Huge, and Happy as a Hippo

In the last several weeks I have received multiple comments about how big I am getting and an overall concern for my health.  I would like everyone to know I am doing just fine.

Many people thought I was huge with Hanna Marie and she was a big baby for someone my size but I remained healthy throughout the pregnancy and I gained less weight than is average during pregnancy.  Afterwards I recovered very quickly.  I was back in my skinny jeans by 9 weeks postpartum and even scored a 96 out of 100 on my very first Air Force physical fitness test back from maternity leave - including receiving max points for my waist size. 

But if I was huge with one baby what do you think is going to happen with two babies growing inside of someone who is only 4'11 and normally 110 lbs?  But rest assured I have still gained less weight so far than what is average for a twin pregnancy, I have not been put on bedrest, all of my tests and screenings have been normal, the babies are healthy and growing normally, and I feel nothing more than the normal wear of a pregnant women chasing around a very happy toddler.

Overall pregnant or not I am an extremely healthy and fit person, probably more than most of you.  If any of you still feel concerned or wish to continue commenting on my size or health I challenge you to run the Cold Turkey Run with me on November 24th or even better join my 2012 Ragnar team and we'll see who fares better.

BIG NEWS!!

23 Weeks

Eric and I are expecting another girl!  . . . AND a boy too!!  Yep twins!  We're expecting the Luke and Liea to make the debut some time in August.  Hanna Marie will also reach her 18 month milestone in August.  Three kids that young is definitely going to be a challenge but we are super excited.

Mommy Guilt Trip

What do you feel guilty about as a mom or a woman?  Post your answer at camaree.com

I've decided that I have too many wants.  I seriously think that I could spend $5000 in one day on nothing real big.  Top of my list right now:

New kitchen table (this I will actually need with in the next year)
Slide or climbing toy for Hanna
Toddler chair for Hanna

And a bunch of little things for my house, new garbage can, shower curtains, bed sheets, towels, and coat hooks.  

That is just the top I'm sure I could find at least 20 more things off the top of my head that I want before I even get to clothes.  Clothes would be a lengthy list on its own.

Now I am just going to sit here and wait to get struck down for my pride.

Master Procrastinator

Oh my goodness, why oh why do I procrastinate so much?  I never learn.  I pounded out three papers and an exam today to finish my online class on time. And that was on top of having all of my family up here for Hanna Marie's 1st birthday party today for which of course I felt the need to make homemade banners for which I also finished today.  Nobody wake me up until Monday . . . groan, I start a new class on Monday.  Math, yuck.

Sleep Study!

mSo the most exciting thing of my life happened yesterday . . . ok maybe not the most exciting thing, but pretty dang close.  I had a sleep study done!!!  Yay!  For those of you who know me, or know my parents and know that I am their child, know that we really have sleep issues in our family and this is way overdue.  I went into the Sleep Disorder Center and Logan Regional Hospital and they hooked me up to a bunch of stuff, I mean a ton.  I felt like a science experiment.  I had 25 electrodes on my head, a bunch along my jaw, one by each eye, two on my chest, one on my back, two on each leg, a band around my chest and one around my stomach, two different oxygen censors in my nose, and a pulse monitor on my finger.  No wonder people who go in there can't sleep.  I did finally fall asleep though, for about 4 hours, not straight, like 4 hours total, so not bad.  I'll get the results back in a week to a week and a half.  I'm really hoping the tell me that I have Restless Leg Syndrome because that would explain my leg pain too and I would just have to take a pill.  If they tell me that I have sleep apnea and I have to wear an oxygen mask to bed every night well then I'll just sleep when I die because I really don't think I could stand that.  If it is neither of those thing and they can't figure out what is wrong with me based on the sleep study then the next step is to go see a neurologist.

A Land of Immagrants

Secure our boarders but remember who we are as Americans and make it easier for decent hardworking people to come here legally.

