Getting Ready for Gabbie!

I only have about 3 weeks left before I am due… I truly cannot believe it! I have been so lucky with this pregnancy and felt great the entire time. I haven’t been sick once! Truly, other than being tired about 7 pm and unable to clean up after Dallas and Stella when they go outside, I can’t complain! I am still working, and hope to up until she arrives. I am looking forward to my 3 months off once she is here to just enjoy our new little girl.

I have also started to “nest”, at least that is what the books call it. I see it as more being prepared for our little girl when the time arrives. Either way, I have gotten her clothes washed, her bedding up, her swing ready, and all the other stuff ready for her arrival. Kiley won’t let me put the car seat bases in just yet, but I will soon! My nieces helped me pick out the paint! My father-in-law, Larry, had it painted for me! Thank you to both! I love it!

Gabbie's bedding! I love it!

An overall shot of her room. All the "stuff" (car seat, extra base, stroller, bouncy seat, etc) is jammed in the one corner at this point. No worries, it won't stay there!

My glider! Got up at 4am the Friday after Thanksgiving for this one! I only paid $125 for this $300 glider! Wahoo! Thank you, Larry, for setting it up!

Dallas and Stella are wondering what all the fuss and new stuff is. They are very curious and come into her room with me any time I am in there. They will have quite the adjustment when Gabbie arrives! We predict Dallas will adjust smoothly and Stella will become her protector.

Dallas is here wondering what is going on! I have not doubt that he will enjoy little Gabbie once she arrives! At least, I hope so!

As I have gone through everything, I am very grateful, and somewhat overwhelmed, at how generous all our family and friends have been. We really do have everything we need for Gabbie, and Kiley and I have bought very little ourselves. Thank you to everyone! Even more, I realize how loved Gabbie already is! She is definitely going to be a spoiled little girl, but we can’t for her arrival!

Christmas 2008

Well, another Christmas has come and gone. Once again, we had a wonderful Christmas visiting family in Utah. It is strange to think that this is our last Christmas without our own little one to enjoy this holiday with!

We were lucky and had great roads throughout our trip. Kiley had to put up with a prego meltdown in Wells, NV since I was worried we would have bad weather and run into problems. (Just for the record, I have only had 2-3 prego meltdowns… not bad for 36 weeks!) Of course, the main reason we were even going was because I wanted to be with family for the holidays, and this would be our last trip for several months. We decided to proceed and I am very glad we did!

We spent Christmas Eve with my family. I failed to take any photos, but will post those my sister-in-law took once I get copies of them. We left to head to Bountiful on Christmas Eve to avoid the bad roads. Glad we did!

We spent Christmas Day with Kiley’s mom, her husband, and his Grandma. His Grandma is 97 years old and still beats us all at cards! She is quite the trooper!

Hope everyone had a safe and wonderful Christmas! We are definitely looking forward to 2009 and the adventures that await us!

Have You Had Your Yearly Mole Check?

Melanoma, I hate it! I know hate is s strong word, but in this case, it isn’t strong enough. I have lost 3 family members to this horrid form of cancer, an aunt, a sister, and this year, a dear cousin. We obviously have a genetic link in our family, which has made me very stringent in my use of sunscreen and my mole checks. I had my most recent mole check this week!

Now, as much as I hate melanoma, I love my dermatologists, Leonard Swinyer. He and his entire office take this all very seriously! You may ask yourself, “Don’t all dermatologists?” Well, unfortunately, some are not as detailed and thorough as others. With my family history, mine has me come in twice a year as opposed to once. Even before my sister and cousin passed away from melanoma, he was very detailed in mapping my moles, measuring them, and documenting them through photos. With the news of my cousin on this last trip, they even referred me to Dr. Doug Grossman at the University of Utah Dermatology Center. They recommend anyone with a family history or if you have had melanoma removed prior to go once a year to Dr. Grossman who does even more detailed mapping of your moles and once a year to Swinyer’s office. Some may think this is overkill… I figure it is being proactive.

I also learned on this last visit that you can get moles and melanoma in your eye. Your dermatologist can’t detect this. I have never had an issue with my eyesight, so don’t go to the eye doctor. So, in addition to your yearly mole check, you should also get a yearly eye check. Well, I guess I will start going! They also cautioned that one should wear sunglasses as diligently as you wear sunscreen. As this was new to me, I am passing it along to you!



So, the purpose of this post… Please go get your mole check done! If you don’t have a good dermatologist, please go see mine! Swinyer himself is not accepting new patients, but the other providers in his office are, and they all sign on to his philosophy of being as proactive as possible! A yearly doctors visit is definitely worth it if it can catch melanoma early!

