Lachlan Aaron Pond

So...Shayne and I added to our family yesterday!!

Lachlan Aaron Pond joined our family at 12:34 pm yesterday, Sept. 29th, after a perfect C-section.

He weighed 6lbs 14 oz and is 18 1/2 inches long. He has hair! It's a reddish/brown color, which is sooo cute. He's been an excellent baby, minus his lack of motivation for eating at this point, but he's improving.

I'm doing great. I've felt better after this procedure than after the one in Chicago, so that's been great. Shayne is definitely the proud papa. He is so cute with him...I love it. They've already watched a baseball game and some Monday night football.

Anyway...I'll try and post more pics later. Shayne's laptop is having issues with photos, so we'll see what we can do.

Gratitude

I've been having a few moments of reflection lately as my life is about to change drastically. And... I have to say that I have been so blessed to have had the best pregnancy. I feel bad sometimes that I have had such an uneventful pregnancy when I've had friends and family who haven't such wonderful pregnancies. I feel extremely blessed, and have truly loved the entire experience. I'm actually kind of sad (in a weird sort of way) to be moving on to the next phase of the whole "having a kid" thing.

Because I was told at the age of 13 that I would never have my own children, and then again just last year that Shayne and I would never be able to get pregnant, actually being pregnant has always been an impossible concept for me to truly grasp. I still look at my belly everyday in wonder, amazement and gratitude. I sometimes complain about the effects of pregnancy on my body, but mostly b/c that's what I feel like I'm supposed to do b/c that's what I've heard other women do.

However...I'm so grateful everyday to feel the movement of a baby inside, and to have this big round belly getting in the way of everything. I love that I have to waddle to get around, and that I ache in places I never new existed. I refuse to complain about the fact that I can't roll over at night, and I have to get up at least twice a night to use the bathroom. :) I love the feel of hiccups, and the way he feels like he's going to push my sides and skin until they burst. My hands and feet swell at the most inopportune times, and I think it's great, b/c it means I'm pregnant. I love everything about my pregnancy--good and uncomfortable--, b/c according to science I'm not supposed to be pregnant, yet here I am...large, uncomfortable, waddling and very pregnant.

And I love everything about it. How lucky...no...how incredibly blessed am I?

Photo Shoot w/ Eric

These first four are at our house. The next six are at Kasilof Beach

This last pic is showing the little setup Eric used for the pics. I thought it was kinda cool.

So last Sunday afternoon I get a phone call from Angela, the girl who made the awesome cake for the baby shower, who's calling on behalf of her husband Eric. She asked if Shayne and I wanted to take some "pre-kid" pics b/c the lighting was perfect. Now, Eric is a photographer by hobby, but he is so good at it he could easily be successful as a professional. In fact, he just purchased some new lighting equipment for this hobby.

So, I had been telling him that I wanted him to take some pics of Shayne and I before the baby comes, and now he's definitely going to be taking some after the baby comes as well. Well, Sunday turned out to be the perfect day...the lighting and the fall background was great. We took some at our house, and then went about 15 miles down the road to the Kasilof beach. I just have to say that I think Eric did a tremendous job! You should check out he and Angela's blog where you can also access another website with a lot more of his pics. I'm so glad we have so many talented friends.

9 Days

L-R: Miles, Becky, Me(w/ a fish on), Darcy, and Aaron(rowing)

So what do most couples do that have 9 days left until they have their first child? Go float the Upper River of the Kenai of course!!

It was Darcy's birthday on Saturday, and being the coolest wife ever, and Aaron (her husband) knows this, she decided to float the river with us, and the Hansen's. It was absolutely beautiful with all the fall colors. It was a nice day too...it was a little overcast, but didn't rain until at the end of the float.

My first, tiny trout...but I had to get a pic in case I didn't catch another one!

We had so much fun! We all caught fish, unfortunately Becky wasn't able to land hers, but it was her first time fishing for trout or dolly's and on a fly-rod so she was learning.

This is my biggest Rainbow of the day. Not huge, but I was still very happy with it. Shayne put me in the perfect spot for this fish...he's so good at that stuff.

