Thanksgiving Thoughts

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. James and I were able to go down to St. George to visit our families for a nice long weekend. We had so much fun. We had our actual Thanksgiving dinner at James' parents house. James' favorite part of the weekend? The food. My favorite part of the weekend? The dessert! After our wonderfully delicious dinner, we headed on over to my mom's house for pie.

We also did something that was a long time coming. James and I actually went to a movie. Hallelujah! We left Grant with my mom and went to see the movie Twilight. Not a bad show, by the way, just I am a firm beliver, that in this case, as in most cases, the book was better. Better yet, the movie caught James' interest and now he is reading Twilight! It was also nice knowing that someone was taking great care of Grant while we were at the movie. This is how I left Grant at my mom's:

Who needs to babysit when you've got Kirk? Grant adored being around Kirk and his laughing is priceless. I am so thankful for family.

On Friday, Grant, James and I also went to Zion National Park with James' family. We hiked two trails: The Sinawava Temple and Weeping Rock. Both hikes were not strenuous at all, but we had Grant to push in the stroller, and James totally took over that part.

This is us a Sinawava Temple. A nice walk along the river.

Another fun part of this weekend is that Grant got to get a little more aquainted with his cousin Hunter. Hunter is about 6 or 7 months older than Grant, and pretty much has other things that interest him at this age. Grant is not one of them! But Grant lit up whenever Hunter came around. Grant loves other kids and he could not get enough of them this trip!

Christmas shopping has already found its way into our household. On Saturday, my mom and I took to the crowds and began the task of finding perfect gifts for friends and family. Something that was on my shopping list was a complete new wardrobe for Grant. He was completely out of everything. He's growing so fast and is already fitting into clothes I thought for sure he would fit into by the time he's walking. Not true. So this Christmas, Grant got clothes and he got them early since he was literally completely out of everything. I love Kohls! They were having a huge sale and I got onesies and pants for four bucks. Can't beat that!

Grand amidst his clothes. He looks thrilled!

So, in closing, I have a lot to be thankful for. I'm thankful that I'm finally a mom, I have a wonderful family, and a fulfilling job. I'm thankful for my knowledge of the true church and for the joy and the happiness it brings to me and my family. I'm thankful for good books to read, a warm house, and family that I can keep in touch with through blogging.

I hope you have a happy holiday season!

Fave Five...or Six?

Lots to be thankful for this week! I hope I remember them all, and I hope I can get them down to just five. It'll be hard, but here's my try:

1. Play Dates. When we moved to Casper James and I didn't know anyone at all. We were just here by ourselves hoping to make new friends...well you know how it is if you've ever moved away. Well, the school I was hired to teach first grade at also hired a second grade teacher. I heard about her, and I heard she was really nice, just moved from Utah like us, so I was really anxious to meet her. We became fast friends and even went shopping for our classrooms together. So fun! Her name is Kerrie and she just had a baby in February, so we were pregnant together. I have to say how fun it was to have her go through everything first. She was grilled by me every time she went to the doctor. She's a great friend. Every week we try to organize a play date with our babies at each other's houses. The babies just sit and play, but Kerrie and I have so much fun talking! Its nice to have friends here when everyone else is so far away. This playdate was one of the first times the babies actually noticed each other and tried to share and play together. Aren't they sweet? This is Callie and she was extra sweet on Grant in this play date!

I'd also like to draw attention to their pants. They were a gift from a sweet second grade teacher at school at our baby shower. So cute!

2. Long lost friends...I am so thankful for this blogging thing. One of my good friends that I had from childhood found my blog, and we've been keeping in touch. Her name is Angi Scott (well, its Pelissie now), and we have had so much fun catching up. She was my first friend that I ever made in St. George when I was nine. So fun to think about all the things we used to do together like swimming every day, marathon sleepovers, swapping Baby-Sitter Club books (don't laugh, that's how I became a reader :) ), and baking cookies that never quite turned out for some reason. And our families became friends as well. So glad I have found her and can't wait to hear more about her and her family!

3. Sundays...I am so glad for this one day that is not like the rest. Heavenly Father totally knew what he was doing by giving us this one day to rest. Sunday just feels different and its so nice to just take a break and leave everything from the week behind. I love having James home and we just relax and rest. I don't know how people make it when they observe Sunday like every other day of the week. I need the rest!

4. Morning cuddle sessions with Grant. Early in the morning, before it is too early to get up and start the day, I will hear Grant starting to coo and stir. I know from his little noises that he is still tired and just needs that extra little bit of rest before I get him up for the day. So I will pick him up and he will nestle right into my shoulder. I will walk over to the rocking chair and slowly rock him back to sleep. I love, love, LOVE this time. I love feeling that little bald head on my cheek and how he will rest his fingers on my neck. I absolutely adore this sweet little baby boy!

