The McClure's

She's done it again folks...

2012-11-28T09:15:00.002-08:00

My crazy OLD neighbor lady has once again accused us of something else.

We are now shaking the building! We are shaking her doors, her cubboards, and her floors. Have I already mentioned that she lives BELOW US!

Man oh man am I fed up with this woman.

This time she came over herself (along with the lady across from us).

Here is the story...

Kennley is in the living room just playing away, while Travis and I are in the kitchen making dinner (homeade finger steaks and chicken nuggets, so our hands are filthy).

Knock, Knock, Knock.

I hurry to wash off the egg and flour on my hands and hurry to answer the door. I look through the peep hole and see her standing there. Of course my blood starts to boil, the lady who has already accused us of smoking marijuana is standing outside with the lady across the hall. I open the door because I'm hoping for an apology.

Nope.

Me: "Hello"

Her: "What are you guys doing to shake the building?"

I'm stunned. That is really how she wants this to go. Start right off with an accusation?

Me: "What?'

Her more impatiently: "What are you guys doing to shake the building?"

Me: "We are not doing anything, we are in the middle of cooking dinner."

Travis in the background: "Maybe it was an earthquake you felt."

Her:"Well my apartment is shaking, my doors, my floors, everything."

Me: "We aren't doing anything, we are cooking dinner."

The lady across the hall realizes I'm getting very upset and proceeds to ask..."when do you feel the shaking?"

Her: "All the time, it was just a little while ago too."

Travis: "I just got home a little while ago, and when I got home she was asleep (meaning me), then we started dinner. We are not jumping around or doing anything reckless."

I lost it at this point. She has pushed my buttons too much. This lady doesn't even know our names and she thinks that anything she feels or smells is our fault.

Her: "Well I'm feeling something."

Me: "Well apparently we smoke marijuana too."

She was taken back at this point.

Her: "Don't you smell it. You're not doing candles or insents."

Me: "No, I don't have any candles or insents. I don't smoke. I would never do anything to harm my child. If you have a problem with us then you need to come talk to us. We are not doing anything."
Her: "Well all I'm saying is that I smell stuff, and my apartment shakes and I'm trying to find out what it is."
Me: "Well it is not us." (My voice is really starting to raise)
At this point, Kennley had made her way standing up against the nearest couch and just started babblying and talking away. She is all smiles. This is when the neighbor sees her and starts to lighten the situation and asks her name, how old she is, and keeps and going on about how cute she is. It is just upsetting me even more.
The neighbor across the hall, who I like very much, knew that I was very upset and knew that this conversation was not going to get any better and suggested that the old lady go ask the other people in the apartment if they can feel the shaking.
The old lady still wanted to make it known that she feels it all the time and she thinks it is us.
Me: "The only time that we have ever felt shaking is in the summer when the kids at the skate park blare their music. I called the cops once for a noise complaint because it was shaking the windows because it was so loud, but that is the only time."
Her: "Well I have never heard them."
(Of course you haven't, it is almost winter and you just moved in 2 months ago)
At this point we both know that this is going no where and she knows that I'm really upset.
She then looks right at Kennley and says in her baby talk voice...
"Are you smoking Marijuana?"
I just about laid her out right then.
Are you kidding me? Did she really just say that?
Travis hurried and washed his hands because he knew I was about to pummel her. He quickly took over the situation and everything after that was a blurr. I have no idea what he said after, but they soon left. I couldn't believe she just asked my 9 month old daughter if she smoked marijuana jokingly. Obviously she thinks we still do. I'm just so sick of this lady, it makes me sick. We are good people, we have never done anything to her. We are fantastic parents. We work hard to make life great for our daughter. It just hurts to know there is someone out there that thinks we are not.
Man I am so looking forward to moving, I just wish it would come quicker.

Heartache

2012-11-20T10:47:00.001-08:00

My baby turned 9 months on the November 6th. Just saying 9 months almost brings me to tears.

It is truly hard to describe how I am feeling right now, but I need to let it out. My heart is aching. My precious miracle is growing so fast.

I have had a big tub of clothes in her room for months that don't fit her, just sitting there. Open so I can see each onsie, each dress, each pajama. They haven't been folded or organized. Just lying in there. I have purposely mixed some of her other clothes that do fit her in with them so I have to dig around to find them. I know it sounds pathetic, but I just couldn't do it... Box up her clothes.

I guess my thought of it, of putting away her clothes is that it could possibly be the last time I will ever see them again. The last time I will ever hold them. Yes, I know some of you may be thinking that, "I'm being silly." Maybe I am, but not a day goes by that I am scared that I will not be able to have any more children or that I will struggle again and go through the pain like last time. The doctors could never give us a clear answer and that terrifies me. Who knows that even if we are blessed with other children, that we don't have anymore girls. I'm so incredibly grateful for my precious angel Kennley, but I ache for her to have a brother or sister.

I finally was able to find the strength to put the clothes away last week. It was extremely hard. A tear escaped here and there while I folded each piece gently and placed it in the big tub. Kennley was playing in the background, smiling and babbling away. She gives me strength.

No, we have not started trying for another child yet. We have not received our answer yet. I know though that everything is in the Lord's hands. I know that if we are not given the opportunity to bear another child as quickly as we would like or even at all, I know the Lord has a different plan for us and that we are truly blessed with our most precious Kennly Ann.

