There’s a new cook in the kitchen!!

Well maybe not an entirely new cook but we now have the assistance of Miss Emilia Rebecca these days! Our sweet angel is 8 months and 9 days old! She loves emptying cupboards of their contents ensuring that I, as head chef, know exactly how many plastic bowls, lids, and spatulas are kept on the lower shelves. I can’t believe how quickly time has swept by. In the last two months, Emilia cut two teeth, learned how to crawl, has started jabbering frequently, and likes to hold our fingers as she strides across the room. As mentioned above, she is also extremely talented at emptying anything of its contents (diaper bags, baskets, drawers, etc) and spreading those items throughout the room. Personally, I think she delights in watching me pick them up twenty times. Just today she also started standing on her own without any help!!! Our menu at the Cazier household is also going through a drastic change as we have begun the joys of baby food!

We are currently considering the transfer of our kitchen to a new area in the world. David is working on his last semester of school (until the Masters). He is a resource teacher doing his student teaching this semester at a middle school. After this semester he graduates and we will be transferring our kitchen to a new place of employment. The spice in this recipe: not knowing just where the new location will be. The icing on the cake: we won’t know until the beginning of November at the earliest and we will need to move by the early to middle of December. The actual cake: there is no doubt that we will have a job. Even with this spice and icing, this cake is going to be delicious. We will greatly miss Logan and our friends here, but we are ready to start our next recipe!

I love being the cook in the kitchen! It’s so wonderful to be at home with Emilia. I love experiencing life with her and I love being the wife of such a magnificent man. As my sister and I grew up, we played house. We played “mommy” and we dreamed of the day we would one day be mothers and wives. We dreamed of the day when we would be the executive chefs in our kitchens. I am living my dream and so grateful for it. My favorite kitchen to cook in includes an adorable baby girl pulling herself up on my legs with a grin on her face as she looks up at me. It includes a handsome hard-working man walking through the door to tell me that I look beautiful even when I don’t. It includes a smile on my face that no one and nothing else could have ever put there.

I am grateful for the new cook in our kitchen and I’m grateful for the taste tester we already had on staff (David). They both make our kitchen home.

The Power of The Priesthood

When Dave’s parents arrived at the hospital, Dave and Papa Kem gave me a blessing. I don’t remember much of what was said in the blessing except for a part that talked about the power of the priesthood. I remember being told that my appreciation for the priesthood would grow with this experience and that I would realize what a great power it had.

Four hours after giving birth to our precious daughter and watching her be whisked away from me, I found out that all was not well. Because I had preeclampsia, the doctors and nurses didn’t tell me what was happening with Emilia in fear that it would further raise my blood pressure. Dave was instructed to keep quiet as well and I was therefore unaware of the peril our daughter was in until nearly four hours later when I was finally allowed to go down and feed her. As I sat with this precious bundle in my arms and I was able to truly look at her for the first time, my husband sat across from me and told me of what he’d experienced in the past four hours with Emilia. I daresay that after hearing about her first hours in this world, my appreciation for the priesthood certainly has grown to monumental proportions, just as my blessing had said it would. I am so grateful for the Priesthood and those worthy Priesthood holders who were ready, willing, and worthy to bless our daughter in that time of need. I have never felt the love of our Father in Heaven nor the sacrifice of our Savior more than in those moments when I held Emilia in my arms.

We were finally able to bring our precious daughter home after 5 days spent in the NICU. Thankfully her rough beginning has been just that: a rough beginning. She is now doing famously well and received a clean bill of health from her doctor at her two week checkup. Thank you for your prayers, love, and support during our time of need.

Emilia is now 3 weeks old and amazes us every day with how much she has grown and changed already! Our baby girl is content and happy as long as she has a full tummy and is being cuddled. Yes, we have a cuddlebug on our hands –which is only a problem when we’d like to get some sleep, and she’d like to be held while she sleeps. lol

On A Side Note: This past weekend, Rachel, Rob, and (8 week old) Kylie were able to come visit us. We had a wonderful time! The weekend passed much too quickly for our taste but we were grateful for the time we had. Seeing Kylie and Emilia together was a blast and catching up on each other’s lives was fantastic. I forget how much I miss family until we get to spend time together.

The Miracle of Our Little Miracle

One cold and dark day while serving my mission in Trondheim, Norway, I met a man on the street who, after I had asked him if he believes in miracles, responded that "Miracles are whatever we want them to be. They are fantasy. They are made up from the mind of man and are only fine, ridiculous stories." Today, as a new father with a strengthened testimony of the truthfulness of miracles, I can prove this statement wrong.

