Sunday, November 7, 2010

My Bucket List :)

Well my dear friend Jessica Wolf posted something about "Bucket Lists" on facebook today. And I want to be one of the 10 people she tells to write a bucket list haha. I've always thought about writing my bucket list down. Today just seemed like a good day to do it :)
~*~ is stuff I've accomplished.

*Find my Prince Charming~*~
*Get married~*~
*Become sealed in the Salt Lake Temple
*Have a child~*~
*Pass on my grandma's name (my middle name) to my little girl~*~ Sybella Marlene
*Go through natural child labor
*Adopt a child from Russia!!!!!
*Go on a cruise~*~
*Snorkel~*~
*Have a German Shepard
*Be someone I love's Birthing Coach
*Hike Kings Peak with my daddy!
*See the Northern Lights!!
*Fly on an airplane~*~
*Buy a house and make it my dream home
*Read the Book of Mormon once a year
*Be 100% out of debt
*Beat Kirk LaPlace at Chess!
*Volunteer at a homeless shelter
*Donate blood
*See the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco
*Pass on a family heirloom to my child (my picture of Jesus passed down from my great great grandmother Clara.
*Take Sybella to Disney Land
*Go to england and walk though my ancestor's castles
*Take up photography
*Help my best friend Jessica Bair Poulsen have a baby any way I can!!!
*See the Roman Coliseum
*Stay in a beautiful bed and breakfast in Carolina and eat their fresh crab
*Visit the Sacred Grove
*Go to Universal Studios and ride the Harry Potter ride!
*See the big statue of Christ in Brazil
*Drive 1967 GT 500 Shelby Mustang and pick up my daddy-O in it!
*Stay in a honeymoon suite~*~
*See Mount Rushmore
*Go to a Jazz game~*~
*Let my husband take me on the sky coaster at Lagoon
*Take my Shmommy and Mother-in law to a spa
*Visit the garden of Gethsemane
*Learn not to take what others do or say personally
*Write my child a letter about the love I have for them and lessons I've learned
*Own 500 movies (that I love)
*Take my hubby to a WWF match!
*Walk the Great Wall of China
*Meet Drew Barrymore
*Discover your life’s purpose
*Learn- and keep up Scrapbooking
*Go to Germany and see the concentration camps
*See the beautiful Statue of Liberty
*See the Taj Mahal in India
*Become an early riser~*~
*Keep my oldest friend Jeremy LaPlace forever
*Must see the Carnival in Venice in Italy!
*Go skinny dipping
*Always strive to be the kind of friend a friend would like to have
*Be in a play
*Make a list of 100 books you want to read!
*Get my Masters
*Own a grand piano
*Swim with dolphins
*Choreograph a dance routine for someone else that they perform~*~
*Adopt a pet from the animal shelter
*Learn to speak a foreign language fluently
*Learn sign language
*Learn enough Italian to be able to understand opera
*Play blackjack at a casino~*~
*Help a struggling family at Christmas- anonymously
*Ride a Gondola boat in Venice Italy (my dream since I was a kid)!!!!
*Ride a horse on a beach
*Walk and in hand with my hubby on a beach at sunset!
*See Phantom of the Opera on Broadway
*Go on a girls vacation every year with Donzie Belden
*Visit New York at Christmas time
*Ride in a hot air balloon
*Own a big drawing of the Salt Lake Temple
*Help someone mark off something on their own bucket list
*Jump from a cliff into deep water
*Become a black belt in Karate
*Experience weightlessness~*~
*Ride on a train
*Learn to water ski~*~
*Flip the wake on a wakeboard
*Cook my own Thanksgiving feast
*Learn to play the piano
*Take singing lessons
*Learn to play the guitar
*Write a song
*Have a poem published
*Ride a mechanical bull~*~
*Join the church choir~*~
*Sing Karaoke~*~
*Go white water rafting~*~
*Go on an all girls get away~*~
*Learn to dance the Tango with my hubby- and perform it in public
*Go fire walking
*Go to The Grand Canyon
*Go rock climbing in nature
*Go jet skiing~*~
*Ride a Zip Line~*~

Still not finished. But Thats all I can think of right now :)
Thanks Jessica!

