Two Worlds One Family

April Happenings...

2010-04-27T22:15:00.005-05:00

This has been a busy month! It all started April 1st with my birthday. We spent time with the family in Orange Beach and on April 2nd Lucas started crawling on his hands and knees. He was "sniper crawling" before. He would pull with his arms and push with one leg - actually one toe!

The month has flown by, and I think part of the reason is because I keep trying to forget that Lucas is now 11 months old. Where has time gone?! It is such a mix of feelings! On one hand, I am so proud of my baby boy and all of the milestones he has achieved; but on the other hand, I am so sad to know that his "baby-days" are coming to an end! Don't get me wrong... he will ALWAYS be my sweet baby boy. But, from now on he will be considered a toddler. He is pulling up everywhere and cruising around the house. His favorite word is definitely "Ghack" (Jack, our dog), he loves to clap and sing. He says maa-ma and ball (more like bahw). We love to sing the FSU War Chant for him and watching swing his little hand in the tomahawk motion (Go 'Noles!) He makes all kinds of other noises that I just don't know how to spell. Lucas also says agua (water in Spanish) and absolutely loves the bath!

I love the fact the he has finally hit somewhat of separation anxiety. It's not too bad - normally he can be distracted with a toy and be okay - I just love the fact that he knows who we are and that we are here to love and protect him. The other day Lucas was napping and he woke up after 1 hour (which was weird cause he normally naps for 2 hours in the afternoon) so I went to check on him. He was crying, still with his eyes closed and it took me a little while to calm him down. I finally sat on the rocker and sat him on my lap, facing me, with his head on my chest and started to hum a song my mom used to sing for my sister and I. He went back to sleep, but if I tried to move he'd start making noises. It has been many months since I just sat and let my baby sleep on my chest; so I did! As I was sitting there I just started praying for him, every part of his body. It was such a sweet moment! I prayed for everything from his first steps to his walk with Christ. I prayed for guidance, obedience, contempt, strength, and love - among others. I prayed for his future as a child of God and his part in HIS perfect plan. I prayed for his future friend, girlfriends, and wife. After talking to a friend of mine, I decided to pray every day for his teachers, his wife, and his salvation. Thanks Christi! Anyways, all this to say that this was one of the sweetest moments I have spent with Lucas in a few months. I thank God for the privilege HE has given us by allowing us to be the parents of such a wonderful, healthy boy!

In other news, today Tyler and I are celebrating our 7th anniversary! YEAH!!!! We can hardly believe it has been that long! We are grateful to have each other to lean on everyday. We have seen some awesome moments and also some tough moments; but with Christ EVERYTHING is possible; God is love and love NEVER fails! We celebrated last friday (4/23) by going out to eat at Shark Fin and then to the movies. The plan was to pick up sushi and to watch the sunset at the beach. However, it rained all day so we went to plan B! Tyler's parents kept Lucas; it was wonderful to spend some time alone; even-though we talked about Lucas half of the time.

Also, this month my sister moved to Chile to pursue yet another degree. It has been a battle to take Victoria (her daughter) out of Costa Rica; but God has opened doors and she will be flying to Chile early in the month of May. Daniela won a scholarship that pays for her school and expenses so we are very proud of her! We hope to see them in December when we travel to Costa Rica. We pray for them daily; for God to continue working in her life and let her be light and salt in a foreign country.

It has been such a busy month, but here we are now at the end of it working the final details for Lucas's 1st birthday party. Today, a year ago I was 39 1/2 weeks pregnant and my mom was here with us waiting for the arrival of her first grandson. Today, we thank our Lord Jesus for an incredible year and look forward to the coming years.

Here are some pictures now...

Lucas and Kaison

Happy Easter!

Back... again!

2010-03-21T18:28:00.010-05:00

I know I am a really bad blogger and I know I start all of my posts apologizing for taking so long from post to post. So here we are again. I will try to update monthly and you'll hope I do - lol!

So many things have happened since October... let's see; Lucas' Dedication, Fall, Christmas, New Years, Snow in Florida, Tyler's 30th Birthday, and of course, Lucas' milestones! So, to make a long list short - here we go:

Lucas' Dedication: Sunday, October 4, 2009 at Olive Baptist Church. It was a very special time for us to dedicate the child God has giving us back to him. We are so thankful that God gave us Lucas; we know he belongs to HIM but we are honored to be his earthly parents. Here is a picture from that day:

Fall: We had our annual Fall Festival at church and we went as a family this year. We normally volunteer and but dressed Lucas up and went to enjoy the activities. Lucas was a giraffe and he loved the attention. Later we went trick or treating with Jenny, Paul and Ella. We also went to pick a pumpkin that afternoon and carved it.

Christmas: We had a wonderful Christmas. We went to the Candlelight service at church on Christmas eve and then went to Tyler's parent's house for dinner and to open presents. Lucas enjoyed all the presents and particularly the bows! He went to bed and we stayed up opening presents. Afterwards, we came home and on Christmas morning had our first Christmas morning as a family of three. Tyler made pancakes and we checked out what Santa left for Lucas. Tyler read for us the "Christmas story" and we then headed to Jenny and Paul for lunch and fun with the family.

New Years: We welcomed the New Year at the Tyner's house. They had a bunch of people over and we enjoyed each other's babies. As usual we played Rock Band and Trivial Pursuit!

Snow in Florida: We had a very cold winter. So cold that it actually snowed in Pensacola. Not enough to stick but enough to cancel schools and close workplaces haha. We drove to Brewton to enjoy the 2 inches of snow (or so) and had a great time!

Tyler's 30th Birthday: I surprised Tyler with a trip for his 30th Birthday. I asked for his days off at work and church and we went to New York City for 4 days. There we met our friends Juan Carlos and Veronica . Tyler was so surprised! He had no clue about the trip and then even more surprised to see JC and Kena there! We had a wonderful time. It was hard to leave Lucas for the first time, but he was in great hands. He stayed with Jenny, Paul and Ella. I loved NYC! I can go back every year if we could!

Central Park

Brooklyn Bridge

Our friend Kena took these wonderful pictures at the Brooklyn Bridge; she is so talented that has won awards for her pictures. You can visit her awesome website VEMB Photography

Lucas's milestones: By now Lucas very mobile. He crawl (well... scoots!) pulls up on everything. He also has a walker which he loves and allows him to follow jack around the house. He also is "talking" a lot! Gahck (Jack) is probably his favorite word right now. Also, bah, and mamma. He said his first Spanish word: Agua (water) I am so proud! We are working on Daa-da. He makes a lot of funny noises too. He's such a little boy hitting everything together to make noise. Loves to be outside; specially the swings at the park. Lucas loves music; he starts dancing and I promise he sometimes sings!

He is 10 months old and 3 weeks. We are starting to think about his first birthday party... so bittersweet to me. The great thing is that he has many friends who's birthday are very close to his so I don't feel lonely about feeling sad that he's growing up. Our baby club is growing and so are our babies!

I will update again soon; lots to talk about and share.

After a few months w are back on!

2009-10-04T13:49:00.007-05:00

I now it has been a loooong time since I've updated the blog; I want to be better about it and I will try. Lucas is growing fast and getting more and more fun every day. I love looking into his eyes and see how he's exploring the world around him. He has been sleeping through the night for a few months now and we love it! He can now roll over from his belly to his back. We have also introduced solids; he loves oatmeal cereal, green beans, sweet potatoes, and carrots. We tried sweet peas but that didn't go too well... he gagged, threw up, and cried bloody murder... Needless to say we haven't tried it again; but we will.

I have gone back to work; I am working part time which is nice, but I do wish I could spend all day long with my baby boy. While I'm at work Lucas goes to Marcus Pointe Daycare. We are very happy with the place. The teachers are very sweet and experienced. After I pick him up we come home and hang out. Now, since the weather has cooled down we are jogging in the afternoons before dinner time. I think we both have a good while exercising.

I have taken a bunch of pictures of Lucas (as you can imagine) so I put a slide show together with pictures from birth to now. Just a few of them...

Enjoy it.... 'till next time!

Greetings from Costa Rica!

2009-07-14T19:08:00.003-05:00

I finally have some time to get online and check emails... I have been so busy! My mom took some time off and went to the beach with her husband so I am left alone to care for Lucas and Victoria, my 1 year and 7 months old niece. Thank the Lord my dad took this week off of work and is helping me with Victoria. She is a wonderful, full of energy little girl.

Few things have happened that I want to write about, however, Lucas just woke up and I have to go now. I do want to post a picture of Victoria meeting Lucas for the first time. It was early in the morning and he was asleep but she could not wait to give him a kiss... too sweet.

1 month old later...

2009-06-23T19:22:00.006-05:00

So it has been a while since I update the blog and I know I keep saying that I'll be better about it but the truth is my days go by so fast and I feel like I'm so busy that I just forgot. It's funny that I feel so tired at the end of the day and all I do is care for a 7 week old all day and night.

Lucas is now 7 and 1/2 weeks old; he is growing very fast (13 lbs) and everyday a little bit cuter... ok, maybe I see it that way cause he's my son. He is a very good baby; stays in his crib even when he's awake and loves loves loves his swing. He can sleep in that swing for hours! He loves to look at the ducks on top and "talk" to them. He is very much into paying attention at his surroundings and smiles when we talk to him. I just love that smile so I figure I'd share it with you guys here in the blog's main picture.

