our number to be called when we got up and headed for the doors. 

Problem #4: Getting onto the airplane
-Now when you have a baby in a front carrier, a backpack and a diaper bag to lug onto a plane, you find yourself a little overwhelmed with everything. I've learned now to pack light when I have a baby with me. Although she was great, it was a huge stress for me. Lucky enough for me, the flight attendant wanted me to kick someone out of their seat again...yay, that's so much fun! :$ So I quickly found my seat and was waiting to give the person whose seat this really was, the bad news. They finally arrived, and they understood, and were willing to work with me. Another mom came up behind me to help me put my bags up in the baggage carrier above our seats. She said she understood the stress I was having, flying with a baby. She was very nice! 

Well the plane took off and halfway to our destination, a guy came up and  sat by me, claiming his seat was making his feet freeze! I didn't mind, because I was by myself, and almost asleep. He was playing Sudoku and kept asking me if I could help him out. I tried a few times, but the puzzle he had was extremely hard. 

WE FINALLY LANDED, AND I WAS HOME FREE!! 

I waited for everyone to get off the plane before I attempted to get off. When I finally did, I rushed to the baggage claim. My family called and they had arrived. Unfortunately, I saw them, but they didn't see me, and they walked right by me. Now I would've called them over, but a lady had me waiting right there so she could grab my stroller and carseat. So after a few minutes, I had my stroller, carseat, my backpack, my diaper bag and my luggage. Hauling it towards the direction they went. Finally they saw me and helped me out. I was home free! This was the first time my sister Ashlin was able to see Marlee in person. She was so excited, and I couldn't wait until she could hold her. Anyway, I was home free, and so excited to be back! 

Now for my husbands journey...not as fun as mine.


Problem #1: Cleaning the Apartment
 -Landon had to clean the entire apartment all by himself. (Now note, this is usually my job and because of timing, and a cold everyone in our family caught, we were falling behind schedule, that's why I ended up leaving the apartment a complete mess for Landon to fix) I felt terrible because he was sick, and was already under a ton of pressure. He did a great job though cleaning everything! 

Problem #2: Putting the trailer on the U-haul, then the Equinox onto the Trailer
  -Landon is so good with things like this. He had to put the Trailer on and the Equinox onto the trailer all by himself, AND in the middle of the night (Midnight) So it was not only hard cause he was by himself, but he was doing this in pitch black. My sweetheart was such a trooper!

Problem #3: Flat Tire on the Trailer
 -Who would've thought it could get any worse! He pulled over and the entire tire on the trailer had come off, and he was running on the metal part. He called for assistance, and they arrived about an hour afterwards. (He did get a good one hour power nap in, although that's never enough, he had a long road ahead of him) They finally came and fixed the tire and he was on his way. (The customer service was amazing, which helped a ton) 

Problem #4: The Trailer FELL OFF the U-haul
 - I know, this has to be the end right? Well Landon had a feeling there was something wrong, so he pulled off the high way and started going over some speed bumps to check the trailer, as he did so, the trailer popped off and was hanging on by the chains that were attached to the U-haul. Another car driving behind him stopped and helped him try to re-attach the trailer. They had found that the bolt that holds the trailer into place had stripped, and was really loose. Once again Landon had to call for assistance, and they told him he would need to go to the nearest U-haul to trade in that trailer for a new one. Well 1 hour later he arrived to the closest U-haul where he found NO new trailer waiting for him. The guy there though was super nice and wanted to do as much as he could for my sweetheart. He took some tools, and bent a metal bar around the trailer hook and made it so it would last up until he reached his destination. So off Landon went, heading home finally! 

Problem #5: Pop explosion in the U-haul leading to another thought....THE CATS!! 
 -The first time we traveled to California it was FREEZING, so we had to keep the windows up in the Equinox while the cats were in there or else they would've froze to death. Well...this time the weather was "EXTREMELY HOT" and Landon had forgotten to roll the windows down. Well he was driving along when his Pepsi can exploded because it was so hot, and that's when he thought of the cats! He pulled over immediately and ran to the Equinox where our cats lay completely dehydrated and hot! Aero (our black cat) was panting like a dog, while our other cat Bo (our grey cat) was sprawled out on the floor not moving! He was devastated and saw that there were sprinklers on just a few feet away. He took his jacket and drenched it and laid it across our poor cats. They finally got better, and he took them to the front of the U-haul where they rode with him the rest of the way. 

Problem #6: Phone STOPS WORKING! 
 -Now we had to lean on the GPS system to take us home. Otherwise, we would be completely lost! Well, his phone stopped working! He calls me up and I found where he was via google earth and tried to explain how to get home from where he was. Finally after an hour, his phone started to work again. YAY! 

FINALLY HOME!! 

He finally made it home! I ran outside to meet him, only to find a very very tired man who looked like he was at his wits end! I gave him a huge hug and welcomed him home. Besides, this is the moment we were all waiting for! The entire family finally home together!!! 

Sleeping: 

Marlee allows me a good 2-4 hour gaps every night. (depending on the night) She has been sleeping really well in our bed. At first I was extremely against her sleeping in our bed because I was scared we might roll over on top of her, and suffocate her. (I knew someone who had this happen--he was only 4 days old) BUT, I have found that I CAN NOT sleep unless she is in bed with me. I have to check every other minute if she's breathing or not. It drives me nuts all night. Other then that she is doing GREAT! 

