sunday adventure

On Sunday afternoon, Daniel suggested we do a family activity (especially one a little bit uncharacteristic for him).

I bet you can't guess what it is! It sure was fun.

Leila watched and played...

While Daddy put the lights on...

And then she helped Mommy put lights on...

And then Monday night we put on the ornaments!

Last year Daniel and I talked about how we wanted to deal with the holidays (when to decorate, etc.). I told him that I want our Christmas decorations up sometime between Halloween and Thanksgiving. He laughed at that and told me that sometime after Thanksgiving was early enough for him. So imagine my surprise when I woke up to Christmas music playing on November 8th... and then later he suggested we set up our tree! Such a fun surprise!

a couple of birthdays

(He's always the one making faces or hiding from the camera. This was taken 5 years ago.)

Earlier this week was my brother's birthday. He's 20 years old. (Weird.)

He's currently serving his mission in Australia. I'm really proud of him.

We (last week) got an email from him saying that a family in the ward he's serving in did a little surprise for his birthday, despite him making a fierce effort not to disclose his birthday. He's funny like that. The email made me cry. And my mom said that the mom of this family emailed her and told her what a wonderful missionary he is.

It's nice to know that even though he's literally across the world, there are people out there who want to be kind and generous to people they hardly even know. Especially when it's my little brother.

- - - - -

The next day, it was Daniel's birthday. He's 27 now. (Also weird.)

It was a small little family celebration with him, Leila, and me. We had apricot chicken and vanilla bundt cake. Daniel studied. Leila went to bed early. Daniel opened presents from my family and from me.

His birthday was great! (At least, that's what I thought.) He is so wonderful. Happy birthday honey!

halloween recap

There's not much to say about the rest of our Halloween.

We didn't go to the Trunk or Treat (we had been running around all day and weren't able to get out the door in time to make it worth it)... we didn't really decorate (though I had fully intended to do - I even had a plan!)... but we did get some trick-or-treaters. We definitely overestimated on the candy we bought (only two bags - we only got like 30 trick-or-treaters - needless to say, we have tons left) which is fine, though probably not good for my backside if I eat it all.

One thing I was a little confused about... we had several adults come trick-or-treating. Not just accompanying kids, either. They were full-on, dressed up, carrying bags and looking for candy. No kids with them. I thought it was really weird - is this common now? For some reason I had thought I was a little too old for it back when I was in high school. Maybe times have changed?

We didn't end up carving our pumpkin, either. This is the second year in a row (or maybe even third?) - I keep saying that next year will be the year. So I guess we'll see how next year turns out.

On to November!

happy halloween! (part I: the costumes)

(Not a great picture of the three of us. We're hoping for better ones this afternoon when there's daylight!)

Monday night we went to a Halloween party at our friends' house. We didn't want to spend anything (or at least much) on our costumes this year (especially since Leila doesn't care about it yet) and I think we did a pretty good job!

We did end up spending more money on costumes than we originally planned. Originally, Daniel was going to be a veterinarian (wearing scrubs). Note that the party was with medical school friends.... and Leila and I were going to dress festively, wearing things that we already had.

We ended up changing our minds a couple of days before the party. Daniel dressed as a pumpkin (orange shirt and black felt - $2.75). I dressed as a witch (we only had to buy a hat - $2.09). And the plan for Leila was to be a black cat but she ended up looking more like a bat (black pants, black felt - $5 or so). Either way, she was adorable. So, for less than $10, we did it! I was pretty proud. And now I'm really looking forward to our ward's Trunk or Treat this afternoon!

I suppose I could have bought her some pants but I couldn't find any that I liked. So I made them from some black fabric, using another pair of her pants as a pattern. It was my first time sewing with knit fabric and they turned out pretty well. They took only about two hours to make. I think baby-sized stuff is the best to sew since it's so small and I don't lose steam before I'm finished with the project.

Halloween this year (so far) is much better than last year. I had really bad morning sickness last year, so we didn't go to the Trunk or Treat, we didn't really dress up, and I don't think we even carved our pumpkin. See? I don't even remember much from last year.

Happy Halloween!

snow day

Wednesday we woke up to a glorious sight. It made me think it was December already.

Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately? I'm not ready for the holidays just yet.), it's only October.

The clouds proceeded to dump around two feet of snow on us over the course of two days.

(This is the snow outside on our upstairs balcony. Note: The drifts are at least as tall as knee-level.)

The weather man warned us that today it would be significantly warmer so our snow would melt. So this morning I took several pictures to capture "October 2009 snowstorm" for our posterity.

(Notice the snow hanging over the eaves of our neighbor's house, as well as stuck to their stucco.)

And of course, a set of pictures out the back window would not be complete without a glance at our neighbor's window. It is perpetually open... Rain, snow, summer, winter. Always open. I have a few questions about that neighbor but I'll keep them to myself for now.

If Leila was older it would be fun to take her outside to play in the snow. As it is, Leila and I enjoyed our days inside. Daniel was blessed with a day off yesterday, due to a cancelled surgery (which was supposed to be a 17-hour one... thus, no others scheduled) as well as high volume of precipitation, icy roads, etc.

He ventured outside to take several things to the post office and pick up some milk.

My thoughts were, thank heavens for food storage! Even if we had been trapped inside for a couple of weeks, we would have made it just fine.

And I think I might take Leila outside a little bit later since it's 50 degrees - a much more bearable temperature than we've enjoyed the past few days.

sick baby

Can I just tell you that I can't believe it's been a week since I last posted?

I think I say that every couple of weeks. I just can't believe how fast time flies by.

Last weekend I had a cold. And last week, Leila had it. Poor baby. She handled it really well, but I could tell that something was different because she just wanted to sleep all. day. long. And when she wasn't sleeping, she wanted to be held. I almost really enjoyed it because she's gotten less snuggly as she's gotten older, except that I knew she wasn't feeling well.

Leila's finally figuring out how to put her binky back in her mouth after pulling it out (she's been pulling it out for months and then she gets upset)... but sometimes a fist is just as good! Notice that she's holding on tight to her binky in one hand and chewing on her other hand. Sometimes she'll hold onto her binky and chew on the same hand, too. It's so funny!

I think I've mentioned it before, but she's known how to roll from back to front and front to back for a long time but hasn't really been willing to do it without coaxing. In fact, as soon as she starts feeling like she's going to roll, she spreads out her arms and legs and stops it from happening - so we know she understands what is going on. This past week she has finally started rolling on her own (though still not frequently). We're so proud of her!

Also last week, while she was sick, I had to take her to the grocery store to pick up a few things. She did great! I felt so bad about taking her out when she wasn't feeling well but she actually loved being at the grocery store. She likes looking at everything around her and shelves of boxes and cans must really appeal to her. She was pretty content and she even fell asleep while we were there. And, as usual, when we've been out and about, we've had a lot of people stop me and tell me how beautiful she is. We've always thought so, but we're a little biased.

Do you ever feel like the time just gets away from you?

this post is brought to you by the number seventeen

Daniel and Leila ventured to our local library branch for the first time on Saturday. We have nothing against the public library, but it just so happens that we had never been there before.

It was a matter of urgency, he said. For a dermatology research project.

So he made his phone calls, determined which branch would be most effective in getting what he was looking for, and loaded Leila into the car.

When they returned, he had the look of success in his face, and these in his hands...

- - - - -

A couple of weeks ago, we had a free movie rental and we decided to take advantage, since Daniel was on a relatively easy rotation schedule. We rented Seventeen Again. I actually thought it was one of the better new movies I've seen for a while. It was pretty clean, was decently funny, and had a pretty good message. If you're looking for a comedy, it's definitely not bad.

- - - - -

Lest I misrepresent the magazine situation and give you, dear reader, the impression that he is interested in teen girl magazines, Daniel really is working on a research project that has to do with teen perceptions of tanning.

I offered to pick up the magazines for him so that he wouldn't have to be embarrassed.

While he was in line to check out the magazines, there was a kid in line in front of him who was dressed like a tough guy (for lack of a better way to describe him). Apparently the kid glanced back, saw what Daniel was checking out, and kind of laughed to himself.

The librarian asked what Daniel was doing with the magazines, too.

I have to say, I'm proud of the way Daniel handled a (potentially) embarrassing situation.

farewell, dear friend

This weekend was a pretty low-key affair.

After attending the fantabulous performance of Wicked, that is.

Saturday, I made snickerdoodles in an effort to make my visiting teachees like me and my companion/forgive us for not visiting them for months and months. We ended up not doing our visiting teaching, as no one was available. Which was unfortunate for them, since they really missed out. And unfortunate for me, since it meant that these little beauties sat there tempting me to eat them all day long.

(The booty. And I'm not just meaning "loot" - I also refer to the source of the booty I'll have if I eat all of them.)

Fortunately, I volunteered to bring a treat to our ward's linger longer yesterday and they are all gone now. (Except for the tupperware-full that I squirreled away and have been eating since yesterday... oops.)

I used Martha's recipe, which is remarkably like the recipe I already had. The only difference was the cinnamon-sugar mixture you roll the dough in before baking. Martha's version has much more cinnamon (almost equal parts) and I think it gives it a bit of a zing. But cookies are cookies and I think I would like them equally either way.

I had a great idea while making them. I used a tablespoon measure to measure the dough. Maybe I'm a little bit slow on this... have you done it before? But it did mean that the recipe produced the exact number of cookies that it said it would. It also meant that my hands didn't get quite so sticky - and no dough under the fingernails. Yuck, that's my least favorite part of cookie making. (Don't worry, I always wash my hands - including under the fingernails - thoroughly before and after making cookies.)

As I was taking my first scoop of cookie dough, I heard a horrid cracking noise.

My poor, sad tablespoon measure! It was a difficult time for me. This little guy has seen me through two years of baking bliss.

Friends of the fallen mourned their loss.

Please, take a closer look. Notice that the numbers have worn off. I tried to rewrite the numbers on the handle with a permanent marker and it, too, rubbed off. Poor them. Poor me.

And after a moment of silence for our dear friend, we buried him in the proper place.

Rest in peace, dear tablespoon. I wish you well.

wicked awesome

Last night Daniel* and I went to Wicked.

We've both been wanting to see it for a long time and we finally had the opportunity to go! Let me just tell you, it was really good.

I won't get into the story too much but I thought it was an interesting take on The Wizard of Oz. I really enjoyed it! The cast was wonderful. Elphaba was played by the understudy but there was no disappointment there. She was excellent! The music was fabulous. The sets were awesome. I thought the story was really cute, though definitely different from what I had imagined (I chose to not read about it ahead of time because I wanted it to be a surprise).

It's definitely one we'll be seeing again.

Grandma & Grandpa J (and of course Auntie Syd) watched Leila for us (THANKS again!!!). I thought it would be a lot harder to leave her behind but it was alright. I was definitely glad to get back home and hold her and feed her and tuck her in for the night. She is such a sweetheart. And apparently she did pretty well herself!

All in all, it was some great weekend fun!

*Notice Daniel's choice of shirt. Though he claims the color choice was unintentional, I think we all know it was more than just coincidence. :)

friday already?

Wow, this week has flown by! Here's what we've been up to:

- Making major progress in getting things organized after being in Colorado Springs for almost 2 months. Things were a little disorganized! And we haven't seen the top of our desk since before Leila was born. It's looking much better!

- Trying to figure out how to organize my coupons. I'm loving the money we're saving but it's a little overwhelming sometimes because it's hard to keep track of all of them! Do you coupon? Do you think it's better to clip them as they come or to keep them in their inserts until you need them? How do you organize your coupons? Right now I'm using a plastic expandable file (probably meant for checks or receipts). It works okay but I'm considering trying a new way.

- Leila's been so funny this week. She's smiling a lot, and babbling a ton, and laughing even more! She also loves to kick her legs and has started splashing in the water while taking baths.

- Leila has also been a little stinker this week, waking up a lot at night. As an example, on Wednesday night (well... Thursday morning), she woke up at 3:30am, then again at 3:45, and then again at 4:15. By the time she went back to sleep I couldn't get myself back to sleep! I stayed up until about 8:00am when I finally crashed for a couple of hours.

- Daniel is finishing his emergency medicine rotation at Children's Hospital. Today is his final exam! It was only a 2-week rotation and I think he really enjoyed it, for the most part. He also saw a lot of really sad things, too... but I'll let him decide if he wants to tell those stories. He realized during this time, as well, that he really wants to be a dermatologist (at least for the moment... :) because he was really interested in the patients that had rashes!

- The weather this week has ranged from really cold to pretty mild. It's been crazy! I was looking forward to fall weather (as opposed to winter) but we haven't seen much of it yet. I'm hoping that we'll enjoy some of it before we really get into winter.

- I've been to the gym a couple of times this week and have really enjoyed it. The first day I ran for a little bit, plus walked a little bit, and worked out on the elliptical machine. The second day (yesterday) I went to a spin class, which was really awesome and really hard! It really made me realize how out-of-shape my muscles are... I had a hard time doing everything they were doing! I'm saddle-sore today and I could hardly get out of bed this morning but now that I've been up and moving I haven't felt quite as stiff. I'll definitely be going again.

- Last weekend I made garlic pork roast for dinner. It was amazing! It was really tender, and not dry at all. I won't be blogging the recipe yet; I need to try it again with the changes I made for this time, to see if they really make a difference. Usually it comes out dry but I think what I did this time made it so much better.

- Last weekend I also experimented with making cinnamon rolls. I had never made a yeast dough before (I had always felt intimidated by it because it seemed so complicated) and it really wasn't that hard! I won't be posting that recipe either because I think it either needs a little tweaking or I need to try a different recipe... they turned out well and the bread part was just right, but they weren't gooey enough.

Coming up... a fun weekend!

my thoughts about ob/gyn

Last week someone asked me what it was like, having my husband rotate in ob/gyn. She is also a med student's wife and I thought that the question deserved a little thought before answering it.

Over all, it wasn't bad.

