Beware the Cute!

Where do I even start? Ethan and I went to Cali last week. It was so much fun! And we planned it perfectly so we missed the first storm of the year (well, there was lots of rain in the valley and snow in the mountains). We met up with Aunt Kenny and Uncle Doss, Uncle Lewy (sorry bro if I butchered that) and his fiance, the soon to be Aunt Steph, and Grandma and Grandpa. I had so much fun and I think Ethan was glad to see some new faces and see Grandma again. And we had a chance to see some of my old friends. :)

It was a great vacation for us. Ethan was great on the flight there and only a little grumpy on the way back. And I had a chance to relax and kick back while everyone else played with Ethan. :)

Pictures? Why Yes!

I love those cheeks and that smile!

Chilling at Laguna Beach.

Hat and mommy's home made sun shade.

Ocean!
Blog Cross Over. :) Lunch with Heather, Myka and B. :)

Random Updates

Hi Folks! It's been a bit hasn't it? Life seems hectic to me lately. I have been feeling a little overwhelmed lately but I think that's going to be about standard for the rest of my life. Ethan is doing well. I can't stress enough what a cutie he is. :) When he wakes up in the morning the first thing he does is smile. I love it! And the best thing? When Ethan smiles, it's impossible not to smile back at him. It just lights up his whole face. Someday I'll be lucky enough to catch it on camera. But for now I am content just looking. :)

I am heading to Cali at the end of the week. I am meeting my family down there to visit with Bro as he is on leave from Iraq. I am bringing Ethan with me and I am already so stressed about it! (proof? I am already packed because I am so worried about leaving something important behind). Our flights are at his usally nap times so I am hoping that he'll just sleep. The bad news? Lately Ethan has been refusing to take a bottle- from me or anyone. That doesn't help the situation at all. I'm excited to get to Cali (and to come back) but I'm not too thrilled about the flying part. I am looking forward to seeing my family and also meeting up with some old friends from Hawaii (Hi Heather and Myka and B!).

And the other thing that I am really excited about, but I'm not really going to talk about (sorry!) is that I am getting my endowments. I still have to make the appointment, but I want to go to the Salt Lake Temple.

Anyway, that's the haps from around here. Fall is marching its way in. The trees on the mountains around my mom's house are turning vibrant Red. I love it and wish she were here to see it. Oh yeah, I guess that's another thing! I don't know if I mentioned it before but about 3 weeks to a month ago my mom's retina spontaneously detached. There was a trip to the ER followed up by an emergency surgery. As soon as my mom was travel ready she headed down to Cali (to meet up with my Bro) and where she could get some follow up health care. Well, this past week her retina detached again, so she had to go in for surgery #2. :(

Okay One More...

Ethan's Halloween Costume- He's going to be a Monkey... My Chunky Monkey to be exact. :)

I love this picture too...

That's a big baby (Mommy's work out)

My best friend April had her baby, Sylas, 2 weeks after I had Ethan. They're going to grow up to be best friends. The babies were roughly the same size- Ethan was 7 lbs, 9 oz and Sylas was 7 lbs, 1 oz; okay so there's some pretty good difference there, but still...

Anyway... Keep in mind that these 2 babies are only 2 weeks apart...

The proud mommies with the future friends.

Yes, that big buddah baby is my "little" Ethan. And that's Sylas... It looks like Ethan could go on a rampage and eat Sylas as a mid-day snack. I love it.

Ethan's 2 month appointment is on Monday so I'll find out for sure what he's weighing in at.

Oh yeah, bonus- Ethan is bigger than most of the other babies in our wards and he's the youngest. Dave and I were the runts of our families... kind of makes you wonder...

Lottery

So we drove up to Idaho (Malad to be exact) to pick up some lottery tickets and scratch tickets. We go up every once in a while to fill my need to go on road trips (even small ones) and because it's just fun to scratch those little tickets.

It was the first time we had taken Ethan on a long trip (my marathon errand running sessions don't count). Silly me. I was thinking that it would be a quick trip up and then back down so I skimped on bringing the baby stuff. I learned my lesson quickly. We pulled into the parking lot to discover that Ethan had a blow out. A big one too. His onesy and his blanket were covered. Yuck. So I had to get him out of the carseat and into the gas station changing table without spreading the love around. The really fun part was trying to get his onesy off without spreading the poo all over him... I'm glad I brought a huge wad of wipes to clean up after that. Luckily there was an extra diaper hidden in the bottom of my diaper bag but I didn't bring an extra change of clothes. So Ethan had to class it up by sitting naked in his car seat while we scratched our tickets and then for the car ride home.

Anyway, Ethan's first road trip/scratch ticket:

Pictures

I promised to post some of my favorite pictures of Ethan... so here are my 2 current favorites.

Just before bathtime. I know it's playing with fire but I just love my little naked baby and we had to pause to get some good pictures.

I don't know why this one is popping up like this but honestly I am too tired to try to figure out the problem so just tilt your head for the full effect.

Handful- More like an armful

Well my little chunker is keeping me busy. His personality is definitely emerging. And he's still the cutest little boy around. :) Ethan is the sweetest little boy in the morning- all smiles and giggles (yes- he's working on giggles now) but by afternoon it's a different story. Ethan gets more high maintenance as the day goes on, so by about dinner time all the attention has to be on him (makes making dinner quite the task).

I am up at my mom's this afternoon (Hi Mom! I'm watching your place). She's in Cali getting ready for a little family reunion. My brother is heading there for 2 weeks of leave from Iraq. I had really hoped that we would be able to go down and meet him as well, but it's just not going to happen. The most we would have been able to do would have been a long weekend and most of it would have been spent driving and the thought of trying a 10 hour drive (twice) with a 2 month old was a little deterring. So I made a whole bunch of videos for bro and sent them with mom. And as soon as I find my connector cable I'll post one or two of them on here. Ditto for some pictures.

