Pregnancy Update-Again!

Well... I went to the doctor last Monday & I'm dilated to a 1, almost a 2 with about 30% effaced. The baby is also head down.This pregnancy is progressing although it definitely seems like I still have a LONG way to go! :) Here are some pictures I took yesterday, sorry they aren't the best -they never are! My belly is seriously HUGE and has dropped alot in the last week. I look like I have a basketball under my shirt and that's not even an understatement! haha

Day 28, 29 &30

That's right... we're finishing off the challenge! :)

day 28....a pic of you from last year and now-how have you changed?

Okay, I know I have posted these pictures before, but I seriously don't have many pictures of me-I'm always the one taking the pictures. lol but the first one is from Aug 09 and the second July 10 so I figured they kinda work, right?

Plus I figured it doesn't really count right now cause I'm super prego :)

Physically I have changed my hair color-I'm going back to my natural brown instead of way dark brown or black. Before getting pregnant, I had lost 10 lbs-wahoo! I have also changed in a lot of other ways that aren't physical. I have learned so much more in the gospel (thanks to my calling) and I have learned to rely upon my Savior and Heavenly Father so much more. I have learned more patience with myself, others, and especially my family. I have sucked up my pride and learned to say "I'm sorry" and admit I'm wrong. I have learned that it's okay to not be "the best" at everything and to TAKE TIME to slow down and PLAY. I have learned that spontaneous acts of fun and goodness are the best kind and that it's ok if things don't always go on a schedule or as planned (thank you Winterton family).

I could go on and on about how I think I've changed, but the most important thing is that we DO change. It's a constant part of life and it can be a very good thing.

Day 29.. In this past month, what have you learned?

-Our bodies have their own mind

-We can't control our circumstances or situations and we DEFINITELY can't control how others act

-To put a smile on even when you're screaming and crying inside

-there are definitely good people still in the world

-We can learn alot from others if we only take the time and try

-School is stressful and major expensive

-Vaseline doesn't come out of microfiber very well

-Peanut butter and Nutella solve every problem (knew that one-forgot it for a bit)

-Learned more sewing skills (I'm sure tryin)

-Being a "tough" mom can be hard, but ultimately our children know we love them and are trying to do what's best for them

-I'm tired of traveling

-I'm tired of being pregnant

-etc, etc, etc :)

Day 30... Favorite song...

I'm not sure I have one at the moment, but the song that keeps running through my head today is "Families can be together Forever". What a marvelous thing to think about. Seriously, take a second and just think what an amazing concept that truly is. We've heard it time and time again in church, through study and prayer and multiple other places, but do we seriously take the time to REALLY think about it and how important that is to us? I know it means the world to me and so much more!

Well... that's in folks! The 30 Day Challenge is COMPLETE! :)

I love the sound of...

....my son talking himself to sleep at night. As I'm sitting here waiting for him to go to sleep because I just can't start homework when I can hear him (I know, I need to get over it, but still-plus I'm EXHAUSTED from math class tonight as I always am). I hear him tell his favorite stuffed elephant about "Baby Bryson" and about "building a shower with mom (tower with blocks) and clean house with dad". Then I hear him laugh and giggle as he starts singing "Happy know it-clap hands" followed by "Stuck like blue, wa ah wa ah, stuck like blue. You me baby." which is his rendition of Stuck Like Glue. (he just learned it today) And I think to myself-WOW! I am one lucky woman! I love, love, LOVE being a mom and can't wait for Bryson to get here and I can learn and grow with him as much as I have with Kyler. I'm so lucky to have Deric and Kyler in my life and I can't wait for what the future holds!

Day 26 & 27

Day 26... What do you think about your friends?
I think my friends are miraculous people whom I love VERY much. Most of them have been through a lot with me and have supported me in all aspects of my life. I look up to them and appreciate all they do for me.

Day 27.. Why are you doing this 30 day challenge?
I did this challenge because I thought it would be fun to think about my life, answer the questions as honestly as possible and hopefully reminisce within myself.

3 years

Today marks our 3 year anniversary! YAY! :) I could not be happier with the man I chose for my eternal companion. He literally is my best friend in every which way and although we have our disagreements, he truly is my better half! He makes me want to be a better person and mom and he is the most amazing Dad to Kyler and soon to Bryson! I love you Deric! (FYI-I'm really sad, I can't find most of my wedding pictures, engagements, etc,. I'll have to keep looking and post some more later cause i love them so much! :)

2 years old!