I mean, sure, it might be a little bit awkward in some ways. Why wouldn't it be? At first I wasn't sure how I would feel about it. But as I gave the whole situation a little more thought, I realized that this was an educational experience.

The fact of the matter is this: It's just work. It's not a sexual thing. It becomes routine. I feel confident that he's not going to run off with one of his patients. I trust him, and have hope and confidence that he will do everything he can to deserve that trust. Because of many things he is faced with in medical school (including things like a unit on sexuality, practice exams on people who have been paid to be "patients," and many other things), we have developed a habit of talking about the things he is learning and doing and experiencing. The open discussion helps me to feel a lot better because I know about what he is doing and seeing, and I think it helps him to deal with some of the stress. Part of the reason I am able to trust him (and have so much confidence in that trust) is because I know that he will be open and transparent about whatever is going on in his rotations.

Additionally, I think that people make a much bigger deal of these things than they should. It seems like people like to sexualize ob/gyn, or perhaps think that they are finding a scandal. Or maybe people project their own insecurities about these things on other people. In any case, medicine requires a measure of maturity and those who I have talked to seem to have a great respect for their field. There's no reason why anyone should turn it into jokes.

Last, I would like to point out that there is so much more to ob/gyn than women's yearly physical exams. Daniel had the opportunity to assist in several surgeries - things that you would normally think of, like hysterectomies - as well as other things like exploratory laproscopies, where they look for things that may be wrong, and surgeries to help women with incontinence. He was also able to assist in c-sections, learned how to do sutures, and delivered several babies! It was an interesting rotation for him. He learned a lot and discovered how blessed we were to have such a relatively uneventful pregnancy, labor, and delivery.

4 months, continued

(Not very happy to be going for a walk... can you tell? ...or maybe it's the camera in her face.)

Yesterday was Leila's 4 month appointment, a.k.a. Shot Day, Round 2.

She had no idea what was coming.

In fact, she cried while she was being weighed. And then she cried as soon as she saw the pediatrician. (I guess she was a little confused about what was going to be the hard part of her appointment.) He said he thought she must have some stranger anxiety already. Which is too bad, since he's a really nice guy.

Anyway, she got two shots and did really well.

She's weighing in at 13 lbs, 11.5 oz. (55th percentile). And she's 24 1/4 inches long now (50th percentile).

We also had to fill out a questionnaire about her developmental skills. It looks like she's right on target, or possibly even advanced for her age (but I guess my opinion is biased since I think she's extraordinary).

30 days {last month & this month}

Last month I chose to do 30 days of spiritual growth and, sorry to say, I failed to even make a dent in my goal to read the Book of Mormon by the end of the year.

I did get a kick in the pants this past weekend, though.

It was General Conference (members of the church have an opportunity to listen to the apostles and prophets speak on many different topics - each one edifies and teaches us). Like always, I "went" (though we watched it in the comfort of both our home and Daniel's parents') with some questions and hoped I'd hear some answers.

What should I be doing with my life right now? How can I become the person I want to be with [particular weakness] in the way? What should I do to be a better wife and mother?

And of course, I got some answers.

Be more diligent in the things you know you should be doing.

Okay. So this month, I've decided that I need to focus on balance in my goals. And to do that, I think I need to create more balance in my life rather than hoping it will just appear - because in just waiting for it, I'm finding that it never happens.

This month, my focus is on improving myself... spiritually, mentally, and physically. I think that taking care of myself and my needs in these areas will make me better able to serve those who need my help most.

Here's to another new beginning!

4 months

It's hard to believe that little Leila has been around this long! Her 4-month birthday was on Sunday and her 4-month checkup is this week.

Leila:
- has a ready smile
- laughs
- can roll from back to front (with a little help)
- can roll from front to back all by herself (though she doesn't like to)
- can support her own weight on her legs while standing
- babbles ALL the time
- sleeps through the night, about 12 hours total (with a feeding after about 9 hours)
- eats every 4 hours
- loves baths
- can sit by herself - with support
- holds her toys and chews on them

She's interested in food - she watches our food from plate to mouth. And she tries to grab our plates if we're holding her while we eat. We haven't tried her on solids (yet) but I think she might be ready soon.

Lately she arches her back all the time... when we're trying to put her in her carseat, when we're holding her, and when she's sitting in her bouncy chair especially.

She is such a little sweetheart and we continue to feel so lucky that we have her in our lives. She is such funny little girl, very curious about everything. I think once she is mobile we're going to have to watch out!

home at last

We spent the last six or seven weeks living with Daniel's family in Colorado Springs while Daniel was doing his ob/gyn rotation at a hospital down there. More on that later.

Our fancy new little camera's card couldn't be read by Daniel's dinosaur-of-a-laptop, which is why we've been picture-less {and therefore post-less} for so long.

I suppose I could have written anyway, but how fun is that when there aren't any pictures? Especially when all I want to do is show off our adorable baby girl {and my hunky husband}.

Anyway.

We're home. We're missing being around family. And Leila's missing all the attention.

I'm loving being at home, though. Getting back into my routine has been great. And I'm finding strange satisfaction in cleaning my house. And I'm hoping to get back to my projects soon.

But most of all, I'm glad to be sleeping in my own bed again.

3 months

I officially feel like a bad mom, since I've been so bad about keeping track of all these exciting things going on in Leila's little life! In the shuffle of being out of town last month, plus not having a routine, I missed writing about Leila's two-month milestones! So today I'm going to make up for it - you get to find out about how advanced Leila was a month ago and how well she is doing now.

And unfortunately I'm pictureless for the next little while because I'm stuck without my normal computer and this one for some reason won't read my camera's card (probably because it's so old).

At 3 months, Leila:
- is (I think) about 14 pounds
- pretty much holds her head up all the time
- smiles a ton
- babbles almost all the time
- has figured out the "fake cry"
- whines more to me than anyone else
- blows spit bubbles
- chews on anything she can get in her mouth: hands, my shoulder, her blanket, etc.
- has figured out how to grab her toys but is still working on accuracy
- rolls from front to back
- enjoys tummy time for the most part
- can hold her weight in the standing position
- is very alert and interested in everything going on around her

At 2 months, Leila was:
- about 12.5 lbs
- figuring out how to smile
- holding her head up a lot
- very interested in the TV (but that's a story for another post)
- pretty much sleeping through the night
- enjoying blow-outs and diaper leaks at least twice a day (also another story)
- not too keen on tummy time
- very alert and interested in everything going on around her

We are so happy and feel so lucky to have our little Leila as part of our family! She is such a joy and is almost always happy.

30 days of {spiritual growth}

At least, that's what I'm hoping I'll have over this 30-day period.

I really want to be better about personal prayer and scripture study. I'd like to reread the Book of Mormon by the end of the year. I think if I read two chapters per day I'll be on track (and I think I can read only one on some days).

This whole "mom" thing is a little bit overwhelming and I think that maybe some spiritual growth would help. I think it would help me to be a little bit more patient, a little bit more confident, and just overall more happy.

a bit of a bust

I know, I know.

I committed to doing 30 days of photos. Sorry folks.

I have a bunch to share so I'll be doing that over the next couple of weeks. Just watch me!

Stay tuned for:
- tomorrow's edition of 30 days of {...}
- some cute pictures of little Leila
- and a fun announcement (not sure when but most likely in the next week or so)

Utah, day 5

Wednesday, August 5



This was a pretty low-key day. We took Angela back to Provo (which is when I took this picture - in the Richards Building parking lot - the only picture of the day). I think we may have also done laundry. My cousin Stephanie stopped by because she made these adorable pacifier holder things for Leila. We went to the library, which Leila didn't like very much. I think it was too boring for her - all we did there was check email. We had dinner at my grandparents' house, and we watched So You Think You Can Dance.

Utah, day 4

Tuesday, August 4

Some highlights:

Went to Provo with Mom and Leila. We walked through the Wilkinson Center and I felt nostalgic. We met up with Hayley for a few minutes. Unfortunately both Dana and Alex had to work so we didn't get to see them (we're excited to see them when they come to Colorado though!). Then we met my sister for lunch at the Cannon Center (the cafeteria at the Helaman Halls dorm). It's totally different from when I lived there - a new building, even. And the food is even better. It was so fun to eat there!

We visited the Dean's Office, where I used to work on-campus. Lonnie and the Dean were there and it was so fun to see them! Unfortunately, Sue was out of town so we missed seeing her. Maybe next time!

We also stopped at the BYU Bookstore to look around. We found several of my childhood favorites and picked out a few for Leila.



Then we "kidnapped" my sister and took her to Bountiful for the night. She needed a break, and we wanted to spend some time with her! It was so much fun to have that extra time with her. She's the best sister ever. And she's so good with Leila.

Then we went out for dinner again. I won't tell you what we ate because then I'd feel guilty. I'll give you a hint: it was really good. And we had already been there once. And it was definitely not healthy.

And we took Leila swimming. I think Angela got some pretty good pictures of this little adventure but unfortunately she (and her camera) are at young women camp this week so I won't get the files until at least Saturday. I'll post them if they are any good. :)

Utah, day 3

Monday, August 3: Some Highlights

Brigham City: Mom, Leila, and I made the trek up to Brigham City to visit the cemetery. My ancestor, Barnard White, was buried there, as well as my grandmother, my great-aunt and great-uncle, and several other relatives. It was really great to go up there again. It's been probably three years since I've been there and it's been something I've wanted to do for a while but haven't been able to. I was grateful for the opportunity.



Shopping: Mom and I dragged Leila around, shopping for a shirt for me. Most of the shirts that I have that I like are wearing out! So it was time to find another one.

Dinner at Paradise Bakery: Another of my favorite things to do in Bountiful. It seems like whenever we get together with my mom's side of the family, we go out to eat here. It is always fun, and always delicious. I was so glad to see the people who could make it!

Nielsen's Frozen Custard: Yet another of our favorites in Bountiful! It's delicious, rich, and sooo good for you.

Utah, day 2

Sunday, August 2: Some Highlights

Picking up Angela from Temple Square: My sister's ballet camp was two weeks long, and their Sunday activity was to spend the day on Temple Square, attending Music and the Spoken Word (put on by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir each Sunday morning) and the Joseph Smith movie that is shown at the Legacy Theater, which gives a little bit more information about the roots of our church.

Lucky for me, Jeff and Whitney were blessing their baby (just two weeks younger than Leila!) that day, and Angela wanted to come. So we picked her up from her group in Salt Lake.



While waiting for Angela, Leila fell asleep in the umbrella stroller my mom got for her. She's still too small for it, so we put the rolled-up blanket next to her all week. She loved it!

Open House at Jeff and Whitney's: It was so much fun to see some of the relatives that I don't often get to see. It was also fun to see Jeff and Whitney's beautiful house and especially to finally meet their sweet baby girl!

Family Dinner Kent and Beth's: They were so kind to invite the entire family over for dinner - for the second week in a row. Their girls (my cousins) were so fun with Leila. She loved playing with them! They took turns holding her, passing her around, and even shared their time holding her (one girl got Leila's head and body, the other girl got to hold her legs and feet...). It was so cute.

Utah, day 1

Warning: The next several posts will be filled with travelogue. Feel free to skip them if you so desire. Or enjoy the pictures (though I didn't take as many as I would have liked).

Leila and I got to spend last week with my mom in Utah! My little sister was at a ballet camp at Brigham Young University so my mom and I got to spend some girl time. It was such a nice vacation - definitely busy, but I've been missing my mom and sister and I was so glad that I got to see them. The only thing that would have been better is if Daniel, my dad, and my brothers could have been there.

August 1:: Some highlights:

a little unsure about all of this...

Flying to Utah: Leila's first airplane adventure. And my first time flying with a baby. And I did it all by myself! It really wasn't as much of a pain as I thought it might be. I had "planned" to gate-check her carseat (though I was hoping that the flight wouldn't be full so she could have her own seat and sit in her carseat part of the way) and my "plans" worked! The flight attendant who helped me was so gracious and helpful. And I learned a great secret: nobody wants to sit next to a baby. So we had the whole row to ourselves.



Leila did great on the plane and I was so proud of her. Neither of us cried at all.

Salt Lake Farmer's Market: This was my first time visiting the farmer's market in Salt Lake City. It was an interesting experience! It was so hot, so my mom and I just decided to only walk down one row of booths, which were selling arts and crafts items. One booth in particular stuck out - it had rings made of pearls. The guy selling them told us that they are "hippie wedding rings" and that he is a priest in four different faiths, and that he uses them in his wedding ceremonies. Then he saw Leila and wanted to take a picture of her because he thought she was so cute. I was glad when he couldn't find his camera!

Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House: One important part of my life is my church. And one important part of my church is our temples. Temples are places where members of the church are able to go to receive instruction and make promises to God. When the demand for temples is high enough, the church will build another one and then open it to the public for several weeks prior to the time that it is dedicated solely for the use of church members.

My mom, Leila, my aunt Diana, cousin Stephanie, and I were able to visit the Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House on its last day. It was incredibly crowded and hot, but the building is beautiful (just like I knew it would be). What a great opportunity! It was also really neat to see the missionary efforts going on, and the opportunity for the public to attend and ask questions was an awesome one. (I encourage anyone to visit a temple open house when given the opportunity!)

Dinner: My mom took Leila and I to dinner at Pace's Dairy Ann. It's one of our favorite places in Bountiful! It's been around forever (I think my mom said it was old when she was a kid!) and they have the best onion rings and ice cream treats. And I really like their hamburgers, even though I'm not sure why.

30 days of... {photos}

Each month I'm really going to try to develop a new habit! I've heard that it only takes 21 days to make a habit but I think I'm going to give myself 30. And since I know I need an incentive to follow through, I'll write about it here.

This month, I'd like to focus on being better about taking pictures. Leila is growing up so fast and I want to be able to catch even more of her fun moments on camera!

Anyone want to join me in developing a new habit? What would yours be?

sleepy head

Last night was wonderful. Leila slept 7 hours!

