Hate being sick...

On December 9th, we went on a marriage retreat that the Army was doing, it was in Ruidoso New Mexic0. Well I soon as we all got back Iain and Brian caught a stomach bug. Iain has had it since than. And now I think I'm getting it. My poor little boy can't seem to kick this bug.

Hershey Park and train rides

Last week end we went to PA to visit Hershey Park and to go on a train ride. We left Friday night to drive up to PA. We stayed in Strasburg Pa at a Marriot (my parents wanted to stay in Hershey but all of the hotels were booked). Iain rode all the kiddie rides at the Park that he could go on. I've never seen my little boy have so much fun riding the kiddie rides he didn't want to get off. He would ask to get in line again just so he could continue to ride them. My parents and I wear he out so that he crashed in the stroller. So my parents and I walked around the park so that he could get a nap. We also went to chocolate world and bought chocolate and some other gifts for Iain and family. The next day we went on a train ride but before the train ride we went to a toy train museums. I was impressed by the shire number of toy trains that there are out there. Iain and my dad were in heaven while we were there. After we left the toy train museum we went to the train station to board our train. Iain's little face just lit up like a Christmas tree and his beautiful blue eyes got so big when he realized that Gram, Pop Pop, and Mommy were taking him on a real train. We had lunch on the train. Iain gave our tickets to the conductor. I was so excited that he was telling every one that would listen that he was on a choo-choo train. He loved to hear the train whistle and would laugh in delight whenever he heard it. There was a photographer that came around and let Iain wear a conductors hat for our picture. After we disembarked from the train we went to the train museum across the street. At that museum there were interactive stations that kids could actually try out how to shovel coal into the fire box, push buttons on the dash board of a train, and make the whistle sound off. After riding the train and playing at the museum he crashed on the drive back to my parents house.

Made it to VA...And the angels I meet on the way...

Well I woke up at 3:15am to finish last minute packing before we headed to the airport. I woke Iain up at 3:30am so that he could wake up Grandpa. We got on our way at quarter till 4am. Iain and I got to the airport at quarter after 4am. I was able to get through TSA rather quickly. There was a lady right behind me in line while we were in line with TSA who helped me get everything out of my carry ons and folding the stroller. I'm so grateful for the angels that Heavenly Father sends to me in places like this. Iain and I got to our gate with 45minutes to spare. While we were on the breeze way (well at the end of it) I was trying to get the stroller folded up so I could get Iain and I on the plane so we could get some seats. But I was struggling with folding the stroller and Iain was making a bee line for the door of the plane. One of the co-pilots saw what was happening and asked me if I thought Iain would like to see the cockpit. I told him that Iain would love that and that would make his day. I asked him if I should wait for him, the gentleman said that they would bring him to me at my sit. One of the stewardess's brought Iain back to me and about 5minutes later the co-pilot came up to me and said that this was a bit unorthodox but he took some pictures of Iain on his phone and would like my e-mail and/or number so he could send them to me, but he was unsure if he could get them to send because he had just gotten his phone and was unsure how it worked. I of cause gave him the information that he asked for. (And after we landed I got 2 text messages from a number I didn't know but it was 2 pictures of Iain sitting in the cockpit. I was thrilled that this man was willing to one take a little boy into the cockpit while I finished folding the stroller and two was thoughtful enough to take pictures of a little boy how was over the moon to be flying on a plane and send them to his mother as a sweet reminder of his excitement to be flying. Iain was bouncing in his seat the entire time and claiming all over me (pretty sure I'm going to have more busies on my hips and legs. It's not the first time and I know it won't be the last). We landed at Midway airport and had an 1.5 hours till we boarded our connecting plane to IAD. I changed Iain out of his pjs and into comfortable clothes and his harness (child leash) just so I wouldn't lose him in the airport (my boy knows how to get out of his seatbelt in the stroller). During this leg of our flight Iain watched Disney's Peter Pan and stayed in his seat the entire time. (Oh did I say that Iain had yet to fall a sleep). After we landed we headed to baggage claim. We passed Trace Atkins (way cool and no I didn't stop and get a picture but he said hi to Iain and told me Iain was a cute little boy. And that just made my day. I'm going to count that as another angel). I saw my brother PJ, we than got my suitcases and headed out to my mom. Iain fall a sleep in the van. So we drove around a little bit. Mom wanted to show me the new buildings on GMU's campus. Holy moly there is so much new construction on campus it doesn't look the same to me.

All Domestic and stuff...