If I had a Quarter...

2012-11-09T07:43:00.001-08:00

Ever since the first day I met Travis he has always had little phrases that crack me up.

"You're the cat's pajama's"

"Just Reppin"

"Too Big"

"If I had a Quarter"

Yes, I have caught on to them and use them ever so frequently.

Well, I am going to let you all hear my version today of "If I had a quarter."

If I had a quarter for everytime I hear the F-bomb as I go outside from the workcamp next door...I would have at least $3.50 (and still counting).

If I had a quarter for everytime a guy escaped from the workcamp (that we live next door to) while we have lived here...I would have $0.50. (Luckily we have been out of town both times)

If I had a quarter for everytime I had to call the Sheriff's office about a noise complaint from the skatepark behind our apartment because the entire apartment was shaking and I couldn't even hear myself think... I would have $0.25. (Funny story with that, they kids must have been doing something they shouldn't have been, because as soon as the cop showed up, they sped away faster than fast with the cop chasing them). "Too Big"

If I had a quarter for everytime a stupid car has pulled out in front of me in St. Anthony...I would have at least $2.00 (and still counting).

If I had a quarter for everytime I have honked my horn at those who have pulled out in front of me in St. Anthony... I would have $0.75.

If I had a quarter for everytime I have seen someone drive there lawnmower down the street as if it was their car in St. Anthony... I would have $0.50. "Too Big"

If I had a quarter for everytime Travis and I have been accused of smoking Marijuana in St. Anthony... I would have $0.25.

Yes, that is right! Our old crazy neighbor lady above us thinks that she can smell marijuana and that it is coming from our apartment. So what does she do, she has the lady across from us (who is in our ward) come talk to us to just make sure that we are not, and to let us know that she has threatened to call Child Protective Services if she doesn't talk to us. MY FREAK!! Come talk to us yourself!! You will see that we are normal, nice, friendly people that would never in their right mind smoke, especially with a child. Yeah, I'm a little twirped at the crazy lady.

Travis is such a good husband and so what does he do...Oh, he just dismisses it because she is crazy and shovels off her car after the foot of snowfall we got a couple weeks ago. Yeah, I married the greatest man in the world!

Yes the list could go on and on and the quarters keep adding up.

Lets just say I CANNOT wait to get out of St. Anthony. Don't get me wrong. I love my apartment, I love my landlord, I love my ward, and a few of my neighbors, but this town sucks. No one can drive, no one is polite, it just is not where I want Kennley to grow up.

That is a total of $7.75 (and still counting) too many's!

Halloween!

2012-11-02T18:36:00.000-07:00

So we didn't really do trick or treating, but I did dress my little girl up for her first Halloween.

Isn't she the cutest little lamb you have ever seen?

We did however take her to the Neighborhood Halloween Block Party with my In-Laws. Travis helped cook with his mom and dad. We were able to enjoy some amazing tacos, pumpkin rolls, and hot chocolate. Wayne also cooked funnel cakes and crepes. There were also nachos, hot dogs, fries, chili, and other little treats. We had a great time.

Kennley with her Aunt Katelyn, Uncle Nathan, and Kylie

October in a Nut Shell

2012-10-25T18:32:00.000-07:00

I swear the months just keep going by faster and faster.

This month Travis started his IBC Business, Keep it Fresh. They are selling all natural lip balm, and lotion. Check them out on BYU-Idaho's campus and help support them. The product is really great!

Kennley found out that she can pull herself up to standing with EVERYTHING! She does it in her bed all the time and now Jumps. Yes, JUMPS. She holds on and forces those chubby feet to jump up and down. Squiling with the biggest toothy grin on her face. She knows she shouldn't do it, but when we say "No," oh, the more powerful her jumps become. What 8 1/2 month old is already jumping on the bed? The little squirt.

We were able to attend the BYU v. Oregon St. football game with our great friends Tyler and Maren. It was a black out and was so incredibly fun. Kennley did so good during the game. Whenever the crowd would boo, she would shake her head, and when the crowd would cheer, she would jump up and down. I guess she has been watching her mom and dad a little too closely during the games on TV. Haha. It was definitely a fun trip. During that weekend we stayed with Tyler and Maren. Kennley had so much fun with them. She loved playing with Maren. The little pink basket was definitely a fun time too, even though the expression doesn't really say it.

Don't you love the little ears!

They were best friends

October has been the year of many firsts for Kennley. Her first Pumpkin carving, and yesterday her first snow. We were able to carve our first pumpkin this year and Kennley enjoyed watching. She thought mommy pulling out the pumpkin guts was pretty funny. We still have two more to do, which we will do those this weekend.

Travis Carving

Kennley Watching

The Result

I thought I would also include a picture to brighten your day. Doesn't that crack make you crack a smile?

Oh, how I love my family. I wouldn't trade them for the world.

A reminder to my children...

2012-10-05T08:45:00.002-07:00

I know that one day in the future I will hear the words come out of my childrens mouth's, "you're so embarassing, you're so weird, you're so annoying." Yes, I have said that to my parents and I want to apologize now.

I was reading a blog today that I am completely and utterly embarassed for their children, and they don't even have children yet. When their kids get ahold of those pictures and what they have written about, man will those words be nonstop.

