{Pre} Birth Story

Hello again to the blog world.  I'm sure I have lost my readers by now since it has almost been a year since posting.  But, this is really more for me than for anyone else, so still I write.  But, if you are reading, I suggest getting comfy.  Its a long story.  I will apologize in advance for how lengthy it is, but I really want to remember as much detail as I can.  I won't be offended if you ditch out part way through.

I need to post about Jaxon's Birth Story, however since the 10 days prior to his birth were so exciting crazy, I should probably start there.

I left work on Monday October 15th to go to my appointment. Since my entire pregnancy had been such a textbook pregnancy that I had no reason to believe that this appointment would be anything but routine.  Boy, was I wrong.

Three things to preface: First, my mom had pre-eclampsia with me and my grandma had it with her. (We are both the oldest in our families)  Pre-eclampsia is most common with first pregnancies and can be but isn't always hereditary.  I was mildly concerned about developing it, but wasn't too worried. Second, knowing my family history, my doctor was making sure to monitor my blood pressure and had done a couple lab tests at my last appointment to check my kidney and liver function.  Those tests all came back normal and they just told me to call if I got a bad headache that wouldn't go away with Tylenol.  I didn't have one, so I didn't call.  The only ways I was feeling different were that I was pretty tired, my feet were swollen and my hands would swell and tingle a little.  I just chalked that up to being in my third trimester and thought everything was great.  And last, I NEVER thought or worried about him being born early, in fact, I was positive that he would be late and I would have to be induced.

So, I go to my appointment and they routinely check my blood pressure.  Without saying anything, the nurse calmly checked it again on my other arm.  She hadn't ever done that before so I knew something was up.  I asked her if it was a little high and she simply said that it was.  Come to find out, it was 170/110.  I don't know much about blood pressure or how it works, but I knew that was really high.  I started to worry, but still didn't think much of it.  She had me lie down on my side and came back to check it.  It went down.  I was relieved and thought earlier must have just been a fluke. She informed my doctor and I heard my doctor say "Whoa!" through the door, so I started to get nervous.

When my doctor came in, she was concerned and asked me if I had a blood pressure cuff at home.  I told her I had one at work so I would use that.  She said "I don't want you at work, I want you on bed rest for the next couple days".  I was less than thrilled and immediately started thinking of all the things I needed to do at work for the next couple days and how I really didn't want to be on bed rest. But, I figured if it was just for a couple days then I could tolerate it.  She then told me she was going to do my strep test that day just to have it done even though she normally doesn't do it until 37 weeks and I was 35 weeks.  I was then sent down to have more lab work done and told to come back up to be monitored.

When I came back up, they did a Non stress test.  Thankfully, Jaxon was doing great.  The nurse even said "He doesn't care what is going on, he sounds great"  I was very relieved.

I was sent home on strict bed rest for the day with medication for my blood pressure.  I was instructed to monitor my blood pressure and call to report in the morning.

I was so excited because I felt like the medication was working and I thought I would be back to my normal routine in no time.  That changed quickly when I called the office in the morning and after hearing my blood pressure report, the nurse said "Oh, well it seems like the medication isn't working"  I was so bummed.  I guess it just wasn't enough.  She talked to my doctor and then told me that my doctor wanted me to come in to the office for more tests and to get a steroid shot for the baby's lungs.  Just the thought of the shot made my blood pressure rise.  I'm a huge baby about needles.  Oh, and lets not forget, the nurse told me that my doctor wanted me to be on bed rest for the rest of my pregnancy....5 weeks.  I was crushed. I held back tears as I got the rest of my instructions before coming to the office and then broke down after hanging up.  Lets just say that I am not good  terrible with change.

I immediately tried to get a hold of Cam to let him know and continued to cry by myself until he could call me back.  I was a sad sight.  He immediately headed home so he could take me to my appointment.  Bless him. I was in no condition to do it alone.

I got myself together physically and emotionally and we headed in to the office.  I was given many instructions about my medication, blood pressure monitoring, 24 hour urine collection (so glamorous), and then the dreaded shot.  I was worked up about nothing.  It was not bad at all.  My doctor then came in and let me know that she did not think I would make it to my 37 week mark.  I was at 35.5 weeks at that point.  And then she went on to inform me that if my blood pressure did not improve, I would be spending my bed rest time in the hospital.  That was almost the last thing I wanted to hear.  I shouldn't have been surprised though, things were changing by the minute around here.  I had just gotten my mind around being on bed rest for 5 weeks and now I hear I might be in the hospital and my baby would most likely be coming within a week and a half not 4 and a half weeks.  Oh wow.  We then headed home for a roaring anniversary celebration.  Did I mention that it was our 4th anniversary?  I must have forgotten :).  It was incredibly exciting with me not allowed to leave the couch or bed and Cam working on the house.  Jen was kind enough to bring us Cafe Rio and Marc Farnsworth and Steve Swenson came over to help Cam.  It wasn't romantic, but we are so grateful for everyone's support and help.

The next morning, I called the office again to report my blood pressure.  I mentioned that I had a headache, but felt that it was a side effect of the medication they put me on.  The nurse did not agree.  She spoke to the on call doctor who wanted me to come in earlier than my originally appointed time.  Why was I surprised, nothing was going according to plan.  I hurried to get ready, not showering because I planned to when I got home and my mom came to get me.  I felt so sick on the way and ended up throwing up as we pulled into the parking lot.