Here is his info:


http://www.lswinyer.com/index.html

Phone: 801-266-8841
Address: 3920 South 1100 East Suite 310 Salt Lake City, UT 84124
Office Hours: Monday through Thursday 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

For those interested in the U of U doctor recommended:

Dr. Doug Grossman
U of U Dermatology
801-585-0100

Celebrating Gabrielle Grace Brannon

I traveled to Utah last weekend for two baby showers in celebration of Gabrielle Grace's upcoming arrival. We still have a couple of months before she makes her debut, but wanted to plan the showers early to avoid bad weather.

The two Grandma's! How lucky little Gabbie is!

My family threw me a shower that Friday night. It was so good to see family and I am so appreciative of everyone's generosity!

My mother-in-law, Vicky, gave me some very special gifts. Her mom is 97 and use to crochet a ton. She isn't able to do so any more, but over 20 years ago, Vicky had her make a blanket and sweaters in the hope that one day she would have a grandchild to give them to.

Saturday, my good friends Buffi Morris and Jenn Harrison threw me a shower for my friends.

Oh, how I miss my Utah friends! It was so good to see so many of them! Although I enjoy living in Nevada, I do dearly miss my good friends! Keep in mind that I am only about 3 and a half hours away! We love visitors!!!

I am so lucky and blessed to have such wonderful family and friends! I cannot tell you the difference it has made in my life!

Thanks again to everyone!

Per Janet's Request...

My sister Janet has been hounding me for a photo of what I look like prego! Well, here I am at 29 weeks! 11 to go!

We also had our 30 week ultrasound November 13. I am thrilled to report that Gabbie is doing great! She is about 3 lbs. 3 oz. We confirmed she is a girl and measuring right where she should be for her due date of Jan. 22. She is moving a lot and we had our first night of Alien Baby about a week ago! My stomach was morphing! Kiley and I just sat back and watched. I have to be honest, it freaked us both out a little! Kiley had just watched Alien the week before and was worried she was trying to get out to attack us!

I think we will have a thumb sucker, or at least a fist sucker. The last 3 ultrasounds we have had, she has been sucking her fist. Here is her profile with her fist right in her mouth.

I have been so lucky in that I have felt great my entire pregnancy. I haven't been sick once! I just hope she is as good when she gets here as she has been so far! I can hope, can't I?

Oh, How I Miss Her...

Today would have been my sister Steph's 53'rd Birthday.

I have been thinking about her so much and wanted to share some thoughts and memories in celebration of her life!

Steph loved her family!

They were her top priority and she would have done anything in the world for them. I know that she watches over them and is proud of who they are!

Steph and her family cared so sweetly for little Briana during her short life here on earth. I remember when they found the tumors in Steph's brain, and we knew she wouldn't have too much longer with us, thinking that Briana must need her on the other side. I have no doubt that she is taking great care of Briana now and spending some incredible time with her.


Steph loved her "little Parkerman", and was so excited to be a Grandma. He brought her so much joy and happiness. Oh, how she would have loved to have watched him and Makenna grow up!

Steph was the oldest of the 7 kids. What an example she set for all of us. I miss having here for the big events and the small ones. She was always there, quietly in the background of the chaos that always exists from having so many people in one place.

Steph and my mom had a special bond. She was a lot like my mom in that they both have a great faith, a quiet strength, and an unwavering testimony of what they believed in. Coray always says that Steph is more like our mom than any of us. I can think of no greater compliment. I remember the day of Steph's retirement party, she was not feeling real great and had been running around all day. My mom and I were waiting for her and getting worried as we knew were going to be late. She finally showed up from doing her visiting teaching. She said that the woman she was visiting was having a hard time and she needed to be there with her. I was amazed that even though she was the one who was facing such a huge challenge, she still cared so deeply for those around her.

Some of my greatest memories of Steph are from our Annual Girls Weekend Out! We always had so much fun. It was always a treat to see her loosen up with no cares or worries and just be able to play with her sisters. We have had some crazy times on these weekends! They are memories I will always cherish!

We had one final Girls Weekend with Steph. It wasn't really a weekend, but more an afternoon. We all gathered into her room and spent the afternoon, surrounding her as she lay in bed. We talked and laughed about the fun times! We learned fun facts about each other, like that Steph and Liz got up and left the table when my Mom told them she was pregnant with me. But mostly, we just enjoyed each other's company! Steph still had her quick wit and made us laugh!

Even considering the circumstances, we had to do a goofy picture! It just wouldn't be Girls Weekend without one!

After Steph died, I put a DVD together of her. One thing I learned about her through doing that DVD is that she LOVED this lobster t-shirt. I swear she had it for at least 8 years and wore it on every single vacation she took during that time. I have no less than 50+ pictures of her in this Boston Lobster t-shirt. It is silly, but every time I see it, I still laugh!


