2 Years!

On November 21st, 2009, I married my best friend. We've been through a lot in just 2 years of marriage. In some ways it feels like it's been longer, while in a lot of other ways it still feels like our wedding was just a month ago.

2 weeks into our marriage, our apartment flooded.
1 month in, my cousin lived with us for 3 months so she could get on her feet out in UT.
6 months in, I quit my job, then went to Singapore by myself for a month for school.
9 months in, a close friend lived with us for a month so she could straighten out her life.
10 months in, we moved to a better apartment and I got a better job.
12 months in, we celebrated 1 year of marriage & took a road trip to visit family in CA.
15 months in, I quit that job because it wasn't actually better.
16 months in, I really did get a better job.
17 months in, I postponed school until I could figure out what I want to get a degree in.
18 months in, Bob finally quit his demeaning and awful job.
21 months in, we found out I'm pregnant & moved to San Diego in a big leap of faith.
24 months in, we celebrated 2 years of marriage.

And throughout the whole thing, Bob has been patient, kind, and loving toward me. I've made incredible progress in coping with my diagnosis of PTSD and the challenges it brings, all due mainly to Bob's help and support. He's made progress with his diagnosis of ADD, and together we've learned to make the weaknesses it's caused him into strengths that he can use to his advantage. We're happier now individually and together than ever before in our lives.

Allow me to brag a little bit  some a lot about how amazing of an anniversary we had.

We completely splurged. It's our last wedding anniversary without children (until we're old and retired), which in our minds also means we only have a few months left to use our money irresponsibly until we need to use a big chunk of it for this baby boy we're having in a few short months.

So......

We went to the Loews Coronado Bay Resort. 

I'd never been over to Coronado before, so let me tell you about it. It's a small island right off the bay by downtown San Diego. It's got a very elite-feeling little city on it, with adorable little shops and houses lining the streets, a small military base, and several hotels and resorts strewn along it.

We checked in on Sunday around 6pm. We told them it was our anniversary and that I'm almost 5 months pregnant, so they upgraded us to a better room with a better view--3rd floor, king sized bed, and a bay view from the balcony. It was magnificent!

I didn't take this picture, but this is what our room looked like (thank you Google!).

We had dinner at one of the little restaurants there that night, called the Market Cafe. I ordered what was called the chicken duo (and it was, by the way, the best chicken dish I think I have ever eaten--seriously!) and Bob had braised short ribs with truffled potatoes, bone marrow (yes, it was a cooked bone sliced open showing the marrow to scoop out and eat), and steamed seasonal vegetables. We got an additional side of grilled asparagus, because I love that stuff--especially when it's cooked right. It was all SO good! Later we got some chocolates for dessert, and just explored around the resort for a little while before relaxing in our room for the rest of the night.

Monday morning was our anniversary date. I woke up around 6am to the most beautiful sunrise! 

The horizon was bright orange and I could see across the bay to the city of San Diego and the mountains behind it raising up out of the low-lying fog.

Look across the bay at all of that fog covering San Diego!

After taking those pictures, I laid back down in bed and dozed for a few more hours until Bob woke up. We ate muffins and yogurt in bed for breakfast, then got up as slowly as we wanted. I had a prenatal appointment at 11am. We went and heard our son's heartbeat again. He's strong and healthy and so am I.

We went to lunch at City Deli in downtown San Diego, just a few blocks from my doctor's office. 

I got the BBQ brisket sandwich, and Bob got a Reuben.

I'm such a carnivore sometimes...

A messy carnivore.

Mmmm..... Look at that amazing Rueben....

Last bite!

Then we walked enjoyed downtown a little. We went to Village Hat Shop for about an hour and tried on dozens of fun, weird, and stylish hats. Bob bought me a really cute one that he wouldn't let me put back once I tried it on.

Here I am sporting my new hat while admiring these cute little birds in a huge birdhouse at Loews.

We drove back to Loews, relaxed a bit, and then Bob sent me to the spa for a 50 minute prenatal massage while he stretched out and relaxed in the spa hot tub. The Sea Spa itself was amazing. I was handed a comfy robe and sandals when I checked in for my appointment. The halls and rooms were filled with candles and lounge chairs. The locker room was the classiest locker room I'd ever seen. The showers were complete with fantastic shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and even shaving cream. There were complimentary lotions, shower caps, razors, hair spray, deodorant, and a hair dryer. And my massage was exactly what I needed! All the stress and tension in my back, legs, and feet had disappeared and I felt like my age had decreased by several years.