Speaking of pictures, I took a photography class in High School and learned that while there is definite skill involved in taking pictures, by sheer multitude one can come up with some amazing pictures. I have so many favorites of Ethan (I plan on posting many here) but we recently took the most amazing pictures of him. I know it's not fair to talk about the pictures without sharing, but like I said, I need a connector cable. That and I just wanted to brag about how photogenic my boy is (but really are there any unphotogenic babies?).

Anyway, life goes on. We celebrated Dave's 30th (!) birthday this weekend. Amazing! Now I get to tease him about being old for the next few years... at least until I turn 30. Then we'll talk about how young we are. My husband looks darned good for a 30 year old, actually he's pretty hot for any age. :) (Hi baby!).

It's now the middle of September, I dropped into work yesterday and everyone wanted to know when I'd be back. I can't believe I only have another few weeks of "official" leave until I have to return to work. I guess I keep waiting for something to happen to cause time to stop or keep me in my little bubble. I am also hoping that something will happen so that I don't have to go back at all. :) (Speaking of, I guess there's a big pot for the lottery.)

Still not eating...blah

Well I'm still on my pseudo-liquid diet. I should say squishy food diet. Okay, I'll admit it, I've been pushing it... I just can't do squishy foods/liquids only. My dad is heading back to Hawaii tomorrow so we all went out to breakfast this morning... so I got the french toast, the bacon, and the eggs. And I don't regret it! (Don't tell my dentist). I took little bites and pretended like it was all squishy/liquid food. But that's been my only cheat so far. Over all I feel a little bit better so that's kind of nice.

Dave is at the US vs El Salvador World Cup Qualifier this evening. I am excited that he was able to go. In about 20 years, be sure to watch for Ethan to be on the US' national soccer team. :)

We got Dave the new My Touch phone for his birthday. Those things are pretty cool!

Other wise not much going on here. Wish there was more to write but I've been on pain medication all weekend and I am thoroughly useless.

Oral Surgery

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted. I finally have regular internet access and I still don't have time to write. :) Ethan, David, and I are all doing great. Dave is busy at work and Ethan is busy at keeping me busy. :)

Let's see- last week my mom had a spontaneous detached retina. That meant a midnight trip to the ER and a follow up surgery the next day. So that kept us pretty busy last week- I was taking care of Mom as much as I could. Much to my mom's joy, my dad flew in last weekend to help take care of her so that was pretty awesome.

Then this week was my turn for surgery. Yesterday I had a molar pulled and an implant put in. I have had a problem tooth for a while now and finally the dentist and I said that enough is enough. So no more tooth. Unfortunately my mouth hurts a lot now so I'm taking it pretty easy this week. Down side- liquid diet for the next few days. Commercials suck. The second I couldn't have any of it I started craving hamburgers and french fries and pizza and those commercials just made everything look so tasty. Why aren't there any soup shops? Anyway, so I'm pretty hungry and I'm already sick of pudding, ice cream, and yogurt and it's only been 1 day. Great. It's going to be a long weekend.

Ethan is growing so quickly. I love it. He makes the cutest faces and does the cutest things and is generally the most wonderful little boy. :)

One Month

Ethan turned one month on Thursday. :) It's been amazing to think that it's been a month!? Time flies, as I am sure all of you mommies will agree. My little boy is turning into quite the chunker and I love it! :) I love everything about him, but his face (and the expressions he makes) just cracks me up.

Life is going well here... it has its ups and downs but we try to take them as they come. I've been trying to follow Dave's example- he's great about keeping faith that everything will work out. I love my husband so much. :)

Anyway, here is a picture of Ethan looking totally cute right before bathtime. :)

Bumbo

I was bored the other day and thought I would see how Ethan liked his bumbo. He has been working out his neck by doing his little baby push ups so I figured this could be pretty amusing. Plus Ethan really likes being able to sit and watch what is going on in the world. Anyway... Here are some pix of Ethan in his bumbo... isn't he cute?

Borrowed Computer

Well I wish that I could post some pictures right now and have more time to type but I am at Dave's work using his computer. Daddy is off showing off his first born son. :) I can hear Ethan crying down the hallway- funny how I am so in tune with that.

I thought that staying at home all day meant that I would get restless and go stir crazy. Not the case! In fact I have been busier than I have ever been.... I'm just off running all day long. My plans to post lots of pictures of Ethan growing and all of his little cute things has been delayed, but I'll get back on track. I am definitely still taking lots of pictures. :)

Anyway, we're all doing well, if not a little tired.

More Pictures

Okay guys, just another quick update... still no regular internet access- next week things will be a little more stable and I'll be able to write more. I just thought I would add some pictures real quick.

Start of the smile. :)

:)

And then there were three....

Ethan David :)

Sorry for the long delay in getting an update to blogger. We don't have the internet at home so I had to get my tushy in action and get to where there was access. So... you probably want to see pictures. And I won't disappoint. I think Ethan (and Dave) are already starting to dread to sight of my camera. But there are just too many cute moments that I can't pass up. Unfortunately this means that for the most part I am behind the camera so there are only limited pictures of Ethan and I.


Anyway... so the details. It was a long weekend/build up for Dave and I before Ethan's arrival. We went in to the hospital on Saturday night and I thought for sure that Ethan would be making his arrival the following day (our anniversary). Unfortunately we were sent home that night- I was in early labor and there wasn't enough going on to warrant keeping me at the hospital. I was told that I'd probably be back at the hospital in about 24 hours.

