J+R= THREE! Our Story

Our first appointment was Thursday, January 30. Jake and I skipped our Old Testament class to go see Dr. Isbell. I don't know why I expected to not be taken seriously... but I felt like who would believe that I could be pregnant? I can't get pregnant, that's my fate in life! I think I had convinced myself of that! But they were so nice to us and so excited for us. He thought we were 9 weeks along and I was so excited. The ultrasound measured the baby at 6 weeks along. So I was bummed to be barely pregnant but still STOKED to be pregnant at all! We scheduled another ultrasound for Monday, February 24. Then we went on our way with our first picture of our little baby! I have to admit this picture just made me very skeptical that this was real.... the circle is the yolk sac and the little white dot under the circle is my baby!

Right after the appointment Jake and I whipped up these shirts and we skyped my parents to announce it to them. It was so fun to see their reactions. Priceless!!

So to explain how stressful the week that we found out we were pregnant was... we were SO excited, believe me, but it was during a super super hard semester, I was sick all day long and to make matters worse, the day after we went to the doctor, on Friday January 31, Jake's job laid him off. He worked for On the Spot Cleaning and Restoration and they had been going through a really slow time with not very many jobs. They laid off all of their part timers, including Jake because he is part time from September-April for school. (He got another job the next week that he loves and it has turned out to be a huge blessing). We were heading to Utah that weekend to go see the Midway Ice Castles where Jake proposed. You can read about it HERE when I write the post... when Aubrae sends me the pictures... cough cough.... We put on our happy faces even though we were freaking out a little bit. We drove down Saturday morning and I got SO carsick!! So when we showed up to grandma and grandpa's house I had to eat something before we could drive the hour to the ice castle. Well grandma knows that bonine works WONDERS with me and so she went to go get me one to help with my carsickness. I didn't want to take a bonine and kill my baby! So I asked grandma if it was okay to take a bonine when pregnant. Her reaction was priceless, too. But I am still sad that she didn't find out in a cute way!! Oh, and the bonine worked wonders and I felt great the rest of the night. We had a ton of fun with grandma, grandpa, Jason, Kendrick, Aubrae, Zya, and aunt Trina's brother Trent..? and his wife and baby!

The next Monday I had a dentist appointment. I told the hyenist that I was pregnant and she told the dentist, my brother in law Josh. At this point we weren't telling anyone and had only told my parents and my grandma. But I had no problem with Josh knowing because I knew he wouldn't tell anyone. And he's cool. ;)

Then we went out to dinner with Jake's best friend Matt and his wife Aubrei. We heart them! We told them about the baby and had a blast talking with them all night. I also told one of my dear friends Courtney.

My next ultrasound was at 9 weeks, on Monday February 24. Jake couldn't be there with me because of his new job and it broke my heart! I got to see the baby moving around like crazy! Wiggling it's arms and legs and even it's body and head. It was so amazing to see! Here are the two pictures I brought home from that visit.

On Friday, March 7, we told Mom and Dad Cromwell, Dane and Shalina, and Tyson and Memrie. Everyone's reactions were so sweet they were so happy for us. It really made us feel loved. The Cromwell's send out a monthly newsletter that everyone writes in. It was going out this weekend so we put this picture in there, from when we told Jake's parents, and we announced that we were having a baby! It's so much fun telling people! The next day we heard from Monique, Mitch, Michelene, Jennnie, Adam, Josh, Zsahnae, Jed, and Kayla. It was so fun to hear their reactions! Thank you guys!

The next Monday I found out that I have what is called Factor 5 Leiden Mutation which is a blood clotting disorder. You can read a little bit about it HERE. To prevent a blood clot that would either kill my baby or hurt me I have to take a daily blood thinner through an injection in my stomach. It's called enoxaparin sodium injection, or, lovenox. It is not as terrible as I expected. The shot sucks because it stings/burns super bad and then even once the shot is over it burns/stings pretty bad for about 10-15 minutes. At least that's been my experience with them so far! I will be taking them the remainder of my pregnancy and one month postpartum. My goal was to be able to give them to myself but they are just so painful that I don't want to! If I HAD to I am sure that I could now that Jake has done it for me for a few weeks... But since I don't have to there's no way. I look away and hug a pillow. I am grateful for modern medicine though! It is all so worth it for a healthy baby!  