5. Jam. I have found a new love. I am so loving jam and toast in the morning. One of our neighbors made fresh peach jam for us, and oh my goodness! I have been eating jam ever since! So good! I think one of my New Years Resolutions, besides reading 50 books, is to learn how to make yummy jam. So, mom, if your reading this, break out those recipes, cause I'm rarin' to go!

6. James is always so super nice and sweet and I couldn't make it through each day with out him! He helps out so well with Grant, and has taken on so much more since we had him! He did a lot to begin with anyway, and so it still amazes me how much he does for us. Laundry, cleaning, running errands in town is no match for my sweetie! I so appreciate all that he does for us.

So there it is. So hard narrowing it down. I feel super blessed, and very fortunate.

7 Month Milestones!

Grant's amazing milestones:

• Rolling over from back to tummy (doesn't quite like the tummy thing so much, I have to really have an amazing toy to motivate him)
• Can eat squash, peas, mixed vegetables, sweet potatoes, green beans, and carrots without any coaxing
• Likes to shake and bang his rattles (we have a song: Shake, shake, shake! Shake, shake, shake! Shake your rattle!
• Has taken an interest in Cooper and will pet him gently
• Responds to funny noises by laughing endlessly (it's super cute to hear him! )
• Can sit unassisted
• Has shown an interest in books (Yea! Our months of reading books must be finally paying off!)
• Has protective reflexes on either side of his body (can catch himself when he starts to fall to the side)

We are so proud of our little boy and the accomplishments he is making. Seven months ago we weren't sure how the stroke had affected him and how he would develop, but he's meeting every milestone just as normally as can be!

You've Been Skunked!

We had the most fun for Halloween! Our ward in Casper really goes all out and makes it fun for the kids! They had a chili cookoff and a carnival with games and booths. Now these booths that they have must take forever to prepare. It really looks like a carnival when you go inside. It was so fun to see all of our cute primary kids all dressed up in their little Halloween costumes.

Sort of a milestone this Halloween....James actually dressed up! Not in the Jolly Green Giant costume I've been wanting him to be (or more likely, teasing him that that's what he should be), but he did go as a basketball player. It was so fun dressing up Grant and taking him to school and the Halloween carnival. We ended the night early (Grant has his "Sour Hour" at about 6 o'clock), so we ate, saw a few people and came home. Not so many trick-or-treaters this year, but that's okay. More candy for us!

Happy Halloween!

The "Weak"end!

Well, things have been kind of crazy lately. We just had a four day weekend break from school, for Parent Teacher Conferences. So you think I would be relaxed and ready for the week ahead. Well, let me tell ya-things did not work out this way. Here is a long list of things that kept me going all weekend and why I am calling this the "weak"end...

1. Grant's 6 month appointment in Denver. Truly, we have been down to Denver more than we have ever cared to in the past 6 months. I love how the doctors are really looking closely at my son to make sure that he is developing normally and he's on the right track. Friday morning, early, we packed up our car, dressed and fed Grant, and headed on the long 4 hour trip to Children's Hospital in Denver. I have to say that I am thankful that Grant is not yet potty trained, and can be changed quickly in the back of the car (while we are safely stopped of course :) ) We got there at noon, thinking we were a half an hour late, when really we arrived an hour early. They told us the wrong time to be there. Any who, we were there for the Stroke Clinic, and this a long afternoon of doctors coming in and out and explaining the same things to them over and over. It is exhausting. They told us how well Grant is doing and they took some more blood to make sure that he won't have anymore clots forming on his brain. We'll hopefully get the results of these tests back on Friday. We began the long trek home at 6:00 that night, and arrived home at10:00. K, firm believer in routines. Grant has a routine that we go through every single night to get ready for bed. We do a bath, bottle, prayer, bed. Well, it was so late when we got back, I thought I would just give him a small bottle, and put him to bed. Well, Grant cried...and cried... and cried. I went in to look at him, and he'd thrown up. So I had to change his sheets, give him a bath, refeed him, and then put him to bed. Lesson learned. Always follow the routine! L-o-n-g Day.



2. The next morning we decided to paint our kitchen. We had all of our typical Saturday things to do such as laundry, grocery shopping, and, of course, taking care of the baby! We also had to pick up the paint. We didn't get started until 6 o'clock that night. And 6 o'clock is what we usually call the "Sour Hour" because Grant lets us know its almost time for his bottle and bedtime routine. He gets a little on the ornery side! During our painting session, I had to stop and put Grant to bed, and pick up where I had left off. With James taping and me painting we finally got finished at midnight. Our kitchen is so pretty though! So worth the effort!


3. Sunday morning found us super tired. Grant developed a cough and a runny nose, so I decided he needed to stay home from church. No need to get the other babies sick! Had to prepare sharing time for the afternoon, and participate in our Sacrament program. Anyway, when its all said and done, I felt like I needed a weekend to recover from my weekend! James and I were so exhausted!



