Life Now

Eek-gad! I haven't posted on here since January!! I'm trying to catch up now. So much has happened! And be warned, this post is really picture-heavy. (Think of it as a picture book.)

Our good friends Stephanie & Justin had been investigating the church for months and finally decided to get baptized. It was an exciting and difficult choice for them. They've were so blessed but also received so much opposition about it. I suppose that's the nature of doing what's right--some people will support you because they love you and want what's best for you, others will misunderstand and ignore how it helps and improves your life.

They asked Bob to baptize them, which was such an honor. We've been there all along the way gently pushing them (or giving them a swift kick in the behind when necessary), so they really wanted us to be at their baptism. Except, they live in Provo, UT now and we were still in San Diego, CA. So we planned and planned and decided to take a road trip up there for their baptism.

As things turned out, our trip to Utah was only the beginning. We were also finally able to move out of my in-law's house. Our move-out date and our road trip date happened to correspond pretty well, and we'd been wanting to go and visit my parents for a while too. So, we loaded all of our belongings up into storage, packed our bags, and decided to drive to Tennessee to visit my side of the family for a couple of months.

It was a long trip with a nearly 1-year-old, but we did our best to stop often and have fun along the way.

The baptism was wonderful.

Easter weekend was a lot of fun.

I got food poisoning in the middle of Nebraska and we stayed in North Platte for an extra day and night.

We stopped in Davenport, Iowa to visit some good friends of ours, Zach and Teresa and their 3 cute kids, where we celebrated my birthday..

And then we finally made it to my parents house out in the country.

Our plans for where we're going to live when we get back to San Diego were solid, then things changed and everything is up in the air again. But we're not stressing out about it (too much). We're just trying to enjoy our time here and make the most of spring and summer here on the farm.

Growing Graham: 6 Weeks

[I know, this is late... I'm playing catch-up again!]

May 18th, 2012

6 Weeks Old

"Got tickets to this gun show?"

• He's getting so much more interactive. He's starting to smile now!

• At church recently Bob was holding him because he was getting fussy. During the Sacrament, while everyone was quiet and being reverent, Graham decided to fill up his diaper in a really loud way. It must have been a huge relief, because immediately after that, he looked up and gave Bob the sweetest toothless half-grin I've ever seen.

• He's been making good use of tummy time every day, because he's now wiggling around more. He holds his head and chest up nearly the whole time and looks at everything around him. He also pulls his legs up and pushes his backside up in the air, which makes me think he may start crawling sooner than later, which, as proud as I am of him, I'm really not looking forward to following him around for the first day or two and baby-proofing everything.

• He loves to stand up. With help, of course. But he likes to stand, and he looks so tall when he does!

• He also took his first airplane ride! 

 He did so well! Bob was with me for the flight there, so that was a breeze. Plus it was early in the morning, when he's usually in his best mood anyway. The flight home was trickier because I was by myself and he's in his least pleasant mood in the evenings, but even then he was still pretty good. The first leg of the flight was fine, but as we landed for the layover, he started getting hungry. By the time I made it off the airplane and got the car seat and the stroller and secured Graham in there and got my checked carry-on suitcase and the diaper bag all situated, I had to use the bathroom SO bad and he was in all-out crying mode. There were no big handicapped stalls in that airport bathroom. The handicapped stalls were maybe 5 inches wider than the regular stalls. So I took a deep breath, pushed the stroller in, sideways stepped in next to it, wedged my suitcase in with what space there was left, and barely managed to close the stall door. The stroller was pushed all the way up against the toilet and there was nowhere else for it to go, so using the bathroom in that scenario gave me a greater appreciation for actual handicapped stalls that are the size of two regular bathroom stalls. I finally stumbled out of the stall, washed my hands, and tried to find the baby changing table because it had been nearly three hours since I had a chance to change his diaper (between driving for an hour and a half, returning the rental car, taking the shuttle to the airport, printing my boarding passes, going through security, getting to my oh-so distant gate and barely boarding my plane in time plus the turbulence on that flight, I didn't have a chance to give the poor kid a fresh diaper until then). I saw door with a sign on it saying "Nursery." I open it, and it's a room no bigger than the bathroom stall I was just in, with a counter and a changing table. What's the point of having a counter in such a tiny room if there's a changing table built in next to it?? Anyway, I finally made it out of the bathroom, all the while Graham was wailing as loud as he could. I made it to my gate, found a seat, and fed Graham. I looked at my ticket and remembered that it said my seat would be assigned at the gate. They would be boarding any second and having a lap-baby requires specific seating on as small of a plane as this was. Halfway through feeding Graham I stopped, put myself back together, and once again situated all of my carry-on items so I could take them all with me to the desk by the gate to get my seat assigned. I ended up being last on the plane because they had overbooked it and were scrambling to find me a seat. By the time I got on, Graham was beside himself because he was so hungry, and I could just feel the tension from the people sitting around me because nobody likes a crying baby, especially on an airplane. I quickly sat down and got to settling him down so he would eat. He was fine the rest of the way, and I was so glad to see Bob. I don't think I'll fly solo with a kid again if I can help it.