Steph had an incredible upbeat attitude and faced the challenges in her life with a positive outlook! When she started loosing her hair, she decided to just accept it and cut it off! Why she had Coray do it is still a mystery to me, but I must admit, he did a great job!

This is one of my favorite pics of Steph. It reminds me of how she was just always there, smiling, and enjoying the company of those she loved.

It will be two years on November 3rd since we lost her to cancer. I think of her often and miss her so much. The day that I called all my family to tell them that Kiley and I were expecting our baby, I felt a huge void in not being able to call my sister Steph. I know she would have been so excited for us! I miss her presence at our family functions. I miss her smile and how she would bite her tongue when she concentrated hard. I miss how she would just give me that look when I was doing or talking about something she didn't approve of. She never judged me, but I knew! I miss her unconditional love she had for me.


Happy Birthday Steph!
I love and miss you dearly!

The Truth... It does matter, doesn't it?

I know everyone is getting sick of politics. Personally, I can't wait for November 4th for all this to be over. However, after reading different comments from blogs, getting emails, and comments from coworkers, I feel it is important to put out the facts on certain issues regarding Barack Obama. I am amazed how many people get an email or hear something and take it as fact, and then base a vote on misinformation. So, in response to the specific comments I have had come my way recently, here is the truth. PLEASE NOTE, the intent of this post is not to persuade anyone to vote for Obama. It is simply to clear up facts in the hope that people will base their vote, whoever they choose, on facts not rumors. I have also included links to credible sources for additional details.

1 – Obama is a Muslim and was sworn into the Senate on the Koran, not the bible – FALSE

Obama showed little interest in organized religion until his 20’s when he joined the Trinity United Church of Christ.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2008/06/was_obama_a_muslim.html

http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/muslim.asp

He was sworn in using the bible.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/238/

2 – Obama is a member of a “racist” radical church – FALSE

While it is true that the church Obama attended until recently mainly consists of African Americans, it is not true that whites and others are not allowed or welcomed.

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/sliming_obama.html

In regards to this accusation, ask yourself this, “If I was running for President and the media came in and took a photo of my congregation, could they make the claim that we are a church for whites only?” Couldn't they also exploit the fact the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints didn’t even allow African Americans full fellowship in the church until 1978. Does that prove that Mormons are racist? Absolutely not! What about polygamy? The media could have a hay day, and often do, in regards to these issues. Yet, all of this information in no way shape or form accurately represent what Mormonism truly is. In fact, here is a link to an article that discussed the misinformation that Mitt Romney faced during his campaign due to the fact that he is Mormon.

http://www.slate.com/id/2155902/

It shouldn’t happen to Obama or Romney, but to get to the truth, it takes a little work and time to research.

I will also note here that it is true his former reverend, Jeremiah Wright, has made inflammatory, controversial statements from the pulpit. This one is up to you to decide how to view that. Keep in mind that from 20+ years of preaching from the pulpit, they maybe have 15 minutes of footage of this. I would caution judging his entire belief system on just 15 minutes of footage.

3 – Obama “refused” to put his hand over his heart and recite the pledge of allegiance. – FALSE

There are variations on this one, including he “refused” to put his hand during the national anthem and he refuses to say the pledge of allegiance all together.

While it is true that he doesn’t always put his hand over his heart during the national anthem, it is not true that he “refused” to. Check the links below for videos of him doing all that he supposedly “refused” to do.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2007/11/obama_nabbed_by_the_patriotic.html

http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/anthem.asp

4 – Obama refused to have an American Flag on his campaign plane - FALSE

Flag on Obama's Plane

There is an American flag on his campaign plane. It is true that he removed the flag from the tail of the plane due to the fact that they leased a plane from American Airlines and the flag on the tail was a registered trademark of American Airlines.

http://www.factcheck.org/askfactcheck/did_obama_replace_the_us_flag_on.html

http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/airplane.asp

Obama's Plane

McCain's Plane
I don't think it is fair to base either candidate's patriotism by the design of their campaign plane. Both have flags on them. However, McCain's campaign colors aren't even red, white, and blue. Does this mean he is not a patriot? NO! I mean really, isn't it irrelevant?

5 – He refused to wear a flag pin on his lapel – Somewhat true, but misleading

Obama took off the flag pin from his lapel because it felt it had “become a substitute for true patriotism.” However, he does now wear the flag on his lapel.

Obama in the first debate against McCain, wearing a flag pin.

http://abcnews.go.com/politics/story?id=3690000

Personally, I think that someone wearing a flag pin or not is irrelevant in this election considering what we are up against. However, I guess the value you place on this is up to you.

