Searle Shenanigans

Introducing: Maverick Randall Searle

2017-06-14T17:27:00.000-07:00

From the beginning of my pregnancy, I knew I wanted to deliver with midwives and in a birthing center. I wasn't comfortable with a home birth but didn't want to go to the hospital again. I called the two birthing centers nearby and only one set up an appointment for me to tour the facility and meet the midwives. I was SO lucky to be "paired" with Danielle and Lynette. They are such a good team and compliment each other so well. I felt both of their energies complimented mine. I felt peaceful and I knew I would birth there with them.

The pregnancy seemed harder than my first two. Maybe it's because I had 2 other children to care for while I felt super sick or maybe it was legitimately harder. I'm not quite sure. The first trimester was hard. I was so nauseous and depleted of any vitamins, nutrients and minerals that I was miserable. I was also depressed. I was irate and scary mean to my kids sometimes (I hate admitting...but maybe me sharing this could help someone else?). I felt tremendous guilt to be bringing another precious spirit into my home if I was going to be a monster. After going to the chiropractor and getting proper supplements and adjustments, working with Emotion Code/Bodytalk (energy work--ask me about it!), and trying to eat better (read: actually eat period...), I started to feel better. The second trimester wasn't so bad.

We were headed to DisneyWorld and a Disney Cruise for Christmas. I was feeling MUCH better. We were told we would have 1 ultrasound at 20 weeks to make sure all was well--they were more concerned about anatomy then gender. I really wanted to surprise my family for Christmas so we arranged for an extra ultrasound to determine gender. It was another boy! I'll admit, I was a little disappointed. I wanted it to be a girl so I could just be done having kids and not have any more hard pregnancies. It was so different that we would joke around that it was a girl. I knew it was a boy though. I just felt it. (AND I'M SO HAPPY WITH MAVERICK--I CAN'T IMAGINE LIFE WITHOUT HIM!) So we surprised my family by purchasing a smoke bomb in blue and sent a package saying, "Just thought We'd drop a bomb...baby #3 is a ....?" Then they had to go ignite it and see what color it was!

Watch here: https://www.facebook.com/kayleighsearle/videos/vb.608000570/10158095199930571/?type=3&theater

We surprised Randy's family by having 3 little Mickey's on our cabin door on the cruise ship. To reveal to the world, we made a sign saying "It's a boy!" and went down Splash mountain.

Third trimester brought back pain. I had a hard time walking, sitting, sleeping, living.... It was annoying. Finally going to the chiropractor regularly helped a lot. The last two months I felt useless. Sore, tired and irritable. I was hoping that I would go early.

(All pictures by Autumn Reynolds)

At 38 weeks, I had a massage, chiro adjustment, and emotion code done to makes sure that everything was dandy and in place for baby. During the massage, I was getting some good painful contractions but nothing happened really after that. May 12th came and went. May 15th came and went. (I had two "due dates"--one based off of cycles and another from ultrasound." May 16th, Tuesday night I labored al night and got bloody show. Close contractions that would spread out.

Labor stopped during the day. I labored again throughout Wednesday night and Thursday morning. I walked I swear10 miles in the previous 72 hours. I was exhausted!

Around 4 am Thursday (May 18th) morning, I got into the tub to see if the contractions would slow down. They didn't, so I called the midwife, photographer and Jen Cruz. Jen came to stay with the boys until the woke up. We met the photographer and the midwife at the center. Someone was already there and in the room I always pictured myself birthing in. But the room we had was beautiful and room. I would walk around and my "entourage" would follow: Mom, Randy, Grace (student midwife), Autumn (photographer).

Once again, as the day approached and the sun rose, the contractions slowed. So we ate breakfast and I was told to walk. I paced around the parking lot and matched up and down the curb which would bring contractions. But I was SO tired and frustrated that things weren't progressing. I broke down and sobbed--I thought for sure they would send me home. (I'm not sure on times, but I remember what happens next.)

I labored a lot on the toilet facing the wall with pillow on the tank so I could rest between contractions. I had to pee every two seconds anyways and everytime I sat down, a contraction would come, so to keep things moving, I just planted myself there. I was so exhausted and we agreed that I would shower and rest. Danielle finally decided to check me although we had talked about not checking just to see if anything was even happening. I was laboring so hard but nothing was happening it seemed. I was 4-5cm dilated.

I went to "sleep" between contractions. Danielle gave me some homeopathic pellets to encourage closer contractions. I also started the birth prep drops that I had been taking since 36 weeks but they had me taking it every 30 minutes. Contractions were coming but Maverick wasn't engaging. Lynette decided to see what he was doing during a contraction. So she was checking me during a contraction. Holy He!! that hurt. So he would come down during a contraction and then back up. He just wasn't staying down and engaging. So more homeopathy, rest, leg up on a peanut ball, birth tincture and birth stool. Contractions were now frequent and painful, but not really doing anything. I was also shaking pretty bad.

After a few hours, Danielle asked if I wanted to be adjusted by the chiropractor that worked downstairs. I wasn't opposed to it but with the frequent and painful contractions, the last thing I wanted to do was put pants on and walk downstairs. I also didn't want to have a contraction and be too vocal and scare everyone. So Tara (chiropractor) came upstairs and showed Randy how to rotate my pelvis during a contraction. They all were trying so hard to get me downstairs so that she could adjust me on the table. We finally made it down and she did some adjusting and things really got moving. Luckily Lynette had brought a bag down because I started to vomit. That's when I knew things were about to get real.

With the next contraction, I felt Maverick drop and my body just started to push. I told Lynette I was pushing and she quickly called Danielle (who was napping upstairs), "I need you down here now--she's throwing up and pushing!" I could hear Danielle run across the floor upstairs and down the stairway. Everyone was trying to get me upstairs fast. "You have to walk through the contraction." Hard and painful. I finally got to the room and the tub had been filled. I stripped off and climbed in the water. It felt great on my tired and sore body and even helped with the contractions. I squatted and waited for my body to do it's thing.

As I was squatting, I felt a POP. My water had broke! I've never felt that so that was cool to experience. I moved to my knees. I remember looking at Lynette and saying, "I can't do this! How am I going to do this?" Fear just set in. She was so reassuring and calming. I just let my body push and after 1-2 pushes, his head was out. Another push or two and his body came out with Randy ready to catch him! They passed him up through my legs and I was in complete shock. LOOK WHAT I JUST DID! As I was looking down at him, I noticed he had SO much hair! I checked to make sure that yes he was a boy. He was just so beautiful and perfect. PHEW!

I just sat there and tried to soak it all in-still just in a state of shock. 10-15 minutes later, I delivered the placenta. His cord was SO long. They cut the cord and we got out of the tub and onto the bed to check everything and monitor bleeding. I got Maverick back from Randy and we started nursing. Grace showed us the placenta and explained everything to us. It was so fascinating!

They filled the tub up again for an herbal bath. After I was done, they took all of his statistics.

8 lbs. 11 oz.

20"

Perfect in every way!

Two-three hours later, we were on our way home! We had been given all of the instructions and we were told to rest because he would take a long stretch of a nap but I just couldn't. I still had so much adrenaline pumping through me which was so frustrating because I hadn't slept in three days! I was every level of exhausted but just could not relax and sleep.

The first week was hard. I was really weepy and full of anxiety. I was also in so much pain from my milk coming in and every time I would nurse, I would contract and that was crazy. I hadn't had that with my other pregnancies. The second week got a little better. My mother was great and I honestly stayed in bed for a week. I really needed that and feel that I've bonded really well with Maverick. I think some people thought I was a little stingy or selfish for not letting people come and visit but I really needed that resting time. We have SO much going on this summer I really wanted to make sure that I took the time to rest and recoop.

Here is the birth video: Birth Video

I need to give a HUGE thanks to Randy. He was my biggest support. I'm so grateful for his patience and willingness to help with whatever I needed. He really helped me believe that I could do it and I think it was a beautiful experience for both of us--hands on for both of us!

Thank you to my Mother. She was so supportive as I labored-even when I was not so nice and patient with her, she was patient and kind to me. Having her here after Maverick was here was so helpful as she cleaned, cooked and entertained the kids 24/7. I owe her SO much.

Thank you to Danielle and Lynette. You guys are amazing. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for having patience with me. Thank you for encouraging me. I had told you before the birth that I probably wouldn't want touched or talked to--but having Danielle remind me to relax my muscles and Lynette stroking my legs and hair, it was honestly just what I needed. Realizing that I won't have any of my future pregnancies with you makes me cry a little. You have a special gift and I hope you realize how loved and appreciated you are.

Thank you to Grace. You are a breath of fresh air. So peaceful and sweet. You are going to be an amazing midwife.

Thank you to Tara. Without you, Maverick would have taken a lot longer to come. You have a gift and I hope you realize the impact you've had on me and Randy and really reminding us the power chiropractic has to really heal and help us live an elevated life.