To my children, your parents are awesome, your parents are mature. If you need a reminder, I will show you the Blog...

August/September Update

2012-10-04T07:29:00.002-07:00

As you may have noticed, we have been MIA.
Lets just cut to the chase and start the updating
August
Kennley turned 6 months. It blows my mind how fast they grow up.
Her biggest milestone was that she started sitting up by herself.
Definitely nice for us as well.

Also this month Travis and I took a much needed vacation. We went on the Mexcian Riviera Cruise for 7 days. We flew to Long Beach August 17 and spent 2 days enjoying the nice California weather. August 19, we boarded the ship and set sail. We flew back home August 27. By far, the most fun we have had in a long time.
It was so hard to leave our little girl for that long, but we knew she was in great hands.
The food was wonderful and the ports were amazing. Travis was so excited to be back in Mexico and to be able to speak Spanish.
We stopped in Cabo San Lucas for 2 days and then Puerto Vallarta. Puerto was my favorite, except that I got really sick after. Pretty sure it was from the run down authentic mexican hut we ate at.
Each night for dinner we sat at the same table with a few other couples, which happened to be newlyweds. The one couple we got to know really well. They are living in Provo and we hope to be able to do stuff with them when we go down for games.
Overall, the cruise was amazing and we would love to go on another one in the near future.
September
First part
Not a whole lot has happened this much exept for little milestones for Miss Kennley. She turned 7 months. She started a full out army crawl/scoot. No more rolling everywhere. I cannot turn my head without her being completely on the other side of the room. Heaven forbid when she ACTUALLY starts crawling. She cut her first tooth! It is so cute. She found her tongue and has been babbling and drooling with it. She has been making "M" sounds so every once in awhile you can hear her say "mama" LOVE IT!
Travis started back up with school and is doing IBC this semester. For those of you who do not know what that is, that is where he makes a company on campus and sells things. It is VERY time consuming. I'm VERY proud of him though. This means that we are almost done with school!! This is the last semester he has for his Business Management. He has one semester to do his Finance emphasis, and two for HealthCare Administration. 1 1/2 years left!! Then we are off to some other state for more schooling. I'm just so glad that I married the hard working man I did. I love you Travis Michael!
End
Kennley thinks that she is a big girl. She is trying to stand up. She is starting to try and pull herself up to stand by the couch, the coffee table, her saucer, everything!! She is now up on her knees and is SO VERY CLOSE to crawling. There will be a few tiny crawls and then she will fall to her stomach and scoot with such determination. Kennley wants EVERYTHING that she can't have. I feel like we need to get her a new toy every day in order to keep her preoccupied from pulling out all the DVDs and Ensigns from our Entertainment Center. She also cut her second bottom tooth. Man she is just too cute with those teeth. Her cheesy smile just makes my heart melt. She thinks it is pretty funny to bite now too. Grreeeeaaaaaaaaatttttttt!!!!
The last thing to update on is that my sister-in-law, Brittney, entered the MTC September 26. She spoke in Church the 23 and did an AMAZING job. She got called to serve in the Tempe, Arizona Mission, English Speaking. I am so proud of her and how far she has come. The past year we have become so close and it was hard to see her go and I miss her everyday, but I know she will do an amazing job serving the Lord. She has such a strong testimony. I'm so grateful for her example. I can't wait to write her and see her growth. I already have a countdown calendar made. I promised her that Kennley will remember her and that she will know her name when she returns.

Well that is it for updates. I can't believe it is October. Now I have to worry about my soon to be 8 month old(Saturday) and what she will be for Halloween. Any cheap ideas?

6 Months!

2012-08-15T08:43:00.001-07:00

Kennley,

My little angel.

You are growing so fast.

Right before my eyes.

You are now 6 months old.

I can't believe it.

You are just so darn cute.

I can remember when you were just 6 weeks old.

Remember...

(Thank you Kalli Barker! Please Check her out here.)

Now you think you are a big girl.

Sitting up by yourself.

Rolling over.

Trying to crawl.

You make me want to cry.

I love you precious girl.

Love,

Mom & Dad

Camping with Kennley!

2012-08-10T09:52:00.001-07:00

We did it!

We lasted 5 nights of camping with Miss Kennley Ann! (Tent camping!)

I can still officially say that I have the world's best baby.

She was a champ the entire time.

I knew she would probably do ok because she loves being outdoors, but I didn't know if it would be too much for her.

July 29, we left around 10 in the morning to Red Fish Lake. We only had to stop once for the princess to eat.

As soon as we arrived at our campground, Kennley was in Heaven. She could not get enough of the trees.

She loves her dad

Just arrived

Love this blue-eyed girl

The entire week was filled with lots of food, swimming, boating, friends, family, and fun.

Katelyn, Kylie, and Kennley

My Princess

She is such a squirmer

Boating

At the mining dredge

Jumping off the dock

She loves grandpa

Boys taking a bath in the cooler

One of the days, we went to the other side of the lake to have lunch. This was the only time that we let Kennley on the boat. I have to say seeing her in the life jacket was priceless. She had her tongue sticking out the entire time on the way there, but the way back she did not like it one bit.

Of course being there 6 days I was not going to let her go without a bath.

