Chandace

Christmas with the Hatches

2012-01-30T15:13:00.000-08:00

We spent Christmas this year with the Hatches and boy did we have a good time! These people know how to have fun!

For Christmas Eve we all pitched in to get a hotel room for Bonnie and Ffej to stay at just so we could have access to a pool! We had a ball! Logan went swimming for the very first time and the kid LOVED it! He swam his heart out and then crashed. My sweet baby boy.

On Christmas Eve we played games over at Tyler and Janet's house and we played a lot of games and had a fondue party. Christmas morning came and we had Chad's family come over and we had made-to-order omelets. Logan got his high chair and was feeling like a part of the party.

Kynnlie and Abbie had a good time opening up presents.

And Logan...although he didn't really get what all the hype was all about...he did like his new toys.

Merry Christmas!

2011...What a Year!

2012-01-01T12:41:00.000-08:00

Wow. 2011...gone. Just like that.

It's crazy to think about all that has happened in the past year. Some of it seems like it happened years ago and other memories seem like only yesterday. Just a little re-cap...

In January I went to my first Dr's appointment and heard our little "Stella's" heartbeat for the first time.

In February Chad and I bought "Evie" our SUV after Chad sold his beloved Mazda "Shelly" and went with the Hatch family up to McCall, ID for a weekend getaway where I felt completely retched due to side-affects of pregnancy.

In March we found out that Stella was really a Stewie!

April came and we went to Moab with the Pack family and we hiked all over Arches National Park.

In May we went to Vegas with the Fraidenburgs, and Chad graduated from the U with his Bachelors in Business.

And JUNE! Wow. JUNE. Chad turned 26, we went camping to Wyoming and went into labor. 10 weeks early! On June 11th Logan made his dramatic entrance (never will I forget that day) and then we found ourselves in the NICU...clear until the end of...

July where we got to bring our little man home the day before Pioneer Day.

August we celebrated Logan's Due Date and my birthday.

September came and we blessed Logan on the 18th.

October we went on a super fun Halloween scavanger hunt with our ward friends.

November Chad and I celebrated our 2nd Anniversary, and spent Thanksgiving with the Packs and took Logan on his first adventure of cutting down our own Christmas Tree.

And December was a whirlwind of fun holiday festivities with friends and family.

We feel incredibly blessed to have so many wonderful people in our lives, and for all the countless prayers that were given on our behalf during our crazy summer in the hospital. Logan has brought an amazing amount of Joy into our home and we are so grateful he's with us.

We've been truly blessed this year, and you reading this have probably contributed to that. Thank you so much for your love and support!

Much Love,

Chad, Kandace, & Logan

Here's to 2012!

Happy New Year!

BIG Milestones!!

2011-12-06T22:08:00.001-08:00

He did it! He did it! He rolled over for the first time today!!!

Note to Self

2011-12-05T11:45:00.001-08:00

I love the way he sucks on the base of my thumb while he's sitting on my lap.

I love the way he gnaws on his fists.

I love the way he geeks out about seeing himself in the mirror

I love all his little noises. And the way I can get him to giggle. And the way he chews on his tongue just like his daddy.

Bottom line. I just plain LOVE this kid! So glad he's ours.

The Annual Christmas Tree Hunt!

2011-12-05T11:03:00.001-08:00

Logan's first Pack Family Tree Hunt was a success!

Every year our family goes up to the Idaho wilderness to cut down our Christmas Tree. This is one of my all time favorite traditions and I never miss it. So even with a 5 month old...I was determined to go. Chad had his doubts which made me start to question my sanity. I mean...5 month olds are far from predictable. What if he got hungry and I had to feed him on the hill side? What if he had a massive blow out and he needed to be changed right there in the snow?? What if we weren't paying attention to where we were going and he got nailed in the face with a tree branch while he was in the backpack??? I mean...valid concerns...right? But I had absolutely no child care, and our friends Cam and Jessie were bringing their 3 month old and their little dog...if they could do it...so could we. SO...we took our chances and brought little "Santonio" (Chad's latest nickname for Logan).

Chad and I were so worried that he would just bawl the whole time, but our little trooper did great...as long as we kept moving.

We had the whole Pack family up there including cute little Tai and Kua. And we had a couple of first timers with the Cornelius' and the Rogers. It was a good time! The weather was beautiful. The temperature was bearable and the kiddos we're absolute troopers! And to top it off the Tree pickings were AWESOME this year! Everyone found great trees! Can't ask for much more than that!

So...It's been a while.

2011-11-07T09:09:00.000-08:00

Dear Logan,

Four months already! Time flys when you're having fun and boy, has it been fun! Can I just say that I LOVE being your mom! And I LOVE getting to stay at home with our little "Bean-er" Yes, we call you "Bean-er". I can just hear you saying "Bean-er? What a terrible nickname." Well here's the story: We called you our little jelly bean once...that went to bean, and then Dad started calling you "bean-er". It started cute, okay. What it turned into...I still shake my head at, but it seems to have stuck. What can I say? I LOVE my little "bean-er"

So you're 4 months old. Or...20 weeks. Or...technically 10 weeks. Whatever you want to go by. You're growing so much. At your 4 month check up you weighed in at 11lbs 4oz. We we're pretty excited about that and the doctor was pleasantly surprised at how well you are doing!

First off...You sleep like a CHAMP! We'll put you down at 10:30 and you'll sleep until 7 or 8. In fact last week you slept until 9:30! You're parents appreciate this more than we can say! We feel incredibly blessed and we realize we're spoiled beyond belief to have such a good baby!

A few weeks ago you started to smile...on purpose. I love it! It feels like you're finally starting to move out of the newborn phase- ever so slowly, but it's more than we've seen the last 3 months! And just the other day I made you giggle! Talk about a mommy pride boost! I was the first to make you giggle by tickling you. So far tickling you is the only way to make you giggle. And that little tickle giggle is like music to my ears! I absolutely LOVE that sound! I can only get your dad to giggle that way by tickling him too...he hates it. I can't help it! I do it for the giggle!

I kind of have to work for the giggle. Your smiles you seem to be a little less stingy on. If anyone says hi to you and gives you their undivided attention...you'll give them a smile. And if they go as far to make any sort of noises with their mouth or tongue...they are your new favorite person! You've also been introduced to your first friend. Emma Cornelius. You two don't really care much about each other now. You kind of just compete for attention currently...but us parents think you're going to one day be great friends.

You've started to discover your hands, you stare at them and you're starting to swat at things. You're recognizing and starting to appreciate toys now too! Where before we'd show you something with lights and moving parts and music and you couldn't care less about it, now, however, you think anything with contrasting colors is pretty cool.

Thus far you've pee-ed on your dad about 3 times, and you've got me once. Not including your many tub fountains which don't actually hit me...we just end up having to drain the tub and start again...which you hate, because you're cold. You did however pee all over a freshly washed pile of clothes the other day which I so foolishly left next to the changing table. (Note to self.) OH, and you got Grandma Bonnie really good once too. She was changing your poopy diaper and during so you started to poop some more so she had to catch it with a clean diaper and than you pee-ed. ...Although that one shot away from her and actually got all over you instead. hahaha So that one kind of back fired on you.

You still spit up quite a bit. And usually all over me or your dad. I change my outfit at least once a day. And still almost always have goobers all over my shoulder. I need to start adding a change of clothes for me in your diaper bag! Aren't I a terrible mother for taking a picture of this and THEN cleaning you up? hahahaha

You have started loosing all your hair. All that adorable brown hair. Breaks my heart! I don't know if it's because your head is getting bigger and bigger all the time and your just growing right out of your hair or if it's because I always played with it. Regardless, you have far less hair now than what you came with. So sad.

For your first Halloween we dressed you up as a little pea pod! You were the cutest little thing, but you hated your hat. So that didn't last long. We went to your Dad's Halloween work party and you went trick-or-treating and you were so generous that you gave all your candy to your dad and mom!...probably the first and last time that that will happen.

Later Mom and Dad had a Halloween party that they went to and we didn't know what to be, mostly because your dad hates dressing up for Halloween, so we kind of copped out and went as crazy U of U fans. But we mad the cutest U of U family!

You're also starting to "talk" to me now. You'll coo at me and make the sweetest noises that just melt my heart. I'm pretty enamored with you my little guy. Everything you do. You've made me so happy, and just when I think I couldn't love you more...you always do something to prove me wrong.

Forever and Always and No Matter What!
Mom

Blessing Day!

2011-09-18T22:12:00.000-07:00

We finally blessed Logan today! September 18th And the day was perfect. Perfect weather, perfect company, perfect little boy.

We had about 40 of our closest friends and family there with us. (And still so many were missing.) Logan has such a large following for one so small. ;) Logan was so good and didn't make one little peep during his blessing. His dad gave him a name, blessed him to have the ability to avoid temptation, have the desire to spread the "good news" and find joy in the gospel, and to have a strong desire for learning. Apparently Logan was given quite the ride while in the circle, because Chad said that the "bounce" was noteworthy.