Thank you Autumn. You are so sweet. I still cannot believe you stayed the whole day. You have exceeded every expectation I had for a photographer and I will never regret hiring you. You have given us such a precious gift with the images you produced. You are so talented! I will never stop singing your praises! http://www.autumnreynolds.com

Thank you to my Mother and Father in law for helping us get our house ready when everything is already so chaotic! I appreciate you more than you know!

Back to Life. Back to Reality.

2016-03-15T13:30:00.002-07:00

(Do I feel like a bit of a hypocrite sharing the link to this on my Facebook? You betcha. But I just felt like sharing.)

In my last post, I mentioned how I had deleted Facebook and Instagram off of my phone. I can still access them on the desktop but it's not super convenient like having it on the tips of my fingers.

In the October 2015 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, there was a talk called, "What Lack I Yet?"

"If we are humble and teachable, the Holy Ghost will prompt us to improve and lead us home, but we need to ask the Lord for directions along the way."

In the talk, he talked about how when we ask sincerely, God will tell us how we can improve and what things we need to do to get there. Well, reluctantly, I asked. "How can I feel the Spirit more?" "What is thy will for me?" "What lack I yet?" "How can I be more patient with my kids?" "How can I get more things accomplished?" Well, I got my answer and pretty fast. I knew it was coming but I was in denial. In fact, it took me awhile to take action.

The answer?

"Delete social media off of your phone."

What? NO! How will I keep in contact with people? How will they see my cute kids? How will I see what other people are up to? What if I miss out on something? What if I miss an invitation? What if I get bored...how will I fill my time?

Guys. I couldn't do it at first. I literally said, "No. I can't." I knew it was a problem, but I resolved to use it for good. To share good things, to say good things, to share compliments and to share pictures of my littles. I never realized how much time I was spending on my phone until I got an app that told me I was spending HOURS on my phone. Scrolling through posts. Over and over. I tried to just spend less time on my phone. Leaving my phone upstairs if I was downstairs or visa versa. But I just couldn't. It was like second nature. I would open my phone and my fingers would automatically go to the Facebook/Instagram buttons. Even if I had just closed my phone and closed the apps. It was so weird and shameful almost.

So I asked again (later...maybe a few weeks).

"Delete social media off of your phone."

I knew I had to. I was ADDICTED. Is that hard to say? Yes. Am I still addicted? Yes. I literally get cravings, triggers to look at Facebook and Instagram. I realized my annoyance with my kids is when they were begging for my attention but I was too sucked in to my phone that I would get mad they were bugging me or getting into things. Again...embarrassing. I feel like I am an excellent mother. But there was room for improvement.

So I took immediate action. I deleted the apps off of my phone.

I won't lie. It's been hard. Withdrawal is real.

It's really quite embarrassing putting it out there--to admit I'm addicted--TO MY PHONE. TO MY PHONE PEOPLE!? What is this?!

Have I missed out? Yes. Will I in the future? Most likely. I have made it a goal to invite more. To send a quick text to tell people I miss them. Instead of stalking their profiles, I'm actually getting to know them.

Now, after not having these apps on my phone, going to Facebook and Instagram is overwhelming. I feel drained and stressed scrolling through. I wish that I could see everyone's lives and what they're up to. But it's exhausting. I was comparing myself to others, wishing I had talents they have. Looks they have. Friends they have. Lives they have. But I'm learning to love the life I have sans social media. I want to actually get to know people. I want to meet them. I want to TALK to them. I want to "play" with them. I want to see them. Now I have the time to read my scriptures. Actually spend the 30 minutes--hour I was spending catching up on Facebook/Instagram on the scriptures and talks and preparing my lessons for young women. Now I have the time to actually play with my kids instead of "watching" them play. Now I have the time to keep up on my house. Am I perfect? Not even. Just trying my best.

Do I still get on?? Occasionally, to clear my notifications. But like I said, it's overwhelming.

Why am I writing this? I don't know. Not to brag. Like I said, I'm embarrassed to even be admitting this stuff. But maybe to encourage you? Reach out to people in REAL life? Show interest in REAL LIFE? Decide what's important. Am I judging? Not at all...please don't judge me!!! Decide on your goals and how you want to accomplish them. What is standing in your way?

Maybe you can ask, "What Lack I Yet?" I would love to know (if it's not personal) what things you have been working on! Comment below!

Alive

2016-03-15T12:52:00.000-07:00

Holy cow! Hey there....who hasn't blogged for year??? This girl (insert embarrassed emoji here)!!

It's not like I can catch up either because I don't even remember what happened a week ago. So let's start over Ya? Fresh start???

So this is our blog. I will attempt to update once a week. I always get so overwhelmed by adding pictures and what not but I would love to look back at this and remember our lives. Especially this super special time with our little boys and being away from home.

Some things that did happen-

Trips to Idaho for Keegan's wedding/during breaks and Christmas. We always love coming home and seeing family. Now the boys have a new auntie Kenz!

Kamden came home from Tonga!

Randy did school...nothing new there.

Jaxon turned 1!

Ryker turned 3!

I survived!

Seriously so lame....

I guess the only reason I am so focused on this now is because I have decided to delete the Facebook and Instagram apps off of my phone. More on that later. So I'm worried that I will have lost contact with the world. I post pictures and what not like crazy over there but now without the apps, it's like I've lost all connection.

So I'll try my best ok??

THANK YOU MADD!E!!!

2015-03-19T12:14:00.001-07:00

Notice anything different around here??

I have to give a HUGE thank you to Madison Cline for custom designing my blog. I have been wanting to change this blog up so bad but was so overwhelmed! I didn't know where to start. But she made it so easy and was so accommodating if I needed anything changed (which I didn't because she nailed it). I gave her a few ideas, a color palette and she came up with this bad boy!

So check it out.

Read our story, see what we believe, check us out on social media and subscribe if you want!

Thanks again Maddie!

"I'm going to marry him"

2015-03-19T12:07:00.003-07:00

Ugh...how could I possibly pay attention in Nutrition class when Randy was only hours away from touching ground after two (LONG) years preaching the gospel to the folks in Oklahoma City. I texted my mom, "I can't even pay attention."

"Do you want me to come get you and we'll go to the airport?"

"NO! He doesn't even want me there plus I have a meeting in a few hours."

"Then pay attention."

"Ya, that's not happening."

"I'm on my way."

I was in Rexburg Idaho at the time attending BYU-Idaho and my mom drove 45 minutes to come get me and take me to the airport.

Before Randy left on his mission, I was head over heels in love with him. Did I know what love was?? Probably not...I was a junior in high school. But I did cry two weeks straight after he left so it had to be love right??? ;)

He didn't ask me to wait for him because I was young and he honestly thought I would be married by the time he returned (especially if I was attending BYU-I do!)

But nearing the end of his mission, I would ask him what the future held in store for us and HE WOULDN'T ADDRESS THE QUESTION! His mom asked if I was going to the airport and I told her probably not because he wouldn't tell me if he wanted me there and I just didn't want to be in the way. It was best if I wasn't there and it was just his family.

Once I got to the airport, my heart was beating. His mom and his best friends mom (him and his BFF came home together. How cute is that?? ;) ) were unpatiently waiting by the doors. I was shaking uncontrollably. What would he think when he saw me there? Did he even want me there? What if he thinks I'm a fat, ugly, freak?? Totally rational thoughts right??

As he came down those stairs, I started bawling....like tears streaming down my face. I turned to my mom and I said, "I LOVE HIM....I'm going to marry him." She started boobing like a baby too.

After he greeted his family and friends, it was finally my turn. I wanted him to hug me SO bad....but ya...this happened....

An awkward handshake...(I was probably giving him crazy eyes and all I'm thinking is "HUG ME DANGIT!")

He had made a promise that if I was at the airport that he wouldn't hug me, but only shake my hand because he was still an elder. And you know what? I absolutely respect that promise now. He is a man of his word and he understood the sanctity of his calling as an elder.

(He would later come up to Rexburg after he was released and it felt like he had never left.)

I can't believe it's been 5 years since I saw him walk down those stairs. I thought I loved him then but oh boy. Now I truly know what love is.

Happenings

2015-03-19T11:47:00.001-07:00

Ryker turned two!

We spent the day eating donuts for breakfast, having lunch and fun at McDonalds, fun at the park (it was 70 degrees. My kids were in short sleeves and shorts and everyone else had long sleeves....) and opening presents throughout the day!

Watch birthday montage here: https://vimeo.com/122669252

Found out he goes nuts on sugar. I don't care if people think I'm crazy...he gets limited sugar because it's addictive and quite frankly a drug (don't believe me???? http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23719144)

He is such a special boy. He is quick to observe and leans a lot that way. He will switch laundry, unload and start the dishwasher, clean up toys and room. I've started to give him options on what to wear so he's "dressing himself". Loves shoes and socks. Not many actual words but I can understand him! :) He is such a good helper with Jaxon too. I will catch him giving hugs and kisses and returning the paci to Jaxon's mouth. Jaxon LOVES Ryker and always lights up when he sees him. He sleeps well, eats well...well for the most part. He has an extensive palate but has started to gag himself. So he'll start gagging himself with food in his mouth and spits it out. It's obnoxious. He is a lover. Physical touch has to be his primary love language. I get good snuggles at night!

