Friday, December 30, 2016
Kay, so seriously, one of the best best parts about being pregnant and having a little human on the way is creating a space for him. My nesting urge has been threat level midnight lately and I have probably driven Dal absolutely CRAZY, but I can't stop, won't stop. I've always been an organizing freak, but this pregnancy thing has taken it to a whole new level of crazy. I realize more and more
BABY'S ROOM
December 30, 2016 • Lifestyle, PROJECTS
30 WEEKS BUMPDATE
December 12, 2016 • Lifestyle
Friday, December 9, 2016
How far along? 30 weeks! (This feels like a big milestone!)
Maternity clothes? Yep. All big clothes now. Can't squeeze into most of my old clothes anymore.
Stretch marks? Some... but not in the places I expected lol.
Sleep: Ehhh not great lately. I get really uncomfortable if I stay in the same position for very long.
How far along? 30 weeks! (This feels like a big milestone!)
Maternity clothes? Yep. All big clothes now. Can't squeeze into most of my old clothes anymore.
Stretch marks? Some... but not in the places I expected lol.
Sleep: Ehhh not great lately. I get really uncomfortable if I stay in the same position for very long.
THANKSGIVING THOUGHTS
November 28, 2016 • FOOD, Lifestyle, PROJECTS, THOUGHTS
Monday, November 28, 2016
It's hard to believe that November has come and (almost) gone. It was perhaps the quickest month of the year for me! Last week was Thanksgiving and we were able to go to Southern California and spend it with my family. I thought I'd recap some of my favorite things from our trip & also some of my thoughts + feelings as of late.
1. Family time. I wish I had an awesome picture to share, but I was
It's hard to believe that November has come and (almost) gone. It was perhaps the quickest month of the year for me! Last week was Thanksgiving and we were able to go to Southern California and spend it with my family. I thought I'd recap some of my favorite things from our trip & also some of my thoughts + feelings as of late.
1. Family time. I wish I had an awesome picture to share, but I was
25 WEEKS BUMPDATE
November 8, 2016 • Lifestyle
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
How far along? 25 weeks + 4 days
Maternity clothes? Adding more and more maternity pieces into my wardrobe. Especially in the way of dresses - as those seem to be harder to get away with regular.
Stretch marks? Not yet!
Sleep: More and more weird dreams and nightmares... what's new? Lots of early delivery dreams, Dal disappearing, and me ending up in labor at the hospital with very, very random people.
I've been a bit more comfortable at night lately, though, so that's good.
Best moment this week: (Couple weeks ago) Baby shopping with my mama! It was so fun and so helpful to be able to look at all the different accessories and stuff and read about their different features, etc. Kinda get a plan for what we want. And pick up some cute baby clothes along the way. :)
It's been fun to start adding little bits and pieces to our mostly empty nursery. A crib, a stroller, a carseat, some little decorations... makes me so so excited!
Dal and I also registered last week, which was really fun & exciting. :)
Prego Brain Moments? Hmmm.. nothing stands out to me from the last couple weeks!
Movement: Yes, always. Every hour of the day, it seems. My mom got to feel him too while she was down, so that made me happy. :) He's starting kicking in new locations, too. i.e. my bladder, ribs, and the very very side of my abdomen. All very interesting to experience for the first time haha. His very favorite spots to sit are (still) on my right side, straight up and down, and lately he likes to lay across the very top of my belly.
Food cravings: Corn dogs one day. Sweet potato fries a couple times. Pork roast + cheesy potatoes.
Anything making you queasy or sick: I've had bad acid reflux. Like, really bad. I can't tie it to anything in specific. Just anything basically.
Gender: Boy! <3 :)
Labor signs: Nope. (or not that I know of.... doctor asked me if I had had any contractions, but I really don't know what those feel like, so hopefully no?!)
Symptoms: A lot of the same :) Heartburn, though now more during the day than at night. Not sure why... More sore tummy and aching back. Being very slow to roll over/move, etc. haha. I'm sure Dal finds it pretty comical. Being out of breath and having a hard time bending over. Also, I've had sharp pains and lots of tenderness on the right side of my belly button. Very uncomfortable. Doctor said it's probably a ripped/torn muscle in my abdomen (yay!) haha
Belly button in or out? Still in, but I have a feeling it'll pop by Thanksgiving.
Wedding rings on or off? Wedding ring is still on, though definitely more snug than usual. I had to take off the ring I wear on my right hand as it was too tight.
Happy or moody most of the time: Very, very emotional this week. Very.
Looking forward to: Finishing baby's dresser (we are DIYing one we bought at DI for really cheap), more baby shopping. The end of the second trimester coming up!
How far along? 25 weeks + 4 days
Maternity clothes? Adding more and more maternity pieces into my wardrobe. Especially in the way of dresses - as those seem to be harder to get away with regular.
Stretch marks? Not yet!
Sleep: More and more weird dreams and nightmares... what's new? Lots of early delivery dreams, Dal disappearing, and me ending up in labor at the hospital with very, very random people.
I've been a bit more comfortable at night lately, though, so that's good.
Best moment this week: (Couple weeks ago) Baby shopping with my mama! It was so fun and so helpful to be able to look at all the different accessories and stuff and read about their different features, etc. Kinda get a plan for what we want. And pick up some cute baby clothes along the way. :)
It's been fun to start adding little bits and pieces to our mostly empty nursery. A crib, a stroller, a carseat, some little decorations... makes me so so excited!
Dal and I also registered last week, which was really fun & exciting. :)
Prego Brain Moments? Hmmm.. nothing stands out to me from the last couple weeks!
Movement: Yes, always. Every hour of the day, it seems. My mom got to feel him too while she was down, so that made me happy. :) He's starting kicking in new locations, too. i.e. my bladder, ribs, and the very very side of my abdomen. All very interesting to experience for the first time haha. His very favorite spots to sit are (still) on my right side, straight up and down, and lately he likes to lay across the very top of my belly.
Food cravings: Corn dogs one day. Sweet potato fries a couple times. Pork roast + cheesy potatoes.
Anything making you queasy or sick: I've had bad acid reflux. Like, really bad. I can't tie it to anything in specific. Just anything basically.
Gender: Boy! <3 :)
Labor signs: Nope. (or not that I know of.... doctor asked me if I had had any contractions, but I really don't know what those feel like, so hopefully no?!)
Symptoms: A lot of the same :) Heartburn, though now more during the day than at night. Not sure why... More sore tummy and aching back. Being very slow to roll over/move, etc. haha. I'm sure Dal finds it pretty comical. Being out of breath and having a hard time bending over. Also, I've had sharp pains and lots of tenderness on the right side of my belly button. Very uncomfortable. Doctor said it's probably a ripped/torn muscle in my abdomen (yay!) haha
Belly button in or out? Still in, but I have a feeling it'll pop by Thanksgiving.
Wedding rings on or off? Wedding ring is still on, though definitely more snug than usual. I had to take off the ring I wear on my right hand as it was too tight.
Happy or moody most of the time: Very, very emotional this week. Very.
Looking forward to: Finishing baby's dresser (we are DIYing one we bought at DI for really cheap), more baby shopping. The end of the second trimester coming up!
PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE COOKIES
November 4, 2016 • FOOD
Friday, November 4, 2016
This week involved way too much adulting. Way, way too much. Add in there a mess of hormones and it was an interrresting week. Every night was busy with family events, church callings, work, chores, and my incessant (and early?) need to organize, clean, rearrange, and "nest."
Then Dal had to fly out midday Wednesday to Arizona for a work emergency. That evening I found myself watching birth story videos and bawling my eyes out. Later that night, I couldn't get ahold of Dal & my mind automatically jumped to the worst- imagining him kidnapped or dead on the side of the road. I kind of had a breakdown...crying and thinking I cannot raise this baby on my own! Luckily, his phone was just in his backpack. Phew.
Then, our fridge broke. And half of our fridge contents went bad (said fridge contents were purchased just days ago, so, that was depressing). Luckily, our landlord delivered a new fridge today. And it's great. But it also is deeper and completely blocks 2 of my most-used cupboards in our little kitchen. haha.
Then my OB told me I was measuring 1-2 cm bigger than I'm supposed to and I hate that someone is weighing and measuring me every few weeks - haha. (cookies probably won't help that, huh?) And thennnnn the insurance lady I talked to on the phone this morning freaked me out - telling me the hospital I'm scheduled to deliver in, and my OB, are not covered on our insurance plan. (She was wrong, thankfully).
Long story short, I've been next to tears all week. Partially because of actual stress and mostly because I'm 6 months pregnant.
