Magic 8 Ball

Tonight was the Halloween party at church and I had a really good time. I got to know the women I visit better and meet a couple other families in the ward too. My dad's chili recipe didn't win any prizes, but it was still good! And really spicy :) Also...I dressed up! There was a Halloween parade/contest for the kids and I didn't think they were doing one for the adults and that was the end of the party, so I went to leave. When I came back in to grab my crockpot that I had brought my chili in, the adults were having a contest too! I was too late. I don't know why, but I am a little disappointed. I like parties and things! Anyway, it was a really fun day. Here are pictures of my costume! Simple but fun (I think). I stole this idea off the internet when searching for pregnancy costumes. It didn't cost me anything except a few cents to print the signs! In case it isn't clear, the back says "it's a girl." Also, this is me 30 weeks pregnant!

Package
My mom sent a package for us/baby in the mail and we got it today! We now have money for the crib! I'm so ordering it this weekend! Also, she sent us a Baby Mozart DVD, a maternity shirt for me, a birthday card for Sama, birthday money for both of us (our birthdays are really close together--mine is in a couple weeks!), and A MONKEY! It is so cute and SUPER soft! I was really excited about this! Here is a picture of Natalie's first (stuffed) monkey! My dad bought one kind of like this when I was born too! Which reminds me. My mom's first baby was a girl (my older sister), she was due January 5th (my due date), and she was born in the same hospital I will be delivering in! Crazy! But cool.

That's all for now. More fun things coming up soon! Have a great night everyone!

P.S.

I know I already posted today, but I was looking at this site and love it! It is everydayfoodstorage.net . It has all kinds of ideas about how to actually use your food storage in recipes you already make. It also has new recipe ideas to try! When I think of using food storage I usually think of gross, powdery tasting food. But it doesn't have to be that way. Plus, even if you are not focusing on food storage or even using what food storage you have, this site has some great ways to SAVE MONEY. Like making your own (easy!) sweetened condensed ($.60/can) and evaporated milk ($.25/can). I obviously haven't tried any of these things yet as I just found the site today, but I will try it out next week for sure! As you know, I am really into saving money and eating healthier right now. Using food storage items helps with both those things! Yay for this awesome site. I really like it. If you try anything from this site, let me know how it turns out! I am planning on making her bread recipe too. Looks delicious!

Lamaze

Here are a few of the pictures from Monday night when we celebrated Sama's birthday. His cake was kind of (totally) girly, but oh well. It tasted good! I guess I should have specified colors when I ordered it, but I ordered it on short notice so it doesn't really matter.

Lamaze
I went to Lamaze for the first time last night. It was a 2 1/2 hour class! I guess in preparing to give birth that is pretty reasonable, but it seems like a long time. I had the time, but Sama didn't really. He still came though! I am really happy about that because I would have been the only one by myself. Sad day.

Anyway, the class was really good. I was kind of expecting some crazy teacher making us do weird breathing exercises the whole time, but it wasn't like that at all. Yes, breathing exercises were taught, but it was normal enough. And I really like the teacher; she is well informed and has a fun teaching style. We talked about labor statistics, myths, why it is important to be prepared for childbirth, and a little about what our body is doing right now during pregnancy. Then we did the breathing exercises and practiced different birthing positions. We also talked about comfort during pregnancy and what things we can do. Overall, I really like this class so far!

Health

We had an awesome birthday party for Sama on Monday. I can't post pictures right now though because they are on Sama's phone and he isn't here. But our friends came over and we had a great time cooking, eating, and hanging out. I love get-togethers like these!

It's Cold Here
So I need to give in and finally start turning on our heat at night. This morning I woke up and turned to get my phone to check the time and it was damp and foggy because of how cold it was! What?! Sometimes I feel like I am camping in this house because we sleep right under the window and it just feels cold. I don't know. With this house being old I guess I am a little paranoid about heat sources. We have some plug-in heaters that we use during the day that work really well to warm a room. I think it is cheaper than the radiant heat that is hooked up for the house. But you aren't really supposed to use those plug-in heaters at night when you are asleep. Right? I think I have read that/been told that. Then I am paranoid about the radiant heat too because we have a couch covering one vent and a bed covering the other. They are easily moved though so that we could use the radiant heat at night. I just get paranoid about all the weird noises the old heater makes and just the fact that everything is so old; like old somehow equals flammable. I think I will buy a fire extinguisher for a little peace of mind. We really should have one anyway!!!! Is it weird that I am so paranoid about heaters in old houses?

Health
My sister has been going to a naturopath lately and has been learning all kinds of cool things that she is nice enough to pass on to me. Since having her fourth baby she started getting really bad headaches and has been trying all kinds of things to relieve them. She does acupuncture, goes to a chiropractor, and now to the naturopath. She has gone to regular doctors as well I think. Anyway, the naturopath told her to cut out refined sugar and white flour from her diet. She has been doing a really good job of it! And it seems to be helping her. I am inspired to do better. I feel that I have made a lot of progress in the last year and especially the last few months since becoming pregnant at treating my body better. I get more exercise and eat healthier overall. But I could still do so much better! And I need to do so much better because my better is still quite unhealthy. The last three days have been filled with too much junk food. It makes me feel crummy, so today my goal is to eat really well. I don't know why it is so hard for me to avoid sweets, but it really is a big struggle. The biggest thing that has changed for me is that I am better at giving my body all the nutrients it needs. I eat more whole wheat, fruits, and vegetables and I eat less meat. Mostly because I don't like meat as much as I used to. But while I give my body what it needs, I still eat sweets too often. So I try to eat even more healthy food to fill myself up and cut down on cravings for junk. It works best if I am really focusing on it. If I do well for a few days and then don't really think about it, then it starts to go downhill again. I know that sweets in moderation are just fine. It is the moderation that is hard!