So earlier this week I decided that I wanted to make home made jam. I have never canned in my life. I thought that it would be so hard but in truth it was quite easy. I made 14 jars of strawberry freezer jam to take with us when we move to Texas in July. I had all these strawberries left over but I didn't want to have my freezer totally full of freezer jam. So I made shelf jam. You have to cook it than while it is still hot you ladle the liquid into the jars. So I made 5 pint mason jars of strawberry jam and 3 pint mason jars of cherry jam. That's a total of 22 jars of jam. I want to make pear,orange marmalade jams, and salsa. Any one have recipes for any of those. So how knew that I was this domestic.

Oh yeah, Iain has croup. So this is fun. We are leaving for VA on Tuesday. So of cause he would get sick so close to us flying out of town. Hopefully he will be all better by the time we leave on Tuesday. I don't want to fly with a sick little boy.

And we are moving to...

Fort Bliss TX come sometime in June. It's getting really close to the end of our separation. I can't believe how fast this time has flown by. Brian graduated from AIT on June 2nd. And than we will be together shortly there after. Iain and I are going to VA on May 17th for a few weeks.

Graduation....Yeah...

Brian graduates from Basic training on Friday April 1st. And we leave on March 30th to go see him. I can't believe that I haven't seen him in over 3months. I'm so looking forward to seeing him. Family Day in Friday so I think we are going to be able to spend most of the day with Brian. I don't know what we are going to do. I think if we have time I'm going to try and Skype with my parents. I think we maybe able to go out to eat. What I really can't wait to see is Brian's reaction to seeing Iain and how much he has grown since he left. And how Iain is more a little boy than baby.

Update...Its been a while I know.

Lets see... Where to start.

• I know it's June already and I haven't been heard from in over a month. Life has been hectic to say the least.
• First off, Julie (my sister-in-law) got married to her sweetheart, Dusty, on May 15th, in the Salt Lake LDS Temple for time and all eternity. Brian and I couldn't be happier for the both of them.
• The day we flow out from Denver. We stayed up all night packing and cleaning. I checked my e-mail it from the US Airways. And it said that our flight was leaving on time at 6am. But at midnight Brian got a text from them sating it was leaving at 6:58am. So we deiced to leave a little later than our original 4:30am (we left at 5:30am). Well since they delayed our flight getting through checking was a nightmare. The employees were splitting all the passengers into two lines, all the passengers that were supposed to be on the flight that was originally leaving at 6am were in one line and everyone else in the other. The other line was moving alot faster than ours (and there plane wasn't taking off till 9:30am and ours was leaving at 7:15am).We found out that the reason for our flight being delayed was for a mandatory layover for the pilots, total crap if you ask me. Well by the time we got up to the check in counter we decided to check both of our bags to make it easier to get through TSA. (Our second bag at the extra formula and food for Iain in it. So checking it wasn't made easily. but we knew it would make it a ton easier to get to our gate). It took us an hour and 45 minutes to get to check in and get our boarding passes. Than it took us till 7am to get through TSA. And all we had was a back pack and diaper bag (while a stroller too) but there were so many people that were trying to get to their gates. After we were through with TSA it took us 10minutes to get to our gate (and that was only because we ran the whole way). When we got to our gate the employee asked us if we were 'Mr. & Mrs. Bott', we said that we were we than asked if we could please board. She said no we could not. Because the plane was about to take off. We could still see people on the gangplank (breeze way). She didn't give us an explanation as to way we couldn't board just the answer of no. I was in tears at this point that I just broke down right there. Brian went to see if he could get us on another flight and I called my mom. I told her we couldn't get on our flight (also told about the e-mail, phone call, and text that we had gotten and everything that had happened at check in). My mom wasn't to happy with what had happened but was glad that Brian was trying to get us on another flight. All in all that day was a day I hope never to repeat.

My baby is turning into a Toddler

This is a bit late but while we were still in VA, the Sunday, before Thanksgiving, Iain learned to pull himself to up. Iain had only been crawling for about 2 1/2 weeks, and now he is trying to clime on the furniture and go up the stairs. Did I forget to mention that the next day he turned 7months old. He pulls himself up on everything now, seriously nothing stops him (well except Grandma Marlene because she doesn't want to see him fall). My sweet baby is into everything all the time. Iain thinks its a game to find new ways to get to the DVDs and Wii games, which are his favorite. The Sunday, after Thanksgiving, Nov.29th, we went to visit Leslie and Chris at their house. Iain was standing between Leslie's legs, (you know when you're siting on the couch and you stick your legs out in front of you and let the baby stand up on their own without killing your arms from holding them up), Iain decided to walk down to her legs and when he got to her feet he looked back at us and than took 4 running steps pasted her feet, than fall on his butt. Iain was so very proud of himself, but Leslie, Chris, Brian, and I were all shocked that he did that. Yet another reason I say that we are in trouble. Iain is doing things so fast and so early. On the teething front...Iain is working on his third tooth but his first top one.

