One Month Old!

I can't believe he's a month old already!

Cameron is a sweet baby. He doesn't fuss much unless there's a problem. I think we're messing up the sleep thing, though. He's decided that he prefers sleeping as we hold him. If we put him in the bassinet he sleeps for about 30 minutes, then wakes up until we pick him up. I know it's probably not a good habit to get into, but at 3 a.m., it seems much easier to pull him up next to me in the bed. Any ideas on how to get him to sleep better in his bassinet or crib??

He's awake a little more now, looking around, exploring his world. I even got him to focus on pictures in a book yesterday. He tracks our voices and loves to watch our faces.

Scott's parents came for a visit. They hadn't been able to hold Cameron in the hospital, and Scott's mom was ready for some baby snuggles. While they were here we went up Big Cottonwood Canyon for a walk around Silver Lake - Cameron's first "hike". We had a great time and hope Grammie and Grandpa can visit again soon.

Cameron Comes Home!!

Well, we finallt got to bring Cameron home from the hospital last Thursday afternoon. It was a very special day. Though you can see by the picture above that he didn't seem to care that much. At the time we took him home he was up to 5 lbs. 9 0z. and 19 inches long.

Emma seems to have taken to Cameron almost immediately. She wants to lick him all the time and is sometimes startled at every little noise he makes. The cats don't seem too affected by his arrival at all. We've had a number of friends and family come by the house who can now finally hold our little man. I think the biggest adjustment for Becca and I are each of us trying to get some sleep while feeding and changing Cameron every three hours!!! Our lives certainly have now changed forever!!

But we are very grateful to have Cameron in our lives and to finally have him home. I'm going to be able to be home for the next few weeks and Rebecca has been on maternity leave since Cameron was born. So, we are now officially a family. Life is just beginning!!

Cameron Scott Thompson

It was Thursday July 9, 2009 and I was working like I normally would on a Thursday. I was sitting in another meeting when I my cell phone vibrated. It was Rebecca. I knew she had gone to see her doctor today; so I stepped out of my meeting to take her call. She said, "Honey, we're going to have a baby today. He wants to induce me at 2 p.m today." My response, "Okay this isn't April Fool's so I guess you're not kidding!!" We talked a bit more and I staggered back to my meeting stunned and said "I think I have to go, I'm having a baby today." Went to my office told my boss what was happening and headed north for home. It was the beginning a a surreal weekend!!!

We got to St. Mark's Hospital in Salt Lake around 2 p.m. and got Rebecca admitted. Got here hooked up to an IV and about 4 or 5 p.m. they started inducing her. Contractions started and a few hours later she go the epidural which took away the pain and seemingly slowed her contractions down. Rebecca also lost all motor functions of her legs; so I had to move them around for her. Rebecca's sister Sarah and Mom had arrived for the evening. Things were going fine and I even caught an hour of shut eye around midnight. We even sent her mom and sister home to sleep when the nurse checked and Rebecca was 9 centimeters dilated and he was crowning.

Rebecca and I prior to all the excitement!!

Well, I got a shot of adrenaline, woke up, called her family back and the hospital called the doctor. About a half an hour later Rebecca was pushing and after ten to fifteen minutes our son Cameron Scott Thompson was born at 1:56 a.m. July 10, 2009 weighing in at 5 lbs. 2 oz and 18 inches long.

Rebecca with Cameron just after he was born.

Since he was early and small he was rushed over the NICU unit. We then had to get Rebecca up to a recovery room which we did and around 3:45 a.m. we both crashed pretty hard. We woke up the next morning going "Did we just have a baby?" We did and he's quite the miracle child and we are blessed to have him in our lives.

Cameron a few hours after being born.

So, our weekend was spent in the hospital seeing Cameron in the NICU every three hours, visiting with family. My parents got in Friday morning from Reno where they now live. We also exchanged hundreds of text messages, emails and phone calls with friends around the country and world. Rebecca got discharged from the hospital on Sunday, but Cameron had to stay as he needs to be eating consistently for us to take him home. He's a strong boy and doing very well. Everything else has checked out fine and he is getting stronger everyday. Rebecca is recovering well and happy to be able to get into her normal clothes again. We're both enjoying being able to sleep regular hours at night, because we both know that once he's home that won't be the case.