Amazingly enough, my waders still BARELY fit over my belly. Which really goes to show me that I'm not that big...and I'm definitely ok with that! :) I did get some funny looks, and long stares as guys were floating down the river...I wanted to have a sign around my neck that said..."Yes, I'm pregnant and having my baby in 9 days!!" In fact Becky heard this conversation from a couple of fishermen that were fishing the bank next to us as I walked by:

"Is that chick pregnant?"
"Yeah, I think so, she's gotta be."
"No way, seriously? She's pregnant and still out here fishing? That's sooo cool!"

Awesome fall colors, but notice the new snow in the mountains...not so exciting for me. :(

I just laughed when Becky told me what she heard. I told Shayne and he got all puffed up and smiled this huge smile, and said..."Yup...I have the coolest wife in the world." He makes me smile when he says stuff like that.

Shayne with is nice Rainbow on top, and his Dolly Varden on bottom. He had a good day.

I was pleasantly surprised that I wasn't that uncomfortable. It was actually a really fun day, and I wasn't nearly as swollen or tired as I thought I would be. I haven't been able to trout fish at all this year, which is extremely unusual, but this year I was dealing with unusual circumstances. So, I was excited I still got to do a little fly fishing this year, and caught some fish. Nothing amazingly large, but still...I caught some trout and a dolly on my fly rod. Shayne had gone fishing the day before as well, and had a good day then as well. He had his two best days fishing all summer, as far as fishing for trout goes, Friday and Saturday. So, it was a good end to the summer...for me at least. Shayne has a couple more trips on the Kenai planned, and then there's steelhead fishing on the Anchor, Deep Creek, and Kasilof rivers for the fall.

Shayne and I got a new camera a couple of weeks ago, and Shayne played with it this weekend. It's a water-proof camera that he can use to take underwater pics of fish and other aquatic creatures. He loves this new feature. Unfortunately it's regular picture quality is a little less than we would like with a 10mp camera, but I think that's the trade-off you get for having a waterproof camera. We are still learning how to work out the kinks to get better pics, and hope they will improve. So, here are some cool underwater shots Shayne took of the fish we caught.

My small Rainbow in the first pic, and two different Dolly Varden that Shayne caught on bottom.

This last pic is going to scare our poor kid! Let me explain...Shayne's way of being an active participant in this pregnancy has been to grow out his goat-tee. I don't really have a problem with it b/c it's his way of feeling involved in some small aspect. However, Darcy and Becky think it's disgusting! :) So Saturday morning he decided to really gross them out, and had me braid his goat-tee into two braids just to get a reaction. Darcy didn't give in, however, Becky couldn't help it! It was pretty funny. He took them out as soon as we got to the river, but it was pretty funny while he had them in. He's promised me he'll trim it after the baby comes, but I'm starting to wonder. He kinda likes the long goat-tee...it's a little long for me, but we'll see if it's a battle I really want to fight. :)

Mr. Tuff Guy...yeah right! :) He just wants everyone to think he's tough! :)

Post Updates

So...just as an FYI...there are three new posts. Yes, three. That's what I get for not keeping up on my blog! We have about 2 weeks left before our baby gets here, so I'm trying to get caught up on things I've been procrastinating.

Things with me have been good. I'm just dealing with last month pregnancy issues. You know...swelling that drives me crazy, blood pressure that goes up and then comes down, and the whole false-labor contractions that distract and mess with your day. Other than that...I've been doing great! Shayne's starting to get more excited every day about having a baby...it's kinda cute! :)

As far as any exciting news...Shayne's sister KayCee had her babies on Monday the 15th. She went into pre-term labor Sunday night, was flown to SLC and delivered her twins on Monday afternoon. The little boy, Rican, passed away shortly after being born, like they had expected (he was born with the most severe form of Osteogenisus Imperfecta, or Brittle Bone Disease). They knew this ahead of time, so it wasn't quite the shock it would have been had they not known. However, they have a very healthy, though small, little girl. PresLee was 4 lbs 14 oz, but she was born at not quite 35 weeks. Mom and baby are doing great. KayCee will be out of the hospital on Friday, but PresLee will be there just a little while longer. She's just a little bit small to go home quite yet.

So, Shayne's family is happy to have their first grandchild here at last!

K--that's the news for the moment. Read on and find out what Shayne and I have been up to in the last month! :)

Baby Showers!!

Have I ever mentioned that I have the greatest friends and ward in the entire world?! Here's just one of the many examples of why I think so. I have been given two baby showers by some of my bestest friends, and they have been attended by some of the most incredible women that I know.