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles.  From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command 
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame,
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips.  "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Crafts

So I've decided if I wasn't so lazy I really could get into some fun crafts.  Right now I'm really enjoying making hair clips, mostly for Hanna Marie but today I made some for Chaylyne Marie - I hope she likes them. 

I'm also crocheting a blanket for Baby Hanna and working on a scrapbook for Chaylyne.

Mama and Hanna

Congratulations Mom

June 8th

This past weekend I visited Kaysville cemetery to place flowers on my Grandma's grave for her birthday today.  While I was there I also placed flowers in the vase at her parent's grave.  I never knew them but I've visited their graves with my grandma all my life.  There were still flowers there from Memorial Day so the graves really looked beautiful.  I miss my grandma so much.  I still think of her all the time. 

Hannah

Can anyone tell of the story of Hannah from the scriptures?  Since I named my little girl Hanna I haven't come across a single person who can tell me the story of this great women.  The first person everyone thinks of is Hannah Montana, even the missionaries.  So aside from my mom who taught me the scriptures and those who were in my Sunday School class last week, can anyone tell me the story of Hannah?  Without cheating!  Even Eric had to google it.

Grateful for Aggie Village

I live in Aggie Village, a tiny student apartment on campus.  My friends complain, I've complained about them and we make fun of them but really I love my apartment mostly because it is mine, my home and I really am grateful to be here.

Aggie Village isn't perfect but it is the longest I've lived in one place for nearly 20 years, it's the most comfortable I've felt in a home in 13 years, the most love I've felt in a ward in 8 years, and I've made the best friends here that I've had ever.

I can't even describe to you the nastiness of the apartment I lived in before AV when I first moved to Logan.  And before that I lived with my all too gracious Aunt and Uncle in Draper and though I loved it there I over stayed my welcome and it never really was home.  Before that was the last time I lived with my mom.  She and I and my brother and sister lived in my grandparent's basement.  The four of us shared a 1/2 bathroom smaller than the one here in AV.  The washer and dryer set up here might not be ideal but there our washer and dryer were in my mom's small bedroom.  We did have a nice big laundry room in one place that we lived but my brother slept in there on a cot, he didn't have a room.  I've lived with concrete walls before too, at least these ones don't have mold on them.  And the floors at AV do bother me but it's better than 30 year old green shag carpet.  The AV kitchens are small, but I've had a hallway kitchen before were we couldn't open the refrigerator and oven at the same time.  And I've lived without a dishwasher before.  I hate parking my car outside but my family has only had a garage we could actually park our car in for 3 out of the last 20 years.  AV may be small but it is clean, the appliances are new, and the neighborhood is safe, all things I've learned the value of.

I am grateful for a big porch where I can enjoy the sun, I'm grateful that I have cable and Internet, I'm grateful I have a place to take a bubble bath, I'm grateful I can hang pictures on my walls (I grew up in apts were we couldn't do that), I'm grateful I have a place to store my own food, I'm grateful I have food, I'm grateful that I have a warm bed, and that my baby has a safe roof over her head. 

We are hoping to move this summer but only because my sister is coming to live with us when she gets off her mission (she has no where else to go, my mom doesn't have a home and my dad's is too small).  If we get into the place we are hoping for it will be the first time in my life that I will have a garage, a laundry room,  a kitchen, a dishwasher, air conditioning, an enclosed backyard, more than one bathroom, and a regular mailbox (not a gang box like you have at apts) all at the same time.  I don't know what I'll do with myself. 

And if after reading this you still can't think of a reason to be grateful for you home or apartment think of all the people in Haiti, Chile, and China who just lost their homes to earthquakes, or of all the people back East who lost their homes to floods, or the 1.2 million families in the U.S. that lost their homes to the recession, or the homeless in general, or those in third world countries where the people that do have homes still live in conditions I couldn't even imagine until I saw it for myself.  But you don't even have to go that far to get a taste of poverty we have plenty of it all over our own nation.

