Our Babies - Where to Start...

I am posting this for Jake, me and the babies so we remember how special this is to all of us - just a heads up, it's a long post!

We have wanted kids for a really long time. I have been done with school for quite a while, Jake has always been ready for babies, and we wanted to have kids before we went out to medical school so we could have help from family and friends. We had been trying for over a year when we decided to take a break - it was destroying me. I couldn't handle the devastating news every time we got a negative test back. My emotions were out of control with the medications I was on and it was taking a toll on my relationships with pretty much everyone around me. We decided to stop the pills and shots and stress.

During our "break" my sister Katie gave birth to the sweetest baby boy - Jensen David Morrey. We visited her at the hospital and it was the most bitter sweet moment I've ever experienced. Katie and Dave tried so hard for kids and this baby was their miracle. I cried my eyes out for days. I cried because I was so happy for them. I cried because I loved him so much. I cried because I was so proud of Katie. I cried because I wanted that moment so bad. Jake and I left the hospital that night knowing that our "break" was definitely over.

I called Katie and asked for the number of the facility they went through the very next day. We decided that at the first of the year we would jump back up and try again. We would not stop until there was nothing else we could do. Once we made that decision everything seemed like it was going to be just fine.

We met with our new doctor who promised us great results. I was lined up for blood work, pills, exams, suppositories, shots, procedures and endless doctors appointments. Jake even got to experience some of the fun this round - but that's a story for another post. Test results were coming back more promising then ever before and I couldn't help but get my hopes up.

We continued the treatment and then came the dreaded pregnancy test... The doctors told us to not take the normal ones at home, but to come into the clinic instead and have blood work done to ensure it was the correct result. I couldn't help myself; I took a test on my own - it came back positive. The first test I had ever seen with those two beautiful lines. I told myself it was just the hormones and it was stupid to get my hopes up like that. I decided to ignore the test and just wait for the results from the blood work the following day. I went and had my blood drawn and was told it would be evening until we would know the results. I went to work and was called a few hours later with the news that it was true - I was really pregnant! I verified several times that the nurse was sure it was my results she was looking at - she promised it was true.

I couldn't just call Jake and tell him over the phone, I had to tell him in person. The rest of the day was painfully slow... I continued lying to Jake saying I just hadn't heard from them yet. I made him miss his class so that he could be home when I got back from work because I was sure we'd find out by then... The second I walked through the door I barely got the words "We're having a baby" out of my mouth before we both burst into tears. We had been waiting for these words for so long and it all seemed too good to be true.

We had a follow up ultrasound scheduled for a few weeks down the road to make sure everything was going well. Our doctor was walking us through everything when she gasps a little and says, "It looks like there's another baby in here." Jake starts laughing and I stop breathing. The thought of twins hadn't even crossed my mind, there was no possible way. My emotions since that day have switched back and forth between extreme fear and extreme happiness - I just can't believe this is happening.

The first several weeks of pregnancy were rough. It included all day nausea and vomiting along with other symptoms that I will spare you the details of hearing. My anxiety has been through the roof as I worry about every little thing that could happen. Since entering the second trimester most of those symptoms have gone and new ones have come such as back pains, heartburn and general largeness... It's a crazy experience that I wouldn't ever consider trading. Jake has been such a sweetheart through this whole process, always comforting me when it gets hard.

Jake and I haven't stopped talking about, planning for, or thinking about these babies. We feel so extremely blessed to have this life changing opportunity. There have been so many days that I think about how lucky we are and I can't hold back the tears any longer. I know my emotions are crazy but I honestly haven't been this happy in a long time. It has not been an easy process but I would do it all over again to get this amazing result.

I am almost 17 weeks along  and the babies are fraternal twins. We will find out the gender in the middle of June. I have just started to feel them move within the past few days and it's an experience I can't describe. We just can't wait to meet these sweet little miracles - we couldn't be happier to be future parents and there's no one I'd rather have by my side than Jake.

