A record of the last year

Daniel and I got pregnant at the end of December unexpectedly. I think we got so caught up with Christmas shopping and spending time with the family that we weren't being careful. The biggest problem is that I do not have any insurance. When we had Kailyn we applied for Medicaid and were approved so we thought we would just give that another go. But I felt so stressed out about not being insured and felt like the timing was off. We had planned on waiting until Kailyn was 2 to start looking into our options as far as having another baby. But I was pregnant and I tried to be happy about it. I just didn't feel as excited as I should be.

Then, in mid February, I had my miscarriage and it was really hard. Not only was it physically hard and painful but emotionally. Daniel took it pretty hard, too. I think he was more excited than I was about my being pregnant. But after sitting down and talking it out we decided that the timing was off and that we would just plan on waiting like we had before...within a week and a half we were pregnant. Haha! I was suspicious when I hadn't started my period. I got that feeling and decided to take a test. Daniel and I took 3 to be sure and there it was. 3 positive tests. This was all right before we got sealed. When I was in the temple I knew the timing was right. We were sealed and could bring this new life into our home knowing that we had prepared ourselves.

I got my application turned in by the end of April. Our assigned case worker was very meticulous. She wanted proof of EVERYTHING, including proof of closure on 2 bank accounts that Danny and I had over 2 years ago. Even the banks didn't have anything on file from that long ago. but we tried to get everything in order and turned in what I had. We were denied because Daniel's old employer didn't send in their paperwork and because Papa John's forgot to list the month he worked at a different location. SO FRUSTRATING! So the case worker told me I could immediately reapply (even though she told me at the beginning of the application process that I had to wait until after I had the baby) and that's what we started on. Then in June we went to New York. Then in July I went to Craig's wedding and then we went to see Daniel's brother in Reno.

So I finally got it in the beginning of this month. I did my best to be precise and hoped for the best. When I applied a few months earlier they sent back a letter within 4 days telling me I had an appointment set up to meet with my case worker. This time around I was kept waiting and nervous. I was realizing how close I was to my due date and starting to consider other options, including a home birth.

Then, on Sunday the 14th, while I was driving to the store to pick up something I had forgotten, I started to pray. I told Heavenly Father that we needed a miracle and I didn't know how to get one. And then the thought came to me that I should pay my tithing. Daniel and I pay at the end of the year because it's easier paperwork wise for the store. But I had the thought that miracles are promised to those who pay tithing. So I told Daniel that next Sunday I was going to pay off my own personal tithing up to date and encouraged him to do the same. The next day my new case worker called. He was really relaxed. and slow of speech. He kind of sounded like he didn't know what he was talking about. But as we got talking about my application and talking about what else I needed to turn in he told me he had my old file with all the information from my previous application. Now, that might not seem like a big deal, but my case worker a couple months back told me that once you're denied your application and all the paperwork with it are instantly sent away to a warehouse where they have no access to it. So, I went from being worried that our new case worker wasn't taking his job seriously to realizing my old case worker figured it was easier to deny me than to work with me.

So, to wrap this up, I've paid all my personal tithing for the year and Daniel and I are working on figuring out if he's paid anything yet so we can get him caught up early, too. I'm feeling really good about everything right now. The application is due Monday and I have almost everything I need. I'm not saying that I'm going to be approved because I paid my tithing. I'm not even saying that something over the top miraculous is going to happen. But it has been a miracle to be stress free for the first time during my pregnancy. I'm not worried about the insurance or whether or not I'm having a baby at home. I just don't have to think about it anymore because I've paid my tithing, I'm doing the work, and whatever happens is what God wants. That to me is a bigger miracle then getting approved for Medicaid a couple months before the baby is due.

Well, this isn't something that is super interesting to read but I feel like it's a huge event in my life right now and I should keep an account before I forget it. :)

Hormones!

Holy Cow! Do women actually feel this way when they are pregnant? Am I behaving normal? The last 4 days, especially evenings, I have turned into an emotional wreck. I don't even feel like the same person. Everything is turning into Daniel's fault. If he wants to become intimate then he's being insensitive. If he makes a comment about my dirty dish then he's being a jerk. If he verbally admires an attractive model then he doesn't love me. If he does something I'd rather he didn't do then he doesn't respect me. And all I can do is cry, cry, CRY about it!

