Update ....

Okay so it is a long time coming BUT I promised pictures so here they are. These pictures are from our Babymoon- Birthday trip to Vegas that we took in July. So yeah they are a little behind- but they are the best we can do. We celebrated Ryan's birthday on the 4th of September. We went to Ryan's favorite restaurant Tepanyaki and had a great time. Other then that nothing else is really new- we are anxiously awaiting our newest addition - I can't believe he will be here in about two months - it is really going fast... yikes. We still have so much to do, and we are still looking for a new place to live (agh... cross your fingers and remember us in your prayers- my due date is November 30th and our current lease is up November 25th....)
Here are the pictures I promised- there maybe more coming

The notorious "baby bump"



Here is Joy enjoying a few Birthday Shots.....



Ryan wasn't crazy about this foreign soda



Our best attempt at a photo together



Ryan with his idol.....

25 Weeks and counting ....

For those of you counting (hopefully I am not the only one...) we are at the 25 week mark. Which means only 15 weeks left. I wish we had more exciting updates for the blog today. Nothing is really that new. We are just working and Ryan is busy getting ready to get back to school. Ryan's little sister Kristin is finally coming back after the longest summer ever- we have missed her dearly (Berkelee seems to miss her the most and is VERY anxious to see her again). Ryan's parents will be in town for the weekend and so is his cousin and aunt. So this weekend we are planning on having a nice family visit.
We have done a horrible job at photographing this pregnancy - sorry- I would say that I promise to post some pregnant Joy pictures - but I would hate to make a liar out of me. I will try - that is the best I can say.
As far as this pregnancy goes - so far so good- the morning sickness seems to have gone away and we haven't seen any other really horrible side effects. I still have a numb spot on my leg - which has been diagnosed as a pinched nerve caused by the pregnancy. I do have a cold right now - which is trying but will only make me stronger. No crazy cravings yet- however this baby seems to be a fan of mexican food as much if not MORE then his mom.
So basically that is our update - not much new - maybe there will be some pictures in the future, but I wouldn't hold your breath- we are lazy.....

It's a ......

It's A BOY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Babymoon like a ROCK STAR

In keeping with our celebrity style pregnancy- we are Babymooning like Rock stars..... What you haven't heard of a Babymoon?? A babymoon is a vacation taken while pregnant or, sometimes, for new parents. The idea is to let the pregnant woman and the new dad be pampered, live it up (minus the alcohol) and, in general, enjoy the last moment of peace, quiet and adults-only entertainment of their lives. Babymoon packages can include : unlimited complimentary in-room movies, late check-out, cravings bag, foodie treats, sport massages for dad-to-be, pregnancy massage for mom-to-be and non-alcoholic cockails. Go on a shopping spree with a personal shopper to show you all the beautiful baby boutiques. So there you have it- this Saturday we are leaving for our own little Babymoon.

Okay so we are not jetting off to a tropical resort for our babymoon. Instead we are going to spend the weekend in a Desert Castle. Where we will be dining like royalty. Oh and Ryan has promised to be my own personal shopper and point out all the luxuries that we need. That is right, for my Birthday/ Babymoon we are heading to Vegas and staying at the Excalibur Resort. We are going to go to the Knights of the Round Table dinner and show and spend the rest of the time there relaxing by the pool, shopping the shops and eating all the food I have been craving but could not stomach for the last 5 months. ( we are going on two solid weeks of no throwing up!!! )

Viva Las Vegas!!!!!!

15 more days.....

