God has given

Nathan in Hebrew means "God has given". God has truly given us much this year. The biggest thing being Nathan himself. This Sunday, David and I dedicated Nathan to the Lord. Our desire is for him to grow up to be a man after God's own heart. I feel so blessed to have friends and family coming along side us and helping to guide Nathan and shape him into the man that God would have him be.

Merry Christmas

In those days Cesaer Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was govenor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was not room for them in the inn.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men and whom his favor rests."

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, " Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Luke 2:1-20


Merry Christmas everyone! May we all remember the true meaning of Christmas as we celebrate this year!

Love,
David, LeAnn, and Nathan

All smiles and coos!

Bed Time

We play hard and crash hard in this family...somtimes with toys still in hand!

Movin' and Shakin'

Nathan is moving quite a bit now. He has mastered the roll over ability. Any time we put him on his tummy, he always wants to move back to his back. Now, he is learning that he can move. He started to worm his way across the floor. He fights and fights to move as much as he can, but still only moves about 6 inches. He is easily frustrated still, but that will change with time.

LeAnn also starts back to work in 1 week. The time has flown by. Luckily, she does not have to work on Christmas.

Thanksgiving went well. We had all of the family (minus Katie) over. A good time was had by all.

I am sure LeAnn will post more later this week. We have our hands full....

David

BBQ

Today we went to the park and had a BBQ with friends. Good time, good food, good friends. I made potato salad and as usual I am incapable of making a small batch. We had enough for the BBQ, for leftovers for mom and dad, for David's parents, and for us. Nathan enjoyed sleeping in the great outdoors!

Cherries

Let the whirlwind begin! Today we began the marathon of baking and candy making that happens every year before Christmas. As always we began with chocolate covered cherries. Mom, my friend Shannon and I made almost 24 dozen cherries. Then I made about 6 dozen mints with the leftover fondant and some pecan and raisin clusters with the leftover chocolate. Next up Martha Washington balls!

Sleep at last!

Yesterday Nathan went to the doctor for his 2 month old check up and shots. He now weighs in at 12 lbs 2 oz and is 23.5 inches long. This puts him in the 50th percentile for wieght and the 75th percentile for height. He did pretty well with the shots. His whole head turned red and he screamed when they gave him the shots, but he quieted down pretty quickly afterwards. Then overnight he slept 10 hours(and mom got a full night sleep for the first time in 2 months)! Then he woke up, ate, and went back to sleep for another 4 hours. Not unexpectedly he has been awake pretty much ever since.

2 months old

Today marked 2 milestones for Nathan. First he turned 2 months old. Second he rolled over for the first time. During his tummy time at Grandma and Grandpa's house with Dad he managed to roll over onto his back. I was in Phoenix at the time to attend a performance of Phantom of the Opera with Katie. Katie and I enjoyed it very much and had a nice day together.

Little punkin' head

We hope everyone had a happy Halloween! Nathan had a little pumpkin outfit, but cried every time we put his pumpkin hats on his head. Needless to say he went hatless. We spent the evening at a friend's Halloween party. We walked around with the other little ones while they did their trick or treating. Nathan liked the walking, but objected to the frequent stops to gather candy. He was also very interested in everything going on at the party and all the people. He refused to let himself sleep until we got home and then he finally crashed at about 10 pm. No suprise, he slept 8 hours after all the excitement.

Pie and Family

Today we had dinner with Mom and Dad. Mom made biscuits with chicken and mushroom gravy. My contribution was a couple of peach pies. We enjoyed the evening, dinner was yummy, and the pie hit the spot after dinner. I had been craving some peach pie and I think it turned out pretty well!

The Sentry

Lucky feels the need to stand guard over Nathan. On this particular day Nathan woke up while I was in the shower. Lucky came into the bathroom to let me know that he was crying and then promptly returned to his post. When I came into the room I got a look from Lucky letting me know that this was not acceptable and that I needed to respond more quickly in the future!

New Skill

Nathan is working very hard on a new skill. When placed on his tummy on the floor he kicks his feet and pushes until he flips himself onto his side. At this point he gets stuck with one arm pinned underneath him. He hasn't quite figured out how to continue, but it is only a matter of time until he makes it all the way over onto his back.

GO CATS!

Being raised right! He is a Cats fan from the start.

Baking and Swinging

While Nathan snoozed and enjoyed a little time in his swing, I baked a loaf of pumpkin bread for David. Mom brought some over yesterday and it was gone within an hour of David getting home from work! I would have made more, but I ran out of eggs and sugar. I guess a trip to the grocery store is in order. :)

Bath Time

Relaxing after bath time, Nathan decided his thumb tasted good. You can't beat a nice massage with sweet smelling lotion!

3 Weeks Old

We have reached the 3 week mark as of today! And...drum roll please...I wore a pair of pre-pregnancy pants today! Ta-da! I know, not earth shattering news to most of you out there, but exciting to me :P And after stretching to the above dimensions I feel like it is quite the feat.

Visiting with Aunt Katie

Nathan went to the doctor yesterday to follow up on his weight. He has gained almost a pound in one week. He now weighs in at 9 lbs 1.5 oz and is in the 50th percentile for weight! As a reward for his weight gain he now can sleep for as long as he wants between feedings. No more alarms to wake us up for feedings at 3 or 4 hours! Woooohooooo! Last night Nathan we still got up for feedings every 3-4 hours, but the potential is there! :) Nathan also enjoyed a visit with Aunt Katie and Grandad and Grandma yesterday. Aunt Katie is also comming over for a visit today. She is already promising to teach him to play video games.

