Life Update

Our life for Dan and I has not been that exciting.... really. We are just waiting, patiently might i add, for this child of ours to finally pop out of me.

Last night we went over to a couples house and joined them for dinner with another couple from the ward. We played a few games, talked and played Wii. We all had a great time. The Dorney's, the couple who hosted, are leaving in about a month. Shane got in to flight school with one of the military groups. Laura is just about to start her 3rd trimester. The Tuckers were the other couple. Jessica and Gordon are expecting too. Jessica is just about in her 15 week. We served in the nursery with the Tuckers all last year and when we got called out of it, the Dorneys replaced us.

Everything is going great. We couldn't be happier with how this pregnancy is going, besides the constant sickness I had for 12 weeks straight back at the beginning, the getting up to go to the bathroom twice a night now.. how the nausea is back and how constantly uncomfortable am, the constant hip and back pain and pressure... ooo i also get, on occasion, some lightning pain just surging through my back. That is fun. All in all, it really couldn't go any more smoothly... I'm healthy, she's healthy and that is all that we need.

I'm on my final two weeks of work. Crazy! I have been at this office for over a year and have loved the people that I work with. It's going to be sad to leave but super exciting at the same time. They really have become my El Paso family.

This last week was Dan's spring break. We got what we wanted to get done and that was to paint the ugly bookshelf that we have, into an adorable bookshelf/dresser for our little one. We picked up the supplies and paint the weekend before and when I got home Friday at 12, Dan had everything out and ready to go so we could start painting. I really wish he had this kind of excitement last year when we painted our kitchen table and chairs. Granted we did paint those during NFL draft time but heck we were painting during NCAA march madness... kinda the same thing.... right? He's just a little excited to be a daddy. Anyways, I'm so sorry i didn't get a before shot of the bookshelf. It was really gross. Old fake wood, with stickers and blue paint randomly splashed on it. We never really worried about it cause it was in our junk/office/storage room. We never really needed it to look fancy. It served it's purpose well, to house all our books. Now that we need to get a room ready for Virginia and since she supposedly going grace us with her presence in just under 5 weeks. *fingers crossed*We better start cracking.

It took most of the afternoon to paint the bookshelf but it looks fantastic!! Holy goodness.. It's all new looking and just gorgeous. I'm so happy that we did this.

here it is.... all painted white and cute and almost ready for her. I purchased some fabric baskets, 6 of them, that i'm decorating to match somethings i wanna put in the room. I've gotten 1 and some of another done. ooooooo *light bulb on* actually something just came to my mind that I wanna do to them....I have none done now. We are also collecting, slowly, some books for her. I wanna go and get some of my favorite ones growing up, like, all of the Don and Audrey Wood books and other various books. I loved to look at books when I was a child and we had a ton of them. My mom loves books too.... seeing as she got her Masters in Reading....hmmm....... where did my love for books come from?

This is the detailing up on the top. It's beautiful and we really never noticed it till we painted it white. What a glorious find on the furniture.

When i finally get the finish product done i will post it. I have a few art works that are in progress that i want to frame and hang in her room. Since we are still unsure what we are going to be doing for the summer, I don't want to decorate her room to much and then have to redo it some where else. Besides she's going to be sleeping in our room for the 1st couple of months. There is really no rush to the projects. Just the bookshelf so i have a place to put her clothes and other things.

Peace

Decisions Decisions ...

I think my favorite part of being pregnant so far is looking for thing to purchase for the lil' bundle of joy....who is constantly kicking now. Even as I'm typing this she's furiously going and strong too.

I have looked high and low for the basic essential that every little baby is going to need, and i have finally, fingers crossed (I change my mind every two mintues), picked out what I want.

The bedding and the crib have been the worst search for me. When it comes to finding the crib, not only am I trying to find something that I like and can use for all my children, I am of course trying to keep it at a reasonable price. Why oh why oh why do, i really like the cribs that are like 650.00?!?!
I'm so sorry Husband, i have expensive taste...

