It's almost Christmas Time...

and the Spivey household is ready!!! Last Thursday I was inside visiting with a few of my past drill team members. Wade told me he was going to go out and clean up the garage (it is a complete mess due to the fact we are finishing our basement)so that we could park in there when the snow comes. A few hours later when I went to walk the girls out to their car this is what I saw...



and he wasn't even finished!!! I will need to post a pic of the finished project but am going to wait until the neighborhood is all decked out. When Wade put up his set of lights all the neighbors jumped on board and now the neighborhood is starting to look like the "Night Before Christmas" neighborhood in Taylorsville!

Seeing that Wade was excited and spending a lot of time on his lights I decided to do something Christmas-ee too. I wen't to the craft store and bought a few items to make a wreath for the front door. I did this a couple of years ago and thought I would give it a shot again. I must say I am pretty impressed with the results...


Wade still has a hard time believing that I made it because I am not crafty at all, but seeing how impressed him and my mother in law were made it so worth it. And the best part is it cost less than $20 to make...the wreath itself was most of the cost!

A few of Bryden's Favorites...

*These pics are a little blurry, they were taken with a cell phone and arn't the best*
Bryden is getting so big I can't even believe it. While he is so much fun to interact with it makes me sad to see my baby getting so big. He is not sleeping through the night yet but we are getting close..fingers crossed that will be the next big post. He is however starting to show a lot of personality and is in love with a few things.



This is a pic of Wade reading Bryden his bed time story. Although we only have a few books (Thanks Rachelle) he loves to be read to and could listen to it over and over again. I don't know if he understands anything we are saying or whats going on but I do know that when I show him the book he gets a really big smile on his face!!!



This picture portrays two of Bryden's favorites... #1 and probably the winner is his Boppy pillow. I originally purchased it so that it would be easier to feed him but have come to find out it is more of a babysitter than anything else! Bryden could lounge in this boppy all day long and be totally content. And I am not complaining it makes getting ready in the mornings a whole lot easier. Bryden will just lay on the bed watching the news sucking on his fist. Wish I had a picture of that because it is so adorable!!!

The last favorite for this post is his new slippers. The poor little guy has hands and feet that are constantly FREEZING! So when Wade and I went to Park City this last weekend we made a stop at the Carter's outlet and bought B some slippers. I wish they would fit me because they look oh so comfy!

Having fun being a mom...

I never could have imagined 11 months ago (when I found out I was pregnant) just how much my life was about to change. People always told me that there was “Just something about being a parent” that makes everyday worth living for. I can honestly say I believe them now 100%. My little Bryden has changed the way I think, act and live on so many levels. Even though sometimes it’s hard… I would not trade being a parent for the world!!!


Bryden,

I just wanted to let you know that you are the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me. I never thought it was possible to love somebody so much, but you have proven me wrong. I love to kiss on your big chubby cheeks and I could just hold you in my arms all day long. It breaks my heart to have to leave you when I go to work in the morning, but I want you to know I think about you all day long.

Thank you for your smiles and big kisses before I leave that is what gets me through the days. Even though you are not sleeping through the night and mom and dad are both extremely tired, I love getting you out of your crib to feed and snuggle you. I love that you coo all the time and think how much you slobber is absolutely adorable.

Your daddy loves you very much as well. You two look so much alike and a lot of your actions mimic his. He loves giving you baths and letting you “swim” in the bathtub. Even though he won’t admit it he loves when you sleep in our bed with us and will even put you in bed with him before I get there and say its because you were fussy or cold. He hates being away from you when he goes to work but loves it when you come to see him at the fire station. I want you to know that you are the most amazing little man we could have ever asked for. We are so excited to watch you grow up and learn so many new things, but don’t want you to get big at the same time. We love you so much Baby B!!!

Love,
Your Mommy and Daddy

Bryden's 1st Halloween

On Halloween Bryden wasn't feeling so well so instead of going out we decided to stay at home. I didn't take too many pictures that day (because i was tending to a fussy baby) but here are a few my neighbor took.


We dressed Bryden up as "Dracula". Come to find out our neighbor bought her 2 year old the same costume. This is a picture of the 2 together. Clearly you can see he was not a happy camper!

Bryden is 2 Months Old!!!

Where does time go??? This is the question I find myself asking over and over again. My little man is getting so big. It seems like just yesterday we were bringing him home from the hospital and getting adjusted to parenthood.