Changing Already!

Nathan is changing already. Last night while laying on my chest Nathan picked up his head and turned to face the other side. His head was still rather wobbly, but he is gaining more control every day. Then today during a diaper change his umbilical cord came off. His belly button has healed up very nicely. He has been a little fussy tonight, but it seems he just wants to be held. Hopefully he will sleep better tonight, last night he was up every hour until about 1am. David and I plan on being pretty low key tomorrow and sleeping as late in the morning as we can (between feedings). Well Nathan calls!

Nathan's First Doctor Visit

Nathan had his first visit to the doctor today. Over all he was rather unimpressed with the visit. He cried most of the time because the doctor was running late and his appointment delayed feeding time. He weighs in at 8lbs 5oz now and has grown from 19.5 inches long to almost 21 inches long! The doctor said that they would like to see Nathan gaining 20 grams a day and he is currently gaining about 10grams a day. They will continue to watch his weight, but said that he is doing well otherwise. Needless to say the visit was thoroughly exhausting for him, but he loves the swing his Grandad and Grandma bought him. Yesterday Nathan spent the day with his Grandad wishing him a happy birthday. He thinks Grandad is wonderful and will spend hours in his arms listening to him talk. As you can see, Grandad thinks he is pretty great too!

Arrival of Baby Nathan

It is official. We have a cute baby. Baby Nathan Douglas Totten was born on September 14, 2009 at 9:31am at UMC via c-section. He weighed 8 lbs 12 oz and measured out at 19.5 inches long. The umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck, so the c-section was a good thing. He is doing well, as is mommy.

I have been working for the past 2 days, 10 hours per day. This will allow me to take the rest of the week off, while LeAnn is home and work half days all next week.

LeAnn will be off of work until December 7th. This is to allow her to heal and to spend lots of time with the baby.

Both Nathan and LeAnn are supposed to come home tomorrow. She may stay an extra day (allowed) because of Nathan not keeping his weight up (as of 9pm tonight, he has lost 9.7% of his body weight). He is eating and breastfeeding, taking his first bottle tonight and eating 3/4 of an ounce of formula.

Grandparents both want to keep the baby. They have been told NO! They are more than welcome to visit and to babysit, but will not get to keep the baby. LeAnn and I both love him too much.

Please continue to pray for Katie, as she needs a job. Also pray for LeAnn and Nathan, as they both come home from the hospital for some home time. Also pray for all of the birthdays that happen between Sept 13 and 20th (I think 3-4 now with Nathan)

We all love you....

David

More Baby News

We are inching closer to the birth of baby Nathan. Right now, we are sure that he is going to be big. At the last sonogram, the baby was 9 lbs 10 oz and his head was off their scale (meaning bigger than 41 weeks), with excess ambiotic fluid. LeAnn is now on weekly visits (hopefully they will do something this coming week). She also has to have non-stress tests done twice a week until the baby comes. We are hoping for this coming week (she is now considered term, but they want to wait as long as possible to make sure the lungs are developed).

Have a great week.

David

PS - Who has gotten a TV (LCD), brand new for $3.00???

Fine. A New Post

Since it has been a while since I updated the post, here is the latest

Sonogram went well. Baby measuring big still. Dr. slightly concerned. Ordered another sonogram for the first week of Sept (if the baby hasn't come already). Last one said the baby was about 6 pounds and 3 weeks early.

Work is going well for me. A few minor headaches, but school started with a bang and will end quitely.

LeAnn is now working days and enjoying it. Unfortunately, the pregnancy is tiring her out, but that will be done soon.

Pray for the final weeks of the baby and a smooth birth.

David

We are getting closer

We just went through birthing class last weekend. It was dull and boring. I didn't like the movies that they showed, but survived. We did get a tour of the hospital. It was fun.

The baby seems to be measuring big still. We have an appointment on the 7th to narrow down the due date. I think that the baby will come early by at least 2 weeks. However, this is the only way to be sure.

LeAnn has just finished her last night. She has gotten a day position starting this week. This is a big blessing, as we will be able to spend more time together and she won't be so tired all day and up all night.

Amy and Lorna are in town this weekend. It was really impressive to see Zoe talking and wiggling around. Katie is also in town. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!! Katie's birthday was Wednesday.

I will have another update later this week or this weekend. Not much else to talk about. Have a good week.

David

9 Weeks and counting

Hi everybody

It is early on Saturday and LeAnn has to work tonight. It is a bummer, but it is how she had to schedule herself. Oh well. At least she is feeling pretty good. She made up her last schedule before the baby is born this week.

Baby Nathan is growing and growing. He (at our dr. appointment on Wednesday) was head down and ready to come out, but he still has a little bit of growing to do. The doctor said that everything was looking very good. We are still planning on being at the hospital around Sept 20th, but that is subject to change. The last ultrasound said 6 days early, and LeAnn is starting to show that as a good possibility.

I have gotten my first paycheck. I got a bigger raise then I expected. Instead of about a dollar raise, I got about a dollar and a half. What a suprise. I should also be able to take off a week when the baby is born. Another relief.

Next week, I have training all week. With the new techs only working 6 hours per day, it will be a challenge. I have to get them scheduled and then work on getting myself scheduled. I will be semi-responsible for their hours and workloads. I have been able to keep up on the work orders on my own so far, but have had to push some of them back due to teachers not being there. Also on Monday, my techs will get their laptops and need to configure them. We have come up with a list of software that each tech will need to have installed, but it will be up to the techs to install it.

