Oh the Joy!

Part 1: Last night our YW had a spaghetti fundraising dinner for girl's camp. It started at 6pm and poor Ryan received a phone call from the missionaries at 4 pm insisting that he needed to meet them at 6pm at a new member's apartment to clean. The lady was just recently baptized (like 3 weeks ago), her husband isn't a member (yet), they just moved into this apartment, she just had a baby and was coming home from the hospital and wanted her apartment cleaned (fair enough, I thought. I would rather have the Relief Society clean, but.......). The good man that Ryan is, said okay. He and his 1st counselor met them there and washed down their walls. Why the walls you ask? Oh, well because the landlord just informed them that the previous tenants were kicked out because they were making and selling meth from the apt. (Mind you this is 3 houses down from us, yippy!) Don't you just love Ogden! The new member and her husband are trying to find a new place to live, thank goodness, but in the meantime they wanted to try and clean a little, so this brand new baby didn't get sick, ahhh! So my wonderful husband and his counselor cleaned the walls of an old meth lab, then came to the YW dinner! Thank you missionaries!

Part 2: While at the YW dinner waiting for Ryan to come, Emma was running around the gym with her little friends. The YW were selling cupcakes and cookies to aid in their fundraiser. My sweet and innocent little Emma decided she wanted a cupcake so she went to the table and grabbed a cupcake. The YW told her she needed to go get her mommy to pay for the cupcake and then she could have it. Emma didn't like that so she licked the cupcake, yelled no, and then quietly came back to sit by me with her prized cupcake! (Stinker) I asked her where she got the cupcake and if someone bought it for her, knowing she probably took it. She innocently replied, "No, it's mine!" Okay, time for a lesson on stealing! Luckily mommy had 50 cents in her bag. We walked back to the cupcake table and paid for her stolen cupcake. The YW informed me of her wonderful behavior when they told her to put it back, (stinker) so we had our first lesson on stealing at a Church function! Wonderful.....

What a Cutie!

Last week my cousin got married and we went to their reception in Alpine. I decided to wavy crimp Emma's hair and it turned out pretty cute. These are pictures from our photo session, but she had a REALLY hard time being still. She is growing up so fast! Every day she says is her birthday and she is going to be three, silly girl. Boy do we have a long month in front of us! Also, she is dead set on naming her new baby sister Sofie, so we will see what happens when she gets here!

I Would Die For That

This is an amazing song, thanks Annalee (I stole it from her blog)! I don't know who sings it but it hits right at home. I have had several people ask me about our struggles getting pregnant with this one, and it is still really hard to talk about it. We are so so so grateful for the gospel, because without it, I don't know what we would have done. After I stopped nursing Emma when she was 7 months old (Dec 05') we started trying for another baby. It took 9 months to become pregnant (it only took 3 with Emma, no complications), and I miscarried at 6 weeks, that baby would have turned 1 on Ryan's birthday this year. After another 6 months, I miscarried again after 3 rounds of Clomid, last April at 10 weeks After 3 more rounds of Clomid, progesterone therapy, and baby aspirin therapy I miscarried again last October. We were pretty distraught and didn't know what to do so we decided to start the adoption process with LDS Family Services. I went to the temple and felt very strongly to try, "just one more time." So we did, no medications and sure enough we were able to become pregnant only one month after. So $10,000+ later, and it seems like a million dr. apts, we have a healthy baby so far! I am grateful for our trials because I have learned so much and made so many great friends because of this struggle. Ironically enough, this baby is due almost 2 years to the day after my first miscarriage and I know someday we will be able to raise those baby(s) whether here on earth or after. Our struggles though, seemed large to us, but are very minor compared to many others who struggle with becoming parents. I am very grateful for the gospel because if we had adopted this time around I know that, that child would have been "ours" the same as Emma is "ours" through the gospel!

Ryan's new calling!

We had a wonderful weekend! Kim, Sean & Carter came to visit along with mom & dad Erickson, and Scott! We had a full house and it was great! On Saturday we went to eat at Tepanyaki's and mmmmmmm it was delicious. Sunday on the other hand was very eventful. Ryan was called to be our ward's new Elder's Quorum President, that's right President! The Stake called to set up an appointment with him a week and a half ago and he recieved the news. He was so overwhelmed but he is doing better now :o)! He is excited to learn and I know he will be a great leader. He hasn't been released from his previous callings yet of Scoutmaster and 2nd counselor in the YM, so this week will be fun! I am so greatful for such a wonderful husband!

