Little kicks

Baby girl f,

We have officially passed the 20 week mark, which means we are over halfway to the point of meeting you. You have no idea how excited/nervous/excited we are to hold and take are of you! Yesterday, while driving to Bellevue to pick up Ben I was listening to some loud country music, you started wiggeling inside, and I can only assume you were dancing. This is not the first time I have felt you kicking about, but it felt much more powerful then past kicks, so I reached down to my belly and sure enough I could feel you kicking from the outside! Right when Ben got in the car I put his hand on my belly and he got to feel you move for the very first time. He got the biggest smile and it was just such an amazing moment. We love you so incredibly much... Sometimes it scares me a little to see how attached I have become to you, and I have not even met you yet! Your finally really starting to "pop" now which makes me so much more happy! I want the world to know your coming! I went to Utah this weekend to go to a wedding and to rexburg to meet your little cousin abbie.. When I got home Ben could not believe how much bigger I was!
We have started really looking at baby things now, trying to decide what we really "need" to buy, and what is not so necessary. Baby things are expensive! (if anyone has any input on this, please please do tell! I need all the help I can get)! We have figured out your baby room colors, but we won't be setting that up until after you're born and we move to Wisconsin.
There are SO many changes happening right now, and it definitely feels a little daunting. You will be barely a month old when we move to Wisconsin and start a new life there, consisting of Ben going to dental school, and me working around 2 days a week. I'm nervous because change can be hard, especially this kind, but I'm excited too. Change is a good thing and it is essential for our growth.
I know time is going to fly by...it feels like yesterday when I first found out I was expecting you. I am trying to enjoy every minute of my little family of two , since this will be the last time it will ever just be Us, and since it's been just us for over 5 yrs this will be different, but I know it's a good different. We love you baby girl.

P.s. Since we've had three ultrasounds and you still have not revealed for sure what your gender is it would be nice of you to spread those little legs! (we have been told to assume girl for now). K thanks!

Boy or girl?!

I am 18weeks this week and it's so exciting! It finally feels like progress! This week we get to do the big ultrasound to find out if baby is a girl, or a boy! Ben is so cute already with the babe. He touches my belly everyday and talks with the little one and I absolutely love it! Baby is growing fast, and iv actually felt them move off and on since week 14.

At 18weeks

-i have been feeling great! The nausea has pretty much gone away, unless I don't eat every two-three hours.
-baby is just now really starting to "pop", where other people besides us can see it
-I don't have to get up to pee three times a night anymore like in the first trimester
-I could eat tomatoes, and red meat sauce all day everyday
-I feel starving ALL the time, even right after I finished a big meal
-my skin hasn't broken out in a rash in about a week now
-sweets have tasted good again since about 15 weeks
-garlic makes me sick
-anything to salty makes me WAY thirsty. I will drink and drink and ill still be unsatisfied.
-iv began to retain water :(
-baby can hear things now so we have been trying to talk to her/him
-we are so excited to see what the gender is! Then I think everything will feel so much more real!!


First trimester

-I had a few weeks that were awful, but for the most part i would feel nauseous but I could still eat and do my daily activities
-sweet things sounded gross until about 15 weeks ( and now I always want sweets!)
-I only threw up two or three times in my first trimester
-garlic makes me sick
-wheat things made me sick (at about 15 weeks I could eat wheat again)
-I had migraines everyday for a week straight, and off and on throughout the first trimester. ( and without meds I cannot function with a migraine I can't see, and I shake and am disoriented, it's bad news)
-my waistline changed dramatically, but mostly only me, Ben and my intermediate family noticed, because they knew my size before.
-my skin has been ultra sensitive and keeps breaking out in rashes
-I have to get up and pee like 3 times a night!
-the thing that made me most nauseous was this weird metal taste I always seemed to have I. My mouth during the first 16 weeks
-I felt baby move like crazy at 14 weeks!
-we are so excited but nervous to be parents! We love little boy c, or little girl f so so much!

my little lemon drop...

Oh happy day! I am 14 weeks along, one day until 15 weeks, but whose counting right? ha..

We are already in love.

Dental school

This past month in a half has been quite the whirlwind of adventures, some good and some horrible. I'll try and do a summary of the main events..

