CALIFORNIA!!!

Well these pictures are all out of order but that is okay...

This past weekend, Nate and I were able to go down to California to go see my family one last time before we have our baby. I was lucky enough to spend a lot of time with family, as well as have a baby shower!!

Below are a few of the pictures from the trip...

I wanted pictures of Nate and I because we hardly have any!! I don't love these pictures because I look so tired and my make up had worn off for the day... However, it was good to FINALLY get some pictures of the two of us.

Below is a copy of pregnancy pictures our brother and his wife did...

Another copy pose of our brother's photoshoot...

Nate in the wild...

The sun was really in our faces... but we pretended that it didn't bother us :)

I love this picture of my mom. My step-dad, Rik, randomly put bunny ears on her head (what makes it better is that she can't do anything about it) so we decided that a picture was necessary...

We also went to a ward trunk-or-treat. This is my brother Mike and his wife Jen killing him :)Jen's face is classic.

Close girlfriends from high school at my baby shower! From left: Me, Brittany, Lizzy (the one who planned the shower), and Christina.

Me and Brittany... we have known each other from the very beginning!

I received SO MANY cute baby things from my shower. Below is a jacket that I WISH I could wear! Too bad it's made for a two-year old. After this shower, my baby will be the most stylish girl around!

My wonderful grandma and cousin.

My mom and I... bad lighting...

Step-sister Rachel on very left, sister-in-law Nicky with my three nieces, from left: Zoey, Hannah, and Ryann.

Finally, we went to Woodranch (the restaurant I used to work at) with my brother Mike and his wife Jen, and my dad, Brian. It was so yummy!!

All in all, it was a marvelous trip. I LOVED spending time with my family! Nate was also able to go hold out signs supporting Prop 8. I felt so blessed and loved from all the wonderful gifts I received for my baby at the shower. People really are so generous! Nate was such a tropper and drove the entire way down there and most the way back. He really is wonderful!

A Birthing Plan?

Well, everyone says that you need to make a Birthing Plan and of course, be flexible with it. To me, all I had really planned was going into labor sometime and then going to the hospital, getting an epidural and then having the baby! This really has been my "plan" or idea since high school. However, all these new methods are coming around that I had no idea even existed. These methods range from 1) a silent birth (Katie Holmes, a scientology thing), 2) natural birth (no drugs), 3) epidural, 4) water birth (giving birth in a tub?), 5) HypnoBirthing.

Recently I have heard about HypnoBirthing and that every woman who has done it has SWORN by it. I have a friend who is doing it this way and she is due a month after me, and she is taking this six week course to do it! I definitely don't have six weeks to spare but I will have to admit, this method does sound appealing to me after hearing different testimonials about it. I am enrolled in a prenatal class that I am hoping will be sufficient enough to get me through because I do want to be able to relax as much as I can and let my body do what it needs to do. I know it's completely possible, I mean epidurals and water births haven't been around for that long! I do want to say, however, that I am definitely not ruling out an epidural... that still sounds appealing to me as well. Anyway, if anyone has any advice/opinions on any of these methods, I welcome them so it can help me make a decision on what would be best for me.

Hope to hear from you all soon!

Another Update

30 Weeks!!!

Same day, different shirt.

So, here I am. Getting bigger by the day. Doctor says my baby seems healthy, I am measuring right on track, and my weight gain is right where it shold be. I feel like venting... I know I am not huge or anything, and I know I am supposed to be gaining weight, but it still stings every time I see myself gaining like a pound a day. Two days ago in the morning I was one weight, then this morning I had gained two pounds from that day! It just so hard/annoying to watch the numbers on the scale go up and up and up! Maybe part of it is because I know I have gained in other places rather than my belly (ie: love handles and legs... particularly my soft thighs, etc.) and I haven't done anything to prevent that. Another part is probably due to the fact that the past few days I have had to have Nate help me put on my boots because it hurts too much to bend over and try to do it myself. That was a lesson of humility and Nate is just loving every moment of it. I'll just have to work extra hard to be back in shape after my little one comes. I don't want anyone to think I am unhappy with the way I look, I think I look just fine and I know weight gain is normal and healthy and I really do feel great, but it's just watching the numbers rise that tends to throw me off. Does anyone else ever feel this way when they are pregnant? Anyway, that will be the end of my soap box. Sorry for the vent. Hope everyone is doing well!

I Love Girls Nights!

Last Friday I had a girls night with my two cousins, Val and Leslie, and two of their old roommates! It was so much fun!

Cousins: Leslie, Val, and me!

Above: The Girls!

Thanks for a fun night girls!