She's been doing better and better. She consistently sleeps 5-6 hours at night. The only time she's done better than last night was about a week and a half ago, when she slept 8 1/2.

We're so proud of our sweet little girl!

do you ever...

Do you ever think of a really great way to write about something that has happened... and then think that you'll remember it later so you won't worry about writing it down right now?

I keep doing that.

In fact, I can't even tell you how many drafts of posts I have sitting and waiting to be finished and posted... and I'm stuck on all of them because I didn't write when the thoughts came. Bummer.

I'll leave you with this picture of Leila's cute legs.


And hopefully someday soon I'll get around to finishing all those posts.

snuggle bug

Right now... Just getting a little snuggle time in before putting Leila down for a nap.

I love this little girl! And I can't wait for her to start smiling for real (she smiles a lot in her sleep - it makes me wonder what she's dreaming about).

tremors

Last night was a particularly long one.

Leila slept, but unfortunately I didn't - because the only way she'd fall asleep and stay asleep was in my arms. She's had a busy, busy week and I think she just needed some extra snuggle time.

Around 4:00 AM I couldn't take it anymore - I had just fed her and she needed a clean diaper.

A beyond-exhausted wife (who could hardly keep her eyes open) turned to her sleeping husband to beg for 10 minutes to shut her eyes while he changed the diaper and took care of the sweet babe.

"Sweetheart? Could you help me? I've been up all night and Leila needs a diaper change and I really just need to close my eyes for a little while."
"Is she having tremors?"
"What? What do you mean?"
"I'm wondering if she's having tremors."
"Are you awake? You're not making any sense."
"Yeah, I'm awake. But is she having tremors?"

And then he was back to sleep.

Do you think my husband has been eating, sleeping, and breathing neurology for a little too long?

week two

Waiting for the doctor with Grandma M.

Leila has successfully completed two weeks of life!

At her two-week check-up today we found out that she has gained more than the preferred 1 ounce per day. She is an eating machine! She did really well with her heel stick (and so did I - I didn't even cry - though I also didn't look). I have high hopes for bravery during her two month appointment (which involves immunizations). She is still healthy and doing well.

This week Leila likes:
- eating (though sleeping still takes priority)
- sleeping
- having clean diapers - she doesn't cry when we change her anymore!
- burping
- being held by visiting family members
- going for walks
- the Baby Bjorn
- riding in the car
- her pacifier

what a week!

It's hard to believe that today Leila is one week old. The time has flown by! She has a sweet temperament (though she is very vocal when she wants something) and it seems like we are all starting to get used to our new family arrangements.

Some things she's been doing this week:
- Sleeping - she even has to be woken up while eating sometimes.
- Eating
- Filling diapers
- Learning to roll to her side
- Tummy time
- Getting better at sleeping at night

We feel so lucky to have such a wonderful, sweet little girl as part of our family!

the first bath

Happy baby, blurry picture... too much action going on!

At home, anyway. And I guess it wasn't really a real bath either, since it was just a washcloth bath. But Leila did great! She loves having her hair washed. She cries for all the rest of it but when you're rubbing soap on her head and rinsing it off she opens her head wide and looks so content! It's adorable.

first night home

A lot of this going on...

... and not much of this!

{Luckily we all have the day to catch up.}

labor & delivery

Leaving for the hospital.

In the delivery room.

A scheduled induction was not what I had hoped for but it ended up being a great experience!

We got the call that the hospital was ready for us at about 7:30pm on Wednesday the 3rd. We finished eating our dinners and then headed to the hospital. We were checked in and settled in the delivery room by about 8:30pm. The delivery room was pretty nice, and the nursing staff was wonderful. I was pretty nervous about the whole thing - I had a lot of fears about the L&D process as well as actually having the baby here - and they helped me feel at ease. Honestly, the worst things I remember about the whole labor and delivery experience were getting an IV and the stress about getting an epidural (before and during - but once it started working, it was great). High up there on the list of things I didn't like was just how long it took and having to wait. The contractions I had with pitocin weren't very fun, either.

One of my favorite things about the whole experience was the unlimited popsicles and juice I was allowed to have. They were fantastic! If I had been smart, I would have had even more. :)

When I woke up Thursday morning I was dilated to between 2 and 3 cm. The nurse started me on pitocin at 7am and I had an epidural at 10am. The anesthesiologist was great as well - really nice and I definitely felt like he was really competent and concerned about my well-being. I was able to sleep most of the day, which was great because the night before I hadn't slept well at all and I was thankful for the rest before having to push for an hour. Our sweet baby girl was born at 5:01pm (Daniel had thought it would be around 4:30 and my goal was to be done by 5:00).

Giving birth was one of the most surreal experiences of my life. I really almost can't believe that I did it! When I first saw our little Leila I was amazed that she had been living inside of me for so long and I felt so grateful to Heavenly Father for allowing us to take care of this sweet little girl during her time on earth.

A few minutes after delivery.

After she was born, she cried for just a few seconds and then was quiet and looked around with wide eyes for the rest of the time before she fell asleep. I was exhausted but very happy and I felt like I had accomplished something huge! Daniel and I were both a little emotional and very excited to start our life with Leila.

Happy little family!

our new addition

Leila Marie
born Thursday June 4 at 5:01pm
7 lbs, 4 oz ~ 19.5 inches

a few realizations

Last night was our last time sleeping in our house without a third member of the family.

It was also quite possibly the last full night of sleep we will enjoy for a long while (though I can't say that I slept very well - I've got some anxieties and excitement competing with my ability to sleep).

This time tomorrow we could potentially have a baby. It will at least probably be within the next 30 hours.

And when we come back to our house again, we'll be a family of three!

today is my due date

I have to admit that I've been feeling a little bit sad about our baby girl not being here yet. I had some pretty mean contractions the other night and was {almost} absolutely certain that I was in labor - and Daniel seemed pretty sure of it, himself. They eventually went away and that was the end of that.

I had just had this feeling, though - that the baby was going to come sooner than was expected. But the days keep going by, and no baby. It's a little disappointing.

Though I have to say - I'm both very excited and terrified of being a mom.

Today was my 40-week appointment. The heartbeat sounds strong, and the baby has descended about a centimeter from last week's appointment. I'm dilated to 1.5 cm {my thought was 'really? that's it?'} and my cervix has started to thin and soften, which are all good signs. The doctor thinks the baby could come on her own, but also gave me the option to schedule an induction.

We've decided to schedule, because with Daniel's current rotation situation we feel that he will be able to have the most "daddy time" if the baby comes middle- to end of this week. If everything goes according to plan and the hospital doesn't forget to call us, we'll be heading to the hospital Wednesday evening and we'll probably deliver a baby by Thursday evening.

I have to admit, I've been pretty anxious about not knowing when all of this is going to happen - but making the appointment was also very scary, in a different way. It feels really weird. I can finally see a light at the end of this 9-month tunnel!

40 weeks

We've made it! 40 weeks feels like a really long time. No baby yet, but I have big plans for long walks and maybe doing some jumping jacks or going for a long bike ride later. I have an appointment tomorrow so we'll see what happens - hopefully I won't even have to go because the baby will already be here! Daniel wanted to take some pictures to give the "full effect" of the belly. Here's what he came up with - pretty good, huh?

appreciation

I've reached my 200th post! What a huge milestone! (Okay, well... considering how long I've been blogging, I guess it's not that exciting. It was bound to happen.)

Daniel and I are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our baby girl. I have heard so many times that a mother's love (and a father's as well) grows exponentially with the addition of each new family member, and I believe it. It's already so overwhelming - I'm excited to see how this growth changes when our little girl is actually here.

Speaking of Daniel, I love him so much! He has been so supportive of me through the past couple of years of courtship and then marriage. He's so wonderful and I feel so lucky to have him as my best friend and husband - forever. Without his support I don't think I could have made it through leaving Provo, unemployment, a discouraging job search, a tough and dissatisfying employment situation, going back to school, morning sickness, or independent study. He's been there for me all the way through!

I am so proud of Daniel. He's such a hard worker and he always seems to make the best of every situation. He's such a great example to me of making the most of where you are and always putting 110% into everything. I hope I can be like that someday.

As we prepare for our sweet baby to join our little family, it is so fun to watch Daniel! He is going to be such a wonderful father and again, I feel so lucky to be married to such a wonderful man!

blog spotlight: The Jenkins Family

I tried aloe vera gel and it actually helped! Hooray! So I got a decent night's sleep last night. I think the reason why I'm so itchy is because my skin is pulled so tight now... it's a little uncomfortable. :)

Today I am working on some crafty projects. I can't wait to show you all what I've been up to! Hopefully I'll be able to have something to show you tomorrow.

In the meantime, I wanted to spotlight my friend BriAnna's blog. I mentioned her creativity last week and she's done it again! This week she's having a giveaway on her blog that I thought you should all know about.

BriAnna's brother, McKay, is a talented artist who is serving a mission for our church in Scotland. He will be there for two years and has given his family permission to sell prints of two of his drawings (you can see them here) to help pay for his mission. They are awesome portraits (I have seen them in person!) and you should definitely check them out. The giveaway kicks off print sales.

Enter by visiting BriAnna's blog and leaving a comment. More details are available there. The original post states that the giveaway ended on Wednesday but it has been extended to Friday, May 29th (TOMORROW!) at 5pm Mountain Time, according to a subsequent post.

is it normal...

... for my tummy to itch THIS much?

Seriously. It all started yesterday morning. I've tried everything, from lotion to Vaseline... and it's driving me crazy. Last night I hardly slept because I was so itchy! And I'm still itching.

The only other thing I can think of is aloe vera gel. Here's hoping it works!

39 weeks

We are down to just one week left!

At my appointment today, the doctor said everything looks and sounds good. I am dilated to one centimeter (!) and I have been feeling some contractions since Sunday. This makes me really happy because I was worried about my body maybe not being ready to do this. It seems like it's on it's way to being prepared! This little girl seems like she's going to be a little bit sassy - she is really active a lot of the time and she seems to like to play games with Daniel and me - sticking her feet out and waiting for one of us to poke them, and then moving them to another place. Daniel calls her my "sidekick" since she's always kicking me in the side. :)

Some things I am loving right now: wearing Daniel's clothes because they are more comfortable than mine, finishing projects, taking naps, and not feeling too guilty about being a little lazy. I still have several things to do before we go, but my bags are packed and at this point I feel like if I don't get to everything left on my list it will all be okay and I can do it later.

My doctor also talked to me about the big "I" word - induction. Basically as soon as I reach my due date (Monday) we can choose what day we have the baby (if she doesn't come on her own before then). I was really glad to hear that we don't have to wait a full two weeks, since my family is coming to town two weeks after my due date and I'd rather not be in the hospital when they are here.

The last thing is, we're planning to bring our computer to the hospital with us to let everyone know when the baby arrives, but we've been having some trouble with our wireless internet so we will see what happens. We'll try to keep you all updated the best that we can!

a couple of things that make me want to dance

A while back BriAnna sent me a fun little package full of goodies.
If you don't know BriAnna, she's super-creative, super-fun, and a great mommy. She and I went to high school together (well, different schools but that's when we first knew each other). I've been meaning to blog about this for a while (after all, that's part of the rules...) and obviously I dropped the ball.

And for those of you who participated in my attempt to pay it forward, I haven't forgotten - I've just been a little busy. And for those of you who didn't, there are still a couple available, so feel free to comment on the original post.

* * * * * * *

Can you guess what this is? It makes me want to pull out my cap and gown again. I still can't believe I've done it.

(BYU grads - was I supposed to get a wallet-sized one that's laminated? Because that sure didn't come in my envelope. I was looking forward to being able to pull it out and use it - it's a good substitute for a drivers' license, right?)So maybe I removed my full name and address. There's just something about having information floating around the Internet that makes me a little nervous.

What are your thoughts on that?

38 weeks

I can't believe how soon this baby is coming. Only a little less than two weeks - according to the due date. Since I haven't started dilating yet and really haven't had any contractions to speak of, this little one will probably come a little bit late. But I hope not.

Not so much because I'm not ready yet (which is still true), but more because I can't wait to meet this sweet little girl that we've been blessed with!

At my 37-week appointment, the doctor was a little concerned about the baby's growth so they asked me to schedule an ultrasound for this week's appointment. It was really fun to see the baby's heart and kidneys and brain again, and this time they were able to see her face as well! Last time (36 weeks) her head was far enough down and turned in the wrong position to be able to see. At 6 lbs, 4 oz she's really put on some weight since the last time we were able to see her face (back at 20 weeks!). She's a healthy weight and the doctor isn't worried about her at this point, so I'm feeling much better about everything.

a blanket for our munchkin

Finally - a work in progress that I can share! Some of my other ones are secrets and I've been dying to write about them. :)

A few days ago as I was looking at what we have for the baby, I realized that we didn't really have any lighter-weight blankets to speak of! Only one or two. I had completely forgotten about my plan to make several... so I immediately got to work. I'm crocheting around the edge and it's turning out pretty well, though it's a slow-going project. More pictures when it's done.

the garden

We enjoyed having plants so much last summer, we decided to do it again! This time we added a tomato plant to the mix and we already have some little green ones growing.

a trip to the hospital

Definitely not the "real deal," though. Daniel and I went for a tour this week and we are pretty pleased with our decision.

Both hospitals that my doctor delivers at are pretty nice, though.

I can't believe it's coming so soon! It really hit me while we were there on the tour - in four weeks or less (the longest I'll have to wait after my due date is 2 weeks), I'll be there, giving birth to our baby girl. Weird. And scary.

Highlights from the tour: seeing the L&D rooms, recovery rooms, and nurseries. Also, not hearing anyone giving birth. I still haven't been able to wrap my head around what that's really going to be like.

And now I'm getting ready to pack my hospital bag. Any suggestions on what to bring?

37 weeks

I can't believe it! 37 weeks along - that means a couple of things:

First, the baby could come any time now. I'm thinking she's not ready yet and that's definitely a good thing, since I'm not either. I have too many things to do!

