1 year already...WOW!

Hi Everyone! Hope you all are doing great :) I figured since I haven't updated this in many many months, I would fill you all in on what has been going on in our world lately! Well, I can't remember if I blogged about moving, but nevertheless we moved in August of last year to Edmond, and we are so glad to be back in civilization! Drew is busy as ever with work and training, I am OFF FOR THE SUMMER and loving it! I graduated in May with my 2nd Bachelors in Elementary Education and I will be teaching 5th grade at Angie Debo in Edmond...I still can't believe I have my very own classroom, any donations are always welcomed and appreciated! I actually met with my team of 5th grade teachers today to plan for the upcoming year, and I am so excited to be working with such amazing women. Most of you reading this are saying....ok ok that's great but what about JOURNEY! Yeah, yeah I am getting to her :) Drew and I are still house hunting, it is extremely difficult to find a house we both love...but I am sure there is one out there, and if there isn't, he will just have to compromise...I mean WE...haha! Ok, so Miss Priss, well what can I say other than that she is a HANDFUL! She starting really walking this week and I couldn't get her to crawl if I put her favorite snack (goldfish) on the floor! She loves Elmo, her blankie, and Hagan (our german shepherd). He is fond of her too, when she isn't pulling his tail or shoving a popsicle stick up his nose...yes she does this! She likes to throw everything out of the basket at the store and laugh hysterically, or she wants to walk next to the basket instead (that's real fun). She is becoming very independent, which breaks my heart because I feel like she doesn't need me...I know she is only "almost" 1, but she is GROWING UP! Her favorite thing this week is to crawl in and out of her little rocking chair...which was my grandfathers rocking chair when he was little! I would be willing to bet she climbs in and out of it at least 40 times per day...I get tired just watching her! I try all day long to get her to play with her cool toys, but she prefers to pull every plasticware item out of the kitchen cabinets or carry around a sock...I mean really, why even have toys!!! I am going to get rich by marketing wooden spoons in the toy aisle! What else....Oh yeah, Journey will be 1 on Saturday, I can not believe it has been a year, I look at her and she looks so big! We are having a Princess Pool Party at Gigi and Gramps house. It should be a blast. Well I think that about covers how the Joseph Family is doing. We love you all, and hope to see everyone soon!

Wow Life Has Changed!

Hey Everyone! Hope you all are doing well. Where do I start? The last few months have been crazy! Journey is growing so fast and we are enjoying every minute of her. She will be 4 months on October 11th! Where does the time go?!? She has started to roll over, she laughs all the time and talks (well baby talk). I am still working full time for the OSBI and I am finishing my last semester before my student teaching, and I am so ready to have my own classroom. Drew is busy as well, he just recently graduated from SOG (Special Operations Group) selection. He was gone for one month and he says it is the hardest thing he has ever done in his entire life. We are so proud of him! I am having a get together for him this weekend October 9, 2010 at 1pm to celebrate his accomplishment. Hope those of you who live close can make it, we would love to see you! Other than being super busy, we are doing wonderful. Drew and I were able to go to the OU/Texas game this past weekend. It was our first time, and it was so much fun. We drove down Friday night and stayed in Addison, then woke up and drove to Allen to the outlet mall, where of course Journey got lots of clothes :) then we drove down to Dallas for the game, which was awesome. Go SOONERS! Journey had fun too, she got to stay at Gigi and Gramps house (my mom and dad). We are loving living in Edmond and being close to everything, it is so hard to not just get take out every night! Hagan (our german shepherd) is doing great too, he hasn't tried to eat Journey yet! Overall, we are loving every minute of our little blessing and each other!
Love,
The Joseph Family

The First Month!

Hey everyone! I can't believe Journey has already been here a month! It has been the hardest and most rewarding month for Drew and I. We are so proud to be parents to our perfect little angel! She has been quite a busy girl since she was born. Listed below are a few of the highlights of the past month.....