Rebecca also had a baby shower planned for last weekend which got cancelled and can hopefully be rescheduled very soon. We greatly appreciated all the flowers, cards, phone calls, warm thoughts and prayers as welcome this new little bundle of joy into our lives.

Another update!

Scott and I went in for an ultrasound yesterday, and Baby Cam seems to be falling further behind. When we discovered the problem at my 27 week ultrasound, his abdominal circumference was in the 15th percentile, but yesterday measured only in the 1st. His overall size was in the 40th percentile, but yesterday was only the 12th. They estimated his weight at 4 lbs, 11 oz., with a possible variance of half a pound either direction. My placenta seems to be failing. The good news is that he is still very active (Scott has decided he's a place kicker) and he has plenty of fluid around him.
I was hoping to get him to at least 6 pounds, but we may not quite make it.
Scott and I attend childbirth classes every week, wondering if each class will be our last. Will we even need the breathing techniques, or will he do a c-section?
And in the end, none of that matters. We just want him here.

Still pregnant..

I saw my dr. today, and he still thinks I'll deliver early. In fact, he said he won't let me go past 38 weeks, which is the week of July 17. It could still be any time between now and then if he sees anything he doesn't like (baby's not active, quits growing, etc.), but at the very most, we'll have a baby in a few weeks! As awful as bedrest has been, it seems to be working.

Here is my 34 week picture:

It's scary, but we're so excited, and the pregnancy hasn't been easy, so it's nice to have the end in sight.

We're going to Bear Lake this weekend, so I can lay on a different couch :) I need the change of scenery, and my family will be up there. Besides, it will be last trip for a while!

Last month we were able to go to Seattle to visit our dear friends Jenn and Paul, and their daughter Isabelle. Isabelle is a pure joy, full of energy and smiles. It was great to spend more than an hour or two with Jenn, since most of our visits over the last few years seem to revolve around a quick lunch.

Now our focus is on this new little addition to our already blessed lives.

Baby Update

We've been watching Baby Cameron's growth carefully over the last month. My 27 wk ultrasound showed he had a small abdominal circumference, a little behind the rest of his growth. I've had 2 ultrasounds since that time, and for some reason he seems to be getting further behind, dropping from the 15th percentile, to less than the 5th.
So as of today, I've been instructed to cut back on my work hours and spend the rest of the time on bed rest. I'll also be starting weekly visits and bi-weekly non-stress tests.
We don't really know what's going on. All of his other measurements are on track. I'm just trying to eat more and gain weight in hopes that he will, too.
We'll keep you posted!

Married for One Month!!! How Time Flys!!

Today, marks the One Month Anniversary of when I married the love of my life, Rebecca. It doesn't seem like it has already been a month and yet so much has happened in the last year and half. We still have so much more ahead of us. When I think about how much my life has changed I'm just amazed. Everything I've always longed for....a loving woman to call my wife, a home and a chance to build a family have all come true in the last 18 months all because I found Rebecca. It's amazing how completely I am in love with her.

We finally got the proofs from out wedding photos and I'll post a few of them with this blog entry. There are a lot of pictures. Nearly 300!!!! We've asked our photographer to post them on-line so those of you out of state have a chance to see them or order copies if you want. They really turned out great. She's in the process of having some work done on her site and once she gets the pictures on there we will let everyone know.

We had a great honeymoon in Cozumel, except for incidents on the day we left that Rebecca has already told you about. We're now settling into life as husband and wife. The house is taking up a lot of our free time right now. Had some work done on the roof and have had new gutters put in. Who knew you could get do excited about new gutters!!! Bought some new furniture from IKEA; though we've discovered Becca finds the store a bit too overwhelming. Now we are trying to get our neglected yard in shape. Becca is busy planting and I've been mowing and now trying to get the sprinklers working. Already discovered one busted pipe and I know there are at least two busted sprinkler heads. Plans are for some painting over the holiday weekend. There always seems to be something to do. Welcome the joys of home ownership!!! I really do enjoy the house and the animals all seem to be adjusting, well almost. We're having a little issue with Isabella the cat using the litter box. Hopefully our latest steps will get that worked out. Emma really enjoys her yard and Olivia, the other cat seems to like the new neighborhood as well. We must also say a big thank you to Rebecca's parents who have given us some of their old patio furniture for the backyard and bought some flowers and shrubs for us to plant.

