in with the new.

so. this is going to be my personal blog from now on. cause i started a family blog for shadoe, chance, and i! i will pretty much just share thoughts about life, and how i'm feeling about the direction my life is going. here is the link for the family blog!

http://sv-stebbins.blogspot.com

so check it out if you'd like. :)

I was looking through random blogs and stumbled upon a quote by audrey hepburn. it says...

"For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair, let a child run their fingers through it once a day.

For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.

People, more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms.

As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others."

I absolutely LOVE those words!! I find even for me, I too often think of myself more than others. I especially get irritated when Chance wants to play with my hair.. haha such an interesting line to stand out to me. If it means I will have beautiful hair, he can play with it all he wants! I really hope I can incorporate that quote into my daily life... one bit at a time. I'm almost certain that by simply having a positive attitude this will be easily achieved.

ANYWAY!

Chance and I finally moved in with Shadoe. and Shadoe and I are FINALLY ENGAGED!!! i'm soooo happy. :D as i slowly get the house decorated to my taste and budget i will post pics and show off my own style.

I'm loving not being a single mom anymore... it was the hardest thing EVER! I know living here is the right thing to do, and the best thing for Chance. He is so cute with his daddy and vice versa. I love watching them snuggle and play. That's the best gift for me as a mother... seeing my child every day with his father-the man that i love.

We are hoping to have the wedding this july... and go on a cruise at the end of august for our honeymoon. I'm so excited to take the next steps in my life over the next couple months. I can't wait!! :)

Chance Jonathan Stebbins

So... On January 18. 2011, I was sitting at work e-mailing my grandparents back and letting them know that I was going to be induced on January 22. But, the moment I clicked send, CONTRACTION. I didn't think much of it until seven minutes later when... CONTRACTION. This had happened several times before so I wrote down the times as usual and just let it slipped my mind. Then ten minutes later, contraction. Seven minutes. Seven minutes, ten minutes. SIX CONTRACTIONS between 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm. I didn't realize just how much pain I would really be in, because one or two never really bothered me. Luckily my boss came in to drop off pay checks. I felt terrible because there was a customer there when he came in, but I was in far too much pain to try to sell anything. After the customer left I told my boss I was having contractions and asked if I could leave. He said YES! please do! I instantly clocked out and left. I called my mom and told her what was happening. I asked her if I should just go to the hospital or come home and call to see if they wanted me to come in.. she told me to get my butt to the hospital. So I did. I got there just in time. The contractions were getting sooooo strong I could barely walk. I started bawling the second I walked through the labor and delivery doors. They sent me to a room to get checked, and I was told I was still only dilated to a three (like I was the day before). I thought... great. they're just going to send me home to wait. But after the RN talked to my doctor... she came back in and told me I would be having my baby boy!! I was SOOOO happy. I had been wanting him to come either that day or the day before. I called Shadoe and told him and he was on his way!! I had arrived at the hospital at 2:30, received my epidural at 5:30, and the doctor broke my water at 6:30. Epidural's are AMAZING. Haha. After I got mine, life was a party. I had my two besties with me and Shadoe was on his way! Christie even did my make up so I would look pretty during the whole process. The best part was not feeling anymore contractions. Super great. Shadoe and his mom got there at 9:00 and I was sooo happy to see him. Then, at 11:00 pm the doctor came in and we started pushing. He stayed for a couple pushes and then left. But, He was back a short 20ish minutes later. I'm a GREAT pusher... what can I say? Chance Jonathan Stebbins arrived shortly later at 11:42 pm on January 18, 2011. The doctor was extremely impressed with how fast he came out. Especially after he heard how big Chance was! Chance was a whopping 9 lbs 11 oz and 21 1/2 inches long. My little chubbers. I love him sooo much!! Here he is just a few hours old!

SOOO much hair. LOVE it.

Our Little Happy Family. ♥

SUPER happy mom and dad. :)

Take Home Outfit!!

Better too big than too small.