Thankfully, I've got a cute baby bump that wiggles and twitches and moves all day long. We have a crib in our nursery, and I get happy everytime I walk into that room and imagine a baby sleeping in it in just a few short months. It's November & that means its time to start thinking Thanksgiving & Christmas. And my sweet Dal is still my best friend, still alive, and still my partner through it all.
AND I made cookies..... Which is what this post is actually supposed to be about, huh?
So, yes! These cookies are delish. I love how "Autumn" they feel and their uniqueness. Love these because anything with cream cheese is great + they're not overwhelmingly pumpkin - just a hint. And they're pretty simple and easy, too!
PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE COOKIES
This week involved way too much adulting. Way, way too much. Add in there a mess of hormones and it was an interrresting week. Every night was busy with family events, church callings, work, chores, and my incessant (and early?) need to organize, clean, rearrange, and "nest."
Then Dal had to fly out midday Wednesday to Arizona for a work emergency. That evening I found myself watching birth story videos and bawling my eyes out. Later that night, I couldn't get ahold of Dal & my mind automatically jumped to the worst- imagining him kidnapped or dead on the side of the road. I kind of had a breakdown...crying and thinking I cannot raise this baby on my own! Luckily, his phone was just in his backpack. Phew.
Then, our fridge broke. And half of our fridge contents went bad (said fridge contents were purchased just days ago, so, that was depressing). Luckily, our landlord delivered a new fridge today. And it's great. But it also is deeper and completely blocks 2 of my most-used cupboards in our little kitchen. haha.
Then my OB told me I was measuring 1-2 cm bigger than I'm supposed to and I hate that someone is weighing and measuring me every few weeks - haha. (cookies probably won't help that, huh?) And thennnnn the insurance lady I talked to on the phone this morning freaked me out - telling me the hospital I'm scheduled to deliver in, and my OB, are not covered on our insurance plan. (She was wrong, thankfully).
Long story short, I've been next to tears all week. Partially because of actual stress and mostly because I'm 6 months pregnant.
Thankfully, I've got a cute baby bump that wiggles and twitches and moves all day long. We have a crib in our nursery, and I get happy everytime I walk into that room and imagine a baby sleeping in it in just a few short months. It's November & that means its time to start thinking Thanksgiving & Christmas. And my sweet Dal is still my best friend, still alive, and still my partner through it all.
AND I made cookies..... Which is what this post is actually supposed to be about, huh?
So, yes! These cookies are delish. I love how "Autumn" they feel and their uniqueness. Love these because anything with cream cheese is great + they're not overwhelmingly pumpkin - just a hint. And they're pretty simple and easy, too!
PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE COOKIES
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie)
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- a dash of allspice
- a dash of nutmeg
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 and line 2 sheet trays with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, stir together cream cheese, butter, and pumpkin until completely smooth. Add in the sugar and vanilla and stir until combined. Add the flour, 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, dash of allspice, dash of nutmeg. Mix. Scoop into balls (this is a very soft, sticky dough) and roll in the remaining graham cracker crumbs + some cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. Place on the tray and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, slightly press down tops of cookies with a fork so they are almost flat. Bake for 3 more minutes. Repeat with remaining dough.
**BEST SERVED COLD**
22 WEEKS BUMPDATE
October 16, 2016 • Lifestyle
How far along? 22 weeks 2 days
Maternity clothes? Mostly regular still. I went through my closet the other day though and tried eeeeeverything on. Then I packed away all of the stuff I know won't fit me for the next 6 months or so. I also ordered a bunch of stuff from Target and Walmart online that should be coming this week. Shopping for maternity clothes is hard! Everything is so expensive and the in-store selection at most places is very dismal.
Stretch marks? Not yet!
Sleep: Sleep seems to go up and down. Some nights are better than others. My stomach always seems to feel tighter during the night. Is that normal? I dunno. I still get really sore throughout the night and I've had some more weird dreams... more and more about the actual baby. And several about the baby being born within the next month and then growing very very rapidly. So weird.
Best moment this week: So almost 2 weeks ago I felt baby kick for the first time and those kicks get bigger and stronger everyday! But now another super cool thing I've discovered is that when I lay down at night (I usually lounge on my back, kind of sitting up, for a while), baby usually comes to the surface of my belly and I can feel him! Like, through my stomach! It's soooo crazy weird. My stomach will get really hard in one spot and I put my hand there and I can feel baby wiggle around and rub against my hand. It's insanely cool (though pretty uncomfortable for some reason). And then after a few minutes, he disappears. So crazy. I'm anxiously awaiting being able to feel hiccups, as I've heard those are pretty cute, too. :)
Also, we announced, finally! Which is a big relief and so fun to let everyone in on our secret. I feel like I can be pregnant for real now. haha
Prego Brain Moments? Mostly this past week I've just not been able to talk right haha. I keep saying ridiculous things and made up words and there was one time when I was in the car and trying to say something to Dal and it literally came out as gibberish-- like not 1 real word. And I couldn't fix it for a few seconds. It was the weirdest thing. Dal and I had a good laugh about it. The other day I referred to the month "Febtember" as well.
Movement: Tons & tons everyday. He startles me sometimes with a really big kick or a knee/elbow pushing and rubbing against the inside of my stomach.
Food cravings: Hmmm.... not too many that I can think of.
Anything making you queasy or sick: If I don't eat for a while, I've been getting queasy.
Gender: Boy! <3 :)
Labor signs: Nope. (Though I've heard some women get Braxton Hicks during 2nd trimester? and now I'ma littl paranoid)
Symptoms: A lot of the same :) Heartburn, though now more during the day than at night. Not sure why... More sore tummy and aching back. Being very slow to roll over/move, etc. haha. I'm sure Dal finds it pretty comical.
Belly button in or out? Still in, but on it's way out!
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy, but emotional.
Looking forward to: My mama coming to visit next week and doing baby stuff with her!<3 <3 <3
20 WEEKS BUMPDATE
October 6, 2016 • Lifestyle
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
How far along? 20 Weeks 5 Days
Maternity clothes? Still big sweaters and flowy tops + rubber banded pants. :) Going to try and turn some of my jeans into maternity jeans this weekend. woo!
Stretch marks? None yet, but I can feel my stomach stretching! It's been super itchy this week.
Sleep: Dal was awesome and ordered me a pregnancy pillow last week, which has helped immensely. It stays in place and hugs me all night. :) But my dreams just get weirder and weirder. Every night. I've started to have scary dreams about pregnancy, delivery, etc. Like Dal being nowhere to be found as I'm going into labor. Being bitten by a poisonous snake and miscarrying. Having a terrifying and very disobedient newborn who can walk and run and climb the walls? (weird, I told ya!)
Best moment this week: Hands down--- feeling baby kick! I've been dying for it to happen for weeks and it finally happened last Thursday (19 weeks 6 days) while i was sitting at my desk at work. I wasn't sure if I was imagining it at first but then it happened again. And again! People always ask how it feels and I'm still not sure how to describe it... it's like little twitches... someone described it as feeling like bubbles popping in your stomach. I dunno. You just know when you feel it. And its pretty dang great.
It's become my most favorite thing to feel throughout the day and baby now kicks for maybe 20-30 minutes 3-4 times a day. I looooooooveeeeee it. It's like he's saying "hello!" The kicks seem to get stronger by the day, and they even woke me up during the night a couple days ago.
I thought I would be the only one who could feel the kicks for a few weeks before people could feel it just by touching my stomach, but I was wrong! Early Saturday morning, baby started kicking strong. I woke Dal up and said, "Baby's awake!" and had him put his hand on my stomach. And sure enough, he was able to feel the little kicks. :) So, so cool. On Sunday we spent the day with Dal's family and baby was super active for like 2 hours straight in the evening. Dal's cousins and siblings took turns feeling the baby kick. It was so fun. :) I know a lot of women hate having other people touch their pregnant belly, but so far I'm the opposite.... I'm like, hey you! Come feel baby kick!
Second best moment this week: 20-week-ultrasound! We got to see our little squish again... dancing all over in my belly. It seriously is the coolest thing. And so funny how obsessed you become over the funniest little things. This time we got to see his femur... his spine... his cute little bum... and they're just all so perfect. He was hanging out upside down during this ultrasound and I can't help but wonder what it is scientifically that allows babies to be upside down so much without the blood rushing to their heads? Dunno the answer, but it's pretty cool.
Prego Brain Moments? Last week I had the worst prego brain moment of all so far. I forgot to put on a bra. Yup, you read that right. How? I have no idea. I didn't even notice until I was at work and reached across my body for something and my arm brushed my chest. I was like.... something's different. And then i was mortified hahaha. Thankfully I was wearing a loose top and a big cardigan and had virtual meetings for much of the day in which I could close my office door and be by myself. Definitely an adventure ;)
Movement: Yes!!! Woo!!!!