Home Home to Braddock Road!!

Okay so we are going to be in VA for Thanksgiving this year. Iain and I fly out of Colorado on the 18th and are staying till the 30th. Brian fly's out on the 24th til the 30th. I'm so excited. My family and friends are going to met Iain for the first time. Yeah Yeah. Do the happy dance. It's Iain first Thanksgiving and his first plane ride. And the first time his is meeting my siblings, grandparents, and mommy's friends that are more like family. I can't wait for the holiday season to be here. This year is going to be so much fun. But I've never traveled alone with a baby before so this is my first time to do that. And this is also my first Thanksgiving as a mommy (so exciting) and Brian's as a daddy.

A look back part 2

I was so tired last night that I could not write any more. So, a part two was a most for me. Where was I... I think somewhere in September 2008.

• By the time I found out that I was pregnant, I was already in my 2nd trimester. As I said before I would never have thought that I was pregnant because I had had my period every month since July. (Oh yeah, I became pregnant on 11th of July 2008. Or so, my doctor says anyway).
• After Leslie and I got back to Leslie's parents house, Brian was home from work. And I looked at him and asked if he would sit and talk to me on the pouch. Because I had something important to tell him. I sat down on the top step and told him"that sometime in April we would be welcoming a brand new member to our family. I know this isn't what we had planned but sometimes plans are useless. And Heavenly Father wants us to have this sweet spirit because he or she wants to come down to us now to bless our lives and family. I don't know what we are going to say to our families." Brian laid down on the pouch and started to cry (which started me crying again, boy would I have a head ache in the morning). He than gave me hugs and kisses and told me " that everything would be okay. And it doesn't matter what our families say about us being not ready to have a baby. That we would be just fine as long as we relied on our Heavenly Father. Because we know that this was what Heavenly Father has planned for all His children". Again with more crying, I sure was crying a lot, the whole pregnancy was making me a basket case. But it was sure worth it after all the emotional ups and downs.
• We than went inside to tell his mom. I was not sure about her telling her I was pregnant (because Brian and I moved in so that we could save money to move out to Utah). We walked in the front door and said to Marlene that we would like to speak to her about something important. I began by saying, " Marlene, Brian and I are going to have a baby. I know that this is not what we planned but it is what it is and if you can't support the fact that we are having a baby than please don't say it out loud. Because I don't' think I could handle it right now."( Oh, did I mention that I was crying the whole time I was talking). Marlene, just looked at me and said that she was so happy that we were having a baby and he/she would be a blessing. and she was excited to be a grandma twice. She was curious when our baby was due, we told her that we thought that we were due in April but until we see a doctor we were not sure.
• I than called my mom and told her the same thing that Brian and I told Marlene. My mom said she kinda thought that I might be. Because I few times over the summer I called her to just talk and told her that I was kinda dizzy and tired all the time. (Which I didn't think was to out of the normal for me because I do get dizzy easy). My mom said she just had a feeling about me being pregnant. She was super excited for us and said she and dad would support us. (She is so cute sometimes. When ever she told someone new that she was going to be a grandma she would do a little jig. You just have to smile).
• We than called his dad (who was already in Colorado because of his job). And we called his brother and sister in Utah. We let Marlene tell her sisters and their children. Darrell did that same.
• Well, on the 13th of September, Brian and I went to one of my old high school friends' wedding. Mallory Rodgers and William Tryon. They were married in Warsaw, VA at Belle Meade Vineyards. I had a few people come up to me and ask if I was pregnant. I tried not to say yes to them because we had decided that was wanted to wait till the 5th month before we told anyone. Well, there were two people at the wedding that I can't lie to. And when they asked I told them but please keep it quite till we were ready to spread word. And for the most part they did. On the way home from the wedding I called my sister, Jennifer and my brother, Patrick. (I had been calling for a week by this point and they just didn't pick up their phones. They were both really excited that we were having a baby and that they were going to be an aunt and uncle).
• Well, there was one person that I tell everything. And that's my best friend, Allison Ayres. I called her the same night that we told our parents. She knew before I told my siblings (but not for a lack of trying to reach them).
• Brian and I celebrate our first wedding anniversary on the 11th of October. (I can't believe that we have been married for a year and 10 months now, I love him more today than I did when we got married. I'm s glad that he is the father of our son, Iain). Anyway...We decided that we would go to the Maryland Renaissance Festival, it fall on our anniversary and we went with Allie and Teri (friends of mine from high school). We had a great time. I'm so glad that we got to go as a couple and with my two friends. This is also the day that our kittens went to their new home in DC. (I know that they are well taken care of and that they are well loved).
• Brian and I got to hear our baby's heart beat for the first time. The look of wonder and joy on Brian's face was priceless. I will never forget his reaction. And of cause I cried (man I cry a lot). But it was so awe inspiring to hear our baby's heart beat. Some how hearing the baby's heart beat made this pregnancy more real and not a dream, at least for me. I didn't have morning sickness and I wasn't that far along that I was feeling him move a bunch. So hearing his heart beat was a sweet song and I knew that it was real and I was going to be a mommy to a sweet spirit. We were bringing this baby into our lives and we were the ones responsible for teaching him/her Heavenly Father's plan and everything else that he/she are going to need to know. But above all that we are going to teach him that we love him/her and he/she was very wanted and needed to make our family whole.
• November, was a busy month for us. We got to see the baby for the first time, our first ultrasound was on the 5th of Nov. Marlene went with us. My doctor, Peter Bryce, said that it looks like the baby might be a boy but it was to early to tell but we would be able to tell at our next ultrasound in January whether it was going to be a boy or a girl. We also asked Dr. Bryce whether or not it was safe for me to fly to Florida for my sister, Jennifer's wedding. He said it would be safe for me to travel because I was having a normal pregnancy. We flew to Florida on the 6th. It was a beautiful wedding. Jen and Eric were so glad that we were able to be there to celebrate with them on their special day. They were married on the 8th at sunset on Eric's father's boat deck. The weather was so warm and perfect. (Brian got a lot of great pictures of their ceremony that their photographer didn't get). We flew back on the 9th, we left Florida at 8am and arrived back in Virginia at 11pm, for some reason we went from Florida to New York to Virginia (weird I know). Thanksgiving and 3 November birthdays were up next.
• After Jenn's wedding reception we went back to the hotel and got ready for bed. Brian and I were snuggling while we read our scriptures, Brian felt the baby move for the first time. The look on Brian's face was priceless, almost like he was not sure that he actually felt the baby but than the baby moved again and he just knew that the baby was moving.