We sure love our little man! Thank you to all who came and supported us today, and always. We would be lost without your love and service that you've given us since the arrival of our little one!

Great Grandma Linge & Great Grandma Pack

In the circle: Dad, Grandpa Pack, Papa Ffej, Uncles Micah, Tyler, Josh, John, and Zach, Friends Dustin Robinson, Matt Klien, Kel Eppich, and Matt Caldwell.

Like Father Like Son

2011-09-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

Family Reunion!

2011-09-12T09:38:00.000-07:00

We had a Pack Family Reunion over Labor Day weekend. Good times, good food, good company!

We hit Bear Lake, (Logan's first time...he was less then impressed.)

Made sand art.

It was a little chilly, but we played hard until we were blitzed.

We went to the zoo...and unfortunately left our camera in the car, so we'll have to get some pics from other family memebers who brought theirs.

It was an all in all great weekend! And it was so nice to spend some quality time with our family. We have such a good time with everyone of them. Love you guys!

3 Months/3 Weeks Old!

2011-09-12T09:17:00.000-07:00

Dear Logan,

Today you are 3 months old...or maybe I should say 3 weeks old considering the fact that your arrival date was so much sooner than your gestational age suggests? Either way, your mom and dad have been thrilled to have you around! You are quite the little character already, and I'm waiting anxiously to see what kind of little person you are going to become! Although, I must say, on this 10th anniversary of 9-11 I'm a little worried as to what you may be witness to in this world. What kind of things you'll have to see or live through during your life time. I pray with everything I am that I'll be able to prepare you to survive it all and "live in the world, without being of the world". It's a big responsibility to bear, and I hope that I can do it, so that you can have the best chance out there knowing who you are and why you're here, no matter what kind of darkness may be lurking around you. You started off as a little fighter, I have high hopes that you will continue to be one. ...For the greater good that is. ;) Let's be clear on that. ;)

Currently you are working so hard to hold up your head. You do pretty good for a while...and then you get tired and then your head just flops backwards, scaring your parents, forwards, bashing your nose against something not so soft, or from side to side making you appear a little drunk. It's adorable.

You're a really good baby, although this past week you made Mom work pretty hard to keep you happy. I'm pretty sure you were just getting back at her and Dad for subjecting you to the craziness that was the Pack Family reunion the week before. But you went to Bear Lake for the first time, and to the zoo for the first time...you seemed to be less than impressed with either place, but we're pretty confident that one day they will be some of your favorite places.

I'm really looking forward to everything you are going to start doing, like holding your head up like a champ, and starting to smile and mom and dad on purpose, and I can hardly wait to hear what your little giggle is going to sound like! And yet...I'm already having to put away clothes that are too small for you, and it hurts my heart a little. Not that I had any intentions of ever even having you in preemie clothes, but now that you've more than doubled your birth weight, it's starting to sink in that I'm going to really miss your sweet little newborn phase. All your little goat noises, and squawks, your wide eyes while your discovering new things in your surroundings. The way you turn to the sound of my voice, and the way I can calm you down. It's amazing how much joy I find in simply being able to make you feel safe and comfortable.

How I love being your mom.

Forever, and Always, and No Matter What,
Mom

D-Day...at 10 weeks

2011-08-21T08:58:00.000-07:00

August 19th: Logan's Due Date.

And the little guy is 10 weeks old! Can you believe it?!? 10! There are definitely moments that I struggle to wrap my head around that! We went to the doc and found out his D-day weight is 7lbs 1oz. Kind of a big deal! My little guy has doubled his birth weight and we are pretty excited about the whole thing!

He's doing so great and changing every day. Some of my favorite little things about him...

He has no bum. This may be due to his lack of baby chub...because it seems to be getting a little fuller as he gains weight...but as for now...the kids pants would slide right off if it weren't for his diaper. heheh love it!

I love his little baby feet! He's still flexible enough that you can clap his feet together and whenever we get his socks off I just can't resist to play with these little feeties.

I love the face he makes when he's "starving" and he starts eating his hands while he's waiting for his dinner.

While he's sleeping he must have some pretty great dreams because he often smiles in his sleep.
...and he does this thing where he opens one eye while he's dozing just to check to make sure he's not missing anything good while he's sleeping.
I crack up when I go to check on him and find that he has managed to slip right out the bottom of his swaddle. I obviously don't have my swaddling skills up to par. ...Although...now that I think about it...this may not be me. His dad sleeps like this too. Hatch men can't seem to handle their feet being "trapped" in blankets when they sleep.

Hahaha I love this shot. He's got my long lizard tongue. Poor kid. And there is one thing which I've yet to get on my camera. I love love love it when Chad comes home and the two of the snuggle up together on the couch. Logan LOVES to sleep on his dad. And it's just the sweetest thing ever watching my two boys together.

There are so many things that I love about this little one. I'm so glad Heavenly Father sent him to our home.

Love you Logan!!!

Slipping into real life...

2011-08-08T08:36:00.000-07:00

So...it's been two weeks since we brought Logan home. And life has been good! Very different, but very good. I'm really diggin' this whole "Mom" gig. Even when I have to get up in the middle of the night, I get pretty grumpy about it initially, but the second I pick the little duffer up and I see those "Yay! Mom's gonna feed me!" eyes, I melt and smile through the exhaustion.

Chad's back at work, and busy as can be with the whole national debt crisis still rippling it's effects. So Logan and I spend a lot of quality time together at home, trying to figure things out. It's no joke when people say "your whole life will change the second you have a kid." but I must say I don't see it in quite the negative light that it's usually portrayed in. I mean sure...it takes us 10x longer to get ready to go anywhere. Yes, we are perpetually exhausted, and definitely missing our un-interrupted sleep. But the pros way out weight the cons.

I mean...the kid pees in the tub...and comes out looking like this! How could you not love this face?! Just look how cute he is!

Feeding time takes us at least an hour, and he eats every 3, but when you see how big he's getting it's totally worth it!

I'm telling you. It's way better having him home than having him at the NICU. I never thought I'd get to this point, but the NICU seems like a distant memory these days. So happy to be finally slipping into real life!

Dear Logan, Welcome Home

2011-07-24T13:25:00.000-07:00

Oh my sweet baby,
Tonight you are finally home with me! Tonight you are finally right where you belong, with your dad and I, and the joy that comes with that is almost indescribable.

As we were driving to the hospital for the last time, I couldn't help but think of how elated I was that I got to bring you home with me, instead of having to once again say goodbye and drive home without you. I thought of how six weeks ago your dad and I were racing to get to the hospital to make sure you were okay, and how scared I was when I found out you were going to be here 10 weeks too soon. But when they wheeled you into my recovery room, and I saw you for the first time in your space like incubator on your way to a different hospital, I immediately fell in love with you. I loved everything about you, and I felt incredibly blessed that Father in Heaven entrusted you into our care. The only thing I could do was hold your foot because you were covered in tubes and wires, but I knew even with just being with you for those 2 brief minutes, that I would do anything for you.

It was a LONG six weeks at the NICU. But you are finally coming home to us weighing 5lbs 7oz. And just the sweetest thing ever! You're mom and dad are completely smitten with you! And are very much looking forward to watching you grow and progress. You're such a little fighter already and we very curious to see what you will become.

You were pretty tired your first day home, we've yet to really hear you cry, all you do is make these adorable little goat noises, that make your mom and dad laugh. But those little goat noises fill our home with so much happiness.

You're momma loves you, my sweet boy. Forever and always and no matter what. Welcome home my baby, welcome home!

Love,
Mom

Dairy Queen

2011-07-14T15:46:00.000-07:00

SO...remember a few posts ago when I was discussing the whole milk thing and I had mentioned that the lactation consultant had praised me for my supply... Well in the NICU there is a deep freezer for any extra milk that the mom's may supply.

Every mom gets two bins.

Here are my bins.

Here are my bins along with every other mom's bins in the NICU...
"...Uhm...I've been turned into a cow...can I go home?"

One Month Later...

2011-07-14T15:11:00.000-07:00

So...it's been a month. ...Well...no, now it's been over a month. 5 Weeks on Saturday. Tomorrow Logan will be 35 weeks, and we're still here. ::sigh::

On the up side...even though the days seem to crawl by...it doesn't seem all that long ago that we were "flying" from Wyoming to get to the hospital. No...that memory is so fresh it's like it was yesterday.

We're starting to get the hang of the NICU. I've figured out that all the so called "rules" are more like guidelines really, and the only thing that really counts for anything...is that I'm the Mom. Which pretty much means, I do what I want if I think it's best for Logan and no one can give me a good reason not to. (If they can give me a legit reason...then I'll comply to their way of doing things...if not...I'm the boss.)

This may make me sound snotty...but...I've been told by some very wise women that every GOOD mom usually gets a big "B" stamped in the middle of their chest from time to time while doing their job. And that job is to be their child's advocate. Which to some may come off as a bit witchy.

