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Trav's Track Meet. And Then Some.

2012-01-28T12:51:00.000-07:00

First of all, bear with my phone pictures. For some reason, our camera won't read our memory card.

Travis is on the BYU-Idaho indoor long-distance track team! His team is the Thunder and today he had his first official track meet.

Here he is in is little uniform! :) He didn't love the fact that the shorts were very short.

He took first place in his heat! Today the race was a mile and he got 5 minutes and 30 seconds!

Here he is doing the laps for another heat.

He thinks he has stress fractures or shin splints. Luckily, since he is on the competitive team, he has access to the physical therapy on campus and will be going in on Monday.
I love going to races and watching my husband run. I am so proud of him and all his hard work!

We have been having lots of fun. On the 26th we celebrated our 4th anniversary. That day in our prayers, Trav gave thanks for our happy marriage. It made me feel good to know that he is enjoying our marriage and that he is happy! :) I have never been happier and more content with life. I love being married to Travis and I love being a parent with him. I am so grateful for the blessings of eternal families!

Trav has been working super hard in school and he is doing so good! He has been getting great scores on all his tests (including anatomy and physiology! that is hard stuff!) I am amazed at how smart he is all the time and I love watching his excitement for learning.

Mackson and I are having fun at home :) I have recently been able to get him on a better schedule thanks to some advice from family, friends, and the internet! (I am sure it helps that we aren't visiting our families every weekend!) I can now put him down for bed and for his naps without a complaint from him! It is awesome! He seems to be more happy and so am I! We are both getting a lot more sleep too! He is getting hard to keep up with. We need to get a baby gate because when I am not looking, he crawls straight to the stairs and tries to go down, face first! He has climbed 8 stairs so far. He gets so distracted. If he finds a little piece of lint on the stairs he has to stop and explore it and then he wants to touch the railing or eat the carpet. It is really hard to keep him focused on climbing up. He LOVES to get his teeth brushed every night. I think it tickles his gums. He smiles the whole time.

We are enjoying our time together and we really love our new place. We live less than a minute away from the temple! You can see Angel Moroni from Mackson's window. Kristina was so nice to babysit Mackson while we went there on our anniversary! We can still walk to church, which makes Trav very happy! We are still looking for a job for Trav and we are crossing our fingers in hopes to at least have one by the end of the semester!

Some fun pictures:
I did Mackson's hair like this to bug Trav and it worked! His face was priceless when he walked in the door and saw Mackson. He said, "What did you do to his hair?!!"

Mackson has loved exploring now that he is so mobile. It has given us both a lot of freedom. Yesterday, he got stuck under his crib and couldn't figure out how to get out. He just kept bonking his head on the bar. Me, being the great mom that I am had to get a picture of his struggle before saving him.

He loves to play on his rocking chair that his McKellar grandparents made for him. He is usually backwards on it. He loves the yellow letters. And as you can see, he has been pointing at things that he likes or wants!

A few weeks ago, my parents came up and spent some time with us. They also watched Mackson while Trav and I had some time for just the two of us. He loved that they helped him play with his tractor!

Grandma McMillan and Mackson:

I absolutely LOVE being his mom!

Catch Up- Christmas 2011

2012-01-19T17:06:00.000-07:00

If you think Christmas blogposts are boring, then you at least have to skip down to see what my husband gave me for Christmas. BEST husband ever!
Christmas this year was so fun. The McMillan side of the family celebrated on Christmas Eve this year. First, we got together and opened presents. We got some awesome stuff from my parents, including xbox games, a SWEET cake decorating kit, a new church coat that I was super excited about, and some other things that were fun and that we really needed. Jer and Kayla gave us a game and two awesome movies! After presents, we ate some DELICIOUS ribs and then went to Danny and Alisha's (uncle and aunt) house for some treats and fun. Afterwards, we went back to my parents and watched, "The Help". Good movie!
Mackson was sooo sleepy that night.

My Husband is a cutie. I won't be seeing his beard for a long time, now that we are up at BYU-Idaho!

On Christmas morning Trav and I opened presents from each other. It was Mackson's first Christmas, and NO. We didn't get him anything. I am sure he will be super traumatized too. Actually, there were a few gifts in our car but we never got them out for some reason, but he is having fun playing with them now. And he did get some giant Legos from his Keil cousins on Christmas Eve and he LOVES playing with them.
I was pretty darn excited about these spring form pans! I have been wanting to get into cake decorating and it will go great with the awesome decorating set that my parents gave me. I was amazed that my husband thought of getting me these.

These are my blog books. I told Trav a few months ago that I wanted one for every year and he said I could go ahead and get them ready so I did. I love them and I love that I will have these books for my children and their children.

I got Trav a bopit XT (whatever that means), some other games, some games for his kinect, and some things that he needed.

And the SURPRISE gifts that Trav had for me...
He noticed that my jewelry box was super old and tattered, so he spent A LOT of time making this (all the while I thought he was at work for super LONG days.)
Him explaining something about it:

Showing me all the cool features:

How AMAZING is this? There are mirrors in the back of the cupboards that I hang my necklaces in, a spot for my rings, and places that I can put pictures on the doors (and you can see that my husband already took the liberty of choosing some adorable pictures to put there).

What? That's not all? There is another present INSIDE this beauty??? A little white box. Travis explained to me that he wanted to get me a piece of jewelry with Mackson's birthstone in it. He went to the jewelry store to find out what it was. The employee thought it might be a pearl and Trav thought, "Oh great. That will be expensive." And then they were like, "Nope, it's actually a diamond!" He was a little annoyed to find out that Mackson's birthstone is one of the most expensive. Luckily, he got a SUPER DUPER good deal on it :) Otherwise, he probably wouldn't have got it. BUT, it still says a LOT that he would even spend ANY money on a piece of jewelry.

I thought it was very sweet that he even thought to get something with Mackson's birthstone in it. Since it has 7 little diamonds in it, he told me that we should have SEVEN kids and have them ALL in April. :)

Here's a picture of it. Our camera is still packed somewhere so it's a blurry phone picture.

I love it, and I absolutely love my jewelry box. Isn't it so pretty? Trav did an EXCELLENT job.

WITH jewelry in it.

After breakfast, we went and celebrated at the McKellars.

It's always a little crazy but super fun! We opened presents and ate some DELICIOUS breakfast casseroles!

We got a really nice vaccuum from Trav's parents. Ours hadn't been working very well and we really really needed a new one. They also got us a few other things that we really needed. I was touched by their thoughtfulness. Jason gave Travis an RC helicopter (he plays with it ALL the time and has even crashed it into our poor child). Jenni is a GREAT listener and gave me "17 Miracles". If you haven't seen it, I HIGHLY reccommend watching it. It was definitely an inspired film.

And of course, Mackson got his rocking chair that grandpa Dave built, and Grandma Nancy beautified. They always give them to the kids on their first Christmas. He absolutely LOVES it and when we put him in it, he immediately started rocking.

Here he is, showing off his cute rocking chair and his adorable smile :)

Once again, we were spoiled and we had so much fun with our families.

Mackson at 9 months

2012-01-16T21:19:00.000-07:00

Mackson on some toys at the mall in Ogden right before we moved. He LOVED them. Good thing he is at the age where you don't have to put quarters in it for him to enjoy it!

He has four teeth and it is adorable. He looks a little bit like Goofy with his gapped front teeth! He likes to be around people and always wants me or Trav in the room with him, but he still likes to do things himself and get into things that he shouldn't. We are scared that his first word will be "No" because we are finding ourselves saying that to him a lot now that he is mobile. He babbles a lot, especially when he wakes up. He tries to walk along the couch and he falls a lot. I feel bad when I don't notice and don't have time to catch him. He absolutely loves us to read to him and he gets so excited when he sees the rice cooker, Travis's weight bench, STILL the piano, and anything that resembles a TV screen. He broke our TV screen the week before we were moving. He pulled it on top of himself and onto the treadmill leg and it cracked. Luckily, he was fine.

Watching us unpack:

You can sort of see his toothy smile in this one:

He seems to like playing in our new home. There are lots of places to explore and I think it has helped him with his crawling, now that there is some decent, soft carpet to play on. He is now crawling and not just army crawling! Sometimes he gets ahead of himself and falls on his face and he will revert back to the army crawl. He has his own little cubby under the stairs. But he still wants to be able to have someone in his line of sight most of the time.

The only time he doesn't care if anyone is around is when he is playing with his tractor. Trav's last boss gave it to us.
The day Mackson found it, I walked into his room and couldn't see him. He had opened his closet and found this wonderful toy. He started gasping with joy like he had found a treasure chest full of gold.

He loves to sit and put his hands on it and he loves when we put him on it and push him around.

He is growing up so fast. It makes me so sad at times! I can't believe he will be a year in just a few months.
He found a new friend...it's the door stop for our closet. He will hit it for ten minutes straight.

Another friend he found....Himself.

Not sure if he is trying to taste himself or give himself kisses...

Hey, why not play with BOTH friends at the same time?

He loves to be with me all day. He just plays around me while I do housework. He especially loves laundry day because he gets to ride up and down the stairs in laundry baskets.

The last few days when we wake up, we find him happily playing in his crib. I love his smile.

He brings so much joy into our home. Hopefully I will find him a good doctor soon for his 9 month check up!

Hopefully I can catch up and blog about Christmas and our new home soon!

Home Sweet Home

2012-01-06T20:35:00.000-07:00

We are in Rexburg! I already miss everyone...and I probably wouldn't have seen most of our family this last week anyways. I guess it's just knowing how far away we are. I even got a Facebook account again. Trav said he wouldn't make fun of me for getting one...if I went and got him a drink of milk. He lied. But that's okay.

Anyways, we are enjoying our apartment. At first I was discouraged when we walked in because the living room was so small. We ended up giving our couches to the DI. But after being settled in and having pretty much everything unpacked and put away, I am loving our apartment. I like that there is an upstairs, I like that I can let my baby crawl on this carpet and I don't feel guilty, I like that I have a dishwasher (after 4 years of not having one!) I like having a washer and dryer that are INSIDE and next to each other, I LOVE my nice bathroom and all the shelves in my closet and I love a whole lot of other things about it :) We have already had two families bring over treats...a plate full of chocolates from Germany, and Applesauce cookies....I LOVE being new :)

Trav started school on Wednesday and he is already working super hard on his homework. He is taking a full load of classes including biostatistics and anatomy & physiology....just SOUNDS scary to me :) But he enjoys learning new things and he is SUPER DUPER smart so I know he will do fantastic. Trav doesn't like that the campus is not very bike friendly. He has to ride up a big hill to get to AND from school. My little sister has a class with him and she thought that he was so nervous for the class because he came in sweating! Luckily, he is going to try and get the motor on his bike this weekend.

Mackson had a hard time being put down the first two days that we were here. I think because there was so much stuff everywhere, it overwhelmed him. Now he is enjoying exploring everywhere he can. He sleeps better for some reason....probably because it is a lot warmer (utilities are included in the rent). Oh thats another thing I love...I am ALWAYS warm. True happiness.

I still need to post about our wonderful Christmas and I have tons of pictures of Mackson to post of course but that will have to be another day!

Mackson 8 months and More Family Pics

2011-12-19T12:15:00.000-07:00

The 16th marked Mackson being 8 months old! He is so much fun. He now has two bottom teeth AND two top teeth! His smile is so cute! He is babbling like crazy. I am pretty sure he thinks he is talking just like Travis and I. He definitely acts as if he is saying something very important :)

He is army crawling really well and sometimes gets into things and makes a mess. Luckily, with our move we can just baby proof as we move in, rather than having to change everything.

He LOVES to eat. He eats anything. He would still rather sit in his bumbo than his high chair for now, but we will have to switch soon now that he can climb out.

I love his smile.

He loves socks.

He loves when Trav reads to him.

We bought him this funny Christmas outfit.

Of course the hat was too small for his big head, so I made him a new one. (pictured below)

He gets snuggly when he is tired. I love it. It brings back memories of when he was a tiny tiny baby.

In the morning, I sit on the heater and let him play for a while. About an hour later he gets tired again and then we put him back to bed.

He always finds something he shouldn't play with.

He is getting chubbier and I love it!

Thanksgiving weekend, the McKellar family was having pictures taken and we got some of our little family as well. To see more, check out Nancy's blog.
I LOVE this one.

