Cordell Alexander :)

 I found out I was pregnant on our anniversary, June 16th, 2021. I was really worried when I found out I was pregnant because I had 3 consecutive miscarriages before this. Each one was before or at 6 weeks. The first was October 2019, the second January 2020, and the third was in August 2020. By this time, I was seeing a fertility specialist. They ran a bunch of tests and found out I didn't have enough progesterone to keep a viable pregnancy, so they put my supplemental progesterone to help. We were originally only going to tell our parents, but we told our siblings too. Evan and our kids came to the first ultrasound at the clinic. We thought it was going to be twins at first, but there was only one baby. It did look like two though because of the yolk sac in the ultrasound. I had 3 total ultrasounds there before I "graduated" and could move onto my regular doctor's office. Things were looking great each time I went in. At my first ultrasound, they said my due date was February 26th, 2022. But, when I went to my doctor's office, they changed it back to February 20th. I stayed on progesterone until my second trimester to stay safe. I was able to find out the gender around 13 weeks because we did genetic testing, I had to get two blood tests because the first was contaminated. Someone came to our house and drew my blood to send to the lab. We found out the gender a week or so later. I was surprised when we saw it was a boy! I really thought it was a girl haha. We wanted to find a German name for him too, but nothing fit. One day, while Evan was out running errands or something, he suggested naming him Cordell because he was due in February and would share a birth month with his daddy. :) Finally, something clicked and felt right! Evan wanted Xander as a middle name, but I vetoed it haha. I suggested Alexander instead. We officially found out the gender on October 4th, a week before my birthday :) We saw he was in fact a boy, even though I didn't completely see because he crossed his legs haha. Evan saw though. Every ultrasound I had, he always had his hands by his face. He still does in fact. It must be a comfort thing. :) I was actually pretty sick throughout this pregnancy. I had to take B6 and Unisom to help. I didn't have an appetite sometimes. It wasn't fun. In December, we all had covid I was really worried because I was pregnant. I was able to get antibody treatment. It helped, but my body couldn't handle the rate it was being administered, so it had to be slowed down fast. We all recovered well, so that was good. Because I had covid, they wanted to induce me at 38 weeks, that was February 8th, 2022. I had a follow-up ultrasound at 34 weeks to see how he was doing. He was measuring small. so that was another reason they wanted to induce sooner. After that, I had to get weekly ultrasounds and non-stress tests. At my last ultrasound, he was measuring 5lbs, 10 oz. I really thought he was going to come on his own, but he made it to his induction date! Evan and I were able to have a weekend in Logan before he was born, so that was nice. :) The night before my induction, we took our kids to my parent's house because they were already staying there while we were at the hospital. We stayed with Evan's parents. We wanted to be closer to the hospital because they were going to call me as early as 6am the next day. Evan and I got Canton Wok as a celebratory meal to eat for dinner that night. We took our kids to my parent's house then headed up to Evan's. He had to teach, so he ate dinner on break. Later that night, we finally fell asleep around 3am because we couldn't sleep. I was also starting to have contractions. I couldn't decide if I needed to go in early, so I just waited and kept track. I got a call from the hospital at 8:45 am. We had to get ready and load the car. By the time we got there and checked in, it was close to 10 am. I wish I remember the room number we were in, but I don't. The nurse had me get in a gown, then she did my IV. She did it on my forearm and I didn't like it haha. She was really nice though. She checked my cervix and I was at a 3 and 70% effaced. She started me on the Pitocin and my contractions were starting to come every minute to minute and a half! It was crazy because it was such a low amount they started me on. Because of this, the anesthesiologist came in sooner to give me my epidural. She had a few C-section patients and it would have been a while. I went to the bathroom first and when I got out, she was on her way. I sat up on the bed and leaned forward. Evan held onto me. I didn't like feeling the pinch and the needle going into my back, but once I was numb, I felt better. Luckily, I didn't feel the catheter afterward because I was numb. I got the epidural around 12:30. We thought was going to come pretty soon because of how quickly my contractions were coming. My doctor broke my water around 1:30 and said that should move things along faster. The nurse came back to check on me an hour later and I was still at a 3! I wasn't happy haha. She ended up putting me on my left side and put a peanut pillow under me. It was supposed to help move the baby down. I tried to get some sleep/rest, but I couldn't. She came back just before 4 and checked my cervix again. I was at a 7 1/2! I was so happy to have finally progressed! She was going to move me to my right side, but he didn't like that. His heart rate went down, so they moved me onto my back again. A resident doctor came in and checked me. I was at a 10 and 100% effaced! She used the term "complete." She was ready to deliver our baby, and I was making jokes with her about that because she was a resident. We heard my doctor run down the hall and yell, "I'm here!" Haha, it was