We are going to see HARRY POTTER!!!!!!!!! I am really looking forward to this, as the book was really good. If only they would release the final movies starting this fall.....

I hope everybody has a good week. I am sure that I will (even though I will be in classes almost the whole time). For those of you in Tucson, try to enjoy the rain and don't go outside if you don't have to (105+ all week from what I heard).

David

Weekly Update

We have had a pretty good week. My parents returned from Wyoming on Tuesday, where they spread my grandmother's ashes.

On Wednesday night, we got a very bad thunderstorm. The satellite went out for a couple of hours due to the storm. We had hail and a crazy dog. Luckily, it was over before I went to bed and the crazy Lucky dog calmed down. Right now, the storms seem to be every other day. It sure is nice to get some rain (especially when it is expected to be 112 today).

My first full week of work went ok. Nothing big happened (other than an AC unit freezing with 2-4 inches of ice, including all the refrigerant pipes). Next week, we have training on Thursday and Friday. Nothing big, but important stuff. I am trying to get into schools to set up my techs with locations. It is hard when the staff is on vacation until August and the maintenance staff is waxing the floors.

LeAnn is doing good. The pregnancy is in about 10 weeks. Luckily, we have most of the nursery ready to go. The dresser is still not here, but the baby does have somewhere to sleep. We got a pack and play from Craigslist (Thanks Steve and Donna) and it is exactly what we wanted. LeAnn is more tired then ever due to the baby. Nathan is kicking a lot and wiggling around even more. Every time I try to feel him kick, he stops moving and doesn't want me to feel. I guess I just calm him down.

For those of you who don't know, LeAnn's baby shower is August 22nd. Announcements should be sent out fairly quickly. We have registered at Babies R Us and Target. Also, we have a universal registry located on Amazon.

I hope everybody stays dry and cool. Have a good week.

David

4th of July Weekend

The holiday weekend has officially started for me. I got out of work at 2:45 today (we get out 45 minutes early on holiday weekends). LeAnn is sleeping. Work has been good. I have now started and am slowly assuming my new duties. Right now, the elementary and middle schools are shut down. Only the High Schools are open. I am in charge of 3 people and have 11 schools under me. With school starting in 7 weeks (and one is gone with training), It will be a challenge to get to all of the schools and make sure they are all up and running. I plan on having the schools under contract reimaged within the next couple of weeks. After that, we will all be prepared to go and work on getting all of the non-contract schools done. It will be busy starting next week.

LeAnn is also working hard. She has entered the home stretch for the baby (less than 3 months to go now). She is now looking pregnant (at least to me). We are still preparing the baby's room, looking for items, and just getting ourselves prepared for our new arrival.

We had a microburst hit our house this week during monsoon storms. It took off a total of 10 tiles. Luckily, it didn't break the tar paper because it did rain the next two days before they could get it fixed. At least nothing else was damaged and nobody was hurt.

Not much else is going on. I hope everyone has a happy 4th of July.

Please pray for Katie, LeAnn and the baby, and for all of you who will be traveling over this long weekend.

David

Father's Day Weekend

Another Father's Day has come and gone. It was just another day for me, but it will be a good day next year. LeAnn is 27 weeks along and doing very well. The baby is developing just as it is supposed to. The doctor said that the baby is about 6 days ahead of schedule, but that may change. They will not change her due date until she is either 10 days after or before her due date. We are hoping for after (so LeAnn can be home for Christmas).

On Saturday, I got my new car. It is a khaki 2009 Hyundai Sonata. I really like it (especially the radio, which is controlled by the steering wheel and has XM Satellite Radio). It runs really smooth, compared to my truck. We got a smoking deal on it. I am also averaging 28-29 miles per gallon (a whole lot better than the 20-22 that I was getting in my truck).

In less than a week, I start working again. I want it to hurry up, as I am getting bored around the house. The school board needs to approve my hiring before I am official (which will happen tomorrow). After this, I should get quite a bit of paperwork to fill out and find out where I will be working. I will also find out who is under me.

We are going to go and do our final baby registry today. For those of you who can make it, the baby shower is scheduled for 2pm on August 22nd. LeAnn is registered at Baby's R Us, Target, and Amazon.Com (Amazon had a great deal and allows us to put items from any website onto one registry).

That's it for now. Have a good week!

David

PS - Please pray for Katie and her job situation. It is not a happy one right now.

Great News!!!!!

Hi everybody.

Just before LeAnn left for work tonight, I got a phone call. This was the best phone call so far this month. I just got offered the Lead tech position with TUSD. This means that I have a full-time 12 month position. This comes with a substantial pay raise and responsibility level. I am sooooo happy.

In other news, I also had 2 interviews today (less than 6 hours apart). This wasn't that big of a deal (both for the aforementioned position).

We have decided on a name for baby Totten. The baby's name is Nathan Douglas. This is the compromise that we came up with, because I wanted James Douglas and LeAnn wanted something else (sorry LeAnn, I can't remember what it was). From now on, we are going to refer to the baby at Nathan.

I am also cleaning up the garage in anticipation of the big event, I finally get a car with air conditioning. We should be able to get a new car this weekend. This will be in preparation for the baby's arrival and needed transportation. LeAnn and I have looked at a Hyundai Sonata and she fits easily in it. She may need to start driving it as she gets bigger (and looks more pregnant).

That is all for tonight. Thank you all for your prayers and thoughts.

