full term

That's right- full term! 38 weeks today.  Time is absolutely flying by, especially with Christmas right around the corner keeping us super busy! I can hardly contain my excitement. Baby girl is still healthy as can be and squirming around like crazy. I just can't wait to meet her!

 37 weeks

Aches or Pains: My poor feet! They don't hurt all the time, but that's definitely the first place the pain kicks in when I've been out and about too long. 

Other Symptoms: I'm definitely slowing down these days... Anyone who knows me well knows I love to run errands. I'm also a really fast walker, so I'm used to zipping around the grocery store, zipping in and out of parking lots,  and being super efficient with my errand-running. Needless to say, errands aren't nearly as fun with a waddle. 

Cravings: Nothing in particular anymore. I'm actually losing my appetite quite a bit. Not because I'm nauseous or queasy, but because it's so incredibly uncomfortable to be full! There's not a whole lot of room in there for my stomach to expand, so...a little bit goes a long way these days. 

Sleeping: Still hard to turn from side to side, but I'm getting more and more used to "being uncomfortable" and sleeping much better as of lately. 

Nesting: ...is a real thing. I keep reading that my "motherly instincts" will start to kick in as baby gets closer to arriving, and it's so true. I can't even tell you how many times I've organized her closet and folded (and refolded) all the clothes in her dresser. I'm constantly "tidying up" and finding new places to deep clean. 

Final Baby Preparations: We've taken our birthing class, our breastfeeding class, chosen our pediatrician, packed our hospital bags and installed the carseat. We are READY! The best part of all this "final prep" was taking our hospital tour- that really made this whole thing seem real! I loved the staff, loved their policies, and was just super impressed with our whole experience.  I also loved meeting our pediatrician! I had gotten lots of great recommendations, but felt so good about my first "new mom consultation," that I cancelled all the rest. He is so fabulous and I know he will be a great fit! 

Nerves? Anxiety? None, whatsoever. Yes, I'm anxious, but only anxious-excited! Everyone's always asking me if I'm getting nervous, but I'm not at all. Probably just because I'm naive and have no idea what I'm in for. The real person they should be asking is Ryan...he might have a different opinion on the matter ;)

Daddy-to-be: ...has been so great. He puts on my shoes, rubs my feet, and even painted my toenails the other day! It is so cute watching him get more and more excited to meet his little girl.

Less than two weeks, people. Two weeks!!

 (The progression...)

30 weeks

I cannot get over how quickly time is going by...30 weeks already?  That's a pretty big milestone if you ask me! This is all starting to get very real.

I know it's annoying, but I love being pregnant! I'm still feeling great and haven't felt much discomfort at all yet. Hoping for a few more good weeks before that starts to kick in. The belly is definitely getting bigger though, especially in the past few weeks!  The best part is feeling her squirming around in there all the time! It never gets old. I just love it!

26 weeks, 28 weeks, 30 weeks

• Aches or Pains: A little bit in my hips/sides when I get up after sitting or laying for a long time. Also, some crazy painful charlie horses in my calves! What the, random? 
• Other Symptoms: Some occasional heartburn, but nothing crazy. And starting to feel some Braxton Hicks contractions which is kind of cool! 
• Cravings: Donuts and Dr. Pepper have never tasted so good--neither of which had ever been temptations before I was pregnant.  Ice cream too, but I can't really blame that on the pregnancy, not much has changed there :)
• Baby Items Purchased: My most recent obsession has been with hair bows. I tried to hold off for as long as I could, but it happened. I can't stop. I didn't think I had bought that many, until Ryan informed me that this baby has 29 hair bows. "She has more hair accessories than I have shirts! And she's not even born yet!"  This is only the beginning, I'm sure...
• Nursery: ...is complete! It has been so fun to put together. Now all we need is a baby!
• Worst Moment (as of lately): Getting a COLD! I know it doesn't sound like a big deal, but a nasty cold when you can't take any meds for it is pretty miserable. Couldn't sleep, couldn't breathe, couldn't swallow- sure glad that one's over.
• Best Moment (as of lately): I have 13 friends who are also pregnant right now- 13!! 2 sisters-in-law (which makes me SO excited to have cousin babies so close in age) and 11 other friends! It is SO fun to be going through this whole pregnancy thing at the same time and it makes me so excited to raise our babies together :)

A little sneak peek... Like I said, all we need now is the baby! We cannot wait to meet her!

baby on the way

Yep...it's true!  We could not be more thrilled to announce the upcoming arrival of our very first baby girl.  I figure now that I'm halfway there (20 weeks!), I'd better start documenting my pregnancy and sharing a little piece of our excitement! 

First of all, this pregnancy has been a breeze. (Sorry ladies!)  I really have been so blessed to have it so easy.  I had been warned that the first trimester would be brutal, but besides a few queasy weeks (7-9), the only other symptoms I experienced were a weird appetite and some serious sleepiness.  I could sleep in until 10 and still desperately need a 3 hour nap by the afternoon.  No nausea, thankfully, just some motion sickness and dizziness at the beginning.  Now that I'm into the second trimester, my energy's back and I'm feeling great!  

Now to catch up on the past 20 weeks, a few pregnancy updates...

