Registry

I've been talking about getting my gosh darned registry done for baby items for the LONGEST time now, and Jake and I finally went and did it this weekend! It was cute watching him walk around Babies R' Us, wanting to buy everything (more specifically argyle sweaters and peacoats), but I managed to talk him out of it until Caige is actually here.

Anywho, in case anyone is interested, we have registries at both Target and Babies R' Us. Here are the links to both if you're interested in helping us out! :)

Target Registry

and 

Babies R US Registry

These last few weeks have been a whirlwind. Baby Caige is growing rapidly, and it kicking a lot. He loves using my ribs as a punching back, especially while I'm at work.

This picture you are about to see, is a side by side picture of the difference of about a week. The left picture was taken November 19th, and the right picture was taken November 26th. That's a huge difference if you ask me!

XO

Procrastination is not Flattering

I am the laziest person in the world, and for that my followers, I apologize for my negligence. I have some pretty huge announcements (which if you follow me on Facebook and Twitter, you already know about said announcements), but here you will get to hear the whole back story, and all the juicy details. And trust me, you'll want to!

Last weekend (Nov 11th-14th), was finally the weekend we were to spend in travelling to Denver, CO to see my beloved, City and Colour. Dallas Green, who is the heart and soul of the group, is the most magnificent and talented musician I have ever laid ears upon. You can basically say I have a bit of a crush on him. (Click the link to check out some of his music! Trust me, you won't be disappointed!)


Before I get into the concert...let's back track a bit, shall we?


I had a doctor appointment Friday morning, the day we were to leave, and naturally, I was running late. I am the least punctual person I know. I can't be on time for anything, but at least I can admit that it is always MY fault.

This appointment was my dreaded glucose/gestational diabetes test. What happens for this appointment, is before the appointment takes place, the doctor gives you a glucose drink, that you are supposed to consume within a 5 minute time period, approximately one hour before the glucose test appointment. If you results come back looking kind of sketchy, you need to go in for another glucose test, except this one takes 3 hours. I opted for the lemon-lime flavored glucose drink (with options of fruit punch and orange), and made sure it was nice and cold before I drank it. To describe the taste, imagine if you will, a thick, syrupy, flat Sprite, that is twice as sweet as a normal one. Gross, huh? Yeah, I had to chug that stuff otherwise I might have thrown it up.

Anyways, showed up to the appointment late, and barely got in to have my blood drawn. Had to wait 15 minutes for my doctor after my tests were run, since my tardiness had inconvenienced a lot of people (which I felt horrible for). My results came back normal (thanks goodness).

Our initial plan was to hit the road immediately after my appointment, which we did. But we were running later than I had hoped. The reason I was late for my doctor appointment in the first place, was because I had neglected packing for our little excursion until that morning, and our clothes weren't even completely dry by the time we needed to pack, which I started doing so 15 minutes before we needed to leave. Not the brightest idea, but I somehow managed to have everything we needed for our adventure.

Jake went and picked up his friend, Derek, who was going to tag along to Salt Lake (which was on our way to Denver). Derek was planning on seeing New Found Glory, along with a phenomenal line up of other great pop-punk bands, he was going to buy our tickets, but one our way there, it seemed as though the show had sold out, because the pre-sale tickets were no longer available online. We were bummed, but not terribly. We later found out that they were still selling tickets at the door. Again, not terribly bummed out.

First thing we did when we got to Salt Lake, was stop buy a sweet little shop called "Next Level Custom Tattoo". Why do you ask? Oh, because Jake and Derek decided he needed to get his knuckles tattooed that night. And I was not complaining, seeing how every time Jake mentioned getting his knuckles tattooed, I would always push him to go for it. I love his tattoos, and am excited to see which ones he will get in the future!

I met some of Jake's friends while we were at the tattoo shop. There's a band that hails from Salt Lake called "Becoming Everest". They're really good friends with Jake's band "Our City Skyline". Anyways, I finally got to meet most of the guys and their significant others. Here are some pictures from Salt Lake:

Salt Lake was a blast. We weren't there long, but we got to see some cool people. Instead of hitting up the New Found Glory show, we found a hotel, and decided to relax until the show got out and then we were going to go to "The Pie" for pizza with some friends. Unfortunately, Jake and I passed out and slept all night, and slept through texts and phone calls from people to see where we were. THAT we were bummed about.

The next morning, we woke up early, grabbed free continental breakfast from the hotel lobby, checked out and hit the road for Denver. I slept the majority of the drive, which was kind of nice because of how boring and dismal the drive was through Wyoming. I felt bad Jake drove the whole way, but he didn't complain once. We made it to Denver around 6:30pm, and the show for City and Colour started at 9pm. The hotel we stayed at was actually pretty sweet. It didn't look like a hotel at all!