I am grateful, however, that our little Grant is doing so well developmentally. He is just as normal as he can be! And as handsome as ever! I see more of James in him every day! I feel way blessed that we have so many people caring about our little boy, and really want him to do well. It makes weekends like this so worth it.

Here are some new pictures of our little Grant:

The hat that Grant only fit into for a few days. He has a big head!



A look of surprise!


Grant's new toy. He loves it!

Grant's first fall.

Check out those legs!

Jealousy....

Husband Tag

What is his name? James

How long have you been married? Eight and a half wonderful years!

How long did you date? 3 months. We had a whirlwind courtship. But when ya know, ya know!

How old is he? The big 3-0!

Who eats more? James does. It's a family joke on whether or not I will finish my plate.

Who is taller? Definitely James.

Who sings better? We are both equally awful!

Who is smarter? James...Mr. A- in Calculus. I got out of Calculus before it went on my transcript.

Whose temper is worse? I would have to say James. He doesn't really lose his temper often though.

Who does the laundry? James does it more than I do. I have the problem of starting it, but not finishing it. James does it till its done, and its all nicely folded or hanging up in my closet. He's the best!

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Well, if your looking at the bed, I sleep on the right side, but if your on the bed, James sleeps on the right side. Does that make sense? It depends on the way you are looking at it!

Who pays the bills? James does. He enjoys it, and he went to school for it. More power to him!

Who mows the lawn? James does. He actually enjoys it!

Who cooks dinner? I do most nights. Since I work part time now, its easier for me to just to do it.

Who drives when you are together? James does most of the time.

Who is more stubborn? I think its a toss up. We both equally have our moments.

Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? James.

Whose parents do you see the most? It's about equal.

Who proposed? James did on the St. George temple grounds. His sister-in-law was supposed to put flowers in one of the bushes by the temple, but she misunderstood and put them by the visitor center. So James and I were making laps around the temple. I remember thinking, "what are we doing?" Then James dropped down on a knee and proposed and we picked up the flowers when we were done. Too funny!

Who has more friends? I probably do, but James has a best friend he has kept in touch with for years and years. We also have a lot of couple friends we hang out with.

Who has more siblings? James wins by one extra sibling.

Who wears the pants in the family? James definitely does and rightfully so!

*If you are married and you've read this, you've been tagged!!!

Grant Speaks?

All right, I know what you are thinking! How can your five month old already be talking? Well, let me tell ya. Every Wednesday we have the Physical Therapist come over to our house to teach me exercises to do with Grant and to make sure he is developmentally there. Well, last Wednesday was sort of crazy. When I got home at 12:30 Grant has already eaten and taken a nap, and he would be ready for another bottle and nap at about 3:00 when the Physical Therapist would be there. So he was up and at it right until the PT came, and then he started to get cranky and upset. Grant always works really hard during these sessions and today he was really working hard and getting especially tired. Near the end of the session, the PT was giving him a neck stretch and Grant really has a hard time tolerating these stretches. He started to get really frustrated and SAID "mom." The PT heard this and said that because he was getting mad and tired he really wanted his mom. I heard this and would have dismissed it as another coo or a babble, but my PT, who really knows her stuff about babies, insists that he spoke his first word. He hasn't said it since (he hasn't been that cranky since then), but I love knowing that when everyone said that he'd for sure say "da-da" first no matter how hard I tried, he knows who his mom is and how to say it! My months of saying Mama over and over must be finally paying off!

12 Things...

Geez, I am getting tagged left and right!(I love it!) So...here goes...

12 things I am excited for...
1. Being pregnant again
2. Watching Grant continue to grow healthy and strong
3. Moving back to Utah
4. Taking Grant to Disneyland when he is five!
5. Hearing Grant talk (but not talk back :) )
6. Me and James going on a mission together
7. Being with my whole family in the temple
8. The holidays for the next 18 years (well for the rest of my life actually :) )
9. Having Grant help me bake cookies
10. Having my whole family here on Earth.
11. Time and eternity with James, (he's the best!), and Grant, and whoever we are blessed have join our family!
12. Getting Grant potty trained!



12 People I Tag...
1. Brinda
2. Stephanie
3. Kristin
4. Kirk
5. Mom
6. Anna
7. Holly
8. Jenna
9. Steve
10. Jared
11. James
12. Anyone who wants to!

8 is Great

I was tagged, so here it goes...

8 TV shows I love to watch...
1. The King of Queens
2. The Cosby Show
3. Flip This House
4. Designed to Sell
5. Curb Appeal
6. Everybody Loves Raymond
7. John and Kate Plus 8
8. What Not to Wear

8 favorite places I love to eat...
1. Cafe Rio (only in Utah)
2. Winger's
3. Chili's
4. Applebee's
5. Olive Garden
6. The Cheesecake Factory
7. In and Out Burger
8. Bajio (only in Utah)

8 things that happened yesterday...
1. I taught sharing time.
2. Played with Grant.
3. Grant ate the most cereal he's ever had.
4. We went to church.
5. James and I made a pork roast for dinner.
6. Grant slept clear through the night.
7. James and I ate orange rolls for breakfast.
8. I actually got to take a nap!

