little man baby shower.

Last Saturday my wonderful mother-in-law and others threw Oliver a "little man" inspired baby shower. It was so much fun and I feel so grateful for everything everyone has done for us during this pregnancy. I feel so much love for this little boy and I cannot wait for him to meet everyone. We scored majorly in the presents department, and I dare say that we have only a handful of things that we still need to welcome our baby boy. Although there is still a big to do list to get finished. Yikes!

FYI: I have started talking to my stomach. Full on conversations where I watch my belly roll and punch and move like crazy. I usually take it he's hungry, which is of course just my excuse to go and eat yet again. He gets me.

♥

30/31 weeks.

 
This was last week on Wednesday. So basically I was 31 weeks but I forgot to take a 30 week photo and that is why I like to call this 30 weeks. At my doctor appointment everything looked great, sounded great, overall just great. I did a little complaining about cramping (not to be compared with my braxton hicks I've been having since week 17). And doc decided to squeeze in a 35 week appointment to start checking if I'm dilated at all. June 8th people. JUNE 8TH. We'll see if this show is coming up or if things will remain... great. I'm still sure this little boy is going to wait till July to show his cute little face, but as this mama gets bigger, she gets more anxious. Do you think it's possible to just sleep until he comes? Maybe a month or so? I think that sounds wonderful.

♥

Free Time.

The husband and I tend to agree on all of our baby decisions thus far. And there's one thing that we both are not entirely fond of: Cutesy baby clothes. I'm not sure why, but instead of sticking my little boy in a frog covered jumper, I'd rather stick him in a plain onesie, or how about one with a fantastic moose on it? So the other day I got online and started finding images that I really liked. Google and Urban Outfitters seemed to work best for me. Once I found images I liked, I couldn't stop! So many images on my desktop right now, I can barely control myself. So these are just a few that I have done so far. Simply because I ran out of onesies for the rest of the images. Aren't they adorable?? I squealed every time I completed one. All I did was mirror the images and print them onto iron-on paper and then attached to the fabric. So easy! I can't wait to show you the rest :)

It's getting down to the point where, if I have any free time, you can bet it's going to be spent doing things for our little Oliver. The weeks are passing by so quickly! I'm slightly panicking.

♥

Just one of many baby showers..

One thing is for sure, I have been seriously blessed in the family department during this pregnancy. 3 baby showers for one mama? I don't know how I got so lucky. In March I went down to Arizona to visit family and my sister threw me a shower and invited all of our family. Considering we don't all get to gather at once very often, it was really nice to have everyone there. And let me tell you, I was deeply, truly, beyond surprised when my mom showed up. From Oregon. Had no idea. Tears streaming down my face you guys. And then we played this game, "Wishes for Oliver" and everyone wrote down their dreams and thoughts for him, and read them out loud... and cue tears streaming down my face again. It was one of those very hormonal pregnancy days I guess but I felt so much love for this little boy and I am so thankful for everyone who was a part of that day with us.

And guess what? I brought my camera that day, but with all that was going on, I took ZERO pictures. So all I have is what I've stolen from my mom's facebook. This is why I love her.

♥

Let's compare, shall we?

Week 17. I had just gotten past being nauseous. All. The. Time. This was taken when I was in Oregon visiting my lovely mom and she threw me a little baby show while I was in town. When I was on the plane getting ready to land for my visit I felt this little tapping inside my stomach. At first I thought it was gas (yes, I'm going there.. gas) but then later that night I was sitting on the couch with a full bag of dried mango's and I felt it again. It was the tiniest little feeling, but I knew it was my baby. Needless to say, I felt all warm and happy inside. Oh, this weekend is also when I started feeling my stomach doing this upside down turny thing, which wasn't very comfortable... couple weeks later came to realize those were contractions. Or practice contractions rather. And I'm just telling you now, yes they get worse as the weeks go by. And yes, I'm one of those lucky ones that tends to feel every tightening, tensing, evolving thing going on in there. When some ladies tell me all they feel is their stomach get hard for a minute or two, I want to punch them. Just sayin.

Week 25. First, let me just put it out there, yes you are correct this is the same picture as my little circle one on the left. Now lets move on. This week I was well into my second trimester and hey, feeling pretty darn good. And loving things like popsicles, mac and cheese, bean burritos, trail mix and carrots with ranch. Glad this little boy threw some vegetables in there, otherwise I'd be worried. And I won't mention my need for vanilla coke. Which yes, I absolutely hated before pregnancy. And yes, I'll admit that I have had some every now and then. Do you know what happens when you deny a pregnant woman something she absolutely has to have? youdontwanttoknow.