awesome :) They got me into position to push. I was nervous even though I'd done this before. I pushed a few times but had to start over because I breathed too much. Evan was coaching me and told me to push after he saw his shoulders come out, and before I knew it, he was on my chest and a nurse was putting a diaper on him really fast. He was born at 4:22 pm. He is SO precious, truly a gift sent from heaven. I didn't have much skin to skin because he was really cold and had to be under the warmer for close to an hour :( They weighed him and I was really surprised to hear them say he was 6lbs, 3 oz, and 18 inches long! He gained some weight from my last ultrasound, so that was great. :) I didn't need to be stitched because I didn't tear. They gave me some ibuprofen and got me ready to go upstairs. It is always hard to get into a wheelchair when I am numb. We had a lot of stuff to take up, so some were put in the back of the chair. I don't remember the room number we had upstairs either. :( I blame being tired haha. They got us situated in our room and we ordered dinner. By the time we ate, it was after 7. I felt nauseous from lack of sleep. They gave me some medicine and sprite. I was able to breastfeed the little guy and he did pretty well :) I got a refresher from a lactation consultant the next day. He got his first bath the next day. I was actually able to stand by and watch. With our other kids, I was too weak from the epidural to get up and see up close. He cried at first but calmed down. :) He only wanted to sleep when he was held, so it was rough getting sleep. They took him for an hour so I could get some rest. Evan got him some cute things from the gift shop. An Aggie beanie and booties, and baby Yoda onesies. He also got us a special Willow Tree angel for a new baby :) He also installed the base and brought the car seat up. We were able to go home after 24 hours, it was really nice. He passed all of his tests and looked great! We got discharged just before 7pm. The CNA came down and helped us with our things and put it in a wagon. She had to check the base and Evan ended up moving it because it was too loose. After we left the hospital, we grabbed dinner at Arctic Circle. We were going to Evan's parent's house so they could meet the baby. Phyllis held him, but Joey wasn't up for it. Clarissa and her girls came over and she held him. We stayed later than we planned and I felt bad because Braelynn was calling me and asking to meet her baby brother. We left to go to my parent's so they could meet their new brother, Braelynn held him first :) It was so sweet, she loves her baby brother so much! Luka was a little shy, but he warmed up. My parents and Jessie held him as well. :) We got home after 1am. We were exhausted. I didn't get a lot of sleep, but that's okay. He is so worth it! He sleeps 2-3 hour stretches right now, At his newborn appointment, he lost some weight and was 5lbs, 13 oz. He didn't gain much back at his 2-week appointment, so I have to go back when he turns one month, which is already next Tuesday! I can't believe how fast time flies. I am soaking in all the newborn cuddles while I can. We love you so much, Cordy :) Thank you for joining our family! 

Hans Luka Waechtler :)

Before I get into his birth story, I gotta back up a little bit haha. On May 22nd, I thought I was going into labor. I had to pack my hospital bag really quick because it wasn't packed yet. I had been in a lot of pain the night before, it felt very similar to my first pregnancy when I was going into labor with Braelynn. Evan ended up staying home from work to be with Braelynn. He was on standby until I knew if I was going for sure. I already had an appointment for a nonstress test that day, so after that, I went to labor and delivery to see how things were going. I was only 36 weeks. I went to a triage room and ended up getting IVs 3 times in my arm because the nurse messed up... it hurt so bad! I had two big bruises on my arms... the nurse that gave me the third one used lidocaine so it wouldn't hurt as bad. I was there for over an hour while they watched contractions, but I didn't progress, so I went home. That week, I had 2 more false alarms. I was certain I was going into labor, we even took Braelynn to my parent's house to stay there in case anything happened, but no haha. I was really frustrated. The next week, I didn't feel like I would be going into labor before my induction. I didn't want to make the same mistake again in going in too early. I went to my appointments, and I was dilated to a 3. On June 3rd, we had a birthday dinner for Phrankee at Evan's parent's house. I felt fine that night, but the next morning I had a nonstress test and a doctor's appointment. The week before, I kept the hospital bag and Braelynn's bag in the car for when we went to the hospital. His car seat was also ready to go. That morning, my dad was going to watch Braelynn since I couldn't take her with me. I had a feeling to leave her overnight bag with them, just in case. On the way to the hospital, I was having contractions that were 5 minutes apart, I would look at my watch and keep track. During my nonstress test, they were 5-8 minutes apart. Everything looked good. My appointment ended 45 minutes before my doctor's appointment. I had a feeling to ask if I could be seen sooner so I wouldn't have to wait for awhile. They were able to get me in, which was nice. My doctor did a cervical exam and said I was still at a 3, but then quickly said I was a 4. She asked if I wanted my membranes stripped. At first, I didn't, but I asked how uncomfortable it would be and she said it wasn't too bad. So, I just had her do it. At this point, I was ready for him to come out, so I didn't mind. It was really interesting, I