The upper part of the hotel was actually a sports bar/restaurant, which some pretty tasty food, which we indulged in to try to pass the time. I finished eating before Jake did, and went back to the room to freshen up before the show. Meanwhile, one of our friends from Boise (Miss Kelli) who is going to school in Fort Collins, met us at the hotel to head over to the show with us! It was nice seeing a familiar face in a strange place. We took the free hotel shuttle to the show, and ended up taking a cab home. Downtown Denver is...sketchy...to say the least. It could possibly be the fact that there was a Tech N9ne concert that same night, so you can only imagine the group of people going to see that show. 

(I wish I would have taken more pictures while we were in Denver. I'm so mad at myself for not doing so!)

The City and Colour show was at the Ogden Theater, which is an old, vintage theater. I LOVED the building. It seemed like it had so much history! And it definitely fit the style that City and Colour brings to their shows. The opening group was called "Hacienda". They were pretty good. They had an indie/folksy feel to them. But of course, I wasn't so interested in them, because I was finally going to see Dallas Green! 

He finally came on stage about 10:00, and they played for a good hour and a half straight. He didn't do much talking between songs, he did mingle with the crowd a little, but he kept the music coming. It was so intense, and beautiful, that every inch of my skin was covered in goosebumps. His voice is so pure and gentle, I could listen to him for hours and hours. Here are a couple of pictures I took with my phone (sorry they're not very good quality...)

There were even times during the show I found myself tearing up. Yes, I had the ultimate "fan girl" moment. I was just in total awe at how talented this man was. His music has been my music of choice the majority of this year, and I had been anticipating this show all summer. And the best part was I got to experience it with Jake. He made this all happen for me. He is the reason I found out about City and Colour. He was the reason we were there, at that exact moment in time, enjoying the beautiful melodies of Dallas Green's talents.

Sunday morning, we woke up early and hit the road to head for home. Our plan was to drive straight home in attempt to make it back in time for work, but the drive in Wyoming didn't allow that to happen. There was one stretch of road where I took over driving for a little bit, and we moved about 8 miles in 3 hours. 3 DREADFUL HOURS. It was awful. And it was snowing to top it off. Wind gusts would hit at least 50 mph, and while we were sitting there in bumper to bumper traffic, in the middle of nowhere, it hit me. I had to pee. And when a pregnant woman has to pee, that means NOW. I ended up having to hold it for about an hour (this was an hour 1/2 into the standstill), and it hurt, but I tried to hard to be patient to at least by pass traffic before doing something drastic, such as pulling over and "roughing it". 

It felt like forever sitting in traffic, but we finally managed to by pass the stalled semi, and drive at a normal pace. I told Jake that I was pulling over at the next exit, restroom or not, and relieving my aching bladder. He laughed and said he was hoping I would say that. He slept the majority of that parking lot we were stuck in, but when he woke up he could see I was in pain from holding my bladder. I took the next exit off, and there was nothing that I could use as a bathroom facility. Not even a port-a-potty. I didn't care, I had to go! I pulled the care over, put it in park, got out and walked around to the back of the car and propped myself up in a wall squat position. I've never felt such sweet relief in my life. And that's as far as I'll go with that...

We go into Salt Lake around 1 am to pick up Derek and head home. I slept the entire way back, curled up in a little ball, covering myself in a make-shift blanket of pea coats. We pulled in to the driveway at 8 am, and headed straight for bed. 

Later that night, I had to go to orientation for school. That's right folks, I'm officially a college kid! I've neglected furthering my education long enough. I'm sick of dead end jobs and limited opportunities. I'm doing online classes through University of Phoenix, and my major is Human Resources Management. The orientation class lasts three weeks, and just teaches us how to utilize and navigate the website we will be using during the duration of our attendance at the university.

After sitting in a two hour long class listening to people tell their life stories on why they're finally going back to school, I came home to relax, since I didn't have much time to do so after getting back from our trip. I sat on the couch with Jake, and remembered I had bills I needed to pay. I mulled around on my laptop, watching my bank account dwindle with each bill getting paid, and then Jake ran upstairs without saying a word. I thought to myself,it was a little weird, but didn't put too much though into it. He came back downstairs, and kissed me, and then gave me this little speech:

"I really screwed up this weekend. I had this huge plan to surprise you, and I had been trying to coordinate this surprise with Dallas Green in hopes to make it a super eventful weekend for you, but I screwed it up."

I replied by saying: "This was the best weekend I've had in a long time. It was perfect, why do you feel like you screwed it up?"

"Because, I forgot something very important here at home that I needed for the show", he said as he pulled out a beautiful diamond ring and slipped it on my finger. He then got down on his knee and asked me to marry him.

I was absolutely shocked. I had a bit of a hunch that he might propose while we were at the show, but I will say, this "oops" he feel like he made definitely caught me off guard. I had butterflies, and the warmest, warm fuzzy feeling I'd ever experienced. I almost cried, but instead teared up and felt giddy, which I can't remember the last time I felt "giddy".