I wanted to also say a very big "THANK YOU" to our wedding party. On Rebecca's side was her sister Sarah as the Maid of Honor. Sarah also did a tremendous amount of work helping with wedding and words just can't thank her enough. Bridesmaids were sister-in-law Sydney and friends Tiffani and Audrey. On me side was my Best Man, my cousin from Illinois Brad. Groomsmen were Masonic brothers Jeff Brooks and David Brown and my fraternity brother from college Paul Brady. Many of them traveled from far and wide to be there and we greatly appreciate it. Here's a picture of the wedding party in all our glory.

Our wedding day wouldn't have been what it was without everyone who came and shared in our day!! Next up is our baby boy who is scheduled to make his arrival in just a couple of months!!! We can't wait!!!

My sweet tooth...

For the first time in my life, I crave sweets. Lots of them. All the time. I ate a 6 lb bag of gummy bears (not all at once, but still...). The other day Scott and I went for frozen yogurt. I finished that, then we stopped for more on the way home. I ate pie for dinner last night. And cookie dough. I want hot fudge sundaes and caramel sauce.


For those of you who know me, you know this is highly unusual. While I've always enjoyed sweets, I never craved them, and always consumed them moderately. Growing up, my mom would throw away my Halloween candy at Christmas, my Christmas candy at Easter, my Easter candy at Halloween. I never finished it. Now I wish I had saved every piece. mmmmm...

We had another ultrasound today, to check on Baby Cameron's growth. Other than being a little thin, he looks great. Look how beautiful he is!

I'm in the 3rd trimester now, coming down the home stretch. It's still not real to me that Scott and I are going to be parents. Even at this point, I'm just cautiously optimistic that things will turn out well. I'm scared to hope, even though I know this pregnancy is progressing normally.

Scott and I have made an exciting purchase...a LAWNMOWER!!! Romantic, eh? Our yard appears to have been neglected for a long time, and I think we have a lot of work ahead of us to get it under control. We're just trying to do a little bit at a time.

No, We Don't Have The Swine Flu!

In fact, we'd never even heard of it until we got back from our honeymoon in Cozumel.

We had a wonderful week, with lots of food, relaxing, and fun. We were at an all-inclusive resort. We spent time on the beach and in the pool, reading and relaxing. One day we went on a Jeep tour around the island that included snorkeling, a visit to Mayan ruins, a tour of the tequila factory, a trip to a lighthouse, and lunch. We met a very nice young couple from Boston, also on their honeymoon.
We also signed up for a horseback ride through the jungle. This was the funniest part of the trip. The "jungle" turned out to be a slow, hot ride down a busy street, with a little foliage off to the side. Every once in a while we'd detour off the road through some bushes, then back onto the road. lol
We spent a day in town, where Scott got his Hard Rock Cozumel shirt, and we found some small gifts. We treated ourselves to massages at the spa, and indulged in plenty of food at the buffet!
The most stressful part of the trip was the day we were leaving, when I accidentally left my wedding rings behind. We were on our way to the airport when I realized I didn't have them, and I panicked, and made the driver turn around. Thankfully they were still on the bed, where I had taken them off to put on some lotion. No one had been in to clean the room yet. I burst into tears with relief.
When we got to the airport, Scott realized he hadn't kept his immigration form. We were sent to the immigration office with a form that was completely in Spanish. When we tried to explain that we didn't understand what it was asking for, they tried to send us to a different office. Scott finally just filled in his name and passport number (we have no idea if this is what the form asked for). They didn't even glance at it, just stamped it and sent us on our way.
So we made it home, from the tropical breezes and high temps of Mexico, to the snow of Utah. From shorts and swimsuits to long pants and coats.

For all of you that made special arrangements to be here for the wedding, especially in these times of economic stress, we just can't thank you enough. The day would not have been the same without all of your love and support. We'll continue to keep you posted as we build our lives and family together.

Less Than A Week Away (The Groom's Perspective)

Well, as you can all see my darling Rebecca is a lot more adept at keeping up on this blog than I am. But, I was thinking about blogging today too, so here is goes.