Our daily routine is pretty much the same everyday and I have enjoyed having my mom here. She has been a wonderful help...specially the first few weeks and then when I got sick. Yes, I got sick and it was bad; I got mastitis which is an infection in the breast when you're breastfeeding. It's all flu-like symptoms plus really bad pain in one breast. I had 102 temperature and could not even hold Lucas since the pain went all the way down my arm. Tyler and my mom were a huge help; my mom even cared for Lucas one night so I could get a whole night of sleep. Like that was not bad enough I got mastitis a second time about 2 weeks ago. Apparently when you get it once it's very likely you get it again. TMI??? Sorry!

The good news is that Lucas and I are going to Costa Rica!!!! YAY!! I am so excited! My dad could not wait to meet his grandson so he's paying for our tickets to go down there the whole month of July! GLORY!!!! I was able to push back my return-to-work-date and my mom and I are flying together on July 07. I am a bit nervous about flying back with him; mainly cause I have to come back by myself. Also, I don't know how he'll do in the plain. I hope he's as good as he's at home; but you never know... Babies are full of surprises! Besides that, I am super excited cause my aunt and family from California will be in CR as well and we are going to have all kinds of family get-togethers.

I want to take Lucas to get some pictures taken at a studio and take my niece Victoria to take a picture with him and give it as a present to my parents... they would love that! My sister cannot wait to hold sweet Lucas and even mentioned "trading babies" for a little while hahaha she's so funny! I think now that she has a toddler she misses the baby stage.

Sine I mentioned that Lucas loves to smile, here is a video so you can see him and smile with him. I will take a bunch of pictures while in CR and share the best ones once we get back.

I have to say that I love motherhood! It's not easy, it's very tiring, and it's something new every day; but I won't change it for anything. Some days I feel like I got nothing done around the house and that my day went by and at 4pm I haven't even shower... But then I think about my sweet Lucas and how he takes all of my energy and time, and how it all goes away when I see him smile or sleep like an angel.

By the way!! Now that I said sleep like an angel; my sweet little angel is now sleeping 6 hours at night. It is SO NICE! It's a big step; the first week he was waking up every hour or so to eat; then every 2 or 3 hours that that was nice; then 4 hours and that was even nicer! But 6 hours?! Whooo hoooo!!! The first night I freaked out; I got up and checked that he was breathing; it scared me to death; but there he was snoring. The only down side to that is that he wakes up starving and therefore screaming his head off. But he eats and goes right back to sleep... I love that little boy!!

We have to see the pediatrician and get shots before we leave the country. I am so NOT looking forward to that appointment. It's going to be very bad for me to see him cry in pain; I'll have to write about that then.

Oh! There's my cue!! I hear crying!! 'Till next time...

...And Baby Makes Three!

2009-05-29T08:47:00.004-05:00

I know it has been a month or so since I updated the blog and a lot has happened. The most important event: Lucas Tyler Kepner is here!!! He was born via emergency C-Section on May 1st at 5:10 pm; weighed 8 lbs 6.4 oz and was 20 3/4" long.

About the delivery... since Lucas decided to hang out in mommy's belly up until my due date we decided to induce labor on May 1st. I was always told that he was a big baby so I really did not want to go past my due date. I was admitted to Sacred Heart Hospital at midnight on Friday; at about 1 am I was set up in a room with an IV, full hospital gown, oxygen, and ice chips. Tyler and my mom were there to support me but at this time we all decided to sleep. At 3:00 am my water broke (yes, on its own) so I thought this was going to be a nice and quick process. Oh the wishful thinking! After that, things started progressing pretty fast except for Lucas not dropping where he needed to be so I could push him out. I believe it was around noon time when I was finally 10 cm dilated and the contractions were so close together that it seemed like one big contraction that never stopped and I was ready to push him out! Well, Lucas was not ready; he was too comfy in there and was not any lower than what he was 6 hours before. At that moment We knew we had to sit and wait on the baby for a bit longer so I decided to call in for the epidural! After that I was able to rest and sleep for a little while.

Finally the nurse decided to let me push and see if baby had moved down; so I did. I pushed for about an hour and nothing! Then I rested some more and at about 3:30 pm started to push again with not much happening. The doctor finally made it to my room at about 4:00 pm and by this time I was worried that Lucas had been there for 13 hours without the amniotic fluid; also if I pushed some more and his head does come out - what about his shoulders? Are they going to "fit"? Also, I was exhausted; I did not have a drop of energy left in me. To make matters worse; I had nothing to eat since dinner the night before and ice chips were not doing it for me anymore. The doctor offer to use the forceps or "the vacuum" to help the baby come out. At this time I knew he was not coming out; something in me just felt it; I had been pushing for a total of 1 hour and 45 min approximately and he hadn't come out! I DID NOT want to use the "help" so I asked for a C-Section. Very quickly they prepared me for surgery and after signing some paper work I was on my way to the O.R.

Being in the OR was surreal - it was a totally different experience. I guess cause I had never been in an OR before I could not help but looking around and try to figure out what they were going to do to me. However, I had a bad case of "the shakes"... Oh yes! I was shaking uncontrollably. It was pretty bad; my arms would shake so bad that kind of freak Tyler out. Everybody kept asking me if I was cold but I wasn't. They kept bringing warm blankets -which was nice- but nothing helped. Finally Tyler was able to come in and the surgery started. It was weird to lay there knowing they are cutting you open and getting the baby out and not feeling anything. Tyler was watching the whole thing - he was fascinated with the process. He also took some pretty graphic pictures when only the head was out, baby out, etc. He also got to cut the umbilical cord and was able to see the cleaning process.

After surgery the doctor gave me some kind of drug to stop the shakes which made me very drowsy -let's just say that I was not making sense and speaking to Tyler in Spanish- I felt asleep and woke up in the recovery room where my mom was waiting on me. Tyler's family had the chance of meeting Lucas right after he was born. Even before they saw me they were able to meet him; They were all there waiting to meet him... Mom, Jenny and Ella had been there since the morning so I am sure they were super excited that he finally arrived!

We stayed in the hospital until Monday at 11:00 am. I was so ready to be back at home and eat some good food. You have to understand that I was on a liquid diet for two days at the hospital and it was getting very old very quick! We got home and my mom had made a delicious chicken and vegetable soup (unlike the broth I was having at the hospital). The first few days of recovery were hard. I needed help for everything. Could not get up or down by myself; could not sit or stand without help; and the list goes on. Tyler took a week off of work and that was very helpful. He would get up at night and change Lucas then handed him to me so I could feed him.

Lucas is now 4 weeks old! Crazy fast!!! he is a very healthy baby boy. We are very happy and everyday we learn something new. He eats a lot and very often so I feel like that's all I do in my day. We thank our Lord Jesus everyday for the blessing Lucas is in our lives and the lives of our families. Here are few pictures now so you can enjoy him...

40 Weeks and still waiting

2009-04-30T11:09:00.003-05:00

So here we are at 40 weeks and we are still waiting to meet our sweet baby Lucas. What can I say? Being uncomfortable is now part of my daily life and the fact that everyday I wake up expecting contraction is driving me crazy. I mean, who wakes up or goes to sleep praying for contractions?!?!

We went to see the doctor yesterday and she asked me what I wanted to do. I am not a fan of keeping the baby in my belly any longer that the established time. Here is the thing; in the last 2 ultrasounds (28 and 35 weeks) Lucas' gestational age has been 2 weeks ahead of his time. Meaning he measured 30 and 37 respectively when he was only 28 and 35 weeks. I don't want him to be "overdone" lol! So, after much thought and consideration we decided on inducing labor on Friday, May 1st. We will be "checking in" at Sacred Heart Hospital at midnight and sometime that morning start having contractions...and hopefully later on have a baby. I know it can be a slow process and I have been trying to get myself ready.

Tyler and my mom will be with me the whole time and then as soon as things start moving forward we will be making the call to Tyler's family. Once baby arrives then they (Tyler and family) will be calling and texting our long list of people. We are very excited about finally meeting sweet Lucas and about calling you and letting you know. Please be praying for us.

We are hoping for a natural delivery... don't get me wrong; if medication is needed it will be requested soon; I think what I mean is that I would like to avoid the C-Section. HOWEVER, if that's what God has planned for us and the doctor recommends it then bring it on! Lucas seems to be a big baby but since I am not "narrow" then is hard to tell if he's going to "fit." In fact, we won't know until we try it. We are as ready as we can be - although I don't know if you can ever be completely ready - but I do know that I cannot wait to hold Lucas in my harms.

OK, so that's all I got for now... we will be blogging soon hopefully with baby pictures. Thank you all for your prayers.

Let the fun begin....

These are a few of my favorite things...

2009-04-21T10:50:00.002-05:00

Since I've been home "nesting" since last week I've had time to think back on my pregnancy experience. Now that I am in the "home stretch" it is hard to imagine a time when I was pregnant and had energy, and these last few days have been very rough on me. However, I really cannot complain about a month or so of pain and discomfort given the fact that I never had any other pregnancy symptoms. I have been thinking about things that I've really enjoyed while being pregnant and decided I'd share with you. Here they are not in a particular order:

1. Feeling my baby move: YES!! I love to feel sweet baby Lucas move and kick. Especially at the beginning when it was very new and exciting every time. Now it is very cool to see my belly take a certain shape and know exactly where my baby is. At times he gets ninja on me and kicks the air out of my lungs, or gets in my ribcage, or punches my bladder; but all in all it has to be one of my favorite feelings. You just stay still and feel that baby move and think wow!!! God really is creating a baby inside me... cool!!!