They have a thing here called "Primary Nurses" where you can pick 5-6 "Primary's" and when ever those nurses are working, they are working with your kid. That way you have some consistency, and more importantly your baby has some consistency. Well we have some WONDERFUL Primary's: Ruby, Laura, Denise, Kari, and Rebecca. And without even knowing it we picked a very "convenient" lot. All of them have 8+ years of NICU experience, Ruby and Denise are both Charge Nurses (meaning their in charge,basically, of all the other nurses), Rebecca is a lactation consultant, and comes in handy quite a bit, and Laura and Kari are just plain fabulous! It's kind of nice to have a couple of Charge Nurses in your back pocket. As soon as they got on our Primary's list, we got our own "suite" and we don't have to share with other babies/families. And today they have put in a request for us to even upgrade from that and get a room with a window!!! That's a big deal around here! They said we've kind of earned it after 5 weeks. It'd be nice to get out of our little cave. So here's hoping.

Logan is doing pretty good right now. He's catching on to the whole breast feeding thing really quick which gives his Momma hope, but he's still struggling to keep his stats consistent. He's quite the yo-yo sometimes.

But he's 5 lbs as of yesterday! So he's growing! And we're tickled pink about his progress!

Rub-a-dub-dub

2011-07-08T07:20:00.000-07:00

Logan had his first bath on the 6th! He loved it, and I thought for sure he would cry do to being cold. ...I've come to find that it must take a lot for this kid to cry. I think I've heard him cry...3 times. ...maybe. I wonder if this is a preemie thing or if it's just Logan being a very tolerant baby. ...but I digress. Back to bath time!

I LOVED this! I loved stripping him down to his birthday suit and removing all those obnoxious monitors for a while! I loved watching him just relax in the warm water and just spending some good quality "real life" kind of time with my baby and his dad. LOVE Bath time!!!!
Brrrrr....Getting him dressed again after his bath. ...and putting all those dumb wires back on. :p

Dad getting him warm. Look at all that CUTE fuzzy hair on Logan!!! Augh! It's my favorite thing!!!

Got Milk?

2011-07-06T07:28:00.000-07:00

Okay...so...us women...we deal with all sorts of C-R-A-P when it comes to our bodies. Starting anywhere from elementary to high school we have our monthly visits from Aunt Flow which may or may not be accompanied by mild to severe bouts of mood swings AND cramps. We get married and some of us have serious discomfort and issues during our personal time with our husbands. We then get pregnant...and all around less than fun nine (hopefully) months. During which our bodies are no longer ours, our modesty/personal space have long since been forgotten, and we have said goodbye to the bodies we once had. We than prepare for the "Marathon of Labor" which...isn't exactly considered a good time.

All of these things...we have to endure to get this amazing bonus prize at the end...

Exhibit A:TOTALLY worth it.

But why, oh why, does breast feeding (or pumping, in my case) have to hurt too??? I just don't think that's fair. It's the best thing for you AND your baby...and yet...we have to suffer through that as well? Can't we catch a break???

We knew that pumping would be in my future pretty much immediately after Logan was born, so we ordered one off of Amazon. And the next day a nurse asked us if we had one. We told her yes, and that we had ordered the Medela Advanced Breast Pump with On the Go tote. A high end pump...which cost FAR more than I ever expected to pay for a pump. She responded with a "Oh, yes, that one is really good. But...you're going to want something with a little more power."

Weighing in at around 35 lbs, created in 1955 and having industrial strength suction power...I'd like you to meet "Big Bertha".

THIS is what I get to wake up to 3-4 times a night, until my sweet little boy comes home. (You can understand my impatience to get Logan home a little bit more now, can't you?)

They have a newer...sleaker, digital version...which is actually quite nice, but even the NICU only has 2, they aren't really out there for public use yet.
But this one is apparently the caddilac of pumps. And it's real nice too. Not going to lie. All of us NICU mom's fight over who gets to use it next.

Pretty much my life is centered around milk these days. If we go anywhere...I'm usually pumping right before...right after...and typically during. We have to plan our social events around my pumping schedule. It's quite sad really.

On the up side, however, I am very grateful I have the milk supply I do. Logan does so much better because of it. He's packin' on the ounces these days! He's up to 4lbs. 9oz. A whole pound up from his lowest weight! The lactation consultant the other day praised me for the ample supply of creamy goodness that I've been able to produce. Kind of a weird thing to get complimented on, but strangely, it is a big morale booster to a breastfeeding mom to know that her efforts aren't in vain.

We're acquiring quite the stock pile in our freezer too. So hopefully I'll be able to keep up with demand once Logan finally comes home to us. And maybe his dad can take a turn or two waking up to feed him. ;)

...A Persons a Person No Matter How Small...

2011-07-01T08:19:00.001-07:00

These are the first doors you walk into when you come to visit Logan at the NICU...I love the sign above the door.

And our little person is definately small, but we've hit a BIG milestone! Logan finally hit 4 lbs.!!! This is a big deal! I realize that still is half the size of a "small" full term Pack baby, but after seeing what 3lbs of joy looks like...4 just seems so much bigger!

I wanted to post some pics that we've taken just to show you how small are little one is. It's quite a shock to his family because...like I said...we're used to big babies around here! Grandpa Petersen bottomed out the scale at 14lbs. Uncle John was 10lbs. Cousin Tai was also close to 10lbs. So we're used to the adorable chubs...and little Logan is still working on getting some.

Week 1
Week 2

Week 3
Lovin' that 4 lbs of Joy!

Roller Coaster Ride

2011-06-29T06:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Chad and I came to fully understand what it means to be on the roller coaster ride that is called the NICU.

Since day one it hasn't been the funnest ride we've ever been on, I'm not going to lie. The most dramatic, by far...but definitely not the funnest.

Immediately after Logan was born, the doctor who was helping with the c-section leaned over the little curtain separating me from the gore and said "Congratulations". This should be considered an appropriate response toward one who had just had a baby...but at the time I wasn't so sure. Please, don't misunderstand, I am utterly thrilled to have my precious little Logan, but a "Congratulations, you just had your baby 10 weeks early, and he's going to be in the NICU until his due date." doesn't seem completely worthy of such congratulations.

Every bit of happiness we have (and it is a lot) over having our little boy here seems to be surrounded by a fog of worry. Which...you know...pretty much sounds par to parenthood, right? Every new parent worries about their new one and if they can hack it as parents. ...That kind of worry I felt a little more prepared for. Our little situation seems to be a whole other ball game of which we have received no prior explanation on the rules.

No one told me I wouldn't be allowed to hold my new baby more than once a day...IF that. No one told me that I wouldn't be able to touch him without scrubbing off my top 3 layers of skin first. And that when I did touch him it would be through two little arm wholes in the side of an enclosed box.

No one told me that I should expect to see my baby covered in tubes and wires for the first few months of his life. And they most certainly failed to mention that I need to prepare mentally to handle watching people poke and prod my little one on a daily basis to test him for things I've never even heard of. No one taught me how to read a stats monitor, or explained to me that when the monitor goes off there is nothing to worry about for at least 30 sec. No one taught me how to measure his belly girth...nor did anyone ever say WHY I would ever need to. And worst of all, no one can tell me how long this "game" is going to last, if there was any shortcuts, or how exactly one can win.

No, I came into this game totally blind. I read all the wrong books, I prepared for all the wrong scenarios, and I was given lessons, advice, and fore warnings, which although may one day be applicable...they certainly don't feel very applicable now.

Logan has been doing so good, he's progressed and developed faster than anyone ever expected him to, but yesterday...yesterday was our first taste of a set back. Our first taste of a delay to get our baby home. Since being in the NICU we've heard it happens, and that it's pretty much standard for every baby who passes through there, we just had really high hopes that our baby would be the exception...we were wrong. Our little guy had to be put back on his oxygen yesterday. He's been struggling to keep his O-levels up during his feeds, and he seems to have a pretty rotten case of reflex, which doesn't help.

They tell us that all of this is "age appropriate behavior"...and you got to give the little duffer props, I mean, he's only 32 1/2 weeks old (gestationally). He's supposed to have another 8 weeks to develop within the safety of his womb inside of me. But age appropriate or not...to watch your little guy go blue and have an oxygen mask put on his face and hear the incessant beeping of all of his monitors alarms going off... it's almost more than a parent can take.

I know he is going to be fine. I know all he needs is time to develop and to grow. I know that one day we will actually be able to bring him home and take all those wires and monitors off of him. But knowing all that doesn't keep my worries at bay. It doesn't change the fact that he turned an eerie shade of blue, and that he's added a tube, instead of getting rid of one yesterday.

Definitely not the funnest roller-coaster.

I'm very much looking forward to the day when we can get off.

Big Boy Bed

2011-06-26T08:59:00.000-07:00

So our little trooper has graduated from his isolet and has moved into his "big boy bed"! We're so proud of the little guy! He's doing really well at regulating his temperature and he's now focusing on learning how to suck, breathe and swallow all at the same! Yesterday Logan and I also got to practice breastfeeding...the real way. ;) The little guy did pretty good, considering how young he is. He latched on, took a few good sucks, and then...turned blue. Scared the crap out of his mom! So...we took him off...let him regain his pinkish glow...and then tried again. Only to have an instant replay of our first attempt. He's got part of it down! But...unfortunately...we've got a ways to go on this one. But we're proud parents nevertheless! All the nurses say he's the star of the NICU. And we couldn't agree more!

