What's been keeping me so busy?

Watch out Jillian Michaels...

You're going to have some competition!

So as Brad mentioned in a previous post, I'm studying to become a Certified Personal Trainer. Don't worry, I'll probably be a little nicer than Jillian:). What is motivating me to do this all of the sudden? Well I got a job at a new gym that will be opening in Twin Falls the beginning of February. It's not a regular gym. It's only open for circuit training classes. My bosses (two ladies) already have one up and running in Sun Valley and now they are opening one in Twin Falls and Los Angeles. I found out about this opportunity from my friend in my ward who will be managing the gym and teaching some of the classes. So, in October, I went to Sun Valley for a couple of workouts and interviews and I got hired! The first step in the process is to become a certified personal trainer, which they are paying for (thankfully!). I also need to make it to at least one workout in Sun Valley per week until the gym opens in Twin in February (starting next week). Then in February, I'll train with Angela (my fitness guru boss) for a couple of hours every day, learning how she wants things to be done. I'll also need to get in at least two of "the workouts" each week from then on. I'm hoping that by the beginning of March I can start running my own classes. They said I will probably be teaching about 4-5 classes per week. It kind of depends on the demand. The classes are basically intense circuit training using different bands, machines, balls, weights, steps, etc. Everyone rotates through the different exercises. Their goal is to have about a dozen people to each class. Angela has come up with about 30 different total body workouts. My job, as I understand it, will be to set up the equipment and stations for the workouts, make sure everyone's doing the exercises correctly during the workouts, telling them when to rotate and what comes next, and taking down the equipment. Each class will take me about 2--2.5 hours total.

I've been keeping busy trying to fit in at least few hours of studying each day. I've found that I have to be really disciplined with my time in order to keep up with this, my workouts, the housework, the cooking, church stuff and most importantly taking care of Landon. I will be putting in a lot of hours between now and March, but I really feel like it will pay off. I will get a lot of free training and once I do start to teach the classes, the pay is more than I could have hoped for. Brad has been very supportive of me in this endeavor. If it wasn't for his encouragement I probably would have quit already (I don't like stress). Brad's schedule is pretty flexible so we probably won't have to get a sitter for Landon too often. We feel like this will be a good thing for our family. We could use the money and I've always had an interest in this type of thing so it seems like too good of an opportunity to pass up. Wish me luck because I'm going to need it to pass this test!

The other thing that has been keeping me busy is having surgery and recovering. As Brad mentioned, I had surgery to help correct my severe acid reflux (GERD) in the beginning of November. It was important for me to have this surgery sooner rather than later for a few reasons: 1) the ulcers on my esophagus have gotten worse over the last few years, resulting in some pain, 2) acid reflux can cause a condition called Barrett's Esophagus and I wanted to prevent that from happening down the road, and 3) the constant acid was causing damage to my vocal cords and inflammation in the surrounding tissues, despite medication. The surgery is called Nissen Fundoplication. Basically, the surgeon took the top part of my stomach and made a new lower esophageal sphincter to keep food and acid from splashing up and burning my esophagus and throat. My own lower esophageal sphincter had been almost nonfunctioning for years. I've recovered really well and I'm back to a regular diet. I had the surgery done in Idaho Falls (by the same surgeon that did this for my dad) so my mom was able to help me with Landon during the recovery. I couldn't have done this without her help! We're actually in Idaho Falls right now because I had my last follow-up appointment today. The surgeon said I'm healing up well and I can start working out more rigorously. It's been so nice to not have to take acid reflux medicine. I only wish I would have done this sooner! I'm trying not to dwell on regret. One plus to having it done now is it was free since I met my deductible with having a c-section and I have 100% coverage after the deductible. Anyway, I've been struggling with acid reflux since I was a young girl and I've tried about everything under the sun to try to fix it. I've tried different drinks, heavy medication, all kinds of dietary changes, seen all kinds of doctors, energy kinesiology, ignoring it, supplements, elevating the head of my bed...you name it I've tried it. So now after all these years of dealing with this issue, you can only imagine how relieved I am to be done with it for good (I hope!). So far so good.

My biggest frustration with this issue is the effect that it has had on my vocal cords. The acid has caused some real damage and my voice has slowly deteriorated over the years. Many tears have been shed over this. I used to love to sing, but by the time I finished high school, it was so frustrating because my voice was so undependable (it was also from allergies, but I've got that under control now with allergy shots). I've kind of given up on singing too much, because I've been unhappy with my damaged voice and it has hurt to sing. So now I'm hoping that my vocal cords might heal up enough that singing will become easy once again. I had pretty much given up on what had been my passion and pushed it out of my life, and now I'm hoping to be able to open up that door again. I need to be patient and give my voice time to heal. But I'm feeling hope and that's something I've been wanting for a long time.