 So, now you are all caught up on the past few weeks, wonderful events.

And to answer your questions on if we have a date picked or have we started any wedding plans, we aren't making any plans until Caige is born. Our focus right now is making sure he is healthy and stable. We're planning on moving into a new house next year, and want to get settled into that prior to taking on the stresses of wedding planning. Not saying that planning a wedding is or should be stressful, but we have quite a bit on our plate as is. So bear with us, we will make these announcements as they come along! :)

And, I'll leave you with the most recent "belly pic" I've taken. In this picture, I'm 28 weeks (or 7 months along).

As you can see, little Caige is really heading south. He likes to keep things on the down low ;-)

XO

Cute Moments and a Bump

It's been a few weeks since I've posted a belly pic, so, here you go!

I believe this was 22 weeks. I'm 24 weeks right now.

Anyways, now that things are more visual, things are feeling more and more real for Jake. Anytime Caige starts kicking and wiggling around, I try to have Jake feel it. Every time he feels him, the look on his face is priceless. He is definitely a proud daddy, and can't wait to meet his little man (I can't wait either!) 

(And at this exact moment, Caige is thrashing around, so I'm sure he is just as excited too!)

There have been a few cute moments I definitely need to make note of. They were conversations that took place between Jake and I, so I will narrate for you.

A few weeks ago, Jake and I were at the Knitting Factory for "Art in the Bar", and art show he was invited to participate in, that was a lot of fun and very intriguing. I stayed with Jake for the majority of the time because he had to stay with his display, and I wanted to keep him company. At one point, I started to get hungry so I decided to walk to Pie Hole. It was about 8:30 at night, but I felt comfortable walking by myself.

Jake (grabs my belly and says:) "Keep my baby safe!"

Me: "I will! Don't worry!"

Jake: "...I was talking to Caige..."

(Cute, huh?)

Cute Moment Number 2:

I was laying on the couch because I wasn't feeling great. Jake was carrying the rest of the groceries in from the car. He came over, knelt by the couch, laid his head on my stomach and said:

"I love this so much. I don't care if someday he hates me at one point, I still love him so much."

(That one made me cry a little. Happy tears anyways!)

Modern Day Betty Crocker (Volume 1)

Alright folks! I've had quite a few people (mostly girlfriends) ask that I teach them how to cook. Granted, I don't think I would have time to set aside for everyone, so I decided to start a cooking portion to my blog in hopes it might help those who've asked for it! Or even inspire some others to try new recipes!

NOTE: My cooking techniques vary. My recipes are generally not very difficult (to myself), but could feel difficult to others. Just stick with it. It's not hard, just follow the directions! I'm pretty adventurous when it comes to cooking. I enjoy challenges, and trying new things. I love flavor. Bold flavors, spicy flavors, intense flavors. So some recipes I post, you may think "huh?", but trust me. It will taste amazing!

Meal Number One:


I was feeling a little inspired today. The weather is FINALLY feeling like fall, so I wanted to make a meal tonight that made you feel warm inside when it's wet and rainy outside. Here are the courses: (and the links will lead you to those recipes)

Whole Pumpkin Pie Soup
Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Baked Potatoes


Don't be afraid of the Pumpkin Pie soup. It is not what you expect! Here are a few pictures I took while I was cooking:

All the ingredients needed for Pumpkin Soup!

All the ingredients go inside the hollowed out pumpkin.
Which is a great idea because it also is EASY clean up!

My pumpkin is a little too big, but it sure does look yummy!

After the soup was finished, I don't own an immersion blender to puree all of the diced ingredients, so I strained them out, blended them in my "Magic Bullet" blender, then put them back in the soup. (HINT HINT: Jake, I'd love an immersion blender! Christmas is coming up! :))

--------

The Baked Potatoes I start while the soup is still in it's first baking phase. The soup is to bake for 1 1/2 hours for the first phase. Get your potatoes ready and put them in the over when there is still 1 hour left of the first phase. Here is a look at my prepared potatoes:

With my potatoes, I pierce them with a fork on all sides, spread a thin layer of butter over the whole potato, season with salt and pepper, then top with minced garlic. Wrap in aluminum foil and stick in the oven.

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The Parmesan Crusted Chicken is really easy to do. All the ingredients you will need:

-Chicken Breasts (4-6)

-1/2 c Mayonnaise (I used Light Mayo)

-1/4 c Parmesan Cheese

-4 tbsp Bread Crumbs

(I added about 1 tbsp Parsley, about 1/2 tsp onion powder. You can add any other seasoning you think might give good flavor)

Mix all ingredients, and coat chicken breasts.