My husband is probably the funniest person I know.

Life is going good. We are ready for Christmas...for the most part. Trav is having fun playing with his xbox, and so am I. I told Trav to get his fun in now with it before school starts....I may be creating a monster. Trav is working a lot, which is good cause we are going to need ALL the money we can get, since he doesn't have a job in Idaho yet. We have two weeks left. It is stressful and exciting. I asked Trav what he would miss about Logan and he said being close to family. I asked him what else and he said nothing. Later, he admitted that he would miss his boss. I said I would miss being close to family, the University Shuttle cause Mackson loves to be around all the people while riding it, and being so close to the mountains. I regret not doing more when we live so close to such beautiful places. But we are also ready for a new chapter in life and Travis is excited to be back in school.

Randoms

2011-11-28T22:40:00.000-07:00

Just some random pictures and stuff that has been going on:

Our Thanksgiving holiday was super fun. We spent a few days with both families. On Thanksgiving, we ate some delicious food at my parents, we all arm wrestled each other and we quickly found out that I am the weakest person in the family and that Travis is the strongest! :) The boys then had real wrestling matches. We also saw the lights on temple square. At Trav's parents we did family pictures, talked, ate lots of good food and played games. Trav's brother's family was in town from Maryland and it was super fun to see them and to attend Memphis' baby blessing. Thanks to our families for all the fun!

Travis made this. This is his grandpa John Kunio Tanaka. Mackson's middle name comes from him. The bullet shell is from the bullets that were fired at his funeral. Of course, this is what I wanted to make Trav for Christmas but then he beat me to it. He does this EVERY Christmas. He is impossible to find gifts for because of it,

Just a random picture I found on my camera:

Mackson has been doing lots of army crawling. Mainly spinning in circles. He loves to roll around in his crib. He just giggles and giggles and rolls as fast as he can over and over. He is so entertaining.

He learned how to stand up by himself in his crib. This is right after he did it. He just started screaching for joy. He did this for about 30 minutes. He was so excited. We gave quite the reaction to the loud screaching that he now does it all the time. I love it.

Another funny random picture:

This is Mackson's first ornament. His McKellar grandparents gave it to him.

It changes color.

Travis's boss really likes him. I guess it pays off when you are such a hard worker. He gave him an Xbox Kinect for Christmas. He and his wife have been very good to us these last three years. Trav was pretty excited. We will see how it goes having a game system in this house ;) Luckily my husband isn't a crazy gamer.

Another awesome thing that has happened is that Travis got a scholarship from some donors. We were pretty excited. It was truly an answer to prayer and it helped reassure me that we were doing the right thing for our family. I am grateful for a husband with amazing faith and who does what he knows is best for our family. He truly makes up for what I lack.

7 months

2011-11-17T15:29:00.000-07:00

Mackson is 7 months old and i can't believe how much he has changed and how fast it has all gone!
Here he is just few weeks old:

And look how different he looks in just 7 months:

This kid has so much personality. He loves to laugh, scream, shriek, and talk. He likes to be held and he always wants to be around people. He is a very social baby. People are amazed at how alert and interactive he is. His favorite time of day is when Travis comes home. He knows it means that its time to play! Trav says that Mackson is his favorite toy. If I walk out of the room he starts crying. If Trav and I are both home, he wants to make sure that he can see both of us. He hasn't been the easiest baby lately but he is too cute to let it make me too crazy. He loves trying new foods and likes most things that he tries. He bites super hard and sometimes he bites his own hand and starts crying. I wonder if his top teeth are coming in soon but I can't see or feel anything yet. His two bottom teeth are really showing. His red hair is lightening up and he has lost most of it. I can't wait to see what color his hair will be. His eyes are still blue and I can't wait to see if they will stay blue or if they will change. My guess is green, but we will see. He still hates tummy time but if we put him on the bed or couch he will army crawl. He will also keep rolling over and over and over if he is on the bed. We have to watch him pretty carefully. He likes dinosaurs and cars and any TV remote or phone. He likes to do mischievous things and then raise his eyebrows and smile. He is truly such a joy to have in our home.

Family Pictures 2011

2011-11-08T16:41:00.000-07:00

I know I just posted a ton of pictures yesterday but I wanted to post the family pictures that my brother in law posted of us. Travis had put a new furnace and air conditioner in their house last year and I asked Ryan if he would take our pictures after Mackson arrived. I love the fall time so we waited until now to get them.
I LOVE this picture. I used to be in it, but was making a weird face so I asked Ryan to edit me out. He does a GREAT job!

I was diappointed that Mackson wouldn't smile for a single picture since he is naturally a very smiley little guy. He was teething and very tired but there were still some cute shots.
This is in my parents back yard.

My husband makes me laugh :)

I love Mackson's face in this one:

These pictures were taken on the trail by my parents house.

random pictures

2011-11-07T18:38:00.000-07:00

I have had an extra cuddly baby lately and I have loved it! I think it is mostly because his bottom two teeth are coming in. He looks so cute but he refuses to show them most of the time.

I also think he has developed a little separation anxiety, which a lot of babies will do at his age.

trav decided he wanted to try sitting like mackson.

Mackson showing Trav how it's done....clearly amused at Trav's attempt.

Mackson's Halloween costume...we didn't do anything real special for Halloween this year and I liked this police baby onsie that I found at Walmart for three bucks.

I LOVE his smile :)

He sucks on everything. He also bites super hard.

Just some random pictures on my camera. Mackson is such a goof.

Cupcakes I decorated in a cooking class I go to for fun!

I LOVe this outfit. It say's: Handsome like Daddy

My friend wanted to take some pictures of her little guy outside and invited me to come along. He and Mackson are just four days apart.
He wasn't sure what to think of the leaves.

Berick and Mackson

Most days...

2011-10-25T21:01:00.000-06:00

A big portion of my day may look like this:

Mackson loves to play the piano. Nothing makes him more excited....except Trav. I don't get very much done before he decides that he wants to play the piano again, and again, and again...

6 months and a virus

2011-10-15T19:41:00.001-06:00

Mackson will be six months old tomorrow. He is getting so big! I took him in to the doctors on Friday even though his appointment wasn't scheduled until Monday. He had broken out with a rash at the beginning of the week and then I noticed that he started getting little blisters on his little hands. He hasn't been sleeping well at all and he has been a little irritable. I called my dad and he figured it was a virus so I went to the doctors yesterday. The doctor said that we just have to wait it out. He is still a smiley little guy and I can't help but just love him, even when he is crying all night and I am running on NO sleep.
They also did his 6 month check up while we were there. He has gained over two pounds in two months! He is 16.5 pounds and he is 26 inches tall. He is just below average with everything EXCEPT his head. At his four month appointment his head was in the 43rd percentile, it has grown over an inch since and is now in the 84th percentile! HUGE head! We sure love him and he makes us laugh every day.
He sits up really well by himself and has been doing so for about a month now! He is starting to entertain himself with toys so sometimes I can get a few things done. He tries to stick his thumb or my thumb in his mouth while I am breastfeeding him. He also tries to pull his foot up and stick that in sometimes too. He likes to stand while holding things but I have to watch him pretty close because sometimes he just lets go because he is so excited. He likes to fake laugh and fake cough. My friend's baby was crying the other day and Mackson starts fake laughing at him. It sounded evil. He really is a character. He almost seems like he is trying to do silly things and make us laugh. He loves to ride in his stroller. He wants to eat anything we are eating but we are careful what we give him because there are a few different food allergies in our families. He doesn't like vegetables at all. He seems to like the fruit. I am not sure whether we will try rice again where he had his throwing up episodes. He pounds on everything he touches. He LOVES to play on the piano. Right when I finish feeding him, he reaches his hands towards the piano. If I don't take him to the piano he starts screeching. He giggles and screams with delight while he pounds on the keys. He babbles and squeals a lot. The thing he says most is "Mum,mum, mum!" When Travis gets home he gets so excited and just watches his every move the whole night, but that is how he has always been. I am glad that his dad is a good example to him because I have a feeling that he is going to want to be just like daddy.

He likes shoes and anything in a container

He loves to hang out with Trav

He sticks everything in his mouth as far as he can

He really likes to play on our bed, he just kicks and squeals when he is on there

Trying to stand in his laundry basket

He loves being outside

Sometimes he doesn't want me to put him down, so I take him outside to the dryer with me and cover him in the dry laundry:

Check out that noggin!

Time has gone by WAY too fast. I love my growing little guy and miss my sweet little baby too!

Running in Layton and some other random things

2011-10-10T22:12:00.001-06:00

Last Saturday Trav ran the Layton Marathon. It was his sixth marathon! He said it was the hardest race he has ever done. I felt bad for him when I saw him at mile seventeen right off the causeway of Antelope Island. He looked so exhausted! He qualified for Boston at the Top of Utah three weeks ago and was hoping to run this one faster. Running two marathons in less than a month is crazy if you ask me. BUT I still love to watch him run.
My parents drove me and Mackson to see him in a few locations and I had fun with them. They are super sweet grandparents and they are the best parents ever. I didn't get pictures of them, but Nancy did. I am glad I can count on her to always have her camera. I of course, didn't have my memory card so my dad took the pictures for me.
Mile 17:

Me running with him at 20

Him telling me how unhappy he is with his speed:

Mackson and I waiting for him at the finish:

He is such a doll:

Here comes Daddy! Grandpa Dave was running with him at this point. You can see him running off to the side. And you can see Nancy and Jason cheering him on.

Racing this guy at the end...and beat him. His finishing time was 3:36:38. He is pretty fast for how much he trains and for how many Zingers he eats! He ate 22 Zingers the week of the marathon! Gotta love my husband :)

Later, while Trav was recouperating, Uncle Jeramy came over and played his guitar for Mackson. Mackson LOVES music and he LOVES Jeramy to play the guitar. He sits so still and then gets so excited because he wants to play it.

We went to Costa Vida with my parents that evening. It is our tradition to do the first Saturday of every month. My mom is in the Stake Primary Presidency and is in charge of stake baptisms. Afterwards my parent go to Costa Vida. We just happen to show up that Saturday and they just happen to take us out to dinner.We then spent Sunday at the McKellars and just relaxed.

In other news:
Mackson just got his 19th cousin! Memphis Greer McKellar! We can't wait to someday meet her....since she lives across the country! She is number 16 on the McKellar side. Mackson is now VERY outnumbered with four girl cousins born in 2011.

Friday, the day before the race Trav was able to job shadow for a Physical Therapist and he really enjoyed it. It reinforced his decision that that is what he wants to go into. I think it is perfect for his personality and his interests! Which is why we are now moving. Travis got accepted to BYU Idaho and we will be moving to Rexburg in a few months. His classes will start in January. He will be able to go year round and get through more quickly since they have the three track system. Then we will go somewhere for physical therapy school. Trav is very excited to get on with life and is full of faith, while I on the other hand am more nervous than anything. I am grateful for a husband who knows that a way will be provided for us to survive with very little to live off of. I am glad that he never doubts that there will be that added help. He always reminds me that we need to have faith. So, that is what we are going to do.

Best Babysitter Ever Invented

2011-10-05T20:05:00.000-06:00

It's hard to get things done with a baby...especially Mackson (he's spoiled and likes us to hold him and pay attention to him ALL the time), so a lot of the time when Trav gets home, Trav will watch Mackson while I finish what I didn't get to during the day. But then lots of times Trav has to run (he is running the Layton marathon this weekend!) so I don't always get finished. Well tonight Trav decided to run on the treadmill. I was playing with Mackson and then wanted to do some things. So I had an idea....

He is just content watching his dad and playing in his crib! Sweet! Too bad Trav hardly ever runs on the treadmill!

Simple Life

2011-09-24T12:21:00.001-06:00

Things around our household have not been super eventful, but it's the simple things of every day life that make life so good.
We bought Mackson a colorful, fun exersaucer type thing with lots of toys on it.
This is what he thinks of it:

But stick him in a laundry basket, and he's in heaven.

He has been putting his toys on his head. I'm not sure why.

The other day Trav made an ice cream cake! It has vanilla and chocolate ice cream and girlscout-like mint chocolate cookies! It is delicious!!!! I'm so glad he likes to get creative and try new things!