Please continue to pray for Katie and her job situation, LeAnn and baby Nathan, and Donna.

I hope you all have a good week.

David

My Continuation...

I am studying hard for my test. I have my assessment on Tuesday morning, with my interview on Thursday. I think they are going to interview everybody. I just want to pass the test, as I can get through the interview.

VBS is finally over. We had over 180 kids each day for the week. We also had 140+ volunteers to help out. It was a lot of fun. The kids really enjoyed it.

Yesterday we went to the funeral of the grandmother of one of our small group members. Her grandmother had been a member of Northwest Bible for many years. The memorial was nice. A lot of tears were shed. It was obvious that she will be missed by more people than attended.

My grandmother's ashes will be spread during July 4th weekend. I really don't want to go, even though it has been offered to me. I just don't feel the need to, as I had my closure with my grandmother while she was here.

This week, on top of my assessment and interview, I have to finish the rewiring of the house (installing all new cable lines to the house for satellite TV), clean the garage and back yard, trim some of the trees up (so I can get into my car) and clean the house. LeAnn has to work tonight, so some of it will be done then.

I have got to wake up LeAnn so she can go and do labwork for the baby. It is time for her glucose tolerance test. We don't think there is an issue, it is just a normal test they give everybody. Luckily, they baby is 26 weeks and everything seems fine.

We have decided on a name, but are not going to publish it just yet. Everybody will have to wait quite a few more weeks for that...... However, it will be named after my dad and LeAnn's dad.

Please pray for the Loberg Family on the passing of their grandmother, my family as they prepare to spread my grandmother's ashes, Katie and her job situation, my job situation, LeAnn and the baby, Donna, and all of our family.

P.S. Happy Father's Day, in case I don't post before Sunday!!!!!

David

Semi-weekly update

Ok, so I know that we have posted a lot recently. There has been a lot going on.

My grandma's things are being distributed and her house is being cleaned up.

LeAnn and the baby are both doing perfectly. The baby is in the 50th percentile for size and weight (weighing over 1.6 pounds).

My job situation should be decided this week. They are giving 200 people their pink slips. I should not be one of them, if the director and assistant director's words are correct.

The townhouse is gone. We no longer own it. That closed on Friday.

The Tucson is going to be paid off on Friday. We made enough from the townhouse to do this.

I should be getting a new car on Saturday. I am getting a Hyundai Sonata.

I will post more later. It is time for Church.

David

Good News

I have successfully completed the application process for the lead field tech position. They originally said that I was not qualified, but I actually was. I talked to them and they fixed the issue. I am scheduled to take the assessment test on Tuesday and Interview on Thursday. Maybe I will get the lead position (the one that I want since it is 12 month 8 hour position). A decision for the field tech position (my current job) on June 19th.

I still don't know what is happening with my Grandmother. My parents are planning on going up to Wyoming to get some of her ashes, as she is being cremated. We should find out shortly.

LeAnn is sleeping, I am still at VBS, and we are both tired. The baby is taking a lot out of LeAnn while VBS is taking its toll on me.

We also have sold our house. It is completely signed and gotten out of our hair. We have enough money to pay off LeAnn's vehicle and still have money left. We should be getting a small refund for recent payments made and insurance. As a result, I should be able to get a new car this year (yea, I get A/C again).

That is it for today.

Please pray for our friend Marcia and her family as her grandmother is ill, Katie and her job situation, Donna, LeAnn and the baby, and my job situation (for the job that we both want and a quick decision).

David

Sad News

Just another short post.

My Grandmother died this afternoon at around 5pm. She was in a hospital in Wyoming, surrounded by family when she died. She will be missed but not forgotten. We all have several great memories of her, and some not so great.

The best memory that LeAnn has was when we went up there before Easter and took her a bouquet of flowers. She kept those flowers until they all died.

My favorite memories all involve going up there when I was little. I liked to run the horn on the golf cart my grandmother and grandfather used to have. I also remember climbing the grapefruit tree and picking the fruit in the middle. I also used to go up there and get into the closet, where they always had a bag of marshmellows. More recently, I remember going up there to visit, her coming down for Christmas, always wishing she could give me more (She never realized that she gave me more than she will ever realize, she gave birth to my Father and kept me entertained for hours on end).

Even though she was not the most friendly to be around at times, I still loved her. She will be missed and remembered for all the wonderful things she did. I love you Grandma. May you rest in piece......

David

another quick update

Hi everybody

I know that we have not posted anything recently, but here is the quick update.

The baby is growing quite a bit. It is up to 815 grams (500 grams =1.1 pounds) and growing rapidly. We definitely know it is a boy (the second sonogram show it very well). Everything is developing just as it should. We are both getting excited about this little one. Soon, we are going to paint the baby's room.

I also had an interview for my current position this week. I think that it went well and I am quite sure that I got the job again. The only problem is that it is a 6 hour position, when we really need an 8. It is ok because I also applied for the lead position, which is 8. Studying for the test for this position has been hard, but I feel ready for the test. The pretests that I have taken say that I started at about a 20% and now am scoring around 80%. This test is very hard and several people have already failed it.

My grandmother remains in the hospital. There is not much news on this front, other than she has been in the hospital since she got to Wyoming.

VBS starts this week and I am helping out. There are 170 kids and 140 workers. It should be fun for all.

Please pray for my Grandmother, the baby and a tired LeAnn, my job situation, and Katie (who is still working, but not sure for how much longer).

Everybody have a good week.

David

Test results, other information

Hi everybody. Just a quick update to the blog...