2. Food: Everything has a much reacher flavor. It's like all of the sudden everything is super yummy (or not good at all). I have been eating very normal as far as no crazy cravings, no 2:00 am run to the store, etc. Actually, there is nothing that I am eating now that I was not eating when I wasn't pregnant or viceversa. However, everything tastes a lot better; I guess I want to say that I enjoy food a little bit more than before... and you can probably tell by the roundness of my face and body... which leads me to point #3.

3. Pregnancy is a great excuse to eat what you want: I've been trying not to go crazy with food. However, everytime I want to eat something people say "enjoy it while you can" or " you are pregnant; you can eat what you want!" and that sort of thing. So I have! hahaha I don't eat mountains of stuff but I eat what I want to eat just not as much as I want to eat. I mean, I have to lose all this weight after the baby so a few more pounds won't kill me! lol!! I just don't feel ashamed of eating what I want when I want... and that is an awesome feeling!

4. Foot massages: Let me just tell you that my husband has been great about rubbing my feet when I am tired or if I had a long day. This last month of pregnancy has been hard on my feet. I have little narrow feet that have to hold all the extra weight. Also, this last month is when I've noticed my feet swelling more and more often. It is a great excuse to get to feet rubbed and massaged few times a week without having to pay for a pedicure. I love it!! I also love how accommodating everyone is around you; and how my husband is always trying to make sure I am comfy. "Is you back okay? Do you need your wedge pillow? Put you feet up? It's cold in here but are you hot? I'll get it so you don't have to get up" are just a few of the daily questions in our house. I love love love the way Tyler has stepped up to the plate and help me beyond what I expected.

5. People's reactions: I just love how people react so differently about a big pregnancy belly. Some people can't help it and HAVE to touch it; which does not bother me one bit. Other people talk to the belly and greet the baby. Others touch it with one finger like is going to bite them or something, I even had a baby leaning forward and kissing my belly (ok, that was a bit weird but funny) LIke I've said before, people in Latin America have no problem being touchy anyways (in a good way) we greet by kissing and hugging each other so when you are pregnant this is very common. Here in the US of A people ask you if they can touch your belly to make sure that's okay (and probably avoid a law suit hahaha) I know there are people who don't like it and that is personal preference. I also read a great quote in a magazine that says "when you are pregnant people think you are public property"...and it's true! Everyone comments about your belly, how big or little you are. The oh so common "girl! you are about to pop!" or the usual "anyday now" when you are only 7 months pregnant, and I can go on and on about this issue. Anyways, you gotta love people!... or NOT! hahaha

So, that is a small list of some of my favorite things while pregnant. I could give you a list of my not so favorite things but who wants to read about that, right! So; I would like to know what were/are a few of your favorite things while you were/are pregnant. Come on! I know you want to share!!!!

More Updates!

2009-04-12T22:19:00.007-05:00

We are now 37 1/2 weeks and I have a lot to share with you...

First let me back up and tell you about the awesome Baby Shower that Christi, Jen, Jaime, and Tobi hosted for me. We had a great time and I got a bunch of cute presents. We played some games and had some good food. I really enjoyed the time to spend with friends and family. Here are a few pictures of the shower:

Also, we were very much surprised by the awesome Music MInistry of our church (OBC). We normally go to choir practice on Wednesday nights; however this past Wednesday we were going to skip because I am no longer singing in choir and Tyler is taking a break from it (Yes, even Praise Team). Leo -our music minister- called Tyler and asked him to please show up for choir cause him and his wife had a present for us... or something other. We felt like we could not say no so we showed up. Well, Jenny and Paul had asked us to go to eat with them and we did so we were a little late to choir (all part of the plan I learned later) When we showed up for choir we were very surprised. The choir sang "Happy Bottom Wiping to You" (to the tune of Hapy B-day) and had bags and boxes of diapers... many many many diapers and baby wipes! It was the best present they could have given us. We are so thankful and blessed to have such an awesome choir family at church.

After all that excitement we had our Dr.'s appointment on Friday and got more great news. Our sweet Lucas is doing great and looks wonderful. We had an ultrasound and were able to see him. After many different measurements taking the machine calculated an estimated weight of 7 lbs 15 oz... The Dr.'s exact words were: WOW! You have a big baby inside there." HIs " Gestational Age was 39 wks 1 day... That Friday I was 37 wks 1 day so yes he is big and we are praying that he does NOT wait until April 30th to come out!

On that same note; my mom is flying in from Costa Rica on Monday, April 13th, so I am ready to have this baby anytime after that! LOL! So yes, my mom is coming to town and I cannot wait to see her! She is going to be such a great help to me; and just knowing that she will be here tomorrow makes me feel better already. I have been so tired and uncomfortable... my mom has already helped my sister during her pregnancy so she knows exactly what to do.

On a separate note... we had a little scared on Saturday. We were running errands getting last minute things ready (like blinds in the baby's room, and other shopping) and at about 10:30am I told Tyler that I had not felt Lucas move since I woke up. He normally moves a good bit after I have breakfast; but I thought maybe he was just being a sleepy head and didn't think much of it. Well... we ran errands and I was being very aware of any movement and nothing. We had lunch and I had a coke for the sugar/caffeine intake and still nothing. We came back home so I could lay down and maybe see if we felt the baby. We shook my belly; talk to Lucas, called his name, tap two coins against my belly, put on some loud music and nothing, He would not move. I'd read some on this subject but could not remember it all so I got online and started researching in different websites about it. A found out that a healthy baby has to move at least 10 times in a 2 hour period; if not then the next thing every website tell you to do is "Call your doctor IMMEDIATELY." I called the doctor and got a call back within 2 minutes; she asked me: Have you eaten? I said, Yes. "Try to lay down and talk to the baby, even shake your belly a little" I said, I've been doing that for 30 minutes now. "Drink something with sugar" I said, I had a coke for lunch. Doctor's final words: "I need you to go to the hospital right now to be monitored." I can't lie, I was very scared and worried; I was just praying and in silence... I was not talking (and if you know me that is not normal.) We got to the Triage at the hospital and they asked me the same stuff the doctor did and in 5 minutes had me in a hospital gown hooked to two different monitors. The moment the nurse put the monitor in my belly we were able to hear baby's heartbeat loud and clear... I was finally able to breath at peace and so did the nurse. We stayed there and the baby was monitored for about 40 minutes. TYler was there with me the whole time and he was a great support; he held my hand the whole time and we just sat there listening to Lucas' heartbeat without saying a word for a little while.

Now I have to do daily "kick counts" and drink plenty of fluids until my next appointment on Friday morning. I keep thanking God for his mercy and protection over us and our sweet Lucas. We are now very near to the end of this journey and ready to start trying the whole parenting thing hahaha. I want to thank each and everyone of you who have prayed for us and our baby. We can't wait to meet him and for you to meet him as well!

Getting closer... and bigger!

2009-04-01T22:48:00.002-05:00

Can I just start by saying that whenever I think I cannot get any more uncomfortable... you guesses it! I get even more uncomfortable. I am now 36 weeks pregnant and I am not even going to tell you how much I weight but it's a lot! I can tell you that my belly is now 49" round and sweet baby Lucas is quickly running out of room. Sometimes I fear that he is going to kick his way out of my belly any day now.

I am still working full time; which is not too bad and at least it keeps my mind busy. I don't think I could stay home just waiting for "something to happen"... it'd drive me insane!!! I am planning on staying home sometime in the middle of April and just nest. My mom will be here on the 13th and I can't wait to spend some quality time with her and just let her take care of me. I sure hope Lucas waits for his Abuela to get here before he does; I've always imagined the birth of my first child with my husband on one side and my mom on the other.

Lucas' room is now ready and just waiting for him... my only worry (as far as preparations) is that Tyler and I have not decided on a diaper bag. Can you believe it?! He does not want anything "that looks like a purse" and I don't want a "daddy diaper bag" cause they are not very cute. Maybe something like a tote would work for both but we have not found one that we can both agree on. My mission is to find one by the end of this week so I can get it ready. We are also open to suggestions if you have one.

We went to see the doctor this past Tuesday and she said that everything looks great. She also said that I am 1 centimeter dilated but baby has not dropped enough... however that can happen any day... Or I can be walking around on 1 cm for weeks! We have to go next Friday (04/10) for our next appointment and also an ultrasound. The doctor will be measuring the baby and get an estimated weight. We can hardly wait to see him make sure everything looks good. We are now seeing the doctor every week until the baby is born.

Symptoms this week: Heartburn after pretty much every meal; sleepless nights - I believe this is God's way to get us ready for what's coming. Also, I have to pee a lot; I believe my bladder has little room so I have to go more often. Tiredness, very tired at the end of the day especially; it takes a lot of energy to get up and down and move around. I get very hungry at times but I also get full fast; this probably due to the fact that my stomach is crowded in a corner with little or no place to expand. I also get hot very often and at night (maybe from all the tossing and turning) which means our house is a freezer and Tyler walks around in sweat pants and a sweater... he does not complain though; I guess he knows better hahahaha.

Speaking of tired... I am now going to bed to try to sleep. I toss and turn and when I am finally asleep I have to change positions which means that I wake up then I realize that I am hot and throw all the covers at Tyler (who is covered up to his neck)... after that I have to get up and pee and then start all over again; by the time I've done this a few times is 6:30 am and I have to get ready to go to work... ugh!