Fathers Day

2011-06-23T09:52:00.000-07:00

So it was Chad's very first fathers day and this is what Logan gave him.
Inside was a cute little poem...

I'm starting out with little feet
And yes my tiny toes are sweet

You'll take me home and in a while
I'll start to coo and laugh and smile

We'll soon be having lots of fun
When I can roll and crawl and run

What comes next, we'll start to chat
About this and this, and that and that

And then one day you'll be tickling my toes
And think to yourself how fast time goes

I'll have added inches to my height
My strength and growth will be quite a sight

So just in case you might forget
Upon this tie, my foot I've set.

Happy Father's Day!!!
Love, Logan

Totally made mom cry!

My first outfit...

2011-06-23T09:43:00.000-07:00

Logan wore clothes for the very first time yesterday! Our little boy looks dashing in blue, doesn't he?!?

He's doing so well, we're really happy with the progress he's making. He is off all of his tubes minus his feeding tube, he's breathing on his own still, he is even regulating his own body temperature now! And because of that they are working on transitioning him from the isolet to a "big boy bed" (incubator to a plastic open box)! Pretty dang exciting, if you ask us!
We are also starting to work on "non-nutritive breastfeeding" or "recreational breastfeeding" (our lactation consultant finds the later term unacceptable, however, so we only use it privately). Basically this works likes this: I pump, so I'm all empty, right before it's time for Logan to eat. They get his food going with this feeding tube, and then I hold him and try to get him to latch on to me and practice sucking and breathing without the extra hassel of actually having to swallow. He's doing pretty good so far. Usually they don't start this until 32 weeks, but we tried it out a few days early and he did great! So proud of our little guy! He's such an over achiever! ;)

Father Son Outing

2011-06-17T09:06:00.000-07:00

Logan was 4 days old on Wednesday the 15th and to celebrate, we decided it was time for some father-son bonding. So Chad and Logan went on their first Father & Son Outing, and Chad got to hold his first born for the first time.

Logan was completely enamored with his dad. The second Chad had him in his arms and he started talking to him Logan opened his eyes as wide as I've ever seen them and looked directly at Chad. I've never seen him more alert or content. It was the sweetest moment ever, and I couldn't help but cry some happy tears.
How I loved seeing my two guys together. ...Even now...days later, still brings tears to my eyes. I do not know how single moms do it. I would never be able to make it without Chad by my side. He's been the greatest blessing to me since the day I met him, but this past week...he has out-shinned even himself. From him driving mock-10 to get me to the hospital early Saturday morning to his being by my side every step of the way there after. The man is amazing. In every meaning of the word. And the icing on the cake...he absolutely adores Logan. He became #1 Dad the second Logan entered this world and has only gotten better from there.

P.S.

2011-06-14T21:29:00.000-07:00

Does anyone else find my "Pregnancy Countdown" found on the right side of our blog comical? hahaha

Our Lil' Trooper

2011-06-14T20:28:00.000-07:00

Chad has been taking over all of our blogging the last few days and I must say he's done a great job at keeping all y'all caught up on everything going on in our life right now.

It's hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that this is our life now. I never imagined that we would be the couple hoovering over an incubator in the NICU. The thought never crossed my mind that our baby wouldn't be coming home with us when I was released from the hospital. I never thought we would have to get permission to hold our baby. And today when we went to the hospital cafeteria for lunch I realized that this was going to be the first of many meals that we would be having at the hospital, as we wait for our precious little one to become strong enough to come home with us.
Everyday we see Logan he seems to be bigger, and stronger, and doing so much better than the day before. They removed another tube today! His blood pressure is steady enough that he no longer needs an internal monitor for it. We were also told that his jaundice is almost completely cured and he will no longer need to "sunbathe" under the special lights wearing his "fast shades" for the majority of his day anymore. He's now eating mama's milk which we are all hoping will help make some substantial improvements in his progress. But all in all we are so proud of our little guy. He's such a trooper! And he is absolutely adorable...ask anyone. ;)
The tender mercies have not stopped since the beginning of the first contractions. We've had angels watching over us and our Father in Heaven has protected our little family in so many ways. We are continually in awe over the many miracles we have witnessed in the past 5 days. And we thank all of you for your constant prayers in our behalf.

Holding Baby Logan...

2011-06-13T18:34:00.000-07:00

I was released today from LDS and went straight to baby Logan. He had decided that he was done with the C-pap machine and pulled it out on his own. The nurses tend to watch babies when they do that to see how well he could breath on his own. He was breathing on his own for about two hours before he started to stress. He was then put on nasal cannula to assist him as he needs it. He is one step away from breathing on his own which is a great blessing.

The best part of the day was the nurse allowed me to hold Logan for the first time. We were there when they were repositioning him and changing his diaper. The nurse allowed me to hold little Logan on my chest for the first time. Chad and I were able to hold him outside of his incubator. That was one of the best moments ever. He is so tiny! He has a lot of weight to gain and needs to regulate his temperature on his own. He will be working hard at that over the next several weeks.

Day Two Progress

2011-06-12T20:56:00.001-07:00

Today my doctor cleared me to have a few hours to leave LDS hospital and head out to Murray to see my sweet boy. I was so excited. I was able to spend a few hours with him. He opened his eyes when he heard my voice. It was the best thing ever!

Logan has progressed/transitioned to the c-pap machine and is breathing more on his own. The nurse said today that he could move to a nasal breathing support tonight but wanted to let him rest since he had been through enough transition today. He now has a picc line which are his antibiotics and nutrition. He is working really hard to breath and get better.

He is the sweetest thing ever. Thank you for your kind words and prayers. It is going to be really tough leaving him in the hospital. Your prayers are greatly appreciated.

Stay tuned...

And then there were three...

2011-06-12T06:47:00.000-07:00

He was ten weeks sooner than expected but Chad Logan Hatch joined our family on June 11th. Not sure why, Chad is assuming Logan just has his mom's inpatients and didn't want to wait any longer. But it was quite the day yesterday regardless of the reasons why.

It all started last Sunday night when I started feeling some serious cramping, I just assumed it was another "joy" of pregnancy that I was fortunate enough to experience. After experiencing them for the entire night, I called my mom to ask her what the deal was. She than informed this pregnancy greenie that what I was experiencing was more contractions than they were cramps. And she suggested I call my doctor. (This is kind of a big deal coming from my mom. She rarely suggests getting a doctor involved unless it's serious. So when she tells me to call...I call.) When I called the receptionist told me the doctor was busy but I could leave a message and she'd call me back when she could. So...I relayed to her that I had been having contractions for the past 16 hours. After I finished my explanation and she asked a few questions she asked me to hold, and then I was talking to the nurse. The nurse asked many of the same questions and then after hearing my answers said..."hold on"...the next thing I know Dr. Knowlton is on the phone telling me that she wanted to see me that morning. "Great", I thought. I've already had a gestational diabetes scare now I get to deal with the possibility of pre-term labor/bed rest?? Joy.

When I went in she did some tests and concluded that I was not in labor, that I hadn't dialated at all and that I was most likely experiencing a torn muscle or ligament. ...I've torn a muscle before...it was a completely different kind of pain. BUT I wasn't dialated SO...I took that as my answer of well must just be braxton hicks contractions.

Over the next couple of days I took it easy and they mellowed out some so I concluded that I was just going to be one of those lucky few who get to have contractions throughout their entire 3rd trimester.

This past weekend we went up to one of our friends cabins which was about 30 minutes outside of Evanston, Wyoming. I figured I would either hurt at home or hurt here. It didn't make much of a difference. So we went up and were having a good time and then those darn contractions started again. These were much like the beginning of the weeks experience so I figured we were in the same boat. Well...Sometime around 2 in the morning on Saturday I noticed I had started to bleed a little. ...That was new. Neither Chad nor I could sleep so I continued to try to walk off the contractions and Chad was up and worring about me. Well...at 3:00 I went to the bathroom again and noticed the bleeding had worsened and I told Chad we should probably head home. Chad threw our bags in the car and we started traveling down the down the long dirt road out of the Unitas. We made it to the bottom and realized we needed a key to open the gate to get to the main road (insert swear here)! We tried calling our friend in the wilderness...no reception. We attempted for ten minutes to find the cabin to get a key to get out. Chad (fight or flight mode) pounded on the door of a cabin that had a truck in the drive way. After about 3 minutes of knocking on the door a light came on and an old mad with whitey tighties came out to see what the commotion was all about. Chad asked the man to save his wife's life and let him use his key to get out the gated cabins. He let us use his key and we finally were on the paved road by 4 am.