Early this week Mackson was sick. LUCKILY, I was standing OUTSIDE with him waiting for Trav to get home when he just started throwing up TONS and TONS. I felt so bad for him. He just kept throwing up that night and crying in between. It was so sad. I finally just stood in the shower and let him throw up in there while holding him. He threw up more than five times. He was so pale and tired. Trav gave him a priesthood blessing and he fell asleep right away. It was so hard to watch him suffer like that.
Here he is peacefully sleeping after his horrible evening:

Tonight is women's conference and I am so excited! Tomorrow my little brother gives his mission report in church and we will be able to spend some time with family. Other than that, nothing major is happening. I have started attending some cooking and homemaking classes that my apartment community puts on and it has been a lot of fun. I learned a way to can peaches, make a fresh peach pie, how to cook with Barley and how to make some yummy taco soup. Mackson loves the social aspect of it :) Mackson is now officially able to sit on his own. I still have to watch him closely because he gets wobbly. We have been going on a lot of walks with our new umbrella stroller. I have noticed that when Mackson gets tired he starts licking the stroller and trying to eat it! It is so funny to watch!

We have been having so much fun outside. I am not excited for the weather to get cold! I don't know WHAT we are going to do inside to entertain this little guy!

Pacing TOU

2011-09-19T20:08:00.001-06:00

My husband had the opportunity to pace in the TOU marathon this year for those who wanted to run it in 3 hours and 10 minutes. It would be a personal record for him, but they still let him be the pacer for it. He ran it in just under 3:10. His time was 3:09:49! AMAZING! Who would figure that training this time around would pay off?! To quote Travis from his fastrunning blog: "This was my best run so far. I PR'd by 11 minutes and 45 seconds!!! Let it be known, that training really makes running fun."
So he set a personal record AND he qualified for the Boston Marathon!
I am so proud of him and all that he has accomplished. He knows how to set his mind to achieve his goals. I know he can do anything he sets his mind to.
At every race I get butterflies in my stomach when he first appears down the road and I feel so excited and proud that he is the one I am there cheering for.
As a pacer, he switched off carrying balloons and a sign. Every time I saw him he had balloons and people started calling him the balloon guy:

Mile twenty-somethin' and STILL lookin' good!

Mile 24 hill:

Mackson waiting for daddy to come around to the finish:

Here he comes!

Finishing strong:

26.2 miles later and looking handsome as ever :)

Grandma and Mackson:

Trav's dad, Dave ran it too!

He finished in 4 hours and 15 minutes! AMAZING for a first time marathoner!

Pictures stolen from Nancy's Blog:

It's been fun to watch my husband do so well racing in just the three years he has been running. I am glad he was able to accomplish something so cool.

5 months!

2011-09-16T22:48:00.000-06:00

My baby is five months old today. Time has gone by too fast!!! It almost makes me sad! He is getting so big and he has so much personality!
He is doing this new thing where he sucks on his bottom lip:

He wants to eat EVERYTHING

He gets so excited when Travis gets home because he knows that means it is really time to play! Trav is sooo good with him. I just love to watch them interact.

He is taking longer naps during the day which is nice for me to catch up on rest or cleaning.

He loves to sit in his bumbo and play with containers. Sometimes he steals the dishes that are drying and plays with those. His favorite is his little yellow bowl. It could entertain him for a long time!

He giggles so much and he knows when he is being mischievous!

He loves to swing and be outside.

He loves to bang on the piano and when I pull him away from it he cries.

He is a VERY social baby and wants to be around people ALL the time! So I take him to the mother's institute class and some other community classes we have at our apartment complex. I try to take him on the campus bus at least three times a week because he absolutely loves it. He squeals and giggles the whole time because there are so many people and so much going on. Everyone always mentions how expressive and animated he is. He sure knows how to make people smile.

Especially me!

He's Baaaack!

2011-09-08T21:38:00.001-06:00

My little brother, David got back from his mission to Missouri today! It was so fun to see him for a few hours and then he was whisked away to Rexburg to start school next week!

Mackson was so excited to meet David he decided to dress just like a little missionary....or maybe it was just me and Trav being silly. But he just looked so darn cute:

David thought the Future Missionary tag was pretty cool.

We are so glad to have him back. He brings so much life to the family. I forgot how much fun he really is. He is one amazing guy and I am so proud of him. I would never complain if my kids turned out to be like him. Welcome Home David!!!

Top of Utah 1/2- My Husband Rocks!

2011-08-28T10:09:00.001-06:00

Trav was 13th overall and was second in his age division at the Top of Utah Half Marathon this year. He ran it in 1:21:10. He has been very dedicated about training for the full marathon this year since he will be a pacer this year and it is definitely paying off! I am so proud of him. He just amazes me more and more all the time! Picture with trophy later to come...after I steal it from Nancy's blog.

We couldn't get a family picture with all of us looking at the camera!

After the race we went straight to our stake softball tournament. Our ward took 3rd place!
A picture of Mackson ready for the game, just because :)

Oooh, and Mackson is excited to have another cousin who came this morning! Congrats to Jenni and Darwin on baby Violet Isabelle Parker!

Lava

2011-08-22T09:01:00.000-06:00

On Saturday we went to Lava with some of Trav's side of the family. It was Mackson's real first time swimming. He didn't really like it. He would just cling to us and when we would pull him away from our body, he would start getting scared and would whimper. Grandma Nancy babysat him a lot so that Trav and I could go on the waterslides. She is way too nice :)

Trav and Jason on the top platform. They are the ones raising their hands:

So you can see how tall the platform is:

Mackson was a little more tolerable of the in-door pool:

I'm hoping he will enjoy it a little more when he is older!

Trav LOVES swimming and diving.

I love the faces Mackson makes when I try taking his picture:

Trav did a backflip off the highdive! He is such a dare devil:

And a family picture :)

Four Months

2011-08-17T17:34:00.000-06:00

Mackson is now four months old. We had his four month Dr. appointment today. He was SUCH a champ. He whimpered a little while he was getting his shots and then he was done and he was fine! I hate taking him to get shots, so I am glad it wasn't a terrible experience. As for his growth, he is pretty much average with everything! He is 14 lbs 4 oz. and he is 24.5 inches tall. He is such a delight to have in our home. He loves sucking on his hands and is now fascinated by his feet. He wants to see everything that is going on around him. He hates to lay down. He wants to be sitting up so he can look around. He is just very curious. He is hungry all the time, so I may be starting him on some rice cereal soon. It's getting tiring to breastfeed every two hours. He is talking NON-stop! During relief society last Sunday, he just sat and babbled for 45 minutes straight...to his stuffed cow that grandma Nancy gave him. He still loves anything cold: wet wipes, ice cubes, air conditioners, you name it! He loves for Travis to come home because he knows that means it is play time!

Just some pictures:

I love being his mom :)

Vengeance

2011-08-14T16:47:00.000-06:00

             The other day I told my sister that I could clip her four month old baby girl's nails for her. So as I proceed to clip Krystin's nails, I marveled at how tiny her fingers are compared to Mackson's. As I noticed this, I failed to think about how I would need to clip with much more caution and precision for fingernails this tiny.
              My niece Katie, Krystin's 6 yr old sister, saw that I was doing this and said, "Don't cut her 'cause she will cry and then I will cry." I told her that I wouldn't be cutting her little sister. The next thing I know, the baby starts screaming and I'm telling Brittany that I just sliced her precious baby's thumb open. Katie put her hand over her mouth and ran out of the room. Britt stayed very calm even though I'm sure she wanted to cry and smack me. Luckily for the baby, she fell asleep within a few minutes time. I went to tell Katie that the baby would be okay. Her head was burried in a pillow and when I started telling her that Krystin would be okay, she lifted her teary little face and said, "But she is just my favorite sister in the whole world."
                I left to my dentist appointment feeling so sick at what I had done. I worried about this baby all day. On Saturday when I saw the clippers were still out on the table I was even more sick. I made my mom take them out of my sight. When Britt's family arrived I immediately made my dad look at Krystin's finger and he reassured me that everything would be fine. Britt told me that while they were at their home, a friend came by to play with Katie and she told him, "This is my baby Krystin. Crystal cut her!"
              Later on Saturday, Trav and I went with my dad and brother to the dump. We left Mackson at my parents. When we got back Brittany told me that while I was gone she and Katie had the following conversation.
Katie said, "Mom, we should clip Mackson's nails."
   Brittany suspiciously asked, "Why Katie?"
Katie replied, "Well... Crystal sliced KRYSTIN's finger!"
To which Brittany said, "Would we really want to do that to Mackson?"
  Katie thought about it for a moment and then gave her true feelings, "No. We should cut Crystal's."

Fun AT the Water.

2011-08-01T11:16:00.002-06:00

Trav's parents ward always has a swim party at the Brigham City pool. We go every year. This year we thought it would be fun with Mackson. Apparently, they don't sell swim diapers after hours, so he couldn't exactly go swimming. I dipped his feet and he didn't know what was coming so he freaked out and started screaming. The next time I dipped him, I showed him we were in the water and then slowly put him in and he seemed to like it. So I just dipped his feet a lot and played a little in the shallow end. Mainly we just watched the other swimmers.

Brigham City Pool:

We have gone to Bear Lake for the last three years with Jason and Jeri Dawn's family and some friends. The water is pretty cold, so again, we only stuck Mackson's feet in. So Mackson and I have had lots of fun AT the water instead of IN the water. Trav and Jason skipped rocks to each other and tried to catch them. Leave it to Trav to make up such games. I forgot my camera so I stole this picture from Jeri Dawn. I wish I could have got pictures of all the fun! There's always next time! '

Bear Lake:

I must say...Trav is lookin' pretty dang good :)

3 months!

2011-07-20T22:20:00.002-06:00

This past Saturday Mackson reached 3 months! These three months have gone by so fast but it feels like I have had him with me for a much longer time than three months!
Some things about him at 3 months:
He loves me to read to him. His favorite book is Moo, Baa, La La La.
He is in size 2 diapers and is still having blowouts :(

He loves to babble and he really likes it when you mimmick his babbling.

He smiles all the time.

He is very aware and wiggly.
He doesn't like naps and he fights sleeping. All the vacations are NOT helping!
He loves to be outside.
He loves to be cold. He likes Travis to put cold paper towels or wipes on his head and tummy. He also likes when Travis rubs ice cubes on his skin. He loves to be by any air conditioner or fan.
He loves to watch ceiling fans spin. This is probably one of the things that make him most excited.
He loves to stand. He wants me to hold him so he can stand ALL day! He is very strong and active!
Nicknames that Trav and I have for him are: Masko, Maskin, Macky Mouse, and Mack Attack
I love him so much and I love watching Trav with him. My family makes me so happy :)

Yellowstone 2011

2011-07-18T19:47:00.003-06:00

We had a family reunion for Trav's mom's side of the family in Island Park this past weekend. Trav and I decided to head up early and visit Yellowstone! It was long but fun. We went around the whole loop of the park and we were in the park for almost 10 hours! It was worth it though!
Right away we saw a coyote which came right up to the road. I jumped in the car with Mackson because I did not want my child to be the coyote's lunch!

Then we visited some hotpots and then we saw old faithful!

As you can see, Mackson found it all so intriguing:

I rode in back with Mackson for a little while because it was a LOOONG time in the car and he was getting pretty restless.

Me and Trav waiting for Old Faithful to errupt:

On our way to the Little Grand Canyon we saw TONS of Bison!

Trav LOVES seeing the animals in Yellowstone.

This is when I started pleading with Travis to get back in the car:

This one was HUGE:

Me and Mackson before hiking down to the Little Grand Canyon

Trav and Mackson at the Little Grand Canyon:

This is my absolute favorite part of Yellowstone. It is so beautiful:

Holding Mackson's hat on so it wouldn't blow away:

Then we traveled north and looked for bears. We saw FOUR!
We were about 100 feet away from the first one but the pictures are way too blurry :(
The next three bears were so fun to see. It was a mom with two cubs!
Here is a picture of the mom and her little cub is in the tree. The other cub is behind a log. It was soooo cool to see!

We had so much fun in Yellowstone! Trav was a little disappointed that we didn't see a moose, but there is always next time!
The rest of the reuinion was fun, but my camera batteries went dead because we used it so much in Yellowstone! We had fun spending time with family, eating good food, playing fun games and being able to see so much cool stuff!