could feel the amniotic sac and she said his head was really low. Right after, she told me I could go into labor or my water could break, and to stay close by just in case. I walked around the hospital as my pain was getting worse and my contractions were 2 to 3 minutes apart... I am pretty sure I was in denial haha. I called Evan and told him what was happening. He was at work an hour away, so I told him to come now. I called my dad on the way to the car. I had to get my hospital bag, then I went back into the hospital and walked around some more. Evan told me I needed to go into labor and delivery, but I went outside and sat on a bench because I was still in denial haha. I called my mom and asked her to come since Evan was far away. I finally went into labor and delivery and told them I thought I was in labor. I went into a triage room again so they could check me. It took me awhile to get into the bed because I kept having to use the bathroom. Evan ended up getting there before my mom after all because she hit all the red lights. He got there just as the nurse was going to check me to see how dilated I was. She checked my cervix and told me I was dilated to a 5!!! Within 20 minutes, I went from a 4 to a 5!! He was ready to come! I had a huge sigh of relief and asked if I had to go home haha and the nurse said if you want to, but of course, I was staying. They left to get a delivery room ready for me! My mom was there by now, which was nice. By this time, I was in so much pain. I think I was in labor and delivery room 5, which was just across the hall. They had to hook all this stuff up, but before I could get comfortable, I had to use the bathroom. I was in so much pain, I didn't want to get up. They gave me an IV and hooked me up to a monitor to keep track of contractions. I told Evan I couldn't do it anymore because I was in so much pain. The anesthesiologist was really busy because there were a lot of deliveries that morning, so I had to wait a little bit to get my epidural. I had to use the bathroom again, and the nurse said if he came in while I was in there, he would just move on to the next room, so I had to hurry. Luckily, he didn't come while I was in there. I can't remember what time I got it, but I felt so much better after I got it. This time, I stayed in the bed and lied down on my side when I got it. I didn't feel the needle go in, thank goodness. I felt the lidocaine shot and the cold spray. It took about 15 minutes to take effect, then I felt a lot better. Katie came and stayed in the room with us. Evan was working while we waited. The nurse checked on me often. I was feeling a lot of pressure, but I wasn't sure if it was him pushing to come out. Again, I was in denial haha. Evan played some music to try to get him to come out. They came and broke my water and put a catheter in. The nurse came back and asked how I was, and I told her I was having a lot of pressure, but I wasn't sure what it was, and she checked me and I was at a ten! I was ready to go! They got everything ready and had me put my legs up. Evan stayed up top, and my mom and Katie helped with my legs. My doctor got there, and I started to push. She could see his hair and feel his head! I pushed 3 or 4 times and he was out! My doctor asked if Evan wanted to cut the cord, and he said no haha. Katie asked if she could and I said yes. She was so excited! He was born at 3:11pm on June 4, 2018. :) He was so, so tiny and precious. :) They gave him to me right away, then they weighed him. He peed on me five times when my doctor gave him to me! It was pretty funny haha. I was worried because after they handed him to me, he didn't cry very much and he was blue! They took him to the table and everything was fine.  Before he was born, I had everyone who was in the room take a guess on how much he would weigh. My guess was 5lbs, 12 oz. When they took him to the scale, I couldn't see, so I asked how much he weighed and they told me 5lbs, 12 oz and 18 3/4 inches long! I was right on. :) It felt like Braelynn all over again, because he was born very close to the time she was born and I got to the hospital around the same time I did with her too. She was born at 3:22pm, so they were born 11 minutes apart. I had Katie grab my phone and take a picture when he was on the scale. After that, they handed him to me again to try and nurse him, We cuddled a little bit as well. :) When he came out, instantly I thought he looks so much like his daddy! He even had red hair! :) Since he was so tiny, I didn't have to be stitched up, I didn't tear, it was nice. The nurse gave me some ibuprofen to take. Katie and my mom left to go check out the gift shop to see if they could find some preemie clothes, but they were expensive. I was holding Luka and Evan was on a work call. The nurse got upset that he was on a call, but it was important. He didn't take the call during the delivery, so it was okay. When he got off the call, I gave him Luka, so he could hold him. :) it was so cute. I was in the room a lot longer than I was when I had Braelynn. It was nice to relax a little bit. The CNA came in and helped me get into the wheel chair. I was so numb, it was hard to get in it, even though it was right next to the bed. The CNA was great, she was so sweet! She handed me Luka once I was in the chair. Evan grabbed my stuff to take to our room. We went to the elevator to go to our room. She wasn't able to get it open, so we had to wait for someone to come help. When we got up there, they took Luka and put him in the bassinet and got me comfortable. All the nurses I had help me until we left were so nice. I was still so numb, I needed help getting up. I had a terrible migraine from not eating all day, so I wasn't up to eating the food I ordered from the cafeteria. The nurse brought me an ice pack and tylenol. Evan got me a frosted lemonade from Chick fil-a since it was across the street. Katie and my mom left so they could get my dad and Braelynn. Matt, Rachelle, their boys, Jessica, and Emily were in Disneyland. They met him when they got back. :) they checked my vitals and took him away to check on him. He was doing great. I fed him when they brought him back. I loved holding our sweet baby boy. :) Later, Evan's family came to meet Luka, along with my dad. My mom and Katie came again too, they brought Braelynn to meet her baby brother.  