Lance's Birth Story (part 2)

After Graduation, I flew to Virginia to start working as a nurse at Loudoun Hospital on their general medicine floor. Scott still had a couple credits left to finish, so he stayed at BYU for the 6 week Spring semester. Chad was also taking classes and studying for the MCAT, so he moved into our Wymount apartment with Scott.

Right after I flew out to Virginia, Scott shaved his head! He wanted to see how it would look and he graciously waited until I was gone to do it. He sent me this picture:

 Not bad, right?

During that time, he and Chad trained for and completed a triathlon in Salem, UT together:

Meanwhile I was working full time and getting bigger and bigger. Never be pregnant during the summer. It's the worst. This is me and my mom on my first Mother's Day.

 I was about 5 months pregnant.

At the 6 month mark, I really began to pop:

After Scott was finished with his classes, he drove all the way from Utah to Virginia. He had been accepted to University of Chicago's Law School, but while we waited for his first year to start, he took a job at a local bicycle shop called Spokes. He built and fixed bikes, something that was fun for him since cycling had been a hobby of his for several years.

Grandma and Grandpa Brewer drove up the end of June with Aunt Nellie and Uncle Nolan. They were here to celebrate Scott's first Father's Day.

 It's always fun to have the grandparents visit and to have Uncle Nolan and Aunt Nellie there as well. Uncle Nolan liked to tell us stories while we roasted marshmallows in our backyard.

July flew by with me working and studying for the NCLEX. Scott stayed busy working and reading. He was reading a series of books called "Wheel of Time" by Robert Jordan. The 11th book of the series was about to come out, so Scott was powering through the first 10 books in preparation.

During July was also flew down to Florida for about a week for a family reunion with my mom's family to celebrate Grandma and Grandpa's 50th wedding anniversary.

My cousin Heidi had recently found out she was pregnant as well!

We've been going to Florida since before I was born. It's always wonderful to be there with cousins, Aunts, and Uncles while we play games, eat good food and, of course, visit the beach.

By August I was getting pretty big. I got tired really fast during the day but had trouble sleeping at night. I remember Lance liked to kick. A lot. Especially at night. I would lay there in bed with my hand on my belly feeling him move and wondering what he would be like when he came out. I was getting nervous. I wanted so badly to be a good mother and I was scared because I didn't want to let my baby down.

I drove to West Virginia during this time to take the NCLEX. Amy came along to keep me company. I was so grateful! We had a good time together. I had been studying all summer for this test and I was extremely nervous. 

I found out a few days later that I had passed! I was officially an RN. Whew. My sweet mom got me these flowers when we found out.

And that book is a lie. The NCLEX is NOT incredibly easy. Especially when you have pregnancy brain and are running on little sleep.

Amy and Chad flew back to BYU mid-August to start Fall semester. Laura also flew out because this was her first year at college! Mom went with them to help get her settled.

August 20th, Scott and I celebrated our 1st year anniversary. We went out to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in Fairfax for dinner and then came back to the house and had some of our wedding cake we froze after our wedding. (I think it may have set out too long before it was frozen--it didn't taste good at all.)

Early September, Scott drove out to Chicago to get our apartment ready for us to come after Lance was born. We were really excited to be going to Chicago. I was nervous since I'd never lived or even visited there before, but we knew it was the best place for us. University of Chicago's Law School was ranked 5th in the nation and was also the Law School Scott's dad attended, so Scott was ecstatic.

School started September 20th--my due date. We were worried Scott would miss the birth, so we arranged with my OB to be induced September 17th if I had hadn't gone into labor before that.

I worked 2 days a week at the hospital for the last three weeks of my pregnancy. I still stayed busy, though. 

38 weeks pregnant!

On September 10th, some ladies that are friends with my mom threw me a beautiful baby shower. 

Me with Laurie Fairholm

Marcia Jackson and Sandy Bishop

Aunt Linda and Collette Oliver

Cathy Crowder, Camille, Nellie Davidson and Heather Hart

Laurie Fairholm, Rose Dall, Cathy Crowder

Mom and Cheryl Janzen

So many of the ladies there were special to me--Young Women leaders and others who had played an important role in my teenage years.