While I was at the spa, Bob had snuck back down to the car to get my anniversary present that he'd left hidden behind the back seat. When we made our way back to our room, I walked in and there on the bed was a big box wrapped in gold wrapping paper. As I changed and put on my robe, I pulled out a little sealed envelope for Bob, feeling silly at how small my gift looked compared to his. We ordered room service for dinner, since we were far too relaxed to go anywhere, and then while we were waiting for dinner to be delivered we opened our presents.

Bob got me a Blendtec blender. I've been wanting one for years! And let's be honest, it's just as much for himself as it is for me, not that I mind.

I gave Bob a home-made card, and inside I'd folded up 2 vouchers for a paddle board class. Bob's been wanting to try paddle boarding, so I bought 2 so he could decide if he wants to take me or take one of his friends. Of course he wants to take me, so my gift to him is just as much for me as it is for him.

What perfect presents to celebrate being married--we get to enjoy them together, not just separately. 

Our dinner showed up, and it was incredible! Bob really wanted hot wings. So we got some hot for him and some mild for me, along with some parmesan french fries on the side. I ordered an Italian pasta dish. We brought some sparkling cider with us so we got some wine glasses along with dinner, plus some complimentary chocolate covered strawberries. It was absolutely lovely and so romantic to have an intimate meal in the privacy of our own room.

After eating and letting our food settle a bit and before going to bed, we took those drink vouchers downstairs to the lounge, and enjoyed some delicious non-alcoholic drinks, mixed nuts, and M&Ms. We both got these drinks called Blushing Bubbles. They came in champagne flutes with a little lemon rind twist decorating the top and were utter bubbly-raspberry-lemony bliss.

Tuesday morning we woke up and had muffins and hot chocolate on the balcony. 

Then went back to the Sea Spa to enjoy the free amenities before we checked out of our room. 

Ahhh.... The fresh morning sun quickly warmed up the chilly morning air.

We might have spent more money than we probably should have... But--my goodness--it was worth every penny! We did enough that we felt accomplished instead of lazy, and that's what has made me feel so good about or stay-cation. That's what made it feel longer than just a couple of nights. And none of it was stressful--we had no schedule, but we had lots of possible activities to enjoy.

Happy 2-year anniversary to us! 

We sure know how to celebrate, if you ask me. We'll see how much we can simplify our celebrations in the coming years as we tighten our belts while having kids and preparing for the future. I'll be perfectly happy to go to romantic restaurants instead of having all-out extravagant evenings.

All I really want is to be with Bob for a few special hours while we reflect on our courtship, our beautiful wedding, how strong our marriage is, and the reasons why we're still madly in love with each other.  <3

It's a boy!!

We had an appointment with an ultrasound technician on November 14th. It was an anatomy scan, so along with checking our baby's size and health, we found out the gender.

We went in and within 5 seconds of using the ultrasound machine the technician had this shot:

Yeah, there's no denying that. 

It was as if he was saying, "Yeah Mom, I'm a BOY!! Not a girl like you've been thinking."

My first thought was, 'Oh... Wait... Our baby's not a girl..?' I was kind of stunned. 

And then it hit me. 

We're having a boy. 

We're having a BOY!!! 

Bob is so proud. 

We can take him fishing and teach him how to use a pocket knife. We can take him hiking and camping. We can teach him to play soccer and lacrosse. He can get hatchets and crazy tools and knives from his uncles for Christmas. We can teach him the gospel and pray that he'll serve as a missionary for two years at age 19. Bob can baptize him at 8 years old and he can become a Deacon and pass the Sacrament at church when he's 12.  He'll be our oldest child, and he'll be loving and protective of his siblings--especially his sisters.

I shed some tears as I looked at the computer monitor and saw those images of his little body squirming and wiggling, then relaxing and resting.

"He's a really beautiful baby," the technician said multiple times, admiringly.
"You can tell that in those pictures?" I asked.
"Oh yes!" she responded. "He's got great features and really is good-looking."
I was sure that she says it often to most expectant mothers she sees, but she made sure that we knew she wasn't just saying it. She absolutely meant it.

As the she was checking his measurements and organ processes, he got the hiccups. It was so cute! He also decided to show off and he flexed his muscles for us, proving his masculinity that much more. We laughed. Bob held my hand and looked thrilled, torn between looking at me and looking at the images of our son with sheer joy on his face.

