I Should Be Folding Laundry

        We got the keys on Tuesday! It feels so weird to hold the key to our house  in my hands. Its surreal, and I still haven't gotten used to it!      The boys and I went over to collect the keys and garage door openers and it felt so good walking in. I can't believe that its only one more day until we are in our own house! It will be just wonderful!      If I remember, I will take pictures of moving in and I'll make a post! Thanks for reading! Mackenzie

     There are only 8 days left until the move and I am getting more and more excited!      We hit a small bump in the process earlier this week, but it got taken care of. Josh was served with a subpoena stating he had to appear as a witness in court up in Idaho next week, on the day we were supposed to close. Long story short, he was up in Idaho on a job with some temps back in July (I think it was July...) and they got arrested after mugging and robbing a guy after getting wasted at a bar in the middle of the night. I'll just say that they promply lost their jobs working for Diamond Rental.      Anyways, the paper said the trial would be on the 12th of this month, the day of closing for us. So I called our agent, Lynn Dahlberg, explained the situation and she promptly started working on pushing the closing date forward (for our side at least)      Josh had the day off yesterday, so we went to the title company and sign...

     So Josh and I finally saved enough to make one of our dreams come true... We are buying a house!       We looked at a grand total of three properties. The first one we looked at we loved, but we found out the day after we looked at it that there is a mold problem that has been going on for the past ten years. We immediately got as far away as possible, and started looking at the properties our realtor sent us through email. We found two more townhomes that looked interesting, so she scheduled the showings.      We looked at them both on October 11th. The first one was an odd layout, it had two bedrooms with a bathroom attached to each one individually (it seemed to be suited better for two college roomies as opposed to a growing family, like us) but we wanted to keep our minds open, just in case the second one of the day was not great either.      The moment we pulled up to the house, I knew it was gonna be really wel...

Josh called me as he was leaving work, as he always does, to let me know he was on his way home. I asked him about his day and we were chit chatting for about fifteen minutes. About halfway down 2-01, he says "Hold on a sec." followed by a huge crash on the other side of the phone. I sat there for a few seconds, wondering what happened. Ten seconds roll by and he gets back on the phone. "I just got in an accident." He said. "What?! Are you okay?" I ask. "Yeah, I'm alright, but I need to go. I'll call you back soon." I was worried sick! He called me back a couple minutes later in a panic. "I forgot to take the Blazer off suspension, its not covered by our insurance!" I then spent the next 45 minutes trying to get a hold of someone from Allstate (I waited on hold three separate times, once for 10 minutes, once for 15 minutes, another time for 20... so ridiculous.) to ask them what we should do. Josh called my mom-in-l...

I have been meaning to write this thing for quite a while now, and I've finally found the time! So, without further ado, here's my second little boys birth story! It all started on May 20th. It was about 8:30 at night and I started having some less than comfortable contractions. (I thought they were just some powerful Braxton Hicks, not real deal contractions. If I had known they were real, I would have gone to the hospital much sooner than I actually did.) Josh arrived at my parents house at around 9:30 and we started a movie shortly after. We stayed up watching Howl's Moving Castle with my brother Cameron and sister Madison, and the whole time I was having those contractions the whole time. I thought they were rather uncomfortable but its nothing that I hadn't experienced in the past. At around 11:00, we stopped the movie early since my sister had work the next morning. Josh and I went to the apartment, finished packing our bags and were in bed by 1 AM after a ...

We got here at 6 AM. Its a quarter after 8 right now and they've given me the I.V., they broke my water, and I've had the epidural. Currently,  I'm at 4 centimeters dilated and 90% effaced. I'll probably make at least one more update before everything is over. Thanks for reading! Mackenzie

So I got a phone call from my hospital confirming my induction tomorrow morning. The lady on the phone said we would get a phone call from them between 5:30 and 7:00 in the morning, letting us know when we can come in to get this whole thing started. She told me I was fourth in line when it comes to a room. I hung up the phone and went about my business for about twenty minutes. Then, I got another call from the lady I had spoken with earlier. She gave me the great news that I got bumped from 4th to 1st in line, so Josh and I get to go in at 6 AM  to start the induction! I am so excited!!! If I remember, I'll make an update or two during labor tomorrow! We can't wait to see our second little guy. Thanks for reading! Mackenzie

How Far Along? 39 weeks Weight Gain? I didn't look... it would be too painful... Maternity Clothes? I've been wearing maternity tops almost all week, but I have hardly worn anything but sweats or pajama bottoms this week. Stretch Marks? My belly has gotten slightly worse and my hips have some new ones... luckily, I deliver the day after tomorrow so I doubt it will get worse from here. Sleep: I've slept okay this week, but my hips have somewhat felt out of place every morning. Best Moment This Week? Getting the confirmation from my doc that Wednesday is baby day! Also, I loved taking my last pregnancy photo!! Worst Moment This Week? My poor hubby got food poisoning on Sunday night and he was horrendously sick all last night. I felt so sad for him, but we were both glad it wasn't on Tuesday night or Wednesday! Movement? Baby has finally slowed down this week, to the point of me going to the hospital to get him monitored since he hardly moves now! I was...