• Suspicions on Gender (before we found out): I knew for sure it was a boy...mostly because I wanted a girl so bad and I knew I wasn't that lucky. You can imagine how ecstatic I was when we found out :)  I think I insulted the ultrasound technician with how many times I asked, "Are you sure?" "Are you really sure?" "Are you absolutely positive?!" At 16 weeks they were "99% sure," and at our 20 week ultrasound they confirmed, once again, that she is indeed a little girl. Still dying of excitement!
• Aches or Pains: None, really. Just barely starting to feel some back discomfort while sitting or laying in certain positions. I'm sure this is only the start...
• Sleeping: Lots and lots of it! Starting to get uncomfortable just in the past few days... I've always understood how a big belly would make it difficult to sit up and move around in bed, but WOW, I did not realize how soon those muscles would go away- long before the belly even comes! (Didn't even realize rolling over in bed required any muscles...) My abs are gone. It's pathetic.
• Maternity Clothes: Thankfully, not yet! Let's be honest, I'd much rather be spending my pennies on baby girl's wardrobe, not on new clothes for me I'll only be able to wear a for few weeks at a time.  There's definitely a little baby bump there, but luckily I'm carrying high enough that it hasn't affected my pants yet. Hoping to hold out at least a few more weeks!
• Cravings: No consistent cravings, but whatever it is that I'm craving in the moment, I MUST have it. This has ranged from Kneader's turkey sandwiches and real-fruit strawberry popsicles in the beginning...to ice-cream, popcorn, cake, donuts, fast-food breakfast, KFC (what?!), and pizza in the recent weeks. Hopefully I'll start craving fruits and veggies one of these days...whoops!
• Baby Movement: Just started feeling her this past week! It feels like little twitches inside me, sometimes it even tickles. I absolutely LOVE IT. There's really a baby in there!
• Baby Items Purchased: TOO MANY. I can't help it! My parents were generous enough to spoil us with our stroller/carseat combo (thanks mom and dad!), and other than that it's just been lots and lots of clothes. My personal favorite purchase has been her sparkly pink jellies (pictured below). I'm dying. (Oh, and I guess we bought a crib and a changing table/dresser set too. But that was months ago, WAY TOO EARLY, we are aware. Clearly first-time parents, cut us some slack :)
• Best Moment So Far: Catching Ryan sneaking around the nursery...peeking in her closet at all her clothes, "test driving" her stroller... :) I think what I'm most excited for is watching him become a daddy. He just adores this baby girl already and it is absolutely melting my heart. 

We are so in love already! December cannot come soon enough!

life in logan

I can't believe we've been here in Logan for over 6 months and I still haven't gotten around to posting about it.  Maybe it's because it still feels like we just barely got here, andddd we're already on our way out? It's been nearly impossible to really get settled knowing we'd only be here a short time...but with that said, we really have enjoyed it! Logan's a funny little place...small, pretty, and definitely has a unique culture about it. Although I've kept myself pretty busy working from home, Ryan's rigorous school schedule has left me with LOTS of time on my hands to get creative with. 

Here are some random little updates about my life in Logan...

-Sweatpants and slippers have become absolute staples in my wardrobe. (When sweatpants and t-shirts significantly outnumber the amount of REAL clothes in your laundry each week, you know you live a great life)

-This is the view from my kitchen window. Not even kidding. Probably what I'll miss most about this place..

-I found my long-lost love of reading! What better way to spend a long, cold winter than snuggled up with a good book? The dream. 

-Ryan and I have had lots of bonding time. We've gone through phases of Scramble, Bananagrams, Jim Gaffigan, and The Hunger Games.  (We read The Hunger Games at the same time, and every time we'd talk about it Ryan would insist, "this isn't book club!," but I totally ate it up)

-Trips to Costco and Target have become a TREAT! I'm like a kid in a candy store every time we make the trip down. I will never take them for granted ever again... 

-I've picked up all sorts of new hobbies! Reading (as mentioned), crafting, QUILTING (who am I?) My latest project has been this BYU t-shirt quilt. Not bad for a beginner!

-I started giving plasma. There's a donation center right around the corner from us, so why not? Even better than the little extra "fun money" I earn each week is all the PAMPERING!  Ryan's absolutely terrified of needles, so even the thought of me getting stuck makes him crumble.  Every time I go he pretty much begs me at the door to stay. "You don't have to do this! You don't have to go!" Ha! I'll take the extra TLC :)

-I'm obsessed with Aggie Ice Cream.  I know that makes me a traitor and there are very few things that will ever trump my loyalty to BYU, but it is to die for.  The BYU Creamery is hard to beat, but as much as I hate to admit it, the Aggie's win on this one. 

-I've learned to love winter. MAYBE it has something to do with the fact that I'm not walking to and from campus everyday (which I definitely haven't missed...), and I'm not forced to be outside in the cold at all with an exception of getting the mail and the 2 seconds it takes to get in and out of the car. Or, maybe it's because we lucked out with the most mild winter in the history of Logan winters.  We'd been warned right and left about the brutal winter that awaited us, but it has been a breeze. I remember feeling freezing cold exactly ONCE this winter...ironically after seeing "Frozen." (And after seeing the movie, winter seemed magical and enchanting...it just added to the experience!) Either way, I'm not complaining! 

I'll be honest, I'm a total extrovert and this "laid back lifestyle" isn't exactly my thing.  Anyone who knows me well knows this is quite the change of pace for me and that I can hardly function without being busy! (Hence the desperate search for new hobbies...) Needless to say, it has been an adjustment, but I figured I'd embrace it for this short period of time we're here--there's not a chance I'll ever have so much downtime ever again in my life! Overall, I think it's been a good thing and we've made some pretty good memories out of our little adventure here. We might even be a little sad to leave. Here's to living up our last little bit before real life sets in! (Updates to follow...)