The non stress test looked great, they gave me some juice and granola bar to help me feel better and it seemed as though I would be headed home quickly.  Not so fast.  Since I had to do a full 24 hours of urine collection and also wait a full 24 hours to have my second steroid shot, we decided we would go to lunch and come back instead of going all the way home.  Before we left I ran to the restroom and threw up again.  When I came out of the bathroom, Stephanie, my nurse, told me I wasn't going anywhere.  They put me in a room and let me lay down until I could have my shot.  My mom got me lunch, I drank a coke, had a shot for nausea (wow that one hurt) and I was feeling a little better, but my headache was still lingering.  My doctor then came in and suddenly told me that she was sending me to the hospital to be on bed rest.  I was again, crushed.  I was trying so hard to avoid having to do that.  I tried talking her out of it and she did not budge.  I  was told I would be there through the weekend (it was Wednesday), I may be allowed to go home for a couple days the next week and then most likely right back to have the baby.  That was if she didn't deliver the baby while I was there.  My baby shower that was scheduled for Saturday would need to be postponed and I had strict instructions to not even go home first, but to go directly to the hospital.

Again, I shouldn't have been surprised, but I was and I had a hard time.  All the staff and my nurse were so sweet when I was leaving.  They gave me hugs and reassured me that I would be well taken care of.  They couldn't have been sweeter.  I made a phone call to Cam to tell him the change of plans (I had already told him things looked good and thought I was going home) and my mom and I headed up the hill to the hospital.

The hospital was expecting me and I was quickly put in a very nice room with the absolute best nurse I could have asked for.  I changed and was hooked up to the NST machine and then she put my IV in (I can't believe how bad that hurt), and then I was left to rest.  By that time Cam was off work and came right up to the hospital and my mom, who had not planned on spending the whole day at the doctors office and hospital, headed home.  I'm so grateful my mom insisted on taking me to my appointment that day, it was so comforting to have someone with me with all the changes.  And its hard to beat the comfort of your mom being there for you.

They monitored me and had me on the IV in Labor and Delivery for 8 hours.  Jen and Wade were nice enough to come keep us company.  Cam ran home to grab everything that I put on a list.  Mostly anything that would help me pass the time.  After an uneventful few hours I was moved to postpartum.  I'm almost certain they put me in the tiniest room in the very back corner of the floor.  However, since I only saw outside of my room 2 times during my entire stay, it didn't really matter where it was.

Basically, I just sat in that room for Thursday and Friday.  The CNA checked my blood pressure every 2-3 hours and the nurse checked my reflexes and made sure I didn't have a headache or abdominal pain a few times a day.  I was only allowed to use the restroom which was 2 feet from my bed.  I wasn't even allowed to really get up and walk around my room and I was most definitely not allowed to walk the halls.  The two times I left the room, I was taken to another room to first, do a Non Stress test, and the other for an ultrasound.  I couldn't believe how much my blood pressure would rise when I would just get up for the restroom and even the wheelchair.  It would shoot up and take about a half hour to come back down.
Just a side note, during the ultrasound, they measured Jaxon to estimate his weight.  They thought he weighed 5 lbs 14 oz at that time.

I was so excited when Dr. Macy came in on Thursday and told me that I could shower she might let me go home on Friday and I was even more thrilled on Friday when she gave me the OK to for surely go home.  It was a welcome surprise given that I thought I would be there through the weekend.  She was contemplating just letting me go home for 24 hours so I could go to my baby shower, but she felt that my blood pressure and labs looked good enough to just see me in the office on Tuesday.  I was ecstatic!  Things were finally going my way :) I was still on very strict bed rest, but I could be at home!

While I was at the hospital, Cam would come at night to sleep so I wouldn't have to be alone. The rest of the time he was either at work or working on the house.  So many people came to help while I was there, people I haven't even met from our ward, friends, and family.  They all worked so hard to get things done for us and I couldn't be more grateful.  The funny thing is, that when I got home from the hospital from my first stay, our house was all torn apart. It was much worse than when I left.  The entire family room was filled with tools, old fridge and furniture.  You couldn't walk around or sit anywhere.  The floor was torn out and there was dust everywhere.  It was almost comical how crazy it was, but I knew it had to get worse before it got better.

Cam came straight from work on Friday to pick me up and we came home and I went right to bed.  Its amazing how tiring it was to just ride in the car.  I was so worn out.  The next morning I went to my baby shower at my Grandma's house.  My sister-in-law, Emilee and my sisters threw it for me.  My mom and grandma also helped a lot with it.  They did such a cute job!  It was so fun to get so many nice things especially because I really had nothing for him yet.  And it was especially fun to see everyone and so nice to be out of the hospital.  I was a good girl and stayed sitting the entire time and I didn't even drive to or from there.

Saturday, Sunday and Monday were all spent in bed.  I kept thinking that most likely Jaxon would be born at the end of the week.  I had heard that Dr. Macy was going out of town the next week and I didn't want to have someone else deliver him and I kinda guessed she felt the same way, so I was really hoping for that next weekend.  But, I tried to not plan on anything because of how things had gone already.

During the weekend, I monitored my blood pressure by checking it every 3 hours.  I had to call Dr. Macy on Sunday to report them and she was very pleased with how they were looking.  I was proud of myself because I was trying to hard not to do too much or get up at all and it seemed to be working.

