Prepare Yourself for Some Cheese Because...

Today is our first wedding anniversary!!

Thanks to Pinterest, I learned that the traditional theme for the first year gift is paper. Boy, is paper easy to give!

I found this cute idea about making a little "First Year at a Glance" thing, so I made one [and put it in a frame]. I had fun making it, but I had the hardest time narrowing down things to put on it!

We also got Settlers of Catan on a good sale. Cards = Paper.

Paper. Check!

Gosh, we're so traditional. ;)

There is almost nothing that is fun to do when you are 38 weeks pregnant, so instead of a trip to India or skydiving, our festivities consisted of walking around some stores and going out to eat. Then we came home for a movie on the couch. It was perfect!

I couldn't be happier, and Logan insists that his life is pretty alright too.

Picture flashback time.

Note: The best thing about this picture is that it makes it look like Logan was the bully, when I was the one who shoved the cake in his face first. Haha I'm such a victim. ;)

We started this awesome journey a year ago, and we still even like each other. It's great! It is going to be a wonderful eternity. We are grateful everyday that we started our life together the best way we could. We're so excited to add a new little friend to our family in the next couple of weeks!

What else can I say? I love him more than I did a year ago. We're very blessed.

Remember, marriages can and DO last when we do our homework and keep them strong, alive, and bright. I'm sure I'll understand the wisdom of this even more down the road. For now, we're just enjoying each step. :)

Our Breach Little Lady

I am 36 weeks today! This means I am officially starting month 9. Woop!

I went NUTS organizing the nursery yesterday, so it is pretty much all ready any time she decides to grace us with her presence.

Today I have been craving crab and cream cheese wontons (or rangoons), watermelon, glazed doughnuts, Taco Bell's bean burritos, and Sprite.

Everything feels a little swollen and pretty uncomfortable, which means that I am having a pretty normal pregnancy. The carpal tunnel (that really only hurts one of my fingers in my right hand) is my current least favorite symptom.

I'm having contractions pretty much everyday. Just your average practice contractions. It just feels like my belly becomes really tight for a little bit.

I'll try to take a bump picture soon. It's just been quite a long and exhausting day today. I'll tell you what I look like: Pregnant and uncomfortable. ;)


A couple of weeks ago, the doctor felt that little tater was head down. Today at my appointment, we learned that she has flipped around and is now a breach baby. :/ (Of course, this is the one appointment since moving here that Logan wasn't able to come to. Gah!)

She is in the Frank Breach position. This means she is kind of folded in half, bottom down, head and feet up. While this sounds super uncomfortable, it is not really a problem until it comes to labor and delivery time.

So I got to have a 3-hour appointment today. I had a few ultrasounds, an NST, and an AFI. [I really wanted to use the abbreviations to sound cool.]

NST = Non-stress test. They strap a fetal heart monitor to your belly to monitor baby's heart rate, and a [insert name I already forgot here] monitor to monitor contractions. It doesn't hurt. It isn't invasive. You basically lay there for 20 minutes and push a button every time you feel the baby move.

With my ninja baby, I told the lady that I just couldn't push the button every time because she is just a constant mover. Needless to say, she got enough movements in the first, ohhh, 2 minutes or so. :) Everything looks great. And it was pretty cool to hear her heartbeat [and occasional kicks to the monitor] for 20 minutes. And the other monitor confirmed that I am having contractions, which is good. :)

AFI = Amniotic Fluid Index. This is a normal ultrasound where they measure how much fluid you have around the baby. Again. Not painful. Not invasive. Just gooey, as all ultrasounds are.

I have a mid-high amount of fluid, which is probably why she was able to flip around this late in the game. It's nothing to worry about. In fact, it may just make it easier to get her to flip around the way we want her.

Also, while he was ultrasounding, I had the doctor check again and confirm that tater is, in fact, a little lady. And, she is. :) All the pink outfits we have won't go to waste. Whew! [Because we all know that is the most important thing... Haha]

So our options are pretty much:

1) Hope she flips around on her own. I can try old wives tales and things that people swear by to try to get her to move too, I guess.

2) Try an inversion. This is where I go into the hospital in the labor and delivery department and get an IV. Then doc will try to manually turn the baby around. They give you something to soften the uterus a little to make manipulation easier. They don't force it.

