The Home Stretch!

Here's a picture of the ever-growing baby bump, for all of you who wanted to see. Just started the 3rd trimester...it's so crazy, he's gonna be here before we know it!!

He's doing well - he wiggles around like crazy when I'm trying to go to sleep (naughty)! I'm still feeling pretty good, so hopefully we'll finish strong and be ready to meet our little boy :-)

Say "AAHH"

Funny story:

I was working with my cute 5-year-old client yesterday and at the end of the session he started grabbing my face and trying to open my mouth with his hands. He was practically sitting in my lap, nose to nose with me. (Maybe we should work on understanding personal space?!) I told him that if he wanted to look in my mouth, he just needed to ask me...which he did...which I reinforced by opening up my mouth. He peered in for a few seconds and then backed off. I asked him what he was looking at. He told me (very seriously), "I was just tryin to see the baby."
HILARIOUS!! I told him (as seriously as I could) that he can't see the baby yet, only see my belly growing. I am amazed at the stuff kids think of sometimes!

So, hopefully this little anecdote made you smile :-)

Giving Thanks

Well, I took my camera to our Thanksgiving get-together, but I forgot to take any pictures :-( I've got to start remembering!! Mike and I were with his family this year, and we had a great time. Dinner was delicious and it was just fun being with each other. Tomorrow my parents are doing a turkey dinner too, so I'm excited about that as well.

Let me share with you what I'm thankful for this year - a year that's been so difficult for so many people has been full of blessings for us.

• My husband - he's a great example to me and I'm thankful to have him in my life.
• My healthy pregnancy (so far) and the chance I'm going to have to be a mom.
• My family - parents, siblings, in-laws, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. They are great!
• My home, neighbors, and ward. I love where we live.
• My job, and the laughter it brings to my life
• Mike's job.
• My country and the people who give their lives to protect it.
• My testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
• My Heavenly Father and Savior, who have given me all of these things and so much more.

I could keep going, but that might get boring to read. I feel very blessed and am thankful for so much this year.

It's a BOY!!

We had the ultrasound yesterday afternoon. (It was so amazing!) The part everyone wants to know is the gender - which I've already explained in the title :-) And here's the proof:
At first he was being modest and not showing us the goods. The radiologist said she thought it was a girl which he apparently didn't like because a few minutes later we got this picture, and there's no denying he is a HE!! I honestly wasn't really hoping for one or the other, just as long as it was healthy and developing normally. Looks like, I've got another man in my life now! I love being able to say a gender - we can say HE now and not IT. I have a feeling that it might take awhile to pick a name, so when we do I'll be sure to share...for now he's just my little guy!

It was amazing being able to see all his body parts so clearly and being able to watch him wiggle around. His hands were up by his face for most of the ultrasound and at one time he gave us a thumbs up! I already love his little feet and profile - can't wait to see him in real life. I'm sure he will come faster than I can imagine - we're already half way there - crazy!

So, it was an exciting day yesterday. I'm so thankful for this little miracle and that all is well.

Oh and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Disney World Vacation

Mike and I (as well as the Parker family) took a little trip to Disney World at the end of September. It was my first time there, and Mike's second. We had a really great time...even if it was hot and humid! We went to each of the 4 parks for at least a whole day, and went to one of the 2 water parks (Typhoon Lagoon) on one day too.
I can't really pick a favorite thing, I liked pretty much all of it. Some of the highlights included:
1. Swimming with sharks at Typhoon Lagoon
2. Seeing Mike and Steve participate (i.e. get soaked) at the Hollywood Studios Backlot Tour
3. Eating Yorkshire fish and chips at Epcot's UK (they were quite authentic)
4. Watching Mike buy a 6 month (green) Mickey Mouse shirt for the baby (totally his idea)
5. Spending time with my wonderful husband, who made sure I was eating properly, not getting dehydrated, and wearing my (SPF 70!) sunscreen!

We had a great time and it made me so excited to experience the magic of Disneyland through the eyes of my child one day!

