Ikea dresser

Before: 

After some (really frustrating) painting and sparkly new hardware: 

Maybe if I remember one of these days, I'll take a photo of the finished product with something other than my phone on a cloudy day... Please forgive the noise in the "After" photo. 

Not a toy

Jon and I took Henry to Zion for the afternoon over the weekend. We stopped for a bite to eat on the way there. We ordered, sat down, and started eating, trying to keep Henry entertained. He had been super fussy in the car and was not happy with the scenario at the restaurant. Henry doesn't like that there are things that we eat that we cannot share with him. So Jon put Henry on his knee and was bouncing him gently and talking to him. He was having nothing to do with at high chairs at that point. And then Henry started looking around and people-watching and some of the people were watching him right back and smiled at him. That made Henry giggle, which made this lady turn around. She looked at Henry, then Jon and I, then back at Henry and he gave her a great big smile. Then the lady's eyes got all big and she exclaimed, "Oh, he's real!" And upon seeing our confusion, went on to clarify, "I thought he was a doll!"
Because Jon obviously looks like the type to play with life-size baby dolls.
I assured her that Henry is very much real, and went back to eating. But a few minutes later, it must have still been on the woman's mind because she shared, "I think I must have thought he was a doll because of his eyes. So blue."
She kept looking at me, waiting for a response, so I said that he does have great big blue eyes, smiled at her, and went back to my lunch.
Not two minutes later, another couple walks in and this woman starts waving and smiling at Henry and then calls her husband over to look at him. She then starts talking to Henry as if his parents are not there. You know, mostly the usual, "Oh, aren't you so cute?! ... I could just eat you up.... Well, aren't you all smiles?" I honestly don't know how to respond to that. I mean, she was talking to Henry and not me. Was she expecting him to answer? And then as I got up to go to the restroom, she started talking to Henry again and asked him, "Do you think your mom would mind it very much if I took you home with me?"
Since I was walking right past their table, I did answer that one. "I'm pretty sure his mom would NOT like that at all." I said it with a smile, so that was ok, right? What would you do? She was kind of talking about kidnapping, after all.
I blame our odd dining experience on the location. That's what we get for eating in Hurricane.
And for my parent friends out there, do you just get used to being treated like you are invisible or do you insert yourself into the conversation? But even then, what do you say besides thank you? Do you gush stuff like, "Oh, I know, he's just toooooo cute, isn't he? Can you believe those sweet chunky thighs?" Or do you share something more truthful like, "Lady, you don't know the half of it. Do you know how much work it is keeping this baby happy, out of trouble, and entertained?"

High chair

So I posed this question to my facebook friends today, but I am also asking any of my friends here who are also moms-- If you have a high chair that you love/loved can you give me some recommendations? And let me know what you love about it. Does it fold up compact? Is it easy to clean? Is it sturdy?

We're already at that phase. I can hardly believe it. While I was trying to put it off as long as possible, I think we really need one yesterday. This kid is a MESSY eater. It is fun to watch him, but the clean up is not so much fun. Especially because he wants to do it all by himself... So, any and all input would be happily received. Thanks!


12/8/12
Update: Okay, so we went with a fold-up Ikea chair with industrial washable fabric. It folds up really compact, and when it is opened up, it comes up right to the table so that Henry can eat right off of the table and there is one less surface to clean. We're pretty happy with it.