Surprisingly, bed rest wasn't as bad as I was thinking.  It actually went by pretty quickly because I had so many people checking up on me with phone calls or coming to visit.  I made many phone calls to work to update them on what was going on and to let them know what things needed to be done. I was also busy ordering things online. Did I mention that we didn't even have a carseat yet?  Even more surprisingly, I actually didn't mind being in the hospital for part of it.  My nurses and CNA were amazing, the food was great, and the room was nice.  I was actually looking forward to going back and if you know me at all, that is saying a lot!  I'm actually kind of grateful I had to be there just for bed rest because it made my nerves about delivery really calm down.

I guess I will stop there.  If you read this whole thing, you deserve some kind of reward.  You wouldn't think it, but I feel like I could say so much more.  I really just want this for journal keeping purposes, so I didn't put much effort into the entertainment factor and I'm sure you could tell :)  I continue the rest of the story in a different post.      
 

Christmas Day 2011

Before I give you the run down, let me just say two things.

1.  I think we should vote to make Christmas be on Sunday every year.

2. I did not take any pictures...I know, terrible right.

With that being said, here is the itinerary for our crazy Christmas Day

7:30: Wake up to open presents

8:00 Get ready for the day

9:00 Church at our parents ward

10:00 Home to change

10:30 Open presents at mom and dad's and talk to Zach!

11:30 Head up to Grandma Hill's house for more presents and lunch

1:00 Quick nap on the couch

3:00 Make our way to Wade and Jen's...wait and wait for everyone to get there

5:00 Open more presents, play the new game again

8:00 On our way again, this time to Grandma Ferrin's for bingo

10:30 Finally heading home to play with our gifts and go to bed

Our Christmas day is always crazy, but we really enjoyed getting to spend time with everyone.  We were very spoiled and are so grateful for everyone's generosity.

Cam surprised me with an Ipad which I have been drooling over since they came out.  He had me thinking it wouldn't happen and of course he pulled it off.  I wish I was as good at surprises as he is.

He got a new gaming chair and a few other nick nack things.  We are both more than happy with all of our gifts.

I can't believe how amazing it was to have Christmas on Sunday.  Not only did we have the whole day off before, the day after as well.  And the best part is that we really get to focus on the true meaning and purpose of Christmas by attending Sacrament meeting first thing in the morning.  I really wish it could be that way every year.  It couldn't have been more perfect.  We had a very Merry Christmas this year.

Christmas Eve 2011

Christmas Eve was very relaxing this year.  I loved being able to be home and get things done in the morning instead of having to work like usual.  In the morning I finished up the treats that I had stopped making at 1:00 that morning.  I packaged them up to deliver and finished wrapping presents.  I felt so prepared and LOVED it.  By the afternoon, we were completely ready for all the festivities.

We made our quick deliveries and then we went to Mission Impossible with Wade, Jen and Kylee.  It was our first experience in an IMAX theater and it was awesome!  After the movie, we picked up food from Empire and headed to the Wade and Jen's for our traditional Christmas Eve party.  When we opened our pajamas and  I was laughing so hard because of how crazy it was.  The boys helped open as many presents as they could and as soon as it was torn open they would grab the pajamas and fling them around all excited.  It was hilarious.  Amber gave Cam this hilarious moustache shirt for his pjs and Kylee gave me cupcake pants which are so adorable.

After changing we played this really fun new game that Am and Ty gave Wade and Jen.  It is called Telestrations.  It is a mix between Pictionary and Telephone and we had so much fun with it.

We called it a night at about midnight.  We crawled into bed and fell asleep while watching Elf.  Very festive, no?

Update

A few weeks ago I got a quick little note from a friend asking if I had given up on blogging.  It sure seems like it, doesn't it?  I'm not sure why I get so overwhelmed, but the whole picture issue on blogger really holds me back. Excuses, excuses, I know.  The truth is, I would really like to have all of our trip blogged before moving on, but since that requires so many pictures to be uploaded, I don't see it happening any time soon.  So, instead of keeping everything on hold anymore, I'll try to just pick up from now on.  

To bring things up to speed a tiny bit, here is an update:

What has Cam been up to?

• Working at Marketstar for Google.  We are loving working so close...lunch dates are so fun! 
• Wrestling season started this week.  See you in February, babe.
• Finished the indoor soccer season.  Lost more than they won, but had fun.
• Setting up a tackle football team.  I'm excited to watch him play. 
• Still working in the Young Men's.  He loves giving the boys a hard time.  He is so good with them. 
• Football, Football, Football.  When he says he loves sports, that is a complete understatement.

Me?

• Still working at the dental office.  I really love (most) of what I do.
• Teaching dance.  I teach ages 3-8 this year.  Boy, are they cute...and quite a handful!
• Realizing (even more) how much I love baking.  I can't get enough of it.
• Still in Activity Days.  I'm starting to feel like I know the girls a little better.  They are so fun.
• Learning that I actually really like watching football.  Even teams I don't really know.  This makes for a much more enjoyable football season for a sports fanatic's wife. 
• Working on projects for the house.  Being so indecisive makes decorating really difficult.  One day I'll have it done.
• Loving the Fall weather and looking forward to all the holidays.

