Portlandia

When I found out that I was going to have almost the entire week off for Christmas we decided that we should do something irresponsible but so fun. Stephens first choice was to go to Sanfran Ca  which I was totally down for until he revealed his hidden agenda to go to the BYU football game. Then we thought about going to visit my mother and make it a surprise. We enlisted the help of my stepfather to make sure she was at the right place at the right time. Thankfully they were headed to Portland to visit my aunt and uncle. It is so much cheaper to fly to Portland than to go to Medford. I looooove Portland. Always have always will. It was Stephens and Emery's first time here and Emery's first airplane ride.
It took everything for me to keep this secret. You see my mother and I are stupidly close. I don't call her every day but that's because I know that if I did I would get too depressed from missing her so much. We got to Portland around six checked in to our hotel then headed to my aunt Julie house. To say that we surprised them was an  understatement. I wish that we had caught it on video.
Next on the list of things to do:
See my high school bff's Lacey Price and Lulu. Voodoo doughnuts, Cafe yumm,
Maybe multinoma falls, Shop shop shop, The fabulous Alexandra Lovin Curran's reception, See a movie and spend so much time with family that it's disgusting
I just love this place though. It's a huge city but to me it feels so homey since it's like your still in a forest. Between the trees, shopping, family, friends, and hippies there's not much that I can't love here. Oh and the weather! Coming from 12 degrees as the high for a lot of days in the winter in utah I have been so stinking warm in this 40 plus weather. It has been very foggy, but did you know that I looooove fog? It's so mystical and pretty. Can you tell that I'm so content in  this city.  If only we could find Stephen a job here I think it could be the perfect place for us. Hint hint to anyone out there looking for a super awesome marketing newcomer named Stephen Jolley!!!

It's November...I'm thankful

Last week my husband's youngest sister Kirstie, who was prego, was put on bed rest for having signs of toxemia. It was a bit nerve racking since it seemed that the doctors office was taking it a little to easy going in my opinion. This Monday, her birthday, she went in to see how she was doing and was told that she needed to be induced as soon as possible. After hours of waiting for hours to hear if she was going to be induced that day she got a call telling her that they would wait an extra two days so that the babe would be technically considered full term. (By the way it is not OK to leave a pregnant nervous woman hanging when you tell get that she is probably going to be induced that day.) Any who on Wednesday little Scottie Noel Andersen was born and she is so perfect. She was born 6lbs 12oz, healthy lungs and just everything that we prayed for. For being three weeks early she is bigger than Emery was born a week Past her due date. I know I'm gushing about her so much but I swear I'm not baby hungry, I just love babies so much and Especially when they are related to me.

Tonight I had the opportunity to go to my beautiful cousin Alexandra's bridal shower. Can I just tell you how much I love her?! Well it's a lot. Growing up we weren't so close and I'll be honest I was a big reason for that. For some reason I thought I was better than her. I don't know what I was thinking cause she's awesome. I love getting together with family and even extended family. They understand my sense of humor and know why i am the way i am. Anyway, it was a great time, and I'm so excited for her to start this new journey in life.

This year has been full of trials but the blessings have out weighed them. I always knew that I was blessed to be married into an amazing family but this year has proved it. When I had to go back to work after maternity leave my mother in law Karen stepped in to baby sit every day while I was at work and Stephen was in school and working. When she wasn't able to baby sit Stephens sister Kate didn't miss a beat and would fill in. (Can I just say that when I met Kate when Stephen and I started dating it scared me that Stephen and I would break up because I get along so well with her.)
This summer we decided to bight the bullet and get Stephen done with school as soon add possible. This meant that he has had to dedicate this fall semester to school alone because he has been taking 18 credit hours so that he can be finished by the end of spring semester. Can I get a Hallelujah?! However this meant that I would be the soul provider for income which was/is quite daunting to think about. However after we prayed about it and felt at peace with the decision things started to fall in to place. My job had allowed me to set my schedule so that I still am technically a full time employee so I get all of the benefits but I am able to get off work at 12:30 pm so I can still feel like a full time mother to my little girl. Plus I got a raise which I can't complain about. Obviously we have had to cut our spending which sadly had to include our beloved basement apartment. We had enough saved up to be able to stay till our lease was up. Stephens parents once again stepped in and saved the day by offering us to live in their two bedrooms downstairs at their home. We had to downsize a lot and put so much stuff in storage (I can't believe how much stuff you can accumulate,) but it feels right for now.
I've already talked about how much more homesick I have become since I have become a mom in a previous post, but I believe that it has brought me even closer to my parents ironically. This year my mom has come out to see us more times than she ever has since we have been married. not that Emery was the reason she has come out so much but it had been so amazing to have my mom around more even if it is just for a few days every few months.
I have had better relationships with both of my parents and am so blessed to be their daughter. I have always had an easy  relationship with my mom. She just gets me. like I've said before we never went through the dreaded "I hate you" teenage stage. She always seems to know the right thing to say, and how to make me see reason. She's the best shopping partner a girl could ask for. She's always been mom first but best friend close behind.