What a special moment.

Here's his umbilical cord.

His little legs!

One profile shot.
You can see his left hand by his chin and his umbilical cord next to that.

Look at his face--those teeny features are adorable!

Little forehead, nose, and mouth... I think he was about to start sucking his thumb here.

Not sure what this is, but it's him!

Wait... I'm  human... Does that mean that Bob's an alien!?
His little skull is even kinda cute, even if he does look alien.

His little arm and hand. So tiny and cute!

This is my favorite shot. Look at how much of him you can see! Head, arms, hands, torso, leg...

And now we have to decide on boy names. We're not in any rush. 

We are open to suggestions--who knows how we'll find his name!

We'll know it when we hear it or when we see him face to face for the first time.

20 weeks. I'm halfway there!

Halloween 2011

Bob is really clever. 

He's also got a cheesy sense of humor. 

He loves old-man jokes, corny punch lines, puns, and plays on words. 

I've listened to him tell a 20 minute story he made up just so he could say a well known string of words with a few mixed up letters so that the meaning is completely changed from what we're all familiar with. 

It's the kind of thing 80% of the population might roll their eyes at, but I laugh every time.

So it's no surprise that Bob had a silly, although brilliant, idea for Halloween costumes this year. 

He said it, and then I made it happen. 

We're a good team.

Bob the baker.

The bun in the oven.

I used a box, my Leatherman and a box cutter, packing tape, spray paint, hot glue, magnets (to keep the oven door closed), aluminum foil, and the knobs are juice bottle caps with round white stickers on them. 

Buy a box of honey buns, put one inside, and the costume is complete.

It's a fun pregnant-lady costume, and wouldn't have been complete without the proud pastry chef. 

I love dressing up in epic Halloween costumes every year. 

We'll have to out-do ourselves again next year, and we'll have an additional tiny family member to incorporate into the mix. We're already planning it out. It will be epic--I can guarantee that much.

Ahh, Pregnancy and Maternity Clothes.

This pregnancy has really been rough on me so far. I've still been getting crafty pretty often, making things and starting projects, etc. I just haven't had the energy to photograph and blog about any of them. Well, I'm really hoping that changes soon. I'm 16 weeks now, and I've had more energy lately, even if I've still been feeling raunchy. But energy is good! I still sleep 10 or more hours a night, but I've been trying to go to bed at a more regular hour too... Like 1:30am instead of 3am. Baby steps! I can't just go to bed at 10pm after I've been staying up until 4am every night. Anyway, after my brief visit to the ER to start the week off, I've been doing a lot better.

Oh yeah. I went to the ER at 3am Monday morning. I had only thrown up once this whole pregnancy, and that was because I didn't eat as soon as I should have. But Sunday morning I was puking due to more than morning sickness. I also had diarrhea really bad, and I know that's not a normal symptom from pregnancy. By the end of the day, I knew I was sick. I couldn't keep anything down and I was dehydrated, which was starting to cause painful cramping in my abdomen. So we had an adventure to the ER.

They gave me some Zofran. It helped immediately and the nausea/vomiting was gone in a matter of minutes. They did an ultrasound, and the baby was fine. I dozed on and off all night, getting maybe an hour total of sleep. Then I was released to go home somewhere around 10am with a prescription for Zofran. It really is a miracle pill.

Bob is a really wonderful man though. He took care of me all day long, getting me whatever I wanted (mostly just 7-Up or Ginger Ale and crackers). Then he stayed with me in the ER all night without sleeping at all. And then he had a job interview at 8am. He went 40 hours straight by the time he got to sleep again, around 3pm. Bless his heart. I married a good man.

Good news: I'm beginning to feel better and Bob got the job.

So, like I mentioned before, I've been trying to keep busy and make stuff to keep from going crazy. I'll post about my projects little by little. The one I'm currently most excited about is my first piece of maternity clothing. I've looked, and the rumors that maternity clothing is expensive are true. Forget about using my grocery money to look cute! I'm making my maternity outfits.

Before we moved here, I went to the DI and found some large and hideous clothing that had potential as something it wasn't and bought them for cheap. One was a men's polo shirt, size large. I liked that it was a knit and the print on the fabric is what gave it potential.

