Shoes!

Which are Kaitlyn's and which are Uncle Chris'?  Hard to tell, huh?

Yes! Goodbye to TPM!

A little while back we applied for the job as managers at a singles complex in our ward area.  We were excited at the possibility of having a part time job for Sam to help with expenses.  We were dissappointed that we were not hired for the job.  We felt that the Lord wanted us to stay in Provo and for Jared to continue with graduate school, but we couldn't really see how.  We thought maybe we'd just start cold calling singles complexes and ask if they were hiring, but nothing really popped out to us.  A couple weeks ago as we were driving home from Macey's we passed the Brentwood Park Apartments.  I told Jared to call because I thought maybe they had some family housing available and we really wanted to get out of our TPM apartment.  Well, it turns out that they are hiring a manager and we went in Saturday morning for an interview.  They called us back yesterday to tell us that we got the job!  The Lord has definitely been looking out for us.  I start training tomorrow for the office work, which I can take Kaitlyn to.  The apartment will be available for us as soon as Friday, but since Jared has a massive three day test this week, we won't be moving until next week.
We will miss our apartment, it's been a great home for the past 3 years.  However, the management agency is horrible and we will not miss having maintenance issues go unresolved for 2-3 months.  Also, since the Owens moved, they have put single guys up there and I don't really want to live beneath them with a small baby in the house.  We are also sad to move from our ward, we have many great friends there.  But, we hope to stay in touch with them as we won't be too far away :)  I always thought that this was a singles complex, but it turns out that it has recently been changed to families only.   If you are looking for a place, I suggest checking them out.  They are very comparable to prices around Provo and they have a great maintenance crew.  Also, the walls are painted a kind of tan color - not clinical white!  I'm also very excited about the playground, complete with a baby swing, out front.

Homemade Christmas!

I've decided that I'm doing a homemade Christmas this year.  I'm way excited!  I have lots of things to make so you all can't get mad at me for thinking about Christmas in February.  I have ideas already for my moms, dads, nephews, brothers, and sisters.  I'm still trying to solidify a few, but if you want to know what I'm making, ask.  Except, of course, what I'm making you - that's not fair :)  We did a homemade Christmas when I was 7 or 8 and my whole family participated.  I loved it.  My grandma made us all some fuzzy blankets and we all still have them.  My parents made a Barbie house for us, and it's in the garage waiting for Kaitlyn to be old enough and have cousins to join her.  It was so much fun, and we all still remember it and cherish the gifts, long after more recent ones have been forgotten.  I think it's a great way to share the true spirit of Christmas - giving of yourself!

Cheesy Grin!

Kaitlyn has started doing this smile all the time.  It's so adorable!  Also, Jared and I think it makes her look just like her namesake, my Grandma.

Thyroid Issues

Some of you know that I was recently diagnosed with hyperthyroidism.  This means that my thyroid is making too much hormones and my system is way screwed up.  If left untreated it can lead to heart defects, coma, or even death.  So, not too happy about that.  The three treatment options are medicine, radiation, and surgery.  We ruled out surgery because I don't want to be out of commission that long; and I only approve of surgery that gets me a baby :)  While medicine sounds nice, it's not safe for pregnancy or nursing.  Although we aren't planning to get pregnant, it would suck if we were surprised and the medication caused birth defects.  So, we decided to go the radiation route.  This meant that I would go in on President's day for a small dose of radiation and then a scan to see how my thyroid was working.  Tuesday afternoon we got the report:  my thyroid isn't working AT ALL.  Maybe the pregnancy caused my hormones to go crazy, we're not sure what happened.  However, my thyroid stopped working and dumped all of the hormone into my system.  Meaning that I was having symptoms of hyperthyroidism but I don't actually have it.  YAY!  I don't have to get radiation, I can go back to breastfeeding Kaitlyn, and I don't have to spend 4-5 days locked in my old bedroom at my parents' house with minimal human contact.  I have now been diagnosed with thyroiditis, and I will have to go in for more blood tests to figure out treatment options.  The good news, though, is that once all the hormones have left my system, I'll probably go on medication to replace the thyroid hormone and it's safe for pregnancy and nursing.  Thank you so much to everyone who has offered love or support at this time.  Especially to those of you who offered to take Kaitlyn while Jared was in classes.  It is so great to know that we have caring friends and family to turn to in our times of need.

6 month stats

We went in a bit early for Kaitlyn's 6 month check-up because of my thyroid radiation induced vacation in my old bedroom next week.  Kaitlyn is healthy and growing - which is great!  She now weighs 13 lbs 10 oz and is 24 1/2 inches long.  Her weight and length are in the 20-25 percentile, but her head is off the chart.  That's right folks, a little bobble head :)  Kaitlyn has learned so much!  She can repeat sounds and roll over.  She loves her dog Scout and has also started to give hugs.  She especially likes to play peekaboo.  We suspect that she can roll from back to front, but she has no motivation to do so which is why we haven't seen it yet.She is a very good sleeper and unless she's teething she sleeps from 10 to about 6.  The biggest thing lately is that she has cut both of her bottom front teeth!

Here's the updated cabbage patch pic:

For comparisons go here.
The dr said we should take the bumpers out of her crib so she doesn't roll over and suffocate.  But I went to get her up from her nap today and found this:

What do I do now?

On How to be Lovely

Some of my former roommates and dear friends have started a blog about becoming lovely.  They post thoughts, stories, pictures and video clips about what it takes to be lovely.  The best thing about it is that it's about enjoying yourself how you are and not worrying about what size you are or how much you weigh.  I have been featured as a guest post, but I thoroughly suggest you go check out other posts, too.