Life Lately, continued...

It's been a bustling time as of late.

It was UEA Break last week, which meant it was time for my baby shower. It also meant that the Elmer padres rolled into SLC for the long weekend.

I love it when they come to visit, mostly because we usually get a few days of quality time with them before we all scatter back to reality. Sam and Bob worked on the house while Lisa and I had girl time. We went shopping, got pedicures, enjoyed baby shower festivities, and attended church (where she got to hear me speak during Sacrament). I love the mother-daughter bonding time we get. I especially love how having her around brings a special kind of heart to my kitchen when I'm cooking. Again, I love it when they come to visit.

So, one of the house projects that Sam needed help with was tightening our basement hand rail. Bob concluded that the fasteners needed to be moved because the loose one was not anchored to a stud. They adjusted it, and left two decent fist-sized holes that needed to be patched and painted. In a moment of nesting, I voiced my desire to paint the basement; if we had to paint those spots anyway, why not give the whole basement and update?

And so began the tedious task of turned the dark brown walls bright yellow. I've been painting since Monday, and I'm really close to being maybe 60% finished. The goal is to completely finish the basement updates by November 1, and I'm pretty sure we will make it. This weekend will be about painting and finishing cleaning the carpets, and Monday will be when our new basement windows are installed! I plan on spending a lot of time in our basement living room/office after the baby is born, so creating a versatile space that promotes happiness and togetherness was an absolute must. Plus, it also feels like we're making our house our house.

Besides our home projects, I need to brag about Sam for a minute.

Back in January, he came to me and declared that he wanted to pay off his car loan this year. It felt a bit out of the blue, or maybe like a New Year's Resolution, but I was supportive and helped him crunch the numbers. Long story short, together we devised a financial plan to triple his monthly payment amount so that the loan would be satisfied by December.

Then in April we found out we were having a baby, due in December.

Regardless, I worked summer school, babysat, and worked my job searching side business to help bring in a little extra to help boost us for baby expenses so that Sam could focus on paying off his loan. Finally this last week, he mailed his last payment to the credit union and was told to expect the title in a few weeks!

We are officially car debt-free, and the only debt we have now is our mortgage.

I'm so proud of Sam for deciding to do this, and I'm so proud of us for working together to accomplish a goal like this. What a major milestone to hit, and especially before our son makes his debut. These random puzzle pieces of life are slowly coming into place as Charlie's arrival date draws near, and I almost feel like we are adult enough to become parents.

Yay Sam!

Also, yay me for single-handedly painting the basement at 33 weeks pregnant. I can't wait to have my basement back!

Life Lately

We've had a few little adventures lately in between work weeks and baby preparations, and unfortunately I've been really bad about life updates aside from my pregnancy series. So here is a brief update on what we have been up to as a couple.

Homecoming week at BYU meant tickets to BYU Spectacular, hosted by none other than Kristen Chenoweth, who is absolutely hilarious as well as vocally talented! It was such a great show, and it was centered around Broadway music (which I love!!!). We hit up the matinee show and then did our traditional trek to the creamery for some ice cream,

Last week on the 18th, we did our monthly surprise date night and went to Village Inn for Free Pie Wednesday. We haven't been to VI since we were dating (our second date to be exact), and it was fun to reminisce about how far we've come as a couple since that particular date. I ordered my favorite triple berry pie and a hot cocoa, while Sam got cheese fries, a berry limeade, and cherry pie.

Finally, we got to meet our new cousin Seth. He is so little and still has that new baby smell. Can you tell we are ready for our own little bundle of wonder to make his debut?

In other news, we have been working on making our basement a more central room in our house. We ordered new energy-efficient windows that will be here in about two weeks, and fixed our handrail that was practically falling off the wall. By fixing the rail, it left a few small holes that needed to be patched and painted, so I decided that we should paint the basement a color of our own choosing. We decided on a shade of yellow called "Hawaiian Pineapple." 

So far, I've been able to do the hallway and it already looks brighter. I'm trying to create a versatile space where our family will want to spend any free time we have together. Much to my annoyance, it takes three coats of paint to cover the dark brown color currently present, so it is taking me a bit longer than I had hoped. Once we finish painting, we will clean the carpets and wait for our windows to go in. People are laughing at me and accusing me of "nesting," but honestly I'm just a little bit bored and slightly eager to put my house in order before Thanksgiving.