We took Bryden in for his 2-month appointment on Thursday. He weighs 10 lbs 1 ounce now and is measuring 22 inches long. Although he seems SO big to us he is still really small for his age. The doctor is really pleased with his progress and still can’t believe how much hair the little man has. Bryden is cooing like crazy and is starting to smile a lot more.

He recognizes voices and interacts and plays with us. He LOVES bath time especially when daddy bathes him. He will swim around with his little arms and loves to have his hair washed. The only time he screams is when you take him out of the bath.

Sadly for us the little man is still not sleeping through the night. We think he is having some problems with his acid reflux and with the formula he is on now. The doctor gave us some medicine to try out but we haven’t seen much of a difference yet. We are looking forward to the night he sleeps all night but for now we are just trying to soak up every minute of our little man!!!

I have to say I never thought being a mom could be so rewarding. I love the special bond that I share with this little guy and hate being away from him. Although the adjustment is challenging I wouldn’t trade it for the world!!!

Bryden's New Born Pictures

Mikki Grimley (a friend from work) was so nice to take these pictures of Bryden when he was about 4 weeks old. We had been so busy that we kept putting it off but thankfully Mikki was so good to just do them for us on a morning that Wade had off. They turned out so cute!!!

Baby Bryden's Birth Story

***Pictures of this day to come***

The last couple of months before Bryden was born were really rough as my body was struggling with the pregnancy so needless to say here, 2 months later, is the birth story of our little man…

I went into the doctors office for my 37-week appointment with high hopes that after we did the amnio test that I would be admitted into the hospital to deliver my baby. After waiting in the doctor’s office for about 3 hours the doctor came in and told us that his little lungs were not ready quite yet. Bryden’s amnio score was a 37 and it needed to be above a 50 in order for me to be induced. So very upset we left the office and scheduled an appointment for 4 days later to come back and do another NST. When I came back in for my appointment that Monday the doctor told me he was not going to do anymore test, he figured that I had suffered long enough and the baby was not responding well so he wanted to take him right at 38 weeks. He told me to go to the hospital on Thursday and he would strip my membranes with some sort of jelly that would get me ready for labor. Then I would need to come back early Thursday morning and I would be induced.

Wednesday afternoon I went into the hospital as planned. I had my NST done and then the doctor came in about 5:30 to strip my membranes… boy did that hurt!!! Not even 20 minutes after he did this I started to go into labor. I was having the most painful contractions only about a minute apart. The nurse came in and told me that I could have an epidural at that point but she needed to get the doctors approval. The doctor on call said that I couldn’t have one because I was not dilating at a fast enough rate. After about an hour they finally came in and gave me morphine shot but said that they were going to admit me that night because my contractions were just too close together.

That night was the most restless night ever. My blood pressure would drop so the nurse would have to come in and check on me, then 10 minutes later the baby’s heart rate would drop, 10 min later I need oxygen because my levels were too low and so on and so forth ALL night long. Finally at about 6 am the nurse came in and said we were going to start the induction. 20 minutes later she came back in and said that with the night we had they didn’t feel comfortable starting me on the pitocin and I would have to wait for the doctor to come over and break my water. However the good thing was I could finally have my long awaited epidural. The doctor came in around 730, broke my water and the pitocin was now dripping. It was a waiting game from there on out, but not with out all the bumps in the road. Much like the night before the baby and I had problems with our oxygen levels and blood pressure. I was only able to get a drip level of 6 (20 is what they usually do for inductions) because my body and the baby were not responding.

Finally at about 3:30 the nurse came in and checked me and said that it was time to start pushing!!! This was probably the hardest part of the entire delivery. I was just so exhausted and it didn’t seem to be going anywhere. Luckily my support team was encouraging and got me through it. Finally at 4:15 pm our little boy was born weighing 6lbs even and 19 inches long. I wish I could say that it was everything I ever dreamed of but it was anything but that.

Right after the doctor pulled Bryden out he didn’t cry for about 3 minutes. They took him over to the ventilator/bed and had nurses blocking him so we couldn’t see what they were doing. From what I could see they were roughing him up pretty good to try and make him breathe. I kept asking if he was okay and everyone just told me he was fine but would change the subject. I was really nervous because my doctor just kept sewing me up and didn’t say a word. FINALLY we heard a little fuss coming from our Bryden. They came over and laid him on my chest but the little guy stopped crying and started panting so the whisked him away to the NICU. It was almost 5 hours later before I got to see my baby boy again. ☹ Luckily daddy was there to save the day. While my parents stayed with me, Wade was in the nursery with Bryden while he was having all his test done. He would come in periodically and give me updates so that I knew what was going on.