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Scariest day of my life! 10/7/10

The day started out like any normal day. Woke up at 7:15am got ready for work. Sybella woke up at 7:30. My mom came to watch her. I left for work at 7:45 got to work at 8:00am. I come home for lunch at noon. Walk in the door and I see my mom holding Sybella close on the couch. With Bells holding a blanket tight in her little fists. Immediately I knew that something was off. Now Sybella is a very independent baby. She likes to cuddle only when she is tired. Most the time she is my little explorer. So to see her on my mom's lap not fighting to get off to play was crazy.
My mom says "I think something is wrong with Bella." I look at her and say "oh my (dog backwards)." I've never been one to ever take the Lords name in vain, but it was out before I even had time to think. Sybella started twitching her head involuntarily, and this was happening over and over. Tears start running down my face. I go to her and pick her up. She starts crying because the blanket falls out of her grasp. Sybella does not have a comfort object. She doesn't go to bed with the same blanket or toy every night. So to see her cry like her world just came apart because she let go of the blanket was very very off!
I ask my mom what happened. My mom relates to me that Sybella projectiled vomited at 9:00am after her bottle and afterwards she took a nap fine and woke up very clingy and the twitching just started. I say we need to take her somewhere. Franticly my mom and I start packing the diaper bag and getting the bottle. We get in the car and I tell my mom to head to Layton to Sybella's pediatrician. My mom gets on the freeway. The doctor is out to lunch. My mom suggests that we go to Primary Children's. We get off the Kaysville exit, turn around and start heading South. By this time Bells is screaming! I'm balling while holding her hand and singing through my hick-ups "You are my sunshine" (it comforts her sometimes in the car.) She started twitching again and I kept thinking that I can't lose her!
I call my husband at work and tell him what is going on. I call my work and tell them that I won't be back. Then I start calling anyone who I knew that would be by a computer after trying the third person (first 2 didn't answer.) I get my Auntie Kenzie (my mom's best friend.) I tell her Sybella's symptoms. I really don't know how she understood me through Sybella and my crying. Kenzie asks me why we are driving so far away. That we should go to the closest ER. We head to LDS hosptial. Kenzie gives me words of comfort and tells me that I need to be strong for Sybella. That babies can sense distress. I say a prayer and am somehow able to get my emotions in check.
We pull up to LDS and I get Sybella out of the car seat while my mom goes and parks the car. We check in. Side note: The Emergency Room clerk really needs to learn how to type faster! I think that should be a job requirement for all of them. "Must type 90 words a minute!" Now after repeating how to spell my last name 4 times and Sybella 3 times (which she still got wrong, she spelled it Syblla.) We finally are able to talk to a nurse. I relay the goings on and they start taking her vitals. Kody calls and tells me he is on his way. Relieve settles in. My rock is coming! By this time Sybella has started to act more like her normal self. Crawling on the bed, being more observant. She still seems very uncomfortable and cranky, she hasn't smiled once, again not normal for my happy baby. Kody shows up. He is much more calm than I am. That is his personality though. Guess its a good thing he is going to be a paramedic and police officer. I'm so grateful that my mother in-law picked him up from work and brought him there. It was such a comfort having his soothing, clear headed support.
They have to take Sybella's blood. Yuck!! I hate needles so that was very scary for me. Then they did a full body X-ray. But the hardest part of the day was trying to get a urine sample. They had to do a catheter. And they needed us to hold her down :( She was crying so hard, just wailing! It breaks my heart to think of it again. It took 2 times to get it to work, and then the urine didn't even go down the tube. It all kind of gushed out. Lucky the nurse was quick and caught some in a vile so we didn't need to do it again.
At the end of it all they decided that she had a mini seizure from a fever from an ear infection in the right ear. Also on the X-ray found a tiny piece of plastic, probably from a sales tag. But they said that should pass by the next day.
They wrote us a prescription for an antibiotic and we were on our way home.
That night was the worst. We gave her a bath at 6:00pm thinking that would help settle her down. We could tell that she was exhausted. We started our bedtime routine. She would not fall asleep. We were alternating Tylenol and Children's Ibuprofen every other every 3 hours. Nothing seemed to help. She was still in so much pain. Her crying started to get worse. Kody and I took turns holding and rocking her, singing to her. Nothing was helping. At 5:00am I told Kody to go to bed and Sybella and I went in her room and laid on the recliner, with her on my chest. She would sleep about 15 mins and wake up crying. At 7:15am my alarm went off. I woke Kody up and gave Bells to him. And got ready for work. My boss came to me at 11:30 and told me that they were sending me home, with a full days pay! I went home to find my mom rocking Sybella with her asleep in her arms! And Kody sound asleep in bed. That night she was back on schedule and slept all through the night.
I'm so glad that that day is over! I'm so grateful that I still have my beautiful daughter, the light of my life. That she is back to her happy self healthy self. I'm so thankful for my amazing husband, for all the support that he gives us!!