I put the chicken breasts in the oven when the soup had only
10 minutes left of baking time. After the soup is finished, turn up the heat
to 425 degrees and bake an additional 13 minutes. (Leave potatoes in oven as well)

After everything is finished, enjoy this delicious dinner! You can also add in a salad if you like! Jake and I were entirely too full to have salad :)

Enjoy!

XO

Me from A-Z

I stole this from my good friend Taylor's blog. Just something fun and new. Sorry if this is boring.


A. Age: 22
B. Bed size: Queen!
C. Chore that you hate: I'd probably say dishes. Even though it takes less then 10-15 minutes to do.
D. Dogs: Jake has Maggie (boston terrier), but she's still at his mom's house. Once we have a backyard, she'll be ours!
E. Essential start to your day: Brushing my teeth. I love to brush!
F. Favorite color: Lately I've been into neutrals and earth tones.
G. Gold or Silver: Silver.
H. Height: 5’2'
I. Instruments you play: I play the radio. Or my iPod. Jake is the musical one!
J. Job title: Front Desk. 
K. Kids: I have a little boy on the way! (Obviously, you all know this already.)
L. Live: Kuna, Idaho
M. Mother’s name: Robin
N. Nicknames: Ape has always been a consistent one.
O. Overnight hospital stays: They've never been for myself. Only other people.
P. Pet peeves: People who overreact, people who don't take responsibility for their actions, judgmental people, oh I could go on...
Q. Quote from a movie: Oh don't put me on the spot like that. I can't think of anything...
R. Right or left handed: Right.
S. Siblings: 3 sisters, 5 brothers. No, I am not having that many children.
U. Underwear: I wear clean ones.
V. Vegetable you hate: Lima Beans.
W. What makes you run late: The fact I usually have to try on about 7 different outfits before I decide on one. It's even worse now that I'm pregnant and showing.
X. X-Rays you’ve had: Teeth, Back, Neck, Left Arm,
Y. Yummy food that you make: If you ask Jake, he'd say just about everything. I really enjoy cooking,  I don't make anything BUT yummy :)
Z. Zoo animal: Penguins.

Drum Roll, Please!

The announcement has already been made on Facebook, Twitter, and by mass text, but our little bundle of joy is a BOY! And we are SO SO SO excited! We would have been just as thrilled about a girl, but we're just excited to know!

We have a name picked out! Our little man will be known as:

Caige Daniel Smith

And we cannot wait to meet him!

Our gender reveal party was such a success! Our close friends and family members were there to share this awesome experience with us! Jake and I didn't know what baby was until we cut the cake with everyone gathered around. The inside of the cake was to either be pink or blue, depending on baby's gender. When we had the ultrasound done, we had the tech seal the gender results in an envelope and we gave it to a baker who made our cake, so our reaction was just as genuine as everyone else's.

Here's a few pictures of what went down!

First Time for Everything

Sunday evening, Jake and I were laying in bed, watching football, and I decided to initiate a game. I like to call it "Wake Up the Baby". It's not one you play after a child is born, but rather when it is still in the womb. Up to this point I haven't felt any real "kicks" yet. I've felt fluttery movement, but nothing that Jake would be able to feel.

I propped my  back up with my pillow and start massaging my belly in different places, hoping I can generate some movement that Jake could feel. For a few minutes, nothing. I wasn't really expecting anything just yet, but was hoping because I'm far enough along to feel kicks.

AND THEN SUDDENLY....it kicks!

I started freaking out and grabbed Jake's hand. It kicked a few more times, but they were so subtle, he couldn't feel them. I pressed his hand a little harder into my belly and he felt it! The look on his face was priceless. I could see that it was all the more real for him, and it also was for myself.


Ever since then, I've felt nothing BUT kicks. It's pretty constant. It's the first thing I feel when I wake up and the last thing I feel when I fall asleep. And you can even see them too! It's a subtle pulse, but it's a big deal.

One funny thing is, at times when I'm feeling discouraged or stressed, the baby starts kicking a lot, almost as if to say "It's all going to be ok, mom. Don't worry."



It's all going to be ok.

"You're not drunk, are you?!"

Sorry I've been slacking on posting, but I have some good stories to share!!

Last Wednesday, I had just gotten off work and was driving home. I stopped at the gas station, put a couple gallons in the tank, and drove home. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary to me. I wasn't speeding or driving recklessly, but all of a sudden, a cop car with flashing lights came speeding up behind me. I figured they were after someone, so I pulled over to get out of the way, and he pulled over behind me. My heart dropped and I started to panic. I wanted to cry because I wasn't doing anything wrong, or so I thought.

The officer came up to my window, asked for my driver's license, registration, and insurance. Then quickly said, "I need you to step out of the car". I'm sure the look on my face was priceless, because then he asked "do you know why I pulled you over?"

"I have no idea, officer. It'd be nice to know!" I said as I got out of the car.

"Wait..." he said, "You're not drunk, are you?"

