"Eye Goop"

No this does not mean the yellowish, sometimes crusty, little balls of stuff that form in the corners of your eyes while you sleep. No, this is not what forms when infection attacks your eyes in the form of pink eye. And this also does not mean the liquid form of eye shadow that some may use. No, this actually is the term Jarod used to describe mascara... that he liked the way the "eye goop" frame and enhance my eyes. Silly what guys will come up with.

First Non-Family Babysitter

Last night as I drove away from Reagan to go to Jarod's work Christmas party, I got to thinking... The roads were pretty slick and people were speeding by us. I hoped nothing would happen to us not for my own safety neccessarily but for the outcome of what would happen to my little girl. I wanted to see her again. Strange what happens to your outlook and thoughts on scary roads when you become a mother.

Bow-Tying Skills

Jarod is having me wrap all of the gifts this year... just like last year. We just got a gift we ordered for a friend and I tested out my bow-tying skills. I think it turned out alright. I wish I could have used more ribbon; but hey, work with what you got... right?

All Growed Up

Reagan has reached 3 months and already I see signs of what it will be like when she wants to start getting into everything. When she sits down on the couch she leans forward so she can support herself. She prefers standing or lying on her back to kick her legs. She appears older than she is in her actions, but I have nothing but the children I watched at the day care center to compare her to. We shall see if she continues to hit the milestones early.

Mommy and Me and Daddy

We love our cuddle time. Both dad and mom have come to love being the one that Reagan looks to for comfort, love, and laughs.

Two of a Kind

Reagan has a striking resemblance to me in some of my baby pictures. These are of us in my blessing dress.

Christmas Ornaments

Many of you know that Jarod's family brought him up on the tradition to get a new ornament every year. I on the other hand had never done this sort of tradition. So as we try to build up my collection so that our tree doesn't have the appearance of belonging to a bachelor, I get two every so often. We also make sure to put decorative balls on the tree so that it looks Christmas-y. Now that we have Reagan we get to start picking out some for her every year until she can choose for herself. Here is her first ornament that she will take with her as she starts her own traditions.

Evidence is Everywhere

Reagan loves bath time and I have to say that I enjoy it too. The other night I got out some of the fun water toys that we received and let them float in the tub with us. Reagan was interested in them but couldn't quite play with them yet. After our bath, Jarod had his turn and took the toys out (I don't know why because I think that they are fun to play with too). I got a shot after all the bathing was complete. There is officially proof everywhere that we have a child in our home. From the baby swing in the living room to the crib in the bedroom and now this in the bathroom.

Out of all of the bath time toys, the turtle is my favorite.

Christmas Come Early

Jarod has made it his own tradition to decorate the Christmas tree on the first day of November. He takes a lot of pride in the way he decorates it just right... then has me wrap the presents for the best look of the season. I'm betting he feels it looks good enough to be put in a magazine... maybe one for Hallmark seeing as the majority of the ornaments come from there.

Ouch!

The other day when I made taffy with my preschoolers I was trying to see if the taffy was at the crack stage yet... I wasn't looking where my spoon was and as it drizzled over the cup, I didn't notice until I felt it, the drizzle missed the cup and landed on my thumb which was holding the cup. It wouldn't have been so bad, but it is on the inside of where I hold things. This is where I hold things and for the first little while it hurt to even pick Reagan up with that hand.

All is well now, but boy did it hurt!

Halloween Party

In my preschool today I planned a Halloween party. I got little trinkits to pass out and we were able to make a cute pumpkin activity. We also made some homemade salt water taffy for the children to take home. It was fun to do something different than the everyday activities we have been doing. The salt water taffy had a few mishaps but in the end they were able to take some home. Thier favorite thing was the little cup full of the candy and small toys like bubbles. Next we week will be back to the same ol' same ol'. I wish I would have brought my camera... I just forgot since I woke up a little later than usual for work. Oh, well.

Burglary

While in Utah, we had our car broken into. The trees in front of our house shade the car from the windows so the person who broke into it probably felt some security when they did it. They also must not have been very experienced because they thought they could open our locked door with a crow bar. Once they noticed it would not open and that it was only taking off the front panneling of the door, they gave up and bashed the driver's window in. The only thing they took was our old GPS system of which we didn't care that much about. The thing that was the worst about the situation was the violation of safety we felt as well as replacing the broken window. Come on people, we would have given the out-of-date GPS to you if you had only knocked on the door and asked for it.