There are some risks involved with this. Sometimes this means that you have to have an emergency C-section right there, which is why they do it in the hospital. But, if it works out, I could still have a vaginal birth.

3) Schedule a C-Section for about 39 weeks. This is not my first choice. I'd rather not have a C section if I can avoid it. That being said, we will do what is going to be best for a happy, healthy baby and momma.


So, we'll see if the little ninja decides to flip by Thursday, and make decisions from there. We feel peace about the situation. We don't know how it is going to work out, just that it will according to the Lord's plan. Any prayers and happy thoughts are welcome!


Remember that prayer works, and that if your husband wants a carpet rake for your first anniversary, it's a good sign that you found a keeper. ;)

Eggs

This is a Public Service Announcement about eggs and the proper way to eat them (this week).

For the last week or so, I have REALLY been craving eggs. (Of course, they are yellow.) Let me tell you exactly the right way to eat eggs (this week at least). You scramble 2 of them, put them in a tortilla, pour some salsa over the top, roll it up, and consume enthusiastically because it is so dang good!!!!

Any variations of this formula are wrong. 

Of course, I would start craving eggs like crazy right after we move away from our beloved little chickens. Needless to say, we are out of eggs. Actually, we have one left. But it's just not enough to satisfy. 

While I was still waking up this morning, I was whining at Logan that I just really needed eggs and nothing else in the world would satisfy me. He showed me this. 

Well played, Logan. :)

I had buttered rice and fruit for breakfast. (Even though he did offer to go next door and ask to borrow an egg.)

Other Cravings:

• Peaches
• Pizza
• French Fries
• Cookies
• Juice

I'm at 25 weeks this week. Here's a picture last week at 24 weeks. (For those of you who don't speak pregnancy, that means I'm in the 6th month.)

For some reason, I am only capable of remembering to take these pictures late at night when I am tired, sore, and have already slept on my hair at least once. But hey, I'm pregnant, so people usually only have nice, occasionally untrue things to say to me about my appearance. 

She's now 9 inches and just over a pound and a half. She's getting pretty high up and close to my ribs at this point, and I am really feeling it--mainly through heartburn. 

Did you know that water can give you heartburn? It's true. Take a gulp and expect it to be creeping back up your throat for the next hour. 

Baby girl's kicks are getting pretty powerful. I've always wanted to be able to do that cool wavy belly- dance thing. She has definitely helped me achieve that goal... Just not quite as I had pictured. ;)

Pregnancy brain is a REAL thing. I'm forgetting Birthdays, my close friends' majors, and just little daily things. 

Life in the Burg is always exciting. We still know way too much about our neighbors' every move. We still live in our little pod in the land of isolation known as married housing, and we're still happy. :)

Oh, and Logan is still sleep talking/ moving. Last night when I rolled over, he sat up abruptly and started to try to climb up in the air and stab. He told me (while stabbing) he was climbing a tree to get the clan chiefs. Apparently he was protecting me. I'm just glad he didn't decide I was a clan chief. :) That's what we get for listening to so much Wheel of Time. 

Remember to keep Tums close at hand at all times, and remember to smile today. Oh, and most importantly: Remember to eat some eggs. The right way.

Rexburg Married Life 101

Our Colorado Christmas was a blast! We're so grateful that we got to go. And yes, it was a little white too. Baby Searle made quite the haul for not even being born yet. (Plus some big presents from her mom and dad.) She is going to be very loved. I chopped my hair off! It's definitely easier. I'm still learning how to make it look good.

         

We got to talk to this cutie with a Canadian accent. ... She's serving a mission in Mexico.

Right when we got back, we got to work packing. And let me tell you something. We're really good at packing and moving. We have our priorities perfectly in order. For example: We had our popcorn bowl (tall and skinny) but no mixing bowls, our measuring spoons but no measuring cups, and our dishwasher soap but no dish soap or scrub brush.

And we only figured this out because we tried to make pancakes. We had to make pancakes because Logan said that is what little tater was craving.

32 Tablespoons of all purpose baking mix and some wet ingredients later... We realized that we had not only left our normal pancake mix behind, we had left syrup and jam behind as well.