8 things I most look forward to...
1. Being pregnant again.
2. Seeing Grant grow healthy and strong.
3. The holidays
4. Seeing friends and family
5. The weekends
6. Spending time with my two boys
7. 12:30 in the afternoon
8. Moving back to Utah

8 things I love about fall...
1. The changing leaves
2. School starting
3. Halloween
4. Thanksgiving
5. Baking treats like pumpkin cookies
6. Seeing family and friends
7. Wearing sweaters
8. Burning spicy scented candles

8 things on my wishlist...
1. Moving back to Utah
2. Grant continuing to grow healthy and strong
3. A car adaptor for my ipod.
4. A leather jacket
5. Perscription sunglasses
6. New furniture for living room
7. A temple in Casper
8. Family and friends to be closer.

8 People I am tagging...
1. Brinda
2. Stephanie
3. Kylee
4. Jenna
5. Colleen
6. Kirk
7. Anna
8. Anyone else who wants to.

This is a lot harder than it looks!
Good luck!

Fave Five

I need to be better about doing this every week. I think it is so good for me to remember the little things in life that make things wonderful. So...here's a list of things in just this past week that make me smile just a little bit brighter!

1. Grant's Laugh. It's so hard to believe that the little peanut we brought home from the hospital in April is now laughing! He has a low guttral laugh that goes deep in his belly. You can't help but laugh yourself when you hear it, and that makes him laugh even harder! Usually we will have this little laughing sessions during his diaper changes. It takes me forever changing his diaper because we are so into the laughing. That's probably my favorite sound to hear!

2. My Fourth Grade Friends...I taught first grade for four years, and I have to say that I was a little nervous going into fourth grade. I didn't know how their behavior would be, if I would see as much growth as I did in first. I am so surprised and delighted to find out how cute they can be! They are still cute little kids in big bodies! They have such interesting ideas to say, and sometimes we just laugh. So fun. We have conversations about our books that go much deeper than first grade discussions ever got. They are, for the most part, polite and sweet, and I am so grateful for this! What a fun opportunity to teach them!

3. The Chiropractor... Something that no one ever told me when I was pregnant was how your body just isn't the same after you have had a baby. My goodness. Between the crib, and the carseat, I was hardly able to bend over and pick up my little one! My back started going into spasms. I tried stretching exercises James showed me, taking ibuprophen, and laying on ice all to no avail, so I had to succomb to see the chiropractor. He took X-rays, found out what was wrong, put me on a bunch of exercises, and put a lift in my shoe, and I am feeling so much better! They are truly amazing and know what they are doing. I have always been skeptical about seeing a chiropractor, but now I would totally recommend anyone to go see one if they start having back problems.

4. Grant's L-o-n-g Stretch... Just this past week, we have had a mile stone that was five months coming. After months of feedings, restlessness, and nights out on the couch, Grant is finally sleeping through the night. Clear through, not even waking up for a feeding. If I have talked to you in the past months, you know what a struggle James and I had the first three months of his life. James and I were both grabbing as much sleep as we could to get us through the day, and poor Grant was sleeping with one of us out on the couch so the other one could get some sleep in the bed. Grant refused his bassinette when he came home, which was odd since he loved the bassinette in the hospital. James and I gradually got him to go in his bassinette and finally when he was four months he started going in his crib. Phew... what a ride. James and I are so grateful to finally get a whole nights sleep back, and I think Grant is thankful to be in his own bed.

5. Three for Family Prayer...What I am most thankful for this week and always is our family prayer time with Grant. Along with our bedtime routine, usually after Grant has had his bath and bottle, James and I will pray with our little baby. This has been a long time coming, and it such a blessing to be able to talk to Heavenly Father with our Grant praying with us. Well, he's usually asleep, but its still a blessing all the same, and I think I will forever be grateful to have three at family prayer.

Labor Day Weekend

James and I had a wonderful Labor Day Weekend. We started out in Denver for Grant's MRI (which showed that the blood clots on his brain had resolved-yippee!) We got to spend lots of time with our family and they got to spend lots of quality time with the baby. We cannot get back to Utah soon enough! It is just too far away to be from everyone. It was fun to see our families, and we all had a good time!

What's Your Memory?

Here's kind of a fun tag to do! Follow the directions and watch the fun responses appear on your blog!Here are the directions:1. As a comment on this post, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. Have fun! What's your memory?

