A New Year with a New Addition!

Everett Kyle Holt was born on December 5th, 2014. He was born at 2:45 pm weighing in at 7 pounds 7 ounces and was 19 3/4 inches long! We are so in love with our little boy and are enjoying every second of parenthood!!!

Rusty and Samoa

I early March Neal and I adopted a puppy who we named Rusty. He was a feral puppy found on the Indian Reservation along with six of his eleven siblings. He looks like a Red Heeler/German Shepherd/Lab mix, but we can't really know because no one knows who the father is or even what the mother was. A few weeks after we adopted Rusty his sister, who we named Samoa, was returned from her first home and since she was Rusty's sister and because they got along so well, we decided to adopt her too! Our lives have been pretty crazy the past few months, but one thing is for sure, we love our dogs! They are so much fun and we can't wait for them to have a human brother soon!

Surprise Pregnancy!

In May 2013 Neal and I decided that we wanted to start trying for a baby. I started taking prenatal vitamins and we began putting money into a savings account so that when we got pregnant we would be able to afford all of the expenses that come with having a baby. After a few months of trying I knew that something wasn't "right". I knew that most pregnancies did not result from one or two months of trying, so I wasn't too concerned. As the months carried on, I began to realize that my monthly periods were not coming monthly... Instead, I was having a period about every ninety days or so, which was not normal. I made an appointment with Madison Women's Clinic and started to do my own research to find out what was happening with my body. I read a lot about a condition called Poly-cystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and the more I read, the more I was convinced that I had it. Neal was sure that I was wrong and that I was freaking myself out for nothing, but after a few appointments at Madison Women's Clinic, my suspicions were confirmed. I was diagnosed with Poly-cystic Ovary Syndrome in September 2013. I started taking a drug called Metformin which was supposed to help regulate my period and as a result help me ovulate normally so that I could get pregnant. I took Metformin religiously for months and although it did regulate my periods, it made me sick to my stomach. I had terrible diarrhea every time I used the bathroom and it was every day. I spoke with the doctor and pharmacist that prescribed me the pills and they informed me that stomach discomfort was normal. Shortly after Neal's surgery in December I stopped taking Metformin. I decided that while I finished school I would stop worrying about getting pregnant and just work on finishing school as quick as possible. I had a period in early January and then did not have one again for months.. For awhile I assumed that the lack of period was a result of no longer taking Metformin. I even took a pregnancy test in late March and it came back negative so I assumed I had nothing to worry about. I had also stopped taking prenatal vitamins because I did not think getting pregnant was likely and because I hated taking unnecessary pills everyday. We also decided to spend the money that we had saved up for a baby on something that we could both use and enjoy while living in Idaho. We bought a two-seater four wheeler and had fun riding it through the hills near Yellowstone! On May 18, my dad's birthday, I was acting extra hormonal. After dinner that night Neal teased me and asked if  I was pregnant. I told him that I was not, but that I would take a pregnancy test to prove it. I took a test and surprisingly it came by instantly as pregnant! I took several more that night and they all said pregnant! Neal and I were in shock pretty much the rest of the night and we decided that I would call Madison Women's Clinic in the morning in order to get an appointment as soon as possible. I still wasn't convinced that I really was pregnant and decided that I would not get excited until after my doctor's appointment. On May 21, the two year anniversary of Neal's brother's death, I had a doctor's appointment. I had an ultrasound and sure enough there was an itty bitty baby on the screen! It was determined that I was about 12 weeks pregnant. After a few measurements we were given pictures of our baby and were able to speak to a doctor about my pregnancy and the health of our baby. I am now 17 weeks pregnant and feeling great! I feel very lucky that my first trimester was so easy that I sailed through it. I was only sick a few times and had no other adverse symptoms (I might have been a little hormonal and tired occasionally).  Last week we found out that our baby is going to be a boy! We are so, so excited and feel unbelievably blessed to have conceived a baby that is healthy and strong! My due date is December 2nd, which means that I got pregnant sometime in late February or early March which is amazing in and of itself because at that time Neal was still recovering from surgery and we were pretty much doing the opposite of trying at that time.

Christmas Day 2013

This year Neal and I had a very basic (boring) Christmas. We stayed in Rexburg instead of going down to Phoenix because Neal had surgery* two days ago. On Christmas Eve I made my grandma Dianne's coffee cake recipe for Christmas morning breakfast. It did not turn out as well as I'd hoped, but since it was my first time making it I'm not too upset with myself. On Christmas morning Neal and I slept in and only woke up at 10am because Neal needed to take his pain meds. We opened our stockings first (Neal had two, one from Santa and one from my mom, lucky duck), and then moved on to the mountain of presents in front of our Christmas tree! We had so many presents and had so much fun opening everything. My main present from Neal came last weekend when Neal took me to Salt Lake City to see The Nutcracker. I loved all of my presents but some of my favorites were my set of stainless steel mixing bowls (with lids!) and my Clarisonic Mia 2 face cleaning brush! Neal's favorite present was the year long subscription to Popular Mechanics magazine that I ordered for him, but he also really liked his new three ball truck hitch. After we opened presents I ate my coffee cake for breakfast and Neal took a nap. We spent the rest of the day watching t.v. (our favorite show on Netflix is Parenthood) and snacking on popsicles and other soft foods that Neal is allowed to eat. Obviously, neither Neal or I know what will be happening with our family a year from now, but we are hopeful that we will be able to come home for Christmas next year.

*Neal had surgery on the 23rd and will be recovering for the next couple of weeks. He is having problems with sleeping, eating, talking.... basically everything that requires more effort than sitting on the couch and not moving.

Thankful For... Day 13

I am thankful for all of the fun vacations that I have been able to go on! I am very blessed to have been able to travel with my family to so many awesome places! I've been to Hawaii, Mexico, Chicago, New York City, Washington D.C., and Orlando, just to name a few! I hope that when I have my own children that Neal and I will be able to take them on some great vacations too!

Thankful For... Day 12

Today I am thankful for my awesome friends. I have so many great friends that I know would do anything for me!

Thankful For... Day 11

I am thankful for our Ford F-150. Neal bought a brand new 2008 Ford F-150 when he was single. For a long time, the truck was his baby. He has taken for good care of this truck and we hope that it lasts us a very long time!