This one was in Anchorage in August, given by Kaye and attended by the friends that Shayne and I made while living there, and made since we've been down here. Anyway...it was so much fun to see people I hadn't seen in awhile. Kaye did an excellent job!! She is such a great friend. I received some wonderful gifts, and I got some even better advice about all kinds of baby stuff from my friends with babies of their own.

Shayne was such a good sport about this Anchorage shower. He was actually with me on this trip, to help get the crib and changing table. But...during the shower he decided to splurge on a gift of his own. He bought himself 2 hours of fly casting lessons from a certified fly casting instructor. Now, some of you might think that's hilarious, and that Shayne doesn't need lessons, but when you get to a certain point in a hobby or something you love, you always want to improve. So...Shayne is improving...and he had a blast! He couldn't stop talking about it for a week! I'm so glad he had fun, feels like he's improving on something he thoroughly loves, enjoyed himself, and was able to come with me to Anchorage. He's a pretty darn good husband.

The second shower happened last night. Look at me...getting on top of a post earlier than normal! :) Anyway...this one was given by my good friends Becky, Darcy, and Angela.

Angela made the announcements, with a little help from me, Darcy, Becky and Sonia, and she also made the gorgeous cake...she is so incredibly talented. I loved it! She paid attention when I had mentioned that I had been really drawn to blue's and brown's in all of the baby stuff I had been picking out or noticing. Becky hosted the party and did a great job with the food as well. Notice the cute little baby carriage she made out of a watermelon. I thought it was so cool. Darcy helped with decorations and food as well. They all did a tremendous job. I have the coolest and bestest friends EVER!!

This baby shower was attended mostly by the women in my ward. My ward is absolutely full of incredible women and incredible families. They are so supportive. They have truly become the family support that Shayne and I need being so far from our own families. It was an incredible turn-out. I seriously can't say enough about how much I love my ward and the women in it. They are all so wonderful. Again, I received lots of beautiful and amazing baby gifts. I'm pretty sure I'm not going to have to buy anything for at least a year! Though the majority of the women were from my ward, there were a few from the hospital who work with Shayne that came to support me. Shayne has an incredible group of people he works with. In fact, I think they are planning another shower after the baby is born. They want to be able to hold a baby, instead of watching me waddle around. :) Laurie (the lady from previous post on her horse Mac) came as well. She is such a wonderful friend to have.

How Shayne and I got so lucky to be surrounded by so many incredible and amazing people is beyond me. However, we don't take our luck/blessings lightly. We are extremely grateful for everyone who has put their time, prayers, and love into this whole miracle of having our own baby.


So I just have to say... THANK YOU!!! to everyone who came to the baby showers.

p.s. Does this count as "Thank you" notes? I'm so terrible at sending them!! :)

End of Summer

These are just some pics of what we've been doing at the end of our summer.

Not Shayne...just some other guy he took fishing...which is what he's been doing a lot of lately.

Shayne's been doing a lot more fishing, but usually with visitors from the lower 48. He's been an unofficial guide the last month and half, but he loves to fish so much that he doesn't mind. Keep in mind I say "unofficial" guide...he's not getting paid to take people out. Just time on the river is payment enough for him...at least for now! :) And I just have to say that if Aaron and Darcy weren't the coolest neighbors and good friends, Shayne wouldn't have been able to go out as much as he has. They've let us use their drift boat whenever Shayne has needed, which has been awesome! Anyway...I think the pic of the guy with the nice Dolly is from when Shayne took a group of guys who are friends of one of his co-workers. I don't know who the guy is, and Shayne only met them that day, so hmmmm...I guess I put it on here to show that Shayne does a pretty good job when he takes people out.

Anywho...onto me, because we all know it's about me anyway right?! :)

These pics are of one of the lady's that I've been giving horseback riding lessons to all summer. This is Laurie and her horse Mac. She and her husband and daughter actually own the place where I teach most of my lessons. She is a wonderful person, and I love her to death! She learned a ton this summer and was a great student...and she referred a lot of people to me as well, so I was able to pick up a little extra cash this summer. Anyway...I thought the pics of Mac checking out my belly were too funny and cute.

