Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Are you ready for Christmas?
I'm not... not at all. I'm ready for the break from work, definitely, but I can't believe that Christmas is only 3 days away. For some reason, the season has not been feeling very Christmassy this year to me. I think it's due to a combination of things--being pregnant and everything that has come with that, having a real job this year that has me still at work today, and not going home for Christmas day for the first time in my life. That last factor was 100% my choice--I purposely planned our trip to start the day after Christmas so that Jacob and I could celebrate Christmas together, just the two of us, to start our own traditions and what-not. My family always did Christmas day with just our immediate family, and I liked it that way. And I was SO excited about my decision to have our own Christmas with just us, until just recently. I'm hoping my excitment comes back when I start feeling more ready for Christmas. As of now, I have not even bought Jacob's Christmas present. I can't believe that I am down to 3 days, and I haven't even done that yet. I've never been such a slacker with Christmas before, but life just seemed a thousand times busier this year than usual, and I didn't get it all done. At least we got our apartment clean and our decorations up! It's taken us a good two weeks of hard-core cleaning to get our apartment looking closer to the way I want it to look, but I am finally feeling better about it. I did absolutely nothing for the few weeks that I was sick and recovering, so our little home was looking pretty bad. But it looks decent now, especially when we turn on all of our Christmas lights! Christmas lights make any space warmer and happier the moment they are turned on. :) I will hopefully post some pictures of our decorations later.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Hospital Visits
Well, Jacob and I have had an eventful weekend! And I haven't been able to do even a decent job of keeping anyone updated, so this will have to do. It's a long, boring post, so you really don't have to read it unless you want an update of our weekend hospital visits.
Early Saturday morning, around 2, I woke up with this incredibly awful pain in my right side/right lower back. I tried to shift positions and get up and move around, but nothing helped at all. It just kept getting worse, so I tried to wake up Jacob. Usually, waking him up shouldn't have been that hard, but I had finally convinced him to take half a unisom so that he could get to sleep (he had worked 3 night shifts the previous weekend and hadn't been able to get to sleep before 8 or 9 in the morning since), so he was so groggy and so out of it that I was having the hardest time just trying to get him awake enough to understand what I was telling him.
When I finally got Jacob woken up enough to talk to me, we called my doctor's office and spoke to the doctor on-call, who told us to go to the emergency room. I have never had to go into the emergency room before, and I really didn't want to go, but I have never had such bad pain before in my life... not even close... and we didn't know what else to do. So to the emergency room we went, and they sent us straight up to Labor & Delivery. One of the nurses from ER pushed me in a wheelchair up to L&D, and the whole ride up she was asking me questions about the baby, like when were we due, was it a girl or a boy, did we have a name for her yet... and the whole time, I was so annoyed with her. Because I was convinced that something was horribly wrong and we were going to lose her, and how could she be so insensitive and ask me questions about her like everything was fine?
When we got into the room, the nurse tried to find the baby's heartbeat with one of the machines they had, but she couldn't find it, which didn't do anything to help our fears. She was finally able to find it on a different machine, thank goodness, and she said that it sounded good and normal. Thankfully, the pain ended up not being pregnancy-related. They did some bloodwork and urine tests, and they called my doctor a bunch of times to talk to her, and they finally decided that it was a kidney stone. They were debating between Appendicitis and kidney stones, but most signs seemed to point to kidney stones. So 5 or 6 hours after we got there, they sent us home with a couple prescriptions and the instructions to come back in if the kidney stone didn't pass by Sunday morning.
Exhausted, but relieved that the problem wasn't something worse, we went home and slept the rest of the day. The pain reliever seemed to help for the first couple doses, but by Saturday night, the pain was coming back full-force only an hour or two after I took the pills. Jacob was amazing through all of this--coming in and sitting with me while I screamed and writhed with the pain... bringing me water or my pills or helping me sit up or shift position to see if it would help (it never did). It wasn't a fun time for either of us. Somehow we got through the next day and made it to Sunday night. We planned on waiting until Monday morning to go back in, because we were really hoping that the stone would pass and we wouldn't have to spend more time or money on hospital visits. But around midnight, the pain got so much worse (and I still had over 2 hours to wait before I could take more pain meds) that we abandoned our plan and drove straight back to the hospital.