I found this one at Walmart.....

really?!?, I can't believe I found the one I want at Walmart of all places. A major factor in choosing this particular crib is that the couple at Young House Love purchased this crib and made a fantastic review and love it. I'm not saying that they were the ones that found the crib for me, it was on the list of many cribs i was deciding between and they just helped me to choose this one. It's also under 300 bucks and it comes with the toddler rails. Most of the cribs that i have seen, you have to purchase the toddler rail separately and those can cost up to 100 bucks. I'm thinking this is a great deal on an awesome crib.

I love the clean modern look of it. :) so beautiful!! Thank you Daddy and Veniece for purchasing the crib for us!! And Diane and Danny, Dan's parents, for purchasing the mattress!!!

This is the bedding that I'm thinking I am getting.

It's from Land of Nod and it's on sale!!! Wooo!!!! Again, I have expensive taste.

It's super cute. Not OH MY GOSH!!! that is bright! It's perfect!! for me at least. Again, I love modern. I also love that you don't have to get the whole set, which would cost a ton. You can get thing separate. So I'm going to get the bumper and quilt of this set and get cute pink sheets at target.

Thank you Mommy for this purchase!!!

Then there is the stroller. We have opted to get a travel system. Elizabeth got one and loved it. She also got a Graco brand stroller and she took it to Italy and back and still uses it. It's in fantastic condition and If something can hold up the way my family travels all the time, then it's a great brand to keep with.

We wanted something Neutral. This one is brand new. About two months in production. It's exclusive at Babies R Us. Which is kinda a bummer seeing as the closest Babies R Us to us is on the East side of town. We live on the West. It's about a good 40 minute drive out there. It's all good. I called yesterday to see if they had any in stock because online they seem to fly off the shelfs. They are always saying it's out of stock. Anyways, Diane is headed out to the East side for a lunch thing on Thursday and is totally willing to pick the stroller up! She is awesome!

Hooray for the Relief Society sisters and wanted to purchase a large group purchase and this is what they are all pooling together to get me!!!! I love my ward!! I really can't wait to have the stroller.

Those are the mighty purchase that i have decided on.

We have a bookshelf that Diane and Danny gave Dan and I. It's not so cute looking now....but a fresh coat of new white paint and some cute little fabric bins, which I purchased a few weeks ago, will make for awesome chest of drawers/bookshelf for Virginia. We plan on painting that during Dan's Spring break. I will do some before and afters pictures of the project.

Again Dan and I just can't wait for Miss Virginia either Rose or Katherine Morgan to be here!!! We love our baby!!!

Peace

Baby Update

I'm just about 9 weeks out!!! HOORAY!!!! I need her to come. I'm just constantly uncomfortable. I don't think our family body types were made to handle child baring to well. We are just super petite people. Anyways, little miss Virginia (99% sure that's her name) has still not flipped.... she does have 9 weeks to flip but if she does not... it's an automatic C-section. If it comes to that I think, no, I know I'm going to be upset never to get the chance to have a vaginal birth. I do know that you can have one after a C-section but most doctors don't wanna do it. To scared that things can tear. Other then her not being flipped yet. Little Miss Virginia is healthy and doing everything she suppose to be doing. She moves constantly which according to my Doctor is very very good, but not to comfortable for me. My Doctor, Dr. Phipps, whom i love, is a little worried about the amount of fluid surrounding baby. Baby did have a full bladder when she was measuring this morning and said that she's sure once baby empties it, the fluid should be the perfect amount. She wants to check it again next appointment and if it's not correct to her, she going to have me come in when the ultrasound people come into her office.

Dan and I can't wait for her arrival. These next 9 weeks are going to go super slow...but i bet when i look back at it, it's going to go super fast. Having an appointment every other week does help with the time.

Peace

Best Commercial EVER!!!

Saw it for the 1st time during Lost!!! Laughed my butt off

This should have been a super bowl commercial. It tops all of the lame ones that were on this year.

As always Enjoy

Peace

I might be having a Benjamin Button Baby.

I've read and heard from several people that your dreams become super intense and odd when you are pregnant and that is definitely the case with me.

I must be nervous about what my baby is going to look like, cause last night was def the top odd dream that i have had.

