Birthday Girl.

This post is a few weeks late... but better late than never, right?

In my family, birthdays really aren't a huge deal. Growing up, the best part about birthdays was going out to dinner and getting a birthday letter. Those are still my 2 favorite birthday traditions. Last year, Paul forgot to write me a letter (even though I told him it was the only thing I wanted for my birthday). Let's just say I was sad. This year, Paul did not make the same mistake (He's a fast learner). 

After I read my letter, Paul took me to Texas Roadhouse for the first time. Oh my goodness. SO MUCH FOOD. It was absolutely delicious. Afterward, we walked around the mall and looked at Christmas decorations. Spending time with Paul is my favorite.

 

Once we finished perusing at the mall, we headed home. Since Paul has been busy with work, he didn't get the chance to make me a birthday treat. Seeing as I only stressed the importance of dinner and a letter, I couldn't get upset at Paul for not having a cake. I confessed to Paul that I was a little disappointed. The next morning, Paul woke up before me (as usual) and got me mint brownies! We didn't have any birthday candles, so we improvised with a BIG candle.

[See below for documentation]

Before dinner-- not too shabby for being 18 weeks pregnant!

 

Oh... and did I mention that Paul got me a massage, earrings and Pride and Prejudice for my birthday??

I'm one lucky gal!

20 Weeks

We finally hit the halfway mark! 

The baby is definitely growing in there.

aka

My belly is getting bigger.

Hence, I got a few maternity outfits to prepare for the day when I can't fit into my clothes.

I cannot believe how much more pregnant I look when wearing maternity clothes.

Give it a few more weeks and you can see for yourself.

Twenty more weeks until Paul and get to be parents!

20 Weeks

It's a...

BOY!

Paul and I couldn't be happier!

At our last appointment, six weeks ago, we were informed that today would be the big day.

However, when we came in for our ultrasound, the nurse seemed confused.

She looked through the appointments and then told us that we weren't signed up for an ultrasound!

She asked us if we had taken a certain paper to the front desk when we scheduled our appointment...

Unfortunately, no one ever gave us said paper.

Even more unfortunate was the fact that they were booked until Dec 29th!

The nurse was very supportive and ensured us that we would at least try to determine the gender today.

Paul and I sat in our little room waiting for the doctor and I thought I was going to burst into tears.

It was so frustrating that no one gave us the paper we needed for the ultrasound.

There was nothing we could have done.

So we sat and waited.

The doctor came in and told us he wasn't very good with ultrasounds but he could try.

... this scared me.

I would rather wait to know the gender than to be told the wrong gender.

He reassured us and gave it a shot.

But Baby Hannibal was stubborn and would not show his parts.

I was so sad.

We finished up our appointment and went to the front desk to schedule another appointment.

When the secretary told us the next opening was over a week away, I began crying.

I was extremely embarrassed, but I was so bummed out that I couldn't hold it in!

She immediately hopped up and spoke with the technician.

When she came back to the desk she asked if we could wait an extra thirty minutes.

I couldn't believe my ears!!

We later found out that the "big screen" they use to display the ultrasound images was broken.

Instead of getting the big screen fixed, the tech cancelled the repair man and squeezed us in.

I have never been so grateful and happy in my life.

So, after a long, stressful morning we finally got to see our baby boy.

He was moving all around in there, sucking his thumb, wiggling his toes and kicking my bladder. 

Once we got back to our apartment, we opened up a gift from Paul's parents.

They left for Ukraine before they knew the gender, so they gave us two gifts: one in case it was a boy and one in case it was a girl. 

We stowed away the pink gift and pulled out the blue gift.

Inside we were surprised with the cutest little boy things:

Blankets, a blue teddy bear, a bib, two pairs of knitted shoes and baby toys.

I can't wait to stock up on more things for our little BOY!

A Simple Comparison.

Can you guess which one is mine and which one is Paul's?

Check out this gem!

I needed a quick break from studying so I hopped on facebook.

I am so glad I did, because I saw this video.

So cool AND festive.

... I can't stop watching it.

A Husband's Perspective

Pregnancy brings with it many different experiences for the husband and wife.  Wife gets nauseous; husband eats more food. Wife gets tired; husband plays video games.  My perspective of pregnancy has changed a little bit as well as how I see and deal with various situations that occur in a pregnant woman's life.