Breastfeeding: 

She is doing AMAZING when it comes to feeding. Now that I've introduced the pacifier, she has been doing great! I am doing much better too (Not in so much pain from her using ME as a pacifier--after she's full) My mom gave me a tip to let her sleep and then when she wakes up on her own, then to feed her. I was waking Marlee up every three hours to feed because that's what all the books say (feed every 1-3 hours) But I've found that if I wait until SHE wakes up on her own, she eats an entire FULL meal instead of snacking every other hour. Which is much better for me, (not as much pain). I think Marlee and I have this breastfeeding thing down now :) I'm just scared to nurse in public now. I'm not sure how I feel about nursing in public. I guess we will find out :) 

3 WEEKS OLD!

I can't even tell you how FAST these last three weeks have gone by! Marlee has grown so much since we've taken her home! She has gained a surprising 2 pounds! She is doing so good, giving me a good solid 4 hour gaps at night so I get some good sleep in, and has taken so well to the pacifier. She is the light of my world, and I don't know how I ever lived without her! I feel like I've known her forever! Landon is doing SO well with her. He is also doing so well helping me out! Changing diapers, giving me breaks so I can take care of myself! He is being SO supportive, and I'm so lucky to have him as my husband! Thanks to him, being a mom has been easy for me. Thanks to him I have full confidence in being a Fabulous mom! I am SO lucky to have such a WONDERFUL family! :) 
Never thought I could fall in love with someone so quickly! She is EVERYTHING to me, and I am going to be a ferocious mama bear when it comes to protecting my baby girl. I won't let anything happen to her, that I can control. I had the BEST role model when it comes to Mother's. My mom taught me how to be a patient, loving, and healthy mom! She also taught me the worth of parenthood, and our effect on our kids. I learned that if I encourage my kids to go for their dreams, they're more likely to accomplish them! I am so grateful for a Mother who showed me how to LOVE. She was always there for me no matter what! Even in the hardest of times for me, she was ALWAYS there for me! I love my mom, and am so grateful to her, and the role model she is for me! 

MARLEE IS BORN!! 


Born: July 24th, 2012 at 4:52 pm! She weighs 7 lb. 13 oz. and was 20 inches long!! She is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!! Her full name is Marlee Talavou Ochsenbein (Talavou: Beautiful in Tongan) She looks just like her daddy, and loves it when he sings to her! She knows my voice and face, and knows I have the food (booby juice)! She has already changed our lives in such a good way! We are very PROUD parents!! 


Marlee is now 7 days old, and is home in our arms! She is doing wonderfully! She had a GREAT check up when we went in a couple days after delivery! She gained 4 ounces which is awesome for a newborn! She is doing great with feeding, and we are right on track! She is taking a nap with her daddy right now (they look so cute)! Marlee has so many facial expressions its wild! She definitely gets this from her father, as well as her eyes, mouth and forehead! She will probably get my hair, and my teeth ( I hope she doesn't get my vision, I have terrible vision. My husband on the other end has 20/20 vision, so I hope she gets that from him as well!) 


Breastfeeding: 
I didn't know breastfeeding was going to be this hard, yet so easy! Hard in the fact that it's such a sacrifice to feed Marlee every 1-3 hours night and day! Sleep is lacking, and nipples are sore, but Marlee is fed, and is happy, which makes this completely worth it! I've been getting better and better every time getting her to feed! It's awesome to think about how our bodies work to provide for our babies! I have found if you have sore nipples the best thing to use is "Lanolin" and/or air dry with breast milk on nipples. Hand expressing is also good before you have baby latch, so their not sucking so hard to get to the milk, it will already be there for them to drink. Marlee has been doing amazing at this, and continues to grow! (They grow so fast!) 


Sleeping:
Last night Marlee allowed me to sleep from 12:00 am-5:00 am which was AWESOME! I felt so well rested until she woke me up three hours after that to feed again, for some reason I was more tired at 8:00 am ha ha! She is doing better! I have found the more she is awake during the day the more she sleeps at night! I made the mistake tonight to let her sleep late, so now she'll be up soon, and probably will stay awake until midnight again! I need to change this schedule because my husband is going to be going back to work on Friday, so we will need to go to bed around 8:00 pm and Landon wakes up at 4:00 for PT and then goes to work at 7:00 am. He will need the sleep! As for me, I've been doing really good when she needs to feed at night! I either (depending on which side she's laying on) breastfeed her in bed, or take her over to our chair in our room and feed her there. Marlee sleeps with us, and I know the entire pregnancy I was telling everyone how dangerous that is, but our first night here at home, Marlee wouldn't sleep in the crib, or her rocker, she was too cold!  I turned up the heat, and everything, but she still wouldn't sleep. So I took her to bed with me, and she was out, especially with my body heat there to warm her up. So it has worked out ever since. I am a very light sleeper so every move she makes, I wake up to it. I also made a barrier between her and Landon so he wouldn't accidentally roll over. (We do have a California King bed, so we have a TON of room, it's not like he's squished off to the side, he still has a good amount of space over on his side) 


Anyway, I've gotta wake her up now to feed so she won't be too awake later on. Wish me luck! 

