Thursday, October 30, 2014

Reflecting on Life.. and Halloween of course..

 It's kind of hard for me to believe that a YEAR ago tomorrow we were just flying into San Antonio for the very first time for Blake's first Optometry Interview..


We loved the warmth and how green it was.. 
[I'm not so sure about all of this right now as I keep waiting for San Antonio to get with the Fall/leaves changing program]
We loved the people and how kind they were, the lights and all there was to do, and I think we just loved how new it all seemed. 

The only thing I was really hesitant about was the crazy amounts of people and traffic.. and the night before Blake's interview as we zipped in and out of the interstates and cars I said a prayer and basically just asked 
"Could we really possibly live HERE?"
I can't describe the overwhelming peace and warmth all through my body all of the sudden.
It was an absolute answer of yes if I had ever heard one..

& Ever since then I have known for some reason right now this is right for us & where we need to be..



And I'm in disbelief still at how much we have been blessed and all that's happened since my prayer, my last birthday {which was also a year ago tomorrow & the reason I got to sneak on that plane with my husband for his optometry interview..} and our first time in San Antonio.

School for one. For how hard we have to work to get in and how much we have to pay to be here.. and how much I know it is a blessing and we have wanted this..
Some days I wish it would just go away and we could just have real jobs that make real money and spend real time together at the end of the day instead of having homework and studying.
It was a big midterm week for me.. and every week lately seems to be a big test week for Blake.. so it's been a little stressful over here in our household.

Secondly.. it was a year ago this month that we found out at 12 weeks pregnant our first baby had stopped developing and our pregnancy was going to end in a miscarriage.
That was something that's still hard but that brought us so much closer together and has helped us appreciate everything we are getting to experience with our baby girl now. I wake up every morning feeling so humbled when I feel her kicking and wiggling around.

And SO many other countless blessings that we have experienced through this last big year of change, that I won't continue to list all out today, but I know have come from following our answers to prayers..


 But anyway on to life today..despite the busyness.. I have always felt so strongly that we need to make time for life NOW instead of putting things off and saying when we are graduated, or when we have kids, or when we have money.. because life will matter then.. but it matters now too and every phase of our life has something fun and different to offer.

So this last week we have tried to make a little bit of time to celebrate the fun  season of Fall and Halloween..
& Even though pumpkin patches in San Antonio so far for me just aren't quite up to par with pumpkin patches in Idaho.. and their Fall Festivals are right in the middle of the city..
It still has been a lot of fun to get out and I sure have been loving my Blake time.



  

 {This is completely a side note.. triggered by the fact that I look bigger but not super pregnant in this picture... lately I have to be honest and say that I have felt unflattered by flowy clothes that I normally love or most pictures of me.. & probably I understand because my body is paler, bigger, take your pick different than what I am used to.. 

But Blake and I last night were in shock at how much I have grown in the last couple of days..
-I actually have been looking/feeling pregnant not just chubby, it's crazy to everyone
so I was looking up on baby center to see how big Emery is and it was talking about how at this stage MOST pregnant women are reporting feeling sexy..... um what?! Who are these women?
If you do not fall under this category of most women at 33 weeks pregnant.. you are not alone.. not only do I not feel this way I almost passed out of shock that any {especially most} women feel this way.
I'm refusing to believe it. }

 Alright, now that my random side note/outburst is through.. this post ended up being a lot more wordy and reflective than I had originally intended it to be..
So if you can believe it I will stop with the commentary and let you just browse through the rest of our Halloween festivity..
 
 


 



I hope everyone has the BEST Halloween ever tomorrow.. and eats all of the candy they ever dreamed of.

Tomorrow is going to be our first Halloween in a real live house with hopefully real live trick-or-treaters
 [& I am WAY too excited about this] 
So if you happen to find yourself in Texas and want to give me the best birthday present ever.. come stop by!

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

::32 Weeks::


Only 8 weeks left of this being pregnant business, 
 probably life as I know it, 
annnd not being able to hold our little girl in my arms..

[& Only 6 1/2 if there is some cooperation and she comes when I am hoping she will..:) ]
Can you believe it?!
I know I sure can't..  it's sounding so soon all of the sudden.

But boy.. as far as comfort level of my body.. 
[& not considering what we do and don't have for her]

I am feeling ready to trade my fat belly for a baby..