Second, only three weeks left until my due date. I really need to get rolling on the projects I haven't finished yet!

I had another appointment today and I'm still not really dilated. The baby is still measuring small (though she did grow in the last week - thank goodness!) so I will have another ultrasound next week. She's still very very active - in fact, the nurse practitioner, who did my appointment since my doctor was out of town, commented on how active our little girl is. Her heartbeat sounds good, and everything seems to be fine except for her size... though I can't really imagine Daniel and me having a big baby!

Coming up.... a tour of the hospital for me and Daniel, plus real progress (and maybe a peek) on some of my projects.

weekend adventure

A few months ago we realized that when this baby comes we're going to need a second car. With Daniel on rotations all day, every day (and sometimes really early in the morning or late at night) it just wasn't going to be easy for us to share.

We've looked at cars a few times before but we wanted to put off our purchase as long as possible. We really hadn't found anything that felt right until this weekend, when we stumbled upon this little number. It was in our price range and looked pretty great! An older couple had apparently traded it in and it was in great shape, especially compared with all the other used cars we had seen.

We looked at it initially on Saturday and this evening found us test driving and inspecting it and signing papers! Finding a car that felt like a good choice for us was a welcome surprise and the best part is... now I have transportation during the day!

happy mother's day!

Daniel and I have been blessed with two wonderful moms!

(They're going to be awesome grandmas, too.)

We love you guys! Happy Mother's Day!

a quilt for baby

I finally finished quilt #1! I started this one while I was in California and I am really pleased with how it turned out. I used 7 flannel patterns and I'm not sure how many colors of thread (all coordinating, of course)! This was a really fun project for me and I'm feeling so excited for the baby to come now!

If you'd like to know the fabric measurements I used and how I did it, let me know and I can tell you.

works in progress

I've got a hefty little to-do list that I have been adding to over the last several months. Now that I'm done with school and all my trips I finally have time to work on it! This week has been full of to-do list activities and I feel like I'm making some major headway. It's great! And to provide myself with some much-needed accountability, I figured I'd post my projects (including pictures!) as they are completed.

Here's what I've been up to this week:

* Making progress on quilt #2 (I have two others planned but haven't started yet).
* Modified Simple Mom Spring Cleaning.
* Finishing quilt #1 (I started this one when I was in California).
* Preparing to make freezer meals (we'll see if I ever get around to that one...)
* Finish the dishcloth I've been working on knitting for two weeks (really should only have taken me a day or two, but it hasn't really been high on my priority list).
* Finding patterns and/or ideas for fun projects to make in the future!
* Organizing baby's stuff and figuring out what I still need.

36 weeks

Today I had another appointment with the doctor. Now that I'm in the last month of pregnancy, my appointments are weekly. Things are looking good. I'm measuring small still, actually about the same as I was at my last appointment two weeks ago, so the doctor had me have an ultrasound to make sure that everything is okay in there. The baby's head is down and she is very squished in there so it was difficult to see much of anything. Unfortunately because of that I didn't get any pictures. I did get to see her heart beating, though, which was really cool, and I got to see a thigh bone and an arm bone, her tummy, and her head and brain.

I was a little bit worried (actually, a lot) when the doctor wanted to get me in for an ultrasound right away, but after reviewing the ultrasound she says that everything looks normal. The baby just happens to have small parents so she's small, too. The ultrasound tech says she weighs somewhere around 5 lbs (I'm not sure how they know that by ultrasound), and the doctor says she's in the 20th percentile which is still healthy.

As far as how I am doing, I am not dilated at all yet. I'm feeling pretty good, I just get tired more easily than usual and I can't eat as much in one sitting as I used to. I get heartburn, but it's pretty infrequent now. My ribs hurt a lot sometimes because they're getting pushed outward by the baby. Other than that, everything's great. I haven't felt any contractions at all and I have to say that aside from being sick for the first five months or so, I've had a really easy pregnancy. I feel really lucky in that regard.

And now I think it's time for me to take a nap. :)

happy birthday to me!

This weekend was my birthday. It was a fabulous, fun, tiring day.

Daniel made pancakes for me for breakfast - my favorite! And then he had me open my present. It was just what I've been wanting, a fancy hole punch/eyelet setter - the Crop-A-Dile Big Bite. I was so excited! I haven't found an opportunity to use it yet (except as a hole punch) but I'm hoping as soon as I get a couple of projects out of the way I'll be able to put it to use on a daily basis. Daniel thinks it's pretty funny that I was so excited to get a hole punch for my birthday... and he's probably right. I'm easy to please.

After breakfast I went to my baby shower. Some friends from my ward pitched in to put it together and it was wonderful! So much fun. Thank you to everyone who could come!

For dinner, we went to the Olive Garden. It was fantastic. I forgot how much I like their chicken alfredo, and the best part was that I had leftovers to eat the next day! Daniel ordered the chicken scampi, which was also really good.

And then we watched part of the third season of The Office. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful day.

the third year

Daniel has successfully completed his second year! I'm so proud of him for making it this far. The first two years have been long and difficult, ending with a month-long study session covering everything he has ever learned in the first two years, followed by a strenuous day-long exam over the material. This exam is taken on the computer in a high-security room, complete with surveillance cameras. Students are not allowed to take anything into the room (though they are allowed to bring earplugs if they want!). Their pockets must even be checked prior to entrance. It's quite the testing procedure!

We are still waiting for his score and we hope to hear back from them this week. This score is going to determine which residencies Daniel is eligible to apply for next year, which in turn will play a big role in determining the kind of lifestyle we'll have for the rest of our lives. It's pretty big, but I'm confident that it will all be okay and that he will be able to work in a field that he loves, whatever it may be.

To give an idea of what we have in store for us in the coming year, Daniel is on to rotations! This means that he gets to work in the hospital in a variety of areas of medicine. He gets to have a pager, which makes him feel pretty special, and he wears his white coat every day. Essentially he takes direction from residents and attendings (the doctor in charge) but he gets to do real things and get real experience. It's great!

His current rotation is in psychiatry. He is working at a major hospital in the area, in the inpatient ward. It seems pretty interesting and he is loving the work so far! I think he is pretty sure that psychiatry is not one of his top choices, but he does really enjoy working with patients. He is also loving not being in class all day, every day, even though he still has to study for weekly quizzes on different psychiatric disorders. At the end of the rotation, he'll take a nationally standardized exam over psychiatry to assess what he has learned.

graduation!

This week we skipped over to Utah for graduation! I finally finished all my schoolwork and was able to walk in graduation with my brother-in-law, Nick, his wife, Dana, and my sister-in-law, Hayley. It was really fun!

My parents came and my grandparents were able to be there for one of the meetings. Daniel's whole family was there, and his grandparents came for one of the meetings. It was great to see everyone.

34 weeks

I am officially 34 weeks along now! I just had my appointment today and my tummy is measuring correctly (just a little bit small) and the baby's heartbeat sounds strong. The doctor says her head is down right now but that she could still change position. She moves all the time and found my ribs just last night. I'm hoping it will take her a while before she starts pushing on them regularly.

In other news, I have a new calling! I am going to be the Personal Progress advisor for the Young Women in our ward. I had previously been the 2nd Counselor and I am glad that I will be able to continue working with our girls, but on a smaller scale than before. And I feel like Personal Progress is so important, too - the Young Women Broadcast made that very clear to me - so I'm glad that I'll be able to focus my energy on that.

done!

Daniel is DONE with the USMLE Step 1. Now we get to play the waiting game to see how it all went. I hear it's approximately 6 weeks until results should show up.

At any rate, he's done. He worked so hard to study for the test (just think... a whole month of 12-14 hour study days) and I know his efforts will pay off. I'm so proud of him!

Now we have a few days of free time to do something we haven't done for a long while... RELAX.

things I loved about visiting my family

This trip was a lot of fun - the only thing that would have made it better is if Daniel could have been there. I was gone for a week and a half - the longest we've ever been apart since we met! It was hard at first but it was probably better for both of us that I was busy hanging out with my family while he was trying to be busy studying for his boards.

- Hanging out with my mom, dad, Angela, and Johnson.- Mom and Angela had a baby shower for me while I was there - it was really fun to see everyone who came and everyone was so generous. I'm excited for this baby to come! My mom knit a sweater for the baby and it's adorable. I love it!- General Conference.
- Watching Angela at her dance lessons.- Going to Johnson's science fair - his project made it to the County Science Fair!
- Going to my dad's Rotary meeting.
- Learning to knit - again. I think I've learned 10 times now, and I always forget how. Maybe this time I'll remember?- Going shopping with Mom and Angela.
- Eating In-N-Out Burgers with the family.
- Doing the Easter egg hunt with Angela and Johnson. I haven't been home for one of those in over 4 years! I had a hard time because the Easter bunny has gotten sneakier. (Apparently he's so sneaky that my family didn't find one of the eggs from last year until Christmas - it's a good thing it was only a plastic one!)
- Driving down to Big Sur with Mom and Angela.- Going out to lunch with Mom and Dad and Angela.
- Seeing the mission in Carmel - it was closed, though, because it was the day after Easter.

USMLE Step 1

It is a fairly rare occasion that I secretly log onto our blog and write something (especially without my wonderful wife knowing, who, by the way, I am extremely proud of for her hard work in school these past few weeks), but I have a couple minutes and thought I would share a thought or two about my current, rather stressful situation.

In three days, I will be sitting in front of a computer taking one of the most important tests of my life - the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1. For those of you who have already taken it, know someone who has taken it, or will have the (un)fortunate opportunity to do so in the near future, you probably understand. For those of you who haven't/don't/won't, this test is a seven hour beast of a test that covers everything we were supposed to have learned in the first two years of medical school. Think of it as a mega-final on everything you thought was (and wasn't) important in medicine. You may surmise that since it is a multiple choice test that it would be fairly straightforward. However, you would surmise incorrectly.

For example, instead of questions like:

Q. Please fill in the blank: "I like to play _______ because I like kicking round objects."

A. Tricycles
B. American football
C. Soccer
D. Yay!

You may take a second before eliminating answer "A", since tricycles have wheels, which are round like a ball. Furthermore, a question like this might draw confusion because of the word "play" and its association with having fun... leading you to incorrectly choose choice "D", "Yay!", as your answer. (Not to mention the entirely misleading rhyming connection between play and yay.) Lastly, some of you might have a hard time if you didn't know that a football wasn't round, but you get the point.

No, this test is more like this: A 22-year old marine, who returned from the Persian Gulf, was bitten by a bug on his hand approximately 45 days earlier. The bite progressed to an ulcerated lesion that would not heal. He complains of chronic fatigue, weakness, dysphagia, and dyspnea. If his infection was transmitted by the bite of a female phlebotomine sandfly, which of the following medications should be prescribed?

A. Acyclovir
B. Gancyclovir
C. Isoniazid and rifampin
D. Loracarbef
E. Mebendazole
F. Pyrazinamide
G. Sodium stibogluconate

Okay, first off, you ask 10 practicing physicians this question and 7-8 of them won't even know what he has in the first place, let alone how to treat it. The tipoffs, by the way, are the Middle East and sandfly, which leads to to the diagnosis of Leischmaniasis. But then you need to know how to treat it, which, by the way, is with sodium stibogluconate, an antimony-containing compound that I've never even heard of. Fantastic. Well now I know. The point is that you need to know the answer to a question (or sometimes even three or four questions) that isn't even being asked in order to even start thinking about answering the real question: which drug do I use?

Anyway, I have been studying for this test for 8-12 hours/day for the past four weeks. It has been a long road to this point, but it is exciting to have it almost be done. Then, I can move on and be a medical student again, rather than a library-frequenting, question-bank-mongering, not-really-a-second-year-and-not-really-a-third-year-medical-student-either person.

It's hard to describe exactly how important this test is; I guess I can sum it all up with one example... I will need to score well on this test in order to avoid emptying bedpans for the rest of my life. :) Wish me luck!

finished!

I'm done and it feels so good! We had a couple of little hiccups at the end there, but everything turned out just fine. Now I'm just waiting for my grades to post!

Now I'm in California. I've been hanging out with my mom, dad, sister, and brother. We've been mostly just doing "normal" stuff, but it's been so much fun.

By the way, I loved General Conference. So many good messages. I was able to stay awake for three sessions, and I'm looking forward to reading the talks that I missed.

That's all for now, but I've got a few other things to write about (plus pictures) when I get a chance.

bad luck/good luck

We (well... I) have had a little string of bad luck around here lately! It hasn't been anything very bad, but it's mostly provided a little bit of humor for me - and kept me wondering... what's coming next?

I've written about a few of them (my cold, jaw pain, etc.) but here are a couple more! Luckily everything has ended up just fine in the end... but in the meantime I have felt like I've been on a roller coaster!

Thursday afternoon we had a little scare when I couldn't feel the baby moving for a couple of hours. I had had a lot of stress that I was dealing with, and also had accidentally put some pressure on my stomach that I'm not used to, so when I got up from my nap and still couldn't feel her I was pretty worried. Finally she started moving again - she must have been sleeping, too. Also, it was a blizzard so I wouldn't have been able to get to the hospital had anything been wrong, which made it even more scary.

Thursday evening I bumped my nose on Daniel's head and heard it crunch. And my eyes started watering, and it hurt like crazy. Luckily it wasn't broken! And it didn't even bruise.

Friday was one of the busiest days of my life, and I didn't even get to work on any schoolwork! We had to run some errands in the morning, then go to a wedding up in the mountains (keep in mind... the roads were still covered in snow from the blizzard the day before), then hurry home and run a couple more errands, and then I had some people coming over... pretty much I was on my feet all day.

Spent Saturday and Sunday working furiously to finish schoolwork. I was supposed to teach in Young Women's on Sunday but we ended up having a combined meeting for the 5th Sunday so I didn't have to. I like teaching but the lesson was a difficult one and I didn't feel prepared so it worked out nicely. :)

Monday, requested exam to be overnighted to my proctor so I could take it today. I found out this morning that it never got sent. Hello, heart attack. Luckily I'll be able to take it tomorrow, and they refunded the charge for having it expedited.