I just passed both tests. It took me less than an hour and I am now an A+ Certified Technician. I also have applied for the lead tech position at TUSD. I found out that the assessment test has not been passed by anybody who has taken it. I feel ready to take it.

The other bit of information that I have is my grandmother has stage 4 cancer (the worst kind). She is now considered terminal and it is only a matter of time. Her dementia is getting worse. She is fighting with everybody. I also found out that one of her lungs no longer is working. We still don't have the results of the MRI's and brain scans taken at the hospital, but think that the cancer is spreading rapidly and is currently everywhere. I just hope she knows that she is loved and has lived a full life.

We also had a good weekend. On Saturday, we celebrated my birthday, along with LeAnn's and David Perotti's. We has spaghetti and everybody had a good time. On Sunday, we again were over at Steve and Donna's and had a BBQ with family (Dena & Juan, Darla & Bruce, Felicity, Steve and Donna, and the two of us). Swimming is fun, but still a little cold. On Monday, we went to the movies (see the next section), went back to Steve and Donna's (dogs needed to visit) and over to my parents for dinner (chicken and to let the dogs visit). All weekend was good.

We have gone and seen Star Trek. It was good and filled a lot of holes from the original series. I liked it, but thought it needed a lot more action then it had. I am going again on Wednesday to see it with family. It should be fun.

I hope everybody has a good week. Please continue to pray for Katie, my grandmother, my job (both of them that I have applied for), the baby and mommy, and Donna.

David

What a week.....

The last week of school has come and gone. I am now on Summer Vacation with the hope of having a job next school year. I took a 10 question assessment and flew through it. It was easy and took me 5 minutes to complete. Wednesday was graduation. I was at work from 5:30am to 2:30pm, then back at 5:30 to 10:30pm for graduation. I took about 600 pictures of graduation, including pictures of each of them getting their diplomas for the website. On the school website, we have almost 3000 pictures. I may have to shorten it because it takes quite a while to load now or change the script not to load all the pictures at once.

I also have looked at the recent job postings and, what do I see, but the job I applied for and was denied. Apparently, they didn't have enough candidates to fill the positions. As a result, I am going for my A+ certification on Tuesday and will be studying this weekend for it. Hopefully, I will have my results that day and can put in my application for the job. It is a 12 month, 8 hour position which is what I want anyways. I will also be able to put in for my steps (promotion) after I take the test and apply for reimbursement from the teacher's association.

LeAnn has been feeling really tired due to the baby. However, the baby is really starting to move. She is able to feel it more and more now. She is also having trouble sleeping due to the pregnancy. She is really starting to show now. All I can say is 23 weeks down, 17 more to go (plus 5 days, due to days we want off). Both mommy and baby are healthy and will hopefully continue to be.

Tomorrow, we are going for spaghetti at Steve and Donna's to celebrate my birthday (this past Wednesday), Leann's, and David Perotti's. It should be lots of fun and we should all enjoy each other's company.

My grandmother is now living up in Wyoming with my Aunt and Uncle. They flew up there on Thursday. She is still on oxygen and has the catheder in her lungs. Hopefully, the medications that she is on help keep her calm and comfortable.

Please pray for Katie's job situation, my job and testing, the baby and mommy. Also pray for my grandmother.

David

A Weekly Update

Hi everybody

Nothing really important happened this week. I was informed that I wasn't qualified for the lead tech position at school and had to take an assessment test on Monday afternoon (easy enough). I also have all of the work for the summer done before the end of the year (I was told 3 weeks ago about this and have been getting it done, go figure). If I am hired for next year, we start on July 1st. As of the 22nd, I am out of work.

The sale of the house is going smoothly. The only repairs that are requested are the front door sticks (semi-easy fix) and dry rot in the roof (HOA is responsible for this). I have not heard anything about the appraisal, but think it came through without a hitch. We should find out this week.

LeAnn and I have been deciding on names for the baby. I like James (Tiberius, as a joke only - I love Star Trek!!!) and she likes Tyler Nathan. We will decide eventually, but for right now these are the front-runners. I am also voting for Douglas somewhere in there (My dad's name and her maiden name).

LeAnn is working tonight. It is her last night. She is very tired and wants to sleep, but will do a fabulous job tonight caring for the babies.

My grandmother is being released from the care home this coming week and is going to move to Wyoming with my Aunt and Uncle. They will be flying in on Wednesday to take her home with them. Beyond this, I don't know anything else.

That's it for this week. Continue to Pray for Katie, my job, the baby and LeAnn, Donna, my Grandmother, and each other. Have a good week.

David

PS - My Birthday is Wednesday and I expect LOTS of EXPENSIVE gifts.....

And the Sex Is.... (Revisited)

Hi everybody. Sorry for the late posting, but the sex of the baby is a Boy. We are starting to choose names, on top of setting up the nursery. This week, we got a mattress for the crib, so that is now done (with the exception of bedding). The next thing is painting the room and rewiring the cable / satellite. I am also going to add surround sound.

On Friday at school, my cell phone was stolen. That didn't make me happy, but I now have a new phone with the same number. Unfortunately, I lost my phonebook so I will have to recreate it.

Also last week, I was told I was not a TUSD employee (even though that is who I work for). Go figure that HR made a mistake and have since fixed it. I also had a meeting with my supervisor and she said that I am doing a very good job and was well ahead of the game as far as work for the summer goes. This is a good thing, since I want them to rehire me for next year. Our school will be one of the first to be upgraded for next school year. It also looks like I will be working next year. My assistant principal has said he wants me back and nobody else. He may not get the chance to have me back if I get the lead position.