I'll be blogging again pretty soon - I have to tell you all about my baby shower and post pictures. 'Till then please pray I don't go crazy or in labor before my mamma gets here. LOL!

33 down... 7 more to go!

2009-03-14T22:17:00.005-05:00

So here we are at 33 weeks pregnant and things have been moving right along... and slow! Last time we saw sweet Lucas he was 26 weeks old and very handsome. We had our 4D ultrasound while in Costa Rica and we loved every second of it. We can see a dimple on his chin just like his daddy. Ever since that ultrasound we have been asking ourselves daily "I wonder what Lucas looks like?" The color of his skin and hair. His size, his smiles, his cries, etc. I can't wait to hold him and kiss his big cheeks. However, every day that goes by I wonder if I am ready... I mean, can I really DO this??? And by " this" I mean everything from the long and uncomfortable last few weeks, to the painful contractions, to the probably long process of childbirth. After that, then I have to care and provide for this little baby, make sure he is okay, has enough to eat, etc, etc, etc... Okay, so maybe I am freaking out a little too much; but all this thought go through my head all at once and I have to vent somewhere... what better way than with you guys.

Moving on... I went today to the Mom2Mom sale with Jenny and Christi. It was a bit crazy, but a lot of fun. I bought a bunch of cute little baby clothes for my sweet Lucas for really good prices. Today, Saturday, was the last day of the sale so everything was half price. The most I spent on one outfit was $5. After that, I came home and Tyler was working on installing a closet organizer in the baby's closet so I sat down to catch up on my baby books reading and felt asleep... it was such a great nap!! When I finally woke up we ran some errands and then when we came home Tyler had the great idea of assembling our stroller. We got the stuff out of the box and put it together; it was very easy... the base for the car seat is in my car ready and waiting for us to have to run to the hospital.

As you read; we are slowly getting ready for the arrival of our sweet baby boy... I bought my mom's plane ticket today... God willing she will arrive in Pensacola on April 12 and stay here for two and half months; and hopefully Lucas will wait for her to get here before he does! I still have to wash all of the clothes I have for baby and decide where everything is going in his room. In the meanwhile I am practicing with our own laundry which seems to pile up and never go down... maybe I am just not doing it as often as I should... Oh well!

We have started Lamaze class (or Child birthing as they call it.) We have class every Tuesday from 6 to 8 pm. So far we have learned some breathing techniques and watch a very detailed video of a natural child birth. I would like to have my baby without pain medication; HOWEVER, I am fully aware of the fact that I don't take pain very well. So, we are very much open to options. I have watch the video and signed the release papers for the epidural or any kind of other anesthetics. To be honest; the epidural video scared me a little, but I also know that doctors do it everyday. I am just praying for every minute of labor from beginning to end.

So far I am doing well, I get very tired at the end of the day. I move very slow and have to be constantly changing positions when I am sitting or laying down. My belly is pretty big; and just when I think that I can't get any bigger and heavier then I have to go to the doctor so she can tell me how much weight I have gained and how many centimeters my belly has grown. Like I said before, I have officially 7 more weeks to go. Lucas is very active and kicking like he wants out sooner. We both think he is going to be here a few days before April 30 (EDD) which would be nice.

And to end on a happy note; here is the picture of Lucas' ultrasound. I have to take and post pictures of my daily growing belly; so expect those soon.

Costa Rica... Part II

2009-02-20T17:18:00.007-06:00

Ok, I'm back with more from our trip to Costa Rica since last time I only covered one day. This will go much faster, I promise. Before that I wanted to leave you with the video of when we sang Happy Birthday to my dad....so here it is:

After all the partying on Saturday we left to go to Manzanillo beach in Limon (about 2 hours from the border with Panama in the Caribbean.) We were very excited about this trip with my mom and her husband. Tyler had never been in that part of the country and it had been about 12 years since the last time I was there. We got there at about 4:30pm and it was a bit cloudy but still nice so we took some pictures of the place and waited until the next day to enjoy the amenities. On Monday we got up to an even cloudier day but still got ready and went to the beach. We had been there for about 5 minutes when it started raining. We decided to hang out at the beach and get wet with the rain cause we were planning on getting in the water anyways. We thought the rain would pass and we could enjoy the beach. WRONG!!!! The rain didn't stop... for 3 whole days the rain did not stop!! That MOnday we still walked to a high point for the nice view... it was pouring down rain and muddy but we still made it. Here are pictures of that day... the only day at the beach we took pictures. You can tell it's a beautiful place when is sunny.

Tyler in the rain

By Tuesday afternoon we were so bored that we decided to go check out the border with Panama. All we had been doing for 1 and 1/2 days was eating, playing ping pong, and listening to the rain. We were excited to be doing something else. Let me just tell you that border towns and never pretty and you can't judge a country

At the Costa Rica - Panama Border

Moving on... Wednesday we had planned to return. My mom and her husband were planning on staying until Friday but the rain was so bad that they decided to go back with us. We packed up and drove for about 2.5 hours when we came up to a bunch of cars lined up in a complete stop at the side of the road. We figured we'd pull over like everyone else and get out to see what was going on. Since it had rained for the past 3 days straight and it was still raining up in the mountain the Banano River had flooded. The only highway to get back home was completely flooded - only large trucks and SUVs could go through. We ended up waiting for 3 hours for the water to recede. Finally, after almost deciding to turn back - we, instead, decided to brave the water and go through. We were so nervous treading trough that murky water, we thought the car was going to stall at any moment. When we reached the other side, we were so relieved. But we were more relieved later when we found out that we were lucky to be able to go through when we did. If we had turned around and gone back - we would have been stuck there for at least a week! Wow, how God watches out for His children!

Whew!!! So that's been our week until Wednesday night so far. I will post pictures of our 4D ultrasound on the next post!!

Update... Part I

2009-02-14T10:24:00.012-06:00

Hello my friends... I know it has been a long time since I blogged and I am sorry. I really need to be better about it. So let's see... where do we start?? After Lucas Tyler's room got painted (by Tyler and his mom) we moved in the furniture. Also hung some pictures and even his name. It is finally looking more like " the nursery." We are so excited... everyday a bit more. I flip from excited to scared to am I ready for this adventure? But then I calm down and thank the Lord for our precious child. So here is a picture of the baby's room so far.

The idea of having the room as ready as we could by mid-January was because we had planned a trip to Costa Rica on Jan. 30th. There my sister and my mom had planned a Baby Shower for us with the whole family. So that's my next update... Our trip to Costa Rica. We arrived there late Friday night... said hello to my mom, dad, sister, and niece and went to bed. The next day got up early and went to the Farmer's Market... nothing like you'd see here. They set up their booths on Friday late night/Saturday early morning and for about 5 blocks you have people yelling at you to try their fruit or buy their veggies... it was a cool and different experience. After that we headed to Fotos Anna Studio; there we had an appointment for our "Pretty Pregnancy Pictures" (that's what I like to call them). The lady took several pictures and was very nice... she put some make-up on me and then I had to work the camera. So here is the product of that morning... I must tell you that this pictures were NOT digital so I had to scan and post them. Here they are:

Sorry about the "nudity" but I thought they were very tastefully done ;-) So we had a busy Saturday since that afternoon was the Baby Shower... we had about 70 people between family ad friends (mostly family). After that we went ahead and celebrated my dad's 50th birthday... Needless to say that we partied for about 7 hours. we had a great time! Got to see everybody all at once. I've never had so many hands and kisses on my belly in one day. I thought it was going to bother me but it was kind of fun to see how people always have something to say while rubbing your belly. Many leaned over and talked to Lucas; many kissed "him"; many hugs... I am just glad I did not wear a white shirt!! It is funny to me how cultures are different; here in the USA we are so private and in touch with " my space"... in Latin America they don't even ask you if they can touch your belly... they just do! They hug it and kiss it and even ask you to lift your shirt so they can see it! hahahahaha

My sister had planned some awesome games for the baby shower... You may have heard or played the game where you melt a piece of chocolate in a diaper and then people have to taste it and find out what type of chocolate it is... here is a twist! How about you melt the chocolate in the diaper, hide 2 pieces of party favors in the chocolate, and then put the daiper in a chair and make the game about finding the items with only your mouth (hands behind your back!!!!) Yes... that is exactly what Tyler and my dad had to play! It was so funny!!! I'll let you see it for yourself!

We played more games and had great food! Later on we transitioned to my dad's 50th birthday celebration. We had a piNata, cake, and CARNIVAL!!!! It was so fun! We danced and laughed and danced some more. We sang happy birthday A-la-Costa Rican and ate some cake!! After that Tyler and I opened the presents we received for Lucas and oh! they were all so precious!! I love the little pajamas and outfits; he even got his first pair of soccer cleats! We are very thankful to all the family and friends who are already loving on our baby boy.

So... that's the summary of our first day in Costa Rica...I am sorry it was so long but I promise that was just the summary!! I am know going to leave you with the video of Happy B-day Frank and a few pictures of the BAby shower. I will post again soon... you don't want to miss the rest of our adventure...

My mom guessing the size of my belly

Tyler and his baby diaper after the chocolate game

My sister explaining the next game

The cake my sister and cousin baked for the Baby Shower

A painting my cousin pained for the nursery

Opening more presents

Happy 50th Birthday daddy!!