Jaxon is growing fast! He rolls ALL over the place and loves kicking and bouncing in his bouncer. (Lots of fun pictures and videos of my kids if you click the Instagram icon on the right!)

We celebrated Randy's 26th birthday on Feb. 17 and he was spoiled as well! We had a few special days last month due to "ice storms". They cancelled his school so we just stayed home and snuggled all day!

We went to the Grapevine Mills Aquarium because they have buy one get one free tickets right now. Ryker LOVED it. I loved seeing him running around and just the wonder and amazement in his eyes. Worth it.

Jaxon's Blessing Day

2015-03-18T12:52:00.000-07:00

What a whirlwind day. We decided to bless Jaxon in Idaho when we were altogether with family and also do it with our niece who was born two weeks before him. They're from Virginia so it was a neat opportunity.

The night before, we had received word that a close friend (who was battling cancer) had been rushed to the hospital. So family members had been up all night. The next morning, I was praying really hard that we would have a beautiful, spiritual day. When we got to Randy's parents house, it was very quiet and the spirit was there. Randy's mother asked for a blessing of comfort and it was so beautiful to see all the men using their priesthood power and blessing my mother in law.

Soon people arrive for the brunch and we are finishing up, getting kids ready when my niece (a different one) cut her head open. Mass panic as we are deciding what to do with her and if we were to move the blessing to the house. We ended up going to church and they literally walked in right before she was to get her blessing.

So when sacrament meeting was over, the last thing I really thought about was getting pictures...we didn't get any pictures with my family and only have a few of Randy's. And like NONE in Jaxon's outfit. UGH! But that's not what is important. Jason Eli Searle was blessed and given a name and it was great.

Christmas 2014

2015-03-18T12:24:00.003-07:00

Christmas vacation was wonderful! Randy got out of school a week before Christmas and we were cursing ourselves for not booking an earlier flight!

We flew out the 23rd (THANK YOU KELSIE AND KIM FOR BEING OUR CHAUFFEURS!) and had smooth flights. We landed late at night and just crashed. The next day was Christmas Eve. We spent the day with Randy's family and the night with mine. Good old traditions with family talent show, the nativity acted out and yummy food. So fun to see all the "great-grandkids" do it now. Ryker performed wheels on the bus and I was a proud momma! Santa came for a visit and Ryker was TERRIFIED....

(Wow guys seriously....it's march and I'm trying to remember Christmas...I suck)

So the next day was Christmas. So fun to see Ryker open presents and he would say, "ohhhhhhhh!" when he opened them. It was so cute and we were so spoiled! Kamden skyped and that was fun! He comes home from Tonga in July!

We also had the devastating and beautiful experience of attending the funeral of a close friend's mother. She had been battling cancer and had taken a turn for the worse. We felt so grateful to be able to attend it and be there. Also grateful for the knowledge of eternal families and knowing that we will see her again! She's in a beautiful and amazing place now.

Pretty much just going to post pictures now because I can't remember much. Just loved being with family and wish that we had balanced our time better. It's a blessing and a burden that we are from the same town...

(Can I just put a disclosure....I know that I am a photographer and charge people money to take pictures so ya know all my pictures should look amazing right??? Well they aren't...it's called real life and I'm not going to go and "edit" them all....plus sometimes I just need to snap a quick picture and I can't say that I took all of these, others grabbed my camera...ok bye!)

Family Pictures

2015-02-17T12:58:00.002-07:00

I really wanted to get some new family pictures done now that our Jaxon is here and we were able to do them this last fall while the colors were still gorgeous! Nickell at Nickell Photography did them and I just love them!

Here's a few of our favorites: (feel free to click to make them larger!)

Dallas Zoo-Thanksgiving 2014

2015-01-20T15:23:00.001-07:00

This past Thanksgiving was a little different. We had so many offers to spend Thanksgiving with members of our ward family. But Randy has some classmates without family close so we decided to spend it with them. One of them had to work the day of so we celebrated Thanksgiving on the day after....but it's all the same. We had yummy food and great company! So we decided to go to the zoo on Thanksgiving. This is the Dallas Zoo. One of Randy's classmates works at the zoo or something and gave us free tickets! Can't pass up free! There was hardly anyone there, the weather was great and we saw lots and lots of animals! By the end, Ryker was done and fell asleep as soon as he hit his carseat. It was so fun to see him run around and look at the animals. He would play peekaboo and climb everywhere to get a better peek. Kids are fun--They make everything more exciting.

Introducing...

2014-10-26T14:02:00.000-07:00

Jaxon Eli Searle

Born October 9, 2014 at 6:20 am

8 lbs. 6 oz. 21 inches

Jaxon Eli Searle

2014-10-26T13:19:00.000-07:00

I have so much going through my mind as I once again enter into the world of new baby and motherhood. I'm going to try and remember Jaxon's birth day but to be honest, it's kind of a blur....

I went to the doctor at 36 weeks w/ no dilation, no effacement. Two weeks later at 38 weeks, I was 3cm and 50% effaced. The rest of the day (even though my midwife Heather said there would be cramping and bleeding from the check) I was sore and crampy thinking maybe this was it. I even called my mom and told her she should be there within 72 hours (stupid...I totally know now that I was not even in labor...labor is much more intense). She flew out a day later.

The waiting began--I had zero contractions for a week. Monday the 6th of October, I had another appointment and I was 4cm and 50% effaced. I thought I would never have this baby (always desperate thinking the last few weeks of pregnancy...). We discussed induction. I DID NOT want to have an induction and Heather knew that. I was only considering it because my mom was here and I had her come out too early and she was missing work and I was feeling so guilty...I couldn't even relax and I know it wasn't helping me progress. I made an appointment for the 13th of October to be checked again and then Tuesday the 14th we scheduled for the induction.

After the appointment, we went to a pumpkin patch to get my mind off of it so my body could do it's own thing. The added stress wasn't helping. I decided we would do something everyday until I went into labor instead of us sitting at home waiting. Ryker loved the bounce house and tractor rides. He would climb up onto the hay bales and say, "CHEESE!" He's such a ham! I also made an appointment for a reflexology session to do some acupressure to "induce" labor.

The next morning, we went to the Grapevine Mills mall. It's a big mall so we walked and walked and I was sore and tired. While walking, an asian man stopped me and told me he would give me a free sample foot massage. He was cheaper than the reflexologist so I figured why not...he suckered me in and I got a 30 minute foot massage. He kept asking me in broken english when I was due and I just kept saying, "Get this baby out." The lady who did the massage really got in there and rubbed all the right points. Besides that, it was GLORIOUS and a great way to relax! It was also my mom's birthday so we went to Applebee's for lunch and I ate WAY too much. I was having weird cramps and my mom was getting excited! After getting home I swear I bounced on my labor ball for forever.

On the 8th (the next day), as Randy was getting ready for school, he went into the bathroom and then very quickly came back out.
"Kayleigh??"
(Groggily) "....What??"
"Do you feel ok?"
"Ya why??"
"The toilet is different colors..."
I started laughing and told him that I had had a couple of really good contractions during the night and it was probably just my "bloody show." Which got me really excited. He went to school and my Mom, Ryker and I went to story time at the Library and played there. After coming home, Ryker was super cuddly that day...I think he knew something! Later that night we went to the Lewisville HS Homecoming parade. The whole community gets involved! I had my first real contractions there-mostly when I would hold Ryker. So my mom made me hold Ryker! ;) Once we got home, I put him to bed and bounced. I was having irregular contractions but by 9-10pm they were 7 minutes apart. I took a bath....glorious. But Randy and my mom were saying that I should figure out what to do with Ryker in case I go into labor in the middle of the night. (I was totally already laboring...). I called a friend in the ward and asked if we could bring Ryker over just in case we went to the hospital that night. (Note: I was in denial that I was in labor). So we brought him over. Instead of going to the hospital, I knew I would be more comfortable laboring at home. We used rice bags during the contractions to apply counter pressure and that helped with the pain. The contractions would start in the front and radiate to the back. The contractions spread out to every 10 minutes when I was resting and laying down. They started to get really intense and I keep waking Randy up to tell him lets head to the hospital so I can get an epidural and I wasn't sure how much longer I could go. But I would just think to myself, "Get to the climax of the contraction and then the rest is easy." Plus Randy wouldn't let me go! ;) Which I'm so grateful for. This went on for about 6 hours. I also got to a point where I realized that I could lay in bed and "suffer" through the contractions or I could get up and move around and get the baby out sooner!