Libby is one tough cookie.  She never had morning sickness, but she was very nauseous for about a month.  I found this time stressful (as I was the one with the challenge to cure all forms of nausea).  If she ate food, she felt gross, but eating nothing didn't solve anything either.  Some things were too acidic, and others were plain disgusting at that moment.  It was a time to be creative in the pantry, grabbing any combination of foods that wouldn't normally be eaten together.

The baby bump seriously came as a surprise.  In one pair of jeans she looked fine, but in this other one she had a visible bump.  Maybe it was all the growing the baby did overnight.  The greatest part about the bump is that there really is a baby inside.  I had the chance to feel the baby kick (or punch) my hand.  I was kinda proud of that baby.  I don't know why.  The baby was probably just twitching in its sleep.  But it was exciting, nonetheless.

An epiphany I experienced was in Elders Quorum when I announced Libby's pregnancy.  They asked me how far along she was; I said 17 weeks.  Most everyone said something about her being almost "halfway there".  I didn't think it would be common knowledge that a pregnancy lasts 40 weeks, but looking around I realized that almost every guy in there has children, so they know just about everything there is to know about a lady in her various pregnant stages.  

Maybe the biggest stressor for me is understanding that I will be the provider for this family.  I am grateful that I have a good job so close to home.  Libby has been the best Craigslist shopper, and I am thankful for her resourcefulness.  The next year of my life will be challenging but hopefully very rewarding.

Baby on the move?

Women and doctors often use the word "flutter" to describe what it feels like when the baby moves.

I wouldn't say that I am feeling fluttering, but I am definitely feeling something.

The first time it happened was Monday night during Psychology.

I was taking notes when I felt a little jab.

I stopped taking notes and tried to focus on what I was feeling.

Then it came again... another little jab.

I can just imagine those tiny hands and tiny feet when I feel it. 

Throughout the week, as it has continued to occur, I have become more and more certain that it is indeed the baby moving around in there.

The first time it hit me that I'm actually going to have a baby was when we listened to the heartbeat.

Inside of me we heard a little heart thumping at 155 beats per minute.

Other than that, it has been easy to almost forget the fact that I'm having a baby.

Now, with the little tyke moving around, it feels real again.

It's a rush of excitement and nervousness all at once!

And baby makes three.

Yep.

That's right folks.

Paul and I are having a baby!

The baby has been baking for about 17 weeks now.

Thus far, pregnancy isn't too bad.

I was super nauseous from weeks 5 though 9.

(Luckily, I never threw up).

My biggest "symptom" is exhaustion.

I'm tired all the time.

The biggest change has been my growing belly.

I couldn't really tell I was pregnant until the past week or two.

I swear, this baby had a growth spurt or something.

...and I don't think baby plans on slowing down any time soon.

We find out the gender on December 21!

Being busy with school is the only thing that has kept me from going crazy until we find out.

Oh, and did I mention that Paul is the best husband ever?

Seriously, there is no way I could do this without him.

Well, that's all for  now.

Stay tuned for updates!

17 weeks

 

Thanksgiving!

Let me just start by saying that Thanksgiving Break was AWESOME.

Why?

1. I got to spend oodles of time with Paul

2. I finally had time to really get to know Paul's siblings and their spouses

3. No school.

4. Absolutely delicious food.

5. Adorable kids running all over the place.

(I didn't get any pictures of Macie! Talk about tragic.)

6. Paul getting "man" time via football and time with his brothers.

7. I actually sat down and read a book for fun

8. Poker, Rummikub, Scategories and Labyrinth.

9. Black Friday deals = New camera

10. SLEEP.

 

Here we have Mr. Eli, who chased the cat everywhere, and Gaelyn, who is too cute to handle.

 Me & the hubby

 A picture I love of Paul and Gaelyn watching "UP"

 Just relaxing!

 Devin throwing Eli all over the place. He was laughing so hard!

 Sleepy Paul on our drive home from Texas.

 Every time I saw signs for this time I couldn't help but think of a mortuary. Creepy.

 We stopped at the 4 corners! (Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico)

 "Four states here meet in freedom under God"

Kissing in 4 places at the same time. 

... I bet you've never done that!

On the road again.

Thanksgiving is this week.

I am so so so excited.

Paul and I are heading down to Texas to spend the holiday with his siblings.

Are we flying?

No.

Once again, we are embarking on a lovely road trip.

