Welcome Baby Skylar!!

Skylar Zell Merrill

Born: 6/16/09 @ 6:15PM

Weight: 4lbs. 4oz., 18 inches long

3D Images

We got 3D images done last week, it was awesome! Immediately I thought our baby girl looks just like Dave. Her nose, mouth, & chin are just like her daddy's, check out the pic's below & decide for yourself:)

Dave & Erin's 2nd Wedding Anniversary!

27 Weeks!

28 weeks already! I think it's finally hit me how soon our baby girl will be here, only 3 short months away. I can hardly believe how quickly time has gone by. I feel like there is still so much planning, preparation, & books to read....it makes my head spin! Luckily I have still been feeling really good, because the last few weeks have been busy. I went to a bachelorette party, played in a golf tournament, and took a fabulous vacation with Dave.

Lettin' it all hang out at The Hard Rock Pool

All the girls on the way to Tina's last big night out.

We celebrated Tina's last "fling before the ring" in style, pool side & then out for dinner & dancing. Oh yes I did!!...I let it all hang out with all the hard bodies at The Hard Rock. After a long afternoon in a cabana at the pool we headed up to the room for games & then out to dinner at The Pink Taco. Sad to admit I didn't make it past dinner & out to the clubs, I was a little pooped after all that sun!

Dressed up in the 50's theme...yes that's Dave with the slicked back hair:)

6 months along & still swinging! I got invited to play in a golf tournament at Canyon Gate with my friend Dawn Dyle. It's safe to say being pregnant doesn't improve your golf game! The most surprising thing was how nervous I got. You wouldn't think at 6 months pregnant & almost no preparation I would have high expectations, but of course I did, I'm competitive! Despite all the nerves, I had a great time & thanks to Dawn's stellar performance we finished 2nd in our flight. The pic above is from the 50's themed party the night before the first round.

Behind the 18th Hole at Pebble Beach

Highway 1 between Monterey & Santa Barbara

Gina, Sadler, Dave & Erin in Carmel

Dave, Gina, Sadler, & Libby before the Santa Barbara 1/2 Marathon

Dave & I celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary with a trip up the coast, stopping in Monterey, Santa Barbara, and Hermosa Beach. The weather was beautiful & the company was even better, Gina & Sadler met us in Carmel & spent the weekend with us. Dave had never been to Montery & I was so excited to share one of my all time favorite destinations with him. We enjoyed many things including, 17 mile drive, Spanish Bay bagpipers at sunset, and a cute little Italian restaurant (Little Napoli) we ate at both nights in Carmel! Then it was down the coast through Big Sur & the beautiful rugged coast line to Santa Barbara. Dave ran his second 1/2 marathon placing an impressive 256 out of nearly 3,000 competitors! It was a great trip & like all vacations it was too short!

Now it's back to work & getting ready for baby! She has been kicking like crazy & we can't wait to meet her soon. I have two baby showers coming up, one in Colorado & one at home in Las Vegas, I am a lucky gal!

Happy Easter!

My growing belly at 23 Weeks in the new baby room!

It's been a busy month, I can't believe I will be 6 months along next week! My belly seems to be growing like crazy the last 3 weeks & I think I've doubled in size (& gained a few lbs too)! Other than the stretching ligaments & early braxton hicks contractions, I've still been feeling really good. My energy is high and my little girl has been kicking me like crazy! I love every kick & flutter, she is most active in the evenings after a good meal & in the mornings when I wake up, Dave has felt her kick quite a bit, which is so fun to share with him.

So the big question on everyones' mind...."have you figured out a name yet?". Now that we know we are having a girl, it hasn't been any easier to decide on a name & we are still in limbo. Who knew it would be so difficult for two people to decide on a name....(Dave is pretty opinionated:). My mom has been very helpful, even checking out the 50,000 baby names book for me at the library (thanks Mom). I think I'm just waiting for something to hit me, then we'll know. I'll keep you posted!

Me, Alex, Rachel, & Lilly on Alex's Birthday

My little sister Alex came home from college in Reno at the end of March just in time to celebrate her 19th birthday on March 20th. It is always so great to see her, we miss her so much when she is away at school. She's all grown up, practically a woman!

Tina, me, & Stephine on my Birthday.