39 Weeks: 

Well, I didn't think I was going to make it this far. I was for sure thinking I'd have Marlee already! She must know I struggle with being patient, and must be teaching me a life long lesson. 

Symptoms: I have been having contractions every night for the last two nights that start off as consistent, and then when I get my hopes up, they stop! (So frustrating) I also get them randomly throughout the day, but never consistently.When I do have contractions, I've found it relieving to BREATHE, and move around and get my mind off of it. I cope better with pain when my mind is on something else. Another symptoms is, If I walk too much without resting, I CAN NOT sleep at night. My pelvic pain is too much for me to get some good shuteye. I am still hungry all the time, and need to drink WAY more then I do. I am deciding whether to put an alarm on my phone for every half hour reminding me to drink water. For some reason, I am terrible at remembering to drink water! 

 GOOD NEWS:

 My Mom, and my sister arrived on Sunday and have been helping me out for a good whole week! They have been absolutely AMAZING! I don't know what I'd do without them! Just yesterday my mom massaged my feet for a good 30 minutes relieving them of the swelling I'd caused by not massaging them earlier. They have been helping me out around the house, and getting me OUT of the house (which is GREAT!) they have also been great supporters! I feel more at home then ever, especially being far from home, and feeling like that was impossible, I am super happy! I know my husband realizes how much more happy I am now with family around, because he is now more happy! First of all he doesn't have to deal with me as much ha ha and also I have other "females" to talk to, so he isn't stuck with my daily vent of girl things! (I'm just happy he is happy :D ) 

Monterey:

So an update on Landon's Military duties:

Landon was given an award yesterday, and has collected another coin for his collection! I'm SO PROUD OF HIM!!! He has been put through a lot lately and has been under a lot of stress, and he has been handling everything SO well!! Now that my mom and sister are here, he has become less stressed because he knows I'm being taken care of, and that's one of his big stresses, making sure baby and me are taken care of. Overall, Landon has been doing SO well with everything! I am extremely lucky to have him as my husband, as the father of my children and as my eternal companion!! :) I love him so much! 

Doctor news:

I will be induced (stripping of the membranes) Tuesday July 24th, and will hopefully be having Marlee shortly afterwards! Hopefully she hasn't grown much because I am super nervous that she'll be a nine pound baby. I'd much rather not have to push out a 9 pounder for my first baby! ;) 

So I'm now just waiting for Marlee to arrive. Trying to jump start labor on my own by walking, and letting gravity take it's role. But she still hasn't budged :/ I am feeling a little sick this morning, so we'll see where that takes us! Hopefully we'll be on our way to the hospital in no time! I'm ready to have this baby!!! My mom and my sister are finally here and my husband is doing great! So now is the perfect time for baby to come!! I just hope she comes into this world healthy and strong! My mom and Hallie have been such a HUGE help around the house lately, and I couldn't be more appreciative of them!! They have made the last couple days really soothing for me. It's nice to know people out there care for you! I've known this of course since day one :) My mom is my ultimate HERO! :D She has the biggest heart, and is always there for me! I can't wait to have her join us in the labor room where she'll see her FIRST grand daughter be born!! Oh the adventures we're gonna take soon are going to be amazing!!! 


Symptoms: 
I have been having small contractions that are probably Braxton Hicks contractions, so I'm not too excited when I feel them because I know they'll just stop in a few minutes and won't come back until later. So I'm just waiting for those consistent painful contractions....I never thought I'd be looking forward to contractions. I'm sure all those women out there who have already had a baby are looking at me like I'm crazy! ha ha But I'm sure they went through this "waiting" process and hated it as much as I did! :) Anyways, I'm going to go do some more research on how to induce labor at home, wish me luck! 

Well we have some GOOD news and some bad news. I'm only 38 weeks along, but we found out today, that Marlee is 8 pounds 6 ounces already! My doctor is a little worried on her size giving me trouble for a vaginal birth, so we might be inducing next week, or the following week depending on what they think. She is sending our ultra sound to the hospital to get a second opinion, and then she'll be contacting us to let us know if they want us to come in to induce labor, or if we can hold off and just have a normal labor. I'm betting we have to induce, because Marlee is still growing! So in another week, she probably will gain another pound! It's crazy to think that I have an 8 pound bowling ball in my tummy right now! People were commenting on my belly just the other day saying how small it was and how small my baby was going to be! I was sure they were all right! But now I know that Marlee is taking all she can from me ha ha ! I'm super nervous as to whether she'll fit into her newborn clothes or not! This will be interesting to find out! Let's hope so, because I bought her a ton of newborn clothes (Probably a mistake I'm not going to make again!) Tip of the day to new mothers: DON'T BUY A TON OF NEWBORN CLOTHES You never know if they'll come out BIG or small...but you know they will continue to grow, so getting clothes that are around the sizes 0-3 is smartest! :) 

Anyway, lets hope everything goes well! I'm really praying hard that she comes safe and sound and is perfectly healthy! I wasn't expecting a BIG baby, but I'm COMPLETELY FINE as long as she's healthy and strong! :) I hear bigger babies are healthy babies, so I'm fine with that! :) 

Week 38: (2 weeks left) 


Well it's almost here and I can hardly believe it! My mom and sister will be joining us this Sunday night and will be staying with us until August 8th. I am so excited they will be here for this big adventure I'm on! I'm mostly excited that I will have "girls" to talk to about this instead of my husband (No offense to you men out there, but you just DON'T KNOW what we're feeling ha ha ) I am confident though that my husband knows a lot more then the typical guy about pregnancy, birth and parenting! Now this will all be tested when she arrives of course! We will see...


