The Whitings in 2013: Jordyn, Tyler, and our new little Kai

We don't know about anyone else, but for us this past year flew by. It was just about this time last year when we discovered we would become parents! The first part of the year seemed to start out really slow for both of us because Tyler was waiting to hear back from graduate programs while finishing his last semester of school at BYU, and Jordyn was battling her way through morning sickness and studying for the NCLEX, the national test to get her nursing license (which she took at the end of January and passed!).  We were also staying with a wonderful couple, Howard and Norma, in Provo while Jordyn acted as an aide for Norma. Around mid-March things started to take shape for our future whereabouts.

 



Tyler was accepted to Boise State University’s MPA (Masters of Public Administration) program, Jordyn's morning sickness eased up, and all was right in the world.  We were busy wrapping up the school year with graduation and packing up our things. After walking at graduation with Sharon, our sister-in-law, we went down for a summer stay in Toquerville. Tyler was recruited by Pioneer Freight Services (a logistics company in St. George) for a summer internship, and we stayed in Tyler's mom's house in Toquerville after she married her sweetheart just after graduation and left the place empty.  It all worked out great!  Jordyn got a chance to meet the wonderful neighborhood ladies, and Tyler got to work on the never-ending projects around the property.  The heat was almost unbearable for Jordyn because of her little personal heater, which made for a lot of ice-water refills, but she survived..

Halfway into the summer, Jordyn was interviewed by St. Luke's Hospital in Boise and landed the job despite being 7 months pregnant.  They wanted her to start a few weeks later, so we scrambled to secure housing and prepare for the move. Jordyn and her dad moved all of our stuff to Boise in mid-June, and Jordyn moved into the apartment the first week of July while Tyler stayed in Utah trying to honor the commitment he had made to work the full summer. Jordyn started having some contractions that same week, and the rest of the month was a little anxiety-filled as she tried to juggle working and baking the little bun just a little longer. Tyler moved to Boise mid-July since the baby could come any time.

Tyler drove to southern Utah on Aug. 9^th to welcome his brother home from his mission the following day. Just hours before the plane landed, Jordyn went into labor (alone in Boise). Her cousins Stephanie and Jason were lifesavers and took her to the hospital, then stayed there until her mom could arrive from Firth. Jordyn wanted Tyler to see his brother, so he hugged him as he got off the plane, then got back in the car and drove 8+ hours through the night to get to the hospital. He made it just in time! He walked in the door just after 4am, and little Kai was born Aug. 10^th at 4:54am. Suffice it to say, we now have a rule that no one will go anywhere if there is less than a month of pregnancy remaining!

Tyler is working as a graduate assistant on campus. Jordyn took 10 weeks off before returning to work full-time and will drop to part-time after Christmas. We are both exhausted much of the time, but we love our Little Man so much, and look forward to watching him grow and develop.

    

We hope that you and your families have a wonderful Christmas season and that the Lord has blessed you this year as He has blessed us. There is so much to be grateful for!

Merry Christmas!

Jordyn, Tyler, and Kai