My dad and sister dancing during Carnival time!

Tyler and I during the carnival

I'm It!!!!

2009-01-18T20:04:00.003-06:00

I was tagged by Christi so here it is...

This is our baby on Dec. 3, 2008 - I was 19 weeks pregnant and that day we found out that we are having a boy. Speaking of the baby; we have decided to name him Lucas Tyler Kepner... we really like the name regardless of our families' distaste.

Here are the instructions:

Go to the place where you store all of your pictures on your computer
and open up the 4th folder.
Open the 4th picture.
Post the picture and give an explanation.
Tag 4 people

I tag Jenny, Martha, Tobi, and Liz

More pictures and updates on Lucas are coming soon!!

Random Thoughts

2008-12-28T17:04:00.003-06:00

HI! So I know it's been a little while but we've been a little busy around here. First of all, I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. We had a great time with the Kepner (and Thompson) family. Tyler and I did not exchange presents because we bought a MacBook a few months ago and that was our Christmas to each other. Tyler did give me a perfume I've wanted for a while and I gave him my "upgrade" so he could get the iPhone hahaha.
Besides Christmas we've been busy cleaning and emptying Peanut's room. We took a lot of stuff out that we had in the closet and other places. The room was nice and empty so we could paint. We are thinking a nice light green. Well... I said it was empty because my in-laws showed up with a beautiful white chest of drawers last weekend; then today they delivered some of the baby stuff we inherit from our niece Ella; and we move the changing table from the garage to the bedroom to visualize set ups and spacing. We are getting really excited about the baby's room and all the stuff in it; decoration, furniture, clothes, and all the other things that come with it.
I am happy to tell you that we have also narrowed down our baby name list to 2 names... YES!!! Two names that we both like. Soon we can ask Christi to monogram some cute stuff from her store P3 Well, I guess I've gone from Christmas to baby... sorry. I am just so excited about getting ready for our baby.
As we get ready to end this year I stop and think about how it feels like it was just yesterday that we were in Costa Rica spending Christmas with my family and a few days at the beach talking about the year to come and what to expect. If we only knew that we would be pregnant with a little boy!!! Now we just thank God for His blessings and mercies for the year 2008. Got us thru some rough times but also brought us some great times. We have grown closer to HIm and as a couple and it really was something we needed. I can't wait to find out what's in store for 2009 with Peanut in the picture. We were talking about how weird it's going to be to say " this is my son" or be called mommy and daddy...I pray that God leads us to the right path, His path and that we are smart enough to follow.
Now that I have talked about a little bit of everything... sorry again... I'm going to go and leave you with some pictures from Christmas. I hope everyone has a Happy New Year and many blessing to your family from mine.

This is us at Jenny and Paul's house on Christmas Eve

Me showing off the belly on Dec. 23th.

Halfway there!!!

2008-12-12T09:23:00.003-06:00

WOW!!! I can't believe we are 20 weeks pregnant already! It seems like few weeks ago that I took the pregnancy test and I could not believe my eyes when I saw a positive. As you may already know, we are having a boy and we are very excited! I have picked out a few things I want for the nursery and we are trying to clear out the "office" so it can become the baby's room.

One of our biggest issues right now is trying to pick out Peanut's name. We have a top 5; however, Tyler's top 5 is a bit different than my top 5 so it's more like a top 8 hahahaha. We need names that both families can pronounce and that go well with our last name. Also, we are going to register our child as a Costa Rican citizen so Peanut will have Kepner Mendoza as last names... yes, we keep both father's and mother's last names. We are reading Baby Names books but haven't found "the one."

Even though Peanut has no name yet; we are very excited about picking the color for the room and decoration. We bought a wonderful crib and changing table; we also have been lucky to get our niece's (Ella) baby stuff like a rocking chair, pack-n-play, high chair, and many other things that we will find out about when we get them from my mother-in-law's house.

Since I haven't taken any pictures that really show my belly, I wanted to post this little picture (from babycenter.com) that let's me know each week the progress of our little one and what he "look like this week."

We will have a busy January getting Peanut's room ready as much as we can. We are flying to Costa Rica in February and need to leave with as much done as possible. My mom is going to throw us a big baby shower while we are down there. We are also going to the beach for a few days... gotta love summer in February! It will be a nice time with my family.

So, that's the update for now... I promise I will take some pictures of the belly soon and post them. I hope everyone is having a great time getting ready for Christmas and remember the real meaning of this time.

Much Love,

Susie (& Peanut)

It's a baby boy!!!!!

2008-12-04T20:47:00.004-06:00

We are very excited to announce that we are expecting a baby boy!! We are so thankful, we feel so undeservedly blessed, and can't stop thanking the Lord for such a gift in our lives. I can't find the words to express how we feel right now... so I won't try. I'll leave you with the pictures and I'll come back to this subject... trust me; there will be a lot more on Peanut/Baby Kepner.

The Beat

2008-11-06T22:51:00.004-06:00

So this is Tyler's first entry to the Kepner's blog. I figured it was time to give it a go. I feel as if I'm entering a whole new world of internet communication (maybe I'm behind the times). Yesterday, Susie and I went to the 4th appointment for her and the baby. This was a very simple check up to make sure things are progressing as expected, with the exception of one very important discovery: we heard our baby's heart beat for the very first time! It was amazing, I kept trying to imagine what that would feel like, what emotion I might experience - and, of course, I was way off. The moment the doctor placed the instrument to Susie's tummy, we heard this incredibly rapid beat. As if the baby had run a marathon or something. Absolutely amazing. So far this journey of pregnancy has revealed to me just how indescribable God's creation really is. I've always been captured by God's infinite wisdom, power, and presence - but yesterday was something completely new for me and Susie. This tiny little being inside her is a gift from God we will never take for granted.
In a time when this country has redefined the beginning of life and, through courts of law, decided that women have a "right" to take that life - I, as a father-to-be, stand amazed at this perfect gift from God, captivated by the precious audible sign of life. This post comes a few days after the election of Barack Obama, arguably the most liberal law maker in our country's short existence. This man has pledged to bring about even more liberal laws permitting partial-birth abortions within his first acts as commander in chief. There's only one question I would ask him on this issue if I had the chance: "Mr. President-elect, are you glad your mother chose NOT to abort you"? To which he might respond with some classy, yet meaningless quip. However, I would venture to say that the thought has never crossed his mind. I didn't mean to get off subject - but I do want to point out that, as Christians, we have rights we may lose if we are not careful. Pray for this country...everyday, pray that God's hand of protection will continue to be upon His people. I know God has a plan for this nation as we move forward. But if we are not careful, we may just lose the right to voice our opinion on these matters. God bless you and yours and may God bless America!

GO 'NOLES!!!!!!

2008-11-02T19:14:00.008-06:00

On October 25th we went to the FSU vs. Virginia Tech game in Tallahassee and had a blast! We had great seats next to the marching band; they day was perfect and so was the company. Here are few pictures from that day.

Last week we spent some time with our friends Matt & Martha (and their little Maegan); they are on the way from Texas to North Carolina so they stopped by for one night only visit. We wished they could stay longer but know we'll just have to go vsit them. Here is our picture before they left:

I'll be posting soon after our Dr's appointment on Wednesday. ' Till then...

Update!!

2008-10-30T08:58:00.007-05:00

Hello all!!

I know it's been a while but I can finally update you on what's going on in our lives... Wow! It feels like forever since I last posted; also it feels like I have so much to say but not really LOL!!
So, my dad came to visit us in September; we picked him up in Atlanta and drove to Durham, NC to see my aunt and uncle. We had a great time with them! We didn't do much but hang out; I think that was the nice thing about that trip. Here is a picture of us eating outside after a cookout...

The last day, right before we left, they gave us a sweet present. It's our baby's first outfit. It's for Christmas next year and is conveniently green in case baby is a girl we can girly it up with a red or pink top and a cute pair of shoes ;-) So here it is a picture too..

After leaving NC we went to Atlanta to watch the Braves play the Phillies; which turned out kind of cool now that they won the World Series. We had a great time. This was my dad's first MLB game so he was very excited taking pictures of everything. We came back to Pensacola and spent a few days at the beach; it was nice and warm and the water at a perfect temperature. My daddy sadly left two weeks later but we really enjoyed his visit.

We are now 15 weeks pregnant and I've been feeling sooooo tired and with no energy whatsoever. I never got morning sickness (Praise the Lord!) but I spent a lot of time sleeping. It really felt weird because that's very unlike me. I'm normally running around and finding things to do but not the past few weeks. I felt asleep in the couch EVERY time we sat down to watch tv, I was going to bed early and almost falling asleep at work (LOL!. Also I've been VERY hungry. Not like "I think I'll have a snack" kind of hungry but STARVING hungry; every 2 to 3 hours I just want to eat whatever is in front of me. I had to go to the store and we went to the Farmer's Market and got a bunch of fruit, yogurt, cheese, and others so I can snack freely.

Since this past weekend I feel a lot better... more like myself. I have more energy and I still get hungry but it's not so bad. I think is 'cause I'm now on that 2nd trimester (Thank you Jesus!!) Finally cleaned the house like it needed it to be. Tyler has been such a great help; he has let me sleep when I need to and has been really good about quick and not so good meals. This past Tuesday he got home with bags of groceries and cooked for me... Yes, you read it right Tyler COOKED!! He made Fettuccine Alfredo from scratch. It was so delicious! He's just great... He helped cleaned the bathrooms and pick up around the house. I'm so thankful :-)

We have our next Dr's appointment on Nov. 5th. We'll get to hear the heartbeat and make sure that our little "Peanut" is growing healthy. I know he's growing cause my clothes let me know... shopping anyone?! So I promise I'll be posting next week with new updates on baby and ultrasound pictures.