Right out of the gate Chad was doing 100. Once we got cell phone reception we decided it was time to find out where the Wyoming hospital was and it made logical sense to stop by and get checked out. I called my mom and asked for her advice. She thought it would be a good idea to stop. Once we got to Evenstan we both felt a strong impression to keep driving. By the time we hit Park City the contractions were horrific and almost unbearable. These were much worse than anything I have ever felt. Chad increased the speeds to 115 though the canyon and ran every light in Salt Lake until we reached the hospital (somehow someway we didn't get pulled over). We got to LDS hospital a little before 6 and we were immediately taken to a room to be checked. The nurse checked me and I was dilated to an 8! I was so upset and knew it was too early for our baby to come. The next thing we knew they were calling our doctor and preparing me to deliver the baby.

I got an epidural and began to push. After about only 10 minutes of pushing the doctor said the babies head was just about there just a few more pushes. The next push the doctor says this is not the babies head and the baby was breech. Logan's bum felt much like a head because it was hard. At that point the doctor gave us our options of c-section or continued pushing. After weighing our options we decided to go with a c-section. The stress the baby would go though would most likely cause his brain to bleed and major stress on his spine. The risk of brain damage/brain bleeds were high given his tiny size. Specialist were called in and surgery started quickly.

The entire life flight NICU team was set up in the room ready to take the baby due to the fact that LDS typically didn't handle babies who were born before 32 weeks, and Logan was 30. Baby Logan was handed off and the team began to immediately assist with breathing and support. They were absolutely incredible. They spent about 3 hours stabilizing him and getting him ready to move down to the NICU unit in Murray (yes they moved my baby to another hospital!). Chad stayed with Logan while they worked on his little body. Once I was stitched up and moved to my recovery room I got to see him for about 2 minutes (literally) and then they took him. Hardest thing ever...a lot of tears. I didn't get to see him the rest of the day. Chad went down for 4 hours to stay with him. It was a LONG LONG day for him.

Logan received surfactant and was on a incubator bronchial breathing machine (cant remember the exact name). The doctors/nurses are amazing and are watching him closely. Logan was 16 inches long and weighs 3 lbs 11 ounces. He is a fighter! We love him so much! We are glad he is here but he could have been a little more patient until we at least were not camping. He is beautiful and has his mommy's toes and his daddy's hair.

Chad Graduates!!!

2011-05-24T11:08:00.001-07:00

It finally happened! He's officially done!

He actually finished back in December but I made him walk...even though he didn't want to.

I needed the closure. ;)

I think in the end...he was glad he did.

Afterward we had cake and pizza with family and friends to celebrate!

Even Stewie joined in the festivites! (Thanks Tara!)

So proud of him! Way to go Babe! Thanks for all you do for us!

Had to Document...

2011-04-29T10:56:00.000-07:00

Chad felt Stewie for the first time this morning!!!

I don't know who was more excited about it.

Chad or Me.

But he finally felt his son!

I find this to be a big deal. So...I had to share. ;)

24 Weeks today!

Baby Steps to a Nursery

2011-04-25T11:51:00.000-07:00

So...we are fortunate enough to have a room we can dedicate as a nursery. It took us a week of de-cluttering and 2 trips to the D.I. and there is STILL tons of stuff we will probably need to get rid of or move...but we got it cleared out enough to at least paint. It's still far from done, but here is a little sneak peak to what we've got going on thus far.

First, my amazing husband painted the base coat while I was at work and he was off for Good Friday. (Isn't he the best!) It's a lot more..."WOW, that's blue!"...than I thought it would be...but it's a good blue. So we're going to go with it.

Then we pulled out my super sweet overhead projector which I got from a school district sale for $1 and we started taping.

We think it turned out pretty darn cute, don't you? We just did one focal point wall, the remaining walls are just a solid blue. But I'll keep posting as we get more done.

(You're going to have to excuse the poor photography. I'm working with a cell phone camera. My camera decided to not work anymore. Great timing, right? It's not like there isn't anything life alteringly significant coming up in our lives that we'd like to document with pictures. psh.)

Which leads me to a little bonus pic... Here is the updated "bump" photo. Again...self portrait with camera phone. Ugh. Which means you've got to use a mirror. I hate these. But...you work with what you've got, right?!?

23 Weeks! Here's lookin' at 17 more...ish. Oh boy.

A Breaking Point: Week 22

2011-04-15T08:56:00.000-07:00

This morning...I was 10 min. late to work.

For those of you who know me...you know that isn't necessarily uncommon -punctuality is not a strength of mine, (I blame my dad) but Chad has made it his mission in life to make it one. So I really have been doing much better, thanks to him, and I haven't been that late for quite some time. But this morning...this morning I couldn't find a thing that fit!

Up until now, I have been able to pull off wearing all my regular clothes. Using the hair tie method on the pants button, I haven't had to buy any maternity pants. But today...today even my hair ties seem to be stretched to capacity.

I have only 4 actual maternity shirts but this morning -being Friday morning- the 5th day of the week...they are all in the wash and I was S.O.L.

Garments are becoming ever more annoying due to the fact that my swollen midsection pushes my garment bottoms down, and my garment tops up, leaving me with an exposed belly button. ...Charming, I can know be compared to my 2 year old nephew after his dad puts him in pj's that are 2 sizes too small for him, only difference is...his belly is considered adorable when it pokes out.

Let's not even get started on my dilemma's concerning my upper body support systems being incapable to keep up with the seemingly never-ending growth spurts taking place there!

::sigh::

Yesterday, I spent a large sum on Stewie and his wardrobe (a first), of which he won't even be using for MONTHS. In hindsight...that money may have been better spent on MY wardrobe. It's time to break down and go shopping. Live and learn, right?

Turns out...Stella is a Stewie

2011-03-22T15:48:00.000-07:00

So...yesterday we found out our little Stella...is actually a Stewie. HA...who knew???

Certainly not Chad and I. We were both pretty sure that we were going to be having a girl. But...we are pretty happy to be proved wrong on this one.

I don't know if Chad has ever thought it even an option for him to have a son. Even before we got married he was told he would "have all girls". And I think he just assumed that would be the way it would be, and he was totally okay with that. But when he found out he was having a boy...and after the shock wore off a little and it really started to sink in...he was thrilled! I don't think he realized how happy a son could make him. Not that he had anything against boys...he just never even considered it really, I don't think. He's always told me we'd have only girls, even when I told him I wanted a boy he said "Don't count on it."

But there it is. In black and white. A boy. Our son!

It will be me and the boys! My life will be full of balls and bugs, and boy scouts. I can just imagine him flirting his way to good grades, just like his dad. Batting his little eyes at every woman and having them wrapped around his little finger just like that.

I doubt I could be more excited to meet this little guy!

Even though in these shots he kind of looks like an alien. He's my little alien. And I love him already!

17

2011-03-11T08:29:00.000-08:00

17 Isn't really a milestone for anything per-say, however, 17 is really only 3 weeks shy of 1/2 way point...and that's kind of a big deal. 17 is the 10 day marker for when I get to find out if little Stella is a boy or a girl! 17 Means roughly 23 more weeks to go or 161 more days...oye...let's stick to weeks. 17 Weeks makes my baby roughly the size of an onion, it's skeleton is hardening and changing from rubbery cartilage to actual bone, and the tiny little fingers and toes actually have their own one-of-a-kind prints!

We didn't even find out we were having a baby until a few days before Christmas. I was late, and I took a test and it was blank. Weird. It was a few days later that we got to the store and bought another and again I took the test...and again it came up blank. I was starting to get annoyed after two faulty tests, so I got impatient and took another one right before I left for work, and Chad had already left by that point. I found out on my own and for about 10 hours I was the only one on the planet who knew. I couldn't tell Chad over the phone! It's too big of news not to share in person. So...I waited. Chad called later that day to tell me he was going to work some overtime that night. So...I waited even longer. And then when he finally got home...we had company. So I waited some more. Finally I was able to tell him..."Hey...guess what I found out today? You're going to be a Dad!" He got this little grin on his face and said "I am?" Chad was pretty thrilled with the news. Which made me even more so.

Pregnancy has been fairly kind to me. I was definitely tired, and I had the queasiness to be sure, but I was spared the vomiting. Week 7 when I was making brains...that was a rough week...making brains is hard. But 3 days after week 12 hit...I was good. Sure, I had a tooth break off, and my high school acne has returned with full force, -oh and lets not forget the never ending heartburn (Tums have become one of my new best friends)- but aside from these very trivial repercussions of pregnancy I really don't have anything to complain about.

Mostly, at week 17, I find myself anxiously excited. I can't wait to find out what we're having! I can't wait to see what our baby will look like, and what kind of personality it will have! I'm excited for the day when I will feel our little one inside of me. I'm nervous for the changes my body is going to make and curious to see if it will ever go back to what it once was. I'm a little apprehensive to get on the scale and see a number I have NEVER wanted to see. But I can't help but feel undeniably blessed to be able to BE pregnant and to carry my baby as it grows inside of me. It's the most bizarre and awesome experience, and I thank my Heavenly Father everyday for this adventure.

Remodel!