Such a handsome baby boy!

My dad finally got to see him! Also, Graham is making a really cute face here.

Tired mommy, wide-awake baby.

Traveling at 36 weeks pregnant = Adventure!

It was an eventful weekend for me. So eventful, in fact, that my doctor put me on bedrest for a day after over-doing it.

Bob and I drove up to Utah for my cousin's wedding. Yes, I took a 12 hour road trip at 36 weeks pregnant. However, instead of 12 hours, it took us 16 hours. We had to stop and let me walk around every 2 hours, mine and Bob's bladders were on opposite schedules, and we had to deal with an almost-fender-bender an hour into the trip (someone merged into our lane while we were in his blind spot and bumped into our front tire). It was a long drive, and for the last hour and a half I was hungry, my back was in some serious pain, and I was tired beyond belief. My angel of a husband was so sweet and patient the whole time that I was whining and complaining and groaning and even yelling a little. I sure married the right man! I hope he feels the same way about me, although wouldn't blame him for doubting it when I act like I did then. He definitely deserves a nice mansion in heaven after this life.

While on this trip, we stopped and said hello to a favorite friend and former coworker of mine, helped with some last-minute wedding dress and bridesmaid dress needs, visited our favorite house of single guys, we enjoyed time with family, we participated in a beautiful wedding, we took maternity photos with an old childhood friend of mine, we stopped in to briefly visit a couple of friends, and also another newly wed couple, and then we even visited my grandmother too. We did all of that in about 3 days! No wonder my doctor put me on bed rest for a day before driving back home! We're kind of nuts.

The night after the wedding, maternity shoot, and seeing several friends, Bob and I were driving back to where we were staying and I could barely stay awake. I know he was exhausted. He told me that morning that he wasn't sure if he was up for seeing all of those people after the wedding because he was so tired already. But that night on the drive back, in my struggle to stay awake in order to make sure he stayed awake to drive safely, we talked about how lucky we are to have such wonderful friends and family members. He said even though he was tired beyond belief, he was really glad that I pushed him to go with me to see those friends. That made me feel good. Most of the time I feel like I just nag Bob and push him into doing things because it's what I want. I don't want to be that kind of wife! I don't want him to resent me years from now for making him do things he never wants to do. I'm so glad that he was thankful for my encouragement and persuasion to keep going everywhere with me that day. It was worth it. We had a wonderful visit with each and every person we saw up there! I just wish we'd had more time, but that's what we always wish every time we go to Utah!

Here are some photos from this most recent adventure.

The most pregnant bridesmaid ever.

The greatest husband I could ever ask for!

Bridesmaid details: hair piece, bouquet, earrings.

Bob changing my shoes for me, because I couldn't do it myself in a lady-like manner.

Owen keeping Peyton calm by sharing his ice cream with her.

The lovely bride and groom!

The baby started kicking during our photo shoot!

Love this little guy already.

Credit for these and the many other wonderful maternity photos not pictured: 

Candid Joy Photography

[Facebook & Blog]

Go check her out! She does some great work!

Last but definitely not least, Bob and I with Grandma. 

I love this lady beyond what words can express, and I will miss her dearly when her ever weakening body finally gives out. She has no idea how much she's loved and adored, or just how many lives she's influenced and impacted--including my own.