Six days now, until I get to officially call Rebecca Mrs. Thompson. Seems like only yesterday we met, then not too long after that I proposed and here's the wedding day fast approaching. When we talked about having a spring wedding that seemed so far off, now here we are. There are a lot of last minute things to do, but to be honest (and maybe this is a guy thing) I'm not all that stressed out about any of it. Rebecca has been great about getting everything organized and there's a lot more to do on her end than mine. We have all the big things done. Caterer, musician, venue, Reverend, photographer, honeymoon.

Most of my family and friends are coming in from out of town and they've all made their plans and will be here. Both of us are really blessed with the riches of friends and family that love us both. The weather this time of year in Utah is a bit unpredictable. For instance tonight rain is moving in that may get cold enough to turn to snow on Wednesday. But, by Friday temperatures will be in the 50s with highs in the 60s expected for the wedding day. In Cozumel, the highs have been in the 80s. That will be nice.

The house is coming together. We have the upstairs pretty settled with a guest bedroom serving as wedding central right now. This weekend we bought some rugs and new comforter for the bedroom and we got them really cheap as Penney's had them all on sale. Only downer was Emma trying to eat our rug. I quickly put a stop to that. The downstairs has been slower to come together. Though I do now have an office set up and two guest bedrooms. Still a number of boxes to unpack there and things to put away. We've both realized we still need to get rid of things that we have too much of - glassware seems to be a biggie. Summer garage sale on the horizon!!! The house still needs some work. Minor items on the roof, leaky toliet, drywall in downstairs basement, fence, lots of painting. Plenty of items to spend our tax return money on and plenty to do over time. Need to buy a lawn mower and weed eater, too. I've avoided lawn work for nearly 20 years. I guess its time to get back out there again.

Rebecca bought me U2's latest album "No Line On the Horizon". They have a song called "Magnificent" and the chorus goes "Only love, only love can leave such a mark; But only love, only love can heal such a scar: Justified till we die, you and I will magnify, The Magnificant" Rebecca has healed my scars and makes me feel magnificant every day. Our journey through life has only just begun.

Please be safe in your travels this week. We are grateful all of you can be here this coming weekend for this glorius day and should you happen to see my parents with a blank look on their face on Sunday that's to be expected. They didn't think they would ever see their only son get married. But, then I met Rebecca and my world change forever...

See you all soon.

Less than a week!

I can't believe the time is here! In less than one week, we will be Mr. and Mrs. Scott Thompson. I'm so excited!

This is the exhausting part. The final details. Picking up the dress, the tuxes, making sure family and friends arrive safely and are comfortable. Doing the flowers, the centerpieces, packing for the honeymoon (woohoo, Cozumel!), arranging transportation, finalizing numbers, organizing payments to the vendors, getting everyone together for the rehearsal and dinner, and HAVING FUN!!!

We are so touched by the number of people who are traveling to be with us. It makes the day even more special to know that we are so rich with loving friends and family. We can't wait to see all of you.

Travel safely.

Kramba the Butterfly

My 7-year-old nephew, Chase, has been studying butterflies in school. As part of the class, the teacher had several caterpillars, and the class was able to watch the life cycle as they spun their chrysalis' and then hatched into butterflies. If students wanted, they could then take a butterfly home. Those that were not taken home were released on a warm day.

Chase was very excited to bring home his butterfly. He named it Kramba. My sister built a butterfly house for him, and Chase packed the butterfly with him all over the house, to the bedroom, the kithen, and the bathroom.

A day later, there was a death in my brother-in-law's family, and they needed to fly to South Dakota for the funeral. Sarah called, asking if Scott and I would take Kramba. Keep in mind, a butterfly's life span is only about a week, and they were going to be gone for 5 days. Chase is so sensitive, but we tried to explain that Kramba might not be alive when he got back. He understood.

I am happy to announce that Kramba the Butterfly survived his week at Aunt Becca's and is now back at home with Chase. Phew! I don't know why I felt so much pressure to keep that thing alive! Probably because I can't stand to see Chase hurt or upset.

Chase is planning on releasing the butterfly so it has a chance to fly.

Getting settled

We finally moved last Friday, after several weeks of delay and frustration. Now we're dealing with boxes and boxes, and trying to find room for everything. I think we have enough drinking glasses and mugs to quench the thirst of a small country.

Emma has adjusted very well, and seems thrilled to have her own yard, plus plenty of space to run around in the house. The kitties are adjusting more slowly, and seem quite nervous and insecure. I can't get them to come upstairs (except for the one night Olivia spent 4 hours howling outside our bedroom door.)