That's all for now... I will have to post pictures of our trip to Tallahassee this past weekend for the football game. Here is a picture we took about two weeks ago at a friend's wedding at the Pensacola Yatch Club. 'Till next time...

TAGGED!!!

2008-10-08T16:29:00.003-05:00

This post is something different; my sister-in-law tagged me on this fun game. 10 of my Husband's Favorite Things. So here it goes...

1. His Saviour - My husband Tyler loves God; this is actually one of the things that attracted me the most to him. I love to see him worship every Sunday with that beautiful voice the Lord has given him.

2. Me/Us - Our relationship has gone through some pretty rough times, and yet we have always managed, with God's help, to keep going and stay strong. Now that we are expecting I just love how he puts his hand on my belly and says "I love you and our little peanut." I like it when he says that I look super cute or that he loves my smile (braces and all hahaha)

3. FSU - Even though he did not go to FSU (his dad did) he loves the Seminoles. He sits and watches the games and screams at the t.v "go baby go!!" or "get that ball!!" he honestly thinks the players can hear him. I think he likes football in general cause he can pretty much watch any game at any time. I do love watching him scream at the tv hahaha

4. 24 - That men looooooooves that show!! To the point of obsession... but that's all I'm going to say about that.

5. Toys - This includes the PS3, the bike, the truck, the riding lawn mower... you get the picture. He can spend ours with any of the listed above.

6. New Adventures - Tyler loves to travel and see new places. He loved Costa Rica when he went the first time. We also went in December 07 and the list of things we wanted to do was to big to accomplish but we did go canopying (zip lines), white water rafting, to the rainforest, waterfalls, and others. He also loves theme parks like I do and tries all the rides with me.

7. Seafood - Specially shrimp; but he loves other stuff like crawfish, crab, mahi-mahi, lobster, etc etc etc. Thanks to him I have tried and liked few things.

8. TV - I know I mentioned 24 earlier but that show is a whole category on its own. Tyler also loves to watch other shows as Prison Break, Lost, Without a Trace, and many more. We watch tv together and normally try to figure out the shows.

9. Singing - This should probably go as #3 0r #4 but Tyler loves and enjoys singing. I know he would do it more often if he had more time. He sang for me in our wedding (sniff!) and he sings for me all the time.

10. Family - This is last but no least! Tyler is very family oriented. He knows I am very close to my family and respects that; but we also enjoy spending time with his family. The weekends we try to see my sister-in-law, her husband and our niece. Almost every Sunday we go to his parents' house for lunch. I love that about him...he is always open to spend time with family.

Okay, that's 10 of my husband's favorite things... and I have to say that I love ALL that about him. Now I tag Martha, Tobi, Christy, and Liz... you're it!!

FREE PURSE!!!

2008-10-03T12:08:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone... Just a quick post here. Enter to Handbagplanet.com and enter to win a free purse!!! I did and if I win it I will post a picture here. Good luck to you and let me know if you got a free purse hahaha.

OH BABY!!!

2008-09-08T08:59:00.004-05:00

We are very happy to announce that we are expecting our first child!!! We've been praying about this moment since we got married asking God for timing and direction...He has answered our prayers. Let me just warned you that this is going to be a weird post; there are a lot of things in my head that come out all at once so please bear with me... I know that by now most of you know about our pregnancy but I've been so busy that just now I have the time to write about.
It all started on August 25th; I was late for a week on my period (TMI sorry)but had refused to take a pregnancy test with the fear it was going to be negative... all day at work I was thinking " What if I am pregnant?!... What if I'm not?" so I left work right at 5 and stopped at the Dollar store for 2 pregnancy test... I got home and thought I would test in the morning since it's probably going to be better... as I was fixing something to eat before I went to Bible Study I just could not stop walking around the house like crazy and thinking about the two pregnancy tests I had in my purse. Finally I just got up and went to the bathroom and tested... waited, waited, waited, but after 1 minute I could not wait anymore and HAD to stare at the test (like that was going to affect the result) by then the + sign started to show up and I could not believe it... I waited the three minutes and it was still there "The blue + sign"... Oh my God... Lord, is it true?!, Is this a joke? I am going to be mad if it is... then I could only fall on my knees and pray and thank God for His gift. I had to get out of the house say bye to Tyler (he was outside cutting the grass) and leave before he could see it in my face. I was running late for Bible Study so I just waived bye to him. The whole time at Bible Study I was in La-la land... could not stop thinking if the test was really positive or if it was wrong and I should not be so cheap and buy the test somewhere else but at the Dollar store. Once I got home I took the second test and it was also positive... I knew I had to tell Tyler at that moment or he would know something was up just by looking at me. I put both POSITIVE pregnancy test with the "If your test is positive" instructions from the box on his nightstand and on top of that a note that said: "Guess what?!" I sat in the bed and pretended to be reading a magazine (really I was just keeping my head down until he found the note) He finally saw the note and asked what was that about... Then he picked it up and looked at me in disbelieve and proceeded to say: "ARE YOU SEROIUS?!" as I answered: "Now you know as much as I know... You're going to be a daddy!!" We were so happy and could hardly believe it.
At that moment we decided not to tell anyone until his family knew; we were going to see them for lunch on Sunday so it was perfect. Sunday came around and my sister-in-law and her family could not make it for lunch so it we had to wait an extra week and keep our secret. It was so hard to keep the good news a secret that we called my family in Costa Rica and told them the news. Finally Sunday lunch arrived and we had made cards for each member of the family to tell them our Baby news... It was a very special time and everyone was happy for us followed by a "Finally!!" I guess they had been waiting a while for our baby LOL!
I am now 9 weeks into the pregnancy and have had no signs of morning sickness, which I am very thankfull for; however, I've been feeling very hungry and very tired lately. I am not complaining, believe me! I rather sleep all day than throw up hahaha. We went for our first appointment last week and we got our first picture of Baby Kepner (or Peanut as we call him/her now) the doctor said everything looked great; the baby is in good shape and size and we have nothing to worry about. I guess this is where I should tell you I had some spotting early in the pregnancy and I was freaking out about it; but now I feel a lot better and haven't had any spotting since my 6th week.
As you can imagine I will be posting on the pregnancy subject for the next few months trying to keep everyone informed. Sorry again for taking so long to post the good news... And now I'll leave you with Peanut's first picture. S/he is the one between the two + signs.

New and Impproved

2008-08-26T10:54:00.002-05:00

Hello there! I know it's been a little while since I posted last but we've been kind of busy around the house with home improvements.
We are very excited that we finally got the carpet replaced in the three bedrooms... It looks so nice and we are very happy with it. We re-arranged some of the furniture so it looks like we just moved in LOL. Yay for new carpet!!!
Here it comes the big project... ready?! OK, here it goes... We are re-finishing our kitchen cabinets. Yes, WE as an Tyler and I. It is something that we've been thinking about since we moved in. We don't want (can't) spend $7000 on new cabinets so we are doing it ourselves. It is not as much hard work as it is time consuming, we have only done 4 doors... but we haven't been working on them as much as we should be. Our deadline is September 10Th because my dad is coming to visit from Costa Rica on Sept. 13Th. We're trying to get everything ready.
As I mentioned, my daddy is coming to Pensacola to visit from my homeland Costa Rica. We are very very excited that he finally gets to visit us. We are planning on spending a few days with our family in North Carolina and Birmingham; we are also going to a baseball game in Atlanta (Go Braves!). I can't wait to take my dad to the beach, downtown, church, and places we like to just hang out.
That's what we've been up to these days. Home improvements and getting ready for a family visit. Hopefully I will post again soon with pictures of our trip to NC and with my dad in town. Please pray for Tyler as he prepares to spend two weeks with his father-in-law hahahaha

'Till then...

Cool stuff to share

2008-08-06T12:12:00.004-05:00

Hello there!!!
This is a quick post cause I just want to share with you some really cute and cool stuff that some friends of mine have going on. I know we all like to give unique stuff for b-day presents, baby showers, or just because presents. So here are a few ideas you and your "present-receiver" will definitely enjoy.
First, I have to tell you about my sister-in-law... she is very creative and came up with this cool idea for hair bows. Her website is the Ella Bella Bowtique Check it out and get you some super cute bows...
Now I have to tell you about his new website called The Prissy Pink Polka Dot by Christy Tyner "Where all your prissy dreams come true!" I got two luggage tags from P3 and they are the cutest most unique tags I'd ever seen. I love the way they stand out in my suitcase and the fact that no one has one like it.
Anyways, like I said these two websites are awesome and feature great presents for you or a loved one. Check 'em out and let me know what you got!

Jack vs. The Ball

2008-07-15T10:06:00.004-05:00

Many people have asked how Jack is doing after the dog attack and if he's back to normal. We really appreciate your concern. Thank God our Jack is back to normal, just being himself jumping around, barking at people he sees from the window and playing with his stuffed animal Pedro. Recently we had to clear out the closet in one of our bedrooms ("the office") due to a problem with the A/C. Once I got everything out Jack had to sniff everything (he's very nosey) and then he found it... "The Ball." It's my exercise ball that I had stored in that closet; Jack loves to play with the soccer ball, but this is much bigger; he was so curious about it that one night we heard him in the bedroom barking and making weird noises... I called him and he stayed in the room so I went looking for him. He was trying to get the ball so bad and he just could not get it under control (like he does with the soccer ball).