she came and sat on my lap, but was very nervous to see him. She said, "baby brother come out of your tummy!" She warmed up a tiny bit and came up to see him. She was really excited that both sets of grandparents were there. She kept saying, "two grandmas, two papas!" Nick held him and read a BYU story book to him, it was adorable. All the grandparents held him, then Clarissa and Katie. They didn't stay too long. Braelynn was staying with my family, we missed her that night. It was nice to have visitors. :) they checked our vitals a few times throughout the night. Evan changed his first diaper at the hospital, one that a nurse didn't change Haha. He got his first bath later that night, it was so fun to watch, he was so cute! The CNA gave him a little spiked hairdo and put him in a longsleeved onesie and swaddled him in warm blankets. He slept really well that night, maybe 4 or 5 hours straight. The next day, I got a meal for breakfast, it was decent enough. They said we would probably stay two days, but we could most likely leave after one. He got tests done and all came back great, except for his hearing test. They had to redo it later because he was making too much noise haha. We chose a meal to have together for lunch since Evan was able to have one free meal. After lunch, he left to go home and shower and get our other car. Katie had it when they took Braelynn to the hospital. Our pediatrician came and checked him out and said he looked great and we could go home that day. My OB came and met him and gave me a hug. She is so sweet, I love having her as my doctor! I also filled out paperwork for his birth certificate and social security card. Evan came back and we chilled for awhile, we were waiting for the nurse to come back to give us the clear to leave. I got changed out of my hospital gown, then we put him in his going home outfit.  he was so tiny in it, it melted my heart! We put him in his carseat thinking we were leaving shortly after, but the nurse didn't come back for a while. He was getting fussy, so I took him out to feed him. After that, I put him back in the car seat and I left to find a nurse to see what was going on. They were waiting on my prescriptions, once they were printed we could go. We left our room after we got the go ahead and met the nurse at the front desk so she could scan his bracelet and security tag. I'm so glad they do that for mothers and babies to keep them safe at hospitals. A nurse walked out with us to make sure his seat was secure, then we were good to go! I was going to sit with him in the back seat, but it was too squishy with two car seats, so I moved to the front. We went to my parent's house to pick up Braelynn and to bring her home. She was do excited to see her baby brother. :) we visited a little bit and brought him inside. Alex got to hold him, and my mom and Katie. We left a little while later to take our little ones home. Going home to our apartment was an adventure. The air conditioning still was not fixed, so the emergency maintenance guy came and gave us a temporary fix with a portable unit. We all slept in the front room for almost 3 weeks! That is how long it took to finally get it fixed. It was ridiculous and so hot! Logan and Rachel came that night to meet Luka and Katie and Alex came over to see him again and brought some preemie sized clothes because he was so tiny!

He woke up every two to three hours once we were at home. At about three months, he started sleeping 4 or 5 hours straight, which is so nice! My grandparents came to meet him a couple of weeks later and like I mentioned before, Matt, Rachelle and their little boys came to visit along with Jessie and Emily. Clarissa came over a few times and brought Luke since he hadn't met him yet. We had family and ward members bring us meals, and I had a couple of friends visit as well. :) when he was a little over a month old, we took newborn and family pictures. They turned out so cute! The next day, Evan blessed our baby boy surrounded by our families. ❤ we had a get together after. He rolled over for the first time at a month and a half! Not just once either, he kept doing it when I would put him on his tummy. He didn't like it, so he would roll over haha. At his two month appointment, he weighed 10 pounds and 3 oz, 21 inches long! He was growing so well. The doctor said they usually double their weight by 4 months, not two, but he was growing steadily. He went on his first trip when he was almost 3 months old, he turned 3 months the day we got back. We went to Yellowstone and the Tetons. He did great! He was really fussy when he was hungry, so we had to stop a few times. He slept great at night. The first night, 6 hours straight!

We love our little Luka so much and we are so grateful to have him apart of our family. :) he is such a happy little boy, he smiles so much and laughs a lot now! His smile and laugh are so contagious, he brightens up a room. Braelynn is the sweetest big sister. She is so concerned when he cries and so happy when he smiles or laughs at her. She's adorable. :) He loves his daddy, he always smiles at him. :) he loves to cuddle, I love it!