How Far Along? 37 weeks Weight Gain? I'm actually not sure, I didn't want to look at the scale at my last appointment! Maternity Clothes? I'm still wearing XL maternity shirts, and I think as of today, I'm not gonna wear jeans anymore (at least hardly ever) until the baby comes. He's so low that it hurts to wear them. Stretch Marks? Nothing more than I mentioned last week. Sleep? The past few nights, I've actually slept pretty soundly. I've been waking up two or three times a night since I got down to Provo, but the past couple nights, I've only woken up once. Its been fantastic! Best Moment This Week? My mom got Lincoln up, gave him breakfast and hung out with him so I could sleep in a little bit. I didn't actually know that she did that until I got up an hour after him. Thanks Mom!!! Movement? He's been kicking consistently this week, but I think he's running out of room because the movements are a lot less rough than norm...

A quick update from my doctors visit today! I got checked and I'm still 1 centimeter dilated,  but I've progressed from 60 to 75% effaced and baby is at 2 station. I'm ecstatic! My doctor said I have progressed enough that he has set my induction day to May 21st! I hope he decides to come out sooner, but in case he decides to hang out in my tummy for as long as he can, we know for sure he will make his debut in three short weeks!! Thanks for reading! Mackenzie

How Far Along? 36 weeks Weight Gain? 24 pounds Maternity Clothes? I've bought a couple new extra large maternity shirts this week. I fit in mostly medium shirts last time, but because my belly is bigger this go around, I've had to buy to sizes bigger than before. Stretch Marks? The new ones on my tummy are getting longer and I have a few new stretch marks on the backs of my knees. :( Sleep? I slept great last night but all the other nights last week were rough. It seems like I only fill up half of my energy tank every night, instead of feeling super refreshed and ready for the day.  Best Moment This Week? Finding adorable pj's for the baby at Target! Movement? I think the baby likes the dark! He moves way more when I'm covered by a blanket. Food Cravings? Asiago cheese bagels with cream cheese. I've eaten a bunch of those this week! Anything Making You Queasy or Sick? I've felt more nauseated than normal this week, mostly in the evenings.  ...

I just wanted to write a quick post about Easter! Lincoln had a fantastic time! He got his first Easter basket, which had a Milky Way Simply Caramel candy, Spiderman and car stickers, bubbles, a bouncy ball and two Little People cars. He was thrilled! After dinner, he went on his first Easter egg hunt! The "Minefield" of eggs Once Lincoln's bag was full, my siblings collected the rest of the eggs. As you can see, they were pretty psyched by the idea! The baby 'found' an egg too! Grandma Duckie chowing down on a salad to stay out of the candy. She's a great inspiration to me when it comes to fitness and making good decisions with food! Papa and my adorable nephew Clay! My sister and I have a habit of taking strange pictures of ourselves at events like this... Madison put some bunny ears on Clay and he was less than thrilled. The three boys! Josh was melting my heart while h...

How Far Along? 35 weeks Weight Gain? 22 pounds Maternity Clothes? I'm starting to grow out of my medium and large sized maternity clothes, leaving me with 4-5 tops total. Stretch Marks? The ones on the top of my tummy are getting bigger, and baby prefers leaning on my left side, so the stretch marks on that side are getting longer. Sleep? I've actually slept pretty well this week, especially this weekend. Although, I always sleep better when Josh is here with me, so sleeping better over the weekends is typical. :) Best Moment This Week? Lincoln going on his first Easter egg hunt and watching my husband and little boy play together. Movement? He's been slowing down a little this week, but as I'm writing this post, he's moving a ton! I can distinctly see his little feet (or fists) poking as far as a half inch out on my belly. It makes all the discomforts of pregnancy totally worth it! Food Cravings? Buttered toast. My appetite has been on and off this week,...