Food cravings: I haven't really noticed many specific cravings this week. Thai food sounded really good to me Friday night. Other than that, not a whole lot.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Smells of leftovers. Why? I do not know.
Gender: Boy! <3 :)
Labor signs: Nope.
Symptoms: Some more awful heartburn. And a very sore tummy/lower abdomen. I've been reading about round ligament pain, and I've definitely got that going on. It hurts whenever I sneeze haha.
Belly button in or out? In! But I can feel that it's on its way out... it's not as sunken in as usual. It's much more shallow than it used to be haha.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or moody most of the time: Still happy most of the time, with occasion mood swings for no reason. (sorry, Dal!)
Looking forward to: Doctor's appointment on Thursday to get the results of 20-week ultrasound & announcing the pregnancy publicly (finally) probably this weekend!
PERFECT FALL DESSERT: CARROT CAKE
September 26, 2016 • FOOD
Monday, September 26, 2016
This past weekend Saturday was one of those perfect chilly, gloomy, rainy transition days into Fall. The air was crisp and smelled like wet leaves. The sky was dark and cloudy. And the pitter-patter of rain falling to the earth filled my house through our open windows. It was one of those first Fall days requiring a sweater and slippers on my feet. One of those days that makes you want to light all the candles in your house, do some major cuddling, and bake something delicious.
I decided to make one of my favorite Fall treats - Carrot Cake. As a kid, I was appalled by the idea of carrot cake. Vegetables in cake? Yuck. But, thank goodness, I have since come around and opened my eyes to the carrot cake in all its tasty, moist wonder. Seriously, its one of the best treats. And feels so Fall-y. Plus, add cream cheese frosting to anything and you're in good shape.
There was kind of a funny story behind this particular baking extravaganza. Another case of pregnancy brain. This carrot cake recipe is from our family cookbook. However, there is a second carrot cake recipe in the family cookbook on the next page. When I started baking on Saturday, I didn't realize I was looking at the wrong recipe (some generic, average carrot cake recipe.... not our amazing family recipe). It felt "off" the entire time I was baking. Just didn't look quite right. But I didn't even consider that I was looking at the wrong recipe. Until it was done baking. And I turned the page in the cookbook. And alas, there was the correct recipe. I tasted the cake I had baked from the wrong recipe, and it just was. not. good. Not at all. So sub par and not at all what I had been anticipating all morning. (I found myself wondering why this crappy recipe was ever included in our family recipe book?)
Pregnancy hormones raging full force, I cried. And Dal tried to be sweet and comforting in between giggles at the situation. Long story short, I insisted upon starting over and making a new cake, with the correct recipe. And boy am I glad I did. All worth it when I took the first bite of the right cake. So much better. Mmmm.
This past weekend Saturday was one of those perfect chilly, gloomy, rainy transition days into Fall. The air was crisp and smelled like wet leaves. The sky was dark and cloudy. And the pitter-patter of rain falling to the earth filled my house through our open windows. It was one of those first Fall days requiring a sweater and slippers on my feet. One of those days that makes you want to light all the candles in your house, do some major cuddling, and bake something delicious.
I decided to make one of my favorite Fall treats - Carrot Cake. As a kid, I was appalled by the idea of carrot cake. Vegetables in cake? Yuck. But, thank goodness, I have since come around and opened my eyes to the carrot cake in all its tasty, moist wonder. Seriously, its one of the best treats. And feels so Fall-y. Plus, add cream cheese frosting to anything and you're in good shape.
There was kind of a funny story behind this particular baking extravaganza. Another case of pregnancy brain. This carrot cake recipe is from our family cookbook. However, there is a second carrot cake recipe in the family cookbook on the next page. When I started baking on Saturday, I didn't realize I was looking at the wrong recipe (some generic, average carrot cake recipe.... not our amazing family recipe). It felt "off" the entire time I was baking. Just didn't look quite right. But I didn't even consider that I was looking at the wrong recipe. Until it was done baking. And I turned the page in the cookbook. And alas, there was the correct recipe. I tasted the cake I had baked from the wrong recipe, and it just was. not. good. Not at all. So sub par and not at all what I had been anticipating all morning. (I found myself wondering why this crappy recipe was ever included in our family recipe book?)
Pregnancy hormones raging full force, I cried. And Dal tried to be sweet and comforting in between giggles at the situation. Long story short, I insisted upon starting over and making a new cake, with the correct recipe. And boy am I glad I did. All worth it when I took the first bite of the right cake. So much better. Mmmm.
Carrot Cake
- 2 Cups flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 Cups sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 Cups oil
- 2 Cups finely grated carrots
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 Cup well-drained crushed pineapple
- 1 Cup coconut
In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour, salt, cinnamon, sugar, baking soda). Add eggs, oil, carrots, and vanilla; beat until combined. Stir in pineapple and coconut. Pour into a greased pan (cake pan or bundt cake pan). Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes, or until toothpick poked into cake comes out clean. Let cake cool. Top with cream cheese frosting. Store in refrigerator.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 (8 oz.) package of cream cheese, softened
- 6 Tbsp. butter or margarine, softened
- 3 Cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl with mixer until combined and smooth.
And, enjoy! :)
18 WEEK BUMPDATE
September 22, 2016 • Lifestyle
Thursday, September 22, 2016
From this point forward, I am going to keep my posts a bit more simple. I'll add in fun stories and feelings along the way too. Plus a bump picture. :)
How far along? 18 weeks 6 days. I'm never quite sure what to say because I was given 2 different due dates by my OB, like 3 days apart. So I go back and forth :)
Maternity clothes? Sometimes. I really haven't bought any maternity tops yet, just some pairs of pants. I generally switch between regular jeans and maternity pants (I'm not ready to say goodbye to all my fav jeans yet!). When I wear the regular jeans though, I notice a difference. They just don't quite fit. But the huge band that's supposed to go over your belly with maternity pants drives me crazy! As far as tops go, I generally just wear loose, flowy tops or big sweaters so far.
Stretch marks? None yet.
Sleep: Definitely has gotten worse over the past 2 weeks. I'm uncomfortable at night now and sleeping on my tummy is no longer relaxing, just verrry uncomfortable. I'm confined to sleeping on my side but I find my hips and back to be very sore in the morning. I've also started having very strange dreams nearly every night now. My dad telling my I'm pathetic for no reason, my mom leaving me to fight off a small, but incredibly strong orange snake, me feeling the need to pee in every bucket/container type thing in my bedroom instead of in the toilet, and a whole bunch of others. They are very vivid and I seem to remember them more than I used to.
Best moment this week: Pregnancy plays with your mind... especially before you start feeling your baby move all the time. I was paranoid the other day because I hadn't seem my tummy move in a while. I stood there, staring down at it and said, "Okay baby, mom needs to see you move." And right then, 3 twitches in a row. Made me feel much better. :)
Prego Brain Moments? Yes. Lol. My new hobby seems to be throwing away things that should not be thrown away. I threw away a Tupperware container full of the leftovers I had just packed. And our can opener. Dal found both later. And the other day at work, I went to grab a piece of gum. Unwrapped it. Threw away the gum. Put the wrapper in my mouth. #winning
Miss anything? Normal sleep and no back pain.
Movement: Haven't felt any yet. Hopefully soon. Fingers crossed!
Food cravings: Soup, still. Any soup. All soup. Just soup. I also really wanted a corndog the other day. Aaaaaand. Apple cider. Gimme gimme.
Anything making you queasy or sick: I saw some gross picture of a rat the other day on Facebook that made me gag. But then again, I guess that could make anyone gag, pregnant or not.
Gender: Boy! <3 :)
Labor signs: Nope.
Symptoms: Tired. Alllll the time. And heartburn, but not quite as bad as it was like 2 weeks ago. And soreness/pain in my stomach and pelvis. + back aches quite a lot. Acne has gone down a bit, thankfully.
Belly button in or out? In!
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy! But always one dog video away from sobbing. Seriously, I cried like 5 times at my desk the other day because my dad texted me something nice and then later I saw an old picture of a group of friends. Everything makes me cry. I cry because I'm hungry, I'm happy, I'm sad, I'm tired, something is funny, something is rude, I had to wait for something, Dal was super sweet, I dropped my meatball, the sky looked pretty. Everything.
Looking forward to: 20-week ultrasound. We get to see
baby again & I feel like it's a big milestone!