I definitely have been feeling bigger.. and/or that our baby girl is bigger. 
Granted I haven't exactly had anyone exclaiming to me "Wow you're about to Pop"

[In fact just over a week ago at church I had a couple of people that came up to me explaining that I was just starting to show...lovely. so this previous pudginess has looked normal?]

But it's okay, a couple of weeks ago we had an extra 30 week ultra sound by Dr.'s orders to make sure that everything was still normal and the baby wasn't measuring small..
& Much to my relief she looked awesome! It was so crazy to me how big she was actually. She was completely folded in half, like her feet were right next to her head, and there was not any extra room in there really.. poor thing.

She was in the 47th percentile (which if you're like me and haven't had kids and don't understand the percentile thing.. 50th is apparently average and anything above or below is just that.. big or small)
So baby girl is right where she should be.. I guess my body is just holding her in tighter.. since according to the obscure measurement of centimeters I am measuring a few weeks small. 

And MUCH more exciting than the numbers of the ultra sound (even though it was much harder to see more than one part of her at a time, unlike in the 20 week one since she was a lot bigger) was that you could see that she had hair.. and chubby cheeks. She is becoming quite the little human.
And at that time.. not that I am quite sure how they can tell.. they informed us that she weighed just about 3 little lbs.

On to more recent events.. 
This week has definitely been the BEST & the most UNCOMFORTABLE week of pregnancy to date.

She is moving soo much.. it is so fun. Blake and I have been just loving it.. and she is more interactive than ever before.
If you push on her she will push/kick back.. and she is stretching like crazy. & The coolest part is that when she stretches or moves you can see it in my belly and if you push or rub right there you can feel her foot or leg or head.
It's starting to make everything seem a lot more real.. I don't know if every baby moves this much but I am grateful to feel her.. and for her. 
{despite my lack of ability to breath and very sore ribs}

Last night at dinner she was stretching really big so Blake was feeling her feet/leg and looked at me and said, "Our baby is soo cute." 
Haha.. We sure love you already our little one.  


Last Saturday we had our mere SEVEN hour birthing class.. 
This picture makes me laugh so much.. Blake was such a good sport with everything..
Even when they made us do things like practice putting the baby through the pelvis in different ways so that we could see what worked better..
{And trust me.. this wasn't even very weird compared to when we got to practice birthing positions.. that was a part-ay.}

Blake and I were easily the youngest couple in there and easily the most involved/laughing. Both of us were cracking up through out the day.. I was so grateful to have him there.. and am so grateful to have him going through this experience with me.
Because even though I am glad we went to this long class since it was really informative and good for us to have an idea of what's going on..
Some of this stuff was seriously funny you guys.. & I really hope I still feel that way during labor.


Um this is what they pull your baby out with if everything isn't going how it's supposed to..
No. No. No.
I am not even going to horrify you with all of the possible side effects.

Please pray for a healthy.. normal.. boring.. labor for me you guys.
Oh please.


Another funny thing of pregnancy?
Stereotypes.

Because no one would have thought  but.. they are real my friends. 
& If you are not getting a baby out of the deal I wouldn't wish them on anyone... those Charley Horses are a killer.


But overall the excitement definitely makes being so cramped and unable to breathe.. not that bad.
Hopefully we can pull her nursery together and make/get what she needs in the next few weeks despite the busyness of school and then I will definitely share all of the fun projects I've been working on.

What a blessing this experience is/has been.. I know I joke a lot about discomfort and things my body has been going through.. but I just wanted to share that I feel so so lucky to be getting my sweet daughter this way and to have a loving husband that will take care of her and cherish her like she deserves.

Life is kind of a crazy, wonderful, mind blowing thing.

Here is to the last few weeks!

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

A Colorful City Community


I know I have said this probably a million times since we have gotten here.. 

& Although I TRULY am so grateful for our opportunity to be in San Antonio, that we both were accepted into the programs we have been dreaming about, and for progression in life..

Life really has been such an adjustment lately.

Blake's hard/busy schooling is about to do us in... & everything from city living.. city driving.. having to make all new friends and start all over.. being pregnant.. not having a full time job(s) [aka finding ourselves suddenly broke].. 

Are all things that have been just different all at once and that I have good days and definitely harder days with.. 

But THEN there are days [or a few hours in a day] where Blake gets to take a break from studying..

And I am reminded of the beautiful things in life.. and realize that all the things that matter are okay.

Luckily Saturday was one of those days..