We had another Dr. visit on the 28th of June- and we were really excited to make our next appointment since it will be for our 20 week ultra sound, at which point we would be able to find out the gender of our little one. HOWEVER- the Dr. was all booked up on the 12th, and the 13th and 14th and 15th... and so on and so forth all the way til the 19th!!!!!!!
So now the count is down- 15 more days til we find out what our little bundle of joy is. We are anxious and excited and can not wait to share our big news with all of you. Oh and here is a bit of exciting news ( well exciting for me atleast) I have officially gone 7 whole days without throwing up - which is the longest run I have had- so this may be it - I may be on the home stretch.... thank you all for your concern, support and prayers-

Oh, baby

Well we had picked out the bedding that we wanted for the nursery almost immediately after we found out we were pregnant. I have always really liked stars and had wanted to incorporate them somehow in the nursery since they are pretty gender neutral. I wanted something really simple, neutral and not so babyish (if that makes any sense at all) I am just not big into cartoon characters or bugs- I think I am going to try and keep bugs away from my baby- so I don't really understand why the fascination with bugs on baby bedding- YUK, not cute- crawley....

Anyway I stumbled upon a cute set that was not to expensive- (it is kindof amusing how expensive sheets that are garanteed to get puked on, peed on and poo'd on can cost so much) and Ryan liked it just as much as me. Here is a picture of the bedding- its not a great picture but you can get the idea- we don't know what color our crib is yet but its neutral enough that it really shouldn't matter. Its basically beige and off white with little accents of pink, blue and green. Then depending on girl or boy you can get crib sheets and accent blankets in pink or blue. We hadn't planned on getting it so soon - but wouldn't you know it - we stopped at the store to take a look at it and it was being clearanced out. In fear that we might miss out on what appears to me as the most perfect baby bedding ever- we got our bedding all in one shot. (Thanks Mom and Dad)

So little by little we are getting ready for this new addition.

Tonight - since Ryan and I are on a budget we decided to find a cheap date alternative. So we went to babies 'r' us and started our baby registery. Registering is kinda fun - its like going on a shopping spree and spending $0. Really I think we had no idea what we were doing- that is probably evident when you look at our registery. The only thing I am dead set on is our stroller- I am basically in love with it- here it is - again its kinda plain and neutral but the visor will go all the way down , not just over the car seat portion.

In other news- there really isn't any other news - we are pretty boring. Just work and school and thats about it.

6 weeks and counting

6 weeks and counting for those of you who are wondering when we will be finding out the gender of the newest little Williams. I went to the Dr. on Tuesday and everything thing is going perfect. Pee looked good, blood pressure was exactly where it should be and baby's heart sounded like music to our ears. I was even given a new perscription for some heavy duty anti nausea medicine (we are talking $35 a pill)!!!! This stuff should really work and hopefully I only have a few more days or weeks of needing it. We have another appointment in a month - and then two weeks after that appointment- we get to have the gender ultrasound!!!!!! So place your bets now.

We came to the decision to find out what we are having based on a couple of things. First and foremost- we look at it this way- the day the baby actually arrives is going to be filled with plenty of excitement of its own- so why not get a little "teaser" half way through. Secondly, this is our first baby and therefore we have NOTHING - while I like greens and yellows as much as the next guy it would be really nice to be able to splurge on some gender specific items. And finally - I hate surprises I can not wait for things like birthday presents and Christmas - let alone the gender of my first child. Although I have already set myself up for the disappointment I may encounter if my child has decided to take a more modest approach. Let's cross our fingers that we have a future exhibitionist so that I (and all of you) will get to know if pink or blue is appropriate.

As for the big surprise - Ryan and I have decided that while we will be sharing the gender of our upcoming child with everyone- we will be keeping the name a secret until the big day - feel free to offer suggestions and ideas, nothing is set in stone until baby arrives - however you will not even get a hint from either of us- so don't bother trying......

Here is something fun- for all you moms out there let me know how often this Chinese Gender Chart worked for you
http://fertility-facts.com/Tools/chinese_birth_chart.htm

Bye Bye Belly Button Ring.....