I guess that's what we get for forgetting about Fast Sunday. And for the record, maple frosting isn't half bad on pancakes AND you should never follow the instructions on the box. They don't know how to make pancakes that are actually edible. Or maybe it was the whole tablespoon thing...

Needless to say, we are excited to bring some of the... totally unimportant things that we left behind this weekend. And next time we move, I will be packing the kitchen instead of avoiding it and having Logan do half of it. :)

Here are our sophisticated moving pictures.

        

Moving to the Burg is like moving to a foreign country. There is a whole new culture that you have to learn. For me, that means a rich culture of foibles to write about. Muahaha.

Don't worry. I won't change my blog name to "My Sweet Life as a Stu-Spouse." It just doesn't have the same ring to it. But, it is totally cool that I get a stu-spouse card so I can still play on campus.

We have to get used to traffic and pedestrian-central again. No more country roads with no one on them but the occasional tractor.
Fact: You can tell noobs apart from Rexburg veterans by how they cross the street. Noobs hesitate and wait to make sure you stop. Veterans step out into the road and don't even spare you a glance. Right of way, baby!
Just remember not to J Walk or text in the crosswalk unless you want a $50-$75 ticket. No, that's not a joke. Welcome to the Burg.

We also have to get used to apartment life. Every living space has quirks, right? Well, most of the quirks of this one involve sounds of neighbors and the outside world, which is louder here than what we're used to.
Facts:
Our upstairs neighbors shower every morning at approximately 7 AM. It's a great alarm clock because it suddenly sounds like a pipe burst in our apartment and is flooding the house. Maybe we'll get used to it. ;)

A garbage truck will come and collect the treasures in the dumpster (also very close to our bedroom) at approximately 8:30 AM. EVERYDAY. Seriously. Everyday. Is that necessary?

If the TV is on upstairs or if anyone is talking, we know about it. If they drop something, yeah, we know about that too. It's a little creepy. I feel like stalkerhood has been forced upon us. I wonder what they know about us...

We have to get used to married student wards. When you put a whole bunch of newlyweds in one space, things get a little weird.
Facts:
When you comment or teach in a MSW and want to refer to your spouse, you will and MUST insert complimentary adjectives at all times, and in all things, and in all places. Examples: The other day, my beautiful wife and I were... I was having the worst day ever, and my sweet, loving husband...

In testimonies and talks, you've got to assure everyone that your spouse is the best, most hard-working, most beautiful/handsome, etc. spouse in the world. The answering thought in everyone's mind will automatically be, "Actually, mine is." Because we are all newlyweds. And we all have the best spouse. Duh.

Everyone is constantly touching each other. This is normally ok when it doesn't get awkward. Sacrament PDA ranges from arm around the shoulder to slightly uncomfortable [for everyone else] back rubs, to multiple kisses in short periods of time.

Babies everywhere! I now understand how being in a MSW can make people feel like they need to have a baby. So many people have little tots! It's crazy.


Pregnancy Updates:

I'm in week 23 now, and baby girl is as active as ever! Her favorite things to do are body slam and summersault. I've decided that she's probably going to be a ninja, a gymnast, or a punk rocker. I love that I can feel her moving so often. :)

I have been craving:

• Yellow Food [duh]
• PEANUT BUTTER
• Doughnuts
• Ice Cream
• Burgers and Fries
• Pizza
• Sweets, sweets, sweets!!

I am normally not a sweets kind of person. I live by my salt tooth, not my sweet tooth. But, apparently my daughter loves sweets. Thanks to these cravings and the holiday season, I have put on some actual weight this month, which is good. :)

Pregnancy brain is starting to be a thing with me. I barely stopped myself from apologizing to my food for cooking it too long in the microwave. I can't remember words. I'm spacey. What was I saying? ...

But really. I even forgot to journal the other day. This is actually a big deal. I have journaled everyday for at least 3 or 4 years without missing. But... life goes on. :)

New Year's Resolution:

I've picked 4 classics to read.
Mansfield Park - Austen
Wuthering Heights - Bronte
Undecided Book - Cather
Silas Marner - Elliot

The whole all women authors thing was unintentional, by the way.


Remember:
Waffles > Pancakes
Do a ring check before you flirt.
32 Tablespoons = 1 Cup
If you serve a mission in Mexico, you will have a Canadian accent.

:)