Friend Easter Egg Hunt

Hannah, Ella, and Aidan
A few days before Easter, we had a little Easter egg hunt with some friends in our ward. Ella loved hanging out with her friends and eating the candy from the eggs. This Easter is very different from the last one because she knew exactly what to do and she found the eggs fast. She also knew they all had treats in them. It seemed like she found all 12 eggs in about a minute so I could only snap a few pictures.

Bye bye High Chair

Ella has graduated from her high chair and has officially moved to a booster seat. I can't believe how big she is now and how tiny she was when we first put her in it. I can't lift her so she would have to climb on the chair, then the table, and then into the high chair. It was a pain and dangerous. Plus, we need to have it in good condition for the next little one. I will miss these moments of her in the high chair but it will make my life more easy. I wanted to potty train her but because of my circumstances, I can't lift her so we put that on hold until the baby is born.

Ella's 1st trip to the Dentist

While Jordan was on his spring break, him and my mom took Ella to the to dentist for her first check up. Prior to the dentist, we would ask Ella, "What do you do for the dentist?". She would open her mouth really wide and and say "ahhhh". It was really cute because she had no idea what the dentist was like. When the arrived at the office, she was freaked out and when we asked her the dentist question, she kept her mouth closed as tight as possible. After warming up to her surroundings, she ended up opening her mouth enough for them to see her teeth. Both Jordan and Ella had no cavities. Hooray! They didn't clean her teeth because they didn't want to scare her on her first visit so she will be back in a couple months after the baby is born so I can take her.

My Sweet Deal!

I got $195 worth of diapers for $74. I got 15 packs.

That's 598 diapers at 12 cents a piece

A week ago, Walgreen's was running a deal that if you spend $25 on Huggies diapers that you get a $10 gift card to use at the store. Meanwhile, the Huggies diapers were also on sale at $10 for a jumbo pack. I then went on coupons.com and printed off $5 off coupons and $3 off coupons for Huggies diapers. I could print as many copies as needed so I printed a bunch . I went in and bought 3 packs of diapers for $30 and then used my coupons getting them for $18. Because I spent over $25, I got the $10 gift card. Then I went and bought 2 more packs and used my $5 off coupons for each and only spent $2 all together (I had to pay the tax). So I ended up getting 5 packs of diapers for about $20. I went and did it 2 more times ending up with 15 packs for $74. the reason why it was a little more is because I bought out all the diapers in the store so I bought some pull ups for Ella and they were a little more but I still got an awesome deal.

Great Grandpa Blocker

My Grandpa Blocker came down to visit my parents from Utah. Ella and I were already staying there so we got to spend lots of time with him. Beside all the many hours of sleeping he did, Ella loved spending time with him. She liked to push him down the hallway in his wheelchair and when he was sleeping she liked to be pushed around really fast by her Papa. It was fun visiting him and hearing all his funny stories.

Pregnancy Update

Okay so I went in for an ultrasound a few weeks ago and the doctor said he thought everything was okay and that my placenta looked good and the tear was healed. We were thrilled! A few days later I went to see my OB, I was still bleeding so she decided to send me to a perinatal specialist to make sure everything was okay. She thought I was fine and told me to start doing light strenuous activities. Last Wednesday, I went to see the perinatal specialist and found out that I'm not okay. He found a subchronic tear (8 cm) in my placenta however, it wasn't in the normal spot they usually occur in which is why the other doctor didn't catch it. He seemed very concerned and told me that he guarantees that I will go into preterm labor. He said he doesn't know when but I could go into labor as early as 24 weeks. Of course, I'm freaked out that I could have this baby in a few weeks with the high risk of serious complications and low survival rate. The reason I'll go into preterm labor is that my placenta will eventually tear completely off the uterus wall causing placental abruption. This is even more serious because it is harmful the the baby and to myself. There is no treatment for this but to hope the placenta hangs on as long as possible. The specialist put me on a progesterone hormone that could help calm my uterus and maybe allow the placenta to heal. It has not been diagnosed as a treatment but it has helped some women in the past and I'm willing to do whatever it takes. Our goal is to have our baby girl sometime after June 8 (34 weeks) because the risk of complications aren't as high. Lets keep our fingers crossed. As for me, I have been put on strict bed rest until I see the specialist next week. I will be seeing him for the rest of my pregnancy along with OB. I have moved into my parents house so my mom can take care of Ella and me. It has been a blessing. She and Jordan pamper me as I lay in bed or on the couch. This experience has be extremely hard for me but I seem to be coping very well. I can't wait to get back to normal but it looks like I'll be on bed rest until our little bundle of joy is here with us.

We are having a....