My relationship with my father was not always so easy. For one I have always Been a fairly girly girl. Don't get me wrong I could take care of myself when it came to fighting with all brothers, but none the less I was born with pink glitter running through my veins. I think my dad just wanted me to enjoy the things that he did such as camping, cooking, and fishing to name a few but I Just don't have a huge interest in any of those things. Finally at 16 I was fed up with getting camping gear every year for my birthday and gave my dad a  specific list of things that would be suitable to get me for gifts and a tent, cot, wool socks or sleeping bag was not on the list. In the last few years I've had issues that I have worked through with our relationship. I have realized that my dad is who he is and I can't change it and I wouldn't want to because I love him for who he is.
All of the changes and trials, however difficult, have made me realize how important family is and has grown me closer to them in many ways. But I can't wait for Stephen to be done with school.

Emery Collen Jolley 10/21/12

A year ago today at about this time, 8:30 pm, I was sitting in a hospital bed after laboring for about ten hours and I was still only at maaaaybe 3 centimeters. Everyone was saying that I would probably my baby the next day. But they were also a little worried about our little girls heart rate dropping a bit whenever I had a contraction. My sister (in law) Katelyn was the only one saying, guys we just have to know that she is going to come before midnight and it will happen. Pretty soon I started to feel a little pressure, which soon turned into feeling the contractions... which if you have an epidural shouldn't happen. Apparently I had used up all of the juice through out the long day and my epidural wore off. Pretty much as soon as the epidural wore off I started REALLY feeling pressure. So they checked me and i was at 5 centimeters within an hour. About 30 minutes after that, and Sorry for anyone who gets weird about bowel movements, I seriously felt like I was going to poop right there and then with my mother, mother in law, father in law,  brother, sister in laws, and brother in law all right there in the room.  When I told the nurse how I was feeling they ushered everyone (besides Stephen) out of the room to check me and I had progressed to ten REALLY fast. Everyone came in wished us luck and then add they were sent out to wait in the waiting room I was told that I would be pushing for about 2 hours. However at 10:41 pm after only 3 contractions I had delivered my 6lb 6ploz tiny Emery Colleen. She had her cord wrapped around her neck twice, which is why her heart rate kept dropping, so Stephen didn't get to cut it. It might have been the hormones, endorphins, or a combination of the two but I couldn't help but cry. Even covered in goo I loved her.

I always knew I wanted to be a mom. When people would ask what I wanted to be when I grew up I would always say that I wanted to be one. And I really love babies, especially ones that I am related to. I just figured I would love her like that. But it is so much more. It's more than I could try to explain.

Not only did I fall in love with my girl but I fell more in love with my husband as I watched him mold into a dad. I knew he would be a good dad because of the love that he has for his nephews. That being said I didn't know just how hands on he would be. Even though he almost pukes with every poopy diaper, he still changes them. Since I wake up at the butt crack of dawn he has started to take over the midnight  wake ups, which thankfully only happen once and a while now. He constantly wants to hold, play, and be with her. I am so thankful that I married him, and that I married into his family.