So yesterday, I went into the hospital after having some pains that worried me. After being strapped to the monitors for a few minutes, I had a strong Braxton Hicks contraction. Baby didn't respond well to it, and his heart rate went down to 60 beats per minute. Within 30 seconds, there was a team of people in my room. They rolled me onto my left side, drew my blood, started an I.V. and did a cervical exam in the next minute. No longer than two minutes after my nurse had informed her collegues about our situation was there people in there, gearing up for an emergency C-section. Luckily for baby, his heart rate came back up after about ten minutes of being low. Josh arrived about 45 minutes after the scare, and my nurse told me that they were gonna keep me for 24 hours to monitor baby to make sure his heart rate didn't drop again. (From when I arrived to when I left, he didn't have any more issues with that) This morning, we were told baby would be checked by ultr...

How Far Along? 34 weeks Weight Gain? 20 lbs. Maternity Clothes? I bought two new shirts that are extra larges that will definitely fit my growing belly until the end. Stretch Marks? I'm getting some more on the top of my tummy, just under my bump, and on my upper thighs.  Sleep? Normally, since Josh is with me over the weekends, I sleep better, but last night was awful! (I'll explain the symptoms section, down below.) Best Moment This Week? Friday evening when Josh came and when I went to my first visit with a new doctor. Movement? Baby is moving, but not as aggressively since he's running out of room at this point. Food Cravings? Barq's Root Beer! I rarely drink soda, but its been tasting so yummy this week. Anything Making You Queasy or Sick? Nothing really this week. Gender? Boy! Labor Signs? Still a bunch of Braxton Hicks. I'm still on a low dose of anti-contraction meds, so that helps reduce the frequency. Symptoms? My belly has been...

How Far Along? 33 weeks Weight Gain? 17 pounds Maternity Clothes? Although I feel desperate to have more than just a few shirts that actually fit me, I'm having a really hard time justifying buying $75 worth of new maternity clothes when I might only be wearing them for two weeks. Stretch Marks? Nothing new. Sleep? I've been having a really hard time sleeping the past week. Baby has gotten so big that I must have a pillow shoved under my belly on the side I'm sleeping on just to keep my belly from getting so sore due to the weight. Also, since Josh is gone for more than half the week, I don't have anyone to turn me over from my back to my side, so I have to wedge a second pillow behind my back to make sure I don't roll flat on my back during the night. Best Moment This Week? Getting a mani-pedi with my big sis! Friday was a harder day for me last week because I felt fat, huge and simply done with being pregnant. Madison and I had talked about getting...

Yesterday was a doozy. It was emotional and stressful, I'm extremely happy things didn't turn out worse. So at about eleven in the morning yesterday, I started feeling really tired, so my mom sent me to bed to rest. Ordinarily while I'm sitting or laying down, the baby starts moving and kicking like crazy, but yesterday he hardly moved at all in the hour and a half while I was laying there. I went inside at around 12:30, just as Lincoln was getting up from his first nap. I began to have lower abdominal pains when I walked or sat up, so I curled up on the couch for an hour to try and feel better. When that didn't really help and the little guy still wasn't moving a lot, I decided to call my doctor. As soon as I sat up to call, my Braxton Hicks started coming uncontrollably. To make me more irritated and freaked out, my doctors office wouldn't pick up the phone so I could ask them if I should be checked out or not. Over the course of two and a half hours, I ...

How Far Along? 32 weeks Weight Gain? 16 pounds Maternity Clothes? I really need to buy a couple shirts that are sized XL. Not because I've gained tons of weight this time, but because my tummy is as big as I was last time at 37-38 weeks. Stretch Marks? There are a few new ones on my hips and upper belly, just above the stretch marks from last time. Best Moment This Week? I'm gonna kind of cheat on this one, but my favorite part of this last week was Friday night to Sunday night because Josh was back in Provo to visit me and Lincoln! Movement? He hasn't been super aggressive with his movements this week, but his movements have been fluid and consistent. Food Cravings? Peanut butter and chocolate stuff, as always! Anything Making You Queasy or Sick? I can't think of anything, actually! Gender? Boy! Labor Signs? Braxton Hicks like crazy, but no painful contractions whatsoever! Symptoms? Rib pain, trouble sleeping, and a feeling of being done with the pregnanc...

How Far Along? 31 weeks Weight Gain? 15 pounds Maternity Clothes? I had to send Josh home with a couple of my maternity shirts because they no longer cover my tummy. I'm getting huge way sooner than last time!! Stretch Marks? I haven't found any new ones this week, thank goodness. Best Moment This Week? Getting the news from my doctor that, despite my on-and-off contractions, there was no cervical change whatsoever. Movement? Tons, and he's still flipping over and rolling around, he's not quite big enough to stay put in the head down position. Food Cravings? I know that there were a couple, but I can't for the life of me remember what they are! My pregnancy brain has been running rampant this week! Anything Making You Queasy or Sick? I can't really accurately answer this one at the moment. I was told on Friday that I am on my way to a sinus infection, and the drugs they gave me to combat it before it becomes full blown doesn't allow me to take any...