March 2018 :)

On March 2nd, we ran some errands. We finally went to Costco to get our membership we got for Christmas. Before we left, we had sandwiches and chips for lunch. We got there and weren't able to get our pictures taken or our cards because their system went down, so we got a temporary membership on a piece of paper. We walked around for a little while and got a couple of things. We got Braelynn an Easter dress and some breakfast sandwiches for Evan to take to work. We checked back at the desk to see if we could get our membership, but their system was still down. So, we will go back another day. After that, we went to Target to get some things. We were going to get her a new toddler bed. :) We got her a bed, a Moana bed set, and a new pillow. We had to ask a worker if they had a different color in her bed because we didn't want to get white. We also got a new diaper bag, one that's a backpack because it's easier. I'm really excited to use it more! After that, we went to Maverick to get gas. I went in and got Evan and Braelynn a drink. We unloaded the stuff when we got home, then I went to Chick-fil-a to get some dinner. The next day, Evan didn't have to work like he thought, so we did some cleaning around the house after we had lunch. Evan went to Atlantis and got us some burgers. He took Braelynn with him because she wanted to listen to Iron Maiden haha, it was so cute. After lunch, we relaxed a little bit then we cleaned the bathrooms. Evan wanted to build her bed, but he was too tired after cleaning. For dinner, I made us stir fry since it was quick and easy. My sisters came home from their cruise after their flight kept getting delayed. They were so happy to be home! We didn't make it to stake conference the next day because we woke up a little late. Evan and I rearranged Braelynn's room so we could put her new bed up. We moved the dresser to the other side of the room and moved her crib down to make room for her bed. We put the stuffed animals in her crib, I joked that it was like a zoo for them haha. Evan built her new bed before he went to work, it didn't take too long. After it was done, I put her mattress on it and her new bedding. Evan helped me move the totes by her crib and I put my rocking chair next to her new bed. I moved the footrest by the window unless I am using it so it's out of the way. I organized the rest of her room and put her little basket of stuffed animals next to her bed. Her room looks great now! But it made us sad to think that's she's growing up so fast. :( We didn't do a lot the rest of the day. For dinner, I made sandwiches and tater tots because I couldn't think of anything else haha. Putting her in her new bed for the first time was an adventure! She kept getting out haha, it was funny. I gave her some books, and she settled down a little, then I heard her throw them off her bed, and she yawned and fell asleep shortly after. She's so cute. :) The next day, I had a doctor's appointment. I took Braelynn with me since it wasn't going to be very long. While she was eating, I put what I needed into the new diaper bag since I was running late, then I got her dressed and we left. When I got to the hospital, I saw a close parking spot, so of course, I took it. There was a guy who had pulled forward and I wasn't sure if his blinker was on or if he was backing into the spot, so I quickly took it since I was running late to my appointment. I got out of the car and the guy yelled at me!! He asked if I saw that his blinker was on, and I said I wasn't sure or that I didn't see it. He got really upset and sped off...some people. I told Evan about it and he was upset because the guy didn't have to get mad, especially since I'm pregnant and I had a toddler with me. I checked in and waited a few minutes to be seen. I ended up having to go to the lab to get my blood drawn for a couple of tests, one of them being cholestasis. If I have that, then I have to be induced at 37 or 38 weeks. I really hope I don't have it. :( While I was there, I saw two women drink the glucose test drink. You have to drink it in 5 minutes, and they probably did it in 2 minutes, and they made it look so easy! Ugh. If you can't tell, I really don't want to do it... and I have that appointment in three weeks. Once I get past that, I will be fine haha. I hate needles, so I usually look away when I get poked. Luckily, it wasn't too bad. After that, we headed home. On the way home, I grabbed Arby's for lunch. We ate then relaxed for a while. I tried to take a nap on the couch, but Braelynn wouldn't let me haha. For dinner, I made stuffed pepper skillet. It was yummy. :) Evan got home just before 8 because traffic was bad from an accident. We let her play a little bit before taking her to bed. Evan read her a lot of stories, then we put her in her bed. She kept asking me for more books haha. I gave her more and tucked her in more than once, but she never got out of her bed! She threw her books down after looking at them, and she fell asleep. :) For her second night in her big girl bed, she did great! I was so happy! We will see how she does from now on haha. I'm glad we put her in it now so she will get used to it before her baby brother gets here. :) March 6th, I am currently 25 weeks and I woke up this morning and he was really active. :) I love feeling his movements! His heartbeat was strong at my appointment, 149bpm. :) Braelynn and I didn't do too much that afternoon. Evan went to work early because he had an appointment in the morning. We had lunch and watched some TV. I got a message from Carly asking if we could watch Braxton because their babysitter fell through. They were going to a movie. We went to the store to get some surgical masks for Evan because he was going over to help give his dad a blessing and he has the flu. :( Target didn't have any, so he said he would get some on the way home. We picked up the pizza I ordered from Papa Murphy's, then shortly after getting home, Carly dropped Braxton off. Braelynn was shy at first, but I think it's because she thought I was leaving haha. I made the little pizza first. Braelynn had 4 pieces haha, they were small, but she