It's official - my belly button ring is gone, after almost a decade of being my own personal sign of rebellion, alas it is gone. While I have not gotten a baby bump yet, I couldn't help but worry that it would appear overnight, and if I left my belly button ring in it would leave an all too unpleasant scar. So out it came. Really it's a milestone- just one more thing I am giving up to make room for the new stage I am entering in to.I can't help but remember "when I was a child I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a (wo)man, I put away childish things." (1 Corinthians 13:11) I guess this is just me finally putting away some of my childish things. Don't get me wrong, I would give up my belly button ring and so much more for this little person I haven't even met yet. (I just wish this little one would give me a day or two without morning aka all day sickness) This is week 13 and I am on the verge of entering my second trimester. Numerous pregnancy books and websites assure me that this new trimester will be my "honeymoon of pregnancy" so lets all cross our fingers....
Beyond that we are starting to make room for baby - or atleast we have started to think about cribs and bedding and strollers and car seats. Its almost as fun as wedding registery- yeah!



Oh - in other news - May 14th we celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary. For a treat Ryan and I went to the Melting Pot ( I was on anti nausea medicine so I could actually enjoy and keep down an entire meal) Our dinner was delicious- and we had a great night of just enjoying each other and having great conversation. The impending arrival of our newest addition has given Ryan and I a new perspective on being alone with each other. I am sure it is the lingering thought that as soon as baby arrives - our world will never be the same. I am just glad to be married to such an amazing person who takes such good care of me and my needs. I am truly the luckiest...

Guess Who's Pregnant?

Okay, so you had a minute and if you still haven't guessed - it's Joy!!! (although for those of you who were guessing Angelina Jolie - Pitt, you might still be right)

That's right Ryan and I are having a baby- We are officially due November 30th 2007. I started to feel a little funny the day we left for California- food just wasn't tasting right and I was peeing all the time. I really didn't think that much about it, I figured I was just anxious to get to California. Then when we got back I still wasn't feeling "myself" so we decided to take a pregnancy test- It turned to "pregnant" right away. I really couldn't believe my eyes....

We are so excited!!!!!!

So here are the first pictures of the latest little Williams, eat your hearts out......

Alright already... here is a new blog

Well it seems that the masses are getting sick and tired of seeing my new smile - So after a lot of nagging - here goes nothing. I am sad to say that we really don't have anything that spectacular to report. Ryan is still plugging away with school and work. I am still plugging away at work, and well, Berk is still plugging away at being a dog- something he has done a really good job at mastering.
We do have some exciting trips planned in the near future. On March 15th we are leaving for Sunny California - this is an escpecially big trip since we will be hitting up Disneyland, California Adventure and Magic Mountain. Also, this time we are driving so we can take Berkelee to meet his California family- fun, fun, fun
Also some exciting news- My baby brother, Brandon is coming home from serving in the Middle East- We are so exciting and relieved that he is coming home, FINALLY - and is safe. He has been in our hearts and prayers everyday and I can not wait to put my arms around him and hug him. So in April we are planning another road trip- yep that is right Ryan, Berkelee and I are going to climb back into the car (depending on how well Berkelee's first car trip goes) and driving to Nebraska.
NEBRASKA, you ask... ah yes- My oldest sister Jill and her family have relocated to Nebraska - and so the entire family (except Trevor who has to work) will be gathering at their new home for Easter and to welcome Brandon home. It will be great to see everyone again- and a 12 hour car ride is well worth it. (We just have to hope that Ryan will be done with all his exams ....)
So that seems to be about it- the weather here has been unpredicable and unneccessarily cold...
On a much sadder note- I am sure that everyone has heard of the tragedy Salt Lake suffered last month- Ryan and I frequent Trolley Square and were fortunate to be far away on that horrible night- in the after math of the event - the best we can do is learn from it- Life is short, hug your loved ones, and remember that today is the only day you are guaranteed- keep your things in order and remember what is important to you - WE love you all and we miss you - hope to see you all soon

All I Want For Christmas is My Two Front Teeth... or make that six....

It finally happened- my wish came true and I got my two, make that six front teeth for Christmas. Well it was actually a few days after Christmas - but the process started months ago. So here it is my new smile. Its everything I hoped it would be and so much more....



Check out the cool Schlitz hat Ryan found and bought me for Christmas!!!!


We love you guys!


Berkelee and his mommy
My new Smile
Miss you all and Love you-

Its a Wonderful Williams Christmas......