And we can't leave out Hercules:

• Still crazy as ever. At least he is as cute as he is crazy.  We think so anyway. 
• Doing better with chewing.  Still have to keep an eye on him, but I think the worst is over
• Back to sleeping on our bed since the weather turned colder
• Forgets that he weighs 60 lbs. and is not a lap dog.

That's about as exciting as it gets folks.  We love our everyday average life.  Maybe if you are lucky you will hear from us before another three months pass.  Maybe.

Planes, Trains, & Pains

I suppose this post could be titled "The Great and Dreadful Way to our Hotel."  We started off our travels by a surprisingly easy 10 hour flight to Paris.  It went by really fast and was quite pleasant considering.  After that, the day went a little downhill, but since we were at the beginning of a pretty fabulous vacation, we didn't let the stress get to us...too much.  But really, how can you complain when you are on vacation right?  So instead we just chalked it up to having more memories and tried to laughed our way through it.

We had four hour layover in Paris and just as we experienced last time, there was nothing to eat.  We are convinced that Paris has something against food.  Good thing we were prepared and brought snacks. We weren't going to go through that starvation again.

As I said earlier, the first flight went really well.  I often have back pain when I sit and stand a long time, but I didn't...but then shortly after it hit and wow it hit hard.  All that sitting was so bad for it.   It has never hurt like that before.  I couldn't stand straight and walking was a big chore.  Sitting didn't make it any better and if I moved wrong it spasmed so bad I wanted to cry.  It was joyous.  Cam was so sweet and carried both backpacks and most of the time even my purse and pulled both suitcases.  Poor guy.  And I still couldn't keep up. This is as far as I could straighten and my face has the appropriate expression.

And here is Cam aka family pack horse...looking super tough carrying the load especially the white purse.  He really was so sweet to me in all my hobbling (I think I just made up that word) glory.  

We finally got our luggage...(it is usually easiest to find if you wait at the right baggage claim station) and headed  to find the train.  The next bit will be much easier if put into a bullet list.

• Get stopped by a man with a taxi service
• Tell him several times that we do not want him to take us to our hotel...we know it is pretty far and taxis aren't cheap (even when he says his is).
• Finally he takes no for an answer.
• Ask "Information" The best way to our hotel
• He doesn't know, but points us to the train station.
• Train station also doesn't know, but tells us to get to the main metro station and then ask for help
• Pay a lot more than planned for train tickets
• Ride the train to main metro station
• Walk forever again and try to find someone to help point us in the right direction.
• No idea where to go
• Can't understand anyone.
• Have approximately 20 people tell us how incredibly far away our hotel is...we get it people, it's far.
• But no one will tell us how to get there.
• Walk forever.  Back killing, pulling 50 lbs of luggage up and down stairs. 
• Okay lets be honest, Cam was doing the stairs part with both suitcases.
• Finally get help
• Try to buy metro tickets, but they don't take credit cards
• Only have U.S. dollars...no ATMs.
• Customer service guy has pity on us and lets us through for free.  Thank you!
• Arrive at new train station
• It is getting dark and I'm pretty sure we weren't in the safest part of town
• Silent prayers
• Try to buy tickets from convenience store girl.  
• Barely can understand each other
• Won't take a credit card
• Tells us to buy tickets at ticket booth next to her
• Ticket booth is closed...I'm pretty sure she should have known that
• Ask her again for a better suggestion
• Shrugs shoulders...Again no help.
• Silent prayers
• Nice guy who speaks English points us to an ATM and which train...Thank you!
• After 3 tries at ATM, we get Euros
• Go back to ticket machine
• Won't take our money...5 tries later still won't take money
• Back to rude/unhelpful girl
• Sells us a day ticket and said we can use it for 24 hours...we ask to clarify we can use it tomorrow. She says yes. We buy it. Later find out it is only good for the day you buy it. 
• Then tells us the train does not go to our city anymore that night.  
• Are you kidding me?
• She of course doesn't have any better suggestions.
• Try to hold back tears and not look outside at the street that I'm sure we are going to have to sleep on tonight.
• Silent prayers
• Ask bartender for help
• He doesn't speak English, 
• But finally finds someone who does
• Nice girl tells us to take the train, then get on blue bus...Thank you!
• Get on the train.  Finally!
• Remind myself that we are not in Fiddler on the Roof.  By the way everyone is dressed, it sure seems like it.
• Breathe through mouth so I don't gag...it reeked in there.
• Ride train for a long time. 
• So thankful to be on the train. 
• Finally off the train
• Trying to find the bus, and someone who speaks English to help
• No such luck. After all there are only like 5 people around
• Desperately just say "Sacrafano" (our destination city) to people smoking outside the station.
• They point to the blue bus... which is about to leave
• Run!
• Can't run...can't get suitcase up the stairs
• Cam runs to flag the bus down
• Still can't get suitcase up, smoking people come help.  Thank you!
• Run...like an 90 year old...pulling a suitcase
• On the bus!
• Ride for a while
• Bus pulls up to "Sacrafano"
• Off the bus
• Right onto the side of the road...in the dark...not at a hotel.  No idea where to go.
• Silent prayers
• Start walking
• Find a convenience store that so "conveniently" says "Hotel information" on the side.
• Nice worker inside to help us.
• No English
• Show him our Hotel information and he calls Hotel for us.
• Shuttle is on its way.  Thank you!
• Wait outside.
• Shuttle comes.
• Nice driver loads our things Thank you!
• Quick drive 
• We finally made it!