For the grandparents...

2011-07-12T22:42:00.001-06:00

...and anyone else who cares to hear my cute baby talk :)

Independence Day!

2011-07-05T19:31:00.000-06:00

Trav took this picture. Mackson loves to smile and giggle in his sleep:

Trav, Dave, and Morgan ran the Plain City 5k. They all did really well.

Dave took first in his age group.

Trav took 3rd overall.

We played and had lunch at Dave and Nancy's house!

Then we went to fireworks with my family.
Mackson got tortured with the glow sticks thanks to Jeramy and Travis.
They even put some between his toes.

This is Trav's mermaid outfit :)

Mackson was startled by the fireworks at first, but after Trav covered his little ears for a while, he loved them. He couldn't stop kicking his feet because he was excited.

We had a lot of fun as a family!

Father's Day Weekend

2011-06-23T21:16:00.001-06:00

Father's day weekend was fun. Saturday morning we dropped Mackson off at my parents' house and headed to the Bountiful Temple. When we got there, I realized that my temple reccommend was not in my wallet. I had taken it out for Jer and Kayla's wedding and then I gave it to Trav. Apparently, we had left it at my mom and dad's house. So instead of going to the temple we went to a car show that was just down the road from the temple. Then we went shopping for a ball cap for Trav and ate Chinese. Later that day, we went repelling/climbing with my parents and with Britt and Ryan's family.
Mackson and Krystin watching us:

Britt was brave and actually went down the mountain. I, however, freaked out and made Trav pull me back up. Heights had never bothered me until girls camp during my junior year of high school when they made us walk across a beam that was super high in the air...not sure what happened, I have just been scared ever since.

And of course Trav is a dare-devil. He climbed all the way to the top. He tried climbing up WITHOUT the ropes on but came down when my dad told him that it wasn't a good idea.

I tried climbing. I told Britt to make it look like I was higher up than I really was when she took the picture. I really only made it like 4 feet from the ground. Yeah...I need to work on building some muscles.

Trav helped the girls climb...mainly just swing around on the rope:

After climbing we ate pizza and watched a movie.
We spent Sunday at Trav's parents.

Dave some golf games, a new pan for his eggs, and a running water bottle, and Nancy got him an iphone.
Just some pictures of the evening:

Angie holding Mackson's newest cousin, Kiella:

Trav getting everyone rowdied up:

Jenni finally looking pregnant with Mackson's NEXT cousin! By the end of the year there will have been four grandkids born in the McKellar side of the family! Sooo exciting!

I'm so grateful for my dad and all he has done for me and still does. He is a wonderful father and he always has been. I am also grateful for Dave who played a big part in teaching Trav to be a great dad. Trav really is such a fun, wonderful dad and he helps me a lot with Mackson. Mackson loves being with Trav, despite the fact that on father's day Mackson face-planted it TWICE thanks to Trav :) (once off of an ottoman and once falling out of his car seat when he wasn't strapped in.) The poor kid had a rough day.
Trav being a dad:

And little details I want to remember...that really have nothing to do with Father's Day:

LOVE this picture:

2 fast months

2011-06-16T22:13:00.000-06:00

Mackson is 2 months old today! It's amazing how fast it has gone. I can't even imagine my life without him. Today we went to his 2 month doctor's appointment. He is 11 lbs 5 oz and is 22.5 inches tall. He is such a big guy....for our families at least :) He got immunized today and he did great. I was scared that I was going to cry just watching his little face get so sad. He was giggling and smiling right before he got the shots. I was holding his hands and then I could tell when the nurse put the first shot in because his eyes got so big and his lip curled under and it about killed me to watch his little face get so sad and turn so red and then listen to him cry like that. After the shots were done he cried for about 30 seconds and then he was smiling at me. I was so surprised. He was pretty smiley for the rest of the afternoon when he wasn't sleeping. Then he just wanted to be held or to play in his bouncer. He really is such a good baby.
Some pictures of our growing boy!

Trav thinks these pants make him look like an old man :) They are a LITTLE big I guess.

Yes, he has a purple Bumbo...When I was pregnant, I told my sister that I wanted to get a bumbo for the baby and she found it at a garage sale for me at a great price! He LOVES sitting in it. He is not quite old enough to be stable in it for long periods of time so I don't leave him unattended.

Daddy loves to play at night time :) Mackson loves to play with Trav too.

He is a pretty relaxed little guy:

His immunization wound:

Playing with daddy after work today:

I already miss my newborn little baby but I am enjoying Mackson every day. He is starting to look a lot like Travis. He loves to smile and giggle. He loves to suck on anything, especially his hands. He still can't control his hands very well so sometimes he shoves fingers in his mouth too hard and sometimes he punches himself in the face. He always has bubbles coming out of his mouth. He loves his bouncer and likes to kick the toys and make them move. He likes me to pretend I am eating his hands or his feet. He loves to be outside and look at everything. He is sleeping pretty good during the night. Last weekend I woke up panicking thinking that something must be horribly wrong because it had been 9 hours since he was awake! He likes to take naps with me during the day. Whenever I tease him about the stretch marks or baby weight I got from him, he gets a huge smirk on his face like he thinks it is soooo funny....the same look that Travis has when he is teasing me or has played a joke on me. It's such a delight to have Mackson in our home.

Lovin' It!

2011-06-13T22:39:00.001-06:00

How can I not love being a mother to this little guy?

Just Relaxin':

He is growing SOOO big. He seems to be much bigger than babies his age....not sure where he got his big bones, since Trav and I are not the biggest people. His two month appointment is this week and I'm excited to hear all his stats, but not excited to see him getting his immunizations. It is really hard to watch your baby hurt.
He is such a joy to have in my life. He is already showing some personality and I love it. Sometimes he will spend all morning just smiling and giggling with me. Trav can make him giggle in the evenings by making funny faces and farting noises :) Then of course he tells Mackson that his mommy just farted. Mackson thinks he is hilarious. He is pretty laid back as you can see from the above picture. He is a great eater and his size shows it. I love to watch Trav with him and it makes me fall in love with my husband even more. Being a mom is the best thing ever and I am so grateful for the sweet spirit and feeling that Mackson brings into our home.

Mackson's Blessing Day

2011-06-06T12:10:00.001-06:00

Travis blessed Mackson yesterday in church. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful blessing. One thing that stood out to me was that he would guide others and that he would look for those who need help and help them. I am grateful for the priesthood in my life and for the blessings that come in to my home because of it.
We borrowed an outfit from my friend and Mackson looked so handsome! I took his outfit off right when we got home because I didn't want it to get dirty. Then later while we were finishing up lunch I realized we didn't get any pictures! So I put him back in the outfit, which he was not very happy about, and took some quick pictures. I didn't button the outfit back up so it looks kind of big in the pictures.

We had tons of family and some friends.Their support meant a lot to us!
Elissa and Brent Benson (trav's boss)

Brian and Grandma Tanaka

Jen and Darwin

Angie, Morgan, Grandma and Grandpa Nelson

The kids playing on the playground:

Brian, Grandma, Kaitlyn, Darrin

Me and Kristina

My mom and Mackson

Jer and Mackson

My dad and Mackson

Sisters! Kayla, Britt, Kristina, and Me:

Erica:

Not sure what they are doing:

It was a long, fun morning and everyone was pretty tired.

Ryan works way too hard:

So does Erica :)

Comparing Mackson and Krystin. She is two weeks older:

I didn't get pictures of half the people that came! Not even Trav's parents or my grandparents :( Trav has a big family. We had over forty people there. We didn't act fast enough to get the stake pavillion, so we did it in our back yard and had everyone bring a lawn chair. It turned out pretty good and the food was delicious! We missed my litte brother David who is on his mission in Missouri, BJ and Nicole's Family who are in Maryland and Jason and Jeri Dawn, who just happened to be in the hospital having a BABY! So Mackson has a new cousin on the McKellar side! Number fourteen! Honestly, I don't know her name yet, but I have seen pictures and she is adorable! It is fun to have such a big family!

I live with some seriously cute boys...

2011-06-04T11:06:00.000-06:00

And I just can't get enough of them.

If you're happy and you know it...

2011-06-02T13:02:00.001-06:00

Sorry there are so many pictures of Mackson....but when you are a stay-at-home mom....well, my child has become my life and I absolutely love it. I can't help but smile every time I look at him. He will be seven weeks on Saturday. I can't believe how fast he is growing. He is tall and has big bones and doesn't fit his newborn clothes anymore. It almost makes me sad. We weighed him on my parents scale and he is supposedly a little under 11 pounds!

He loves playing in his bouncer.

During tummy time, he just tries to find his thumb.

He HATES to be swaddled.

He is very curious about everything.

He is even cute when he cries.

He likes to suck his thumb

And he smiles. A LOT!

He sure makes Trav and I happy.

A Wedding, A Marathon, A Shaved Face, and a Cute Baby

2011-05-23T19:36:00.000-06:00

My brother Jeramy got married this past weekend to Kayla. They both looked great and it was a wonderful day! We are glad to have her in our family!

The boys all wore orange ties and they even bought one for Mackson! I didn't get pictures of Trav and Mackson and their matching ties, but the photographer did, so when they get the disc I will post some pictures.
Trav thought this was a cool picture of Mackson:

So Handsome :)
The reception was great and they had tons of delicious food, including Zeppe's Italian Ice! mmm!
Travis also ran the Ogden Marathon this weekend. This was his first time doing this marathon.
Going through his marathon packet with Katie:

Running to the finish:

And as promised, the beard came off :) Thank goodness!

I forget how handsome he is! I think he and Mackson look a lot more alike now!

And of course, I can't make a post without some pictures of my little guy! He is growing so fast that it almost makes me sad. I want to capture every minute with him! He looks different every day and gains more personality too! He is going to be a teenager before I know it! SCARY!!!

Playing with daddy after work: (look at that red hair! LOVE it!)

A little skin to skin with dad:

I wonder if Mackson still recognizes Trav without his beard! He has nothing to pull anymore!
They are great buds and Trav is great at getting Mackson to sleep. I am grateful for my family and for fun weekends!

Mackson is a Month Old!

2011-05-16T12:54:00.002-06:00

I can't believe Mackson is already a month old! I am still getting used to being a mom while still trying to keep up with the house work and everything else. Right now I am sick and so is Mackson. He has had a little cough ever since we brought him home from the hospital. Saturday evening, my body started aching and then my nose started running and I started coughing. Mackson is now sneezing constantly and has a stuffy nose. He isn't crying much more than usual, so I am hoping he is not in pain. Luckily Trav has been taking good care of both of us. I'm so grateful for such a kind husband.
Mackson has been such a joy to have in our home! He is now smiling! This morning he just kept smiling at me, and I tried to catch some pictures.

He is really wiggly, and he is really strong. He does really well at holding is neck up and he is so curious about the world around him.

At Mikayla's bridal shower, with his cousin Krystin:

Three weeks old, family picture:

Three weeks old with Grandma Tanaka:

He has gotten chubbier and is still gaining weight. I get on the scale and then I hold him with me on the scale and it shows he is about 10 pounds. We will see what the doctor's scale says this week.

He loves his swing:

I catch him crossing his eyes all the time!

When he is crying, Trav can calm him down in a few seconds. He makes a sucking noise on Mackson's cheek and he calms down very quickly:

I love being a mom and I hope I can be a good one!

Crazy First-Time Mom

2011-05-05T15:34:00.001-06:00

I can't help it. I love being a mom and I think my little guy is the cutest thing I have ever seen. So, yes, once again. I am putting a bunch of pictures of him on my blog because I can't get enough of him.

My child has gigantic hands.

This is him when he's hungry.

It is hard to capture his red hair in pictures, but this one shows it more.

i LOOOOVE this little boy.

So does Travis :)

He's hungry.....again. :)

He LOVES to eat and the doctor's scale proved it today! He will be three weeks on Saturday and he weighed in at 9 lbs 2 oz!!! He's a monster baby! And we love him. :)

2 weeks already?!

2011-04-30T15:35:00.000-06:00

Mackson is two weeks old tonight. Time has flown by but it feels like he has been in our home for a long time.

Just some fun pictures of our little guy:

I think this one is sooo funny! He loves to make this face and he loves to touch his face. I caught him doing both at the same time. I think it looks like he is blowing kisses.