Little boy sits verrryyyy low in my stomach. So lucky me, I still sort of have a waist. Sort of. But you know what has completely baffled me about pregnancy? The things random people say to you. Really, some very good, while others I'm sure are confused by the idiotic look on my face. Sometimes I am completely baffled and just sit there for longer than a few seconds with a blank look trying to figure out something to say to this person, that isn't rude. And I'll be the first to admit, my patience level? It has completely plummeted. You should see my road rage.

So now I am 29 weeks. And will do another update next week for 30 weeks and hopefully keep up from there on. Weird to think that my doctor appointments are every 2 weeks now, and this little one is coming faster than I could have imagined. And I cannot wait for that day.

♥

Hi Friends!

I am not entirely sure where all that time went, but I think it is now safe to say, I am back in the blogging business. For reals this time. Really. Things are in order and I am excited to get back into the hang of things. -- I did have a mini freak out over the new blogger layout situation, but thankfully I figured out how to change it back to normal and I now feel complete again. I hate it when they do that to us.

So in celebration of getting things back to "normal," how about a little bitty update? With detailed posts soon to come, of course.

The little foot kicking my ribs is reminding me to tell you that I am now 29 weeks along. (!!) Which absolutely blows my mind. We are kicking and hiccuping and full force punching over here. Let it be known that little baby Oliver is already excited to join us in the real world just as soon as he can. (Which can't seem to come fast enough for this mama.) As the weather slowly creeps towards 100, this belly gets bigger, and I seem to get hot flashes and swollen feet as a welcoming gift. Have I mentioned the eating? Sometimes I think getting hooked up to a food iv would be easier than taking the time to consume as much food as I do. But as we get settled into this third trimester we are getting things ready for a new little boy to join us. ----- Okay, maybe we haven't actually gotten that much done. Staring at the list for the hospital bag is a start, right? I'm hoping one day soon I get the time, and the energy, to get things really situated for our little one.

In other news...... okay so there isn't any other news. We have been consumed by baby these past 6 1/2 months and I think its safe to say that not much else has really changed. But I do have stories and breakdowns and adventures to share. So please stay tuned :) And I promise it won't be another 3 months from now..

♥

Happy Valentines Day!

Surreal Life.

 
When I first found out I was pregnant, I looked at that home test expecting a negative, and of course my jaw literally dropped. "Oh. My. Gosh.... ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh." I believe is what was said on my end. Shock. Good shock, but shock nonetheless. And then tears. Happy, happy tears.

After that I couldn't stop thinking. I still couldn't actually believe it. No one tells you that it takes awhile for it to actually set in and become real. It's not like your belly automatically pops out and you feel a little something moving around in there to reassure you, "Hey mom! I'm in here!" So I did what I'm sure every other mom does in those first couple of months. Dream, daydream, and think way too much.

The best way I could describe it to anyone was, "Surreal." I was constantly thinking about how when you're young, really young, you say, "One day I'm going to get married and have babies." And you grow up picturing these things wondering what it will be like, because you know it's in your future. But at the same time, it doesn't feel real. It doesn't feel like it will actually happen. You really just think you're going to be the same 13 year old girl forever daydreaming about these things.

And then you get married. You think, "Weird. I'm actually married now. I'm someone's wife." Once that finally sets in and you become comfortable and so happy, the question always comes up. "When are you going to have kids?" Oh. Psh. Not for a looooooong time. And then you think, wait, maybe we should. Should we? And the next thing you know, you're looking at a positive home pregnancy test saying, "Oh. My. Gosh."

I am so happy where I am at this point. And I hope that 13 year old me would be pleased as well. Although, the way 13 year old me pictured my life was being married to Justin Timberlake or Leondardo Dicaprio, with kids that seemed to just pop out at the age of 5. And there was no labor involved.