Sincerely, a very grateful Kiera

Sybella Signed today for the first time!!!

I'm so happy today!!! I know its been a bit since my last post. And I have others that I should write first. But I just have to tell everyone that Sybella did her first sign language today!!!!! She signed to me and actually told me what she wanted!!!
I have been trying it with her since she was 3 months old. Going over about 11 signs daily (I didn't want to overwhelm her because I hadn't seen any progress.) The signs we do are Milk or (bottle), bed, bath, cheerios, cheese, teddy bear, blanket, book, daddy, no, & finished.
Well I would have given up if it wasn't for habit. I also enjoyed the connection with her while doing it. A way to talk to her and play with her. But I really didn't think anything would come from it. I figured because I'm not with her while I'm at work that maybe it isn't enough with me just doing it a few hours a day and on weekends. I know she knows what some of them mean. When I do the sign for cheerios or bottle she grunts like "give it to me." or smiles. When I say "Its time for bed." and I do the sign for it, she crys sometimes.
Well this morning I was feeding her baby food in her highchair, and she kept doing an action with her hands in between spoonfuls. I just thought she was waving, so I waved back to her. But she continued to do it. Then finally it clicked!!! She was doing it slower than her normal wave and it was an inside wave, more like opening and closing a fist. So I said "Bells do you want a bottle, a baba?" And she smiled and grunted. Immediately I excitedly started making her a bottle and repeating the sign. Once made I said bottle, signed the word, and gave it to her. She was content and happy like "Yes, this is what I wanted mom." Oh I'm just so happy!!! My smart baby :D Just goes to show, that you don't have to be a stay at home mom to teach your kids things and grow a connection :):):) I love my BellaRoo!!! Today is a great day!

Sincerely, Happy Mama Kiera :)