And to think that is the simplified version.  It only took us about 5 1/2 hours to get to our hotel.  It was far, but definitely not 5 1/2 hrs far.  By the way people sounded when we told them where our hotel was, you would have thought it was in another country.  That definitely did not help the stress level.  I noted above that many silent prayers were said throughout the course of our adventure...but I'm pretty sure each of us were constantly praying and boy were those prayers answered.  When we finally got here, we kept saying that we seriously didn't know how we made it.  Thank goodness for blessings of nice people and perfect timing especially in regards to the bus at the end.  I'm pretty sure that was the last bus of the night and if it hadn't been for us catching that, we would have been completely lost.  There were times...many times where I honestly thought there wasn't any way to get here, especially when the girl said no more trains were going that night, but before I let myself get all upset I remembered all of the other times we have been traveling and thought we were completely lost or out of options and we somehow figured it out and then I realized there was no use in crying over it, we would somehow get there or at least have somewhere to sleep.  And we did!

Although the first part of our trip was a little stressful especially with how tired we already were, we were surprisingly in good spirits and have had such a great time.  We think our adventures are pretty funny and we laugh about things like this all the time.  It wouldn't feel like a vacation to us if we didn't have some sort of stressful adventure thrown in there somewhere, that is just what makes life exciting right?  

Anyway, I'm sure that is more information than anyone wanted to know, but I wanted to document it for memory's sake.   

European Vacation

We just got back from a pretty amazing vacation which included a stay in Rome and a 12 day Mediterranean Cruise.  Ever since we went to Europe two years ago we have been planning to go back.  The time finally came and it was well worth the wait!  We had such a great time and took about a million pictures so I will be blogging like a crazy person trying to get caught up.  I hope you enjoy :)

Date Night "Cruise"

One of our favorite things to do is travel.  We would probably head somewhere different every weekend if possible.  Turns out it costs money to do that, crazy right? So, until we have a money tree growing in our backyard, the times we get the chance to go will do just fine. (btw, if anyone knows where to get money tree seeds, I would love to know.  I promise I would share)

We are currently in the anticipation stage of a pretty exciting vacation, and consequently the traveling itch is quite hard to ignore, so in an effort to scratch that itch a little, I planned a Traveling themed date.

Through the course of our date, we would "travel" to three different countries and experience "authentic" food, shop for souvenirs and take touristy pictures at each of our destinations.

Cam woke up to an invitation for the date.  I wrote a poem which I am sure a third grader could have written.  Poetry has never been my talent so I don't think you will miss not reading it.  But, it did the job of hinting at the evening's events and hopefully giving him something to look forward to through the day.  I also put together this little display for fun.  Sidenote: I had it all planned but didn't put it together.  Fell asleep that night and for some reason woke up in the middle of the night and realized I had forgotten, so I hurried and printed the flags and put it together and went back to bed.  I think I should earn extra points for that ;)

Okay moving on.  When Cam got home from work, he was presented with an itinerary which I made up to look like a cruise itinerary. Complete with a cabin number, ports of call, and ship rules and regulations.  I thought the rules were clever (if I do say so myself ;)).  They included: required hand holding, kisses to be exchanged, cuddling during the movie and stressed that sitting separately would not be tolerated. lol.

Our first port of call was London, England.  This was our souvenir shopping portion.  We went to Little Taste of Britain in Layton.  It is a cute, authentic fish and chips shop with a little store that has imported English food, treats, etc.  The store is quite expensive so we don't go often so it was fun to go and get things Cam enjoyed on his mission and things I now love.  We totally recommend this place for Fish and Chips by the way.  It is delicious and very authentic!

The next port of call was Rome, Italy.  This was our dinner part so we went to Olive Garden, naturally.  Dinner was great as usual, I could have done without having my whole glass of water dumped on me, but the waiter gave us extra mints as a peace offering (I promise I wasn't rude about it) so I was happy. 

After sufficiently stuffing ourselves with delicious food, we headed to our final port which was Paris, France for dessert.  I couldn't think of somewhere to go so I made crepes at home.  

And we headed back to our "ship" for a movie under the stars. Our ship being our bedroom and the movie being The Tourist...to fit the traveling theme.  

I'd say it was a pretty fun date night "cruise". I give it 5 stars for food, accommodations, company and crew.  Of course, I wouldn't be the least bit biased :)

 Now I just can't wait for our real vacation!

Birthday 'Stache' Bash

Not only is March the month of Mustaches, but it also the month of Cam's birthday.

So naturally for his party I combined the two.

Luckily we have great friends who were willing to participate in my crazy idea.

Here a some pictures of the event.

The results of Pin the Mustache on Cam

Steve needed a picture of his own because he was so far away :)

We held the dessert hostage until everyone participated in mustache pictures.

Even babies and drinks didn't find their way out of it.

It was a fun night of games and friends.  We love having everyone over and just hanging out!

Thanks for coming! Happy Birthday Babe!

Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not?

I have heard parts of this song before, but on my way home from work tonight I heard the chorus and instantly fell in love with it.  I came home and listened to the whole thing on Youtube and loved it even more.  If I didn't know any better I would have thought the inspiration for the song was our first kiss story.  It fits it. to. a. "T".  

I'm pretty sure I have written about that before, but I'll give you a brief summary. (or you could just skip straight to the song, it seems to tell the story perfectly)

First date....no kiss

Second date....no kiss

Third date....no kiss

.....

