BABY!

Well world, another day, another deed. Actually, a few deeds. Today’s deeds included buying the majority of the remaining items on our registry and straightening out our room to make a place for baby. With our security clearance in the air and our living situation unclear, we had put this off (because, really, if we were to get it all set up, we’d just have to take it all down again before moving). However, at our most recent doctor’s appointment, I was dilated to a three and doctor man said travel is out.

Really, he did us a favor. New York, you’ll have to wait a little longer. (If we hear from you soon enough to make you wait…that is). Okay, ready for this?

BOOM.

If you didn’t just become insanely overcome with excitement for us, I want you to refresh your browser, start reading from the beginning of this post one more time, and—this time, when you see the picture of our soon-to-be BABY’S closet…well, yes—become insanely overcome with excitement. Choose to ignore the poor quality and lighting of the picture. Do it.

I can’t even tell you how happy it makes me to look at that thing. Oh, and that carseat you see sitting in front of it? Yes. There’s going to be a baby in there.

It is SO nice to finally know where we’ll be having our baby and to be able to set up for him. We are so grateful for all of the exciting things the Lord has blessed us with lately.  (Oh, AND for all of you wonderful people who gave us wonderful gifts to help fill that wonderful closet…by the way :)

We recently had the opportunity to have maternity pictures taken. For all of you who were wondering how to increase self-awareness during pregnancy, well, I would suggest taking pictures when you’re over 9 months pregnant. That’ll do it.

It might be because I’ve been good about exercising throughout pregnancy, or maybe just that the mirrors I look in are angled to make me feel smaller than I actually am, or even just because I’ve had such an awesome pregnancy and therefore haven’t really paid attention…

Whatever the reason, I am bigger than I thought I was...

What's great about this is:

A.  I have a husband who tells me I’m not as big as I look in the pictures (bless his heart)

B. I LOVE the pictures. They make me sooo happy, and

C. Thanks to this reality check, baby’s arrival feels closer and closer!

Here they are, for your viewing pleasure. I mostly
just included my favorites. Give all the credit to Alicia Marie Photography. She happens to be my amazing cousin who was in town recently.

This picture is by far my favorite. I just LOVE that I married someone as excited about starting our family as I am :)

I know what you're thinking...if ONLY we had spaced those letters evenly. . . 

I'm just loving them! :)

Happy day(s) with my mister...

Well, this week is two years since Matthew and I's first date, and one year since he proposed to me. 

For those of who who don't know it, here is our story :)

The first date

Senior year at BYU for me was an awesome one. I was blessed with two amazing roommates, one of whom invented something called "Bomb Dating" with me. Bomb dating is where you show up at someone's door, having a date planned, and ask them if they're ready. They usually respond by saying, "....uhh...for what?" To which, you happily respond, "for a date, with me. Right now :)" 

We usually had a fun date planned. Usually two phases, actually. If the first phase went well, we'd continue to the second half of the date. If it didn't seem to be working it, we might call it a night after the first activity (not having told our dates there indeed was, a second activity :) 

****Please note: there was not always a second phase planned. If you are a "bombee", if you will, reading this--don't think we cut you short just because there was only one activity :) 

Anywhoooo....There are two types of Bomb Dating. Classic Bomb dating (when you pick a random apartment where you know members of the opposite sex live), and Strategic Bombing. Strategic Bombing is when you have scoped out someone you think is cute and are interested in and bomb them. You may or may not have actually spoken to that person before. 

In Matthew's case, it was a strategic bomb. Chelsie, (my awesome roommate), played wingwoman for our double, (which, might I add, almost ended very differently when Matthew almost wasn't home for the bombing :) I had met Matthew at a church activity and spoken to him once thereafter. I thought he was super cute, fun, and a little eccentric. I was interested, but wasn't sure whether or not I was his type. 

Anywho...as it so happens....he had been wanting to ask me out on a date. And then, boom--we show up on his doorstep with our bomb invitation. 