I'm tired now. I'll write some more tomorrow. So, I guess this is going to be a multi part update.

Rain, Rain...Just wouldn't go away

Fourth of July week-end, we went camping at Flemming Gorge/ Iron Springs for the Wardle Family reunion. We left the Thursday before the 4th and drove to Utah. The whole time that we were there it rained and rained. On Saturday, it was raining so hard and it got so cold that it hailed. Yes, hailed...not a little but a whole lot. It collapsed our tent. Needless to say we packed everything up and left to come home. Most of our stuff got really wet. On the way home we stopped to watch fireworks along the road. I don't know where we were, except that we were somewhere in Colorado. Iain slept pretty much the whole way home and so did I. I almost wished that we had stayed home but than I think this was a lot of fun and seeing family and meeting more of Brian's extended family was really rewarding. ( I can't believe how many people there are on his mom's side of the family. Kinda overwhelming, at least for me). All in all a very wet 4th of July. Next year I hope it's not as wet. Will, post pictures of the flattened tent and Iain in his cute 4th of July outfit (it was his first 4th of July).

The VA cousin and The CO cousin

Last September, I found out that I was pregnant. Leslie than told me that she was also pregnant and her due date was April 10th. When I went to the doctor to confirm my pregnancy. I was told that my due date was April 17th. That's means we both got pregnant in July a week apart. But as pregnancies go, especially first pregnancies, they were both late. Gabe was born on Easter Sunday and 11 days later, my son was born. When we were out in Utah, they got to meet for the first time. Iain also got to meet his Aunt Leslie and Uncle Chris, Aunt Julie, Aunt Shiree, Uncle Eric, and the rest of the extended family. And Brian and I got to meet Gabe. And I must say Gabe is a cute baby. And I'm so glad that both babies came to our family together. They are going to be the best of friends. Once Leslie and Chris move out here to CO. That way Iain and Gabe can play together. We had Melissa take pictures of the two boys together. And than we took pictures of Kendrah and the boys. The pictures are so great. The three babies are so cute together. And I'm so glad that they will have playmates when we have family parties and reunions.