"No! I'm 5 months pregnant!" I said

I've never been laughed at by someone like I was just then. I didn't understand what was so funny and I was frustrated he was making fun of me.

"Doesn't it look a little dark to you?" He smirked.

I smacked my palm on my forehead. I can't believe drove all the way home from work without my lights on, and didn't even notice. And he pulled me over because he thought I was drunk. Good grief, I would be busting a gut too!

I asked him if we can blame it on my situation being the worst of all combinations: blonde and pregnant. He agreed, and we talked for a good 30 minutes before he handed my stuff back to me and let me go home.



Disclaimer: I have never EVER been able to talk myself out of a ticket. This was simply pure luck and the fact that the officer had a good sense of humor.

New belly picture!

It's been a while since I've posted a belly picture, so for your viewing pleasure:



19 weeks, 4 days. Just about half way!


XO


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

My Newest Obsession

I stumbled upon a website the other day, www.pinterest.com (beware before clicking, you may become addicted as I am!) Anyways, this website is mainly just pictures of things. DIY projects, fashion, home decor, people, wedding ideas, baby stuff, etc. Just pictures, but these pictures have really REALLY inspired me to get crafty and creative again. 

I cam across a word the other day. Upcycling. Upcycling? I had no idea what it meant so I did some research. And thanks to Wikipedia, I know fully understand. 

"Upcycling is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value."

New? Better quality? Higher environmental value? Who doesn't like new stuff? I've never been all that good at recycling, but this seemed like something I could do. So I started searching pictures of examples of upcycling, and the results were endless! Here's a few examples:

 Suitcase stools? Who-da thunk it?

 I LOVE the idea of using old pallets as home decor!

 This cute sweater was "upcycled" from an old, oversized hoodie. I really want one!

Cute little girl's dress made out of daddy's old dress shirt!

Needless to say, with the way the economy is and how money is generally a little tighter for most of us, I'm definitely going to be getting into upcycling. 

One: Because half of the junk you own can be revamped into something useful, rather than throwing it out. Two: It's better than going out and shopping for new stuff, especially when you don't have the means to do so.

Three: I love the feeling of creating something.

Four: This girl needs a hobby rather than being a lazy couch potato all the time.

And for all of your thrifters out there, I found another website I am slightly obsessed with as well. It's called: www.newdressaday.com. This girl goes to thrift stores and buys pretty ridiculous garments, and turns them into chic, cute outfits for everyday and formal wear. She spends roughly a dollar on each purchase. Who wouldn't LOVE a new wardrobe or outfit by spending only $1?

Anyways, that's all for now! I'm going to go make cool stuff now :)

xo

Plan of Attack

I'm trying to distract myself from the "waiting game" of finding out what the baby is, since we have to wait 4 more weeks, so I'm seriously researching nursery ideas and trying to price everything out that I will need to get the room to look exactly the way I (I mean...), exactly the way Jake and I want. But, it would be SO much easier to plan knowing what the baby is! But, I guess that just make it that much more exciting.

Jake and I have a thing for argyle patterns. So either room is going to have an argyle pattern of some type painted on the wall. Here's an example of a boy's room with an argyle painted wall:

Not these exact colors, but I could totally paint this pattern on the wall. Just with a little elbow grease, and some help from Home Depot, I can totally do it!

Now, for a girls room, I really like the "shabby chic" style. Vintage furniture, soft grey and pink colors, soft fabrics. I try to tell people my idea, and they just kind of give me the "stink eye" and roll their eyes. Trust me, it's cute! Here's a visual of a total "shabby chic" baby girl's room. Granted, mine won't be exactly like this (IF I have the opportunity to decorate a room like this), but it would be similar.

Cute, right? I thought so too. I'm still working on ideas. Still figuring out what we want to do, still waiting to find out what we're having (sorry, I am a little bitter I wasn't able to find out). But I have more time to prepare and plan.

Thankfulness, Gratitude and NOT Being a Control Freak

For those of you who truly think that you can plan out your life, and make things go according to plan, I'm just going to tell you that you're nuts. Not necessarily a bad thing, because you're definitely not alone. I've had a moment or two or thousands of times, when I've stomped my feet and pouted because things didn't go the way I wanted them to. We all have our moments when we revert back to being 5 years old, slamming doors and hiding away from the world because we lost that control. Been there, done that. And I even find myself doing that still as a young adult, and I'm sure that many, MANY more moments like those I will repeat. I'm learning to give up that control and go with the flow. But to be honest, as much as I lose control in life and have to learn to deal with it's spontaneity, I'm grateful for it.

