Christmas Break!

Hello friends!

Merry Christmas Break! It feel amazing to know that I have two full weeks of practically nothing to do! So that's a lie, I have a long list of what I'd like to do, but it's exciting! First of all, Jed has no work this entire week, so I think that means some fun activities for us: visit the Draper Temple (since the last TWO times it was either closed or we ran out of time and went to the Provo Temple instead), move around the furniture in the second bedroom, watch lots of TV shows together under a nice cozy blanket on the couch (Lie to Me? White Collar?), wrap Christmas presents and hide our stocking presents until we can put them in our stockings, and probably some other fun things, who knows!

I have my own personal list of things I would like to do. Some are boring, like get my tires rotated, put away laundry, etc. etc, but there are some fun things, too!

Today I was inspired by this blog: IHeart Organizing. You all probably know that I love to organize. I love it to death. I get a little discouraged, though, because you see these beautiful pictures of beautiful homes with big spaces and perfect shelving units to put cute and EXPENSIVE organizers on, and we just don't have the space or money to buy any of those things. But since getting the crib, I have a renewed motivation to organize! For one thing, our crib doesn't fit where we wanted it to. Lies, it does fit. But we can't sit at our desk with it there. I never use the desk except to store things, but Jed always sits at the desk to do things (he's destined to be the person who works for a living, right? I hate sitting at desks....). So, when I saw how terribly small and crowded our 2nd bedroom looked, I knew something much be done. And with that, the nesting instinct kicked in. Have you ever heard of the nesting instinct? It's a side effect not often talked about among pregnant women. Basically, it's like how dogs and cats like to find a perfect cozy spot to deliver their litters in, and other animals I'm sure do it too. Humans are no different. The baby's on the way, and the mom has the natural instinct to get the home ready for it. In my case, that means ORGANIZE!

So back to the IHeart Organizing blog. Pinterest lead me to it, and I will probably look at this blog daily, because there are hundreds of posts on there, every single one interesting and inspiring. Seeing her beautiful home inspired several things for me to do over the break:

1) Organize the dang 2nd bedroom closet. It is not efficient AT ALL.

2) Create my own boxes for organizing. Like I said before, those super cute woven boxes that people organize with are so perfect... and so expensive! Average from what I've seen, $20 a box. I think I could spend well over $400 organizing our home, and we just don't have that money to spend. So that's why I will create my own! We have lots and lots of random cardboard boxes, and I can totally make them cute with wrapping paper! And then I can create my own cute labels on the computer and simply tape them on (they don't have to be sticky on one side to be called a label! Yes, in my head, I truly thought that). On her blog, there are so many other things to use for organizing that become cute and coordinated simply by covering them with paper:

• Kleenex boxes (love this. Use it in your pantry for spice packets or even spice bottles, use in in your office, closet, bathroom--for washcloths!--It's really amazing! I haven't bought Kleenex in a while because why spend money on that when you can just use toilet paper? But now I think I will invest in a few, just so I can have the boxes afterwards ha ha.)
• Empty cans (so save those green bean cans!)
• Really, just any empty container. You can cover anything with cute paper. It's ridiculous how many different containers she uses on there (like an empty parmesan cheese bottle--the plastic ones from the store. She put markers in it. Love it!)

3) Cover the back of the shelves in my bedroom. Remember how I have those cute built in shelves in our bedroom?

Well, I have made no headway in putting cardboard on the back of the few that need it, nor have I put cute wallpaper on it. So, sometime this break I am determined to do both. I'm actually contemplating finding cute wrapping paper to cover it, because it won't be touched much, so no worries about the wrapping paper ripping, and it might be cheaper? I haven't looked around much at wallpaper.

4) Buy new knobs for the dresser in our second bedroom. This dresser was Jed's from when he was a baby, and it is is perfect to set a little changing pad on top and use as storage for baby clothes/a changing table. And I just realized minutes ago, as I sit in our recliner, staring directly at our crib and dresser, that the colors are practically identical! I am so glad we went with the cinnamon colored crib, now! I wasn't originally concerned with the baby furniture not matching, but it's pretty sweet that it does! But the knobs to open the drawer are just not that cute, and I think changing up that one thing will make a big difference.

5) Clean out the other two closets (the on the stairs and under the stairs closets). I have a lot of baking appliances that can't really be helped, but maybe I can find a more efficient way of putting them on the shelves. Oh and the laundry room closet. I think we have to move some things in there in order to fit baby clothes in the dresser.

On a related note, for our wedding we got a cute container full of homemade laundry detergent along with the recipe. We are finally using it, and it has taken a few months to get through even half of it! So, the fact that you use so little for a load and also that it is so cheap to make (I will post how much it costs to get the ingredients.... I think it will be pretty amazing), I think this is our new laundry detergent until Jed starts working full time and making millions (I'm an extremely optimistic person). Another great reason to get these laundry supplies is that on IHeart Organizing, she has a recipe for homemade cleaner. Look here for the recipe. It uses borax, just like the laundry detergent, so I can kill two birds with one stone buying that stuff. So, saving money on laundry detergent and a multipurpose cleaner (which I use daily), how can you pass that up? I will be making this stuff over the break too!