Our visitors at the hospital were Grandma Sherry, Grandma Sylvia, Grandpa Thom, Aunt Jenna, Aunt Hales, Aunt Christie, Uncle Sean, Aunt Wendy, Aunt Corrina, Aunt Lyn and Uncle Jim, Aunt Valorie, Jessica, Jessi, Tina, Brooke, Justin, Abby Acton, Becca Pearson, Melissa Ann, Lisa Brindley... and now I wish I had written everyone down!

I love my handsome baby boy!!

holy moly!

2010 brought many new changes into my life. there isn't a single thing i would go back and change though. i've accepted all of them and i can't picture my life any other way. i LOVE it.

my highlights of 2010

1. getting really great grades in college in my

two worst subjects from high school.

2. getting a 3.6 in a semester at college.

3. going to california for spring break and falling

head over heels for shadoe.

4. being 19 and crazy.

5. finally getting my priorities straight.

6. being selfless for the first time ever and

living my life for my unborn child.

7. seeing how amazing my entire family is.

8. realizing i have the most understanding friends

this world has to offer.

9. overcoming the worst morning sickness EVER!

and LAST BUT NOT LEAST

10. finding out i was going to be a mom.

2011!!!!!!

i haven't really put any thought whatsoever into what my new years resolutions are going to be. but i can think of three right off the top of my head.

1. do my best to be an amazing mom.

2. continue to do well in school.

3. get back in shape and stay that way.

three very simple things but very important at the same time. i miss exercising. i have dreams about me being able to run again, and i always wake up with the urge to go. but i can't. i know i just have to be a little patient and the day i can run will be here again.

i am definitely going to make a list of goals i would like to accomplish by the end of this year though. i've never done a year list... just a bunch of futuristic lists that i never even come close to doing. hopefully i will be able to get it done!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Grandma Belliston

considering the fact that this was and is my grandma's favorite time of the year, i would like to do a little tribute to her.

grandma's house on christmas was like no other. fully decorated inside and out: lights up outside, with the blow up characters on the lawn, and candy canes all around; always a WHITE tree inside with the village set up perfectly, matching stockings hung up for everyone in the family -grandkids and great-grandkids included-, a small tree with lights made out of TAB soda cans, a bell countdown, christmas books piled on the piano, christmas decorations on both tables and lined up on the desk, the christmas clock, and of course, the doorbell the so loudly played a christmas song every time it was rung.

but the best part about christmas at grandma's was having everyone together in her warm home. the kids would be running around playing until we ended up in the basement for the usual game of hide-n-go-seek. the adults would be laughing and chatting while trying to ignore the delicious aroma of grandma's amazing cooking, or giving in and snagging a few bites here and there before dinner. looking outside in, i guarantee any stranger would have loved to come in and join us for the festivities.

christmas was more than just christmas eve and day. grandma always had each family over individually to make their favorite christmas candy. my family always made the chocolate rice krispy rolls which are to die for. it was great to spend time in the kitchen with grandma and see how she made everything taste so incredible, even though there isn't a single person on earth who can mimick her creations.

grandma NEVER stopped giving and serving others. which is why i believe christmas is her favorite time of the year. the time families come together in celebration of the birth of christ. she was the perfect example and friend to all who surrounded her, and truly believed in the gospel of the savior jesus christ.

this will be the fourth christmas without grandma, but i still feel her presence more strongly at christmas time than any other time of year. i love you grandma!!

the days go by...

time is going by faster than it feels. only FIVE weeks left till my little guy is here, but i look at that five weeks and see an eternity!!! i wish this part went by fast and watching him grow up would go by slow. but we all know that's too much to wish for.

here is my countdown to help me take my mind off of my baby countdown, and hopefully make it go by faster.