Meeting Grandma Tanaka:

There's that face again!

Grandpa McKellar holding him:

Meeting his Keil cousins. Erica can't say his name right. She calls him MASK-IN.

Meeting his cousin Krystin for the first time on Easter. He was a week old. Their due dates were a day apart. His the 9th, hers the 10th. She was born a week ahead, he was born a week late. See the difference between her round c-section head, and his stuck -in-the-birth-canal-for-forever head?

He is already bigger than her, which is probably a good thing...since Britt's girls are tiny little things. They seemed very curious with one another. It will be fun to have cousins so close.

Katie LOVES babies. She also LOVES having her picture taken. She poses for everything :)

Kristina holding Mackson for the first time:

Trav has funny hair:

And again, the face:

This next picture is for Nancy. Mackson doesn't quite fit it yet, but Trav wore this outfit as a baby.

We are enjoying Mackson and can't believe how much he has changed already. His legs are filling in with fat and his face is getting chubbier. He is eating more, and a lot more frequently.

He has big feet and very large hands. Today he is wearing 6-9 mo. socks. Anything smaller doesn't stay on all that well. He is a delight and he giggles in his sleep. Trav and I love him so much. I love being a mom. I am excited to be able to do a little more so that I can feel like I am getting more done and doing more for Travis and Mackson. Life is good and we are happy :)

Delivering Mackson: The Worst, Best Experience of my Life

2011-04-27T19:33:00.000-06:00

This is Mackson's birth story. It is long. I don't care if you read it or not, but I use this as sort of a journal/scrapbook and this was one of the most amazing, terrible experiences of my life and I need to write it down. And I am putting every detail that I can remember, so... feel free to read or not to read.

Labor and delivery was not a pleasant experience for me, but I can tell you that even though it was the most physically trying experience of my life and one of the most emotionally challenging experiences I have ever endured, it was all worth it because motherhood can be heaven on earth. Holding Mackson in my arms and just having him look back into my eyes and staring at me is the most wonderful thing to experience.

My labor and delivery was the worst, best experience I have ever had. It started on Friday night (April 15th). Mackson was late and my doctor and I decided that we should set up an induction date. I never intended to make it to my induction date. I just KNEW he would come before then. I didn't even think I would make it to my estimated due date. The day of my induction date, I was scared but finally felt ready, knowing when it was all going to happen. Little did I know, I was not ready for anything that was about to happen. I was kind of nervous and I had my husband give me a priesthood blessing before we left that evening and I knew that everything would be okay and that Heavenly Father and other angels would be there to help me through the whole thing. I can definitely say there were others there with us the night Mackson arrived.

Friday night they called me in around 9 or 10 pm....a lot of details are blurry to me. Right away, I was hooked up to an IV. Nothing out of the ordinary. I remember that my parents and Kristina came and watched some Monk with us. I remember the nurse changing the IV bag several times through out the night. They told my parents to go home and get some rest and that I would probably start dialating some more in the morning. Trav stayed and slept there, helpng me several times throughout the night to get to the bathroom in my silly robe and with IV fluids and unplugging and plugging back in the monitors. I couldn't help but think about how sweet he was the whole time. I don't remember much about that night or about the next morning, besides the fact that all I could eat were popsicles and ice chips (SOOOO glad we ate that GIGANTIC dinner AND donuts at Jason and Jeri Dawn's on Friday before I went in! I'm soooo bad!) I also remember that every time my family brought in food for Travis, my mouth would start to water and I would have Trav get me more popsicles!

When Saturday morning came I was delighted that I hadn't had the baby yet....since Trav and I had made a deal if the baby was born on the 15th he could name it whatever he wanted. Saturday morning, I think they gave me pitocin...like I said, I don't exactly remember everything. All I know is that I was doing great breathing through the contractions and the nurse was amazed (thanks for the book JD!). Then a little while later I felt like my back was breaking. I kept telling myself that it didn't hurt. Then I said to Travis, "I don't care who you are! This KILLS!!!" The nurse quickly brought in the epidural guy and got everything set up. It was not nearly as frightening as I thought it would be, from all the things I had seen on TV and had heard from people. All I can remember is him saying, "You are kinda small, so I need to redo it and put it in a higher place than I usually do." I thought, as long as it works, that is fine with me! HAHA thinking back at it now, it just makes me laugh. The epidural worked....for a few hours, maybe a few minutes....honestly, I can't remember much, except for the excruciating pain of HUGE contractions that started coming out of nowhere a little while later. I started moaning and crying. Ouch. Why can I feel this? The epidural is NOT supposed to let me feel this. My dad went and got the nurse...I think. She had me rotate sides, trying to get the medicine to spread better. It didn't work. The epidural guy came back and put some other special medicine into my epidural tube a while later. It was heaven. It made me loopy and I am pretty sure it made me fall asleep...although at the time, I told Travis that I was hypnotizing myself to sleep.

Either way, I slept. Again, I woke up to LOTS and LOTS of pain. I just kept asking Travis and my dad, "Why isn't this working??? It's not supposed to be like this. It shouldn't hurt like this." (Come to find out, since the epidural was placed so high, it didn't cover the parts of my body that were in the most pain.)

yes, this was my attempt at smiling

They told me there was pretty much nothing else they could do for me except for have me keep rotating to get rid of the pain. It helped for a few minutes. The nurse checked me and said, "It looks like you are ready to push." For a moment, a flutter of excitement came over me and I forgot the pain. I kept telling myself, it's really not that painful. Everything will be fine. The nurse told me when to push, and since I could feel the contractions, it was going fairly well. I had been pushing for what I thought was about 10 minutes, when I thought....the baby should be here ANY minute now! haha! Little did I know, it would be 2 hours and 45 minutes later that the baby would actually be there. When one hour turned into two, I saw the clock and thought I was going to die. I didn't know how much more I could take. I don't know when the doctor arrived, but everything seemed pretty smooth sailing and like it was all going great.

Then the doctor told us, (my mom and Trav were in the room as well) "His head is facing the wrong direction. He is looking up." So for the next while, the doctor tried to turn him when my contractions came. No luck. They decided we should go ahead with the pushing. They couldn't believe how many pushes I would fit in to one contraction. They said they had never seen someone do that many. I was determined to get this baby out so the pain would go away!!! The doctor said that the baby was stuck under my pubic bone. Then he started talking about using a vaccuum. A VACCUUM? What??? I had heard so many things about them that I decided to completely ignore the doctor and kept pushing. I pushed for a much longer time and then he mentionied the vaccuum again. I ignored once again. Finally, he explained exactly what the vaccuum would do and I had a feeling to just tell him yes and to use the vaccuum. I was pretty scared at the time. I thought, I wonder if they are going to have to do a c-section if he doesn't come out. I kept pushing and then someone brought in the vaccuum....which is clearly NOT what I expected. It's this tiny little suction cup thingy with a little air pump on it. A LOT less frightening than what I had pictured.

Once again, I started pushing. I was pushing with everything I had. I know that angels were helping me because this was not something I could do on my own for that long while still being able to feel all of the pain. I was scared that they were going to have to break my bones. All of a sudden, the vaccuum popped off. Blood splattered EVERYWHERE. The doctor's face was covered, Trav had blood on his shirt and my mom had blood in her hair. Later we learned that there was blood on the TV that was clear across the room. The concerning look on my doctor's face made me a little nervous. He put the vaccuum on again and I was more determined this time. I began to push with everything I had physically, and mentally. I was feeling pretty strong and kept telling myself that I could do it, when the vaccuum popped off a second time and this time it scared me. More blood was flying everywhere.

The doctor said something about the vaccuum not working and called for another one. I began to feel really, really scared. I was saying a constant prayer to help me get this baby out. When I think about it, I can't help but cry. I felt so weak and I wanted to give up. My doctor knew that I wanted to avoid a c-section at all costs and he knew I was determined. I felt like breaking down and saying, "Okay. Let's do a c-section. He is clearly not coming and I am clearly not strong enough to get him here." But, I just kept praying and praying. I know that Heavenly Father was giving me much more strength than I actually had, mentally and physically. My husband was motivating me so much. He kept telling me how strong I was and how amazing I was. He kept leaning over and whispering, "You are doing great, Crystal. You can do it. He is almost out. He's almost out."

While waiting for the next vaccum, I continued to push. The doctor was working on using the next vaccuum when I saw his face turn white. I noticed him listening to and staring at the baby's heart rate. I listened. It was SLOW. I began to get really scared. With tears streaming down my face I plead with my Heavenly Father to help me. I said, " I cannot do this on my own, but I know that I can try my best and you can make it happen. Please Father, please. Please let the baby be safe and come out." Then the doctor calls for NICU and for an in-house specialist. He was told that there was no in-house specialists there. He told them to call someone in. My mom stepped back behind my head and I knew she was crying. The doctor's face was white and I knew he was nervous and that by calling NICU and a specialist, he had just ordered an emergnecy c-section. Travis held his composure and kept me calm by lying to me :) You are doing so great! He is almost out, just a couple more pushes. He later told me that he was trying to hold back the tears because he was just as scared as I was.
At that moment, something inside me kicked itself in to gear. I know it was nothing that I did. I know it was through the power of prayer and through the power of the Atonement that whatever happened, happened. I began to push with strength that I didn't have to push with. The doctor seemed calmer and he explained to Travis and I that he thinks if he cut me in a certain place, the baby would be able to come out. I have no doubt that as I look back, that everyone in the room was saying their own prayers. The doctor made the cut and put the vaccuum on. The pushing continued and although there was still intense pain, I knew when to push and how to push and I indeed had someone else doing the pushing for me, because my body had given up. I knew I couldn't be doing this on my own. With a few more pushes, the baby's whole body BURST out....and Travis can testify that the baby did BURST out....which explains the next part. A nurse had heard that the baby was out and went to cancel the call for the specialist, when the doctor quickly explains that we still need the specialist because I had a fourth degree tear and he had never had to sew one back up before. Travis says the minute that he heard fourth degree tear, he looked down and realized there was NOTHING worse than the fourth degree. He saw the look of panic on my face and said, "It's okay babe. It's just a fourth degree. Fourth out of eight is not bad at all." I knew he was lying and I continued to cry. Pardon the details, but later he told me that as soon as the baby started to come out, it was like I just EXPLODED down there. He said you could easily throw a football in to my body.

Then as I calmed down I could hear my sweet baby crying. Tears of pain and panic turned to joyful tears. He made it. Bruises and all. He made it and he made the whole experience worth it. They placed him on my chest and he stopped crying and was calm. I looked into his eyes and I knew that he was a gift straight from God. He looked at me as if to say, "It's all going to be fine. I am here now and I love you." It was the most exhausting, joyful, painful, spiritually strengthening experience of my life.

The specialist came in and began to sew me up. They took the baby away to clean him up. I told Trav to hurry and go take pictures, but he just got the camera and had my mom take pictures. He stayed with me while they sewed me up.

It meant the world to me, that he just stayed and held me. I could feel the stitching a little bit at first, but after the numbing I could just feel some pressure and a little pain. It went by very quickly. I didn't realize that it actually took them 40 minutes to sew me up. They estimate that there are 50-60 stitches.

The hospital stay was exhausting, but I am grateful for those who did what they could to make it more comfortable for me. Our families were amazing support to us and I am so grateful for them.

I am grateful for those nurses who took extra good care of me because of my circumstances. Sometimes you have to humble yourself to let people you don't even know take you to the bathroom and change your ice packs and help you breastfeed. I am especially grateful to my husband for helping me to the bathroom each night after the catheter was taken out. He would spray me clean while I whimpered like a baby. He took a shower with me and helped me stand and wash my hair. He held me and let me cry...SEVERAL times. He was the biggest support through the whole thing and it meant the world to me. It truly has strengthened our marriage and our appreciation for each other. He is amazed at what I went through to get Mackson here and I am amazed at what he has done to make me so comfortable in our home, to help me not to feel self-conscious about the way I look, and tohelp me so much with Mackson. I came home to a very organized house, a better decorated nursery, a bathroom that was set up conveniently so that I could have all the things that I needed easy to access, and a huge boquet of my favorite flowers (which ended up not opening, so the Flower Shoppe exchanged them for Trav and gave him another boquet....which explains why there is two.)