Anyway, I'll try to be better about keeping you posted!

Expecting A Miracle, Part 10

This one is interesting because I was totally wrong when it came to guessing my baby's gender. I thought for sure I was having a girl, but I found out at 10 weeks that I was having a boy. Several people said that the blood test could still be wrong and that the only way to confirm would be the 20 week ultrasound. But I had already come to terms with the fact that I was wrong, and throughout the pregnancy I only became more and more onboard with the reality that I was going to have a son.

• Write a list of possible names including if the gender was opposite (if you know already).

For a girl, our top three picks were Audrey Nichole, Rachel Grace, and Elisa Jean. Other names we tossed around included Adaline, Abigail, Josephine, and Isla.

For a boy, we only had one clear pick, Leo Boston. It never dawned on me to have more than one boy name. But it got to the point where I asked my baby to indicate their gender, and suddenly the name Charlie came to mind. My Jewish great-grandfather Max had a brother named Charles, so it seemed fitting for Jewish tradition to name him after my Bubby's side of the family. Additionally, it means he is also named after my mom and Sam's aunt because his name starts with the letter 'C.'

As my pregnancy draws closer to the end, I find myself thinking about the next baby. I have a feeling I'm supposed to have boys, so we've been throwing around more boy names. I have the idea to name my next son after my mother's father Kenneth Lee, so we are playing with his names as middle names. So far we like Andrew Lee, Andrew Kenneth, Henry Lee, Logan Kenneth, etc.

• Draw a family tree with traits that you hope will be passed on from each family member.

I can't really draw a tree on the blog, so I decided to simply categorize my family and list at least one trait from each person.

My ambition
Sam's dedication
Mom's big heart
Dad's practicality
Bob's generosity
Lisa's thoughtfulness 

This is a very abridged list, but to list every single trait I hope he has would take far to long, and frankly you'd probably lose interest in reading the rest of the post beyond this point anyway.

Expecting A Miracle, Part 9

• List three memorable interactions with strangers during your pregnancy.

First, when they were asking me in August if I was due soon. Take it December and August are not exactly close together, so I definitely had some insecurities about how big I looked. The fact that tying shoelaces is a chore, as well as bending down to feed the dog AND having issues opening the blinds in the kitchen just added to that stress. Seriously, countertops hit me right in the baby bump, which means I need to get the stepping stool out of the cupboard and use it in order to pull open the blinds without hurting my stomach. I can't lean into the bathroom mirror anymore for the same reason. I've been reduced to using a hand-held mirror to get a close up look at what's happening on my face.

Then I had people questioning my pregnancy symptoms. People were shocked that I wasn't nauseous or that my stint of acid reflux lasted about 6 weeks during the first trimester. Someone actually told me that sciatic pain during the second trimester wasn't a real symptom. Additionally, people ask me how I feel all the time. Whether I cheerfully respond about it going well, or painfully acknowledge the crippling pain in my SI joint, people just love to quip in with "It will get worse." Last night, annoyed beyond all reason, I told Sam that I wish people were more positive about this experience (especially as the finish line nears). I want someone to acknowledge that the sciatica is temporary, and that every painful night I've had so far will feel like a distant memory the minute they put that little boy on my chest and I get to meet him for the first time. That hearing his cry will sound like the most beautiful sound in the world. That the pains will come and go, but they will pale in comparison to the joy he will bring to my life.

Finally, people asking how many more children I plan on having. The answer is one. Let this one finish baking in the womb, and then I can start to plan around having another one. I feel pretty strongly about having two children and then being done. However, I am open to a third, but there are some pretty strong stipulations that are a part of that alternative universe.

• Make a quote bank of things people said about your belly/body during pregnancy.

Honestly I wish I'd written some of them down. But a few of the memorable ones go as followed:

"Are you getting pregnant?" - 2nd grader

"You're too tiny to be that far along."- A teacher

"Look at how fat you're getting!" Another teacher

Thank You, Gravity

Dear Charlie,

This week was a rough one. For some reason, you decided at the 30 weeks mark you were going to start really moving around. Whether this is because you are aware that your space in the womb will soon run out (as will your time) or just a coincidence, I'll never know. But I do know how much pain I've been in since then.