Every October San Antonio has an annual Chalk it Up city celebration downtown!
And since I love a good [free] opportunity to get out and enjoy the liveliness of downtown, I have been looking forward to this colorful event for the last few weeks. 

Blake was really sweet and made sure to get everything done and plan things so that we could go, and even convinced our new friends [and their puppy Oliver] that it would be fun to spend the afternoon out.. 

{I concluded that if you move somewhere new and want to make friends I guess you just need to have a dog.. Oliver was quite the hit with passer-by's.. who'd of known it was as simple as that}


Despite all of my whining.. we really have been blessed to meet some really wonderful people.
Like this Pinata Man for example.. 

We really lucked out with that guy..

[Just kidddding.. This is Logan and Abby.. our new fun ambitious friends all the way from Iowa. They are BOTH in Optometry school with Blake and have been such a blessing to us, I think they keep Blake going through the week.]


And through out the afternoon I think we were all continually amazed by these drawing people in the streets, these aren't even featured artists.. 
They just closed off different sections for everyone in the public to chalk up if they wanted to and you would have thought this was happening in the middle of an art school.
[Maybe it was.. who knows where I am half of the time..]


     




  
And then there was us..

Not only were our drawings just slightly less impressive than those other previously shown drawings but after we started drawing we realized that we were practically standing on top of this sign.
We decided to just roll with it at that point..

I really love art.. and in fact I enjoy making art and things beautiful.. but drawing is just one of those talents that I really appreciate in other people.





And boy was there so much to appreciate this afternoon..






I also concluded they must have special chalk.. because not once have my chalk pictures with chalk from the dollar store been this bright and colorful.. or beautiful.
So once I find me some special {magical} chalk then maybe we will be able to redeem ourselves and feel worthy of hanging out with these down town chalk artists. 



Something else fun about the city.. besides for the fact that they hold these events by the riverwalk {{because that's beautiful}} is how many people come to these community events!

I love the hustle and bustle and just the liveliness of  everything.. I love how often they have fun things going on if you look for them.. and I love that we get to be a part of it.


 

Maybe there is hope for us yet and we can become big city people.. 

I do know that I can't wait to take our kids to things like this... all of the laughter and the families were so fun.
{However we probably should practice our drawing before we bring them back so at least we can impress someone.. }
:) 


I just wanted to end my post today with a quote that my Grandma shared from President Hinckley that really hit home for me with everything going on.. I hope it can uplift your day like it did mine.

"Don't be gloomy. Do not dwell on unkind things.Stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight. Even if you are not happy, put a smile on your face.'Accentuate the positive,' Look a little deeper for the good. Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face, with great and strong purpose in your heart. Love life."

-Gordon B. Hinckley

Monday, October 6, 2014

Dr. Bingham

We have a little while before Dr. Bingham is official..
But it has a nice ring to it doesn't it?

Last week Blake convinced me to come in so that he could check my eyes and practice with all of the real equipment..

& Even though he practices on me at our kitchen table with the equipment he can bring home..
[I am pretty sure he probably has all of my prescriptions and eye flaws memorized, and after a couple more times I am pretty sure I will have those eye charts down.. so hopefully I don't get replaced with a more challenging patient soon..]

I was dying over this more official examination.


Oh my heavens.. how handsome is this guy in his doctor lab coat..
For the whole first part of the examination practice he had to keep reminding me to look forward at the letters and not at him.

{Unfortunately the letters weren't looking cute and more official than I had seen them before..}

I am pretty convinced I am going to be blind from all this practicing by the time Blake graduates Optometry school,
& we still have quite the road ahead of us.. this schooling experience is harder than either of us anticipated,
AND I have definitely never seen my calm cool collected patient husband so stressed..

But I sure love this Optometry student. In fact, I can't tell you how much I love this hardworking Optometry student.

It's so fun watching him working towards what he has always wanted to do and I have been so impressed with him.. he wakes up at 5:30 every morning
 [which is extremely amazing for Blake because he is definitely the night owl of the two of us]
 and even though if we are spending time together in the morning it's definitely me helping him study.. he always works really hard to include me and make sure his priorities are right.

And just in case I haven't been mushy/impressed enough..


I feel like it's necessary to point out the fact that..
He also  saves me from these ridiculous creatures I find in our house.. and hardly even makes fun of me
that much.

Where even are we living?! 

I don't know if it's that our house was built back in the stone age or if it's just Texas and the heat and humidity but I have never seen so many bugs [or salamanderish creatures] in my place of residence.