LeAnn is feeling good. The morning sickness that she had is gone again. It may have been a virus. The baby is kicking up a storm and making it hard for her to sleep. I feel bad that she can't sleep through the night. Also, we will have to go back for another ultrasound in a month to get measurements as the baby was very uncooperative during the one on Friday.

That is all for this update. I will post something later this week.

Please pray for Katie and her job situation, Donna, Leann and the Baby, and me and my job situation. Also pray for each other.

David

Very quick and short update

Last night was full of some excitement. We finally got an offer on the townhouse and have accepted it. It is not as much as we wanted, but we really wanted to get rid of it all together. It is a good thing, as I will not have a job in 3 weeks for the summer and the baby is on the way....

The other bit of excitement is that my grandmother finally got moved at 5:30 last night. She is in a home (don't know whether it is hospice or nursing). She has a catheter in her lungs to drain the fluid constantly. My parents are up there and working to get things settled and where she needs to go. They are also going up later this week to get her will worked out and a permanent DNR.

We have to get ready for church. On top of our prayers from yesterday, please add that our townhouse appraises out and the sale goes through.

David

A new Month, and some good news

I hope everybody is doing ok. We are starting to do better. I have found out from TS that I am a very valuable asset to them, considering some of the things that I have done in a very short time. They have let me know that the odds are extremely good that I will be hired back next year. That means that right now, my hours will be cut. The one good thing is that they are working on getting us back to 8 hours at the high schools only. We are more than busy for this, and 6 hours is not enough time to do anything. I also applied for a year-round position as a lead technician. This would be an upgrade for me. TS also says that I have a good shot at this position, which is what I would prefer.

LeAnn is working her normal days. Last week, she had to work 4 days straight. It was not good. This week, she worked 3 straight days. She is tired. From now on, she is going to split up her work days to work no more than 2 in a row. In the long run, this will help her out.

My grandmother went into ICU last week. LeAnn and I went to Phoenix with my parents on Sunday. She looked good, but was having trouble breathing. They had her on breathing treatments. Yesterday, she was discharged from the hospital. They placed her into a care home (possibly hospice). The doctor's are not letting my parents know what is going on. She had 2 MRI's of her head over the past week. They also said that she would not be allowed to go home again by herself. My parents are up in Phoenix this weekend to find out what is going on. My aunt is flying in Sunday to be there as well. Hopefully, they will find out something out this week.

On the baby front, we now have a fully-assembled crib and stroller. Steve and Donna bought us a crib a couple of weeks ago, and I put it together last weekend. My parents purchased a travel system (car seat and stroller). I have been cleaning up the front bedroom to get the furniture that is needed for the baby. It is a long process, but it is starting to take shape. Next Friday, we have the 20 week ultrasound, where they should be able to tell the sex. They will also have a better idea of the delivery date at that time. I am looking forward to this appointment.

I have got to go and put LeAnn to bed, as she is falling asleep on the couch. Have a safe week and we will let you know what the baby is (hopefully) next week.

Please pray for my grandmother and the latest developments in her cancer battle. Also pray for Katie and her job situation. Continue to pray for my job situation. Finally, pray for the continued good health of the baby and LeAnn.

David

Updates

It is nearly the end of another week. What kind of updates can I have? Not many, unfortunately. My job situation is still questionable, though teachers are now being informed of the situation and the budget of the school is up for a vote by the staff and faculty. I have a good feeling that the current budget went down and will need to be redone, hopefully with a change for the better for me.

LeAnn had to work last night. It is not great. She will work 4 nights in a row, due to being called in. I guess it is good, since we can always use the extra money.

Movement on the townhouse is unknown. There have been no bites either for rent or sale, but many people are calling Steve about it. Hopefully, somebody will purchase it soon so we are rid of it.

On Monday, we switched our television from cable to satellite. We went with DirectTV, and are happy with what we have gotten. I still need to run a new cable line for the main TV (due to the satellite DVR needing 2 lines) and will do this next month. LeAnn says that I can cut a couple of holes in the wall, but must fix them quickly. Next Monday, we are getting our phone switched from Comcast to QWest. We will be keeping the same phone number. The overall goal is to save us money. We should end up doing this.

Both of our dogs are doing well. They have slept most of the time, since they spent 3 days with Chica. They are very happy and are glad they are home. They did go and see Chica on Tuesday for LeAnn's Birthday.

We spent LeAnn's birthday at Steve and Donna's. We had chicken lasagna and enjoyed spending the night with them. LeAnn got clothes for her during the pregnancy.

My Grandmother was diagnosed with cancer. I still have not heard anything about treatment.

My father is still recovering from hernia surgery. He is doing very well.

Please pray for Katie, Donna (tiredness after Easter and Birthday), LeAnn and the Baby (obvious), my grandmother (cancer), my father (hernia surgery), and my job situation. Also pray for each other as as we go through these tough times.

David

Easter Vacation

Here we are on our vacation. We came up here on Friday morning after dropping off our very sad dogs at Steve and Donna's. We got up here around 11 am. We went to the Star Trek exhibit at the Science Museum. We spent about an hour there. It was not that big and a lot smaller than I thought it should be, considering 10 movies and 4 television series. Last night, we went to the movies at Arizona Mills. We saw Monsters vs Aliens in 3d. It was really cool and we both had a good time.