So basically, I spent September going to doctors and having several tests done to make sure I was a good candidate for this surgery. Then I spent October storing up 5 days worth of breastmilk for Landon. Then I spent November healing from surgery. It was worth every minute. I can already tell my throat is feeling better. I have a lot of faith that this surgery will last my lifetime. If you have made it this far, sorry for bombarding you with so much personal stuff. But it feels good to get it out. So thanks for reading.

To add to the list, Brad and I are speaking in church on Sunday. If any of you have any great ideas on family traditions that remind us of Christ at Christmastime, I'd love to hear them. That's what my talk is on. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Thanksgiving Fun!

For Thanksgiving we traveled to Smithfield, Utah to spend time with Brad's family. Most of Tammy's family was there so they all got to meet Landon. It was a short visit, but we had a nice time. Of course lots of great food, thanks to Tammy. My favorite was the homemade cranberry sauce. So good! Here are a few pics from the day:

Our little family

Landon with his Great Grandpa Wagstaff

Landon with his Great Aunt Terilyn

Landon snuggling up with Aunt Allison

What a jolly little fellow!

Landon is 4 months old!!!

Our sweet little Landon turned 4 months old yesterday. I'm not sure how it's possible, but he just gets sweeter every day! He really is such a good baby. Most of the time he only cries if he is overtired or if he is hungry. I'm finding that it is very empowering as a mother when you start to figure out what the different cries mean and what he needs. The first couple of months I kept finding myself puzzled. The last couple of months have gotten easier with reading his cues. He nurses really well (sometimes he's a sleepyhead) and he's a great napper. I sometimes have to wake him up from a nap to feed him during the day. As for the night time sleep, it's hit or miss, which is okay at this point. Sometimes he wakes up a few times at night, sometimes not at all. On average I feed him 1-2 times per night and he goes right back to bed. Yes, I am tired. But most new moms are, right!? I've read several books (Babywise; Baby Whisperer; Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child; What to Expect...; Baby Center...; don't worry I only bought a couple, I make good use of the library) and I've applied what I like from them. I'm trying to figure out a good routine for him and I find this all very interesting (and a little confusing at times) so I have another couple of books on the way. I'll let you know if they are good resources.

Anyway, I just love being a mom to this little guy. He really does make my life seem more complete. His smile warms my heart and being with him helps me focus on the present because I want to cherish every minute with him! Brad and I can't imagine our lives without him.

Landon had his 4 month check-up on Monday. Here are the stats:

* Height: 24 3/4 inch (50th %)
* Weight: 14 lbs 5 oz (50th %)
* Head Circumference: ? (25th %)

What he can do:

• sit in his Bumbo for up to 10 minutes
• lift his head during tummy time
• let me know very clearly when he is ready to be done with tummy time:)
• bat at his toys on his activity mat
• entertain himself for a bit so mom can get some studying or cleaning done
• giggle with delight when we play patty-cake or peek-a-boo
• wriggle his way into the corner of his crib
• kick his legs the entire time I am changing his diaper or dressing him
• suck on his thumb or entire hand
• soothe himself to sleep (such a blessing!)
• stick his toys in his mouth
• make gurgling and growling sounds
• make mom fall head over heels for him with his sweet smile and big blue eyes

Here are a few pics I took today:

Our smiley boy
Big blue eyes
Everything in the mouth
His favorite toy...the activity mat from Grandma Roper

Treadmill, Finally

Shanna has wanted a treadmill for a long time. We finally decided to take the dive and buy one. We both did a ton of research on treadmills in our price range. We shopped and shopped until we dropped the money and bought one. We have loved it so far. It has been great for Shanna's surgery recovery and getting into shape for PTC(personal training certification). With it so cold out it is hard to run/walk outside and now with Landon it makes even more difficult. I have to admit that I have only walked on it a few times for maybe a few minutes. But in my defence I have already dropped 20+ pounds just from working since August. Not to say that that is the only reason to use a treadmill. Anyway here is a picture of our trusty treadmill.

Halloween Fun

With Shanna being so busy studying for her Personal Training Certification and taking care of Landon, I thought I would write a little on this cold snowy Sunday morning. We had a great Halloween together this year. We went to our church for a little neighborhood trunk-or-treat on the 30th, since Halloween was on a Sunday this year. Thanks to my job I have access to two big banana suits, so we decided to dress Landon as a monkey. He was the cuties monkey ever, as the pictures prove!