I can hardly believe my little man is 2 !! It's just so crazy for me to believe although I can't imagine life without him (most of you moms would understand and agree I think!) Kyler has brought so much love and joy into our home, it's unbelievable! Because Deric had class all day on his actual birthday, we celebrated with Deric's family on Sunday. It was fun. Kyler is to the age that I think he is starting to understand things a little bit better. Aisha and I made me a train cake although it didn't turn out exactly how I thought it was, but it was still cute. Unfortunately, the only pictures I have of the event are from Aisha's phone. Kyler got really spoiled! Deric and I weren't planning on anyone else buying him gifts, but we were surprised when they did! It just goes to show how much he is loved!

I just want to write down some of his birth story for journaling purposes, so feel free to quit reading if you want! :)

I had my last day of work on November 14th even though my due date wasn't until the 20th. Deric and I celebrated our anniversary that night as well. When I woke up in the morning on the 15th, I was having contractions, but I didn't think it was real because I had had a lot of Braxton Hicks. My doctor had always told me that if you thought you were in labor to jump in the shower or lie down, if they went away, then it was false labor but if they continued then it was real. Well, Deric didn't want me to jump into the shower in case they went away! lol but I did anyway. After my shower, they didn't go away and I told Deric (who was washing dishes in our bathroom sink-yes we had no kitchen) that I thought we needed to go to the hospital. He said he wanted to finish the dishes first and wasn't in a big hurry-"duh dad! We're having a baby here!!!" was what I kept thinking. Anyway, we finally checked into the hospital at about 9:30 a.m. and were surprised to find out that I was completely effaced and dilated to a 5 when they checked me. My contractions were coming strong and everything looked like this baby would be coming FAST! My doctor was out of town and the dr on call told me that she thought I would easily have this baby by noon. They hurried to give me the doses of antibiotics because I had Strep B-it's best for the baby that way. And they told me NOT to push if I felt the urge because I really needed to have the medicine. When I first got there the epidural doctor (can't spell the real word haha) had just left the floor and so they asked if I could deal with regular pain medication and I thought I could-haha that lasted like 30 minutes. And can I just say-the epidural was AMAZING! :) Anyway, we hurried and called all our family and told them to hurry to the hospital, this baby was coming fast.

Finally I got the ok to start pushing and the action began. Unfortunately, Kyler wasn't willing to coorporate. His head was turned and every time the doctor would turn it straight, he would turn it back sideways. I remember pushing and pushing for what seemed like forever and him not even budging an inch. I like an untraditional style of pushing, and I was SO sad when the nurses switched shifts because then I got stuck with a cranky nurse who wouldn't let me push the way I wanted to (it drains your energy alot faster than regular)

Finally the doctor came and said Kyler had been in the birth canal too long and we needed to get him out. I could have a C-section or try forcepts. Well... Deric and I had no idea what to do and the doctor encouraged us to try the forcepts first, so we did. Although they had an emergency C-section team waiting right outside the door. It was mass confusion. Within 3 pushes, he was out! YAY! It was the most amazing experience I have EVER had! Kyler Deric Winterton was born at 8:28 p.m. on November 15th, 2008 weighing in at 8 lbs 10 ounces and 22 inches long.

After he was born, I remember being so worried because he wasn't crying. Then Deric told me that he had had a bowel movement and they had prevented him from breathing until they got him cleaned up. he ended up being in the NICU for a little bit, but not long! Our little angel had arrived. I can't not believe how precious he was and how much I already loved him. We have lots of fun and interesting stories about his birth and his life so far. I can't wait to see what the future holds for our family!

We sure do love you Kyler bud!

Day 24 & 25

Day 24.. A letter to your parents...

So I decided instead of actually putting this on my blog for everyone to see (it's kinda personal), I decided to actually write this down and MAIL it to my parents! I don't tell them often enough how much I love and appreciate them and I think this is a great way! BUT I want everyone to know that I have the most AMAZING, INFLUENTIAL, SPIRITUAL, and LOVING parents in the world! (ya, dont even try to argue with me-i know I'm right! :)

Day 25... what you would find in my purse....

Well, I don't carry my purse very often anymore hence I have a diaper bag (happens when you have small children) but here's some items you would probably find in both of them at some point or another:

-diapers/wipes
-chapstick
-wallet
-checkbook
-lip gloss
-fruit snacks (and not always for Kyler! )
-granola bar
-bobby pins
-a few toy cars
-hand sanitizer
-Kyler's immunization card


That's all Ican think of right now really. :)

Day 23

Something you crave for a lot...

There alot of things I crave, just depending on the moment :) Right now, I'm craving....