Twenty-fourth date...no kiss

Twenty-fifth date....still no kiss so...talking in the car before he drops me off, I had to ask "are you gonna kiss me or not?"

You think I'm exaggerating, but we didn't kiss until we had been dating for a month.  Okay so they weren't all formal dates, but we did see each other every day so I think that counts.  I like to tease Cam about being such a chicken, but in reality I think it was cute that he was so nervous about it.  Call me old fashioned, but I wanted him to make the move.  And to be honest, we were having so much fun I didn't worry that he didn't like me or something, but after a month I was a little tired of waiting :).  So we may taken that part slow, but I think we made up for it with the rest of our relationship because two months later we were engaged and then two and a half months after that we were married.  

Anyway, without further ado. The song....Are Gonna Kiss Me or Not  

Tuesday Confessions

I have seen people do confessions on a couple blogs and I thought it was fun to read their lists.  Since I am waiting for Cam to finish his game so we can go to bed, I thought I'd give it a whirl.  So here goes nothin'.  

1. I don't think I have eaten a thing with any source of nutritional value in the last 48 hours. My diet has consisted of chocolates, buttered/salted popcorn, chocolate covered popcorn, french fries, pizza and Dr. Pepper.  You know its bad when I am actually craving healthy foods.  

2. I don't like the term Hubby at all.  Don't take offense if you use it, that is totally your choice, but as for me, I will never use hubby, hubs, husby, hubster or anything like that.

3. Although I would love to be, I am not a routine person.  However, my morning routine is strictly the same almost every day.  This is especially important in my showering routine.  Also, I cannot blow dry my hair right after getting out of the shower, it has to air dry for a few minutes before.  During these few minutes, I start, but don't finish my make up.  Once I am done blow drying, I finish my make up and then straighten my hair.    

4.  I absolutely hate raisins.  I think they are so disgusting and even though I hardly pass up anything sweet, I won't eat sweets with raisins.  However, I love raisin bran and in that case, the more raisins the better.

5.  I would definitely rather be cold than hot.  Being hot makes me grumpy.

6. I talk to my puppy like he is a person.  

7.  I absolutely have to say "I love you" to end a phone conversation to anyone in my family, but especially Cam.

8.  I could read about cooking tips and tricks all day.  In fact, I have a couple cook books that are filled with such information and I could read them like a novel.

9. I love old buildings.  I love older homes, churches, and especially European castles. They are so charming and filled with so much character.

10.  I love pretty packages.  I definitely believe in the phrase "presentation is everything".  I happily (and sometimes unhappily) stress about how the things I bake and the gifts I give are going to be packaged or presented.  I really appreciate how things are displayed and put almost as much effort into how something looks as how it tastes. 

So there you have it...10 random facts that I'm sure you were dying to know.  I thought it would be harder to think of things, but it was actually quite easy and fun.  Hopefully you will see a post about our Christmas sooner than later, as soon as I upload the pictures :)   

Fire Burnin'

When we bought our house, my favorite part of it was instantly the fireplace.  I adore fireplaces and always wanted one in my house someday.   My grandma has a closed fireplace and she uses it all the time, I believe that is where my love for fireplaces came from.

Since we moved in our house in the spring, we haven't ever had a fire. So you can bet as soon as the weather showed signs of getting cooler I had plans of having a fire.  The chance finally came and I loved it even more than I thought I thought I would.  Here are some pictures of the event.

My (super cute) personal fire builder

So cozy!

I just love the warm, cozy glow it puts on the room

Hercules loved it, he just laid there and watched it all night.

I can't wait to do it more often.  Bring on the holidays!

to...two...too...

Two years have passed since we became Mr. and Mrs. George.  I have one thing to say about the second year of marriage...it went by twice as fast as the first.  I really feel like I just wrote about our first anniversary and here we are again.  The other thing I could say about the second year is that it was twice as good as the first too!

To celebrate we stayed at Little America and it was sooo much fun.  I have always wanted to stay there and we were not disappointed.  The room was huge and beautiful,  the service was awesome, and the pool and hot tub were so nice.  It is now one of my favorite hotels.  

We started our day visiting our new "niece" Quinn.  We had seen her right after she was born the day before, but I couldn't stay away and it wasn't hard to convince Cam to take a trip back to the hospital in the morning before going to the hotel.  We just love her (and her parents of course) and loved being able to see and hold her again. 

After peeling ourselves away from Quinn we headed to the hotel and lounged in our room watching football (mostly Cam) and reading (mostly me)  We took a dip in the hot tub and ate dinner at the Roof.  On a side note, during the hour or so we were eating, we had two couples get engaged and those were only the ones we saw.  I wonder how many times that happens in a night.  Anyway, we had such a fun time.  Its funny because I was super excited to lounge in our room and go to dinner, and those were so much fun.  But, I think swimming in the morning before we went home was almost the funnest part.  We were laughing and playing in the pool and it reminded me of our dating days.  I loved it.  

I told Cam that I would not object if we made The Little America and The Roof our tradition every year.  It was perfect.  Thanks Babe for such a fun weekend and thanks even more for another fabulous year!

Dancing for the King

Last year I was given the opportunity to teach a couple dance classes as the studio I used to take at.  I was so excited to put on my dance shoes after hanging them up for a couple years.  I taught two classes, the eleven/twelve year olds, and seven/eight year olds.  I loved getting to know those cute girls and being able to see them learn and progress throughout the year. 