Around 4am, I started to throw up and shake. I knew right then that we needed to get to the hospital ASAP because I was starting to transition. My contractions were still about 7 minutes apart but really intense so we pack everything up and head to the hospital. (Super annoyed that I didn't really wake Randy up to labor with me and help me through everything..I didn't use anything in my labor kit either.) We called the hospital to see when the front doors opened to see if we had to go through the Emergency Room or not. At 4:45 AM we went to the hospital and up to Labor and Delivery. When I got to the front desk, they were just looking at me like, "Can we help you?" I was like, "Am I in the right place?" A nurse replied, "Are you in labor?" Contraction hits. "YUP!!"

I sign in and take a little while to get to the room which kind of annoyed the nurse because she said, "We really need to get you in your room so I can check you." I get undressed, dressed in the hospital gown and she checked me. "You're at a 7-8. Call the Midwife!" I was kind of freaking out because Heather knew I wanted to labor at home but she warned me to at least give her enough time to get there because she lives about 30-40 minutes away. Luckily it was early enough in the morning that she got there super fast. I was surprised! She walked in and I immediately started apologizing for waiting so long but she was happy with where I was and how I was doing. So we put in the Hep Lock and buckled down.

I owe everything to my midwife and nurse. They encouraged me to keep going and breathe through it. I had to have complete silence and wouldn't let Randy talk to me, but when Heather told me to breathe it was refreshing. I was also apologizing incessantly to Randy for telling him to shut up. ;)

So I got there at 5am and at 6am we started recording the birth and laboring process. I'm so glad we record our births so I can go back and watch it because everything is fuzzy. But I started pushing about 6:10am and he was born at 6:20am. I pushed I think like 4 times. It was kind of scary starting to push just because I didn't understand how it would feel and what it would be like. But it was so refreshing to just have my body KNOW what to do instead of me forcing it to do something. I looked up at Heather and asked, "Is there anyone else here having a baby?" She said there was and I said, "What if I scream and freak them out???" She said I wouldn't scream. And I technically didn't, but I was vocal and a little loud towards the end.....About the third push, everyone started telling me to "push, push, push!" He had the cord wrapped around his neck once pretty tight so they wanted to get him out!

Ring of Fire is real folks and I cried, "Get him out!!!!" He came out blue and I was just thinking, "Make him cry!" He started crying real quick and pinked up really fast. He had some bruising around his eyes after for a few days and his eyes were bloodshot, but he is absolutely perfect!

So Jaxon Eli entered this world at 6:20am on October 9, 2014. He was 8 lbs. 6 oz. and 21 inches.

Right after, I delivered the placenta, did a round of pitocin to help the uterus clamp down and stitched me up (my old episiotomy tore when we had to get him out fast). We transferred to the recovery room an hour later. I showered and we were ready to go! We did laps around the hospital and I was feeling amazing! Night and day difference from Ryker's birth. I'm so grateful I have had the opportunity to experience a natural unmedicated birth and I don't think I'll ever get an epidural again. Jaxon and I were both so alert and have healed fast!

We left the next afternoon and it was super nice to not be at the hospital longer than we needed to be and be in our own home! Recovery has been great and super fast. We both got our chiropractic adjustments and that was a heavenly day to get that done!

Playing in the hospital room.

I had SO many wristbands.

Hearing Test

My amazing Midwife Heather

We are so grateful for family members and friends who have helped us in any way: Staying with us, preparing meals and watching Ryker and making sure he gets a little attention too!

Maternity Pictures

2014-09-30T13:04:00.004-07:00

When I was pregnant with Ryker, I wrestled with the idea of getting maternity pictures done. Mostly because I didn't want to feel guilty if I did them with Ryker and then didn't with the others. So Randy and I went the day I went into labor and took a few shots.

I knew this time around that I really wanted some with Ryker, but with being in a new town and putting it off until the last minute, I didn't have time to hire a photographer. So Photographer Randy to the rescue :)

I set the basic settings and then let him do whatever. It's much different being on the other side of the camera. I look at the pictures and I'm like, "Stand up straight, take a deep breath, breathe through your mouth!" I needed someone to tell me what to do! Randy didn't tell me any of that obviously...it's just funny to see how having directing you what to do really helps.

Without further ado, here are the pictures! ( If you so care to see them larger, just click on them!)

For comic relief :)

Just a little comparison.....just big!!!

Baby Shower take 2!

2014-09-26T09:50:00.002-07:00

A friend of mine put on a baby shower for little man and me! She and I are a lot alike and like to throw a good party and boy did she!

She had the cutest backdrop for the popcorn bar made from paper chains. She also had all kinds of popcorn--which I am addicted to I swear...I could eat popcorn for days! But all kinds of flavors like peanut butter, caramel marshmallow, white cheddar, puppy chow, kettle corn, etc. They were delicious and I might be eating some right now....

While I still feel like I'm fairly new to the ward and don't quite know a lot of people, I was surprised how many came to celebrate with us! I love getting to know everyone and could have stayed there all night talking to them. I will reiterate probably a billion times on the blog just how blessed we are to have moved into such a great area with such wonderful people. Truly so kind and genuine and so helpful. Seriously, seriously, seriously love my ward. They showered baby boy and I with lots of diapers, wipes and other essentials! Just what we needed. SO GRATEFUL!! THANK YOU!!!

How cute is this wrapping paper. She literally sewed it!

So now here I am at 38 weeks wondering when we get to meet the little squirt. I have a feeling we will probably go to the due date. Ryker was right on time and I'm sure this guy will follow suit. I shall keep you posted!

Welcome to Texas!!

2014-09-26T09:50:00.001-07:00

A week after we got back from Idaho, my Dad and brother came to Texas for a visit! They got to see our new house, meet our ward, tour Dallas and see some games!

The day they flew in, we all went to a Texas Rangers vs. Atlanta Braves game. First we went and had some BBQ food at Fat Cows in Lewisville. I'm not a huge fan of bbq but everyone else thought it was pretty good. I was really looking forward to have them feel the Texas heat and feel a little bit of our pain. ;) But that weekend was actually really nice and cool--60's-70's. We actually had to pack jackets...but forgot the rain ponchos! Sadly, the Braves lost and it was misty/rainy most of the game. I had joked that they were selling hot chocolate when we first got there, but by 9pm I was wanting some!

The next day, my Dad and brother went to another Ranger/Braves game and I'm pretty sure we (Randy, Ryker and I) just bummed around. I never remember much these days....
Anyways, they got back and we got ready to head to AT&T stadium for the Advocare Cowboys Showdown: Texas Longhorns and UCLA Bruins. We were going as Texas fans for the night because if they won, it would make our BYU Cougars even that more awesome for beating them. Randy and Keegan even donned their BYU apparel and got plenty of comments about it. :) There was lots of tailgating going on. Something that I wish that BYU did more. I hear they are getting better at it and letting people do it. But this tailgating was a little different....you could smell the alcohol. And then everyone inside was also drinking. I'm sure those that drink are probably like...."What's the big deal?!??!" It's just so different than what I am used to! Plus I don't understand why you would continue to buy $8-9 beers all night....waste of money. Feel free to explain....
Back to the game. We were able to get really good seats at a really good price and had a blast. It was a really intense game and there were actually a lot of UCLA fans there too so it made it a really good game with lots of noise! It was cool that it was at the Cowboys stadium because I didn't know if we would honestly ever go there for a game because I could care less for the NFL and paying ridiculous amounts of money to go. If anything it would have just been for a tour. So that's another thing we can check off of our list: Go to a game at Cowboys Stadium! It really is quite huge and the screens in there are bigger than you would imagine. Made it hard to watch the actual game! Grateful for my Dad for getting us tickets!

Sunday we did the whole church thing and then my Dad and Keegan went to yet another Rangers/Braves game. Sadly, the Braves lost all three games that weekend. They were pretty bummed! (Funny note, the speaker in sacrament meeting spoke on keeping the sabbath day holy HA!)

Monday was our hang around the house day. We started the day by going to Fort Wildflower and playing. I did some laps around the park while Ryker and Grandpa played. Uncle Keegan and Grandpa went and did some touring in the Dallas Area. I think they went to the temple this day and probably found some more bbq food. That night, we went to a place called Alfredo's for my birthday dinner. I was feeling italian but I was sick of Olive Garden. So we tried this Mom and Pop place. It was really good and here in Lewisville.

Tuesday Dad and Keegan went to the JFK museum and some other landmarks in Dallas then ate at Pecan Lodge...supposedly the best bbq in Texas. They were pretty happy about it! They came home for a bit and then got ready to go back to Idaho. Unlucky for them, they had a 4 hour layover in Denver. NOT FUN!

We had lots of fun and had lots of firsts as Randy and Ryker went to their first MLB game, first time at AT&T stadium and my first Braves game. First time trying restaurants and their first time in Texas! We sure love having family come and visit us and seeing our lives here in the South. :)

Idahome!

2014-09-26T09:50:00.000-07:00

I'm hoping that I can remember everything that we did in Idaho! It's been a few weeks!

