Bridgets First Christmas

...was in a car.
But besides that it all was great!
Pete, Julie and Dustin flew into St. Louis on the 23rd and hung out at our house till Christmas morning. We of course had to go to the famous Mills Mall where we played glow in the dark mini golf, and Josh & Dustin did this trampoline thing. It was pretty fun to watch them do it, although they both felt sick and had headaches afterwards.


Christmas morning we left at 7:20 and arrived in Fort Walton Beach, FL at 9:20 p.m.
It was long, but Bridget did great! I think the hardest part was that being Christmas, NOTHING was open! So when we stopped for lunch, the only thing open was IHOP. It took 20 minutes to get seated and even longer to get our food!
This was my first time to Florida and it was so beautiful! We stayed in a nice condo right on the beach. We got to wake up in the morning and look right out the balcony window to the ocean! It was great to look out the window, but as soon as you stepped out the door it was COLD and WINDY!! Monday was the best day because it was nice and sunny, that made it a little warmer so we took advantage of it and went for a walk on the beach!
Our family (it was so bright!)

Bridget and I

The reason for going to Florida was for Joshs cousins wedding. It was fun to see his Aunt and cousins that we hadn't seen in 3 years, when we got married.
They got married on the beach and I'm pretty sure everyone was freezing!

The reception was fun and filled with lots of dancing!


Sleeping on the way home

Stretching before having to get back in the car seat!

It was great to be with family during the Holiday, and we will miss them lots!

California trip

In November Bridget and I flew to California to visit all our family! She did really well for her first flight and everyone around us ooooed and awwwed over her. She was the talk of the plane. I really wanted to take pictures and document her first airplane ride, but my hands were kinda full. We had a week full of visiting family, long walks in the park and catching up with friends. When Josh came a week later, we had lots of fun hanging out with family and enjoying the Thanksgiving holiday. We took traditional Pilgrim & Indian pictures and family pictures too. I loved finally having my own little family for portraits. I think they turned out great!




Also while we were there we got to visit my Grandma almost everyday. We took advantage of our time with her and decided to take a 4 generation picture. (Thanks Amber!) My grandma, my mom, me and Bridget. My Grandma has muscular distrophy and as it has gotten worse and worse she had to move into an assisted living home because she can no longer walk, and barely use her hands or hold up her head. It was really hard to see her like that but I'm so glad that she got to meet Bridget. She just lit up everytime we came and she held Bridget in her lap.

Also while we were there we got some new dresses for church! (Thanks Grandma Atkin!)

It was great being with family and being back in California but it's good to be home!

Mermet Springs, IL

My family has a tradition where our Dad takes each of the kids on a trip anywhere in the U.S. they choose to go at age 15 (I know, dangerous right?). It's been a great opportunity for each kid to really show what they're interested in and get some one on one time with their old man, Chloe and I are already making plans to continue this tradition with our own kids. While my honor student sibilngs chose to go see the capital, the statue of liberty and the smithsonian, I chose to stay within the confines of California dragging my dad up and down the state searching for any possible way to utilize our health and/or life insurance (rock climbing, ATV riding, surfing, spelunking, rappeling, etc.) While on my trip, my dad and I got a chance to go SCUBA diving in Monterey Bay. I fell in love with the concept of spending an hour underwater without ever having to surface for air. Since that time I've always wanted to become a certified SCUBA diver, but it isn't neccessarily easy on the pocket book.

And so, about a month ago I went over to a friends' house one evening and helped him remove a couple pesky trees around his house, in return he offered to get me certified to SCUBA dive as he just so happens to be a SCUBA instructor. I spent the next four weekends in a heavily chlorinated pool at the community college learning all the skills neccessary to successfully give Chloe a heart attack (she thinks it's dangerous). Finally all my hard work in the pool paid off and we took a trip last weekend to Mermet Springs in Illinois www.mermetsprings.com and it was awesome! It's an old rock quarry that has since been allowed to flood over creating a man made lake. In the water the owners have sunk a: school bus, ambulance, motorcycle, three cesna airplanes, helicopter, semi-truck, and the Boeing 727 from the movie "US Marshals". It was really neat to be able to swing inside a school bus and sit down on the old benches 30 feet underwater.

After spending the night in Metropolis, IL (Famous for their superman museum) we headed back home just in time for a halloween themed suprise birthday party. We dressed up and had a great time but were quite ready for bed later that night.



Getting all my gear ready for the first dive.



Yes the hood was neccessary, water is quite cold in October.



Chloe killed time holding Bridget and reading books.



Bridget getting ready early in the morning for her first road trip.



We knew we we're back home when it became cheaper to kill construction workers again.



We dressed as Pumpkin Farmers!



This years crop, the squash that gives our lives meaning.

