The new chef

Everyday when I'm driving home from work I call Fred to let him know I'm on my way. The past few months he's been focusing on school & not working - I have to say I'm going to have a REALLY hard time when he does go back to work. He's been amazingly helpful while I've gotten (mostly) past the sick part of being pregnant. Everyday he asks what he can start for dinner.
One day last week I was talking to him on the phone and he says "did you hear that?" "No, what was it?" "It was an explosion! I bet it was loud enough the neighbors heard it." he says. I asked what he was doing and he wouldn't really say. Then he says urgently "I've gotta go!... Everything's okay, I've just have to go." So we hung up.
When I arrived home all of the windows were open and the fans were on. Nothing smelled charred. :} I went to the kitchen, he had the rice cooker going, beans (w/onions & tomatoes) on the stove, and in the oven my dear husband had cooked a whole chicken!


He was so proud & I was even more impressed that everything was perfectly done!
(The explosion had been the chicken juice splattering in the oven, so he covered it with tinfoil to reduce the mess. It set off the smoke detector the next day as we baked cookies and the day after that while cooked porkchops. The third day he was baking a pan of enchiladas and he commented on how good his dinner was starting to smell - then realized part of the smell was leftover from the chicken.)

Soccer Player in our future?

I’ve been able to feel the baby kick a lot more this week. It is a REALLY good kicker! I felt it kick my hand the other morning and tried to let Fred feel it, of course it stopped. I still think the baby has a better bond with Fred than it does with me though- at night it always sleeps to the right side (the same side Fred is on). I tried to let Fred feel the baby kick that night and it felt like it kicked it’s entire leg against his hand. Fred asked “Was that a hiccup?” Nope, that’s your kid. :}

Baby's first pair of boots...

That’s right! Our little unborn critter already has their first pair of boots!

I spent the weekend at a 4-H conference in Brigham City and found them at the silent auction. Of course I had to bid on them and won! They’re crocheted so they’ll be perfect during the baby stage until we buy real ones for learning to walk in. :}
I love little conferences- depending on what the workshops are. First I went to a workshop on how to make a Toothbrush rug with Nashaela & Lauralee. It was fun to spend a little time bonding with them and the rugs are cheap to make (Walmart sheets- $5 & a whittled toothbrush).
The 2nd day I gave a workshop on Diversity – if anyone needs activities to teach kids about accepting others I have a big file.

I also took 2 workshops on Royal Icing Flowers. It was fun, but I am definitely not an expert … yet! Here are my first attempts.

The other workshop that I was interested in was on Quilling (I’m adding a Quilling tool to my “Craft Tool Wish List”.) Overall, an entertaining 2 days off of work learning new fun things.

Nursery plans & 4 month picture

I made Fred spend almost a whole day helping me pick out material for the crib set. I say “made” but really, he was pretty opinionated! (And helpful! He was the one that found the blue moon & star print that matches perfectly!) I had bought the top piece of material with the moon and sheep a few years ago and was debating whether I really wanted it as the main print- Fred asked what was wrong with it? (I don’t know whether that was to get me to stop taking him into fabric stores or because he really likes it.)
After picking out the matching fabrics I’m really excited to get started! I decided I’d rather make my own crib set to save a little money and because I didn’t think I’d be able to find a set that matched my moon & star theme I wanted.
We’re painting the bottom ½ of the room blue, the top ½ a light yellow, with a medium blue chair rail. I’m stenciling darker yellow stars around the top border- if I’m really motivated I want to paint words to a song Fred started singing to me when we first started dating. “I see the moon, the moon sees me, the moon sees somebody I want to see…” We’ll see if I’m that motivated! Years ago (yes, I’ve known forever how I wanted to do a nursery) I even found this great mirror with a moon face as the frame! And a good friend gave us a giant – super soft – stuffed bear for the baby too- I can’t wait to put all the finishing touches on the room….. I should get started!

I've felt like I've been showing for months, I feel really "thick". :} And I swear maternity shirts add 10 lbs when you wear them! In the picture you can barely tell, but the baby is definitely growing. (18 weeks)

We had a dr. visit last night - I was afraid the baby would be a flasher when we're trying NOT to find out what we're having. Lucky for us the baby must've been sleeping - it was laying on it's belly facing my back and wouldn't even look at us! :} It's about 1/2 lb, strong heartbeat and everything looks good.

Birthday Bash for a whole week!

I decided I wanted to take my birthday off of work this year - part of that decision was because Fred came home last week and said we should get my car windows tinted before the baby comes and we made an appointment for my birthday!

After Fred left for classes, I started moving all of my scrapbooking stuff downstairs to it's new home to make room for a nursery upstairs. I got most of it done before I stopped to eat and... take a nap! Fred woke me up when he got home. We dropped off my car but only less than 2 hours before we needed to pick it up. I've heard alot about FatCats but had never been so we checked it out. We played air hockey (Fred kicked my butt! 7-3). He also kicked my butt at Skeeball - I'm addicted to skeeball and if I could, I would have one in my house! Finally, it was my turn to kick his butt at bowling - I have to brag because I got a Turkey in the 10th frame!

That's right, we celebrated my birthday by hanging out at an arcade/ funcenter! :}

When we picked up my car Fred got in the back seat and said "Yep, your baby will like it." It actually was kind of weird that first day with the windows so dark.

We ate at Olive Garden - not my overall favorite place, but we hardly ever go there and it was a nice change. I tried to bribe our waiter - I asked if they have a birthday treat. He said no, but they could sing. I told him I was just going to try to get more breadsticks to take home instead of the treat. He said he'd bring some out anyways!

For my cake I've been wanting an ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins. Since my birthday is during the winter I never get one - I had one once when I was about 8 and loved it. Fred was a good sport and let me pick one out. He even suggested we stop by my parent's to share it with them. They hadn't eaten dinner yet, so we hung out for awhile, then ate cake.

Finally at 9:30pm I got to open presents! Fred has done such an awesome job lately of picking out presents for me. (For V-day he bought me some cake decorating supplies.) He gave me a maternity sweater & another maternity shirt, pregnancy stickers for scrapbooking, the 3rd book of a church series I have, 2 other novels that I've wanted to read, and a set of alphabet stamps (he said he chose them because they have blocks around them and they'll look like baby blocks for scrapbooking the baby pictures!)

I have to mention our awesome parents too! His family always does a birthday dinner - I chose to stay in and have his dad make his amazing Chicken Parmesan. (I could probably eat it every week and be happy--fat, but happy!) His parents of course were overly generous and gave me a gift card to a spa - for a couples' massage. (Fred's rebelling a little, but I'm sure he'll go with me.) They also gave me a maternity shirt. His sister's family gave me a giftcard to Blockbuster that I'm totally stoked about because I really want to buy Madagascar 2!

My family also does a birthday dinner - my mom made an oatmeal cake that sounded a little sketchy but was Amazing! My parents bought me a maternity skirt, paid for my yearly Ensign subscription (which I love because it saves me the hassle), and some floursack dish towels so I can make more jelly roll desserts!

Of course I had to have cake at work too- thanks to Kirie. And my boss gave me seasons 1, 2, & 3 of My Name is Earl. Totally redneck, but Fred and I LOVE that show! :}

All in all- I had a pretty good birthday, which let's be honest, good birthday's seem to come around less and less the older you get!