2011-03-04T08:49:00.000-08:00

So...USUALLY first time expecting moms go on what they call a "baby-moon". One last travel hoo-rah before they sign their lives over to diapers and mid-night feedings. Chad and I seriously considered this because we do love to travel. We started planning a big trip to Cancun! Everything was working out, we were finding excellent deals, it was going to be epic!

Well...during our travel planning we started to also talk about potential home remodel ideas that we've been wanting to do for quite some time now. As we started to price those out we realized...for the same amount Cancun would cost us...I could actually DO the remodel.

I picked the remodel.

Before....

After....

We did the backsplash and the undercabinet lighting. We love it!

Our babymoon will just have to wait...or...maybe just be down graded. ;)

Now Introducing: Stella

2011-02-08T10:09:00.000-08:00

We wanted to be sure we were out of the woods for the most part before we made this "public" but now that I've made it to the 2nd trimester...

Chad and I are expecting our first little Hatchling on August 19th.

We have yet to find out if we're having a boy or a girl...we've got a few more weeks before we're going to be privvy to that information...but until than we're calling our wee one "Stella".

This is a tradition that I got from my Mom. She didn't like the idea of calling the baby "it" all the time, especially since most people didn't find out what they were having back then, so she started to give all of her kids womb-baby names. Just silly, outlandish names that you would never actually name your kid for real, but are fun nevertheless. ...Or maybe they are names you would like to name your kid but either your spouse hates it and compromised with you by using it as the womb-name, or you just don't have the guts to name your baby something so...edgy. For me...it's a little of the silly...but more so the lack of guts.

Every baby Stella I've ever met has been the most GORGEOUS thing ever! So naturally I've associated the name with beauty. Unfortunately, I think Rocky has ruined it for me, personally, so I can't bring myself to put it on the birth certificate. SO...the womb-name it is.

Don't judge. I'm sure you have your own "forbidden fruit" kind of names lurking in your head too. My brother, Micah; his was "Jamal". But you just can't name a white toe-headed kid "Jamal" (not that any of his kids have blonde hair...but still...you know what I mean.) So, Brittney compromised and that was Tai's womb-baby name.

Mine was Peirre. My brother Josh: Marigold. John: Zeb. Stephanie: Guido. Mandy: Mel. Micah: George. And a friend of mine decided on Huey as their womb-baby name.

You gotta love the idea! Time to confess: What have been/or would be your womb-baby names?!? Think about it. It's kind of fun.

Ironing...GOO

2010-08-25T08:11:00.000-07:00

Ever since I was little there were only two...okay maybe 3 chores I NEVER liked doing (I'd pretty much run and hide anytime my parents told us we were cleaning the garage.) The first would be weeding. I HATE weeding. I used to tell my mom that I would clean the ENTIRE house as long as she didn't make me go out and weed. That's how bad I hated it. When I moved out into rental world, I never really had to worry about it. And I pretty much made sure I wouldn't have to worry about it when I bought a home with an HOA and the only weeding I'm responsible for is a little 2'x12' strip surrounding my patio. And even THAT I have a hard time wanting to maintain.

The second chore I tried to dodge like the plague was taking out the garbage. I hate taking out the garbage. I don't know what it is about it...but I just don't like doing it. When I was living with my old roommate we made a deal. I would ALWAYS do the vaccuming (the chore she despised) if she would ALWAYS take out the garbage. Life was great! And when I married Chad my roommate told him, "All you have to do is take out the garbage, and she'll be happy." And that was true, until...there was ironing.

Before I got married, I rarely...IF EVER-ironed. But...Chad-bless his heart- has a million and 4 shirts that need to be ironed ALL the time. Before we got married he would just send them to the dry cleaners. But at $50 a month, I thought it'd be smarter for us to just do it ourselves. ...I'm starting to regret my frugal-ness. In trying to be a good little wifey, I spent 4 hours ironing yesterday. FOUR HOURS!!! I almost wanted to quit and go outside and weed!

Ugh. My husband has a great wardrobe built up, but I'm about to throw out every shirt that isn't wrinkle free, which will leave him with less than 3/4 of what he currently has.

M.I.A.

2010-07-27T10:40:00.000-07:00

Wow...So...I guess I need to apologize to those of you out there who actually read this thing. I haven't posted anything new for quite sometime and I kind of got scolded for that recently(Sorry Peggy;) I didn't realize it was even a priority to some. I again apologize for my slacking off. In all honesty...we haven't got much to report. But let's see what I can come up with...uh...

Oh! Chad and I have recently been on a diet. (I told you it's been a slow news month.) How come no one told us we had let ourselves go?!? We looked at pictures of us in Hawaii and we about passed out from the horrific photographic evidence of us at our "finest". Sick. Apparently those newly-wed blinders came on and we were totally content with being ignorant, fat, and happy. What were we to expect, though? I mean...come on, the workforce of Dairy Queen started to know us by name. They would say "Hey, Chad! Kandace! You want your usual?" (The invention of the Banana Cream Pie and Strawberry Cheesequake Blizzards was pretty much our downfall.)

So...get this...apparently diet and exercise really works! Huh. Who knew? Well...that AND banning ourselves from DQ. Chad has lost 22lbs and I've lost 20. Again. TOTALLY depressing that we even NEEDED to loose that amount of weight, but our home is now 42lbs lighter. Blessed day. We both realize we still probably have another 10-15 to go each, but hey, baby steps. P.S. We highly reccommend you look at a calender before committing yourself to the strictest of diets. Because dieting over holidays is NO fun. Depressing really. I doubt Chad has ever seen me more moody. I get cranky when I don't get my sugar. After witnessing me on sugar withdrawls, any pregnancy related mood swings should be cake for him to deal with. (These aren't coming anytime soon people, I'm just saying.)

Anyway, aside from this...we've just been living the dream. We work, Chad goes to school, I do laundry, we sleep and then repeat. Chad just got a promotion of sorts at his work, and he's been under a lot of pressure to acquire new certifications, so that's adding to his stress bucket. And while trying to not bug Chad while he studies I've been attempting to become more savvy in the garden...it's not going well. My thumb is far from green...as are my plants. Sad. I blame the soil.

Welp...It's a quick and pointless update...I don't even have a picture to go along with it. What fun is a post without a picture?!? It's not. I'll see what I can do to up the fun factor next time. But until then...this will have to do.
"It's all about a choice." -Chad T. Hatch

The Mans Got Skills!

2010-05-26T09:25:00.000-07:00

Back in January I asked my little brother, Josh, to build Chad and I a head board for our bed. He had just graduated and he had a little bit of free time while he was looking for a job, so I figured, I could give him a little extra income and he could build me a bed! Little did I know, he was planning on getting engaged shortly there after. Engaged people don't have time to build head boards! Unless, of course, it's their own. So...needless to say...it took a little longer than anticipated, but it was WELL worth the wait!

I drew Josh a picture on the back of an old reciept, gave him a general idea of what I wanted, and he came up with this! He's amazing! My dad helped him a bit too. So a public THANK YOU to Josh and Dad! We absolutely LOVE it!

I know, I know, dark walls, I gave the explanation of this on my other blog http://www.kandyland0818.blogspot.com/ along with some wall art that helps break up the brown! But...this peice was too nice to go crazy color on. I had to go classic. So we stained it. Josh brought it to us like this...We stained it all and put it together, and we're SO excited to have it done! Now I just need to go find some cutsie light and bright decor to put on top! Love it! Thanks again Josh!

Honeymoon!!! ...6 Months Later

2010-05-16T08:10:00.000-07:00

So we finally made it! We finally went on our honeymoon, and let me just say it was totally worth the wait! For those of you who missed the memo the first time, our honeymoon was initially delayed due to an unplanned incident involving snow skiing, insta-care, and Chad's leg. BUT broken bones heal! And we finally made it happen!

It was kind of sureal landing in the Honolulu airport. I still couldn't believe we had finally made it there. I mean, for so long all Hawaii had ever been to me was all those pictures you see in the brochures... Stuff like this.

....Not this. Our shuttle driver decided that the best route to take for all of us first time visitors was right through the slums of Waikiki. Needless to say...my first impression of Hawaii was a tad disappointing. Although the above picture was not of the slums, it was actually the sunrise view taken from the top floor of our super nice hotel (fyi: booking on Priceline is the way to go) at about 5:30 in the morning. Our internal clocks were still on Utah time which was 9:30 in the morning, but I digress...where was I....Oh yes! First impressions. Well you know that old adage "You never get a second chance to make a first impression"? Well, I think they made an exception for Hawaii. Downtown Waikiki may have left me wanting...but Hawaii as a whole, is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen.

With it being my first trip to Hawaii I wanted to see all the tourist-y stuff i.e. The Polynesian Cultural Center, Pearl Harbor, The Dole Plantation, etc... And thankfully, Chad indulged me, even though he has been to Oahu twice before.

