Decisions Decisions

The time has come. The time when Preston is months away from graduation and we have to decide if we want to go straight to grad school or get a real job (and money) and settle down for a bit. We've heard from a few people now that trying to work full time as an engineer and get a masters in engineering concurrently is absolutely miserable so I think we've decided it's one or the other right now. Then once we decide that we have to decide where.

Grad school pros-President Hinckley encouraged us to get as much education as we possibly can, and it's something we both believe is very important. If Preston can get some sort of assistantship we could get tuition help and a monthly stipend so we don't have to live in poverty for two years. Once he has his masters we would officially be done with school and not have to worry about going back later. Plus it may be able to open up different job opportunities for him and he would start out at a higher pay which is always nice.

Grad school cons-If Preston doesn't get some sort of assistantship we either have to live in poverty for two years or take out tons of student loans and go into tons of debt. (We have never had to take out a student loan and really enjoy being debt-free). It puts the settling down/stability thing off for a couple of years which is hard now that we have started our family. Preston is getting burnt out of school and could use a break.

Job pros-Well, these pros are obvious...stay out of debt, have some stability, move from Utah and settle down somewhere new, sell our current house and buy a new one that's not a million years old, not be poor for the next two years, Preston gets a break from school, we get health insurance, we have enough money to be able to save more and start working towards some of our long term goals. Oh, and if he decided to go to school later, whichever company he works for would most likely pay for it.

Job cons-Preston wouldn't get to continue his education as he would like...or if he does he would have to do it later while working, probably at a school that wouldn't be his first choice.

If we go to grad school it would either be Purdue, Cornell, Univ of Texas at Austin, or possibly CU.
If we get a job we are hoping for something in CO or WA, maybe MT or TX or OR.

Last week the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, WA flew Preston up there for a 2nd interview. Everything about it is perfect except the job itself. It's a government job so it's stable, has good pay and benefits, it's in an area that we love and it's absolutely gorgeous. And one of my very best friends lives up there and I would get to see her all the time which would be awesome. But the job itself is mostly sitting at a desk doing paperwork and Preston hates the thought of doing that. He chose to go into engineering because he wants to actually do engineering, not paperwork. On the one hand we wonder if we would be silly to pass up such a good job opportunity when there are so many people who can't find work. But on the other hand I want Preston to enjoy going to work every day, or at least not dread it. I firmly believe if you aren't happy in your work it affects all other aspects of your life. I want him to be happy. Especially after how hard he has worked. He deserves something that he will enjoy. I guess we will continue with plans to apply for grad school and continue looking for jobs as well. Then we can look at all our options and decide what is best for us.

Anyways, that's what's weighing on our mind these days. Here are some pictures of our trip up there.

I love this picture. His smile looks so cute!

He was a little horse for Halloween. I love this kid!


The view from our hotel room.

Cohen's first flight! He did such a great job. I was sure he would scream the whole time but he didn't make a peep. And everyone LOVED him everywhere we went. Can you blame them? :)

Short and Fat

I can't believe it's been two months already since I had this cute little boy. Time really does fly! He looks older than two months though...this kid is getting big! The first words out of anyone's mouth when they see him are "He sure is healthy, isn't he?" or "Oooh, look at those chubby cheeks!" or "Wow, he is going to be a linebacker isn't he?" Hahaha, I'd be offended but at what other time in your life is it so socially ok to be chubby? In fact, it's considered cute. Everyone loves a chubby baby. I just wish that applied to me. Why isn't my chub considered cute? Sheesh! :) He had his two month appointment this week and he is in the 90th percentile in weight and only the 40th percentile in height. When I told Preston he was like, "so basically he is short and fat?" Yep. Just like his mother. Poor kid. :)

The last month has gone by so fast. Our cute baby smiles and coos and gets excited about things all the time and for the life of me I can't get him to do it for the camera. He has been smiling for weeks now and I don't have a single picture of it. Every time I get the camera out he stops smiling and just stares. It makes me a little crazy but I will get one someday! Here are some recent pictures of our cute little guy.