loved it! Braxton didn't want any haha. They had a lot of fun playing with each other, they kept busy and were entertained for hours! I out Moana on for them and after it ended, I put Zootopia on. Evan called me and told me he was going to my parent's house because he had a feeling to. He ended up giving blessings to my mom, dad, and sister. :) I'm grateful for a husband who is in tune with the spirit. :) Jessie is sick with a bad cold and my mom has had a lot of bad pain in her arm. Evan stayed and visited with them for a little while. After Zootopia ended, I put some Mickey Mouse shows on for them while they played some more. Carly got there around 9:30. We visited for a little while, even though Braxton kept telling her he wanted to go home haha, it was so funny! When they were leaving, I saw Evan coming to the door and Braelynn was really excited to see her daddy. :) She kept yelling "daddy!" Braxton was confused and thought it was his daddy haha. They headed out and we worked on putting Braelynn to bed. She didn't want to go to sleep, even though it was really late. I read her a few books, then I left the room and she cried for maybe two minutes and she fell asleep! It was so nice haha. Before that, she had got up a few times and wanted to turn off her nightlight and bedroom light. She was being difficult haha, but she is a two-year-old after all. :P I'm just glad she fell asleep fast! On Thursday, the 8th, I made a grocery list and a menu and we went grocery shopping. I have the hardest time making a menu lately because nothing sounds good! Before we left, I spent some time looking at recipes and asking Evan what he wanted haha. We headed out and went to Winco. It's nice we live so close. We weren't there very long when I heard a little voice say, "I see Sarah!" I turned around and we saw Clarissa, Luke, and Traxton. :) We visited for a few minutes, then went our separate ways. Braelynn didn't want to sit in the cart anymore, so I had her walk next to me. When it came time to check out, I put her in the back of the cart and she helped me unload groceries. After we went to the store, I grabbed lunch at Chick fil-a. I put her in her high chair while I grabbed the groceries so she could eat lunch. I put the groceries away, then I ate my lunch. After I ate, I got her out and put the chicken to boil for dinner. I made chicken enchilada casserole and green chili rice. We ate before Evan got home because he was running late. I think I may have waited a little bit for him so we could eat together. It was really yummy :) The next day, we didn't do too much. It was a relaxing day since Evan was off. I gave Braelynn a bath after she ate breakfast, then I took a shower to get ready for the day. After that, I was getting lunch together for me and Evan, when our doorbell rang. Jessie was coming over to visit and bring Evan a late birthday present. :) She got him the new Thor movie :) Braelynn showed Jessie her new bed, and she stayed for a little bit and visited. It was nice to see her! :) I couldn't figure out what to do for dinner, so I had leftovers and made Braelynn spaghetti-o's. Evan wasn't hungry. Nick asked Evan to go to Walmart with him so they could get some snacks for their drive the next day. He brought over our girl scout cookies that were delivered to their house. Braelynn grabbed his hand and took him to her room to show him her new bed, it was so cute. :) Before he came, Evan and Braelynn were jamming out and dancing to Iron Maiden, it was the cutest thing ever! She even wore Evan's Iron Maiden jacket. She's adorable. :) I put Braelynn to bed while Evan was gone. I read her a couple of stories because it was getting late. She was really upset when I left the room. I went to the front room so I could clean up her toys. I was trying to do it quietly. She got out of her bed and I had to put her back in and give her what she needed. She fell asleep a little bit later, just before Evan got home. I put her toys away, then we hung out for a little bit before I went to bed. Evan played video games then came to bed. The next day, he was going out west with Nick to a rock crawling event. He had to be at his parent's house at 8. I woke up around the same time he did, then after he left Braelynn woke up. I wanted to go back to sleep, but that didn't happen haha. She ate breakfast and I cleaned a little bit. I was going to go to my parent's house and hang out because Evan was going to be gone all day haha. Ben and Sam were going to be there later, so I thought she would want to play with her cousins. :) We went over around 12:30. I went to the bank and cashed a check first, then we headed over. She was really excited to see everyone. :) she played with Emily and watched a movie. Alex came over to get Katie so they could go on a hike. My mom went to the store to get some groceries before he got there. When she got back, Emily made Braelynn a ham sandwich, which she hardly touched haha because she was distracted. She got really scared and shy when Alex got there. She would not let me put her down haha. Matt and Rachelle dropped Ben and Sam off so the could go to a play. Sam was asleep, so my mom held him, then gave him to Emily to hold on the couch. Braelynn and Ben played with each other and watched Scooby Doo. My mom and I sat at the table and planned my baby shower. :) It's going to be a Winnie the Pooh theme. :) We found a lot of cute things on Pinterest. Emily took the little kids outside to color with chalk. They made a big mess haha. When they came inside, they played Just Dance. Katie and Alex came back and hung out. My dad came downstairs and ran some of his trains to test out. Braelynn st on his lap a little later, it was so cute. :) Nate and Kelsi were in town, so they came over to visit. They finally got to meet Alex. Caleb was really scared because he hadn't seen us in a while, so he cried. It was sad :( His sad face was so cute though! It was loud with all the kids and my dad running his trains haha. Evan called me and told me he was on his way home, but he was going to stop by and see us before he went home. We were all going to Golden China for dinner. We were meeting Jessie there because she got off at 7. Evan wasn't going to go because he was really tired, but he ended up changing his mind because Braelynn was upset when he wasn't getting in the car. :( she missed her daddy. He called me when I was driving to let me know he was coming too. It was so busy when we got there! The busiest we have ever seen it! A party of 25 came in before us!  