Anyway, I wanted to write about magnesium. My sister was told at her last appointment that magnesium is really important. (Here is a link to her post about it). It is kind of interesting to learn about, so here is a link to a page I found that talks about magnesium. One of the biggest benefits for me right now is the blood pressure. My blood pressure is slowly climbing, which could lead to preeclampsia if it doesn't get lower. Obviously that would not be good for me or baby! It is kind of worrying me and thus making my blood pressure higher, so I try not to think about it too much! Anyway, there is some evidence that getting enough magnesium can help with blood pressure. The other important thing for me is that it can help with insulin production and diabetes. Even though I don't have diabetes, I am at a huge risk for it. It is on both sides of my family and my eating habits need work! Anyway, I never really thought about magnesium and I don't hear it talked about very often, but I guess it is actually quite important! Oh, and it helps boost energy too! Who doesn't need more energy? There are other benefits as well. For me I don't like a lot of the magnesium rich foods that much. But I am willing to eat more of them for the benefits. Just not beans. I could never eat that many beans. The other thing is a magnesium supplement, but I think I have that in my prenatal vitamin and I also think it is best to get as many vitamins as possible through the foods you eat.

So today's focus for me is health! Eating healthy, getting exercise, and mental health too! That is, I need to do things that are good for my soul as well as my body because I believe the two are connected. What do I do that is good for my soul? I like to listen to uplifting music, read scriptures or other uplifting material, spend time talking to friends and family, and being productive. Anything that makes me feel good about myself and about my life.

Parties and More Parties!

Well, the pumpkin muffins were well received and I was told they were delicious!

Parties
This week is going to be very busy and hopefully very fun! First up is celebrating Sama's birthday tonight! We are having some friends over for dinner and will be making tacos durados. Like taquitos kind of if you don't know what tacos durados are. His birthday is actually later on in the week, but he has school all day and then I have my first lamaze class that night, which is kind of long so it wouldn't leave much time for celebration. So I am going to get out and do some serious grocery shopping for tonight's fiesta!

I already mentioned the rest of my plans in a previous post, but here they are again. Friday night is a Halloween party with our ward. It is a chili cook-off and costume parade. I don't actually like chili that much except to dip bread in the broth (and that I have actually been craving). My dad loves chili and makes it really well, so I am going to use his recipe. Maybe I will win a prize?! I remember we had a chili cook-off growing up and my dad didn't win and I was so shocked because he is always saying how amazing his chili is! I think it is pretty good as far as chili goes though! We will see what everyone else thinks.

Saturday is a relax and party day with my friend. We are going to eat yummy snacks, chat, watch movies, etc. I am very excited for this!

Sunday is Halloween! I will be celebrating with family and having a Halloween themed dinner. These dinners are always so much fun. And you can't beat time with family!

I will be sure to post some pictures of all these fun events going on this week. I think this blog has definitely helped me to take more pictures. I am always thinking I need to take pictures more often, but it just hasn't worked out that well. Until now. I am finding that I really like blogging. Pictures make it even more fun!

Pumpkin Bread!

I keep meaning to do my visiting teaching for church and then I never really do it. But I took a step in the right direction by calling my companion. She didn't answer of course, but that's okay. I decided I would make pumpkin bread for the women I am supposed to visit. So this morning I walked to the little store by our house and bought some ingredients. I had asked my sister if she had a favorite pumpkin bread recipe and she didn't. But she did say that she liked to get a spice cake mix and mix it with pumpkin puree instead of the eggs, oil, and water. She had made a chocolate cake like that before and it was yummy! So I decided to do that and also find a pumpkin bread recipe to try. Here is a link to the recipe I used. It is DELICIOUS! I made muffins instead actually and I didn't have cloves, but they are some of the best pumpkin treats I have ever had. I also added a little cream cheese frosting on top of each one. So yummy! Now I just need to deliver them. Oh, and this recipe makes about 4 dozen muffins. My table is currently covered in muffins! I definitely liked the spice cake pumpkin muffins too, but I liked this recipe better. Probably because it is far more unhealthy. But oh well!

My friend Horte came  over and helped me make these. It was fun hanging out and talking while we baked these. Then the little neighbor kids came over to play with our Wii. They love it. All we have as far as games are the Wii Fit, another fitness game, and the sports games it came with. But they love Wii fit and always want to play. There are 5 kids in the family and 4 that come to play (the other is a baby). Today they came 2 at a time which I think works better so that they are not all trying to play at once. Then Horte's husband, Limhi, came over and started playing with them. We kept trying to tell him that they only had 30 minutes to play, but he still played anyhow. I think the kids liked playing with him though (he is a pretty fun guy). After the kids left the three of us had lunch together (Sama was at work). I made some stir-fry and really liked it. I tried a new teriyaki sauce recipe that was delicious.

Tonight Sama and I are going out to run some errands. Nothing too exciting, but it is nice to spend time together. But first there is a soccer game on so that is the priority! For Sama, not me. I will be out delivering muffins!

Happy Saturday to everyone!

Carne Asada!

Every so often we get together with friends and do a carne asada at the park. This time it was at our house! That's because we had a grill and our newfound little patch of concrete to put it on. Haha. I liked having people over and eating some delicious food! Here are a few pictures.

Violin

So I got new violin strings yesterday and started playing last night. I am SO rusty! I didn't think it would be as bad as it was, but I guess I can only improve from here! I know that I can do much better with practice. I am looking forward to the orchestra concert!

Disclaimer

Yes, I graduated in English Language with a minor in editing, but no, I am not perfect. I make so many mistakes in my writing (as those of you who read this blog regularly have surely noticed!). I honestly don't censor or edit my posts. I just write them and publish them without really checking. Whenever I read over old posts I notice about a million errors. And then I might go back and fix some of them. But not really. I am not the best editor or even close, but I could do better. I am just saying that I don't edit my own writing. I don't feel the need to for a blog. Unless it were a blog about writing or editing...but it's not! So to all of you editing sticklers, I apologize for my atrocious grammar and punctuation. This is my disclaimer. The end!

We Have Concrete Out There? Yes, Yes We Do!