They have been there for us almost every day for the past year in one way or another. Considering that they live only around the corner makes that pretty easy to do though. When I went back to work after my maternity leave mother in law started watching Emery every day without hesitation. When my mother in law wasn't available my sister in law always has been there to fill in.

And last but not least my own mother who I strive to be and love like every day. She has always been there for me, and if she couldn't be then I know that she really really wishes that she could be. When she can she drops what she is doing to talk to me, give me advice and to just listen to me when I'm scared or upset. She has always my best friend. And I truly hope that I can have that same relationship with Emery. I miss her so much all of the time. I wish that I could see her more than just a few times a year. It breaks my heart that she can't share the sweet moments with me and my little family whenever I want to. I know that I can be a little annoying with how many videos and pictures I post on Facebook and
Instagram but I just don't want my family in Oregon to miss anything.

Happy birthday to you miss Emmie-Lou. I didn't know that I could love someone so much before you came along.

Added a few if my favorite photos from this past year

You know its a good birthday when...

1. Your sister in law finds out what her baby is. (even if it's the day after your real birthday

2. You have brownies and ice cream rather than cake. Yes, i don't like cake.

3. You get to spend your time at church with a bunch of cute toddlers rather than teaching pre teens. (not that i don't like the kids, i just really hate teaching)

4. You get amazingly sweet chubby cheeked baby snuggles.

Fourth of July weekend '13

This year for the forth we did what we normally do and hung out with Stephens family at the parade route where they were all going to sleep out. It send like every year without exception there is a couple making out right next to us. You can see just how close they were in the picture of emery standing up in the play pen. She was a good sport. She stayed up extra late because there was just too much going on. She loved having her cousin Boston play with her and smushing her face up against the mesh. The next morning we woke up extra early and went to the parade. Emery wasn't too fazed by it and got passed around from person to person. Her cousin Beckham had fun waving at all of the floats.  After the parade we went home to hey some more sleep because we had hardly any at all the night before and watched far too many episodes of "New Girl" on Netflix. I would like to pose a question, can you really watch too many episodes of New Girl? I don't think so. Before going to grandpa Richards i had a hankerin for a snow cone. We went to the snow cone shack by the chillies in orem and boy am i glad that i got a small because those were far from small. It was as big as my head, which says something cause i have a deceivingly large head. them we went to Grandpa Richards for fireworks. It is easy to say that emery LOVED them. Her eyes practically popped out her head. It was the funniest thing ever. Beckham on the offer hand just say there in awe of it all. I love those kids so much
I love the forth of July and this country. Im happy to live in thus country

The night before the parade

Every year we wait out the night before the fourth of July parade in Provo. And every year there is a couple making out next to us. TRADITION!

like my sneaking a creepy picture of them with my baby in the foreground

Hard to sleep

Lately emery hasn't been sleeping through the night. I think that it mostly is because we have stopped swaddling her do her arms are now free to do what they want. this past week has been especially rough since she has been having some painful looking diaper rash, and maybe something else but i just can't pin point it. The point is that i am not a easy sleeper in general and am now wide awake at 1:40 am with my mind running a million miles an hour.
A lot of things have been changing for us, and it will be better for us in the long run, but for right now it is just very tough to deal with. Most of the time i try to keep my cheery disposition, but deep down i just miss my family, hate working, am so tired, and want nothing more than to be with my little girl.
I really wish that i could spin this post to be more up beat but i don't really know if i can. At least i have an amazing husband who is trying his hardest to help provide and finish school quickly so that i don't have to go through with this for much longer. I don't know what i would do without him. I also have the best mother that i could ask for, which is probably why i miss her so much. Before emery was born i could in a way ignore my feelings of missing my family so much and just live life, but now i just wish that they could see her grow and watch all of the new things that she can do.
Sorry for the sad ranting. Just thought I would get a few of my thoughts out of my mind.

Baby Emery

There are so many people who i love who are rarely ever, or have never been able to see my baby girl in person who mean so much to me. I hadn't updated this blog since we announced that we were even having a baby so i figure i might as well start now. Don't get your hopes up that i will keep it up. I seem to get too busy with other things that i neglect this blog. Here its our little love Emery Colleen Jolley.