Siblings, Baby Bumps, and Babies

As many of my readers already know, this past year has been especially exciting in my husbands family. All four of the Fullmer siblings are expecting baby boys. Two sister-in-laws have already had their babies. This past weekend we had the honor of attending the baby blessing of the second baby to be born. We were able to take a few minutes after the festivities to take a few photos of the two babies who are out now and the two that are still in. I am feeling especially large with child since I am
37 weeks pregnant tomorrow! At the end of this week, I will be more pregnant with baby two then I was with baby one. I was induced with baby one at 37 weeks 3 days with major health complications. This second time around has been amazing! I feel so blessed as God has heard my prayers and blessed me and my baby with a healthy normal pregnancy. It was wonderful to be able to sit under the shade of the trees and visit with my amazing sister-in-laws about our pregnancies, birth stories, and dream about the future. I am looking forward to baby boy growing up with his cousins and sharing a lifetime of memories with them. I never had any
girl cousins close to me in age and so I am ecstatic that this little baby of mine will have three cousins months and weeks older and younger than he is. I am especially excited to see where these young men will serve their missions. Melissa joking said, "What if they served in all four corners of the Earth!" I am feeling blessed that not only do I get to be a momma for a second time around but that I get to share this experience with women I love and care for so deeply. Friends come and go and yet your family
stays forever. I am so grateful that I have such a close relationship with my in-laws as well! I love them so much and am so grateful for the love and acceptance I feel from them. I was really happy that a moment presented itself in which we were also able to capture a photo of the Fullmer four. These siblings are so close and loving with each other. I love to watch them interact with each other. When I first met my husband in High School, I was so impressed with the mutual respect and love I saw that each sibling genuinely had for each other. I wasn't used to teenager boys hugging their younger or older brothers and saying openly, "I love you, I am proud of you." The affection and words of affirmation that I saw between these four siblings made me want to be apart of a family that loved each other unabashedly and openly. They love each other and they share that love with each other--that is totally awesome and wonderful. I once asked my husband if he ever struggled as a young person feeling like he was unloved. He looked at me like I was crazy. "No," he said, "between my parents and my siblings telling me daily that they loved me, I never have felt unloved a day in my life." For me this was astounding since I have struggled with these feeling off and on my entire life-especially as a young person finding my way along the road to adulthood. To have a daily reminder from each of your siblings and your parents that you are loved and cared for is such a great and wonderful gift. Life is hard and filled with struggles but to know that your siblings and parents have got your back and will love you through all of life's curve balls is truly wonderful.