Fave Five

A lot has happened in the past month, and I need to get it all down before I forget it all. It's amazing how soon you forget all the small simple things that make life so fun! I better get this all down so I will always remember!
1. The Joy of Messiness...This week I was looking at our living room and thinking how much it has changed over the past few months. What once was cleaned once a week on Saturdays and what was kept neat, is now getting cleaned up every day in the evening (that is, if we are not too tired :) ). When it comes to toys, we have got it all. Bouncers, swings, play yards, and toys galore are now adorning our living room. Where there was once a small entertainment center, now is the place where all his toys are stored. Where there was once a space to lay down on the floor,now lies a blanket for Grant to play on. How blessed am I to finally have this to look at!
2. 12:30 p.m. Yes, the middle of the day is what I most look forward to. When most everyone is eating lunch, I am coming home to my little boy. Yes, that's right! No teaching full time for me this year! I am a part time tutor and loving it! I absolutely love teaching kids to read. It's what I most love about teaching. Once Grant came along I knew that I couldn't go back to work, but I still had a desire to teach. A tutoring position opened up at my school, and I jumped at the chance to be able to work with 4th graders. So, I still get to teach, and I get to be with my little boy, and its so amazing how everything just works out.
3. Screamin' for Ice Cream...About a month ago Grant had a follow up appointment in Denver. Since it was still summer and his appointment landed on a weekend, James and I decided to make a little vacation out of it. We headed up to Pikes Peak, and shacked up for the night in a little tourist trap town just outside of it. We ate dinner on a cute little board walk cafe, and had dessert at a sweet little ice cream shop. This is where I tried yellow cake ice cream for the first time, and it opened the floodgate to ice cream in general. Ever since then, James and I have been eating ice cream by the gallons. We don't even have a bowl of ice cream, it has to be an ice cream cone.
4. Waterproof bibs... Kind of a silly thing to be thankful for. But when you've got a drooling 5 month old, waterproof bibs are the way to go.
5. Husbands who tell you to go ahead and play with your little boy, and I'll clean up the kitchen. James has said this numerous times since Grant has been born. He has totally taken on a much bigger load since Grant came. Cleaning, laundry, vaccuuming has all been done by James, and every time I offer, he just says "that's okay, play with your baby." He is truly wonderful and I am so blessed!

A visit from Grandma

Another awesome thing this summer is that my mom came all the way from St. George just to see her new grandbaby! Since we didn't get a chance to have them stay with us in April, they made the 10 hour trip to see him again. We had the best time. Grant really enjoys seeing his Grandma. We had a great time shopping, and heading up to Thermopolis to see the mineral pools. The only thing is, is that we live so far away, so these little adventures are really so awesome and we take in every moment. It's not fun to be so far away from family when your own family has grown. Hopefully soon, we'll at least be in the same state!

Ladies and Gentlemen...We Have Found a Thumb!

James and I have been trying since Grant was first born to have him take a pacifier. We love the idea of him being able to soothe himself, and taking a pacifier will help him break that bad habit of sucking his tongue. Well, our incredibly resourceful little boy has just recently found a thumb...and sometimes a few fingers! We are loving this! I just hope that breaking this habit when he is older won't be so hard.

Fish Lake 2008

Every year it seems we have a Killpack family reunion. The location is different every year and this year, the Killpack's rented us a cabin on Fish Lake. So fun! The Killpack's brought their four wheelers and rented a pontoon boat for the occasion. I have to admit, that even though I only went on the four wheelers and the pontoon boat once, it was so fun to just be up there with Grant. We had a great time. Grant did wonderfully well in the new place sleeping wise, and he totally got worn out from having everyone hold him. So fun!

A "Smile" stone

Feel free to mute the singing, but the video speaks for itself! Enjoy!