Sunday (our anniversary) was a quiet one with me just relaxing. That night, against my will (I thought for sure that we would just be sent home again), Dave dragged me back to the hospital. Turns out I was in labor for real this time. After a long night (filled with contractions that lasted upwards of 8 minutes- AGH!) I finally got an epidural in the morning and spent the day pretty comfortable. Advice for those of you thinking about epidurals- they are so wonderful. :) At about 4 PM I began pushing... and kept pushing for about 4 hours. Dave was with me for every moment, encouraging me and helping the nurses where he could. He was also very good about taking care of me when I was a mess and scared and excited and completely worn out. The two memories that really stand out for me were the moment that I realized I was about to start pushing. It hit me then that I was about to have a baby. The second moment was when they put Ethan on my stomach right after he finally made his way out. Reaching down and realizing that there was a warm, squishy, and wiggly baby right there blew my mind.

Ethan finally arrived at 7.57 PM. He weighed 7 lbs, 9 oz and was 21 inches long. And he is the most beautiful little boy in the world (sorry all you other mommies).

It's been an amazing week since then. :)

Anyway, let me get on to the fun part already- pictures. :)


Mom and Ethan at the hospital the day after.

Proud Daddy. :)

Father/Son moment.

Beginning of the family pictures- 3 generations: Grandma, Mom, Ethan.

Ethan is already getting tired of the camera. :)

Ethan sleeps just like Daddy does. :) Deep in thought already.

Last Pregnancy Update

Okay Folks... this is your LAST pregnancy update. After this they're all going to be BABY updates! Yay! The big news first- the end is in sight! Ethan's official due date is TOMORROW! We'll see if he is going to be a punctual baby or if he's going to make a late arrival. But the really good news is that... even if Ethan makes a late arrival, there's still an end in sight- TUESDAY! At the very latest this little boy is going to meet his mommy and daddy on Tuesday.

So sit patiently by your phones and wait for pictures and phone calls- cause it's going to be happening soon! :)

And on a side note... I know that this is totally impersonal (personal notes are in the mail)... but I wanted to express my gratitude for all of the love and support that Dave and I have received over the past months from all of you guys. There have been so many people that have gone out of their way to make things easier for Dave and I and to give us encouragement and to provide us with lots of baby stuff. Dave and I are so greatly appreciative and blessed to have you all in our lives. Thank you so much. :)

Book Recommendation

Okay so I just saw the movie trailer for "Time Traveler's Wife" and it reminded me how much I really liked that book. Actually, I never really forgot because it's consistently been on my favorite books list, but I hesitate to recommend it to some people because, well, there's lots of sex and some of the people I know would be turned off by it. Anyway...

So I guess I'm saying that you really should look into reading this book because it is just a fantastic story. In fact, I'm probably going to read it again here real quick. And check out the trailer. I don't know if the movie will be bad or good, but I'm excited to go see it anyway. And I'm going to make Dave take me. Hahahaha. :)

Still Around

Just thought I'd let you know, I'm still around- and Ethan still hasn't arrived yet. 5 days until the official due date.

On another note.... Mom finally got into town on Friday afternoon. We promptly went out for some frozen custard (YUM!) before heading home to let Mom unpack and relax. The rest of the weekend was a good one- and a lazy one. I have been meaning to work on some sewing projects and I finally got the energy up to do it. I love it! There have been some baby supplies that I have wanted to make (wet bags, diaper wipe holders, and snack bags) that I finally got some fabric for and made them. :)

It has been so much fun having mom around. :)

Not much to say...

Just thought I'd give a quick update... I'm still here- and Ethan's not. 9 more days (give or take)- or as I like to think of it (optimistically, and probably unrealistically) any day now...

Weekend Fun

Figure it's been a while since you've seen a picture of us. :)

Well it was a good weekend for Dave and I- and very much needed. :) We had Friday off for the holiday so we were extra lazy this weekend. And I loved every minute of it.

Friday we had a family barbecue up at Dave's sister's house. It was good to see everyone again. Although I have noticed that whenever I start calling people now they all immediately assume I'm either a) going to the hospital b) at the hospital or c) calling to tell them Ethan is here. Not yet folks. :) Friday night we watched the fireworks up at the golf course. A few years ago Dave and his friends staked out the most awesome place for watching fireworks and watching the sun set. It's quite the hike, but definitely worth it. Basically, the spot we've got staked out is about 100 feet above and east of the place where all the fireworks are getting launched. So you can imagine how close the fireworks explode. :) It's a lot of fun. Oh yeah- and super bonus fun- there was a lightning storm out over Antelope Island (in Salt Lake). So while waiting for the fireworks to start we got to watch some amazing lightning. Awesome!

The view of Antelope Island and Salt Lake from where we were sitting.

Saturday was another good one for us. I pretty much hung out on the couch reading and being lazy. (Whoo hoo! I'm trying to get as many of those days in while I can). Dave went out and did some skeet shooting. I wish I could have gone, but they don't make full tummy ear plugs (as it is I'm worried about the exposure Ethan has had to concussions and the such). It was Dave's first time shooting his shotgun and he loved it. :) That night we joined the Woodbury's for dinner and to say good-bye to Dave's friend Jason. Jason is back to Med School for another year.

One of my favorite summer time activities is sitting out in the warm night air and just talking with people. Saturday night Dave and I got comfy on the swing on the front porch of the Woodbury's and we watched the neighborhood kids light off fireworks. There was even a string of firecrackers that lasted (no joke) like 10 minutes. Just when we thought it was done, it went off again. I think there must have been like 100,000 of them (not exaggerating). The Woodburys also had a portable firepit so we lit up a fire (I helped!) and some of us roasted marshmallows. It was so much fun. Fun smores recipe: sandwich marshmallows between two chocolate chip cookies. I hear it's pretty tasty. :) Anyway, it was a wonderful evening. :)

Sunday was pretty lazy for Dave and I. Pretty much trying to prepare ourselves for another week of work. I love three day weekends, but it's so hard to leave them behind! And now it's back to work.

Oh yeah, Dave and I saw Transformers 2 as well (on IMAX). I really have nothing to say for or against it. It was a movie. A really long movie. And there were lots of explosions.