We had to wait a little bit to get seated. They only had one high chair available, so Caleb used it. Evan sat with Braelynn in the booth while I grabbed her some food. I came back and got some for me, then Evan got some for himself even though he was being stubborn. He hates crowds, so he was anxious. It was really yummy as always, it was just chaotic trying to keep little kids seated and hold still haha. They finally got another high chair, so we put her in it and got her an ice cream cone. We left before everyone because we were tired, especially Evan. It was a lot of fun going to dinner with everyone. :) We went home and got her ready for bed. We weren't going to read her any stories because it was so late, but Evan felt bad so he read her a couple, even though she cried when he left the room. Luckily, she fell asleep pretty fast. We spent some time together, then I went to bed. Daylight savings was the next day... I really don't like it when the clocks move forward an hour. I wish Utah would just do away with daylight savings altogether. It really throws me off. I gave her some breakfast, then I got ready for church. We were late, I blame daylight savings haha. Evan didn't make it because he was exhausted. A lot of people were late because the foyer was full! After sacrament, I took her to nursery. She was really excited. :) I was ready to help if they needed it, but the leaders showed up. I went to Sunday school for the first time in forever. I actually have a hard time going because I have a hard time paying attention. It ended 15 minutes early, it was weird haha. I called Evan a few times to make sure he would wake up, he didn't answer but finally responded to a text. I had to make sure he woke up for work. After church, we ate lunch and watched some TV for a little while before going to his parent's house for Nick's birthday dinner. I was hesitant to go because Joey was still recovering from the flu. we had a yummy BBQ for dinner. :) Braelynn played with Traxton and Logan, she wouldn't let Logan put her down. It was so cute! We had dessert and opened presents. A little while later, I left to go home so I could get her to bed. I took some dinner home for Evan to have the next day. I read her two stories and left. She cried a little bit, then fell asleep. Evan got home from work just before 11. He stayed up to play some video games to wind down. I went to bed and fell asleep pretty fast. My dreams keep getting weirder haha. Pregnancy hormones do crazy things! Sunday also marked 100 days until our baby boy comes! :) I'm so excited! Time goes by really fast! I'm curious to see if he will come early like his big sister, or come right on time haha. Every baby is different. The next day, Braelynn started to get sick. :( I thought it was allergies at first because she had a runny nose and watery eyes. It turned out to be a virus. I cleaned a little bit and Jessie came over with the little boys so they could play with Braelynn. They had a lot of fun. :) The next day, Braelynn got worse. :( She had a fever, so we were really worried she had the flu. I took her to the instacare in Taylorsville because the one by us had an hour wait! Evan was in class, but he was texting me to find out what was wrong. The doctor was really nice. She did a flu test, and it came back negative! Thank goodness. After we left, I decided to go to the Salt Lake campus to wait for Evan to get out. It was close to my grandma's old house, so I decided to drive by it, which made me really sad. :( I cried. I thought I knew the general area of where the campus was, but I ended up having to GPS it haha. Evan didn't know I was waiting for him when he called me after class. I watched for him and went outside to see him. He was surprised haha. He ended up giving Braelynn a blessing in the car. He left his phone with her because she wanted to listen to Iron Maiden haha. She cried on the way home because he wasn't with us. :( We gave her some ibuprofen to help with the fever, but it was a struggle to get her to take it. I hated seeing her so miserable. :( The fever was so bad it seemed because she was so hot. It made us so so sad. She fell asleep on me that day and the next day. I loved getting extra cuddles, but I didn't like seeing her so sick. :( Wednesday night, she slept a long time and didn't wake up until the afternoon because she had a rough night the night before. She was really sweaty on her back, her fever finally broke! I was so happy. I was so happy that she got a lot of sleep too. She definitely needed it! We rested a lot the next few days. It was nice to have Evan home the next couple of days to help out. He had training on Saturday morning and he ended up staying longer and brought his co-worker over to show him his new rock crawler. He had gotten it that week. Braelynn was really interested in it, but once Evan turned it on, she got scared. :( it was sad! We didn't go to church the next day. Evan has started to work 10am-10pm on Sundays now to get some extra money. It's hard having him be gone that long! The next week, Evan went to Target and got some medicine for Braelynn, a lot of which she refused to take.. it was a struggle. Evan surprised me with a lily plant. :) since I had been having a rough week with a sick baby. He's so sweet! It's so pretty :) Lilies are my favorite flowers :) The next day, I took Braelynn to see her pediatrician. She said we were doing everything right and she just needed to get over what she had. She got her flu shot and she hated it. :( Who likes getting poked? Afterward, we went to Sonic and got some slushes and then Walmart to pick up a couple things for dinner. I was going to make ravioli, but at first, I couldn't find them. It was annoying haha. I got her some soup for lunch and I ended up getting