I can't believe it is Christmas again, ( well actually since I am posting this after Christmas, what I should be saying is "I can't believe another Christmas has come and gone!") This Christmas was as wonderful as ever. We went to California the 14th of December for Ryan's cousin, Chad's wedding. The wedding was beautiful and it was especially meaningful for Ryan and I to be able to be there for Chad since he was such an important part in our own "love story" Here we are with Chad and Kasey after the wedding

We had early Christmas with our Williams family and flew home on the 18th. Due to a horribly unexpected long flight home- we got in a little too late to pick up Berk from the Doggie Dorms, (Uncle John and Aunt Martha couldn't puppy sit this time- so we checked Berkelee in at the Plush Doggie Dorms, basically the Hilton for Hounds) so with Berkelee still living it up at the Ritz - we went and got our Christmas tree and started our Christmas decorating.

Ryan at the Home Depot picking out our Christmas tree

It was love at first sight, for me and our tree. Ryan was a little skeptical and thought we should look some more - but I could see the true potential in that snow covered leaning little tree!

Being that it was Berkelee's first Christmas, we went all out. Berkelee got all new toys ( most of his toys were trashed and alot of them weren't really toys at all.) Berk also got a new bed and a new blanket. He was such a good boy and did a really good job at leaving the Christmas tree alone.

All and All I think everyone in our little family got exactly what they wanted for Christmas!

Berkelee's first sleep over

While my Mom and Dad were away in Wisconsin - I spent the week on the farm. At first it was a little scary, cause Max and Sadie were not very friendly and I had to sleep in my crate every night instead of in my warm bed between mom and dad. But it turned out to be really fun- I got to play outside everyday while Aunt Martha worked with the horses. Max started to hang around me and keep me company- we had so much fun playing in the yard and taking naps together. I even took some cat naps with Tinkerbell.
I didn't like it very much when Max played with my toys (he slobbers so much) and Sadie never really warmed up to me but poodles are known for being a little "snobby". I was such a good little guy though, even when I got off my tie outside, I didn't leave the yard- instead I just walked up to the porch and took a little nap til Uncle John found me.
Sunday night I was so excited when Mom and Dad came home- and even better they brought me new toys!!!! So I survived my first sleep over - and I was so good that I get to go sleep over again next month - yeah!!!!

On Wisconsin!

Finally Ryan and I were able to get a way for a much needed trip to Wisconsin. We had such a blast and it was so good to finally go home. Here is a little photo montage of our trip;
Here is Ryan enjoying his first brewery tour....

boy did he have a blast, but not before picking up some souviners

We also took a trip to the Milwaukee Public Museum, I think it is one of the better museums in the country- maybe even in the world, here take a look
here I am feeding a stegosaurus, his name was Petey- what a playful guy


and Ryan caught a fish this big



we spent the rest of the trip visiting with family, going to the temple, shopping and just relaxing. The week ended all too soon, and we miss everyone so much.
We love you all and we will keep you updated!

love,
Ryan and Joy

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween,
as for costumes Ryan and I are still undecided. At this point I think we have determined that we will skip the dressing up and just leave that to Berkelee.
Berkelee decided this year that he wanted to be a dinosaur.



After a few wardrobe malfunctions, (mainly Berk trying to eat the headpiece, we compromised and decided to nix the headpiece)




He is by far the cutest dino-pup around.
Ryan and I are doing great, just working and going to school. We are really excited for our upcoming trip to Wisconsin. We will be there just in time to freeze! We haven't made plans for Thanksgiving, but we are considering starting our own family tradition. We might do the nice resturant dinner/ movie route instead of the traditional turkey and football.... we will be sure to keep you all posted.

RECENTLY.....