6) Trip to DI! With all this cleaning, there is no way that we won't be getting rid of stuff. We actually are looking into selling some things (we have 3 Rock Bands.... they all work.... we only need one.... But we are actually selling the drums and guitars, too, because the last time we played it was Easter, and so really it's just taking up space), so anyways, we're selling some things, but there are lots of things I want to get rid of that I know we cannot sell. I want to get rid of this little electric globe thing Jed has.... I don't think he will let me, but maybe? But after all the clearing out of closets, I just know that we will have a mandatory trip to DI to get our random knick knacks out of our beautifully clean house!

7) If Jed will just let me, I will start cutting up his old t-shirts to make a quilt! I've brought this up many a time since we've been married, but not too much because in all honesty, I think it could turn into an actual argument. Pick your battles, right? Anyway, Jed was in a lot of plays as a teenager, he did a lot of cool things, and with that comes the cool, free t-shirts. Long ago, I got rid of all of my old, random t-shirts because I just don't get too sentimental about stuff. Jed is soooo the opposite. So, we have probably about 30 old t-shirts that Jed never wears but also will never give up. I think he's finally beginning to accept the idea that something must be done with these t-shirts as they are just taking up space and haven't been used in years, and so maybe I can convince him this week to let me make a quilt. My logic is, he never uses them now, but if I make a quilt, he can look at his fun old t-shirts all the time as he gets cozy on the couch under his own personal blanket. If only Jed and I could see eye to eye on this....

Wow, what a long post! So sorry, I hope it was slightly interesting, but more than that, I hope it inspired you to organize, too! Then we can compare our before and after pictures (because I will be taking some of those) and talk about how adorable our houses and closets look, and we'll have you over for dinner since our house is more than presentable, and you'll have us over for a game night, and we'll just be the best of friends!

Tracking the Baby Bump: Week 23

Hey there. Week 23 is here!

Baby Stats:

Length: just over 8 inches
Weight: just over 1 pound
If he were a fruit, he would be a: large mango


So, what has this week brought in my pregnancy.... Well for one thing, the little guy does this kicking thing (maybe it's hiccuping?) where I swear he's against my bladder because I keep having a very strong urge to pee and it happens over and over again in a set amount of time. So maybe that is hiccuping! It's rather uncomfortable, though.

Heartburn has been a huge theme of the week. Dislike. I've woken up in the night because I was so bothered by it. Last night, before bed, we ran to Smith's to get me some Tums, and I didn't wake up once with heartburn! It was great. I was worried, because last night was some of the worst heartburn I'd had, but the Tums really work! The directions for taking it rather worry me, though, because it says to take 2-4 as symptoms occur. What do you do if the symptoms don't really stop occurring??? And 2-4? Too ambiguous. I don't want to take too many, but if I need to take more, I want to do that. I'm glad I'll have my 24 week appointment on Friday so I can ask my doctor what the protocol is. My aunt and several people online have said they lived off of Tums for the last half of their pregnancies, so that may be my future for the next 3 1/2 months. I hope as I take it more and more I start to enjoy them.... I just hate the feeling/texture of eating slightly flavored chalk. Last night one of the ones I took was definitely orange, and that was the best one of them all.

Honestly I don't think I have much else to say! This week has been going as normal. I felt better than I did last week, though I've been much more tired because I've gotten less sleep than I should. It's amazing that this semester is almost over! I only have 3 more months of teaching until the baby, then maternity leave, then another few weeks, then summer break! At least a couple times a week I try to decide what I want to do next year for a job. Working with a baby is a hard thing to cope with. There are so many reasons I don't want to work: I feel bad leaving my baby in day care, the cost of day care, how busy I will be working and cooking and cleaning and taking care of myself oh yeah and taking care of a baby. But, Jed doesn't exactly have a great income from the BYU Bookstore... Insurance is another lovely thing to think about. Thinking about finances lately makes me cry (hormones) so I try not to, but just remember that when we budget correctly and pay our tithing and fast offerings, God will help us make ends meet!

Anyways, hope you have a great week. Good luck to those taking finals this week!

Baby Essentials: The Diaper Bag

I've been avoiding looking at anything baby for a long time, knowing that once I started, I wouldn't be able to stop! But, with all this extra time I have for Thanksgiving Break, I've given in. Last night I stayed up past Jed (this NEVER happens) and I put a lot of things on our Target Baby Registry. I love the registry. I can save the things I want the most, whether for my own use or for when it's baby shower time. So now I know what crib we're getting, what bedding (I'm not crafty enough, nor do I have the time to sew the baby bedding....), the play pen/bassinet for when our baby is still teeny enough to sleep in our room, what mattress to get, even which diaper pail we're getting. Want to know what the bedding will look like? I love it.

 

 

I love green and brown together. I have to admit too, it will work for both our boy and any future girls to come. I keep telling Jed I will want something girly when we have a girl, but he does not like the idea of spending more money on baby bedding.... so I may just have to wait on that.

So today, all I've been looking at is diaper bags. Wow, they are not cheap! The cute ones are all over $50. Terrible! Especially because I want two.... perhaps this is greedy of me, but I want a super cute bag for me to use, but then I think we need one for Jed. Why you ask? Because of this commercial:

Apparently this is how Jed feels when I ask him to carry my purse. Ridiculous ha ha. So, Jed requests that for whenever he has to take the baby (I'm thinking every Sunday for church), he wants one that's more of a messenger bag style so that he can still feel manly despite carrying a bag around with baby things.