Yes we are blessed to be having a sweet little girl! I am 18 1/2 weeks pregnant and due sometime around July 16th. This pregnancy has been really hard for me. At 13 weeks I was diagnosed with a subchorionic hematoma which means that part of the placenta was torn from the uterus wall causing very heavy bleeding. This is not very common and only happens in 1.3 % of pregnancies. Most subchorionic hematomas are usually between 1-2 cm in size but mine is 10 cm (4 inches) putting me at a high risk of miscarriage. Scary!

The first time it happened, we were flying home from New Years in Portland on an airplane and I had an extremely large gush of blood come out causing them to stop the plane (luckily it hadn't taken off in the air) and me being rushed to the hospital in Sacramento. It was terrible and so embarrassing! From then on till now, I have been put on bed rest, had meals brought in, lots of babysitting, several ultrasounds, many trips to the ER, and fear of my baby's survival. The doctors said there isn't anything to do except wait to see it the placenta will reattach to the uterus wall.

So I have been on bed rest for 5 1/2 weeks. It has been the hardest thing for me especially since I love to go and I have a 2 year old that I can't lift. My husband has been amazing! He cooks, cleans, grocery shops, and changes Ella's poopy diapers. I also am blessed to live by my mom, who takes care of me during the week when Jordan is at school. I usually stay with her Monday- Thursday and then I go home on the weekends.

Last Friday I had an ultrasound and they found that my placenta had moved up the uterus wall correctly since it was placenta previa which means it was covering my cervix. The doctor said that he couldn't find a tear anymore which means the placenta has attached. HOORAY! I am still bleeding so I am still on bed rest until I see my OB next Thursday. Just because it attached doesn't mean it will stay attached so I still have to take it really easy. I hope when I go in on Thursday, it will be good news.

All the ultrasounds I have had, our little girl has been measuring big (just like her sister) which is a good sign that the placenta is working properly and she is getting nutrients. What a blessing! I am soo grateful to be having this little girl. I guess you really don't appreciate a healthy pregnancy until something goes wrong. I was so lucky to carry Ella perfectly and hope the rest of my pregnancy will go better and will carry her full term. I can't wait until July when I can see her. Lets hope there is more good news to follow. I'll keep you posted!

Ella Turns 2!

Ella celebrated her 2nd birthday last Sunday. We can"t believe our little girl is two. She has grown up soo much and is an official toddler. This girl talks soo much and has so much personality. She understands what we say to her and follows directions if she pleases. She is fun and full of lots of energy. She can recite the majority of the alphabet and count to 10. Her favorite songs to sing are ABC's and Ring Around the Rosies and sings them all day long. When she is not singing, she talks and there are no longer quiet cars rides because she always has something to say. She loves to go, and her favorite things to do are sing, go to the park, color anything she can get a hold of, play with her cousins Maylan and Brandon, push her baby around in the stroller, and read books. she is soo much fun to be around except when she throws her fits. We took her to the doctor this week for her 2 year old check up and she 34 1/2 lbs (97 percentile) and 35 inches (80 percentile). She finally made it under the 100 percentile for her age since she has always been off the charts. We love her soo much and are so blessed to have a beautiful healthy girl. I was going to have a birthday party for her with all her friends but because of my circumstances of being on bed rest it had to be cancelled. I was crushed but Ella had no clue. All she seemed to care about was presents and she got plenty of them. We had my parents for over for dinner on Sunday and we had the family party on Monday. Ryan and Wendy came over with there kids. We had homemade tacos for dinner followed by an awesome caterpillar cake made by Wendy. It was soo cute. Ella's favorite part was opening presents especially since they were all for her. Thanks Mom and Wendy for doing the party. We loved it!

Knott's Berry Farm

Ella and Daddy on the "Zoom Zoom Cars"

Instead of Disneyland passes for the year we got Knott's Berry Farm Pass from my parents for Christmas. So far we have only been once, but Ella loved it. There is a section in the Park dedicated to little kids called Camp Snoopy. It was filled with little rides and attractions. It is perfect for Ella. She thought she was "hot stuff'" going ride to ride but with her daddy by her side. That day we just hung out in Camp Snoopy and didn't adventure out to the big rides. We hope to go soon.

Christmas in Boise

Ella in front of all the presents she thinks are all for her.

The kids put in a nativity play for the adults on Christmas Eve. Ella was a shepard but she acted more like a wandering sheep with her cousin Preston because they were all over.

Ella opening up a baby Elmo doll from her Grandma and Grandpa Blocker.

This Holiday season we spent in many places. For Christmas we were in Boise at my sister Lisa's house. We drove up there with my parents and because it was such a long drive we stopped in Utah for 2 days. We got to visit with my sister Laurie and her family. We finally met baby Kloe. She is sooo cute and belongs perfectly in the family. We left Christmas Eve to Boise and spent 6 days there. We were there with Lisa and Ryan, Laurie and Adam, Brittney and my parents. Christmas was soo fun. Ella loved opening presents and liked her toys along with all her cousin's toys especially her younger cousin Preston. She thought they were all for her (typical for an almost two year old). We had lots of fun spending time with family, playing in the snow, eating wonderful food, and playing the Wii. After 6 days of Idaho fun, we hopped on and airplane to Portland for New Years with Jordan's parents.

