How Long Does It Take to Get to Utah??

Houston taking a nap in between trips back and forth to the airport, how sweet.

One of a few scrabble games while at the airport, thank goodness for that.

How I felt about being at the airport for the 3rd day in a row "DONE"

What could be better than Amy's Ice Cream after a long day?

We had the opportunity to visit Utah the past two weeks, given the fact that I am VERY pregnant and experience a lot of swelling in my feet if I sit for or walk for long periods of time we decided to fly rather than drive. So how long does it take to get to Utah? Well the answer is it takes around 23 hours to drive and 2 1/2 hours to fly, unless of course you are flying standby in which case it takes 4 days. Allow me to explain, my dad retired from Delta and he still has flight benefits that also benefit us, the kids can travel on buddy passes which is a lot cheaper than buying full price tickets. We wanted to leave on Saturday but Chad had meetings on Monday so we decided that the kids and I would fly standby on Saturday and we purchased Chad a ticket on Frontier to leave Monday night. There are two direct flights a day to Utah the first at 6:23am and the second at 2:10pm, lets just say that the kids and I had several early mornings. On Saturday we were bumped from both flights, on Sunday there were two seats available so I decided to send Jessica and Houston. At the last minute a paying passenger ran up to the gate and Houston lost his seat, Jessica went on to Utah without us. We returned to the airport on Monday, with only one seat left I could only send Hannah as I needed to stay with Houston. Chad had meetings which meant that Houston and I had to spend the entire day at the airport. The pictures above chronicle some of our very long day, thank goodness there is food, and tables and chairs and we had a travel scrabble game. Chad came to the airport to catch his flight at which point he gave me the car and Houston and I headed home with a plan to return to the airport on Tuesday to try again. As of Monday night everyone was in Utah except Houston and I, while it was disappointing Houston was a trooper and did not complain too much. We enjoyed our time together and had fun.

We returned to the airport bright and early on Tuesday morning, HURRAY we finally made it on the morning flight and even had seats in first class. Normally I would say that's not a big deal but after spending 4 days at the airport I was very happy to be in the comforts of first class, have additional leg room, bigger seats and most importantly FOOD! Houston was very excited to finally be going to Utah, to be reunited with our family and to see his Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and Cousins. All went smoothly with our trip up until the last 40 minutes of our flight. I started to feel very nauseous, followed by hot, heart racing, ringing in the ears and knew I was about to pass out. I told Houston that I may pass out and then realized he may not know what to do. I pushed the stewardess call button and told the stewardess what was about to happen, with slurred words I felt myself pass out. It only lasted for a matter of seconds but felt like several minutes, I came too and asked the stewardess if he could get me a cold cloth for my neck. I put the cloth on my neck, took deep breaths and with Houston holding my hand to make sure I was OK began to feel better. One of the passengers sitting in front of me asked a few times if I was OK and even asked if I wanted a blessing. It was very sweet of him to see my need and be willing to offer his help, I found myself feeling a great deal of gratitude for the blessings of the Priesthood. Gratefully I began to feel much better, they asked if there was a Doctor or Nurse on board and unfortunately there was not. The stewardess asked if I needed medical personnel to meet the flight, I told them I was fine and it was not necessary. Before the plane landed the stewardess informed me that the Pilot knew I was expecting and would require me to meet Paramedics when we landed. This situation went from being very scary to being somewhat embarrassing, when we landed they asked all the passengers to stay seated so that paramedics could assist a passenger that is not feeling well. Fortunately they got on the plane quickly, assessed the situation and allowed me to walk to the end of the Jetway and off to the side to be evaluated. They monitored my vital signs and made sure I was OK. Everything checked out, my blood pressure was a little elevated but other than that I was fine. After feeling confident that I was out of danger, and following some instructions to go to the hospital if this occurred again or if I started to have contractions I was allowed to go. This was quite an ordeal and something I hope I never have to go through again, needless to say despite the number of days it took to get there I was very grateful to arrive in Utah and be with my family again.

Another Milestone

I am happy to have reached another important milestone in my pregnancy, I finally passed the 28 week mark and as of Monday June 8th will begin week 29. Only 11 weeks left which does not seem like a lot but I am sure will feel like a lot in the Austin heat and humidity. I had my 28 week appointment on Friday and enjoyed drinking the yummy glucose drink for the gestational diabetes test, had my Rhogham shot because I am RH negative and had the pleasure of having my blood drawn for further thyroid testing. Despite the not so fun part all is going well, my blood pressure was great, the baby's heartbeat was strong, she is moving a lot and my measurement is right on target. The only concern is the swelling I experience in my ankles which seems to be consistent and ongoing. So far my Doctor said there is nothing to worry about and not much I can do about it, it will get worse before it gets better (just what I want to hear). I need to do a better job of resting and elevating my feet when I can, I am hopeful that it will not turn into a problem and I will go to my due date still being able to work. I guess only time will tell. I may not blog for a few weeks, we are going to Utah to visit family for two weeks. We were supposed to leave Saturday June 6th, we are flying stand by with my Dad's flight benefits with Delta. After two trips to the airport on Saturday and one today we were only able to get Jessica on a flight. Hannah, Houston and I are going to try again this afternoon Chad has a ticket to fly out on Monday night and will hopefully meet us there (if the three of us ever make it on a flight). I hope that everyone is enjoying the end of school and the beginning of summer.