So it has been like 3 months since we moved into our little duplex. I am loving it here even though it is quite old, but I kind of like all the little quirks that go with old houses. We did a deep cleaning of the inside when we moved in, but the outside I only just got around to a couple days ago. I wish I had taken before pictures, but oh well. Anyway, there is not a lot to be done since I have limited tools and we are only renting. In the back we have a little patch of grass that had a ton of dead grass that needed to be raked up. So I did that. And there is also a little square of concrete, which was totally covered in dirt and leaves. Apparently Sama didn't even know we had concrete out there! That is how bad it was. So, I went out a couple days ago and cleared out as much as I could. The grass still looks wretched, but the concrete area is nice and clean! I also cleaned up our front porch. It was not as bad as the back, but definitely needed some TLC. I couldn't get a picture of that because it is just too bright out front and all I get with my camera phone is shadows. The more pictures I take, the more excited I get about buying our new camera! That will be on Black Friday though :) Anyway, here is the photo of our little concrete square that you wouldn't have known existed until a couple days ago!

English Classes
We have awesome neighbors here, which is another great thing about our duplex. We are friends with a couple on the other side of the duplex as well as a Mexican family next door. My neighbor used to teach the mother of that family English, but was no longer able to after getting a new job. She asked if I would be interested/willing to do it and I said yes! Today was our first lesson and I think considering I have never really taught English it went pretty well. Our biggest barrier is that we have ALWAYS spoken in Spanish together. The only time I ever used English was if I didn't know the word in Spanish and was asking if she understood what I was trying to say. So we kept switching from Spanish to English and since she is at an intermediate speaking level, it would really be better to stick to English only during these lessons. I am really glad I speak Spanish (though not completely fluently), but I am also kind of envious of my neighbor who was teaching her before I was because she only knows a tiny bit of Spanish and so they are forced to use just English. The good thing is that the neighbor I am teaching gets a lot of practice outside of these lessons. She helps her kids with their homework and she also still talks to our neighbor in English when they see each other. I am hoping I can do a good job teaching her. We'll see!

Orchestra
I started playing the violin in elementary school, but I gave it up after about 4 years. In that time, my only lessons were in school, and I didn't practice enough to really excel at it. Then after I graduated high school I went to an orchestra concert with a friend and shared my desire to play again. Hearing pretty orchestra music makes me want to play. So what did this awesome friend do? My Christmas gift that year was a violin! I was so happy and started lessons again with a lady in the ward. Then I went to Southern Virginia University and took lessons there. Then I took a couple semesters worth of lessons while at BYU. Unfortunately I never stick with it long enough to make much progress, but I still love it. I have since gotten a really nice violin (the one my friend gave me was such a great gift and completely wonderful, but also an inexpensive model). I owe the nice violin I have now to my parents and to my brother Adam for giving up the bass. My parents had bought him the bass from a violin maker who stands behind his products 100%. I was able to trade the bass in for a beautiful violin. Anyway...I have been wanting to play again lately. We can't afford lessons or anything right now and with a new baby on the way, I don't think I would be able to continue for long anyhow. But, our stake is having a Christmas fireside/concert and anyone can be in the orchestra no matter what level he or she is at! I was hesitant to sign up thinking I might regret it or not want to stick to it, but I shy away from so many things because of that fear. So I just went ahead and signed up! Go me! I need to replace one of the strings on my violin, but then I am all set. I am going to go do that today and start practicing. On my own that is since I don't know exactly what I will be doing for the concert. But I feel really good about participating and putting myself out there a little bit. I am glad they offered places for all levels of players. I think it will be a great experience! Now, on to the store to buy violin strings!

Cribs
Thanks to all those who commented and left advice for me about cribs. For now we have decided to go with a more inexpensive model from Walmart. I hope to order it soon and be done with the stress of choosing a crib. I don't know why it is so stressful, but it is to me. Thanks to my sister for her comment that any crib I go with will be fine. I am sure it will. Still, I am excited to have it over with once we order the crib, which should be in the next couple weeks. By the end of November we will have purchased nearly everything we will need for Natalie. The main things we still need are the cloth diapers and the crib. Actually the crib isn't a necessity yet since we are using a pack n play in our room at first, but I still want to get Natalie's room all set up! There are a few little things like crib sheets and such that we need, but besides the cloth diapers we are pretty much set.

Cloth Diapers
I am still totally excited about using cloth diapers. I haven't been researching them quite so obsessively as I was before, but I still am excited about finally buying some and using them for the baby. I think I need to narrow down my list of the ones I want to try so that I can spend just a little less. But really, I want to try almost all of them! Oh well. I can always try more later on. And then I will just sell the ones I don't like.

San Antonio
I don't know if I wrote about Sama going to San Antonio or not. But he did go there for a job interview at the beginning of the week. They paid for him to fly out and treated him to dinner and a nice hotel and all kinds of cool things. He said it was a really good experience and that the interview went really well. My mom (and my sister a little too) were not thrilled at all that he went. Texas? Why Texas? You don't want to live in Texas, do you? The answer is no. No I do not want to live in Texas. But I would consider it if it were temporary. It is a really good company with amazing benefits. They treat their employees really well and pay them really well. Plus they will pay for him to do his masters. But overall we are wanting to stay in Utah for him to do his masters and then move to Oregon or Washington. Being close to family is definitely a priority for us. Plus Oregon is awesome! I love Oregon. I am sure there are other wonderful states and places to live, but I am an Oregonian and would rather go back there than trying out other places that are far from my family. But whatever happens will work out for us. I am sure that Heavenly Father has a great plan for us and knows what is best for our little family. And all the better if Oregon is a part of those plans! I miss my family!


I think I am done writing for now. But there are so many exciting things going on! I love my life!