You tend to roll into positions that aggravate my sciatic nerve, and lately it feels like that's where you've set up shop. Sleeping is a chore and whenever I try to roll over I'm overwhelmed with agonizing pain that is usually followed by a whimper. This of course alerts Daddy who wants to know what's wrong, as well as your fur sister Princess who immediately surfaces from under the covers to investigate.

When I'm awake and performing my daily duties I am okay for the most part, until mid-afternoon rolls around. At this point I feel like my belly is just going to drop down and I will plummet to the floor with no hope of ever standing up again. Of course I exaggerate ever so slightly, but seriously, the weight is real. You try carrying around 15% of extra body weight solely in your mid-section and lower back and see if you don't let gravity get you down.

Despite everything, I still think:

Are you growing? How much?

How big are you today? How about tomorrow? Or the day after that?

Will you pretty please roll off of my sciatic nerve?

These are the questions that dominate the corners of my mind every time I feel an ache, a movement, or a shooting pain in my hip.

How much longer will you put me through this? Will you go beyond your EDD, or will you surprise me by coming sooner? Or will you simply be a stubborn little Elmer and wait until midnight on your actual EDD?

You've got two months to make up your mind.

Mama loves you!

Expecting A Miracle, Part 8

• What kind of music does your baby react to?

Honestly, I'm not sure if he can actually hear the music I'm hearing. However I do think that my reaction to certain music helps him feel what I'm feeling. We were at the BYU Spectacular Homecoming concert recently (hosted by Kristen Chenoweth!), and the minute I sat down, he started moving like crazy. Whether that's because he enjoyed the broadway music or thought Kristen was just as funny as I did is still up for debate, but he had a blast nonetheless.

• Make a play list of songs for your baby that you listened to while you were pregnant.

Glorious-David Archuleta
I want it that way- Backstreet Boys

Can't stop the feeling- Justin Timberlake
Try Everything-Shakira
How does a moment last forever- Celine Dion
All of me- John Legend
Who run the world- Beyonce
Any Adele song

Any Ed Sheeran song

Hamilton soundtrack

Wicked Soundtrack

These may be a very short list, but there are so many songs that bring me joy, I don't have the patience to list each one. Music is special to me, and Ive noticed that songs that speak to me are also speaking to him.

My son will grow up listening to Sam play the piano, and hopefully we can help grow a musical love within him as well. I still hope for that whole family band dream I had awhile back.

Fall Festival with Friends

I've been excitedly waiting for the autumn season since June. It is my favorite time of the year for the following reasons: beautiful foliage, pumpkin pie, and crisp cool air. Despite the long summer and somewhat odd temperature transition over the last week or so, I was ready for my favorite season.

This year, we decided to go to really embrace the season and visit Cross E Ranch to have a top notch family experience. I called up Adam and Beth to see if they were up for a family double date, and they were. I researched the place, and was promised a corn maze, a pumpkin patch, hay rides, homemade doughnuts, and many other exciting things.

We had a blast!

Expecting A Miracle, Part 7

• Three things you began to see differently since becoming pregnant.

1. I'm hyper-sensitive to certain behaviors. I work at an elementary school, so when kids come to to office being in trouble for various reasons I tend to take it harder than I used to. For example, when a group of 7-yr-old boys are brought to the office for bullying each other during lunchtime, my heart hurts. I can't help but think about how I would address those issues as a parent, with a side of unintentional judgement.
2. The notion of parenting; Sam found a book called The Gardener and the Carpenter that delves into parental theory and all that comes with it. I used to view parenting as a job, but I've since changed my thoughts on the matter. Since my tactics of dealing with children are fashioned mores like a carpenter rather than a gardner, I've been learning so very much about how to have a relationship with my children that is the best of what I've done previously and incorporating what I've since learned.
3. Food; I haven't always had the greatest relationship with food and eating habits. Since becoming pregnant, my body image has been on quite the emotional rollercoaster. Regardless, I have since found it more motivating to eat and be healthy because I'm helping someone else to grow. I am careful about getting nutrient-dense foods more because of the baby rather than for the sake of losing weight or being skinny. Pregnancy has made me stronger in so many ways, and I'm so grateful that I have been able to experience it so positively.