Teamwork, and Congratulations to Jessica, Hannah and Houston

The Patriots 2009

Houston and Coach Shawn and Coach Jeff

Hannah modeling her new Letterman jacket

The back says "Lil Full" her sister played Varsity last year and was called "Fuller"

The Superbowl was last Saturday and was the end to the Patriots season, while they lost the game the team had nothing to be ashamed of. They worked hard in every game, their teamwork was amazing, they were supportive of one another, and always cheered their teammates on win or loose, they are all winners in my book. Now that flag football is over it is time to decide if Houston will play tackle football in the fall, I have mixed feelings about it, of course his Dad is all for it and Houston seems to be excited about it as well. Houston is excited that school is over for the summer, he will miss his wonderful teacher Ms. Snyder and his classmates but is ready for a much needed break. He did very well in 3rd grade, he had straight A's and perfect attendance, we are very proud of him.

Hannah is also looking forward to summer and school being out, it will be a busy summer with EFY, Girls Camp, Soccer Camp and Driver's Education (YIKES!). She had a very successful Freshman year maintaining an all A average while playing on the Varsity Soccer team. She also lettered in soccer this year and is now the proud owner of her first Letterman jacket. I may be biased but I think she looks adorable in it. We are so proud of all that Hannah accomplished this year, it was a great start to her High School years.

Jessica completed her first year of College at the University of Utah, she took a few general ed. classes such as math and writing and had a couple of Architecture classes as well. So far she is still very excited about her major and is looking forward to learning more and doing more hands on projects. She did very well and received the honor of being on the Dean's list, we are very proud of her accomplishments and transition into adulthood. She is learning responsibility and working hard, she attends the singles ward, fulfills her calling and is looking forward to going on a Mission. Jessica made the choice to take summer classes at the U to allow her the opportunity to stay home in Texas for the Fall Semester to be here for her sister's birth and to help out. We look forward to having her home from mid August until after Christmas.

Memorial Day Shopping & 28 Weeks

Chad either happy with our purchases at Babies R' Us or happy to be done

The car loaded to the top with the purchases from Babies R' Us

28 Weeks and growing

The end result of a day of shopping!

We spent a good portion of our Memorial Day Holiday at Babies R' Us, they were having a big sale that we of course had to take advantage of. We made some good progress but still have more to purchase. Chad was grateful to be done especially after I changed my mind about our car seat and stroller more than once, he picked up boxes and put them away again more than he would have liked. Hopefully I won't change my mind again?? We were able to get the bedding for the crib in the pink and brown colors I fell in love with, we have a mobile for the crib, decorative baskets, a rug, changing table pad and a hamper. If memory serves we even bought her first pair of tiny little socks and a very soft and plush blanket that matches the bedding. It was a lot of fun to have all of the kids with us, I only wish I had a video camera to record Chad and I trying to figure out how to open and close the strollers or take off the car seat from the base. You would think this was our first baby, all of the baby equipment and how it works have changed so much in the last 9 years.

Before shopping we treated ourselves to a yummy lunch at Potbelly's. After our day of shopping we went home and unloaded the very packed car and headed to the Dell Diamond for the Round Rock Express baseball game. Chad was able to get tickets to the Memorial Day game where the Express happen to be playing the Salt Lake Bees. It was enjoyable, surprisingly the temperatures were quite comfortable for a change. Our seats were in the Burm (the grassy area), that was not exactly comfortable for a long period of time but I am still glad we went. Hope to post pictures soon of the progress with the babies room, watch for more pictures of my expanding belly. Just when you think you can't possibly get any bigger you do.....

Flag Football & PIZZA

Saturday was Houston's All City Cen-Tex flag football Tournament, despite their efforts sadly the Patriots lost every game. It was not the result they were hoping for but it was fun none the less. More football to come this Saturday with the end of season Superbowl, YEAH!! Following the Cen-Tex Tournament Jessica, Houston and I went to lunch and ate the best pizza I have eaten in quite some time. The yummy and HUGE pizza pictured above is from the Brooklyn Pie Company, I highly recommend it if you have a craving for PIZZA!

26 Weeks and Getting Ready for Baby

My expanding belly at 26 weeks

Color inspiration for the baby's room

Today is the beginning of week 26, when I think about everything we have to do to prepare for her arrival time is going by way too fast. When I have a hard time getting around and have some major discomfort I feel like time is going by way too slow. It is hard to beleive that we will be meeting our baby girl in about 14 weeks, we are very excited. We are getting one step closer to being ready for her arrival, we spent the night moving Houston into Hannah's room and Hannah into Jessica's room, the baby will be in Houston's old room, leaving Jessica and Hannah to share a room during the time she is home. That of course will mean that all 3 rooms will need to be painted something that Chad is not thrilled about, but is willing none the less.

