Washington Trip

A couple weeks ago I was able to go to Washington, thanks to my AMAZING in-laws and LOVELY parents! What was the occasion? My dad graduated from the police academy in Washington. Now that he is a cop I am going to start speeding every time I go to visit. OK, I won't really, but wouldn't that be fun? Grace and I took our first plane trip together (SANS HUSBAND!). It was an adventure to say the least, but we really appreciated the shortened traveling time.
Here are some pictures from the trip:

Isn't my daddy handsome? 

 We went to the uniform inspection and flag ceremony that morning. It is super intense stuff, but a lot of fun to watch!

 Once the student graduates, they get to ring this bell. 

 In the wise words of Nacho Libre "big hug, little kiss, big kiss, big hug, little kiss."

 I never know how to explain Dallin and Mason's pictures. They are always so goofy! All I can say is, "Good kid."

 This is Grace looking unimpressed. Again. She really does smile, I promise!

 Dallin looking devilishly handsome.

 It is raining (green, stuffed) men, hallelujah! They turn the auditorium into a training center everyday. These crazy guys are just hanging from the ceiling, ready to pounce on you.

 What a creep.... Just kidding. In case you couldn't tell, this isn't a real man. They would beat these dummies up during training.

 I sure do love my dad. I had an amazing time seeing my family and I am so proud of him.

We have some catching up to do...

It has been a very long time since I last posted on this blog. A LONG time. I have decided to catch up, moving backwards. 

Grace is now 11 months old. Can you believe it? She has a ton of spit and vinegar that makes for an interesting day, everyday. 

A week ago we had Uncle Jensen over to paint pumpkins. Awesome Jensen bought her some washable paints to decorate her pumpkin. Lets just say that those paints aren't so washable. Next time we use them Grace will be in the buff. 

Don't they look so cute!?

 Grace rarely smiles for the camera. It takes a lot to make her smile in front of technology.

 She absolutely loves music. David will get out the guitar and she will crawl right up to him and "help" him play. 

 This picture is pretty close to bedtime. As you can see, her eyes are pretty tired! 

 Everyday her hair looks longer to me. Most people don't believe she isn't quite a year old. Aunt Alesha came over a couple days ago and put her hair in the cutest pony tails. I will have to post some of those pictures too!

So here are some updates on our cute little family:

1. Grace's Birthday is in less than a month!
2. She absolutely LOVES watching The Lorax. I think it is all the music and colors that do it for her.
3. David is still working at Academy Mortgage and is liking it there.
4. I have been unpacking for 6 months. Who ever said there was a time limit on unpacking anyway? 
5. My dad just graduated from the Police Academy and is an official cop. GO DAD!
   

Congrats to David!

A big shout out to David for graduating BYU-I last week! I am so proud of him. 

 After graduation we called a ton of restaurants to see who would be open past 10. We had 2 options: Red Robin and Buffalo Wild Wings.

So, here we are eating some burgers at Red Robin!

 My mom, dad, and 2 little brothers came for the celebrations. Davids family is just missing Alesha. Even though we missed the absent siblings, we still had an awesome time the next day by having a BBQ at the park for more graduation festivities. 

We have some big news, for those of you who didn't already know...

First, our little baby is going to be a GIRL! We are so excited...and I mean THRILLED! She kicks like crazy and doesn't like to hold still. We were at the ultrasound appointment for a long time trying to get pictures of her but she was super squirmy. I will have to post ultrasound pics later because the scanner is being packed. The second awesome announcement is that we are moving to Utah. David said he would never do it...but here we are. We are happy to be moving somewhere that is so close to family, which hasn't been the case since we have been married. David got a job in Sandy at a mortgage company and we move next week. Hurray! There are so many changes in the near future for us but we have never been happier. 

18 Weeks and Counting

For all of you who don't know... I MADE IT! We are past the worst part (keep your fingers crossed) and onto the good. At the start of my 17th week I started feeling pretty good so on Friday the 16th I had both my pump and IVs removed, this time hopefully for good.
On Fathers Day (no pictures, sorry) we had a big BBQ with some friends and family. We had steak, chicken, fruit pizza, grilled veggies, and grilled pineapple. Not bad, if you ask me! I ate until my heart was content and my belly was bulging. It is so good to eat again.

These are the start of the baby bump pictures. I am officially 18 weeks and we couldn't be more thrilled!

(My hair is wet but hey, at least I shower...)

 It is actually starting to look like a baby bump, not just a spare tire. 

The next ultrasound will be in about 2 weeks and we will find out the gender. Lets just say it is a good thing that we will find out soon because David and I do NOT agree on any names. If we can find out if it is a boy or a girl we can narrow down to one genre and disagree on fewer names. Any suggestions? Feel free to let us know!