• What are your hopes and dreams for the future?

I think my big picture goal has yet to change. One day I'd love to serve on the School Board. I want to continue working in a role where I can advocate for public education. I want to make my house a beautiful home and create amazing memories with my family.

Specifically in regard to my son, I hope that I can give him a sibling. I hope that I can provide him opportunities to learn and experience the world (touching a large animal for the first time, learning how to swim, listening to him read his first original poem, etc.). I dream about my little family and how I have this once-in-a-lifetime chance to be a first-time mother, and I hope I live up to expectations set forth by the matriarchs of my family line.

• Which future plans were changed because of the news of a baby?

We kept talking about traveling to a far-off places, and now I realize just how much that is going to change. Not to say that we can't still go, but traveling with a child makes it a bit harder, especially once he's mobile. I still dream of my European vacation to Paris, Barcelona, and Rome. Sam repeatedly assures me that we can still go, but I don't know how much more work it would be to try this adventure with a baby in tow.

Regardless, I think that there are several family adventures in store for us that I haven't even begun to imagine. I really don't know what they are yet, but lately we've been trying to have double-dates with other families so that we can still feel adventurous.

Expecting A Miracle, Part 6

• Write about your siblings and what kind of aunty/uncle they might become.

There are two brothers on each side of our family, my two and Sam's two. Since my brothers live locally, they have a higher chance of spending time with my son. But because they are both so busy, it wouldn't surprise me if Charlie saw his local and non-local uncles about the same.

Ian is the uncle that would be a good listener, so maybe he will come around more when the baby is older and more interactive. I can see the two of them becoming buds further down the line. Then again, Ian adores Princess, so who knows?

Tyler is the one more likely to play with him, so I'm hoping he embraces play mode with the baby. I can imagine how fun those playdates will be. Tyler's wife, Lorena, will probably be the same way. I think they will use our baby as practice for when they eventually have kids, and I think I am okay with that.

Sam's brother Max will be the beloved uncle, mostly because he is such a big and burly teddy bear. He's the kind of uncle who'll wonder why the kids love him so much, but he will secretly relish in the attention he receives.

Sam's brother Jake will be the teaser uncle. Charlie will wonder why he's getting teased so much, but I'm willing to be that he will keep going back for more. Jake's wife, Alexa, will be that stern but nurturing component to Jake, mostly because she and I are a lot alike and they already have a baby so they kind of know what they are doing ;)

• Who are the other children in your life who are looking forward to meeting the baby?

Max and Kate are over the moon that they are getting a new cousin. It is so sweet how they ask about the baby, or how they bring certain things up.

For example, Kate asked me "what names are you considering for my cousin." Lucky for me, they are both onboard with Charlie.

It's strange to think they won't be my babies anymore, that I'll have my own little one. My relationship with those two is so special; I actually told them once that the only kids I will ever love as much them will be my own children.

Expecting A Miracle, Part 5

• What are the ten worst things about being pregnant?

I've actually really enjoyed being pregnant, it isn't as horrible as many mothers continued to perpetuate as I was considering the timing of expanding my little family. Regardless, here are the ten things about being pregnant that have been hard for me:

