New Home, New Adventure, North Dakota

since we got married 3 years ago it feels like we have chosen to become nomads, or so it feels. Moving from job site to job site gaining more experience, so one day we can settle down and feel comfortable where ever that may be... ( Hopefully North or South Carolina ) :)  First it was Houston, then Iowa, Illinois, then back to Houston, then out to now North Dakota!!! So you really never know where or what we will be do or doing..... BUT the thing is where ever that is we are enjoying the adventure and that is all that matters.

It was a very long drive up to North Dakota, right after Christmas break with a baby in the middle of the cab, but we did it. Four days latter we reached our new home, the picture below is our first night staying in our new place. Since it was late we ended up just grabbing our air mattress and TV, of course and relaxed for the rest of the night in our living room.

Its so cold here that when we go out on our adventures we have to bundle up pretty snug, she had so many layers on she barley fit in her car seat. The next day, a few members form our branch came and helped us unload our truck. While I sat back showing off Stella to all the woman who came to support their husbands :)

It turns out we have a lot of stuff, but I'm so glad that we actually have our stuff with us this time. It always makes it feel more like home when you can hang up your pictures and decorations. This is our gallery in our living room.

I think we all like our home here in North Dakota, I'm so excited for spring and summer I know it will be beautiful. With all the rolling green hills and open sky. Who knows where our next adventure will be, but as long as I am with my family.. I know I'm in the right place!

Stella's Beginning , Where It All Started !

Well technically it all started in Nauvoo, BUT it ended in Houston :p! The day I went into the hospital I was 36 weeks and 6 days. I woke up like any other day, ate an apple and a slim fast for breakfast ( because I was trying to watch my blood pressure) and sat down to watch my TV show. Next thing I know Jonny is kept telling me to check my blood pressure, so I did and it was on the high side. Not thinking anything of it, I called the doctors office to see how High was to high. The nurse told me if it was above yada/yada to come in..... well I thanked her and I didn't even think about telling her what my numbers where till I hung up..... they were far above that thrush hold! Next think I know Jonny is walking thought the door, saying that we should go to the hospital to get things checked out. I was waiting to go pick up my mom from the airport and was in the middle of my show, so I was not gung ho about going in yet. Needless to say Jonny was very convening so I JUST grabbed my purse and said ok lets go then, thinking that I would be home in a hour or two..... well was I wrong! We walk into the hospital and tell the my name and the blood pressure numbers and they admitted me right there !!!! When the lady said that they were admitting me I really said, " What, ummm no... I'm not due for 3 more weeks" in my mind I was thinking funny nice try! Next thing I new I was hooked up and propped up in triage room waiting to have my baby girl Via C-section...



Thank goodness for our friends in Houston, that I called to pick up my mom from the airport to bring her to the hospital! She made it right before I had to go in to surgery!!! Thank goodness I had breakfast, even though I only had a VERY small apple and a slim fast for breakfast it delayed the delivery for a few hours! I BEGGED Jonny for a few almonds before we went to the hospital, it was lunch time and MOMMA was hungry!  Jonny did get me some Ice chips, but didn't let me eat to many of them...

Mom made it just in time, to take that last family picture, before Stella was born.

I walked into the room, I got a spinal tap, they laid me down and said OK! ( That was at 5:00) Jonny walked in and sat by my head, held my hand was talked away distracting me of what was happening. Well at 5:04 they said, " Are you ready?" .... " Its defiantly a GIRL." It only took them less than 5 minute to preform a C-section........ crazy! We were blown away of how much hair she had and that she had my little butt chin!

Jonny left my side to go be with our new baby girl, I watched him as he stood above her. He asked if he could touch her and next thing I saw was my two favorite people in the world holding hands! It was so sweet, Jonny had the camera around his neck and he was taking pictures left and right and snapped this one of me right as we first saw Stella.
Jonny picked her up and brought her over to me and she was so sweet, not crying at all just looking up at me. I think I kissed her head, but at this point things started getting a little foggy. For just being born Stella was wide awake for our first Family picture, of all of us together. I think Jonny looks like a pretty proud daddy!

Jonny left with Stella while I was getting patched up, I met back up with them a few minutes latter. Over the next few days Jonny was amazing! A few days before Stella was born, Jonny confessed that he looked up how to change a diaper. I had told him how at some point I'm sure. The picture above is Jonnys first time changing Stella diaper, I think he seemed pretty confident! Jonny is such an amazing father, Stella is such a lucky girl to have a daddy like him. I think from the moment She was born, she already had daddy wrapped around her little finger.

I debated wither or not to post this picture of Stella and I right after she was born, because of obvious
s reasons... This was the first time I held our Baby Girl, and I think this was the moment I realized I was a mom! With looking at all the pictures that were taken that day, this is the one that stands out the most to me! I DID IT !!!!! I carried and made such a beautiful baby girl, and I feel like this moment just says it all!


Yes, the whole weekend was a challenge, but one of the hardest thing to do was pick a name for our little cutie! I never thought it would be that hard to name your child, but think again !!!! We had so many names that we loved, but we narrowed it down to about 5 names that we liked. We would  pick a name and called her it for a day to see if it fit... but the only one that felt right was Stella Mae Holden. The lady kept coming in and pestering us to hurry up and name our daughter, I felt like kicking her out of my room every time she came in.

 Jonny picked out the outfit for Stella to wear home, he loved the little anchor jacket! He did a Great job dressing her and was very gentile with the little wiggle worm.

It was a quite a journey, but we did it! I could not have done it without such an amazing man by my side. We had our little chubby cheek, bum chinned baby in her car seat bound for our Houston home!

Baby Belly Weeks

Once I found that that we were pregnant I started taking weekly belly pictures. Well, I tried my hardest, but life and laziness did get in the way of some weeks, but I think I did pretty good.  I thought it would be really easy doing the chalk board every week, but it was harder than it seemed. Sometimes the creative juices were not flowing.... I started at 6 weeks pregnant and kept growing!

We moved back to Houston around this time and I was not very good about keeping up with the pictures. The move back was not that fun ether, being half way through your pregnancy with driving for more than 20 hours in a truck was rough, but we made it! ( thanks to Jonny, Such an amazing husband) At last at 20 weeks I felt like I was finally starting to show!!!!

At this point I was feeling pretty BIG, but not the, I'm glowing pregnant big. I felt like this picture below summed it up pretty well. I never felt the so called GLOW people talk about, lets just say the woman on "What to expect, when your expecting" was right. Needless to say, I was still happy that I was having a baby soo soon and that my crazy swelling would subside!!!

I had done my 36th week chalk board and was waiting for Jonny to take a picture with me in front of it, but instead I ended up going to the hospital :). the picture below was the last picture of my belly I  took before I knew I was having a our baby girl so soon. (The next day to be exact.) I was at the chiropractors office waiting for the doctor, trying to get Stella to flip, but she was just to comfy and lazy.

Oh how this was unplanned, but the last picture of my big belly at 36 weeks and 6 days. I never thought that my belly was actually that big. I just kinda felt well.... Fat. BUT I KNEW THERE WAS A BABY IN THERE :)

when I look back at these pictures I almost miss being pregnant, even though it was not a picnic!!! Now that I know the risks of what could happen, with my pregnancies It will be better the next time around. And I will appreciate it more than I did. I still cant believe that my beautiful baby girl,  was in my tummy, and that I made her from scratch :). Pregnancy is truly a miracle, and I feel so blessed to have been able to carry my child.