One Month

I can't believe that one month has already flown by since Jocelyn has joined our family. Everything is going so great at home and she is such a good baby! We have both found our rhythm at home together and we love welcoming home Jonathan when he gets off work. She has already rolled over for us a few times but it still figuring out that her arms have muscles too, not just her legs :) She loves to try to crawl while we are holding her, which makes us laugh because as we have said, she is only a month old :) She is smiling a little bit without it always being gas :) and is getting a little bit of a personality as well. I can't believe this time has flown by so fast!

Bad Boys Bad Boys, Whatcha Gonna Do.....

So a little bit of backstory is in order to explain the title of this blog. Back in March I submitted a request to take the entrance exam for the police department(for Corpus....C.C.P.D.) I took the exam and physical fitness test in June and passed both doing rather well on the written exam and scoring 11th out of almost 400 people. I had a background investigation done and was given a polygraph test and then in October I finally got my interview. I passed all with flying colors. I was told that I would be under review along with all the other applicants that had passed everything and than I would be placed on the list of possible candidates for the academy class. I was told the final decisions would not be made until January and not to expect to hear any news untill then. Yesterday afternoon I recieved a phone call asking me if I would accept a conditional job offer with the police department! Of course I accepted! I still have to complete a psychological evaluation and a physical/drug screening as part of the conditions of employment. I will be entering the 30 week academy in April of 2010. Thats right, I'm gonna be a police officer! I'm so excited, I can't believe I've been chosen as one of 15 selected for the academy class. Doing the math makes my head spin but basically I beat out 900 something applicants for a spot in the class. I've been very blessed by the help and coaching and advice I've recieved along the way and can only chalk that help up to God pushing me where He wants me to go. Thanks to all who have been praying for me when I needed it and encouraging me along the way. I can't wait to turn the next page on this new chapter in my life! -Jonathan

Jocelyn - The story of the newest Tidden

Last week Jonathan and I met with the doctor and he let us know that Jocelyn was ready to enter the world early and he gave us the option of choosing the day or having her birthday possibily be over Thanksgiving so we chose Monday as the day that we would meet our little girl.
So Monday morning at 5:30 am, we checked into the hospital, hoping for our little girl by the end of the day. After a busy morning with a few complications, the doctor decided that Jocelyn would make her debut all on her own without any help (no pitocin), so we were in for a long day! Luckily I have the worlds best and most patient doctor and my labor/delivery nurse was off the charts fantastic. So the day went on with JT and I hanging out, my nurse and I chatting, and trying to keep the world via FB updated with Jocelyn's arrival.




At 7:11pm, (with less then 30 minutes of pushing) Jocelyn Cecilia Tidden made her debut to the world at 8lbs and 20.5 inches long. She scored a 9 out of 9 on the APGAR scale and all the nurses couldn't stop gushing about how healthy she looks and "Oh my, those cheeks!" My fantastic friend Regina was there to catch all the first moment photos for us as we saw our little girl for the first time (BIG THANKS). We were overjoyed, relieved, amazed and just so excited for her.

So yes, now we are parents and learning as we go. JT was able to take 2 weeks off of work, so he and I are working as a team to tend to Jocelyn's needs and just snuggle with our little girl. Her favorite thing right now is to burrow... she likes to get as close as possible to you, right on your chest under your chin and fall deeply into sleep. She also is trying to hold her head up... yah I know that should be a later thing, but at 3 days old she has been trying to do it all on her own! So we will do our best to keep you updated, please let us know if we fall behind. We love you all and thank you so much for your prayers and thoughts through out this pregnancy, we couldn't have been blessed with a more perfect child!

Shout out to my shorties :)

A little update... I'm 34 weeks pregnant and my beautiful precious little girl has decided it is time for me to go to physical therapy. Jocelyn LOVES to stay on my right side which has thrown my balance and my every day posture off a bit. My L1 or my SI (can't remember) vertebrae on the right side has shifted a bit off track which was causing me some INTENSE back pain. So my amazing doctor prescribed me some physical therapy here in town. I'm loving it! It's basically alot of water exercises, which make you feel weightless and so light, another perk. And then a good massage and a hot pack.

So the reason for the title... Yesterday I was doing my exercises and the therapists told me to grab a water noodle (floatie) and go to deep water, I start stepping over there and I see the 5 foot sign and realize I can't touch the ground anymore, I am in deep water in the 5 foot zone. That is when I realized I am really short :) Not like I needed a reminder but it made me laugh a little. Oh and to make you laugh a little more, some of the exercises in "deep water" make me bob around a lot, and wouldn't you know it... I got motion sick.... yup I got sea sick in the "deep end" of the pool doing exercises. Everyone better be laughing WITH me :)

Other then that... pregnancy has been fantastic. I love playing, reading, talking and singing to her. Jonathan also likes to play with her hands and feet, poking at my belly and making her go around his fingers :) It's fun to watch the two of them "play" So only 6 more weeks until her arrival and we are getting ready in every possible way. The nursery is almost done, we start our pre-birth classes this Sunday and then it's the baby! Can't wait for all of you to meet her!

Dear salesmen and saleswomen...

Just because I am young does not mean that I don't keep up with my finances, so when I call back about a refund that you conveniently "forgot" to do, don't get upset with me that you have to do more paperwork now to credit back my account.

Also, no no and no, I do not want to finance it or start a line of credit with your store. My answer to your question the first two times will be the same when you ask it the third time, so don't get surprised by it and please stop asking a question I have already answered.

Lastly when I mention that I am only interested in "this, this and this, within this price range" please don't show me all the other things you have in stock that are x amount of dollars over what I mentioned that I am looking to spend. You are wasting my time and yours.

Thank you for your time :)

Move, Toss or Garage Sale

In the midst of all of our packing, I have been asking myself this question alot.
Do I want to move it? Should I just throw it away? Or should we garage sale it this weekend?
It's amazing that EVERYTHING can fit in one of these categories. It is also so fun to find things that each of us swear we didn't put in the attic, so its like going through all kinds of memories again.
This was the house that I bought when I was single (Just me and my Sebastian), wasn't dating anyone and nothing like that was on the horizon. Now I am married, with 3 dogs, about to celebrate my 2 year anniversary with a baby on the way. Life has just changed so much in the past few years and all of these changes have happened in my wonderful home. I know that I get to pass on this great home to someone else, I just hope that they will have as many great memories in that house as I did. From one stage onto the next... Ready or not here we come!

Corpus Shower

This past weekend our little Tidbit, Jocelyn, was celebrated by friends and family, near and far. My best friend from childhood, Katie Peters, flew in to surprise me and wow was I surprised. I had no idea she was coming in or that Jonathan had been planning to have her with us the entire weekend it was great!

So early Saturday morning, my mother in law and I ran off to squeeze in a quick pedicure and manicure and then off we went to the shower.

I was amazed at how much the girls did for my little girl. The house looked gorgeous, friends were smiling, food smelled amazing and the decorations were outstanding. I could not stop smiling, literally. I was just in awe in how much our little girl is already loved, prayed for and doted on before she has even made her arrival into the world. It was so great to be able to just hang out with my friends and just enjoy a great day! So thank you so much for all of you guys that were able to make it, I appreciate you so much and we are so excited, we can't believe that we are already 75 days away from her arrival :)