Symptoms: 
Well I can't sleep anymore! Heart Burn and Pelvic bone pain, and just pure anxiety is eating at my sleep time. Although it's a good practice run before Marlee arrives, I would like to have a few weeks off before all the chaos hits me! I'm pretty sure Marlee has "dropped" because I can certainly breathe better, and walk easier for some reason. Although the pee breaks have stepped up a notch. Instead of every 30 minutes going to the bathroom, it's now around every 5. One other thing, I'm getting hot flashes all the time, and they are no fun! You start to sweat and look like crap when you were just fine 5 seconds before that. It's great fun...not! 


Now I'm just waiting for her to come! Every morning I wake up thinking, Is this the day? And every night I go to sleep thinking, will I wake up tonight with contractions/water breaking? It's all a mystery now! I believe I am ready for her to come, but at the same time I am a nervous wreck! I'm scared about giving birth, and if my water breaks in public, and I'm also scared that something might go wrong. As any mother in her final weeks of pregnancy, I feel like I'm at a norm when I say I'm worried about everything! 


Monterey: 
Well, Monterey has stayed the same. It's really foggy here, and thank goodness too because these hot flashes that I keep experiencing would be 10x worse if I was in a hot area! Although Monterey is finally growing on me! I have made some wonderful friends, and have met so many amazing people! I am looking forward to spending more time with everyone here! :) 

Week 37:


3 more weeks and now considered Full Term! 


Symptoms: It's getting harder to sleep now! Not only because the relaxin in my hips is kicking in, but the anxiety and nervousness, and excitement that the baby could come any day is weighing on my mind all the time! As for the pelvic pain, I've discovered it's most likely SPD, and so I have to take a few precautions for baby and me. 


I have enjoyed having her in me these nine months, but I couldn't be more ready to greet her into the world! She has already blessed my life in so many ways, and I can't wait to see her little face!! I am mostly curious on what she'll look like, and her personality and her attributes that make her who she is. I am excited to see her grow up and become a wonderful young woman! Although my husband isn't ready for that "dating" stage she'll encounter, I am super excited to watch her choose the man she will spend eternity with! 


Monterey: 
Well Monterey is still Monterey. Just this week I had the chance to participate in Monterey's "4th of July event". (FYI: Fireworks are illegal here in Monterey) They held a concert with a band, and did a laser light show...There was an illegal firework off in the distance, let's just put it this way, that firework was the high light of the night. The laser light show was terrible! Enough with the bad stuff, I have GOOD news! My mom and little sister will be arriving here in Monterey next Sunday!! So 9 more days! I'm so thrilled and can hardly wait for them to arrive. It has been super lonely here, especially when my husband was at training from 7:30am-8:30pm. Now he is on what they call "casual" status! It has truly been a blessing in disguise!! He goes onto base at 8:00 am and returns home around 4:00 pm, and then I get him the rest of the night! It's great! Another bonus is that he (instead of receiving only one day when Marlee comes) receives two weeks off!! I'm so thrilled that he'll be there the first two weeks of Marlee 24/7. This will help me out as well, just being able to have that extra support from him is crucial! This great news has kept me positive through those hard days and nights! 


Anyway, that's my update for now! I have to get back to planning my birth plan, and getting together everything for the BIG day! Hope I have everything! Thank goodness my mom is coming into town, what would I do without her! 


HUSBAND: This is a Shout out to my wonderful husband!! He has been working so hard to provide for Marlee and I and I want him to know how appreciative I am of him and the hard work he puts in every day for this family! I love you so much and am so lucky to have you as a husband!! 

Week 34:


So my friend who was due June 26th had her baby just two days ago, two weeks early!! Can you believe she got out of this pain and "basketball belly" two weeks early! Her baby girl is healthy and strong, and she is back to normal, or more normal then before ha ha. I did some research on how early a baby can be born healthy. It really depends on the baby's health I guess. I just hope Marlee doesn't go over, I can't bare to think of that and if it were to happen. I found out today though that because of my husbands training he won't be able to go to the hospital tour ( This tour shows him where to drop me off and where to go when inside, and what to expect for the dad's ) I'm super bummed, but have gotten used to having him not here for things like that. He is a busy man. I just wish the military allowed him time for this kind of stuff. It's not every day you have your first kid right ha ha. 


