Lots to do and see

We had some photos of Zaiya at a month old- the soonest we could get into a photographer for newborn photos. We got some pretty sweet ones of her, but not too many did we get with her eyes closed since she wasn't very 'newborn' even when she was born. She's doing well- healthy and happy and full of personality we are finding!

After we had these photos, I went home for two weeks because no one in my family has met Zaiya except for mom. So, these are some photos of meeting her aunts and uncles and Grandpa Doug. 

 Dustin found her a truck set :) And he was demonstrating the proper way to drive truck!

She loves her Uncle Tony

I love this photo. Grandpa and Zaiya were taking a nap and woke up at the click of the camera.

Zaiya getting her first lesson in making bread.

Aunt Lynae and Uncle Taylor meet her. 

Whiski babysitting

Warm and beautiful

Today is 60 degrees!! I can't believe it. Zaiya and I went for a walk today and when we returned took a look at my flower beds. What a nice surprise to find 2 in tall flowers coming up. I think its hyacinths but could also be tulips. I do not plant very systematically!
We also spent some time in the seeing room. She's loving textiles already *yes!* and then I made this little skirt. Turned out lovely, although titch too small for my baby but just in time for some baby presents for a little girls arrival.

Quick love note

7 weeks ago today we welcomed this little monkey! In reality its hard to look back on life before her since we have just goggled over how adorable she is in life, how angelic she is in sleep and even how cute her crying is. Yes we are weird parents! But its true. Her cry is this whimper cry that makes me smile and then I feel like a hero when I pick her up, she cozies into my arms and her cry becomes a whimper-but-all-is-well-because-mommy-has-me.

Today is a blizzard here on the prairie. Daddy is stranded at home, happily! And we are happy too. Check out these morning smiles! She just makes my day!

Sweet of sweets

Sweet smiles, sweet yawns, sweet coo's, little sweet toes. Its so fun to see her change daily!

Welcome Our Zaiya Rose

On January 11th our little darling, Zaiya Rose (pronounced Zay-yuh) arrived and we have been completely sotted with love for this little bundle. She was 8lbs 14oz and 21 inches long.... nearly 2 lbs bigger than what the Dr. guesstimated! I was not at all surprised considering every pound of that 38 lb weight gain was all belly! She is the spitting image of her dad here at 4 hours old.

Labor was a long trial. I was admitted 10 days after my due date at nearly 42 weeks and after several tests, found that her heartbeat kept dropping when I had contractions. I didn't know I was having them. 25 hours later trying to do natural delivery, they had to do a C-section. I have recovered nicely. The good news is she is perfectly healthy and we are so thankful and lucky to have her.

Grandma Mary came and stayed with us for 8 days. She had many "visits" such as this one above with little Zaiya, and she turned to grandma's voice constantly. It was so adorable! I can't imagine how much she will tune in to Grandpa Doug with his stories!! I cried and cried when mom left because I was sure I couldn't do this without her! But, I was proven wrong because I have a wonderful husband!! She has her daddy wrapped around her finger and she doesn't even know it!! It is so sweet to watch. 

She loves listening to her daddy, often scowling and smiling at him intermittently, but still he is the one she settles down with just like he did before she was born. She was a busy one and would not stop kicking until he put his hand on my tummy. Worked every time then and is working with her now!

                 

A week old here!! It is shocking to see my own eyes stare out at me from a sweet little face. Her mouth is also becoming mine, but the rest of her- nose, chin, ears, forehead and even her hair is completely her daddy.

This is a classic photo of her sleeping all the time. She whimpers and cries like a little puppy and then she will grin and smile, all while in her sleep. Last night she coo'd at me for the first time at two weeks old! This mama was so proud! I don't think she knew it because she is a serious little soldier with a little scowl constantly observing and studying things out, but nonetheless!

40 weeks and counting

Well we are a day past our due date today. Dr says we are no where near ready either... not even engaged

Apparently my preferred method of nesting is quilting and sewing. I've ignored my house completely thus far except this morning it suddenly became paramount to organize under the bathroom sink and also the platters, pots, kettles, and lids in the kitchen! This has never concerned me before.....

We have the car seat ready, the baby bag packed and my bag is at hand ready to grab. Hopefully we have a good heads up and no false labor for the 85 mile drive to the hospital!

But.... oh my. We are so ready.

This waiting part must be a good way for me to understand a very tiny glimpse of what eternity is like!

just a couple more weeks!