Baby Jensen is Here

Jensen _____ Morrey

Dear Jensen,

On Wednesday night we all finally get to meet you and we couldn't be more excited! You are coming into a great family who can't wait to wait to love on you forever and ever. You mean so much to us already and we haven't even met you. You are going to change the whole dynamic in our little family. We all get to gain a new title in the family and it's a big step for all of us.

Caden gets to be an uncle and he is going to be the greatest uncle out there. It is so fun and cute to see how excited he is getting about being your uncle. He talks about you all the time. He tells us how he is going to teach you all sorts of manly things like how to be a ladies man. He says he's going to be the fun uncle and babysit and hang out with you everyday. He is growing up so much already, he is even talking about how much he is going to miss you when he has to leave on his mission and you will only be one year old. You are making Caden an uncle and he will love you forever for that opportunity.

Jake and I get a cute new little nephew. Jake has experience as an uncle and he will know just how to hold you, play with you and make you smile; he is especially good at that last one. He will probably do blibits on your belly and try to scare you at every chance he gets - watch out for that guy. He's got a great big heart though, and I just know he's going to cry when he sees you. He knows you mean a lot to our family and he's going to teach us just how to handle a baby.

I will get to be your aunt! I am already an aunt on one side, but somehow this is a little bit different for me. My big sister is your mom so I feel a little bit different about being your aunt. I promise that I will hold you and love you probably more than you will care for, but you might just have to put up with that for a little bit, sorry buddy. I know I will cry big tears when I see you because I already do just when I think about you. You are a big blessing that we have waited and hoped would come to our family for a while, I don't think you will know how important you are to us for a little while.

Mom and Dad will become grandparents when you come on Wednesday. Mom can't decide if she wants to be called "Ma Sue" or "Nanna," hopefully she decides soon. She refuses to be "Granny" though, so don't even try that! You can't even imagine how much she will, and already does, love you. She has bought you so many cool things and some of the cutest outfits I've ever seen. She will be like your second mom when you get here. She can be strict at times, but she knows exactly what she's doing and she does it because she loves deeper than anyone I know. Sometimes she cries lots too, but that comes with the title of being a grandma and mom so don't worry, it's normal. She's going to make a wonderful grandma because she has wanted it for so long and she has been practicing with lots of her nieces and nephews too. Try not to spoil her for when your cousins and siblings come around though, you can cry when she holds you sometimes so she remembers babies do that.

Dad looks like he's still 30, but somehow he is old enough to be your grandpa. He's going to make one heck of a grandpa. He sure tries to hide how excited he is, but we can all see right through him. When he thinks no one is looking, sometimes he lets a few tears drop when he is watching some of the little kids in the neighborhood play - I think it's because he is thinking about you and he can't wait to watch you play and grow. Dad is a funny guy, but sometimes he can be cheesy - just laugh at him anyway because he is trying hard to make you happy. He hates to see anyone sad and he will do anything to put a smile back on your face, so he will always be there to cheer you up. He's going to want to take you snowmobiling and four-wheeling - he will be lots of fun to play with, don't forget about that. Dad will also teach you how to work hard, he's really good at that too.

Dave is going to be your dad! He seems like a crazy guy at times but he is going to be a really great dad for you. Make sure not to call him Daddy though, he thinks it's silly and would rather be just Dad. He wants you to be tough and he will teach you how to do that really well. He climbs mountains and snowmobiles like a pro; he will help you learn about all the boy stuff that you need to know. He is also going to teach you how to be a missionary from the day you are born. He has been working at the MTC for years, held a calling in young men and scouts for quite a while and the boys in the church mean so much to him. He will want you to grow up strong in the church and he will do everything in his power to make sure you know that he loves you and that the Lord loves you. Your Dad also loves your mom so so much! Sometimes while you were in her belly you would make her unhappy and hurt and he would try to do all that he could to make her happy. He will make sure that you love your mom because she means very much to him. Even though he is really nervous for you to come, I think he will know just what to do when you get here. If you can though, take it easy on him - he is freaking out a little bit.