Vacation Photos

Gotta love it

I was working with a group of 5th graders (who are in a self-contained special ed. class) this morning and one of them asked if I was married. I told them I was and of course the follow-up question was if I had kids. I told them not yet, but that I was going to have one soon. It was so fun to see their reactions! (They are the first students that I've told.) One student said, "Well I knew you were because when I first met you, you were more skinny." (Which is awesome because I've worked with her for 2 years AND I haven't gained any pregnancy weight yet!) Another reaction was, "Oh, you're gonna be bigger!" But the sweetest response was from a student who can be a big pain the the rear but was in a good mood at the time: he gave me a "side hug" and said, "Mrs. Terry, I hope you have good luck when your baby gets bigger." He was so sincere and truly meant what he said. This is why I do what I do - how can you not love that?

Wonderful News

I've been so excited to make this post - and now I feel like it's time to tell the world that Mike and I are expecting our first baby in March!!! I am 12.5 weeks along now and am feeling fabulous. (I'm one of the lucky ones who doesn't have to battle morning sickness.) It took more time (15 months - which I know isn't very long for some couples) and more money (4 artificial inseminations at $300 a piece) than we ever expected it to - so we are very thankful for this little squirt. It still seems unreal to me, but I couldn't be more happy.

Those 15 months were the hardest of my life, but I learned a lot and definitely learned to rely on the Lord. I know that life is one of the greatest gifts Heavenly Father gives to us, and I'm so thankful that he is willing to send one of his precious spirits to us.

So, stay tuned for more updates!

Summer is OVER!

Well, my summer vacation is officially over :-( When I was little summer seemed to last forever - why does time go by so fast now that I'm old?! I love working in the schools because I've got an awesome schedule with lots of holidays and vacations...but it's hard to go back to work after those times. So, here's to a new school year - let's hope it's a good one!

Some Wedding Pictures

Mr. & Mrs. Blake

My sister got married yesterday! It's weird, crazy, exciting, and so great! It was a wonderful day, and Emily and Tyson seemed so happy. Love to them both and happy eternity together!

Bridal Shower

It's hard to believe that my little sister is getting married in less than a month!! I'm super excited for her and her fiance, Tyson, and was glad to throw her a shower with my Aunt LaDean. It was this afternoon, and I think it was a success. We played a little game (which Em was a good sport about), she got some great gifts, and had a nice lunch. I hope everyone had a good time! Here are some pictures:

Heather, Logan, Hannah, Kris, & Natalie (Weeks cousins)

Diana, Lori, Julie, & Amy (Alder cousins)

Emily, Tiffany, & Whitney (2 of Em's future sister-in-laws)

Grandma & Emily

LaDean, Emily, Me, Mom

New Hair-do

I had a hair appointment on Monday evening - I had just planned to get a trim. I got there early and was looking in a magazine where I saw a picture of this hair cut. I decided it was super cute and proceeded to chop off my hair! These aren't the best pictures of the cut - but you get the idea. I totally love it - I forgot how much I liked short hair. So now you know - that's about the most exciting thing that's happened all month. :-)

(Well, I am technically done with work for the summer, but I'm taking ESL endorsement classes until June 23rd - so I'm not on break yet!)

#6

Today is our 6th anniversary! It's hard to believe it's been 6 years...and at the same time it's hart to remember a time when we weren't married. Like any couple, we've had difficult times, but those times have been few and far between. I think we have been so blessed and so fortunate in all the things we've done the last 6 years. I'm so glad to be able to share my life with my best friend. Even though he never reads my blog, I want Mike to know how much I love him and how thankful I am to be married to him. Here's to more exciting and fun years together!

Better Hearing and Speech Month

I'm sure everyone knows that May is BETTER HEARING AND SPEECH MONTH, right?! Well...it is! And because of that (and to help promote my business) I'm offering FREE, that's right FREE, speech/language and hearing screenings during the month. For hearing screenings I'm willing to do 3 years old to adults, for speech/language screenings 3 to 12 years old. SO, if you're interested or you know someone who might be interested PLEASE pass on the info and contact me for an appointment. You can find my phone number and email through my website valleyspeech-languagetherapy.com
Thanks all - Happy Better Hearing and Speech Month!

Ode to Grandparents

Mike and I are total nerds (or just really spiritual) and we (by we I mean mostly Mike) have been on a genealogy kick lately. This has made me think more about all of my grandparents and how great they are and how much I love them. We have some really great photos of my Grandma and Grandpa Laycock (my mom's parents) when they were young in England and I just LOVE this one! My grandma is the girl with the dark hair looking over her shoulder at the camera and my grandpa is the taller man by the train. (Isn't it cool?!) Grandpa died when I was about 10, and my grandma died just over 3 years ago...and I sometimes really miss them! The first thought I had when I was told Gram died was, "Oh good, now she's with Grandpa!" I know that's true, and can't wait to be re-united with them some day.

