Happy Thanksgiving...

Blake, Molly, and I went to St. George to go visit my family over Thanksgiving weekend. We had a lot of fun hanging out with all of the nephews and everyone else. We left on Wednesday afternoon when I got out of school and enjoyed the beautiful scenery on the way. We actually got to see some snow on the way and it was really pretty.

Boyd, Sara, Me, Blake, Melissa, and Ben after dinner at the clubhouse

On Thanksgiving, we ate our turkey dinner at the clubhouse in my parent's neighborhood. It is actually the place where "High School Musical 2" was filmed. It was sooooo delicious! They had amazing prime rib and all sorts of goodies in their huge buffet! Braxton (Ben's 3 year-old) had apparently never seen a buffet before. He was darting in and out of people in line and yelling, "This is awesome!" He honestly did not know what to do with himself! He ended up eating plate after plate of fresh fruit - he is truly my brother's child! Then, we went back to my parent's house for dessert along with some other family members. I got to see my cousins and aunt, and they gave LOTS of love to little Molly. She was loving every second of it.

Braxton and Caleb at Dinner

On Friday, I was up at 4 am to go to Target. I always say that I won't do that ever again but I always go. I mainly went to hang out with my mom and my sister. We actually had quite a bit of fun standing in the cold and running into the store. We found some good deals and had a yummy breakfast together. We spent the rest of the day hanging out and playing video games. I played the Wii for the first time and I loved it!

On Saturday, I had my second baby shower. It was hosted by my wonderful mom. She did a great job and it was nice to see my family. We got some great gifts and I can't wait to wrap up my little boy in his snuggly blankets and cuddle with him! We also took family pictures on Saturday and I cannot wait to see how they turned out. Caleb AKA Chubbers AKA Big Fat Panda(Ben's 1 year-old) is at the age where pictures are terrible, so he will probably be furious in every picture. I'll post the pics when we get them.

Then, we had to drive home very early on Sunday morning. We had a really great time and I had a blast hanging out with my family and just relaxing. I hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving as well! It's almost Christmas...Yay!!

My First Baby Shower!

I had my very first baby shower last weekend in California. I was very excited to see all of my family and friends...and I was also excited to eat some Taco Surf! This was the first time that my mom has seen me "really pregnant". She got a little teary-eyed and it was a lot of fun to see her. Alex (my best friend of 17 years!) was the hostess and she did a fabulous job. We had our own private room, fun games, lots of great presents, and just a fun time!

I was very excited to get all sorts of cute boy clothes and other fun gifts. I felt very loved because I got so many great presents. The only downfall is that I still have 3 months before I get to see my little guy and get him all dressed up in his cute clothes and snuggle with him in his warm blankies! Until then, I'll just have fun getting the nursery all ready with Blake and patiently awaiting the arrival of our little boy!

Just to explain the pictures - I am a fan of The Price is Right and I always wanted to be a "Barker's Beauty", so that's why I'm making stupid faces while I model the fun baby gifts. In the picture above, I'm showing my excitement for the "I Love New York" onesie from Alex. And in the picture below, I am checking out the adorable pirate quilt that my cousin, Becky, made. I got so excited when I saw it because it was just so perfect! Then, I found out that the fabric was from my Aunt Robyn's fabric collection and I got really emotional because I had previously thought that I wouldn't get a quilt from my Aunt who passed away last year. Now, I almost don't want him to use the blanket until he understands how special it is, but I guess I'll let him use it every now and then!

Senior Softball

Over this weekend, I had the wonderful privilege of going to some of my dad's softball games. He is in a senior softball league and often travels with his team. Every now and then, they will make their way out to the Phoenix area, and I'll get to go watch him play. I took Friday off of work (partially because I was REALLY sick of some of my students but mainly because I wanted to see lots of his games). It was pretty funny when I was looking around because I cannot believe how many men have moustaches! I thought my dad was one of the few, but that tournament seemed like moustache headquarters.
Anyway, my dad is a very talented athlete. In fact, when he's batting, he will often be walked because he's well-known as a home run hitter. I really enjoyed watching his games and having some peaceful, quiet time to myself. Blake and Molly also joined me on Saturday to one of his games and we had a great time.
I'm very impressed with how athletic he is at his old age (ha ha). I was talking to one guy at one of his games on Friday and he commented that my dad "looks young for such an old guy". I think that is very well said! Unfortunately, I forgot my camera on both days so you'll just have to take my word for it. More than anything, though, it was nice to spend some time with him, get some free lunches, and get some baby stuff as well. And, it's always great to see him fall asleep within 3 minutes of sitting down on the couch.

