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 :)  

Rope Swings and Awesomeness

If there's one thing I love, it's my husband. If there's two, the next is sunshine. That's a lie, my family beats out sunshine. However, somewhere near the top of that list is rope swings. 

 

The mister and I went up to a family gathering at a cabin in the canyon for lunch. At some point, we snuck away to swing on the rope swing at the cabin next door. Don't be fooled, the pictures are not an accurate reflection of who swung most (or at all); I, too, did my fair share of swinging. 

And, I LOVED it. This love probably stems from a rope swing at a family friend's lake growing up--where you'd swing off the rope and into the lake; it was huge. I loved it. There's something so thrilling about getting up the courage to take that last step/jump before, boom--you're flying through the air and it is much funner than you remember it being the time before, and so much less scary than it seemed at the moment you were considering not jumping. 

If we'd like to get deep here, (and, trust me, you can skip this little paragraph if you'd rather not; I'll never know. Unless you tell me, which might be slightly funny. So, don't hesitate to do so) we can draw many comparisons to taking leaps of faith in life. Most of the best decisions take leaps of faith--but, the happiness we receive thereafter is far beyond the feelings of regret or bummed-out-edness we get from stepping away from the rope swing and climbing back down.

Dating, starting a new job, going on a trip/adventure, traveling, marriage, starting a family. . . (Oops! Sorry deep paragraph skippers, this just made it to two paragraphs. Jokes on you!) 

It's all big changes, but--really, really exciting and wonderful. Granted, we have to weigh the options--use our brains (or, not go first, if it's an actual rope swing ;) 

But, life is exciting--isn't it? We're meant to jump. Live a little. 

And that, my friends, is the symbolism I never thought about and has nothing to do with my actual love of rope swings. But, food for thought, nonetheless. 

Photo Transition Alert.

That means I gave no official written transition, but am changing topics--in case you were wondering. 

This, my friends, is our big butt TV. We're rather fond of it. I could tell you that the box he is carrying is much bigger than the actual TV, and that the delivery man didn't, in fact, look half this strained when carrying it into the house...but, that would ruin all the fun, wouldn't it? 

It really would. 

Anyways...remember that one time I married a movie fanatic? And that time I married someone who spends money on nice things, rather than skimping on everything and just living on handydowns/thrift store buys? 

I not-so-secretly totally love it :)

What a hunk! 

Oh, and don't worry. I helped with set up too. What, with all of my technical and mechanical savvyness, I told Matthew that I would take the lead on the very important, delicate task of putting the batteries in the remote. 

I executed this task with such flawless precision...such SKILL, and SUCH exactness, that I even did it again for our blu ray player. 

22 weeks!

Well, seeing as I haven't actually blogged about this...this just officially in...

we're pregnant!

 

That's right people; there's a baby in there! Don't mind the date on my bum that indicates this pregnancy happened four years ago, or all sorts of confustion will come of it. haha. 

This is us, just after leaving the doctor's office, when we found out the exciting news back in April. 

Pregnancy thus far has been a fun time. There have been cravings, sleeplessness, mood swings, excitement, changes, and just fun! 

As far as catching you up on all of the cravings....let's just make a list for you. Most of those took place in the first trimester, but--I'll just sum it up for you. 

-Cucumber Sandwiches (just bread, ranch, and cucumber. Like, an entire cucumber, sliced and stacked between two pieces of bread. 

-Peanut butter and jelly on toast (about every night before bed for like, the first month)

-Crackers (at first it was of any kind--wheat thins, anything. Then I wanted them to be something healthy. I ate crackers that strangely resembled cardboard for about two weeks. They were apparently very healthy; they tasted like it too.) 

-Taco Bell (Matthew's favorite of my cravings--he was sad this one didn't last long)

-Unhealthy food (ironic, I know, with the healthy cracker stent thrown in there. But, I'm usually a salad and fruit girl...there were a few weeks I just wasn't having them! Which you may have guessed, what with my Taco Bell stent and all...)