9 days till christmas

15 days till new years

and 25 days until my birthday!!!!!!!!!!!

wooo!!!! i'm so excited i am going to be TWENTY!!! not. i like being nineteen. its a great age to be. i love the feeling of being at the beginning of adulthood and wondering what life will have in store for you.

so.... everyone asks me what i want for christmas and all i can think of is BABY STUFF! i'm pretty much addicted to shopping for little kids now. no big deal. right?

so i was finally able to compile the smallest christmas wish list i have EVER written. here it is:

-a gym pass

-just dance 1 &2

-zumba for wii

-CSI video game for wii

-a belly-band-it

and

-clothes that will inspire me to get in shape.

yeah... pretty lame right? but hey... the presents aren't what christmas is all about anyway. :)

i am most excited to get to be with my family for christmas. brad and diondra will be coming up!! sooo stoked about that one. shadoe is planning on coming up for new years so we can exchange gifts. i got him a cardinals helmet and cardinals youth football (i purposely got youth size for one certain reason (: ) my gift for him cost me a total of $10. thank goodness my dad works for riddell!!. he already knows about it and i know what he got for me. haha he got me a belly-band-it! YAY!!! :) i don't mind not being surprised at all... cause knowing he got me one is going to save me a bunch of money. and of course getting to see my mom's side of the family for christmas is THE BEST!!!!!! its the time i feel closest to them and feel my grandma's love stronger than ever because christmas is her favorite holiday. i'm a little too great at making myself cry... haha. and last but not least, MY COUSIN JT WILL BE HOME FROM HIS MISSION!!! i'm so excited to see him and how much he has changed. :)

i need to give a shout out to my aunt lyn and uncle jim. i honestly love them sooooo much. they are the two most supportive people in the world. i can't wait to go spend basically an entire week with them while she helps me make my baby quilt. if you haven't met them, i really need to introduce you to these two amazing people. you will fall in love with them instantly and be jealous you aren't related to them.

i realized i need to take more pictures and most them on here instead of just chatting away. so i will be sure to start working on that... or maybe not.. because come the end of january.. its going to be PICTURE OVERLOAD on here!!! :D

SO

i got the whole schedule thing worked out... and it's definitely not as bad as i thought it would be. which is great news. i NEED to keep thinking positive... like how i will get to be with him EVERY DAY this summer, and how i am going to school so i can give him everything i want to be able to. just a little bit hard when i'm slightly pessimistic. ha.

i started walking a half a mile or a full mile every day about two weeks ago. it's sooooo exhausting, but i seem to have more energy, and it's nice to know the exercise helps to get him here easier.

i also thought i had been having false contractions, but when i went to the doctor on monday and explained what was happening to him, he told me they weren't false at all. so that means i have to keep track of the super painful ones instead of ignoring them. they happen every other day now, instead of once every three or four days. hopefully they stay that way for three more weeks, and then i will be a week away from being considered FULL TERM. it seems soooo close when i type it, but looking at my calendar, i see day after day going by super slow. hopefully i will find ways to speed up the days once school ends.

my cousin lincoln is getting blessed today! I love that little baby boy. he's so adorable. i'm really excited to see my family again. :) i have been able to see them a lot more than usual these last few weeks and i LOOOOVE it! :) soo excited. :)

sudden discouragement.

i was so pumped and ready for him to come while i continued going to school. i had my schedule all arranged perfectly so i would have school and work just two days a week. but i then i get on to register for the classes and everything fell apart right in front of my face. classes i needed were filled, i scored a 24 on my ACT in math and english, but they won't let me take the most basic classes, and i can't just register for any classes at any time, because i have a baby!! it's really sooo frustrating. i honestly broke down and cried. i know all i need to do is take placement tests because apparently my ACT scores have expired, but i'm so busy with studying for finals that it all seems so impossible. i definitely need a pick me up. i have a lot of people who have offered to help me by watching my baby boy chance when i needed them to, but i was really looking forward to being able to be with him more than just at night and on weekends. i guess i need to sit down and look at the bigger picture of what going to school is really about and accept that i am going to have to sacrifice that time with my son. AAAAHHHH!

on a positive note... 7 weeks left till he is here. :) hopefully a little sooner than that.