January-October 2010

I am such a slacker. Funny how I can find endless hours to be on FaceBook and read Us Weekly but I can not find any time to post pictures and update my blog about my family, which truly is the most important thing in my life!!! It has been such a crazy 6 mos I do not even know where to begin. I think the easiest is to make a list and hopefully you will not get bored and be able to follow.

January- Back to Chile from the states and trying to get back in the swing of things. Once again get my monthly visitor but excited because this means I can soon start my fertility drug Clomid.

February- PREGNANT!!!!!! After almost a year of trying and many tears of disappointment and fear we decided to take the next step in our conception and go on Clomid. For those who are unaware of this drug it helps with fertility and basically stimulates ovulation. Worked like a charm the first month we were on it! We are over the moon to be adding to our amazing family. =)

March- Lots of sleep, sickness, and normalcy. The calm before the storm. SERIOUSLY. Must read on...

April- We received a phone call from Steve's father that we have the opportunity to move back to the states. With many conditions involved!!!! The two biggest being that a) We would be leaving in 14 days. b) Steve still would be traveling back and forth between South America and the states quite often.

This was a bit overwhelming to know I had 14 days to get my family out of an apartment and re adjust our lives. Surprisingly, I was uber organized and had a ton of time on my hands to get it all done. We got back to MT on April 16th and did not look back. I had a wonderful experience while in Chile, but there really is no place like home. Tyler loves being back with all his cousins and just the opportunity for different activities has made a world of difference!!!

May- One of the hardest and most exciting months of my life. I have never felt so many emotions in such a short period of time. 1) Bought a new house!!! So exciting and ready to move our growing family to a much newer and efficient house. 2) Turned 31 and nothing crazy to report. Being pregnant really puts a cramp on my "B day Style". 3) A day after my birthday I received a phone call from my Ob-Gyn that my ultra screen test came back with VERY alarming results. For those that are not familiar with this test it basically is a blood test combined with an ultrasound that determines whether or not you carry the risk or genetic make up of carrying a baby with Trisomy 21 (Down' Syndrome) or Trisomy 13/18. Mine came back with Trisomy 13/18 and it was recommended to have a Amnio to make certain the genetic make up of this baby. Steve was out of the country and I had to wait an additional two weeks before getting the amnio because Dr.'s will not perform these without the gestation age being at least 16 weeks. I had to speak with genetic counselors, see a high risk doctor, and question everything that I have believed in as far as morals without my husband being by my side to comfort me. It was grueling, but truly, made me realize the support system I have here is incredibly amazing!!! A very long story short and a very heart wrenching 20 days later and with Steve back home we got the results back from our genetic counselor. Our baby was 100% healthy!! (I have the genetic makeup line up in the baby book to prove it!) And...... it is a Girl!!! Never again will I have this test done. Dr. said I was one of those false positive flukes that sadly happens to quite a few people. Ugh, talk about tugging on those ol' heart strings. Happy to say we can move on and focus on more positive things. Thanks be to God for getting me through this!!!

June- Why can I not remember what I did in June? Probably because I take so long to post on this blog. Lame!!!

July- Celebrated Tyler and Jayda's 3rd birthday in a Dinosaur themed party at my in laws. Also turning 1 was little Mia and we welcomed a new addition into the Hatzell clan. Rhett Lee Hatzell was born July 16 to Jae and Eric. What a butter ball. He is so cute and looks nothing like his brother Max!

Went on a vacation with my sister Libby and her four kids to Denver. We drove which was not as bad as I thought it would be. Tyler loved traveling with his cousins and the fact that Daddy met us towards the end of the trip was the icing on the cake. He loved the zoo, water park, and the aquarium!!! He could have done without Elitch's Amusement Park considering it was 100 degrees outside and his pregnant mother was not allowed to go on any of the rides. Our stint there lasted all of 45 minutes!!! It was a wonderful week and one I will cherish for a long time.

August- HAWAII!!!! Need I say more? It was an amazing trip. I was a virgin so of course I thought everything about it was amazing. Tropical vacations are my weakness and this did not disappoint. Tyler loved it! The beach and pineapple were his favorite daily activities. We did something so fun every single day and it went by way too fast. I think the Luau was my favorite! Maybe because of all the amazing pictures we got while there. Luckily, my in laws bought property there so we will be returning for Christmas and many more trips in the near future. My life does not suck!!!=) After Hawaii we ended the trip in Salt Lake City for a tennis tournament that my MIL and SIL's were playing in. It was super fun and their team took 2nd in regionals!!!