Hehehe

So I had drill this weekend and guess what . . . They let me drive a bus!  A big blue bus, with people on it, on trafficked roads.  I know right?  Those of you who know me know this probably wasn't the brightest idea on their part.  My supervisor told me I had to learn to drive the passenger bus so I can drive poor unsuspecting troops around the base and on the flight line (around big expensive airplanes).  So today a bunch of people from my section voluntarily came along to be my passengers and witness the chaos.

Little old me driving a big old bus, I had to slide the seat all the way forward and could barely be seen over the ginormous steering wheel.  But really it wasn't that bad.  I gave everyone a taste of the seat in front of them the first time I hit the brakes and on my first right hand turn I ran over the curb and nearly took out the stop sign.  I doubled back to try again and when I cleared it my passengers applauded.  I continued driving for another half an hour without further incident.  Sadly no one got a picture of the event.

Baby Shower

Thanks to Amanda and Mary for my wonderful baby shower and to all of my friends for coming. It was so much fun. I think now I have just about everything I need for the baby. I'm getting super excited. Only 17ish days left!

34 Weeks!

• 
  
  
• 
  
  
• 
  
  
• 
  
  

Christmas!!!

Christmas was awesome this year.  This year was the first year that both Eric and I had Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas off so we got to spend a lot more time with our families this year.  We went down to Salt Lake on the 23rd.  That night we went and saw the lights at Temple Square with Eric's mom (Alie) and brothers.  The 24th we had dinner at Mike (Eric's stepdad) and Alie's and stayed up until 1 AM laughing with Eric's step brother Corby and his cute wife Lindsay.  Christmas morning we opened presents with Mike and Alie.  It was fun, they got us some cool stuff for our home.

Christmas morning I also got to talk to my little sister Chaylyne who is serving a mission in Oakland California.  Using three way calling we were able to get my dad, me, and my brother Steven all on the phone at the same time to talk to Chay even though we were all in different cities.  It was so good to talk to my baby sister, it sounds like she is really happy and doing great.

Christmas day for lunch we went over to Steven and Helen's (Eric's dad and his wife).  The best part was watching all of the little kids open their presents.

For Christmas dinner it was back to Mike and Alie's.  All of Eric's brothers were there as well as all of Mikes kids, 8 families in all, 16 adults, and 8 kids 8 and under.  It was a little crazy but a total blast.


My little brother Steven and his cute new wife Valerie came in town from Arizona late on the 26th so on Sunday the 27th we all got together for Christmas at my dad and Kim's house.  We got totally spoiled.  Eric and I got a bunch of baby stuff we needed as well as a few things for ourselves.  They gave Eric a little remote control helicopter that he only stops playing with long enough to charge the battery.  The best part was playing the Wii with the whole family.  Kim got the new 4 player Mario game.  Our little half brother Cody was a hoot to watch, he could stand still while playing and kept walking in front of everyone else he also didn't seem to understand when his character ran out of lives and always tried to keep playing.

The best part of Christmas for me was the 29th.  Steven and Val came up to Logan and we were able to have our traditional family Christmas party.  It wasn't quite the same because it wasn't on Christmas Eve and it was on a much smaller scale but it was still fun.  We had all the usually food: potato soup, shrimp cocktail, cheese ball and crackers, veggie tray, and more.  We also played games like the tray memory game with prizes and everything.  We read the Christmas story and did our gift to Christ.  The best part was that my Mom got on Skype and we were able to talk to her while we were all here together.  She was so excited, it was the first time she had been able to talk to Steven or Valerie since they've been married. 

And of course Eric spoiled me this year too, as always.  He knew Christmas Eve would be hard for me with none of my family around this year but he tried really hard to keep my traditions alive and make me feel better.  He hid a gift for me on our tree and gave me new Christmas pajamas on Christmas Eve like my mom always does and read the Christmas story with me.  He also gave me a super cute maternity jacket, a new Wii game, and some makeup.  He even bought a gift for baby and let me open it, it was a cute little beanie and some onesies.  What a great husband and he's going to be a great dad.

I hope all of you had an awesome Christmas too.  Happy New Year!