So we left August 26th, a few days after Randy finished his first Trimester at Parker University. He did great! So proud of him. I had had an appointment with my midwife the day before and got the ok to fly. I wasn't nervous about flying, I was more nervous about Ryker wanting to climb all over me. Which only seems to have gotten easier now that I have this big belly he can step on.....
Our flight wasn't until 7pm. So we spent all day twiddling our thumbs just wanting to leave and get out of here! Finally 4pm rolled around and we got going, parked our car, got shuttled over, checked in, went through security, and got settled in to wait an hour and a half to finally get going. Once we got on the plane, everything was great. Ryker didn't sleep on the first flight but did on the second. We had just brought him in his jammies so that when we got to Idaho at 11pm he could just go straight to bed. We finally got to Idaho and had arranged for Randy's parents to pick us up but my family was there too to come see ~~Ryker~~ us. We waited for 30 minutes just for our luggage. It was nice to be able to meet with family but we were so exhausted and just wanted to go home and go to bed!! We did go stand outside for a little bit and just enjoyed the cool Idaho night. It doesn't get cool like that in Texas!

The next morning, I had a hair appointment, then we had chiropractic appointments to help us all out from the day of travel, and then some more appointments! We really just wanted to get it all done in one day so that we could enjoy the rest of our trip!

Unfortunately, it had been a really crappy wheat season because of all the rain Idaho had been getting. It was hard not being able to see Grandpa as much as we wanted too, but he is such a good example of a hard worker! Ryker did get to ride on a tractor and the lawnmower and had lots of fun with that!

Randy and his friends got together to have a bachelor party for his friend Craig. They went and shot guns, had some B-dubs (Buffalo Wild Wings) and had some good quality guys time. It's always nice to see friends!

We went on Saturday and did a session in the Rexburg temple when Craig's fiancé was doing her own endowments and that was fun! We almost didn't make it though and right when we pulled into the temple parking lot, it started pouring so we were soaked! All well. It was good to go to the temple and renew our covenants.

We had a BBQ on Labor day and had my family and Randy's family come together and just eat food and enjoy each others company. It's always hard having both of our families there because we always feel torn between the two and spending time with each family. We also went to the fair twice! Randy's sister's family traveled up to Idaho to spend some time with us (and we are so grateful for that) so we went to the fair and got a Primesteer Burger! YUMMO! The next time we went, we went to the hypnotist show and an escape artist show. We saw lots of animals including reptiles. Ryker wasn't too excited about the animals like I was hoping he would be. He's kind of a scaredy cat.

We also went to the zoo! Ryker LOVED the monkeys. They were swinging all over the place and would come and say hi to us! It was a good primer for when we go to the Dallas or Fort Worth Zoo's. We will probably wait until he's a bit older though so that he knows what the animals are and actually cares. ;)

Randy and his parents rode over to Boise where Craig was getting married. I stayed home. Traveling while pregnant sucks and I'm sad to not have been there, but I was being selfish.

It was a whirlwind trip! It went by way too fast as always but we were so glad to be able to go home and especially for Randy to be able to attend Craig's wedding--the whole reason we went! Everything else was just a perk.

The night before we left, we went and got some Mrs. Powell's cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Our flight was at 6:30am and we had heard rumors of them not letting people on planes if they showed up after a certain time so we got there so early at 4:30am...too early but at least we were there! So after checking in and waiting for security to open up, we had our cinnamon rolls. A couple hours later, we were able to board and get going to Denver. Halfway through the flight, I was feeling so nauseas. I swear every seat I sit in never has a barf bag. I looked at Randy and he knew that I needed to do something. So after a few laps up and down the aisle, I came back to my seat. Luckily Randy's seat had a barf bag because that cinnamon roll did not sit well. I don't remember the last time I threw up on a plane but it's not fun. But I felt a million times better. We made sure to get a real breakfast after we landed in Denver!

We finally got home at 12-1:00pm and came home and crashed. Plus it was FREAKING HOT. Idaho weather was so nice!

We love our family and friends in Idaho and love being able to spend anytime we can with you!!

I suck at updating this thing....

2014-08-06T13:30:00.000-07:00

But in all reality, we are just SUPER lame-o's.

Keep up with us on Facebook, Instagram (don't be afraid to ask for an invite...if I know you, I'll add you. I just have it private so wack-o's can't randomly see my stuff!), and The Twitter. ;)

HMMMMMM....

What have we been up to???

I'll post some highlights here and then do separate posts for the big stuff. (Those are below this post!)

Ryker and I have been walking 1-2 miles almost every morning. Depends on when he wakes up or if the weather is cooperative. Sometimes at 8am in the morning it feels like 90 degrees and no body wants to walk in that! I've started to slow down now that I've hit the 30 week mark of pregnancy. No more 15 minute miles. And I can't walk as far now because I need to be close to a potty. Little one sure likes to play with that bladder!

We have been enjoying the summer although it's super hot. Apparently this is a mild year but it's still roasting hot. Ryker gets red and clammy really quick so making sure we are all getting our liquids down is important! It's kind of the opposite of Utah winters. Everyone stays inside during the day because it's so hot but in the winter, it's not so bad! Randy says he's looking forward for 50 degree days in December. I'm such nazi with the AC though. I keep the house kind of toast because I don't want to pay for the AC being on 24/7!

We have playing at friends houses and watching movies, eating popcorn and just playing. It's good for Ryker because I think he gets sick of Mommy all day. We have tried out some splash pads but Ryker isn't a huge fan of them. Loves the playground but we can only go on cooler days or later at night so we don't get heat exhaustion or burned on the toys.

We have established our routines I think! I plan meals for two weeks and then go grocery shopping at ALDI. Have you heard of ALDI?!? I LOVE it. It keeps our grocery bills down and it's super close. We could technically walk if we wanted to! There's a WinCo going in around the corner too so hopefully we get to use it before we leave.

Ryker is getting super big! He's now in a Twin bed and sleeps great. We have had a few nights where he has falling out. It amazes me how fast I can get up and out of bed when he falls out when I struggle just to get up to use the restroom! But he is doing so good getting ready for baby brother. He gives him "loves" by hugging mommy's belly and will point to the belly when we ask where the baby is. He gives really good back rubs and scratches :) He's a really good eater but has to have his face full of food or he gets mad. Weird kid. He loves putting on lotion and always has something around his neck. It's funny when he finds beanies and puts them on...he looks super cute! He loves all the airplanes that fly above. We are really close to the DFW airport so they're coming in to land and close. His faces are so funny when he's confused or mad. It's hard to discipline sometimes because they make me chuckle. He's pretty naughty though...only because he is so curious and a serious monkey. Get's into everything! He can sign when he wants to eat, drink, more, please, thank you, all done....I think that's it. But it's super helpful to know when he needs something! We are going to try potty training this week. Wish us luck. I would at least like to get him trained before brother comes but he may regress when that happens because it will be a big adjustment. We will see. He is 18 months and can FINALLY go to nursery. They love him in there because he is just such a mellow kid. Wonder if little brother will be a hellion.

Little Boy in the belly is doing great! Measuring right on schedule and is an aspiring gymnast. But I love it because it's reassuring to know that he's alive and well in there! Due date is October 10 and I plan on having a natural delivery. Wish me luck and relaxation :) I have been really conscious about what I eat and exercising everyday. I have gained 20 lbs and hope to avoid the excessive weight gain I had in the last trimester with Ryker. But I sure swelled with Ryker so that probably didn't help. I feel like this pregnancy has been so different! I have taken care of myself and it's flown by. I think because I'm so distracted with Ryker that I haven't necessarily bonded with this one as much because it isn't all new to me. But I sure do love him and can't wait to meet him. Scared to have two kids but excited! Still hard to believe!

Randy has been hard at work....at school! He is there 8-12 hours a day and then comes home and crashes. It has been a big adjustment but we sure take advantage of the weekends to have some Daddy time. The first trimester (his school does trimesters...not to be confused with my pregnancy!) is almost out! Then we will be headed to Idaho for 9 days for wedding and relaxation!

Big boy bed!

Giving Daddy a foot rub :)

So when I went for a walk, I saw this on the side of the road ready to be thrown away. I told myself if it was still there when Randy got home we would bring it home. :) Low and behold they let us have it! (And a cabinet too that we put into our garage for more storage...for FREEEEE!!) So I re did this for our bedroom. It really is a nice piece of furniture. Just needed some love!

25/30 Weeks

Fourth of July

2014-08-06T11:24:00.001-07:00

We sure had fun this 4th of July!

We started off with a yummy pancake breakfast with the ward and then a "bike parade". It was really just a "let the kids go in circle's in the parking lot" but it was perfect that way. They LOVED it!

Then I think we watched a movie, took a nap and headed over to Flower Mound with our new friends for the concert and Fireworks.

This year they had a country band, the #1 AC/DC cover band in the nation ( I thought he was annoying as he!!) and KANSAS!! Loved it! So fun and Ryker loved it all. He is such a great kid.

Twins.....

Much different than my Idaho Falls traditions but it's sure fun to start new ones with your own family!

Trip to Virginia!

2014-08-06T11:11:00.003-07:00

(Luckily I journaled so I could remember everything or else this post would be super vague....inspired!!)