100 Things...

1. My full name is Jaime Lee Killpack.
2. My maiden name is Dougherty and I was super happy to get rid of it!
3. I married James when I was 2 months shy of my 21st birthday. I thought I was so old, but I was really young back then!
4. I met James while working at ZCMI. I worked in Housewares and he was a "dockboy."
5. We have been married 8 years this month.
6. I teach first grade. It's the only grade I have ever taught!
7. My favorite place is Disneyland. Can't wait to take my family.
8. I recently had my first child, Grant James, on April 8th, 2008.
9. I have a pug named Cooper.
10. I have been to Mexico and Canada, and can't wait to venture to Hawaii sometime soon.
11. I faint at the sight of blood (especially my own-yuck!)
12. I was on the tennis team in high school, but didn't really learn how to play until I took a class in college.
13. I have managed to get pulled over 5 times and have never gotten a ticket!
14. I have been in 5 car accidents, and in 3 of them I was the driver.
15. I once snuck out of the house with one of my friends, and stayed out most of the night.
16. My sister told my mom the next day.
17. I love old movies! So classic!
18. I love to travel places with my husband.
19. I'm terrified of heights, but have managed to go on the scary roller coasters after coaxing from James.
20. In the eight years we have been married, we have moved 6 times. UGHHHHH!
21. We tried for four years to get pregnant and finally conceived Grant after 7 artificial inseminations, a laporoscopy and D and C, 2 fallopian tube checks, and 2 months of being on Clomid, 2 years of taking those ovulation kit tests, and 9 months of taking basal body temperatures every single day. (It was so worth all of it!)
22. I have been on a cruise to Catalina Island, and Ensenada Mexico. I had already been to both places before the cruise.
23. I have spent 18 hours in a hatchback economy car in the middle of July with my two older sisters in the backseat with me, and without air conditioning. How did we survive?
24. I was the youngest and then, surprise! My parents had another baby. I have a 12 year old younger brother. (You just never know!)
25. I caught my first real fish at Ferron Reservior when I was 23 years old.
26. I have been towed home from a family vacation twice! Both involving the same car.
27. I spent a week with my grandparents in Tooele, Utah when I was 14, and I loved every second I got to spend with them.
28. I hiked Angel's Landing, but I think I am too afraid to do that again!
29. I was never a dog lover until we had trouble having babies. Now I can't imagine life without Cooper!
30. James and I went to a James Bond movie on our first date, and then chatted about the top ten TV shows of the century.
31. I have kissed two people.
32. I learned how to snow ski when I was 13 at a friends birthday party in Brianhead.
33. I found out the church was true for myself when I was 17 years old.
34. I love having the missionaries over for dinner.
35. James and I want to serve a mission together someday.
36. I love mexican food.
37. I am the first in my family to live out of the state of Utah.
38. I took German for two years in high school and don't know how to say a single thing.
39. I learned to ride a bike when I was 11 years old.
40. I took dance for 6 years.
41. I felt fine during my pregnancy and threw up after I had had the baby.
42. I love Christmas more than the average person. I still like to get up early and look at all of the presents.
43. For me, the holiday season starts with Halloween and ends on Valentines Day.
44. I have read the whole Harry Potter series at least five times. Pathetic, I know!
45. When I am home alone at night, I turn on every light in the house.
46. I started my first job when I was 16 years old. I worked as a hostess at Los Hermanos.
47. I've been to Disneyland too many times to count! I love it!
48. I have a tendency to start projects and never finish them.
49. I love to read.
50. I used to sneak in Wendy's Kids Meals into the movie theater.
51. I adore being a mom. I think it is my calling in life!
52. I have gotten stitches. Thirteen in my finger when I was thirteen years old!
53. I have never broken a bone (knock on wood!)
54. I love to go on shopping trips with my mom! We have such a good time!
55. I love going out to eat. James and I usually try to go once a week, but with the baby, we have been staying home. Oh well. We'll save money!
56. I have a very eclectic taste in music. My family jokes that I should have been born in another time.
57. I love to crochet and put together puzzles.
58. I love to go fishing with James. He puts the bait on my hook and everything. It's great!
59. I love diet vanilla coke. I can't wait until I stop breastfeeding so I can enjoy that again!
60. I once blew up a gas oven with my friends Brinda and Mindy on our Senior year camping trip.
61. I love having friends over and playing games!
62. I have never smoked or used alcohol.
63. I have never dyed or highlighted my hair. (I probably should though!)
64. Instead of biting my fingernails, I have the bad habit of ripping them when I am nervous.
65. I once drove to school on a flat tire and didn't notice until I got to school and someone mentioned that it smelled "like someone got here on a flat tire."
66. I took an art class in college and loved it!
67. My sister Stephanie and I used to play marathon games of Monopoly. They would last for days, because we would let each other keep "passing go" for our payments.
68. I developed preeclampsia before I delivered Grant and the HELLP syndrome after I delivered.
69. I love to watch baseball games live.
70. I loved being pregnant and secretly wonder if I will ever be that way again.
71. I love the smell of rain, Russian olive trees, and laundry just out of the dryer.
72. I miss playing badmitten with my mom on warm St. George nights.
73. I thought I was prepared for what motherhood had to bring, and then Grant arrived, and I found out I wasn't prepared at all. I'm just winging it!
74. I love being all cozy in my house during thunder storms.
75. I love to watch reruns of The Andy Griffith Show. I totally got this from my mom. James won't admit it, but he enjoys watching it too! He laughs more than I do!
76. I love taking naps on Sunday afternoons.
77. I once bought a pinata for a first grade class party, and was surprised to find out (once my first graders broke it open) that you have to fill it yourself. They don't come already filled!
78. I love the season of fall. I like to watch all the leaves change color!
79. I wish I knew how to cook better. I only know what I am doing if I follow a recipe.
80. The farthest east I have ever been is South Dakota when we went to Mount Rushmore.
81. The theme for my classroom is Treasure Island, because I love decorating my room in pirate decor and teaching my class about water, ships, maps, and exposing them to different genres of the subject through literature.
82. I love to cuddle with my dog Cooper. He sleeps next to me and it is just wonderful!
83. Ever since I moved to Wyoming, I never thought how much I could miss family and friends. We live too far away.
84. I have a new appreciation for moms everywhere since having Grant. How did they do it?
85. I love to watch decorating shows on TV. I could leave it on HGTV all day and that would be just fine.
86. My favorite food is chicken enchiladas.
85. I still have my tonsils, although I don't know for how much longer. I have gotten a lot of sore throats lately.
87. Since having our baby, James and I love spending time with him at home.
88. I wish I had taken better care of myself when I was young. Particularly with the sun. Since all the sunburns I have had I'm constantly concerned about melanoma.
89. I love the ocean and want to have a beach house someday.
90. I have a fear of driving in the snow.
91. I was locked in the bathroom with my 2 older sisters.
92. I lived in Tooele, Utah for 8 years and moved to St. George. I loved the weather, but missed my grandparents.
93. I was a business major before going into education.
94. I attended Dixie College and then Southern Utah University.
95. James and I only dated for 3 months then he proposed and we were married 3 months after that.
96. The longest place we have ever lived is Cedar City, Utah, where we stayed for 3 years.
97. James and I were married in the St. George Temple on May 26, 2000.
98. I am constantly cold. James and I battle at the thermostat. (I almost always win!)
99. I would love to live back in St. George, but don't know if that will ever happen.
100. I love to watch shows I have already seen, and I read over and over again books I have already read. (Don't know why I do this.)