So here are some of the bags I'm thinking we should get Jed:

Nice? Manly? All these are available at Target. On the other hand, what about me? There are so many super cute bags. I want one that doesn't have a major pattern because I can't have a different diaper bag for every day of the week when they cost over $50 each! So I've decided I need one that will go with many outfits. So here are the ones I was thinking of:

So which one should I buy??? I can't decide!

The first one is from Target and the rest are on Etsy. I love Etsy! Several of the bags they say I could make bigger, too, and knowing myself, I will pack these bags full of half of our baby's stuff so I could use a big one. You can never be too prepared! Who knows, our baby may become the blowout master and I'll need more than a few changes of clothing. (Please say no.) But back to the bags, do you love them all like I do? For some reason the third one, the brown one, is a favorite of mine. I think the fact that on Etsy it was described as "waterproof," that sold me. But, seriously, I think they are all adorable, and they could be worn with just about any outfit. It's going to be a hard decision to figure out which one of these I want....

There's also one last thing I will mention because it is like the sweetest thing ever! I guarantee it will be one of my most favorite diaper bag accessories. I can see my best friend Natalie laughing at this because she'll know instantly that in all honestly it will be my favorite diaper bag accessory, hands down.

There you have it. Little bags to take on the go to put in soiled diapers, dirty clothes, anything! I was first introduced to this when my sister in law was visiting in October and I was in shock and awe. My first thought was actually, is that one of those things you take when you take your dog on a walk so that you can pick up their poop? Perhaps that is where the inspiration comes from, but seriously, isn't this a great idea? Contain the odors and smells, contain the mess, all in a cute little on the go package; it's a dream come true for the organized neat freak in me.

So, I'll continue to update you on the cute things I find and hopefully the cute things I buy! I'm going to be smart and wait on some of the things until after Christmas, and some even until I've had a baby shower, so that some of the things can be given as gifts (because giving baby things as gifts is honestly one of the best gifts ever to give. Am I right? Aren't baby shower so much more fun to shop for than bridal showers?) but anyways, the moral of the story is, I love baby things and I can't wait to use these things I am going to get! Can our little boy come yet? All these cute things makes me want to have him here with us so I can see him in them! 133 more days to go!

Tracking the Baby Bump: Week 20

For those that didn't hear our announcement, we're having a baby boy! We're very excited. It's crazy though... knowing the gender of the baby definitely makes this all seem more real.

Baby Stats:

Length: 6 1/2 inches
Weight: 10 ounces
If HE were a fruit he would be a: small cantaloupe

So this week... things really seemed the same! We've been anticipating our ultrasound on Friday to find out the gender, so I've hardly paid attention to anything else! Symptoms have continued: nails growing fast, baby kicking, back hurting at times, cravings, migraines, etc. etc!

The ultrasound was great! We got there a little early, and somehow got in only a couple of minutes after we arrived. The ultrasound tech had lots of things to look at in the brain, then looked at things like the cervix, ovaries, and kidneys. During all of this, Jed and I were waiting and waiting for her to finally say, this is the sex of your baby! Finally, she asked one more time if we wanted to know the gender, which we did, and she showed us his little bum, legs, and as she put it, "his little boy part" so we knew it was a boy! After that it was just a little surreal looking at our little boy's arms, face, spine, legs, and even a foot. It's crazy that first of all, the ultrasound tech can find all of those things, and second of all that we were able to find out the gender of our baby! Oh and it was so cool: she can turn on this heat/motion sensor so that on the screen, wherever it is especially hot (like at the umbilical cord) or when there is movement, you can see it. So, at one point, I felt an especially big kick, and we saw half of the screen light up red because of the movement! It was really cool to see what I felt. Also, I have to say one of my favorite things to see was the heart. We saw all four chambers and could see it beating. Overall, it was really cool. We were definitely in shock for the next little while, but the excitement grew as the shock wore off.

One thing I definitely want to talk about is maternity clothes. I finally tried on every single item of clothing my sister in law gave to me, and we bought a few items at Target. I love maternity tops and dresses! They make me feel very feminine and make me feel like a cute pregnant woman. It's starting to get fun, having a definite baby bump, so having cute tops so that people can tell I have a baby bump and I'm not just fat is nice. On the other hand, I hate maternity pants to death. They don't stay up. Every time I stand up, I have to readjust my pants and tuck in my undershirt. It's really quite annoying. Also, I have several pairs of pants with the huge band of stretchy material, for when I'm much more pregnant, and those really need adjusting. I'm hoping they will improve once I get a bigger belly, but we'll just have to wait and see on that one....

Oh I should tell you about our party! I felt very stressed by the time the party started, because I ran out of time. You see, my whole plan was to color a cake blue, decorate it cute, and then we cut open the cake and everyone knows it's a boy! So I bought a white cake mix, baked it, and it turned out beautifully. It was only when it was almost all cooled off that I realized it was still white--I forgot to color it blue! So I had to make a new cake; the only cake mix we had was a yellow cake mix and so after adding blue food coloring, the cake was green. And then by the time that was cooled off, there was hardly any time to decorate, and so it was not decorated how I wanted. However, it all pulled together with help from several people, and luckily people were late just as I thought they would be. Overall, it was a great party and I think everyone enjoyed the food and the company. So, despite the stressful beginning, it was great and I was so glad to have everyone there that came!