I don’t really like remembering the hospital much. It was a really hard time for us because we were not able to hold or feed our baby for 24 hours. He was hooked up to all kinds of IV’s and monitors. His poor arms and feet were a pricked mess from the test they were running. The pictures are still so painful to look at. Thankfully though the worst was over. Our little boy was able to come home 4 days later with his mommy and daddy.

26 Weeks and Counting...

It is hard to believe but I am already 26 weeks along, we have less than 100 days until we get to meet our little guy. Although we are super excited I think we are both starting to get a little stressed because we have absolutely nothing for a baby and haven’t even started on a nursery. Wade and I both have completely crazy schedules and if anyone were to spend a day with us they would probably not think we were expecting a child. Our neighbors (really close friends) are starting to even get stressed for us and are offering to do the baby registry and nursery for us. I feel terrible that we have not done more but I am hoping with it now being summer we will be able to spend all our time getting ready for our little boy.

Even though we haven’t met the little guy yet, I feel like he’s already got a personality. He loves keeping his mom up in the middle of the night by kicking like crazy, but sleeps all day long while I am at work. He gets the hiccups A LOT, and I just feel so sorry for him although it does make me smile. If there is one thing I know about this boy it is how much he loves his daddy! It does not matter what time of day it is if Wade is around the little guy knows it for sure. The sound of his voice makes the little guy wiggle around like crazy. And without fail whenever he wants to feel the baby move he can put his hand on my belly and the baby will kick him (he usually wont kick for other people)! If Wade is even touching my belly a little bit while we are cuddling the baby will just kick and kick an keep moving until he is in a position where he stays touching his daddy. (Which could be why he keeps me up all night) I just know he is going to be a daddy’s boy and while that makes me sad, I am also reassured because I know what a great daddy Wade is going to be! I am also a little worried that this baby wont be a cuddlier. He definitely likes his space… for example when I read a magazine I can’t place it on my belly because it makes him mad. He will kick anywhere the magazine is placed. Also when I am at work if I scoot in too close to the desk he makes sure he kicks at it until I move away. And last week when were at our doctors appointment he wouldn’t let the doctor listen to his heart, he just kept moving around like crazy!

I never realized how much fun it would be being pregnant, but also how much it changes everything. I have gained a total of 14 lbs at this point and have realized that everyday tasks are starting to seem impossible. I luckily have an amazing husband who is so patient and understanding. He is so good to cook, clean, entertain and still work his long hours during all of this. He’s been so sweet and makes sure that I am feeling good and beautiful every single day. I realize that this would be impossible without him! I will post more pregnancy pictures soon.

Las Vegas Wedding

Although Wade and I were married almost 3 weeks ago, I am just getting around to posting some pictures and details… Sad I know!

Originally Wade and I were going to get married this summer when it was warm outside and we could have a big party. However finding out that we were pregnant made those plans seem not as great. We both decided that because we had this unexpected little guy on the way we wanted to be married before 1- I got to big to fit into a wedding dress and 2- well before the little guy arrived. We thought because I was not getting any less pregnant and uncomfortable we should do something small right away, plus we were ready to get married anyways! Because we wanted to do something really small we didn’t really spread the word. The plan has always been to do something little right now and a year from know after the baby is born and I am back in shape :/ we would have our big celebration with everyone.

We wanted to be married somewhere warm so the plan was to head to Mesquite and get married in a courthouse there. After finding out that they don’t do this in Mesquite we decided that we would get married in the courthouse in Vegas. We told our families and that was it… or so we thought. Wade’s mom was not so eager about the idea and suggested that maybe we do something a little more meaningful and get married in one of the many chapels in Vegas. I originally was not so keen on the whole idea. I’ve always thought as getting married in Vegas as something you do when you’re drunk!!! However Wade and I looked into it and actually found a little chapel that looked really cute. Wade’s mom ended up booking the place. Once the place was set word began to spread that we were going to get married in Vegas and much to our surprise so many people booked their rooms so they could attend the ceremony. My two sisters Kim and Misty, my brother Sterling, Parents and nieces and nephews were there on my side. Wade’s parents, and 4 couples of close family friends (Chris & Cindy, JT & Linda, Fred & Terry and Steffanie & Ross) joined us on Wade’s side. Then there for both of us were My old boss Darren Beck and his family, the business manager at my work, Virginia Bowser and her family, and our neighbor Mike. And the rest was history, On April 3rd Wade and I were married surrounded by our parents close family friends!!!