11 days until Ethan's tentative arrival.

Oh and to brighten your day- here's a series of pictures that Dave and I took while waiting for fireworks on Friday night. I was trying to capture some images of my ultra huge belly for you guys (pay attention to Dave in the background).

Baby Shower

Diaper Cake!

My in laws are so awesome. They threw me the most wonderful baby shower on Saturday. It was a lot of fun! :) I am always so amazed by how generous and helpful and kind and creative the G's are (yes, they do deserve that many compliments- plus more).

The food spread. Yum.

Everyone was so generous and thoughtful with their gifts- and it was really good to get advice on a variety of things. I wish Dave had been there too- I think he would have had fun. But it was good just to have a girl's afternoon as well.

Baby EXPLOSION!

Did I catch your attention?

Our condo finally looks like a baby is about to move in. Seriously. Our living room (and bedroom, and baby's room, and kitchen for that matter) are covered in baby stuff. I love it. Dave just wanders around with this distant look on his face mumbling stuff about "baby sized gifts" (search Simpsons episodes for this reference). It's become a running joke between us, and well, between Dave and anyone who knows him really well. :)

My coworkers threw me a baby shower last week and then the G's threw me one on Saturday. Dave and I have all the baby stuff we can start with. I think that I can safely say that we are set- at least until Ethan starts growing. Our baby is going to be clothed, fed, and sheltered quite nicely until he is 6 months old. Then we'll have to start adding to our baby stuff collection.

I over exerted myself just a little bit yesterday getting my mom's room ready for her (moving furniture) and getting our room ready to share with Ethan (at least for the first few weeks)- more moving furniture. We have a bassinet set up on my side of the bed so I have easy access to Ethan in the middle of the night (we'll see if Dave can learn to sleep through it). We have a jungle of baby stuff in the living room to navigate through (I'm so glad that I don't have to pass through there on the way to the bathroom). And per my mom- she said she just needed a place to sleep, well Mom- your wish has been granted- you have a room but walking into it is at your own risk. :) Good luck avoiding the baby stuff.

Anyway, I'm pretty excited. I feel like I got a lot done over the weekend (even if my legs are still sore). Ethan is sitting tight, but I am hoping he can hear my subconscious thoughts to get a move on. We have 19 days, but I am hoping it is much less (Mom- get your tushy moving on up here already!).

Friday again

Well we've come to the near end of another Friday. It has been a quiet week here at VOA. Kind of nice- very different. I got a lot done this week so I feel a nice sense of accomplishment over all. I made the mistake of saying earlier how quickly my week had gone by- so my reward has been a VERY slow Friday afternoon.

The highlights from this week:

Getting the bathroom done (finally!). We tested the shower yesterday (had to give it a few days for the grouting/sealer to dry). I love it! I'm so pleased with our shower.

We had a potluck at work on Wednesday. It turned into a surprise baby shower for me. :) That was pretty awesome. My coworkers are so awesome.

Otherwise I've just been pretty lazy. I thought I was tired before, but this past week I've taken tired to a whole new level. I can make it to about 7 PM before I can literally feel the energy drain from my body. It's amazing. I read somewhere that energy requirement for growing a baby is the equivalent to running a marathon every day (then why am I gaining weight?). Anyway, I certainly feel like I've run a marathon every day.

I have some serious cleaning to do this weekend (nesting?). I have to wipe down all the cabinets to remove the dust from our bathroom remodel. Then I have to clean all the floors and do some heavy duty carpet cleaning. Then I have to get my mom's room ready (she's arriving next Wednesday!). I've started to think a lot about freezer meals as well. I've started freezing half of everything I cook so that there will be some ready made meals for when we need them. I've also got a million baby blankets that I need to make (million= 2.5). I also want to try making some reusable snack bags and some wet bags (look at me go!). We'll see how my sewing skills turn out.

Tomorrow the G's are throwing me a baby shower. I am excited just for the opportunity to hang out with them. :) Some good girl time.

Anyway, Ethan is 37 weeks now and is officially "full term." We have three weeks (or 22 days) until his "official" due date, but I'm kind of hoping he comes a little early. I'm not terribly uncomfortable, I'm just really excited to meet this man. I can't believe that we've come so far and are so close now!

Anyway, my big thought of the day (reminder to myself?) is: Matthew 6:34 "Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." Basically, I'm trying to remind myself not to get ahead of myself. Things are going to work out just fine.

FINISHED!!!!

Well, it took a few days longer than we expected, but our bathroom is DONE! We went over budget, over schedule, and I almost had a mental breakdown about halfway through, but we made it. And honestly? I LOVE IT! Our bathroom looks so much better now! :) Most of the compliments have to go to Dave though- he's the one that made the important decisions like which tile to use and the new bathroom fixtures. Basically, I just sat back and watched. I really like the colors that Dave picked out. :)

Anyway, it was so wonderful to get our house (and bathroom) back yesterday. It was nice to come home to condo without tools and tiling stuff everywhere. Now we can start cleaning up the mess. If you are looking for a handyman, I totally recommend Sam.

Here are the before pictures (WARNING: this is embarassing! and sad). Frankly, it's amazing what you can get used to when you don't think about it.

Looking in from the doorway

Water damage along wall next to tub

Mid Remodel- the beginning of the new tiling

Tiling complete- just need grouting, fixtures, and a toilet.

The design on the floor (luckily our handyman is creative).

The finished product!

Complete with new fixtures!

I hate Mondays

I hate Mondays. Seriously. I just tried to post this blog entry a moment ago and even blogger hated me and came up with an error message making me come back and re-write this entry about how much I am having a bad day. Blah.