Today, it was raining when we got up. This was not good, as we had planned on going to the zoo today. We started out by going down for breakfast. We then decided to go see my grandmother, who was just diagnosed with lung cancer. We went over there and spent about 30-45 minutes with her. We talked about what was going on and what we had been doing. By then, the rain had stopped and we decided to try the zoo. We got to the zoo and had a good time. We spent at least 3 hours there, looking at everything they had to offer. We went on the tram ride twice, walked about half the zoo, and saw many things. After the zoo, we were both hungry and decided to go to dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. It was good. We were both so tired that we ate about half of our meals and brought the rest of it back to the hotel. It is a good thing that we have a fridge in the room.

We are both quite tired and looking forward to coming home tomorrow and spending time with our families. Katie is already in Tucson and we will see her tomorrow as well.

Please pray for my grandmother while she goes through the treatments (they will determine either surgery or chemo this week). Also, pray for my father as he recovers from hernia surgery. Pray for the baby, while it continues to grow bigger by the day. Pray for my job situation, that it will quickly resolve itself. Finally, pray for all of our other family members, whether we see them or not, that they will have a safe Easter holiday and coming weeks.

David

And the Sex Is....

And the winner of the what is the gender of the new baby is.... Nobody. The baby wouldn't cooperate with us yesterday when we went to see if we could find out the sex. The umbilical cord was in the way. However, the doctor scheduled us for another ultrasound in May to find out. As a result, it is still just a baby.

Everybody have a happy Easter.

Nearly Easter

It is nearly Easter 2009. I have 2 more days of work and LeAnn has 1. Lucky her.

We have our doctor's appointment on Wednesday. Hopefully, they will do an ultrasound so we can find out the sex of the baby. If not, it will be another month before we find out (boo). LeAnn has had a few bouts with Morning Sickness again. It is not fun, but we will get through it.

Work is not that great. On Friday, they gave all teachers who had 3 years or less their pink slips. They also gave one of our administrators one too. I have yet to receive mine. I know that it is coming (assuming the school goes with the district plan). It is just a matter of time.

My dad had surgery today. He had a hernia repaired. The surgery went well. The doctor says that he has to take it easy for a little while.

My grandmother is going in for surgery tomorrow to have fluid removed from her lungs. Things should be ok with her.

This weekend, we are going to Phoenix for the weekend. We plan on having a good time, since this will be the last time for several years (due to the baby). We plan on going to the Star Trek Exhibit (Beam me up, Scotty!) on Friday. On Saturday, we plan on going to the Zoo and the Spaghetti Company. We will come home on Sunday to spend the day with our families.

Katie is coming down on Saturday. I am really happy she is coming. It has been quite a while since I have seen her. It should be fun. She is always good for a lot of laughs and fun times.

That is it until this weekend or next week. Please pray for my entire family as they recover from surgeries. Pray for Katie and Donna. Also pray for the baby, as we let it develop and become the newest member of the Totten/Douglas families.

Here is your first look at Baby Totten. This is the baby at 13 weeks. He/She was waving that little hand all over the place. We got the results of the Ultra-screen this week. The Ultra-screen is a group of tests including ultrasound and bloodwork that look for genetic anomalies such as downs syndrome. The doctor said that everything looked perfectly normal. Also, I am happy to say that with the first trimester over, I am not feeling any morning sickness anymore and my energy level is slowly beginning to increase.
David got word this week that due to budget cuts, TUSD will be cutting their technical services staff back. Basically all the positions that they are keeping will be posted and then people can put in for the jobs they want. Even if you had that position before, you are not guaranteed to keep that position. Also, if he does get the same job he currently has, the hours might be cut to 32 hours a week. Please pray for the wisdom to know which jobs to put in for and that David will get the job that is best for him.
We have decided to re-list the townhouse for sale. With the new home buyer incentives we are hoping that more people will be looking at buying. At the same time we are listing it for rent too. Whichever one happens first that is what we will do. We are praying that something happens soon since David's job is only during the school year and we will be loosing his income for 2 1/2 months over the summer.
David and I will be taking off to Phoenix for a couple of days over his spring break. We wanted to just take some time and get away just the two of us. David wanted to go see the star trek exhibition at the AZ science center and I think that we will go visit the Phoenix zoo since I have never been there.

The first pictures

The first pictures have been done. Unfortunately, they don't scan real well. That stinks. The doctor says that everything is good. The heartbeat was easily heard (beating at 150bpm). the baby was very active. It was doing summer saults and spinning constantly. It was waving its arms and legs all over the place. They were clearly defined. The baby's head was noticeable as well. You could see the entire facial bone structure. It was really cool.

We also learned that this is a single pregnancy, despite what others think (and I was one of them). This will make purchasing clothing and furniture a little easier.

We will post more pictures when we get them.

David

Baby Book

Today we made our first purchases for the baby. We bought a baby book to start recording all the little things that you tend to forget as the years pass. It is really cute and includes spots for pictures and little vellum envelopes for baby's hospital band, a lock of hair from the first hair cut, etc. It also has a growth chart for the wall. We also stopped into Carter's and bought a couple of baby outfits. Baby now has some really cute onesies, a duckie outfit complete with hat, booties, and bib, and a puppy dog sleeper.
I am continuing to have a bit of morning sickness, but other than feeling rather icky, it has not been too bad. I have managed not to toss my cookies yet and I am hoping to continue that trend. Only 3-6 more weeks before the morning sickness is supposed to pass.
David is looking forward to tomorrow as he will start running the power point for our church's services and helping run the sound board. He has been wanting to get involved in this for a while.
Next week is rodeo weekend here in Tucson. David and I are looking forward to having a 4 day weekend off together. We don't have anything special planned, but even if we just get some things done around the house, it will be nice to have that time together.