Symptoms:
I did more research on why I've been having pain in my pelvic bone. I have what is called "Pubic Symphysis Diastasis" It just means I can't stand for long periods of time, and to make sure I'm sitting down when I put on pants, and to heat up a rice bag every chance I get to warm up my lower back. They also recommended a "Prenatal Cradle" It's a support belt (kind of like a belly band) that straps up on your shoulders as well to support your weight so there isn't so much pressure down on your pelvic bone. Other then that the usual, not being able to find a comfortable position to sleep, not being able to stand up on my own ( if I'm on a couch that has sucked me in or a comfy chair ), eating is harder now because baby is squishing my intestines leaving no room for digestion to happen. So I end up over eating, or not eating enough. I pee every half hour which is a lot for me ( I haven't had too much problem with that) Marlee kicks me all the time, and it's starting to hurt more and more because she's getting stronger and stronger every day.


Life as we know it: 
I just spoke to my mom about her coming out here and staying with us until the baby is here and a little after. I'm super stoked to be able to have her here. I've missed my family so much, especially my mom in this time of need. Since Landon is always at training I am usually alone, so it's hard to get advice, and know if I'm doing everything I can to be healthy for the baby. I'm just super stoked that I'll be able to tell my mom everything so Landon can focus on his studies, and not have to worry about my 1-2 hour vents about how pregnancy is a pain ha ha. So we both win in the end right? 


Monterey: 
Well today is 6/16/12 and I took Landon Sky diving! Him, Randy and Holly all went this morning! It was CRAZY awesome! I got some video footage, and lots of pics of this event! I loved being able to stay on the ground where it's SAFE and watch them come down! It was fun seeing their faces when they were finally on safe ground lol. My husband has been raving about this all week, and I wanted to make sure we left Monterey knowing he did something fun and worth it here. He certainly had fun, and wants to do it again but by  himself. I told him he was crazy! 

Week 33: Finishing up


I am now almost 34 weeks along! I have been very blessed so far with little to no sickness, and a healthy pregnancy so far! Unfortunately I can't say that about the pain I get to enjoy with my sciatic nerve, and my lower back pains, and now my pelvic bone is starting to really hurt. Whenever I walk for too long it starts to really hurt, and it's getting harder and harder to walk up and down the stairs, get dressed, and sleep. Even without this pelvic bone pain I'd be struggling with those, but this has a whole new level of pain written all over it. I am going to talk to my doctor on Wednesday to check it out and hopefully we can name the pain, and hopefully either stop it or soothe it. If any of you have any ideas on what to do for that kind of pain, I'd love to hear them!! 


Monterey: 
I'm so homesick it's terrible! I like it here with the nice greenery, and the ocean view, but nothing beats a sunday dinner with the family, or a fun weekend BBQ enjoying my dad's home made teriyaki chicken and hot dogs with rice! Home is where we go on walks together, and go for bike rides on the river walk trail. Home is where I feel comfortable being myself! I feel safe at home, I am able to reach out to my family and they'll be there to help me out. Home is where I need to be. Home is Logan Utah. As for Monterey, I have been stuck in my house because of my Pelvic Bone pain, so the sites haven't been on my top list lately. I have been stuck sitting here doing laundry and blogging ha ha


Life as we know it:
Things are getting heated very quickly here as we await the news of whether we go home early or if we stay until October or stay for only a short amount of time. It's all up to the head person over here at DLI. This waiting game they are having us play is getting ridiculous, and my husband is getting more and more on edge with everything. The poor thing has so much on his plate. The whole deal is that I'm due July 28th, but we might be moving home before then. Now if this happens we have to pack our things in less then 3 days (this including letting the land lord know we'll be moving out within 3 days, and that we have to end the contract) We then have to pack everything, and get a uhaul truck and figure out how we'll be moving while I'm 8 months pregnant. We then go home to no job, no home, no money. We will be living on the edge literally until we find a stable job and a stable apartment we can have a baby in. By then I'm sure I'll already be popping this baby out, and without his status of active duty (or in training) our insurance is gone. So we'll be paying for baby as well :( Now if they decide to let my husband stay for the next test (as long as he passes) we'll be able to stay here until Marlee arrives I'm sure. When Marlee arrives and then we get sent home, my husband has agreed to let the Military move us so we won't have to stress about packing and driving a big uhaul truck out to Utah, and Landon can drive our little car so I can be with Marlee. She will only be a couple months if not weeks old when we do leave. (Depending on his status) Now if he does end up passing his tests one after another, we will be able to stay until October, and he can graduate and have his second language! (THIS IS WHAT WE WANT!) So prayers are being asked for and are desperately needed! My husband has been stressing over whether he'll be able to provide for us if things fall through, and I think it's taking a huge toll in his studies, and the way he does on tests. So please help us out! Thank you for everything!!! :D 

Week 33: 


So far getting sleep, and finding a comfortable position to sit in, and fitting into my clothes is IMPOSSIBLE! I get more and more frustrated as the days go by. I want to do so much but am limited. I love moving furniture around and changing things up around the house, but I can no longer do that since I'm pregnant. It's very frustrating! On the up side, Marlee continues to kick and have hiccups for my daily delight! I love feeling her inside me, just reminding me that she is here, and is on the way! I feel like I already know her in a way. I guess that must be the motherly bond that forms when moms get pregnant. Now I understand! 