This morning when I woke up, next to the father of my future child, the man I am going to marry, I felt so at ease and content. Even though he was still asleep, just him being there, always being there like he is, just makes things so much easier. He doesn't realize that he has this huge effect on my life. He is the most unselfish person I know. He can always, ALWAYS make me laugh. And I love that he gets excited over little things. I'm sure there are times when he is annoyed with me, but he never shows it. We both have stresses, but we work together through them, rather than take them out on each other. I'm not trying to say our relationship is perfect or that we never ever have any issues, but he is my best friend. And I'm so glad that he feels the same for me. Both of us have grown immensely since becoming a huge part in each other's lives, but I honestly feel like it is for the best. We've grown and improved ourselves. He is so driven to be the provider and make a better lifestyle for us and baby, and I am striving to make our house a home and make our little family unit a strong one. Lucky for me, each of us preparing and trying to make these aspirations come true, has brought us closer. We are each other's biggest supporters, and we know that as long as we have each other's backs, nothing can stop us.

I'm thankful that things don't go according to plan. It makes those sweet moments sweeter, the funny moments funnier, and all those moments all the more real.


Happy Sunday!
xo

Bummer, dude!

Today we were supposed to find out the sex of the baby. Well, unfortunately I was misinformed about how this appointment was supposed to go about. Their policy is they don't do a "gender check" until 20 weeks. I'm only 17 weeks and 6 days. Needless to say, I'm a little bummed out. When they told me no ultrasound was going to take place, I honestly had to fight back tears. The first time during this whole pregnancy that I've wanted to just bawl my eyes out and bury my face in Jake's chest and tell those people how mean they were to not let me see my baby! But, I maintained my composure, pouted like a 5 year old for a few minutes, then got over it. I realize that this wasn't their fault per say, but just a misunderstanding. Which happens, as crappy as it is.

I realize, maybe this is to teach me patience. I am one of the most impatient people in the world. It just sucks because last night I tossed and turned all night because I was so anxious, excited, nervous, and maybe slept a total of 2 hours. So, I'm slightly sleep deprived, but we will be fine. Just got to wait a little bit longer! :)

Sorry for getting everyone all worked up and excited! Just a few more weeks!

The Newest Addition to Our Family!

As much as you may think this is, but surprisingly it is not a post about the baby. We have to wait until Friday for that one! :)

Anyways, Jake and I have a new member in our family. Her name is Lola and she is an adorable 4 month old bunny!!




Lately I have really been wanting something snuggle with. I know I'm just wanting it because I can't have that with the baby yet, but that feeling just doesn't go away. Every time I go over to my mom's house, I'm always, ALWAYS cuddling her kittens. But Jake is pretty against cats, which I understand. I've had some "not-so-awesome" experiences with cats, so his hesitation was justified when I mentioned getting one.

Anyways, last night we went on a double date with Jake's cousin, Brandon, and his wife, Stephanie. While we were eating dinner at "El Gallo Giro", Stephanie mentioned how she has a lot of bunnies that she needs good homes for. I turned to Jake (half expecting a "no..."), and I said "can we get one?". He gave me a look that said "I'm not so sure...". So, I followed up with "Cat or Rabbit. What will it be?". He quickly said "RABBIT!". Haha!

So after our date we went to their house and picked her up and brought her home. And we love her! :)

We are working on house training her and making her an "inside bunny", which is totally doable, I'm not crazy. Stephanie is kind of a bunny-phenom-expert, so she's been giving me some really good tips.

Be sure to check Friday or Saturday for when we find out the sex of the baby!!


xo


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

I Spoke Too Soon!

Yesterday's rant happened before I even got out of bed. I realize why I haven't been showing much (in my eyes anyways), is because I've been subconsciously sucking in my stomach. I don't do it on purpose, it just became a habit. And I started getting gnarly stomach aches and cramps because of it.

So, I do have a little belly right now. And here it is!





I'm measuring 4 months, or 16 weeks. 2 weeks and 2 days until we find out the gender!

Keep voting in the poll on whether you think it's a girl or boy! It's about neck and neck right now, you can vote more than once!

XO

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Hormones and I don't get along...

Most of you know, I am generally, and almost always a "happy-go lucky" person. Seems like lately that hasn't been the case, and I do apologize. These dang hormones are seriously not easy to deal with. I'm not one to play the "blame game" and not have a legit reason for my recent bout of "feistiness" as Jake calls it, but I can't figure anything else to be the root cause. I wake up in the morning just annoyed with the world. The majority of my coworkers drive me nuts and they don't even do anything! I try not to take out any of this random pent up frustration on anyone, because no one deserves it. No one did anything wrong. I'm just a grouch lately, and if I've been that way to you, please don't take it personally. I truly don't mean it!

I haven't had any ridiculous mood swings though. No crying at the drop of the hat, no flying off the handle, just orneriness.