I am getting  pretty good at getting rid of the bugs on my own,
[cockroaches are disgusting enough to be in their own category and don't count as bugs.. right?]

But coming home to this little guy, it didn't seem appropriate to squish him or flush him and I definitely don't have what it takes to grab him in a kleenex to throw him outside..
So when I called Blake in a panic he only laughed a little bit and talked me through the situation until he got home and could remove our little prisoner from the premises.

It's all going to be worth it. It's all going to be worth it. It's all going to be worth it.

This is my daily mantra.. I'll let you know in 4 years how it's working out for me..

But moral of this blog post.. people can be pretty amazing.. like in this situation, my husband,
 I find him pretty amazing.
I know that we are on this earth to work hard and then we will be able to reap the fruit of our labors and they will be so much more rewarding than if they had come easy.

Thank you Blake for being such a loving hard working man, and a pretty darn good looking eye doctor in training. 
I love you.

Friday, October 3, 2014

My New Life as a Sweatshop Worker.. I mean.. Seamstress {& a small sneak peak of the nursery}

So with just over 10 weeks left until this baby girl comes..
[& That is if she doesn't come a single day early..]
I have been figuring it's probably about time to start getting things ready for her..
But when I started looking around at bedding.. and clothes.. and things for the nursery..
Everything was adding up quick.

So as much as I have to admit that I would have loved if I could have just ordered everything I wanted and had someone else put it all together.. I started making some ambitious goals.
And our house has kind of looked like a sweat shop the last couple of weeks..
 
 



I would never have referred to myself as a sewer.. I still am not sure that I would because...
[I mean really is.. sewer.. even a word?!]
Trust me I will not be selling what I am making on Etsy any time soon.

However I must really love this baby girl.. because as looooong as it has taken me to stress about plan, coordinate, and make everything I think things are finally starting to come together.
Here is a {very} little sneak peak into our nursery 
{or more just our nursery bedding}..


Ta Duh.
I made all of it.. the bed skirt, crib sheet, the whole cabudal. 
 & If you want a tutorial for the crib sheet I would be HAPPY to direct you to the one I used.
:)
The rest of it I kind of just made up as I went.. which I would be happy to explain that to you too.. just don't be expecting anything professional sounding.

However I have to say that I am actually really excited about how it turned out..
[the teething rail comes up in swoops & it's hard to tell so I'm going to have to change the bows..
but other than that..]
 And.. one of the best parts {besides our child will have somewhere to sleep} is that I spent about $45 dollars making everything.. where on Etsy the bedding that looked just like this that I liked was anywhere from $300-$500 or more. 
Just in case you're getting ambitious ideas yourself.. I do have to be honest and say, that if I knew what I was doing it would have even cost less because I had about twice as much fabric as I needed for the rail cover dangit.

After I add pillows and finish putting everything together.. I will be sure to show everyone.


Don't judge this creation yet.. haha This is the beginning of what I think is going to be a very awesome mobile...
& Was essentially free because we used branches from our back yard and I sewed the birds out of left over fabric. So as soon as Blake gets a break from school and can help me put it all together/hang it all up..
trust me, it's gonna be good.
:)

And... dun dun duh..


I am at the end of my 29th week!
 

This week has been a little rough for me.. {which if you've asked me about my pregnancy in the last week just skip this section because I'm sure you know} I feel like I have been going through a near quarter life crisis of sorts.

People have been really nice, and I have been getting comments like "wow you can actually tell now?!".. 
But despite my eating extra yogurt and snacks between meals since I have been paranoid from our last Doctors appointment..
 
I lost weight at the beginning of the week. I almost died. I even cut out a couple of my running/work out days this last couple of weeks because I was worried I was burning too many calories.
So even though I have worried [& worried and worried] and can I clarify that I have never had the problem of accidentally losing weight in my life.. until of course I am trying to gain it.

But she is still SO active.. and it's pretty awesome because she leans against the outside of my stomach so if you rub your hand against my stomach you can feel her body.

So short of gorging myself with donuts I really am not sure what else to do.. so I am just going to be healthy and pray and wait until our ultra sound next Tuesday.

I hope everyone's enjoying the beginning of October and Fall..
[San Antonio..still seems to believe it might be summer..so I have been enjoying everyone's pictures of pumpkins and leaves. Hopefully this city is just a late bloomer]
& I will update about life and things other than baby soon..

Happy Friday.