Cribs

I am not sure how many people actually read this blog, but for those that do I would love to hear your opinions on cribs! Here is where I am at right now. I was planning on buying the Graco Sarah crib, but then both my mom and sister warned me against buying a cheaper crib because they don't last as long. But the Graco Sarah has all the certifications plus extra certifications from JPMA, ASTM & CPSC. So I figured it was definitely safe and I talked to Sama about it because after talking to my mom and sister I had started looking at high end used cribs. Sama really doesn't want a used crib and said it wouldn't bother him to have to buy a new crib after 2 kids because the crib is convertible and could still safely be used as a headboard for a full-sized bed. So I figured that would be fine too and we could get the Graco.

And then...

I was reading a comment by someone who said that her toddler always climbed up on the side of the crib to look at her baby brother and that the Graco Lauren (different model) was too flimsy for that. So then I was worried because I don't want the side of the crib breaking and compromising safety. I mentioned this to my sister, who has four boys, and she said that her kids always climbed up on the sides. She also said that when the babies are a little older they bounce around and learn how to climb out of the crib. So that is a concern for me. Even though the cribs have been tested to hold 300 pounds and are extra safe with the extra certifications, I don't think they test for pulling and climbing that happens with toddlers. Though I haven't read as much as I could about these certifications. Anyway, I went to Babies R Us and Burlington where they have displays of cribs and after looking at the different models, I would rather have a sturdier crib. Also, the stores I went to didn't have a display of the Graco Sarah. I have read great things about how sturdy and durable it is, but now I would feel better about purchasing a crib if I could actually see it.

So...

My dilemma now is cost. We are on a tight monthly budget, but we obviously have money saved for the baby. We had hoped that what we saved would be plenty, but we will have to use some of our savings to supplement. We have about $1500 to draw from, but need that to last for the next few months until Sama finishes school. Basically everything is covered in our budget except for emergencies and special occasions like birthdays and Christmas. Sama has also applied for some jobs for winter that would pay better, but we will see what happens. Our crib budget is $200. That was going to also cover the crib mattress (though now I am looking for a used one). Now I think it will mostly cover the crib. And then I might end up paying a little more than that too.

So my question is...

What brands and models of cribs do you have or have you used? Do you have experience with the cheaper cribs and have you had any problems with them? Any advice or comments would be appreciated!!!!

Updates

Okay, I got the computer to work a little better so I am going to write about a few things that have been going on with me.

Ward Conference
Our ward conference was on Sunday and it was really good! I especially loved our bishop's talk. He challenged us to make this next year the best year we have ever had. Whatever we need to be working on, we should make goals accordingly. He also gave specific challenges including attending the temple often, memorizing 20 scriptures, and memorizing 5 hymns. He shared experiences that other members of our ward had shared with him as they worked on these same goals last year. I know this synopsis isn't near as powerful as the actual talk he gave, but I still had to share because it was so significant to me. I am convinced that he is who Heavenly Father wants as our bishop and I am grateful that he was able to accept this calling.

Car Trouble
So Sama had his trip to San Antonio  yesterday and today. There were several people in his major that were also invited and one of them offered to drive to the airport. I was so grateful for this because it meant I didn't have to wake up at 5:30 to drive to the airport. I still had to drive to the student health center where they were meeting, but no biggie because I could just drive right back home and go back to sleep. In general I just don't like to drive long distances. As a side note, part of this problem was because I needed glasses. I still passed my eye exam for my drivers test, but I had to be all squinty. Anyway, glasses are so much better, but I still don't like to drive. So, yesterday morning we went to meet up with the other people who were driving and Sama and I both got out of the car to hug goodbye and trade places. Then we both shut our doors....and one of us also locked them. It is both of our habits to lock the doors, but we can't remember who did it this time. Not that it matters anyway of course.

You know that crazy feeling you get when you realize you locked yourself out of your car? It is really amazing to me how we keep trying and checking all the doors and thinking that there must be an easy way in when there just isn't. One of the guys said that BYU has a locksmith service, which was so good to know because we didn't have to pay for it! It is actually just the campus police with a locksmith kit, but that's all we needed! But we didn't want to make the other guys wait so they left and we went to the airport on our own. It was unfortunate though because the guy who came to unlock our car was super slow! Not once he actually opened the car, but he had to walk around his car like three times gathering things and then a couple more times for who knows what before finally getting over to our car. Oh well. I am glad there are even services like that. So I ended up driving after all and it was fine. We are going to be making some extra keys now! Obviously we both have keys but that didn't help us because they were both in the car.


Tiredness
I have actually been able to get a lot done in the way of cleaning and organizing the last week and a half or so even though I have been in pain from my pregnancy and a little tired. So now I am in the mode of getting things done and want to keep that up because it always feels better to get things done and I just feel like I am accomplishing things. But the last two days I have been super sleepy. And then I can't sleep that well because there is so much I want to be doing! I actually have a little more energy now, so I am going to go out and do the grocery shopping. Normally this would have been done yesterday, but I was just too tired!

In general I have been feeling (mood wise that is) really good lately! I am happy about this because who doesn't like to feel good?! Physically things are not that great, but all the discomfort and pain is totally worth it because in about two and a half more months we will get to meet our new baby! I love her so much already and I can't wait!

Monkey Tree!!!

I finally finished the monkey tree! I am happy with the way it turned out. And it only cost me about $20 as opposed to the almost $90 it would have cost to buy! Though I did spend about $40 all together trying out different materials to see what worked. It is a stick on removable mural since we are living in an apartment and aren't really supposed to paint. Plus I don't think I would trust myself to paint this! It definitely isn't perfect or anything, but I am totally proud of it!

Sorry this is short, but my laptop isn't working and the desktop is being weird and my computer genius husband is out of town for a job interview until tonight. I hope you are all having a wonderful day!