*She got to meet a ton of family and friends
*She has already been to the Marshals office and the OSBI
*She had her first trip out of state
*She traveled 7 hours to Hannibal, MO to meet uncle Taylor
*She saw her first fireworks show
*She went to her first cave in Hannibal (home of Tom Sawyer...and they are very proud of it!)
*She went to her first baseball game
*She stayed in her first hotel
*She went to the lake for the first time
*She has had two photo sessions (she did not cooperate at the first one)
*She has been to two unsuccessful Wal-Mart trips (Target she does fine...strange)
*She went to 3 full days of Cheer Camp and LOVED it....a little cheerleader in the making I am sure :)
*She had lunch with Aunt Sarah, Cousin Connor and Adi in Edmond
*Gigi and Pops babysat her for a few hours while Drew and I had some us time :)
*She acquired a nickname "Junebug"

AND MOMS FAVORITE FIRST........Journey slept from 11pm to 5am....only one time, but it was so nice!

Drew just went back to work on Monday and he is so sad. He loved being home with us. He comes home so excited to see her and I am pretty much not the princess anymore....of course I have moved to the Queen's spot :) I love watching him with her, he is such a natural! He is an amazing husband and father.

Everyone should be getting a birth announcement in the next week or so, I know I am a bit late, but I looked up the etiquette and you can actually send them up to 6 months after birth! Honestly I would have had them out sooner, but our 1st photo session was not so productive. Journey pooped on the photographers WHITE sheet and after that she was so upset she pretty much cried (screamed) the rest of the session (Journey not the photographer!). Tara, the photographer, did get some pretty good shots though. Mandy, family friend and photographer came to our house and did a photo shoot as well. She did an amazing job and Journey cooperated a little better....not sure if she is ready to hit the runway and time soon and if she is, it will be on her terms!! Anyone who has facebook, be sure to add Mandy Lundy to your friends and comment on Journey's pics she has them posted! I don't want to spoil the surprise, but I want everyone to be able to see the photos we had taken. We are lucky enough to have two amazing friends that are so talented. We thank Mandy and Tara for doing such a wonderful job. You can view them on each of their websites listed below:

www.mandylundyphotography.com They are under "your proofs" and Journey Joseph
www.taralokey.com "proofs" "Journey's Newborn Pictures" password is "joseph" all lowercase

One more exciting update.......drumroll please..........Drew and I finally found a rent house in Edmond! We hope to sell our house within the next year and buy in Choctaw possibly but who knows we may love Edmond :)

Well that is all the news I have for now. Below are a couple of pics...hope you enjoy them.

We love you all!

Drew, Kristen and Journey

The New Addition to Our Family!

Where do I start?!?! Since the last time I blogged a lot has happened....
The last few weeks of my pregnancy seem like a blurr, but I am pretty sure they were pleasant :) Drew and I went for my 37 week check up on Thursday, June 10, 2010. Everything started off normal, we waited in the waiting room for 25 minutes, then the nurse took my blood pressure and checked my weight (not fun!). My blood pressure was abnormally high as was my weight (haha). Drew and I went back to the violation of privacy room and the doctor came in and checked me. I was only dialated to 1 cm. The doctor was worried about the fact that my feet looked like a sumo wrestlers so she went ahead and rechecked my bp and it was super high. So the doc said "ok what we are going to do is send you over to the hospital and we are going to have a baby today!" Drew's exact words were "Oh no, we are not ready!" It was hilarious to say the least. I was so hungry and all I had for breakfast was 2 stinkin waffles, so we went to Jamba Juice before we went over to the hospital. We got checked in and then went back to get all set up to be induced. Finally around 11:30am I was on Pitocin and the contractions were coming. Drew had to run home and get our bag for the hospital, since we weren't planning on having a baby that day we did not bring one single item we needed except for Journey :) Ok, so to make a long story short.....22 hours of labor later, Journey arrived 3 weeks early on June 11, 2010 at 9:24am. She was 6 lbs 9 oz and 19 1/2 inches long. She is just perfect and we are adapting to parenthood very well, especially if you consider dark circles and hallucinations normal then we are doing just fine! Both our families have been very helpful and Journey is so lucky to have them in her life. My mom stayed 2 nights with us and it was a good thing because Drew and I were pretty much clueless but I think we have it down now....Feed the baby, burp the baby, change the baby, repeat! We are so blessed to have Journey in our lives and can't wait to share all the amazing moments with you all.