The Year Of The Babies

In the Fullmer Warburton Nelson family, this past year has been termed as the, "Year of the Babies" and I wanted to share how 2011 warranted its own special title. I have the great fortune of being very blessed by the family I chose to marry into. I love my in-law family so much that I don't actually think of them as in-laws. My friends tell me horror stories about their mother-in-laws and I honestly cannot relate! My mother-in-law is the first person I think of calling when I need help, advise, or a shoulder to cry on. I love her and am so grateful for her. My in-law siblings are very much like my own siblings and I love them dearly and have such fond memories of our years spent together. Therefore this past year has been especially exciting in our family because all four of the siblings were expecting babies. Joanna was the first to become pregnant and share her exciting news with the family. I had not shared with anyone my intentions of trying this year to get pregnant because I have learned from years past, the heartache that is involved with trying to get pregnant only to be disappointed when you fail time and time again. So it was my own little secret tucked away. When Joanna announced her wonderful news I was super excited thinking that I would get the joy of having a baby with her. Then two short months later Melissa announced that she too was having a baby. WOW! I thought could it be possible that I could be pregnant with two of my sisters-in-law?? I was even more excited but also scared that I would not be able to get pregnant. Then one week before my 35th birthday I was given such a marvelous gift, I discovered that I too was pregnant. I was so excited to have Liam announce the wonderful news to his grandparents. Grammy Coleen's face lit up and she looked like she was going to pass out from shock. She was so happy and excited, we had three little babies coming into the family. Then in April, at Grammy Coleen's 60th birthday, Tommy and Rosie announced that they too were expecting. All four of Grammy Coleen's children were going to have babies! Our family was a buzz with the exciting news and we all were hugging each other and thumping each other on the backs! We later discovered that all four babies were in fact--BOYS! Which only made us more excited that each of us would be having a baby boy! I can't help but think about the four missionaries going out from our family in nineteen years time and all the other life experiences that they will share together in between.
It has been such an exciting and wonderful year to not only be expecting my own little treasure but to watch as each of my husband's siblings welcome a new little spirit into their hearts and homes as well. At Joanna's baby blessing of Gabriel, her and Trevor's son, we took a picture of the three preggo bellies and the momma that had her baby. At each baby blessing I want to get a picture of the remaining pregnant ladies and the new baby boys. A week ago Melissa, had her little baby boy, Teegan and we are all excited to meet him and welcome him into our family. Now, just two of the the four pregnant girls remain, myself and Rosie are anxiously awaiting the arrivals of our own baby boys. In this second picture, us pregnant girls are featured from left to right in order of our due dates: Joanna holding baby Gabriel, Melissa, Moana, and Rosie at Gabriel's baby blessing.
I love being a mother and I feel so blessed that with baby two I have had the great joy of sharing this experience with my amazing sisters-in-law. I am now about 31 weeks pregnant and doing wonderful. Heavenly Father has truly blessed me during this pregnancy. The problems and complications I had with Liam's pregnancy have not troubled me and I am so thankful that I have had a relatively normal pregnancy. We went this past week to our regular midwife appointment and baby boy measured right on his due date. It was determined that he had some freakish growth spurt and that is why he was measuring so large at our last appointment. We will have to go in for another ultra-sound to ensure that he really is OK but we are banking on the fact that all blood work and the previous ultra-sound revealed that he is in fact doing well. He is so active and constantly reminds me that he is there growing below my heart. Bill and Liam can visually see him moving and kicking now as they test him to see what he will respond too. He especially loves the sound of Bill's low voice and Liam's constant hugs and kisses. I can hardly wait to hold him in my arms and fill my nostrils with his sweet scent and take in all of the lines and contours of his little face. I can't wait to feel him in my arms and gaze into his eyes. I love him so much and yet I haven't even met him yet. This doesn't seem to matter, he has my eternal love and devotion already. I can't wait to add him to my little family and see how Liam adjusts to being a big brother. Since Liam could speak at 3 years old when asked what he wants for his birthday, Christmas, and all the holidays in between his response has been the exact same one, "I want a baby brother and a baby sister." Often times he will awake in the morning with a huge grin on his face, "Mom, I had the best dream, I dreamt about my brother and sister last night and we had so much fun together. We did....." People ask me all the time if I think he is ready. I have no idea if he is and if the adjustment will be super difficult. But I do know that he sincerely is excited and has been waiting for a long time to meet his sibling. I am sure their will be moments of trial and challenges and yet I suspect that Liam will do as he always has done, he will be joyful and excited to have a brother to share his life with. He already shows such care and concern for his brother and I can hardly wait to watch what is going to happen between these two little men. I feel so blessed and grateful for the experiences that I have had to prepare me for this new life experience of having a new baby. I am also looking forward to the future as I contemplate meeting and raising my newest son. We have anywhere from as little as 7 weeks and as much as 11 weeks until we too will be holding baby number two in our arms and gazing lovingly at every minute detail of his amazing little body. As the "year of the Babies" comes to its close for me, I am so excited, I can hardly wait, the future holds so much promise and I feel blessed by this! I get the joy of not only welcoming my own little one into my family but three beautiful little nephews as well!

Liam Spills The Beans

Fun Weekend

We had a warm day on Friday and Liam had such a great time playing outside. He found a skate board and had a blast doing tricks and trying to keep his balance. We had made great plans for spending all of Saturday at the Merlin Olsen Park with a yummy picnic but the weather turned windy and so we stayed home and flew Liam's new kite instead and ate indoors were we could keep warm! To see some really funny videos of Liam, check out our home video blog here. I have been organizing our home videos and found some old ones of Liam that are hilarious! I posted a video of him doing the "pink undie dance." Seriously funny and then the time when we were in IKEA and Liam decided to wear a colander on his head throughout the store! (PS if you wanted to see the above pictures enlarged just click on the page and it will enlarge it, just in case you didn't already know that!)
I also wanted to say that I am so touched and deeply moved by all of the love and support I have received since sharing my feelings of weight loss in my last post. Thank you readers for the support, I greatly appreciate the comments, emails, and even a few phone calls. I love you all and am grateful to you for your love. I love you all so much, thanks a million!!
By the way, Liam dresses himself and so this explains why he doesn't match or why he is wearing socks with his opened toe shoes. It is so not worth the fight each morning to make him match! Perhaps you know exactly what I am taking about!? Just thought I would add that!