So, there you have it. Pregnancy wise, nothing much has changed, but the exciting news of our little boy coming has been wonderful!

Tracking the Baby Bump: Week 19

Almost halfway!

As you can see, I got my hair done!

Baby Stats:

Length: 6 inches
Weight: 8 oz.
If it were a fruit, it would be a: mango

So this week was a hard one. Teaching is tough! I've been busy and stressed, but the last two days of school, my students reminded me why I love teaching. I've also had a great husband who did everything I asked and asked me to do nothing (partially because I had enough to do on my own), and so yet again I am grateful I have such a great husband! I could never get through a pregnancy without him.

Interesting things that happened this week:

1) I've decided on two consistent cravings: breakfast sausage and any sour gummy candy (sour patch kids, sour gummy worms, etc.). 7/11 (you know the gas station) has this thing called the maple pancake sausage roll. It's like a pig in a blanket but instead of a hot dog it's a sausage and instead of biscuit it's a pancake. I've already had three this week. They're only a dollar so that makes it even harder to resist! I don't know what it is about breakfast sausage, but I can't get enough of it! If today wasn't Sunday, I'd be at the store right now getting some frozen sausages because just talking about it is making my stomach growl.....

2) I've felt the baby move even more! Yesterday I had several kicks or something that actually made me make a sound because it was that significant enough of a movement. All this at only 19 weeks. Things are going to be interesting later on in the pregnancy, aren't they? I hope I don't get a broken rib. When I got my hair done, me and Kim (my hairdresser) talked a ton about being pregnant, and she told me that my best bet for feeling my baby kick from the outside was to lay on my back. I still have yet to feel it from the outside, but it's great advice so that I know for future reference.... I can't wait until Jed can feel it!

3) I had my first pregnancy dream about what the gender of the baby is! I have to admit, I've been leaning toward saying the baby's a girl. This dream, however, could change my mind! So, in my dream, I was laying on my bed, trying to feel the baby. So my fingers were pushing down on my stomach to try to find it, and I could feel a little foot! So I followed the foot until I found the leg, and followed the leg, until I found the body. And there on the body, I found something that would distinctly tell you the baby is a boy, not a girl, if you know what I mean. And that was the extent of my dream! Nothing exciting, really, and completely impossible, but it was funny to wake up and think about it!

We find out in FIVE days what the gender is! Or at least we hope we do. I am so nervous that the day will come, we'll go in for the appointment, and all they'll be able to say is that the baby wasn't in the right position, or they think it's a girl but didn't get a clear shot to say for sure. How awful would that be! As many of you may know, we are having a party on Friday night to announce what the gender of the baby is, and it would put a bit of a damper on the mood if we had no idea.... So I am praying that they will be able to tell! And I have to admit, we both hope it's a girl right now. I've tried my hardest not to lean one way or the other because in reality, just having a baby is exciting and either gender would be great. But right now all I can think about is cute little baby Kara, all pretty in her adorable dresses and tights and pretty hair bows and flowers. In the end, it doesn't matter what the gender of this baby is, or the next, but I hope that we get to have at least one of each.

4) Obviously I got my hair colored darker. I wanted to try out a darker blond, and so right now it's rather brown, but my hair dresser Kim has assured me it will lighten up a bit. But along with the color, I got a trim, so with new color and trim, I'm really going to pay attention to how fast my hair is growing! My nails are definitely growing fast, so let's see about this hair. This is the longest it's been in at least two years, so I'm excited to see how long it will get.

5) As you may/may not know, I teach kindergarten. The teachers sit in the same chairs as the kindergarteners, and these chairs are teeny. It hasn't been a problem until this week; I seriously had some problems gettin down there. I also noticed after some physical things I've done this week (like walking up several flights of stairs) I got majorly tired! Looks like my body is having some more adjustments.

Well, next week will be an exciting post! Come to our house next Friday at 7:30 to find out what the gender of our baby is!

Tracking the Baby Bump: Week 18

I don't feel like there's any difference from this and last week in the pictures, but Jed says there is. I've certainly felt more pregnant this week!

By the by, I've decided to stop putting my hand on the top of my belly in the pictures because my belly's getting significant enough that you don't need my hand there to see that I have a little baby bump!

Baby Stats:

Length: 5 1/2 inches
Weight: 5-7 ounces
If it were a veggie, it would be a: sweet potato

There are a few things that have happened this week. The biggest factor in how I've been feeling has been the fact that I've been sick all week. I started the week off not feeling well, got a little better, then got much worse. I've had an awful cough with this cold, and the hardest thing is I'll start coughing in the morning, blow my nose, and between those two things there's some mucus mixed in somewhere and it makes me gag and throw up. Or just dry heave. It's really awful and unpleasant. I've only thrown up a couple of times this week though, so while I am still having morning sickness, it continues to subside.