Not too many crazy cravings, I just wanted to eat ALL the time. Ha, we would eat a meal, walk into the other room, and Matthew would often hear the following words, "Oh my gosh. I am SOOOO HUNGRY. I'm STARVING." haha. uhh..."babe, we just ate...like, literally, two minutes ago..."

I was also known to get up out of bed after not being able to sleep. For the last year or so before the pregnancy, I'd had a rule I lived by not to eat after 6 PM. Like, religiously lived by. Ha, if I was at a church activity at seven with snacks--I'd wrap them up (or hide them away in a pocket...or sleeve...haha--but really; you can ask my roommates.), and eat them the next day. I loved waking up hungry and with a flat belly, as opposed to still feeling nasty from eating late at night or just before bed. Despite feelings of hunger I sometimes had while going to bed....I loved the feeling of waking up feeling healthy, happy, and ready to eat more than I loved going to bed full. However.....when you are laying in bed at night and are aware of a little tiny baby trying to grow inside of you, it's a bit of a different ball game.

Haha, for the first while, I would sit in bed--still used to my no eating after 6 routine, and just be dying of hunger. Then, I started to picture that little baby trying to grow inside his mama, struggling as he needed nutrients and having me not eat because I want to be skinny. 

hahaha. Needless to say, my not eating after 6 didn't last long. In fact, the sleeplessness that accompanied my first trimester, combined with the hunger pangs, led to an almost nightly snack after my mister was fast asleep and I was sitting there--not sleepy, and most definitely starving. By snack....I mean full-fledged meal. 

Here is how the little guy has grown thus far. He's getting so big! Oh, and yes--he is a HE!!! A beautiful baby boyyy :) 

I had really wanted a boy first, so I was ecstatic with the news. Matthew knew how much I wanted a boy first, so he just kept saying it'd be a girl, just to have me be SUPER excited if it wasn't actually a girl....and to prepare me not to be just a teeeeeensy tiny bit bummed if it were :) 

The cravings have pretty much died off, though the sleeplessness comes and goes. 

Our most exciting purchase of the last little bit was....dun dun dun....

THE CRIB! Oh, and changing table!

We got them on KSL. They were asking $150 for it. We offered $60. Badda bing badda boom baby :) 

They're both in great condition and I loveeeee them!!! 

....this is real people! 

haha, granted, it might feel more real when we find out from Matthew's job when we'll actually be moving, when we can actually start getting a place of our own ready for the little mister, but, it's all still uber exciting :) 

We love our little guy! 

Ohhh....and, I guess it wouldn't be fair if I didn't tell you what a hormonal crazy I was that first trimester too. haha. But, really. I think my poor family thought my marraige and life were in shambles every time they talked to me, especially since they didn't know I was pregnant/hormonal. There were tears, uncontrollable laughter, lots of moodiness/crankiness..... 

It sure is a good thing my husband loves me!

Anywho....there's your update! We couldn't be more excited! :D 

The picture below was taken on a whale watching boat ride on our honeymoon

Who would have thought, that only a few months later we'd be anxiously awaiting the arrival of our first little one. Okay, well, we would have probably thought. 

But maybe you wouldn't have :)

Happy Six Months to US!

Okay people, that's right! A whopping six months have gone by since our big day. Can you believe it? I most certainly can, and I LOVE it :) When I first went to find a picture (please note the SINGULAR--picture--rather than pictureS), I planned on finding just the right one. You know, the one that would make this blog entry classy, simple, and telling. And then this happened. . . 

Really. Would YOU have been able to pick just one? 

. . . . . . 

Don't answer that. 

The point is....six months have gone by--and I am still just loving this boy to death and back. Has the first sixth months been an adjustment period? Sure :) But, I mean--look at that face. There's no one else I'd rather be adjusting with.

Happy Six Months to US :) 

P.S. Shoutout to my amazing cousin Alicia Powell for the pictures. And to my parents, for paying for them ;)