Highlights From 2007

It has always been my tradition to spend the 31st of December reminiscing over the events that have taken place over the past 12 months. I find myself laughing, crying, brooding, rejoicing, and then sadly wishing the year farewell as I watch the Ball in Time Square drop signifying a New Year has begun. As Bill and I have been working on home improvement projects today we have had fun remembering some of the higher notes we have stuck this year. The greatest achievement this year for us happened in May with Bill graduating from USU with a bachelors degree in Psychology, he was also accepted into a Masters program in Instructional Technology here at USU. He was also awarded an assistant ship!! I am so proud of Bill! During Bills college graduation, Bill reached up into the audience and plucked Liam out of my arms so that Liam could go with his daddy to accept his diploma. It was so touching for me to see since Liam's entire life Bill has been in college.


I am so proud of Bill for this amazing achievement. I want my children to value education and I know that Liam will love to hear the story about when daddy graduated from College and Liam went with him to get his diploma.



2007 also saw our little Liam turn 2. I can hardly believe that it was really that long ago since I can remember Liam being born like it was yesterday. He was so cute, he seemed to grasp that the day was special and he just kept grinning from ear to ear. When we decorated the house for Bill birthday recently, Liam understood what Happy Birthday, birthday cake, blowing out the candles and most importantly presents were all about. He is growing up so fast and I can hardly believe how fast it is rushing past me. I am so so so grateful for my little boy. I waited to be his mom for 9 years and I don't take him for granted! Bill and I smile every single day and say to each, "can you believe were parents!!!?" We are so blessed to have Liam, he makes us feel so happy!!


Bill and I also celebrated 11 years of wedded bliss. We are so blessed to have spent the past 11 years growing and learning with each other. This picture was also taken on a very special day, my younger sister Ana was married to Dave Torgesen in the Salt Lake Temple in August. It was a very special day! It was awesome to see her be sealed for time and all eternity and to be reminded again of the amazing promises our Heavenly Father has in store for us if we are true and faithful!



My younger brother Kaleb returned from an honorable mission in the Dallas Texas Mission and my younger sister Laura had her third child. This past year has also had some lows with both Bills paternal grandmother Reva Fullmer passing away as well as my paternal grandfather Dick Finlayson. We are grateful for the knowledge of the atonement of Jesus Christ and the promises we are given by our temple blessings and covenants. It was truly an amazing year filled with so many wonderful adventures such as vacationing with Bills siblings in Hailey Idaho and traveling to southern California on a whim to see a dying friend. As well as seeing our great friend my old college roommate Rebbecca Murphy. (In 1995 while I was friends with Becca in Hawaii at BYU Hawaii, Bill was serving a mission in the Birmingham England Mission. While proselyting he met a man by the name of Ian Murphy whom Bill later baptized and then went through the temple with a year later, two days before Bill flew home. Ian came to visit us shortly after Liam was born in 2005. I felt impressed that he should meet my friend Rebbecca who was living here in Logan. Well they hit it off and were married in 2006 in the Logan Temple. It was truly amazing!!) Becca was able to come this past summer from England for her younger brothers wedding. It was awesome to spend time with her. We hope on her next visit Ian will get to come as well. We had a great year and I cant wait to see what next year holds for us. Wishing you all a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year!! With lots of love and best wishes, Bill, Moana, and Liam Fullmer

Christmas Eve At Our House

This year we decided to borrow a family tradition from our sil Rosie. Her family makes cookies for Santa. Last Christmas she made cookies with Liam and his cousins and it was a huge hit with the kids. Not to mention the parents loved eating their hard work! So with cookie cutters and colored sugars with made cookies as a family for Santa.



Liam and Bill were so cute as they made cookies together. I love how huge Bills hands are in relation to Liams! Its hard to believe that we were ever that little isn't it!? Its even harder to imagine that one day Liam will be the daddy! OK, I dont even want to go there!!



Liam was so determined to sprinkle the right amount of sugar onto this cookie. I hope whoever gets this cookie has a really high tolerance for sugar! Hopefully Liam doesn't eat it, I would have to scrape him off of the walls after the sugar high!



One of the traditions that Bill and I both had as children was to receive a pair of pjs for Christmas Eve. We have kept this tradition our entire marriage and it has been fun to keep this tradition with Liam. My most favorite Fullmer family tradition is a tradition that Bill and I created for ourselves when we were dating way back in 1993. We get a special book for Christmas, this year we got "A Bell for Anya" we get into our pjs and first read from Luke about the birth of Christ and then we read our Christmas book. I include a copy of the family Christmas letter, picture and card we sent out that year so that the book can act as a time capsule. Its fun to go back and read the years previous letter and see the changes in our family picture. This is what Christmas Eve is like with the Fullmers!