Camping was so much fun! I definitely know now that Kennley is a champ. She did so well and loved every minute of it. I love that we have family so close that we get to spend time with. I'm grateful that she gets to grow up with both sets of grandparents so close. It will definitely be hard when Travis and I graduate and we have to move on to graduate school. I hope we will be able to stay close.
For now we are enjoying every minute with family and friends.
We sure do love our little family.

My Little Turtle is Growing!!

2012-07-25T09:36:00.000-07:00

Kennley is 5 1/2 months! I really cannot believe it. I just look at her and feel so extremely blessed. I will never forget the struggle we had to get her here, even the 23 hour labor. Ugh! Well this little turtle is growing and changing before my eyes and I better write it down. She just cracks me up. I love my girl!! So her rolling skills came to a complete halt for about a month. I'm pretty positive it is because of her cute little chunk of a belly. We are now back to normal. Her talking has not lacked at all, in fact, it is getting more extreme. She is causing disturbances. We can't take her into public now without apologizing. The library is out of the question. She has a new noise that would compete pretty well with Darth Vader. It is almost like a hissing. Her personality is beyond cute. My absolute favorite thing is coming home from work and she immediately gives me the biggest smile and starts to jump no matter how fussy she was prior to me walking in the door. It melts my heart. No matter how many hours I am away from her, I know she still loves me and loves being around me. I love my precious angel.

Here are a few new little things.

- She eats Rice Cereal and Peas like a champ. I really don't think we will have a picky eater on our hands.

- Her first tooth should be coming any time. Her gums are changing, she drools like crazy, and she is chewing on everything.

- She is trying to scoot. We put a toy in front of her and she tries so hard to scoot and crawl to it. She brings her knees clear up to her chest.

- She is sleeping so good at night and goes to bed like a pro. I'm really enjoying this.

- Her hair is finally coming in, however, she still has the 3 inch, 12 hairs on her crown which I am interested to see how it will blend in with the rest. haha. Not quite sure what the color is going to be yet though.

In two weeks we will have our first real adventure with her that I will most definitely write about. We are going camping for a week to Red Fish Lake. I'm not going to lie. I'm SO nervous. We will see if I still say I have the best baby on earth after that. I just love my girl so much and my hubby. I'm so grateful for my little family. Travis is the worlds greatest dad. Kennley absolutely loves him. I'm grateful for him in my life and love him so much.

I love...

2012-05-07T13:48:00.001-07:00

Well let's be honest here...I have been a slacker in the blog world. I however have a very acceptable excuse. Kennley! I told myself when I was pregnant that I would be the best blogger after Kennley was born. Epic Fail. I also promised myself that I would be better at posting pictures. Yeah I fail at that too. I have a ton though which I am very proud of. I will get to posting them sometime though. I have to make this post fast while Kennley is busy being mesmerized by her hands. Kennley turned three months yesterday. Time is just going too fast. I just love her so much. She melts my heart every time I look at her. Travis and I spent our first night away from her on Saturday. One of the hardest things. I felt like she grew up so much in that one day. I wanted to write a few things down that I love about my three month old for journaling purposes. Kennley Ann... I love your cheesy smile. I love how you think my fish face is hilarious. I love your long eye lashes. I love your deep blue eyes. I love your gurgling jabber. I love having conversations. I love how you smile at me right after I feed you (it is my way of knowing that you are thankful for the delicious meal). I love your thunder thighs! I love your constant slobbery chin. I love your fake coughs. I love how you try to stick your whole fist in your mouth. I love your bald spot. I love when you fall asleep on me. I love your slobbery wet kisses. I love how you have your dad wrapped around your finger. I love your belly button. I love how you love to jump. I love that you are such a good baby. Kennley Ann I love you so much.

March Madness!!

2012-03-28T12:22:00.002-07:00

I know what you thought.

This post is going to be about me dominating in my march madness bracket.

NOPE!

(besides Michigan State and North Carolina ruined it for me)

This month has been Craazzzyyy!

We have been out and about so much.

Probably not the best thing for little miss Kennley, but she seems to be a trooper, and I'm sure she is glad to get out of the house too. You can only stare at the walls so much.

I want to assure you all though, that we have kept her bundled in the cold and have made sure that we don't take her into too crowded of places. I am a good mom.

To begin.

Kennley celebrated turning 1 month on the 6th.

I can't believe how fast she is growing and changing.

She is starting to coo and smile.

It is not a constant thing yet, but I still love it.

She also has been a champ at rolling over. She started at 5 weeks and has probably done it 15 time now. Lets just say we love doing tummy time and cheering every time she rolls.

We have also fought off her first cold. Lots of booger sucking and humidifier running.

Travis got hurt. Bad.

Playing Church ball.

He sprained his ankle extremely bad. We actually took him to the Emergency Room after he did it because we really thought his ankle was broken.

Nope, just an extremely horrible sprain.

He couldn't even walk on it.

The Doctor in the Emergency Room told him to try and walk on it as much as possible because that will help it get better.

Nope!

After a week of a completely ballooned, black and blue foot, ankle, and calf we decided to get a second opinion.

The foot doctor said that he should NOT be walking on it and that he probably tore or ruptured something because of how bad it is.

He now has been on crutches and in a walking boot to try and get the swelling down so that can see what the damage is.

We go back today to find out the verdict.

My poor hubby! I hate seeing him in pain and hobbling around.