Some pregnancy symptoms I have had the last few days (because I was sick or because of being pregnant, we don't know), but I've had to go to the bathroom at lot more frequently and I've been a lot hungrier. Friday, I swear I ate like 7 times that day, and each time it was nothing much (burrito, two teeny apples, egg in a basket, etc), but the fact that whenever food was presented, I was hungry, that made me think my stomach is beginning to change for my growing baby. Speaking of food, I'm really hungry....

I've also been feeling more and more pressure down in my abdomen. I think my baby's getting big enough that I can feel it a lot more. I hope that at my next doctor's visit, the doctor can tell me how I can feel where the uterus and baby are from the outside. We'll see!

This last part I'm about to mention you may not want to know, but I find it extremely interesting and surprising. Mostly, I mention this for my friends who have yet to be pregnant because I was surprised to find this symptom at 18 weeks, but it's normal. So read on, but read on cautiously. I've had a new change in my body called colostrum: pre-milk. Yeah, Jed was extremely grossed out to hear me tell him that, and I hope you're not too grossed out, but as a woman, this is something so weird and crazy! I always knew that one day I would have the ability to breastfeed my baby, but now it's getting closer and closer and that is so weird to me (slightly exciting, but more weird). I must say, though, I am not looking forward to milk simply leaking out of me...

Two more weeks until we find out the baby's gender! (Hopefully. I would just about die if the ultrasound technician said they couldn't tell.) And that means we're getting closer and closer to the halfway mark! Technically, if I delivered four weeks early, we'd be at the halfway mark right now! I can't believe it. I seriously cannot wait until we have our baby. I know it's going to be hard and I know it's going to be different than I expect, but what a wonderful thing it is going to be. I've wanted to be a mom for years and years. I was never the girl who dreamed about what her wedding was going to be like, but I have planned baby names since I was 8, playing MASH during church or on car trips. These baby names have changed (for instance, I used to want the names Skye and Lily Rose... no more!), but I just love babies.

We had a baby blessing in church and both Jed and I were thinking the whole time about how it will be in 6 months when we bless our own baby. So crazy. Ha ha it also lead Jed to remember the Modern Family episode where Cam and Mitchell announce they adopted a baby... here's the link to the scene

Modern family - Lion King Moment

(P.S. If you want to know our beliefs on gay marriage, here's a link to what we believe: The Family: A Proclamation to the World. Just so we're clear.)

Well, I still have another 5 months of being pregnant, so I should stop the planning of how it will be. I'm grateful for how my pregnancy has gone so far, it could be so much harder, so I know I (and Jed) have been blessed with a fairly easy pregnancy. Here's hoping it continues that way!

Tracking the Baby Bump: Week 17

Hey there. Here I am. I feel like every day I look down and my stomach looks bigger. I can't imagine how much bigger it's going to get..... Slightly scary to think about.

Baby Stats:

Length: 5 inches
Weight: 5-6 ounces
If it were a vegetable, it would be: an onion.

I was so excited to tell you it had been 12 days, almost two weeks, since I've thrown up. This morning ruined my streak. It was also the first time Jed actually heard me throw up. He said it was pretty gross ha ha.

Another great thing: I think I've been able to feel the baby kick a little. I know it could be anything, but I can't recall ever feeling these little movements in my abdomen before, so I count it as baby kicks! The first time I thought I felt something was at the dentist's last week. Do you ever get like a little blood vessel or muscle spasm in you leg or on your eyelid or arm where you can feel a twitch? (And sometimes see the twitch?) Well I had just one sudden twitch in my abdomen, and I've never felt a twitch like that before in that area. It was not a surface twitch, either, like those others I've described. It was definitely coming from the inside. On Monday I swear I felt a movement like teeny little limbs kicking back and forth like you would kick if you were swimming. Almost every day since, always in the afternoon or evening, I have felt little pushes from my abdomen, sometimes just one and sometimes several in a time period, and so I dub these little pushes to be our active child! In case you can't tell, I've tried very hard to decipher what I've felt and to be sure it wasn't just gas or something, so I feel pretty confident saying it was me feeling the baby!

This week I wore maternity jeans for the first time. Not that I can't fit into my old jeans, but they have developed some holes that show off my underwear, so I finally had to give in and say they were not wearable. However, then came casual Friday and I couldn't wear slacks! So I grabbed a pair of jeans from the bins that my wonderful sister in law gave to me which are full of maternity wear, and I put them on. They fit perfectly. The thing I don't like about them, though, is they don't have a place for a belt! Where the belt should be, there was a 2 inch band of stretchy material. So, all day long, I was constantly tucking in my undershirt and making sure nothing was showing since they slipped down a little every time I sat down (the fact that the majority of the time I sat was in little kindergarten chairs or on the floor did not help). Tell me this isn't how the rest of my pregnancy will go, right? Will I be forever in a state of re-situating my pants?

A sad thing: one of my coats is getting a little snug down around my waist. The buttons are noticeably pulling, and so I think this coat may have to be retired until next fall. It saddens me deeply, especially as I imagine the size of my stomach in February and think about which coat I will be able to wear.... So I may be in the market for a new, roomy coat pretty soon. Can I justify getting a cute, nice coat solely for when I'm pregnant? I'm bound to be pregnant during the winter another time down the road, right? Or perhaps I will permanently weight more and will need a big coat anyways? Let's not think that.