So now I'm wondering... what's next? I think maybe my bags are going to get lost when I'm traveling to California on Thursday. Or maybe my flight will be delayed or canceled. At any rate, I've warned my parents to be prepared for a circus while I'm home.

On a happy note, though, I am D-O-N-E with all my assignments. I've taken one of my finals. All I have left is two final exams, and then I am finished!

thinking happy thoughts

Just taking a break from my labors.

Still on target to graduate? Check.

Still stressed? Check.

(But doing better - thanks for the tips. Between exercise, sleep, thinking happy thoughts, and the C-H-O-C-O-L-A-T-E... doing MUCH better.)

How many days left? 9. And counting.

I'm writing my last research paper, EVER. Unless I decide to subject myself to graduate school someday.

I am reminded that I may be writing another one sooner than I anticipate. At any rate, it's my last research paper, FOR A WHILE.

And now I'll share some of the many happy thoughts that are keeping me going.

Meet my sister, Angela. She's a light in my life. She is fearless. And such a good example to me. I can't wait to see her in 10 days.

Also, I can't wait to see my mom, dad, brother, dog, and cat. (The other brothers are on missions, otherwise I'd be excited to see them too.)

Also, I'm looking forward to relaxing for a week and a half.

I'm not looking forward to being away from Daniel. But he's going to be studying like crazy, so it wouldn't be much fun for me to be here anyway. And then when I get back, we get a few days of absolutely no responsibility. I'm looking forward to that, too!

Back to work.

stress

I knew that this week (and next) would be extremely stressful, but I think I underestimated. I'm hanging in there and trying to maintain my sense of humor, but I have to admit, I'm so glad it's only a couple of weeks until I'm absolutely done! In fact, two weeks from yesterday I will be in California, relaxing and having fun with my family. And recuperating from everything that I've been working on lately. :)

Just a little update on the cold: I'm still a little bit congested but not taking Sudafed. I decided I'm not bad enough now to justify taking it (my doctor said it's safe for the baby but I'd rather not take things if I don't have to). Plus, even though it's non-drowsy, it kind of made me feel a little bit drugged. Never a good thing if you're trying to stay alert so you can read/write/work on classwork.

Apparently stress brings out the worst in me, too! The stress from the amount of work I have to finish, plus the horrible cold, plus not being able to sleep at night, plus falling behind a little on my schedule (I have caught up now, so no worries) - all added up to some TMJ symptoms: horrible jaw pain, can't open my mouth normally, etc. I've never had this before, but I'm certain that that's what it is. Which is why an ice pack has been a permanent fixture on my face for the past day or two. It's ridiculous!

The symptoms are starting to subside a little bit, so now I'm wondering what the *next* crisis is going to be!

P.S. The irony of all of this is... the class that has been causing me stress... is a class about family stress and coping!

What are your stress-coping strategies? I think Ineed some ideas - and fast!

productive

An update on the cold.... it's still here. Sudafed is my friend - not because it made my cold go away, but because it made it so I could breathe. (If you are pregnant and considering taking some, be sure to ask your doctor since some have different opinions than others.) But I am taking less and less of it (I haven't had any yet this morning - haven't needed it!) so I'd say that's a good sign. I'm on my way back to normal!

And, as a tribute to the title of this post, I thought I'd mention how productive I have been the past several days! It's getting down to the wire on this school stuff and I'm still a little nervous, but I think it's all going to be okay. If I'm going to stay on track, I've only got a week and a half until I have to be done enough to take all of my finals. Scary! I think I should be able to keep up. And then I absolutely have to be done with everything by the 31st - two weeks from today! Even scarier! I'm hanging in there... I keep reminding myself that I'm just sprinting the end of the race and it makes it a little easier to handle. (I was never a runner, so I don't know why that analogy makes me feel better...)

29 weeks

No picture... yet. There might be one to add later if I could just remember, but I've also been holding off until my nose isn't so red. So we'll see.

Things are great. I passed my glucose test (though I found out about that probably over a week ago... oops!) and according to my appointment, the baby is also measuring right on. So that's good news. The doctor is (at this point...) going to let me travel to graduation in a few weeks, so that's great too!

According to the weekly emails I get, this baby is probably 15 inches long! I can't believe it. She's huge! She's also getting more and more active as the days go by, and that's been really fun to feel (and watch). I can't believe we're already this far along! Part of me is getting really antsy for her to be here, but part of me just isn't ready yet. I would suspect (based on things people have told me) that by the end, I'll be ready.

two things I'm learning to love

I woke up Thursday with horrible, nasty cold.

I thought I could kill it by drinking lots of juice and water.

Thursday night I couldn't fall asleep until 2:00am.

Friday was even worse (though by afternoon I was feeling a lot better).

I'm learning to love Sudafed and Vick's Vapor Rub. Both were recommended by my doctor (as being safe for the baby) and the combination of the two has me feeling much better. I can breathe again!

dreaming & scheming

I've been thinking a lot lately about fabric for our baby's bedding. Here are some of my ideas!

baby stuff

I just wanted to take a minute to show off the adorable blanket that our friend Katie gave us yesterday. She's having a sweet baby girl this summer (due a month or two after our munchkin is born) and we've been having lots of fun scheming about baby stuff.

I love the apple print and the wavy quilting lines. It's adorable!

Still trying to decide on colors for our little one's bedding. I'm getting closer but it's been so hard to come to a decision!

27 weeks

Excuse the flat hair and super-pale skin. I thought about cropping my head out of the picture but Daniel would have none of that, so instead I decided on black & white this week to avoid some embarrassment. I'm 27 weeks along now, feeling pretty good, and I don't have much to say about any of it except that I am sleepy a lot of the time, I have a doctor's appointment this week (Thursday) and I'm also doing my glucose test the first part of this week.

The baby is kicking more and more, which I am absolutely loving. She seems to kick more when there's music playing, and especially when Daniel talks to her. I'm so excited to see them interact after she's born. She's an active little girl and I think we might have a dancer (or gymnast, or soccer player...) on our hands!

another baby girl, coming up!

Another one of my good friends is having a baby girl ... and she's coming in just a little more than a month! I can't believe how fast it's gone by. :)

why I'm so short on "discretionary" time

Using my "discretionary time" to take a little break from reading and summarizing research articles in preparation to write a research proposal.

1. See those to-do lists?
2. My textbooks.
3. The class schedule from you-know-where. I brought this upon myself... but still! It's a lot.

Only one more month of schoolwork to go, and then I'm done - forever!

My strategy is... 50 minutes study, then 10 minutes break. And I use a timer. So far I've followed it only loosely but it seems to be working.

5!

I've seen this around a few times, and finally decided to do it when my friend BriAnna posted it!

The first five people...
to leave a comment on this post will receive something made by me.
However there are some limitations:

1. I make no guarantee that you will like what I make :)
2. What I create will be just for you
3. It will be done within a year (might take a while)
4. You have no clue what it is going to be
5. I reserve the right to do something really fun

Here the catch: if you choose to do this, you must post this on your blog and be ready to make something for five people too. This will be fun! When you receive the fabulous item I make you, you must post a picture of it on your blog.

(Could you leave your email address in the comment too? That way I can contact you.)

26 weeks

Short post this time. Completely forgot to take a picture this week (I've gotten a lot bigger!) except for this one, from Sydney's latest dance competition. She did great! It was so fun to watch her this weekend.

The dress doesn't do the belly justice. Plus, I'm slouching. It's a lot bigger. Stay tuned for another picture next weekend.

I feel the baby almost all the time now. It's really fun! I'm starting to get impatient for the time to go by. Only 14 weeks to go!

date night

In lieu of our date night last weekend for v-day (interrupted by my stomach being angry), we went to TGI Friday's for dinner last night. It was great - it's actually one of our favorite places (silly, huh? But it's only 5 minutes from our house...).

Daniel got his usual chicken-shrimp pasta thing and I tried the cheddar-bacon sliders. They were pretty good but not much food for what you're paying.

While we were waiting for our table I noticed this sign that made me smile. Daniel says it makes him want to visit the Netherlands.

Our favorite server, Amber, was working. She's a really nice girl and she stopped to talk to us. We met her for the first time in December or something, and she was nice enough to move us to another table when a super-stinky guest was seated right next to me. She's pregnant too, so it was kind of a fun connection to make. It was fun to see her again, though we couldn't get a table in her section this time. She's due in a month! I can't believe the time has gone by so quickly.

love this

1. the 50 grams of glucose in 10 oz. of orange-flavored liquid that I get to drink sometime this month.

2. cinnamon life. could I love a cereal more?

3. red tulips. favorite flower, favorite color. I just wish they'd last longer.

love day

I had big plans this year. I wanted to do something nice for Daniel every day this week. Unfortunately, reality caught up with me and I wasn't able to. Long story, but I'll just say that schoolwork, plus potential jury duty service, plus a bazillion other things to occupy my time made it impossible. (I didn't end up having to serve for jury duty, which means I won't have to serve for at least the remainder of 2009 - which is what I was hoping for...)

Here's what I was able to do:

Make heart-shaped scrambled eggs for Daniel. No picture of this one, but I basically just scrambled the eggs one at a time in the bowl, and poured it into the metal heart-shaped cookie cutter on the buttered pan. It turned out pretty well; to make sure that the tops got cooked I covered the pan while they were cooking (it contains the heat so you don't have to flip them over). I think it would have worked better if I had used a slightly larger cookie cutter.
I made a little coupon booklet for Daniel with things like "one awesome foot rub" or "dinner made by me + a movie of your choice." It's not totally finished (I ran out of ideas for coupon items... he told me that since I used a binder ring that opens and closes, I can always add more :) but he liked it anyway. I used only things that I already had - scraps of paper, fabric, buttons, etc. and I was really pleased with the finished product! I ended up taking a bunch of pictures as I was making it but unfortunately, all of them ended up blurry except one!
I edited and printed a bunch of pictures (here's one of them) to make into a mini-album but never got around to putting it together. I wanted to give it kind of an aged look, since the paper I was using is a little bit old-fashioned-looking. The pictures still need a little tweaking because they're a little too bright. And I really didn't have time to put it together. Maybe I'll do it for next year?
I also made some glazed sugar cookies that turned out really well! I was really pleased with the product and I know I'm going to make them again - and soon! I took a bunch of them to church with me for my young women - I was teaching this week - and the picture is of some of the leftover cookies. They were way cuter before they had been squashed in the box.
Daniel surprised me with flowers on Thursday. He got me red tulips - my favorite color and flower. Unfortunately, I left the stems a little too long so they got droopy really fast. I need to remember to cut them shorter next time around. (There will be a next time, right honey?)

Our stake put on an adult Valentine's dance that we were going to go to on Saturday night after going out to dinner at a crepe restaurant... but I ended up feeling kind of sick after our afternoon time at the gym. We ended up eating macaroni and cheese and watching TV instead. Kind of lame, I know, but it was relaxing.

more muffins!

Last night I made these muffins with some blackberries I bought last week. I have to say... they're amazing! I've been searching around for a good muffin recipe (other than my banana-chocolate chip ones...) and my search is now over. You won't be able to stop after just one!

Blueberry Muffins
makes 8 large or 12 regular muffins

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.

Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.

To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

Note: It calls for blueberries but I think you could substitute with whatever berries you have. I did blackberries and they were great - and I'm sure diced strawberries or raspberries would also be good. Also, I wanted to make 12 muffins so I divided the batter evenly among 12 cups (they were all about 2/3 full) and mine turned out just fine. There's no need to make more of the crumb topping - it's plenty.

Happy baking!

lessons in portuguese

For the past couple of weeks Daniel has been reading to me from his Portuguese Book of Mormon at night before we go to bed. (I don't really catch what is going on, but it helps him to remember the pronunciations.) Then, a couple of days ago, I decided to try translating! With my limited Spanish background, and being somewhat familiar with the scriptures, it hasn't been too bad - and I'm learning Portuguese in the process. It's pretty exciting! And it feels good to be learning something new and different. There are still a lot of words that I can't figure out on my own, but it's going great! It really is a beautiful language, and I feel like reading the scriptures in another language sometimes brings new meaning to things. I'm learning a lot, and I'm loving it!

all things ribbon

I'm so excited about this little girl on the way. This afternoon I was reading one of the blogs I keep up with, and she mentioned this website. They have the most adorable hair things and they even sell dresses! I'm loving it. :)

Check it out!

All Things Ribbon

23 weeks

I can't believe we're already here! Our baby girl is still doing great. She is kicking a ton and I can tell that things are starting to get squished in there for her. We've got another appointment this week so until then I don't really have anything more to say.

hooray for hand-me-downs!

Here is my first-round attempt at organizing some hand-me-downs we got from our friends, Cara and Dave! They were given a bunch of stuff by someone else, and called us because they couldn't use it all (their baby is almost a year old!). Anyway, it was fun and exciting to sift through and find some cute stuff. About half was for under a year, and the other half was a year or older. Thanks Cara and Dave!

To those who have kids, or know something about it...

How many of each kind of clothing item do you need? (onesies, shirts, pants, socks, etc.) We have a few of some things but we don't have any of the basics!

Also, what other items were essentials for you?

with Martha as my guide...

from marthastewart.com

As I was flipping through the February issue of Martha Stewart Living, these caught my eye and I knew I had to make them for our Young Women in Excellence/New Beginnings night. I made 50-some cupcakes and they turned out great! Since I didn't want to make anything from scratch, I just used Martha's idea as my guide. It was still time-consuming (took me all day because I wasn't as efficient as I could have been) but the finished product looked and tasted great! I did end up enlisting Daniel's help in the end. Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to take pictures before I had to run to the church, so the picture (above) will have to do.