Due to many eyes that I'm sure have started scanning by now...I'll sum up the date in short. We went to Nickel City (an arcade) and then to SubZero (an icecream place). The fact that he wouldn't let me pay for either were further reasons to like him. It was super fun. He fake proposed to me with the ring I bought with our tickets. I ignored the brilliant thought I had to take a picture that night. I mean, who would have thought we'd end up getting hitched? :)

Dating

Apparently, I'm a little (overly) cautious when it comes to dating. This resulted in some periods of figuring things out and taking steps back. But, overall, we just had fun together. You couldn't really dream up a boyfriend that treated me better than my mister did. Really, you couldn't. We loved doing things for each other, whether it was buying favorite foods, or more elaborate surprises. Matthew is just one of the most giving, thoughtful people that has ever walked the face of the planet.

I know, a seemingly random picture to the worldwide web. But I love it for many reasons.

This picture was taken after having figured things out and returned to moving forward after my few steps back. On an epic camping/hiking trip with some good friends, might I add :)

The Proposal

Whelp, Matthew knows that I love surprises, and that I didn't want to talk about plans for the wedding or, even getting engaged really, until I had a ring on my finger. So, that's what he strove for. He had a few accidental slip-ups that tipped me off to the fact that he was planning on proposing. That being said, I still wasn't sure he was going to propose until he pulled out the ring. 

Anywho....On the year anniversary of that very first bomb date (which, I probably wouldn't have known was the year anniversary on my own, I'll be honest; that was one of his slip ups), Matthew had a date planned for us. We went to Nickel City first--I got another ring to commemorate another year, and then we went up the canyon to go longboarding. It was both of our first times, and we LOVED it. We then walked to Bridal Falls, and then back to the car to get things to make a fire and cook the tin foil dinners Matthew had prepped. 

It was after we had eaten that he popped the question. This question popping included a "magic trick" that turned my newest Nickel City ring into the ring he proposed with :) Sweet things were spoken, I maybe teared up a little bit, and the car ride home was filled with excited phone calls to family members and friends.

There are more pictures...but, mostly, they are for my journal, and not for you, oh, dear sweet, endless amount of random people who may stumble upon my blog :) 

This Year

To commemorate two years since our first date and one since getting engaged, we returned to our beloved Nickel City yesterday,  got me yet another ring to add to my collection, and then went for a walk up the canyon where we had longboarded. We also made a stop at the campfire site where the deed was done. 

Who would have thought, two years ago, that that Nickel City visit would be done all over again by the two of us, splendiferously married and expecting our very first baby together. 

 

I love this husband of mine, and I love our story. 

We are also LOVING this bundle of joy in my belly. 

Who, might I add, may be making our little twosome a threesome sooner than expected, or at least so says our beloved Doctor Empey, who we visited today :) 

Week 34, People!

 

That's right, my friends. Week 34. Is that crazy, or what? There's not really any mistaking my being pregnant these days, though I often forget how pregnant I look until Matthew and I walk by a window with my reflection in it, or I see my shadow and comment, "Hey, babe--look! It's a pregnant lady!"

 

I stopped working a few weeks ago, which has done wonders for my back pain (which has, honestly subsided completely during the day).

 

Current hobbies:

• Late night trips to the bathroom (we'll say I average four throughout the night)
• Keeping my husband awake at night
• Long walks and phone calls to my family
• Dreaming about our security clearance going through
• TV shows with the mister
• Watching my belly move
• Reading "The Wind Singer"
• Playing CharmKing on Grandma Barbara's Kindle while my hubster plays on his phone

This last weekend, guess who came to visit! You got it. My studly little brother. He's single, ladies. And, let's be honest, SO stinking cute. This is him, mowing our neighbor's lawn before the Saturday session of conference. Matthew usually mows it for a friend of ours next-door whose husband recently passed away, but Matthew was at work all Saturday. Guess who didn't even gripe when I volunteered him for the job?

 

Okay, I know. Horrible of me. But, really...what would you do? I look out the window and see our 70-some-year-old neighbor pulling the lawnmower out of the shed to mow. She's obviously not going to let the 8-month-pregnant lady do it. . .

 

Talon, being his awesome self, didn't mind at all. Mind you, that didn't stop him from a "Well, the apple didn't fall far from the tree" comment and a cute little grin to accompany it; we grew up with a mom who LOVED to volunteer us for service, or do service with us. I'm actually really grateful for it. But, that didn't stop us from hiding out in rooms of the house or finding ways to look busy to avoid having mom "help" us find ways to occupy our time growing up.