He gets frustrated with the fact that the ball bounces back at him and "attacks" him so he makes all kinds of noises and does his best to bite it...but he can't. We let him play with the ball for a little while but then he gets really really loud and we can't stand it, so we put the ball back in the bedroom and close the door. For the next 10 to 15 minutes he stays at the door trying to get it open. He's so cute that we had to get him on video... So here it is: Jack vs. The Ball

4th of July

2008-07-07T15:06:00.003-05:00

Hello to All!!! Hope everyone had a good long weekend and happy 4th of July. We had a great time with family during this holiday. First we went to P&J's house for an "All American" lunch. Burgers, home-made ice cream, chips, dip, fruit, lots of good desserts. After lunch we played Buzzword; this was such a fun game to play with the family. We laughed and laughed and laughed... At around 6:30 we went downtown for a picnic and fireworks. I loved the fireworks; they seems to come up with something better every year.

Saturday we went to the farmer's market downtown and bought some fresh (and cheap) veggies... also a plant and 1/4 lb of fudge... that was the best part hahaha. We also had brunch at the Coffee Cup and ran some errands in the afternoon. We had a great time just hanging out and not doing anything particularly especial. Sunday we went to church and then to lunch at the in-laws' house where we again had lots of food and dessert.

Over all it was a great weekend full of good food, and great company. Hopefully next year I can celebrate this holiday as a US citizen... I have decided I am going to apply for citizenship next month and since it takes the government 6 months to approve (or deny) then I'll have plenty of time to think about it. (I'll post detail of the application later)

I have nothing against this country; it's just not the place I grew up in, not my native language, not my flag, not many other things. However, it is where I live now, where I work, have a house, and most importantly it is where my husband is from; his land, flag, people, language, etc.

"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." (Gen. 2:24) This is a great country, a place where we have decided to live our lives and have our family. Unless we hear from God that He wants us to move, here is where we are going to grow old 'till death do us apart.

There are test I have to take to become a citizen, but nothing too crazy or that I haven't done before. I'll keep you posted with my "Becoming a Citizen" Adventure... for now, we are thankful for this country and its people. We also pray for the upcoming election and the future of this country that sets an example for the other countries in the world. If you can vote, please do so... you have no right to complain unless you vote.

This is all for now... here is a picture of the two of us downtown... not very good but the only one we took.

Viva Las Vegas!!

2008-05-28T20:26:00.010-05:00

Yes, you guessed it... we went to Las Vegas for Memorial Day Weekend. Our friends Juan Carlos and Veronica live there and they invited us so we decided to accept their invitation and fly across country for the first time. We left Friday 23 and got back Tuesday 27. We had a great time... it was so awesome to see our friends, who we hadn't seen in 3 years. Since we got there Friday night, our friends picked us up at the airport and we went for a drive to the Strip... it was very overwhelming to see all the lights and the tons of people walking around. Traffic was terrible, and crazy people everywhere.

Saturday we got up had breakfast and it was out to the strip... we visited the Wynn, The Palazzo, and the The Venetian. We took our time and saw everything, walked around the casinos, the shops (awesome shops by the way) and had lunch at the San Marcos Plaza followed by a Gondola ride. These three casinos were awesome and actually I decided that The Venetian was my favorite of all of them. We also went to a show Saturday night at the MGM called KA by Cirque Du Soleil.. very cool show - highly recommend it if you're visiting Las Vegas.

Sunday we had a late start since we were kind of tired from all the Saturday activities; so we made it for an early lunch at an awesome French restaurant in Paris Casino... we walked around the Casino and also took pictures at the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe. We also went to The MGM Mirage, Caesars Palace and Bellagio.., Obviously saw the Fountain Show and it was soooo much better than in T.V. We had some awesome food at different restaurants in these hotels as well...

Monday was our last day to enjoy Vegas so we got up early, and went to the New York, M&M Store/Factory, Las Vegas Sign, The Stratosphere, Luxor, Excalibur, and back to the house for some homemade pasta by chef J.C. Kvedaras... He makes an awesome Carbonara for which Tyler got the recipe so I am excited about having a nice meal prepared by my husband. There is some other stuff that I left out, like the fact that I played video poker (only played $1) and won $26, we played a little Craps, Roulette, Texas Hold 'em, and others but no big or crazy amounts spent... our theme was "just for fun"... and that's how we kept it fun, cool, and cheap haha.

I recorded a video of the Bellagio Fountains... That show is really awesome! I took the video with my picture camera so excuse the lack of good quality. You can check out the rest (all) of our pictures... just click here.

Hope everyone had a great Memorial Day Weekend...

Dog Attack...

2008-05-09T15:02:00.005-05:00

So it's been a few weeks since I posted a new entry and I finally have the time to just sit down and write. First of all, April 27was our 5th year Wedding Anniversary. We had a nice dinner at the Melting Pot and exchange presents... Our big present to each other was a riding lawn mower; weird, I know! But now everyone in our house is happy; Tyler gets the yard done quicker and I am happy the grass is nice and short. We also decided to have a $20 budget for each other's presents to see what we could come up with... We are NOT the crafty type but ended up with really cute ideas. I made Tyler a wooden organizer for his cell, iPod, glasses, wallet, etc. He made me a picture frame in a purse shape which also works as a box to put things inside... hard to explain.

Now to the subject that has kept us busy, sad, and worried for the two week. Our dog, Jack, was attacked by the neighbors dog last Friday. I was getting ready to go to work, at around 7:30am, and let Jack out to "get busy" in the back yard, OUR fenced backyard. Jack is a pretty territorial type of dog and to prove it he goes #1 against the fence's boards on each side there's a dog next door. He knows there are big dogs at the other side so he pees and runs. Well, no such a luck this last time. I was standing at the back door watching him and called him to come inside when he was peeing against the fence when all of the sudden I saw in trying to pull back from the fence (like his leg got caught) and crying so I started running towards him when I saw him being pulled to the other side of the fence from underneath by the German Shepperd from next door.

Jack is a 13 pound miniature Schnauzer, when the other dog got him from OUR side of the fence unto his side one of the board of the fence fell on the ground and I was able to look into the neighbors back yard where I could hear Jack screaming, and saw the GS bite Jack and wouldn't stop. At that point the neighbors came out and tried few times to get the dog away from Jack but he kept coming back, until Jack fell in the pool and figured out that was the only place where he was safe and stayed at the pool step. I asked the neighbor if I could go around to get Jack out of the pool; run inside grabbed a towel and went to get jack out of the pool. Every time I tried to touch him he would scream cause something hurt; I finally put the towel under him and picked him up that way. He was shaking and bleeding so I rushed him to the Animal Hospital.

When I got to the hospital the doctor told me that he was going to wait until Jack came out of his "shock" and then check on him. He didn't say if Jack was going to make it; he just told me to leave my phone number and he would call me with updates. At around 10:00 am the doctor called me and told me they were not very successful checking all the injuries cause jack was STILL in shock and tried to bite them when they tried to touch the injuries. Then he said that one of the wounds was so deep that punctured a whole on Jack's stomach and he had to have surgery by the afternoon... still not saying if Jack was going to make it. "We'll do our best", he said. To make matters worse the dog bite had moved one of Jack's kidneys to his back and part of the surgery was to put the kidney back in its place and hope it all worked out.

Long story and lots of details... Jack was in ICU for three days with lots of pain killers and drugs to avoid infections all with an I.V as well as food and water. He finally came home Monday and it was really sad to see him walk around sleeping all the time and just not being himself. Here is a picture of jack when we went to see him at the hospital after his surgery... poor little guys was so druged that his tongue was sticking out and there was a puddle of drool under his face.

Thank God that Jack is doing a lot better now; he's home still taking antibiotics and pain killers depending on the day. We are now in "talks" with the neighbor who's dog attacked Jack. He doesn't feel like the attack was his fault because many dumb reason like: "dogs are dogs", "my dog thought your dog was a squirrel", "your dog came into my property", and others. We'll probably taking him to the Small Claims Court to get him to pay for the vet bill. I'll update on this issue as we progress... We have to take Jack to the Vet Wednesday to have the 15 staples on his belly removed. I have the feeling it won't be an easy task.

No pain, No gain...

2008-04-16T13:21:00.003-05:00

"Forsus™ : When the lower jaw is retrusive (back) relative to the upper jaw we sometimes use an appliance called the Forsus appliance to encourage jaw growth by positioning the lower jaw forward." This "appliance" is what I got installed in my mouth this morning after a visit to my Orthodontist. But that's not all... I got a "stiffer" (stronger, bigger) wire on my upper teeth and everything was tighten up. It was an hour appointment and they used every minute of it adjusting, changing, and adding stuff. Right now I feel pretty good, I have no pain and besides the uncomfortable springs in my mouth I'm surprisingly painless. However, that does not mean anything because the doctor guaranteed pain tonight and in the days to come. I'm just glad he didn't make me use a head-gear cause I would've just ask him to remove the braces and be done with it. I have to wear the Forsus for six months and I can't take them off by myself... so I'm stuck! Hopefully after all the pain and discomfort my jaw will move to normal position and the doctor will remove my braces... that would be sooooo nice!!