From this point forward, I am going to keep my posts a bit more simple. I'll add in fun stories and feelings along the way too. Plus a bump picture. :)
How far along? 18 weeks 6 days. I'm never quite sure what to say because I was given 2 different due dates by my OB, like 3 days apart. So I go back and forth :)
Maternity clothes? Sometimes. I really haven't bought any maternity tops yet, just some pairs of pants. I generally switch between regular jeans and maternity pants (I'm not ready to say goodbye to all my fav jeans yet!). When I wear the regular jeans though, I notice a difference. They just don't quite fit. But the huge band that's supposed to go over your belly with maternity pants drives me crazy! As far as tops go, I generally just wear loose, flowy tops or big sweaters so far.
Stretch marks? None yet.
Sleep: Definitely has gotten worse over the past 2 weeks. I'm uncomfortable at night now and sleeping on my tummy is no longer relaxing, just verrry uncomfortable. I'm confined to sleeping on my side but I find my hips and back to be very sore in the morning. I've also started having very strange dreams nearly every night now. My dad telling my I'm pathetic for no reason, my mom leaving me to fight off a small, but incredibly strong orange snake, me feeling the need to pee in every bucket/container type thing in my bedroom instead of in the toilet, and a whole bunch of others. They are very vivid and I seem to remember them more than I used to.
Best moment this week: Pregnancy plays with your mind... especially before you start feeling your baby move all the time. I was paranoid the other day because I hadn't seem my tummy move in a while. I stood there, staring down at it and said, "Okay baby, mom needs to see you move." And right then, 3 twitches in a row. Made me feel much better. :)
Prego Brain Moments? Yes. Lol. My new hobby seems to be throwing away things that should not be thrown away. I threw away a Tupperware container full of the leftovers I had just packed. And our can opener. Dal found both later. And the other day at work, I went to grab a piece of gum. Unwrapped it. Threw away the gum. Put the wrapper in my mouth. #winning
Miss anything? Normal sleep and no back pain.
Movement: Haven't felt any yet. Hopefully soon. Fingers crossed!
Food cravings: Soup, still. Any soup. All soup. Just soup. I also really wanted a corndog the other day. Aaaaaand. Apple cider. Gimme gimme.
Anything making you queasy or sick: I saw some gross picture of a rat the other day on Facebook that made me gag. But then again, I guess that could make anyone gag, pregnant or not.
Gender: Boy! <3 :)
Labor signs: Nope.
Symptoms: Tired. Alllll the time. And heartburn, but not quite as bad as it was like 2 weeks ago. And soreness/pain in my stomach and pelvis. + back aches quite a lot. Acne has gone down a bit, thankfully.
Belly button in or out? In!
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy! But always one dog video away from sobbing. Seriously, I cried like 5 times at my desk the other day because my dad texted me something nice and then later I saw an old picture of a group of friends. Everything makes me cry. I cry because I'm hungry, I'm happy, I'm sad, I'm tired, something is funny, something is rude, I had to wait for something, Dal was super sweet, I dropped my meatball, the sky looked pretty. Everything.
Looking forward to: 20-week ultrasound. We get to see
baby again & I feel like it's a big milestone!
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
I've been MIA for quite a while, haven't I? Woops. I mean to write every week and somehow life just seems to get in the way and I put it off. Well, it's been 8 weeks from the last time I gave an update. I'll run through everything quickly.
At about 10 1/2 weeks, my pregnancy symptoms seemed to vanish overnight. My nausea completely disappeared and I got really, really worried. I started trying to mentally prepare myself for bad news at my 12-week checkup. But, thankfully, the 12-week checkup went well. Dal got to hear the little heartbeat. And once again, the fact that we're growing a little baby became even more real.
I told a few more close family members and friends the news. I seem to get the courage to share the news with a select few more people after every checkup-- knowing that at least for a little while longer, my baby is growing and healthy. Is that totally weird of me? I'm so anxious and feel like it could be taken away from me at any given second.
At 15 weeks Dal and I went to a place called Fetal Fotos to find out the gender. We were sooooo excited and sooooo nervous. It was AMAZING to see our baby in the ultrasound. A REAL baby. I'll never forget seeing its little hand, seeming to wave to us, for the first time. Or seeing its tongue and mouth move as it sucked on its finger. Yep, 15 weeks, guys. This isn't some clump of cells. This is a real, living baby. Doing baby things. We watched the baby stretch and wiggle around... But to our dismay, it sat with its legs crossed, modestly hiding the part we were dying to see. The nurse had me stand up, dance, do jumping jacks, drink cold water. All to try and get that little squish to move. All to no avail. I'm sitting there thinking, "Come on baby! This is the one time we want you to show off your parts!" Dal and I went home pretty disappointed and desperately hoping this wouldn't be the pattern for all our ultrasounds going forward.
We returned 5 days later to find a much more lively, awake baby who seemed to be doing somersaults and all the latest dance moves. I thought I caught a glimpse of something, but couldn't be sure. Then the nurse said, "Are you guys ready?" and shared the news. A boy. A precious, perfect boy. The instant she said it, it was like DUH. What else could he be? Of course he's a boy. He's our little boy. And in an instant, I started picturing him... smiling at us, playing with cars, giggling, running around. We were so happy and so thrilled.
A week or so later, I finally went baby shopping for the first time. I splurged. I walked into every baby store I could think of and picked out the cutest clothes. The little shoes, jackets, and hats just kill me. Seriously, could anything be cuter?
I started to see my belly twitch at about 13 weeks. Dal swore I was imagining it, but once he saw the ultrasound and how much our little guy was dancing around, he finally believed me. He has since seen it move many times. Our baby seems to always sit on the right side, so my belly is very oddly lopsided. It's quite funny.
Anyway, pregnancy for me I feel has been pretty great. I've gotten off pretty easy on the sickness, and overall have enjoyed it. I am getting more and more anxious for February to be here.
I've been MIA for quite a while, haven't I? Woops. I mean to write every week and somehow life just seems to get in the way and I put it off. Well, it's been 8 weeks from the last time I gave an update. I'll run through everything quickly.
At about 10 1/2 weeks, my pregnancy symptoms seemed to vanish overnight. My nausea completely disappeared and I got really, really worried. I started trying to mentally prepare myself for bad news at my 12-week checkup. But, thankfully, the 12-week checkup went well. Dal got to hear the little heartbeat. And once again, the fact that we're growing a little baby became even more real.
I told a few more close family members and friends the news. I seem to get the courage to share the news with a select few more people after every checkup-- knowing that at least for a little while longer, my baby is growing and healthy. Is that totally weird of me? I'm so anxious and feel like it could be taken away from me at any given second.
At 15 weeks Dal and I went to a place called Fetal Fotos to find out the gender. We were sooooo excited and sooooo nervous. It was AMAZING to see our baby in the ultrasound. A REAL baby. I'll never forget seeing its little hand, seeming to wave to us, for the first time. Or seeing its tongue and mouth move as it sucked on its finger. Yep, 15 weeks, guys. This isn't some clump of cells. This is a real, living baby. Doing baby things. We watched the baby stretch and wiggle around... But to our dismay, it sat with its legs crossed, modestly hiding the part we were dying to see. The nurse had me stand up, dance, do jumping jacks, drink cold water. All to try and get that little squish to move. All to no avail. I'm sitting there thinking, "Come on baby! This is the one time we want you to show off your parts!" Dal and I went home pretty disappointed and desperately hoping this wouldn't be the pattern for all our ultrasounds going forward.
 |
| See the little hand waving??? Oh my goodness. |
We returned 5 days later to find a much more lively, awake baby who seemed to be doing somersaults and all the latest dance moves. I thought I caught a glimpse of something, but couldn't be sure. Then the nurse said, "Are you guys ready?" and shared the news. A boy. A precious, perfect boy. The instant she said it, it was like DUH. What else could he be? Of course he's a boy. He's our little boy. And in an instant, I started picturing him... smiling at us, playing with cars, giggling, running around. We were so happy and so thrilled.
 |
| such a cute little profile! |
 |
| and that little footprint? I die! |
A week or so later, I finally went baby shopping for the first time. I splurged. I walked into every baby store I could think of and picked out the cutest clothes. The little shoes, jackets, and hats just kill me. Seriously, could anything be cuter?
I started to see my belly twitch at about 13 weeks. Dal swore I was imagining it, but once he saw the ultrasound and how much our little guy was dancing around, he finally believed me. He has since seen it move many times. Our baby seems to always sit on the right side, so my belly is very oddly lopsided. It's quite funny.
Anyway, pregnancy for me I feel has been pretty great. I've gotten off pretty easy on the sickness, and overall have enjoyed it. I am getting more and more anxious for February to be here.
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
Week 10:
Symptoms:
- More nausea (no vomiting, though!)