He styles his own hair

Lately, when Henry sleeps or naps, he wakes up looking like this-

Six months

Henry will be half a year old on Sunday. I can hardly believe it. I love this kid so much. It is amazing watching him learn and grow. He rolls over like a champ. He sits on his own really well. If he reaches for a toy waaaay out in front of him while sitting up, he basically folds in half, but can still pull himself upright from that position. When he reaches to far to one side, that's another story. He just topples over.
On the topic of crawling: it terrifies me. We are going to have to achieve a whole new level of baby-proofing. I'm still not entirely convinced that he won't skip crawling and go straight to running around the house. He has all of the mechanics of crawling down, but doesn't put them all together. When on our bed he does sort of crawl, with his face planted firmly on the mattress. On carpet he keeps his head up, but then doesn't put his knees under himself, so he just kind of scoots. And if I lay him on a blanket, he pulls any toys out of reach toward himself. Resourceful little guy. And loves to stand. You give him one finger of each hand and he'll stand of ages, and bop up and down, and stomp now and then. I've already been told to prepare for an aching back since it seems like he's going to want to walk and he'll need my assistance. I'm already envisioning hours spent as his shadow, bent over behind him, my hands used as a grip to stabilize his toddling walk.
And since this is our child and he has this from both sides, he will most certainly be a climber. So pretty soon we'll be anchoring furniture to our walls.
So I am enjoying my last few weeks of having an only somewhat mobile baby. You should see him when he gets into rolling though. If he spots something he wants and doesn't want to scoot to it, he just rolls and rolls and readjusts his trajectory if he needs to, and he gets what he wants.
Oh, and this boy is independent already. If he can reach something, he doesn't want it handed to him. Nope, he wants to pick it up on his own.
The kid is also teething. He has been for nearly a month now. I can feel a few teeth under the surface, but none have broken through yet. And the poor dear is struggling big time with it. We've gotten by with natural pain relief until just barely. Talking to my midwife, who is also big into natural remedies reminded me of what we as adults go through when we have dental pain. And we can understand what we're going through. So last night we used baby Advil and he slept for a good five hour stretch. And can I just say it made a huge difference- for all of us.
Some cute things he does:
When he's sleepy, if I'm carrying him, he'll snuggle his head into my neck and throw an arm over my shoulder. He could sleep for hours like that.
Also when he's sleepy- I'm not sure if does this to announce his sleepiness or to fight it, but he likes to blow raspberries on my arm or shoulder or to the room in general. Either way, I think it is hilarious.
He is obsessed with grass. More specifically, he loves yanking it out of the ground. If you put him on a blanket outside, he will make his way to an edge and will pull fistfuls of grass blades out like it is his personal mission to do so.
He cracks up when the dogs play. He has the cutest laugh when he is being amused by the fur babies. He also tries to touch, pet, and generally grab the dogs. He somehow knows that the cat won't put up with it because he is gentler with her (if she lets him close enough).
Ok, that's enough baby gushing for now.

Georgia

So, we are in Georgia. We managed the flight quite well. The scariest part is over. We even saw the edge of Isaac without having Henry cry. I think if we added it up, he cried for less than five minutes of the whole airport and airplane business. He was a champ. He smiled and giggled for a lot of people and he was given a pair of wings for having completed his first flight. And he napped more than I have ever witnessed him nap in one day.
He also got spoiled by all of that lap time and made up all of his missed crying time in the car on the way to see Jenna. He finally fell asleep two minutes from her house. And then woke right up as we parked the car. I can't say he was exactly grumpy, but he didn't want to get back to sleep, either. It was only nine our time when we first tried to get him down. Eventually Jon walked him around the neighborhood. But that didn't do the trick. So we started to run a bath for him when he finally started showing signs of drowsiness. I fed him and he fell right to sleep. Too bad it was two in the morning here before he zonked out.
So we're all kind of out of it and trying to acclimate to the time difference.
So far we have eaten at Zaxby's and we liked that quite a bit. And today after a late start and some serious lounging around, we made it to the Trappist monastery here. The Monastery of the Holy Ghost. It was really neat. The monks have retreats, make jewelry, fudge, and jam. But I think I was most impressed with their bonsai garden. Jon was on the phone talking up caves almost the whole time, so we'll have to go back to feed the ducks and see their chapel. I recently discovered that Henry loves ducks, and I want Jon to witness Henry giggling over the duckies.