Pregnancy Symptoms I have yet to experience:

• High frequency of... visiting the restroom, shall we say? Nope, never felt that one. Thank goodness, because right now it is rather convenient to not need to go to the bathroom in the mornings until lunch time.
• Increased appetite. Unless you count wanting to eat more times throughout the day, but I don't feel I eat much more than before. 
• Swelling of the ankles, feet, hands, face
• Major weight gain

Symptoms I have may have yet to mention, but have been experiencing

• Mood Swings/more emotions. I cry often, or at least tear up. Biggest Loser, Extreme Home Makeover, these are big contributors to my crying. The other night I cried while watching Under the Greenwood Tree (BBC movie - watch it on Netflix, I love it). Why did I cry? The main girl was playing the harmonium in church and some people had put some sort of fluid in it, and so when it stopped working, people were laughing at it, not at her, but she ran out of the church, feeling humiliated. I was near sobbing at this point. So yes, my emotions are very high.
• Headaches, migraines, it varies what ails me, but those have yet to go away. I will say, Excedrin Tension Headache = greatest invention for pregnant women.
• Nasal congestion. I have to blow my nose all the time, and I'm not sick, it's just a fact of my life now.
• Sensitive gums that bleed when I brush. As if brushing my teeth wasn't already unpleasant enough.
• Fatigue.

This is a super duper long post, and I apologize for that. On the bright side, anyone who reads this knows exactly how I've felt this week! I feel closer to you already.

P.S. I still want to do a party to announce the baby's gender, also just as a way to invite people over and eat cake. But my mom can't be there! So I'm debating.... should it be the day after? Can I wait that long??

Tracking the Baby Bump: Week 16

Week 16 is here! I think I notice an ever so slight difference, what do you think? It's like my tummy has moved a little higher.

Baby Stats:

Length: 4-5 inches
Weight: 3-5 ounces
If it were a fruit, it would be: an avocado

Mommy Happenings:

1) I think I've finally notice a difference in hair/nail growth. My nails have grown really long this last week and I feel like I just cut them. So, maybe those prenatal vitamins are finally affecting my nails! If only I could tell if my hair was growing faster.... I plan on getting my hair cut next month, so we'll see if after that I can tell a difference. On a related note, I hear that you stop losing your hair when you get pregnant. Not so! I've also heard of some women who lose tons more hair. Neither is true for me. I have always lost lots of hair (because of the thickness?), and I have seen no difference in hair loss between pre-pregnancy and currently.

2) Another happy fact: it's been 5 days since I've last thrown up. Yay! I'm actually keeping a count on our dry erase board. I'm hoping the morning sickness has finally decided to move on....

3) Dry skin: it's getting worse. I'm itching all over the place because of it. I've never been a person to put on lotion after my shower or before bed, but now I think one or both might be necessary. It doesn't help that winter is approaching.

4) Cravings. I still don't have any constant cravings, but the cravings are definitely worsening. I think of a food and bam! I want that like nothing else and I can taste it and it would be sooooo good if I actually had it. The funny thing is that whether it's a craving or I am just hungry, by the time I get food, I can eat about half of what I thought I wanted and then I'm stuffed full. It's very strange, and Jed and I have tried to come up with theories as to why, but I think it's just that the baby and the uterus are starting to take up more room in my belly, so my stomach is getting smaller (but at the same time, emptying faster).

5) Acne has finally subsided! I am noticing fewer breakouts, and that makes me happy.

26 days until we find out the baby's gender!

Tracking the Baby Bump: Week 15

So, here and now we start the pregnancy pictures. I am 15 weeks along and I figure I MUST be growing a little, but haven't noticed a difference. So today we start the tracking to see how I differ in the next several months.

This is me and Baby Stephenson, Week 15!

My disclaimer is that I've had a little pooch since high school, so I can't tell if this little bump is purely me or if it's little Baby Stephenson growing.

By the by, this outfit was specially chosen. You will see this every time I take the baby bump picture because Jed and I both agree it will make it easier to tell a difference from week to week if I've grown. It was also chosen because both the pants and the shirt have lots of stretch... hence why I have to hold the shirt tighter.

Week 15 Baby Stats:

Length: 4 1/2 inches
Weight: 2-3 ounces
If it were a fruit, it would be a: naval orange

Also, 1 month and 2 days until we find out the gender! Mark your calendar to be available the evening of November 18th to come to (in person or via Skype) a party where we'll announce the gender! 

Maternity Clothes?

For those wondering about the pregnancy, things are going well. Wednesday and Thursday I brushed my teeth without throwing up! So I thought perhaps my morning sickness was actually subsiding like it often does after the first trimester. Friday I discovered I was mistaken....... But there is still hope that soon enough, I will be past morning sickness. I can't say that if I continue to throw up when I brush my teeth I am unlucky, though, because I have had much better morning sickness than many women I know, including my mother. I have also had a little bit of a hard time taking my prenatal vitamin (I gag when I try to swallow it). Today at the store I was looking for more vitamins because my bottle is almost out, and I found gummy ones! Not only does that play to my love for gummy candy, but it solves the problem of gagging when I swallow pills.... So far, they taste pretty good and have only a slightly odd after taste, but I'll let you know how it goes. I only hope I don't give in to temptation to eat more than two a day....