I guess the reason I'm writing this post is because my Grandma Tidwell's husband, Newell, died very unexpectedly today. He's an awesome man and I'm so sad that he's gone. I'm still in shock about the whole thing. So, I just had to put down these thoughts and express my love for all my family, but especially my grandparents, who I love and miss.

Look what I found!

Well, I was so busy today at work that I just had to mess around online for awhile! (SHH - don't tell my principle or coordinator!!) While I was spending my time SO productively I actually found a really cool website/blog by a mom and SLP (who happens to be from Utah). It has really great info on speech and language development as well as ideas for you to help your child's speech and language! I think it's a good resource for parents AND therapist and thought I'd share it with you all! I've added the link under my websites - it's called mommyspeechtherapy.com
So let me know what you think about it if you check it out.

Flight of the Conchords

I've been meaning to tell you about one of my new favorite shows - Flight of the Conchords. One of Mike's co-workers gave us the season 1 DVDs to watch and now we are addicted. It's in its second season on HBO and is hilarious!!

It's about 2 musicians from New Zealand who've moved to New York to try and become famous. They have one slight problem: they're not very good!

You're probably thinking, "HBO?" (Which is exactly what I thought when I heard about it) It does occasionally swear (but it only seems to be by their American friend) and talk about sex - so if you don't like those things don't watch the show. In my opinion, it's not too bad and I recommend it!

If you like any of the following shows: The Office, Simpsons, Napoleon Dynamite, or Anchorman you share in my sense of humor and you should watch Flight of the Conchords!

P.S. there are 3 of their songs on my playlist (The Most Beautiful Girl, Albi, and Sugarlumps) if you want to take a listen and get a taste...but for the full effect you must watch an episode!

Miss Mia

I haven't been able to post about our fun weekend with our niece, Mia, because we've been having computer issues! So...2 weekends ago Melissa and Steve trusted Mike and me enough to leave their precious daughter with us. She turned 1 in January and has started to walk, so she was into everything, but tons of fun!
Mike and I have new found respect for all you parents, because taking care of a 1-year-old is not easy, and we only had one to take care of! I think the thing that made it most difficult is that she HATED her pack and play, so it was really hard to get her to sleep and stay asleep! Which meant WE didn't get much sleep either!
Funny story: I took Mia on a walk one day in her stroller...things were going well half way around the block then we walked pasted a chain link fence that had a huge dog behind it. Of course the dog started barking, she wigged out (if she hadn't been strapped in she probably would have fallen out of the stroller it scared her so bad!) and cried the rest of the way home! It was sad, but humorous!
So, thank you Parkers for trusting us with your child (I found the missing Binky by the way!) we had a blast and love Mia Grace so much!

In the dreaded pack and play!

She had a darling dress on, but she didn't want to be a model right then!

OHH! He's gonna be such a sweet daddy one day!

Muffins & MDs

Some of you have been curious about how my business is doing - so here's an update:

• I got my first box of business cards last week, that was exciting! Maybe I'll hand them out to 500 people and will need to order more - probably not for awhile though!
• So far 57 people have looked at my website - and no, it wasn't all ME!
  
• The big event: 7am this last Monday morning - I went to Copperview Medical Center and did a "Provider Presentation" to a group of Doctors in the hopes of getting referrals. I took them muffins (hence the title) but they didn't think I was bringing anything so they had someone else bring bagels!! My Uncle Dave is an administrator there so he's helped me out a TON. It went well, and now I'm just crossing my fingers that they'll send someone to me!
• I'm trying to figure out how to become provider on medical insurances and it's a pain in the butt.

So, there ya go. Things are going, slowly but surely. I've got a few ideas of ways to find other clients, and I have more than enough to do about the insurance business. I'm excited to see what happens next and I'm so thankful for all the help and support I've had so far.