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Peach Days 2010

PEACH DAYS!!! Oh, how I've always loved this weekend in September. The parade, car show, & carnival. The town really comes alive! This time was a little different for me though... Walking up Main Street as I passed under the "Welcome to Brigham City" sign that rainbows over the road. A lot of thoughts and emotions came to me. I remembered all the fun times that I had there. It is my home town. If "home town" means the place I've lived in the longest. But I really didn't feel the sense of belonging anymore. More like a vague distant connection. As I ran into people I knew, I just kept thinking about what my life would have been like if I stayed. The song "Unanswered Prayers" by Garth Brooks comes to my mind. I think about the friends I might have had or the man I might have married. There were those nights a long time ago when I would stay up praying to be liked by them and praying to be loved by him.
"And if he'd only grant me this wish I wished back then, I'd never ask for anything again. Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers. Remember when your talking to the man upstairs. Just because he doesn't answer doesn't me he don't care. Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers."
I really did look up at Kody an then down at our beautiful Sybella and I can honestly say, one of the biggest blessings in my life have been unanswered prayers :)
I am grateful though for my time in Brigham/Perry. I know I am the person who I am today because of my experiences I had there, and the people that came into my life.
Now on to present day :) I had a super time at the car show with Kody, sissy Jessie, my bestie Jessica and her hubby Jeff. Saw some pretty sweet rides! I went totally gaga at the Ford Mustangs! They had a lot of entries this year. Got some sunshine, soaked up my vitamin D. Went hang out at my Grandma's for a while in Perry. I miss her so much! Then Kody and I went on a drive to get some Subway, that turned into a 20 min mission because I couldn't find one haha. Finally right by the exit we found 2. It was very tastie. I'll post pictures soon :)
Over and out.
Sincerely, Kiera

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Motherhood

I want to write about motherhood. Its hard to find the right words to describe how this experience has been... My whole life I have always thought of kids as "just apart of the package." Something I knew I was going to do. I just didn't really know how it was going to be. I mean don't get me wrong, I knew the basics. Being the oldest of four kids, with my brother nine years younger than me I had a pretty good idea of what it was going to be like. I just don't think I was anywhere ready for the immense emotions that go along with changing a diaper, or in the beginning those midnight feedings. The love I feel for Sybella is unlike any other I've ever felt! The kind of love that you know if some bad person wanted to harm her you would gladly give yourself over to save her. I mean I really feel like a mama bear. Your protective instincts just come out so strong. All because of this intense love I feel for her. I remember when I was pregnant I loved walking around feeling like I was never alone :) I loved how much she kicked at any pressure from the outside world she felt. I remember how excited I was to meet her! I don't want to go into to much detail right now about my pregnacy or delivery because I plan to write Sybella's birthing story soon. But what I'm trying to explain is since I first found out I was pregnant I already felt like a mother. There was a strong pressure to protect and take care of this little life inside me. I have now discovered that being a mother is the best gift I've ever been given. It is such a joy everyday to take care of my little BellaRoo. Its the little moments that I've found mean the most to me. When I'm giving her a bedtime bottle as she starts to fall asleep in my arms, she reaches up grabs ahold onto my finger. It brings me to tears :') Or everytime she learns something new I get such a rush of pride. I'm trying to enjoy every moment I get with her. I think it can be difficult as a first-time-parent to not be mainly focusing on "the next stage" Sitting up on her own, rolling over, crawling ect. I'm working living in moment always. There is a song that is SO like me!! It makes me all teary eyed when I listen to it, like I am now *sniff sniff*. Trace Adkins - "You're Gonna Miss This." I really suggest you YouTube it. Such an amazing song. So true to life. It really fits me. I hope I slow down.



I'm really so grateful for this life experience. It has taught me so much about myself, about the kind of person I want to be for Bells. I used to be the type of person who has to have everything in its perfect place. Who would wash a dish right after someone used it. I'm now learning to leave the dishes for a few moments and just play with my beautiful daughter. Or today I was hanging up some clothes. I walked out of the room, and was gone maybe 2 mins and Bells had crawled over to the movie stand and was pulling movies off the shelf. Instead of getting stressed (because I had just alphabetized them haha.) I couldn't stop laughing at what a little monster she's become :)
I thank my Heavenly Father and Kody everyday for giving me this little precious soul, who will probably teach me just as much as I teach her.
From the heart of a mother.
Sincerely, Kiera







Friday, August 27, 2010

Poem

Also from my mini blog haha
I wanted to see if I could still write like I used to. I'm bored at work right now so I thought I would give it a go. I'm pretty happy with what came out of it. Let me know what you think.


Out of the blue, out of no where, thin air
you left me.
But I guess thats also how you came to be in my life.
seems proper you would keep the pace.