Five months

I have a five month old. Or, rather, we have a five month old. It is now a habit: at every month-versary, Jon gives me a smile and a high five. We have made it through another month. We have survived. What's more, we have learned and grown together. So while are still in the trenches, while we are still sleep deprived, there are plenty of reasons to celebrate. Our boy is healthy, and that's a big deal. We prayed every day of my pregnancy for our baby to be healthy and strong. He is definitely both of those. His Kung-foo grip is what most inspired my drastic hair cut. I lopped fourteen inches of hair off and donated it. No big deal.
If I had had more foresight, I would have also prayed more fervently for a calm baby who enjoyed sleep. I guess you can't always know what to pray for beforehand. Little did I know that our little guy would rarely nap, would stay up until 11 at night, and then would be ready to party by 6am. Oh, and he sometimes wakes up at 4am full of stories to share, so excited about things that we can't understand which he nevertheless attempts to relate to us in squeals and exaggerated arm gestures.
In those ridiculous hours of the "morning" I try to sing and rock him back to sleep after feeding him, but no, sleep is for suckers, he says. So then Jon will take a turn. It used to be that he would walk Henry around the house, but that has become too boring and routine. So these days, Jon straps Henry on in the Ergo carrier and walks him around the neighborhood for twenty minutes, and then we'll get to sleep again until 6:30 or 7. If I am super lucky, he might take a nap around 1 or 2 in the afternoon, but that is usually on while he is snuggled up with me. If I so much as get up to use the bathroom, he wakes up and is good to go the rest of the day. So while I always planned on taking friends' advice by napping when my baby does, what do you do if he doesn't?
It is not at 4 in the morning, but at 4 in the afternoon when I really wonder what keeps my kid going. At 4am we just go through whatever it takes to get him to sleep. But it is the next afternoon when my lack of uninterrupted sleep hits me, and it is then that I marvel at he does it, how we all get through it.
So, each month that goes by we celebrate this wonderful little person that was entrusted to our care. We constantly celebrate his milestones, his emerging personality, his quirks, and his sweet habits. And every month we also take a moment to acknowledge that this is real work, that we have all been changed and that we are continuing to change, and that we have all made it through another month. Yay us!
So here's to another month with our operatic-singing, nearly-crawling, smiley, loud, energetic, bathtime-loving, curious, and cuddly boy. We love you so much.

Little things

Jon, the sweetie that he is, got me a new (functional) phone for our anniversary.
I've been just the teensiest bit preoccupied being a mom... But hopefully I can start posting more from my phone. Because I mean, who can get enough of this guy?

So much love

Henry has been a first for much of my family. Obviously he's the first baby to come into our family. He's making Jon and I feel oh-so-very grownup with all of the firsts that we've been experiencing with him. (More on those later.)

He's also the first nephew that my sister has known since he was born. She's a biological aunt for the first time, although we both have three other wonderful nephews. My mom's a biological grandma for the first time as well. And he's also the first in this next generation to be able to carry on the family name, a first for Jon's folks. Along with all of these firsts comes a lot of love. This kid is loved all around, and I'm so grateful for that.

My sister has really jumped into the role of aunt for a newborn really well. She was the first out of the family to see Henry, and she brought clothes and crafts and toys and books. She loved on and cuddled him and was just so great with him and with me. She allowed me time to nap, she reminded me to eat, and she gave me opportunities to shower during the day. Hurray!

 I look back on those early days with amazement and through a fog. I can't believe how tired and perpetually worn-out I was in those days. I can't believe how proud I was of myself for getting showered, dressed, and fed before noon (on the days that I did, which was not every day). It was with my sister that I took Henry out for his first walk around the neighborhood in his stroller. Oh, and how proud I was when I went out on a walk with my sister, Henry, and the dogs. That was a big day for me. I'm so glad that it has gotten a little easier since then. And I can't wait for Jess to visit again so that she can witness a more interactive, smiley Henry.

Aunt Jess and TINY Henry

Our first walk

Poor peel-y Henry
(I'm so glad THAT phase is over!)

The hike we took with Aunt Jess down to the Virgin River

A couple of weeks went by and then my mom came out for a little while. She was and is completely enamored with Henry. She just wanted to hold him and cuddle him and walk with him all the live-long day. If I wasn't feeding or changing him, she was happy to just be with him. She sang him Polish lullabies (which just about melted my heart), she laughed SO hard when he'd giggle, and she kept marveling over every little thing about him. We went out on a few adventures nearby on our own, and we ventured out a little further when Jon had the time. It was great to leave the house a little by then, even if it took a whole long longer to leave the house than I ever could have imagined. Who knew that such a tiny person could disrupt so many of your daily patterns and habits? (So worth it, though.)

Somehow though, we managed a few things-- like a short hike through Kolob, just she, Henry and I. Yay for the Ergo-baby! It made the hike possible and even pleasant. Snuggled up against me, he slept for nearly the entire hike. We timed it just about perfectly-- he didn't start getting hungry-fussy until we were nearly back to the car. We also went on longer hikes with Jon-- Pine Mountain and the Columbine Creek trail just outside of the Oak Grove campground. It was really nice to stretch my legs, to walk around in nature, and to experience more firsts with little Henry and his Babunia (grandma in Polish).