The biggest thing that I'm waiting for is maternity clothes! Now is about the time that women start to grow..... And call me lucky but I haven't noticed any changes in my waistline! In fact, from week 7 to week 12, I lost weight. I'm eating a lot better now, by eating smaller meals and more snack throughout the day (not even by choice, but my appetite dictates that's what I do), and so I wonder if I'm losing some fat while gaining some baby..... So no maternity pants for me yet! I'm even just waiting to go up a size for pants, but so far nothing like that is needed. Does anyone know, because I'm not starting off a small size 6, and so does that make a difference? Like the skinny women have to start moving up in size pretty quickly while the curvy women have room for the baby to grow without getting new pants? It's something rather unimportant, but I wonder. I think I'd better start taking the classic prego shot to start comparing, because I think my tummy will start growing pretty soon.... And I don't know how I'll feel in three months, but I'm looking forward to actually looking pregnant! This is all conditional on the fact that I gain weight only in my tummy area and nowhere else, ha ha.

So, we'll see, people, what comes my way with this pregnancy. Last night I dreamed that I delivered this baby at home, at 14 weeks, and it was 8 pounds already, so I took it to the hospital to make sure everything was alright, and then commenced in carrying this baby around everywhere that did not look like a newborn but more like a 3 month old baby. So are the delivery dreams starting already? I still have 26 weeks to go to worry about it.....

Another topic I'd like to address: pregnancy photos. I think I'll get started on those in the next few weeks (because I think you'll be able to tell pretty soon) so you can expect to see those on the blog. For some entertaining pregnancy pictures go to Awkward Family Photos. It's super funny. Disclaimer #1: Be aware that there are some where the women have less than the desired amount of clothes. Disclaimer #2: I will not be taking any pictures with my bare belly. That's just gross.

So, there's how the pregnancy's going..... Yep.

Pregnancy Symptoms: Take 2

Well, I'm 10 weeks along! So crazy. I thought I'd record a few more symptoms that I've been having for both my journaling purposes and for those who would like a "heads up" on some symptoms you can look forward to when you get pregnant!

1) Acne. I have been blessed to have only had acne in my early teenage years, and after that I really only had a pimple or two a week. Now, it's more like a new pimple shows up every day! Awful. The funny thing is, the dry spots on my face have gotten drier. So it looks like my combination skin has gotten even more combination.

2) Dry skin. Seriously, I have much drier skin. Like I mentioned about my face, there are other places on my body (like my heels) that definitely dry faster and in a worse way than before.

3) Gagging when brushing teeth (and as of today, throwing up). Jed always peeks in when I brush my teeth because it certainly sounds like I throw up every morning and night. I think he's nervous because he has yet to witness me throw up! I know, I think he deserves to be there to hold back my hair. I don't know what it is, but I think it has something to do with the flouride in my toothpaste along with just having liquid sitting in my mouth. I sometimes have problems swallowing pills, too, because I do it by getting a mouthfull of fluid, tossing in a pill, and swallowing, and my mouth (throat?) does not like holding fluid for more than it takes to swallow. So, this is a rather unpleasant side effect. I try something different every time I brush to try to distract myself or prevent from gagging, but so far nothing has worked.

4) Food aversions and cravings. As a teenage girl, brownies were my favorite late night/movie night snack. Chocolate ice cream with brownies were even better. Now, chocolate ice cream with brownies sounds awful. Brownies, well maybe I'll have a bite. But seriously, chocolate is no longer a craving of mine! So weird! I don't even crave anything specific, generally. It's only as soon as I see a picture of it or I smell something, and then I want it. (Take for example when I passed by a hot dog stand. Hot dogs have never been my favorite. But as soon as a smelled it, I wanted it!)

5) Appetite changes. I have become a grazer. I can eat most of my peanut butter/jelly sandwich at lunch and maybe some fruit snacks or grapes. And that's it! Dinner is the same. It's really quite sad, because eating out is not quite as fun. I can't eat more than half of my meal before I feel sick from eating too much. Much healthier, right? I don't complain because I know it's much healthier for me. It does cause some complications, though. Teaching doesn't give me too many easy times to snack on food. Just the other day I pulled out some fruit snacks and one of my students was rather jealous that I got to eat and he didn't.

So far, I think that's about it! I've been getting over a cold and I think a little flu, so I've been having a very off week in general. I can't wait to see what happens next!

Update on Our Life

I feel as if it's been a while since I've posted, then I remember that we had a huge baby announcement a week ago! All is still going well with that. A few things I've learned in the short 8 weeks I've been pregnant:

1) Always carry around snacks. You never know when you'll be stuck in traffic or be waiting to eat a meal and start feeling sick. Generally, I only feel sick when I'm hungry, so I have to eat every 1 1/2 - 2 hours. I have those days though when I feel extra sick, generally in the morning and evening. For these times, I've prescribed myself one medicine: Sprite.

I have to tell a story that I just loved. Background: have you ever had Tim's potato chips? They are kind of like the kettle cooked potato chips because they are super duper crunchy, which makes them incredibly addicting. So, last Sunday, Jed ate about half of a bag of those. He did so, knowing the last time he ate so many, he felt sick. Well, this time, he felt way sick. Ha ha the poor guy. So, as we drove to visit my family, he put his hand on my knee and said, "I'm sorry you have to feel like this all the time." Sweet! I felt bad that he felt so sick, but it was so nice of him to make the connection and apply it to all these times I've felt so sick. What a good guy I have to take care of me through this pregnancy. (While on the subject, Jed has been extremely understanding through all of this. So glad I have him.)