 

Isn't he so fun?

It was nice to have Sunday with both Talon and Matthew, since they've never really been able to spend much time getting to know each other, with Talon being on his mission and then going to school in another state. In between sessions on Sunday, we went to the park and threw around the Frisbee. I sure do love these boys

 Oh, funny story, actually. Talon asked me whether or not we had a volleyball. I went inside, grabbed ours from downstairs (compliments of Tiff, who gifted it to us for our wedding), and brought it out--assuming he had wanted to pepper with me. We used to do it all the time together in the front yard growing up. However, when I asked him if he wanted to pepper, his response was

 "Isn't that like, a technical foul? Peppering when you're pregnant?"

ha. He quickly learned, that it is, in fact, safe for me to pepper. Granted, if I were going to dive for a ball, it might be another story. But, let's be honest...when have I ever dove for a ball while peppering? I'll answer that for you, since most of your names are not Talon and do not, in fact, know this tidbit. Zero, I'd say. Okay, maybe 7, in all of our years of peppering. But, mostly, it would be Talon diving, and me doing a great job of hitting the balls that came almost directly to me :)

 

Anywho...it was a splendid visit. I have a splendid husband. And we have a splendidlyumptuous baby on the way. 6 more weeks until baby. That's...a mission transfer! Holy moly! Do us a favor and send some prayers our way in regard to our security clearance going through extra quickly.

Toes? What are those?

Helloooooo all. Welcome back. It's been awhile. Let's start out with a pregnancy picture. I thought I'd give you a dose of what I've been seeing these days. . .

Okay, so...that was a lie. This picture involves some leaning... 

What I'm ACTUALLY seeing a lot more of these days looks a little more like this: 

Ha! About a month ago I hit the point where, in the shower, I feel like washing my belly is a whole separate endeavor. But, really. All the sudden, it's like having a new extremity. It doesn't take forever to wash that belly of mine...but, it's longer than it's ever taken before!

We're going on week 33, people. This is the real deal. 

Actually, one of our relatives down the street has been my pregnancy buddy. She had a little girl just last week, and I keep saying to Matthew how insanely weird it is that one day you can be pregnant, and, the next, BOOM--you have a baby! 

I've never really found it weird before...but, seriously, I went and visited her the night before she had the baby. Just another pregnant lady, just like me. And then--SHABAM. She and her hubby become madres and padres, just like that (visualize me snapping my fingers here, just to emphasize the point).

   

That might not seem like a weird thing to you...but, I've mentioned how crazy it is to me to my mister at LEAST once every day for the past week and a half. Also, I hope you enjoy the watermarks on the above pictures. They are courtesy of, well, the internet :) 

This last weekend the mister and I had the chance to go and visit my family for the weekend. Unfortunately, I did about the worst job of taking pictures that I think I've ever done. I have a feeling that will change when I get a phone that takes decent pictures....Anywho...here is a picture someone else took while entering my beautiful state for you to feast your eyes on:

mmmmm, Colorado. 

Our trip involved many a game with my parents and Justin (namely, Phase Ten, Rage, Quiddler, Cribbage, and GinRummy), a few delicious meals (namely a Mexican restaurant whose name I can't remember, Rueben sandwiches at Culver's, my mama's delicious all-natural (said with an accent)--Ninja made juice, Justin's hot wings, and my padres famous French toast), thrifting, watching both the first and second planet of the apes movies (which were uber good, by the way), a wonderful visit to our neighbors Lin and Cathy (wherein they gave us THE most adorable baby clothes, and...well, basically threw us a baby shower with how many boxes filled with adorableness they had for us; they are honestly too good to us. I have sure missed them!), many a walk to the park with those dogs I love so much, and a beautiful wedding of one of my dearest friends, Amy Clow. 

It was a quick trip, but oh so wonderful. 

During the thrifting, we found a few treasures. I believe the one my mister was most excited about was (drum roll please) . . . . . 

 . . . . . . . 

 . . . . . . . 