Bathroom Remodeling

Well we've already broken our budget on the bathroom remodel. It didn't help that Dave and I only like the tile that cost about twice as much as we had budgeted for. In our defense, we were thinking, small space to tile equals fewer tiles equals we can spend more per tile (or square foot). Somewhere our math got messed up. So much for economics. :) Anyway, we are beginning DAY 2 of the big remodel. Dave and I were excited/apprehensive about coming home last night to see that state of our condo and bathroom. Yup. It was dusty and there's a toilet sitting in the baby's room. It was interesting to see the bathroom all torn up and in the first stages of being put back together. Dave and I agreed that we definitely picked the right tile though so that helps.

Anyway, remodeling a bathroom is much more involved/intensive than I had previously expected. I don't know, I kind of thought it would be more like Step 1) pick out tile I like Step 2) Pay for labor/supplies Step 3) Watch it all come together. Turns out there are a million little things that needed my approval and or attention. But we seem to be moving along just fine now.

I have been trying to decide if I want to post the Pre-remodel bathroom and Mid-remodel bathroom pictures or if I just want to wait and show them all at once. Hmmm. We'll see.

Tuesday

I'm feeling kind of sassy this afternoon, which is a change from my usual "tired." The sun is finally back, and I think that it is more or less here to stay (for the summer). Over all I am feeling rather productive today- I am getting a lot of little things done so I feel pretty awesome. Dave and I have actually been up to things lately so I have stuff to write about!

Saturday I finally went out with my friend April and played Bunco. If you guys get invited to a Bunco night, I highly recommend going. I had so much fun! :) I ended up winning for the most number of buncos and for being on the winning team, but I'd play even if I hadn't won anything. It was nice to get out of the house for a while and to hang out with April.

Sunday I received my patriarchal blessing. That was an amazing experience and will be pretty much the only thing I have to say about that.

Yesterday Dave stayed home sick and I ended up going home early. It is getting harder and harder for me to make it through the day (yeah, yeah, yeah, I don't want to hear about "when you're pregnant and have kids at home..." I am trying to enjoy this first pregnancy because I know during the next one I won't be able to take it as easy). Anyway, yesterday was just and uncomfortable day in general- and it was Monday to boot. I got to work to find out the office had had a minor flood (I didn't want to guess the origin of the water- gross!) and it just seemed nothing could go smoothly. And the bonus was that I just didn't feel good. So I gave up and headed home early. I am wondering if that is going to happen more and more often. I swear that Ethan grows in 1/2 pound increments. I don't think there's any middle ground for him- he just expands all at once. Not comfortable.

Anyway- last night Dave and I went over to the Woodbury's for a barbecue and to hang out. I really enjoyed myself. We even brought Pookie with us to meet their new puppy Fergie. Fergie was a little bit too hyper for Pookie (she usually ends up getting stepped on) but I think over time they'll get used to each other. We pretty much spent the evening on the back deck eating and watching the sun set- it was a wonderful time. :)

And now for the BIG NEWS! Dave and I are re-doing our bathroom! We have been talking it over for a while, and one of our friends (actually one of the Woodbury's) referred us to a guy that has been doing some work for them. Anyway, so we got a deal right in line with our budget and he's going to tile our shower and our bathroom floor. I am totally taking "before" and "after" pictures. Dave and I are so excited. We decided that it was important to get the bathroom done before Ethan arrives and it seems like things are working out for us. :) Unfortunately we are going to be sans-toilet for 3 days (not good for a pregnant lady) so we're getting a hotel room for two of the nights. Anyway, Dave and I are really excited. It's the beginning of many house projects that we have been wanting to do. :)

I think that's pretty much all the news from around here. Only a little over a month until Ethan arrives. I can't wait.

Pookie makes me smile

So I'll post more in a bit, but I wanted to post this picture. Pookie never fails to make me smile so I'd thought I'd share this....

Pookie enjoying the sun.

The Mid-Afternoon Slump

Well, it's mid afternoon. That means nap time for me. Unfortunately I am at work right now, so napping is out. Instead I have to try to keep myself awake and keep plodding along. Also unfortunately I have officially blown my ability to think straight. One of the projects I have been working on has short circuited my brain... so I'm pretty much good for nothing right now. But at least I am trying. :)

Well folks, we have 38 days until Ethan's tentative arrival. He is full term as of the 37th week (I've heard 36 weeks is full term as well, but I'll go with 37). If Ethan were to arrive right as he became full term, he could be here as soon as June 26. Crazy to think about huh? Maybe this would be a good time to start a betting pool?

Anyway, things are quiet here. More rain and thunderstorms. So far we've had plenty of both (I'm not complaining- actually I am enjoying it very much).

It was a good test run...

Saturday morning I woke up at about 4 AM with some contractions. After laying in bed awake for a little bit I realized that I was having good sized contractions about every 5 minutes. So I woke up Dave and told him that we needed to head in to the hospital.

So it was our first trip to the hospital and it was a good trial run. We headed up to Labor and Delivery and they set us up in a room and attached a contraction monitor and fetal heartbeat monitor to me. It was interesting to watch the monitors- especially as a contraction was coming on.

Anyway, all is well now. We went home about 7 AM after a shot to stop the contractions and with directions to get lots of rest over the weekend. So it was a pretty exciting morning!

Baby Registry

Hey Folks- We've been getting a lot of questions about what sorts of things we need for Ethan. We're registered at both www.target.com and www.babiesrus.com. If you search for baby registries using our last name you should be able to pull up our list. Some things overlap a little bit because I wanted to give people some choices...

We have lots of 3-6 month clothes but very little newborn/0-3 clothes. 6 month and beyond clothes are also totally welcome (who knows how quickly Ethan will grow!?). We've decided to do cloth diapers and I've got a good amount of those already. However, we are going to start out with disposable for the first few weeks and we'll use disposable intermixed later. Books and toys would be great- we don't have too many of those. And if there are any of the "rich uncle" types out there... it's not too late to fund a scholarship to pay for Ethan's college education (just joking- unless you're serious).