Blessing Weekend

Well it finally happened. James and I blessed Grant last Sunday. Such an amazing weekend. We had our families from Utah here at our house, and it was just so fun to see everyone. More importantly it was fun for everyone to see our baby! Grant got so worn out from being passed to everyone, and he looked so handsomely adorable in his little blessing outfit. We had our families over for a luncheon after sacrament. Unbelieveably we had enough room seat everyone. So fun. Although I have to say, that I am glad he's blessed, but it also makes me feel sad, cause I know he is growing up. Silly, I know, since he is only 2 months old, but the time goes so fast. Anyway, we have such an amazing family to travel all the way up here to see our little boy. We are truly lucky!

Finally...

Even though it has already passed, I can't let it go completely by without acknowledging it... I love Mother's Day! Hallelujah! I can't believe that I can finally recognize this holiday. It seems like forever ago when I would secretly wish that I could be a mom and here I finally am with my amazing little boy! I had such a great day! James took great care of me! He made me a yummy breakfast of German pancakes and bacon. Grant and James gave me one of those nifty digital photo frames which we eagerly figured out, and then James made me a delicious dinner of steak and potatoes in a creamy cheesy sauce. It was so good. Even better... James cleaned up everything!I have the sweetest husband. Now I can't wait to go to church and have Grant sing in the primary. Our primary kids are so cute! I can't wait till Grant is one of them, but I love having him be our small little baby!

Our Little Miracle

Our little baby boy was born on April 8th at 5:48 p.m. He weighed in at 6 pounds 2 ounces and he was 19 inches long. He's our little peanut! He's got James wonderful features and long fingers like his mom! His name is Grant James Killpack and he was born on Grandpa Killpack's birthday! He's also our brave little boy. He had a hard time getting started. On his 7th day with us he started to have seizures. We were already in the hospital because of his jaundice situation ( a blessing in disguise) and the nurse was feeding him at 10:30 at night and he had a seizure which lasted about 40 seconds. At about 12:30 he had another one and this time I was awake to see 3 doctors and two nurses crowd around my newborn and just look at him with these worried looks on their faces. It was frightening! The nurse told me what happened, and even told me to go back to sleep! How on earth was I supposed to sleep when my baby was seizing? I called James and told him what was happening. The nurses were so good and called the doctor on call and he came right down and took a look. Then another two hours later, my little baby had another seizure this one lasting longer than a minute. He stopped breathing and the nurse tried to call a code blue to pediatrics, but the phone didn't work. Luckily, he started to breathe again on his own, and the doctor decided to put him on some seizing medicine, and they also did a CT scan which came back normal. I called James and he came down to the hospital. The doctor arranged for us to be life flighted (Grant and I) to Denver Children's Hospital. James took our car and drove down. He got a good hour start ahead of the Life Flight, so I was only by myself for a half an hour at the hospital. When I saw the huge bed they had to put him in, it was so overwhelming and I couldn't believe this was happening to us! I'm one of those people who have to know exactly what to expect. When I had Grant, I had to see the labor room, the mirrors, and the lights, and I had to take a class all beforehand, so I wouldn't freak out. Seeing the huge seethrough bed and my little baby in it, was so much to handle. I look back now and wonder how on earth I ever sat there and watched all of this without losing it. Then I remember also, that James gave Grant and I a blessing that would both be strong to handle the flight and the upcoming events ahead, and that is exactly how I was able to go through all this. Anyway, this happened on a Wednesday morning. The people at the Children's Hospital were all waiting for James and I when we arrived. They told us where we could stay, we met with the doctors and heard all they had to say so far about the situation (they were going to perform lots of lab work and tests), they completely oriented us to the hospital and were so nice! On Thursday, James and I were lucky to have my mom come up to the hospital to see Grant for the first time. So not how I wanted to introduce everyone to my newborn, but I was so glad my family came to see us! They were there when the doctors told us about Grant's MRI results and what happened to cause the seizures. What happened was that Grant had a stroke when he was being born, sometime in the birth canal. The MRI showed a blood clot which had formed on his brain which caused the stroke, and eventually led to the seizures. He is still on seizure medication and will go back for a follow up appointment in 3 months.
We are so blessed to have our little boy with us. James and I are so thankful that we are finally home with him, and we are finally getting into a routine. He's finally been home longer than he has been in the hospital! Every day is such a fun treat to be home with our little miracle baby boy! Thank you everyone for your prayers and thoughts! They have truly seen us through!