Here's how I did it:

Cupcakes:

1 cake mix
1 Jell-o instant pudding mix (not cook and serve)
4 eggs
1 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Mix all ingredients together. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners. Fill liners just over 1/2 full. Bake for 17 minutes in 350-degree oven. Let cool about 15 minutes, then remove from pan. It makes approximately 24-30 cupcakes for each batch, depending on how full you fill the liners.
(For these cupcakes, I did a chocolate fudge cake mix with chocolate fudge Jell-o for one batch and white cake with white chocolate Jell-o for the other.)

Frosting:

One can of frosting per batch of cupcakes worked well. I used gel food coloring (not normal liquid coloring) to color the frosting and a butter knife to apply the frosting generously.

Brownies:

Make brownie mix as directed. Let cool. Use 1 1/2 inch (or so) cookie cutter to cut hearts. I found it easiest to use a spatula to separate the brownie from the pan first and then cut them - doing it the other way around tended to mess up the hearts.

In a nutshell:

Bake cupcakes and brownies, and allow to cool completely. When cool, frost cupcakes and cut out brownie hearts, then stick them to the top of the cupcake (husbands are good at helping stick the brownie in the frosting if you're short on time). Try not to eat too many. And if you think you're going to have extras, think again and leave one or two home for your helpful husband.

experimenting...

... with Mod Podge.

I've used it before, but this week I decided to try using it to cover a chipboard album. I think it's turning out pretty well. In the past I've found that it's really sticky, but it seems like maybe the problem before was that I didn't let my layers dry long enough before putting on a new layer. I haven't been having that problem this time, since I've been allowing lots of time in between.

I inked the edges of the book covers and paper, and the Mod Podge seems to make it blend better, which is a nice surprise.

Also, just a tip... The ink was hard to get on the edges of the chipboard, and I was worried about the ink staining the shelf I'll be storing this on... so I actually used a brown Sharpie, close to the same color as the ink. I think it turned out pretty well.

linky love

I've been a little bit MIA in the last little while. Rather than bore you with all the details of what I've been doing (because it's really not that interesting after all), I have a request to make.

My links disappeared. I've been trying to put them back together as best as I can, but I need a little help! If yours is missing, please leave a comment so I can put it up!

Thanks. :)

the cattle auction

Today we attended a cattle auction (part of the National Western Stock Show festivities) at Coors Field. I've never been to one and it was pretty awesome. Admission was free, we parked right across the street (and it cost us a quarter per hour), there were free hors d'oeuvres (meatballs, a huge piece of beef they were cutting pieces off of, quesadilla things, and spring rolls... yum!), and we got to listen to the auctioneer talk fast. I couldn't really understand what he was saying most of the time but I think I sort of got the hang of it by the time we left.

see the cow?
Daniel and his dad

Some interesting things I noticed...

- Cows went for anywhere between $10,000 and $70-something thousand or more.

- Some of the cows being auctioned hadn't even been born yet. In this case, they held up a picture of the mom carrying the calf.

- Some of the auctions weren't for whole cows - just half or a quarter of one. I think that means that the person who purchases that part of the cow gets part of the profit that it brings in.

We can't wait until next year!

a substitution fiasco

Yesterday afternoon Daniel and I were sitting around trying to decide what to have for dinner. We looked in the pantry and realized we didn't have much of anything, though we did have most of what we needed for enchiladas. Several weeks ago, by mistake, we had picked up a can of diced jalapenos instead of diced green chilies (for the enchiladas) so we decided to get brave and try substituting one for the other (we substituted a couple of other things, like regular onion instead of green onion, and a little ranch dressing instead of sour cream).

Everything smelled and looked great, but they were so spicy! Even almost too spicy for Daniel. :)

Moral of the story... don't substitute a whole can of diced jalapenos for a can of diced green chilies!

Here's our recipe - you should try them!

Chicken Enchiladas

1 tbsp butter (could use olive oil but butter gives it a good flavor)
1/2 cup chopped green onions (regular onion works, too)
1/2 tsp garlic powder (not garlic salt)
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies
1 (10.75 oz) can condensed cream of mushroom soup (I use cream of chicken)
1/2 cup sour cream (can use less, and ranch dressing works too)
1 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast meat (I use canned)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided (can use less)
6 (12-inch) flour tortillas
1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a large baking dish.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and saute the green onion until tender (about 3 to 4 minutes). Add the garlic powder, then stir in the green chilies, cream of mushroom soup, and sour cream. Mix well. Reserve 3/4 of this sauce and set aside. To the remaining 1/4 of the sauce in the saucepan, add the chicken and 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Stir together.

Fill each flour tortilla with the chicken mixture and roll up. Place seam side down in the prepared baking dish.

In a small bowl combine the reserved 3/4 of the sauce with the milk. Spoon this mixture over the rolled tortillas and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.

20 weeks

Well, I'm 20 weeks along now - halfway there! It's been several weeks since I last posted a picture and I think I'm looking a lot bigger than before! I'm feeling much better than I have been for a long time. I can drink water again, which is great news - and I actually feel well enough that I want to be doing things like cleaning the house and reading for school. And I'm not as sleepy as I have been. Unfortunately, cooking still hasn't really come back yet but hopefully (for Daniel's sake!) that will be returning soon.

I've felt the baby kicking me a little bit which is fun... unless she kicks me in the bladder. That's a little uncomfortable. :) I've also been able to see her kick - just little bulges in my abdominal area that appear and then disappear. Daniel's been able to feel her kicking but unfortunately hasn't been able to see the bulges yet. I'm hoping that will come with time.

happy day!

Oh happy day! We finally know the gender of our baby! :)

The ultrasound technician was wonderful and friendly, and very patient (because baby was not very cooperative as she was trying to measure its head). I want to go back for another one so I can see the baby again.

I was rather uncomfortable because I forgot that I have to give a urine sample every time I go in for an appointment, so I used the bathroom before leaving. Upon arrival, my sample was very, very small..... but not for lack of effort. I drank approximately a liter of water on the way to the appointment. (Sorry for the TMI.)

We were really excited to see the baby moving - and it even looks like a baby (not like last time, when it looked like a peanut or a gummy bear or something)! Everything is measuring great - we are on target for a due date of June 1.

And last but not least, our baby is a girl! I suspected as much, though I don't think I told anyone that because I didn't want to risk looking like an idiot. I guess what they say is true: Mom knows best!

Daniel is happy because our baby has two legs so he'll be able to play soccer with her. I'm happy because I'll have my little girlfriend to hang out with while Daniel is at the hospital.

More updates to come!

poll: boy or girl?

We get to find out the gender of our baby soon! What do you think we're having?

(I have my suspicions, but I'll keep them to myself for now...)

a new year

I'm really looking forward to 2009.
I have a little bit of apprehension about it, though. Am I ready to be a mom? Am I ready to really be an adult? Am I ready to take on all the new challenges?
I'm a little nervous.

In lieu of coming up with a few resolutions that I may or may not think about - ever again - I decided to think of a word that I'd like to implement as a part of myself for the next year.

That way, as I set goals for myself, I can use this as direction.

My word?

BELIEVE

Believe in yourself.
Believe in others.
Believe in change, in growth, in happiness.

Do you have a word?

holiday recap

I had great intentions this year of bringing my camera - and using it - when we were with both families. I failed miserably, though I did manage to remember that we had a camera during the first half of our vacation.

We flew to Utah to be with my family from December 22 - 29. It was wonderful! We did lots of things together, and my parents brought their dog. It was fun to see all of them! Here are some highlights:

- Seeing my family
- Being with extended family
- The webcam that Santa brought us (as well as for my parents and grandparents)
- Talking to Spencer (on his mission in Pittsburgh) on Christmas
- Going to the Nutcracker with my mom and Angela
- Shopping with my mom and Angela - they helped me find some cute maternity clothes!
- Seeing David, especially - since he is now on a mission (he went in to the MTC on the 31st)
- Lots of great company and good food
- Going to the temple a couple of times with my family
- Sitting in the first aid room in the temple for a while - I almost fainted...
- Visiting the Livingstons and seeing BriAnna's cute pregnant self
- Visiting BYU and buying my last textbooks ever (at least for the next few years)

We flew back to Denver early in the morning on the 29th and spent a few hours at home taking naps, eating snacks, and taking things out of our luggage that we didn't need to take with us. Then we headed down to Colorado Springs to be with Daniel's family! It was a busy week there, too. Here are some highlights:

- Having all the siblings & spouses home together
- Ranch work - the boys helped move hay and got to drive the tractor
- Skiing (I didn't get to go because I'm pregnant and not allowed - but Daniel went and had fun!)
- Shopping with Sydney and Lilian while everyone else was skiing
- The Symphony with the whole family on New Years Eve
- Gift wrapping and gift opening - and our new video camera from the Jensen parents
- Watching the cows and horses play in the snow
- Playing Phase 10, Mexican Train, Taboo, etc. with the family

We are so lucky to have such wonderful families and that we got to spend so much time with both over the holiday break. We hope you enjoyed your Christmases and New Years as well!

the vote is in!

And I've got a 4.0 this semester.... a definite first for me!

(I don't want to sound like I'm bragging. I think the fact that it's the first time ever for me says that I've finally learned some valuable lessons.)

I'm really just so glad that I'm done with the semester. It's been a difficult one in some ways, with a long commute, morning sickness, and being exhausted all the time... but I'd say it was well worth it. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel - and that is really exciting!

never again...

Never again will I try to save myself "hassle" by ordering Christmas gifts online. It's been more stress than it's worth!

Never again will I wait to make three kinds of Christmas treats until a few days before we leave town.

Never again will I ever have to deal with finals around Christmas time!

finished!

I've done it - I'm done with yet another semester. It seems hard to believe that I only have one more left (which will be done entirely by independent study in the next few months) and then I'm graduating! I'm really excited. :)

Just a few notes about the Fall 2008 semester....

I attended Metro State College of Denver. It was definitely a different experience, going to a public state-run school. Very different from BYU. The application process, though not very difficult, was extremely frustrating. It took a little bit of work to figure out who I needed to talk to about what, and there weren't many campus employees who really knew much about anything except their own jobs, which made it difficult as well - since I couldn't get answers about who to talk to. I ended up getting all my information from the Registrar's Office, since they knew just about everything.

My classes were:
- Biology 1080: Basic biology lecture course. I had Dr. McArthur and he was kind of a funny guy.
- Biology 1090: Biology lab. It was required by MSCD to accompany 1080, but I didn't need to take it for BYU. I had Dr. Buckley and she was really awesome. I loved it.
- English 3510: Creative Writing. I had Dr. Kuhn, and it was an online class. I loved not having to be in class for it and I actually learned more than I thought I would. It was actually pretty easy.
- History 1040: World History from 1500 to present. I had Dr. Kaplan and she was interesting. I suspected she was a communist for the first part of the class, but then she talked to us about capitalism and I knew she appreciated work ethic that comes from competition. So she's not a communist. She's sarcastic, has a bit of a New York accent, and she's really funny.
- Math 1250: Statistics. At first I had Dr. Grevstad, and I don't think he liked me very much. Then, due to some shuffling in the department, my professor was switched to Dr. Bierling. He was a funny old guy who had a great sense of humor. Probably my favorite professor of the semester.

I'm really glad that I decided to go to MSCD for the semester. It was a good experience, though the campus is kind of hard to be on compared with BYU. It's not as friendly as BYU, and people are smoking everywhere, which was not very fun. I didn't make any friends in my classes, and I think for the most part people thought I was weird for trying to be friendly. I really miss BYU, but it was a good way to get some classes out of the way... and it was a lot less expensive than BYU Independent Study.

15 weeks

We've reached the 15 week mark! According to a weekly email that I get about the baby's progress (assuming everything's normal), the baby should be measuring about 4 inches long now. It's also now possible to tell if it's a boy or a girl, but unfortunately my ultrasound won't be for another month. (By the way, if you'd like to see some pictures of an ultrasound we had on October 31, click here.)

I'm getting bigger! I can't fit into most of my clothes anymore, so we had to pick up a couple of things to get me through this transition time. We checked out Old Navy and unfortunately I'm definitely not big enough yet for their maternity clothes (the panel pants looked ridiculous!), but they actually had some maternity t-shirts that weren't too bad - just their basic crewneck t-shirts. I'm looking forward to our time in Utah in a couple of weeks because I think it might be easier to find something there.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We are at Daniel's parents' house for Thanksgiving and all his siblings are home. We have a lot to be thankful for!

I'm thankful for (in no particular order):
- School (and that I'm graduating soon)
- Daniel
- our baby
- our house
- our wonderful families
- the Church
- food
- clothes to wear
- friends

The list could go on and on, but I'll keep it to those for now.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving!

pregnancy update: 13 weeks

Last Thursday I had another appointment. No ultrasound, but we did get to hear the baby's heartbeat. It was really cool. The only thing I was disappointed about was that there was a really long wait only to see the doctor for maybe 10 minutes. Fortunately, though, she said everything looks great - my levels of a bunch of different things as well as the position of the baby's heart. So that's good.

To answer a few questions...:

- How have you been feeling? Well... I've been better. I was pretty sick for a few weeks and just sick for the rest of them. The doctor gave me some anti-nausea medication, which helped a ton. Also, I'm exhausted. Thankfully, though, overall I'm feeling much better now (aside from the heartburn... I never thought I'd say this, but I couldn't live without Tums!). Another thing is that I'm really sensitive to temperature, but more to cold than heat. If it's a little bit cold, I'll be shivering!

- Are there any foods you can't live without? Yes! Canned peaches, mandarin oranges, and applesauce. Salt and vinegar potato chips (Boulder brand - they're kettle cooked - yum!). Steak. Macaroni and Cheese. Cereal and oatmeal. Mineral water. Almost anything fruity or sour, but nothing too sweet. It's weird.

- Is there anything that disagrees with you? The taste of ginger (hopefully gingerbread will be an exception!). Baked potatoes. Salad. Most chicken (though I've had several things that have been great, but they've had a gravy-type sauce over them). This really varies.