Or maybe that was just me.
♥

a new year, a new belly.

it seems like the last week this little one has decided it wanted to be around for the start of the new year. of course i'm not going to complain. the bigger this belly gets, it seems the more i get excited. all morning i found myself stuck to the computer dying over adorable baby finds. excitement is definitely starting to take the place of nausea.

speaking of nausea, at officially 12 weeks i'm excited to say this first trimester is about over. although, while the nausea is dwindling off just a little bit, it is being replaced by constant tiredness, back aches, and floods of emotion. i thought i cried a lot before. that was nothing.

no complaints over here tho. i can't believe how fast that first trimester went. the whole month of december was a hectic one and i was counting down the days until it was over. which is odd for me because if there is one thing people know, its that i love the holidays.

so here's to january. even tho i am always eager for summertime at this point, january is one of my favorite months. lets bring on a bigger belly, and a wonderful birthday to me.

♥

a new year..

its the first day of 2012 and i can already say, this is going to be a great year.

more on our weekend and updates later.

for right now, i wanted to share a little something that i made.

i am a big "to-do list" and goals person.

and of course, like a lot of people, i will make goals for the new year and then

sort of... totally forget about them.

i didnt want to do that this year!

with all the changes coming i feel like i need to be prepared, so i created a little reminder..

i am sort of in love with it.

i'm debating on a frame or hanging on my picture wall hanger.

either way, i know its going to be a good little reminder.

of course after i made it i realized, oh! i forgot to put this, this, and this on there.

so maybe i'll be making a little one to go next to it.

we'll see. depending on how ambitious i get.

happy new year to you all!

♥

all things baby...

there are no pictures for the moment it happened,

but i told my mama a couple weeks ago when we were all together in arizona.

she was thrilled.

and it was a happy moment.

and she has since told me repeatedly she is going to start buying baby stuff.

on thanksgiving we told jordans family.

everyone wrote on a leaf something they were thankful for,

then they all hung on a ribbon to read aloud after dinner.

jordans dad read them all to everyone and we made sure mine was last.

when it was read it took everyone a minute to realize what was happening.

and they almost didn't believe him.

then my happy tears gave it all away.

and now our moments are filled with all things baby.

*that diaper, i received in a bag from my first doctors appointment.

i literally squealed with delight when i opened it.

*baby mittens have to be the cutest mittens of them all.

*and dont you worry about those last ones. we had a little scare.

but all has turned out wonderfully.

it seems all i can do these days is daydream.

and you know whats funny?

remember how i've always said all of my baby dreams are about a girl?

well, i think its a boy.

and either way, i couldn't be happier.

♥

i'll let you in on a little secret why it's been so quiet over here for the past... month..

a little one is headed our way next summer!

and while the past month has been exciting and filled with baby adventures,

it has also had its down time and slightly stressful moments.

but i'm happy to report that baby and mama are doing just wonderful.

aside from the constant nausea and wanting to sleep through everything of course.

promise to start updating more and making things a little more interesting around here!

♥

Happy Halloween Eve!

now here's some slightly embarrassing pictures of me as a young'n

on halloween.

(with my favorite person, of course)

yes, i am barney.

because at that age, i couldn't think of anyone i loved more than a big purple dinosaur

that sang and danced.

i wish i still had that costume.

that second one? i have no idea.

but i'm thinking its a cross between a cheerleader and baby spice.

i used to think i was super cool and mix 2 people into one costume.

ex: the ghost of sporty spice.

i'm serious. everyone thought i was just a ghost and i was so upset.

scarred for life.

i've spent the last week watching Hocus Pocus, and Coraline, and Corpse Bride.

and i'm getting quite excited for tomorrow evening.

even though, i secretly still dont have a costume.

i should probably get on that.

♥

there are no words..

you guys,

i cannot even begin to describe the horrible evening i just had to top off a horrible day.

trust me when i say, this isn't a "please pity me" situation.

i will spare you the awful and disturbing details, but just know...

that i don't think i have ever been so angry. and annoyed. and disgusted.

i know, hard to think all of those thing is could be felt at once.

and for some reason, all i wanted to do was come home and blog about it.

maybe when i'm not so angry i'll tell you what went down.

because right now, some not so nice things might be said.

and i'm a nice person.

goodnight!

happy halloween!

♥

ps: yes, we are all fine over here!

its beginning to look, feel, and smell a lot like fall around these parts...

and it is quite lovely.

♥

baby on the brain.

little zoey has learned a new trick..

grabbing your face and giving you an open mouthed kiss.

most likely on your chin.

then she'll start blowing bubbles.

its pretty adorable.

and pretty hilarious.

speaking of babies.. i'm a girl. i have baby dreams, right?