For actual Halloween I spent the night hanging out by myself. Shanna and Landon went on a little 2 week vacation/surgery and recovery. Shanna will have to tell you the name of the surgery because my brain doesn't register such large complex words :) But basically she had her acid reflux fixed. This was a planned surgery, since we had met our deductible we decided to go ahead and get this taken care of. It was a huge success. She shouldn't have to take any more reflux medications for the rest of her life. We found it interesting that they do this surgery for little kids now. When Shanna wanted to do this surgery as a young teenager they wouldn't let her. It's amazing how fast technology and medicine has change in just the past 10-15 years.

It is nice to have them home with me again as we go into this great time of year. I always love spending time with Shanna thinking about the past year and the many things we have been blessed with. This year we are especially grateful for Landon. As most parents would say about their kid, he is the best baby ever. We are also extremely grateful for my employment. It was a difficult move to make having a bachelors in mechanical engineering and taking a job in management but if given the chance again I would make the same decision. I have loved this job, it has given me so many skills that I would not possess had I not taken the job. I find myself being nicer to people at businesses. I always notice if I am welcomed into the store or not. I have met many people and talked to many people that I would not have had I not taken this job.

So as it snows outside in this beautiful little town I express gratitude for my family and this life we have been blessed with.

Family Pictures

About a week and a half ago, we got some family pictures taken and also some really cute shots of our sweet little Landon. We had my friend, Bethany Cook (Set in Time Photography), take the pictures. You can see more of her work here . She did a great job and we are very happy with how they turned out. He was a little fussy/sleepy during the family pictures so his eyes aren't open in any of those pics. That's just how it goes with an infant. He was really good, though. Here are some of my favorite pictures for your viewing pleasure!!!

Landon in his blessing suit--10 weeks old

2 Months Old

Landon had his 2 month checkup with his pediatrician yesterday. He is growing and developing well and he seems to be one healthy little boy. He does have cradle cap so the doctor gave us some instructions to help with that. I was wondering why his forehead was so dry! That explains it. He got some immunizations. I was so glad that Brad was there to hold Landon's arms during the shots. He's never screamed so loud! It broke my heart. Luckily his crying only lasted a minute. He did seem a little fussy later that evening and again this morning, but he seems to be okay. Here are his stats:

Height: 23.75 inches (75th-90th percentile)

Weight: 12 lb 5 oz (75th percentile)

Head Circumference: 15.25 inches (25th percentile--the dr. said this is okay because it's always been in the 25th percentile--guess he has a small head like his dad--this is no indicator of brain size of course:))

I finally caught his smile on camera! He's been giving us such cute facial expressions. And he gets his legs going so fast sometimes it's like he's riding a bicycle. I love it!

As a side note, we are all super excited for Julie and Ryan. Little Sophie Rose joined their family yesterday. Mom and baby are healthy and well. Sophie has super dark thick hair! I can't wait to get to I.F. to hold this precious bundle!

Landon's Blessing Day

Our sweet Landon was blessed in church on Sunday. It was a very nice blessing. I was relieved that he didn't fuss at all during the blessing. We really enjoyed spending the day with family. Thanks to all who came to be with us on this special day!

Brad and I had fun cooking together for the dinner. We made Cafe Rio style salads. I think it all turned out great. It's so nice to have a husband that can cook!

Here are a few pictures from the day. Landon has been smiling so cute for us, but for some reason he didn't smile much on Sunday so we couldn't capture his cute little smile on camera. Smile or no smile, he's still dang cute! My parents gave him this cute little blessing outfit. Unfortunately it didn't fit so well, but my amazing mother came to the rescue and altered it. It fit great and I love how it turned out. He did spit up pretty bad on the vest just before church, but that's just real life, right!? The cute little booties were made by our Aunt Becky.

He was going for the peaceful look. What a doll! I'll be taking him in for a photo shoot soon so expect more pics. We love our Landon!!!

5 weeks old!

Our sweet little Landon passed the 5 week mark yesterday. He's already survived his first cold. He sure seems to be a healthy and resilient little boy. He's just as sweet as can be and we've really been enjoying him. Don't get me wrong, he has his feisty moments and there are plenty of times when the only thing that will console him is being held. But that's to be expected, right? We are still feeling so blessed to have such a sweet little spirit in our home. Landon is weighing in at about 10.5 lbs. That means he's gained 2.5 lbs. since he was born. His next doctor visit is at 2 months, so then I'll have the official stats. Here are a bunch of recent pictures. There are so many because it is so hard to choose when they are all cute! As you can see he's filling out nicely.