That Wednesday, March 12, I told Sherry, my boss. She was super sweet about it. I told a few other girls at work, too.

Then I sent my mom a package with a shirt for Sari...

And Papi/Tati mugs for my mom and dad. A while back my mom and I had the important conversation of deciding what their grandparent name would be. We know we loved Papi for my dad, my mom's was a little harder! Such a big decision! We decided on Tati and I have been in love with it ever since! I don't have a picture of their mugs!

To tell the three little brothers who are still at home, I wanted to do a candy poster. My mom was sweet enough to put it all together for me so that I wouldn't have to mail it. It said, "Hey baby (BABY RUTH) brothers! We wanted to take a FAST BREAK and tell you some news filled with MOUNDS of ALMOND JOY. I think it will make you ROLO-ver with SNICKERS! Now, I'm not having SIXLETS, but there is one little SUGAR BABY on the way! The HUBBA BUBBA and I have been STARBURST-ing to tell you the news! Our SWEET TART sure SKOR-ed for lots of RIESENS but EXTRA because he/she has you three AIRHEAD-s for uncles! Now don't go out on a shopping SPREE spending 100 GRAND just yet, the due date isn't until September! I hope the news doesn't make your brains ORBIT around the MILKY WAY! We love you all a CRUNCH (bunch)! huge and KISSES Jake and Rachel! We skyped them on Saturday March 15 and saw them read their poster and Sari open her shirt and mom and dad open their mugs! So much fun!

To tell Ben and Kaye we did another candy poster. Ben came over to grandma and grandpa's house early without Kaye and so he got it early! We said, "We are STARBURST-ing to tell you that we have a little SWEET TART coming Sept. 29! We are EXTRA excited because he/she will have a close cousin! (Ben and Kaye are pregnant too, due October 13!) We know our babies will be friends NOW AND LATER! We're sure they'll be AIRHEADS having MOUNDS of fun together! I know it will sound like a SYMPHONY when we get the two of them together! We will have to go on BABY RUTH shopping SPREE-s! We'll try not to spend 100 GRAND! I cant' wait for our little NERDS to be friends! Every milestone that the little SMARITES reach will be a RIESEN to celebrate, even when they first ROLO-ver! We love you a CRUNCH! Hugs and KISSES, Jake and Rachel

We called my grandma and grandpa Sant to tell them. Because we were able to drive to Utah we told my Hathaway grandparents in person with a candy poster that said, "Grandma and Grandpa, We wanted to say how much we love you and thank you for being LIFESAVERS! We're so lucky to have you as our grandparents! We have been STARBURST-ing to tell you that you're being promoted to GREAT grandparents! Expected to begin Sept. 29, 2014! This promotion doesn't come with the 100 GRAND dollar prize but it does come with lots of hugs and KISSES! We hope you take a FAST BREAK and relax while eating these treats... but don't ROLO-ver sick! Love, Jake and Rachel."

 We went to their house the weekend that Jody took our announcement pictures, that you can see HERE. And Jody's blog is HERE, check it out! So that weekend we gave the candy posters to Ben and Kaye and Grandma and Grandpa then on Sunday we had a family dinner with Teilani, Todd, Logan, Heidyn, Destry, Tanner, Ashley, Jason, Trina, Kendrick, Aubrae, and Zya and we waited for them to notice the poster because grandma and grandpa had hung it up. I think Jason and Trina read it first but Destry read it and freaked out and then everyone saw and it was so fun!

Jake and I just can't believe how blessed we are to have this little baby on the way. We have had so much fun telling everyone we love our good news! Thanks for being a part of it!