Its a boy!!

 We are so excited to be welcoming a baby boy to our family.  It seems a little strange though to not be looking at baby girls things.  This pregnancy has been a little bit difficult for me emotionally, not so much physical (that's not so much fun either).  Let me start with that I am so grateful to be able to have children and to be a mother. I know so many women struggle with that everyday.  I count my blessings for sure.  Anyways,  we found out we were pregnant the end of March and it was a surprise.  I wanted to wait another year until Katelyn was older.  So I was (am) feeling pretty overwhelmed when I think about caring for 4 kids.  I am a very type A personality, I like things to be clean, organized and like to get things done.  A lot of times that doesn't happen with children and that is a struggle for me just in general, that I am learning everyday that sometimes it just doesn't matter.  Luckily I have Nathan for support and he helps me so much.  Then the beginning of May Nathan was called to be Elders quorum President.  Really I said, ok why not?  But I know that it'll  be hard but also very rewarding.

About a month before I found out I was pregnant, for some reason I was saying my nightly prayers and I just poured my heart out to our heavenly father.  I was feeling pretty strongly the need to have another baby already but I didn't feel like I was ready.  I am pretty good at not talking about the struggles that I go through with having diabetes.  It is a struggle and trial I deal with everyday.  It is so stressful when I am pregnant and I just dread when thinking about getting pregnant every time because of it. Before I became pregnant with Lilly my doctors told me that I needed to try to be done having kids by the time I was 31 because of how hard it is on the body.  So I will be turning 30 this year, I think I did pretty good. (That is why my kids are so close together). But I felt pretty strongly that there was supposed to be a little boy in our family and I have felt that since before Nathan and I were married.  I knew I probably couldn't have many more kids because of how taxing it is on my body.  So I told my Father heaven to give me that little boy so I know that I could be done.   When we found out that it was a boy I was so thankful!  I know that our prayers do not go unanswered and he knows the intents of our hearts.  I would have been grateful for a baby girl as well (I love my girls), but for me I would have felt I needed to keep having more children because of that little boy.  I don't think I could go through that physically and mentally.  I really wanted to just write my feelings down.  I know how blessed my little family is. So bring on the kids ages 6 and under! I may be a little bit crazy for the next few years but that's OK.  Someday I will be sane and it'll be all worth it ;)!

Lately

It has been awhile since update so I thought I would.  I ran a half marathon on Nov 8.  When I signed up for it I knew it was a backcountry marathon but I really didn't know what that would entail.  It was hard, very hard!!!  The first three miles were up hill.  I thought, I don't know how I am going to finish but I did and I was so glad to be done.  But it was a good experience, and now I know not to sign up for a race that says backcountry (they really mean lots and lots of hills)

Lilly has been taking swim lessons she loves it.  She wants to do that instead of doing dance so I'm ok with that.  She will defiantly need to be able to swim in life.

This is halloween, Elsa, and Anna and Olaf.  Nate and I were super man and lois lane.  We forgot to take a picture, darn it!

We had a snow day ( it was to cold to go outside so we stayed home) we made a tent and watched movies and had lots of fun!

My mom made my girls these adorable dresses!

For the month of November I did a health challenge, it was a challenge. But  I did loose the rest of my baby weight, wahoo!! But I was glad when it was over.  I had to follow a lot of rules!

For thanksgiving we went to Estes park and had a grew time.  We were trying to get a cute family picture, that was very difficult!

Just last week I took Lilly to see Disney on Ice.  She loved it!! This is before we left!

Newborn pics

I really like Newborn pics but since I'm kind of a cheapskate, I never want the to spend the money on it.  But I thought I would give it a go myself.  I got a new camera for xmas so I took a lot of pictures but these were the decent few that looked good.

Katelyn Lucy

I was trying some special effects with this lower one.

Katelyn Lucy

This is Lilly wearing my dress that I had when I was her age.  She loved it and kept saying she looked like Sleeping Beauty.  I did not like this dress so I'm glad she did.

Some people may know that I'm a huge olympics fan.  I always have a party for the opening ceremonies.  We will make food from the host nation.  So this year we made Blinis (russian crepes) and cabbage rolls.  My sister Brooke's cello teacher is from Russia so we asked her for some help on some recipes.  I also made a cake.  

I also usually dress up for the event, I didn't this year b/c I was pregnant.  But Lilly had fun dressing up as an ice skater.  She loved watching them.