Items Recently Retrieved from Berkelee's mouth:
Ryan's wedding Ring
Paper
Glasses
A five dollar bill
Latex Ballons
Fingernail clippers
Leaves
A Quarter (he apparently has a thing for money)

Items Recently recovered when looking for the mail key:
The back to my earring
$2.73 (luckily I found it before Berkelee did)
one hair clip
Much needed receipts for Ryan's textbooks


Activities Recently enjoyed by Ryan and I:
Sleeping in (we both finally got a day to do this)
Eating at Winger's and actually getting what we ordered
Watching the complete first season of the British "Office"
Attending the 1st UTAH home game and watching them win 45 to 7

Ryan's Birthday

Well once again its Birthday time. On Monday, September 4th, Ryan celebrated his birthday- he still hasn't decided what birhtday this one was- we are thinking of calling it #24.
For Ryan's Birthday we did a treasure hunt to find his presents. That was followed by a birthday party at the Salt Lake Bees Game, dinner at China Gourmet and cake back at our place.
Here is a picture of Ryan and I at the game

The bees lost - but Ryan and I had a great time.




They were sold out of 24's at the store so we used a lousy 27



HAPPY BIRTHDAY RYAN !!!

Our little family

Well it looks like it has been quite a while since we have posted a family picture- so here it is! I have posted more photos in our kodak album as well.... miss you guys! Love, Ryan, Joy and Berkelee

here are a couple that didn't make the cut....

Happy Birthday !!!!

It seems I have done a horrible job at keeping this up to date. So this is my attempt at catching my few faithful readers up to speed. On July 22nd- I had celebrated my 23rd birthday (logically I may have had more - but if I only remember the 22 before it, I guess that makes it my 23rd, RIGHT)
For my birthday, Ryan surprised me with a gift certificate for an hour long massage, a pedicure and a manicure, he also got me some clothes and Berkelee got me some scooby snacks- kindof a selfish present, but come on, he is a dog)
To celebrate Ryan took me to the planetarium, then we went shopping and home to hang out with Berkelee. Later that night Ryan took me out to P.F. Chang's and later we had friends over for Cheesecake with carmel topping.
Here are some pictures from the Planetarium

Here is Ryan walking on Mars



Here is the birthday girl on Mars!



All and all it was a great day!

Losing Teeth Not Patience.....

Berkelee napping on the couch, so peaceful




Quite possibly the cutest puppy on earth






How could you not love a little guy like this




Berkelee has started losing his baby teeth - at first I was really alarmed and thought that we had been playing to rough with our little guy... but I looked on the internet and talked to the Vet at Berk's four month check up and its right on schedule. As for development Berk is right on track, he is weighing in at a whapping 16.8 pounds.... yikes!!! He has completely mastered "sit", "shake" and "down".
Berkelee is 99.9% housebroken, his only mistakes are due to Ryan and I not really paying attention- We are hoping that Berk will get a little more vocal when he needs to go out, however, he is EXCELLENT at going to the door.
So as things go around these parts, we are all well. Berkelee has such a personality. He gets so excited when we come home and if you don't come down to his level and greet him properly- he has the cutest little whimper...
He is a perfect little cuddler, although sometimes he cuddles with his mom a little too much while she is trying to sleep. Berk is trying to get better at cuddling with Dad after Mom leaves for work- but he misses her so much he just can't sleep for now.
We have really been blessed with our first addition to our family - I think he really does have a spirit of his own- and it compliments Ryan and I so well.
Life beyond the pup is good. We are just busy working and enjoying our summer. Ryan will be starting school again in August -
we love you all and we miss you - check out our photo albums on kodak.com for more family pictures.....

Has it really been a month

Well it seems as much as I try to update this on any real sort of schedule- time slips away from me. So it appears that the last post was over a month ago. Nothing new to report. Berkelee is changing more and more from tiny puppy- to big dog. (okay he weighs 10 lbs so he isn't really a BIG dog)
I am finding myself more and more family sick- I have not been home since last June, the rest of my family is there now- at the homestead... I am sure it is fun and exciting, man I miss my old home. (I love my new home, don't get me wrong) Family is important and the further away you get from them, the more you realise that.

Still moving ...