-A nice, hot bubble bath followed by
-a foot rub (I've been on my feet ALL day and they're killing me) then....
-an ice cold glass of milk with oreos
-this pregnancy to be over for a few reasons: 1-to meet Bryson 2-so I can FINALLY get medicine to get rid of these stupid infections
-just spending some alone time with the hubby, no phones, no kids, no computer or TV, nothing
- a day when I can sleep however long I want (I'm lacking in sleep ALOT right now)

I'm sure there are more, but that's it for now! :)

Day 21 & 22

I decided because I fall behind on this thing, I really should just keep doing a couple of days in one post... plus it limits the insane amount of posts I do! :)

Day 21:A picture of something that makes you happy.... there are many things that make me happy... here are a few

My family, of course.

Chocolate :)

The Gospel

Volleyball

Now on to Day 22: What makes you different from everyone else. Well besides the fact that I'm an accident-prone freak, I'm pretty normal! :) I have one less rib that I'm supposed to (as previously stated) I guess that could set me apart. I guess you could say I'm different from alot of people because of my religious beliefs (yes, people, there are a lot of different beliefs out there). I eat my Cheetos with a fork-most people find that odd. I think that's it though! :) like I said, I'm pretty normal!

Day 20

Someone you see yourself marrying or being with in the future....

I will be with Deric for the rest of my life and eternity!~THANK GOODNESS! I love him so much, I definitely couldn't ask for a better eternal companion and best friend.

Day 19

Nicknames you have and why you have them....

Okay, I'm not sure that I still have any nicknames other than maybe "witch" as some people might call me, and yes I didn't put the real word. but I do have some from high school although no one really calls me them anymore.

Euro-My birthmark is on my lower back and is in the shape of Europe? Some guys started calling me that like in 5th grade and it stuck for a while. Until I moved on to....

Hotwheels-haha I can't remember exactly why this was a nickname although Amber or Steph might remember

Les-I guess this one still applies although I'm not sure it counts as a nickname if it's just part of your name.

Lester-Katie Memmott started calling me this when we were kids and still did up until the day we graduated high school, maybe she still does now, who knows. lol

Oh the memories....

Day 16, 17, & 18

Day 16... Another picture of yourself.... so not posting one right now-sorry! It's been forever since I've really had a picture so it'll be awhile yet, plus they are all pregnancy pictures now anyway.

Day 17...Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why: well... hm.... let me think... I'm not sure. I really do like my life so I'm not sure I would switch with anyone. I mean, sure there are things that I would like to be somewhat different but when it comes right down to it-I love my family and my life! :) So sorry, can't answer that one.

Day 18...Plans/Dreams/goals you have:
-Get my Bachelor's degree
-lose the baby weight gained with this pregnancy
-live in a big house (but not too big, just adequate for our needs)
-Finish having kids by the time I'm 30
That's all I can think of right now... maybe I'll post more later.

Some late night thinking

As I was driving home from my math class last night, I had alot of time to just sit and think to myself. I began thinking about my life right now and how stressful I THINK it is. Thoughts of bills, school, pregnancy, marriage, Kyler, house, chores, shopping, meals, family, etc were all racing through my mind going a million miles an hour. Then I decided to think on a simplier time frame and thought more about this month. November is such a big month for our small family (i'm sure I'll post more about every event later). We have Kyler's birthday on the 15th, Deric and I's anniversary on the 16th, Cameo's birthday on the 17th, Thanksgiving (can't forget that one), and we bought our first house on November 30th of last year. There are some BIG moments listed right there. I mean, think about it. Without the birth of Kyler, I wouldn't have him and I wouldn't be a mother and I wouldn't have Kyler and be a mother if I hadn't married Deric. I wouldn't even know what an amazing person Cameo is if I hadn't met Deric and without it all, I definitely wouldn't have bought this house and even above all that.... I wouldn't have NEAR as much stuff to be thankful for. I guess the point of all this is that I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY need to strive to be more grateful for my many blessings. So that is my next goal, to try to be more grateful for the things I have and to quit focusing on the negative or stressful things in life. Because we are all stressed on some degree-I just seem to choose to let that stress rule my life and I'm really going to try hard not to. So for those of you who actually read this thing... PLEASE remind me of my goal when I get too stressed! :)

Day 15

Put your ipod/mp3 player on and the first 10 songs that play:

#1-You're Still the One-Shania Twain
#2-Don't Let's Talk About Lisa-Lonestar
#3-Thanks a Log-Thrid Eye Blind
#4-Unknown-Relient K
#5-Encore-Eminem
#6-Unknown-Relient K (apparently I don't have the title to their songs)
#7-Lips of An Angel-Hinder
#8-I'm Already There-Lonestar
#9-There Goes My Life-Kenny Chesney
#10-Far Away-Nickelback