Wanted: Advice on Bottles

Blake and I registered last weekend. To my surprise, we had a blast and were not really overwhelmed at all. We agreed on just about everything and kind of knew what we were doing. Our only question and frustrating moment was the bottle aisle. There are so many varieties of bottles!! We went ahead and registered for Dr. Brown's, but then we went back to reconsider when I realized how many parts that make up a Dr. Brown's bottle. Then, I just got more confused. Do we want drop-ins? Do we want Avent? We decided to just keep Dr. Brown's on the registry and figure it out once we get some expert advice.

So, here's my favor that I ask of you: If you have some advice on either what bottles are great or which ones I do NOT want to use, I would really appreciate it. I plan on nursing, but I'm hoping to pump as well. Speaking of which, if you have advice on a good breast pump, that would also be much appreciated. So, please help in any way that you can! Thanks!!

Goin' On a Bear Hunt

I had to give this post that title because Chas kept singing that song the entire time. "Goin' on a bear hunt...I'm not afraid!" And, indeed, he got to go on a "bear hunt" with Ryan, Blake, Carson, and Molly.

This was the first time that I have been camping in about ten years. And, it's the first time I've slept in a tent in about 15 years because I usually got to sleep in a cozy cabin. I have to say that I had an absolute blast and I am looking forward to our next camping trip. I had a tough time with the fact that I had to take a "trip" to go to the bathroom. The bathroom was very close, but in the middle of the night, I had to put on shoes, put on my jacket, get my flashlight, and somehow roll out of the tent...and don't get me started on the smell! Other than that, it was lots of fun!

We got there on Friday night, set up our tent, and joined the rest of the group at the campfire. We had a relaxing Saturday hanging out with Ryan, Tenneal, and the boys. We took a short hike to the lake and took some pictures. Now that we have a blog, there is more of a purpose to take pictures! Blake made some delicious food and he seemed to enjoy the fact that he finally got to use our camping equipment that we've had since we got married. For the most part, Molly had a blast. She just didn't like the fire. But, she LOVED playing with the boys and cuddling with us at night. We hope you enjoy the pictures!

When we were at the lake, Blake kept trying to take pictures of people looking stupid. He would call their name, they would turn and look with a weird expression on their face, and he snapped the picture. When we tried it with me, I was prepared and had this dazzling smile ready for him.

Carson and Chas wanted to cuddle with Molly by the fire and they were more than ready to say "cheese" for this adorable picture.


Here is a good one of Blake looking like a stud with his walkie-talkie. Am I lucky or what?

Gas prices: $3.50/gallon

Campground fees for 2 nights: $28

Taking a picture of a Los Al girl who never camps, who hasn't showered in almost two days, who has no make-up on, and who has serious pregnancy acne on her chin: Priceless!

I was tired and dirty when Blake took this picture on Sunday morning. Plus, I was in the middle of a conversation and I had no idea that Blake was taking a picture. There is a good chance that I will be deleting this picture soon so enjoy it while it lasts!

It's A...

Molly helped us break the news (big surprise)! So, we were getting the ultrasound and the tech checked the anatomy almost immediately. Right away, she said, "Oh. What's that right there - in between the legs?" I punched Blake in the arm and told him he was wrong. He was so sure that it would be a girl. I kept thinking girl because everyone was telling me girl. But, something kept telling me that we are going to have a boy.

My parents are now going to have their 5th grandson - and no granddaughters! Oh well. It will be fun to have all 5 boys hang out for vacations and holidays. Brent and Sandi will have a pretty good mix, and I think that will be a blast as well to see them all grow up together.

Thanks for all of your votes and comments! We are so excited to have a baby boy!!

Just to explain the other pictures: the first one is verification that he's a boy and the other one is a profile shot of his little face. We hope you enjoy the pics!!

One More Week!

I have an appointment for a Level 2 Ultrasound on Monday, September 15th. I will be 18 weeks and they will finally be able to tell us what we are having! I am so excited to call my baby either "he" or "she" rather than always saying "it".
People keep asking if I want a boy or a girl and I really don't have a preference. Sometimes I want a boy because I have more experience with taking care of boys since I have 5 nephews. Plus, boys are just less maintenance and they don't have as much drama. Especially since I teach 12-year-olds all day, I know how sweet boys are at such an awkward age. Other times I want a girl because she would be my parent's first granddaughter. Plus, girls are just so much fun. I would have a total blast with a little mini-me. I would teach her to have a serious attitude when she was at the right age. And, I would teach her to say, "Whatever, Donovan" as soon as possible!
So, honestly, I don't have a preference. And I really don't have any ideas. My mind changes nearly every day, so I'll be surprised and happy either way. Please feel free to vote on what you think we're having!!