31 Weeks Along

Picture from my family shower on Saturday

Here's a quick update! A post of my baby showers coming soon! It's been a busy few weeks.

How Far Along: 31 weeks

Baby Size: 3.3 pounds, 16 inches

Baby Gender: GIRL!

How much weight have you gained/lost: 11 lbs.

Maternity clothes: Yes!

Stretch marks: Not yet. Let's keep it that way....

Sleep: Sleeping is getting more difficult. My hips ache and rolling over with a giant belly is getting harder. It's also HOT HOT HOT!

Baby Movement: I'm pretty sure she has dance parties in there some days.

Miss Anything: Being able to enjoy the sunshine and summertime...it's just too hot to be outside long

Any Fun Moments to Note: My first 2 baby showers! Our little lady is getting spoiled. (shower blog post to come...)

Food Cravings: Watermelon. It's my favorite.

Sick or Queasy: The heat is starting to make me nauseous at times

Other Symptoms: I've been having a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions lately and have to lay down on my left side to get them to calm down. They don't feel very good....

Labor Signs: Nope, hopefully not for a while

Belly Button in or out: Starting to pop out

Happy or Moody most of the time: Both--it's been hard to lay down and take it easy  when I know there's so much I still need to do.

Looking forward to: Finishing her nursery.

A Day for Mother's

Mother's Day this year was extra special-- not only did I get spoiled as a Mother-to-Be, but I was able to more fully appreciate the role of Mothers. It's crazy how from the moment I found out I was pregnant, my mind is now consumed with this little girl. I worry about everything now-- if I don't feel her kick for a day, if what I eat could harm her, if the things we buy for her are safe, how I'll protect her from the evils of the world.... the list could go on and on. It's crazy how much I love her already and I haven't even met her.

Being pregnant has helped me to truly appreciate Mother's and what they go through for their children. My mom was in the hospital 8 times before I was born and lost over 30 pounds during her pregnancy because she was so sick. My mom always says... "I remember the day that you were born". And I have always thought that was impossible. But not anymore... I realize now what she means. I imagine the day our little baby girl joins our family will be a day I will never ever forget. In fact, it's so momentous that I've been waiting, planning and counting down for it my whole life.
I have an amazing Mom and many other wonderful "other mother's" in my life that have set such great examples for me to follow. I hope that I can be as amazing as they are someday. My mom is ALWAYS, always serving others and always makes sure everyone is taken care of. She is so talented and driven and puts 110% into everything she does. Growing up, I was always excited to come home from school each day and tell my mom about everything that happened at school. We developed an amazing friendship that we still have to this day. I hope that I can be an amazing Mom to my kids as my Mom has been for me. I am sure I'll be calling her daily asking questions on what to do when my little girl arrives. I can't imagine not having my mom there as this adventure of parenthood unfolds! Thanks Mom for all that you do. I love you!

Ryan surprised me with a really nice "First Mother's Day" present. I have been looking for a rocker/glider for the nursery for a while now, and he found a really nice recliner that rocks too. I'm so excited to sit in it and rock my sweet baby girl to sleep. I have a feeling that I'll be sleeping in it lots too when I'm up at 3am with her. But it's really comfy AND it has a USB port in it, so I can charge my phone or whatever I need while I'm chilling in my new chair. Leave it to Ryan to buy something with some cool technological feature.

My new rocker recliner

The sign he made (with the help of his Mom)

And I'm officially 25 weeks along now. Baby girl is getting big! Here's my big belly pic.

25 weeks along.. in my comfy pants

Happy Mother's Day!

Girl Girl Girl

I'm a little late on this post, since we found out the gender of our little babe a few weeks ago. But the fact that I'm late doesn't make it any less exciting!! We are having a baby GIRL! 

Ryan and I both had the feeling from the beginning that it was a girl. I had always thought it would be fun to have a boy first because growing up I always wanted an older brother, and naturally, Ryan wanted a boy first...well, because he's a guy. But, I think secretly I was hoping for a girl. It's just too fun to think about dressing her up in bows and frilly girly pink stuff. As much as I think Ryan liked the thoughts of having a little football buddy, after watching him with our sweet niece Charlotte, I'm pretty sure he'll love a baby girl just as much. I'm sure she'll have her daddy wrapped around her little finger in no time!

I'm in my second trimester now, and starting to feel so much better! When we had our gender ultrasound (at 14 weeks), it was so fun to see her dancing around in there. She's an active little thing! I can't feel her moving yet, but I'm sure I will pretty soon. Everything in the ultrasound looked good and she's still measuring big, so I'm hoping they'll move my due date up when I go for my 20 week ultrasound in a few weeks. My mom and Grams have already started buying lots of pink stuff and making blankets and stuff like crazy! Here's some more pics of our little girl...

Her cute little profile

Girl Parts

Cute little thing!