So now we're in high gear for the wedding. We need to meet with the vendors again to finalize the details, get the flowers ordered, and put together some packages. I have a final fitting for the dress, which, thanks to a talented seamstress and a corset in the back, may actually fit me. I'm still not showing the pregnancy, so I probably won't be very big when the wedding rolls around.

We are really looking forward to seeing everyone at the wedding. I know it will be an amazing day as we're surrounded by our closest friends and family. I can't wait!

Still homeless!

This is getting so frustrating! We closed 1 week ago today, and still don't have keys to the house! There is some holding company in Texas that needs to sign a document and fax it to be recorded. Apparently this is just too difficult for them to do! Scott and I have delayed movers (again), electrical work (again), and delivery of appliances (again). Our $2 storage unit will now cost us $200, as of this weekend.
Is this even legal? The selling agent has the contact information for the holding company, but isn't sharing it, so we don't even know who to call to complain.
Thankfully my parents are more than willing to let us stay there as long as we need to, but the holding company doesn't know that. What if we weren't lucky enough to have family or friends to live with? What if we were in a hotel?
This is just crazy!

It's a boy!!!

Wow! What an amazing day! I was starting to believe that I wasn't really pregnant. I mean, I still throw up, but I'm not showing at all, and haven't felt anything yet. It didn't quite seem real to me.
And then, there he was, on a 42" screen. This squirming, wiggling creature living inside of me. A beautiful son.(Or a strange looking alien, if we're being honest.) I think Scott and I were both bawling when she told us. I'm not sure that either of us ever thought this day would come. And then to see his face, his little hands and feet, his perfect heart beating. What a gift...

On the house front, I think we FINALLY get the key today!!! This has been so crazy! Seems like it's been one delay after another. We closed last Thursday, then were informed that we couldn't have the key because the bank wanted 3-5 days to look over the Settlement Statement. Whatever...

This coming weekend we'll be busy with the move, the bridal shower, and sharing the news of our sweet son.

Meet me in St. Louis...

Scott and I flew to St. Louis this past weekend to help his grandmother celebrate her 95th birthday!!! We met his parents and his sister and her family, and we all rented this huge house. It was so fun to spend some time with everyone, and a great chance for me to meet some of the extended family before the wedding. Unfortunately, Grandma won't be able to come out to Salt Lake in April, so Scott wanted to introduce us. She's a sweetheart, and I wish we'd had more time to get to know each other!

On the homefront, we're still waiting to find out if we can close on the house tomorrow! The bank switched title companies on us, and now we're waiting for the underwriter to verify that the bank has title to the house. So we haven't hired movers yet, but we're still hoping to be in the house by this weekend.

Emmy has been completely spoiled since we've been staying at my parent's. She doesn't have to be in her crate during the day, which means she's burning off a lot more energy and is much more manageable in the evenings. Grandma gives her lots of treats, and even let her sleep on the bed while Scott and I were in Missouri. She'll have a bit of readjusting to do when we get into the house!

The pregnancy seems to be going well. I still have some sickness, but less than I had a few weeks ago. At least we're headed in the right direction, and we find out the baby's gender next week! Can't wait!

The Moving Has Begun!!!!

Well, I thought it was about time I posted an update of our activities. Rebecca has now officially sold her condo and we hired some movers to get her stuff out and into storage. It was a pretty good way to go since Rebecca hasn't been feeling well with the morning sickness and I got sick over the weekend with a bad sore throat and lost my voice. It took about five hours to complete the move and get her stuff into storage. I also realized that I didn't get a big enough storage unit and we've had to rent another one to put my stuff in this coming weekend.

Rebecca also had a couple of really bad days of morning sickness before the move. She wasn't keeping anything down even water. So, they got her some IV fluids and some strong nausea medication. The same nausea medication that they give to cancer patients who are in treatment. That really made a difference and Rebecca is starting to feel like her old self again and get her appetite back. But, now she, Emma and the two cats are at her parent's house. I'm moving out of my condo this weekend and will be joining everyone. Thankfully, Rebecca's parents have welcomed us with open arms.

