We're Still Here

One of my goals for this year is to do at least one little post a week. It might not amount to much, but it will be a way of updating friends and family of or status.

Here's some pictures to round up the end of another year.

Since the last time I've posted Twila has gone from walking to running and babbling to talking proficiently for her age. She definitely keeps me on my toes. In April she got blessed with her first sibling (to learn more about that follow this link). Brigham has become one of her very best friends. She's always trying to make him laugh and show him how to be more mobile. As fun and energetic as Twila is, Brigham is calm, quiet, and peaceful. We are still in Rexburg, but we are moving on to bigger and better things by the end of the month. We are really excited about change and getting to move forward.

We are busy with work, kids, and lots of comical moments. Besides being busy with kids, my sisters and I have been working on a craft/lifestyle blog called Shaffer Sisters. If you want a better update of the last year, you should check it out. Our goal for 2013 is to get our business going so that we can sell a lot of the things we have made for our families that we absolutely love and think every home would benefit from having.

What am I?

With it being nearly Mother’s Day, I began to reflect on how my life has changed and what I have become in just the past year as I have enjoyed many great times with Twila.

I am…
A cuddle buddy
A nurse
A best friend to play with
A chef
A housekeeper
A chauffer
A singer
An entertainer
A book reader
The source of all knowledge
A world class tickler
A gymnastics instructor (Twila is getting so good at summersaults)
Someone to help find missing bellybuttons
Seriously hilarious (even if my Dad doesn’t think I’m funny)
Someone to help you as you’re walking,
Pick you up when you have fallen,
And hold you when it seems the world will come crashing down
I am a mother.

I love being a Mother and having Twila in my life these last ten months have brought me such joy, beyond any description. Her loving smile just melts my heart like chocolate. She is evidence to me that angels do really live among us. She is such a blessing to our family and has taught me the importance of mothers. They can never be replaced and for that reason I hope all of us take the duty of mother seriously. Appreciate your mothers for the sacrifices they have gladly made for you and pass on this dedication to future generations. The disintegration of the family has led to many of society’s ever prevalent issues. As a mother, I promise to give all that I have in raising my family with love and righteousness. Mom, thank you so much for all you have done to set this example. When you could’ve furthered your career, you set it aside for a season in your life to raise four wonderful children. I am forever indebted to you for your faith in courage in bringing me into this world. I love you and its wonderful to follow in your footsteps.

Catch up with pictures

Twila loves baths!
Merry Christmas!
Having fun in a green bath.
T$Money (the $ is silent. If you haven't seen Band Slam don't be perplexed)
Twila in her blessing dress
Picking out pumpkins as a family.
Happy Fall walk with Aunt SL
Teaching Twila to pray. Oh so reverent.
Twila was a cow for Halloween.
Apparently she didn't want to do kissy lips.
Twila loves baths!
We moved in September. Levi was really helpful getting the last of the stuff out one late night.
Grandma Betty and Twila.Squishy face. I'm not sure how Twila feels about it.
Aug. 1st family pictures.
Pictures at the park.
Twila was just a couple weeks old in this picture. She's on the quilt I made her.

A Healthy Baby

Well we have a happy and healthy baby girl. She is nearly two weeks old now.
Here's the story:
We waited patiently for her decide to come, but I guess she was just in a really bad position and so my body never really progressed with her. I eventually dilated to a one four days after the due date, but when I checked into the hospital another week later I was still at a one. The doctors gave me an extra week past what they wanted to and I was grateful, but the sad thing is I never went into labor on my own.
On Thursday night, July 8th I checked into the hospital so they could give me a medicine to finish softening my cervix. Between the two monitors on my stomach that kept moving and Curtis' snoring across the room I didn't get much sleep. Finally at 3 in the morning I had the nurse give me a sleeping pill and I slept until 6.
At 7:30 Dr. Barton broke my water and then at 8 they put me on the Pitocin. They start low and gradually crank up the dosage.

Still No Baby

The last two doctors appointments have proved basically uneventful. Nothing has changed at all. I'm still not dilated and only 50% effaced. The bummer part of this is that my due date was Sunday. My doctor really wants to induce me, but I have never wanted to be induced so this is an interesting dilemma.