A couple of weeks ago we went for a little family drive up in the mountains to see the fall colors. It was so nice to get out and get some fresh air. We brought Tank along for the ride so he could get some much needed exercise. Like the rest of us, he too is getting fat. Poor thing doesn't get as many walks now that we have a baby taking so much of our time. He rides in the bed of our truck and for some reason on that particular ride he really wanted to be inside with us. When we stopped the car at Cascade Springs our 110 lb dog seriously climbed into our truck through the tiny little window on the back of the cab. I have no idea how he did or what would even possess him to attempt it but it was hilarious. And he even managed to do it without stepping on the baby who was in the middle of the back seat. Crazy dog. I managed to spill an entire bottle of water in my lap so I was soaking wet all the way home. Then we saw a couple of moose which was cool. Then we saw a spider so big in the middle of the street that we could see it in the road from the truck while we were driving. That was not so cool. Yuck. It was a fun little family outing though! And even though they are nowhere near the beauty of my Colorado mountains, it was still nice to be in mountains, period.





Preston is working his butt off so that I can stay home with Cohen. I never get to see him and I feel so bad for how much stuff he is having to juggle right now but bless his heart, he never complains. I love him so much. He recently had 3 interviews, all with government programs (naval bases and air force bases) where he would get to do cool engineering jobs working on missiles and stuff, but I think we have officially decided just to go straight to grad school when he graduates in April. I think we are applying to Purdue, Cornell, Univ. of Texas, Texas A&M, Univ. of CO and Univ. of WA, as well as a couple of schools in Europe. By this time next year we really could be anywhere. It's all kind of up in the air but it will be a fun little adventure and I'm excited to get out of Provo and start off new somewhere.

I have been blessed to be able to physically attend at least once session of every General Conference for the last 9 years that I have lived in Utah. I thought this year would end that tradition but my friend had some extra tickets she was kind enough to give us and Preston's Aunt and Uncle in Salt Lake were kind enough to watch Cohen for us so we could go. It made for a nice little date for Preston and I since we don't get out much these days and we really enjoyed ourselves. Plus I also got to see Bekah, one of my very best friends who I never get to see anymore. I hate being so far away from all of my closest friends. It's so hard living in Provo because at some point almost everyone moves away. That will be us though soon!

Blessed in More Ways than One

This past Sunday we had little Cohen blessed at church. Most of Preston's family came into town for the occasion and it was a fun weekend. Preston did a great job with the blessing and later bore a sweet testimony which made me cry...as in sobbing, not just teary-eyed. I haven't done that in a long time, especially publicly. I am so grateful for such a sweet, tender, supportive husband who loves his family so much. A few years ago, before I met Preston, I was faced with the decision of staying in Provo a bit longer, or moving back to Colorado, which I missed terribly. I was so torn about it and spent a lot of time on my knees. I knew that no matter which choice I made, my life would move forward and I eventually would find someone to marry and start a family, etc. I knew that my Heavenly Father could see the bigger picture for my life, and knew me better than I knew myself and knew what was best for me. I prayed that I would be able to make the choice that would eventually lead me to the greatest happiness. I ended up choosing to stay in Provo (against my better judgment of course) and hoped for the best. Within 6 months I had met the man who would be my best friend and eternal companion and here we are two years later with an amazing marriage, a beautiful son, and a wonderful life filled with so many blessings every day. I am convinced that my Heavenly Father knew this is where I would find the most happiness, because I can't imagine having a life that would make me more happy than the one I've got. I am so grateful for a God who wants us to be happy and who not only hears our prayers, but loves us enough to answer them.

Me with my little man on his blessing day

A little family picture (and a good reminder of why I should wear makeup!)

Three generations of Hennrich men

Saren, Preston's sister, was nice enough to watch Cohen for us so we could go on a much needed date. We went golfing and I finally got to use my new clubs I got LAST Christmas. We both sucked bad enough that we opted not to keep score but it was fun to get some fresh air, some exercise and some quality time with my awesome hubby.

This isn't the best picture but everyone always asks how Tank does with the baby and the answer is that Tank LOVES the baby. If anything we have to keep him from licking the baby and waking the baby up by sticking his nose into the car seat, swing, etc. He hates it when the baby cries. Last night we were bathing Cohen and he was screaming, as usual, and Tank was whining outside the bathroom door because he was so worried.