Kennley also took her first of many many trips to Utah.

The weekend of St. Patrick's day, the McClure family went to Utah for a family wedding.

It was so much fun. The wedding was absolutely beautiful, the food was amazing, and the company was great. Kennley loved the attention.

She also got her newborn pictures done even though she was 6 weeks.

We have only seen one picture so far (check it out on Facebook) and are so excited to see the rest.

It was also nice to have family around to help with Kennley because Travis could not walk.

Kennley and the fam took another trip to Utah the week after. We went to watch Katelyn (Travis's sister) play volleyball. I also was planning on going to my husband's best friend's, fiance's bridal shower, but things didn't quit work out. (Sorry Maren, We have a nice gift for you though).

Kennley absolutely loved it. She wanted to be held outward so she could see the world. She couldn't get enough of her Aunt Brittney and Grandma Laurie either.

I'm not going to lie, I have the world's best baby. She was extremely happy and content the entire time.

Katelyn did extremely good. I love watching her play volleyball.

Last but not least, we are taking ANOTHER trip to Utah this weekend for conference.

We are leaving tomorrow morning and are not coming back until Sunday night.

I'm not going to lie, I'm kinda nervous.

But again, I have the world's greatest baby, so it should not be a problem.

Well that is my crazy month.

April is probably going to be just as crazy.

Winter Semester ends and Spring semester starts (Travis and I will both be on track which I pray we survive with a baby).

Kennley is being blessed on Easter Sunday.

We are taking another trip to Utah to our best friend Tyler's wedding.

It just stresses me out thinking about all that we have going on.

Oh well, I love our crazy life.

(I promise pictures will be coming sometime soon. I don't have my camera with me right now to load them.)

Dear Kennley

2012-03-12T11:39:00.000-07:00

Dear Kennley,

I can't believe you are here. You are now 5 weeks old and growing like crazy. It really makes me sad. I just want you to stay little. You are my cuddle buddy and I want it to stay that way.

You entered this world on February 6th at 6:23am. You weighed 7 pounds 6 ounces and you were 19 inches long.

You have been such a joy to your father and I. There is no doubt about it that you are loved unconditionally.

You are such a cute little thing.

I wanted to write some things down so you can look back and see some of the things that you use to do and things that I love.

I love the way you stretch your neck out as far as you can. You are my little turtle. You're so strong and can hold your head up so long.

You rolled over for the first time by yourself on Saturday (March 10).

Your smile just melts my heart. You don't do it very often yet, but when you do, it lights up my world.

You have the cutest whimper when you sleep. Your face scrunches all up and you let out a cute little cry.

You laugh in your sleep too. Usually after a whimper, you begin to smile and then start to laugh. Your whole body shakes with it. I wonder what you are dreaming about.

You love to stare at the ceiling. You smile sometimes when you do it. I like to think you are looking up at Grandpa.

I love the way you cuddle with me and your dad. Our chests are your favorite place to sleep.

You have so many faces that you pull. They are just so cute and they crack me up.

Something that makes me laugh every time is your toots. I'm not going to lie, they are pretty loud.

Kennley we just love you so much. You are our absolute joy. We would not change anything about you. You are our precious little princess.

Love

Mom & Dad

5 weeks

2012-03-12T11:15:00.000-07:00

My little girl is 5 weeks today. I really can't believe how fast the time is going. She is growing up before my eyes and it makes me so sad. I'm trying to savor each moment because before I know it, she will be all grown up.
I could not ask for a better baby. She is always so content. She hardly ever cries unless I take too long to feed her. Her sleep habits are not quite there yet, but we are slowly but surely getting there. She is now sleeping 3 hours at night instead of 1 1/2 to 2 hours which has been really nice.
One thing that has really impressed me about Kennley is how strong she is. She can hold her neck up so good. I love it when she stretches is clear out and makes a face. It reminds me of a turtle and that is why I call her my little turtle.
She loves tummy time. Her neck is up the entire time that she is on her stomach. On Saturday, she actually rolled over by herself for the first time. I could not believe it. Only a month and she rolled. I'm sure it was an accident, but it sure made me one proud momma.
Having her is one of the greatest blessings. I could not imagine my life without her. It just makes me so happy that the Lord has trusted me with her. The struggle that we had to get her here was all worth it when I look at her sweet face and hold her in my arms.

Labor

2012-02-24T13:48:00.000-08:00

It has almost been 3 weeks since I had my little turtle. She has been an absolute joy. I love everything about her. She is the absolute best little girl. She truly is our little miracle. I thank my Heavenly Father every single day to be blessed with this cute little girl. I truly am grateful for our struggle with infertility because it makes us so much more grateful to have her in our arms.

Being a mom is so much more than I imagined. Your whole entire outlook on life changes. One of the most amazing things to me throughout this whole experience is to see the change in my husband. Kennley has Travis wrapped around her little finger. He is the most amazing father. I love the look on his face when he looks at her. I love the way he always calls her his little princess. I love how much patience he has with her. I love how he always wants to hold her. I love how she always falls asleep on his chest. I love how much he loves her. The love for my husband has grown so much more that we have her. I could not ask for a better husband. Being a parent has completely changed us for the better. I love it!

Well now back to the reason I wanted to post in the first place, my labor story.