- Neverending tossing and turning at night & weird dreams
- More fatigue (and thus, more naps)
- More frequent trips to the bathroom (my new schedule has been 10PM before I go to bed, then 2:30AM and again at 6:00AM and then again when I get up)
Cravings: sloppy fries, street tacos, roast & potatoes
Today marks the start of week 10! YAY! We are making progress! I felt like I was stuck in 7-9 weeks forEVER. But 10 weeks feels like actual progress. Only 2 weeks away from 12 weeks, my checkup, and the end of the 1st trimester.
Well, I haven't written in 2 weeks and I feel like things have stayed pretty much the same, for the most part. I've become an excellent Netflix binger, I can't make it through an entire day without an afternoon nap (maybe even 2), and I still get up atleast 2 times throughout the night to pee. Add to list the fact that most of my pants will not button now and I'm definitely running out of flowy shirts. Dal has lovingly begun referring to me as his "poochy mama." He thinks he's so clever, and it makes me laugh. It's the only time in my life he can get away with that. :)
I still at times get scared and wonder if I'm imagining some of these symptoms. I wonder if I'm really getting a baby pooch or just eating too much. But then I realize that whenever I used to overeat a bit, I could still suck in my stomach to hide it. That is not the case anymore. I try to suck in and the pooch doesn't go anywhere. So until the news is public, I'm sticking to my elastic around the button of my pants, flowy shirts everyday. I'm excited for my bump. Like, overly excited for it. Other women would probably tell me I'm crazy and I'll think differently in a few months... but I'm excited for a big belly. I've always loved seeing other pregnant women and always loved the idea of maternity clothes. I'll let you know if I feel the same way in 4 months. I also just want to get to the point where it's obviously a prego belly, not a buffet belly. Ya know?
This past week, I flew to California to visit my family and help host a bridal shower for my best friend, Briana. It was a lovely trip and I always enjoy the time I have back at home... being in a "full" house with people, playing games, eating tacos, etc. My mom was so cute this trip. She kept making comments about the baby and me being pregnant. She worried that she'd bug me but it was the opposite really. It felt good to have a little attention and fussing over.... and to have someone who was just as excited and anxious to talk about baby stuff.
On Saturday after the bridal shower, I broke the news to Briana and Sarah. I was so nervous but also just anxious for them to know. I told them and they both took a few seconds to process it. They both wrapped me in a giant hug and all three of us cried together. It was a special moment, and one that made my love for them grow even more. They really are the sisters I never had. Made me love them more to see their excitement and shared happiness for me and this babe.
I am just blown away over and over at how much I already love this little human. I find myself mindlessly wandering into the baby section of every store I go to. I picture its toes and fingers, a round belly, and toothless grin. I can't wait for February!
Week 10:
Symptoms:
- More nausea (no vomiting, though!)
- Neverending tossing and turning at night & weird dreams
- More fatigue (and thus, more naps)
- More frequent trips to the bathroom (my new schedule has been 10PM before I go to bed, then 2:30AM and again at 6:00AM and then again when I get up)
Cravings: sloppy fries, street tacos, roast & potatoes
Today marks the start of week 10! YAY! We are making progress! I felt like I was stuck in 7-9 weeks forEVER. But 10 weeks feels like actual progress. Only 2 weeks away from 12 weeks, my checkup, and the end of the 1st trimester.
Well, I haven't written in 2 weeks and I feel like things have stayed pretty much the same, for the most part. I've become an excellent Netflix binger, I can't make it through an entire day without an afternoon nap (maybe even 2), and I still get up atleast 2 times throughout the night to pee. Add to list the fact that most of my pants will not button now and I'm definitely running out of flowy shirts. Dal has lovingly begun referring to me as his "poochy mama." He thinks he's so clever, and it makes me laugh. It's the only time in my life he can get away with that. :)
I still at times get scared and wonder if I'm imagining some of these symptoms. I wonder if I'm really getting a baby pooch or just eating too much. But then I realize that whenever I used to overeat a bit, I could still suck in my stomach to hide it. That is not the case anymore. I try to suck in and the pooch doesn't go anywhere. So until the news is public, I'm sticking to my elastic around the button of my pants, flowy shirts everyday. I'm excited for my bump. Like, overly excited for it. Other women would probably tell me I'm crazy and I'll think differently in a few months... but I'm excited for a big belly. I've always loved seeing other pregnant women and always loved the idea of maternity clothes. I'll let you know if I feel the same way in 4 months. I also just want to get to the point where it's obviously a prego belly, not a buffet belly. Ya know?
This past week, I flew to California to visit my family and help host a bridal shower for my best friend, Briana. It was a lovely trip and I always enjoy the time I have back at home... being in a "full" house with people, playing games, eating tacos, etc. My mom was so cute this trip. She kept making comments about the baby and me being pregnant. She worried that she'd bug me but it was the opposite really. It felt good to have a little attention and fussing over.... and to have someone who was just as excited and anxious to talk about baby stuff.
On Saturday after the bridal shower, I broke the news to Briana and Sarah. I was so nervous but also just anxious for them to know. I told them and they both took a few seconds to process it. They both wrapped me in a giant hug and all three of us cried together. It was a special moment, and one that made my love for them grow even more. They really are the sisters I never had. Made me love them more to see their excitement and shared happiness for me and this babe.
I am just blown away over and over at how much I already love this little human. I find myself mindlessly wandering into the baby section of every store I go to. I picture its toes and fingers, a round belly, and toothless grin. I can't wait for February!
THIS IS REAL LIFE.
July 20, 2016 • Lifestyle
Wednesday, July 6, 2016
Week 8:
Symptoms:
- More nausea (actually threw up for the first time)
- More fatigue (and thus, more naps)
- More sore boobs (and surprising, new, never-before-seen cleavage... this is totally new for an A-cup girl)
Cravings: Mac 'N' Cheese, Mashed Potatoes, Chicken Alfredo, Filet Mignon (all on different days)
I had my first experience throwing up in a Zion's Bank bathroom, which was rather delightful. They have lovely tile floors and (thank goodness) all of their toilet paper was fully stocked. I had to rush out of a ribbon cutting for work, clutching my stomach to find a bathroom. I think the major issue was just that I had gone too long without eating. I'm still getting used to this backwards sickness/eating thing of being pregnant-- the whole concept that if I'm not feeling well, i need to eat more, not starve myself.
I've joked with Dal that lately I feel like all I do is eat and sleep. (And work! My mom reminds me) I've enjoyed many a nap and I've actually gotten tired of eating (more accurately, of trying to find something to eat) I've rediscovered my love for baked potatoes. I've downed an entire box of saltines in a week, and I've found popsicles to be a great snack for the evenings.
My pants can often be found unbuttoned and being held loosely together by a hair tie. And the hormones raging through my body are doing a real number to my skin.
I'm pregnant. I can feel it and I find it funny that any odd feeling or symptom I have ... I look it up and yup, "This is normal in pregnancy." It figures. This really is a crazy ride, I feel it now guys.
But I am still so excited and lately all I can think about it breaking the news to more friends and family.
IS THIS REAL LIFE?
July 6, 2016 • Lifestyle
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Week 7:
Symptoms:
Week 7:
Symptoms:
- Nausea (seems the worst when I first wake up...usually gets better when i eat something)
- Headaches (nothing too severe)
- Fatigue (I've been napping pretty much everyday. Which is nice, but also makes me feel super lazy)
- Sore breasts (the soreness has seemed to move over different areas... they better be growing after all of this ;)!)
This week I had my first & second Dr's appointments. The first was on Monday, the 27. I went in to have a preliminary pelvic exam, blood testing, and to help figure out my dates. When I was checking in, the nurse asked me what the last day of my last period was and I said, "um... December." Her eyes widened and she said, "Wow! You're pretty far along! You look amazing!" I laughed and explained that we didn't know my dates, but it definitely was not back in December.
The doctor first had me pee in a cup to test and make sure everything was normal. As I was waiting for the doctor to come back in the room, I had this irrational fear that the doctor would come in and inform me that "I'm so sorry. I don't know where you got the idea that you're pregnant, but you're not." How dumb is that? I kept questioning my own sanity and grasp of reality. Thankfully, of course, she came back and confirmed the pregnancy and said everything seemed normal. Same results with the other tests they did. She gave me various tips on what to do and what not to do... No deli meat... no seafood (no problem there)... absolutely no ibuprofen... contrary to some girl's fears, sex is totally fine...exercise is fine too. And we scheduled an early ultrasound to be able to measure the baby and see how far along I was. For Wednesday. Two days. Phew. I can do this.
Well, today is Wednesday, and today I went in for my first ever baby-ultrasound. I was so nervous. Again. Again with the irrational fear that she wouldn't be able to find a baby and tell me that I was not pregnant. (strange that my fear wasn't of miscarriage but of no pregnancy at all?)