For everyone in the OKC area, Drew, Journey and I will be in Midwest City at my parents house Wednesday June 23, 2010. You are all invited to a "Snack and See" from 6pm-whenever everyone leaves to meet Miss Journey Rose Joseph!

Can't wait to see everyone and introduce the new member of our family!

32-34 Weeks

Well lets see....since the last time I blogged, we have had another baby shower and have actually set up a nursery! Our OKC shower was amazing. Drew, Journey and I are so blessed to have so many people who love us! As for the nursery, my mom and I set it up this weekend, I mean seriously the girl needed a room and I was so worried she is going to come early and I wouldn't be able to find all her bows....I mean diapers and wipes :) The nursery set up.....it started off by my dad and brother dropping off the furniture and moving my office to another room. Then me and mom were off....we moved the dresser into place and started on the crib. Seven hours later the crib was sort of put together, I am telling you those instructions were terrible! Ok so the dresser is in, the crib is somewhat put together, bedding is on, now for the changing table. Our next door neighbors gave us a white changing table and me in my infinite wisdom decided to paint it pink! I had already started it last week, and mom helped paint the rest. It was a nightmare, the paint didn't stick and started to peel off....then we couldn't get it put back together! It needs a bit of touch up painting (which I am leaving for Drew) but it's in the room! Drew seems to always be out of town for moving day so I made sure to leave plenty of jobs for him to do in the nursery when he got back! For those of you keeping track, I will be 35 weeks on Wednesday! On a different note, for those of you who have not been informed, Drew and I are moving back to civilization...woohoo!! I am so excited to not have to drive 30 minutes to a grocery store. We will be back in OKC in the fall and are so excited for the move. Drew has been transferred to the OKC Marshal's office and we can't wait to see what God has in store for us with this move and a newborn! The pic above is of Stacey, Aunt Dana, me and Shanda (Hostesses for our shower) and the mom and dad to be (not our best pic)! Below is Journey's room! Love you guys.

The Past Few Weeks!

Hello everyone! Wow the past few weeks have just flown by. Drew and I have been so busy. We had our first baby shower this weekend and it was so fun. Journey got a ton of cute stuff! Thanks to everyone who came, she is truly loved already. As for you folks in OKC area, invites should be arriving in your neck of the woods very soon. Don't forget its May 15th! Can't wait to see all of you! As for the pregnancy, I am doing very good. I am on the every two week plan at the doc now, so it is getting closer and closer. Monday will be 32 weeks already....can you believe it? All Drew says these days is "I just want to see what she looks like! The pics above are from the Muskogee shower! Hope everyone is doing great! Love you all :)

28 Weeks-4D Ultrasound

Hello Everyone! Sorry I have not posted like promised, but I have been so busy. I promise to get better! Well, this week (which is almost over) was 28 weeks. For the most part, I feel pretty good. I have been a bit more tired lately, and not sleeping very well. The most exciting thing about this week was that Drew and I were able to see little Journey's face! We had a 4D ultrasound on Saturday and we were able to see her little eyes, nose and mouth! She only cooperated for a few seconds so mainly we saw the back of her head, but it was such an awesome experience. We also got a pink teddy bear with her heartbeat recorded inside!

The ultrasound was recorded and if you would like to see it the link is

www.AnticipationBabyView.com/AUSTUL/Baby1004101455.asf