So with this pregnancy Nathan told me I could pick the name of this child.  I do not make big decisions like that very well.  I have a hard time.  So with this one I was unsure pretty much until she was born.  I had a few names I had been thinking about.  Katelyn was actually not a serious contender.  I just thought about the name the day before and thought how much I really liked the name.  So I just put in the back of my mind and I thought I would wait to see her.  It turned out that my nurse that I had, her name was Katelyn and I really liked her a lot.  She made me feel so at ease.  So I told Nathan I think her name is supposed to be Katelyn.  I knew Lucy was supposed to be her middle name.  The name is on both my side and Nate's side of the family.  I always pick middle names that are family so I looked at both of our family history to find it.

For the most part everything went very well.  I told the nurses that once you put me on pitocin I will go fast.  I don't know if they believed me or not.  But once I was dilated to a 6 she was there within 20 mins.  The same thing happened with Caroline.  I decided to get an epidural b/c with Caroline I didn't (it was a surprise, she came to quickly). So I got an epidural when I was dilated to a 5.  Good thing b/c she would have come to quickly again and I would have missed my chance.  It wasn't terrible with Caroline but I really didn't want to do it again.  I had been saying I didn't want to have an epidural but my nerves got the best of me and I got it.  I was actually really grateful I did in the end.  My contractions were 1 min apart at the end. 

Nate's parents were able to make the trip down for a few days.  It was fun to see them and my girls had so much fun with Grandma and Grandpa Smith!  They are always asking to go to Montana to see everyone.

I was so grateful to come home.  I really wanted to come home b/c I do not like staying in Hospitals.  I couldn't wait to stay in my own bed and I missed my girls.  So grateful to have Katelyn here!!!  

Disney Land

I just realized I never put pictures up of our trip.  So here I am about a few weeks before our trip.   I am much bigger now but I'm not a huge fan of belly shots, so this will probably be the one and only.  I'm about 19 wks here.

We stayed in a condo in Newport beach.  My parents were able to score us a sweet deal so it was right on the beach and it was beautiful! Unfortunately my camera died on the last day so I didn't get pictures of the beach except for on my phone and I have no idea how to show those.

Disneyland!!!  I think Lilly didn't believe that we were actually going b/c we had been talking about it forever! If anyone is thinking of going I would suggest going when your kids are young b/c they think it is so magical.  Lilly couldn't wait to meet all the princesses and see the castle.  She loved it!  Caroline not so much, she got a bad cold the first day we were there!

Yes, I went all out bought the girls matching outfits for the first day, made Lilly's hat and bows!

Lilly dressed up as Cinderella and Snow White for the other days!

Meeting Sofia, even though we had no idea at the time who she was.  Now we do!  We bought the movie and everything!

Going to cars land was so cool!!  Its like the real thing!  Loved it and the ride!  Yes I went on many rides even though I probably shouldn't have.  But I am a huge kid at heart and I love everything just as much as Lilly did!

I waited in line for an hour to meet these three princesses!  I kept telling Lilly that she would meet Cinderella and by the last day still no Cinderella.  So I bit the bullet and waited in the really long line to meet Ariel, Aurora and Cinderella!

We ate breakfast with the characters!  That was yummy and a lot of fun!

Meeting Cinderella, it was a big deal!

Princess Tiana

We went to the World of Color show,  it was very cool!

Mulan!

The day we got back from California it was our ward's Halloween party, I seriously had a half an hour to get them dressed and to the party!  I was so exhausted by the time I got home!

Got Ice cream at the cozy cone!

We also spent a day on the beach and then drove to Hollywood which took twice as long b/c of the traffic!  It sucked!  But we did see a lot on the way!  Nathan also learned to Surf with my sister.  I was going to do it but than I found out I was pregnant.  I didn't think that would work to well.  I honestly hate traveling when I am pregnant.  If we hadn't already bought the airplane tickets I might have delayed the trip.  BUt it was Fun!!  Then two days after we got back our car broke down on my birthday!  That was not so much fun! We were out a car for 1 month and the dealership refused to pay for it even though it should have been covered by the warranty.  It was 4500, we decided to trade the car b/c we were planning on getting rid of it anyways!  But we ended up with a used Honda Odyssey, which I'm excited for with a new baby on the way.  Oh life!