Little update

Baby
We just had an ultrasound on Thursday and it was SO amazing! I didn't get my profile picture, but we did get to see her face and we saw her yawn TWO times and she kept opening and closing her mouth while sticking her tongue out. It was the cutest thing ever! She also has a comfort position... she loves to have her hands up by her face. That's where they were last time and that's where they were this time. We tried for like 15 minutes to get her to move them and she wouldn't budge!

Also, I'm 27 weeks. Holy cow! I am officially about 3 months away from my due date. I just know these next few months are going to fly by! We are getting quite prepared though. A little over a week ago we bought a dresser and a crib for the baby's room. They both match and are a deep cherry color wood, and they are both absolutely beautiful. The dresser has 4 deep drawers on one side and a cabinet on the other side that has shelves in it, so it will store EVERYTHING from diapers to blankets. I was so excited! We got them both used from a couple in Salt Lake, and we got an awesome deal! So now, our baby stuff includes: a crib, a dresser, a stroller, a car seat, a bassinet, a glider, and a play yard.

Family
Nate's sister Rachel just had her 2nd baby boy, named Cameron! Also, Nate's brother Joe and his wife Naomi just had their baby last night! It's a boy and his name is Layton. Congrats to them both! Also, if any of you know my brother Mike, check out his blog post entitled "the other day". If you don't know him then you may not want to look at his post because you won't understand it the way other people who know him do. A little warning, it's slightly crude but I think it's his funniest post yet!

Birthday
My birthday was a little over a week ago. Nate was so sweet and took me out to Brick Oven for dinner the day of. Later that evening was when we bought the crib and dresser. We had the actual birthday celebration last night and he took me to Cheesecake Factory! It was SO yummy and it was a ton of fun. He also let me buy a really nice flat iron because I just got a new hair cut and need one for it and mine burnt out forever ago. Then my birthday present is a mini shopping spree, which I have not taken yet because I can't decide what to spend my money on!

Nate
Is such a great husband! He was a HUGE help to me when I had enrichment the other night. He was there helping me set up and organize. He also stayed with me during the whole thing, helping with random things, he also helped baby-sit the kids whose mom's were busy with the activity. He even stayed afterwards and helped me clean up! He really was such a great help since I was feeling really tired, stressed, and pregnant. I really love the fact that I can count on him for anything and I know he does all of this because he loves me and wants to make me happy. Anyway, sorry for the little lovey-dovey rant about Nate but he has just been so great lately. I definitely scored big time in marrying him. :)

I'll post pictures soon, I promise!

My Progression

I'm really glad I have been taking progress pictures of my belly. It has been so much fun to watch! Anyway, here is the progression of my pregnancy so far.

14 weeks

15 weeks

16 weeks

18 weeks

20 weeks (or close to it)

24 weeks

I feel like I am growing so much more quickly now! I look back at the earlier pictures when I was so convinced I was showing. I will say that I WAS showing, but compared to what I look like now, that was nothing! I know I'll only be getting bigger.

As for the baby, she is kicking up a storm!!! I first felt her move at 14 weeks but it was really really faint. Starting at 20 weeks, I starting feeling her kick SO STRONGLY! And now, she has only gotten stronger! I can honestly see my stomach moving when she moves and Nate has even been able to feel her kick that strongly since 20 weeks! I think I just have a really strong baby and it will probably hurt toward the end. I'm just praying for no broken ribs!

Nate and I are doing well. We're both busy working. He is getting ready to start school again soon and is beginning to prepare for interviews for recruiting season this fall. We're both excited, anxious, and nervous. The next couple of months will be very very busy and will just fly by! We love this time of our lives and how we are just living so spontaneously! Life is good!

Shopping Spree!!!!

Yesterday I was finally able to go buy some maternity clothes. I have been getting bigger and bigger lately, not all my shirts are fitting anymore!! I also thought I had a stomach ache yesterday but really, my stomach muscles were just expanding! I wasn't the best feeling and getting bigger makes you feel... well... big. Anyway, my mom and step-dad are in town and they came with Nate and I to go shopping, and they were so nice to buy me 2 dresses and 2 shirts! Nate and I bought a bunch of shirts and a pair of pants and they are all SO CUTE!!! The best part of the trip was that Nate saw my huge pile of clothes that I had and decided he would come in the dressing room with me to speed up the process. So he wouldn't let me hang anything up and he had the next shirt ready for me after I had gone out and showed my parents my clothes. He didn't mind shopping when the process goes by a lot quicker and he actually had something to do rather than just sit and wait! Yea for shopping! Below are some of the outfits we bought.