The PCC was one of my favorite places we went. The canoe parade especially. SO fun! The Dole plantation and the super yummy pineapple ice cream was a highlight as well. One of our favorite parts was just cruising around Oahu and just seeing what we could see. North shore was great and we stopped at some gorgeous beaches and just chilled for a while and played in the surf.On Monday night we met up with our friends Lindsey and Jason and they were gracious enough to take us to a beautiful beach for Family night. We loved it! It was so pretty. Unfortunately, I was so excited to see Lindsey I totally spaced bringing my camera so I don't have any photographic evidence of this. Can you help me out with this Lindsey? You know you've got a good friendship when it's been years since you've seen them but it feels like no time at all. Thanks for the good time guys!

On Wednesday morning we met up with our fellow honeymooners, Lou and Phil, who had just gotten married on the 8th. As it turns out they were in our exact same hotel! Ha! Who knew? It was pretty handy for car pooling to Pearl Harbor and the swap meet though, which by the way is the PERFECT place to buy suvinors, SO much cheaper than anywhere else on the island. And it was SO much fun! We ran into a jam lady, Sylvia...or Sherry...I forget, but she makes her own jam. And it is GOOD! We got suckered into buying 3 jars of Jam, one of which was a "man jam" which Chad is ga ga over. BBQ's at our place this summer! These jams are great on meat! I know...it sounds weird, but trust us...you'll love it!

Wednesday we flew over to Kauai and started part 2 of our trip. In comparrison to Waikiki this island is pratically bare with habitation, but it is called the Garden Island for a reason. SO SO beautiful! Especially the north shore! Chad and I pretty much decided that when we are rich and famous there is where we want to retire. (HA...dream on.) THIS is the Hawaii I had pictured!

All the pictures really don't do it justice. You've got to go people. Find a way. Make it happen. Kauai is TOTALLY worth it. While we were there we went on a kayak trip up the Wailua River where we went on this GREAT hike to a secret falls, and we saw an old Hawaiian village. Way cool. And our great adventure was a raft trip to the Na Pali coast line! (that one opening aerial shot in Jurassic Park...yeah...we were totally there...just yesterday!) The raft trip was kind of rough...not going to lie. 35 miles in a little raft on the HUGE choppy ocean...my tail bone is STILL tender. BUT...once you get past that part of things...it's TOTALLY worth it. We were able to cruise right into some of these incredible caves with the bluest water you have ever seen, and we were also able to go snorkeling. A first for me. I was a little trepidatious about getting in because, me, a land locked girl all my life, has this thing about large bodies of water and the fish that swim in them. Kind of freaks me out. Okay...REALLY freaks me out. But I did it, and it was unbelievable! LOVED it! We were fortunate enough to see TONS of dolphins, a handful of turtles and even a Momma Whale with her calf! CRAZY cool!!! And it wasn't just a spout of water either. They gave us a whole show as they jumped and played. The baby would jump and then the momma would show him how it's REALLY done. SO amazing. I have a deep respect for the ocean...and the power that is in it. SO intimidating and completely awesome. This is one of our favorite parts of our trip.

We'd like to thank all the people who made this possible. #1) Chad's Aunt Heidi who hooked us up with buddy passes on Delta which saved us exuberant amounts of money. #2 Jason and Lindsey who showed us one of the most beautiful beaches where the locals go. #3 Lou and Phil for introducing us to the Shave Ice (mmmm...just talking about it makes me want one). #4 Delta Airlines for giving us first class accomodations on the night flight back (this is the way to go) and the lovely airport of Seattle, in which we currently sit, waiting for ANY flight to get us the rest of the way home. BOO on standby. And Tyler and Janet for being willing to be on call for local pickup back in our hometown!

Best honeymoon a girl could ask for!

The Josh & Heidi Wedding!

2010-04-21T09:15:00.001-07:00

Oh the happy couple! Josh and Heidi were married on April 16th, in the Salt Lake Temple. And it was a gorgeous day for a wedding! And they couldn't have been happier, and we couldn't be happier for them!

During the sealing the Sealer turned to Josh and said "You've got yourself quite an incredible bride here." and Josh's entire face just lite up! He had the biggest most genuinely happy smile I've ever seen on my brother. I've never seen him so filled with complete and utter joy. I will forever and always love Heidi for the plain and simple fact that she makes my brother so blissfully happy. His entire countanence brightens whenever she's around and I find that incredible. He loves her so much and I am SO happy for them.

Here's part of the fam waiting for our turn for pictures.

Cute little Kua sportin' his pimped out suit! Walkin' with one of his favorite all time people Grandma! It's so cute, anytime he sees his Grandma he get's so excited! There's only 3 people on this planet who that kid will go out of his way for. His Mom, and his two grandmas!

Micah and Brittney, Tai and Kua. Lookin' good!

Tai playin' it cool!

Kua with Grandma and Grandpa
They do in fact Kiss!!! They just have a little bit of weariness doing it in front of people. There were about 4 public kisses their entire wedding day. One over the alter two which I have displayed on here...and one...maybe two more at the reception. And that's all we could talk them into doing.

But aren't they gorgeous! And check out those smiles! Welcome to the family Heidi! We're thrilled to have you join the clan! Thanks for making Josh so happy! Congrats you guys!

Zions!

2010-04-21T08:25:00.000-07:00

So for my syblings spring break they decided they all wanted to go to Zions, the weekend before Josh and Heidi's wedding, and Chad and I decided to tag along. And although I was pretty sick and went through 3 packages and 1 full box of tissues in the matter of 3 days, we had a ball!

It was a balmy 78 degrees while we were down there and we were way past due for some good quality Vitamin D. We went camping in the South campground just inside of Zions. Chad and I have never really been camping together, so it was a first for us. We had to go buy a new tent and borrow a lot of stuff from Chad's parents. Which they may or may not let us do again. We kinda, sorta had a little accident with the tiny space heater they had lent to us. We had never used it before, and unfortunately didn't try until after dark, and because of this, we didn't notice that there was a cap on top of the burner. We lit it. Felt the warmth figured it was fine. A few minutes later however I turned and asked Chad if he smelt something burning. I pointed a flashlight over to the space heater and the plastic cap on top was bubbling. We're pretty sure it wasn't supposed to do that. So we turned it off and the next morning sure enough the cap was all sorts of melted and deformed. Sad day. Hopefully Ffej will find it in his heart to forgive us and maybe even let us borrow some of his camping gear again in the future.

We hiked some great hikes, and tested out Chad's once again functioning leg. He's healing quite nicely and he's getting really anxious to be able to run again, but first we're going to try and master standing on one leg with your eyes shut and not tipping over. For someone who's ever broken a leg...it's harder than it sounds, folks.

All in all it was a great family vacation. Can't wait to do it again!

Land of Makebelieve

2010-03-29T09:28:00.000-07:00

Our Trip To Hawaii!!!

We had SUCH a FABULOUS time! I took everything I had to come back to the real world. In fact...some would argue...I still haven't.

This was our suite in Kauai where we stayed. It was kind of like out of a magazine! So sureal!

This is just down the hill from our suite. Chad and I liked to go for long walks on the beach after lunch. On one of our walks I found a coconut.
It's not every day you just...find a coconut lying around.

We went snorkeling a few times and it was incredible! The water was amazing! SO clear and blue.

We took surfing lessons and Chad was UNBELIEVABLE! Look at him rip up that wave! This was me after a gnarly day of surfing. I couldn't believe how sensational the sunsets were!!!

We went hiking up this GORGEOUS mountain and found a hidden waterfall and couldn't help but get in. We climbed up the side and dove off the top of it. Wow...This is definately something I thought I'd never be able to do.

And of course, you can't go to Hawaii without going to a Luau! That's Chad in the back...he's learning to hula. Pretty good, eh? Check out the toe point.

Talk about a dream honeymoon, huh!?! Even if it was a few months later. Big deal! At least we got to go!

And then...I woke up. Looks like I've been blogging in my sleep again. I think I just realized how long it's been since I actually posted anything and when I asked myself why...it's because the next thing I wanted to post about was our honeymoon...which has yet to happen. But it will, people! Next time I post about Hawaii...it will be the real deal! In the meantime...the land of makebelieve is a pretty nice place to visit, no?

John's Home!!!

2010-01-05T08:07:00.000-08:00

My little brother came home from his mission and he got to meet Chad for the very first time! It was a little hectic meeting him at the airport but...it was SO good to see him again! John also got to meet Kua for the first time. But the one who tripped him out the most was Mandy. She has changed SO much over the past little while and he couldn't get over how grown up she looked. Anyone who knows John, loves him. He's pretty much amazing and we love having him back!

Group Hug!!!

John and the newest members of the fam.

Tai realized that waiting for Uncle John to get his luggage was obviously going to take some time...so he got comfortable...on the airport floor.

My Brother & Sister-in-laws Cute little Fam! Cute little Kua!

"Uh Guys...Chad fell Down"

2010-01-04T14:13:00.001-08:00

So...do you remember that one part in the beginning of "That Thing You Do" when:

Well...it wasn't his arm...it was his
leg...and it wasn't leaping over parking meters...it was down hill skiing.