In other news, I can tell that my tummy is starting to grow! It's hard to tell by just looking at it, but I have had to put away some of my clothes because they don't stretch and they're too small. I'm considering looking for some maternity pants, just because I think they'll fit better... but I probably won't worry about it until my finals are over and I have some real free time.

not complaining or anything...

...but we've been enjoying great weather lately.
It got up to 81 today. Wow! Though I am looking forward to snow.

our baby

Here are some pictures of the ultrasound we had on October 31st! The baby measured in at 2.85cm and was right on track for our due date, which is great news.

a little news...

On November 1st I had the great idea of trying to write everyday... As you can see, I didn't follow through. I have a few reasons, but the biggest (and probably best) was that I was worried I wouldn't be able to keep my mouth shut. We've had a secret that's been nagging at me for a while.

And now we're ready to share:

We're having a baby!

The baby is due May 31, 2009. I'm just under 12 weeks along. We're really excited!

More details to follow. :)

Happy Birthday Daniel!

Today is the love of my life's 26th birthday!

We celebrated by going to church and then coming home to a wonderful crock pot meal of pulled pork BBQ sandwiches, and then brownies after dinner. (Birthday dinner with his parents wasn't until Tuesday).

Here are some reasons why I love Daniel!

1. He is helpful. I can't tell you how much he's taken on in the last couple of months as I have been dealing with morning sickness, and smells, and all that other stuff.

2. He is patient.

3. He is a hard worker. I am so grateful for this. I will never have to worry about us having food to eat, because if he had to, he'd get a second job. He works so hard in medical school and I am so proud of him!

4. He's such an excited future daddy! And I know he's going to be a great daddy when the baby comes.

5. He lets me sleep in in the morning and he's quiet when he's getting ready. He's always really careful to not make too much noise or not turn on the lights when I am sleeping.

6. He likes my cooking!

7. He is confident in me.

8. I think he's pretty handsome. :)

9. He encourages me to pursue my dreams.

There are so many more reasons why I love him, but those are some of the best!

Happy birthday honey!

Happy Birthday David!

This is David (the one on the left, above). He is my younger brother (the third of five of us). Today he is 19, and patiently waiting to leave for his mission to Australia. He's leaving at the end of December.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find any more updated pictures, so this will have to work for now. :)

Halloween

I'm a little late (I'm actually writing this on November 7), and I have no pictures, but I wanted to mention our Halloween. In the afternoon, I got a flu shot. For those of you who were around last year, it was kind of a negative experience. This year, the lady who gave me the shot was extremely gentle (I hardly felt it!) and I didn't really even get sore. Daniel would tell you that I squeezed his hand so hard that I almost broke his fingers. And that's probably true, but we won't talk too much about that.

I also had to get blood drawn... so I definitely got worked up! The lab tech was really nice and really pleasant, and it was not bad at all. I haven't actually had a bad experience with drawing blood before, anyway, so I wasn't even really nervous.

We also turned in our ballots. I was proud to be able to vote this year, though part of me wishes that I had been able to vote in California still - this was a big year for them. Colorado was a good place to vote, though, too. We voted by absentee ballot and it was great - we just filled them out at home and then dropped them off in the drop box. Super easy, though some of the amendments were a little confusing.

Then we went to our friends' house for treats and a movie - we watched The Nightmare Before Christmas and The Corpse Bride. Great movies! It was really fun!

Tagged!

Debbie tagged me! I have to share 7 unique/strange/whatever things about myself.

1. My birthday is May 2, and Daniel's is November 2 - exactly half a year apart!

2. This semester I am attending Metro State College of Denver to finish my degree from Brigham Young University - I will be graduating in April and I am so excited! And I'm really glad that I will be able to graduate from the true school - BYU.

3. I didn't learn to ride a bicycle until I was 8 years old - I think. Instead, I enjoyed spending my summers reading books, like those by Laura Ingalls Wilder, The Work and the Glory series, A Little Princess, and millions of others - I couldn't list them all. I'd bring home stacks and stacks of books every time we'd go to the library and I'd be done with them by the next time we'd go! This was quite a hardship for my cycling-crazy dad (who later worked for Specialized for a time, and even later almost killed himself in a bike accident), and eventually my parents made me earn reading time by riding my bike.

4. My favorite thing to do at BYU was dance! I took a bazillion ballroom classes and I felt like I had finally found my calling in life. My parents felt like this distracted me from what was really important, but if I hadn't been into ballroom, I probably wouldn't have met Daniel - we met through a mutual friend who I knew because of dance! I sometimes really miss it (it's so expensive that it's really impossible for me to continue) but it was one of my favorite experiences.

5. I thoroughly enjoy everything Austen - Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, Mansfield Park, and Becoming Jane, for a few... even books and movies that aren't really by her but are from the same period. I used to wish that I was born in that time period but I've recently realized the implications: "primitive" medicine, no showers, no hot water, no toilets, and no Daniel. That just wouldn't work for me.

6. I first fell in love with Martha Stewart Living when I was in middle school. I knew at that point that I was destined to grow up and be a domestic goddess, just like her. While I was in high school and at BYU I forgot (a little bit) about that aspiration, but I've been feeling the itch again in the last year or so... and even more strongly in the past couple of months! I can't wait until school is over and I'll have a little bit more time to craft, decorate, cook, and unleash my inner domestic goddess.

7. My first car in high school was a red Jeep Wrangler that was lifted pretty high and had big mud tires and a subwoofer. I thought I was pretty cool driving that thing around, and it even had a manual transmission - probably the most difficult one I've ever driven. Unfortunately, I got in an accident on St. Patrick's Day in 2003 and it was totaled. I cried the day the tow truck took it away.

I tag: my sister Angela, Katie M., BriAnna J., Rachael, and Dana!

Youth Temple Trip

Today I got to go to the temple with our youth. What a wonderful experience! It was a little bit strange to be one of the adult leaders but it was a great opportunity to feel the spirit and see the way the youth enjoyed the experience. I love my calling more every day.

Halloween Dinner

Tonight we went to dinner at a med school friends' house. Halloween is apparently his favorite holiday, and they put together a fun little party! Everyone dressed up (unfortunately Daniel and I didn't have time to put anything really great together - we went as old retired people), and Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head (who brought their little girl dressed up as an X-ray), Ketchup & Mustard, a vampire couple, and some 80s ski bums were all there. It was great! We didn't bring our camera, so there are no pictures, but the food was spooky and the company was really fun!

It was so fun to celebrate with friends and good food. Thanks Brent & Brenna!

my funny husband

Tonight I was sitting at the kitchen table looking at my stack of stuff for my Young Women lesson tomorrow. I was thinking about how I wanted to do some things and debating about whether to get up and get on the computer to start on it.

Enter Daniel. He had just come from upstairs. He walks towards me, does a weird little dance, gives me a kiss, and then closes the blinds.

"What are you going to do now?" I ask.
"I'm going to go upstairs and work on my lesson," he says.
"Then why did you come downstairs?"
"To do a dance, give you a kiss, and close the blinds."
"Oh, I see. You're multitasking," I say.
"Yeah, and watch this!" He moves towards me, starts snapping his fingers, and kisses me again.

That's right, folks. I married a multi-tasker.

a happy song :)

Today I woke up with a happy song stuck in my head. It felt good.
I think with all the stress of a midterm last week, plus two more this week, a quiz and a paper due... all this week... I haven't been as happy and carefree lately as I'd like to say I am. But since that's all over now and I'm into the weekend already...
Hallelujah!
So, despite the cold weather and not feeling well and having more to do still, things are shaking themselves out and I don't think I'll have a crunch week like this again for a while.

handbags

I just heard about this website that will be launching October 15. They're giving away 24 free designer handbags on their first 24 hours of business!

Enter to win at their website, www.handbagplanet.com.

project oriented

Daniel keeps telling me that I'm project oriented. I finally understand what he means by that and it's really true... I'm just finding that I don't have time for projects and it makes me sad.

I bought some fabric for a quilt about a month ago and I've been dying to cut it and start sewing. Unfortunately, since life is so busy and I'm in school... it's just going to have to wait. To make me feel better, though, let me just show off my stash:

It's not a very good picture, but you get the idea. :) I'm so excited!

for your viewing pleasure:

May 8, 2004

Today I looked at this again for the first time in a long while as I was editing my paper for English (I wrote about this experience). It completed my fun trip down memory lane.

P.S. Thanks to everyone who was willing to read my paper. I didn't end up using anyone's help this time around, but I might for the next assignment.

raccoon eyes

I've been avoiding eye makeup remover for years. It never bothered me before, but lately I've hated washing my face and then looking up, only to see this:

What is your eye makeup remover of choice?

(Photo courtesy http://www.kenileephotos.com/)

texture

Last month, Angela was really into "texture shots" and shared some of hers on her blog.

I found some more from another source (via How About Orange...) and they're pretty awesome.

(p.s. the photo is a close-up of some pottery by giovanni baldini - I think)

Vail

I almost forgot to write about this! We went to Vail last weekend with Daniel's parents and Sydney. Daniel's grandparents were going to be there for the week so we took the opportunity to stay with them for a day and a half. It was pretty fun, but unfortunately, we forgot our camera so we have to get all the pictures off of Sydney's.

We got there Friday night and pretty much we just ate dinner and talked and then went to bed.

Saturday Sydney and I studied all morning, and then Sydney, Lilian, and I went for a walk. The others went for a bike ride. Then, after lunch, we all went down to the little city of Vail and walked around. We went into some art galleries, which were pretty cool, but mostly we enjoyed the weather! Then it was dinner time and then we sat in the hot tub and then went to bed.

Sunday we were able to attend Sacrament Meeting at the Vail Branch, which was conducted in Spanish and English. It was really interesting and I was struck by the spirit that was there. It was so apparent to me that the church is true, wherever you are and whatever language they speak there. Our opening hymn was sung in Spanish, and the sacrament hymn was sung in English. I was so grateful to have been able to experience that.

And then we went home. Daniel and I are borrowing bikes from his parents, so that's pretty exciting. Now we can go on bike rides together! All we're missing is one helmet, because we have one and we forgot to borrow another one. So hopefully the warm weather will last until we can get another one!

would you mind?

I'm taking a creative writing class this semester. Our first assignment is to write a memoir-type narrative essay, 750-1000 words.

Needless to say, I'm nervous. I wouldn't call myself a great writer, nor would I say I'm the "creative" type. My only consolation is that I can at least keep up with most of my class.

This may seem strange, but if I were to post the first draft of my essay, could I rely on at least a few people to read and give feedback? I never imagined posting something that I have written for school, but I feel like I could use the feedback and constructive criticism.

Let me know what you think - is a blog the place for this? If not, if you're willing to help out, give me your email address and I'll send it to you.

Thanks.

book review: The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands

By Dr. Laura Schlessinger

My mom gave me this book just before Daniel and I got married. Unfortunately, I was finishing up my semester and couldn't even crack it open until a couple of months later (it was accidentally boxed up with all my stuff that I had left in Utah... we brought all of it to CO a little bit later). And finally I finished it!

It's a good book with some good information that needs to be taken with a pretty decent-sized grain of salt. Dr. Laura has some decent, strong values that I tend to agree with, and she included letters from readers that really gave more perspective to what she was saying. However, she makes men seem more simple than they really are and that could perhaps be a turn-off because it may be seen as offensive. Additionally, it places responsibility for taking care of the marriage on the woman's shoulders (which I'll address below). Taking it with a grain of salt alleviates the offense and allows the reader to really understand the gist of what she is saying.

I was going to post some hyperlinks to book reviews written by other people, but what I found was that a lot of other people didn't like the book for varying reasons. Some thought that her tone was insensitive, and others thought that her idea of what makes a marriage work defeats the cause of feminism, and a lot of people were offended that the responsibility was placed on the woman's shoulders.

My feeling is this: The book was written. for. women. It was written for women who are trying to fix some of the problems that they have in their marriages. So why shouldn't it place the burden on the woman's shoulders? Obviously, there are things that the husband should be doing as well - but the only way to fix a relationship problem is to look inside yourself and fix what you have control over. The rest follows. And, for that matter, I find that when Daniel and I have a problem, there is usually something that I need to be doing better. For example, if we get in an argument, usually if I can stay in control of my emotions and respond kindly to him, it subsides and we're back to normal. I can't control him and his actions, but I can control myself. The only way that I can fix the problem is by taking a look at my own actions and fixing them.

So that's why I didn't post the other book reviews. I felt like the people writing them were not in a mindset to truly humble themselves and see what they can do to change their actions and fix their problems. That's not to say that there is never a circumstance where the wife is a victim of her husband's behavior. I do think, though, that in most "normal" circumstances, there is something that each partner can do to fix the problems in their relationship... and the best way to do that is for each member of the relationship to focus on their own issues.

In short, I'd recommend borrowing it from the library, but I probably wouldn't buy it.

a dilemma

I have a problem.

I really want matching silverware.

I fell in love with one set, which we bought, only to get it home and wash it a few times and it started corroding. I was devastated. Fortunately, Bed Bath & Beyond was willing to take care of us and we got our money back... but now we're left using the stuff that I got on sale at K-Mart for $15 several years ago, which has been through roommates and moves and we're missing a lot of it.

In all reality, it doesn't matter so much that I should be worrying about it right now. Sure, what we've got is older and cheap and everything, but it's held up better than the more recent stuff that we had for only a month!

I suppose I should count my blessings - if silverware is the biggest problem I've got then I'm doing pretty good.

(P.S. The picture above is one I got online of the stuff that has corroded. It doesn't do it justice, and I really like the hammered handles. Oh well....)

state fair

Today we went to Pueblo, CO, for the state fair. I haven't been to a state fair since I was probably 7 years old. It was fun - we watched a horse show for a while, and we watched a band play. There were some pole vaulters to watch, and we saw some tigers. We saw a miniature cattle show - the baby cows were so cute, I wanted to take one home! They were about the size of a medium-sized dog. And my favorite part was the "Mutton Bustin'," which was an event for kids younger than 6 years old. The kids rode sheep down a stretch of land and the one who was able to stay on longest was the winner! It was so cute.