One of my favorite days with my mom around didn't have anything to do with us leaving the house, however. It was a day where we just hung out with Henry and talked and talked, and I got to hear all kinds of family stories about my grandparents and her childhood that I'd never heard before. It was one of the best gifts ever.

Little man, big yawn

Pine Mountain

This was pretty much all the snow that was left. Jon and I did a portion of that hike two weeks previously and the whole thing was covered in a foot or two of snow. It was a much easier hike when we could walk on the ground.

A hike around Oak Grove

Henry smiling for his Babunia

A couple of more weeks passed by and then we had Jon's folks come for a visit. They were so great. And I don't think that they realize just how much they helped us out. I ate out with them for lunch pretty much every day. That may not have been all that great for me getting back down to a reasonable weight, but man was I glad to have something to look forward to every day, and they really helped out by giving me a hand with Henry so that I could get ready to leave the house. Likewise, watching Nancy with Henry was just so heart-warming. I think that there is just something so special about watching your mothers with a grand-baby, especially when that grand-baby just so happens to be your child. Nancy was just so cute with Henry, talking to him, asking him questions, and saying things when he was crying like, "Oh, tell me your story. Are you having a rough day? Are you telling me a sad tale?" She wasn't flustered by his cries, shrieks, or fussiness, she just talked through it and let me do my thing to calm him down.

Both Nancy and Dave were a real help. And they were just delightful to talk to. As Nancy put it, it was a great time for all of us to get to know one another better. Before, we've always been surrounded by lots of other family members and other commitments. This trip was all about getting to know one another better. Nancy even said that she felt like she was getting know this current version of Jon better -- this adult, married, father, pet-owner version of her son. I am so thankful for Jon every day of my life, and my mom was likewise totally blown away by how amazing Jon is and especially by how much he's done for me and Henry to make our lives easier. I'm so thankful for Jon's parents in all that they did to help raise him to be the man that he is today. And I was humbled to hear that Dave and Nancy were likewise happy that Jon found me. They say that they see a lot of positive changes in their son and they say that I'm a part of all of that. I still say that I got the better end of this deal.

Anyway, with Dave and Nancy, we got in quite a few outings. We hit up antique shops, we went on walks and hikes, and we went out to eat, a lot. Besides our nearly daily lunch outings, we also ate dinner somewhere new pretty much every night as well when Jon got home from work. We went out to some of our favorite spots and we also got to try a couple of places for the first time with them. They have had a lot of practice with some of their other grand kids, so there wasn't really anything new that we could throw at them. They took everything in stride and were really understanding when I needed a nap or some extra time to get ready. And like I mentioned earlier, they were just good company. It was really neat for me to hear some of their stories about Jon's childhood, both the stories about Jon as well as Nancy's experience with motherhood through the years with her three children.

And now all the visitors are gone. I'm waiting for my sister's next stop as well as Jon's oldest sister and her family. Anne and the rest of the Peter gang will be seeing Henry in person for the first time. I never thought too much about how far we live from any family until now. But I'll be the first to admit it, I have had really been missing all the family. I've loved every single visit, and I have cried a bit each time one has come to an end. I wish that we could all live closer, but since we don't, I'm thankful for technology that allows us to talk and to video conference so that we can all stay in touch as much as possible.

Some of the best burgers to be had are in Hurricane.

Walking along the Pa'rus trail in Zion 

Multi-tasking! Eclipse-watching and baby-feeding at the same time. 

 By the way, Henry really does love to see the temple. Both times that we took him to the temple grounds he started to get fussy, and both times when we turned him to look at the temple, he stopped crying and would just stare at the temple contentedly. No joke.

 And I'll leave you with one last shot of Henry, who has recently discovered how fantastic his own fist is. He loves ramming it into his mouth as much as he can. Sometimes, though, he likes to suck on his thumb and pointer finger at the same time. Don't ask me how he does it. He just does. Talented, my boy is. :)

A new kind of normal

So everyone kept telling me that it would take about six weeks to feel really normal again after having a baby. Well, for me that included realizing that normal will never be what it once was in so many ways... And for me, I was closer to eight weeks postpartum before I felt like I had a good handle on new baby, new me, new schedule, etc.... What can I say, I'm a slow learner. But I am learning.

