April

Overall April has been a wonderful month that deserves way more than one blog post.  However I am 36 weeks pregnant, sleepy all the time, and trying to finish my academic career in the next two weeks, so one post is about all I have in me.

Over Spring Break I went to Idaho to see my family.  We had a great time watching musicals, shopping, eating, and driving down to Logan for the weekend.  It was a little bit of an adventure getting home, but I made it.

I saw cute friends

Jack and Nina and I went to West Side Story.  Every time someone said something inappropriate I thought, "oh no problem, that will just go over their heads,"  then I realized that they're 16 and 17 and things don't go over their heads anymore.  Also I tried to hold Jack's hand in the parking lot so he wouldn't get hit by cars.  He's like, 7 inches taller than me...

 While we were in Logan my aunt and my cousins threw me a baby shower.  It was so much fun and so sweet of them

This is the supercute quilt my mama made me Baby K.  It is adorable and oh-so-soft

Cute outfit from Miss Nina-- Can't wait to dress our little one up in it when Nina comes to help me this summer!

Nina and me with my sweet Grandma Rhea

My Grandpa Bruce.  He told me I had a lovely silhouette.  That might be because it was Easter weekend and he had eggs on the mind...

Last Tuesday my beautiful friends threw me the most adorable baby shower.  They seriously spoiled the heck out of me, it was ridiculous

Shower courtesy of these two lovely ladies...

Cute Aubrie telling stories she got from my mom about when my mom was pregnant

Cute Valissa who kept getting me more cupcakes as soon as I'd finish my current one...what more does a girl need in a friend?

The decorations were adorable...

They put out Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Sour Patch Kids because those have been my biggest cravings (apart from Egg McMuffins of course)

The food was delicious

 And the company couldn't be beat

So pretty much I'm the most spoiled person ever.  It really is a little out of control when I stop and think about it, so instead I just enjoy it.  I am getting so excited to finish up my MPA and we are getting so excited to welcome our little baby!  My due date is less than a month away, so we will have to see when she chooses to make her appearance.  Erik has been awesome, I'm hoping all the back and foot rubs/ forgiveness when I pretty much never make dinner continues after the baby comes.  Right now I'm busy getting ready for the piano recital, getting the nursery ready, doing homework, watching Parks and Recreation, and napping.  It's not a bad way to live except for the whole peeing my pants every time I throw up part.  Come visit us so the people I love in Utah and Idaho can meet the people I love here.

For Your Viewing Pleasure

I am kind of a grump lately.  Not terrible, but by the time Erik gets home I'm tired, stressed, frustrated, achy, and just not all that fun to be around.  There are a few things that make me laugh no matter how many times I see them though, and just in case you are also grumpy, I thought I would share them with you.

1) Cold baby chimp

It's fairly common knowledge that I basically hate animals, but no matter how many times I see this on pinterest it cracks me up.  He just wasn't expecting that stethoscope to be so dang cold...

2) Geico Commercial

Have you thought about going vegan, Carl?

3) Kim Kardashian

I only laugh because I feel your pain

4)Penguin wearing shoes

Once again, I don't actually like animals.  But come on, it's a penguin wearing shoes.  And his name is Elvis.  Try and tell me this doesn't make you at least smile

5) Best for last

I cannot even take it, I love this video so much.  I especially like the part in the middle where he forgets the words so he just sings "I love you mommy" instead.  He's so angsty, I love it.  I have a definite weakness for small Asian kids singing pop songs.  Don't even get me started on "little Korean boy sings Hey Jude".

March

So my Lent thing went well, not amazing or life changing, but fine.  I successfully completed all the weeks besides the fast food week.  It turns out when I'm sick I don't actually have a lot of self discipline, but I do have a strong hankering for Blizzards.  I haven't blogged a lot lately because I've been really low energy, and have tried to use what little motivation I have for important things like homework, whining, and talking on the phone.

Earlier in the month I went with the cheerleaders to the state basketball tournament.  This is one of the only times we see other squads besides the squad from the cross-town high school,  so I'm always interested and a little anxious to see how our girls compare.  I'm happy to say that they were solid and I was super proud of them.