So, those are the main rumors or issues that I have come across during this election. There are many many more, but I won’t go into all of them. Please keep in mind that anyone can sit behind a computer and create a controversial email on anything they want! I would hope that with the challenges we are facing in this country, as voters, we would take the time to look up these rumors on the internet, looking for valid sources to get to the truth. I also hope that we are looking more to issues and policies to base our vote on than rumors like this.

Most of what Obama has been accused of questions his patriotism. So, in the name of patriotism, I felt it was my duty to set the record straight. I am in no way saying that because Obama is the candidate of my choice that he should be the candidate of your choice. All I am asking is with 25 days until this election, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE look for the truth before coming to a decision and don't give validity to information you read in an email or heard at the water cooler.

My Mom's 75th Birthday!!

For anyone who knows me, even a little, knows how much I adore my mother. She is easily the greatest lady I know. Her impact reaches into every aspect of my life. Well, she turned 75 this past September 24! We had a family party for her this weekend to celebrate her 75 years! It was incredible to see the legacy that she has built through her family. I am quite certain that if you were to ask her what the most important thing in her life is, her answer would be her faith and her family. Her life has absolutely reflected these priorities, and as a result, she has a large family (7 kids, 23 grand kids, and 7 great grand kids...) that absolutely adores her!


My sister Janet created a wonderful tribute to my mom on her blog. It sums up beautifully that kind of woman she is. Here is link to that post:
http://tateannasarah.blogspot.com/2008/09/75-years-young.html

Kiley, my dad, my mom, & me


So, Mom, here's to you! I love you dearly! Happy Birthday!

Obama in Elko!

Obama made his 3rd visit to Elko, NV today! Yep, 3rd visit! I never thought that by living in Elko I would be able to participate in a grass roots campaign and see the Presidential Candidate of my choice twice. Before this, I had never met a Presidential Candidate. Now I have seen 2, Obama and Edwards.

Obama being introduced by a local Elkonian!

I went with two friends from work to here him speak. We were all in agreement, he is impressive! I have to say that I am grateful to live in Nevada right now where my vote could make a big difference in the election as Nevada is a swing state!

Here is a video of people cheering and welcoming Obama!

I took others, but turned the camera so you would have to watch them sideways, not good. If anyone knows how to edit and rotate videos, please let me know!

I actually got to shake his and his wife's hand last time he was in town, but unfortunately, not this time. Hey, last time, I even made my CNN debut! Still, this time was as great and historic for me as the first time.

I loved how he ended his speach....

“The most important thing that I will do as president is restore opportunity for all Americans. To get our economy growing, we need to recapture that fundamental American promise that if you work hard you can pay your bills, that if you get sick you won't get bankrupt, that your kids can get a good education and go to college even if they're not rich. Now we can leave a legacy of greater opportunity for future generations. That's the change that the American people need.”

Not that you don't all know already, but he definitely has my vote!

Keaton and Russell are Home!

Here is Keaton! Isn't he handsome! I

am not a very good aunt as I didn't get a photo with Russell!

My two nephews, Keaton and Russell, both got home from their missions this past month. Both of them went to Chile Santiago, Keaton to the west and Russell to the east. I wasn’t able to get out for Russell’s welcome home, but was able to go this past weekend to Keaton’s.

Both look great and seem to have enjoyed their missions. However, both also seem to be glad to be home!

It is great to have them back!

The Launch of the Brannon Family Blog

Welcome to the launch of the Brannon Family Blog. Now that we will actually have something to blog about, we thought we would join the masses of others in the blogging world. We also thought it would be a great way to stay in touch with family and friends and keep everyone updated on our exciting journey to parenthood!

For those of you don't know, we are expecting our first baby, a little girl, on January 22, 2009. We had our ultrasound last Friday to ensure that everything was on track and healthy. I am very pleased to report that although I suffer from "Advanced Maternal Age", medical definition: being over 35 and pregnant, everything looks great! After our 1 hour + ultrasound we were told that despite my condition, we are expecting a very normal and healthy baby girl! We were both very grateful to get that great news!

We are still working on names. If anyone has suggestions, let us know. I want something unique so that she doesn't have 3 other kids in her class with the same name. Also, since Kiley and Kim both start with "K" we want to avoid "K" names or sounds. We don't want to be the KKK. :-)

Here are some photos of our upcoming addition to the family!

Here is her little profile.... isn't she cute?

This is a shot of her straight on.

This is a shot from the top of her head with her little hand coming up. The gal doing the ultrasound was trying to get her to move by shaking my stomach. Her little had just shot up with some attitude like "Stop! Leave me alone!"

This shows her side view and she now measures about 14 cm long or 5.5 inches.

Her little leg!

And her foot.

Stay tuned for more exciting details of our little one to follow! Oh, yeah, and if anything exciting happens with Kiley or myself, we will add that too!