Nesting

I think I wrote in one of my earlier posts that I have been nesting pretty much since I found out I was pregnant. I think I have mainly been  planning what I want to do and doing a few nesting things here and there. But today I cleaned the baby's room and I bought a few things for her room too. I am totally excited. I went to DI and found a pink bed skirt (there is a twin bed in her room for guests :) and some cute pillow cases. Then I went to Target and got some of those cute canvas organizer boxes for her shelf. I got pink and brown. I washed everything and set it up and love it! It is quite a bit of pink since the pillow cases are all pink including one long body pillow. But she is a girl so it works. Sama helped me rearrange some more furniture as well. I also set up the pack n play in our room just to see how it would fit. We will be totally squished! But oh well. There is only a tiny space to get by the pack n play to the closet, so Sama will have to set his clothes out the night before or something. Maybe we will be rearranging furniture again though. We'll see. I am going to wait to post pictures of the room until we have more set up, but I'll take some soon.

Graduation
My friend from my old job just graduated from massage therapy school today and I was able to go to the ceremony. I am so happy for her and think it is awesome that she did this. Congratulations, Eliane!

Pollo Loco
Well, that has pretty much been my day. Nesting and graduation. Oh and Sama had to go back to Salt Lake to the Mac store again today because the new phone they gave him yesterday to replace his broken one was also broken. Crazy. So now he has another new phone. Hopefully it will work better than the others! He went with our friend Limhi and then Limhi and his wife Horte came over for dinner after that. They stopped for Pollo Loco, which is a fast food place from Mexico. They all loved it and couldn't get enough. I like Mexican food, but I didn't care much for this. Oh well. I am glad they got something that they like so much from Mexico! It was also just good to hang out with friends.

Is This Normal?

So Sama and I went up to Salt Lake to the Mac store today to get his iphone fixed and I can't believe how tired I am! It is in a huge mall and we found out only after we got there that you have to make an appointment for them to look at your phone. So we went to lunch and then back to the mall to walk around. We probably spent almost two hours walking around and looking in different stores. And now my feet hurt and I am still sore from yesterday and having a hard time to walk. I know this is all normal for being pregnant but I really felt like a little old lady. I was walking so slow it was embarrassing and I was all achy and now I am so so tired! And we were out all morning and most of the afternoon, but still! I am just wondering if I am going to feel like this forever now. Am I? Or do I regain my body and feel good and energized again?

A Productive Day

Being Productive
Today has been a very productive day so far! I went to the library to volunteer this morning and then I came home and have been cleaning ever since! Until now that is. It is really tiring though. Being pregnant is wonderful and such a blessing, but it definitely has its disadvantages! I don't think I was doing anything really straining, but simply cleaning (dishes, laundry, vacuuming, etc.) has made my body quite sore! My body is more sore lately in general as well. I feel as if I really have that wonderful pregnancy "waddle." Hahaha.

Anyway, I am feeling really good for the things I have been able to get done today. I had to make a decision in the morning that I would at least be somewhat productive and get some cleaning done. I think making that decision really helped because I knew I committed myself to it rather than thinking I would do it later if I still felt like it. I am really good at procrastinating, so that line of thinking almost never results in getting anything done!

In cleaning I decided I wanted to rearrange some furniture. I did move a couple of very light pieces of furniture like a little nightstand, but other than that I just made plans and will have Sama help me when he gets home if he is not too tired. I am also getting excited to get the baby's room set up! My parents have graciously offered to pay for the crib we are getting, so we will be ordering it pretty soon! I can't wait until everything is ready. Of course, then I will have nothing to do and I still have a few weeks until the baby is actually born...but oh well! I think I have been nesting since I found out I was pregnant and I am still always finding more things to do. Oh, and I am going to be having a baby shower next month so that is another thing to look forward to.

Early on in my pregnancy I had signed up for the week by week updates from one of the baby websites. But then we found out that my due date was almost a month off, so now I am getting emails talking about my pregnancy and it makes me so impatient because it always says I am farther along than I really am. Not that it is a big deal, but oh well.

Halloween
I was talking to Sama about maybe having a Halloween party with some of our friends. I was looking at all these fun Halloween recipes and thinking of just doing a movie, games, and snacks. Anyway I was planning all of this in my head before actually talking to Sama and when I did mention it to him, he reminded me that he is going to be in Ohio for a career fair for IT related jobs. Sad day. But I made plans with one of my friends to do dinner and movies Saturday night and I am really excited! I think it will be a blast! Maybe I will still make some fun Halloween treats just for fun. I like that kind of thing. But anyway, our ward party is Friday. Saturday I am hanging out with a friend, and Sunday is a Halloween dinner at my aunts house. She always gets really into the theme and decorating and the food is always something Halloween related. The first year I was here for it she made ribs and put two racks of ribs next to each other and then a red bell pepper with a knife sticking out of it so it looked like a stabbed heart in between the ribs. Anyway, all the food items are creative like that. I love it! So it will be a fun weekend. I hope you all have fun plans too!

Calzones!

Sama and I made homemade calzones yesterday and they were delicious! And fun to make :) that is really all I have to say about that, but I am excited about the fact that they turned out so well and thought I would share that. I should have taken a picture, but oh well.

Scentsy
I have always loved the Scentsy brand of wickless candles. They smell so yummy! The duplex we are living in is really old and has a kind of musty old smell. Nothing horrible, but it has made me want Scentsy more than ever. So since we are on a super tight budget I have had to save my money. I finally have enough for a little plug-in warmer and on scent bar, which lasts about six months with the plug-in warmer. Anyway, I am really happy and excited about this. I am buying mine from a consultant in Provo, Carmen. She is super nice and brought a bag of samples for me to smell. She leaves them with you for as long as you need to decide. She came yesterday and is coming back tomorrow to pick them up and process my order. We are getting Enchanted Mist for our first scent. I also like Cinnamon Vanilla and Honey Pear Cider. Yum! Here is a link to Carmen's site on Scentsy if any of you in the Provo area are interested. But there are consultants pretty much anywhere and you can also buy online. My friends who have had it always have such nice smelling homes. It is great and I am so excited about this order. I know it is just a candle, but oh well. I am still happy about it!

Finally, here is a more recent picture of my pregnant self. I'm 28 weeks here. Crazy! Sorry about the picture quality; we are hoping to be able to get a new camera before the baby comes!