I am amazed at ultrasound techs and how the heck they can navigate the black and white fuziness of my insides. Like seriously, how can you tell the difference between this dot and that dot? This circle and that slightly less round circle? She measured my uterus, bladder, ovaries, and some other parts I don't remember. I anxiously kept thinking....Okay, okay, now where is the baby?! And then, she smiled and paused and let out a sigh. "There it is," she said. "There's your little baby." I frantically asked for her to point, circle, and highlight the little baby blob on the screen. Wow. There really is a baby inside me. A tiny little bean. A teeny little 0.78 cm human.
I immediately got butterflies and felt this strange sense of pride and humility all at once. This was my child. A real, perfect little offspring of my sweetheart and mine. And at the same time, here's a child! A real, perfect little human waiting to be loved and cared for and taught and nurtured by 2 really, really imperfect, but really, really excited almost parents. Is this for real? I can't believe I've been entrusted with this tiny little bean, this sweet little human to love and to grow. This is the biggest, most beautiful thing that has ever happened to me, and it was a prayed-for, fasted-for, waited-for choice between my best friend and me.
And then, the ultrasound tech looked at me and said, "Are you ready for this part?" and she pushed a little button on her keyboard. And then I heard the sweetest, cutest noise... a quick, airy, but real, and strong little heartbeat. Our baby's little heartbeat.
I couldn't quite hold it together at that point and the tears swelled in my eyes. I think I kept saying over and over "This is amazing." And it truly is. At 7 weeks along (closer to 5 weeks after conception), my little baby has a beating heart and life running through it. I saw it, I heard it, and I can never deny that. The second I saw that little blob and heard that little beat, I knew it is my child that I will love and cherish forever. And though I don't completly know how it all works, I know there's a sweet little spirit in heaven or on earth, or maybe floating between both, waiting for it's little body to grow and depending on me to help it along. I can feel the mantel of motherhood already, and I feel so blessed.
Monday, June 27, 2016
I'm writing this post a little delayed... but last week, we told our parents the good news. And each experience was sweet & special & magical to be able to share this precious little secret with a few of our favorite people.
We told my parents after going to dinner with them and on our way to see "Finding Dory" at Thanksgiving Point. I was so nervous (why!?) and my heart kept pounding out of my chest. I had asked my sister-in-law, Krista, to help with the surprise. So as we started walking to the theatre, I asked the group if we could take a picture together first. Of course, my parents immediately volunteered to be the ones to take the picture, but Krista adamantly insisted she would be glad to take the picture. My parents of course then started looking around for a kind stranger to take the picture for all of us, but thankfully, there was no one around. We crowded together and put on smiles for the picture. Krista was secretly taking a video rather than a picture and said, "Okay, everyone ready? Say, 'Kali's pregnant!'" It's funny to watch the video back now, because it only took a few seconds, but at the time felt like an eternity before my parents finally got it. My dad chuckled and my mom jokingly said, "Kali's pregnant." Then they both looked down the row to Dal and I with raised eyebrows and a quizzical look. I was already in tears and nodded my head. My mom immediately wrapped me in a giant hug and we both cried together. It was another moment to add to my list of favorites. <3 The rest of the evening I hurriedly updated them on everything I'd been feeling and experiencing.
We told Dal's Dad and Step-Mom one evening after accompanying them to the Outlet Mall and awkwardly trying to act normal throughout the excursion. On the way home, Dal admitted that we had come to talk to them about something. We excitedly broke the news and all cheered together.
We told Dal's Mom and Step-Dad one morning after we repeatedly texted them that we missed them and should FaceTime (we lost our subtle approach on this one, but we were too anxious, okay!?) The FaceTime call started and we tried to act normal for the first 30 seconds, but Dal's mom quickly interrupted - "Are you guys gonna tell us you're pregnant or what?!" We laughed and smiled and shared in the joy together. And Dal's mom of course began planning when to send various boxes of clothes and shoes and other baby items our way.
Dal and I chatted earlier and both agreed that a baby is such a sweet, wonderful, beautiful miracle. Everyone who hears the news is instantly given a share of the joy. Isn't that just cool?
I'm writing this post a little delayed... but last week, we told our parents the good news. And each experience was sweet & special & magical to be able to share this precious little secret with a few of our favorite people.
We told my parents after going to dinner with them and on our way to see "Finding Dory" at Thanksgiving Point. I was so nervous (why!?) and my heart kept pounding out of my chest. I had asked my sister-in-law, Krista, to help with the surprise. So as we started walking to the theatre, I asked the group if we could take a picture together first. Of course, my parents immediately volunteered to be the ones to take the picture, but Krista adamantly insisted she would be glad to take the picture. My parents of course then started looking around for a kind stranger to take the picture for all of us, but thankfully, there was no one around. We crowded together and put on smiles for the picture. Krista was secretly taking a video rather than a picture and said, "Okay, everyone ready? Say, 'Kali's pregnant!'" It's funny to watch the video back now, because it only took a few seconds, but at the time felt like an eternity before my parents finally got it. My dad chuckled and my mom jokingly said, "Kali's pregnant." Then they both looked down the row to Dal and I with raised eyebrows and a quizzical look. I was already in tears and nodded my head. My mom immediately wrapped me in a giant hug and we both cried together. It was another moment to add to my list of favorites. <3 The rest of the evening I hurriedly updated them on everything I'd been feeling and experiencing.
We told Dal's Dad and Step-Mom one evening after accompanying them to the Outlet Mall and awkwardly trying to act normal throughout the excursion. On the way home, Dal admitted that we had come to talk to them about something. We excitedly broke the news and all cheered together.
We told Dal's Mom and Step-Dad one morning after we repeatedly texted them that we missed them and should FaceTime (we lost our subtle approach on this one, but we were too anxious, okay!?) The FaceTime call started and we tried to act normal for the first 30 seconds, but Dal's mom quickly interrupted - "Are you guys gonna tell us you're pregnant or what?!" We laughed and smiled and shared in the joy together. And Dal's mom of course began planning when to send various boxes of clothes and shoes and other baby items our way.
Dal and I chatted earlier and both agreed that a baby is such a sweet, wonderful, beautiful miracle. Everyone who hears the news is instantly given a share of the joy. Isn't that just cool?
Sunday, June 19, 2016
It's Sunday evening and Day 4 since learning that I'm pregnant. The last few days I spent in Wyoming at a cabin with my Mom, Dad, Braden, Aunt, Grandma, and cousins. I could not anticipate how difficult it would be to not tell everyone the news. I was tempted probably 6,340 times a day to tell my Mom. It killed me the whole time to not be able to tell her and start discussing everything about our little baby. Buuuut, before I left, Dal and I decided we wanted to wait and tell them together (he was in Idaho with his family this weekend). So, we're waiting til Wednesday, when we're going to dinner with my family. I know, I know, it's only a week from when we ourselves found out... but seriously, you find out, and you're bursting with excitement. You just want to scream it from the rooftop and tell the whole world so everyone can party with you.
So, over the past couple of days, I have noticed a couple symptoms that I can now tie to the pregnancy. First of all, I have been exhausted. So, so exhausted. Each day, I have had the desire to take a nap atleast 5 times during the day and have had a hard time keeping my eyes open at several different points as well. I've found myself lacking my normal energy and only being able to carry on a 20 minute dance party, instead of my usual hour-long dance party.
Today, I felt nauseous on and off and got a bit nervous while sitting in church that I would vomit all over the nice Wyoming people around me. Thankfully, that did not happen. Crisis averted. It's only a matter of time though, im sure, until I puke in some type of public setting.
I'm home now and I just want to tell my parents so my mom and I can go crazy and shop for things and talk for hours and hug and cry and be excited together. Ugh. Wednesday. 3 days. I can do this. I'm also currently scouring Pinterest, trying to find a cute, non-cheesy way to tell my parents. No such luck as of yet, but I will find it.
In the meantime, here are some pictures of Wyominnn.
It's Sunday evening and Day 4 since learning that I'm pregnant. The last few days I spent in Wyoming at a cabin with my Mom, Dad, Braden, Aunt, Grandma, and cousins. I could not anticipate how difficult it would be to not tell everyone the news. I was tempted probably 6,340 times a day to tell my Mom. It killed me the whole time to not be able to tell her and start discussing everything about our little baby. Buuuut, before I left, Dal and I decided we wanted to wait and tell them together (he was in Idaho with his family this weekend). So, we're waiting til Wednesday, when we're going to dinner with my family. I know, I know, it's only a week from when we ourselves found out... but seriously, you find out, and you're bursting with excitement. You just want to scream it from the rooftop and tell the whole world so everyone can party with you.