Though it was our fault that we didn't disuade the intruder by bringing in the electronic piece, Jarod figures that it would have been broken into anyway - by where the car was parked and that every car he has owned has been broken into at least once. The nice thing is that the window replacement price was in reason and didn't break the bank. I guess from now on we will be parking on the driveway at my house.

Time Flies

Reagan is now 2 months old and it seems like we have had her forever. I can't remember what it was like to not wake up and see her looking up at me from the crib. Our little sugar plum is growing fast and one day she won't be so little anymore. It is hard to imagine this Christmas coming up and how Reagan will be. I can't wait to see how she grows, yet I don't want it to happen too fast. Year by year I know she will get older and start making her own decisions. I know that I will not be able to control how she turns out in the end except by the ways that I teach her now. One day she will decide to do something I don't approve of and I will have to trust that I did my best. One day she will do something great and I will know that in a combined effort, she was raised and taught and led to make that great thing happen but made it happen by her own doing as well. I will always love her despite it all and though it may not be easy, I will show that love day in and day out.

Spoiled Baby

I never thought that our baby would be spoiled in the sense of attachment. I am all for babysitters and child care for a few hours a day or a week. I know she will be somewhat spoiled because she is the first born and we can't help ourselves to get her cute things not just for her but for ourselves as well. But today Reagan demonstrated her spoiled-ness when I left for a girls' night with a friend. Reagan was home with dad and ready for a bottle after I left . Well, Reagan would not be consoled by a diaper change, the bottle, or any cuddling. She knew I was gone and that didn't sit well with her. Jarod jokingly said that I wasn't allowed to leave the house again without her, but I just let him know the more I left the better she would be when I was gone. We will see how it turns out as we attempt to accomplish this.

Becoming a New Mommy

Something everyone is bound to ask me when I get to talking with them is how I am feeling and how I am doing. The first thing I always say is that I am tired. I get a few good nights with Reagan but lately she is going through some kind of growth spurt that is conflicting with her lazy eating style. Beyond that, being a mom is fun. I get to see the different things that Reagan learns day in and day out, as well as the cute smiles she gives me when she is completely content. I love to see her personality coming through when these times happen. As for the dirty diapers and the fussiness, it comes with the territory and only once in a while does it get to me. I knew what I was getting into when I became a mommy and I have not been surprised in the least.

Weight

This whole pregnancy I was concerned as the scale tipped on the higher end with each appt with the doctors or WIC. I could tell it wasn't that normal to gain about 11 lbs in the first trimester... especially when all the literature stated that the majority of women lose weight in thier first trimester. As time went on I got used to the fact that I would gain more than usual because I was underweight (according to my BMI). I ended up on the higher scale of weight gain and when Reagan was born, she took a few pounds off. Now I have lost half of what I have gained with this pregnancy (a third of which Reagan took with her). I am completely content with the way things turned out, but I know that from my experience, it is always hard to see the numbers on the scale continue to go up even when you know it is for a good cause. The best thing to do is to make sure you keep up healthy habits and throw away any scale you have in the house. :)

Up and Coming Holidays

Today I set about trying to create a Halloween costume for Reagan from scratch. I used one of her onsies as a background pattern... but silly me, I didn't account for stretchability. I think the one I made today will be too small by Halloween... especially with the way Reagan has been eating lately. I may try to make a new one, or I may give in and get her a costume from Kmart. I got somewhat frustrated today with the way my pattern was supposed to work and when I finally got an end product I was very happy with it... until I tried putting it on a frustrated Reagan. Oh well. Practice makes perfect.

First Family Picture

We went to the gardens and took our first family picture on Sunday. Here is my favorite.

Reagan's Blog

I have created a blog that is strictly updates involving Reagan. I call it A Picture a Day and we will be updating it daily as best as possible. The catch is that because it is a blog featuring my child I am having it be a private blog. If you would like to have access to it, I will give you the login name and password. Email me at karishuey@gmail.com or comment. I can either invite you if you have a gmail account or you will be able to login using an account I have created for multiple users. There will still be a few updates here and there in my blog, but I would like to keep my blog for updates regarding Jarod and me mostly along with our family in total. Happy reading.