See this blanket? Amy crocheted it!

I was so excited and so nervous. I felt like a ticking time-bomb. My Braxton hicks contractions were increasing in strength and frequency and I was getting more and more uncomfortable. Lance was on his way!

Lance's Birth Story (part 1)

While I was blogging Lily's birth story this past year, I realized that I've never really recorded Lance's or Jude's. Since Lance just had a Birthday, I figured now was as good a time as any to actually write it all down, even if I am 9 years late. Ready for a blast to the past?

I found out I was pregnant with Lance January 17, 2005. Scott and I had just spent Christmas with my family in Virginia and then flew back to BYU to start Winter Semester. Scott was studying Microbiology and I was in my last year of Nursing. Chad and Amy were also at BYU which made it fun.

Scott was working in a science lab on campus for one of his Microbiology professors. On top of attending his classes, he was working about 20 hours a week.

 I was doing clinicals at various hospitals at the time, battling morning sickness. Not the greatest when you're in a surgical room smelling burning flesh and other delicious body odors. I was also working at a little store in the Cougar Eat in the Wilkenson Center called Sugar and Spice. I scooped ice cream, made milkshakes and sold pastries. I really liked it.

 Scott sold his mountain bike and bought me a nice road bike so we could ride together. Scott would take long rides along the mountain roads and while I didn't have much energy at the time, we did manage to ride a couple times together up the canyon.

We're standing in the courtyard of Wymount Terrace where we lived for that last year at BYU.

Lance's first picture at 11 weeks old. Just a tiny peanut--if you look close, you can see his little arms already forming. They gave me my official due date: September 20.

In March I turned 22. We celebrated with Chad, Amy, Heidi and Jared Stewart and Kevin Witt (our cousins) who were also at BYU.

Balloon hat compliments of Kevin!

Also in March, I accompanied Chad on a trip to Moab, UT so he could run a half-marathon. We camped together the night before the race.

He did a great job! While he was running, I walked Arches National Park where the race was held.

I was three months pregnant here, but you couldn't tell. It took me about 20 weeks to show.

So beautiful!

That month Scott and I also drove to Reno, NV to visit Denise, Dave and little Calvin. Calvin was only 2 years old, full of energy and cute as could be. It was fun to see them and be with Dave's family.

About a month later, we found out that Denise was pregnant again and due in November. Scott and I were excited our baby would have a cousin close in age on the Dahlquist side.

On April 21, 2005, I graduated from BYU with my B.S. in Nursing. Scott had just a couple more classes to complete that Spring but was able to walk with me. Both our families flew out for the occasion.

Bob, Kari and Shianne came from California and Grandma Joyce and Grandpa Bob drove down from Salt Lake.

Looking dapper in his graduation attire:

I was starting to retain water--can you tell?

Scott walked with me during my Nursing graduation. It was fun to be up there with him.

Heidi graduated in the Fall, but got to walk during the Winter Graduation. Jared walked with her as well.

All graduated!

Look at all these kids being so patient! Our Allred cousins came down from Burly, Idaho to celebrate with as well, as did Grandma and Grandpa Allred.

(from the left: Laura, Amy, Anna, Thomas, Jason, Stephen, and Maya)

The Graduates:

Cousins on the Allred side:

After the graduation ceremony, the Dahlquists and Allreds all went to a local park for some Cafe Rio!

Scott with his dad and brother Dan

Grandma Ruth was there, too!

Overlooking "The Bowl"

The next day while my family was in town, we all hiked the 'Y'. It's a great little hike up the side of the mountain right next to BYU's campus.

Aww...look how little they were! Jason was in 5th grade and Stephen was only 15.

The view from the top:

Dan, Scott brother, also hiked with us.

It was fun to have the whole family there!

April 26th we found out we were having a boy! He was 19 weeks old and 11 oz, about the size of a can of soda. We were thrilled!

Stay tuned for part 2!