My swelling was really bad for about a week and I looked like I had elephantitis....that is what happens when you have IV fluid being pumped into you for almost 24 hours. It was NOT cool....that is why I look so huge after delivery. There were a few scares with the amount of blood loss and I was very white for a long time, but I have gotten most of my color back, which I am very happy about.

My mom stayed and helped us for a few days and then Nancy came and did the same. Life would have been very hard without them, since I couldn't even sit down for a while. The ward brought us meals for a few days as well and it was really nice to not have to worry about what we were going to eat. I have been overwhelmed by the support we have been offered from our friends and family. I am so grateful for my doctor and for my nurse. Trav and I felt that they did an exceptional job for the circumstances that they faced. The nurse, Marie, even sent us a card about how she was impressed with my strength and determination. It really meant a lot to me.

I am grateful most of all for the help from my Heavenly Father and for the love that I have felt from him every day. I could not have made it through this experience without his help. I am so grateful for the gift of motherhood and being able to be Mackson's mom. He is truly a miracle in my life.

Mackson's First Week

2011-04-23T13:19:00.000-06:00

Mackson is one week old tonight. For now I will just post a bunch of pictures and hopefully I can get around to the birth story. I love being his mom and I am mesmorized by the way Travis and him connect. We love him so much.
not the most flattering picture of Mackson, but thats what happens to your head when you are stuck in the birth canal for a while and then have to go through three vaccuums to get out. His head is back to normal size and he is cute as can be.

Grandma Nancy with grandchild #13. When Trav and I got married, I told him that our child would end up being #13. We cut it close, now with 3 others coming this year!

Sorry, no pics of my family. They were all taken on my dads camera. I will add them later.
Trav changing the first poopy diaper. He was NOT expecting it to look like tar :)

Uncle Jer and Mackson

Grandma McMillan

Biliruben light

Going home

SOOOOO cute!

After first bath at home

He has big hands and BIG feet. His feet are 3 3/8 inches! WAAAYYY big! He was 7 lbs 5 oz at birth and 20 inches long at birth. At the doctors on Thursday he was 7 lbs 7 oz. So he hasn't lost any weight! Yay!

Grandma McKellar put my wedding ring on his big feet.

Morgan meeting Mackson

AWWW! Best Buddies.

Trav loves this binky video. He shows it to everyone.

Sneek Peek: Mackson Kunio McKellar

2011-04-18T22:12:00.000-06:00

My handsome boys:

Quick Picture:

More to come. Right now I need to concentrate on healing and adjusting. Labor was a much different ride than I had expected. Mackson is an angel and he was worth all 50 to 60 stitches (possibly more). Travis is amazing and I knew he would be a great dad, but he has amazed me and is so good with this little guy. They are best buds already. He is in love with Mackson and he has taken such good care of me. Hopefully I can feel up to making a blog sometime this week. Leaving hospital tomorrow and will continue recovering at home. Sorry if i don't answer texts or phone calls, I'm not exactly on top of my game. Thanks for your prayers and well wishes.

Here we go...

2011-04-15T11:16:00.000-06:00

Trav and I have had a lot of fun the past few weeks. We have been soaking up every minute with each other. I think we have gone on about five "last dates before the baby comes"! We keep saying, "This could be our last night without having children, let's do something fun." I have had a blast spending so much time with him and have loved the spontaneity of it all! I wish I had pictures to document the last few weeks.
Trav is truly my best friend and I love being with him. I am excited to venture into parenthood with him. He is so much fun and he takes such good care of me. I know he will be a wonderful dad.
I am scheduled to be induced today, so our little baby will probably be born tonight or tomorrow morning. I am so nervous. I feel so inadequate for the whole situation of having a baby and being a mom, even though being a mother is something that I have always wanted to be and have known that it would be the most important part of my life next to being a good wife to my amazing husband. I know that Heavenly Father will bless me in my efforts and that he will always help things to work out. I know that I can't do it on my own or even just with Travis. I am so grateful for a Father in Heaven who is mindful of me every minute. He is mindful of my needs, my desires, my feelings, my struggles, and my joys. I know he wants me to be happy and I know that he will be helping me every step of the way.
Hopefully the next time I blog, there will be pictures of our growing family with our newest addition!

40 weeks...and waiting.

2011-04-11T09:40:00.001-06:00

This was me on Saturday at 40 weeks:

I never thought I would have made it to my due date...just doesn't seem to happen in my family.
But of course...here we are two days later and this little guy hasn't shown up yet. LAME. The baby counter on my blog knows it's 2 days away from my due date, but it is not saying -2 like it should! I am NOT very patient. Things are definitely changing in my body though and I have signs showing that it is getting closer. I will have times where contractions get closer and stronger, but nothing long enough or consistent enough. You better believe I am going to be on the move today! I'm so glad it is sunny so I can be outside walking like crazy! If the baby is not here by Friday I am supposed to call Labor and Delivery. Then I would go in and they would give me medicine to help me dilate if that is still the issue....which I am not particularly excited about so I am really hoping for my body to start cooperating so this little guy can come sooner.

Progress?

2011-04-08T16:30:00.000-06:00

I had a doctor's appointment today. I thought for sure I would have had the baby and wouldn't have even made it to this appointment, but that obviously is not the case. Tomorrow is my due date and the baby is still just living happily inside of me. Today I was still dilated at a one plus...the same as last week. However, the baby has pushed his head down so far that the doctor had a hard time even trying to see if I was dilated, so it is actually a good sign, because if the baby keeps pushing his head down, it will eventually force me to dilate more. I'm praying that this little guy will show up soon because I don't want to have a c-section and I don't want to be induced. I am so not ready to be a mom, but I'm so excited to be a mom. Trav has been a great support and even when he teases me or jokes around, he helps to calm me down about my anxieties.He is a great husband and will be one fun dad. Anyways, just thought some of my friends/family out there might like an update. No baby yet, but hoping for him soon. :)

A New Arrival!

2011-04-04T10:00:00.000-06:00

No, sorry. It's not mine.
My sister Brittany delivered a beautiful baby girl, Krystin Brooke Keil on April 2, 2011! 6 lbs. 12 oz., 19 inches.

As for my baby....

He's still hangin' in there at 39 weeks!

Getting There

2011-03-31T13:22:00.001-06:00

The baby's room is pretty much ready.

It was so chaotic since I have had my showers because I just didn't know where to put things and it was beginning to become overwhelming. However, the other night I was surprised to find that my sweet husband organized it all and it just made my heart melt. Having it all put together helps reality kick in a little more.

I absolutely love this crib set. I didn't think we would get one, but we did and then so many things we got at the showers ended up being the same thing...lots of jungle stuff. I still need to decorate the white cinderblock walls, but I'm sure the baby won't mind too much :)

The cute carseat I got from my sister-in-laws and mother-in-law. Nancy also made the adorable cover for it.

The glider we got off of KSL.

More Crib.

Little jungle bouncer

Just some of the diapers and wipes we got from the shower.

MORE diapers!

We are sooo excited to meet our little guy!

McKellar Baby Shower at 38 Weeks

2011-03-29T22:19:00.001-06:00

This post is a few days late, but I have had a lot to do because there is no where to put anything in this little apartment of ours! Luckily, Trav helps me get things organized, though I still have MUCH to do!
On Saturday, I was 38 weeks. The McKellar side had a shower for me in Plain City. It turned out beautifully and we were shocked at how many people came. I got so much stuff for the baby that I couldn't fit it all in my car. Thanks to Jason and Jeri Dawn for taking the rest home for me! I got tons of diapers and tons of super cute things for the baby's room. I hope to take pictures soon.
I wish I would have taken my camera. I snapped a few pictures when I got home and luckily Nancy took a few too.
I got tons of diapers including this adorable diaper cake (thanks to Jenni and Nancy)...I reassembled it when I got home. It looked much cuter at the shower.

The food was delicious and so cute. I loved it! Trav was jealous that he missed out since he had to work.

Dave, Grandma Tanaka, and Marla

My beautiful mother, me, and Marlene

The shower was wonderful. We think we have pretty much everything we need and only need to buy a few little things. We got a car seat, tons of blankets, diapers, wipes, a laundry basket, cute clothes, and a lot of the little things that I wouldn't have thought to get. I am so grateful for everyone's thoughtfulness and generosity.
As you can tell, I have gotten much bigger!!! Trav says he is impressed with how I seriously get bigger each day. My body is definitely starting to feel the effects of it.
Here is a picture Trav took that night:

Things have been going pretty well and the baby is doing well. However,on Monday morning this little guy made us very nervous. I woke up around three, surprised I had slept so long. I usually wake up every thirty minutes or so because the baby moves around very vigorously. I thought maybe he was just sleeping. I drifted in and out of sleep for about an hour and I never felt a movement, so I started getting worried. Trav woke up and asked me what was wrong and I told him that I hadn't felt the baby move in a long time. He laid with his hand on my belly for a little bit and then he started to worry too. The baby usually kicks at his hand right away. So for about fifteen minutes or so, we just pushed and poked my tummy without anything happening. I prayed and prayed and finally felt the baby kick. I knew I had a doctor's appointment in the morning so I decided just to go back to sleep and then talk with the doctor. I woke up several times worrying but felt like things would be okay. I woke up at nine and got ready for my appointment. I didn't feel anything all morning and was so nervous. When I got to the office and started waiting for the doctor the baby started moving and I was so relieved. The doctor listened to the heart rate and everything sounded fine and the baby has been moving ever since. I left my phone in my purse on silent during the appointment and Travis was texting me wanting to know what was going on. Since I wasn't texting him back, he thought something must have really gone wrong. He was so worried. I felt bad when I saw his texts and hurried and told him everything was fine. The doctor says that the head is down and I am still completely closed so everything is looking great! I guess I won't worry so much from now on if my baby decides to sleep when I am sleeping...I will just be grateful to get some sleep! I know I will be begging for some sleep in a couple weeks. It's coming so fast.

Fun Things We've Been Up To

2011-03-21T13:11:00.000-06:00

I am a big holiday fan and if I find a good idea or have enough energy, I like to make them special....even the little holidays. So on St. Patrick's Day I had a burst of energy and I spent all day cooking and preparing for it.....I need to get a little faster, it probably shouldn't take me all day, but I'd say for being so pregnant and usually having NO energy, it felt pretty good being able to spend so much time thinking of and creating some exitement around here! When Travis got home from work he was sent on a four leaf clover scavenger hunt (idea from dating divas). Some leprachauns had hidden clues all over to help him find his "pot o' gold".

He found his prize on the washer after following all the clues.

When he opened it up, I shouted, "Gold Coins!!!!!" He thought that was pretty funny.

We later frosted them all and ate them. He could eat frosted sugar cookies all day. He frequently asks me to make this frosting for him...to eat plain, no cookies or anything.

Then after the little scavenger hunt, we enjoyed a green dinner. I made too much food and it doesn't really all fit together but it made Travis happy.

We had green fettucinne alfredo (boiled the noodles in green water and turned the sauce green), green breadsticks (which i forgot to die green until I was cutting them to put them on the pan, so they turned out more marbly looking, but sooo delicious!), AMAZING cream cheese green jello with golden peaches in it, and some green homemade mashed potatoes (totally doesn't fit, but I went a little crazy trying to think of everything we had on hand that I could turn green!)

Trav says that he loved it and that it was fun. I'm glad he comes home from a long day of school and work and still shares excitement with me and appreciates the little things that I do. He is awesome.

Trav has been running pretty consistently and it makes me sooo happy. I love to watch him working to achieve his desires and goals. It makes him happier, more confident, and in shape. We are hoping for NOOO injuries so he can continue to do well with his training. He is planning on running the Ogden Marathon in May. Crazy, but amazing.

On Saturday, he ran six miles and invited me to come along...so I did. On my bike of course. It felt really good to get out and ride next to him like I used to. It's not very strenuous and it feels good to get my body moving a little bit more than I am used to.

Trav stretching after his run:

He works hard....He needs to get more sleep.

Me after my bike ride. 37 weeks.

It's getting so close and our little baby could come at any time! Sooo excited!

We have actually AGREED on a name. CRAZY, I know. Nothing is completely set in stone just in case we decide differently at the last minute, but at least for now, some stress is gone about the whole name thing....it's about time. It is Mackson Kunio McKellar. Some people think it's weird or don't like it, but it actually has a lot of meaning to us. Mack was a nickname for both of our grandpa's on our dad's sides (mckellar and mcmillan) and Kunio is his grandpa John's Japanese name. So that's the name...so far. And we like it. BOTH of us! We are so excited to meet him.