There is a link on the left side of my blog under "My Other Blogs". Once you have the username and password or have been invited you can click on this link and login.

Cute Sleeper

We laid Reagan down for bed on her back last night, and she turned on her side. We turned her back and when we checked on her again, she was again on her side. One more time we moved her but to no avail... Reagan definitely preferred sleeping on her side. Here is a picture of how she got comfortable.

Picture Perfect

It is amazing the kinds of pictures you can capture when you don't even try to. Reagan got into a real cute position while my mom was holding her and while she was napping. I don't know what made her grin just a little bit, but when I looked back at the pictures I shot off, I was pleasantly surprised at the end effect of the pictures taken.

No Heartburn... and Yet...

So I don't put any credit into the heartburn wives tale. They say if you have tons of heartburn your baby will have lots of hair. I had once in a while a little irritation at the back of my throat only when I drank water and only when I was lying down without much of a prop for my head to stay elevated. Yet Reagan came into this world with enough hair to help her look more feminine right off the bat.

The Birth of Reagan

Hurray! The hospital has wireless internet... I can actually do something besides sit here and feel the pains of giving birth.

August 25th:
11:40 AM - I go to a weekly check-up and find I am 4 cm dilated. I am told I probably wont make it to the weekend but they schedule an induction anyway.
3:00 PM - I have contractions consistently for 3 hours at 6-7 min apart but nothing not able to be handled.

August 26th:
8:00 AM- I wake up with no contractions, feeling well enough to go to work.
9:30 AM- for the next 2 hours I have a total of 3 contractions that don't feel so great but are bearable.
2:00 PM - I start feeling contractions about 15 min apart that also are bearable but not all that great. I let the child I nanny watch a little Sponge Bob so I can cope with them. His mom comes home about 2:40 PM.
3:00 PM - I get in the bath to relieve my contractions that are about 10 min apart. The third one I had hurts enough that I need to get out of the bath.
3:30 PM - The contractions start hurting enough to make me cry. We call the Madison's Womens Clinic to see if they should see us or if I should go straight to the hospital. They say the doctors are about to go to the hospital but one will wait for me if I can get there right away.
4:00 PM - (approx) Doctor Evan's meets with me and with my painful contractions I can barely sit still. He checks and finds I am 6 cm dilated. He fills out the appropriate paperwork and tells Jarod not to make any other stops but go straight to the hospital. When we get there, the front desk sends me to admitting (much to my frustration) and once I get in that room, as soon as they find out I am 6 cm they immediately send me to labor and delivery.
5:30 PM - (or so) I get an epidural and start to relax.
6:00 PM - (ish) I still feel pain in my left side and it spreads to the center of my abdomen. The pain is excruciating enough for me to have problems breathing. They remove the epidural and try a second time (not as bad an experience as the first one). After about 15 min I feel no more pain. However, I feel it is definitely time to push. They check me and sure enough I am dilated to a 10 by 7:00 PM or so.
7:00 PM - For the next few hours they have me push but with no luck. After a long break they have me push again but the baby is not coming as fast as it should. They said that it appears like she could have a cord around her neck. About 9:00 PM I got a special visitor - My mom came for the birth.
10:20 PM - (or so) Dr. Evans comes in and says we have three options: A C-Section (though not necessary), the vacuum, or the forecepts. I say that since I can't feel anything anyway I would rather not do a c-section.
10:42 PM - Baby Reagan finally comes out, cord around her neck, but hand attached to it as well which makes it a little better. I did tear, but only 2 cm. Reagan weighs 7 lbs and 2 oz, measures 19 1/2 inches long.

4 CM Dilated

I went in for my weekly check up today and they measured me to find I am 4 CM dilated. I scheduled an induction as a possibility on the 3rd, however the nurse who scheduled me for that day said that she would be surprised if I made it that long. The fact is that I may come this weekend so be prepared!