(Eleven/Twelve--"Smooth Criminal")

(Seven/Eight--"Rockin' Robin")

Our theme for the spring recital was "A Tribute to the King of Pop" so all the dances were to Michael Jackson songs.  I personally love his music and think he was an amazing artist so I was especially excited!  The other reason I loved it was because I was that we, as teachers, were able to perform in the finale which was "Thriller".  I forgot just how much I love the thrill of performing and I loved every second!  Even though it was a pretty short section that we performed, I couldn't help but be pretty nervous backstage as I waited to go on.  It was really fun to be able to perform with my sisters and sister-in-law, it was quite the family affair :)  Here are a few more pictures of the occasion. 

Sisters!

They have some serious moves! It was so fun watching and cheering for them!

And of course, what would a post be without a picture of this handsome fella?

It was so fun knowing he was in the audience :)

Pretty freaky huh?

Tim McGraw

When we heard Mr. McGraw would be making a visit to Utah a few months ago, we quickly picked up some tickets and looked forward to it for what seemed like forever.  
I was really excited to hear Lady Antebellum, but we ran into some uber bad traffic on the way and ended up missing them completely.  It took us a whopping 2 hours to get to the venue.  I'm surprised that any of us had hair by the time we arrived, but we made it just in time for Tim and quickly forgot about the commute. 
My favorite part of the concert may have been when Tim pulled a little girl up on stage and danced with her while singing "Tiny Dancer". Talk about melting your heart!
Cam loves any excuse to dress up and considering the event, I shouldn't have been surprised with what he came up with.  Much to my dismay, the handlebar mustache made a comeback.  Even though I hate it more than anything, I have to admit that it was quite fitting for the occasion and Cam blended in quite nicely with the crowd.  He won't believe me, but I ended up thinking that it was really funny...especially because he shaved it off first thing the next morning :)

Wrinkles

Most people fear the day they will find them, but this little guy pulls them off quite nicely.  In fact, for him, the more the better.

This is Hercules, but we call him Herc.  He is the newest resident at our house we just adore him.  Cam has always wanted an English Bulldog.  I wasn't always so thrilled about it, I just didn't think they were all that adorable. You see, I am used to tall sleek hunting dogs and English Bulldogs couldn't be more opposite.

But, over time I warmed up to their squished faces and stocky bodies and now we have this cute guy as our little buddy and we just love his adorable face.

As soon as I even showed signs of changing my mind about English Bulldogs, Cam jumped at the chance to start looking for one.  There were two that we were debating between, but Herc won  and now, lucky for us, he is ours to keep. 

I was quite surprised when Cam went and picked him up earlier than I thought he would be available.  He brought Herc to his softball game where I was to meet him there later.  I was quite confused when his Aunt was holding Herc, but I thought it was just a dog that was his identical twin.  I fell for the trick hook, line and sinker and before they told me that it was in fact my puppy, I was utterly amazed that at how much "her" puppy looked like ours.  I can be quite gullible sometimes.

Having animals around is not a new experience for either Cam nor I, but this is a first for both of us as far as training and being the sole caretaker of one.  We have really enjoyed it.  Don't get me wrong, we don't love his constant chewing of our furniture, rugs and most annoyingly our feet. And cleaning up accidents is not on our lists of favorites either, but since he is as cute as can be its hard to stay upset for long. 

Anyway, before I start sounding like one of those crazy cat ladies, I will just leave you with this cute picture. 

Look at those paws!

I shouldn't be surprised

On our way home from our date tonight Cam suggested a movie before bed.

I agreed 

I took 2 minutes to let the dog out, change to pajamas and take a potty break. 

I swear it couldn't have been more than two minutes. 

I'm ready for the movie... but where is Cam? 

Asleep on the couch.

Sound asleep

Still fully dressed right down to his shoes. 

How that boy can fall asleep in the blink of an eye is beyond me.   

Its just as well, we need to go to bed anyways.

So, I'm not bothered at all, just laughing because

I shouldn't be surprised.

Makin' a comeback

It has felt like we have been gone from our little blog for a long time.  We haven't had internet at home since we moved and it has felt like forever!  I have written a couple of posts while on other computers but didn't post them due to not being able to add pics and we all know how much more enjoyable pictures make reading :) So for all (maybe 2 or 3) of you that read this blog, you can look forward to hearing more from us now! 

It feels good to be back :)

Looking Back

Memorial Day weekend was quite the memorable time 2 years ago. So I thought I would write it down for my sake and if you want to hear about our first kiss then keep on reading.

Cam and I had been spending oodles of time together for about a month and I was loving every second of it.  However, we had yet to do any smooching.  I was suprisingly not very worried about it, I was having so much fun and loved that we didn't just spend our time kissing. I liked that we were developing a strong foundation of friendship.  Don't get me wrong, I knew we were definitely more than friends (it may have taken me a little bit to actually get it through my head that he could actually be interested in me like that) but I knew.  So needless to say, I hadn't given it a ton of thought, nor did I worry about reasons why he hadn't kissed me yet. I just knew it would happen in its own due time.