Symptoms: Heartburn, Hot flashes, no longer fitting into my clothes, trying to stand up after sitting is ridiculous, bending over isn't an option anymore, and trying to keep up with my daily routine is becoming harder and harder to do. I'm exhausted all the time from lugging around all this weight. I get dizzy every time I stand up because I forget to do it slowly. Overall, I want to be DONE being pregnant. 


Life as we know it: 
So life has been difficult lately. My oversize belly has taken over my world. I can no longer reach things I can in the cupboards because my belly is in the way. I can't fit into most of my shirts these days, I can't lift things I want to, or bend over to lift anything off the floor. I can barely do the dishes these days cause the bending over part is killing my back. Laundry is tough because I have to go from standing to bending over to get the clothes to sitting on the floor to load the clothes in, to trying to stand back up to put the laundry soap in back to bending over to switch the laundry...over and over again! All that strain on my back leads to sleepless nights. At night, its' impossible to find a comfortable position to sleep in. My pelvic bone has been giving me issues lately as well. It hurts to sleep on one side for too long, so add a rotation every 15 minutes at night, and it equals a NO SLEEP ZONE! On top of all this, I'm the type of person who loves to move furniture around! Especially now that I'm nesting, it's hard to get things done when I can't move any big furniture. My husband is super busy these days, and I don't expect him to nest for me, as much as that sounds awesome, he has enough on his plate. (Although, my husband has offered to help me move around some stuff in our bedroom so that we are able to have the baby sleep in our room, I AM SO LUCKY TO HAVE MY HUSBAND!!) I hate sitting around knowing that the only things I'm capable of is folding laundry, my least favorite thing to do!  I just feel bad for my poor husband, he has been helping me around the house lately, AND he is providing for me, AND he is at a course that takes him away from home from 7am-9pm, where he finds this time to help me out, I have no idea, but I must say that I am the luckiest girl in the world to have such a blessing like him around!!! 


Monterey: 
My husband and I decided that we HATE it here. We live on a busy road and so traffic at night is blinding, and it's LOUD! We have become sick of our apartment and can't wait to move back home. Lately it has been extremely humid here, and so we've been burning up at night, and freezing in the morning, and dying of humidity during the day! I've opened every window we have and it still seems to be scorching hot in our apartment. I'm taking out the fan today from storage to see if that helps any. 
My friends Kendra and Claudia here took me to Fisherman's Wharf to get carmel apples ( which by the way were the MOST AMAZING CARMEL APPLES EVER!!) I got to see some of the sights, and then we went and got lunch at Compagnos ( BEST SANDWICH PLACE THERE IS) We took it back to my house to eat and just talk, it was GREAT! I'm glad I got to know them, they were such a great couple of gals :) I hope to hang out with them soon! I feel more at home when I'm around other people! 


The kitties: 
So lately we've had to shut all the doors upstairs because our cats have been over curious about all the new baby stuff we've purchased. I have to worry about them ruining it because Bo hasn't been neutered yet so he still marks his territory, and I DO NOT want him marking his territory all over our new baby stuff! As for worrying about them when Marlee gets here, I'm terrified! Bo has almost tripped me going down the stairs multiple times, and Aero has been sneaky enough to find his way into my closet to hide, and that's where all the baby stuff is. I have my worries of whether or not we'll be able to keep them when Marlee arrives. It will be a tough decision because these two cats have been my babies for the last two years, and my first pets. I'm hoping I won't have to make that decision of keeping them or not. Hopefully they'll be good around Marlee! Cross my fingers! 

Week 32: 


Marlee is very active now a days! She has finally let my husband feel her kicking. (My placenta is located on the top so it makes it harder to feel her) I think ever since he has felt her kick, he has been more aware of my situation and what I'm going through. It was hard at first to get him to notice that I'm not supposed to be by kitty litter, and not supposed to bend over for things. Now he is over cautious (Which kind of makes me feel loved :) I am just so glad I get to raise Marlee with such an amazing man!! 


Symptoms: 
Back pains (Siatic nerve), Back pain in general, not being able to reach my feet, struggling to put pants on ha ha, shirts are starting to not fit, swelling of ankles.


This week I'm hoping to get more sleep! I am now realizing that when Marlee is here, she will make it impossible for me to get a good nights rest, so I might as well stock up now. I am excited to get her out so that I can sleep on my back/stomach again! Anyway, I just went clothes shopping for Marlee and got a TON of cute clothes at a place called the Chatterbaux! It's an amazing system they've got running there. Basically it's a small shoppe for BABY STUFF! You go in and buy stuff, and once your baby grows out of those clothes, you can bring them back and they'll re-sell your stuff, and if your stuff sells, you get in-store credit! Best part is they have everything, not just clothes. They have toys, books, shoes, hats, cribs, swings, bedding, etc. It's a great place to go!! (Chatterbaux in Monterey CA) Anyway, I was recently helping one of my friends move, and she was nice enough to give me her crib/changing table, and I have just been so excited about that! This lady is amazing!! I finally feel like we're wrapping up my pregnancy, and focusing on what's going to happen after I give birth. It's crazy to think how fast things are going to happen, and how long it feels like it's taking. I'm just super excited to start this journey to our next adventure! Parenthood! 