37 Weeks and Counting. . .

Well, I guess I can't complain too much about my pregnancy. I haven't been sick (like throwing up sick), I've still been getting decent nights sleep which is a huge blessing, and I had been getting great reviews at my doctors visits as well, so I was really shocked when I went to my appointment on Monday and found out that my blood pressure had shot up, and my lab work was funny! So, my doctor placed me on bed rest for the remaining amount of my pregnancy. Now I am all about relaxing and taking it easy, but it is a different story being confined to your couch or your bed! So bored! James has been wonderful about keeping our house clean, and well stocked with food. He's even offered to bring in some movies and books for me, so nice. James and I had just finished with the nursery the weekend before, and I totally cleaned my classroom so my substitute would be able to find everything, so I feel okay about being home, just not in love with being so bored! Tomorrow should be better with James here, and hopefully our baby will arrive healthy and safe! Thirty-seven weeks is considered full-term, but my doctor said the longer he can stay in there the better! So... does anyone know of any good movies to rent?

Our Last Easter

Well, James and I have been long awaiting the arrival of our little one, but we have so loved the time we get to spend alone together! This Easter was our last holiday of just being James and Jaime. Let me tell you how wonderfully exciting we were! I was so excited to make devilled eggs this year, since its a tradition of our family to have them. I made them, James baked a ham, we made a salad. This was all there was to our Easter holiday. No Easter Bunny, no baskets to fill, and no eggs to roll down some random hill. Just me and James together for our last holiday. Just us. And I loved every minute of it!

Fave Five

Kay, I guess I am inspired by my sisters blog to do thankful lists. We have so much to be thankful for and I love thinking about the little things that happen throughout the week that make life so much more worth while. So this is my Fave Five for this week!

1. Feeling my baby move. So in love with that. Even when its in the middle of the night and keeps me awake, he reminds me every time how lucky I am to be pregnant and I so want to have this again! I cannot wait till Grant gets here!

2. Cooper sleeping snuggly by me. Yes, I know. I'm completely in love with my dog! I love when he sleeps next to me. He keeps me warm. It's like he knows I'm constantly cold and wants to do something to help. What a thoughtful dog! :)

3. My baby shower! I know that's a huge thing. My friends actually threw me a shower and it was so fun to see everyone there. It's always good for the soul to be around people who love you!

4. James taking me out to dinner. We got back after our long trip to St. George and we had absolutely no food in the house. We probably could have come up with something, but my wonderful, sweet husband suggested we go out. It was a really simple meal, but I so loved the gesture. He can be so intuitive about things like that!

5. Seatwarmers in my car. Kay, it sounds silly, but when your driving to work in the morning and its only 20 something degrees, seat warmers in your car is the way to go! They work pretty fast, and the back rest also works. Perfect for pregnant mothers with back pain! I definitely could live with out them, but having them makes life so much better!

About Us. . .

I love telling everyone how James and I met. We were both working at ZCMI and one day I saw this handsome tall guy walk into my department and I immediately thought "Wow!" He was so nice, not just to me but to everybody. (James worked on the dock, and some of the dock boys had a real attitude!) Not James though. He started working in August, but didn't ask me out till December. Our first date was so fun and I guess you could say, the rest is history!

Still Getting Used to This!

How fun is this blogging thing! I'm so grateful to my sister Steph for showing me exactly what to do! Needless to say though, not very much in concept of pictures on my computer and James and I want to put a whole family one on here once the baby is born. So excited to share with my friends and family news about us and I hope you enjoy it. I'm still learning and there may be things that need to be fixed, but I think I am so going to love this! Leave your comments! I would love to hear from you! More to come!