Getting there went a little more smoothly on this second trip, since we already knew exactly which entrance to go into and everything, and we didn't have the same panic and fear that something was horribly wrong with the pregnancy. But the pain wasn't any better than when we made our first trip, and considering I was on pain medication already, that had me a little worried.
We got into our room, and they hooked me up to the machines again (this time they were able to hear her heartbeat on the first machine). One cool thing that came out of this trip was that I finally felt the baby move and knew that it was her moving. The machine that they had hooked me up to made noises whenever she was shifting and moving around, and every time I heard a noise, I felt her move! So although the whole hospital trip thing sucked, I can finally feel her moving around, which has been really cool... a little happiness out of the misery and pain!
The nurse did more bloodwork and made another call to my doctor, and since my white blood cell count was considerably higher than it had been on our previous visit, they decided they wanted to do a CT Scan to be sure that my appendix was ok. They did an ultrasound first to take a look at the kidneys, but they weren't able to find any kidney stones. They did say there was some calcification (or something?), but they couldn't see any kidney stones yet. So they wanted to make sure that it wasn't a problem with my appendix. So I got an IV put in, and then I got to start drinking this incredibly disgusting liquid every ten minutes for two hours... and I had to keep it down, which was the hardest part. I had been throwing up constantly pretty much all weekend, so trying to drink something that tasted as horrible as this and keep it down for 3 hours seemed nearly impossible. Somehow, though, it worked out. I was able to drink it all and I made it through the CT Scan (barely) without losing it. About 30 seconds after they finished, I sat up and threw up into a bucket beside me. Luckily, I had warned the guy beforehand that it may happen, so he had a bucket all ready for me. Also, because I was pregnant, the radiologist tried to scan a little higher on me than they were going to scan so that they could try to get the appendix without subjecting the baby to all the radiation, and they were able to do it. So the only part of the baby that they even got in the scan was a little bit of her feet.
When we got back to our room, my doctor came in to see how we were doing. I was really happy to see her! I like our doctor a lot, and as nice as the nurses are, every few hours I would get a new one, and I would have to explain everything all over again. It was nice having my doctor there, who already knew us and knew everything that had been going on all weekend. Dr. Savage told us that everything with my appendix looked great (thank heavens!), so she thinks it is definitely a kidney stone. She gave me two different prescriptions for nausea and pain medications (a much stronger pain medication) and told us we could go home! So after another 10 hours at the hospital, we got to go home and sleep. So far, the pain medication has been helping somewhat... I'm about 2 hours into my second dose, and I'm still in a lot of pain, but Dr. Savage said that is to be expected when the kidney stone is moving. Hopefully we can make it through the next few days until the stone or stones work their way out! I'm not good at all with pain, but I'm just so grateful that the baby is fine. I just keep telling myself that I can deal with kidney stones or whatever else is wrong as long as the baby is ok.
I know many of you have been thinking of us and sending prayers our way, so thank you! Things should hopefully start looking up soon.
Early Saturday morning, around 2, I woke up with this incredibly awful pain in my right side/right lower back. I tried to shift positions and get up and move around, but nothing helped at all. It just kept getting worse, so I tried to wake up Jacob. Usually, waking him up shouldn't have been that hard, but I had finally convinced him to take half a unisom so that he could get to sleep (he had worked 3 night shifts the previous weekend and hadn't been able to get to sleep before 8 or 9 in the morning since), so he was so groggy and so out of it that I was having the hardest time just trying to get him awake enough to understand what I was telling him.