A longboard. 

Boom. $10. 

He.could.not.be.happier. 

haha, to give you some background: We went long-boarding the day we got engaged and have been dying to go again ever since. However, between pregnancy, and us not actually owning longboards, it just hasn't happened. 

But, yesterday, I got on my bike while he road the longboard and we went on a trip to the park. This picture is actually from a bikeride a few months ago, (due to, again, my current case of slacking in the picture taking arena), however, we both wore helmets....so, it might as well have been yesterday. 

If you are looking for an example of how to properly wear a helmet, I would probably direct your eyes to the left half of this picture, rather than the right. 

Not to fret, since purchasing our new, BEAUTIFUL bikes on my birthday this year, we have since acquired two fully functional, fitting helmets...one of which I wore far more properly than is depicted in the picture above ;) 

Helmets, seatbelts, and flossing. The three things I've never done consistently life until marrying Matthew. 

• Helmets: never. 
• Seatbelts: pretty much only when I was driving. 
• Flossing: umm...I don't even know.

You may wonder how I've survived this long. I don't. But, I sure am glad I've got this guy around to help make sure I survive a lot longer yet. I mean, look at that face. Sheesh! :) 

Anywho...so, we took the longboard and bike to the park, and literally, just rode around for about an hour. It was like being a kid again. We just went up and down hills over and over again. My advice for the day: marry someone (if you haven't already) that you can ride around in circles with at the park. If you don't like riding around, well, start. Who doesn't like bikes, longboards, or things with wheels anyways? Don't you have a soul?? 

Umm...okay. This is the point in a blog post where I should say something like, "But, I digress" 

Instead, I'll just say....life is great! I love my husband! He's the best! Oh....and we're having a baby...still! :D 

He likes to kick me. Let's hope he grows out of that. 

And so begins week 30 :)

Yes siree--our little guy is growing and growing; we sure do love him!

As far as pregnancy goes, we keep waiting for me to go crazy or for things to get insanely uncomfortable. I've been very blessed to have minimal side effects (i.e. morning sickness, soreness, etc...) The worst of it is back pain after long days at work. Which, really, everybody can get.

Well, I guess I take that back; sleeping has gotten harder and harder. And, when I don't sleep--the mister also doesn't sleep, sadly enough. So, we wake up some mornings not very well rested.

But, really, that's the worst of it; we've been super blessed. 

A few weeks back, we were able to take a trip to Oregon to visit Matthew's family. That sweetheart of mine was so thoughtful to ask me regularly during the drive--"you sure you don't need to stop?", and, "you doing okay?" 

Matthew drove the ENTIRE way (there and back). For those of you who don't know this about me....I sleep in cars. Like, marathon sleep. haha, for this reason, I may not be the best person to roadtrip with. My mom used to joke with me, because, literally, we would drive to the grocery store (which was about two minutes from our house), and I could be out cold by the time we pulled into the parking lot. 

Anywho...here are a few gems from our trip. We went hiking in Silver Falls (GORGEOUS, by the way), went camping with Matthew's family, had some AWESOME finds thrifting with Matthew's mom, and just enjoyed time hanging out at the house with family, playing games and watching movies. Here are a few pictures from the trip...

I actually saved this picture on my computer as hunky.jpg. haha. I suppose the view isn't bad either. Seriously, the hike was GORGEOUS.

I mean, right? On my first visit to Oregon, way back when, I commented to Matthew (on another hike), "seriously--even your rocks are pretty!" Which, is actually true--because they're covered in this deep green color of moss that looks awesome. . . 

On the camping trip, which was uber fun. Tin foils dinners, uno, rock stacking, campfire, chit-chatting, and berry picking. . . . 

Matthew never understood why I pay so much for fruits and berries when he grew up picking them for free in Oregon. I didn't really understand this until I saw our campsite, which was COMPLETELY surrounded by blackberries. MMMMM! 

Lyn, Hailey, Matthew, and I's rock city.

Hunky husband again, only, this time, with a sophisticated look of concentration on his face. This rock stacking is serious business, people :)

Don't fret--they're aiming to hit that little island rock, rather than some unsuspecting animal :)

A street sign we felt the need flip the car around for and take a picture of.

ha, Matthew and I went through some of his old boxes of schoolwork and memorabilia. 