I have also noticed lately that I've been feeling a little bummed out. Mostly because I don't have a dang belly yet! I swear I'm not faking it! The only time I look pregnant, is after I eat. I'm outrageously bloated, but then it goes down and...nothing. I'm 16 weeks now, and nothing! It's probably weird for someone to complain about this, but I see pregnant women who aren't as far along as I am, and they are noticeably pregnant. I'm sure one of these days I'll just "explode", but I'm ready for it now!

Oh, and on a lighter note, two weeks from this coming Friday, we get to see what the baby is! It will be Jake's first ultra-sound, which he is very excited for, as am I!


Have a fabulous day!
xo


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

I never realized how many people were "keeping tabs" on us or were following my blog until people started asking me to post more! I just want to say thank you! That makes me feel so good and so loved! Not that I didn't feel loved before, but I feel like my blog isn't just sitting out there in "cyberspace", collecting dust. So thank you all for reading! It means the world to me!

Anyways, here's a little update about baby:

Everything is going great! I'm in the second trimester (14 weeks now) and I'm loving it! My "extreme fatigue" has mostly subsided (I still get pretty tired most days) but my doctor ok'd me to drink coffee so I am saved! A lot of people told me to stop drinking caffeine because it's not good for the baby, but my doctor told me to not stop drinking them because I've been getting really bad withdrawal headaches. I just can't have energy drinks and only 1-2 cups of coffee a day or one soda. I've been really hooked on iced coffee, so I stick with that and my headaches are gone!




I've been gaining a little bit of weight. Doctor wants me to gain 25lbs by the time I have the baby. No girl really likes to hear that she needs to "gain weight", but I'm not too worried really. I've lost that amount before, so that comforts me that I may be able to do so again. I've gained about 8lbs since conceiving and I kind of feel it. Many of my clothes are feeling a little more snug than normal, which can be a little disheartening, but it makes the experience all the more real.

Three weeks from Friday, we hopefully get to see what our little munchkin may be! I'm super excited, as is Jake. When I have access to a computer, I'm going to post a poll and see who thinks it's a girl or a boy!

Stay tuned!

P.S. Jake is going write a post for me to put up on here! I am so excited to read it, as I'm sure many of you might be interested as to see what he'll write!

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The Best Feeling in the World

Today was one day that I will surely NEVER forget. Just today alone, I have felt feelings that I have never felt before. You truly do not know the feeling of a mother's love, until you have children. Of course, my baby is still developing, but seeing it, watching it squirm, and hearing it's heartbeat...WOW. I have never felt such a feeling ever! I'm already in love with this little person. I can't wait to find out the gender, give it a name, and just prepare for it's arrival. I can't wait to hold it in my arms.

The ultrasound was actually quite funny. The baby already has so much personality it seems. It was so active during the appointment that I couldn't help but laugh. It kept squirming around, flexing, extending it's arms and legs, arching it's back, and literally doing somersaults. It barely help still long enough to get pictures, but we got some good ones! Here is Baby Smith in all it's glory! (Well, so far :)

Baby <3

Leg and some LITTLE toes!

OK seriously, the kid ALREADY throws up the "devil horns".   LOVE it!

Full Profile

My next appointment is in 4 weeks. Hopefully about that time we might be able to find out the gender. (Depending on the position the baby is in at the time). Jake was pretty bummed because he wasn't able to go with me to the appointment, because he's currently in Portland recording his band's second album. It wasn't a bad thing him not being there, this first appointment was pretty "invasive". All the other appointments won't be as invasive, so it'll be better for him to be at those ones.

The ultrasound estimated me pretty much as far along as I thought I am. I was ahead by only a few days, so it has set my due date back to February 7th. 2 days later than I expected, but that's perfectly ok! 

My favorite part of the ultrasound, was this conversation that took place:

Ultrasound technician: "Looks like there's only one!"

Me: "Oh thank god!"

Even if there was more than one, I'd still love them all the same.

Enjoy our little one!

xoxo

You Just Gotta Go With The Flow!

I know it's been a while since my last post. I can't recall anything really "blog-worthy" happening these past few weeks, but I do have some note worthy stuff now!


And I do apologize in advance, I really suck at taking pictures of these cool adventures I go on. (And you'd think that since I have such a sweet, expensive camera, AND an iPhone, I'd do better). I promise, for blogging purposes (and of course, to keep as good memories) I will do better!


Anyways, this weekend was fantastic! Jake's dad, Roger, and his step-mom, Anita, took us on a little rafting trip. Those two are total "river rats" as Jake would say. Our rafting trip took up most of the day, and wasn't as intense or scary as I had anticipated. I was expecting some intense rapids or to possibly be thrown from the raft, but Roger and Anita definitely wanted to start me out on something I could handle, but would still give me a taste of what rafting really is. And if you know me, I never say no to adventurous activities! 


They took super good care of me, and made sure I understood all of the commands, and I picked it up pretty well! I wasn't scared at all, got a few butterflies at the intense rapids in the end, but that just left me wanting more. Roger told me those rapids were probably a "class 3". If that's the case, I could totally see me handling a class 4, or maybe even a 5. But we'll save that for after the baby makes it's arrival.