When I finally got Jacob woken up enough to talk to me, we called my doctor's office and spoke to the doctor on-call, who told us to go to the emergency room. I have never had to go into the emergency room before, and I really didn't want to go, but I have never had such bad pain before in my life... not even close... and we didn't know what else to do. So to the emergency room we went, and they sent us straight up to Labor & Delivery. One of the nurses from ER pushed me in a wheelchair up to L&D, and the whole ride up she was asking me questions about the baby, like when were we due, was it a girl or a boy, did we have a name for her yet... and the whole time, I was so annoyed with her. Because I was convinced that something was horribly wrong and we were going to lose her, and how could she be so insensitive and ask me questions about her like everything was fine?
When we got into the room, the nurse tried to find the baby's heartbeat with one of the machines they had, but she couldn't find it, which didn't do anything to help our fears. She was finally able to find it on a different machine, thank goodness, and she said that it sounded good and normal. Thankfully, the pain ended up not being pregnancy-related. They did some bloodwork and urine tests, and they called my doctor a bunch of times to talk to her, and they finally decided that it was a kidney stone. They were debating between Appendicitis and kidney stones, but most signs seemed to point to kidney stones. So 5 or 6 hours after we got there, they sent us home with a couple prescriptions and the instructions to come back in if the kidney stone didn't pass by Sunday morning.
Exhausted, but relieved that the problem wasn't something worse, we went home and slept the rest of the day. The pain reliever seemed to help for the first couple doses, but by Saturday night, the pain was coming back full-force only an hour or two after I took the pills. Jacob was amazing through all of this--coming in and sitting with me while I screamed and writhed with the pain... bringing me water or my pills or helping me sit up or shift position to see if it would help (it never did). It wasn't a fun time for either of us. Somehow we got through the next day and made it to Sunday night. We planned on waiting until Monday morning to go back in, because we were really hoping that the stone would pass and we wouldn't have to spend more time or money on hospital visits. But around midnight, the pain got so much worse (and I still had over 2 hours to wait before I could take more pain meds) that we abandoned our plan and drove straight back to the hospital.
Getting there went a little more smoothly on this second trip, since we already knew exactly which entrance to go into and everything, and we didn't have the same panic and fear that something was horribly wrong with the pregnancy. But the pain wasn't any better than when we made our first trip, and considering I was on pain medication already, that had me a little worried.
We got into our room, and they hooked me up to the machines again (this time they were able to hear her heartbeat on the first machine). One cool thing that came out of this trip was that I finally felt the baby move and knew that it was her moving. The machine that they had hooked me up to made noises whenever she was shifting and moving around, and every time I heard a noise, I felt her move! So although the whole hospital trip thing sucked, I can finally feel her moving around, which has been really cool... a little happiness out of the misery and pain!
The nurse did more bloodwork and made another call to my doctor, and since my white blood cell count was considerably higher than it had been on our previous visit, they decided they wanted to do a CT Scan to be sure that my appendix was ok. They did an ultrasound first to take a look at the kidneys, but they weren't able to find any kidney stones. They did say there was some calcification (or something?), but they couldn't see any kidney stones yet. So they wanted to make sure that it wasn't a problem with my appendix. So I got an IV put in, and then I got to start drinking this incredibly disgusting liquid every ten minutes for two hours... and I had to keep it down, which was the hardest part. I had been throwing up constantly pretty much all weekend, so trying to drink something that tasted as horrible as this and keep it down for 3 hours seemed nearly impossible. Somehow, though, it worked out. I was able to drink it all and I made it through the CT Scan (barely) without losing it. About 30 seconds after they finished, I sat up and threw up into a bucket beside me. Luckily, I had warned the guy beforehand that it may happen, so he had a bucket all ready for me. Also, because I was pregnant, the radiologist tried to scan a little higher on me than they were going to scan so that they could try to get the appendix without subjecting the baby to all the radiation, and they were able to do it. So the only part of the baby that they even got in the scan was a little bit of her feet.