Terry Family Cruise

For Christmas, Mike's family decided to go on a cruise together and it was so great! We left on Dec. 30th and got back Jan 7th - it was a Mexican Riviera cruise and stopped in Acapulco, Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa, and Manzanillo. We (jokingly) said the vacation was a success because we were all still talking to each other at the end of it! It was a long cruise, with 4 little kids (and a few big kids) but we all had a good time and really enjoyed ourselves...it was hard to come back to work and cold weather!

So, here is a review and some pictures of the trip! Enjoy :-)

Days at Sea

The first and last 2 days of the cruise were "Fun Days at Sea". It was unfortunately not very warm those days - so we didn't spend much time at the pools. We did some mini golf on the top deck (it's quite challenging on a rocking ship!), played lots of bingo, Mike and Steve became regulars at the casino (though not winning very often), Connor and I each won a lovely trophy: Connor for a basketball free-throw contest, and me for winning a round of a trivia game (I went to the final round, but didn't try too hard since the prize was a bottle of champagne)! We kept ourselves busy and had fun.

The Nordgrens: Mollie, Devin, Connor, Eliza, & Travis

The Parkers: Mia, Melissa, & Steve

All of us at dinner on New Years Eve - don't we look nice?

Happy New Year!

We enjoyed playing SPOONS together at night - with only a few minor injuries and warnings from the security guards to quiet down!

Jan 2nd - Acapulco

Our first port was in Acapulco, which is a big city and was very busy because of the holiday. We hired a very nice driver named Roberto to taxi us around all day. We went to a beach first. It was very crowded and there were TONS of people trying to sell you all sorts of garbage! (Massages, bags, hats, food, jewelry, shirts, I could go on!) The beach was very steep and got deep quickly - it made for some good sized waves. My loving father-in-law pushed me into the ocean not long after getting there and I had sand everywhere, it was very uncomfortable!


We went back to the ship and all took showers then Mike, Steve T., Mollie, Melissa, Kathie, and I went to see the Acapulco cliff divers. Years and years ago after the fishermen of the city were done fishing for the day they would go to these cliffs and dive off them...people would go and watch them and in the 1930s it became an official job and tourist site of the city. They climb up the cliffs and jump off into the water - from the very top it's 105 feet! They were pretty amazing to watch.

Mike insisted that I get a picture with one of the divers!

Me, Kathie, Melissa, Mollie, and Steve waiting for the show

After the show we asked Roberto if he could take us to a good (but most importantly clean) restaurant for some authentic Mexican food. He took us to a place that was inside a little department store and there we had the most delicious chicken enchiladas I've ever tasted! They were in some sort of amazing green sauce - yummy. It was a great way to end the day (and even better the next day since none of us got sick)!

Us and Roberto waiting for our food.

The last thing I have to say about this day is: GO UTES!!!

Jan 3rd - Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa

This city was the smallest of the three we stopped at, and it was my favorite. We did a little shopping but spent most of the day at the beach. The port was small, so we had to tender in from the ship, and from the dock we took a small local boat across the harbor to the beach. The beach was less crowded than the one at Acapulco, and had less people trying to sell crap to you - so that was nice. The water was shallow for a quite awhile, but was very rocky. Mike got a cheese-grater-like scrape on his heel from the coral. But overall it was a nice little place.

Us on the beach

Connor, Devin, Kathie, Mollie, Melissa, and Steve going for a ride.

Mike posing with a local who is "dressed" in a traditional Mayan costume.

Jan. 4th - Manzanillo

In size, this city was between Acapulco and Zihuatanejo. It was a nice little place. We did some shopping and the boys decided to do some deep-sea fishing with a local fisherman. The girls didn't have anything else to do, and there was room on the boat, so we all went. We saw dolphins and got to enjoy some pretty scenery...and about half of us got sea sick (including me)! I had never been out on a little boat in the ocean before and didn't know that I was going to get sick - if I had known I wouldn't have gone since I ended up barfing over the side of the boat! The fishermen gave me a slice of lime to suck on to help with the nausea - and it worked for a while. I'd never heard of using lime to help stop nausea! So, never again will I go on a small boat out in the ocean! I think everyone else enjoyed it - even if we didn't catch a big fish.

Mike enjoying the boat ride, while I was throwing up!

One of the fishermen showing a marlin lure - no hook, it's nose is rough and gets easily tangled in the string! Who would've thought?

Some of us resting in the shade after shopping.

Mike in front of a huge marlin by the Manzanillo port.