Most of the time, he likes his swing:) If he's not in the mood, he lets me know it!

I'm keeping busy with housework, paying bills, appointments, running errands, taking care of the babe, and taking care of myself. I'm still feeling pretty sleep deprived. My mom came for a little while and then Brad's mom, Tammy, came for a few days. They were both so helpful and I can't imagine keeping up with everything without their help. Thanks to both of you!

Brad's still keeping busy managing Jamba Juice. So far the store seems to be doing quite well and Brad has learned a lot from the experience already.

We are liking it here in Twin Falls. The people in our ward have been friendly and helpful. We also have been enjoying our house, except for Landon's room. The whole house will be a comfortable temperature most of the time, while his room is either burning hot or freezing cold, depending on the time of day. Does anyone have any ideas in dealing with a poorly insulated room. We bought curtains that are meant to keep out some of the heat. Then for the early morning when it is cold I'm going to get a space heater with a thermostat. Any other ideas?

That's all for now! I'll try to post more regularly since I have such a cute subject for picture taking!

p.s. I chopped my hair off. It's an A-line bob. One of these days I'll take a picture when I'm looking halfway decent and post it:). Oh and I turned 26 this week. I had a nice and relaxed birthday.

The Arrival of Landon Bradley Roper

We are pleased to announce the birth of our son

Landon Bradley Roper

Born on Friday, July 30th, 2010

@ 5:25 am

Weight: 8 lbs

Height: 21 inches

He is the sweetest little boy and he has already brought so much joy into our lives.

Just after birth

After the doctor confirmed that my water was leaking and that I had excessive amniotic fluid.

Shortly after being induced on Wednesday, the 28th, around noon. Still smiling:) Don't worry, I did shed a few tears during my 42 hours of labor. Before I was induced I wasn't dilated or effaced at all, so we knew it would be a long labor. When it finally came time to start pushing after midnight Friday morning, I was really excited. Until my epidural ran out and I had to push for a few hours without it. The nurse had suggested not refilling it because she didn't think it would take that long to push Landon out since his head was so far down (it didn't end up being fast because he was face up). At least I got to have an epidural for about 6 hours of my labor to give me a rest. Plus I got to see what labor is like with or without an epidural. Of course without hurt worse, but I kind of liked being able to try different positions for pushing since my legs weren't numb. (I say that now, but I probably thought differently at the time when the nurse told me it was too late because my epidural had gotten tangled so she took it off). Well it turned out that Landon was face up and not budging. After having me try every position the nurses could think of for pushing, and the doctor trying a couple of different vacuums, and me pushing for over 4 hours, the doctor decided it was time to do a c-section. Of course right after he decided that I began having the most intense contractions of my whole labor and I was just screaming in excruciating pain. I was so so so relieved to get the spinal whatever they give to you for a c-section. When Landon was finally delivered Friday morning at 5:25, and I heard his sweet little cry, I just started bawling with relief that he was okay and that he was finally here. This was definitely the hardest thing I've ever done in my life, but also the most worthwhile. We feel so blessed that he is healthy and well and so so sweet!

Brad all ready for the c-section. He was so great all through the labor. He encouraged me the whole time and hardly ever left my side. I'm sure it was the most intense thing he's ever been through as well. Thanks for your help honey!

The proud and exhausted daddy holding our sweet little Landon shortly after birth

Resting up in the hospital

Chillin' with Daddy.

Brad's been super busy with the opening of the Jamba Juice store last Saturday. So far the store has been doing really well and Brad has enjoyed this new experience. But we haven't seen much of him. We're glad that the store is busy though!

Sweet face
Mad face!

Just hanging out

Bath time! He cries a little during the bath, but he is super relaxed when it's over.

We didn't have internet at our house until Landon was a week old and since then I've just been trying to find a chance to sit down and post. This little guy has been keeping me busy! Plus I've been taking care of some loose ends from moving and what not. But I've finally found the time and hopefully I'll be able to post more frequently once we get on an even keel. My sweet mom has been here helping me so I could have some time to rest and recover as well. She's been such good help! She was also great help during the labor. I've really needed her since Brad's been so busy with the store. She's leaving tomorrow morning and I hope I can keep up with things on my own. One day at a time, right!

Landon had his 10 day checkup on Monday and his jaundice was pretty much gone. He weighed 8 lbs. 10 oz. so he's already surpassed his birth weight. I'm glad he's getting enough to eat! We love Landon and we are so grateful to have this precious little boy in our home.