Final Photo Opp

Sunday Jarod and I did a final grand photography session before the baby is to be born. We didn't want to risk waiting too long and having the baby be born before we got the opportunity. We will take more pictures if the weather permits but lately it has been raining. This is one of my favorites that we took. I edited it so that it has the contrast that best suits this type of picture.

Starting a Dream Right off the Bat

For those of you who don't know, I wanted to start and own a child care facility that specializes in preschool after I graduated. Of course I needed to get a business plan drawn up, name chosen, philosophy written, and a bunch more to get it going. My cousin Emily has been helping me with the name and logo and I just have to get everything on that end official so that no one can steal my name. Jarod can help me draw up a business plan now that he is in his major courses. Once he graduates we think we will be moving to Boise and that is where we will find a building to buy or property to own and build on. I have a specific thought in mind for how the building will be, but someone told me it would be better to just find a building. But where do you find a building that caters to all of your needs when it relates to child care? I have to do a little more research on that end.

For now, the lady I nanny for is allowing me to use her house for a very small program. Because of the baby I can only have 6 children total which is just as well becasue I am starting new. This lady has a three year old and wanted him to have some preschool experience before kindergarten... and then found a few othe neighbor children who could join him. This way I get a little extra money, a little extra experience running my own private preschool, and more experience in keeping records for the IRS. I am glad we were prompted to start collecting those records now in the beginning rather than scrambling for it all in the end when tax season has come upon us. I have my info letter, a personal records sheet, a newsletter, and a calendar for the month of September all typed up and ready to be dispersed for those who are participating in my program. Now on to the smaller and important details.

Belated Birthday Update

The week of my birthday Jarod and I went to Utah to visit some family. We had some extra baby shopping we needed to do, so we headed straight to Babies R Us. We picked out a diaper bag and replaced our breast pump. We have made it a tradition to make a meal for my family as well, and though the meal I make is just a favorite of my dad's that he doesn't get very often... Jarod's was his special spaghetti that is unique to him. We made double batches of both enchiladas and the spaghetti. When I asked my dad why he wanted two batches made of the enchiladas, he said that by the time I leave back home, he doesn't have any leftovers. I ended up making him what he wanted and true to his prediction the evening before I left the leftovers from the dish were gone. Jarod made double and my mom was very pleased with that as well. We visited with grandparents on both sides for birthday dinners and with Mike for a birthday lunch. I got a new purse since mine was looking haggard, and Jarod found something very exciting at an Asian Gifts store (pictures below). We also looked for a baby blessing dress. I wanted to use the one I was blessed in, but my mom didn't get it cleaned after the blessing and apparently I had spit up a bit on it. We didn't know if a 20 yr old stain would come out, but it turns out that it did so we get to return the dress we found initially. I can't wait.

For those of you who know Jarod's fetish for comic book materials, this makes total sense. For those of you who are unaware, Jarod collects mostly action figures of his favorite comic book heroes.

It's Official

Yesterday I got my diplomas for both of my degrees. Jarod seemed more excited to put them in their holders than I was so I let him do one. Then he found a place to put them and we made it official. With getting these documents and the progress I am getting in my small preschool I feel like things are coming together.

Much Needed Prego Picture

My cousin mentioned that she wished she could see more updates of the pregnancy and I have had other requests as well... So here is my 37 week picture. Also I tried out my new hot rollers and my hair turned into the end product of Sandra D from Grease at the end of the movie. You can't see it that well, but you get the picture.

The Time Draws Near

It's funny that the closer you get to delivery, the more people volunteer information on how to make the baby come faster whether by old wives tales or by medically proven senarios. The obvious ones are running, walking, jumping up and down, etc.... But I have heard of a few other ones. The paramedic who lives upstairs in our complex mentioned hot baths... but I can't remember if she said it was true or not to worry about it because it doesn't work. Then my visiting teacher mentioned that if you go to get a pedicure and foot massage... they won't massage your feet because it can induce labor... You know how when you have a headache you can massage a part of your hand to relieve it? Well it's the same concept. So here I am getting more and more uncomfortable (finally) and waking up more and more in the middle of the night to use the restroom... and some of these ideas don't sound half bad. Of course I won't intentionally go out of my way to bring on labor because I am terrified of what may be coming (not taking care of a baby because I have more confidence in that but rather of the pain involved with labor) but still thinking how nice it would be if the baby came early and not the same week Jarod starts school let alone two days before. I just have to keep doing what I have been all along with work and staying active. I want this pregnacy to end as well as it has been progressing. Nothing wrong so far... keep your fingers crossed that all will go well.