I dreamed that she was a Benjamin Button bady. All old manish, gross looking and super wrinkly. I understand that the kid is slightly pruney when they come out, she's been in liquid for 9 months. Seriously it was a Aah!!! moment in my dream. I just started to cry when I saw her. Super sad right?!? It's all good, my subconscious figured out I did not wanna look at that and with in a few hours she was super beautiful...

We also didn't have a car seat for her when it was time to leave the hospital. We lied to them and on the way home purchased one..... Not a good start, I think.

Peace

Art

I was doing the blogging thing this morning and I've been coming to a certain site for a while now. I think it's hilarious and very clever. It's titled That is Priceless. Just click on the link and you will see for yourself how funny it actually is.

I started thinking about one of my favorite pieces that I'm sure most of you have never seen. Katherine got a print for her birthday way back when, I had to have been in jr high, from one of her best friends and I have loved it ever since.

It's titled The Kiss by Francesco Hayez.

I just love how much passion is in the kiss and how they must be secret lovers. He must have been waiting for her in the dark doorway in the back corner and when she passed him, he comes out and lays one fantastic kiss on her......oooo to be her.....So beautiful....i wish i could paint like that. That is my take on the painting. Come up with your own story of why they are kissing. I love doing that to paintings. Art is so much more fun when you create a story behind what you are seeing and not just looking at it because some one put it in a museum, so it must be important attitude.

Peace

Cruising

As a getting preggers gift from my Dad and Veniece, we got a cruise. Awesome right?!? and I know ya'll are slightly jealous.

This cruise was the mother of all cruises....well that i know of.. It was my second ever. My 1st was for our honeymoon. It was a quick four night cruise down to Capo San Lucas, Mexico on Carnival.

This cruise was a 9 night cruise on Celebrity. They sure did make you feel like one too. It was awesome we ported from San Juan, Puerto Rico and sailed to 7 different islands around the Caribbean. It was beautiful and well needed. More needed for Dan then Me. He's been working so hard on his masters and it's been super stressful for him and it was nice to have a long long and awesome vacation in between the semesters.

Dan and I flew out to Houston on Dec. the 31th to spend the New Years with the family and on the 1st at 11:59pm we flew down to San Juan. We got in at about 5:30 San Juans time. I did not sleep to well on the plane, nor did anyone else for that matter. When we landed we were all exhausted. We got a taxi and he took us near our port because apparently there was a luggage storing place around there. We couldn't start to board the ship until 12:00 so we had a few hours to kill. After the taxi, who was kinda of a rude man, dropped us off and we still had know idea where the luggage hold was, we decided that we were hungry and there was a Embassy Suites right there. We figured they would have some type of breakfast thing going on at 7:00 in the morning. When we showed up to the bell hop, he told us that he would hold all our bags for a small fee of 15 bucks. Awesome!!! We finally had a place to put our luggage and a place to eat and it was a small 5 minute walk to our ship terminal. After our small/expensive breakfast, thank Daddy, we were told that there was a free trolley that went around old town San Juan. We decided to take that and just get off at one of the forts that lines the coastline. After waiting for like 30 minutes, Veniece got out her handy dandy iphone and searched how far everything was. It was super close, the fort was, so off we went, on foot, following Veniece iphone. (ps. I really want one) When we got there and finally decided to walk up the slight incline to the visitors center being super tired, hot and sticky, we discovered a free movie about the forts around San Juan. It was not so awesome, but the movie theater was dark, and it had AC. We decided to park our butts and watch the movie. 1st in Spanish for 15 then in English for another 15 minutes. Then we just stayed for about a good hour and half sleeping in there. It was fantastic. After that we took the trolley, it was finally operating, and rode around and saw rest of old town San Juan. Do not judge if you only had about 2 hours of sleep you would be doing the same stuff.

There was a trolley drop off right at the Embassy Suites. We got off, tried to find a restaurant that we were told we had to eat at, but couldn't find. Then we picked up our bags and walked the 5 minutes to the ships terminal and boarded the ship.

The 1st thing we did when we got onto the ship was, go to our rooms and slept the afternoon way. We then all got up and started walking the ship to see it. We discovered the food area by that time, it was afternoon tea and treat time. There were dozens of different desserts and treats in the area and an ice cream bar. We got some ice cream and continued our ship tour. We sailed on the Celebrity Millennium. It was beautiful.