As you have probably read my previous posts, at about 37 weeks, I began to get regular contractions. At the time I thought they were the most annoying, uncomfortable things. At my 37 week appointment, I had them check me and the doctor said that I was 1 centimeter and 50% effaced. Boy was I happy to hear that. I was anticipating having her any day after I heard that.

Well the contractions continued and I eventually went into the hospital because they were starting to hurt me. False alarm, they sent me home. I was getting pretty upset at this point. I had never heard of someone having regular contractions every 5 minutes for a whole week. At my 39 week appointment, I was definitely anticipating good news because they were getting stronger and more painful. The news was not good. He gave me some good news that I would be induced on the 12th if I had not had her by the 11th. I was grateful for that, but I was pretty much pissed because I wanted to have her now. I was tired of all the contractions.

So after that appointment, my hubby stopped by a store and got me a bag of flaming hot Cheetos. I had never enjoyed a bag so much. I was going to do anything to try and induce. The rest of the day, I tried to walk as much as I could. Later that night at my parents house I decided that I was going to play the kinect. I moved all the furniture away so I would have the best dance space. For a good hour and a half, I played the kinect. I'm pretty sure that is what did me in. I will most definitely remember that for next time.

Now the fun begins.

At exactly 7am, Sunday morning (5th) I started having extremely painful contractions. They were about 8 minutes apart. For a while I just laid in bed and waited for the next one. Each one brought tears to my eyes. I had never hurt so bad. After about 3 hours of agony, I decided that this was the day and I decided to start getting ready. It took me 3 hours to get all ready. This was just my hair. I had already had my hospital bag packed like 4 weeks ago. The contractions were getting closer together and stronger. Finally at 1pm, Travis suggested that we go to the hospital. I was pretty scared because I really did not want to get sent home again.

After the longest ride of my life, we got to the hospital and they put me in the exam room and hooked all the monitors to me. They checked me and I was still 1 centimeter and 85% effaced. I really could not believe it. They decided to have me walk. Travis and I walked the hospital halls for an hour and a half stopping every 3-4 minutes for a contraction. After being checked again I was 2 centimeters. I was not that happy, but at least I was progressing and they could not send me home. They sent us walking again. When I came back, I had not progressed. That is when I was officially admitted into the hospital. I was going to have this baby, no matter what I had to do. It was 5pm by that time so we called our parents to tell them the good news.

We decided to go walking again. I still had not progressed so the doctor came in to give me my options. He said we could either do the pitocin and get the epidural or he would give me a sleeping pill that would cause me to at least get some rest. He said a lot of the time when they give you that pill, you start to dilate as well. I opted for that option because I was super tired and in a lot of pain. I knew that if I got the epidural and pitocin at that time, I would probably be too tired to push. So about 10pm they gave me the sleeping medicine. That is when my contractions sky rocketed on the pain scale and became really close.

It was probably one of the weirdest things my husband said because I would fall asleep for like a minute and a half, and then I would wake up and have a contraction. I don't really remember sleeping, I just remember wanting the pain to stop. I had never in my life experienced such pain. The best way I can describe it, is having your body ripped in half. It was horrendous. This lasted for about 2 hours. Travis's hand was hurting pretty bad, because every time I would have a contraction, I would squeeze his hand.

That is probably the only reason why I got through them. After those 2 hours, they checked me and I was at a 5. They said I could have the epidural now if I wanted it. YES!!! Finally at about 1:00am I got the epidural. I was a 7 by that time. The nicest thing on the planet. I really do not know how someone could do it naturally.

I fell asleep after that for about 2 hours. After I woke up at 3, I was a 10 and my water broke. I figured that I would start pushing then. The nurse decided to let me wait a little bit longer because Kennley was not in a very good position and if I started pushing now, I would probably have been doing it for several hours. I'm glad I waited. At about 5:15am I felt the urge to push. The doctor was called and I started. Travis was pretty much my coach the entire time. At 6:23am, Kennley entered this world. They put her on my chest and Travis cut the umbilical cord. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

Kennley weighed 7lbs 6oz and was 19 inches long.

She is the most precious thing. I can't imagine my life without her.

I'm grateful to be trusted to be her mom.

She makes being in labor for 23 1/2 hours worth it.

Introducing... Kennley Ann McClure

2012-02-08T14:36:00.000-08:00

We are pleased to introduce our Sweet Little Angel.

Kennley Ann McClure

7 lbs 6 oz

19 inches long

She entered this world at 6:23am on February 6th.

She is an absolute miracle. I could not imagine life without her.

Travis is an absolute wonderful dad. He absolutely loves her to death. Being a mom is the greatest thing in the world.

Quick Update

2012-02-04T13:29:00.000-08:00

So today I am 39 weeks!

Yes, after a long week of constant contractions, still no baby.

I went to the doctor today, and yes, still no progression.

I asked if he would at least strip my membranes so I could start progressing, but that failed. Little Miss Kennley's head is not in a safe spot to do that. All I could say is, 'oh that is just great.'

I asked about inducing and they did not want to do that yet.

The good news that came out of today however, was the fact that they said they would induce me if I had not had her by the 13th. My scheduled induction is the 13th at 7:30am. They said there is a good chance that they would want me to come in the day before though.

I honestly am grateful that I at least have that news.

I just have to be patient for this little girls arrival.