Carr visit

After my family left, Josh's parents, sister and her daughter came to meet Bridget!
They were only here for a few days, but we had so much fun! While they were here we went to the zoo. We had never been to the one here, but it's free and really nice!
The next day we left the babies with Josh and his dad and the girls went and got pedicures! That was a nice treat!
We also had fun just hanging out at home, playing games and watching movies! And Josh finally got his homemade ice cream! (thanks to Julie)
Sunday we blessed Bridget and it was so great. Josh gave a beautiful blessing and it was good to have our family there.






Thanks Pete, Julie and Amber for a great time!

Warning: Long post!

So much has happened since Bridget was born, I don't even know where to begin!
The Monday after she was born, my parents came into town and stayed for 10 days. They were such a huge help, making meals and cleaning the house! My sister Maggie also came down from Iowa the second week they were here to meet Bridget. She loved her so much so joked about packing Bridget in her suitcase!

Mary Jo, Jack and Hudson also came over to visit and play with Bridget!


Her first bath



Her first walk


Bridgets frist Sunday at church. We only stayed for sacrament meeting, but she was the most popular person there!


Having a baby has definately changed our lives, but for the better! She is such a joy!

Bridget Leta Carr

Thursday, September 16 I was scheduled to be induced at 7:00 a.m. I had been 2 cm for 2 weeks and my Dr. felt confident that it would move things along, and she knew how much I wanted this baby out of me!! Before even starting the pitocin, I was already a 4! So my body had pretty much already started on it's own, and I think I would have been going to the hospital that day anyways. After they started the pitocin I didn't move very fast, I stayed a 4 till the late afternoon. They uped the pitocin more and more and I finally was a 7 around 3:00. At 5:00 they gave me an epidural which didn't hurt that bad, but they had to do it 3 times!! It was not a good experience! But once I couldn't feel anything, it was so much more relaxing!! I started pushing at 6:55 and she was born at 7:09 p.m. It was so easy, they just told me when to start and stop pushing and before I knew it they were putting my baby on my chest. It was the best feeling ever! She was 6 lbs. 5 oz. 20 inches long. She cried and cried, it was music to my ears!
She's now a week old and doing so well!! First couple nights home were pretty rough, but since then she has slept pretty good! I'll put her down around 7:30-8 and she doesn't wake up till 2-2:30. She only cries when she's hungry or has a dirty diaper, pretty much the best baby! We couldn't be happier or more in love with this little girl.

Still...

Yes, I'm still pregnant. My due date is tomorrow, and I have my Dr. appointment at 10 am and we will see what progress I have made. All this pineapple eating, walking, and squating had better pay off! Anyways we will decide what to do from there and if/when I want to get induced. Josh and I are so anxious, we can't wait to meet her and hold her!

38 weeks

Here I am at 38 weeks.
A week and a half ago I developed a rash that pregnant women can get called PUPPP(Pruritic Urticarial Papules and Plaques of Pregnancy). It doesn't affect the baby or anything and it's not serious, just uncomfortable. My stomach pretty much has the chicken pox!! It itches sooo incredibly bad! There is also a little on the corner of my right eye and chest. My Dr. said to start with some over the counter things like Benadryl and Claritin. So I started with those and they did nothing, then she told me about an anti-itch lotion to try and that of course only helps for so long and the itch is back.
Today I had my 38 week appointment and she prescribed me a pill, that does make you sleepy so I will just take it before bed and it will help me sleep. She said it won't go away till I have the baby so if I haven't gone into labor by next week that they can induce me. So if I decide to go that route, we could definately have the baby by next week!
So up until this whole PUPPP thing, I was doing pretty okay, now I just want this baby out and the itching to go away! Josh and I just can't wait to hold her and play with her. Like everyday Josh says "Can you please just have the baby?!" If only it was that easy....

Nursery

We finally got the baby's room all put together this past week and I'm really happy with the way it all turned out! A big thanks to my sister Maggie for getting us our crib and Julie for all the crib bedding, curtains and wall hangings! We got the glider from an older couple in our ward for FREE! It's a little out-dated, but it's comfortable and works! We got the changing table/dresser off craigslist for $30 and I just repainted it white. Here are some pics:

Ultrasound

Today I had an appointment for an ultrasound because at my last Dr. appointment I was measuring a little small so my Dr. wanted to check her size and make she is growing and everything. And she is! Everything looks great! Strong heartbeat, head is good size and her estimated weight is 5 lbs. 5 oz. The ultrasound tech said she didn't think she would be more than 7 lbs. Thank goodness!
I love my lady that does ultrasounds, shes so thorough and shows me everything that's going on. It was so cool! Some of the ultrasound was 3-D, she would switch back and forth.
So she gave me a 3-D picture of her face:

When I saw those cheeks I said "Are you sure she's only 5 lbs?! Those cheeks look so chubby!!" haha She was like "Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. The weight is just an estimate" I don't know I guess everything being smooshed together would maybe make it looked bigger than it really is? Isn't she so stinkin cute though?!
Here is the hair on her head:

And this one is a view straight on of her face, showing her eyelashes:

Also she is head down, so that is very good news!