As for our adventures in California: 
California is still treating us with surprises. It has been raining all day, all up until I actually come home to stay then it stops. (So while I was shopping, and dropping my husband off it was pouring) My luck! The roads here are strange, and the drivers here are CRAZY! People don't signal here, which makes life a little bit harder if you know what I'm saying ha ha. Although I do love the greenery here, and the ocean view, I am home sick and can't wait to be home. I'm just hoping we make it to October! My husband has been issued some situations. If he passes his next test we stay until the next test, (Basically we'll be living off of whether he passes or fails his tests) if he fails, we are either sent home, or they will give us another go for the next test. Let's pray they give us another chance if that happens! We need to be here for when Marlee arrives! (Military will pay for Marlee=FREE BABY) I'm hoping for that! Other then that, Landon and I are both excited to return home after Marlee is born! :) I recently got a calling in our church as ward chorister, and I'm loving it, all but my arm aching half way through a song!  ha ha I love my ward, and the members there! I have made some new friends, and am excited to stay in contact with them even when we leave. I have found that most of the soldiers here are from the Utah area, so I will be able to see them again hopefully! 


Life as a Military Wife:
It has been hard to deal with army stuff. They have so many rules and regulations that I can't keep up with it (Especially now that I'm trying to focus on Marlee and staying healthy) I have been trying to plan the move back, and it is full of twists and turns that my pregnancy brain can't handle ha ha. I hope to get everything cleared up and ready to go by then, but until then I'm gonna focus on Marlee and staying healthy ( I think that's more important) 


SHOUT OUT: 
Shout out to my hubby! He has been so stressed out lately, and overwhelmed! I hope and pray he gets a break soon! He has been sacrificing so much for this family and has been doing SUCH A GOOD JOB providing for Marlee and me (especially my crazy cravings every now and again) He has been amazing trying to deal with his schooling, my crazy hormones, and the stresses of insurance/bills/Marlee/school/passing/ man there is just so much that he has to worry about! He is truly talented with balancing everything out! I love him so much and am so glad I get to spend eternity with him!! I LOVE YOU BABE! :) 

Week 31:


Marlee has been more active these days, kicking around in my stomach, and using my rib cage as a foot stool! She has had the hiccups every now and again (Speaking of which, she has them right now! Which feel so strange btw ha ha) She loves it when I sing to her. I keep having dreams about giving birth, and getting to hold Marlee for the first time. Dreams are very vivid now a days. She has changed my life forever! I've become so attached to her and can't wait to hold her in my arms!! 


Symptoms: I have had problems with this since Week 14, my sciatic nerve has been causing me back pains. It is getting harder and harder to put pants on and off. I can't reach my feet now, and it seems impossible to get my shoes on (thank goodness for flip flops!) I have back aches in general that I just have to stretch out every once in a while. Although bending over is taking it's toll on me. I keep forgetting that I'm pregnant, and that I can't just bend over ha ha (Toppling over taught me that lesson the hard way) Unfortunately for me, I've chosen to take the no exercise route through out this pregnancy, something I've been regretting since day one. This has made it difficult to have a good self-esteem, and have high confidence, but I'm determined to get into shape, and live a healthy life style as soon as she is here. 


Before I was pregnant, I purchased a workout program that looked great for me. I started it out and 5 weeks in I had to stop and think. I wasn't losing any weight, although I hadn't felt better in my life, I still wasn't shedding the weight. I went to my doctor, and she told me my birth control was making it so I wasn't able to lose weight, but I was gaining weight instead. So I quickly got off the pill and took  break from the workout because I was starting to not feel like myself, only to find out a week later that I was pregnant! Because of the long break (4 weeks) of not exercising, I lost motivation and convinced myself that anything hardcore like Turbo Fire, was going to harm my baby, (TOTALLY NOT TRUE). So I never worked out, in fear that I'd hurt my baby. So I started off on the journey of regret then and there. I'm excited though to find out how Turbo Fire works for me after I'm not pregnant! I want to be a healthy mom for my baby girl, and I want to be her role model! I don't ever want her to see me as depressed as I was throughout my pregnancy, and before that! I want her to see me as the bright, fit, healthy mom who is FUN! I want to be just like my mom! She was always that role model for me! I always saw her exercising, and always eating healthy, and always giving me the time of day, and just being there for me in general! She was always full of life, and just was always POSITIVE! She built me up to who I am today, and I've never been so grateful to her for that!  I want to be just like her, I just hope I can be! :) 


Life in Monterey:


Life here is interesting. It's hard being so far away from family while in my first pregnancy. I miss my mom, and the long talks we shared together every day. I miss being able to see my friends and family when I wanted, and knowing they were there if I needed them. My mom played a huge part in being my support for anything I did. She was always building me up to know that I can and am able of doing anything I put my mind to. She was always pushing me to do good, and always praising me when I did. She would always be honest with me making sure I knew right from wrong, and that I had the choice to make the right one! Here in Monterey, it is much different. 