I have a week, but it is going to be the longest week of my entire life.

Kennley, just come already please!!

Hospital Visit

2012-01-30T10:15:00.000-08:00

We paid a little visit to the Hospital on Saturday and I thought I would write down my experience for journaling purposes. Lets back up a little though and start from the beginning.

About 36 weeks, I started having really bad pains in my lower abdomen and ended up getting checked at the doctor. He said I was 1 centimeter and 50% effaced. He also said that her head was down and pretty low. Yeah, I thought I would go any day after that. Nope!
I had another doctor's appointment a week later and was so looking forward to some good news, something like ,"you are a 5 and 90% effaced." Nope! I had not progressed any.

At this point I'm getting a little frustrated. I really want this girl to come.
I have loved being pregnant, but as soon as 36 weeks hit, my being comfortable has completely gone out the window, and my bathroom breaks have become a constant thing.

Well, Saturday (38 weeks exactly) I had the really bad lower abdomen pain again and I felt like my stomach was a constant rock. This lasted all day.
About 6:30pm, I decided to call the hospital to see if I should come in. They said yes! Yes? Oh my was I excited. I knew that tonight would be the night. Nope!
We get there and they immediately hook me up to machines to monitor the baby and to see if I was having contractions.
I was having contractions the entire time we were there, 2-3 minutes apart.

I was all excited because I knew that if they were that close then that meant the baby was coming soon. Nope!
I was hooked up for over an hour and they were still constant, however they were not very painful, just VERY uncomfortable. They told me the pain I was having, was from little miss Kennley getting into postition.
After about an hour, the nurse decided to check to see how dialated I was. She told me 3-4. Oh was I excited until she said that she is learning still and wanted another nurse to check as well to make sure.

All I could think was Please, oh Please be right. She said if I was 3-4 they would start me walking. NOPE!

She gave me the news I was still only a 1. So they sent me home.

You have GOT to be kidding me!

Lets just say I have been very frustrated now. More because these contractions have not gone away. The timing will move around every once in awhile, but I'm still getting at least 6 within an hour.

Right now I have had 8 in a row, exactly 2 minutes apart. They don't hurt though.

I go to the doctor here in the next few hours. All I ask is that I have progressed and they send me to the hospital to have her.

PLEASE KENNLEY COME TODAY!!

Dear Kennley

2011-12-29T15:52:00.000-08:00

My dear sweet Kennley,

Oh my goodness how the time is passing. You should be in my arms in 6 weeks!! I can't believe it, 6 short weeks! I honestly can't get enough of you even though you are not even here. Your little body is just growing and growing and I am definitely feeling it. I want to write you and make sure you know how loved you are. Here are a few things your dad and I have celebrated with you in my belly.

Your dad and I recently celebrated our 2nd Anniversary. That has gone by super fast too. I want you to know and always know that I love your daddy so very much. He is the greatest and I can't wait for you to meet him. I can already tell you love him so much. You enjoy hearing his voice. You go wild once you hear it after I come home from work. His voice calms you at night when it is about time for bed. It honestly is so amazing to me.

Your dad and I celebrated Thanksgiving together with my family in Utah. Your great Aunts absolutely loved talking to you and rubbing my belly. I'm telling you now little miss, You are going to be one spoiled girl. You loved Thanksgiving, especially the sweet potatoes.

We celebrated Christmas with your dad's family up at a Cabin. It was a lot of fun. Your dad went snow machining and had a blast. I didn't go because I didn't want to chance putting myself into labor. We played a lot of games and watched a lot of games. You are too cute when it comes to being around large groups. You tend to sit as still as possible when someone comes around to try and feel you move, but as soon as you hear dad's voice, you spring into motion. You play with him too because sometimes you will move like crazy until he touches my stomach, then you freeze. Your just so fun.

Kennley girl, Your dad and I love you so much. We will be having your baby shower here next week and I'm super excited to see all the stuff for you. We already got your stroller and carseat. I hope you love it. Your blanket mommy is making you is almost done. We have some super cute outfits for you too.

We are just so excited to have you in our arms in 6 weeks.

Love you Little Miss

Love,

Mom & Dad

Doing Great

2011-12-07T17:13:00.000-08:00

It is now December. I still can not honestly believe how fast this year has come and gone. My sweet little girl will be here before we know it. We just can't wait.

I am currently 30 weeks & 4 days. I was able to go to the doctor today and hear her heartbeat. Still going strong as always. I have been having to keep a movement count and that is definitely the easiest thing during my day. She is supposed to kick or move 10 times within 1 hour. She always gets 10 within 1 minute. Travis thinks it is so funny to watch my stomach move now that she is getting bigger. I also am measuring right on track. I feel huge right now but it is nice to know that I'm right on track. Another thing that I'm trying to get use to is her hiccups. She gets them everyday, sometimes twice a day. It is just so relieving to know that my precious baby is doing good.

Even though Kennley is doing great, I have had some real problems with my hips on back. She has been favoring my right side and putting a lot of pressure on my right hip. By the end of the night my leg starts to tingle and hurt. The other side of my hip has also been hurting. It feels like a nerve might be pinched. I have now been referred to a Chiropractor, which I will see tomorrow. I'm actually excited about it. Hopefully he can straighten me out.

I figured I would throw in some pictures too, because it has been quite awhile since I posted some.