Another week

Another week has come and gone. Luckily, i am off for the weekend. No work for 2 whole days!!! However, I am going to help out one of our small group members with some landscaping work that they need help doing.

I also am having LeAnn's Valentine's Day gift delivered tomorrow. It should be here by 1:30 (at least that is what the tracking says.....). I hope she likes it.

LeAnn is still tired. The baby is growing at an quick pace. We are excited to see the sonogram that we should get at our next doctor's visit. I want to see our first pictures of the baby and to know whether it is a boy or girl.

This is going to be a short post. Please keep Donna in your thoughts and prayers.

David

Things are changing

I have been working hard this weekend. We got our new dog door on Thursday, and on Saturday I installed it. It is an in-the-wall model that I fitted for our sliding glass door. I had to build a frame for it and everything. There is siding on the wall to fill it in and drywall to cover the inside. The wall is also insulated, helping with those cold nights we are going to be experiencing for the next couple of days.

I also installed some new lights in the garage. I still need to get the light bulbs, then I can check to see if they work. I am removing the temporary lights that are there now.

I also built a new workbench. The workbench is a little high, but it will serve it's purpose. This is also helping me clean up the garage, as this needed to be done anyways.

LeAnn is also feeling a little ill. Her morning sickness is continuing, but she has found a solution, lemon drops. Her energy level is low (due to the developing baby) and she is starting to show. However, we are both anticipating our next doctor's appointment in March.

Please continue to pray for our developing bundle of joy, for all of our families, and for one another.

Baby Blues

We have started to look for things for our new bundle of joy. We are looking at baby furniture, clothing, toys, strollers, and all the other things that the baby will need. We plan on getting the crib soon, then will be getting other things as we can.
LeAnn had her first bought of morning sickness, we think. She was feeling nauseous, but never threw up. That was good. Hopefully she will get over this soon.
We will also have a super bowl party tomorrow. We have been busy cleaning house and getting ready for it, but the process is slow. It will be ready by tomorrow.
I hope everybody will be having a good weekend and enjoy the super bowl.

David

6 or so weeks and counting

We went to the doctor for the first time today. We actually liked this doctor. They did confirm what we already knew, that we are having a baby. She is approximately 6 weeks along, which would put the due date around Sept 20th. Everything is going well. She had some bloodwork she had to do, but other than that, nothing much. The next appointment is scheduled for rodeo weekend in February (10th week). At this time, we may get our first sonogram of the baby, with a scheduled one at 12 weeks for diagnostic reasons (help to screen for some disease). As soon as we get one, we will put it up.

Baby Bump Tuesday

Yes, you read right. It is baby bump Tuesday. Let's take a look at who all in the families are pregnant. First their is Amy (LeAnn's cousin on her mother's side), Landra (LeAnn's cousin on her father's side), and LeAnn! We found out today that she was pregnant!!!!!!

We think that she is about 3 weeks along. The last pregnancy test she took was about 2 weeks ago and it was negative. However, due to other issues, we decided to check it again and it came back positive. All of our family knows (all of LeAnn's aunts and uncles and parents and my parents), but we figured that we would like to let others people know. We have our first prenatal appointment on Monday at 9:30. I will be there (taking 3 hours off from work). We are both looking forward to this wonderful experience.

We have been looking forward to this experience for quite a while. We have been looking at cribs for some time, trying to find the right crib for what we want. We are going to look at JCPenny's in a couple of weeks to try and find one that we like. We did like one from the Amish store in Casa Grande, but it was really expensive ($1000). Instead, we are going to be practical.

Other things we now have to think about are changing table, diapers, clothing, food, bedding, and all of the other things that our new bundle of joy will need. Luckily, we have two wonderful families that will help us out as we need it.

On other notes, we are also in the process of renting out our townhouse. It has been on the market for 3 months with very little activity due to the depressed market. As a result, we decided to rent it out for the next several years. We signed with a very nice lady who is the rental agency. We are hoping to rent it out within a couple of months. I also plan on doing most of the repairs that are needed (which should be very few due to the extensive renovations that have been done). We are planning on renting it out for about $700 per month.

We will keep everybody informed about the pregnancy and the other things going on in our lives. I hope everybody is doing well.

David

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!!!!

A new year has officially started. I hope everyone enjoyed the last 61 seconds of 2008 (yes, I said 61 as they added an extra second to account for drift). Happily, LeAnn and I both are safe and happy. I was asleep (big surprise) and LeAnn stayed up.

We both took it easy yesterday, trying to enjoy ourselves before going over to a friend's house for an open house. We did eat and play lots of dominoes. I was sick as usual.

The day before new year's, we went up to Katie's house to do some repairs and pick up a freezer from my grandmother's. I repaired her drawers, her doggie door (which I installed the last time I was up there, re-keyed her locks, and fixed her thermostat). Katie was not feeling well, so we tried to keep the noise to a minimum and allowed her to get some rest. She was feeling better on the 1st.

LeAnn is working today and forgot her badge. It was not a big deal, but it involved 2 trips to the hospital. It happens occasionally. We will get over it.

I return to work on Monday. I enjoyed my time off, but I enjoy what I do more.

I hope everyone had a good Christmas and New Years.

Please pray for Stan and his family for the loss of his father. Continue to pray for Katie and Donna and their health.

David