Hope that helps!

Favorite Childhood Toy...

So a conversation with my mom last night sparked a memory from my childhood...

Teddy Ruxpin. Man I loved that thing. Do you guys remember this? You'd pop a tape in his back and then he'd read you a story (complete with book). It was seriously the coolest thing ever. And I thought it was magic or something.

Anyway, it was just fun to think about how awesome that toy was. If we end up with one then I am not sure who is going to enjoy Teddy more- me or Ethan. :)

Another Reason to Love Utah....

One word: Thunderstorms.

The past few days have been wonderful! Good, sunny weather all day, and then in the afternoon/evening- Thunderstorms. We're talking light up the sky, drench everything in rain, and shake the windows storms. I love them. And the best part is that it's so easy to watch them come rolling in. Waiting for them to arrive is almost as much fun as watching them. Just look up and look for the dark mass of clouds coming (hopefully) your direction. It's fun to see parts of the cloud light up with lightning and the sheets of rain come pouring down... and the distant roll of thunder.... Ah... what a way to end the day! :)

50 days!

Can you believe it? 50 days (more or less) until Ethan arrives. I already feel like a little kid on Christmas Eve... so excited for the big day. I need to tone it down or I'm going to drive myself crazy between now and July.

Things are going well- I am so glad that it is Friday (and Friday Afternoon at that) and the weather is supposed to be beautiful this weekend. It's going to be a good weekend. If there isn't a baseball game going on tomorrow I plan on walking around the park (I'm trying to get some exercise in when I can). I'm still terrified of the park after the baseball incident. Sunday Dave and I are hanging out with Dave's brother Chris- that will be a good time. That evening Dave and I are going over to some of our friend's for a barbecue. It's going to be a good day (lots of food!)

Anyway... I really just wanted to share how eager I am about meeting Ethan for the first time. Not too far away now! Really I am the most excited about seeing Dave hold his first son for the first time. :)

So I'm a little slow

I have been meaning to write about my weekend all week and here it is- Thursday already.

The weekend was pretty good- it was so nice to have a three day weekend. :)

Saturday Dave and I were pretty lazy. We went up and hung out with the Woodburys for a little bit. We brought Pookie along and let her play with Zeus- the Woodbury's 120 pound German Shephard. It's pretty amazing to see 6.5 pound Pookie next to this big dog, but they seem to have lots of fun together. We let Pookie off her leash (a first for her- outside of the park) and let them run around. Rather, let Pookie run around and Zeus attempt to chase her.

McKenzie and Doss came into town on Sunday and stayed the night. I was so happy to see them. Unfortunately I forgot to take pictures (well, except for one taken at 4.45 AM and I didn't look so hot). We just sat around talking and letting our dogs play together. Henry and Pookie got along (I'd like to think) and ran around together. I really had a lot of fun. And McKenzie and Doss came bearing gifts- they brought a whole box of baby clothes- I am so excited! Everything was so cute and there is an awesome snow suit I can't wait to put Ethan in. :)

Monday morning McKenzie and Doss were out the door pretty early so Dave and I were pretty much on our own on Monday. What a nice lazy day! :) It was nice and sunny so we took Pookie out to the park and let her run around some more (I feel so bad that she's cooped up all day so I try to get her to the park as much as possible). Monday afternoon Dave and I went up to his sister's house for some quality family time. It was so much fun. Except for the part where I didn't feel the greatest- back aches, stomach ache, and tired.

Anyway, so it was a pretty good weekend overall. :) On Tuesday my dad got into town so last night we all went out to dinner. Then McKenzie and Doss blew back into town on their way home so we stopped for frozen custard (my new favorite dessert).

So lots of family and I am loving it!

Three day weekend!

Yeah! It's the weekend (well, almost). I am looking forward to THREE days! to myself (well, almost). Nothing too exciting going on this weekend. It's supposed to be nice- so that makes me very happy. I'll probably end up taking Pookie around the park and to play fetch so she can be outside for a little bit.

Some exciting stuff- My sister and her husband are passing through here on their way to Vegas. I am so excited to see them. And they're bringing their dog as well so maybe Pookie will be able to make friends? We'll see. Lately she's been quite the weiner- barking at bigger dogs when she knows that either myself or Dave is close by- and then running away when little kids try to pet her. Anyway, back to family. I am so excited to see them and to be able to hang out for a little bit. :) I think my dad said that he was coming into town as well but I am not sure when he plans on doing that... I guess we'll just wait for a phone call.

Things are going well otherwise. Work is good. We are getting ready to close our fiscal year and start another one. That means lots of budgets, lots of reconciling, and many, many projects like that. I am actually enjoying it over all... even though the level of concentration/detail can be incredible. I have to say I have come a long way regarding attention to detail.

My friends Katie and Matt came into town as well. It was really good to see them. I tried to cook us dinner but it didn't quite turn out (how embarassing!) so we went out to eat instead. Darn. I wanted to make a good impression- I'm just glad they they are old friends and will probably overlook the cooking attempt. :) I'm kind of bummed because we didn't take pictures!

Ethan is still growing nicely. Now when Ethan moves I swear that I can tell that it's little feet or hands that I am feeling (I don't know which, but I know it's got to be one of them). It's amusing to me to be able to feel his hands/feet as the run across my stomach- it feels weird- both from the inside and if I put my hand on my stomach to feel from the outside. Doctor's appointments have been bumped up to every two weeks now and soon they'll be every week. We are now 32 weeks along with 57 days to go! Less than 60 days! Wow! I am getting so excited to see what this little man looks like. Right now I imagine Dave's head on a baby's body. I know Dave is excited to see how our little boy is going to blend our features... some of me, some of Dave.

Victory!

So I wrote about how I planted a container garden (right?)... anyway, I have been waiting patiently for my little seeds to sprout up (half worried that I had managed to kill the plants even before they'd had a chance to grow).

