Showered with Love

I am so lucky and blessed to be so close to so many of my family. At my double shower with MaryAnn we received lots of baby advice and inspiration for motherhood- as well as the necessary supplies to accomplish it! Compare this pic with one from May 31 (Pampering the preggos). We all look so different, I guess that is an indication of how different all our babies will be different.

My Grandma made me a beautiful quilt (Part of tradition that Jackson will be lucky enough to be a part of)My beautiful sisters and sister in law. Our family is growing exponentially now!My Aunt Vickie (hosted the shower . . .THANK YOU) and her beautiful daughters who I look up to as the bets mothers I know. Hopefully I have a few of their genes!My mom made me bumper sheets, a valence and a matching quilt. She is incredible. I will post a pic of the babies room when we get it done and you will be amazed at her talent.

For those who are interested, I took notes on the advice we recieved to be a good mother. One advice was to journal or blog about the progress the baby makes and so here I go blogging this.

Advice

*Start right from the beginning toing scripture study, prayers, FHE and other routines. When they are young they are still willing and excited to do it.

*Enjoy their childhood it goes fast and ever child is so different, enjoy each one.

*Tone of voice is vital, keep the peace in your voice.

*Time is NEVER wasted when you are with your kids. It is the most important thing you can do! Play with them

*Watch family home videos for FHE. Take l0ts of video for each kid to remember them

*Do sign language so they can learn to communicate with you

*Don't stop dating your husband weekly

*Make a game of cleaning up (Here comes gunny bag . . .)

*Have clean up only 1 or 2 times a day so you aren't cleaning all day.

*Make traditions they turn into the memories.

*Crying relieves stress, don't be afraid to let go.

*Train your kids, don't let them train you (But answer ever cry until they are 4 mo.)

*LOVE with all your heart

*Be proud to be a mother

*Have an FHE journal or a kid journal. Write one good thing they do a day- tell them what you loved about them that day

* Laugh, don't be uptight- These kids are from out of town and don't know the rules and procedures here. WE need to teach them

*Motherhood is the one thing we develop in this life that is exactly what we will be doing for the rest of eternity. Thus, our heart needs treasure motherhood.

Happy Birthday Jamie

With Dave and my birthday only 2 weeks apart we always get to have a lot of fun pampering each other in June. Dave always is so good to me and so thoughtful! When we were dating 2 years ago, Dave took me up to Sundance and we rode bikes down. Being 9 months pregnant, bikes were out of the question . . . but Dave still made it special. I thought we were just going to lunch, but Dave had bigger and better plans. He had taken a half day of work off and made a picnic lunch. We rode the lift and Sundance up to the top and ate in the shade as we enjoyed the beauties around us. We read, walked, talked and enjoyed being together. To top it off, we also went to Happy Sumo, for the best meal I've had in over a year . . . I am still tasting it in my dreams! Thanks, Dave! You make my life completely happy! I love you!

Summer Fun

We are trying to do many of the things we enjoyed doing last year, (but it just isn't the same with the belly bubble).


Here we are enjoying a bonfire (but we didn't stay the night),




















Climbing to Bridal Veil Falls (but we didn't go all the way up)
Watching fireworks at Orem Summerfest (I rested uncomfortably on Dave for support)




















And attending the Manti pageant (Dave played and ran, while I waddled to dinner and back to the show)













Even though this is one of the ugliest pictures we have of me, I think it is a good representation of how I feel . . .like a beached whale trying to find it's way back to the ocean. Slow, massive and thirsty for home. I am excited to "feel like myself again" once the baby is in my arms, rather than on my bladder!

Happy Father's Day

Dave is the new big daddy in my life, with a baby only a month away. I decided to go with the classic father's day gift of a golf driver. Also seen in the picture is last year gift (a smaller and slightly less expensive version of a grill) and a gift from mom (a pan to grill vegi's on). I did make him cook for me on Father's Day, but that is only because he is so good at grilling! I love you Dave, thanks for being willing to try out being a father!

All love and marriage . . .and I helped!

Tyler's Engaged! He and I set up a picnic in Provo Canyon. With a beautiful view and good food (prepared by me) he popped the question and Kacey Holt said "YES!" Way to go, little bro!)

The date is August 15. I am so excited for my little brother and even more excited that Kacey will be joining our family. She is beautiful, kind, funny, and loving. We are lucky to get her!

Dave's Birthday

Dave turned 30 today and thanks to many of you, I sent him 30 emails (with "one to grow on" from the baby). That told him all the reasons he was loved. He was suprised and happy when he saw that he had 31 new messages! We went to Tucanos and to see the movie "Iron Man". What more could a man ask for? He is an incredible husband. I couldn't ask for any better!

The stork is coming!

Profile of his face is pointing up.

A guy in our ward needed a test for one of his ultra sound students and I was more than happy to be the "victim". Yes, I know I have gotten to see this baby early more than most people saw all of their babies combined (total of 6 ultrasounds) But what can I say, Dave is the type who would open all his Christmas presents early and then rewrap them, just to be sure he knew what he was getting!

We found out that the fat thing that is under my right rib is a bum. The movement on the left side is all limbs, mostly the legs and feet. So when he pushes his legs out (on the left) his bum in turn pushes out (to the right or under my ribs). I feel like I am going to be ripped apart at the belly button.

The sweetest part was when he yawned right as the ultra sound was looking at his face and we got a shot of his tongue! It's strange to think it is a real little boy inside. But he is moving enough I won't forget it!

Her is the baby's room as of yet. Hopefully by July there is room for him in the crib!