When we got back to our room, my doctor came in to see how we were doing. I was really happy to see her! I like our doctor a lot, and as nice as the nurses are, every few hours I would get a new one, and I would have to explain everything all over again. It was nice having my doctor there, who already knew us and knew everything that had been going on all weekend. Dr. Savage told us that everything with my appendix looked great (thank heavens!), so she thinks it is definitely a kidney stone. She gave me two different prescriptions for nausea and pain medications (a much stronger pain medication) and told us we could go home! So after another 10 hours at the hospital, we got to go home and sleep. So far, the pain medication has been helping somewhat... I'm about 2 hours into my second dose, and I'm still in a lot of pain, but Dr. Savage said that is to be expected when the kidney stone is moving. Hopefully we can make it through the next few days until the stone or stones work their way out! I'm not good at all with pain, but I'm just so grateful that the baby is fine. I just keep telling myself that I can deal with kidney stones or whatever else is wrong as long as the baby is ok.
I know many of you have been thinking of us and sending prayers our way, so thank you! Things should hopefully start looking up soon.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
12:00 Tomorrow!!!
We find out if we are having a girl or a boy! We are SO excited!!!
After all of my students, some fellow teachers, friends, and family all took their guesses, the final tally was:
28-Boy
27-Girl
1-Twins
Halloween
I know I've been a horrible blogger lately. Pregnancy has been kicking my butt and making it hard to do anything besides work. But here are a few pictures from our Halloween!
Ok, the rubber ducky isn't from Halloween, but we ate dinner at Pirate Island a few weeks ago, and we used the tickets we won in the arcade to get the rubber ducky. We were way excited. Jacob plays with it in the tub. :)
Ok, the rubber ducky isn't from Halloween, but we ate dinner at Pirate Island a few weeks ago, and we used the tickets we won in the arcade to get the rubber ducky. We were way excited. Jacob plays with it in the tub. :)
Friday, October 30, 2009
Dreams
I finally had a dream about the baby the other night. I had the baby, and it was a girl, but the weird part was that she was born talking. And I couldn't decide what I wanted to name her, because I haven't been sure that I wanted to use the girl name we originally picked. So I asked the baby, "Do you want me to name you Naomi?". And she told me yes.
So now if we have a girl, I guess I'll name her Naomi after all.
We find out Tuesday!
So now if we have a girl, I guess I'll name her Naomi after all.
We find out Tuesday!
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Happy October!
Jacob and I have been having fun this month. We took an evening (before the colors died) to drive up the canyon and look at the pretty leaves. I love fall! Although it is not at all like the fall I grew up with... someday I want to visit the east coast again for fall, where there is REAL green to turn into pretty fall colors. It's just not the same here.
This week we had planned to go to Thanksgiving Point to go through the corn maze and buy a pumpkin on Wednesday night, but it ended up raining all day. I had been so excited to go out and do something, so I was bummed that we had to cancel. So I convinced Jacob to take me to Pirate Island, a new pirate-themed restaurant in Orem. It was really cute. We ate in the Tiki Room, and afterward we spent some time playing games in the arcade. It's meant for a much younger crowd, but we loved it. We even got a pirate rubber ducky with the tickets we won from the games!
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| This was painted on the wall by our table. |
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| This was our awesome pirate rubber ducky! |
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| The husband :) |
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| Me & the hubby! This is after I stopped wearing makeup due to pregnancy sickness & lack of caring. :) |
Jacob forgot that UVU had fall break this week, so when he realized he didn't have his Thursday night class, we decided to go to Thanksgiving Point that night instead. He has been working every night that he hasn't had class, so it was a nice surprise that he had a night off and we were able to go. I didn't realize that they had so many different things to do there. Jacob and I went through the kiddie corn maze (and got a little more lost than we probably should have, considering it was made for children), and Jacob raced a bunch of little kids on these bikes around a course they have. Regrettably, I left my camera in the car, so I don't have any pictures of him on the little bike. He seemed to be having as much fun as the little kids.