her a little Peppa Pig bowling set because she had such a rough last couple of weeks with being sick. :( we set it up when we got home, she loved it. :)  That week was my mom's and little sister Emily's birthday. :) There are a lot of birthdays in March! That Friday night, Evan and I finally spent some much needed time together and watched Thor. He loved it. :D It was a lot of fun! :) By the weekend, she was doing a lot better. :) Evan was going to the Autorama with Nick on Saturday. I drove over to his parent's house separately and visited with them for a little bit after Nick and Evan left. They had to go to the store, so we went over to my family's house to hang out for awhile. Braelynn played with Emily when they got back from running errands. She also kept wanting to go upstairs to see her papa. :) it was so cute! My mom and sisters were going to a birthday party for our cousin's baby boy. We didn't go because Braelynn was still getting over her virus. We went back to Evan's parent's house to hang out for a little bit. I went over to Clarissa's house with them so they could take care of the animals while they were gone. Chachi didn't want to come inside at all. Joey tried everything! He was getting so frustrated, so we gave up and left. Clarissa's kitty ended up having one of her kittens while they were gone, but it didn't make it. :( the whole litter didn't survive, it was so sad. :( His parents gave her the Bee movie as an early Easter present. :) We left a little bit later and when we got home, Evan picked up some dinner for me. He wasn't hungry. The next day, we stayed home from church again. It snowed later and got pretty bad before I had to leave to go to Evan's parent's house for Traxton's birthday dinner. I was debating on going because the weather was bad and she was still sick, at least her tummy wasn't doing the greatest. I decided to go and of course, it was snowing hard haha. For dinner, Traxton wanted ham and mashed potatoes. I'm glad we went because Braelynn loved playing with her cousins and it was good for her to get out. :) Clarissa also gave me two maternity shirts she got for me, they are so cute! One of them is perfect for my baby shower because it has Roo on it from Winnie the Pooh. :) The next day, I had a doctor's appointment. It was my glucose test appointment..ugh haha. I was so nervous! Evan gave me a blessing when he got home from work the night before so everything would go well and I would be calm. I'm grateful he was able to give me one. :) It was at 9:55, and I had to go to the lab first. I was running late. I put Braelynn in her stroller, then I headed to the lab. I chose to have the fruit punch drink. It was hard to drink because it was so sweet and way too cold! But, I did it without too much trouble haha. I went back for my appointment with my doctor. At first, the medical assistant told me to go to the lab for my drink and I told her I already did it and I wasn't going to do it again haha. His heartbeat was strong, I love hearing it. :) After that, I got my blood drawn for the glucose test. The phlebotomist took two viles, the second time I could feel the blood coming out... it was so weird and gross. I had never felt that before! When we got home, I made a grocery list and we went grocery shopping. The next day, I was 28 weeks! It's crazy how fast this pregnancy has gone! I don't feel like I have grown much haha, but the doctor said I'm doing great. I passed my glucose test! But, I have low iron so the doctor wants me to take a supplement. A few days later, I went to Target to get some things. I got her a couple of fun things for her Easter basket. :) Evan rested a lot because he wasn't feeling well. The next day, he went to a movie in the morning with his dad, brother, Luke and Traxton for Traxton's birthday. They saw Pacific Rim 2. I woke up early enough to make orange cinnamon rolls for general conference. Braelynn watched it with me, she got excited every time they showed the picture of the temple. :) it's so cute! The first session was so great! After the movie, Evan went to the hobby store with Nick and got back a little bit before the second session ended I think haha. The second session was so amazing! They did a solemn assembly for President Nelson and the new apostles. It was such a neat experience. Katie was in the choir for the second session. :) We saw her a few times! It was awesome. :) Braelynn got so excited, it was adorable. Evan fell asleep toward the end of the session, he was really tired. We were going to his parent's house for an Easter egg hunt and were supposed to be there at 4:30, but we were running late. Everyone was waiting for us and I got two messages asking us where we were haha. Braelynn had a lot of fun looking for eggs, she was so excited! She found a lot, it was so cute. :) After the hunt, Logan and Rachel had another Easter egg hunt for the family, the eggs had clues about the gender of their baby. None of the eggs said what it was haha, it was just a trick. Logan had a bigger egg he was hiding and gave to his dad to open. There was a pink onesie wrapped with the ultrasound pictures. They are having a little girl and naming her Blakely. I'm really excited to have a baby niece! :) Now, there will be one of each grandchildren being born this year, it's so exciting! After that, Evan's dad gave us our baskets with goodies in it. Braelynn got some fun little treats and a stuffed bunny. We got some treats and an Olive Garden gift card. We had one from Christmas I couldn't find but ended up finding a few days later along with another one from two Christmases ago. We have three gift cards to use! I'm excited. :) After that. Evan got ready to go to the priesthood session with his dad and brothers. I went over to my parent's house to hang out there. Alex was there and watched the priesthood session with Katie. We mainly hung out with my mom, dad, and Emily. We went home after 8 and I put her in bed. Evan was at dinner with his brothers and dad. When he got home, I put together her Easter basket so we could give it to her in the morning. :) March was a really busy month! Here are some pictures from our month. :)