Just one minute after January 26th, 2011 had begun, Emilia Rebecca Cazier was born into this world. After cutting the umbilical cord and looking happily at my beautiful and strong wife, I followed my new daughter over to the portion of the room where some nurses were taking her vital signs. Excitedly, I looked at my beautiful new addition to my life, but was nervous to realize that Emilia--blue, silent, and motionless--lay struggling with life on the table. After tapping my daughter vigorously, looking for a cry or movement or anything, the nurse immediately called on her radio for help. Suddenly, two additional nurses burst into the room with an infant resuscitation device, which was used to send electrical shocks through my minute-old daughter.

At that very moment everything around this little tiny human seemed to fade. Exams, grades, money, ipods, cars, rent, and bills all instantaneously vanished from any care and thought in my mind. All I wanted and cared about was for my brand new daughter to cry. 20 milliters of fluid was extracted from Emilia's lungs and stomach, and efforts to ensure a regular oxygen level failed.

After attempting to reassure my worried wife that everything was ok with baby, I followed the nurse rolling Emilia in her clear crib down to the neonatal intensive care unit. As fast as she had been born, Emilia was now hooked up to half a dozen medical machines and instruments, with her beautiful skin being pierced by needles. Despite the rush and haze all about her, little Emilia lay still and motionless in the crib.

As I looked upon this tiny daughter of God being pricked with needles, a hallowed thought and feeling soon swept my soul: "It's ok, Emilia. Jesus was pierced too. He understands you, and He is here with you."

After understanding the concerns and magnitude of Emilia's condition, a strong feeling came to me that a priesthood blessing is needed. Confirmation was affirmed when my father, after seeing me leave the NICU and come to him, said, "Are we going to give her a blessing?"

With my father-in-law anointing her small and precious head, I placed a few fingers upon Emilia's fragile forehead and pronounced a blessing of healing by the authority of the holy priesthood of God and in the sacred name of our Savior.

Looking back at this now, I struggle to grasp the complexity of this miracle that occurred. Within twenty minutes, baby Emilia's oxygen level went from a life-threatening 50% to a healthy 90%. Although still unable to cry, Emilia could breathe on her own with little help from the machines. The nurses, with amazement, noted how quickly Emilia's condition curved. "I haven't seen something like this," one nurse commented. "I wish we could prescribe that to every patient in here!"

If I could meet that man I met in Trondheim, Norway again, I would plea with him to listen to his statement with all his heart. I would ask him to truly consider if miracles are made by man. Are they really fantasy?

Almost 2000 years ago, the greatest miracle to ever occur upon the face of the earth was pierced, just like my tiny baby girl, but for all of us. With great drops of blood, our Savior Jesus Christ atoned for all of our sorrows, our sins and mistakes, and our flaws. He perfectly felt each and every bump of every road. He knows what it feels like to watch a daughter struggle to survive. He knows what it feels like to fall upon your face in sorrow. He knows what it feels like to make mistakes and struggle with decisions. Perfectly, He died for us in love.

Miracles are real, for Jesus Christ is real. Because He lives, we too shall live. The miracle of Emilia, our little miracle, is that the power of Jesus Christ thrives today through the priesthood of God, and that our Savior overcame every literal thing imaginable for our happiness. "And now, O all ye that have imagined up unto yourselves a god who can do no miracles... Behold, I say unto you... God has not ceased to be a God of miracles" (Mormon 9:15).

Loser Cleans the Bathroom

Well here we are at the end of another semester! I can’t believe how quickly time has flown by. Dave completed his last final this afternoon and is officially finished with school until next semester. I have a few more assignments to complete and turn in but nothing too major. I have to admit this has been the least stressful end of a semester that I’ve had in a couple of years. I quit working about a week ago so I had plenty of time to make sure that all of my work was done and my professors just happened to cancel or not have a final in their classes! Talk about luck!

Dave and I are thrilled to be on break from school! I have a few sewing projects I want to do before school starts back up as well as a few fun scrapbooking projects. Dave is still working and has increased his hours during the break but when he’s home we love to party! Our favorite pastime has become games of every variety- but particularly card games and board games. In fact, when it comes time for chores around the house, we decide who has to clean the bathroom by playing one of our favorite card games (Blink or Ligretto –I highly recommend you get them for your family game closet). Loser has to clean the bathroom! Lol

We are going to Star Valley and spending Christmas and New Years with Dave’s parents. We’re pretty excited to get out town and enjoy a fun and relaxing Holiday. Thanksgiving was spent in New Mexico with my parents and that was a blast. The car ride was our only worry and other than becoming familiar with every bathroom from Logan to Farmington, the drive went very well!