Our stateroom was also awesome. My dad splurged and we got a room with a balcony. We definitely had a great set up.

Sun Jan 3rd

The next day we were ported at St. Croix in the Virgin Islands. St. Croix was quaint and very very beautiful town. Since it was Sunday and there wasn't much to do with the excursion, we just decided to walk around the town and see all the church that they had. They were beautiful and all so very close to one another. Because it was Sunday they were all in church and singing such beautiful music. It was nice to walk around the Island and here it on Sunday. Very appropriate for being on vacation.

Mon Jan 4th

We ported at Philipsburg, St. Maarten, the dutch owned side of the Island. Again a very beautiful tourist trap place. That day we booked an excursion called the Americans Cup. Where we got in teams of 12 and raced each other in sail boats. If you go on a cruise and they offer this as an activity, DO IT!!! You will not regret it. Dan, with the help of Dad, picked a great excursion. Being preggers and all I couldn't really participate. I was the time keeper and the bar tender. Woooooo

Tueday Jan 5th

Our port was Basseterre, St. Kitts. We rode a train around the island for about two hours and then the last hour we finished our tour around the island in a van. St. Kitts is a super poor country. The poorest that we visited. They used to harvest sugar cane but now they do not and we rode the tracks that the sugar cane was transported on. Even tho the country was incredible poor, our tour guide for both the train and the van were very very proud of their small country and you can not make fun of that. Every time we past one of the schools, all the school children would come running to the fence and wave. It was the cutest thing ever. As cool as the people were and how proud they are of what they have accomplished, the train was super boring. It would have been a lot better if we were on it for 30 minutes instead of along 2 hours of squeaks, bumps and not really understanding the person over the intercom.

Wed. Jan 6th

The port was Roseau, Dominica. This island was the most beautiful of all the Islands that we went to. Remember we went to 7 different Islands. This day Dad and Veniece went scuba diving, they heard it was the best place to dive on all the island that were going to be visiting, while Dan and I took a van up to two beautiful waterfalls. It was not a very strenuous excursion and that is why we choose to do it. Amanda, our tour guide, was beautiful and by far the nicest person that we had contact with in all the Islands. Even tho on every excursion they were nice, she was the best. :)

Thursday Jan. 7th

We ported at St. George, Grenada. That day we just decided to take a quick water taxi over to the closet beach and chill.

Friday Jan 8th

Scarborough, Tobago was our port. Again we didn't book anything with the cruise and decided to head out by our self and see what we could do. We got a taxi and Evan, our driver took us to a local cafe/eating spot on our way to the beach. Again we just walked around and we finally got a drink called Mabi. On every Island we were looking for it. It's a Caribbean drink we were told we had to have. It was good. It tasted like flat root beer.

Saturday Jan 9th

We were off to Bridgetown, Barbados. Since it was our last port, we decided to book an excursion. We booked a "swim with the turtles" excursion. We snorkeled with them. It was so fun. I have never seen a sea turtle that close before. They swam so close to us. I kick one, on accident, when it swam underneath me. It was the biggest one too. I felt awful. We then were put back on the boat and taken to a ship wreak and snorkeled that for a bit.

Sunday Jan 10th

This day was our day at sea. We really didn't do much, but sleep and go to the pool. That night we decided to book the restaurant were you had to pay an extra 35 bucks to eat at. I have never had service like that. It was a five star quality!! That dinner, if it was not on the cruise, would have easily cost about a good 150 a head. It was fantastic.

Monday Jan 11th

Our cruise is over. What a sad day. Since our flight was not till later in the day. We booked a excursion with the ship to see the rain forest on Puerto Rico. They took our luggage and held if for us till we got to the airport. It was beautiful. Before we were taken to the airport we stopped at a local eating place again. It was really really good. I am surprised that my little stomach handled it.

All in all the cruise was awesome and we loved every minute. The entertainment each night was fantastic and well worth staying and seeing. The workers were on top of everything. It was a magnificent ship to sail on. I suggest, if you are looking to book a cruise, do it with Celebrity. It will blow your mind and you will have no choice but to enjoy every minute of it. :)

Sorry for the long post

Peace