On that day, clear crisp, sunday
or was it raining?
You stood right there, as you do in my mind now
and looked at me.
With the wisdom of a thousand years.
Those eyes, those stark blue eyes,
smiling.
Ha! if eyes could smile,
but yours could, yours could.
I rememeber the way your mouth curved up.
Those perfect lips parted to speak,
no words, or sound
but not silent
with my pulse ringing in my ears.

The stars moved across the sky,
and the hands quickly on the face of time.
It passes,
hours, days, years.
But we are standing still.
Fozen, cemented in those happy moments.

Brushing my hair behind my ear.
My face cupped in your hand.
Staring, smiling, loving.
Our lips meet, my heart pounds.
The kiss by which all others are to be judged.
As a flash goes off in the distance.
We sit towering the world.
In our own privet heaven,
where a boy loves a girl.

Stop to my mind I say.
Back to the present with you.
Me?
Yes you.
As thoughts trickle down my face.
And tears come to my mind.
I don't know the answers
because the questions have also excaped,
lost, forgotton.
Only one, maybe two remain.
Where did you go?
Why didn't you stay.

By: Kiera Schvaneveldt 4-8-10

True love :)

Took this from my small blog on myspace. But I wanted it on my real blog now haha!
Today I've been thinking a lot about marriage. About what really makes it work. How its possiable for people to stay "happily" married their whole lives. I have gotten alot of advice, and heard alot of qouts on the subject.

Success in marriage does not come merely through finding the right mate, but through being the right mate.
I so agree with this! You have to be someone that your husband would want to fall in love with. EVERY DAY!
A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. I think there are many stages to love. And people change over the years, many times. You just have to find someone that your able to grow with.
I am no where near the person I was at 17 when Kody and I first fell in love. Somethings for better and maybe somethings for worse, but he still loves me. Kody and I are constently finding new things to fall in love with each other for.

Our story: June 26 2006 When I was 17 I loved him for his chrisma, the way he would light up a room when he walked in. For his confidence, people girls and guys would flock to him. He was a bassist in a band "A Forgotten Farewell" I loved to watch him play! I respected how talented he is. That year was full of fun and kisses! I loved how romantic and cheesy he is. How everyday was an adventure :) We were joined at the hip, and it pained us to be away from each other even a day.
When I was 18 he proposed June 16th 2007! I and discovered our love was a lot older than our age. I moved to St. George and I loved him for the way he always made us work. How at that times he was the strong one. He was the person who never wanted to give up on us! He moved down there for me. Left his home, family and band, got his licence, bought a car and drove down. I am still in awe today when I think of the sacrifice that he made for me! Down there we were each others only friends, we had no one else. He became very close to my family. He is more like a son, or a brother, than an inlaw.
We moved back up to Davis county. At 19 we were married:D :D :D September 26 2008 The day we always talked and dreamed about. "How cool it will be when we have our own house, when we can sleep in the same bed every night, when we can spend the rest of our lives together!" Our newlywed days were full of tons of fun! Hanging out with friends, going to movies, having parties, and going out to dinner. We discovered married life was very "cool" but also very expensive. We have delt with loss of jobs, and just general money problems. But we got through. We always make it. I loved him so much for his positivity, for always being upbeat! Later that year I go to the doctor and he tells me I have some fertility issuse that would make it difficult if not impossiable to conceive. Kody and I have always wanted kids, but we wanted to wait until we were compleatly stable. Due to the news Kody and I talked about it and decided we would rather be young parents then not parents at all. When I was 20, we got off the birth control, thinking it would take many months or even years to have a baby. ONE MONTH LATER... to the day! We found out we were pregnant!! April 29th 2009 Kody was so excited! He couldn't stop hugging me. I got very scared. I'm really not good at change, and our lives were about to change forever. After the shock I became obsessed with the pregnancy. So excited that we were about to be parents! Kody was such a huge support! He came to every single baby appointment we had, even if it was just a check up! We kinda became newlyweds all over again! We really enjoyed our last months as a couple before we became a family. I loved Kody for how patient he was with me and those crazy pregnancy hormones! I loved Kody for how hard of a worker he is! I loved him for how supportive he is! Our daughter Sybella Marlene Schvaneveldt was born December 21st 2009! She has become the light of our lives! I have discovered how amazing a father Kody is! I love the way he takes such joy in the little things. I love how Sybella already has Kody wrapped around her little finger :) I love Kody's and my conversations in the quiet night after we put Sybella to bed. He really is my best friend! I love how he never judges me, how I can tell him anything thats on my mind. He gives great advice. I love the way we communicate. There is never an awkward subject for us, and I think it makes us so much stronger having that connection! I love the little things he does like kissing me before he goes to work, writing on I love you on the bathroom mirror, still grabing my hand to hold when we walk, holding hands in the car, taking out the trash, sending me cute texts at work, just for still being completly crazy about me :) Now at age 21 August 27 2010 I am still so in love with Kody, for more reasons then when we started! Our wedding was years ago. The celebration continues to this day. I look forward to the years ahead! Knowning they will be full of even more love and more ways to love! Thank you kody for being such an amazing husband, father, lover, and friend!
I will always try to be the type of person you deserve every day!