Rebecca also did really well on the profit for her condo. Enough for a down payment of the house, new appliances and some new bedroom furniture. I'm hoping to get enough out of the sale of my condo to pay for some of our bigger wedding expenses. I'm scheduled to close on my place on the 25th. I went out last night and purchased a new washer/dryer for the house. Next weekend we are flying back to St. Louis for my Grandma Thompson's 95th Birthday Party. I know she won't be able to come out for the wedding in April and I wanted her to meet Rebecca.

Speaking of the wedding, we have still have some little things to wrap up and we'll be getting the invitations out in the next couple of weeks, but everything else is in place. Still need to book the honeymoon. Just waiting on the sale of the condo for that.

Need to finishing packing up my place and get ready to move on Saturday. Things are moving fast. HOLD ON TIGHT!!

WTF???

Seriously, WTF were they thinking??
This is the garage in our new house. It's BRIGHT YELLOW!!! Please note, not only are the walls yellow, but the WINDOWS have been painted yellow! (See the smiley faces finger-painted onto the glass?) The ceiling is yellow! The back of the garage door is yellow! The stairs into the house are YELLOW!! What were they smoking??

In our first walk-through of the house, we opened the door to the garage, peeked in, and it had a yellow cast. I thought there was yellow paper over the windows. But during the daylight, with the garage door open, Scott and I were blinded by the Pittsburgh Steeler's-yellow! Suddenly we had been transported to the sun!

And what's up with the blood-red door? I never thought I'd feel the need to paint a garage, but this garage will be painted, before it does permanent damage to our retinas!

Our New House!!!

Well, it looks like we're getting close to having a new home to move into. Rebecca will be closing on her condo in a couple of weeks and then if all goes well I'll be closing on mine a couple of weeks later. The house we have under contract is in Sandy, Utah. For those of you out of state Sandy is a southern suburb of Salt Lake City and will put me closer to my work, but give Rebecca a longer commute. For you locals, the house is around 2200 East and 10200 South.

It is a rambler, about 3,000 square feet. Six bedrooms, three bathrooms, finished basement, fenced yard for Emma to run around in, a very open floor plan and in a very desirable neighborhood. The house has been foreclosed; so we are getting it for well under market value for the area. We had a home inspection done on Sunday and even though the house is 20 to 25 years old it doesn't have too many major issues wrong with it. There are a couple of things we'll need to address right away; but a lot of it is comestic or can be done over time. One of the more interesting aspects of the house is the garage; which I'll let Rebecca explain more in detail later.

One thing Rebecca was looking for in a home was a coat closet and we both now realize we don't have one with this house, but I think we can make due. Thankfully, after the inspection we both decided there wasn't anything that would make us not buy the house at this point. This was the only home we looked at that Rebecca felt see could see us living in. We'll need to outfit the kitchen with new appliances and get some new furniture. If the financing comes through we should be able to move in the first weekend in March. It will be good to be in a home before the wedding.

The one logistical downside is that both of us need to be out of our condos before we close on the house. So, we will probably be staying with Rebecca's parents for a couple of weeks before we move into the house. Lucky for us they're willing to have us for awhile.

Emma

Scott mentioned Emma in his post, so for those of you who do not know Emma, I thought I should explain.

Emma is the dog from Hell. She is a two year old Boxer/Boston Terrier Mix (FYI, this is the recipe for a dog from Hell). She's 40 lbs of pure muscle. She's stubborn, destructive, and has far too much energy for my little condo.

I knew when I decided to get a dog that there would be expenses involved. Food, vet bills, toys, treats, etc. Below is a list of the unexpected expenses I have encountered in the last 2 years:

8 pairs of sunglasses

2 pairs of prescription glasses (about $150 each)

6 pairs of earphones for the iPod

4 bed pillows

2 feather throw pillows for the couch (see picture above)

2 bathroom rugs

7 or 8 bras

2 pairs of shoes

1 sofa cover

1 soft down throw

2 shirts

2 plastic chairs for the balcony (and their cushions)

several plants

A pair of my mom's shoes

Mom's gardening pad

4 leashes

1 broom

1 snow shovel

New carpet throughout the condo

Several tubes of lipstick

4 combs

1 curling iron (she chewed the cord and I electrocuted myself)

3 of my nephew's basketballs/baseballs/tennis balls, etc.

countless dog beds.

Now, you're probably thinking, "Why isn't the dog supervised??" She is. The damage would be 10 times worse if she weren't.