Thankfully, it will be shorter than our 80 hour road trip from June.

Regardless, I am pumped to have some family time.

... and to have a break from school.

[pictures to come]

Bad Idea

Let's just say that taking 18 credits this semester may not have been the best idea.

In fact... it was probably a BAD idea.

Thankfully, the semester is almost over and my head is still above water.

[Thanks to my husband: The Provider AND Homemaker]

... I promise I'll cook something delicious over break.

What you missed from October.

Things have been super busy but I assure you that we are still alive!

Here's a quick update for all of the things you missed from October.

Toward the beginning of the month Paul and I got "boo"-ed with some of the cutest cookies.

One chocolate cookie, one candy corn, two marshmallows and two chocolate chips. 

Yum!

 This is just Paul being all super cutie.

 The best part of October was having my mom come out to Utah.

While she was here we picked raspberries, ate lots of yummy food, went shopping, spent lots of time together. We also made a special trip to the Grotto in Payson (It's up the Nebo loop). It was a leisurely hike with beautiful fall colors and a lovely waterfall to top it off. 

 

Starting in about September, Paul and I would be greeted at our front door by the delicious smell of Concord grapes wafting up from the backyard. Finally, in October, we couldn't resist it anymore so we went out and picked some. We then handed them off to my sister Ruth and my mom to make juice. We drank it during a Sunday dinner when we celebrated Ben and Dan's birthdays. 

These last two are actually from November.. but I doubt you really mind.

This first one is green eggs and ham!

I'm sure that everyone knows by now that Paul loves to surprise me.

 

And this last one is our old loveseat.

We said sayonara to this floral bad boy and replaced it with Grandma's old lazyboy loveseat

Oh happy day.

So there you have it!

A little snippet of October and a taste of the start of November.

Solutions

It 's been rough night at the house.  Libby had to go to clinical today, which means that she is tired tonight. She needed to get her computer to do homework.  After resting on the couch, this is her solution.

Libby: I wish I were a Jedi.
Paul: Why?
Libby: One, I could quit the Nursing program.  Two, I could summon my computer.

Kids are hilarious

Best quote of the weekend from 5 year old Amber to Paul (who was doing the dishes).

"Are you having a party by yourself?"

"Yep."

"Okay."

--Turns around and walks back to her room--

Pumpkin Carving!

 Kaitlin and Garen are our married friends.

They are fantastic!

We have started a little thing where we randomly have FHE together.

I have been thinking about carving pumpkins for a while now...

so I insisted that Paul and I host a carving!

I don't know why I wanted to carve pumpkins so much cause, truth be told, I'm really bad at it.

Last year, Kait and I were working together and I cut through the eye of our pumpkin.

Whoops...

This year was great though cause Paul was a champ and did most of the work.

I think everyone was super impressed with Garen

(it was his first time EVER)

and Kaitlin's little ghosts were adorable.

We concluded the evening with pumpkin pie (my fav!) and hot chocolate.

Life is good.

  

p.s. this was my first "scary" pumpkin!

Santa Fe Chicken

During my Sophomore year in college, 

an apartment full of the cutest girls invited me and my roommates over for dinner.

That is when I was introduced to Santa Fe Chicken.

It is by far my favorite, most delicious and EASIEST crock pot meals.

I make it all the time.

In fact, I'm making it right now.

Santa Fe Chicken:

5 or so chicken breasts

(Since I'm poor I never use that much chicken)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans corn
1 cup (or more) of salsa
*1 8 oz. package cream cheese

Cook all except the cream cheese in a crock pot for several hrs until chicken is done. Remove chicken and cut up (I shred it right in the crock pot). Add the 8 oz. cream cheese ( cut up, or pulled apart) to crock pot mixture. Return the chicken to the crock pot and heat until cream cheese melts. Serve over rice

High Score

I don't know whether I should brag...

or be ashamed.

Regardless, I'm going to share something absolutely ridiculous with you.

You know the game Bejeweled 3? 

Well... I needed a break from studying so I started playing on Wednesday night.

I was doing really well but I had to stop so I could hit the hay.

The next evening I resumed my game until I died.

I played for a combined total of 2 hours.

Wanna know my score?

2,600,460.

Disgusting, right?!?!

My previous high score was about 500,000.

I need to use my time more wisely...

