Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night...

It's about time for me to get to bed - but not before one more post...just some pictures of how eventful our Christmas day went. I love Christmas morning, I think that feeling of butterflies and anxiousness will never go away! I LOVE IT!


Opening the first present of the day - her favorite, a book


On our way to the Cox household


The before of our glorious gifts!


Auggie getting a new bed and blanket - Robbie got some fun new things from mwah and The Cox family


Taryn scored in the hat department


Next it was time to head to my Grandma and Grandpa McClellan's house. Every time a new addition is made to the family they get a hand made stocking! - looks like they may need a bigger fireplace soon!


The 2 great-grandkids, Ayda and Taryn! - My cousins Tabby and Sammy and my Aunt Patty


Patty gave her a sweater that matched the hat Taylor had given her...how perfect!


Saying goodbye to Liz and Dave...we Love you!


Now over to the Wilson's - opening more presents and getting twinner (or tripleter?) shirts


Playing some guitar hero and watching baby Rigley make Carrie's belly grow (that vinyl saying on the wall with the frames is what Carrie gave Margo...great gift Carrie!!)

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth

So lucky spoiled me got a nice new camera for Christmas (Yay it's not in Japanese!) And of course I've been capturing tons of great moments...this one definitely wins the award for the cutest so it deserves a post of it's own! The heading describes it best!

Christmas with the Chicas

My friends from high school had the annual get together for Christmas last weekend and we started some new traditions! Marie and Katie took charge and planned the night beginning with some yummy dinner, then caroling to some older folks in the neighborhood - (the new tradition) followed by the classic exchanging of gifts white elephant style. Then it was on to Natalie's shower time! Since she lives so so far away in

Connecticut :( we threw her an early shower for her baby boy...she's due the beginning of February, so really we weren't too early with the shower. She would probably rather have me not post pics of her DARLING belly, but she makes a VERY cute pregnant chica, so I must do the right thing by letting others see how cute she is!!! Overall it was a fun night filled with laughter, singing,
and reminiscing on old times.


Katie, Lisa, and Marie


Me, Taryn, and Natalie


Tiare, Konni, and Allison


Yay for cute prego bellies!!


Caroling caroling through the snow...


Natalie opening her gifts!

Mommy 411

1. WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED? Yes - we were ready to add to our family

2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME? Yes, for 3 years (4 when Taryn arrived)

3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS? I didn't think it was true, but when it finally hit me I was SOOO excited!

4. WAS ABORTION AN OPTION FOR YOU? Absolutely not

5. HOW OLD WERE YOU? 22

6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT? Pregnany test, then the doc confirmed it

7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST? Robbie of course, then my friend Kim guessed because I was asking her how long she waited to tell her family she was expecting...that made it pretty obvious!

8. DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX? Yes! I wanted a girl so badly that I convinced myself we were having a boy just so I wouldn't get my hopes up. Don't get me wrong, I love little boys and I can't wait to have one...but I had to get my girl first!

9. DUE DATE? May 14th

10. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS? Ewe yes, I thought I had gotten lucky because I felt fine, but then week 7 arrived and it was yuckarama until about week 15...BLEH!

11. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE? In the beginning it was crisp apples and mandarin oranges...then fried chicken and chocolate milk...and last but not least CHICKEN NUGGETS from McDonalds...MmMmMm I'm lovin' it

12. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST? One week Robbie's breath smelled HORRID to me (he's going to hate me for writing this) but seriously it was so weird, anytime we were in the same room I felt like I was going to puke, even if he brushed and used mouthwash. But really it was only about one week...good thing!

13. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD'S SEX? Female

14. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING? Not this time around!

15. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY?
Who asks this kind of a question!! I guess it's ok because it was "baby" weight - but I gained 34 lbs...people didn't believe me..but it's the truth.


That is not a basketball!!

16. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER? I had 4 showers actually! Lucky me...really I don't think Robbie and I had to buy a single thing, until the diapers ran out!

17. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW? The showers? Or the baby? - no surprises on either.

18. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY?
Luckily No

19. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH? Alta View, it was the best experience!

20. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR? I was induced at about 11:00 am, and Taryn was born 6:47 pm so just under 8 hours. They offered me the epidural right from the beginning, but I waited until after they broke my water...then I was like Ok, I think I'll take that now!...but honestly everything went so smoothly, I couldn't have asked for it any other way.


This picture was after they broke my water and I could really feel the contractions - I can tell because I remember grabbing the bar on the side of the bed every time I felt one...ouch!




21. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL? Robbie

22. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH? Robbie, Dr. England, nurse Linda, and my mom was holding my hand.

23. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION? Ha - ya natural...whatever! Epidural all the way!

24. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN? Yesiree! Our second night there Robbie went home to sleep because he's way to tall for the little window bed. Plus I was so doped up on pain meds and Ambien! I was trying to change Taryn's diaper and I finally had to call the nurse because I couldn't figure out what I was doing!! So they took Taryn for the night in the nursery and I slept like a baby (that saying makes no sense) so I slept like I did before I was pregnant - on my STOMACH! AHHHHH

25. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH?
7 lb, 5oz


26. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN?
May 10th, 2007


27. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER?
Taryn Mae Wilson


28. HOW OLD IS YOUR FIRST BORN TODAY? 7 months, 1 week, and 2 days

29. DO YOU WANT ANY MORE? Not yet - but YES! I love babies!

Now all my mommy friends copy and fill this out!

"That Night"

So I've been de-junking our place as we pack stuff up to move and of course got side tracked looking through some old journals. I found one that my friends and I took turns writing in our sophomore year. Most of it was goofy stuff that made me laugh, but then I came across this poem I wrote (I think one day in seminary when I was bored) and I thought it was fitting for this time of year, here goes...

"That Night"

There was a bright star in the sky
The whole world saw it there
And as the spirit flew on by
Peace just filled the air
As all the women and the men
Looked up there faces in awe
Mary and Joseph sat by a hen
A perfect being they saw.
Overwhelmed the Shepherds came
And saw the babe they sought
The wise men too felt the same
And gifts of gold they brought
For on this night the world felt joy
We all then thanked out Lord
For here there lay a baby boy
Christ the Lord was born.

TAG YOU'RE IT!

I've been tagged be Melissa! - I have to write 7 things that most people do not know about me...so enjoy!

1. I pop my knuckles like 100 times a day, I started this horrible habit in 5th grade and haven't been able to stop it. Usually I don't even know I'm doing it. Oh and I love to pop other peoples knuckes as well, especially Robbie's big toes. Sounds gross, but it's fun for me!



2. I still sleep with my baby blanket AKA "blanky." This weirded Robbie out the first few months we were married, but then he found out one of his friends does the same thing and he's in his thirties now...so it's more common than he thought. I love pulling it in close to me before I fall asleep. For some reason it's always the right temperature...nice and cool if I'm feeling too hot, or warm and snuggly to wrap it around my neck. Ok, now I sound like a freak.



Taryn snuggling in my blanket!


3. I am very afraid of heights, but not just the normal fear of heights...like I can't stand to hold a kite knowing how it's so high up in the sky! Or even the thought of being inside a hot air balloon - ewe I'm getting anxiety just writing about it...or the big high balloons at the car lots! Or worse...those big lights that go across the sky at the Haunted houses at Halloween - very very scary! They just go so high!!! My mom and I have decided it's all Winnie the Pooh's fault. I would watch that movie when I was little and I think the part where he holds on to the bunch of balloons and get's carried away in the sky scarred me for life.




4. I played the violin for 8 years or so - and I wish I was better at it!!! I actually just pulled it out to see if I can still play somewhat ok and Taryn started BAWLING like it was the scariest thing she had ever seen! I did play last year in the primary program thanks to Robbie informing them I had that talent. But I really think I'm going to start taking lessons again, I really want Taryn to take piano and maybe violin, so I have to set a good example!



5. I HATE mashed potatoes, I have tried them over and over again...but they are just mushy blah to me. It's actually a rule now at my parents house that nobody can offer them sarcastically to me at Sunday dinner. That joke got old a very long time ago.



6. I basically failed my aerobics class my senior year which is very much NOT like me at all! I never got below a B on any of my report cards. The very last week of school I had the worst case of the flu and missed every class except for the ones I had finals in. Then I was checking my grades and saw that my aerobics teacher (who was also my choir teacher, the crazy Ms. Belnap) and I noticed she had an F as my final grade! So I went straight to the school to work this out and explained to her how sick I had been. She had thought I was being an anxious senior who couldn't stand to come for the last week of school - so she said she was so sorry and should have known better than to think Shawna Cox would be capable of such antics. So basically I thought it was all worked out and school ended, we had graduation, and then we were on our senior trip and I got a call from my sister Lisa who informed me that my report card came in the mail and had a big fat D in aerobics!! She offered to hide it from my parents until I got back so they wouldn't make me come home early so they could slaughter me! Anyway they found out awhile later and I explained what had happened and by then it was too late to change anything...but really it didn't effect me with college, so whatever!!!



7. I'm addicted to Diet Coke. Seriously I may have a problem. I tried to limit my self to one a day when I was pregnant, and I did pretty good, but I LOVE the stuff! There's nothing better than a big 64 oz. plastic cup from the gas station filled with pebble ice and Diet Coke - Ahh, I think I will go get one now!!!



P.S. Now I'm tagging Natalie, Mindy, Shaundee, Jamie and Sigrid!