This post will be a reader :)

Ryker and I had the opportunity to fly out to Williamsburg, Virginia for a Searle Family Reunion. Randy's sister Amber lives out there and it was her turn to plan the reunion so we all went to visit her and see the sights! Sad that Randy couldn't come because of his crazy school schedule-but so fun to be with cousins and family!

Friday-June 13, 2014: TRAVEL DAY

After an exhausting few days of packing (stresses me out- I don't know why), everything was packed and ready to go! We woke up at 5AM to get dressed, do some final packing and out the door by 5:45AM. Checking in and security was nuts. Just took forever! Ryker was super good and it wasn't hard as far as getting everything broken down-just took awhile. We got to our gate and had about an hour to just let Ryker run around and get any energy out. He just wanted to sleep! We finally boarded and decided to use our actual boarding number in line to get in the plane instead of waiting for family boarding. We sat in an aisle seat and waited for the brave souls to join our row. I had one super nice girl sit next to the window and no one sat in between which meant Ryker got his own seat! He fell asleep 20-30 min. into the flight so I just laid him down on the empty seat.

It was awesome. But then we stopped in Little Rock, Arkansas and I had to pick him up for landing. He probably slept for about an hour total. Since it was a short stop for those whose final destination was Little Rock and for those from Arkansas to get on to go to VA, we stayed and waited for everyone to get off. While Ryker was sleeping, I went to the bathroom. The back one was occupied so I went to the front. While waiting in line, I saw my stroller had been unloaded. I sort of panicked and asked the flight attendant if they were planning on putting it back. She said she would make sure they would. I forgot about it because I was trying to get back to my seat before people got annoyed with a baby sleeping in the seats. He woke up and we had a full flight so he sat on my lap the whole time. The person that took the empty seat kept mentioning how she just wanted to sleep so I was all paranoid the whole flight that he was bothering her. Sleeping on flights is overrated though right? He started getting grumpy so we "read" a book-that lasted a whole whopping five minutes. Then the iPad-another 15. Mostly snacks kept him quiet. He really is a great flier though.

So we land in Chicago, get off and decided to find our gate which was in a different concourse. But first, when we got off, my stroller wasn't there. So I waited and waited. The new crew came and the old crew was leaving and they were all trying to help me locate my stroller! And the under-the-plane crew too! I mentioned what it looked like and a guy went down to find it. He came up with the stroller and apparently the tag got ripped off and so the claim at gate wasn't on there. I was on the verge of tears but he saved the day!
So we did a little walking but that was welcomed after sitting for 3 hours. We stopped to get an expensive sandwich that wasn't even good. We had strawberries, a banana and blueberries in the snack bag that I had packed so we were pretty full. We had about an hour wait again and ran around and made friends...stealing french fries--you know...the norm. They got on the intercom and started asking people if they were willing to give up their spot since it was a full flight and they would pay for the ticket, hotel room and give you a $300 voucher. I was NOT about to take that offer!
Ryker slept for basically the duration of the flight to Norfolk and we ended up getting there 15 minutes early. We got off, got our bag and found Amber and her kids waiting outside. They had yucky traffic coming in and we had yucky traffic coming out. A 45 minute ride turned into 1.5 hours! Isn't that the pits?! We got to her house, ate and put Ryker down for bed. Everyone else got in later and we were blessed to have a smooth day of flying with no delays like everyone else!

Saturday-June 14: JAMESTOWN
We had a late start to the day since everyone got in later than expected. Ryker and I had delicious cinnamon rolls and eggs for breakfast. We got dressed and ready to go when we get a call that my nephew cut his head open! Dang rough housing boys! ;) So we didn't end up leaving until after lunch and we headed to Jamestown. There we learned about the first colony to be established in America, how the indians and colonists worked together and John Smith, John Rolfe and Pocahontas. Disney has it all wrong! ;)

Learning about colonial times

Exploring replicas of the ships the sailed to America on

Ryker was too close to the water for my comfort!!

Sunday-June 15: YORKTOWN
We didn't have church until 1 o'clock so we decided to do Yorktown because we were unable to the morning before (remember the cracking of skulls??? Jk...it totally wasn't that bad.) Today was also Father's Day. I was feeling so guilty and bad that we weren't with Randy all day but luckily we got to FaceTime him and let him know how much we love and appreciate him!

Oh ya know...just exploring in our Sunday best!!

Monday-June 16: WILLIAMSBURG
Today we went to Williamsburg. We started out by watching a 45 minute movie to get us familiar and acquainted with everything then out to the town! It was BLAZING hot that day. We toured around and went into the buildings for the AC! We went to the Governor's Palace, Armory, Apothecary, Blacksmith, etc. We also had some yummy sandwiches from a deli shop and after lunch all the kiddies were ready for naps. Some stayed and some left to go put the kids down. It's a fun place and so fun that it's still up and running and people actually live and work there still, doing the same jobs as way back in the day. After Williamsburg, we all went swimming at the condo that some were staying in. Super nice after such a hot day!

Do I have the cutest nieces and nephews or what? All in their colonial hats!

Governor's Palace

Tuesday-June 17: BEACH DAY IN NORTH CAROLINA!
Early, early in the morning, a group left to go to a lighthouse about 3.5 hours away and went and toured that. I just didn't have the energy and quite honestly my back was really begging for me to take it easy with all this walking and touring. We left for the beach and decided to meet everyone there after the tour. It was SO hot. We were dripping just walking from the car to our beach site! Didn't take long for us to change into our swimsuits! It was a super clear day so the sun was out strong. The water felt AMAZING. Perfect temperature. The waves were super strong though. I got sucked under a few times--Good thing I had safety pinned my bottoms to my top because they would have been gone multiple times. I did see some bums though :) Ryker was scared a few times but he liked the water when it wasn't attacking him. The sand was hot and he didn't love the sand-but who does honestly? I forgot how sand just gets everywhere! After a day of fun, we headed home, fell asleep and stopped for dinner at Texas Roadhouse.

Super Mooch Ryker. This kid will mooch food off of anyone...even strangers.

But he's stinkin' cute right??

(I add this for comic relief...I told you it was a long post.)

My bottoms almost made their escape into the ocean!

The water was gorgeous!

Wednesday-June 18: WATER COUNTRY!
Today was another super hot day so we took advantage of it and went to Water Country. This place is amazing. Puts 7 Peaks to shame....Mostly everyone went in the morning but we stayed because Ryker needed to nap. I also napped-it had been an exhausting week! After we all woke up and ate some lunch, we headed over to the park. It's huge and has big slides everywhere! Ryker had a lifejacket so we would just go sit in the kiddie pools which felt great because it was SO hot! He would walk further and further in and once he got too deep, the life jacket would flip him over on his back so he would just float around. It was super cute. We also did a few laps in the "lazy" river. I think I just assumed it was a lazy river because it was called something "highway". It was FAST! And with Ryker in the life vest, it was hard to keep him upright so he wasn't loving it. We could have seen more of the park but with me being pregnant and Ryker being a little guy, we just didn't do much. Still fun though!
While we were there, Ryker cut 4 molars. He was so happy though and loved running around with his cousins and exploring the parks. He's getting SO big!

Thursday-June 19: BUSCH GARDENS
We all met up that morning in our neon shirts, took a picture and headed out! Again, I couldn't do much-but all well. Virginia in June is HOT HOT HOT----have I mentioned how hot it was this trip?!? The humidity sure didn't help! We started in the kiddie land and the littles got to do their roller coasters and rides. Ryker could do a couple and he like them. He's so funny when he's on them because he is so stoic. But once he get's off, he wants more! Then some couples went and did the big coasters while some of us kept the little ones. We went to a show called Pet Shenanigans. Basically just a bunch of trained pets-but it was cute, the kids loved it and it was a good break. Then we all went on a log flume ride which was fun---even Ryker! I honestly don't know how he liked it but when the picture showed up later-our faces were so funny! I honestly regret not buying the photo. I think I was more scared for Ryker because my face was hilarious. After that, we went home for lunch and tried to nap (Ryker slept 15 minutes to Ambers house from the park but then wouldn't nap again.) Since that didn't happen, we went back to the park. Once again, of course, I was with the littler ones and we had a crazy time getting to the kiddie rides, up and down flights of stairs. Which is no easy task with a stroller. We get to a dragon ride and they shut it down after one ride because of a thunder storm rolling in. So we decided to run across the park to try and get into a show--like everyone else in the park. But we had to go up and down those stairs again--fast! (At least I got some exercise to work off all the good food I ate there.) But we were too late so we waited for the storm. It started pouring and thunder/lightning were super close! After about 30 minutes it stopped but they had decided to close the park because of another storm rolling in, so we left. We got home for dinner and everyone went to put kids down. Amber arranged for babysitters to be at the condo so we could have an adult night. So everyone came back over (Ryker still wasn't asleep--I think his teeth were bothering him so I did get to have some snuggles.) We had dinner, ate a whole pan of scotcheroos....the sugar detox will be something else....and talked. And of course we played Canasta! I did horrible but was just so exhausted and sore from the day.