This weekend my sister in law and family will be moving to their new house which I am really excited about because is only 3 miles from our house. The idea is to get bicycles and ride to their house but we'll see how that actually works out. We'll be able to see them more and hopefully spend time with Ella (our niece). Hopefully the weather will stay nice and clear!!

'till next time...

Happy Birthday to me

2008-04-02T10:53:00.004-05:00

I was born April 1st, 1982... no joke. April's Fool baby, I know; however, it is not April Fools day in Costa Rica and that's where I was born *lol*. I had a wonderful day on my birthday; my sweet husband gave me a beautiful Calla Lily planter which I thought was pretty original instead of the usual flower arragnment.

I had to work all day, but no major issues with customers and a few of them even called me to wish me a happy birthday. The cool thing about a birthday is that gives your friends a good reason to call you. I got a bunch of calls and text messages from friends and family. My dad just could not wait and was the first one to call at 6:30am (5:30am Costa Rican time).

Last Sunday we celebrated with the family here and i got some pretty cool presents... the funniest birthday comment was made by my niece, Ella, she said "Tia (aunt in Spanish), we got you a purse because you have too many shoes" Guilty as charged! It was a gorgeous day on Sunday so we ate outside at the back porch in my in-laws' house.

Tyler gave me my "big present" yesterday and I love it! A pair of Ray Ban sunglasses I've been wanting for the past few months... Of course today is foggy and cloudy so I haven't been able to wear them. He also gave me a dress that I had tried on few weeks ago and decided not to buy because that day I was looking for an Easter dress.. so he actually remembered and went back to the store and got it for me... in the right size. Gotta love him!!!

So, I'm excited about this year and what the big 2-6 will bring. I can hardly believe I'm 26 years old... I met Tyler when I was almost 19 and we've been married almost 5 years!!! Where has time gone so fast?!

Here is a picture of what my sunglasses look like and my Calla Lily... I wish everyone an awesome birthday day whenever that is.

This weekend we are going to a Hockey game for the Ice Pilots and I am looking forward to it. Although I know nothing about this sport I like the fights and the stuff that's going on during the game. I also love me a good pretzel and cheese *lol* I'll be posting pictures next week.

Hope everyone has a great week and weekend.

Blessings,

Susi

Spring Fever!!!

2008-03-17T09:42:00.002-05:00

Beautiful day today in Pensacola, Fl... it just makes you want to get out there and do some gardening or planting or something! We have a big front and back yard which need a LOT of help... The idea of getting out there and plant sounds great, but actually doing it requires a lot of effort in our part. As Spring starts to show its colors I can't help but wonder What is this year going to be like? Many times I find myself thinking about the future and what's in store; however, this year is different, is like I am waiting on something to happen; but, is it going to happen? will it be this year? No secret for anybody the economy in this country is going down hill, gas prices in the rising, the news every morning with bad reports, and to top all that Election Year... don't we ever get a break? These thoughts have been in my head since early last week, and my mind is so busy with some serious non-stop thinking about the future that I forget this is Easter Week (or as called in Latin America: Holy Week).

As I spent my morning at church yesterday I start feeling in my heart what I've known all along but decided to ignore: I have no control over the future. Really, when I say I am leaving something in God's hands... am I really doing it? Or, am I constantly trying to help God? Like he doesn't know what exactly it is that I need. Who am I to think for a second that God can possibly need my help or my guidance on what I need/want? After all, we are talking about the "person" who gave ALL in order to give ME a better future. Does that really make sense? I mean, would you give your ONLY son/daughter to save humanity? HE DID... and yet, we forget... so many times, for so many reasons we forget.

I pray this Easter is different in my life; that I can truly see and understand that GOD IS IN CONTROL. He always has been, even when His Son was hanging on the cross He knew that was what it needed to be done so we would have everlasting life. Like the song "Who Can Satisfy" says :

"Who can satisfy my soul like you
Who on earth can comfort me
And love me like You do
Who could ever be more faithful and true
I will trust in You
I will trust in You my God"

I am done!!! I am done waiting, worrying, thinking, and "helping". I don't want to worry about the future and forget about the present and the wonderful things God is doing in my life. After all, if something great does happen this year it will be because that's how God planned it and surely not because of me.

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34 (New International Version)

New beginnings...

2008-03-02T15:32:00.004-06:00

For those of you who don't know how we became a "two worlds, one family" couple here is a little summary of our lives.

I moved to the US from Costa Rica back in January 2001 to learn English as a Second Language and tutor a 10 year old boy Spanish. The family I lived with attended the same church as Tyler and his family. After a few Sundays going to that big church (you have to understand that in Latin America protestat -Christian- churches are small in size and Catholic churches are big buildings and cathedrals) I was brave enough to try out a Sunday School class. Of course I was very nervous and scared cause I did not speak English and the idea of making new friends whom I could not communicate with simply terrified me. That Sunday I visited the "College Kids Class" "Singles" and whatever else you may call it, you know what I mean. When I got inside the classromm they were a few people there who introduced themselves and tried to make converssation (to the day I have no idea what they were saying or asking) and then was Tyler, who inmediatly shook my hand and realized I was the person he had been waiting for all of his life... ok, maybe that's not exactly what happened but he did introduced himself and asked me where I was from and that was about all the English I knew so the conversation ended there. After that the class agreed on a Friday " midnight bowling" the upcoming weekend; Tyler asked me if I wanted to go and I replied "what does bowling mean?" (insert you own latino accent here). He tried to explained it and I move my head like I knew exactly what he was saying but I had no idea until I got home and looked it up in my Spanish/English dictionary.

Yes, we did go bowling, and we had a good time. After that he kept inviting me out, we met for lunch, he showed up after my English class and we hung out and "talked" as much as we could since I was still learning English. The part I meant to say earlier is that I was only going to be here for that one year and then go home to continue my sophmore year in college and my "normal life." Well, you see that's what happens when you have plans for your life and God has something very different for you and you don't realize it until you move 2000 miles away from home and fall in love with an All American white boy. By then, it was the end of 2001 when I was supposed to go back home but things had changed. I applied to UWF to continue my Bachelor in International Studies and was able to transfer 44 credit hours from the National University of Costa Rica where I had started in 2000. By then Tyler and I had been dating for about 6 months and I had to go back home to tell my daddy that while abroad studying I had found a really nice christian boy who I had been practicing my new language skills with. Of course he was not very happy but didn't think too much of it since it wasn't the first time I had " found someone."

I started school in the summer of 2002 and by then Tyler and I had gotten pretty serious on our conversations, plans for future, had a couple of fights (It's hard to be mad in English!! lol), and lots and lots of time together getting to know each other. We agreed that the best thing was for him to go to CR to meet my family and even asked my dad for my hand in marriage -for whenever that may happen- so we did... In December 2002 Tyler flew down to CR to meet the Mendozas and wans't ready for the culture shock that was! I was very nervous of Tyler meeting my dad; I am the oldest of 3 sisters and if you think for one second my dad was going to be nice to this guys just because I really liked him you're wrong. Thankfully my mom had already prepared my dad with the words no father wants to hear "Frank, I think he might be the one, so please be nice." Tyler and I talked about the trip and I asked him if he had any intention to propose to me while in Costa Rica; he replied -and I quote- "no way I'm going to meet your dad, ask him for your hand in marriage, and propose to you all in ONE week. Your dad would kill me." So I was pleased with his answer, but of course he did the very same thing he said he wouldn't. My dad said yes and after trying to get back to the USA on January ' 03 my visa was denied by the US Embassy in CR (and that's what happens when you try to come to this country legally ha ha ha). We moved the wedding date, which was going to be in April 2004, to April that year. The new date, April 27th 2003, and I had 3 months to plan the wedding of my dreams. Tyler's family (mom, dad, sister & husband, and brother) flew down to CR on Friday for the wedding Sunday and flew back Monday morning. The wedding was perfect and we had a great time in our honeymoon but now, a week later, Tyler had to go back to Pensacola and I stayed in CR to wait for the paperwork to be able to enter the USA as Tyler's wife which did not happen until August 14, 2003.

If you ran the numbers, by now you know that I was in CR and Tyler in Pensacola for the 4 months of our engagement and the first 4 months of marriage. But if you look at the bright side of things, we really have two dates to celebrate every year: anniversary and reunite after 8 months day. After that we've been here in Pensacola and I've been back to CR without a problem about once or twice a year. Last year we spent Christmas with my family and had some time for ourselves at the beach too. It's been a crazy ride our marriage but I truly believe God had his reasons and it has made us a stronger couple. It really helps us not to take each other for granted but to work thru things one a the time as they come our way. My moms always told me since I was a little girl "Pray for your husband, ask God to bless him and his family cause you don't know where he might be." I really think God put this in my mom's heart to get me ready... "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh" Gen. 2:24

We have been married for 4 years and 10 months now and can't wait to find out what God has in store for us this year. Tyler is very busy working as an Insurance Agent at KeyInsurance and singing with his sister as "One Accord" and also at church (OBC). As for me, I am the International Sales Director at Oren International. We are both very happy in Pensacola love the fact that we are very close to one of our families. A lot will be said about our families in these posts and you'll get to " know" everyone. For now, this is all I got! Please check our pictures link to check out few of our " kodak moments."

---SU