We honestly could not have more pleased with how the wedding turned out. They had a limo come and pick us up from our hotel and take us to the chapel. When we got there we were escorted to our own little chapel and met with the minister. They performed a beautiful wedding ceremony and took some great pictures. Everyone was really happy with how everything turned out. I am so glad that Theresa suggested we do this and would highly recommend anyone to thinking about doing the same to get married at the Chapel of the Flowers in Vegas!

After the wedding we headed back to our amazing hotel suite that Wade had booked at the Golden Nugget and had a little brunch (pizza and drinks) for everyone. We even got to cut a wedding cake because one of my dance moms made one and sent it down with Misty!!! It really was an amazing day for us and we just want to say thank you to all our friends and family that made it that way.
Also a huge Thank you to Wade for making the entire trip so amazing. I wish I had pictures to post of the amazing hotel room that he booked for the entire week but our camera was dead! It was two stories and completely decked out with a bar, huge jetted tub, steam shower, living area and amazing view over Fremont Street. I am so lucky to have found Wade! He makes me so happy in every single way he is such an amazing husband and is going to make one amazing daddy! Love you babe.

Boy, oh Boy...

We are having a baby boy! That’s right, Wade and I are pregnant… we initially found out we were going to be parents back in January before we took our trip to Hawaii. I was feeling really crappy and just not like myself. For a while we thought that maybe I had an ovarian cyst or something like that so we weren’t too worried. Well my pains and being uncomfortable just grew so Wade started to really worry. Once we started doing the math we realized that I was a little late for my cycle and the thought then crossed into our minds. However, Wade being in the medical field, really started to worry that something may not be right seeing that I was in so much pain. He started to call around to some doctors he works with and they all suggested that maybe I should be checked out. Especially because we were leaving in a week for Hawaii and if something were wrong we would want to know before hand. Tuesday January 5th Wade called me at dance and said that he wanted me to stop by the station after I was done teaching so that I could take a pregnancy test that way we were close to the ER if it was positive. I don’t get done teaching until really late so I told him that I would just buy one on the way home and take it there. If it was positive then we could go to the ER just to see if anything was wrong. To our surprise the test came up positive so needless to say within a half hour we were at the UVRMC ER. Wade and I were really worried and not sure how to feel about it all. Once the doctors checked me out they assured me that we were pregnant, everything looked good and I was about 5 weeks along. We left the hospital relieved but still unsure of what all the pains were for.

We went on our trip having only told our parents we were expecting and had an amazing time despite being a little tired! When we got home we had to wait only 2 weeks before we met with our new OBGYN. It wasn’t until that point that I really started to feel sick. I started to realize how sick pregnant women get and just how fast you get out of bed when you need to puke!!! When we went in we got to see the little baby on the ultrasound. It was bigger than 4 weeks earlier but still looked like a little frog. We could only see the stubs (arms and legs) and little round ball for the head but Wade was convinced the tail was his little penis! We actually found out at that appointment as well that instead of being 9 weeks at that point I was only 8, but were still really excited because we already could hear the heartbeat! We went the next couple of weeks dealing with the sickness. There were times when Wade had to force me to get into the shower because I was just too sick to do anything.

We went back in at 12 weeks for some pains and concerns that I was having. We were able to hear our baby’s heartbeat again and the doctor re-assured us that everything was okay with our baby. Since then I’ve been feeling a lot better. I have days where I forget that I’ve been so sick and then days when I just want to die. But all in all I’m feeling good.

