32 weeks and growing

Well, I'm down to the single digits, which is really weird. This morning after going pee I got back in bed and noticed the baby was moving very rhythmically. I remembered reading about fetal hiccups and after about 10 minutes realized this must be what was going on. It was pretty fun to me, so I woke Nate up so he could feel too. I don't know if he thought it worth waking him up, but oh well.
I diagnosed myself with pregnancy induced carpal tunnel syndrome. Lucky me. Basically due to the extra fluid in my wrists my carpal tunnel nerves are compressed which causes constant numbness and tingling in all fingers but my pinkies. My hands are always achy and I can rarely make a fist. It gets challenging at work, so I don't know how long I can rely on my co-workers to keep doing some of my responsiblities. At home it's not a huge problem because I have Nate to open things for me and cut things for me, etc. I never thought I'd have such odd problems being pregnant. 8 weeks, that's what I keep reminding myself (well, and that I'll most likely be late).
Since the Holidays are over and Nate is back to work now, I guess it's time to actually think about putting together a nursery. I don't know when we'll do it, but hope to get it done this month. Other than a stroller, car seat, dresser, and crib we've got nothing. So, we have plenty of shopping to do. But I think it will be a "fun" kind of shopping...hopefully.

Thanksgiving visit

The best part of our visit was seeing all these cute kids!

pregnancy picture update

Week 24


Week 30 (we were in Oregon for week 28 and kept forgetting, so this is 2 weeks out of sync)


My first experience with "kankles"





The kankles are getting better now at work since I started wearing support hose.

Nate...

What can I say about this man? He has made me laugh for over 7 years now (we just celebrated our 6th wedding anniversay) and I still am not bored of him! For our anniversay (Dec. 5th) we slept...Well, we worked the night before so after about 6 hours of sleep we got up, went out to dinner and then went to a presentation of Handel's Messiah at a local community college. Overall it was very good. I do have to complain about one of Handel's songs, it lasted well over 10 minutes and the same 2 lines of Isaiah were repeated at least 100 times. It was quite the experience and glad to have had it, though it's not something I need to go to every year. I do like the music, but I also like being able to skip ahead to the songs I really enjoy, like the Hallelujah chorus (no, not just because it indicates the end is approaching!).
I appreciate being married to a man who loves and respects me and does his best to provide for us and help us grow closer to the Lord. I have been very blessed.


So, I have gained a few pounds, but at least it's for a higher purpose!





This is him posing for a couple shot, trying to figure out which will be the better spot for me. I told you he was a goofball.





I had Nate repaint a wall in our house and this is what he did. You can actually still see the outline of the heart on the wall even though the wall is now all tan.

Home alone

Can I say how much I hate being home alone at night and hearing the helicopter continue to circle overhead? I think everytime I am home alone this happens. I'm trying to just tune it out and watch my belly move. I think I'll have to put a movie on and and turn up the volume so I don't hear it anymore. I worked last night and Nate works tonight. I don't mind sleeping alone because it allows me to sleep diagonally! And I get to turn the heater on! Oh, little pleasures. I reminded Nate the other day that when this baby gets here we will have to use heat in the house since she won't be able to produce much of her own. We really aren't cheap, we just aren't home a ton and when we are we're usually sleeping and since Nate keeps me warm we don't have to worry about turning up the actual heater.

We had our first birthing class this week. It was interesting, but I'm still going with the drugs! I don't feel I have to experience every sensation of pain during childbirth in order to appreciate the miracle. I am hoping to find out about a walking epidural though so I can still be up and moving as long as possible.

I finally bought some support stockings (only knee highs of course) to wear at work. I tried them last night and was happy that my kankles stayed away! Now if I could just get this numbness and tingling in my hands solved I think I would be out of pregnancy complaints.

sausage anyone?