I love my darling little man. Henry is just so amazing, and such a miracle. We're truly blessed to have him in our family. Every day that goes by he and Jon and I learn something new together.

It is amazing what can transpire in those first few weeks of life. His personality is really starting to shine through now. Unlike his parents, Henry is most assuredly a morning person. Because of that, I get up with him, feed him, sing to him, bounce him on my lap, and talk to him. He loves it when I hold him so that he sits up and can look around. He is transforming me into a morning person. I'm sure many more transformations will yet come about.

I do have plans to keep writing here, to continue to share stories and photos, but I have just been entirely caught up in every single moment that I've had with Henry so far-- well, every waking moment. When I sleep these days, I sleep deeply (for two hour stretches). So until I get back into the swing of more regular updates, I at least wanted to leave you with a couple of photos of the person that's taking up all my time and teaching me all kinds of new things--

Happy in his bassinet (Thanks, Chrissy!)

Hiking around Zion

Home remedies for colds

Being sick and pregnant is a tough combination. It is not glamorous. I hardly have the energy to get up and make enough meals to keep me and the little one well-fed, let alone clean the house. It was bad enough during the first and second trimesters, but as big as I am, just walking around I can get winded without having a cold interfering. I think I'm currently fighting off my fourth cold since getting pregnant. 

Yesterday I was happy that I managed to shower, eat, nap, and make a list of things we still need to get ready for the birth of our baby boy. Oh, and I did one load of laundry. Big time productive, right? Luckily, I have help. I've got one amazing man who happily does the dishes, cleans the counters, carries clean laundry over to our room, and will even start new loads of laundry for me. He's also great at rubbing my back, bringing me water, and telling me what a great baby-grower I am. He's a huge help and totally sweet. I'm a lucky, lucky woman. I also happen to have an amazing midwife who will text me back right away if I ever have a question or need. And she is a wealth of information on how to heal yourself without medications. (Because, really, that's pretty much what you're limited to when you're sharing anything that comes into your body with a tiny baby.) 

So, for anyone who cares to hear about what crunchy alternatives to pharmaceuticals I've been using, here's a list of my favorite cold remedies: 

(A disclaimer-- I am not a health professional. These are things that are working for me, things that I've researched and tried out for myself. These are just some of my ideas and not medical advice.) 

1. Vitamin C. I mean, a BUNCH of vitamin C. I take between 12 and 20 500mg tablets every morning, and then a tablet every couple of hours for the rest of the day when I'm sick. But if you are in the early part of pregnancy, don't do this. 

2. ACV-- Apple Cider Vinegar. While I can't say that I would have wanted to try this all on my own, I've heard so many testimonials swearing by ACV that I finally gave it a try. Here's what I've been doing: Heat one cup of water until it is very warm (but not boiling), and then I add two tablespoons of ACV and another tablespoon or two of either raw honey or agave nectar and mix. Then you drink it down while it is hot and pretend that it is just apple cider. (Ignore the part of your brain that says, "If this is apple cider, it has gone bad.") It has a kick to it, but it really gets things moving along in the cold department. I actually don't mind it one bit. I had Jon try it and he said, "Well, it actually tastes a lot better than it smells." Luckily, if you are trying this remedy you probably aren't smelling things all that well, so there you go. 

3. Raw garlic. Again, you've got to do this to the extreme. One thing that I do is toast a piece of bread, throw some butter on top, and then add two crushed and chopped garlic cloves on top. Eat it as though it is a very garlic-y garlic bread. Another option that I do when I'm needing more fluids: warm garlic lemonade. Sounds fabulous, right? Well, here again you heat the water until it is very hot, but not boiling, then add some chopped up garlic cloves and lemon juice. (My midwife suggests just slicing up a lemon and throwing a bunch of slices in.) You let this mixture steep for about twenty minutes and then strain it. If you're using lemon slices, this would be when you'd want to squeeze the excess juice out of them. Then add raw honey, agave, or sugar to sweeten it up a bit. 

4. Vitamin D3. Again, you want to take more than what is normally suggested for a healthy person's supplement. My midwife suggests 10,000 iu per day. (That's 2 tablets usually.) 