Homecoming Week(end)

Libby had talked all week about going to the Homecoming Parade and eating free blue pancakes before the parade started.  I love free food and, besides, parades are super cool.  The problem with this idea is that I decided to take Libby out on a date, making her miss out on her homework.  After dinner, we went home and watched tv.  Libby missed another opportunity to do her homework and study for her upcoming tests, and instead, stayed up way past our bedtime watching the Game Show Network.

We slept in...the parade had started, meaning that we had missed the opportunity to eat free blue pancakes.  How is a husband supposed to do anything right?!  So, I left her in bed, got dressed, and made some of my own blue pancake batter.

This actually turned out really well.  I heard some rustling in the bed across the hall.  And here it comes.  The same surprised face from a couple weeks ago.  They were hot off the grill at that point and Libby was so happy that she was getting her blue pancakes without even leaving the house.

I couldn't believe my eyes.

The 4th semester of the Nursing program is dedicated to Peds and OB.

For the past month, I have been going up to Primary Children's Medical Center for clinical.

This past week we made a switch and I did my first week at American Fork for OB.

Most students are excited to witness the miracle of birth.

...I was a little nervous though.

As some of you already know, I am a fainter.

I tried to keep a positive attitude as I dove into the thick of things.

However, watching an epidural made me queasy and lightheaded.

What was I supposed to do?

I talked to my nurse and expressed my concern.

To which she replied, 

"Oh honey. You need orange juice!"

 

One cup of orange juice is all it took.

I went from being a sissy to being Wonder Woman!

 

My nurse and I had two patients, which kept us quite busy.

Then, it happened.

Patient #1 was ready to go... but the doctor was not.

With babies, there really is no waiting.

So, we got to work.

Right at the last moment, the doctor rushed into the room.

I couldn't believe my eyes as the mother gave birth to a little boy.

I was touched by this special experience and found myself fighting back tears.

Then, it happened again.

Patient #2 was ready to go... and once again, the doctor was not.

These patients shared the same doctor and he still had to finish up with Patient #1.

So, my nurse and I got to work... again.

This doctor must be a pro, because he came rushing in right at the last moment again.

The baby was out in no time.

Another miracle, right before my eyes.

Talk about the best day of clinical... ever.

 

My Husband... the Engineer

For the past few months we have been having some lighting issues in the bathroom.

There are two lights by our bathroom mirror but one never turns on.

We decided to put 2 light bulbs on the left to give off more light.

Unfortunately, that resulted in left eye blindness.

There was just WAY too much light coming from one direction.

Alas, we lived in these conditions for a few months.

Then...

Last night, I was sitting at the dinner table when I saw lights turning on and off in the bathroom.

Eventually, I went into the bathroom to see what was going on.

Paul was absolutely beaming as he exclaimed,

"I figured it out!"

Lo and behold, 

Paul made a contraption out of floss and a toothbrush holder to make the light on the right work.

 

 

 

A close up

I love being married to an engineer...

Surprise!

Libby likes surprises.  I like surprises.  I figure that makes for a pretty good combination.  She is tricky when she does it.  For example, she told me that she was going to buy something, but forbade me from looking at my email until she gave me the all clear.  Well, she is lucky she married me because, by the time the package was shipped, I had completely forgotten about it.

I got home from work one evening and Libby was busy doing some housework.  She asked me to check the mail (which means open the door to the upstairs, seeing if any mail had been thrown down the stairs.  When grandma throws down the mail she yells, "Air mail!!" and lets it fly.)  There was, precariously placed on the stairs, a package, wrapped in the Sunday Comics.

I couldn't believe that I completely forgot about that thing that Libby told me specifically not to look for in my email.  I knew she was up to something fishy.  I was very excited when the box was finally opened.

The first time I played this game was over Christmas break, while visiting my siblings in Texas.  This was the best game.  Smallworld is like Lord of the Rings meets Risk (not to be confused with LOTR Risk)

Not this one...

At that point, I decided that I needed to surprise Libby with something.  She is super busy with school.  Making her a meal is a great stress reliever for her.  So that's what I did.

I left work a little early and started making everything.  The menu: Tater tot casserole (with a side of tater tots), green salad, and fruit (pears with 1 grape) with lemonade to drink.  Everything was set and ready when she got home from school.

Libby's surprised face

I like surprising her.  She liked this surprise so much that she took her own picture of it.

It was delicious.