I don't know what will happen, but we will just have to wait and see. I have another appointment on Thursday and that's when I will decide what's going to happen. So this means there could be a baby here this weekend or it may be next week when she decides to come on her own.

Other than this things are going good. My baby blanket is basically done. Today I think we will stretch it out and pin it so that we can baste (I think that's what it's called) it. Then all I will have to do is the binding and additional hand quilting if I feel like it.

I'm getting really excited because it looks really good. So although it's somewhat a bummer that we don't have our baby here yet, there's still some good to waiting. It seems like every day Curtis or SarahLynn gives her a pep talk that she needs to be here. It's funny, I think they're not very effective motivational speakers because it's not working.

The Saunders Family Reunion is this weekend and it's too bad that I can't go, but it's okay because Mom and Dad have offered to take me to the hot air balloon festival on Saturday in Driggs. That could be fun. I just hope it's not too hot. The weather the last week has been significantly warmer. My pregnancy has been wonderful but now it's just getting hot. We will keep things updated if there's any big changes.

Just One Week

It's crazy to think that in one week from today our baby is due. So she could be here any day now. It would be convenient for her to come sooner because the Saunders have a family reunion in Star Valley over the 4th of July weekend. So the sooner she comes, the more likely I am to be able to go to it.

My last appointment I wasn't dilated at all, but I was 50% effaced. I guess that's progress though, and any progress brings her closer to holding her in my arms. I have my next appointment on Tuesday morning so we will see how that goes. To be honest, last week when they checked me, it was a relief that I wasn't dilated at all because I knew she probably wasn't coming last week and it was a super busy week.

This is one of the maternity pictures that SarahLynn took of Curtis and I.

Levi just barely (last Sunday) moved to Rexburg so we have been super busy with that. On Tuesday night Erika, the boys (Seth, Gabrielle, Hyrum, and Enoch), and Mom all came to Rexburg and stayed until Thursday. In my small 2 bedroom apartment we fit almost everyone. Enoch stayed in the crib, Landin was on the floor with his sleeping bag, Seth and Gabrielle slept on the futon, Hyrum on the loveseat, and Erika shared the bed with me (we sent Curtis to sleep in Landin's bed and Mom stayed at SarahLynn's).

The boys while climbing R-Mountain. As you can see it's raining at the time.

The excitement consisted of 2 yummy breakfasts, a hike up R-Mountain, getting rained on, eating on the kitchen floor, a girls trip to Idaho Falls, and taking the boys to the movies (How to Train Your Dragon--I highly recommend it for all ages, it is such a cute show).

On Wednesday Mom and I also spent some time with Chase (my horse). We decided to go for a ride. Since the baby has dropped lower I didn't know how that would be with the saddle horn so I decided that I would go on back and Mom could go on front. This proved more interesting than I had imagined. I am quite a bit rounder in the front now so it was really hard to swing up to the back. Chase had to be really patient because it seriously took about three minutes of effort to get up. Once I got on, everything felt great. Unfortunately the ride proved uneventful. So I will just keep waiting.

Saturday was my baby shower in Rexburg. Most of my very best friends were there so it was definitely enjoyable. SarahLynn made the theme: 'Allison is going to pop!' and so most everything had to do with the word pop. There were poppyseed muffins, lollipops, and popcorn (carmel and kettle). We also played waterballoon volleyball. Mom brought a carrot cake from Costco that was pretty good too. Lexine let us do it in their backyard and it was so nice to be outside. I loved it.

I'm really excited with the anticipation for what will come in the future, but I will just have to wait and see how things go. One thing I am really looking forward to is chocolate. I know I still shouldn't have a ton, but even a little is better than none at all. Curtis has really been a champ through it all and I'm glad the end is near.

Sunny days and the smell of stinky feet…

It is so refreshing to step outside and be able to soak up the sun. Also it is wonderful for the recent time change. I can get out of basketball practice at 7pm and it’s still warm and bright enough that I could walk home if I wanted. It’s my favorite. I love the fresh air.