Starting a New Collection

Jarod's family has this tradition of collecting Halmark ornaments every year. Ever since he was little he got to pick an ornament and add it to the growing collection. Needless to say when we got married and started to decorate our tree it was stuffed with boy ornaments of sports stars and of course comic book heroes. He wanted to continue the tradition but I felt that if we did that the tree would always have the overbearing look of needing to be placed in the living room of a bachelor. He made a deal with me that for every one he got (or every year when we got ornaments) I would be able to get double of that. Ornaments from Halmark can be expensive! But as long as we had the money, money we saved just for Christmas over the year, I thought it couldn't hurt. This year he got two because there has never been a good spiderman one according to Jarod and the batman one was too neat to pass up. Being the softy I am, I let him get both. But there was no way I would be able to double that this year with our finances the way they are after the arrival of the baby in just over a month. However, we are adding to my growing collection of the precious moments disney princess editions. This year we found out they have two every year, a limited edition one and the typical one. Good thing they started last year... otherwise I would have a lot of catching up to do.

No Longer Breech

On Thursday we went to our routine doctor's check-up and I was still wondering if since the last ultrasound, Reagan was still breech. They moved us to a room with an ultrasound machine (one we have never been in) after the typical weight and blood pressure stuff. The doctor came in and measured the baby and listened to the heartbeat. He said (again) she was measuring perfect and her heartbeat sounded nice and strong. And I think he even mentioned that he could tell she was in the right direction. I asked if he could tell she was and he said yes just by feeling my tummy. I sighed a 'darn' (not for the fact she wasn't breech anymore, but rather he could tell without another ultrasound) because I wanted to see her again, not only for the sake of seeing her and how big she is, but for the surety that she was infact a she. We will just have to wait for a bit longer I suppose.

Nanny

I got a job being a nanny for a woman's two - soon to be three children. She 's expecting in November. Starting next monday I get to entertain her three-year-old and her six-year-old for the remainder of the summer. When her daughter goes back to school, I will be starting a preschool program for her son and a few of the neighbor kids (making sure I won't go over ratio for when the newcommers arrive. I have started my ideas for the preschool thing, but for now I need to make sure that I have enough to do to make the last month of summer fun. Monday we are going to a local park for a picnic and following that I wanted a few requests from her daughter. When she runs out of those ideas I will hopefully have had enough time to figure out what exactly goes on in Rexburg for young children. Here it goes.

Jarod's First Crib

The weekend we had the graduation we were able to do a few extra things with Jarod's family. We went to Yellowstone National Park, saw the geysers, ate buffalo meat (not as great as Jarod raved it was), went to Idaho Falls to get a crib (thanks to the baby money I got from my extended family at graduation), and Jarod got to put it together with his dad while I ran a few more errands with my mother in law and my sister in law. Here are a few pictures from the remainder of the weekend, and the finished product of the crib we picked out. Five and a half weeks to go!

Looking at a hot spring

In front of Old Faithful

Another hot spring

Our new crib that can convert into a toddler, day, and full bed

The crib even has an underdrawer for more storage. This was the selling point for Jarod.

The soothing bouncy chair we got with the remainder of our baby money. This one I put together.

Graduation

I finally finished my schooling. And that day... boy was it hot! First they made us stay outside in the sun in our dark graduation robes. Then they moved all of us inside but we were already so hot that confining us to a smaller area only made things worse. Finally it was time to walk to Commencement, but we had to stop multiple times to get the choir in our line as well as the professors. Then we made it to the building but they had to get something else ready and we waited again. Once inside we stood waiting for the whole group of people to come inside and find their seats. We finally got to sit down and listen to the speakers which felt like forever because the building we were in did not have adequate air conditioning. When that was done I had to follow a long line of people who were all trying to get to their convocation in another building. We were in the Hinkley which is up hill and further away than most of the other buildings. I had to leave my family behind so I could sit with people in my major, who are pictured below. The two girls to my left are the ones that helped Jarod cut the materials for the BBQ. We waited for just a little bit and then had another small program. Finally it was time to walk and recieve our diploma - Cases that is. I gave my name card to the guy reading them and told him the degree that was not listed on the card. He read my name and both degrees I earned.