5. Home-made chicken soup. Seriously, home-made chicken soup. Not the store bought stuff that has MSG and other back yuck in it. I make mine completely from scratch and change it up a little bit each time. Carrots are a staple, and then to add more bulk, I change up what else I throw in. Sometimes I make it with noodles, sometimes with rice, sometimes with potatoes. Then depending on the mood, I'll add onion slices, dill, or like now when I'm sick, I'll also throw in a few chopped up cloves of garlic at the end. I leave the salt and pepper for the table where Jon and I can season our soups to our own tastes. 

6. Keep the fluids coming. Besides my ACV concoction, I make sure to drink more than enough fluids. As a pregnant lady, I already have to pee all the time, so I figure, what's another couple of trips to the bathroom? I drink lots and lots of water. I keep one of those BPA-free adult sippy cups around at all times and refill it constantly. For hot beverages I do okay with drinking those quickly out of a mug. While I do think that water is the best thing to flush your system and to replenish fluids, I also drink lots of herbal tea (unsweetened). Stay really well hydrated. It helps all around. 

Yesterday I also tried "pulsing" wherein I took a hot shower and let the hot water run down my face and neck for a minute and then alternated that with putting a cold wet towel over my face and neck. My midwife says that it helps clear the lymph nodes. If nothing else, it actually felt really great to combine that with a little face massage. I also broke out my neti pot in the evening, but I can't say that I feel like that did much. But I did sleep with a humidifier next to my side of the bed and I do think that that helped not feeling all dried out in the morning. 

A small confession? The whole right side of my face was hurting so bad from sinus pressure that I did finally take a Tylenol right before getting to bed. Sleep is important enough that I felt justified in taking that one pain relieving tablet. 

And I've got this to report: I'm already feeling much better today. Better than I thought possible considering how cruddy I felt yesterday. I really believe that there are many things in nature that can cure you or can help your body kick into self-healing mode without the concern of icky side-effects. That being said, I also understand that there are times and situations where certain medications are the right choice. 

So there you have it, my kick-your-cold-in-the-butt home remedies that actually work. (For me, at least.) 

Now I'm off to drink some more apple cider vinegar. 

A few details

Does anyone else think that popular culture is weird for tracking the progress of a pregnancy by comparing a baby to various fruits and vegetables? Apparently right now, our little one is somewhere between a honeydew melon and an crenshaw melon. I had never even heard of a crenshaw melon until just barely. . .Okay, but really, I know that details like baby/fruit comparison are not what you want to read about, but these details are are---

Yes, we know what we're having. And no, we haven't been telling everyone. Why? Because I'm not a pink/blue kind of girl. But you know what? You people are my friends. And I feel like I can trust you. I worry about what might transpire at my baby shower, but with you, I trust this information-- we're having a little boy. And soon. He will be most likely making his appearance before the end of next month. And that doesn't give us a lot of time to finish making up his room. But that's okay. We're planning on keeping him within arm's reach for the first bit, anyway. I mean, I really don't see myself making it down the hallway and gracefully stepping over a dog-gate for middle-of-the-night feedings. So once the room actually starts coming together I'll start sharing photos. I am really excited about it, though. We already have the crib and a dresser and colors picked out and some of his bedding and decorations... I have had more fun with putting all of that together than I ever expected.

What else? Oh, the name. Yes, everyone asks me about that one. And I know it is a big deal and all, but nope. We don't have a name picked out yet. And we're coming down to the wire. But I'm okay with that. We have a good solid five or six names that we feel okay about, but there isn't one that just stands out as his yet. And in case you're wondering, if you have any brilliant ideas, please go ahead and share them. I'm still open to suggestions.

Some other details:

1. Physical stuff: Overall I feel like I can't complain. My pregnancy hasn't been as rough as some that I hear about. I did have morning sickness that lasted all day, but it was just bad enough to make me wish I'd vomit most of the time. I actually only threw up once of twice. And you know what I think is super weird? The fact that the more I could make myself eat, the less nausea I experienced. I mean, how does that make any sense? I feel like I want to throw up and the cure is to eat? Right, because that's easy to make yourself do when everything you look at makes you feel queasy. But somehow I prevailed and have made it through the worst of it. I'd say that the hardest part of pregnancy for me has been how tired it has made me from time to time. There are so many things that I want to do, but sometimes I just have to accept that I have limitations. Certain hikes will take longer, others will just not happen until I can take the baby in an Ergo or something. Likewise things like house-cleaning, quilting, and crafting sometimes take longer or are put on the back-burner.