Thankfully, she's outgrown most of the destructive behavior. I'm not sure Scott would marry me if she hadn't. In an effort to bond, Scott took Emmy back to obedience school (her second round.)

On the plus side, she's the most affectionate dog you'll ever meet. She's a snuggler. She's gentle with kids, tolerant of ear-pinching and tail-pulling. She's protective of me. And protective of the kids (won't let them swim alone.) And every time Scott walks in the door, she does what we call "The Daddy Dance". Her bum starts wiggling, she picks up her leash, and she "dances" on her back legs. She knows she's not supposed to jump on him, so she just prances around with her front legs in the air. She loves other dogs, cats, and strangely, pigs.

Emma just needs a yard and lots of exercise. I'm as excited for her to have a yard as I am for myself. And my darling Scott is unbelievably tolerant.

Three Months and Counting...

Today marks the three month mark in the countdown to our blessed wedding. While we have most of the big items out of the way; there are still lots of things to do. We spent most of this last weekend house hunting. Now, that we've sold our condos. Though my deal is not quite finalized yet, but its on the way. There sure are a lot of homes on the market. The key is finding something we both like, in our price range and in the right location. Sounds pretty simple, doesn't it. Well, so far we haven't found the one house that meets all our needs quite yet. We're both hopeful it will happen soon. Everything we've wanted to have happen has just fallen into place; so I don't see why this should be any different.

On the baby front..Rebecca is almost through the first trimester which is great. She's had a rough time with morning sickness and I know she will be glad when that finally subsided and she can feel more like herself again.

More house hunting this week...we'll let you know when we find something.

My Side of the Story...

Hello friends and family. I thought it might be nice if you finally heard a little from me concerning how Rebecca and I not only got together, but how our relationship has developed. Let me first say that I had gotten to a point in my dating life where I was utilizing the on-line dating scene for the last several years. I was on Match.com and had done E-Harmony as well. I'd meet a lot of very nice women; some I dated for awhile, but nothing long term. Most of my long term relationship had come in other ways and looking back shouldn't have been as long as they ended up being. Prior to meeting Rebecca I had come out of a very rough and heartbreaking relationship; but, I was determined to "get back out there" because I certainly wasn't getting any younger and there was a definite void in my life. A woman I dated a couple of times mentioned a singles web site I'd never heard of www.plentyoffish.com Unlike many of the other sites it was free; so I joined up, put up a profile and listed what I was looking for in a partner. Thou and behold Rebecca's profile popped up. She had some very attractive pictures posted and seemed to be looking for a lot of the same things in a relationship that I was looking for. So, I emailed her. We exchanged emails for several weeks and then I didn't hear from her. After awhile I figured she wasn't interested any longer. Rebecca had gotten a bit tired of the dating game and was taking a break. Once she got back to her emails, she saw one from me and decided to finally respond. Lucky Me.

By this time, I had begun dating another woman. I didn't think it was really going to go anywhere and while I enjoyed spending time with her; was still looking. After a few weeks of more emails we finally had a couple of phone calls. I remember one call I caught Rebecca out with her sister Sarah at TGI Friday's having dessert one night. Eventually, we had our first meeting at Fiddler's Elbow for lunch right after Thanksgiving, 2007. I was immediately impressed with her. She was attractive, bright, easy to talk to. We had several things in common including baseball among other things. It was a very enjoyable time and I could have stayed there talking to her all day. She even bought lunch which was nice and unexpected. I think she knew she wanted to see my again as well.

We started seeing one another on a regular basis, getting to know each other. I think we were both taking things slow. The other woman I had been seeing fell by the wayside. In December at a dinner at the Melting Pot in Salt Lake I told Rebecca I would like to just date her exclusively to see where this relationship might go. She wasn't quite ready to do that just yet. Dating can be like a full time job and I just wanted to spend time with here to see how things might go. Now, I also have to tell you that Rebecca has dated a number of guys named Scott over the years, so remembering my name wasn't too hard for her. I soon got to met Emma and the cats. Emma and I are continuing to learn about one another and I look forward to getting her a yard to run around and play in.