So, over the past couple of days, I have noticed a couple symptoms that I can now tie to the pregnancy. First of all, I have been exhausted. So, so exhausted. Each day, I have had the desire to take a nap atleast 5 times during the day and have had a hard time keeping my eyes open at several different points as well. I've found myself lacking my normal energy and only being able to carry on a 20 minute dance party, instead of my usual hour-long dance party.
Today, I felt nauseous on and off and got a bit nervous while sitting in church that I would vomit all over the nice Wyoming people around me. Thankfully, that did not happen. Crisis averted. It's only a matter of time though, im sure, until I puke in some type of public setting.
I'm home now and I just want to tell my parents so my mom and I can go crazy and shop for things and talk for hours and hug and cry and be excited together. Ugh. Wednesday. 3 days. I can do this. I'm also currently scouring Pinterest, trying to find a cute, non-cheesy way to tell my parents. No such luck as of yet, but I will find it.
In the meantime, here are some pictures of Wyominnn.
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Last night, my world changed. It changed with 2 lines. 2 lines, crossed over eachother on a little stick.
Dal and I have been married for 2 years and 10 months. I graduated from BYU in December. We have always, always wanted to have a baby... but decided it was best for us to wait until I was done and Dal had a stable job, and headway in his education career as well. So, the time came that we felt ready just a couple months ago. We were anxious and ready to switch to baby mode right away. But as soon as we were ready, things changed. I had to start going to the doctor to investigate a possible prolactin issue, which was causing my period (which has been regular down to the day since I was 12) to disappear. I was frustrated and upset and sad and confused and scared. The words "tumor" came up and I was terrified. This is a fear I've had since I was a little girl, a fear I'm sure many women have.... not being able to bear children. Other women who have had hiccuups in the conception process I'm sure can relate to the feelings of fear, doubting self-worth, insecurity, loss, and confusion.
The hardest part was that there were no clear answers... did I have an issue? or not? The answer always seemed to be: Wait. Wait another month. Wait a few more weeks. Then we'll know for sure. It was draining... And I completely recognize my waiting time was no where near the pain of the years many women endure, but I can tell you that though the time was relatively short, the pain was real and tangible.
I'm not sure what the issue was. I'm not sure why the Lord had a wait a few more months than planned. I'm sure there is a reason, a learning opportunity, a trial of faith. And if anything, I've learned about the power of fasting, of prayer, of staying close to my husband and bearing pains and burdens together, about the strength of the temple and of family and loved ones. I felt all of that in my little window of waiting.
I was supposed to have my period first week of June. And, as I expected, it didn't come. Another dagger to the heart. Another sign that something was wrong and the problem I had no answers about, was still there. I planned to call my doctors again and report the same news as the months before and schedule the next set of tests. To please them and remove other possibilities, I asked my husband last night to stop at the store and grab a couple pregnancy tests-- just so I could tell my doctor that once again, the test was negative, and my period was still gone.
Last night, my husband and I were just hanging out. Getting various things done around the house... Dal had picked up Father's Day Cards for our Dads and was sitting at the kitchen table, writing notes in them. I had to go to the bathroom so I took a test with me and went in. I had no expectations. The test was a formality, really. I peed on the stick. Casually, I picked it up and glanced at it before setting it back down to wash my hands. WAIT, what was that? I hadn't seen that symbol before. Second glance. 1 line. 2 lines. WHAT? My heart instantly began pounding and my breath became rapid and tears filled my eyes. I stared at the test and looked rapidly back and forth between the results and the key. 2 lines. Pregnant. 2 lines. Pregnant. 2 lines. Pregnant.
I could not believe it. I was not expecting this at all. I could hear Dal moving outside the bathroom, and I had to make a plan and quick. I shoved the cap back on the test, and hid it in my pocket. I wiped my eyes and took deep breaths. I have to slow down my heartbeat... If Dal touches me, he'll know. More composed, I stepped out of the bathroom and went to our bedroom, whistling (as if that would make me seem more normal and nonchalant... don't know why I thought to do this, I never whistle).
I made it to the bedroom and quickly threw the test into my purse. I had an idea for how to tell Dal. I would go to the store, pick up another Father's Day card-- this time, addressed to him. I just had to find an excuse to go to the store. I moved to the office, looking around at my desk and toiletries-- what can I use as an excuse to go to the store? I spotted my empty bottle of contact solution and had my excuse! But, I remembered, Dal stocked up on contact solution and bought a mega bottle of it at Costco. I went to the closet and pulled out the giant bottle, and hid it in our laundry hamper. Then I yelled to Dal, "Dal I have to go to the store, I'm out of contact solution." As I suspected, he heroically jumped up and marched to the rescue, reminding me that he is always prepared and had another bottle for me. He looked in the place it should have been and saw that it wasn't there. Confused, he agreed that I should go to the store. Phew.
In the store, I felt like I was floating. I don't really even remember walking down the aisles to where the cards were. I was shaking and half crying and smiling and laughing, all at once. I looked crazy, I'm sure. I picked a simple card, "Happy Father's Day, Husband!" and wrote a sweet note inside. The whole way home I was so, so nervous. Nervous and excited and I just couldn't wait to hug Dal.
I walked through the door and heard him get up from a chair in the living room. I threw the empty bottle of contact solution into my grocery bag, just so it looked like I bought one. Dal immediately looked at the bag and said, confused, "You bought another card?" I smiled and said "I found another one... it was really cute.... Just look at it and see who you think we should give it to." Dal hates writing in cards and he had just finished writing in the others. So at this point, he was quite annoyed. I just laughed inside. I handed him the envelope and tried to act casual, but I could feel tears welling up in my eyes already. He took the card out of the envelope and read the front. He looked confused at first, but then looked up with tears in his eyes and said, "Are you serious?"
Happiness. Excitement. Tears and tears and tears. It was one of my favorite, favorite moments with my best friend. Hugging and crying and laughing and so, so scared at the same time. We're going to be parents? Is this for real?
We both felt so grateful and happy. Neither of us saw it coming and it was the best surprise we've ever had. The rest of the night, Dal kept lovingly calling me his "Baby Mama," and I just felt so good looking at him and picturing him as a daddy. I know he'll be the best. We sat on the couch and tried to figure out when I'll be due... but we really have no idea how far along I am at this point. Could be 2-6 weeks. We'll see. :)
So today is Day 1. Day 1 of knowing that our sweet little precious babe is growing inside me. Day 1 of feeling that a women's body is truly a place where Heaven meets Earth. Day 1 of feeling the weight and fear of the responsibility of growing a human and being a parent. (That is serious stuff, right?) Day 1 of preparing, stocking up on diapers, planning the next 9 months. Day 1 of scheduling doctor's appointments. Day 1 of crying tears of joy and relief and hope. Day 1 of starting this journey as a MOM.
Last night, my world changed. It changed with 2 lines. 2 lines, crossed over eachother on a little stick.
Dal and I have been married for 2 years and 10 months. I graduated from BYU in December. We have always, always wanted to have a baby... but decided it was best for us to wait until I was done and Dal had a stable job, and headway in his education career as well. So, the time came that we felt ready just a couple months ago. We were anxious and ready to switch to baby mode right away. But as soon as we were ready, things changed. I had to start going to the doctor to investigate a possible prolactin issue, which was causing my period (which has been regular down to the day since I was 12) to disappear. I was frustrated and upset and sad and confused and scared. The words "tumor" came up and I was terrified. This is a fear I've had since I was a little girl, a fear I'm sure many women have.... not being able to bear children. Other women who have had hiccuups in the conception process I'm sure can relate to the feelings of fear, doubting self-worth, insecurity, loss, and confusion.
The hardest part was that there were no clear answers... did I have an issue? or not? The answer always seemed to be: Wait. Wait another month. Wait a few more weeks. Then we'll know for sure. It was draining... And I completely recognize my waiting time was no where near the pain of the years many women endure, but I can tell you that though the time was relatively short, the pain was real and tangible.
I'm not sure what the issue was. I'm not sure why the Lord had a wait a few more months than planned. I'm sure there is a reason, a learning opportunity, a trial of faith. And if anything, I've learned about the power of fasting, of prayer, of staying close to my husband and bearing pains and burdens together, about the strength of the temple and of family and loved ones. I felt all of that in my little window of waiting.
I was supposed to have my period first week of June. And, as I expected, it didn't come. Another dagger to the heart. Another sign that something was wrong and the problem I had no answers about, was still there. I planned to call my doctors again and report the same news as the months before and schedule the next set of tests. To please them and remove other possibilities, I asked my husband last night to stop at the store and grab a couple pregnancy tests-- just so I could tell my doctor that once again, the test was negative, and my period was still gone.