A couple shots from a really cold, windy photo shoot. I'm 36 weeks here. I'm doing well, baby is well, we're getting more excited to meet this little monkey. Currently at 37 weeks and we are propping feet up in the pools at Hot Springs in Butte with mom, dad and Jewel. 

Blogging is frustrating.....Waiting is getting more frustrating

I am the lamest blogger on earth! Partly because I do not find blogspot very user friendly at all. And I say that tougne-in-cheek because it is probably ME that doesn't know what I'm doing and the website is perfectly fine. However, it super bad bothers me about cute photos for the header not going alllllll the way across the top, and I cannot get my blog title to center at all, and I have about a 12 minute span of fiddling with it all before I give up.

Combine that with our internet that is through Verizon (never ever a good idea but the only internet available to us) which has very bad cell service, uploading photos is a real trial. I know if I googled how to change settings on blogs, all would go nicely, however, when it takes 45 minutes to download a simple 4 minute YouTube video???

Yeah. Enough Said.

I prefer that people still believe I'm a patient, loving, amiable, and sweet person. (HA!) Which is why I only see you probably once a year and I've had good time to prepare myself for "being on best behavior at all times." :) More likely it is because you are the one that is patient, loving, amiable, and sweet and I'm trying to emulate you and take mental notes of how you are always that way.... because well, I fall extremely short in all areas.

Consequently I blog when I feel that too much time has passed or an important event has happened, or maybe I've had enough spiked hot chocolate to counteract the possible effects. Just kidding. This one takes in all three, minus the spike.

I'm getting SO fat! This baby is 36 weeks along on Wednesday and everyday I feel heavier, walk even more like a duck, have lots and lots of nice heartburn, and feel slightly waspish. I also am on my 3rd Doctor with this child and likely will change again. My one Dr. died last week of a sudden heart attack, and his wife who is also my Dr. will be out for at least 3 months. I don't have three months. So, I have another Dr. who is trying to substitute the practice of 4 Dr's, now down to 2 and still deliver about 60 babies per month as well as find other interim Dr's. It is not likely I will see him again except luck of the draw. It is a shame, because #3 Dr. is awesome. I'm beginning to believe it would be easier to go back to Kalispell! But I will not do this without my husband. I need him and time is closing in.

We do get to go meet my family for Christmas in Fairmont for a week which I'm grateful to have a healthy body, a healthy baby who has dropped (but no concerns of delivering before January 3rd due date) and given the go-ahead to travel. Dr. #3 also says baby will be  healthy 8ish lbs, not the 10 lbs I've been led to believe. How does one spell relief......! I will be 38 weeks when we return after Christmas, so I hope this kid holds on until then. No Christmas baby please! I am all belly- it is funny to see reactions in the store when I turn side view to them. It's an eye-popping experience. For them. And people do not talk to me anymore. They talk to the belly even though we're having an adult conversation. This is probably just par for the course of what's to come. "Oh! You are ____ mom!" all the while never looking at me and they tickle the baby cheeks and feet.

I got some photos for my 35 weeks, and hopefully some more this weekend with husband.

And just kidding. You don't get any photos because I have no more storage on blogspot. And I am about 'freebies'. And I am not able to transfer to another provider unless I have fast internet.

.....

I know.

I'm sad with you too.

:)

A Shoot Out

Several weeks ago, I attended a photo shoot out in the Black Hills of SD. It is impressively gorgeous in the fall and one of the very few places within a 3 hour drive that has the presence and comfort of mountains and pine trees. Oh the joy!! I drank it all in. Literally. It was so awesome.

I learned a lot. For anyone who has an interest in cameras and improving photos, I would recommend The BlackHills Photo Shoot Out for a cost effective and well rounded seminar. I was totally lost most of the time, but everyone feels that way who isn't a pro. The pros that are there, well they love to teach and don't make you feel stupid. They love their art and can't talk enough about it. It was a great experience. It's Friday- Sunday with two classes each being on Saturday and Sunday for about $175.

These photos were taken in a Macro Class and a Waterfall Class.

Fall

My belly is steadily growing and "proceeds me" everywhere. I guess it's time to get used to the idea that this little monkey, whoever he or she is will be the star of the show here soon. So, we decided that before it gets too uncomfortable to travel we would go home for a few days. And yes. It's getting pretty uncomfortable to travel 720 miles each way in under five days.... oh the surprises yet in store.....

Ahhh HOME!! Nothing like it. I wanted to crawl into 'it' and never come out again. I cannot explain how immediately I calm down when I see the mountains, trees, running water!! It is my element, and hubby is not at all against it either. It was lovely to get a last before baby visit home and soak up the last of summer.