I feel like I popped again this week! How Far Along? 29 weeks Weight Gain? 14 pounds Maternity Clothes? I'm gonna have to order some online because I'm not allowed to go regular shopping until my pregnancy is over. Stretch Marks? I've got more on my calves and a couple on my tummy. Best Moment This Week? Getting the news that my contractions had officially stopped,  halting my preterm labor. Movement? He is super active, even during the scare on Wednesday morning. Food Cravings? Graham crackers dipped in peanut butter, and cucumber sandwiches. Anything Making You Queasy or Sick? Nothing this week. Gender? Boy! Labor Signs? I've had a couple painful contractions and a lot of braxton hicks when I do too many things. I've had to lay down a lot to calm said contractions so they don't turn into true contractions. Symptoms? Dizziness, shortness of breath, racing heartbeat and contractions, all caused by too much activity. Happy or Moody? ...

For anyone who cares, I'm going to be writing candidly about my experiences throughout this whole moderate bedridden-ness and if you'd like to follow it, here's the link: www.mackenzieannepacker.blogspot.com Thanks for reading! Mackenzie

I'll just start off and say, I hope that nobody was extremely worried yesterday after my last post. Yesterday was a roller coaster of thoughts and emotions for Josh and I, and writing a doom- and-gloom post sometimes makes me have an easier time accepting hard situations as fact. I'll be the first to admit, when my nurse Renee first told me I was dilated to a one and a half at 28 weeks , I thought she was joking for a good 30 seconds or so, and even when it hit me, it didn't really hit me. All I could think was, " I'm already dilating?? I guess my nurse must be mistaken because I don't have pre-term babies, I make huge overdue babies that I have to forcefully evict because they get too comfortable." Yeah, that idea of mine was quickly brought to its knees when I realized she wasn't kidding and that I could clearly see a number of medium contractions getting closer and closer together. Then she told me that if they couldn't get the contra...

Today has had its ups and downs and I wanted to inform everyone on my current situation regarding my current  all over my belly with  a focus on my lower right hand side. Ordinarily if I use the restroom, I feel a lot better when I'm having a round ligaeasilyain but this was different. It didn't go away, it actually got worse when I would have Braxton Hicks contractions. I stuck with the pain for about 45 minutes before I decided to call the hospital because the pain just wasn't letting up. When I woke up Josh and told him that I need to go to the hospital, we quickly got ready and left the house. We were out the door probably less than 10 minutes. The whole ride there, I had my head stuck out the window in fear that I would puke due to extreme nausea caused by the mysterious pain. We made it to the hospital by about 4:45, and they immediately sent me up from the emergency department to the Women's Center and hooked me up to the fetal monitor as well as the contractio...

How Far Along? 28 weeks Weight Gain? 13 pounds Maternity Clothes? I can't find any cute extra large maternity shirts at Ross and I'm starting to get desperate. I've been mostly wearing Josh's shirts this week because they actually cover my tummy. The shirt in this picture barely covers it! Stretch Marks? I've found a couple new ones behind my knees and on my upper thighs. Best Moment This Week? Finding out today that Josh is gonna bring me home a sweet snack since I've been craving something sweet for three days straight. Movement? Tons! Weeks 26, 27 and 28 are supposed to be the busiest weeks for baby during pregnancy and he is definitely doing a good job of validating that! Food Cravings: Chocolate peanut butter stuff and buttered toast. Anything Making You Queasy or Sick? Nope! I can pretty much stomach whatever I want! Gender? Boy Labor Signs? Braxton Hicks happen a bunch at night and occasionally during the day. Symptoms? My gums ha...

I apologize for taking so long to write this post! So we did have a small party on his actual birthday but these are photos from the big family party! We started the party with Reuben sandwiches and chicken soup for dinner. Lincoln loved both! The Birthday Boy! Grandma Duckie! Uncle Cameron Papa! Uncle Eric Lincoln wasn't sure what to make of his smash cake, so I actually had to tear into it at first. Then he got some confidence and jumped right into eating it!  Next, we cleaned up Lincoln and started on presents! Auntie Madison & Cousin Clay Thanks Madison for planning the party and thanks to all who came! It was a blast! Thanks for reading! Mackenzie