Sunday I went out and watered each of my containers and looked closely for any shoots. Nothing.

Monday, I came out to investigate again and I found this:

My little Zucchini plant is growing! FAST! That popped up over night. I am so excited!

And then yesterday I went out to investigate some more and I saw the beginnings of some tomatoes. :) Yeah! Now we'll just have to see if anything else comes in. Oh yeah- the spinach is growing like mad! I am excited about that too.

Baby Stuff

I am so excited- one of my coworker's gave Dave and I a whole bunch of baby stuff. :) Awesome! We got a whole bunch of little things and a few of the bigger things we have been looking for.

Activity center/jumper...

Bouncer (with vibration)

Most of the available space in the baby's room is taken up by a guest bed (for now) so most of the new stuff is hanging out in our living room. It's fun to see baby stuff around- guess it makes it just that more real!

Biker Baby

So we got a care package from my Dad and Step Mom (Pam) the other day. In it were some really cute (and soft!) blankets as well as a diaper bag (yeah!) and the best was this...

A little Harley Davidson bear.

Ethan is going to be our little biker/soccer baby. :)

... And outwards

Well, I guess it's time for my weekly Friday post. :) It's been a quiet week over all which is kind of nice. It's been slowly warming up- whoo hoo! This weekend we're supposed to expect upper 70's and mid 80's and next week- the 90's! It will be interesting to see how I do with the heat.

Well today marks 31 weeks. We have 64 days until B-day... just two months away! I can't believe it. I am excited for July to get here, but at the same time, I am not in a rush to get there. Over all things have been going really well, with aches and pains along the way, but over all, pretty good. :) Currently Ethan seems to enjoy using my belly button as a punching/kicking target. Also I've been able to feel when Ethan gets the hiccups- which is pretty often. I am still trying to figure out what I am eating that is doing it to him, cause he usually gets the hiccups most often after lunch (my thoughts are that it's either the ranch, the peanut butter, the carrots or the celery).

This weekend is going to be a good one. Tonight I am meeting up with my friend April and we're going to get pedicures. I am kind of excited. I am not much of a hand/foot person but I wouldn't mind a foot rub. :) Tomorrow I think I am going to be picking up some baby stuff. One of my coworkers had a boy last summer so she is going to giving me a lot of the stuff she no longer needs. I am really excited about that... I'm not sure what she has, but I am excited to look and just happy to get anything. :)

Other than that it should be a quiet weekend. Maybe I'll try to get more house projects done. Oh yeah- Dave and I have decided to redo our shower. We're going to rip out what we have now and put in tiles. This will be interesting because we're going to try to do it largely by ourselves. Of course we'll get some experienced people in to do the hard stuff (mudding? taping?) but I've been told that putting up the new green board and the tiling itself shouldn't be too hard. I'm excited. I'll have to remember to take before and after pictures.

Next week my friends Katie and Matt will be in town and I am pretty excited to see them. Katie is one of my oldest friends (all the way back to High School!) and Matt (now married to Katie) was the first person we met when we came to Utah for college. Anyway, it's going to be really good to see them.

I have been promising a picture of my belly for a while now and unfortunately I keep forgetting to take one. So here's a modified close up of my belly...

Fighting Pessimism

It just seems like it is too easy to see that the world is going to hell in a hand basket and feel helpless as it does it. And then there are also the daily challenges of just living. It seems like it can be too easy to get discouraged and give up. So I've been trying hard to make some changes in my life that allow me to appreciate more what I have. Even though I haven't been doing to the best at making those changes happen, at least I am making baby steps.

I have been focusing on trying to be more grateful- in my daily prayers and also in my attitude. I am surrounded by some amazing people and I am so blessed to have them in my life. Dave and I have a wonderful home, jobs, and a growing family. We aren't over our heads in debt and day to day living is manageable. We have good health and good attitudes. Whenever I get discouraged, or think about the things I don't have, or think about the challenges in store for Dave and I, I try to remember that we're taken care of and that we're going to be fine. I know that things will work out and I just need to remind myself.

I have been trying to read better books- and less news. First I am a news junky. I get my news from multiple sources and even have headlines emailed to me. I spend an extraordinary amount of time on "news." And I noticed a while ago that it was affecting my attitude. Everything was bad and the world was broken and everyone was getting screwed in one way or another. So I am trying to (slowly) give up reading as much news. This has benefited my life in other ways too- I don't watch the news at home anymore so I am watching less TV each evening. In addition to less "news" I have been trying to be pickier about the books I am reading. I try to find encouraging, uplifting books that I can learn something from. It helps that I don't have the budget to just go out and buy whatever book catches my eye- now I have to 1) be picky; 2) read what has been given to me; 3) go back through my bookshelf and rediscover old favorites.

I am trying to watch less TV. Less TV means many things, some of the best of which are: more time for other things and less advertising. I don't want as many things and I don't feel the need to acquire stuff as much anymore. I don't care if I have the latest gizmos, as long as I have what I need. I read a book that cited a study that showed that the amount of TV affects consumption and "wanting" things. Kids who watched more TV were more susceptible to advertising- makes sense right? This will become more important as I begin to raise my own children. I'm not going to say that my kids can't watch TV but I want to teach them to be selective. They don't have to watch everything just because they can and because it is there.

Dave and I had briefly talked about looking for and purchasing a house. When we were in this mode I would come home and look at all the things I didn't like about our condo. We are probably going to be in our condo for at least another 5 years- I needed a change of attitude or I'd go crazy. I have been trying to appreciate more what I have now and think less about how things could be. I am trying to take better care of what I have now- make things prettier and last longer and, in general, just be a better steward of my money and resources. I have learned that taking care of what I do have makes me appreciate it more and also helps me to realize I don't need a lot (and helps me be more grateful for everything I do have). I have been working on mini condo projects for the past few months and I love our home. It is perfect for us. I love Dave for having the foresight to provide us with such a wonderful home.