Last night, my husband and I were just hanging out. Getting various things done around the house... Dal had picked up Father's Day Cards for our Dads and was sitting at the kitchen table, writing notes in them. I had to go to the bathroom so I took a test with me and went in. I had no expectations. The test was a formality, really. I peed on the stick. Casually, I picked it up and glanced at it before setting it back down to wash my hands. WAIT, what was that? I hadn't seen that symbol before. Second glance. 1 line. 2 lines. WHAT? My heart instantly began pounding and my breath became rapid and tears filled my eyes. I stared at the test and looked rapidly back and forth between the results and the key. 2 lines. Pregnant. 2 lines. Pregnant. 2 lines. Pregnant.
I could not believe it. I was not expecting this at all. I could hear Dal moving outside the bathroom, and I had to make a plan and quick. I shoved the cap back on the test, and hid it in my pocket. I wiped my eyes and took deep breaths. I have to slow down my heartbeat... If Dal touches me, he'll know. More composed, I stepped out of the bathroom and went to our bedroom, whistling (as if that would make me seem more normal and nonchalant... don't know why I thought to do this, I never whistle).
I made it to the bedroom and quickly threw the test into my purse. I had an idea for how to tell Dal. I would go to the store, pick up another Father's Day card-- this time, addressed to him. I just had to find an excuse to go to the store. I moved to the office, looking around at my desk and toiletries-- what can I use as an excuse to go to the store? I spotted my empty bottle of contact solution and had my excuse! But, I remembered, Dal stocked up on contact solution and bought a mega bottle of it at Costco. I went to the closet and pulled out the giant bottle, and hid it in our laundry hamper. Then I yelled to Dal, "Dal I have to go to the store, I'm out of contact solution." As I suspected, he heroically jumped up and marched to the rescue, reminding me that he is always prepared and had another bottle for me. He looked in the place it should have been and saw that it wasn't there. Confused, he agreed that I should go to the store. Phew.
In the store, I felt like I was floating. I don't really even remember walking down the aisles to where the cards were. I was shaking and half crying and smiling and laughing, all at once. I looked crazy, I'm sure. I picked a simple card, "Happy Father's Day, Husband!" and wrote a sweet note inside. The whole way home I was so, so nervous. Nervous and excited and I just couldn't wait to hug Dal.
I walked through the door and heard him get up from a chair in the living room. I threw the empty bottle of contact solution into my grocery bag, just so it looked like I bought one. Dal immediately looked at the bag and said, confused, "You bought another card?" I smiled and said "I found another one... it was really cute.... Just look at it and see who you think we should give it to." Dal hates writing in cards and he had just finished writing in the others. So at this point, he was quite annoyed. I just laughed inside. I handed him the envelope and tried to act casual, but I could feel tears welling up in my eyes already. He took the card out of the envelope and read the front. He looked confused at first, but then looked up with tears in his eyes and said, "Are you serious?"
Happiness. Excitement. Tears and tears and tears. It was one of my favorite, favorite moments with my best friend. Hugging and crying and laughing and so, so scared at the same time. We're going to be parents? Is this for real?
We both felt so grateful and happy. Neither of us saw it coming and it was the best surprise we've ever had. The rest of the night, Dal kept lovingly calling me his "Baby Mama," and I just felt so good looking at him and picturing him as a daddy. I know he'll be the best. We sat on the couch and tried to figure out when I'll be due... but we really have no idea how far along I am at this point. Could be 2-6 weeks. We'll see. :)
So today is Day 1. Day 1 of knowing that our sweet little precious babe is growing inside me. Day 1 of feeling that a women's body is truly a place where Heaven meets Earth. Day 1 of feeling the weight and fear of the responsibility of growing a human and being a parent. (That is serious stuff, right?) Day 1 of preparing, stocking up on diapers, planning the next 9 months. Day 1 of scheduling doctor's appointments. Day 1 of crying tears of joy and relief and hope. Day 1 of starting this journey as a MOM.
January 20, 2016
I have such a love/hate relationship with dinner. I'm sure many of you ladies out there know what I'm talking about. I LOVE having a warm, yummy, balanced meal in the evenings- and I LOVE the dinnertime "pause" in the day, where everyone just slows down to eat and talk together. But I HATE spending hours in the kitchen every night and I HATE trying to come up with something to make every night. It gets exhausting, ya know? Plus, when you're a workin women and you get home at 5:30, you just really don't want to jump into hours of work in the kitchen.
To lean a little bit more to the "Love" side of the relationship, I try to (a) plan my meals out, and (b) pick easy, fast, one-dish type meals much of the time. These two steps make cooking a lot more enjoyable.
So, I've seen tons of pictures of "fritatta"s on Pinterest. They look SO GOOD in pictures. Like, seriously, so good. They're just pretty. Anyway, I've wanted to try and make one for a while, but I've been hesitant. Becaaaaaause, I hate eggs. I really, really hate them. Throw them in cookies and disguise them with chocolate chips and sugar, and they're great! But scrambled eggs? Boiled eggs? Egg salad? YUCK. I just don't like the overall taste or smell of them. Pretty sure the smell of eggs will make me barf when I'm pregnant.
BUT, frittatas just look so good, so I had to try. I knew if I was gonna have any chance of liking the final product, I had to put in some other, yummy flavors and keep the egg flavor to a minimum. So, this is what I ended up with. And let me tell you, it was goooooood. Yummy, easy, full of flavor, pretty healthy, and hearty, too. Plus, I'm trying to get more protein in my diet (especially for breakfast), because of my hypoglycemia, and so this is a win-win.
So, dive in. Whip those eggs, boil them taters, and brown that sausage, girl. You're gonna like this one.
Recipe:
Dice onion and cook on the stove with the sausage, until sausage is browned and onions are soft. Meanwhile, chop red potatoes into this slices and boil over medium heat 10 minutes, or until soft.
Whip eggs with milk until blended and beginning to froth. Pour egg mixture into greased pan (I used a circular oven-safe ceramic dish). Add sausage, onion, and potatoes. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Add spinach. Stir, just until ingredients are distributed throughout mixture. Sprinkle top of the dish with rosemary.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until eggs begin to become golden brown. Enjoy!
I have such a love/hate relationship with dinner. I'm sure many of you ladies out there know what I'm talking about. I LOVE having a warm, yummy, balanced meal in the evenings- and I LOVE the dinnertime "pause" in the day, where everyone just slows down to eat and talk together. But I HATE spending hours in the kitchen every night and I HATE trying to come up with something to make every night. It gets exhausting, ya know? Plus, when you're a workin women and you get home at 5:30, you just really don't want to jump into hours of work in the kitchen.
To lean a little bit more to the "Love" side of the relationship, I try to (a) plan my meals out, and (b) pick easy, fast, one-dish type meals much of the time. These two steps make cooking a lot more enjoyable.
So, I've seen tons of pictures of "fritatta"s on Pinterest. They look SO GOOD in pictures. Like, seriously, so good. They're just pretty. Anyway, I've wanted to try and make one for a while, but I've been hesitant. Becaaaaaause, I hate eggs. I really, really hate them. Throw them in cookies and disguise them with chocolate chips and sugar, and they're great! But scrambled eggs? Boiled eggs? Egg salad? YUCK. I just don't like the overall taste or smell of them. Pretty sure the smell of eggs will make me barf when I'm pregnant.
BUT, frittatas just look so good, so I had to try. I knew if I was gonna have any chance of liking the final product, I had to put in some other, yummy flavors and keep the egg flavor to a minimum. So, this is what I ended up with. And let me tell you, it was goooooood. Yummy, easy, full of flavor, pretty healthy, and hearty, too. Plus, I'm trying to get more protein in my diet (especially for breakfast), because of my hypoglycemia, and so this is a win-win.
So, dive in. Whip those eggs, boil them taters, and brown that sausage, girl. You're gonna like this one.
Recipe:
- 8 eggs
- 3 TBSP milk
- 1 lb mild sausage ( I just buy those 1 lb tube things?)
- 1/2 onion
- 3 red potatoes
- a handful of spinach
- salt and pepper, to taste
- rosemary
Dice onion and cook on the stove with the sausage, until sausage is browned and onions are soft. Meanwhile, chop red potatoes into this slices and boil over medium heat 10 minutes, or until soft.
Whip eggs with milk until blended and beginning to froth. Pour egg mixture into greased pan (I used a circular oven-safe ceramic dish). Add sausage, onion, and potatoes. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Add spinach. Stir, just until ingredients are distributed throughout mixture. Sprinkle top of the dish with rosemary.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until eggs begin to become golden brown. Enjoy!
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