There are a few things I should catch up on and will put more pictures up later. We went to California, my sister-in-law and little brother graduated high school, and life is great!

Adios!

Overcoming the Fear

I have a deathly fear of needles. Long ones, short ones, skinny ones, fat ones...they all make me want to cry and run for the hills! The first IV I received through this whole ordeal put me close to passing out. A mix of chemicals that my brain releases makes my veins pull back into my arms and become rock hard so I have had to get the extra big IV needles for the last month and a half because the tips are a lot sharper so they can penetrate my stubborn veins.
Well, I decided that it is ridiculous to hyperventilate every day when David puts my Zofran needle in my hips or my arms and even more ridiculous than that is my dramatic, light headed, woozyness when I get an IV. So lately I have been trying to look at the needles and talk myself out of being such a big wuss. I even took some pictures! So far my accomplishments have consisted of no more temper tantrums when David does his daily poke and the last 2 IV's I have only had to be poked once (compared to the 3 and 4 times for previous IVs).

Here are a couple pictures to prove that I actually looked at the needles.

This first one is a picture of the Zofran needle. The site has to be switched everyday and once it is in my arm or my hip, it stays there for 24 hours until we have to switch it again. It is taped down to my skin with something called Tegaderm which is like a second skin. 

 That is my pinky finger next to the needle. It really isn't that big but it stings like a bee! 

 This is the IV that was taken out yesterday (my new one is in my other arm). The new catheters are so big that they are leaving little round scars on my skin. I don't really mind because the IV is so useful. If I'm feeling pretty sick that day then I just hook up to my IV, sit down to a movie or a good book, and relax. The cold fluids can't be warmed up so they make me really cool, which has been extra useful on the hot summer days!

 We now have this cool decoration in our house called an IV stand! It looks like a coat hanger so I might just put it by the door. 

 Ahhhh, my new best friend. This sweet thing goes with me everywhere I go. That includes shopping, the bathroom, work, sleep, and anywhere else you can think of! I mostly wear it on m hip like a fanny pack. The bag is full of Zofran in liquid form and the pump just gradually pumps it just under my skin where my body absorbs it. Cool, huh?

 OK, I think the camera made these IV needles look half the size they really are...
I have never been able to look at the needles before, during, or after they are in my arm but lately I have been watching the nurse remove the catheter and put the just-used needles in the red needle box. 

Well, that's the beginning of my story of how I am overcoming my fears. Who knows, maybe next time I will watch the nurse put the IV in! But probably not...
More updates on baby will be coming soon. Next ultrasound is in July!!!!!

First Ultra Sound

This was probably the most rewarding and amazing day of our lives! We got to see the baby move and wiggle, which made everything so real. The ultra sound tech cropped some of the images so it would be easier to identify see the baby. 

We aren't sure how we feel about the 3D pictures, but the 3D video is really cool. 

This first one is of the baby facing straight forward. The head is just under the very top of the cropped image. Right above the U shaped lighter part of the picture you can see the baby's little feet. 

 This is the baby facing the right. The baby is resting in the C shape sitting up. You can see the little nose and chin!!!

 This one is just kind of creepy...

 This is my FAVORITE! Baby is laying down and the two plus signs mark how big the baby is. 

 The really light colored dot to the right of the line is the heart. It was beating so fast! 

Well, David and I couldn't be more excited! Our next ultra sound is scheduled to be in about another 8 weeks, then we find out if its a boy or a girl! 

Fanny Pack at Disneyland

We got all the medical stuff sorted out just in time to go to...CALIFORNIA! 

We arrived at LAX on Friday afternoon after a 3 hour delay in Idaho Falls. We hit up In N' Out the first day, Disneyland and California Adventures the second day, and stayed in a beautiful condo in Carlsbad for the third day. 

This is my cool new fanny-pack with a pump of medicine. Everyday I have to change the site and I get to pick from my hips and back of my arms. David is a good sport about it and sticks me because it is hard to reach back there. Plus, I can't look at needles puncturing skin, it grosses me out.

If anybody knows where I can get a bright neon fanny pack that looks like it is from the 90s, I would love that. I need something to switch up the wardrobe. 

 My awesome parent's-in-law on the tram with us headin' to Disneyland, the happiest place on earth!

 We are outside of California Soarin'. When we got out of the ride Kyle and Alesha surprised us with delicious churros! 

 David and Brooks stood at the exit to the ride and started swinging on the rails ;)

 David picking his nose... Just kidding, it was probably just an itch. 

 Duck face and orange hat waiting for the Bug's Life show. 

 The gang! It took forever to get this picture taken. People kept walking right in front of us. The guy taking the picture set his drink on the ground so he could hold the camera with both hands and some random girl wasn't watching where she was going then...bam! She kicked that drink clear down the bridge. 

 Kyle and Alesha after the Lights Show.