Cohen, bless his cute little heart, has not been the easiest baby and I often feel like I might go crazy...but the good news is that it is getting better every week. I am slowly feeling more adjusted and more competent as a mother, thank goodness! I think he is going to smile (on purpose) any day now. It's funny how excited you get about the little things once you have a baby!

Anyways, that's the latest scoop on our happy little family. =)

He's Here!!!

So I'm almost 3 weeks late in getting to this but let's be honest...I've been slightly preoccupied with cuter and more important things. :) We finally had our baby on August 4th at 1:30am. His name is Cohen Crowley Hennrich. He was 8lbs 7oz, 20 inches tall. I won't bore you with all the details but here is a quick run-down: We went into the hospital at 6:15am on August 3rd to be induced. I was already dilated to a 4 but the pitocin did absolutely nothing. I couldn't even feel the contractions, even though they were steady and really close together. I finally went into active labor sometime around 2:00pm, didn't dilate all the way until about 10:30pm, and pushed for 3 hours. I was so exhausted! He came out looking perfect...not all wrinkly and bruised and battered like a lot of newborns...even though they had to use a vacuum to get him out. He was adorable and we were instantly in love!

The last couple of weeks have been quite the adjustment. I knew it would be hard but I don't think I realized how difficult it would be. It gets a little easier every day though, especially now that we are getting past those first couple of weeks. It helps that I have an absolutely amazing husband who is so supportive and involved and selfless. I definitely couldn't do this without him! I think Cohen is going to be a daddy's boy for sure. He and Preston are inseparable and Preston loves every minute of it. He is such a proud dad!

Cohen is beautiful and sweet and we are so anxious to start seeing more of his little personality come out. He is already so alert and curious. I have a feeling he is going to be smart like his dad, and have a similar demeanor. I admit my days have been somewhat monotonous. I struggle with not having structure in my life and I often feel like I belong in a dairy barn...but I know that it's totally worth it! I look forward to the next few weeks when he starts getting into more of a routine and I can have structure again.

We have so many cute pictures I couldn't pick just a few so there are a lot on here but oh well!



















I'm sure there will be much more to come but I wanted to at least announce his arrival before he turns five! Apparently even ten minute tasks are difficult for me to get around to these days (aka, he doesn't sleep much...and when he is awake, he doesn't sit quietly by himself for very long). Hopefully that part gets better because I am terribly unproductive lately!

Birthday Fun

I turned 29 on Friday. I think in and of itself, 29 wouldn't be so bad. It's that my husband is only 25 that suddenly makes 29 feel ancient. (Yes, I was a cradle robber, but I'm ok with that). Anyways, thanks to Preston I had a great birthday and I just wanted to post a few pictures. We got to eat breakfast together, he came home for lunch, and later he had beautiful flowers delivered to me at the house. I forgot to take pictures of the flowers but they were really pretty. That night he took me to dinner at PF Changs. I guess he really was listening all those times that I casually mentioned I was craving it. :) As mentioned before we are trying not to spend a lot of money on unnecessary things with the baby coming so soon, so I wasn't really sure what he would get me for my birthday. To my surprise at dinner he handed me a box from a jewelry store. Inside was a beautiful diamond pendant necklace. I don't actually own any nice jewelry so it was a pleasant surprise. When we were dating Preston got me a heart-shaped cubic zirconium necklace from walmart. I actually really hate heart-shaped stuff but I wore it every day for almost 3 years because I love him and it was the thought that counted. ;) It was super sweet of him to get me a new one, especially right now, and I love it.
I probably could have gotten a better shot if I had taken it off first, but freckles add such a nice touch, right?

Physically I'm not good for much these days so we didn't do anything super exciting after dinner. We went to Barnes & Noble to buy some books for our coming little one and then we went home and watched a movie. It was a perfect day and I love just getting to spend time with my husband. I think I cherish it more lately because I know that soon we won't get that opportunity quite as often. Thanks for a great birthday, babe!

This one is just because I realized we hadn't taken a picture together in a long time.