I never went through anything like this with Kailyn (although Danny did say I was this way after I had Kailyn, but to a much lesser extent). It's so frustrating! I love this baby and cannot wait to get him here, but I don't know if I can deal with myself, my sweet husband, and our darling daughter for another 2 months if I'm going to be THIS nuts. Well, this is more of a venting session than an update, but that's what's going on in my life right now. I've got about 8 more weeks to go and I cannot wait!

Not much going on

My cousin, Heather, came and stayed with us for a couple days last week. But it wasn't all play. In fact, most of it was hard work...frustrating work. Heather and I have been brainstorming for a while now about what she should do for her 1 year anniversary. We finally made a decision and planned out what we needed to do to get it ready. Anyways, it was a lot of work but we're almost finished. Sorry, but I can't share what it is. I will leave that to Heather should she wish to share. All I have to say is I know for a fact that Brock will love it. It is the perfect gift for Heather to give and for Brock to receive.

She left on a Thursday morning and Daniel and I headed up to Reno that night after work. Danny, the trooper, stayed awake the entire 7 hour drive...while I slept for 3-4 hours. It was really difficult for him to stay awake once I had dozed off. But we made it safely. Good job, babe.

The next day Danny and his brother, Joe started their day with a workout while I went to Wal-Mart to get milk (Joe's wife, Shaela, had to work at her new job). After we were all ready we went and did a tour of UNR's new medical facility for the students (Joe's a pre-med student). It was really impressive. It was all new and was decorated with clean, modern lines and colors. The worst part about the whole experience were all the mannequins they have in their simulation rooms. Kailyn is not a fan of statues, mannequins, or anything that looks lifelike. Even the cut up brains and stuff didn't bug me. After a quick tour of the school, lunch at a diner, and a few errands we went out to dinner (with Shae) at a mexican restaurant. It was starting to get stormy outside so the lights flickered for a while in the restaurant...haha. That was interesting. When we got home we saw a couple places where lightning had struck the ground. We drove out to get a better look and there were literally cars lined up and down both sides of the street to watch the fire. It was nuts! Thankfully it wasn't to close to the condo.

The next day we headed to Lake Tahoe after some shopping for the girls and working out for the boys...HOLY HUGE LAKE!!! And blue! It was just like the beach except the water seemed colder and ducks and geese were waddling everywhere. Kailyn has never been around that large a body of water. And she took to it like a fish! She kept insisting someone take her to the water. She didn't even mind the freezing waves that hit up to her chest. The day started out overcast with mild breezes but eventually it got to be too sunny and hot for Kailyn and I too sit their and bake our bodies.

We ate at a casino (I can't remember the name of) buffet which was really, REALLY good. They didn't have a huge selection but what they had was really good stuff. Of course, Kailyn only at rice...typical Asian :)

That night we walked the "strip" in Reno and saw the river that ran through it. We came across this guy who was just jamming away on the guitar in a little park. He didn't even have his guitar case open for money or acknowledge people who passed by. He was in the zone and was not coming out anytime soon. He seriously had to be one of the best musicians I've heard in a long time.

The next morning we went to breakfast with a couple new friends of Joe and Shae's. We got an AMAZING breakfast! I got a short stack which is basically 2 super fluffy pancakes 12 inches round. So glad I decided on that because I almost go the full stack. After breakfast we headed home. And the weather was NUTS! It was windy the whole way home and raining for the larger half of it. The roads out to Reno are in no way prepared for flash flooding and are 2 lanes. We hit a rough patch where the roads were flooded and almost hit one at full speed but the semi truck coming the opposite direction flashed his high beams at us which gave Daniel enough warning to slow down to about 60 MPH. We definitely hydroplaned. It honestly sounded like we had run over hundreds of rocks. There cars behind us were far enough back that no one would have even come close to hitting us, but I sure hope they were close enough that they saw us slow down because they were all traveling within close proximity of each other.

And, after passing a ghost town and a couple of whore houses, we made it back to Vegas. Whew! It was an crazy, fun trip but I'm definitely glad to be home and takin' easy in the hot, Vegas weather. So, that's what's been happening here.

*About 3 more months on my pregnancy to go and then Jet will be here :)