Some BIG News

We are so excited to announce that we have a little human on the way! Ryan and I are so excited...and so nervous... to become parents, but we are ready for this awesome adventure! I mean, Ryan is 30 and I'm 29, so I guess it's about time. People have been bugging us about having a baby since the day we got married, I swear. So we are excited to finally join the Mom & Dad club.

I had my first ultrasound and doctor visit about 3 weeks ago and we got to see our teeny peanut and hear the little heartbeat! It was such a relief to hear the heartbeat and know that our baby is growing like it should. Here's our baby's first picture:

I am 12 weeks along now and finally starting into my second trimester. Woohoo! My official due date is August 28th, but the babe is already measuring a week or so ahead. 

THE STORY:

I found out I was pregnant in December--December 18th to be exact. I had suspected I was pregnant because I had a few symptoms, so I took a pregnancy test to work with me that morning. I saw the two pink lines when I took the test at work and decided to wait until I got home from work to tell Ryan. It was the LOONGGEST day at work, I was so excited to tell him! When I got home, I had a little present for him. I put the positive pregnancy test in a little bag with a baby onesie I made that said "You will soon learn that your Daddy is a nerd. He'll teach you all about Muggles, the one Ring and the ways of the force".

The first thing he said when he opened the bag was "We're pregnant!?" and then he gave me a big hug and kiss. Even though it was really early, we were too excited and we decided to tell our immediate family a few days later on Christmas. It seemed like the perfect Christmas gift for our parents.

We have all been keeping this big secret now for a few months, and it's been SO hard!

I was pretty sick from weeks 6-9, and have been really exhausted and zombie-ish since day one.... hence the lack of blog posts and social interaction. I haven't felt like doing much of anything so we've been laying low for the last little bit. Ryan has been so great to help me out since I've been feeling crappy and he's been so patient with me. I still have rough days here and there, but they are getting fewer and farther between. Now that I'm starting into my second trimester, I am feeling so much better and I almost feel human again. Growing a baby is exhausting! I feel so lucky that I was only really sick for a few weeks-- and although I was so miserable, I know I could have been much more sick and am so thankful that I was still able to work. Being pregnant so far has been quite the adventure! It's so crazy to wake up every morning and know that there's a little person growing inside of me. What an amazing gift it is. I'm looking forward to the rest of this grand adventure and mostly excited to see Ryan as a Daddy.

We will be able to find out if it's a BOY or a GIRL in just a few weeks!

We Love the Fall

There's just something about the Fall. It's such a beautiful time of year. It's almost like a kick-off to the Holiday season. It doesn't get much better than crisp Fall air, beautiful Fall colors, holiday decor, sweaters and boots. Ryan and I took a drive up to Silver Lake at Brighton one night to see the Fall leaves. Gosh it was beautiful up there, but freezing cold. Here's a few of the beautiful shots we took...

Happy One Year

Today is the one year anniversary of when I married my best friend. I cannot believe it's already been a whole year since our big day! Our wedding was so perfect. The weather cooperated, all of our best friends and family were there to celebrate with us, and most of all, I remember feeling so happy and excited to start my life with my amazing husband. And what a great first year it has been. I thank Heavenly Father every day for putting Ryan in my life. He is my best friend, biggest supporter, and my better half. His example makes me want to be a better person every day. I feel so blessed to have married such an amazing man and into such an amazing family. This past year, we have done a lot of traveling, house updating, and had lots of little adventures along the way. Every day with Ryan has been special, but here's a few of my favorite memories of our first year...

Our Honeymoon in Cancun
My First Utes Game

Watching HGTV shows together

Road trips

Singing "Let it Go" from Frozen at the top of our lungs

Pretending I'm not falling asleep when you read to me every night

Our weekly trips to Lowe's for building supplies

Watching Vampire Diaries and The Bachelor

Arguing over the water temperature in the shower

Our terrible potential baby names (for the future of course)

You always replacing my decorative soap dispenser with your Star Wars one 

You singing in the shower

Going to Mexico...twice

Watching you play with our niece and nephew

4-wheeling at Gooseberry

Surprising me with Tim McGraw tickets

Our trip to the South

Your surprise 30th birthday party

Doing building projects together

Nightly back rubs

My first NFL game in New Orleans
Trip to Mississippi & New Orleans 

A kiss every morning before you leave for work

Our First Holiday Season Together

 I had my gallbladder removed & Ryan took care of me

Hosting parties at our house

Michael Jackson show in Vegas
Trip to Chicago and Michigan

Ryan truly has made me happier than I ever could have imagined. Our first year together has been amazing. I look forward to our future adventures and to eternity together.

Happy Anniversary to my handsome husband!

Our Kitchen Update

Our kitchen update is finally complete! We had our kitchen cabinets painted white a few months ago, but to finish the look, we really wanted new counter tops. We found a good deal on quartz counters and ordered them in. You know you're old when you feel like a kid on Christmas Eve the night before you get your counter tops installed! That was me!