Unfortunately school starts back up Jan 10. Dave will be finishing his last semester of “classes” before starting his student teaching in the fall. He has worked extremely hard and has some of the best grades in the entire Special Education Program! I’m an awfully proud wife…. I will have finished my associate’s degree at Snow College at the end of the current semester, so next semester I start at Utah State University. I’m only taking 2 classes and they will be online to accommodate for the baby. I’ll also be applying to the Family Life Studies Bachelor’s Program for the fall semester. Lucky for me it’s geared completely toward online classes. I’m getting really excited to start classes specifically for an area that I’m really interested in.

The Baby: What a whirlwind adventure being pregnant is. Some days are wonderful and other days I’d prefer to hide under the covers in bed and wait for another day to come! Our baby girl is thriving, or at least she feels like she is! She is now able to punch my bladder and kick her feet into my ribs at the same time! Not always a welcome or pleasant feeling but at least I know she’s growing like she should be!! I’m officially 33 weeks along now (half way through the 8th month). Dave and I have decided to name our precious little girl Emilia Rebecca Cazier. She’s due Jan 28. It’s crazy to walk into what was once a spare bedroom/office, and now see a crib with blankets and quilts sitting across from the desk. Dave and I are extremely excited if still a little nervous about this new adventure. We’ve been attending a Lamaze class which is almost over and I’m not sure if the idea was to prepare me for labor or to terrify me. Either way, I feel it’s done both. Thank goodness for a husband who reminds me that my body WAS made to do this and that epidurals are a gift from the heavens. Lol.

All in all the pregnancy hasn’t been too bad. Recently the struggle is just getting comfortable. I have found a variety of places to put pillows other than just behind my back! I haven’t had much nausea or too many problems with swelling –thank goodness. As usual my frustration is food. I love it and I always want to be eating, but finding something that sounds really good to eat (and is still appetizing after I’ve seen it and smelled it) is not a fun process. The fact that I can only eat small portions due to the lack of space in my abdomen does not always leave me the happiest either. Once again, all I can say is that I have a wonderful husband who takes really really great care of me. I can’t wait to watch him with Emilia when she is born! She already knows his voice really well—he started singing the other day and it was as if she was trying to push her way out of me to get to him. I’d never felt her move that much and with that much force! What a wonderful experience. Needless to say, whether a surprise or not, we are excited to be parents and to meet our little girl!

I Do Not Know

God intended for women to be pregnant. If He didn't, then men would be. My "testimony" of this has been largely increased as of late as Emily has been going through the pregnancy roller-coaster.

Truth be known, Em has been doing great being pregnant. Honestly. She has been handling it like a champion and really doing quite well. But even with that being said, we cannot deny the fact that whenever a bunch of men gather together and one mentions that his wife is "pregnant", the others around them cannot help but shudder and give the man a look of sympathy.

It's the hormones.

The other night while out on our nightly stroll around Aggie Village, Em asked me what I thought when I first saw her on our wedding day. Breathing a sigh of relief, thinking this was an "easy-out" question, I replied honestly that while I was nervous for being in front of so many staring eyes, I was elated and couldn't wait to be hitched. I smiled happily over to her after saying this, expecting a smile back, but instead I received a sad look down.

Uh oh.

Suddenly I found myself stuttering like Porky Pig. "W-w-w-well it w-w-w-wasn't that I w-w-w-wanted to n-n-n-ot m-m-m-marry you, j-j-j-just that yo-yo-you're family was all there..." Then I continued to the blabbering stage: "I mean, I've always wanted to marry you and your family wasn't the problem. It was just intimidating having your dad sitting right behind you as we knelt at the alter... not that your dad is intimidating..."

Someone just hand me a shovel.

Then it started raining. Metaphorically, that is. Em began the pregnancy-tears (which, for any man-readers out there, is definitely double the magnitude of the "time-of-the-month" tears) and before I knew it, I was holding a pregnant woman who was saying things like "You didn't want to marry me!"

It was at that moment, standing on that sidewalk holding my wonderful wife and future mother of my children, that I realized how much I love her and, reaffirming, how little I know about her and handling pregnancy. My attempts to make her feel better and to clarify my explanation finally proved successful, but then the tears started up again. Confused as could be, I asked: "Em, are these happy tears or sad tears?"

Through sobs came the reply: "I don't know!"

There it is, the common answer give by pregnant women all over the world: I don't know. I'd like to second that statement. I have no idea, and most likely never will.

Anniversary Surprises and Wonderful Nieces!