This other pic is how I taught lessons all summer long...from the ground! I was not on a horse...no one would let me!! So, I taught from the ground, which was really good for me in the whole teaching/explaining process. I started out the summer in regular pants, moved to some early maternity pants, and finished up with the "overalls"! :) Let's just say that lessons got more and more interesting by the month. I would sometimes sit on the blue plastic barrels (tipped over sideways) that they use for barrel racing while out in the arena, but by the end I was leaving dents in them!! How depressing is that?! It's all good though...next year I'll be on a horse and going around the barrels, instead of sitting on them and leaving dents! :)

The last pic was just one of those days where you have to go outside and take a pic because the sun was out! Shayne took the pic of Tipz and Bo playing in the yard...nothing spectacular for the rest of you, but for those in Alaska, you immeditaely say..."Oh wow...that must of have been on Sept. 2nd b/c that's the only day this month that the sun has been out!" Ok...I might be exaggerating a slight bit about the actual day, but not about noticing the sun. We seriously have had A LOT of rain this summer. In fact, my raspberry bushes have collapsed because of the rain beating down on them, and now I'm losing a lot of raspberries to mold from laying on the ground...so not a good thing!!

So that's been the wind down of our summer. I haven't gotten out as much as I'd like, but with the rain and the big ole' belly I'm hauling around it's made it a little difficut. However, the Swanson's, Hansen's and Shayne and I are planning on doing one last float for the summer and in celebration of Darcy's birthday!! We are planning on floating the Kenai river this weekend in Aaron's drift boat. Don't know how much fishing we'll get done, but it will be fun anyway. I'll attempt to post pics of our last summer adventure before "Junior" gets here, before he actually gets here! :)

Rest of August

Me, Kaye, and her cousin Brigit after 12 hours on the ocean.

So, I'm trying desperately to catch up on all the posts I've been telling myself I would do. So here I am. I'm going to publish 3 or 4 posts just to break things up a little bit. Anyway...here's some of what we during the rest of August.

I went Halibut fishing a couple of times in August. The pics I have are when I went out with Kaye and her cousin Brigit, and I'm just over 7 months along. Shayne had to work, so he couldn't come. It was a slow day of fishing. I must have caught about 53 of those little halibut that day!! Seriously...ridiculous!! Last year I hauled in some nice halibut, but this year not so much. We were on the water for about 12 hours that day, and let's just say that the next day I was entirely wiped out.

However, Shayne's dad and a friend w/ his son (that's the pic of them in front of our little guest cabin) came up about 3 weeks later, and I went again. We didn't get any pics of that day, but it was a little better fishing. I wasn't out on the water for nearly as long, so wasn't as exhausted the next day. It is interesting to attempt to reel in a halibut with a fighting belt sitting clear off to the side b/c your belly is getting in the way! (see above pic) :) The baby liked the boat though...was constantly moving and letting me know he was still there and enjoying the rocking sensations. (That's what I like to tell myself anyway!)

The last pic is of Shayne taking apart the crib we bought from some friends in Anchorage. We bought a matching changing table with drawers as well. It's an old crib, but it's solid wood, and I love it! He put it all back together for me that weekend so I could start the whole nesting thing that I was going through. I'm sad I didn't get pics of him putting it back together, but I'll post a pic of the baby's room as soon as it's done.

Shayne picked up a lot of over time in July and the first part of August. He's trying to get ahead before my pay checks stopped coming. So, he didn't get to do as much fishing as he'd like. However, he hasn't picked up much over time since the middle of August and has been making up for it. The bad thing is that he usually has guests, or other inexperienced people fishing with him, so he hasn't been able to do the kind of fishing he likes to do. And...he hasn't taken very many pictures of what he has been able to do. There are some other issues with fishing this year as well...there are too many Pink Salmon in the rivers (not a good thing), and with all the rain we've been getting the water levels in the rivers are keeping the trout fishing from getting really good. So...not Shayne's best year of fishing...but not like there isn't fall Stealhead fishing, and next year as well!!

And for the final bit if news for August...ONE of my little sisters, Dezi, had her little girl on August 27th. Her name is Kenzie Deziray Williams (I hope that's how she's spelling Kenzie). Sorry I don't have any pics of her. Dezi sent some, but I'm too lazy to grab them off my email right now! :) It was a rough couple of weeks for the both of them...Kenzie spent some time in the hospital with jaundice, and Dezi had some medical issues as well. However, things have calmed down and they are doing great. So...number 3 of 5 babies for the year on my side are born. Just me and Shancy are left!