I don't have a good picture of me recieving the case, that is on my dad's camera. I will add it in sometime in the future. I am just glad that I am finally done.

Baby BBQ Bash

The BBQ was a lot of fun. The day itself was crazy and I just looked forward to having it be over, but by the time things were set in motion I was pleased with the outcome. I had a meeting with an online school to find out more about their RN degrees but they couldn't help. We picked up the groceries we needed at Sam's and Walmart and made it home with just enough time to bring the materials inside so I could take the car to my interview with Deseret Book. I got done with that earlier than expected as well and rushed home to help my friends who came to help Jarod cut veggies, cheese, and paper. I sent Jarod off to get Dry Ice but then his parents arrived and he had to help bring their things in before going out with them to pick up cupcakes from the Cocoa Bean as well as the dry ice. Right as they were about to leave, my friend from Utah arrived with my little brother. Surprise! My mom decided to come down too at the last minute. We started getting the root beer concocted and gathered everything to take to the park. We arrived and set out the food. People were already arriving and by the time Jarod came with the meat, we were a half hour late, but with our games it didn't matter. We got most of the food grilled before everyone started eating and it turned out to be a great picnic. Sadly of all things to forget, we forgot the camera. We did receive lots of bathing materials, clothes, a stroller/car seat set, and a variety of necessities for starting a family.

Infections

For at least 10 years I have not had a bacterial infection, and the last one I had was strep throat. Over the weekend my immune system must have been stressed (GO FIGURE) and what I thought could have been allergies (of which I have never had before in my life but figured they could appear during pregnancy) or a common cold... turned into something worse. On Friday I sneezed a lot and had a runny nose or stuffy nose. On Saturday it got a bit more stuffy and annoying plus the sinus headaches were a killer. I had a hard time sleeping that night even though I tried everything from a humidifier to Tylenol. Sunday I started to cough every so often but as the day wore on the coughs got more frequent and harsher on my chest. Last year I think I had bronchitis for a little bit, but it went away and the coughs were productive enough to help my breathing. Last night my coughs woke me up almost every 2-3 hours and as I got up so I wouldn't wake up Jarod, the only thing I could do was take a sip of water to calm my throat. At some time during the night I spit into the sink and saw a bit of blood. I got concerned and let Jarod know we needed to go to the health center when we got up since my insurance wouldn't cover going to my typical doctor (not being pregnancy related). They did a blood test and found I did infact have a bacterial infection and could prescribe an antibiotic that was safe for the baby. Now I get to take two extra pills a day added on to my ten I take in the form of prenatal vitamins. The rest of this pregnacy better turn out better. I think I have had enough.

What a Weekend!

On Friday I got up early for my 7:45 class that goes until 11:45. This is the preschool lab. Then I went home as fast as possible so that I could go get a few things at the grocery store. I had to rush because I had to go to my 12:45 class to participate in a presentation. I got to class and asked if leaving early (my part was at the beginning) would hurt my grade. The professor said it would be fine. I left early and Jarod and I went to Idaho Falls. He dropped me off for an appt. with an online school while he had fun window shopping at Target. He picked me up and we went to Sam's to get our BBQ food for the shower later that evening. We needed to get a few things at Walmart as well and by the time we got through traffic, we were due to be back in Rexburg by 4:40 ish. This was cutting it close because I had a job interview with Deseret Book at 5:00 and I needed to make a good impression seeing as being pregnant is a big turn-off. I got done with the interview and rushed home to help my friends who were helping Jarod with cutting preparations for the shower... things like tomatos, lettuce, cheese, and raffle papers. His parents got in town just as he was about to go pick up dry ice for the homemade rootbeer we were going to make. He helped them bring things in and right as they were about to leave, my friend Becca showed up with the rootbeer keg I needed. She brought a 'surprise' and it turned out to be my little brother and my mom. No time for long hello's because the BBQ was due to start at 6 and we needed to get to the park. We gathered everything we could think of and headed down. It was all set up by my friend, Sara Jo, who helped plan the whole event. Food didn't get started until about a quarter after but we were able to socialize and do a few games while we waited. Even now, some of the husbands brag about the kind of shower they attended over the weekend. What a Day.

