Saturday, June 18, 2011

Changes ...

Well, it's time for my first post on the blog. Shawn has decided that since our blog is titled "Shawn and Courtney's Blogspot" and he has had it for a couple of years now that it's about time the Courtney part actually writes something :) So it's my job to update you all on our crazy, changing lives!

Since graduation, Shawn has found a part-time summer internship at a company called Doba that was totally fine with the fact that we are going to be gone for a month on one of our epic vacations right in the middle of the summer. That was definitely a blessing. He is a Software Engineer Intern and has been been learning a lot. Some days he comes home frustrated because he's gotten stuck on something as he is working on the programming, but overall he is being stretched and growing and we hope it is all for the best! The plan is to have a full-time job with benefits in the fall, either with Doba if they offer it to him, or with someone else if not.

As Shawn's work life is beginning, mine as come to a close. Yes, that's right, after 4 years of teaching junior high math it is time for me to take a break (probably a permanent one). Back at the end of January I was talking with a friend at work about eventually going back to school getting a master's degree, and something just seemed to click. I decided that "eventually" was going to turn into "in the fall." In a week, I got all of my letters of recommendation, wrote my statement of intent, filled out my application, and had applied for grad school at BYU in the Instructional Psychology and Technology program. In March we found out that I had been accepted! In April I was offered a paid 20 hr/week research/teaching assistantship. A couple of weeks ago I was offered a scholarship that will cover a big part of tuition for the fall. Things seem to just be falling into place, leading me to grad school. I think often times in my life, the Lord needs to literally "push" me into the right path for me because I just don't seem to come up with that path myself. My plans are never the Lord's plans, which I struggle with at first but have learned to trust them because His plans for me are ALWAYS infinitely better.

Speaking of the Lord's plans for us, he has changed our path even more! After a year of frustration, tears, and then eventual patience and understanding, at the end of May Shawn and I found out that we have been blessed with a little one on the way! And since it's not April 1, be assured that this is not one of Shawn's April Fool's jokes :) We are so excited to have the opportunity to be parents and know that the Lord has saved this little child for us at this time. We had our first doctor's appointment this week and found out that my due date is January 31st. We had an early ultrasound and think our baby kind of resembles a little lizard at this point, and we got to hear the baby's heartbeat. Even with all of that, we've decided that it still doesn't seem real that we actually have a baby coming. Nevertheless, Shawn has begun "nesting" and has started cleaning/organizing some part of our apartment every day when he gets home from work. I've been feeling pretty nauseous and tired most days and Shawn is quickly learning that my eating schedule is not the same as his anymore, and usually consists of "I want to eat something fast that I don't have to cook right now." We've also learned why many fathers-to-be gain weight when their wives are pregnant, because oftentimes I can only eat half of my food, so Shawn ends up eating all of his and half of mine.

We'll keep you all updated as we find more out about the baby. Shawn's decided that it will be my job to post about the baby, so you should be hearing from me more often :) I'll leave you with a picture of our first ultrasound!