1. Sciatic pain; kinesiology tape and my exercise ball have been my best friends whenever this pain is aggravated. It is especially frustrating because my doctor told me that there isn't a way to prevent it because baby is moving and growing every second.
2. Heavy belly; usually mid-afternoon I can feel the full weight of my pregnant belly weighing me forward. I really didn't feel like I had gained much weight, until I learned that I'd gained 20lbs. Then I realized, no wonder my belly ached because I had an extra 15% of my body weight isolated in one section of me.
3. Aching Feet; this one may be a bit of a stretch, mostly because I'm pretty sure I had this ailment before getting pregnant, but I think the extra 20lbs in the belly exaggerates the problem.
4. Tiredness; this is has more to do with being tired from lack of a good sleep rather than just feeling tired all the time. However, I've determined the roots of what is making it hard for me to sleep, and am able to get decent sleep most nights, and sleep all through the night at least twice a week.
5. Insomnia; That whole being tired thing has a ripple effect. The other day, I had a pretty lousy night's sleep, which meant I was exhausted come the next evening. I couldn't stay awake past 8:05pm, which resulted in me being awake at 2:30am. The vicious cycle continued until my birthing class forced me to stay awake until 10pm one night, and then everything seemed to fall back into place, for now ;)
6. Hunger mind games; I never know if I am actually hungry, thirsty, or just bored. I've been so mindful about my meal plan and snacks, trying to make sure that I'm getting good nutrients and staying active, but the extra carbs here and there are oh-so tempting, especially when other are telling you that being pregnant is like having a free pass for calories (I don't believe it).
7. Acid-reflux; this one is hit or miss. During the last part of my 1st trimester, I couldn't figure out why I always had a bad taste in my mouth. Turns out it was acid reflux. Thank goodness for tums. It still pops up every now and then, but nothing like those few weeks in the beginning.
8. Shortness of breath; I hate that I become out of breath when I walk up a flight of stairs. Also, when I do morning announcements at school.
9. Dialing back workouts; I really don't like having to slow down, but all the baby cares about is that mom is healthy, so I have to keep reminding myself that right now it's not just about me, it's about both of us. I can't wait to get back into my weight training exercise regime again after he's born, but I will adjust in the meantime. Actually, I've done two 5k's during my pregnancy so far.
10. Outgrowing clothes quickly; it seems like something that fits one day simply won't fit the next day. I've started borrowing Sam's BYU shirts for college day at school each week because mine just do not have the expanding capacity to accommodate my ever-growing baby bump.

• What are the ten best things about being pregnant?

Like I mentioned above, my pregnancy has been a beautiful experience so far. I'm actually already considering when to start trying for another one (don't jump to conclusions, it would be at least 18 months after Charlie is born). Here are my list of the ten things that I've really loved about pregnancy:

1. Feeling stronger; my body is starting to amaze me more and more everyday. I can't believe I'm growing another person in my body. It really feels like I'm cloning myself. I had no idea pregnancy could help me feel this kind of strength.
2. Ultrasounds; we've had three ultrasounds, and each one has been such a great experience. Our little boy keeps growing and developing every day. It's neat to see him each time and learn more and more about it. It definitely adds to our joyful anticipation.
3. Belly Movement; this is so cool to watch. Especially when suddenly I feel him kicking and then my belly starts to dance. I gotta wonder what he's doing in there.
4. Shopping for baby clothes; I never knew how much fun I could have shopping for little boy clothes. Honestly, little girl clothes totally overwhelm me, so I've really grown to love looking in the boys section. This is going to be one well-dressed kiddo.
5. Stretching; exercise stretching is so much more satisfying lately. Probably because it is actually relieving aches that I'm already super aware of.
6. Healthy lifestyle; as I started my 3rd trimester, the 20lbs of weight I'd gained so far started to freak me out a bit. Since that moment, I've actually been eating even healthier than before. Lots of smoothies and whatnot. My doctor told me I was mildly anemic, so getting enough iron has been a focus for awhile. But yes, I thought I was doing okay before, and now I think I'm doing even better.
7. Cooking Confidence; I'm definitely a creature of habit, so when I suddenly wanted to try all these new recipes, Sam was ecstatic. So far we've made homemade pizza, pretzels, muffins, etc. Next up we have cauliflower rice and curry. It's fun having the confidence to experiment more with food.
8. Adventurous spirit; I'm very much a homebody, but lately I've been more daring and wanting to get out and do stuff. Maybe it's because I know how much everything is about to change. Regardless, we've been enjoying our last few months pre-baby.
9. Parenting books; as a couple, we enjoy information, so parenting books are like trying to choose in a candy store. We found one that we like that is the philosophical perspective, and ordered another one about the actual stages of childhood.
10. Peace; I'm at that point in my pregnancy where I'm settled and life is good. I'm comfortable with my body and emotionally stable most of the time. I catch myself admiring my belly in mirrors, and looking forward to the next few weeks leading up to delivery. Of course my body image is still in the back of my mind, but I'm not as obsessed with it right now. I'm hoping that this peace is a lingering kind, and that I can enjoy it fully for a little while.