Yesterday we decided to go to Fetal Photo to see what we were having and to get a look at the baby to make sure everything was still okay. We went back in the ultrasound room and poor Wade was so nervous he couldn’t sit down. They started to do the ultrasound and the entire time he just kept counting fingers and toes and making sure that everything looked normal. When they took the gender shot before the technician could even say anything Wade was pointing at the screen with the biggest smile saying, “oh that’s a boy”, “That’s a boy”.
Seeing the excitement on his face was worth the money we paid for the ultrasound. Our little guy was so active while they were doing the ultrasound. The technician had to chase him around in order to get some good shots. He kept his hands up by his face almost the entire time and was having fun playing and exploring with his hands.
At one point we got a thumbs up and what looks like an “I love you.” He kept cuddling up in my tummy and made the 4D part a little bit hard but after having me lay on by side for a while gave us some good shots. I just know our little man is going to be a cuddle bug because he just kept cuddling up in my tummy with his feet to his head and hands on his face. Our baby boy looks great and is developing the way he should be. Wade and I are so excited and could not be happier that we are having a baby boy!!!!

I’ve started to gain weight, probably about 5 lbs at this point and have definitely noticed the changes in my body. (pic below is at 14 1/2 weeks) We’ve slowly been telling people here and there and others are starting to notice now but now the secret is out. I’ve posted a few pics from the ultrasound. Baby still looks a little alienish but that’s normal for only 16 weeks along. We go back next week for another doctor’s appointment so I will post more pics and details later!!!

We are going to Vegas Baby!!!

Well it’s officially set and ready to go… Come April 3rd I will officially be known as Candice Spivey!!! Wade and I have decided that we wanted to get married soon because there are a lot of things that have taken place over the last couple of months. We really didn’t have a lot of time to plan a big extravagant wedding as we are looking to get paper work pushed through (insurance purposes, so we can officially join all of our finances and in case anything were to happen to him at work I can be notified) so we decided why not do something small and simple for that purpose and then next year we will have a big party/wedding for all of our friends and family! We’ve just kind of thrown the idea around for some time and have just finalized our plans.

On April 2nd we will be heading down south to Las Vegas and will be married in a beautiful little chapel there at Noon on the 3rd. We will be joined by our parents and family and few close family friends to celebrate this exciting event. If anyone is interested in coming down let me know. We have some great rates on rooms and a lot of fun stuff planned. Wade and I will probably be staying down there until Thursday or so of the next week. If you can’t make it and would like to watch the ceremony you can view it online for up to 8 hrs after the ceremony. But most importantly want everyone to look forward to our BIG celebration we will be having in a year, trust me its going to be the best!!!

Just wanted to let you all know the good news and let you in on our plans. Love you all. More exciting news to come again very soon…

WOW...

Even though I get on my blog practically every day, to see what everyone else is up to, I have yet to update my own!!! So here I am practically 4 months later trying to get up to date. The challenge now is just remembering everything that has happened in the last 4 months. As always life has been busy so I will try to touch all the key point things.

I guess probably the most exciting thing that has happened to me lately has been Wade. I met Wade on the golf course out here in Eagle Mountain. I knew the friends he was golfing with and while I was working stopped to say Hi. Mike (Wade’s neighbor) instantly started to talk up Wade and telling me all about him. They invited me over for a neighborhood party that night, but unfortunately I didn’t go. Lucky for me Wade never gave up. We went out that next Saturday and literally have not left each other’s side ever since. I really cannot even begin to explain what an amazing man Wade is. He really is what I have been looking for all along. I am such a lucky lucky girl!!!

December through January all I did was Drill Team. My team did so well this year. It was our first year competing on a Varsity level with the High School Activities Association. Even though we had a very small team this year the girls kept up with everyone else and even beat some of them out! All I can say is that it was exhausting yet very exciting all at the same time. We will end our year on March 19th at our annual Drill Team Review.



For Christmas, Wade surprised me with a trip to Hawaii. It was a complete surprise to me, but he had everything planned out and ready to go. We left on January 13th and spent 8 days in Maui just soaking in the weather and the beach. It was literally the most amazing trip I have ever been on and by far was the most BEAUTIFUL place I have ever visited.


Again Wade had more surprises up his sleeve and on our second night there he proposed! It was perfect, on the beach at sunset. I really can’t think of any better way to get engaged. Like I said before I am a very lucky girl. We aren’t sure yet of a date but I will let you know!

The month of February for us has been very crazy. We spend as much time together as possible but with my work schedule and Wade’s schedule sometimes it seems impossible. He is a firefighter/Paramedic for the city of Orem and works 24 hour shifts. This month it seems like he is working every weekend and off during the weeks. I cannot wait until his days off match mine again.

For now that is just a brief update of what has been going on. There is a lot more in store so hopefully I will be updating my blog very soon with more fun and exciting stuff!!!! ☺