2. Cravings/Food: Nothing too crazy. Jon kept waiting for odd food combinations, but I kept it pretty normal. Sadly, I lost any desire to eat Thai food and I still can't really make myself eat pizza normally (I've only been able to eat it twice). Also, Jon's favorite frozen yogurt place, Menchie's is completely out of the question. The first time I ate it during my first trimester I got physically ill. I tried again more recently, and while there was no violent reaction, I just couldn't eat it. I can't say that it tasted disgusting, but it just really wasn't doing anything for me. So we've found a compromise. Nielsen's Frozen Custard. I think the baby just likes calories. Menchie's, with their fat-free and sugar-free options wasn't real enough for our little one. Baby likes fat and sugar and hot fudge. The only real cravings I have had are-- burgers and red meat in abundance for a two-week span, lots of salads, and about two months of eggs for breakfast. Way back when, I took a class at BYU called Intuitive Eating. It was based on a text by that name, as well as a bunch of research. I feel like that's really what eating while pregnant is all about. I learn to listen to my body and feed it what it really needs, or in this case, what the baby and I both really need. And I have to say that it has been a good mix of things, including some tasty treats. :)

3. Emotions: While before getting pregnant I thought that pregnancy would include a wild roller-coaster of emotions, I have to say that I have been pleasantly surprised. If anything, pregnancy has made me more centered. I feel calm and at peace about many more things, and yet I find that I am happier and just so excited about meeting this new person. This is not to say that I don't also cry during dumb movies or even the occasional radio commercial, because that still happens, too... But for the most part, life has just taken on so many more wonderful things for me that I can honestly say that I've experienced a shift in prospective, in a good way.

Wearing one of the three tops that still covers, and just barely... 

Jon's new hair cut. And he's smiling!

Anything else that anyone is dying to know? Let me know. Otherwise, the next post will probably be more about our baby/plans for once he's here. Oh, and there will probably be a few more photos. :)

Changes

This is a post for all of those folks that haven't seen Jon or I in a while. It has been a long time coming. See for yourselves...

Now, as many of you know, this has been Jon's look of choice for quite some time:

Jon's longish, floppy hair, has been more or less this length for ages.

He's been rockin' this style for a looong time--

Okay, so there was a small spell somewhere between the above photo and when Jon and I met where he had a mullet and another time where he had a mustache, but we don't like to talk about those days.

This is one of the last photos of us together with his hair that long:

Thank you Chrissy for taking this photo!

About a week later I finally convinced him to go in and see my friend Emilee for a new do. I mean, the man needed a haircut either way...

He got a BUNCH of hair chopped off.

And he wasn't too happy about it--

It was kind of traumatic for him. But after a few weeks of telling people that he lost a bet or that he'd been bad and this was his punishment, he finally settled into his new look. Although when I told him I wanted a photo of his new cut for the blog, he refused to smile. He's difficult like that sometimes.

Drinking a delicious green smoothie.

One of these days I'll get a smiling happy photo of him with his new shorter hair. I love it and I've heard him getting complemented on his hair cut without any prompting on my part, so I'm convinced it is a good thing. Change is good sometimes.

And me? Yes, I've been going through some changes too, hair and otherwise--

Back in August:

(Natural hair color, untouched for years.)

September:

(New hair color provided by my pal Emilee.)

And then these days:

Celebration, FL in November

Barefoot and . . .

Early December

I LOVE this photo Jon took of me at Galveston during our Christmas visit.

January, Polaroid

At Zion

BIG changes, am I right? And bigger changes to come. We're so very excited to be welcoming a new addition to our family. I can also think of some grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews that are super excited, too. This has been such a magical, wondrous, happy time for Jon and I. The past few months have just flown by. I can hardly believe that we'll be holding our little one by the end of next month. (I know, it looks like I could pop any day now, but I've still got a little while.)

I'll be sharing ultrasound photos and video soon-- just as soon as we can figure out how to get the video that our doctor provided into a format that will cooperate with us. And soon you'll be tired of hearing about how excited I am, what pregnancy has been like for me, and our preparations, etc... But then you'll get to start seeing baby photos, and who doesn't love those? So hang tight, people, loads and loads of adorable baby shots to come soon. I promise.