He didn't grow up in a liberal state at all; ha! I about died when I saw this.

I Burn Stuff

You know those times when you turn on a burner to cook something, and--it just so happens not to be the burner you intended to turn on? 

Suffice it to say--that so do I. 

I'd blame it on what Matthew and I like to call pregnancy brain. . . but, then again, this is something I somehow manage to do about every third time I cook (and did before pregnancy as well). . . . 

I guess we can at least chalk the placement of the hot pad up to pregnancy brain. 

Boiling potatoes and carrots never smelled so. . . . . strongly. 

Dearest husband, 

There's nothing quite like the smell of a homemade dinner, is there? 

haha, good times people. Good, good times. 

Just busy loving my husband and loving our life together :) 

My Fantastical Birthday

Alright people, here comes another post. This one will, in essence, be an ode to how wonderful my husband is. You will soon know why.

July 30th, the 25th anniversary of my birth, started out with a balloon scavenger hunt 

The object you see in my hand is a balloon popper, or, scavenger assister, if you will. As fashioned by my awesome husband, this balloon popper is a thumb tack taped to a pen--designed especially for the popping of balloons and finding of clues. However, what made this part of my day most magical was not these things alone, but the fact that, with every found clue, the confetti stocked balloons exploded in a more magical scene than I can possibly describe accurately. The word I think that comes closest that I used to describe it that morning, is, "Christmas." ha. But, really.

My husband knows me well. That picture is after my balloon bouquet was mostly popped, but--suffice it to say, I could not have started out my birthday better. Every balloon popped was Christmas all over again.

To top the morning off, my mister made me my favorite breakfast: omelettes :) 

****A side note, so that you all can appreciate the awesomeness of this hubby of mine...Back when we were dating and Matthew found out omelettes were my favorite, he bought all the things to make them, looked up videos on how to make omelettes, and came over to my apartment to make them for me. 

If that balloon scavenger hunt wasn't enough to elicit an "awwwwh", and that side note still wasn't. . . Well, then let's take a look at the streamer job below :)

About a week before my birthday, Matthew asked me if there was anything I would be bummed about if it didn't happen on my birthday. I responded, after thinking for a moment, that, "No, really, nothing!" After thinking a second more....I revamped... 

Growing up, when it was our birthday, we would always wake up to a decorated house. Namely, streamers in the kitchen. I have always LOVED it. And, really, I don't know if it'd feel quite like a birthday without them....

So, after rethinking that, I told him. 

Needless to say, I woke up to the above picture the morning of my birthday. I may or may not have been teary-eyed as I walked into the kitchen feeling OH so loved. But, really. Not to mention, it had to be one of the most perfect streamer jobs I've ever seen. Chalk it up to pregnancy, hormones, whatever the heck you want. Those streamers made my morning. . . AGAIN.

After breakfast and my scavenger hunt, we opened presents. I felt beyond loved to have received some packages from loved ones, both near and far. Presents are so fun. Call me materialistic...go ahead. 

I still love presents :) 

Whether with presents, phonecalls, texts, or whatever the case was, I felt so loved that day and am so grateful for those who helped make me feel that way.

The evening included some fun times with Jason, a viewing of the newest X-Men movie (which was great, by the way). It was during this film, that both Matthew and Jason felt our mini-mister move for the first time. He was going like crazy during the previews; apparently, he'll be taking after his father's movie-loving ways :) 

We had dinner at Red Robin with Grandma and Grandpa. Throw in some bottomless fries, bottomless freckled fruit, and a free birthday dessert, and you've got yourself a party. 

And...what's a birthday without a cake, singing, and candles? Grandpa and Grandma were kind enough to get this DELICIOUS, scrumdidly-umpcious cake to help us celebrate. 

Notice the roman numeral candles? Classy, right? 

It's a trick. It's called not making the person feel as old as they actually are ;) 

Luckily, 25 isn't so bad. 

Especially when it's spent with my awesome, thoughtful, surprise-packed-birthday-planning husband. 

It's going to be a good year people :)