September- My best friend Dusty came to visit from Las Vegas and also held a beautiful baby shower for me. I was surrounded by friends and family and could not have asked for a more perfect day! Baby Girl and I were spoiled rotten and got so many incredible gifts. Now all we need is for her to arrive so I can use all this awesome stuff!

October- The calm before the storm...1 week from tomorrow we will welcome Phoebe Anne. I am going through quite a few emotions involving this transition. I question how I can love something as much as I love Tyler. Everyone keeps telling me...you just do. I hope that is the case. I can not imagine it is possible, but know that obviously it is. We are so anxious to meet this little angel and Tyler is over the moon to be a big brother. I am in full nesting mode but also trying to get a lot of rest. This will be my second C Section and I am hoping recovery is fast and I can start to feel like myself soon after.

I will try my best to blog soon after the little princess is born. I am a bit embarrassed that it has been 9 mos plus since my last blog. No promises, but I will try!

Holidays in the USA

Once again I have failed as a blogger to keep you updated as often as I would like. But, here I am ready to let you "in the know".

Our trip home back to Montana (USA) this year was very short, but so worthwhile. I think this is the first time I took full advantage of utilizing every single minute I had with family and friends. Knowing that 30 days goes way too quick and it would be last time I saw them before June.

We arrived December 17th and let me tell you I have never been one to do last minute shopping and prepare for Christmas with very little time. But, I did it!!! 4 days to shop for 30 plus people was grueling. Apparently, I work well under pressure. Christmas eve was wonderful. We went to my parent's house for a few hours before church to do our gift exchange and to have a bite to eat. Afterwards, we met the Hatzell's at Trinity Lutheran Church for Xmas service. It was crowded and stuffy, but a beautiful service and great celebration for Jesus's B day! Following, we went out to my in laws for our annual dinner and gift exchange. This is always quite the event because there is paper flying everywhere, kids screaming, people wanting to know what one another got, etc. Organized chaos, for sure. It was a great day and for whatever reason, one that will stick with me for many years.

The following day Tyler and myself headed over to my sister Libby's place for a home cooked Christmas dinner. It was delicious and Tyler had so much fun playing with his older cousins. Steve joined us later and then after we went back out to my in laws for prime rib. I think I gained 20 pounds in two days. Fatty McFatterson!!!!

New Year's was a blast! Steve, with his parent's and younger sister Shannon headed to Las Vegas for a "business" trip while the rest of us were left behind. But that is okay, we decided to have an impromptu party out at their place! I sort of felt like I was in high school again because the parent's were away and we were taking full advantage. However, we had their permission and it was a huge success. So much fun and a great way to ring in 2010!!!!! One of the more fun New Year's I have had in awhile.

I think at this time it is appropriate to let you all know that we are moving back to the states!!!!!! More than likely June will be our last and final trip back to the states. I have very mixed emotions about the whole thing. I feel like Steve and I have grown so much in the past 4 years here and are ready to make that next step in our personal lives as well as his career. Nevertheless, I have met some amazing people in Chile and as much as I complain about certain situations or circumstances, I will miss it deeply. I live right next to the ocean and have beautiful weather year round. People dream about traveling and living abroad and never get the opportunity. I am so blessed to have had this chance to learn about myself, my husband, a foreign country, and to realize that the grass is not always greener. You get to different parts of the world and soon discover that people are the same. They have the same problems, the same joys, the same sorrow, the same smiles, the same smells, the same things. And one thing I will always remember that no matter where you go and for how long, once you get back "home" nothing has changed. People get older, change jobs, have more kids, move, but in the big picture nothing has significantly changed. I miss my family and friends terribly and this is what I have wanted for quite some time, but now that it is here, it is actually a very humbling experience. My son was born here so I will always have a deep connection with Chile and my hope is that he will one day want to come and live, or do whatever it is he needs to do to appreciate this beautiful country and the beautiful people that come along with it!!!!

Enjoy some pics from our stay on the States and I will see you next month...