Thanksgiving in Portland

Jordan and his mom at Cannon Beach

Marcie and Ella on Mt. Hood

For Thanksgiving this year we went to visit Jordan's parents in Oregon/Washington. We went up on Tuesday and left on Monday so we got to spend some good time with family. Marcie and her boyfriend Jeff were also there. We spent lots of time eating, sleeping, and shopping. We also went up to Mt. Hood and visited the ski resort and ate lunch at the lodge. It was beautiful and FREEZING! We also spent some time in Cannon Beach. The weather was rainy so we didn't walk on the beach but did a little shopping in the cute town. Ella of course got a new wardrobe because she is sooo spoiled and we enjoyed relaxing in their beautiful home surrounded by green trees. We look forward to visiting again for New Years.

Ella's 1st Gymnastics Class

Ella and Daddy in the foam pit

This fall, we enrolled Ella into her first gymnastics class at Precision Gymnastics. It's a mommy and me class she started when she was 18 months and I know she might seem sooo young to be in gymnastics but it has made her grow in a lot of areas. Her physical developmental skills have improved by balancing on the balance beam, climbing a ladder, and jumping on a trampoline. She loves doing somersaults (with help from her mom) and log rolls. Her coordination skills have improved along with her confidence. This girl thinks she can do whatever any big kid can do. She is more confident at the park and doesn't like when I try to spot her when she starts climbing. She make me nervous but so far she hasn't fallen.

Ella loves going to gymnastics! At the end of her class, she always gets a stamp and a sticker. That is probably her favorite part. When we walk in, she always says, "sticker!". She LOVES stickers! We are so proud of her accomplishments. This last week Jordan didn't have class so he came to watch us and take pictures. He was impressed at how much Ella could do. His favorite part was the giant foam pit. Ella loved jumping to him. The class is ending in 2 weeks and we hope to continue enrolling for another session this winter.

Maylan's 50's Birthday Party

Ella with her 50's dude cousin, Brandon.

Last Sunday, my niece Maylan celebrated her 8th birthday and had her party the day before at Mel's Drive In (a 50's place). It was the cutest party. First of all, Wendy made every single girl invited to the party a poodle skirt. 17 girls were invited! The girls got to wear their skirts, play 50's theme games, and eat hamburgers, french fries, and milkshakes. They had a blast! What was great about it, was the whole party took place at the restaurant and there was no mess at home. That is my kind of party!

More Trick or Treat Time!

For actual Halloween night, we went to Ryan and Wendy's along with my parents and some other people in their ward. We started off the night by ordering pizza and hanging out waiting for it to get dark. Ella was very anxious to get out there. She made the connection that wearing her poodle skirt and carrying her pumpkin gets her candy. There were about 1o kids in our group and Ella thought she was "hot stuff" walking with the big kids. She went to every single door they did and would never let go of her pumpkin. It got pretty full and heavy and you can tell it was heavy for her to carry but she would not let it go if her life depended on it. After trick-or-treating, we were supposed to sit by an fire pit, but it was still so warm outside, there was no need to use it. Ella had a great time trick-or-treating and spending time with her cousins and friends. She now knows what candy is and sure likes it!

YES ON PROP 8!!!

Jordan and I have been very active recently in the Yes on 8 campaign in CA. It's something that we feel very strongly about. We have encountered a lot of enthusiasm and support for Proposition 8 as we've surveyed people on the phone and talked with people on the street regarding their position. For us, it's imperative that marriage retain its traditional definition. Our only disappointment through our avid support of Proposition 8 is that some opponents misconceive the amendment as some kind of hate initiative. This notion is just not true. We love people, regardless of sexual orientation. Nevertheless, domestic partnerships and civil unions already provide non-heterosexual couples all rights associated with civil marriage. So why extend the definition of marriage to include anyone other than 1 man and 1 woman? Allowing non-heterosexual couples to be married threatens the very nature of marriage and societal values. Schools WILL be required to teach homosexual relationships on the same plane as heterosexual ones. Kids will be exposed to this at an early age, as the recent history of Massachusetts has shown. Further, the very idea of religious freedom, upon which this country was founded, may be compromised when religious organizations refuse to hold marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples. These are only a couple of the possible repercussions that worry us should Prop 8 not pass. That's why we ask Californians to

Vote Yes on Proposition 8

this November. Again, this is NOT about hate, it IS about protecting the sanctity of marriage for ourselves and our children. That is why it's important that we maintain the traditional definition of marriage to be one between a man and a woman. More information regarding Proposition 8 can be found at www. protectmarriage.com.