 Whitefish. Mom and I went shopping for a little bit, but mostly I wanted a crepe. Amazing Crepes in Whitefish is sooo soo yum! I thought it perfect that a dog came downtown and went to sleep under his owners chair. Such a sweetheart. Another love was finding this mosaic bistro set in front of a shop. I wish I knew how to do this because I have a really big table that needs it.

Dad has a guy breaking some colts from the many horses we have accumulated. He had halter broke this 7 month old a couple days before. Breaking it to load was another matter and one that took effort and considerable messing with. When the door could shut, everyone jumped to make sure it stayed shut!

 Last of the waterski. And probably the last of fishing in t-shirts. It was a perfect day, very smoky from all the fires, but perfect.

As one of my aunts said while watching us on the motorbike:

"Doug did not have daughters. He had 4 boys. Three, came with high heels."

Happy ONE year Anniversary to Us + a baby

We had a few photos yesterday for our anniversary. Dustin turned to me and said, "did you think you would ever be basically met, married, and a kid within a year?" I answered him "No way!" Marriage wasn't something that I thought would ever happen much less the surprise of becoming a parent. It's been a happy wonderful year. I have much to be thankful for!

Camping & Fishing with One Tree

My in-laws went camping up at Nelson Creek a couple weeks ago. We tagged along later in the weekend and stayed overnight in our newly bought tent! I must say I was not prepared to awaken at 130am with thunder and lightening crashing all around and the wind so strong that the sides of the tent were to armpits and the top of the tent came to our noses. Quite a feat for a 6 man tent you can stand up in.

We escaped to a camper and camped on the couch. I felt like we totally failed Camping 101 and definitely failed childhood camping experiences with my brothers. Amazingly enough, the tent didn't have any damage at all! We were prepared to be picking it up off sage brush a mile away. 

It was a very different experience for me, not because I view camping as being on the 5th floor of the Sheraton, but because there was ONE tree. Just ONE! That's never happened before.

I love endless wheat fields though. They are beautiful. We see these gumbo nobs everywhere. Every bit of them are layers of red (scoria) and black (coal) The other photos was the first glimpse of the 'lake' of which I was totally relieved because on first sight, it is a creek all of 15 inches wide.

This is of us on the boat. I'm not sure what it means that my mouth is always open but I say it just goes to show what a good orthodontist and a couple years does.  Plus, I was plain happy! We don't get to leave Wibaux too often just to go play for a weekend so this was big doings. The other, I had the biggest catch of the day! But I'm sure that northern had teeth all the way to its tail. Grandpa would be disgusted.

And my nephew who is a stylin' kid anyway. He's just started talking and he loves his Aunt Carmyn. I am SO proud!!  "Carm, Come!" On and on until I follow wherever he goes. His favorite game is, On your mark, get set, GO! I guess this is what another Aunt taught him but he's hilarious as he winds up to go and then just spins for a minute before shooting off. He has also started to say "G'ma" so I'm forgiven :)

Selling Buicks

Well guess what. We've obtained a Buick. But not the normal kind with four wheels.

The news is out, but the story not told. We are going to be parents! The doctor says there is one and one only. I'm holding her to it. January will be a very busy month for us as the baby is due January 3rd and I graduate from the University of Phoenix with a BA in Business Management on January 14th.

We're happy, I'm just now starting to get a little enthused of the whole idea because I've been sick for what seems like years and I don't think I'm over the whole thing yet. As my second Pa Reubin says, I'm not sick, I'm Selling Buicks. This stems to when Orin was a little guy and his mom was expecting little Emery. Orin would get worried asking his dad what was wrong with mom while she was hugging the toilet. Reubin would tell him "Mom's just selling Buicks." Buick is the word for the sound you make when you're loosing your lunch for the third time in the day. When I told Mom & Dad Englishbee we were expecting, the "Buick Bucket" landed on my door step along with a little care package of teas :) I love all my mom's and dad's. How on earth would I have managed to grow up without them?!

This little parasite (that's what the doc called it) seems to be getting back at me for all I did to my own mother.  From the sass I dished out to her, to every dramatic rolling of the eyes, all the chores I was asked to do but couldn't be bothered.... yeah this little thing is getting back at me in spades. I'm positive it's a girl.

I even had to go home for awhile for TLC from mom as mom is the only one who understands and sympathizes and pushes and brings more crackers, more water, and so on.... :)

It is an overwhelming responsibility to be a parent and I don't think you can ever be prepared for such a thing but here we are embarking on a journey that will never make our lives the same but we are reassured there is nothing more rewarding or sweeter.