Now, I tried to get a picture of it before working on it, but I failed to upload the photo to my laptop before altering it.... And this was the outcome:

[insert fail music here]

:(

Just imagine a shapeless polo shirt with a black collar and short sleeves that go all the way down to my forearms.

I need a new camera. I broke the screen on ours sometime when I was snowboarding last year. So I have no idea what's going on when the buttons are pushed on it. It's a surprise every time. I know which button to press for a timer, but that's all.

So after playing button mash on my camera I can show you that I made an adorable maternity tunic!

Adjustable front tie so that as I get bigger I can have it as tight or loose as I want.

Cute and fitted in the back!

Yay!! I made my first maternity shirt!

First Prenatal Visit, Finally!

I found out I was pregnant at a really inconvenient time. We were moving out of Utah just barely too soon to get any medical aid, and moving to California just a little too late in the pregnancy to get the usual 10-week checkup. Neither Bob nor I have jobs yet. No health insurance. Medi-Cal denied us because we didn't understand something in the paperwork and all the bureaucracy nonsense, so we're trying to get an advocate to help us understand it all. Our savings is drained. We are literally dirt broke with about $5 in our checking account and $6 in my wallet. It's been a little stressful, to say the least.

My mother-in-law is pretty good friends with a lady at church who happens to be an ob-gyn. She emailed her and told her about our situation, and this angel of a doctor just told us to come in for an appointment asap. So we did. I called yesterday afternoon and the receptionist asked if 9:30am the following day was too soon. Ha! No way! So Bob and I went in, finally, for our very first prenatal doctor's visit. We didn't do everything during the checkup that most people do, but that's because we weren't going to pay a cent for anything at that time. The bill would come later as we could afford it. Some lab work and results require payment immediately, so to instead of any of that we just talked with Dr. Williams about everything and she did an ultrasound. It was a very simple first visit.

I'm not really showing yet, so it still doesn't seem real. This really helped it sink in. There's absolutely no denying that we're having a baby within the next several months.

There's only one in there (Phew! There's a high chance we could have twins).
I'm officially 13 weeks along (that's one week farther than I thought).
I've gained 3 pounds so far (I think it's due to doing nothing but eating and sleeping for the past two months, not so much the baby weight).
And my official due date is April 4th. That's right, on my very own birthday.

We have the first pictures of our baby!

The ultrasound pictures were so fun to get! And Dr. Williams is wonderful. She was trying to get good images at different angles all over my abdomen. I have a tilted uterus, which makes it slightly more difficult than normal, but by this point it doesn't make too huge of a difference. Our little fetus is quite the mover, too. Dr. Williams had a tough time getting a good image because this growing baby just would not hold still! So don't worry if you can't see these images very clearly. It was tough to get any clear shots. Dr. Williams even took the time to rewind the footage and show us our baby's individual fingers as they moved across the screen at one point. We could see four perfect little finger tips and a little thumb. Facial features were clear, especially the eyes. We could see the umbilical cord, spine and other bones really well.

It was tough not to cry as we looked at the beginnings of our first child-to-be. It was a really exciting moment for us, and we can't wait to see the progress in the coming weeks and months.

The day I knew...

August 2, 2011

I woke up at 7:25am with a full bladder. Before I even opened my eyes I immediately thought, "Pregnancy Test! Pregnancy Test!"

I had a lot on my mind last night as I was falling asleep. I was thinking about the episodes of 24 your dad and I watched, all the things we had to get done, all the boxes we needed to pack for our move to San Diego, how great Nichole's wedding dress turned out (since I had just finished it) and how much I should charge her, and of course, my worry that I would forget to take one of those expensive pregnancy tests when I woke up in the morning with a full bladder. Quite the opposite of forgetting, I couldn't just lay in bed ignoring my need to use the bathroom like I usually attempt to. I was feeling fidgety and nervous, probably because I knew without taking the test that I was already pregnant.

So I got up, and in the dim morning light coming through the bathroom window, I made a good guess at my aim to take that pregnancy test. I washed my hands, then found a blanket to wrap around me as I sat on the couch and waited for what seemed like the longest three minutes I can remember.

I picked up the test stick that was sitting on the arm rest next to me. Was that... two lines? Was one just really light or was I imaging it?  I walked over to the window for more light.

Two lines. There were definitely two little pink lines.