Dave and I celebrated our 1st anniversary with a bang! We went Jackson Hole for a day or two and found that we are pregnant! We have a baby due February 2, 2011. We are almost 9 weeks along. We are very very excited even if this was an unplanned event! As far as the pregnancy goes, the baby has been fairly kind to me. Morning Sickness is very very mild and hasn't been much of a problem. My hormones are absolutely crazy and Dave either deals with my tears or my orneriness. We've already had an ultrasound and heard the baby's heart beat which was absolutely amazing!

We also have thoroughly enjoyed the past week after having stolen our niece! Karisma has been up to play and we have had a great time with her! We've been to the temple, zoo, Bear Lake, baked cookies, played in the park, and done tons of other things! We have had such a wonderful time with her.

Well that's the latest update on us...just enjoying the summer and working hard!

Wow. It has been forever since I wrote anything on our blog. I'll just give a quick run down on the things that have happened this semester. So as layoffs started at work, it wasn't long before the entire department I worked for was shut down. A few fellow employees were transferred to other departments and the rest of us were laid off. It was a very trying time for me as I found myself without work. I didn't realize how much my job had begun to mean to me. It was what got me out of bed at a reasonable time and helped me be productive and useful. The change I experienced without my job was extremely difficult. Without my job, it felt like I had lost all motivation to do anything. Thank goodness it didn't last too long. Shortly after losing my job, applied for a position with Qwest in their customer service department. Dave and I were both pretty excited for this position. The benefits were going to be awesome (full medical insurance, pay was better, overtime encouraged, retirement fund, and they also would pay for my tuition for a few part-time classes). Not long after applying for the job at Qwest my old employers called me and wanted to re-hire me for a new position in the company. Qwest weren't going to be looking at application for another 3 weeks and I was going stir crazy at home so we decided to go ahead and take the position with Impact. About two weeks after I started with Impact again, Qwest called for an interview. The funny thing is that although Dave and I had been really excited and very hopeful about this job, neither of us had very good feelings about the interview. We prayed about it and surprisingly enough the next day after work, I stopped for a minute to ask my boss about some time off when my mom came up to visit, and before leaving my boss asked me to switch to another department which would be so much more enjoyable and a step up from where I was. It was the answer we needed to know that I was supposed to be at Impact. That's the wrap on work right now!

School is a very a different story however. As always I've procrastinated to the max and the next two weeks will probably the worst of my life. However, if I can make it past these next two weeks, I will graduate with my associates degree from Snow College. I still need to go and see an adviser at Utah State University to discuss classes for the fall semester but I'm thinking I need to be sure that I pass all of my classes so that I will be able to transfer to Utah State. Down to the Wire!!!

Family is great. Dave is a little worried at how baby hungry I've been but the good news I'm only baby hungry for all my friends babies. It's pretty crazy...the majority of people I see and talk to are pregnant now due in a month or two. Other than that, Dave and I are doing great. Next month we will be celebrating our first wedding anniversary. It's amazing that Dave hasn't mailed me back to my dad with a "Return To Sender" stamp across my forehead. I remember Dave sweeping me off my feet a month after our wedding when he told me that he thought that he had reached the peak of how much he could love anyone when he married me. Then he told me that he was wrong. His love for me increases everyday. I'll always remember that because it is exactly how I feel about him. We are celebrating our first anniversary and we've loved every minute of our life together!

My mom and sister had the chance to come up and see us and we had an absolute blast together! Loved having the girl time with them!!!!! We didn't have to do anything really fancy...we just loved talking and shopping together! It felt wonderful to spend the time together. Rachel, Rob, Dave, and I also traveled to New Mexico for Mom's birthday. Dad had called us way in advance and arranged for us to come down and surprise her. We had a wonderful time at home with everyone. Nick and his family are still as wonderful and fun as ever, and the time with everyone was perfect.

Dave and I also got to spend time with his parents over conference weekend. During the priesthood session of conference (which Dave and his dad went to), Mama Beth and I were able to enjoy plenty of shopping together and a wonderful dinner at the Cracker Barrel. We had such a good time together! Nothing like spending time with family for the perfect weekend.

Dave and I are currently ward missionaries in the ward. I have absolutely loved this calling. It's been neat to be a part of the ward. At first I struggled being in the ward because it changed every week -its a student ward where most people miss a lot of church as they visit family. Now being a ward missionary gives me the opportunity to enjoy being around people I don't very well and to step out of my comfort zone to make a new friend. Dave and I are quickly learning that although we'd really like to, we just can't have friends over every night of the week for dinner. We try to limit it to only 3 times a week but sometimes even that doesn't work. We thoroughly enjoy spending time with the friends we have here.

Well...I have work that will be calling my name long before I'm ready for it so I'm going to hit the hay. Love you all!