So it’s been a while since I updated my blog. Life has been crazy busy and really awesome. Curtis and I are both in school this semester and I have been coaching a competitive basketball team at BYU-Idaho. My classes have been really hard but also really good (ENG316, BIO208, PH279-Modern Physics, CHEM105, and PH250).

It's funny to see the role reversal in this years season and last years. Last year Scary
was pregnant and so she coached and I played and this year I'm pregnant so I coached and she played.

I’m getting really excited for the end of the semester. This is usually a time that I dread, but this semester I am excited. It seems like the teachers usually pile on a lot of stuff at the end of the semester and the last week and a half you hardly get any sleep. It’s not going to be like that this semester. My teachers have made the entire semester difficult with an average of two exams a week and some weeks all the way up to four. There was one week that I spent over ten hours in the testing center.

Needless to say it’s been busy. The good side of this is that every one of my teachers have spread out things well enough that I’m not going to die the last week. Also another pro is that when April 9th hits I will be able to have a few months to get ready for the baby (start making frilly dresses, slippers, and a quilt).

The less refreshing part of my life deals with stinky feet. I learned something recently as I was doing laundry. I was tired of not being able to fold all the socks because the matches ended up in a different load than the one I was folding. To counter this problem I decided that I would just wash all the socks in one load. Brilliant, I know. Or, maybe not so much…


While I was doing laundry I had also decided to wash my coat from the winter. I set it in the bathtub to soak for the day, but at one point Curtis wanted a shower so my coat had to be moved and put in the washer. This was at the same moment I was doing the sock load. It was put into the washer without a moment’s hesitation.

The next day when I was leaving the apartment I went to put on my coat. It smelled very strongly of smelly feet. Mom’s theory is that because of the down feathers it held the smell stronger than the socks did. I had to rewash it and now it’s really clean. It smells pretty good, but I think it might still have a hint of sock to it. I don’t know if it’s my imagination or really good pregnant person smellers, but I now hate the smell of feet.

Our baby is doing great (at every checkup she has measured exactly to the day of our due date)! We’re having a girl and we’ve decided to name her Twila (after my grandma). She’s gotten a lot of power lately when she kicks and moves now. It makes me laugh. In three months she will be here and I can’t wait.


That the general just of our life at this moment. Tomorrow Scary has knee surgery. I am glad she’ll have it fixed even though the first month of crutches is rough. Its revenge time, I get to throw a full bottle of orange juice at her knee now just days after surgery. Just kidding (inside joke, SarahLynn accidentally did this to me and she’s given me permission to get her back even though there’s no way I will do it).

So Much To Be Grateful For!

We just had the best Thanksgiving ever!!! Nothing could be better than eating lots of food and playing football in a cow pasture while one of your uncles carries around a dead mouse (don't worry, he was wearing gloves) to help improve team strategy. To top it off, I got to bring a friend from Albania and it was her first Thanksgiving ever. Curtis went fishing with my dad two times and had a great time. The biggest surprise came when my sister, that currently lives in Minnesota, showed up with her husband and four boys at our house. I loved it, but I love surprises a lot better than other people in my house (especially my dad). We had been down getting stuff with the Thanksgiving sales, but as soon as we found out we packed up our car and headed home to Carey.

These are all of my nephews and niece on the Shaffer side. It's crazy how fast our family gets bigger! I love it!

Our other exciting news has nothing to do with Thanksgiving, but is still really awesome. Curtis and I are having a baby and it is due on June 27th. It has been the hardest thing to wait and tell the family about, but now it's time. Since only family reads our blog you are all still lucky to find out before everyone else. The big debate is do we find out what gender it's going to be, or do we just wait till it's born? Curtis is wanting to find out and I'm wanting to wait. Lol. So we will just have to see when the time comes. We are really excited and Baby Saunders is going to have tons of cousins near it's age. SarahLynn's baby is 8 weeks old. Marica's baby is due Dec. 24, and Jenna's baby is due in March. Not to mention all of our cousins that are also having babies in the next six months.

They gave us another picture, but this one is our favorite. Our baby kinda looks like a really cute gummy bear right now!

This is all for this time, but it is pretty great news and just a very happy post. We love you all!