(you all have them, i know you do.)

well last night i dreamed about a little baby girl.

she was beautiful.

and she was all mine.

and my uterus basically felt empty all day after that one haha..

and even tho the rest of my day wasn't, shall we say, fantastic..

i would remember my dream and get a little smile on my face.

like she was real or something.

now i've got baby on the brain.

and i've got it bad.

♥

also, for some reason, in my dreams its always a girl.

i wonder why that is..

a day full of beautiful surprises.

two posts in one day?

have i gone mad?

i just figured, today had been surprisingly nice and i thought i should share the little things.

of course, first i'll mention the promotion.

which i have decided to accept.

and i'm ball of nerves jumping into this, but i know it will be the best decision for me.

it came least expected and it has kind of changed my outlook on my job.

i just hope this new found outlook sticks around for awhile.

*crossing my fingers!

second, i saw this today.

aisles and aisles of beautiful Christmas.

nothing makes me happier.

i mean nothing.

another little surprise, went to starbucks drive thru, ordered a tall salted caramel latte.

after paying and handing my delicious beverage over they say,

"we accidentally made it a grande. there you go!"

free extra ounces of deliciousness? i'll take it!

and finally, this little beauty.

i'll just say it... i'm in love.

and i actually fell in love 3 times at DI today, but apparently life is full of hard decisions.

i'm still trying to grasp this concept.

i'm sure i'll have dreams about the others tonight, with sad looks on their faces asking

why i didnt bring them home with me.

yes, vintage dresses have sad faces. just go with it.

those little things today made my tuesday a surprisingly good one.

hoping and wishing it carries on thru the week.

♥

different paths.

have you ever had a day where you were handed two options,

and from those two options came two totally different paths?

i can think of a few times this has happened to me.

but today, it was almost ironic how quickly it all happened.

while at work at the bank i felt my phone vibrate in my back pocket.

when i got the chance i checked it and saw that i had a voicemail.

it was my old boss telling me to come in and talk to him.
(meaning he wanted me to work for him again.)

sidenote: i left by choice, to work at the bank.

so after listening to the call i started thinking to myself.

about all the things that would change, and the things that would stay the same.

i had been wanting this for awhile because things weren't going so smoothly for me at my current job.

then, interrupting my thoughts, the phone rang and i answered.

it was my boss at the bank.

calling to ask if i would call when my shift was over so they could talk to me about a new position.

a position that i had asked about quite awhile back.

so basically, i have two options in front of me.

an old position. and a new position.

you all kind of know i have my issues with my current job.

but this is a step forward, right?

something that would look good on the resume perhaps?

if i take it, i am committing to at least 6 months more at the bank.

given that choice a few months ago i would have ran away screaming.

but i also cant seem to help but think, taking my old job would be like taking a step backwards.

and i dont think i am in any position to be taking backward steps.

decisions, decisions.

♥

a carousel kind of evening.

tonight while the men of the family were at the priesthood session of conference,

all the ladies went to dinner and for a walk down main street.

awhile ago, the city bought a carousel and put it in the middle of town.

until tonight i had never even gone to see it.

{i have this thing against carousels}

and i also tend to get really motion sickness-y.

basically, i'm like an old lady.. but the cool kind.. that doesnt like carousels.

but i will tell you, i did go on this one.

twice.

probably because i had little zoey on the horse next to mine each time.

cant resist that face.

on an unrelated note:

today i won a bet.

what was it you ask?

over a year ago, a fellow i work with bet me that i would be pregnant by august 2011.

guess who gets a free lunch?

boooyaaaaah!

♥

slow motion.

i've had a hard time being away from my family lately.

especially after this last little trip.

parts of me feel like i'm missing out on so many things not being around them.

it sort of feels like a completely different life when i throw myself into it for the weekend.

in a good way, of course.

but almost a little too good.

if you know me, you know i'm the youngest by 8 years.

my mom and i moved to utah when i was 10.

and everytime we went down to visit, i would cry my little eyes out when having to leave.

even as i got older, it never got easier to say goodbye.

the past year i have visited a number of times, and i dont recall crying at all.

a record for me, mind you.

and this last time?

well i'll just tell you that i cried. hard. on and off till flagstaff.

(i still get teary eyed thinking about it)

little me is having a fantastic comeback with these tears.

so needless to say, this first day back home has been a slow motion one.

i'm wondering if it will go back to normal, like it always does with time.

at least i'm hoping.

♥