A Laundry Smile

2011-03-17T13:16:00.000-06:00

I am a hater of doing laundry....probably the reason I am talking myself out of the whole cloth diapering thing....maybe. I was talking to my sister about how I hate to sort the laundry, stain-treat the laundry, put it in the washer, carry it from the washer to the dryer (all the way out on my porch!), put it in the dryer, get it out of the dryer, carry it inside, fold the laundry, and put it away. I hate it all!!!

But today...
Doing the laundry just made me smile :)

Baby Shower at 36 Weeks!

2011-03-14T12:28:00.001-06:00

My mom and sister put on a little baby shower for me with some family and close friends, but of course I forgot to bring my camera. My sister had snapped a few pictures near the end when I told her I had forgot to bring my camera, so there are not many pictures of people, and none of me opening all the adorable and fun gifts that people gave.

The food was DELICIOUS and of course, gorgeously displayed. My mom is the queen of beautifying the simple.

Me and my friend Katie, who traveled three hours to be there!

Me and Britt at 36 weeks! She was a great sport and helped throw a shower at 36 weeks pregnant, and on her 7th anniversary!

These little girls were SOOO excited that there was a party for the baby so they got all dressed up for him.

It was a lot of fun to see so many family and some of my close friends. I'm always overwhelmed by the support I have been given in my life and continue to recieve.

Here I am today after my 36 weeks doctor appointment:

Close up:

Other side:

My doctor's appointment went really well and I am very confident in my doctor. He is very knowledgable and we have the same opinions on birthing ideas and options.

He said that the baby is head down and that I am completely closed...yay! I am shooting for my due date or even a little past. I still have lots to do before the baby comes...clean, clean, clean, another shower, pick a name...yikes, and organize all the shower presents in my tiny little apartment....I feel like I need more time!

I am so excited and nervous!

Trav and I are having lots of fun getting ready for our little guy, not too much fun trying to pick out a name, and we are going on as many dates as possible and spending all our free time being together before we add another little family member to the mix!

Sisters

2011-03-10T13:49:00.000-07:00

My older sister Britt brought her cute little girls and visited me so I wouldn't be so lonely during Trav's Spring "Break"...aka...week that Trav's boss needs him to work as much as possible so I never see him.
Cute Erica sporting her crown and barbie:

Sisters:

Sisters (at 35.5 weeks), picture taken by Katie:

Thanks for visiting and giving me something to look forward to during this week! Sisters are the best!

Stitches Out! + Getting Uncomfortable!

2011-03-06T21:22:00.000-07:00

We took Trav's stitches out today! I was terrified I was going to open the cut and he would need more stitches! But we got them out nicely and I think he will have a pretty nice scar.

Yestereday marked 35 weeks! Still no name for this baby...I am hoping we have one before we get to the hospital! Life is getting pretty unfomfortable with this baby growing so fast! I was tempted to lay down on the floor in Relief Society today. The baby is kicking hard and it is getting hard to sleep or do much else. At least my house is looking decent and the baby room is ready...as much as it can be on a little budget.

Trav and I are both getting more excited and way more nervous. It has come much faster than expected. I am excited to get rid of this belly that is hurting my back! I am excited for this special baby to come in to our home and I am excited to be a mom and to watch Trav be a dad. He is awesome and I know he will love this little guy so much. Life is good. Trav is doing well in school and working hard. He amazes me every day.

Church Ball Gone Wrong

2011-03-01T23:12:00.001-07:00

Tonight Trav's church ball team was playing in the tournament. One game away from the championship. The game is tied with a minute left. Both teams are scrambling to get the next point. Trav dives for the ball. Boy from other team dives for ball. I watch my husbands face hit the floor as the other guy's butt lands on the back of my husband's head. Travis lays there and I am speechless. He is not moving. I turn to the girl next to me, "Umm, what should I do?" She says, "I don't know. Wait and see if he gets up." Me, not wanting to look like a paranoid, overprotective, dramatic wife running out onto the court just to have my husband get up in a few seconds and "walk it off", I stay in my seat a few seconds longer. Feeling like it's been ten minutes, when it had probably been 20 seconds or so, Trav is still not moving and the high-councilman calls out, "Is Travis's wife here?" My thoughts: Oh my heck, he's dead. Maybe just brain dead...maybe brain damage. Maybe dead. Just me and the baby left. When I heard, "He's gonna need to go get stitches," it calmed me down inside...for two seconds. Then I see my husband stand up and his face is bloody everywhere. After he starts wiping it off, I see there is only one gash below his right eyebrow and his cheek is swollen. He's a good sport and he wiped the blood off and stayed for the last minute of the game to watch his team lose in overtime....(in my opinion, because Trav wasn't playing! haha...maybe.) Afterwards, the stake sports guy tells us that the church will cover any costs and that we needed to take him in and get stitches. And so we did.
Here is a picture of the damage, while waiting at Instacare:

And after his stitches:

Of course right after getting his stitches, he goes straight to the church where he plays his regular Tuesday night basketball with Jason and friends. That's Trav for ya.

He gets to have these suckers in for five days. The thing about this situation that I found most funny was that Trav was the one to say the prayer at church ball. He prayed they could play smart and that no harm or accident would come upon them! Sorry Trav, sometimes the answer is just NO.
However, I am very grateful that nothing worse happened and that my husband is safe and healthy.

34 weeks looks like...

2011-02-26T19:23:00.000-07:00

Six weeks till my due date. Time is going WAY too fast!

I'm starting to feel like a snowman with a grapefruit sized head.

I have a hard time breathing, and I lose any energy I have way too fast.

This baby is still moving like crazy and my doctor says that things are going perfectly and that he has no worries. I really like my doctor and he is doing great in supporting my views and answering all the questions I have. I am glad things have gone so well with me and the baby. I really shouldn't complain about getting kicked in the ribs or being so tired considering all the blessing that have. I am grateful to be healthy and to have a healthy baby. And a hot husband.

32 wks 2 days & Valentines

2011-02-14T20:42:00.000-07:00

Saturday was my 32 week mark but I forgot to take my 32 week pictures. As you can see I am steadily growing and feeling GINORMOUS!!!!! I don't have five minutes go by without having our little guy squirming around in there or poking my ribs or jabbing me numerous other places. It is painful to stand, sit, and lay down. I am feeling like I can't possibly get any bigger! Yet I know with 8 weeks left, there is still much growing to do!

This next picture also displays a bit of what I am feeling:

Yes, I am starting to feel a little bit of panic set in :)
Our whole life is going to change in an instant and that really does scare me.
But we are very excited to welcome this baby into our home and hopefully be good parents!

Meanwhile, Trav and I have been celebrating Valentines over the weekend and today. Friday we attended our stake Valentines dance and had sooo much fun. It is NOT Trav's favorite activity but he takes me every year and both of us had a blast. He whipped out some pretty fancy moves that I had NO idea he had in him. I asked him if he was secretly taking a dance class at school. I am sure it was entertaining for other couples to see me swing dancing while being so big and out of breath! We really had so much fun. Then we came home and watched a show about the best fried foods....which led to Trav taking a trip to McDonalds to get me some fries :) It was my third craving since being pregnant! (Fries 2x, Slurpee 1x) My husband is the best. Saturday, we slept in and then we went down to Layton to my parents house. They took us out for dinner to celebrate Jer and Mikayla's engagement. We were going to go to the Cheesecake Factory but when we got there, a table of 8 would be a FOUR hour wait! We ended up eating at the Macaroni Grill and then came back and got some cheesecake to go. I was pretty bummed because I had never been there and was really looking forward to the food! Sunday Trav and I went to church and took a long nap. Then we ate at Jason and Jeri Dawn's and played Password, our latest favorite game. Super fun! Today we went about our normal day, Trav-school and work, Me-cleaning and cooking. Then we went to a Valentine's Dinner that the Married Student Housing put on that was catered by the school catering. It was 2.50 per person! We were also chosen to participate in the Newlywed Game...which we lost :( But still had lots of fun!
Now Trav is studying for a test and I am trying not to bug him at all because he has been doing SOOO well this semester! I am super proud of him.

I am so grateful for such a wonderful husband who remembered to ask me to be his Valentine before he went out the door this morning, even though I had forgot it was Valentines Day!

Courageous Parenting

2011-02-09T21:01:00.002-07:00

                My institute class was wonderful today. We went over the talk "Courageous Parenting" that was given by Elder Larry R. Lawrence in last October's General Conference. I had read the talk before class and I had felt the spirit so strongly as I read it. Then in institute, as the teacher was giving her lesson and as personal experience's were shared, my heart was full with the knowledge that what we were hearing was true.
                It reminded me of my own parents and the fact that they were courageous parents. It was never a popularity contest with my parents. They weren't trying to make their kids think they were cool. But for some reason, we thought they were cool. They weren't trying to get our friends to love them, but for some reason our friends loved them. My parents were never afraid to stand up for what was right. They were not worried about offending us by correcting us or teaching us true principles. I never remember a time where my parents were too afraid to tell us that they had a bad feeling about something. They wanted to protect us, just like in the talk, Elder Lawrence mentioned if you had a child that was on railroad tracks and a train was coming, you would warn them to get off the tracks. If they couldn't hear you or wouldn't listen to you, you would not hesitate in going to them and pulling them off of the tracks and take them to a safe place. I am grateful for courageous parents who not only warned me to get off the tracks when they saw a train coming, they warned me to stay away from the tracks and sometimes they even had to pull me off the tracks and put me in safe places, even when it wasn't a popular thing to do, even when it made me mad. I am so grateful they did not let their fears of offending me or their fears of me being mad or liking them less get in the way.
               I hope that I can be a courageous parent in this world and not be afraid to stand up for what I know to be right, whether it embarasses or offends my child. I want them to be able to look back and be grateful that I warned them about the trains that are coming towards them ever so quickly. Parenting takes courage and I add my testimony to his when he says, "...the Lord supports and blesses courageous parents." I know that if I am courageous I will be supported and blessed in protecting and raising my children.

Just an update on life!

2011-02-07T17:21:00.001-07:00

Crystal: I have been tired and in pain the last little while and honestly I have done a lot of sitting around lately and it has definitely started to show...by the condition of my house, the condition of my body, and numerous other things. Today I got a spurt of energy and I was motivated to do stuff! I just really felt that I needed to get out and get some exercise. First, I decided to deliver all the visiting teaching slips to the girls that didn't get theirs on Sunday...which is hard work because I have to go up and down stairs in this apartment complex. Afterwards, I power-walked...which is probably a funny sight to see especially while I am pregnant. I could have stayed and walked on my treadmill but I don't get out much and I wanted some fresh air. I stopped by my old work at the University and visited with some girls and got my social needs met for the day. And then I walked some more and went home. I did dishes, read scriptures, took a short nap, cleaned up the house....well, the visible part (you know, if someone came to your door or stepped in to your front room, the part THEY can see and still think you are a generally clean person). I still have work to do on our room and the baby/exercise room. I ate lunch with Travis and made dinner. I love having energy! I really think that exercise helps balance things out. It gives you MORE energy, it releases endorphins and makes you happy, and helps in so many other ways. The hard part is getting the motivation to get out and do it. So I have a goal to be exercising at least three times a week! After exercising today. I remember what it felt like to exercise regularly and to have energy! I am determined to stick with it!!!

Travis:
Trav has been doing really well in school and I am so proud of him. He has been avoiding the TV at all costs and is really determined to do well in school. It has been wonderful! He has been working so hard and doing so well. He took a Chemistry test last week and got an awesome score!!! He is staying super active, finding time to do his calling, and working hard to provide for our family. He is blessed to have a boss who is flexible enough for him to be able to go to school, work, and still have time for homework and family. I am thankful that he is willing to work so hard and make so many sacrifices to provide for our family and to work so hard so that we can achieve the goals we have together for our future. He is awesome!

Things I enjoyed this past week:
Wednesday I started going to an institute class for women/moms/wives. It was wonderful. Thursday churchball. Friday instititute date night with Travis and watching the Jazz game afterwards, and yesterday we had tons of fun at the soup party with Trav's family. We munched on snacks, ate a delicious dinner that had to do with the super bowl teams and we played games and talked...why watch the super bowl when you can have such a fun time with people you love?! Thanks for all the fun Nancy and those who were there to entertain us!