Family

Pregnancy Update
So we went to the doctor yesterday and everything is going great! My blood pressure is a little bit high, but not dangerously so. I hope it stays/gets lower!

Family
So I had a dream last night that I was in Oregon near all my family. I was about to go visit my sister because I REALLY wanted to see her and I was really happy I was going to get to. Then I woke up and realized that I was in Utah. It was really sad for me. I am missing my family so much. If only I had plenty of money, I would arrange a trip! It is sad to me that I won't get to see all of them until probably next spring or summer. My mom is coming in January when the baby is born and my sister is thinking about a trip sometime after that, but I miss them right now! And I want to see everyone!

One thing to be grateful for is that we are planning on moving to Oregon or Washington. I think Oregon is more likely, but even Washington is closer than Utah!!!! I am so glad that my husband likes Oregon too and is willing to live there. I love Oregon and the idea of being near all of my family. Everyone else lives within an hour of each other and sometimes I get sad knowing I am all the way out here in Utah for another couple years. But it is worth it for Sama to be able to finish school. Sometimes I just have to remind myself that I am blessed in so many ways and be grateful for what I have instead of wishing for more things!

Tomorrow Will Be Better!

Hey everyone! I hope you are having a great week so far! Mine has been going really well. I volunteer at the library on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and even though I am not always in the mood for it, I like being productive and helping out!

Headaches and Migraines
Last night I stayed up too late reading and at some point my eyes really started hurting and that almost always leads to headaches! But did I want to stop reading? Nope! So I didn't and went to bed with a headache. Then I woke up with a headache. And went to the library with a headache....you get the picture. I am feeling much better now, but it took half the day!

I usually get migraines once a month or so and I had a couple REALLY bad ones since I've been pregnant because I can't take my regular medicine for them. But it is actually kind of a blessing that I haven't been able to take my regular medicine because I think it also caused more frequent headaches because of the caffeine. I normally take Excedrin Migraine (great stuff!) and when I got pregnant I started taking Excedrin Tension Headache instead because it doesn't have asprin in it. But it still has acetaminophen and caffeine in it. It was when I was taking that that I got some uncontrollable migraines that only an IV treatment at the ER fixed. So about 3 weeks ago I ran out of my Excedrin and didn't want to spend money on more and used just acetaminophen. I am getting fewer headaches! I still think caffeine works great on the really severe headaches and migraines, but it is nice to realize that I don't need it as often as I thought. I'm really glad I realized that I can manage most headaches with just acetaminophen. I think my migraines will come less because of this, but we will see.

Food
I try to eat healthy because I want to be healthy and being pregnant I especially want to make sure my baby will be healthy. As I mentioned I had a headache today and just didn't feel good. I usually get nauseated along with my headaches, so it is hard to eat well. Plus it is hard for me anyway because I tend to want foods that are less healthy. Anyway, I didn't eat that well today and was feeling really bad about that. I didn't eat junk or anything, I just didn't eat a variety of foods. Okay, I had Cheerios and Rice Krispies cereal like 3 times. Only in the late afternoon/evening did I finally eat more things. I tried to make up for it with lots of fruit, but I am still feeling bad about this. So, tomorrow will be better!

Doctor Appointment
We have a doctors appointment tomorrow to see how the baby is doing! I am always excited about this. No ultrasound this time, but we will hear the baby's heartbeat and the doctor will check to see that everything is going well. I feel like everything is fine, but it is always nice to have it confirmed. I hope we get that confirmation tomorrow too!

To Lori: Today is a Good Day!!

I woke up feeling great this morning. Actually it was this afternoon as I didn't wake up until almost 1 PM!!! I don't know how I did that. I do usually sleep a lot and wake up late, but not usually THIS late. Anyway, I just feel good today and wanted to share that.

Green Living
Since I decided to do cloth diapers for Natalie I have been researching them A LOT! Almost obsessively so. Anyway, in reading about them, I naturally came across a lot of articles and blogs and what not about green living. I have never considered myself green (despite the fact that I am a proud Oregonian), but I think I like the idea of it. I was talking to my sister and she is going to make her own laundry soap with a recipe found online. It is supposed to be only 2 cents per load! And I plan on trying this as well. So I am wondering if I should start considering myself green or not because I am planning to try a lot of homemade things (laundry soap and other cleaning and hygiene products).

I guess my biggest attraction to green living is saving money. Second is using natural products. I've been hearing too many details about what goes into already prepared food and I am just not liking it at all! For example, there is a process factories use to clean as much as possible from chicken bones. It turns into this kind of pink puree that is them put in chicken nuggets and hot dogs and such....as the main ingredient. There is a picture of what this looks like, but I will spare you. It is just gross! Anyway, knowing and controlling what is going into the products I use and eat is VERY appealing to me. I also like knowing that products that will be touching my skin are natural. I have REALLY sensitive skin and try all kinds of things to keep it clear and hydrated and my aunt gave me some pure coconut oil to try. It is awesome for my skin! I love it. And it is just one ingredient. Anyway, I think using natural products instead of those with extra chemicals and such are better for me. Maybe not for everyone, but for me they are! So am I considered green? I don't know. I don't feel like I am some kind of hippie that is living off the land and what not. I am not extreme at all and will still continue to live my life much the way I did before. Add that to the fact that I haven't actually (yet) done a lot of the things I am planning.

Mondays
Now that I am not in school I find that I really like Mondays. It means another week has passed and we are that much closer to seeing our little Natalie! Not that I don't appreciate my life as it is now. I do!! But I am still excited. Mondays are also my grocery shopping day. I usually plan out the week's meals and make my list before heading to the store. I actually like grocery shopping most of the time, so that is another thing about Mondays. I also feel like I have more money on Mondays. I guess that is because I do :) There is also usually some errand or other besides the grocery shopping that I need to do. I usually don't want to but at the end of the day I feel like I have done some productive things. Staying at home means I don't always have a lot to do, so I guess it just feels really good to have a purpose.