A few weeks ago I also acquired a china hutch.  I've been watching Craigslist and the auction for awhile now looking for just the right hutch at just the right price, but with this baby coming faster than we are ready for, I figured I needed to just get moving on this project before Baby K makes her appearance (62 days until my due date...crazy!).  It isn't actually a great time, seeing as I have no energy, a zillion baby projects, and a month left of a graduate program that is kicking my ever-expanding rear end, but I went for it anyways.  It's just about done, I just have a few things left to do.  Overall, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out even though my neighbors all judged me for spray painting while pregnant.  I wore a mask, get over it.

Before

Almost Done

As far as other news, Erik has been a busy little bee at work.  Today was his day off and he went skiing, which I was happy about because there aren't a lot of good ski days left.  He's been playing a lot of basketball over at the church while I stay home and watch Dance Moms and eat.   He did a great job coordinating Missionary Sunday for our ward.  I've reached 31 1/2 weeks and the best way to describe how I feel is medium.  I'm still nauseated and have a lot of back and rib pain, and sleep has not actually been happening in the quantity I'd prefer.  I've just started having heart burn, but am combating it with an aggressive ice cream eating regimen.  Sometimes I catch a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye and think "when did we get that hideous ottoman?" before realizing I'm actually seeing my stomach in a mirror.  I am enjoying feeling our little one squirm all around.  I've also come to realize that the more pregnant you get the nicer people are to you, so I've been enjoying that.  My favorite compliment to hear is "you don't look pregnant from behind," so be sure to mention that next time you see me whether it's true or not. 

31.5 weeks

Lent

Lent starts this week, on Wednesday I think (a quick google check verified that this is correct). I've decided that I am going to participate this year by giving up one vice every week.  I know that isn't actually how Lent works, but since I am not actually Catholic and under no obligation to observe Lent, I've decided I can pretty much do what I want.  Here is my outline:

Week 1: No internet surfing
         What this means for me in no Pinterest, Facebook, blogs, etc.  I can use the internet for homework and checking bank statements, that's pretty much it.  This serves two purposes.  First, I am having a hard time getting my rear in gear when it comes to my homework, organ practicing, and other personal obligations this semester.  Part of the problem is that I got into really bad habits when I was so sick during my first trimester, and now I basically waste a lot of time.  I have a lot to get done before Baby K makes her appearance in May, and I would like to build up a little more self-discipline.  Second, while I love Pinterest, blogs, and Facebook sometimes they make me feel bad if we're being perfectly honest.  I have a hard time feeling content with what I have and what I do when I am continually bombarding myself with stuff from people who are more talented than me.  I think I can use the break to refocus on getting important stuff done and being happy with my life, because it turns out it's actually pretty dang good.
Week 2:  No TV*
    I follow every TV show.  Like all of them.  This is another bad habit stemming from my first trimester/first 22 years of life.  I really like TV.  The exception I am making to this rule is shows Erik and I watch together when he gets home at night.  It's our couples hobby and I think that's important.  Some couples go hiking together/cook together/study scriptures together.  Erik and I watch Hulu together. So I guess what I am actually giving up here is watching TV during the day while I cook/exercise/sit on the couch.  I can listen to music, to an audio book, or just have it be quiet in my house and probably not die. I'm hoping this will help me trim down the list of shows I watch regularly to just the really important ones, like Dance Moms and Modern Family.  
Week 3: No gossiping
        Don't call me this week, I won't be that fun to talk to. 
Week 4: No Whining
         I whine a lot.  It's kind of a major part of my personality.  It's also really annoying so I'd like to do less of it. 
Week 5: No eating out
           Some women have crack babies that have to be given small amounts of drugs through and IV to help the children break the addiction that was given to them pre-birth.  Unfortunately I am on the fast track to having the first McDonalds crack baby who will have to be given small amounts of fast food grease after birth to help ween her off of it.  This habit is neither cost effective nor healthy. 

What's that you say?  This isn't that hard and you don't do any of these things anyways?  Well bully for you, and also your life sounds very boring.  I think this will be a good experience for me and help me reign in some of my less-good tendencies and make time for things that should be bigger priorities.  Plus, it will give me something to blog about every week, so that will be super.  To avoid a picture-less I'm ending with a belly shot taken last week at 25 weeks.