Things I am looking forward to this week:
Family home evening tonight, church ball on Tuesday...'cause my husband is a baller. He really is. A Valentine activity on Wednesday night for Relief Society, The Valentines Dance and Dinner for our Stake on Friday, and Saturday, my family is getting together and going sledding if there is snow, having hot chocolate with creamers... just for me :) , playing games, and going to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner...mmm! I should plan something for Thursday since that is the only day that I don't have something exciting to look forward to! I will most likely do my taxes and apply for a grant for trav's schooling...not super exciting, but super important!

Anyways, life is pretty good and I am getting anxious about having a baby and everything that comes with it...the birth itself, breastfeeding, crying, diaper changing...call me crazy but I think I am wanting to do cloth diapers, trying to keep up with being a wife and keeping my house somewhat clean, and just knowing what to do with this little person in general! I think we are making progress in name picking, thanks to our conversation with Darrin last night! Still no final names and of course Travis still has his favorites: Jonny, Milt, Ernie, etc....you get the idea. Hopefully we can meet in the middle somewhere and get this kid a name!

Yay! She said YES!

2011-02-02T21:24:00.001-07:00

My brother Jeramy asked his girlfriend Mikayla to marry him, and to his HUGE relief, she said yes! He was pretty nervous about the whole thing, but we are glad he could work up the courage to ask the big question! We are excited for the new addition to our family! Congratulations!!!

30 weeks and getting ready!

2011-01-31T20:13:00.000-07:00

I am now 30 weeks and 2 days. I exercised today! (Thanks to Jeri Dawn for getting me to the gym with her!) It was just what my mind, body, and spirit needed. It's amazing what exercising can do for a person!

My sweet parents came up on Saturday and brought a crib that my sister gave to me and an old dresser that has been around for years. They also helped me organize lots and lots of baby clothes. This baby is pretty much set in the clothes department! It's unbelievable how many hand-me-downs people have given to me and to my mom.
The dresser that my parents had was a good size but had some broken drawers, but Trav said it would be an easy fix. So after work on Saturday, he came home and fixed the dresser up right away. It took him like 2 hours. He is awesome.
The bottoms of the drawers were broken and cracked, so he put new bottoms in them and then he made stops so the drawers would not come out too far or slide back too far. He also made sure to make it so they were extra sturdy.

Trav then decided that he wanted the dresser to match the crib, so we painted it. It was super fun! We just talked and painted all night!

Trav also decided that he wanted the handles to be black so he spray painted them with some paint he had. They sort of turned out a dark brown metallic color and I think they look really cool.

The dresser is not finished yet. We still need to coat the drawers with more paint and put the handles on. I wanted to do some modpodge sort of thing on it, but right now we are just going to deal with what we have on hand. Sometimes I look at people's blogs when they are having babies and they have such cute nursuries and I can just imagine having that kind of room for my baby with all those nice things, and sometimes I find myself coveting! But while I know that I can't afford to go crazy with decorating and the luxuries and that things will be crowded for a while, I am so grateful for my husband who is working hard to support our family and who is working so hard in school so that one day we can live comfortably. I am definitely willing to make the sacrifices now so that we can get to an even better point later on in our lives.

My hard working husband taking a break from working since 5 that morning. He truly is amazing.

AND we took my "30 week" belly pictures tonight after Family Home Evening.

Sometimes I forget that I am pregnant and sometimes I feel like I just might explode! I am so excited to meet this little baby, but also very nervous for what to expect and scared of my inadequacies as a wife and a mother. At least I know that Heavenly Father helps make up for those things that we can't do on our own or those things we may not feel adequate for.

Happy Number Three...

2011-01-26T13:29:00.001-07:00

To Him and Me!

Today is our third anniversary! It is crazy how fast life goes! I am sure glad I get to spend it (and eternity) with my very best friend.

Update + 28 weeker

2011-01-17T21:45:00.001-07:00

Trav has started school and he is liking his classes and feels like it will be a good semester. Among all the other stuff, he is taking lap swimming and had to swim almost a mile on his first day of class! Another one of his classes involves lots of physical activity. He has started running again, plays his weekly basketball AND now church ball has started. He is so active! I love it. Now that school is in, and he is not working all day every day, he has energy for ALL of it! He is our ward athletic director and he has been really involved and liking his calling.
Trav studying his scriptures:

With safety goggles on????

Sometimes, he just cracks me up.

I'm at home not doing much. I have been able to do lots of cleaning and organizing until this week because I have to sit down and try to breath every few minutes. I have completed the first two weeks of my third trimester. It has NOT been the greatest two weeks of my pregnancy, that is for sure. I am experiencing a little bit of nausea and a lot of pain. It feels like what I imagine a cracked rib to feel like. I told Travis last night, that by this time I had planned on my belly looking a little more round and I planned on looking less miserable than I do! The doctor says it is probably just my ligaments stretching and that it is probably very painful where I am a small person.
The one thing that I still just love about being pregnant is feeling this little guy move around like crazy. I can watch my belly just bounce around for hours because this boy is so active. He already has Trav's famous "button-pushing" genes. For instance, he is going crazy in my belly and it is bouncing everywhere, but the second I call Trav over to come see it or feel it, he stops moving. Then the second Trav turns around to go back to whatever he was doing he starts moving all over the place again! We can do this several times in one hour and his little trick never fails him!
Here is 28 weeks and two days:

Trav making me laugh:

Taking pictures of my face instead of my belly:

Me getting after him for straying the camera:

Getting back on track:

Holidays

2011-01-03T20:58:00.001-07:00

We wpent Christmas Eve and Christmas morning at my parents house. Christmas Eve was super fun as my family did their usual traditions at my Aunt and Uncles house. My parents made an AMAZING delicious rib dinner.

On Christmas morning, my little brother David called home and it was so fun to hear from him. He is one awesome missionary!

My parents gave us a camera. Hopefully we have better luck with this one than we have our last two! They also got a bunch of rock climbing gear for all of us to use. I am excited!

My brother Jeramy was paying attention last month when I was talking about not having a punch bowl. I was so surprised to get one!

Sunday we were back at my parents.

Me and Britt got our 25 week belly picture together. I love being pregnant with someone so close!

Katie playing with my new camera.

We were at the McKellars for Christmas afternoon and evening. Lots of people and lots of fun.

Family picture:

We ate a delicious brunch and talked and played games. We can't forget the games.

Jenni made some super cute pillows and also got me some maternity clothes, which I especially need right now! (2 of the shirts are worn in my post from yesterday)

We also got lots of super cute stuff to keep us warm from Trav's parents, including these cute, super comfy socks.

Trav gave me a much needed new purse and wallet. I love them both. He also got me new bathroom rugs that are soooo fluffy and comfortable. I love them!

Among other things, he gave me a gift card to Old Navy so I could buy some maternity pants! Yay!

The best part was his message:

I got Trav this Garmin GPS watch thing that is apparently REALLY cool for a runner to have. (okay so maybe I secretly might want to have one when I can run again.)

It has given him a little motivation to get out there and run in the cold.

Running on a BRIGHT, FREEZING day. He is crazy!

We had fun with our families and as usual were spoiled rotten.

Meanwhile, Trav has been working super hard while on his "break". He really is a workaholic sometimes. He has so much drive and if he has a goal, he WILL reach it.

One night I suggested we go bowling. So what does he do? He pulls out one of the games he got from Darrin for Christmas and we go bowling at home.

Trav is good at it.

He wants to get a mini pin setter and ball return. Haha! He did take me REAL bowling the next day as well for our date. He is pretty sure that it was bowling in his bowling class that was hurting his knee all last semester. (However, he DID have the highest average bowling scores in the class....so proud.) I had to quit in the middle of our second game because my knee was hurting as well. Looks like we won't be going bowling for a while!

New years was spent at Jasons house up here in Logan. We had delicious food as usual. I forgot to take my camera, but I took it to their house the next day and got a picture of super cute Nikell while trying to figure out how to work the camera. I am starting to get the hang of it. My pictures aren't so blurry anymore!

Meanwhile, I am learning to cook and clean....yes, after THREE years of marriage. I just have so much time now, I figure I will make the best of it and hope it pays off. Trav is enjoying having home made bread again, a clean house, clean clothes, his lunch packed every day, way too many homemade treats, and dinner on the table when he gets home, along with anything else I have decided to experiment with. I really appreciate how hard he works and I hope that I can make it easier on him while doing my best at home.

26 weeker

2011-01-01T23:23:00.002-07:00

My belly is getting bigger as usual!

This is me and my beautiful sister Brittany at 25 weeks. We are just one day apart. She is on her fourth baby and is having yet another little girl and she is one amazing mom.

And here I am today at 26 weeks!

I am glad to be in my third trimester because that means this baby is coming soon! I am in a lot more pain lately and this little guy likes to kick whenever I get the chance to lay down.
We have had some fun holidays and it was great to visit our families. I will hopefully blog about those another day. Life as a stay-at-home wife so far has not been too bad. I love having a clean house and clean clothes and clean dishes! And Trav loves having his lunch made for him every day. I have a feeling that boredom may set in soon though. It's nice to be done with school and I am thinking about taking an institute class next semester since I haven't really had the chance with so much school and work. Life is good and Trav and I are having fun together. As usual.

24 weeks + 1 day.

2010-12-19T22:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was 24 weeks. Here is a picture of my fast growing belly!

It's getting harder and harder to do things every day, but I am still super excited! I can now see parts of my belly jumping while he is moving around in there. He sure is an active little guy, which is not surprising if you have met my husband. I'm so excited!

Done...

2010-12-14T18:06:00.001-07:00

I took my last final today, and gave my last presentation and I am DONE with school. Hip-hip hooray!!!!!
I can't believe it has gone so fast and yet it feels like it has taken me forEVER. I learned so much about life from school and I enjoyed being single for half of it and married for the other half. I had so many opportunities, made a lot of friends, and had so much fun having so many adventures with my husband.
Some experiences and events through my college education:
I lived in Rexburg (while going to byu-idaho),

Layton for a summer at home, and in Ogden (while taking a break from school)

And Logan (Utah State).

I made life-long friends with the BEST roommates on the planet.

Tried lots of new things with lots of amazing friends

I met this handsome guy:

And we dated, and we liked each other. A lot. and got engaged.

Got my Associates from BYU-Idaho and graduated in the top five percent of my class (and of course tripped on the stage in the process of recieving my diploma)

I married Trav!

I watched Trav start running and participate in many races, including 3 marathons.

I learned how to play lots of new sports, and I liked it.

I went to ONE school football game, had four jobs, wrecked two cars (mine and the other guys), went to Nauvoo, started trying to be a runner, ran two races, hurt my knee, stopped running, got pulled over for the first time (on my bike), had three different computers, four cell phones, got my concealed weapons permit, saw A LOT of different facial hairstyles on my husband, celebrated 2 anniversaries (with a 3rd coming up in January!), and got pregnant with our first child! So much has happened in these wonderful years of my life and I am sure we have many more adventures while Trav is in school and throughout life. I have had so many experiences, trials, adventures, and people that have helped me stay motivated and learn so much throughout this period of my life.

I'm so grateful that I have had the opportunity for such a wonderful education and being able to learn about my greatest interest; the family. I learned some eternal principles, useful knowledge, and A LOT of common sense. I also learned that there are some views and philosphies out there that are taught in so-called "family" classes that will ultimately tear down and destroy the family. I learned that I could be told a hundred different things from a hundred different professors on how to raise a family, how to heal a family, how to teach my children, and I have learned that without my Heavenly Father being ever so present in my life I could be very confused about what a family should be and what will keep a family strong. I am grateful for the whisperings of the still small voice that help us to make our way through so many conflicting viewpoints and philosophies. I know that with the Lord's help I can be a good mom. Not a perfect one, but a good one. I know that I will face many more trials and obstacles. I will also have many more opportunities, wonderful experiences and adventures throughout life. I look forward to finding opportunities to be a life-long learner.

Look at our cute baby!

2010-12-07T19:29:00.000-07:00

22 weeks and 3 days. Trav and I are so excited to meet this little guy!