As Rebecca has written already it was March, 2008 before a Matchbox 20 concert that we started to express our feelings for one another. We were both being cautious and I was getting concerned that if she didn't have feelings for me I needed to get out of the relationship before I got hurt again. It was just after her birthday in April, 2008 that we finally said "I Love You" to one another. It has been a whirlwind since then. We started looking at wedding rings a month later and it seemed the most natural thing to do - once I got over the sticker shock!! I think my parents were quite shocked when I told them we were looking at wedding rings and they realized this was a serious relationship. I love my parents dearly, but I think they had just about given up on me ever getting married and having a finally. It just took me a long time to find the right person to be with.

I proposed in July while we were vacationing on the Oregon Coast. There was a beach right outside where we were staying and at sunset the first night there I popped the question. I don't think I could have waited any longer. What seemed like a long time to plan a wedding is not so long now because the 19th of this month marks the three month mark. Rebecca has sold her condo and mine is on its way. We're looking to buy a house and will likely be moving sometime next month. It seems like everything is falling into place for us. We have all of the big wedding plans out of the way;but, there's still plenty to do. I'm still amazed how easy our relationship has gone. Someone told me "when's its right, its just right". I've waited to long time and I now have found the love of my life. I get choked up just thinking about how much I love Rebecca. I never knew life could be so wonderful until I met her. Many people I know have commented to me that I'm just smiling all time. It's because of Rebecca's love and having her in my life. I am so excited to spend my life with her. If Emma and I can grow to love one another then all is right with the world. Now, there doesn't seem to any time to waste. 2009 will find us buying a house, getting married and having our first child; what a year this is going to be. We look forward to having you share many of these life experiences with us.

Moving

It looks like we might have both sold our condos this week! I think all my papers are signed, and Scott is looking at a couple different offers right now. What a relief!

But, now I have to be out in four weeks. It's time to house-hunt! Thankfully this is such a good time to buy! We're amazed by how much house we can get in this market. Plenty of room for us, the dog, the cats, and a kid or two! A spare room for visiting family and friends. A yard for Emma the Dog. It will be an adjustment to have to take care of our own yard now, but I'm looking forward to it. I'm not sure Scott is as excited about that part.
Gotta run! Time to start packing!
We'll keep you posted on how the search comes along!

The next step

I think I mentioned that Scott and I don't take things slowly. We knew we wanted to start a family soon after the wedding. I'd been visiting the doctor to make sure there weren't any problems. I didn't want to get married, then spend a year or two trying.

Well, there was a problem. After tracking my temperature for several months, it looked like I wasn't ovulating. I met with my Dr. (whom I adore) and he gave me a prescription for a mild fertility drug. I figured that we'd get married, fill the prescription, and start our family.

I went home, told Scott the news, feeling a little blue, but knowing we had plenty of options ahead of us. Scott, the optimist, urged me not to get ahead of myself. There was no real reason to think we'd have any problem having kids. Science can work miracles these days, right? Apparently, so can desire... We made a baby!!!!! Probably that same week we were told I wasn't ovulating! Okay, so it's a little sooner than we'd planned, but so what? We're thrilled, and terrified, and overwhelmed, and excited!

The due date is August 4!

Our story

I thought this might be a nice way to keep our family and friends updated on our busy lives!
Scott and I don't do anything slowly, apparently. We've waited our whole lives for each other, and now we don't want to waste any more time!

We met in 2007. Sometime during Thanksgiving weekend, we had our first date at Fiddler's Elbow. He was wearing a dark orange shirt, and I thought it looked nice. I'm not sure what his first impression was of me, but I guess it was good enough to ask for a second date! We dated slowly through the holidays, not making any sort of commitment, seeing each other maybe once a week. I knew he liked me, but I was nervous. I think it wasn't until March, before the Matchbox Twenty concert, that I finally confessed that I was falling for him.

After that, our relationship was a whirlwind. It felt like the most natural thing in the world to start looking at rings and planning a wedding. Scott officially proposed to me while we were in Oregon in July. A fairytale proposal, on the beach at sunset. I felt like the luckiest woman in the world. I knew that everything I had been through in the past led me to this moment, this gift.

So, the whirlwind continues. Next thing I knew, we were putting our condos on the market, meeting his parents, booking wedding vendors, taking engagement pictures, and hitting every garage sale and thrift shop in town for candle holders and vases.

The wedding is April 19, 2009. Just 3 months away now. It will be a small ceremony with just close family and friends. I get emotional just thinking of our special day. I am grateful for every moment that we share.