1st Pictures and Gender

Dear Baby,

Today we got to see you!!!  Mommy emailed me at work yesterday so frustrated that she couldn't see you and was so anxious not knowing what gender you were.  Needless to say mommy is a little anxious about everything in our lives right now.  She is now 17 weeks and you are about the size of a turnip.  I bet very few people ever eat those things or know their size...

So I told her it would be OK to pay to have an early ultrasound and that since I was taking today off that it would be a good day to do it.

Your foot

Your face

You're a boy!!

We were both confident from day one that you were going to be a boy.  Luckily your Aunt Katie gave us a lot of blue things this past week.  Thanks Katie!!!

We are so excited for you to be here!  You still have a lot of growing to do but we are counting down the days until your arrival.

Love,
Mom and Dad

Pictures of the Pups

This is Maggie's bed.  She claimed the laundry basket a few months ago and won't give it up.

We had our friend Evelyn take pictures of our dogs this week.  We were a little apprehensive about how the whole process would go since the dogs are crazy and they don't listen to us at all.  We have tried to take nice pictures of them and they just have never been what we wanted.  So we find funny moments like the one above to make up for our lack of professional photos. 

So we headed out with the dogs and Evelyn to see what we could get.  Click here to see her blog post and a few shots from our session.  We LOVE them!!!  They turned out so cute and we can't wait to see the rest!  Thanks to Evelyn for her amazing skills and her patience with us and these rascals.  She even sat in the dirt to get the best shots possible!

If anyone is looking for an amazing photographer she is the only person you want!!!   

Playing at the Park

Dear Baby,

One of the many things we do in our family is going to the park multiple times a week.  Tonight we took the dogs and you can see the fun they had!  Get ready because these dogs are pretty wild and will love you like crazy!!!

Maggie loves to fetch and Lucy just runs around.  Both dogs will be very good to you, but we are concerned about how excited Lucy gets around people.  We shall see if you will get to know her but we are hopeful that she will be able to stay in our family.

One more of Maggie catching the ball.  We have said for a long time that Maggie will probably die one day in the middle of fetching a ball.  She loves her toys!

Here is Mommy talking about you.  She is now 16 weeks (measuring around 17) and you are about the size of an avocado. 
We also received another gift for you this week.  Thanks to JoAnn for her sweet and thoughtful gift!  It was so sweet of her to think of us.  We will start to read the book to you next week when your ears will start to be able to recognize voices.  (Hopefully the dogs barking will get you ready for that.)

Love,
Daddy and Mommy

Aunt Katie Reports to the MTC and Eliah's Eagle Project

Dear Baby,

Yesterday we took your Aunt Katie to the MTC (Missionary Training Center) in Provo.  She is serving a mission for the Lord in Spokane, Washington.  She will serve for 18 months and return right around your first birthday.  She will make an excellent missionary.

Mommy and Katie eating their strawberries at Zupa's before we dropped Katie off.

Katie saying goodbye to you.

All ready!

Mommy and Katie.

Mommy and Daddy are going to miss her very much but we are very happy for her! 

Later that afternoon we headed to Mapleton Jr. High to help your cousin Eliah with his Eagle Scout project.  He has been working diligently on completing this project and this was the big day!  We had a ton of help and finished painting the school initials on 600 folding chairs in 1 hour!!!

Katie and Ya working showing everyone a demo

600 chairs in one hour!  That is very impressive!

The finished product

You have many wonderful people in your life that are going to teach you about service and what it means to help others.  Katie and Eliah are showing you such great examples.  

Love, 

Mom  and Dad

To see what Katie is doing click here to see her blog.

Mother's Day

Dear Baby,

Today is Mother's Day.  We celebrate the lives of the women we know and love.  You will be born to a wonderful Mommy who already adores you.  You will learn so much from her and she will counsel and advise you throughout you life.  Listen to her.  She has loved you from the moment she found out about you. 

You also have many other women who care for you so much!  Your Grandma's (Janet and Bonnie) whom you will love, your Great Grandma's who can't wait to hold you, your Aunts who have promised to babysit you, and other women who will be there from the day you are born and will love you like their own.  (There are too many to name but we love them all.) 

You also have a Heavenly Mother who loves you very much and those who have already passed that have already known you.  Your Grandma Judy, Grandma Polly, Mamoo and Grandma Walter.  They are not here currently but love you so much. 

I can't wait until next year when we can give Mommy a wonderful gift that we have chosen together for this very happy day.

Love,
Daddy

Dear Baby,

Today we saw the Doctor again!  Mommy is almost 14 weeks and Dr. Glenn says you are measuring around 16 weeks!  He said your head is normal sized (which made Mommy feel happy since Daddy has such a big head) and that you are growing nicely.  You are between the size of a lemon and an avocado.  We also heard your little heartbeat again.  It is so surreal.

We will find out if you are a boy or girl in 6 weeks or so.  Mommy is so excited that we may have to pay to find out before that.  We will start to review names when we find out.

I guess it is time to start preparing your room.  This is really happening!

Love,
Mommy and Daddy