Wow this blog was going to be about love and marriage advice that I've heard, and it kinda changed and morphed into something else. I guess I can relate that to life that sometimes our path changes and alters, but as long as we and keep our main focus we will get to the right destination.
Maybe in later blogs to come I'll share my thoughts on what I think makes a marriage last for life :)

Sincerely,
From the heart and mind of Kiera

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Friends

I've been thinking a lot today about friends. I have come to believe everyone comes into your life for a reason. I think they also leave for a purpouse as well.
But I really have to say that I'm so thankful for all the friends that have come into my life. I know each one has fit certin stages of my years on this earth, and made me the person who I am today.
My preschool friends helped me color and walk out of day care haha. If you were my friend in elementary school... special thanks to you!!! For putting up with my super dorkness (well I guess that kind of goes for all my friends haha.) Except I lost the stretch pants in my later years thank goodness. My Jr. High friends, my soul mates! Thank you for loving me, even if I didn't know who I truely was at that point in time. I hold all of you so close in my heart! Mostly you little punks ;) for giving me a new start. The times that we shared are some of my fondest memories. My High school friends thank you for never giving up on me. For being there when I had no one else (family moved to St. George while I stayed in Davis.)
For the ones who came and went. You have left foot prints on my heart that will never fade. Thank you for the closeness we shared. I truely wish you the best in all of lifes endeavors.
For the bestie I love you! My little yang! Thank you for caring so deeply about me. I hope that things never change between us. I will always fight for us :)
And for the ones who have been my most constent companions Tashie, Kev, Jer Bear, Bun Bun, Cam, Emma Pants, Macie Cakes, Asi Baby, Shelly, and Nate. I love you all so much! Thank you for sharing your light with me. You have, and continue to impact my life in many ways.
Last but certainly not least. Thank yous to my amazing hubby Kody. For being the best friend of them all. For being the type of friend I was always praying for. I'm so grateful for you. I love you with all my heart and soul!
I hope I am always worthy of your friendship!

Just thought you'd like to know.
Sincerely, Kiera

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Once upon a time...

I have rewrote these first few lines at least 10 times now. I figure if I keep up this pace I should post this sometime mid October. So I'm just going to dive in. Here goes... My blog goal is to be as real with this page as I am inside. Hence the title "Living Out Loud". My name is Kiera. I married my best friend on a perfect day in September. Kody is the most amazing husband. I am so very lucky. For our 2nd Christmas we were blessed with a beautiful baby girl. She has become our world! Somedays I have to wake up and pinch myself to make sure this is all real. I love my life! Even the day to day busy little nothings.

Well its getting late. So until next time,

Sincerely, Kiera