2) Emotions will turn on a dime. Poor Jed will say just one little thing and suddenly I feel the need to cry. So both of us have to keep in mind that my emotions are out of whack, and we do fine. Jed has been extremely understanding and will let me cry it out on his shoulder, comforting me even when it's something silly.


3) Weird side effect: Burping. I think a lot of women expect to feel more bloated and gassy, but this was one thing I was not expecting. I've never been one to be able to burp on command, and even now I still can't, but I actually have the normal burps that people can do. I used to have these teeny, air bubble pops, but now I actually have to watch myself or some large burps come out. And of course it happens much more often than it ever did.


So those are a few things I've learned so far as I've been pregnant. Our baby is now about the size of a large raspberry and it's developing it's lips, eyelids, nose, leg/arm buds, and other things like that. There's a picture in my "What to Expect When You're Expecting" book for the 2 month old embryo which Jed has decided looks like a baby cow. So, there you have it: I'm growing a 1/2 inch baby cow in my stomach right now.



And about the rest of our lives. This last week has been prep work for me at school, which I've tried to use wisely and do as much as I could, but I honestly ran out of things to do. I can't wait for the little kiddos to start coming because I hate sitting at a computer all day. I know I will be exhausted, but I am looking so forward to it. We tested the kids this week, and we have a huge range of personalities. The one thing that is common with them all, though, is that they are all adorable. I know they will pose many challenges, and they might not stay as cute as they seem, but seriously, after interacting with them for even just a few minutes, I could not help but smile. They are all so special, and I can't wait to see the difference from how they are now to the end of the school year. So, come Tuesday, I finally get to start to teach!

Jed has had a hard week as the bookstore. I bet half the school's population bought their books this week, and the rest will come next week. Jed enjoys his job in general, but he gets frustrated with the long lines and the sometimes frustrated customers. I don't think anyone's yelled at him this week, so that's great! He's also nervous about starting classes again, but this semester he's taking almost all major classes, so I think he'll really enjoy that. We've also figured out that Jed should graduate next December! Yay! So now we have an end in sight. Three more semesters plus a summer internship for Jed, and then it's off to graduate school!

So that's the low down on our life right now. We love our home, love each other, love the friends we get to hang out with, so overall we are very happy. Hope all is well with the rest of you who happen to read our blog!

Our super exciting announcement!!!!

Jed and I are SUPER excited to announce that we're having a baby!

It's a little early to announce, I'm only seven weeks along. Previous to my doctor's appointment today, they had told me I would be eight weeks today, but the ultrasound says differently. Here are the ultrasounds... they are impossible for us to tell, but she outlined the baby in one of them so you can see it.






Back tracking: July 22-24, my family went up to Island Park/Yellowstone area in Idaho to visit my brother who's visiting there, and the whole trip I was exhausted. I wondered if I was sick, but none of us thought so. So when I got back from the trip, Jed and I talked and decided that in a few days I would take a pregnancy test. But... I couldn't wait! So I took the test Sunday the 24th and it was positive! It was such a surreal feeling to see two lines on the stick instead of one... So I was about to talk to Jed on Skype (he was in California doing window washing all this time), so I texted him a picture of the positive pregnancy test. Then we got on Skype and while we were talking he received the text. He just said "What does this mean?" Ha ha he was in shock for that day and the next, and then on Tuesday it passed and he told me he was super excited.

So, fast forward a week. One day I realize I have these signs of a miscarriage. It was hard and depressing to think we could lose this baby, but I called the doctor and he said that we could still be optimistic about it. So, I got past it and decided to just trust in the Lord. The next day, I went and got an ultrasound. Because it was so early in the pregnancy, it was unlikely that they could see the baby. They didn't, but they did see signs that a baby was still in there. So that was good! But because I was still at risk, I was to be on moderate bed rest: lay down or keep my feet up as much as possible, no exercising, no lifting heavy things, etc. etc.

The next few weeks were good. I gained a few more pregnancy signs besides fatigue, including nausea.... For a few days I actually did throw up in the morning, but mostly my morning sickness is an all day thing, but only when I'm hungry. So don't get in the way of my meals! Or else we will all suffer the consequences...

Fast forward to today! We had our scheduled doctors appointment. It was so cool. We had the ultrasound first, and the technician was so awesome. She explained what things were (becuase seriously, those ultrasounds are unreadable). And then all of the sudden she said, "And this, is your baby." Wow! Then she zoomed in and showed us that this little flashing spot of the heart beat, and then we got to hear it! 156 beats per minute, which is very healthy. It was incredible and both Jed and I said, "Wow..." because it was awesome. I even teared up a bit. It's surreal to actually hear the heart beating. Then of course I went through all the tests, basic wellness like checking my lungs and heart and thyroid, and others like urine and blood tests.

So there you have it! While I know we're not really out of the woods, and our doctor told us we still have between a 5-10% chance of miscarriage, it is very likely that all will be well since we heard the heart beat.

So, come April 5th, we should be a family of 3!