Continuing Education

Jarod mentioned the other day that it might be a good idea to get a second associates degree. The thing he brought up was less than expected. He stated that there is a rise in the need of RNs and now people are able to get that degree easier than ever... well not at BYU-I but in certain certified programs they offer it online. I never saw myself as being a nurse, but the more I think about it, a fall-back plan for my business if it doesn't turn out would be a very good idea. I have an appointment with the online school Stevens Henager College in Idaho Falls on Friday. I don't know if I will do it or not, but I will look into it and see if it is worth doing. I guess anything is worth doing if it means having a job... We will see if it is something for me.

Free Hugs...?

When we went to Idaho Falls for the fourth, we ended up sitting near a guy who looked like a statue. Next to him he had a sign labeled "Free Hugs" as people walked passed they were startled to realize the statue was a real person. Most of the people brave enough to go get a hug were children. My friend and I thought that if we had kids, we wouldn't let our children do it. As we watched more closely to the attention he was getting, we noticed he would whisper something in their ear and then give them a card with something on it. I wanted to see what was on the card but I did not have the guts to go and actually let him hug me. He stood there until it got dark. He would get right back into character with his arms posed as soon as the hug was over. I thought his arms would get tired, but I guess I was wrong. It had to be hot and uncomfortable, and I can't imagine he would get paid for it, too bad I wasn't brave enough to talk to him. Maybe next time... if there is a next time.

"Babies can't have hiccups in the womb!"

This was Jarod's response when I let him know about the early happenstance this morning. Around 6:00 am, I got up to turn off Jarod's alarm among other things and when I climbed back into bed I felt some consistent movements. The baby never really makes movements consistently for 10 minutes and with short amounts of time between each movement. I came to the realization it could only be hiccups. It got to the point where it felt like a hard-to-get-of set of twitches. I tried repositioning to have her stop, and I don't know if it worked or if she was just done having hiccups. Either way, babies can have hiccups in the womb.

Has it Been a Year Already?

This time last year seems like it was only yesterday. We remembered what we did for the fourth last year and have decided to make some of what we do a tradition. While we live near Idaho Falls, we will get dinner at Chili's then watch the fireworks at the canal. When we move away we will still take in our dinner choice, but where we observe the holiday will change. Here is a picture of us for the day. I want to start taking more pictures so we have something from every month at least to represent where we are in our lives. I think it will be a lot easier when we have our baby.

Cheap Invites

Everything is coming together for the Baby Barbecue Bash. We got our invites done and the prizes ready. All we have to wait for are the RSVPs. We printed these on cardstock and covered them with tissue paper. I think they turned out real well.

Work of a Preschool Teacher

Today I got up early and met with a group at the preschool on campus to set up a new dramatic play for the children in my lab. We wanted to do something like a rain forest and I could see something in my mind of what I wanted the end product to be. I drew a little bit of it and then thought that we could build as we go on those plans. The end product was about 8 hrs worth of work for 6 people. Take a look at the rain forest we created in our classroom.

This is our cave area beneath the trees and the canopy of vines and leave above. Notice the cute geckos everywhere.

This is the waterfall that I did about all by myself. Others crinkled the paper and I had to figure out how to make it stay up on our pile of unused furniture.

This is the stream that flows from the waterfall and behind the shelves holding the materials used to explore the rain forest is a bench with rain sticks to relax on. Above the bench is a canopy of leaves we made with a hula hoop and lots of tissue paper covered with paper leaves.

This was no small project, but it was totally worth it. We hope it lasts long enough for the kids to really have fun in it. The best part was seeing it all come together in the end. Hurray! I am done.

28 Weeks Prego Picture

I have had a few requests for an update on pictures. So this is a little late. This picture was taken at the beginning of the week even though I am posting it today.