On the Friday of Memorial Day weekend, we went to his sister and brother-in-law's house for dinner and to play games.  We ended up having and interesting conversation that made me laugh and made Cam laugh but made him squirm a little :)  The conclusion of the conversation was that Cam was basically being a wimp (remember he had just returned from his mission) and that I would basically either need to initiate it, or be patient...but that it could take a long time.  It may sound like that would have been awkward to talk about, but it really was funny and it wasn't awkward in the least.  

Fast forward to the drive home and not suprisingly that conversation got brought up again.  I teased him for being wimpy and kind of laid down the law (in a humorous way of course) that I would not make the first move.  He teased that he could wait forever then and that as long as we could cuddle and I would tickle his arm (he LOVES that), he could wait for months and that at some point he could guarantee that I would break down and make the first move.  Well, I wasn't going to have any of that :)  I said that I hadn't worried about it, but what girl doesn't want the guy she is falling in love with to kiss her?  So I decided to put a little pressure on him.  I told him that I would not tickle his arm or cuddle with him until he kissed me.  He laughed and couldn't believe I would put that kind of pressure on him.  But I was determined to stay strong and hold my ground.

We pulled up to my house and he tried to trick me into tickling his arm while we talked and I refused.  After a small debate, I agreed to tickle his arm with the (very) strict understanding that he would kiss me after 10 minutes and true to his word, he held his end of the agreement. 

The kiss was great for the first couple seconds, but I started to get weirded out when there was absolutely no movement at all.  It was like a peck on the lips that lasted for what seemed like 5 minutes.  "What in the world is going on?"  I thought.  Even though it was probably only 10 seconds it felt like forever and totally not normal.   Thoughts like "he can't be this bad at kissing" and "did he forget how to kiss over the past 2 years" flashed though my mind.  I tried to pull away but he wouldn't let me so I had no choice, but to open my eyes slightly to see what was going on.  I shouldn't have been suprised to see him wide-eyed staring at me trying to weird me out and just waiting to see how long it would take me to open my eyes.  I immediately started laughing and pushed him away.  Who does that? I shouldn't have even been surprised that he would pull a stunt like that.  It was hilarious!

Finally after we stopped laughing, he actually kissed me for real.  It sounds cheesy, but it was the best kiss I had EVER had.  I remember wondering if it was just the slightly awkward way I was turned in the car and the fact that the center console was there that made it so it was hard to breathe, that had never happened to me before. But since that feeling was the same every other time we kissed after that, I realized why my breath really was taken away that night. 

Obviously, our first kiss story isn't the romantic, movie scene kiss, but to me, it is better.  It kind of illustrates our entire relationship.  We laugh a lot, we have fun and we don't let ourselves take everything too seriously.  That just doesn't work for us. 

Last Night

Last night I was feeling a little bothered

Bothered about some things that have been bothering quite a bit lately

Things that I really don't need to be bothered about at all

But I was.

Cam could see that I was bothered

 He always can

No matter how hard I try to hide it

So he asked

I didn't want to say

But he always knows how to get me to talk

I expressed concern

He listened

And then he did what he does best

He made everything that I was worried about not so bad anymore

He made it all go away

He told me all the reasons I shouldn't worry about it

And all the ways he would help if my worries came true

He always knows what I need to hear

I felt so much better

And then he made me strawberry milk

And I was one happy girl again

He is my favorite

Easter Weekend

Easter/Conference weekend was a lot of fun.  I always enjoy Conference and getting to listen to our Prophet and other leaders of the Church speak.  It really is such a priviledge.  Saturday morning I woke up earlier than Cam (surprise surprise :)) and made breakfast burritos before the first session.  Not to toot my own horn or anything, but they were delicious and better yet Cam loved them.  He asked if I could wake up every day and make them for him, so I suppose they were a hit. 

Cam went for a bike ride later in the day and I picked up the house and got ready for girls night with my mom and sisters.  We made a cute spring topiary and then went to H.M.S. Pinafore (a play) that my grandpa was in.  I love going to plays, it is something I have done since I was a little girl because my grandpa is very involved with Rodger's Memorial Theater and has been in numerous shows.  I loved getting dressed up and going, I always felt so grown up.  I also loved the music and of course the romance which was usually a common theme.  While I sat at the show I made a promise that I would always make a point to carry on the tradition with my little girls.  I'm really excited for that. 

For Easter, I put together a basket for Cam. Obviously we don't have kids for me to spoil, and I also can't help doing fun things for Cam so I always take advatage of an excuse to do something fun and different.  I filled his basket with simple things that were needed and useful but also fun.  He got some new flip flops for Florida, a bag thing for his bike and then one funny thing.  I got him these window crayons for the shower.  I saw the idea on a blog where the writer and her husband leave notes in the shower for each other and I thought it was a really cute idea so I stuck those in with his other gifts.  And of course he got a bunch of candy which was a really bad idea because I think I ate more of it than he did.  Not a good thing when you are in a weight loss competition.  Oh well :).  I also sent him on an Easter egg hunt.  To mix it up a little, I found a cute idea on that same blog so I put little notes in the eggs along with the candy.  The notes said things like "You are an eggs-ceptional husband" or "My life with you is eggs-traordinary" and so on. It made it fun and he liked the added touch.  

That afternoon, Cam rode his bike up to Layton for our family party with the George's.  We watched the afternoon session and had dinner.  It was a lot of fun.

The weekend was really relaxing and so fun.  Like I said, I love Easter and Conference and putting the two together really makes it especially fantastic.  Hopefully all of you had a fantastic weekend as well.