Well, I think that is all for now. Have a happy day everyone!

Sunday Afternoon

We have had a wonderful Sunday watching conference and spending time together. This afternoon I made a simple dinner and I also made biscuits!!! They were puffy and delicious and we had some for dessert with butter and strawberry jam. YUM!

Also this afternoon I decided to practice knitting while we watched the second session of conference. I hardly know how to knit at all, but can probably manage a scarf or a blanket or something else easy. I hope to learn a little more though. I really would love to make cute little baby things. Especially baby leg warmers because those are seriously adorable. I think so anyway.

I think that is pretty much all I am writing for now because our friends just came over. Happy Sunday everyone!

I Hate Long Posts

Just an apology to those who actually read my ENTIRE first post. It was way too long. I have always been a fan of short and sweet, but to be honest I don't think that will be me. If I start writing, I want to keep writing and writing and writing. And sometimes I just ramble. So, I apologize. I do, however, appreciate subject headings in longer posts so I can easily read about what interests me and ignore all of the other stuff. So, I will try to do that here!

Pregnancy Update
I am just over 26 weeks along and finally feeling a little (just a little) less anxious about getting this baby here! Most of you who know me know that we are SO excited and can hardly wait. I am especially impatient. But I was thinking of the time Sama and I will have together as a couple before little Natalie gets here, and I am starting to appreciate that time more. I of course won't be able to travel in December because I will be too far along, so Sama and I will be in Provo for Christmas. I wasn't excited about that, but I think we can have a really special and memorable Christmas here. We will definitely miss all the family though!

Good news is that I passed my glucose test! With a strong family history of diabetes on both sides plus the fact that I have a hard time controlling myself when it comes to sugar, I was really worried about getting gestational diabetes! I am still worried that somehow I messed up the test, but I hope not! I am trying to eat much healthier of course since I am pregnant, but I still am not as healthy as I would like to be. My overall health, eating, and exercise habits are something that I am always working on and slowly getting better at. I really want to set a good example of health for my family and currently I am just not there yet! But I am trying and I feel really good about that.

Blog Name
I really don't like my blog name, so it is kind of temporary. Any good suggestions from anyone out there? I am planning to use this blog to talk about our family and what's going on as well as my interests which currently include anything baby related, cooking, writing, health, and the occasional crafty project. I am trying to figure out how to get my new (used) sewing machine to thread, but I haven't been successful so far. Anyway, I need suggestions for blog names! I am creative enough I suppose, but having a hard time with this. I was thinking something like Campos Life or something....clearly I am having trouble! Please help if you have any ideas! Also, I know I have some friends out there who have asked me if I had a blog in the past and said they would be interested in reading it if I did, so I am hoping if I slack on this for too long you will help remind me to keep this updated!

Conference

I watched the first session of conference today and loved it. I often feel lazy about getting up and getting myself to church, but I know it is worth it. Of course, with conference I didn't have to go anywhere but to the living room couch to see it. The speakers were wonderful and I got a lot out of the messages. But for afternoon conference I actually fell asleep after the first speaker. Not because it was boring, but because I was lying down and really tired. I plan to watch it later though! And I am excited about conference tomorrow.

I think that's all for now. Enjoy conference weekend everyone! If you are wondering what in the world I am talking about, General Conference is held twice a year in our church and we are able to listen to speakers from the leaders of the church. Topics range from faith to prayer to obedience to families to finance and so much more. It is wonderfully uplifting! Go to lds.org and click on the link for October General Conference to check it out! Really!

We'll See How It Goes...

I really like the idea of blogging, but I am also worried that I won't do very well keeping it up. I also worry that I will write something that I later feel silly about and thus destroy/delete several of my posts. I guess those are my main worries about blogging. As for why I want to do it, I really like the idea of logging what is happening in my life and having a record of it. I feel like doing this in a blog format would be easiest because I like the idea of sharing my life with friends and family. For now, I just want to clarify that this might not last. I hope it will, but we'll see!

And now here is a little info about me. I recently graduated with a degree in English Language and a minor in editing. While I might know more about editing than many, I don't feel I got as much out of my education as I could have. Actually, I know that I didn't. I still feel completely inadequate when it comes to editing, especially grammatical issues. I still pause over different issues and then feel like I need to go rushing back to school or to grab all of my text books and study for hours until I know "enough." It is silly, but oh well. Just being honest about this.

I haven't worked for the past few months. This started when my job just got to be too much at the beginning of my last semester. My wonderful husband encouraged me to quit since he made enough for us to live comfortably. Then right after graduation we found out I was pregnant!!! BEST NEWS EVER!!!!!!! But more of that in a little bit. After graduating I wanted to spend the summer doing and internship and decided to apply for several. I really wanted to work for a publishing company and I was hopeful about getting this opportunity, but it just didn't work out. I applied at Deseret and it went really well. They told me later that they were really impressed with me, but unfortunately I didn't do well enough on the editing test (proof that my previous comments are not just me being modest). But I didn't give up. I applied with Covenant Communications and was also turned down. I am sad about it, but it was probably good because I don't think I could have devoted my best work to an internship during the summer. The reason being that I was tired ALL the time. I was nauseated a lot too, but never actually sick. Anyway, Sama continues to work and provide for us, which I sometimes feel really guilty about. I had planned on being a stay at home mom for a long time, but since I am pregnant right now and don't yet have a baby, it is hard for me to reconcile not working when I see my husband having a stressful day with school and work. This wasn't so bad in the summer since he was just working and we were able to spend lots of time together, but now that he has school too it is harder. However, who is going to hire a pregnant woman who doesn't plan to work for more than 2-3 months?

