.TEAM BABY.

.CRAZIES.

We're getting closer, I can feel it!

A couple of months ago we had to go to a psychologist. We had to make sure we are not a bunch of crazies. I'm sure we passed only because she didn't see this gem.

Tyler and I went together one day and then Curtis and Kim the next. It's actually another protocol for being a gestational carrier. 

The psychologist just asked questions. Like hundreds of questions. Everything from "How many brother's do you have" to "do you hear voices that other's don't hear"?

Usually you go to a psychologist with your spouse because you need help with some problems. So it was so nice to go to let the Dr. know how happy we really are. And I think she could tell.

Tyler + Jamie

{06.15.02}

We made it! 10 years down.

.The Proposal.

I'm a control freak. And 10 years ago was no different. If I could have proposed to Tyler I would have. So I did design my own ring. I knew exactly what I wanted. Something simple. timeless. and emerald.

So with that being said. I knew I was going to marry Tyler. He didn't just bust out a ring one day and catch me off guard. Although I didn't know when he was going to pop the question, I did know he was going to. 

Let me set the stage. We still live in our separate basement apartments in Orem. Tyler is playing baseball for BYU. We had been dating for approximately 1 year.

One night Tyler takes me on a date. We went to eat at Carrabba's in Orem. At dinner he asked me if I knew what today was? I had no idea? He said it was exactly 1 year to the day we started dating. Wow! I am not that girl that knows those kind of things. He then pulls out a little box. Um........I was thinking in my head, are you seriously going to propose to me in a restaurant? I open the box and it was a pair of earrings. Tyler still to this day loves when I wear earrings. And I still never wear them. 

At this point I think something is up. He's acting weird. After dinner he said he needed to stop by the baseball field because he had forgotten something. Yah right, I thought. But when we got there he said to stay in the car and he'd be right back. What? No. I want to come. I had never been in the locker room and I wanted to see. So now I think he's stalling for something later. 

He gives me a tour of the locker room, we go to the Dabo locker and grab that thing (I can't remember what is was) that he needed to grab. Then he asked if I wanted to go out on the field? Sure! This was the BYU baseball field where I watched him play game after game. I wanted to see the stands from his point of view. He grabbed a couple of gloves and a ball and we headed out to the field. 

It was dark but I headed over to the pitchers mound and he went to home plate. I started pitching to him. Mocking him on how he looks when he does it. When he started walking back up to the pitchers mound all the lights popped on! What? Honestly I thought shoot, we're in trouble. But then Tyler got on one knee right there on the mound. He told me how much he loved me and asked if I would marry him. And there was my ring. He was holding the ring I had designed in my mind. It was perfect. 

Of course I said yes and we kissed. With the lights on I could now see his Coach and the Coach's wife in the commentary box. So sweet of them to be apart of our special day.

So in the end I was super surprised! Little punk, what if I would have stayed in the car?

10 years later and I am still in love with Tyler (and my ring).

.TEAM BABY.

{FAMILY FAST} is scheduled for tomorrow {SUNDAY}

Thanks for all the support.

Saint George

A perfect weekend to go to St. George is a weekend where the Friday is your 10 year Anniversary, the Saturday your baby turns ONE and the Sunday is Dad's Day. 


Because Tyler and I already celebrated our Anniversary St. Lucian style and we already celebrated Esther's Birthday here sailboat style. The weekend was dedicated to the kids and swimming. every.single.day.

(Drew's a freak. He does flips off the diving board but won't lose the floaties.)

 (Baby armpit fat is one of my favs.)

 (I love him.)

 (The best Dad there ever was.)

 (We had our family pictures taken. I'm so excited to see them.)

 (We wanted to show the kids where we got married 10 years ago to the day. The prettiest Temple in the world.)

 (We swam at the Facer's. Thank you Britta and Craig for having us! Eliza is a sweetheart and Aletta is a doll face.)

 (My cousins. What the h? We come from the same Nana.)

 (Dinner and dessert for Esther's Birthday.)

 (One last dilly bar before we hit the road.)

 (Little punk was horrible on the ride home.)

 (So high maintenance.)

(Good to be home. For now.)

.TEAM BABY.

.Stage Fright.

There is a side of this whole situation that we don't like to think about. Another protocol for being a Gestational Carrier is having a life insurance with a comfortable number. 

Every time us Moms get pregnant we are putting our lives at risk. It's of course not common but it does happen. And we need to be prepared each and every time. 

I've had a life insurance plan but it wasn't sufficient enough for Tyler and our 4 kids (In Tyler's mind or course). So the nurse that works for our insurance company came out to do more blood work and yet another urine test. 

Oh my heavens. She told me I had to be fasting. She didn't say I could drink water to fill by bladder. So I was running on empty when she came to the house. I couldn't produce a drop for her. I tried everything. Plus just knowing she was there waiting for me was just too much pressure. I froze. Major stage fright. She left, totally annoyed of course. And as you would know it, about 5 minutes later I did my duty. I called, and she hurried back to grab the gold. 
Kim's a dang nurse, I wish she could do all these collections!

.TEAM BABY.

.the birds and the bees.

Initially we decided we didn't want to tell the kids about this whole process. We really weren't going to tell very many people actually. We just figured why say anything when we don't know for sure if it will even work? That all changed obviously.

My kids don't know how babies are made. And I would like to keep that way for as long as I can, hopefully 21ish. We knew the two little ones won't have a clue what is going on and won't remember a thing. But Liv and Drew will. I was starting to get worried that Olivia would start thinking that something was wrong because I've been going to so many dr.'s appointments. Plus she see's me take my meds. I didn't want her to think I was sick. And I for sure didn't want her to ask, because then I would have to lie.

So we changed our game plan and decided to tell the kids. I googled embryo picture so I would have something to show them. We tried to explain the best we could so that an 8 and 6 year old would understand. But without too many details. 

First off I showed them the picture of the embryo. This is what a baby looks like before it grows in mom's tummy. It looks like bubbles. 

Uncle Curtis and Aunt Kimmie want a baby so bad. And for some reason they haven't been able to (this they already knew).

We are going to put Kimmie and Curtis' bubbles in mom's tummy to see if it will grow into a baby. 

Then I showed them this picture of how a baby grows bigger and bigger for 9 months.

We told them it might not work. But we are going to try. Olivia was beyond excited. I then told them that if it does work that this baby would not be their brother or sister but rather their cousin. Olivia said, but it would kind of be our brother or sister right? Um, no. But you can love it just like your brothers and sister. 

Pretty simple. Any questions? 

Olivia did ask how we are going to get the bubbles in my tummy? I lied. Through a straw of course! The conversation ended there, who wants to go get ice cream?!

esther nicole dabo

.turned ONE.

{6.16.12}

-she is such a meat eater

-she sleeps in to about 8 or 9am

-she is starting to have some stranger anxiety

-she says her first word "ba ba" (that's what we call her sippy)

-she knows exactly what she is asking for when she says it

-ironic since she never did take a bottle

-she still loves to dance and it's too cute

-she has the biggest smile, all her teeth show

-she has little interest in the tv, kind of wish she had more

-she has tan lines in her rolls

-she totally lets me paint her toes

-she cut 2 more teeth

-she eats every meal like it's her last

-she's going to be girly

-she can pick out a doll amidst all the boy toys laying around

-she'll hold it and rock it

-she seems fussier in the car since we've turned her forward?

-she has been so good in her first year, I hope it continues

-she doesn't seem very close to walking

{ONE} year stats: Weight 21 lbs (50%) Height 30 inches (80%)