Wow I don't have much variety do I? lol

Old School

So I found some pictures from high school of me and my best friends and I just want to say something about one of my best friends-Steph. Stephanie is such a remarkable person who has gone through a lot but she is so much stronger for it. She has such a strong, sweet personality that you just can't help but love her! :) I really look up to her and I miss the good times we used to have together: writing notes in Calculus, running through the sprinklers on the football field (hahahahaha-inside story), playing sports, GYC, her killing me because of drunk driving (not really, mock disaster thing), fighting over the same guy (multiple times), having late night cheeto raids, sluffing school for my first and only time (I got caught), stealing toliet paper from the bathroom and almost getting caught because of a TP tail that Steph had, living together and realizing we make better friends than roommates, being there through many tears, heartaches and broken romances, marriages, and many MANY more experiences! I love you Steph and wish we were better at keeping in touch!

32 weeks

Sorry the picture is kinda fuzzy... I need to teach Aisha how to use a camera! :)

Line 'Em Up!

These are some old pictures that i'm just BARELY getting around to uploading but Kyler has this new fascination with lining EVERYTHING up. Doesn't matter what it is, bowls, cars, magnets, you name it-he lines it up. He often lines them up in smallest to biggest order or vice versa. I think it's super cute :)

Day 14

A picture of you and your family....

This one is our first family picture with just Deric and I

Shortly after we added sweet Kyler to our family (this is when he is 6 days old) so Nov 08

This was at Deric's sister's wedding reception in Aug 09

This is our latest one (I don't like it though-just how we look in it, not the actual picture) which was May 2010 I believe

And of course we have some with our families which is extended family but I can't find them at the current time :) I'm so good at that huh?

Day 13

A letter to someone who has hurt you recently.... I'm not going to lie, this one is a bit difficult for me. There has been some people in my life that have really hurt me on almost a constant basis and although I have tried to be the more Christlike person, I often find it difficult but very humbling.

Dear hurtful,

We have known each other for quite some time now and although that time has been good, it has also been full of pain and grief-lots of misery. I have often cried to myself after being around you and I have cried to others but no one can know the hurt deep inside that I feel. You often say mean things, make me feel inadequate and worthless. But I have found a new sense of direction. Instead of focusing on your words and actions, I have now chosen to disregard them. I don't care if you think Im ugly, un social or unworthy of my blessings. I don't care if you find me irritable, irresponsible and degrading. I am who I am. My Heavenly Father made me and as I learned a long time ago-he doesn't make mistakes. I can form myself into the woman I want to be. I have my free agency. I now walk with my head held high and full of confidence. Next time you say a mean thing, I will simply chose to let it bounce right off of me-unaffected. I often wonder and feel sorry for you-sorry for the fact that you feel like you have to be hurtful and mean to others in order to feel good about yourself and I challenge you. I challenge you to search deep within and find that special spark that our Heavenly Father gave you, because just like me, he loves you too. It's hard to forgive and forget what you've put me through but I'm trying and that's all I can offer. I can't offer a complete love that I want to feel for you. I can't offer understanding or compassion. Someday I hope to, today is not that day.

So for me, I am saying goodbye. Goodbye forever. No more will I be hurt and degraded by your thoughts of me! I am of WORTH!

I think this was actually a very good thing for me to write down. It may not make sense to anyone but me and obviously there is alot to it. Alot more I would like to write and say but now is not the time or place to do so. I am trying. And trying is what's important. It often takes lots of time, healing and humbling before we can feel complete peace. Someday I hope to reach that peace with this person and I believe I will.... as long as I keep trying.

8 years ago today...

So this is kinda cheesy, I know... but 8 years ago today..... Deric told me for THE VERY FIRST TIME 3 very important and life changing words. Those words were "I love you". Those words have changed my life for the better and so has Deric. I love him so much and am so grateful for him! He is such an amazing husband and father and I couldn't ask for a better eternal companion!

Day 11 & 12

Day 11.... Another picture of you and your friends. (Okay I found some pictures of some friends but they are WAY old school. I might post them later just for kicks! :)












Day 12... How you found out about blogger and why you have one.
I'm not quite sure how I found out about blogger. I think I saw someone post theirs as a website on their facebook page and thought it was really cute. The reason I have one is for journaling purposes. It makes me document my life and what's going on in it. Sometimes it's not pleasant but I know I will want it later on. Plus I think it's fun to see other people's so I figure maybe someone reads mine... who knows. We also started it for a way for Deric's mission people to keep in touch and see what's going on with us.