Unfortunately, we forgot to take pictures. Maybe we'll have to go again next year and remember our camera then.

another mission call

My younger brother, David, just opened his mission call this evening. He will be serving a two-year mission for our church in the Australia Melbourne West mission. He reports to the Missionary Training Center on December 31, 2008. We are so proud of him!

In other news, my brother, Spencer, who is serving a mission in Pittsburgh, PA, is now in the field - he arrived there safely on Monday.

when I grow up...

I told Daniel that I want one of these when he's done with med school. He just laughed at me.

But really, wouldn't that be fantastic?

thank you...

Thank you to the Democratic National Committee and the City of Denver for agreeing to hold the Democratic National Convention here in Denver this year.

While your candidate isn't my favorite (I don't have one), having the convention here remains extremely fortuitous, as the venues are directly across the street from my school - which means that I have a full week off of school, followed by an additional day, due to Labor Day. I'm not going anywhere but I have been privileged to spend my days at home doing whatever I feel like doing. It's been awesome. So, thanks.

book review: Twilight

I know, I know, I'm way behind -- I had been resisting following the crowd, but when Robyn offered to let me borrow her copy, I had to give in.

To spare you all the details of the book (since you probably have already read it anyway), I just want to say that I finished it in 6 hours and couldn't put it down. I thought the storyline was pretty good, but overall I thought it was lacking some kind of "realness." Obviously, since it's about a girl who falls in love with a vampire. I'm not sure yet if I'm going to read the other ones - if I do it will have to be after I finish my classes for the semester (or else on a break) because I can't afford to sit down and read for a day and not do anything else!

blanket #2

From what you've seen so far, it looks like I have an obsession with girl blankets. Not to worry, I have plenty of fabric to make boy blankets, too - it just so happens that almost everyone I know (who is having a baby) is having a girl! Here's the latest blanket. I think it turned out really cute. I've recently developed a thing for paisley so there will probably be more where that came from!

the bouquet

I mentioned before that I had put together the bouquet for Hayley's bridals. Since I'm so proud of how it turned out, I thought I'd put up a picture or two! She used Rob Higginson Photography, the same photographer as us, and it was so fun to see Rob and Teresa again - they are such wonderful people.

my latest

For Daniel's last birthday (9 months ago...) I promised to take him shopping for fabric to make an apron. I took him shopping within a reasonable amount of time, but I finally took care of making the apron right before we left for Utah, and then I finished it right after we got back. I used brick red bias tape and yellow thread. I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out!

reflections on the first day of school

I've been out of school for a year. There, I've said it. For all intents and purposes, I "dropped out" of BYU, intending to never go back, planning to finish all my classes via Independent Study, and hoping to graduate within some reasonable time period. What have I done toward graduation? Hardly anything.

Not because I lack motivation. Not because I have had really any kind of excuse to not do so. And definitely not because of any lack of support from Daniel.

Had I been on-campus at BYU, I would have graduated in April 2008. However, I wasn't, and I dragged my feet as much as possible on my Independent Study courses. They're hard! And it's hard to stay motivated to continue when you have very little accountability for what you must complete, except for a looming deadline at the end of one year. Especially when you work full-time at a job that essentially saps your energy and all you want to do at the end of the day is crawl into bed.

That said, I've decided to attend Metro State College of Denver. I applied approximately a month ago and was almost instantaneously accepted. Finally I've obtained residency so that it is affordable for me to attend. I'm taking 4 classes there, plus a lab. My first day was Monday, and I am so pleased to only have classes Monday through Wednesday each week.

The campus is huge, and it is shared by three schools: University of Colorado - Denver, Metro State College of Denver, and Community College of Denver. There are several churches of many different faiths on campus, and they are all beautiful. The Student Union is located in what used to be a brewery and it is a building with very interesting architecture. The students? What can I say? I think I am one of seven students on campus who do not have a tattoo, and one of even fewer who do not smoke (or never has). Walking across campus, it's difficult to avoid second-hand smoke, so I am resigned to believe that I will die of lung cancer because of my decision to go to school. The mix of students who attend the three schools are an interesting bunch. I don't even know how to describe them, but I will say that probably only half of them look "normal." Oh, the "real" world.

trip to utah (a travelogue)

Last week (August 3 - 9) we headed out to Utah to visit with my family - It was my last week of summer break and my brother was headed into the MTC and it was a great time!

We drove out Sunday afternoon and stayed with Daniel's brother and sister-in-law. It was great to stay there and we love being with them.

Monday we spent some time in Provo, visiting BYU (and finally changing my name there), checking out the Bookstore, getting my hair cut, etc. Then we headed up to Bountiful to see my grandparents and my family... and we went to Mr. Mac so my brother could pick out his suits for the mission. We went out to dinner with my mom's side of the family at Paradise Bakery & Cafe (the best!).

I really can't remember Tuesday, except that we had a barbeque at my aunt and uncle's house (on my dad's side) so Spencer could see everyone one last time. It was great! Good food, and lots of fun.

Wednesday we headed down to Provo for lunch at the Museum of Art Cafe at BYU with my aunt, Mary (my mom's sister), who was there for an organ workshop and wasn't able to be at dinner on Monday. I also saw one of my wonderful dance friends, Vanessa! I haven't seen her in a year and it was great. Aunt Mary went with us to the MTC as well. It was really surreal to be sending Spencer on his mission (he's going to Pittsburgh) and I am so proud of him - he really is ready to be a missionary. We're going to have another one of those come November - David is almost finished with his papers. Then, in the afternoon, I put together a bouquet for Hayley, Daniel's sister. She was taking her bridals that evening and I got to be there with Dana, our sister-in-law, and it was really great. She's such a beautiful girl and her pictures are stunning!

Thursday Daniel and I hung around at my grandparents' house and finally got my school schedule put together. By the time I was able to register (I can't even describe to you how much red tape there was), it was only two weeks before school started and I couldn't get into anything that I wanted. This was problematic because I only had 5 specific classes that I needed to take and then I'll be totally done, and I didn't want to waste a semester. So we put together the ideal schedule and I called the various department offices and basically talked them all into getting me into the classes that I needed. It was fabulous! There was only one class I wasn't able to get into but this has turned out to be a good thing, since I'm still taking 14 credits at school and 9 credits of independent study and it will be intense anyway without adding the extra 3 credits.

My mom took my brothers and sister to the Salt Lake Cemetary on Thursday afternoon and we had really wanted to go but it ended up being good that we didn't, since we got so much done during that time. Thursday for dinner we ate at Chuckarama - our family's favorite buffet restaurant. It's tradition for us, so it was fun.

Friday my brothers and Daniel went with my cousin, Adam, to see the Batman movie in IMAX. Everyone who I've talked to who's seen it has really liked it, but I still am just not that interested until I can watch it on my TV at home and turn it off if I don't like it. So I'm just going to wait. But Daniel was really glad to have had some guys to go see it with. While they were gone, my mom and I hung out and ran some errands. I went to the Shade store to find a shade (go figure) and the fabric that I wanted only comes in maternity - so that's what I got. It was kind of weird but when I tried it on, it wasn't baggy or too long or anything... just a little bit longer than the "normal" ones. It will work. When Angela came home from the hike she was on, we went back to the Shade store and then we went to my aunt and uncle's house and the kids had a pizza party, while the adults all hung out at my grandparents' house. It was pretty fun.

Saturday, we had a fancy french toast breakfast that my dad made for us and then we packed up and headed home. It was pretty uneventful except for driving through a couple of really bad rainstorms in Wyoming - there were some points where we could hardly see the road! But we made it back safely and it ended up being fine.

happy anniversary!

one year

We've been "m'd" for a year! (In Daniel's words...)

And what a wonderful year it has been! We've had some difficult times, like last spring when I was working full-time and doing 6 credits of coursework and I'd come home crying every day and Daniel pretty much had to take care of everything. We've also had some really good times - all the trips we've taken this summer have been really fun and it's been a wonderful journey, getting to know him even better. I am so lucky to be married to such a wonderful man who loves me and cares for me the way he does. I am so proud of him and all his hard work and I know life would be missing something without him.

P.S. Let's not forget about the part where we cut the cake, when Daniel shoved cake and frosting up my nose. It wasn't as bad as it looks, though - we're still married. :)

In truth, I was so intent on getting the cake into his mouth that I forgot to open mine. And then I started laughing so hard that I bent over - hence, the cake in my nose.

addictions

Daniel has been doing a project about internet information on the link between tanning and skin cancer and came across this term:

soft addiction

So I've been thinking about it. What are some of mine?

- checking my email 5 million times a day when I know I'm not going to have anything new
- checking almost hourly to see if I can finally register for the section of the class that I want
- every time I'm in the area of Joann's or Hobby Lobby, I can't help but stop by
- every time I'm at Joann's, I have to look at the flannel and a lot of the time, I buy
- chocolate
- writing lists
- hanging the clothes in my closet in order by color and length of sleeve
- scheming about my next craft project
- shopping, especially looking for fabulous deals
- taking pictures


P.S. Here's my latest craft project - this one, I'm giving away... :)

(another) new calling

Yesterday our ward executive secretary called to see if Daniel and I could meet with the bishop before church today. We set our appointment and really had no idea what to expect! We went in for our appointment this morning and the bishop said that he knows we've only been in our current calling for just over a month, but there is a need elsewhere in the ward...

...in Young Womens! I'm going to be the second counselor and I'm really excited to serve. I think our presidency is going to work really well together, and I really look forward to meeting the girls as well. I know it will be a challenge in its own way, but I feel like this is the right place to be!

Daniel will continue to be a Primary worker, and we think he will probably teach with a couple of other guys... but, who knows? Maybe they'll call another guy to teach with Daniel or something. Or maybe scouts? I guess we'll find out.

cowboy up!

On Saturday, we went up to Cheyenne, Wyoming for Cheyenne Frontier Days. We spent the entire day there - here are some pictures of everything we did!

The first thing we saw after we parked the car was an extremely long procession of horses and buggies.

Our first stop: "Indian Village," where there are tepees, Native American arts and crafts booths, and presentations. We saw a really awesome one about traditional dance.

And then, we went to the rodeo, which happens to be the largest outdoor rodeo in the US. It was pretty impressive. We were ecstatic to finally have our tickets after waiting in line for will-call, and we were pleased that our seats were in the shade. They also happened to be approximately three rows from the back of the stadium, but it was still fun. We saw bull riding, bronco riding (with and without saddles), steer roping, calf tying, and some horseback gymnastics. I also decided that in a former life, I would have liked to be part of the rodeo pageantry - they get to wear some pretty fun outfits.

After a short recharge/refuel/drink lots of water to reverse the effects of dehydration break, we went back to the stadium for a behind-the-scenes tour of the rodeo facility. We saw some really good-looking animals close-up and it was fun to see all of it in a different way.

These are some of the bulls that the cowboys ride. First of all, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want to ride one of these - especially when it's bucking all over the place - and then I wouldn't want one of these chasing me once I fell off. Scary. They are BIG animals.

On the tour, Daniel told me that I should have been born in Japan because I was taking so many pictures. He claims that he knows that's a "gross stereotype," and I tried not to be too embarrassed because he said it so loud. He justified saying it because "it was true." I just thought the animals were so pretty and I wanted to be able to look at the pictures later. Besides, the camera's digital so I can take as many pictures as I want, right? I wasn't holding anyone up - I've got mad picture-taking-while-walking skillz.

After looking at the animals, we went inside the stadium and even got to go inside the "Cheyenne Chutes" - where the broncos and bulls are held until the cowboy is ready to ride them. We also saw tech people setting up the stage for the Rascal Flatts/Taylor Swift concert later that night. I was hoping we'd see members of Rascal Flatts hanging around the trailers, but no such luck.

I think the carnival area looks like a kid's idea of heaven. It really was kind of pretty in its own way, from a distance. Up close it was just dirty and smelly and hot. Daniel posed for a picture by the pony ride. The ponies were cute but they looked kind of sad because most of the time, nobody was riding them.

Then it was time for dinner. We ate a turkey leg and drank lots and lots and lots of lemonade. I decided that I really really really really like turkey legs. By the way, food there was ridiculously expensive: $7 for one turkey leg, and $5 for a cup of lemonade that's half-full of ice. I was so glad we had packed a lunch!

And then it was time for the long-awaited concert! Our seats were approximately 17 light years away from the stage, but it really wasn't that bad, except for the people around us pumping themselves full of beer. I was really impressed by Taylor Swift, and of course Rascal Flatts did an incredible job. It was really fun!

pictures

I finally added pictures to our California trip post... but I have a question for anyone who would like to answer:

How do you make pictures go side-by-side? I'd like to put a lot of pictures on posts that I have a lot for, but I don't want to make my post too long. Any ideas?

Thanks. :)

Relay for Life

This evening Daniel and I participated in the American Cancer Society Relay for Life. We were on a team with my work and it was a really good experience. I don't know if this is the format for all Relay for Life events, but at this particular one, teams basically had someone walking around the specified block at all times during a 12-hour period (6pm - 6am). Daniel and I signed up for the 7-8pm slot and did our walk. We walked a couple of miles and it was great!

trip to California

This past weekend, we hopped on a plane to go to Hollister, CA for a visit with my family.

Here's what we did:

* Hung out in the airport in Denver while waiting for our flight - it was delayed a little over an hour. Watched Larry King Live and ate cookies. Arrived in San Jose, CA around 11:00 pm and then made the hour drive to Hollister.

* Friday morning: Went to the Oakland Temple with my brother, Spencer. It was his first time - he's going on a mission to Pittsburgh, PA in a few weeks. Made a stop for lunch at In-N-Out Burger and enjoyed Animal Style Double-Doubles, fries, and vanilla shakes.