Finally, I have been trying to be more charitable and service oriented. And this one I am still struggling with. But I am working on it. I get home from work and the last thing I really want to do is go out and do anything. But I am hoping that I can get there. I want to be able to share the blessings that I have received with the people around me and in some ways I just want to make the world a better place- at least in my little corner. It seems stupid, but I had a revelation a few weeks ago about the nature of service. It used to be that I couldn't change the world or serve everyone that I thought I was supposed to. I was so discouraged that I didn't even try to help anyone. Then it occurred to me that I can't serve the world right now, but I can help the people that I come in contact with (and not even all of the people I come in contact with- just some of them). So I am trying to make a conscious effort to pick three people a month and then work on serving them. I figure it's a good place to start.

Finally, I have been trying to change that attitude that I can do everything. I can't. Some things are just beyond my control and accepting that will just make things easier. I need to remember to be humble and to count on other people. I am so thankful that I have a wonderful husband who makes life such much easier for me. He is such a wonderful provider and the perfect partner in life. I have been trying to do my part and let God do His- and remember Who comes first. :) One quote that I recently stumbled across puts in perspective for me: "Work like everything depends on you; Pray like everything depends on God."

And thinking ahead to the future- and the challenges that are coming- I just found this quote: "Deal with the problems as wisely as you can. Make your decisions. You may be right; you may be wrong. Hopefully you will be right because you have prayed earnestly over the matter and you have discussed it with your associates. But once these decisions are made, put them behind you and do not worry about them. Turn around, stand tall, put your head up, and look forward to the marvelous opportunities you have."

Container Gardening and Other Things

So I got my container garden put together. I am so excited! Last year I tried it and it didn't turn out as well as I had hoped. This year I am hoping to put a little bit more love and attention into and see how it all turns out. I also decided to keep it simple this year. Hopefully that helps as well. Anyway- I planted Thyme, Basil, Mint (to go with the Rosemary I already have); Cucumbers, Zucchini, Spinach, and two types of tomatoes. So nothing crazy, just stuff that will supplement our groceries nicely. We'll see how it turns out! :)

Dave and I also went out and saw "Star Trek" this weekend. I really enjoyed it! :) I'm not a big trekkie, but I enjoy the movies and it was just a fun one. I would definitely see it a few times.

Other than that- things are quiet around here. It's warming up nicely and I've been trying to spend more time outside. Pookie has also been loving it- I have been letting her out on the deck to lay in the sun (probably her favorite activity).

Where is the year going?

I've been waiting all year for it to get warm out and it's finally starting to happen! I can go outside in a T-shirt and today I didn't even bring a jacket to work with me. Whoo hoo! But the flip side- did you guys know it's already MAY!? WHAT THE HECK? Where is time going? It seems especially bad because at work I am definitely stuck on a monthly closing cycle- it seems like I spend a lot of time trying to get the previous month's books closed just to turn around and realize it's time to start all over again.

My little boy is only 10 (!) weeks (or 71 days) from his arrival. It's odd to think that I am 30 weeks pregnant! 30! I know it's only been the matter of a week, but it seems like such a big difference to go from twenty something to thirty something (is this how it is with birthdays too?).

This month is looking like it's going to a pretty social one for Dave and me. Family events left and right and now friend after friend and friend coming into town. I am so excited! It's kind of like crawling out of hybernation. :)

I keep meaning to take some pictures for you guys but I keep forgetting to do so- sorry! Maybe I'll finally get my act together this weekend.

Baseball

You might be looking at the above (and below) picture and wondering why you're looking at my arm. If you look closely you might notice that I have a baseball sized bruise on my arm. The picture failed to capture the multi-colored beauty (if that's the word for it) of this bruise.

Yes, the most exciting thing that has happened to me in weeks is that I got hit in the arm by a baseball. I had decided to take Pookie for a long walk around the park across the street from us. I figured the weather was beautiful and I (we) needed some exercise and fresh air. As we were finishing up our first lap around the park, we were passing by a little league game. I was off in doggy walking la-la land and wasn't really paying attention to my surroundings. Although I doubt that my reflexes or any reaction that I could have had with advance warning would have helped me (and probably would have only made the situation worse). Anyway, out of no where I feel this arm deadening whack. Yup, I got hit by a foul ball. I was so shocked I just kept walking with Pookie. However now I was heading home instead of around the park again. My walk had effectively ended.

On my way home all I could do was say a little grateful prayer that the ball had hit me in my arm versus my head/face/belly. I think that was the most shocking thing of all- the realization that the baseball could have just as easily done some real damage instead of giving me a good sized/colored bruise.

Another week gone by...

Well it's Friday again. Today I am 29 weeks into this pregnancy and have 78 days until B-day. Time is just scooting along! Sorry no recent belly pictures- I'll make Dave take some this weekend to give everyone an update. I'm not to the "uncomfortable" stage yet, but I'm getting there... so far there's still enough room for the two of us, but we'll see how long that lasts. :)

This week has been an interesting one. Pookie and Dave have been sick so I have been on double duty. My poor little family. :( Not too much excitement really going on though. Just work and taking care of my babies. Hopefully this weekend will be a calm one.

Wow, I wish there was more to say, but it's just been that kind of week I guess. On a side note, I ordered and received the cutest diaper covers- I am so excited. :) I should take a picture, or you can just go to www.pattynaps.com. They are made by a woman out here in Utah and they are just the cutest thing. :) Stephanie makes all kinds of diapers but I focused on just buying diaper covers (waterproof covers) for some prefold diapers I already have. Yup, we are going with clothe diapers. I have a good collection of diapers so far... we'll see how it goes.

Anyway, hope you all have a good weekend.