My big sister is going to be your mom. I can't even believe that! I have no doubt that your mom is going to raise you to be a wonderful man because she has lots of experience raising both me and your uncle Caden. She may act like she doesn't know what she is going to do when you get here but I know for a fact that she will be one of the greatest moms out there. She also has a great example because her mom did a pretty good job teaching her the ropes. Your mom is a very hard worker. She has worked her whole pregnancy with you and plans to go back and work just a few months after you are born. You will probably get to go to work with her for a little bit and you will get to see just how much she loves and cares for her patients. That's another reason why she will probably be such a great mom for you. She has wanted you for a really long time and she had to go through some really rough stuff to get you, so make sure you aren't too hard on her. She is one of my very best friends and I love her so much; seeing her come into this new role of becoming your mom has been truly amazing! I know she loves you so much and she would do absolutely anything for you. Make sure she knows that you love her too, she likes to hear that kind of stuff.

Jensen, we have been waiting a long time to have a new little addition in our family and we are so happy you are almost here. Don't forget how truly loved you are and how much you mean to each of us. You are such a blessing. We love you! See you on Wednesday!

Work Parties

This year Jake and I both had work parties to attend; after going to both of them we decided that there is a huge difference between his work atmosphere and my work atmosphere. I will explain...

Jake is currently working part time at a call center. He works with a bunch of 18-19 year-olds; a handful of people in their 20's and  a few managers and such in the 40-50 age range.
Jake's work party went something like this:
The song "Shots" going on in the background while 5 girls and 5 boys did shots of eggnog, after eating 5-10 hot dogs, until they threw up. All in hopes of winning some sort of prize that was absolutely not worth it. While this was happening, all of the teenagers were jumping up and down mosh style cheering them on with their camera phones out recording all of the action.
We tried to get to know some of his co-workers a little bit better too but the only type of conversations that were going on at that party were those that in most work places would constitute sexual harassment.

Now to my work party. I work at a law firm and I'm one of the youngest employees. It's a pretty decent size company. This is the atmosphere at my work party.:
Gentle Christmas music was playing in the background and "happy hour" was in full swing at the golf country club house. We enjoyed a delicious buffet and discussed grown up topics such as the fiscal cliff. A raffle was done where we won an iPad Mini. Poker tables were set up to be played the rest of the night. Upon leaving, we were granted a door prize full of S&J memorabilia.

Very different. Both very entertaining.

Halloween 2012

A Whole New Man

BEFORE

AFTER

Tough Mudder

The Mitchell boys competed in the Tough Mudder this year up out in Tooele at the Miller Motor Sports Park. The 12.1 mile race consisted of over 20 obstacles including the ice enema (jumping into freezing water loaded with ice), funky monkey (inclined monkey bars), electric eel and electro-therapy (swimming through water with an electric current and running through live electrical wires), and many other draining obstacles. Not to mention that they were doing this in the cold October weather with a pretty mean wind chill factor at 8:00 in the morning. It was so much fun to watch them all and get to participate in the event a little bit as well. Julie (My mother-in-law, Taylor (my sister-in-law, married to Jake's twin or Nacho in the pictures below) and I all volunteered at the event. We had to be at the park at 6:00 a.m. to prepare for the event so it made for one long day for us as well as the boys. All in all, it was a fun weekend and we were glad that Doug, Hal and Julie were able to fly in for the race as well. 

Happy Volunteers!! 

For a portion of our volunteering Taylor and I got to shave mullets and mohawks for lucky contestants.

In these two pictures they were jumping from a 25 foot platform into a 15 foot deep pool of freezing water. 

I think this picture of Matt is just awesome! Actually, all pictures of Matt at this race are just awesome. He was a celebrity at this race. People would constantly come up to him and want pictures with him. 

Yet another awesome picture of Nachoooooo!! 

This was the other station that Taylor and I volunteered at, Everest. This was a pretty intense obstacle, it was the second to last one and everyone was exhausted at this point after running 12 miles and fighting through really rough obstacles before this one. Watching the people help each other out and fight through it may have just made me tear up a little bit. For some reason, this kind of stuff gets me emotional... 

Of course a picture of this little cutie, he was a champ through the freezing weather! 

The after shot of the Tough Mudders with their greatly earned finisher bands! 

"If you have to sign a release form, it's probably worth doing."