Speaking of baby, my insurance/Medicaid coverage has FINALLY been straightened out, and I can finally get some prenatal care! I am a little overdue for it (about 5-6 weeks overdue for me first appointment), but it's better late than never. According to what Planned Parenthood had estimated me at, I started my Second Trimester yesterday. That would put me at 13 weeks. So, we are already 1/3 of the way there! I feel like it's already flying by! According to an app I have on my phone, about this time most of the common pregnancy symptoms usually subside (ie: morning sickness), which I haven't had at all, but my energy is back and it's so nice to not feel like I need to take several naps throughout the day just to function. I've started to slowly ease my way back into the gym (nothing strenuous, just trying to be all around more physical if anything!) which isn't an issue for me, seeing how much of a "gym rat" I was prior to conceiving, my body can handle it without going into shock. I just have to make sure my heart rate doesn't spike too high, and doesn't stay too high for a long period of time. So I just make sure I take plenty of breaks between sets and drink plenty of water. 


The most important task I have this week is finding me a doctor, which thanks for Facebook friends, I think I may have found one! Saves me a lot of time and stress, and these doctors also deliver at St. Luke's in downtown Boise, which is exactly where I want to have the baby, so it's perfect! I need to get in this week since I'm so behind on my prenatal care. I've been doing everything I can on my own thus far (prenatal vitamins, avoiding certain foods, watching my diet, etc.) so I think there won't be much change. Unfortunately, Jake is out of town all week with his band recording their second album (which I think is SUPER awesome! Not just because I'm his "baby mama", but how many people can say they've recorded two albums, let alone ONE!), so if I do happen to get in this week, he won't be there. Which I know he wants to SO bad, but if I can get in this week I need to take it. Medical care for the baby is the most important thing right now. I'll just give him super detailed updates! :)


So, he leaves today (Sunday), and will be back next Sunday. 8 whole days. It's really not going to be a bad thing though. As much as I love spending everyday with him, we both need our own time to do things we want to do, ESPECIALLY before the baby comes. He needs his "guy time", and I need my "girl time". But the nice thing about this week is I will be working a lot, and I'll also have a lot of time to catch up on things ( like CHORES) and will more than likely do some more "nesting". I've been trying to teach myself to crochet, but its really hard to watch YouTube videos on my iPhone screen and really see the stitches. Luckily, my mom is a crocheting-sewing super woman, so I'll be spending a lot of time at my parents house learning the trade. I really do wish I knew the sex of the baby already because I want to start making curtains and bedding for the nursery, but we're only a few weeks away from knowing, so I just have to be a little more patient, but this will also give me ideas on how to decorate the nursery for a boy. I have my "girl" nursery all planned out, but need a boy's room idea just in case.




Ok, enough talk. I'll post more as more things happen, and YES, I will post pictures too!


xoxo

Surprises, Amazing Music and the Most Amazing Guy in the World

This is no understatement. I seriously am the luckiest girl in the world. No competition. I have the most amazing boyfriend in the entire world. And I am going to marry him (this was pretty much already decided before I got pregnant, so it's not a surprise to us.) But just to give you and example of how amazing Jake really is...I'll let you in on some news.

One of my favorite....FAVORITE artists of ALL time is Dallas Green. Currently, he is on tour with his folk/acoustic group, City and Colour, and generally they do very small US tours, IF they do them at all. When they do, they generally will only play in larger cities: (IE: Chicago, LA, Seattle, etc.). But mostly play in Canada (where they're from) and Europe.

Anyways, on their current tour, the closest city they are playing in is Denver. Yesterday while I was at work, I wasn't having a totally awesome day (it wasn't bad either, just sort of "blah") and I got a text from Jake. Here's how that texting conversation went...

Needless to say, I was speechless. I absolutely LOVE Dallas Green/City and Colour. This man's voice is seriously the most beautiful thing to ever fill my ear holes (AND he's not that bad looking either! :)

Jake likes his music just as much, if not more so than I do. He's the one who got me into Alexisonfire in high school (Dallas Green's post-harcore band that still tours occasionally), and then introduced me to City and Colour earlier this year.

I'm so excited and can't WAIT to go!!

Dallas Green. He's such a beautiful man!

For those of you who haven't heard City and Colour's music, here are a few YouTube clips for you to experience the awesomeness of Dallas Green's voice. Prepare for goosebumps!

"Hello, I'm in Delaware" (from the "Sometime's" album)

"Constant Knot" (from the "Bring Me Your Love" album)

"We Found Each Other in The Dark" (from the "Little Hell" album)

"Fragile Bird" (from the "Little Hell" album)



"Casey's Song" (from the "Sometimes" album)

Enjoy!

xoxo