We are still in the process of moving- all of our big stuff is at our new place and we only have like 10% of the stuff we own still at our old place - so this is the home stretch. HOWEVER it is agonizing, we know live in a sea of boxes, and when we started this whole moving process the boxes were very organized and well labeled and some how along the way we stopped labeling them and so now it is anyones guess what the box they are about to open may or may not contain. I am exhausted, Ryan is exhausted and even little Berk is exhausted. (Berkelee's exhuastion is mostly due to the fact that our new location has stairs and for a little guy like him - stairs can be quite exhausting.)
So this post is short, I need to take a shower and unpack some more boxes.... The most exhausting and depressing part of this move is that it is indeed again temporary - and we will all too soon be packing up our things and moving AGAIN....

Our life in a nutshell

I don't have much to blog about today - but I promised that I would do a better job keeping this up to date, for those of you who are still reading it on a regular basis.So here it goes. Nothing is really new with us, we are anxiously preparing for our big move. It is almost tragic how much stuff you aquire just from getting married. When Ryan and I moved into this apartment- collectively we owned a book shelf. Seriously we both owned NOTHING - just the clothes on our backs really. True we each had TV's and computers but as far as furniture goes NADA...
Then one by on we got a couch, a kitchen table and chairs, and entertainment center.... and now as I pack our bags and boxes I look around at all the stuff we have and relise that even more changed when we got married then I originally thought. Never again will moving mean 2 trips each with our cars... Trucks need to be involved now, things need to be disassembled, volunteers need to be found....
Packing up has been kindof fun for the two of us. There are tons of appliances that we forgot we recieved that we are suddenly stumbling upon. Not to mention that as we pack things up, we can't help but look back at this past year and think of all the amazing memories that we have made-

One year down and a new arrival.....

It's offical, Ryan and I celebrated our 1 Year anniversary today!!! Ryan surpsied me earilier this week with a new little bundle of JOY!!!! Berkelee Otis Williams was welcomed into our world May 10th as an early anniversary present. He is an adorable baby puggle boy. For all of you who are not, in the know, a puggle is a pug and beagle mix. It also just happens to be People magazine's Dog of the year for 2006.
As for anniversary celebrations, Ryan took me out for a nice romantic dinner and we went to the park to play with our little boy. Berkelee has such a fun personality and I think it is really good for Ryan and I to practice our parenting skills with a puppy before jumping into it with a real live baby.
We are experiencing all the fun and excitement with Berkelee, like getting up in the middle of the night to take him out, rearranging our schedules to work around his naps and feeding, being kept up at night by the sounds of Berk crying..... you know all the fun stuff. But he seems to be worth it, so we're going to keep him.
Other then that nothing much is really new. I had an unfortunate mishap with the laundry the other day, and have officially been banned from doing any laundry indefinitly. (I am upset about the things I ruined, however the punishment is not so painful....)
We are busy packing up our lives here to move to our new apartment. It is kindof fitting that after our first year we are packing up and starting over someplace new. We have had a lot of great memories here in our first apartment. We both still love being married. We are so thankful for all of the blessing we have in our lives, including each other. I can definitely say that for me- the honeymoon has not ended... Life is still bliss
We love you all and we miss you .....

We're MOVING ...

Alright, its been decided as of May 27th we are out of here.... We found a new place to rent that is like 150 more sq. feet then we are living in now- (our first place was a whole 609 sq feet of love). The move will be good for us- its a little closer to my work and a little closer to the U of U for Ryan.
With moving comes packing and we are not really excited to start with that... Although in the last year we have probably aquired a lot of things that we could really afford to ditch at this point.
Our 1 year anniversary is quickly coming - and we are so excited. I have no idea what Ryan is planning, he says its a surprise and Ryan is really really good at surprises. So we will see. THat is about all that is new with us. Ryan is done with school for the semester- we are just plugging away til graduation... hopefully sooner then later. We miss you all and we love you.

P.S. there is the floor plan of our new place. So now even though a lot of you won't get the chance to come and visit, you can still get an idea of what our place is like...