Then of course, once we got our counter tops, we had to put in a back splash too. One thing always leads to another when doing home projects. It never ends! We also framed all of the windows in the living areas. My awesome Mom helped me install the mosaic glass backsplash, and I love how it turned out. Between the fireplace and the counter tops, the whole room looks so different. I am so thankful to have an amazing husband that goes along with my crazy ideas and has been by my side learning how to do it all. My parents have also taught us so much and are always helping. I'm very blessed.

Goodbye Roseman

So, I made a big change last week....I said goodbye to Roseman University after 4 years. After a lot of thought, prayers, and support from my husband and family, I decided it was time for me to quit my job and find a new opportunity.  Over the past four years, I have learned so much, worked very hard to make the Admissions Office what it is today, and I made some great friendships. However, after many empty promises and a not so positive work environment, I decided I need to move on to a more positive place for me. My last day was Friday, August 1st. It was very surreal to pack up my office and walk out of the place I have spent so much time at the past four years. I put my heart into that place and I really loved a lot of things about my job. It was so great to be able to make a difference in the lives of the students. I will miss working with the them and doing what I love, but I am also looking forward to finding a great new opportunity and adventure. It's a little scary, but exciting at the same time. So now I am a stay at home wife until I can find another opportunity. But don't worry, I feel like I have been even busier since I have been off. I haven't gone to our pool once or sat down to watch an episode of my favorite, CSI. I have kept super busy crafting and doing projects around the house. Oh and job hunting, that's a full-time job in itself. 

So, here's to a new adventure! I hope I can find something great! 

PS. I have to say how thankful I am to have such a supportive husband. Through this experience, I have realized even more how great of a man he is. He has been my cheerleader the whole way and I know he cares so much about my happiness. He was willing to take on the challenge of having only one income during the time that I am jobless, and I am amazed at his positivity. I am so thankful for him and couldn't have made this change without his support and love.

The view from my office window

My cute office all packed up and empty

My name plate

Beautiful flowers from my sweet co-worker Karen

Smith Family Camp 2014

This year was Ryan's first time going to our annual Smith family camping trip. Every summer for as long as I can remember, my whole extended family on my Mom's side goes on a week-long camping trip. It's great that we've been able to continue the tradition after all these years. Our usual spots are 12-Mile Canyon in Sanpete, Manti canyon, Fishlake National Forest, and we have been to a few other places over the years. I always look forward to our camping trip! We always have tons of fun together. This year Ryan and I only got to go for 4 days, but we still had a lot of fun. We played in the hand and foot card tournament, played more card games, went 4-wheeling, did some exploring, and of course ate lots of delicious dutch-oven food. And after hanging out with my crazy fun family that long, Ryan still loves me! Until next year...

Me and my sis 

My cute Momma doing her puzzle 

Playing cards 

Hand and Foot Tournament

Cute Rustin Bug 

We ate lots of delicious dutch oven food 

Mom and Bennie playing hand and foot 

Rustin and his bud Char-wee

The boys hitting some golf balls up the mountain

He loves Cheetos 

Me and my Rustin Bug 

Playing in our tent 

Our new camping home 

My cool Dad 

The gang relaxing 

Hey Amy D 

Char discovered her love for photography with my new camera

roasting cinnamon rolls in the fire 

I love camp fires 

Just chillin' around the fire 

The smelly boys--and Carolyn 

Ryan loves his bug zapper 

4-wheelin 

Raymond geo-cache hunting 

He looks good on a 4-wheeler 

The pretty mountains 

My fav 

The boys on one of our 4-wheeling adventures 

Pretty little lake on our 4-wheeler adventure 

Rustin pushed the cooler around like his lawnmower 

Mags- my sister dog 

Ry loves fishing 

Qualyn thinks he's cool 

The Smith Family 

Me and Ry 

Riley fishing in the stream 

Aubs, Char and I 

Ryan having too much fun zapping bugs 

Char jumping the stream 

Cute Riley and Aubrey 

Hahaha Char?? 

Having fun playing around with my camera 

Grizzly Bear 

Slick and Carolyn 

Riley 

Rustin loved the 4-wheelers 

My Mom and Dad 

Ry and Aubs 

Nice pose Amy  

Me and my handsome hubby--and my sunburned nose 

Such a cute little 2-year-old 

Hangin by the fire 

Grams' taking Rustin bug for a ride in the RAZR 

Ryan helping me decorate my camp shirt

RYMANDA 

Rustin and his Grandpa Ricky 

Grandma has a new favorite toy  

Ryan throwing the shot put 

Another throw 

Char showing him how it's done   

Ryan won the shot put competition 

More golfing 

Rustin wanted to try 

Grams doing a little sewing 

Riley and Ryan bathing in the stream 

Scrub a dub dub 

All Clean 

Haha 

A cool shot by Char 

My cute Gramps 

I sure love this guy 

So does Char

Dad and the boys went to find wood for the fire