1. After much praying, Ben and I felt it was time to leave little Astoria and return to Washington. We realized there are just more job opportunities here, and we drive up to see family at least every other weekend, well less then that but close enough, so now we will be saving a lot on gas, and we know we made the right decision to move when a couple days later the hunting accident happened.

2. My daddy was in a serious hunting accident and after two life flights, 11 blood transfusions, and lots of surgeries and prayers he is healthy and alive, but he did have to have his leg amputated. We were told by the surgeon that if the emergency team had gotten to my dad 3 min later he would have died from blood loss. This was such a hard thing for our family to go through, but my dad is the strongest person I know and he has been recovering so well. Since he is so incredibly active we just know he will make it through and do all the things he did before with his new prosthetic he will be getting. He has had Such a strong and positive attitude, I love him so much.

3. Ben was accepted to Marquette school of dentistry! This has been one of the hardest trials yet, waiting to be accepted into dental school. But he did it! Apparently we needed to learn some patience and perseverance. I think we have grown a lot, and we are at a better place now to be going into dental school then before. Heavenly father knows what's best, and what timing is best! So come august we will be moving to Wisconsin! Ben is beyond excited and I am for him as well! A little nervous to live so far from home but it's nothing new for us to live in new places so it will be a great adventure!

We have been experiencing lots of change, which can be stressful, but I know the only way to grow is to experience change. We are going to welcome it, and let it strengthen us.

A lot more has been happening but I will have to write these things later.

Happy holidays!

It's a habit!

So I have formed the habit of running 5days a week. Sometimes they have to be shorter runs, 2 to 3 milers, but that is ok, because I am making it out, almost 5days a week. I got really sick with a fever, sore throat, hacking up a lung and drowning In my snot (I know that was discusting). That is the worst while working as a hygienist, bending over the patient with your nose draining everywhere, all I can say is thank goodness for my mask! (tmi, o well)! Anyways, I did not go out for 4 days in a row, and last week I missed two days during the week. But I have been pretty good. Eating on the other hand, not so good. I just love to eat, and to eat a lot. My portion sizes are large, I love carbs. I love to eat after 8pm as well. So, I'm going to eat, I do always eat whole wheat, and brown rice, and i love fruit and veggies, eggs, and oatmeal. But, I've been eating plenty of cookies, and pumpkin things too (glorious fall foods, clam chowder, soups, pumpkin cookies and shakes, ECt.) I just wanted to be in the habit of working out 5days a week, and making sure I'm getting good foods in me. I will continue to work on eating right. But, since iv formed my exercise habits and I can continue on my eating habits, but iv decided to stop blogging every day about it. I liked having something to have to report to, but now I don't think I need it! So cheers to forming habits!!!

Things that warm my heart...

Today I have just felt so happy and thankful for all I have.. So, I decided to make a list of all the things I am loving today

Home made peach jam
Benjamin
Long lost besties phone calls :) (love Amanda sue)
My kitten, rainy, who has been extra amusing today
My little boy scouts, even though they drive me crazy every week
Benjamins pancakes
My sisters
My legs, and healthy body
Yummy food
Cozy clothes
The rain, and crisp air
My job
Bens job
What our future holds...

I love days like today,

Day 16

Day 16

So... Yesterday I ran the big 6 miles.. And I thought my legs would be super sore today but they weren't to bad... Which kind of really annoyed me! My knees were hurting though, but that's not such a good thing. I decided to take it a little bit faster today and run my normal 4 miles. (weird to say that's my normal now, ha). It felt good, but really my knees are killing! I definitely ran faster today, and I also did an insane abs video work out that worked out my quads and belly. It was super hard, I was sweating and grunting through the whole thing.. Kinda pathetic I know. I guess I need to start doing that one a couple times a weak. It was different because he doesn't.t believe in doing crunches so it was lots of high knee jumps, and sitting on the ground at an angle lifting your legs and things. I already feelmit in my quads so I'm happy about that! I had a low fat yogurt for breakfast today, half a whole wheat chicken and tomato sandwich for lunch with a bowl of teriyaki veggies, a protein shake for snack, for dinner peanut butter curry chicken with brown rice and steamed carrots, and later I was STARVING so I had a few frozen blueberries and a peach. Needed to get my fruit in anyways right? Those were definitely after 8 but my stomach was growling and that means I won't be able to sleep. Overall an ok day. I still don't drink enough water and I struggle with not eating past 8.

Anyone know a cure for hurting running knees? How to prevent them?