Three Doctor's Appts in a Week

On Monday I made an appointment to see a chiropractor with a referral from my doctor. I didn't know what to expect and since I had never had my back worked on before I was concerned. I got there and had my back popped in a couple different places. It's hard to relax when a guy is pushing so hard on your back that it cracks... well at least for me. Apparently my ribs needed realignment since they have gotten out of sync After he was done he wanted me to come back on Wednesday. I asked if it was Wednesday of the next week, and he corrected me and said he would see me in two days. whoa, two days, I thought. I again met with him today. I sat in the waiting area for 15 min and when I was called back, he popped my back again in a few different ways to get me all aligned and in 5 minutes I was back on the road. Tomorrow I get my blood work done to check my blood sugar... I am NOT excited.

Taking a Spill in the Street

I am in my religion class and realize I don't have an assignment for class in a few hours. I have just enough time inbetween two of my classes to run home and get the assignment and arrive at my final class with assignment in hand. I walk home and get a few yards from my driveway when some unseen thing catches on the toe of my shoe and the ground gets closer to my face. I shuffle-stumble a few times not quite gaining my balance, and finally land hard on my hands and knees. A car starts coming down the street I was trying to cross and a guy and a girl were nearby as well. I couldn't hide my embarassment. I get up and brush myself off fighting the tears and emotions that come with pregnancy. Then I look down and notice my favorite pair of pants (which just happen to be fairly new) are ruined with a hole in the knee I landed hardest on. That was the last straw. I turn into where I can see Jarod's truck and I burst into tears. By the time I get close enough for him to talk to me, I have mascara running down my cheeks. He asks "What's wrong" and the first thing I say is that I ruined my pants. He asks if I am okay besides that, we check out the laptop I dropped in the process of falling, and everything checks out... except my pants and now that I had recovered from the shock I felt like my knee might be in worse shape than I thought. Sure enough I had a gash on my knee cap and a sore the size of a quarter. I guess the silly thing is that I am still way disappointed about my pants since I can no longer wear them on campus or without feeling the embarassment of the day. The baby was probably stunned or asleep but soon started moving again. Now there are no worries except when to get a new pair of jeans.

Baby BBQ Bash!

Jarod and I are in the process of planning our baby shower for our friends in Rexburg. I figured since Jarod is just as much invested in this baby as I am, that he should be involved as well. I thought he had every right to invite his friends too. We decided to plan a BBQ. Dinner will be served and a few prizes will be given out for the few games we will be playing. We think a few word games, a safetypin game for the girls, and a pop drinking from a baby bottle for 5 boys, followed by a raffle to win another prize at the end of the shower. We hope everyone will come and just join in on the fun and socializing.

Spoiled Already?

This weekend is Mother's Weekend on campus and like my first semester when Mother's Weekend came around... Del Parson was here signing art for one day. Jarod and I were going through the bookstore on our way to getting something small to eat on campus between my classes when we noticed the signing. Almost immediately my attention was drawn to a picture of Christ holding an infant. I fell in love with it and pointed it out to Jarod. He liked it too and decided that it was something he would like to hang in the baby's room and give as a gift to the baby when she moves out. The price was in our range and we invested in the work of art. For now it hangs in our room, but as our family grows and we get into a larger apartment this picture will be hung where our child will see it easily.

A Castle for My King

Jarod came again to help me on Saturday to make my block area just a little more interesting. He was able to use the waffle blocks to create a masterpiece. He had a lot of fun and was very proud of the outcome of his handy work.

2 Months to Go!

Two months from today exactly I will be graduated with my bachelors degree. I can hardly wait. The only thing that isn't to my liking is that my job teaching preschool is probably not going to be there for me. I have to get back on a job search... and by that time, I will be very pregnant. Though people will not state that I am not getting hired for that reason... they may choose not to do so for that reason exactly. On to the job hunt.

Baby Tag

Last night Reagan was a little more active and I decided to try to play a game with her. I would poke where I last felt her move and wait for a response. Almost immediately she would hit back. Jarod even had some fun joining in on the game. We had so much fun feeling her react to our playing.

A Little Help

Jarod had a fun time helping me set up my preschool class on Saturday. He didn't like so much the boring things like covering the table with garbage bags, but did like the block area a lot. The best part for me was seeing what he could come up with.

Can you tell what he liked most as a kid?