Okay, as for my pregnancy, things are going (overall) great! Like I said, I was very exhausted at first and still am now at 26 weeks, but not as much. My family often wonders aloud how I am going to handle so little sleep once our baby arrives. I worry too, but what will be will be and I will have to adjust! The last few weeks I have been more sick than I ever was in my first trimester. It is definitely a little weird, but that's how it is for me. Usually I just get nauseated, vomit, and then feel fine until the next time. I almost always get nauseated when I am eating a meal, so I can't eat too much at a time. This last week Sama had the flu, which I then caught. It was awful! Definitely worse than my regular pregnancy sickness! I have been eating mostly crackers and drinking water and Gatorade, but now I can eat a little more solid things again. I expanded to toast and applesauce for breakfast this morning, but I am thinking that I need to add something more substantial at this point since I haven't felt that sick since yesterday.

I spend my days resting, looking online at anything baby related, reading books about pregnancy and newborns, and getting things ready for the baby. By the way, we are having a girl and plan on naming her Natalie. We already have TONS of clothes for her first few months that were given to us by my sister and Sama's sister and sister-in law. And of course my mom went crazy at Goodwill (her favorite store) and bought lots and lots of girl things. This was before she knew we were having a girl, but with my sister having all (4) boys, she was eager for a girl. So we hope the doctor is right!!! My grandma on my mother's side is also very happy we are expecting a girl as all (13) of her great-grandchildren are boys. The doctor isn't 100% sure, but we are going with it for now. I have already washed all of the clothes we have gotten for Natalie. I had them arranged by size and everything as well, but since washing them, I have gotten them a little mixed up. We are planning to have a monkey mural for her nursery too. It is going to be a tree with monkeys hanging from the branches. I know it is traditionally a boy's theme, but I don't care. I think monkeys are cute!! Most of her things will be pink anyway including her crib bedding, which is one of the things that will stand out the most anyway.

As for diapering, we are going to use cloth diapers. I am very excited about this! I like that 1.) it saves a TON of money 2.) Better for baby (no chemicals, less chance of diaper rash 3.) Not that hard to use. I was definitely not planning on doing cloth diapers at first, but before I got pregnant my sister was pregnant with her last baby and had decided to do cloth diapers. I thought it was weird and gross and messy, but I had been thinking of the prefolds and diaper pins and soaking poopy diapers and such. After finding out that it was much easier now, I started considering it. Then my sister told me that with newborn poop (with breastfed babies), it just dissolves in the water, so you don't need to clean it off in the toilet first. So then I thought I would do cloth for the first few months and then switch, but once I started researching it and looking into it even more online I found out that it was still really easy even after babies start on solid foods. It can be extremely cheap if you do just prefolds and covers, but if I am saving so much money, I don't have a big problem spending a few extra dollars per diaper and getting an easy to use kind. Here is my plan.

My Cloth Diaper Plan:

I am purchasing a few newborn (Rumparooz Lil'Joeys) all in ones since I have read that the one size are still often too big for newborns. I am also getting a few prefolds and covers (thirsties) for the newborn stage. I am also hoping that some of the one size I will be getting will fit her even as a newborn, but I am not counting on it. So as a newborn, she will have 4-6 one size, some prefolds and covers, and maybe some one size that will work.

I am ordering 1-2 each of several brands of diapers that I have researched and look like something I would be happy using. After that I will order more of what works best for us. I know a lot of times what works for one baby doesn't really work for another. Also, my husband is okay with doing cloth diapers, but if he could choose, it would be disposables. So I also want to have something that will be easy for him. I decided to do all in ones with inserts and a couple pocket diapers that my sister really likes and recommended. To me none of the ones I am getting, except maybe the prefolds in the beginning, are harder than disposables. Maybe a little harder for me, but only because I am the one who will be washing the diapers.

I already mentioned the Lil'Joeys that I am planning on getting. They don't have any inserts or anything so are really, really easy. They come in packs of two for about $28. I am considering getting a newborn size of BumGenius as well. Mostly because there are so many good reviews on it and even though it didn't look like one of the best to me, I am intrigued to see if it really is that good. I also already mentioned Thirsties. This is another one that my sister said she used in the beginning, and they have them sized so that they will fit a newborn. After the newborn stage, which is usually when the baby reaches around 12 pounds, I will start using the one size diapers. The one size just means the size can be adjusted to fit different sized babies. Anyway, I am going to try GroVia (one of the ones that looks the best to me). they are just a shell/cover and you snap in an insert. If the shell doesn't get dirty, then you can use it again for the next diaper change. I like this because it cuts down on laundry and the amount of diapers I will need to buy. If I had to choose a brand to buy several of right now, it would probably be this one. But I haven't tried them, so who knows? I am also going to try Softbums because a lot of moms have reviewed that they really do fit a newborn. Then I am trying   Flip diapers because they are recommended to me by my sister, are cheaper than other diapers and look easy. I am trying the BumGenius one size for the same reason I mentioned above. I am trying Wahmies because they have an inner hook and loop that seem to give the diaper a really good fit. I am trying Peachy Keen by Niffty Nappies because I have read good reviews about them and I really like the prints they have. I think those are all the ones I am going to start out with. Oh, I haven't decided, but I am also interested in trying Smartipants. They are a pocket diaper, but you don't have to pull the diaper out of the cover because it just comes out in the wash. I didn't believe this but from other moms reviewing the diaper, they say it really does come out in the washing machine.

I am also getting cloth wipes. I am a little skeptical of using cloth wipes, but it seems cheaper and easier than having a pail for diapers and then having to throw the wipes away separately. So I think it might be easy to just have the cloth. So I am buying lots of diapers, cloth wipes, diaper inserts, and diaper accessories like the wet bags, wipes solution, and laundry soap (I am getting the Rockin Green Hard Rock that I have read really great reviews about). All together I am planning to spend around $400 for the initial investment. I know it sounds like a lot, and I also know that I could do cloth diapers for cheaper, but I feel like I am still spending so much less than I would be for disposables! Plus, I would really rather go the easiest route with cloth diapers and I am willing to pay extra for that. I think it is interesting that I thought it was so weird and disgusting to do cloth diapers at first, and now I am really excited about it!