Emma's funny quotes

Mom: Look Emma it is snowing outside.
Emma: No it's not!
Mom: Yep it is snowing, look at the white flakes.
Emma: It's raining mom
Mom: No that is snow
Emma: It IS rain mom, cuz it is springtime. It's not snow.

Oh how I wish that were true, as soon as it was officially spring, no more snow!

(During bathtime)
Emma: (Looking at her stomach) My belly is all crunchy mom (breathing in and out)
Mom: All crunchy?
Emma: Yeah, look (pointing at her belly)
Mom: Why is it crunchy? (very confused)
Emma: Cuz look (pointing at all of the little blue veins in her stomach)
Mom: Ohhh (hmmm) those are called veins
Emma: Oh, they are crunchy
Mom: Okay? (Not sure how to clarify that conversation)

Hogle Zoo

We made a trip to the Hogle Zoo last Saturday to enjoy the awesome weather. Emma had so much fun! We also had some friends join us which made the trip all the merrier! Emma's little friend Elise came and they were so funny together. They were very interested in all of the cat exhibits and continued to ask where Jax was (our cat). There was an exhibit with a little wild cat that happened to look exactly like Jax and Emma was confused as to why Jax was at the zoo? (Funny girl) There were several baby animals that had been born recently which made for fun pictures! I did forget our camera though but luckily both friends remembered theirs so we will have pictures soon. The weather was perfect and we had so much fun, although I am still recovering from all of the walking (I should really exercise more):o)! Emma is getting really good at riding her bike so we don't have to constantly push her anymore! We can't wait for more warm weather!

Mmmmmm

I LOVE my new craving, it is soooo yummy! I am sure Ryan doesn't mind my cravings either :o). Nutella is the best with graham crackers. I had to make a rule for myself already, I have to spread the Nutella on the cracker, no dip and bite because the Nutella goes way too fast if I don't spread it!

Baby Update- Still a Girl!

Last Thursday was my Target Ultrasound and everything was great. In fact it was the coolest ultrasound I have EVER had! I couldn't believe how detailed this ultrasound tech was, it was amazing. Our little girl is perfect, and progressing right where she should be, except for the fact that she is breech right now. There is still plenty of time for her to turn so I am not worried, just having a hard time breathing with her little head wedged up in between my lungs! (Not to mention plenty of trips to the bathroom due to her feet comfortably resting on my bladder) During the ultrasound we couldn't get a very clear shot of her face because she had her thumb in her mouth the whole time, and when it would suddenly move out of her mouth she was frantically trying to suck on her arm until she could find her thumb again, so cute! I don't think I am going to have a problem with nursing, or bottles, or pacifiers, yay (I hope)! Emma was such a stubborn little baby and only liked mom, which was fine except mom was still in college full time which made for many dashes to grandma's house to feed her! During all of Emma's ultrasounds her tongue was always sticking out, and that was how she came out, tongue constantly out and moving a mile a minute! It has never stopped. Trying to nurse her was a trick, I would have to push and hold her tongue in her mouth and then take my finger out while trying to get her to latch on before her tongue was out again. So much fun. We are hoping this one will take a binkie to at least give mom a little break sometimes! We are sooo grateful everything is going well with this pregnancy and hope all continues to go well!

Here is a 3-D picture of her sucking her thumb.

Happy Birthday Ryan!

Saturday was Ryan's 26th birthday! We celebrated his birthday last Thursday night with some friends and my mom. My parents and I went in on a softball bat for his birthday present and he also got a really nice dutch oven and carry bag from his parents. All in all he got everything that he asked for and more! He was soooo excited about the softball bat and is very anxious for softball season to start! He is such a great husband and dad and we couldn't ask for anyone better, we love you Ryan! You are the best!

Oh and yes that is Christmas wrapping paper on his present, for some reason my roll of birthday wrapping paper is missing :o)

Yesterday's News

There was a little 7 year old girl that went missing in Salt Lake on Monday. I watched the news the whole day and cried, it was so sad. The family recently moved from a refugee camp they have lived in for 20+ years to Utah and speak very little English. Last night they found the little girl's body in a neighbors apartment. It makes me so sad. While watching the news conferences, the poor family was so sad, the mom of the girl couldn't be there because she has been in and out of the hospital from having a baby 3 weeks ago. I hate hearing aboout these types of things but this one really affected me. I am so grateful to be a mom and I don't know what I would do if anything like that happened to Emma, it makes me sick to even think about it. I hope that we can keep this family in our prayers. Through the tragedy it reminds me how grateful I am for the gospel and my forever family! I hope that this family will be comforted in is time of need, keep them in your prayers!