What Pregnancy Looks Like

This is what pregnancy looks like on Facebook.

taken 2 weeks ago at 22 weeks

This is what pregnancy looks like at 8:30 in the morning at my house after I finish my morning puking ritual.

"Get pregnant," they said.  "It will be fun," they said.

23

Tomorrow is my 23rd birthday.  To me, 23 seems a lot older than 22.  Like when you're 22 it's still okay to be sleeping indefinitely on your friend's couch and getting gas money from your parents, but at 23 you better have your act together.  Erik is out home teaching tonight, so instead of watching Miss America like the rest of the country and resenting the contestants for their flat stomachs (which I once had) and long legs (which I have never had) I thought I would list the ways that I feel like a grown up and the ways that show I'm not even close.

Ways I feel like a grown-up

• I'm pregnant and it was planned.  Teen Mom has proved that you don't have to be an adult to have a baby, but the fact that we meant to get pregnant feels "old" to me
• Many of my favorite pins on pinterest deal with topics like pantry organization and how to get sweat stains out of garment tops
• People refer to me as Mrs. K or Sister K and I respond
• Most of the time I would rather be dressed warm than dressed cute.  This is especially evident to me when I go to the high school in 14 degree weather wearing slipper socks stuffed into my boots and see girls in mini skirts.  Seriously. 
• While we're on the topic of the high school, I am not up on current lingo.  For example, I just recently learned what YOLO stands for.  This, along with my 8:30 bedtime makes me feel more 73 than 23.
• I have a mortgage.  That's a 30-year commitment folks.
• I go to the same person every time I need my hair cut or my eyebrows waxed instead of just whichever stylist is on shift at Fantastic Sam's. 
• I filled out and sent in my graduation application for my MPA this week.  After May, feel free to refer to me as Master Shanna. 
• I have my own checks.  Once again, I realize you can get checks when you're like 14, but I remember being little and being at the grocery store and thinking that having checks is what moms do. Having my own really makes me feel like I've made it in life. 
• I have lunch dates.  When I was younger "hanging out" meant laying on my floor talking about boys, celebrities, and clothes.  Now hanging out means sitting in a restaurant talking about boys, celebrities, and clothes. Like a grown-up.

Things that prove I am not

• I think cereal is an acceptable option for any of the three daily meals
• Two of my top three favorite movies are made by disney
• I still tattle on people to my mom
• I have given people the silent treatment within the last year.
• I frequently wear footie pajamas (see my 4th bullet of the previous list)
• I try and make other people (Erik and my mother) make my appointments for me.  I hate calling the dentist, doctor, etc. and I always feel like I sound stupid to the receptionist. 
• It is possible that I DVRed the cartoon Arthur recently
• My very favorite food in the entire world is french fries
• I have the skin of a 13-year-old boy mid-puberty
• I fully expect to be treated like a princess the entire week surrounding my birthday.  None of that making-your-own-birthday-cake crap for me. I am surrounded by very, very tolerant people.

Maybe 23 will be the age where I fully shift into adulthood.  Probably not.  It will be the year that my weight fluctuates more than ever before, that I don't go back to school in the fall for the first time in 17 years, and I explore a whole new set of excuses to get out of speaking in church.  Erik switched his day off so that we could spend tomorrow together.  We are meeting with our financial planner and painting the nursery (tallies in the adult column?) and then going to my favorite restaurant (McKenzie River-- tally in the non-adult column) and to a movie.  It's going to be a good day. 

Year in Review--2012

It's the end of another year!  We had a wonderful Christmas, which I documented with approximately zero pictures, but I did steal this one from my mom's phone.

Our visit was way too short, but one fun thing was that we found out the gender of our baby the day before we went to Idaho.  We are having a girl.  I was so happy I may have cried in the ultrasound tech's office.  We would have loved a boy too, but I can't even wait for a cute little girl!  I'm not big on belly pictures.  I'm never particularly photogenic, and what no one tells you about pregnancy is besides a cute little baby bump you also get cute little muffin top, but yesterday marked the halfway point of my pregnancy, so I snapped a quick shot.  This is me at 20 weeks pregnant with our baby girl.