so, I don't have pictures yet, but plan to soon...of my kankles after working 3 nights in a row! wow, do they get puffy, and I'm sure will only continue to get worse as I keep working. Tina asked how I'm feeling, well...
I shouldn't complain because this is exactly what we've been waiting for for a long time...BUT I am tired. Sleeping is getting more difficult due to positioning, my feet ache at work, my tailbone is doing a number on me now. I know this is all normal. I guess lucky for me (and Nate so he hears my complaining less) I'm too busy working and trying to sleep in between that I don't have too much time to dwell on the discomforts of pregnancy. However, we are going on vacation to Oregon this Saturday, so with all that free time I may get plenty of complaining in! Just joking, I will try to refrain and enjoy my 10 days off from work. Now that I'm feeling better I'm looking forward to going back to the gym. At my OB appointment this morning I weighed in at 205! yikes, that was 15 pounds since the last visit. I knew I'd surpass the 200 mark but not this early. Like I explained to the doctor, I had just worked 12 hours and eaten 3 meals since 6pm the night before (ate dinner before going to work, ate at midnight-how else will I stay awake?-, and then ate breakfast before leaving work and going to the appointment!). anyways, I plan on re-weighing myself tomorrow morning after sleeping a whole night and not eating, then we'll see how much I really gained. Oh, and I like my home scale better, it always shows less total weight.
So, that's how I'm feeling. Baby girl is doing well. Sometimes at work I use the doppler we have on the floor to listen to her heartbeat, that's always exciting. I'm 26 weeks and happy. Really happy too that Nate will be going back to work, at least on light duty, with me this week. They are going to let him just come in with my schedule and do whatever desk jobs need to be done. He should only be on light duty through mid December, then back to the real thing. He is excited and so am I. Two full paychecks will be nice again, at least until I'm done in February. And oh how much I am looking forward to going back part time, 2 nights a week.
I guess I've rambled enough.

uh, background?

where the heck did my background go? any one seen it?

sick, sick, sick

so, does being pregnant mean that it has to take longer to get over a cold? i got sick early Tuesday morning while at work and I'm still barely breathing. I'm just starting to cough up all the yucky mucous, so that means I should be nearing the end right? Being a nurse you'd think I'd know these things, but i don't. anyways, my head is going to explode from all the pressure. Nate has slept in another room the last 2 nights, which i don't blame him, i'm so noisy i can hardly sleep. ugh. anyways, i just needed to vent some more. i'm supposed to go back to work Saturday night, but how can i take care of other people when i can hardly breathe myself and have to cough up my lung every 10 minutes. of course if i call off i'll probably be put on probation, since i think i will have then maxed out my call offs, which have all been very legitimate, trust me. i was hoping to save up my call offs for our ward christmas party since i know i'll be scheduled to work then. oh well, such is life. hope everyone else is not sick.

And the race is on!

Trisha is due about 2 weeks before me and doesn't she seem so much bigger? Thank you "tall genes." Sorry Trisha, it's cuz you're short!





Actually, I think Ryan is going to win!

Some random NY pix

So, sorry it's blurry, but this house was ridiculous. There were lawn ornaments EVERYWHERE! No thanks.


After leaving a dump of a hotel and finding a better one, we opened the can of bean dip and chips in bed. I felt like we would've fit in a lot better at the dump hotel.


I tried to be artsy with this photo from inside the Peter Whitmer farmhouse visitor center. Better luck next time.


So as we drove past this scene, at first glance it really looked like the brown cow was standing on top of the other cows. We drove in reverse to get a shot, but ya had to be there is all I have to say.


How long has it been since you've fed the ducks? We had a whole loaf of bread to get rid of and saw this little pond. After we got going our new goal was to hit the seagulls with the bread cuz they kept stealing the bread from the ducks. "mine, mine, mine..."

For my mom...

My mom grew up in upstate New York and spent her summers at Owasco Lake, skiiing, swimming, and of course mostly sunning. She is the ultimate sun worshipper still. So we made the short drive to the lake and were able to find the old cottage she lived in during this time. It's been re-painted, remodeled, etc, but it still seems to bring back the same emotions for her...life as a kid. It was neat to be able to see something that always brings such fond memories to my mom. Wish she could have been there with us this time (though she was there a couple years ago briefly).










The maple tree planted by all the neighbors when my mom's dad, Papa Norm, passed away in 1987. It's the red one.






Shirley and Steve were a hoot. They told us some unknown stories of Papa Norm and his boating shenanigans.

More church sites

Hill Cumorah monument




Palmyra Temple


The Sacred Grove

Palmyra

one room for everything: cooking, eating, visiting, etc

Smith Frame home (built after the log home)

Smith log home

Travis in the doorway. They built the ceiling just taller than the tallest man at the time. That was Joseph Sr, but then Alvin grew taller than him, oops!

Cute little potty for a little one in the those gotta go moments at night!