I set the stick down on a shelf in the bathroom, unsure of what to do next, so I crawled back into bed where your dad was still fast asleep. As I did so, he rolled over and put an arm around me, pulling me closer to him and sighing with relief. Even in his unconscious sleeping state he loves me.

But I couldn't go back to sleep. I couldn't even keep my eyes closed. I scanned the bookshelf against the wall I was facing. I remembered that your Aunt Ashley had given me a pregnancy planner a while back because she didn't need it and thought I might find it useful some time relatively soon. I couldn't see it. I needed to find it. I needed to find something to grasp onto and answer the questions and concerns that kept filling up my mind.

I slipped back out of bed and got dressed. There was no way I could just lay there for another hour and a half until my alarm went off. I looked at the bookshelf and found the planner, hidden behind a larger notebook. I pulled it out and crept into the living room, sitting down in the armchair next to the big front window.

So many things ran through my mind: How far along was I? When would I be due? We don't have health insurance. How can we afford this? Who can I talk to? Everybody will talk to everyone else--I don't want to tell anyone yet. I don't want to tell my mom or Trina or Ashley yet. It's too early. I almost don't want to tell Bob.

I opened the planner and looked at what the first trimester will be like. I looked in the back at what was happening to you at this point, looking at images, reading about your growth, and trying to understand how tiny you were at that instant. I determined that I must be 3 or 4 weeks along. That means you'll be born close to my birthday.

I sat deep in thought for a little while. Just two days ago your Aunt Trina asked if I was pregnant because of some foreign old wive's tale someone had mentioned to her about Peyton's behavior that day at church. I'd said no, but the rest of the day I couldn't stop considering it. I was having some symptoms--I was gassy and had random stomach cramps, tenderness in certain places, and I'd thought I was just PMSing the other week, but if that was the case then I should have been menstruating by now if not sooner.

I spent a few hours online researching insurance and medicaid possibilities, signing up for free emails, tips, ideas, and baby products, and trying to get myself well aware of what to do next.

Your dad woke up around 9:00am when his alarm clock went off. After going to the bathroom he came out and sat next to me at the computer. He looked on the desk where I'd laid that pregnancy planner.
"Are we going to have a baby?" he asked.
"Maybe."
"Are you ok with that?"
After a pause I said, "I think so."

I guzzled water and took the other two pregnancy tests in the box at different times. I wanted to be sure. I didn't even have to wait three minutes for them--each time they came up with two pink lines within 15 seconds.

It wasn't until lunch time that I cried. I made chicken salad sandwiches and as your dad asked a blessing over the food, he specifically prayed for us, for you, and for our future. I'd been on the edge of tears on and off all morning, and that was finally what sent me over the edge. They weren't sad tears, or frightened tears, well--mostly not. They were tears of comfort and timid joy.

I can't imagine living life and enjoying eternity with anyone but your father. I can't imagine trusting anyone else to be a loving, protective, fun dad for you and your siblings other than him. Of course we'll figure everything out, and I trust that he'll work hard to make sure all of your needs and mine are provided for. I'll do my part, and he'll do his. We'll be the best parents we know how to be, and hopefully Heavenly Father knows what he's doing and knows that we're ready for you, or that we will be ready in 8 or 9 months.

We're so excited to meet you in this life, to see you as a brand new person, and hold you in our arms. I've been anticipating that moment when I'll get to hold your little body and spirit in my arms, knowing that our family is closer to being complete. I've agonized with tears of sadness, aching because I've missed you and wanted you to be here as my child so much. Although I'm nervous, I'm thrilled. These next several months are going to be full of challenges, memory-making, physical discomfort, spiritual growth, and most of all--absolute happiness at the thought of holding you in my arms--finally.

We love you. We always have, and we always will.

Independence Day

(I'm catching up on old posts I've been meaning to get done...)

For the 4th of July, Bob and I really lived it up.


Parade in the morning...

The tank was cool.

So were all these military vehicles.

And this old car.

Here's Bob, with some really awesome bagpipers parading behind him.

And this was my favorite part. I know, how nerdy of me...

Yay! Parades can be fun.

Seven Peaks in the afternoon...

We completely splurged and bought season passes that 

day so we can go as often as we want until we move.

And I'm getting little freckles on my face from the summer sunshine!

And we finished the day with Chinese-takeout and watching fireworks at Thanksgiving Point from the side of the road.

Can you tell we were kind of tired by the end of the day?

It was fun and quite memorable.
Happy Independence Day!