It was Chad's first time on ski's. He had decided (after quite a bit of coercing from his wife) that he was going to give skiing a go since it's one of my favorite outdoor activities and all of my family members are avid skiers. So...the day after New Years we went up to the Beav and took Chad on his first run down the hill on Skis. Sure he biffed it a couple of times, but he made it down Little Beaver fairly well, all things considered. After a few runs down the little beav, and a couple brief tutorials from me and my dad, Mr. Ski Patrol himself, my dad decides that Chad is ready for Gentle Ben. Now...don't let the name fool you. Gentle Ben is nice and all...but he's not as gentle as his name would imply.

On the first drop off Chad ate it pretty hard. He pulled one of those head first-kart wheels with a double lutz spin kind of wrecks. You know the ones I mean. Everyone who skis or boards has either had personal experience with one of these specific types of wrecks or have at least seen one happen from the safety of their lift chair and screamed out a rating on a scale from 1-10 based on snow displacement and the radius of their gear (poles, skis, hats, etc...) strewn across the mountain side.

He pulled the "Man" card for a while, and kept getting back up to try and finish the run. After 3 failed attempts and making it another 400 yards down the mountain...he knew something was wrong and opted for the "sissy" way off the mountain. Luckily my dad was skiing with us and radioed in for a toboggan. Chad said that was a once in a life time experience...and although the toboggan ride was fun...he'd prefer to never do it again.

We got down the mountain and made it to the Budge Clinic in Logan where we spent the next 3 hours waiting for the doc to tell us the verdict. After a few x-rays we found out that Chad had a "Mid-Fibular Fracture" And would be in a boot for 3-6 weeks and on crutches for the first half of that as well. Joy.

Oh well. What can you do? We feel pretty blessed that it was such a minor break. It could have been much worse. We're grateful it wasn't.

Chad getting his first set of x-rays. Note the baggy of snow in front that we used as a make-shift ice pack while waiting, and the green lead appron in the back...to protect the family jewels.

The demoralizing wheel chair. This was a breaking point for him I think.

The sign I noticed AFTER I took all these pictures with my phones...suckers. They shouldn't have kept us waiting so long...maybe I wouldn't have taken so many pics.

Hatch Family Christmas!

2010-01-04T10:04:00.000-08:00

This year the Hatch family had some conflicting Christmas Schedules. Tyler and Janet were going to be over at the Grahams for Christmas Eve, and Zac and Andee were going to be in Hawaii (the nerds) and we were schedule to be up in Logan starting Christmas Eve, so we opted to through the Hatch Family Christmas Party a little early! But it was worth it! We had so much fun!

We started off at Bonnie & Ffej's for a really good dinner with ham and turkey and funeral potatoes. And let's not forget the REAL Ranch dressing. A must have for any true Hatch. None of that icky bottled stuff for us. No sir. Beeb and Heidi and the kids joined us and then we headed down to our place for games and desert!

I made some cinnamon rolls...which actually turned out to be just rolls with frosting on top because I didn't put in NEAR enough cinnamon -Note to self. The big hit of the party was the Cocoa! We brought out our Cocoa-latte machine we got for our wedding which makes THE BEST hot cocoa! Mmmm.

Such a good time! Having the party a week before Christmas made us all a little trunky. Work was definately not on the "Top 10 Things I want to do tomorrow" list.

Christmas!!!

2009-12-31T08:38:00.001-08:00

Okay, so I'm behind...I'm new. I'll get it down. Promise.

Chad and I's first Christmas together was pretty great. We were able to go up to Logan and spend it with my family this year. It was quite the show, I tell you what! My mom always goes above and beyond when it comes to Christmas! I mean...the woman starts planning Christmas in July! She has lists, and charts and diagrams and flow charts about how it will all pan out! And every year...she nails it. It's always SO much fun! The schedual typically goes as follows.

8:00 a.m. - Wake Up (No time is given to primp...it's a "come as you are" kind of thing.) 8:15 - Pack Family 2nd Annual Nerf War

8:30 - Open up Sock Gifts (this is Chad & I's sock my mom made for us.)

9:30 - Breakfast...with the works! Egg nog, German Pancackes, Bacon, Hashbrowns, OJ mmm

11:00- Santa Gifts (Rules: Oldest to youngest, one at a time. Make it last as long as possible.)

1:00- Snack break/ Nap time

2:30 - Open up Family gifts.

4:30 - Enjoy the rest of the day playing games, watching movies, putting together puzzels, etc...

As you can see...we can make Christmas last pretty much ALL day! And it's the BEST!!! Chad didn't even seem to get too overwhelmed with my crazy family! We had a great time! Chad got me a new hair straightner and a blow dryer which I LOVE by the way. And my parents gave me some new ski poles which I was absolutely giddy about!

Chad got a new power drill and a surround sound system. All of which he was pretty excited about. I LOVE being his Santa! I had SO much fun watching him open his presents! I tell you what...giving is the BEST!!!

Pack Family Tree Hunt

2009-12-07T08:54:00.000-08:00

My family has a tradition of every year on the saturday after thanks giving we go up into Idaho and cut down our Christmas Tree. Now although this is one of my all time favorite family traditions...I have to admit...it rarely- if ever-goes off without a hitch. Like most Pack Family outings...typically we roll out about 2-24 hours AFTER we say we are going to go. We run into any and all sorts of perdiciments ranging from lost snow gear, forgotten lunches, car trouble, frost bite, and lost personages. There is never a dull moment, whether good or bad, but by the time we get back home most can say they had a pretty good time. After taking into consideration all of these potentials mis-haps...it's no wonder why those who we try to introduce to this tradition only come once. (Sissys) So I was a tad nervous to subject Chad to this tradition because if he didn't like it...I would be crushed because I love it.

Fortunately for me, the day was relatively flawless. We were only an hour late from when we were hoping to leave. The "burb" was in good working order. We remembered the lunch, everyone brought all their snow gear, we all had walkie talkies to keep tabs on everyone. And it was a GORGEOUS day! Only down fall...not too much snow in them there hills. BUT...you know what they say "You can't have it all."

We hiked to the top of the mountain...had to cross over a couple of ridges but then...we came across our tree. The sun shined down and the tree "spoke" to Chad. My dad handed him the ban saw and my man cut down his very first tree. One of the rights of passages into the Pack family. There was a small ceremony, picture were taken, tears were shed, all in all fantastic experience for all envolved.

Next my manly man threw the tree over his shoulder and treked back down the mountain side. He's so dreamy. ;) We got, what we thought to be, a cute "little" tree for our new home but it turned out to be about 4' too tall to fit into our house. After a quick little trim though we got it down to 8' tall and is currently taking up a good portion of our living room. We absolutely LOVE it!

Chad ended up really liking the whole adventure and I think I may just be able to talk him into going next year. :) Gotta love Christmas!!!

Our First Tree :)

I Choose My Love & I Love My Choice

2009-12-02T11:17:00.000-08:00

When I first started blogging I started simply to stay in touch with all my married friends who choose blogging as their first means of communication to the outside world. I rarely if ever updated my Singles World blog. But now...since I'm a married myself...I figure...I'll jump on this bandwagon with a little more gusto. And maybe...if I'm diligent...I may end up with some sort of historical reference documenting the ongoings of my new life with my best friend. Wouldn't that be nice?

Like every other girl I know, as I was growing up I had a sort of “wish list” of what kind of man I dreamt I would one day marry. It consisted of things like “funny, charming, full of life, spontaneously romantic, hard worker, great hands, loves his God more than anything, can sing and will sing to me, a good father to our children, etc..." my own personal Capt. Moroni essentially. Now…I was pretty optimistic in my wish list. And after a few years in the dating circuit I came to realize that maybe I was a little TOO optimistic…the "on the verge of being unrealistic" kind of optimistic.

In light of that realization a few years back I decided to toss the list and simply look for a good guy who I can love and who can love me back. I threw out the optimism, and decided to just find someone who I could be pretty happy with. And then…then I met Chad. And all of a sudden…the optimism came back. :) My previous list…of which I deemed out of reach and childishly hopeful…wasn’t so far-fetched. Standing right in front of me, in a gorgeous package of a man, was my list. Well actually…it was more than my list. Because at age 14 I didn’t realize I also wanted a sexy man of God. I didn’t know I NEEDED a man who could make me feel so completely loved and adorned, sexy and beautiful, and genuinely wanted. I never expected to marry a man who is so willing to help me with anything and everything. And I most certainly never would have thought I’d be fortunate enough to marry someone as incredible as Chad.

When I asked my Heavenly Father if I could keep him, I basically said "I have found someone pretty remarkable who makes me incredibly happy...so... if it's all the same to you...I choose him." I chose my love and I love my choice. It's been 2 weeks since we got married and I'm a firm advocate in the marriage movement. Especially if you're fortunate enough to find someone who makes you so genuinely euphoric you find you can't stop smiling.

I've yet to get any pictures of our day. But as soon as I do I will post them and give a recap on the main events. It was a perfect way to start.