So Marlee has been kicking like crazy! I am now 28 weeks along, and am feeling...well besides the back pain, the hacking down a prenatal every night, not being able to reach my feet, and feeling like a fat balloon, it's GREAT! I love being able to feel Marlee inside of me kicking. It's a good reminder that she is healthy and strong. 
So, since we've moved to Monterey, life has been crazy! First of all the adventure here was absolutely unbearable! So many things went wrong for us on the way here. One thing after another, it felt like it was never going to end. Well we finally got settled in and everything was starting to seem relaxed when our cats decided to go pee in our closet. Yup, not only did they choose MY closet, but they chose the bin that held all 5 pairs of my shoes! All of them were ruined! After that, the military changed my husbands schedule from 4 am-4 pm monday through friday, to 7am-8:30pm...ridiculous...I think so! I am his chauffeur and so I get the lovely task of dropping him off at 7, picking him up at 10:45 for lunch, dropping him back off on base at 12:00, picking him up again at 3:45 for PT, going home, coming back to pick him up at 5:10, and then coming home, then dropping him off at 6:30 and then picking him up at 8:30...my life is literally based off of his schedule. Other then that, I've had to worry about registering our car here in California, only to find out (after going to the DMV, signing all the papers, doing all the tests) that all I had to do was call up the DMV in Logan Utah and verify that we had moved for the military and that we were going to be there only for 6 months. That's just one of the issues here! We've decided that we want me to go home early with my parents, so that I can have help, and so that Landon will be able to study at home without distractions. I'm still a little weary on it, but it will be for the best! I will be able to come home and have extra hands to help me out with the baby, and I'll be able to set things up at home for when Landon returns to me. I'm not too excited that it will be around 2 months of time away from Landon, but right now we need to do what's best for us. (Honestly, I think once our baby is here, I'll change my mind because I'll want to spend as much time with the baby and Landon as possible!) I'll have to update you more on what we decide :) 12 more weeks~ 

Week 22 (Week 2 @ Monterey)

We just moved to Monterey California for my husbands job, and it has been super stressful especially now that I'm 5 1/2 months pregnant. The trip here was eventful and full of obstacles we made it and are here safe. Marlee has been moving so much more now that she is growing stronger! My husband was able to barely feel her kicks just the other morning. Speaking of mornings...I woke up this morning having had a dream of Marlee. She was born and had a beautiful thick head of brown hair and had the most stunning eyes you've ever seen! My dream took us around to all our friends houses to show her off. It was a great feeling! I just wish she were here now sooner then later. I've already grown so close to her, and feel like it's going to be one of the greatest adventures I'll be apart of. My husband in all of this has been extremely helpful and has been hard at work to make sure he can provide for us. He is the definition of a hard working husband and father, and I wouldn't rather be with anyone else then him! He is my HERO! :)

BABY MARLEE!

Our lives changed when we found out we were pregnant! A little baby of our own! It was unbelievable news! My husband, like many, were a bit overwhelmed at the beginning, especially when we found out she was a girl! You see, we had this bet going about the gender of the baby. He guessed a "girl" and I guessed a "boy". Apparently he thought he'd be cheating the system if he guessed the opposite of what he wanted. Getting to the hospital to get the ultra sound, it was a long drive. The nurse explained that they had a brand new machine and that there would be two nurses there to watch. (This was a good thing, because we'd get TWO opinions on what they thought the baby was) So I went to lay down and we got ready to start. Landon and I were extremely scared and nervous, but super excited! The first thing we see is her bum! It was completely obvious to me that she was a girl, because of the lack of...well you know :) Anyway, my husband was SHOCKED! I don't think I've ever seen him like that. He looked confused, shocked, and alarmed all at the same time. We continued the ultra sound, checking her heart, her spine, and everything else, making sure she was on the right track. Then the doctor asked if we had any other questions, or concerns. My husband blurted out that he wanted the nurse to go back and double check to make sure the baby was in fact a girl, and not a boy...like he wanted. As soon as he asked her, she rolled the probe onto Marlee's hand, which showed her giving us a thumbs up! It looked like Marlee was telling her daddy that she was a girl FOR SURE. When we were done, and received our copy of the CD and pictures, we went out to sit in the lobby to wait for my next doctors appointment. Landon sat there bemused at the news we just received. I could see his brain shooting from "We're gonna have a baby girl!" to "I'm gonna kill her first boyfriend" to "I don't want my heart to get broken when she gets married" to "She's gonna have kids of her own, making us grandparents" to "Oh my gosh............(SILENCE)......" It was a great 10 minutes as we sat there waiting. The rest of the day we spent talking to our parents, letting them know of the good news, and talking with each other of what is to come. It took Landon a little longer for it to process with, but once it did, he was thrilled! Although scared, and nervous, he has always wanted a little princess to protect :) I was so happy when I heard this. As for me, I didn't care whether it was a boy or girl, as long as they were healthy, and they were mine! She is 10 inches long now, and is kicking up a storm!!! I'm now 20 weeks along, and am HALFWAY THERE! I'm super excited to be on this journey and to have my life change completely! It has been a great two years with my husband, as we took our own adventures and made our time worth it. Now it's time to share it with our own flesh and blood :D Marlee, we welcome you to the world!!! I will report back with more news when I get closer to the due date! ( July 28, 2012) We are Thrilled!