Can you find us???

During thunderstorm. He wasn't scared. Just mad that I made him stay in his stroller. Muahahahaha.

I have some cute videos but for the life of me cannot add them here. They're on Instagram if you so desire!

Friday-June 20:
Today is a free day. Everyone else is going to Busch and then Water Country if the weather cooperates. I decided we will stay and relax and swim to work on my tan. :) I stayed with the two littlest ones and napped. It was super nice. Then a group of us went to Water Country while the rest were still at Busch Gardens. It was great! At first, Ryker and I went to the little kiddie area while the rest did slides. About 10 mins. in, there was poo so we were all kicked out. I was worried because I didn't want to sit there and wait for them to come get me because Ryker just wanted to be in the water but I wanted them to know where I was. We ended up moving to a different area that had a small pool with slides and there was a boat in there with a steering wheel and Ryker really liked it. I glanced up and saw the rest pass by so I let them know where I was and stopped worrying. They all eventually came back and I did some slides! It was great to have a little fun.

Saturday-June 21:
Today is travel day. We woke up and had pancakes. I showered so I could get us all packed before Ryker napped. I got all packed up and while Ryker napped, I went with Ryan and Bethany to the outlet malls. We went to the Nike outlet then came home. We hurried and ate, packed sandwiches and took off to Norfolk. We got to Norfolk an hour before I needed to board and got through check-in and security and got to our gate. When I got there, Amber texted me and told me that my second flight from Orlando--->Dallas got delayed from 5:40 pm to 9:10 pm. I started crying....who wants a four hour layover?!? So I talked to a guy and he gave me the info to try and get on an earlier flight that would leave at 7:35pm and stop in New Orleans in between. So as soon as I got off my Norfolk to Orlando flight, I went to see if I could get on the earlier flight. I was able to get on, but she left my name and reservation on the later flight just in case anything happened with the earlier flight. Well we waited for two hours for our flight and I was letting Ryker run around to get energy out/wear him out. While he was running around, I see 3 girls with heavy dance makeup on. Then I realized that they were dancers from the TV show Dance Moms-Abbey Lee Dance Company. They commented on how cute Ryker was and one of the Mom's said he was cute when he walks. I texted Mom, Randy and Karissa about it and Karissa begged for a picture. I told her no but snap chatted her a picture later. Felt like a creep....

We make our way over to our gate and our flight has been pushed back to 8:15pm. UGHHHH!! We finally get on and take off and Ryker slept. HALLELUJAH! So he slept for about an hour. We land and wait for the others to get on in New Orleans. Luckily we got a seat in between us so Ryker could spread out a bit. We finally land and go to find our luggage. Mine wasn't there. So I go to find out why and apparently it stayed on the later flight I was originally on and wouldn't be in until 1AM. We just left and went back for the luggage in the morning. I was so tired and sore, Ryker was tired and we just wanted to be home.

Seriously such a great trip and was so good to be with family. I can't help but realize just how blessed I am to have these opportunities and to be so welcomed and loved by Randy's family. I got so lucky!

Was that a doozy or what?! Did you make it all the way through?? Good for you! I appreciate it ;)

SO HAPPY

2014-05-28T13:32:00.000-07:00

We are just so over the moon right now....but I'll get to that at the end ;)

I will have to come add pictures later.....but my mind is racing and I want to get everything out!

Randy graduated from BYU with a degree in Athletic Training! So proud of all the work he did. He didn't get much of a break between schools...but we planned it that way :) Randy graduated that morning and we were in Idaho by 3pm. We left right after graduation. We spent a week there with family and it was so good to be with family before we left for awhile.

Our move was successful! We made it safe and sound and we are unpacked and comfortable in our new home. We love it and love making it our own. We have adjusted well and feels like we have been here for ages. The neighbors are nice and our ward is amazing. They have all been so accepting and inviting and I could not be more grateful. So grateful for everyone that helped us pack, clean, move, and unpack.

We have been having fun here in Texas. It's hot but not unbearable yet. Randy is at school basically 24/7 because he knows if he comes home, we will steal him away. We cherish all the moments we have with him. Ryker loves to climb and has been getting into EVERYTHING. So taking him to the parks are so fun and he LOVES it. Ryker finally started walking once we got here and it feels like he started walking and never looked back.

Well I am twenty weeks pregnant. I can feel baby kick now....a lot and it's so fun! I love the second trimester.

FINALLY...we had our first appointment here in Texas with our midwife and we clicked with her really well. Definitely happy with her. Well we were talking about the baby and she asked when our last sonogram was and if we have seen development and body parts and such. I was like "at 7 weeks!! So lets schedule an ultrasound!!!" She laughed and said, "Well, let's do one today." HALLELUJAH! I was begging that the baby would cooperate so that we could see gender too :)

This morning...when I was saying my prayers, I was really praying that we would be able to get an ultrasound today. Tender mercy that this morning, Randy texted and asked if I would like for him to come to the appointment. I said, "YES!" He had meetings get cancelled so it was so good that he was able to come to the appointment. So two tender mercies today!

So grateful for God and all of his blessings this last month. My cup runneth over.

Anyways....back to the appointment. ;)

We had been thinking it was a girl. So the ultrasound lady was going around and showing us the baby's face and legs and the whole body. The baby was super cooperative and so cute! Well turns out that....

We are so ecstatic to have two little boys so close together and so happy that we have everything we need. He was sucking his toes! I can't believe the amount of love I feel for this little guy already and how much my love has grown for Ryker too. The excitement I feel is just overwhelming almost! SO BLESSED...SO HAPPY.

Ok....I know this post is all over the place....but that's how it's spewing out. Hope it all makes sense!

Rykers Birthday and Other Shenanigans

2014-03-18T11:27:00.003-07:00

Hello! Long time no see! ;) This post is pretty wordy....

Let's start where we left off. Well. We have made a few trips to Dallas, Texas to look for a home. We looked at lots and lots of houses. This last trip we were going because we had put in an offer on a home (that we technically had never really seen--we had our realtor FaceTime us while we walked through--seemed good) and we wanted to see it before we purchased it. Thank HEAVENS we made that trip because we would have made a yucky choice. Pictures and videos just aren't the same as being there. They had done some weird DIY finishes to the water fixtures and there were fans in the living room--two--that didn't match. Just some random things. We had already really talked them down in price and knew that we would have to do some repairs ourselves and we didn't want to pay more just to fix the mistakes that they made. And it just didn't feel right. We were so frustrated! So we went and looked at some more houses and found one that we loved. We put in offer in but they accepted another offer. So we were done for the day and just hanging out at the hotel and I couldn't help but look at the houses that were online. There was one that popped up that had only been on the market for an hour. ONE HOUR. So I called my realtor and she said she couldn't go until 7pm. We were supposed to have our rental car back to the place by then so we were debating even going to see the home. Long story short...we went to see the house. And we loved it! It was perfect for us and in a great location. So we put an offer in and we crossed our fingers for good news.

The next day was a travel day/recoup day (Saturday). The whole trip was crazy: Ryker was so sick the day before and day of traveling. It was so sad. He threw up on the plane, had a fever and was so lethargic (which was kind of nice because it made it easier on us that he was so sleepy--BUT SAD!) Then when we got to the hotel, they didn't have a crib....WHEN THEY SAID THEY WOULD!!!! So maddening. So we co-slept for the first time ever. Hated it. Hahahaha! I know it's great for some people but we didn't sleep at all because Ryker was all over the place and we were scared to crush him and he almost fell off the foot of the bed! He's such a monkey....even in his sleep! Luckily they had a crib for the next day. Hallelujah!

Sunday morning around 6AM, our realtor called and told us that we got the house! HOLY COW! It works out so perfect for us. We got it below asking price, we close this Thursday and they will actually be living there until we get there in May so they will be paying rent to us! Such a blessing.

Now we are working on selling our own home! Here is the listing: Our Home

MLS number: 1212476

SPREAD THE WORD PLEASE!!!!!

Its hard to keep everything so tidy and presentable! We are starting to pack up and I'm debating whether or not to have a garage sale to sell all the things that we would like to get rid of. Opinions or suggestions?!?!

We did a bit of a Valentines photoshoot for Ryker and it was so cute. I'm kind of glad these turned out because his birthday ones...not so much. Here is the link with all the pictures: http://www.kayleighsearle.com/2014/02/valentines-baby/

Next: Ryker's Birthday!

We did two party's--one in Utah and another in Idaho.

First off: UTAH

We had neighbors and family come over for pizza and cupcakes. Ryker hated his cupcake. Wouldn't touch it. I SLAVED OVER THOSE CUPCAKES! ;)

The next day, we went to Idaho to celebrate Randy and Ryker's birthday's. Randy went snowmobiling and loved every second of it! We had a family birthday party and Ryker sure got spoiled! Randy too ;)

During this time, I was fighting sickness. I had found out that I was pregnant after two negative tests and finally a positive one. Finally an answer! I was only about 6 weeks when we got to Idaho but I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to tell our family at their birthday party! And boy was it.