On to the actual point of this post-- 2012 in Review.  It was a big year for Erik and me.  This is what we have been up to during the last 12 months.

January:  In January I turned 22.  I love my birthday more than any adult should, and I'm lucky to be surrounded by people who put up with that.  My parents got me an Iphone so I could document my free birthday cookie.  My birthday is also the day that we went and saw our new house for the first time.

This is the birthday quilt.  You get to use it the week of your birthday.  My mom mailed it to me from Idaho

February:  In February I out-ate a bunch of NFL linemen.   Football season ended, which makes February one of my favorite months of the year.

March:  In March we were knee deep in the house buying process.  I also traveled with the cheerleaders for the state basketball tournament. I also ran over a rock in our driveway.  It was weird, I don't really want to talk about it.

April: In April my mom came to help us move across town.  We got a lot of great help from both our old ward and our new ward, and we worked my poor mother to exhaustion.  However we got all our boxes unpacked, all our furniture arranged, and most of our wall hangings up in a weekend, so that was great.

We also went on a cruise to Bahamas in April.  It was so fun.  Moving is really stressful and it was nice to get away from moving stuff as well as the cold weather for a week.  The food was yummy and plentiful, the weather was warm, and the karaoke was awful.  All in all, a pretty perfect trip. 

May: In May I had my Spring piano recital, finished up my year at Head Start, and completed my second semester in the MPA program.  My family came up the last weekend in May for a relaxing few days of yardwork and home improvement projects.  I loved having them, but I had to resort to having a baby to get them to come back.  Erik and his buddy Travis did a great job building and installing our home theater. 

June:  The business entered its busy season and I saw a little less of Erik.  I hosted my first Princess Camp and found my true calling in life.  Alex and Emily came to visit us.

July:  July was a really fun month.  My darling friend Heather came to visit us, and I went to Idaho for Emily's bridal shower and kept moving south to Utah for Alex and Emily's wedding openhouse.  While I was in Utah I saw Chris and Beez and Larissa and went to my mom's family's family reunion. Erik traveled to Denver on a business trip and got to see a lot of his college friends.  At the end of the month Erik and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary and Erik's 28th birthday.

August: In August Erik and I traveled to Virginia for my brother's wedding.  We hung out a couple days and spent some time in Washington DC.  We had a great time.

August is rodeo season in these parts.  For one week a year I get Cowboy Erik.  I love it.  This was the month that Erik won our trip to Mexico, so we started planning for that.  Fall season cheer started.  Erik judged a vintage car show, which he is in no way qualified to do.

September:  Erik went on a business trip to Vegas.  I painted our doors black. What's much more relevant is that this is the month that we found out we were expecting a baby.  I was five weeks along when I got the positive test, and enjoyed a week of knowing before the sickness set in.   I told Erik at McKenzie River Pizza, which is my favorite place ever to go.  Equally exciting (for Erik at least) is that we traded in our Subaru for a Jeep.

October:  Worst month ever.  I threw up the whole time, got out of bed only when absolutely necessary, ate a ton of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and watched Newsies like 8 times.  I did get to go to scrapbook weekend in Logan at the very beginning of the month, which was great.  Erik had a good month at the dealership though.  He dressed up like Clark Kent for Halloween.

November:  We had an amazing time in Mexico.   We also had a great Thanksgiving with Erik's family.


December:  I finished up my fourth semester.  Just one more left!  I had 90 people show up to the winter piano recital, and we had a great time at the business Christmas party.  On December 21st we found out we are having a girl and so far she's looking healthy.  I gave up on the idea of going off of Zofran during this pregnancy.  We drove 22 hours round trip to go spend Christmas in Boise and it was worth every minute.  We have big plans to eat dinner and watch a movie and try and stay up until midnight tonight, but more likely than not we'll celebrate the new years with the east coast and then go to bed.

This year definitely brought the most changes for Erik and me.  A year ago we were living in a different house, I was still working at Head Start, and Erik had to watch the Seahawks on a small screen.  This year we (I) have a belly and a mortgage, and are expecting a new family member in the Spring.  We can hardly wait to see what next year brings for us.   Hopefully lots of visits!