Exactly 30 Weeks

Finished quilt blocks for the quilt I'm making my little girl

Anniversary/Thanksgiving

2011-11-29T07:39:00.000-08:00

Travis and I celebrated our 2 Year Anniversary the weekend of the 18, even though it was not actually until Monday. It was great to get away and spend time with each other. We headed down to Utah on Thursday and came home Saturday night. We didn't get in until around 4am. We ended up staying at Travis's parents and spent that Sunday with them.

In all, even though our Anniversary was little this year, we still had a great time together. I still can't believe that it has been 2 years. It has been the BEST 2 years of my life. I'm so grateful for Travis and the husband that he is. I'm so glad that he will be the father to our children. Our little Kennley, you can tell already loves her dad so much. She moves so much when he talks to her. He is my absolute world and I love him so much.

Thanksgiving this year was great. We were able to go to Utah with my family to celebrate it with my mom's sisters and mom. It was a ton of fun. We always have such a great time with them. The food was great. I just love Thanksgiving. We didn't do Black Friday shopping this year until around 2. It was nice to be able to sleep in. We didn't get much, just a shirt for me. Thanks to my Aunts, they decided that the baby outfits we picked out, they would get. They also bought us our Travel System that we wanted. I'm so very thankful for them. I just love them so much.

Well that is our little update, not a whole lot. Sorry there are no pictures again. I definitely need a new camera. Also, I'm almost 30 weeks. I cannot believe that we will have Kennley here in just 10 weeks. We are so excited!!

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

Everything looks good...

2011-11-17T06:52:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had my 28 week doctors appointment even though I'm just a few days shy of it. I had to get tested for gestational diabetes and also get the Rhogam shot because I'm a negative blood type. I have heard horror stories about being tested and I swear people have said the shot is like peanut butter. Of course after hearing things I begin to freak out.

To be honest it really wasn't that bad. The orange drink just tasted like overly sugared orange fanta. It was not that bad, it just burned my throat after and made me a little queezy and lightheaded. The shot was not bad at all. Just a normal shot.

The best thing though was that everything looked good. No gestational diabetes!! He said that my levels look excellent and that the baby sounds great. It only took him 5 seconds to get the heartbeat. I really don't know what happened last time.

I'm definitely grateful for a smooth pregnancy without any complications thus far. My little girl is just doing so good and we just love her so much. I'm super excited that I now start going in every two weeks. I still can't believe how fast the time is going.

I will most definitely be posting pictures next post. We are headed to Utah today to celebrate our 2 year anniversary and attend some BYU games. I'm super excited.

Grateful...

2011-11-11T10:58:00.000-08:00

Today I am grateful.

I'm grateful for the wonderful husband that I have. He means the world to me. I'm grateful that he is always there for me. We have almost been married 2 years and the time has flown by. He honestly is the man of my dreams. I'm so grateful that I have the Priesthood in our home. I'm grateful that he can take me to church every Sunday and that he can take me to the temple. I'm grateful that he is dedicated to school and getting a degree. I'm grateful that he is my biggest supporter. I'm grateful that he wants to be a father. He is so excited to have this little girl in our home. I'm grateful for all that he does for our family. I'm grateful that he is my best friend.

Travis, I love you more than anything! You are my everything.

I'm so grateful for you in my life.

I Love You

Love, Your Wife

I thought I had a slight case...

2011-11-04T10:20:00.000-07:00

I use to think I had a slight case of road rage.

That is until I moved to Saint Anthony.

I have come to the realization that I have a full fledged case of it.

Lets begin from the start...

There is only 1 stop light in the town on main street. It is amazing to me how many people have no clue how to use it, who has the right of way, and all that jazz that deals with a traffic light. Come on people it is not that difficult! I have laid on my horn several different times because some think that just because they are turning right, they can go whenever they please. There is a reason why there is a green light and a red light.

There are several streets that take you from Bridge street, clear up to 9th West without any stop signs, and you have the right of way going through intersections. The other streets in those intersections have yield signs. That means that you do not have the right of way. Again there have been many instances where I have had to lay on my horn because they don't feel the need to pay attention to those signs.

Speed is another great trigger to my road rage. I don't think they understand the concept of what a speed limit is. I swear they think that sign means to go 10 under whatever is given.

The final thing that has also triggered my road rage is when there is road construction. It is as if they lost there heads, not knowing what to do. The cones you can tell make them nervous so going 25 under makes it a little more easier on them.

Don't get me started on getting on the highway when there is construction. That is a whole other mind blowing struggle they deal with.

Yes I absolutely love our apartment in Saint Anthony, and yes I love our ward, but I would rather not have to deal with the drivers. Yes, not all of them are like this and are actually very good drivers.

Yeah, I thought I had a slight case of road rage, until I moved to Saint Anthony, but who can blame me?

100!!!

2011-11-03T17:43:00.000-07:00

100

Yes, that is right!! 100 more days until this little girl is scheduled to arrive. I will now be in double digits! I'm just so excited!!

One thing that I am extremely grateful for is that this pregnancy has been nice and smooth. I love being pregnant. Yes, at times I get uncomfortable, but all in all I love it.

Yesterday, while flipping through the radio stations, I came across this wonderful song by Rascal Flatts.

Little Girl, it reminds me of you.