I turned 29 on April 4th, this is the last year I can say I'm in my 20's:(! After a fun dinner with friends Friday night, Dave & I had a great weekend running baby errands & doing all the things I wanted to do (what a trooper:). All the things I wanted to do, included.....a trip to Pottery Barn Kids, BabiesRUs, Lowes, & painting the baby room (in that order!). Dave took his first trip to Pottery Barn Kids pretty well, but no one could have prepared him for BabiesRUs....okay honestly, it's a little overwhelming for first time parents (especially Dads) walking down all the isles realizing all the things you will need for this new little person you are bringing into the world. It was quite comical, as I was showing Dave all the things we need, he had so many questions...."How are we going to know what to get?" "Why do we need a car seat that fits into a stroller? "Why do we need a swing & a vibrating chair?" Long story short, after 20 minutes Dave said "I've got to get out of here!"

Trust me, it was Limey, this picture doesn't do it justice! (My sister gave me the lovely crib that was her daughters)

After an eventful afternoon of baby shopping, I will have to say our Sunday painting was a little counter productive. After 4 hours of painting (did I mention Dave hates to paint) i decided I hated the color (oops!).

Painting the beautiful mural Carrie created, we will track the babies height on the tree trunk.

After our first failed attempt at painting the baby room, we had to bring in the big guns! Carrie Terrones & Stephine Cole to the rescue! Another trip to Lowes with Carrie & a fresh coat of paint (sorry Dave) & it's just right! Thanks girls, it's a beautiful nursery!

Stephine painted a changing table Alex used when she was a baby & we spray painted an old mirror I had from college silver, it turned out gorgeous!

The finished mural, a cherry tree with pink blossoms over the crib.

The mirror & changing table, check out the branch above the door, Carrie, you're so creative!

Posing with Carrie's baby Chase and Marley after all the hard work!

I warned you, it was a busy month! I will try not to wait so long next time, so my blog post isn't a novel:).

I spent Easter with my niece & nephews, Trevor, Lilly, & Riley, Happy Easter!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Dave celebrated with green beer, I had irish food at Irish bar 3 Angry Wives!

It's a Girl!

My growing belly at 19 weeks

Hello & thanks for checking out our very first blog post! Now that we have a little one coming, hope this will be a great way for friends & family to keep track of our lives & stay in touch....so enjoy!

As I'm sure all of you know by now, Dave & I are expecting our first child the first week in August. We are so excited & although I was a little nervous at first I can't wait until baby Merrill arrives! I am now 19 weeks pregnant & have been feeling really great. After a rough go week 7-13, it's been so nice to have my energy back & not have that nauseous "hung over" feeling all day long. I was a little grumpy over those weeks, so I will make a public apology to my husband, "Dave I love you, thanks for putting up with me".

I am happy to report Dave has been a model father thus far. He's made it to every doctors appointment & every ultra-sound. I am sure going to the "woman doctor" is a new experience for any man. Dave always takes interest & has only made funny faces when the ultra-sound technician says "see that's the baby's foot, can you see it?" (after all, the baby was the size of a walnut at the time).

This past Tuesday we had our 4th & most exciting doctors appointment to finally put the debate to rest, is baby Merrill a boy or girl? Despite boy predictions by my mother and two sisters, baby Merrill is a GIRL! I can't wait to buy dresses & decorate a butterfly theme room & Dave can't wait to teach her a whole list of sports he's already decided she will play.

18 Weeks- Profile with hand in her mouth

It's been a crazy 19 weeks, I really can't believe I'm almost 1/2 way through this pregnancy, it's gone by so fast! I am finally starting to show a little bit, actually went to the grocery store today & had the check-out lady ask me how far along I was...first time that's happened! (of course I was buying prenatal vitamins:)....but it still counts!

On a non-baby note, Dave ran his first 1/2 marathon last weekend. I am so proud of him. He has really stuck to his work-out plan & is in the best shape ever...he looks hot! He has also been doing really well at work, selling lots of memberships despite these tough economic times. I have been busy with work also, still loving my job & honored to have my dream job working for such a great company.

Dave & his friend Mike at the finish line, he even got a metal!

On a closing note, I would like to thank my friend Carrie for harassing me the last 19 weeks to put together a blog, I was definitely quite the procrastinator! But here it is...until next time, thanks for tuning in!