I can't get the video to load ;( But you can view it here: Reveal!

Karissa's reaction was hilarious. My mom was the only one I told...I'm pretty sure that my mother in law knew because I was feeling like crap. The men didn't care... :) It was funny because I turned to them and I was like, "You guys aren't even excited??" and Keegan says, "Hey, it's less pressure on me!" We've been giving him lots of crap since he's an RM and they all get the, "When are you getting married?" question.

So as of now, I am ten weeks pregnant. I've only thrown up once which is nice because with Ryker I was pretty ill. I couldn't even get out of bed. But it's been good! I always feel like a crappy wife during this first trimester because no food sounds good so therefore I don't make dinner. No point in my book when saltines sound amazing to me. Luckily, my appetite is kind of starting to come back and I am able to help out! It's been such a crazy time with flying to Texas, trying to clean the house and getting kicked out when people want to come see it when all I want to do is lay in my bed. But such a blessing. I never thought three years ago when we started having "issues" and miscarriages that we would be able to get pregnant so easily. We are very grateful. And scared hahaha. Randy will begin Chiropractic school in May so I hope I can do this single mom thing and take care of two little ones! Obviously, it's achievable. People do it all the time :)

Well that's about it. So glad you checked up on us! Leave a comment would ya? :)

Ryker is One!

2014-02-12T10:50:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe that my little boy is one year old! We are having a fun celebration here tonight and I need to go and get all that ready so I will leave you with this video. Welcome to a typical Ryker day. Hope you enjoy!

Whirlwind!

2014-01-27T21:42:00.001-07:00

I swear I always start off with saying this but HOLY COW!!!

We have been CRAZY busy. Let's see. (Picture dump at the end of the post)

I got my wisdom teeth out a week before Thanksgiving. And an implant for my missing tooth. Now I have this cool metal gap in my mouth waiting for a custom tooth! I did it up in Idaho and it was so nice to be with family. It was Randy's family's turn for Thanksgiving this year so we spent lots of time with them. Randy's sister came all the way from Virginia and it's so fun to see their family and how much the little ones have grown. We took some family pictures and they turned out great! Baron Photography in Shelley did them if you're ever looking for a studio photographer.

(Just focus on Ryker...Randy and I are awkward :))

Hmmmm what happened next. Not much until Randy finished the semester. My family came down the week before Christmas to open presents and do christmas things with them before we left for San Francisco. Randy was chosen to travel with the BYU football team as one of the student athletic trainers to help with the Fight Hunger Bowl in San Francisco. Ryker and I were so blessed to be able to go with him since Randy would be there for Christmas. So grateful for them, taking such good care of us over the holidays. Ryker did so well with the traveling. We have such a good boy! (I cannot say that enough!)

Well we landed and literally took off straight for Idaho so we could spend time up there and Randy could go snowmobiling...for three days straight!

Well. We returned from that whirlwind of a trip to spend three days at home before leaving for Las Vegas. The chiropractic school that Randy will be attending puts on a seminar and we went and enjoyed all things chiropractic. Can I just gush about chiropractic for a bit? I'm so glad to have been introduced to such an amazing field. I know that the body can heal itself and I know that we don't take advantage of that possibility! Most people think that chiropractors just crack backs and necks and send you on their way but that is not the case! They deal with the nervous system and they "adjust" and re-align you so that your nerves can send the right signals to your body. OH it's so amazing. It's the first doctor we go to unless it's an emergency.

Next up?? DALLAS, TX. We got back from Las Vegas and spent the next 4 days prepping to go to Dallas to go look at houses. What an adventure! We decided not to take Ryker so that we would be able to go and do as much as possible and it was a good choice. But it was sure hard on this momma! Our schedule was all over the place! We saw SO many houses and apartments but ultimately didn't find a home. I came back very disappointed and feeling like we wasted our time there. But we will see what the Lord directs us to. We are still looking and debating another trip back.

While I was in Texas, my mother called and told me that my Grampy Pete had passed away. It was a total shock. She asked if I would go with her to Maine to attend the funeral and such and I had to say yes. I didn't know if I would ever honestly have the chance to go back.

It was such a good experience to go and see my family and to say goodbye to my Grampy. I had a hard time with his passing because I was feeling guilty that I did not know him very well. With me being in Idaho and him in Maine, I never made the effort to really keep in contact with him. But I do love him so much and wish so bad to hug him one last time. It was quite the experience. Humbling and overwhelming too. Ryker came with us and he was such a good boy. We got so many compliments on how well he traveled. All of our family members just loved being around him and his sunny disposition.

Ryker has about had it with not sleeping in his own bed and not having regular naps! He slept for three hours straight today and then took another hour nap. One lucky momma. We've sure got him trained!

While we are talking about him: He is almost one!!! Next month, my little baby turns one. It is so crazy to think of how fast this year went by! I swear he was just born, but it also feels like eternity. Everyone still compliments on how much he looks like Daddy. But in Maine, I got so many remarks on how he looks like me too. I think he's a good mixture. He sure is a Mommy's boy but sure loves on Daddy when he's home from school. We call him our monkey because he is always getting into everything and climbing on everything. What's funny too is that he LOVES bananas. He is overall a super good eater and will eat most anything we give him. He has four teeth- two on top and two on bottom. He can stand but refuses to walk unless he uses his walker. He waves bye and loves peek-a-boo. He is super social and isn't afraid of strangers. He gives kisses and snuggles and back scratches. He LOVES to sing too. He sings all the time which I love and we sing together. He is seriously a blast and I love him to death!!! I cannot believe how lucky I am to have such a sweet little boy.

It's so very nice to be home and to be able to relax and have time to be with Randy. We are getting the house ready to sell and about to put it on the market. Anxious but ready.

We are very blessed and life is swell!

P.s. Remember this post??? Well a little update on that. I lost 8 lbs. and 8 inches all over my body. The before and after is amazing in my eyes...beware its a little revealing! I can't say that I have been very successful the last 21 days with all of the traveling and all. With traveling comes eating out and crazy schedules so I tried to do the best I could but I am ready to hit it hard again. I'm proud to know that I can do hard things and will continue to work at it!

Christmas sweater! What a HAM!

He loves to get food all over himself....bathtimes are usually after dinner times :)

His hair...his face...it kills me!

Lobster!

Sorry it's sideways but I made these for our bedroom. Randy really likes the quote on the right so I decided to make a print to hang on our wall.

Texas...boring eh?

I made an elephant with a passenger in Sunday school. It was lots of fun!

That whoopee pie is bigger than my head....let that sink in!

Grampy's Mass/Funeral. Pretty interesting experience!

Loving on cousins :)

Uncle Peter

Aunt Lolly

With Grammy Pat

Aunt Barbie

Bike ride to the Golden Gate bridge!

Huge Macy's christmas tree in San Francisco

Just talking on the phone

Fun at the cabin!

Peace and blessins'

Tis the Season

2013-12-11T16:09:00.002-07:00

FREAKING LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!!!

That's all.

Here are some of the details of our front room.

Luckily my mother in law has accumulated most of the decorations for me. Except for the tree. We didn't have a tree or anything our first year and we attacked those post holiday sales at Wal-mart for our tree and decor. SCORE!

And I gotta say: I love sparkle and glitter because my tree is covered!

What are some of your favorite decorations that you have? I would love to see! Link up or share your pictures.

Click on the pictures to see them larger and to scroll through.

And here is my funny hubby with his co-athletic training pals from this semester. They have all worked with the football team this year.

Don we now.....

Peace and Blessins'

P.s. I won't be able to send everyone a christmas Card...But here is ours!

Enjoy :)

And so it begins...

2013-11-19T10:20:00.000-07:00

Ok. I know it's not a super attractive picture. But I just want to brag for a second.

After Ryker was born, I was not happy with my body. Everyone says to love your mommy body but I'm sorry to say I didn't buy it. I had a friend say she looks deflated. Totally. I saw friends transformations and saw that it's absolutely possible to tone up and lose that baby weight.

I would whine about my body until one day I realized that instead of whining about it, it would be better for me to actually do something about it. So I did. I was at my pre baby weight, but my body was completely different. My hips certainly don't lie ;) so I joined a 60 day challenge and try everyday to do my best at eating healthy, drinking water, work out and better myself.

Now I'm not saying that I'm an expert....HARDLY! I had no idea where to begin. But after really looking into clean eating and doing the Insanity program, I'm excited to say that I have lost 4 inches around my waist, chest, and hips. My muscles are growing and I'm really starting to see some progress. (I lost four pounds, but have since gained muscle and therefore weight---I'm more worried about the inches anyways!) I'm now 30 days into it and can't wait to see what I look and feel like on day 60. I know that I will keep going after that as well.

This challenge is also helping me to stay on track during the holidays!

If you have any questions or would like to join in, let me know! At the end of this, I will post before and after pictures :)