I am at 37 weeks now! It is so crazy to think that this kid could literally come at any time. I'm still nervous and terrified but slowly starting to feel more ready. It's funny how when it's you, it is such a huge deal. People go through this every day and you see them a few days later and all you see is a cute baby and smiling parents like it was nothing. It almost makes me feel dumb for making such a huge deal about it but it's such a huge life-changing event! I went in for my first weekly checkup last week (which by the way, is one of the most uncomfortable things I've ever experienced.) As of last Thursday I was dilated 1.5 cm and 50% effaced and he is head down. He hasn't dropped yet though. Hopefully when I go back in a couple of days there will have been some progress. Here are a couple of pictures of me at 37 weeks.

Until next time...

Summer Fun

Well, I'm almost 37 weeks now and I've kind of gotten to that point where I can't do a whole lot, but we are trying to have at least a little bit of fun before this baby comes. I love camping. LOVE it. I start getting itchy every year around February for summer to come just so I can go camping. We knew I would be super pregnant this summer but decided we wanted to try to go at least once anyway. An entire summer without camping just wouldn't be right. So we planned a two-day camping trip, packed up the tent, the food, and of course the dog, and headed up into the mountains. We went to a place called Tinney Flat, not even an hour away from our house, and it was beautiful. To me, camping is best when there are pine trees, aspen trees, and some water...and this had it all. The sad truth is that I am huge and uncomfortable, I can't walk for more than 10 minutes without getting horrible pains in my belly, my feet are swollen like crazy, and I get tired super fast. This means hiking, and well, pretty much every other typical camping activity were out of the question for me. So we mostly just sat around the fire looking at stars, eating roasted marshmallows, and breathing that beautifully fresh mountain air. It was so relaxing and refreshing just being up in the mountains! We live 2 minutes away from the mountains but for some reason we don't make it up there very often. Two deer even walked right into our campsite and got pretty close to us. Then Tank realized they were there and that was the end of that.

So anyways, I felt fine all night, no sickness, no nausea, nothing...then we went to bed. I laid down and literally 2 minutes later I randomly felt like I was going to hurl. Which I did. Repeatedly-for the next couple of hours. Normally this would not be so terrible but when you feel it coming you are kind of in a hurry-so trying to get out of my sleeping bag, finding my flip flops, rolling off the air mattress, unzipping the tent door, trying to squeeze my hugeness out of it, and getting far enough away from the tent in the pitch black before losing it-became quite the ordeal. At about 1am my wonderful, amazing husband decided I shouldn't have to do that anymore so he struck camp and took me home. I was so sad about it because I really REALLY wanted to be camping, but I was secretly grateful to be home because I ended up being really sick all night and it would have been pretty miserable if we had stayed. I know he wasn't thrilled about it either but it's just one more thing that shows how much he loves me and I really appreciated it.

Later the next day I felt better so we took Tank back up to the lake so we could teach him how to swim and be a real mountain dog. At first Preston would go in the water and gently pull his leash but Tank would grab the leash in his mouth and try to pull Preston back to shore instead. it was kind of cute.

The first time we got him to actually go in, he was so scared he clawed the heck out of Preston.
But finally we got him to do it. I think he even enjoyed it a little. This picture made me laugh.
In other exciting news...drum roll please....I FINALLY finished the nursery. I don't know why but it took forever for the "nesting" thing to kick in for me, and then when it did I went crazy. I'm not really the cutesy, theme type person so the nursery isn't super cute and exciting but it's done. Mostly. It still needs some stuff on the walls so it's not so boring. We had extra furniture in the garage that I decided I would refinish, rather than spending a million dollars buying matching stuff. Unfortunately, I never quite got ambitious enough to do it, so the furniture doesn't match. Oh well, it still works and the kid will never know, right? So even though it's not perfect yet, here are some pics of the nursery.

P.S. I made the stencils for this myself. We didn't want to spend money ordering vinyl lettering, or buying 4 different types of stencils from the store (to get all the different fonts and sizes I wanted) so I made them myself. It took me a couple of days but I'm pretty proud of how it turned out!

This side of the room isn't as exciting or pretty but it works.

It is such a relief to finally have things organized and know that we have all of the basic stuff we will need. I feel so much more at ease now. I'm probably jinxing us by saying this but both Preston and I kind of feel like this little guy might just come a little early. I guess we will see. Now I just need to pack a hospital bag and we will be set!