This weekend I was excited to find these darling pink and brown wooden boxes pictured above, this has become my inspiration for decorating the baby's room. The boxes can be used for cotton balls, Q-tips and hair bows (if we are lucky enough to have a baby with hair). This will be the the inspiration for the paint color as well, I never thought I would choose pink for a baby's room but I love the combination of pink and brown so much I think I will go with it. Hopefully we will be able to find crib bedding that I love as much, speaking of the crib we got it out of the attic tonight, it has been in the attic for about 8 years, getting it out and ready definately makes reality set in.... Stay tuned for pictures of the room in progress.

25 Weeks and Growing!!!

Today is the beginning of week 25, this picture was actually taken in week 24. Believe it or not I am actually bigger today than in this picture. With each week the size of my belly increases and the temperature here in Austin increases as well. It has been very humid and hot leaving my ankles, feet and even my toes quite swollen. It is not a pretty sight, Chad and Houston like to poke fun at the size of my ankles. I have been compared to an elephant, Houston even asked if I can remember everything like an elephant. The answer is No! actually I forget a lot of things especially now. Despite the discomfort it is a very exciting time, she is very active which is always amazing to me. We are counting the weeks and realize with each passing day how much we still have to do to prepare for her arrival, I will keep you posted.

On another note Jessica arrived home from College on Mother's Day, it was a great present to have her home again. She will only be home for 4 weeks, she will go back to Utah in early June to attend summer school. We will take whatever time we can get, we certainly miss her.

Brace Face

Before Braces

During the Process

After Braces, still a very handsome boy!

Houston had the pleasure last week of starting Phase One Orthodontic treatment. He inherited my small mouth that will not accommodate all of the permanent teeth trying to make there way through. As a result he has a space maintainer on the bottom to hold open spaces for the teeth and now braces on the top teeth to open up spaces for permanent teeth. He will likely have them on for 6-9 months depending how things move. He will have to have another phase of orthodontic work around age 13 or 14 to straighten all of his teeth. He was an excellent patient, sat very still and was patient while they worked. He ended up going to the dentist on Monday for a cleaning that also involved adjusting his bottom space maintainer so his teeth and gums were pretty sore on Monday. On Wednesday morning he had to have a filling done on an upper tooth, it needed to be done before they put the braces on. On Wednesday afternoon he had his braces put on. His mouth was pretty sore for several days but he is doing great now. If we can stay on top of keeping his teeth clean that would be awesome.

22 Weeks and Counting

This week marks week number 22, more than halfway to the finish line. I thought I owe it to my family and friends out of state to post a more current picture of my ever expanding belly. The first few pictures were taken on March 1st, obviously a lot of growth has happened since that date. I am feeling pretty good but must admit as the temperatures increase here in Austin it makes dread the upcoming summer months. Today it was 92 degrees and my swollen ankles are proof of that temperature. We made our first trip to Babies R' Us last Friday to purchase a pregnancy pillow and a baby gift for a friend. I dragged Chad along with me to break him into what lies ahead. A few of his comments were as follows: As we walked throught the front door I heard my dear husband say these proufound words, "I thought I would never have to come here again," on more than one occasion as we looked for a gift I heard"You do realize we are the oldest couple in this store." As we looked around a bit he kept saying "We have our basinet still, right?" my answer "no", followed by "We have our monitor still, right?" my answer "no" and again "We have our port-a-crib, right?" my answer "no". With that conversation Chad came to the realization that other than our crib and changing table we would be starting over. While it will be a lot of work it will be fun and exciting at the same time. Houston is adjusting little by little to the news of the baby being a girl, hopefully he will love her when he holds her for the first time and his instinct to be her protector will kick in. The girls have been excited from day one and continue to look forward to the day when they can meet their baby sister. Chad is anxious, nervous and overwhelmed but excited at the same time, one might think he was becoming a dad for the first time. Thank you for indulging me and reading my Blog.

IT'S A GIRL!!!

Many of you may be wondering why I have not updated my Blog in quite sometime. Needless to say things have been very busy around the Fuller household. For those of you that may be reading this and have not heard the news we are expecting a baby girl on August 23, 2009. We are very excited and feel truly blessed to have another beautiful daughter to add to our family, at the same time we are overwhelmed with the thought of starting over and realizing as the due date draws closer how much we have to do to prepare for this event in our lives. The girls are thrilled to have a new baby in the family, Houston is not as excited and was even less excited when he found out what he hoped to be a baby brother was actually a baby sister. We hope that he will adjust to the idea over time and be happy to meet her when she arrives. Many of you may read this Blog and think "are they crazy", the answer is probably but why not enjoy all the blessings life has to offer. I will do my best to keep you posted on the progress, and do a better job of updating our Blog.