The highlight of my night was my foot-long hot dog! I have been craving a hot dog for the past 4 months, and it's been driving me crazy. I wanted one SO badly. So I gave in and got one for dinner. It was DELICIOUS. Sadly, though, it hasn't eased my cravings one bit, and I still really wish I was allowed to eat hot dogs on a regular basis. As soon as this baby comes out, I am going to eat a hot dog a day.
We also got to go through the haunted corn maze, which really wasn't a maze at all. It was more of a haunted path through the corn. We were a little bummed that it wasn't a real maze, but we still had fun with it. We had to wait in line for a little while until it got dark, so we talked to the two girls behind us for a few minutes. I get scared really easily, and I was a little nervous, so when I found out that they were only 12, I felt a little better. By the time Jacob and I were at the end of the maze, the girls had caught up to us, and I guess they felt like we were buddies since we had chatted in the line, because when one of them got scared, she grabbed onto the back of my jacket and held on until we were completely through the maze.
Note: This is being posted over 2 years later, but I just now found it in my drafts.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Why everyone in our home HATES cops...
As most of you know, Jacob was arrested last November, about 3 days before we started dating. I had the wonderful honor of being with him when it happened... I even got to call his mother, whom I had never before spoken to, to tell her the fantastic news. It was highly exciting. Jacob's account of the night can be found on his blog here.
For those of you who don't know the story, Jacob had two warrants out for his arrest, which he had no knowledge of. The first was for a taillight violation, and the second was for expired registration. He had taken care of the taillight violation right after he had gotten it, but the records were flawed and for some reason didn't show it, and he thought he had taken care of the expired registration, but apparently he hadn't. Anyway, he had no knowledge that either ticket was a problem--he never received any notices about them. Because they weren't taken care of for such a long time, the fines skyrocketed and the warrants were issued. They also suspended his license... all without bothering to inform him. So then when he got pulled over on our way to the hot springs (for going barely 10 over on the FREEWAY! Give me a break...) he was promptly arrested and hauled off to the local jail. And this kind, considerate cop left my roommate and I stranded on the side of I-15 at 10:00 on a Saturday night in the middle of nowhere, because neither of us could drive Jacob's car (it was a stick shift). The cop knew this, just as he knew that we were an hour away from anyone that could help us, but he stranded us anyway. I started bawling as soon as the cop drove off. But that has nothing to do with my point tonight.
I thought that this whole ridiculous situation was behind us. Silly me! Today, I find out that because of this whole idiotic incident, our car insurance has skyrocketed to $4000 a year! We can't pay that! I'm a freakin' first year teacher, and I don't even make enough to pay our bills as it is, so using 2 months of my income to pay for car insurance is not a possibility. So now we have to talk to an attorney or some other fantastically intelligent person who charges a lot of money so that we can find a way to get affordable car insurance.
Obviously, my husband is a maniac who should not be allowed on the roads. Forget the drunk drivers and the druggies out there... who cares about them. We need to punish the decent people like Jacob, because those taillight violations and expired registrations... those are some real problems.
For those of you who don't know the story, Jacob had two warrants out for his arrest, which he had no knowledge of. The first was for a taillight violation, and the second was for expired registration. He had taken care of the taillight violation right after he had gotten it, but the records were flawed and for some reason didn't show it, and he thought he had taken care of the expired registration, but apparently he hadn't. Anyway, he had no knowledge that either ticket was a problem--he never received any notices about them. Because they weren't taken care of for such a long time, the fines skyrocketed and the warrants were issued. They also suspended his license... all without bothering to inform him. So then when he got pulled over on our way to the hot springs (for going barely 10 over on the FREEWAY! Give me a break...) he was promptly arrested and hauled off to the local jail. And this kind, considerate cop left my roommate and I stranded on the side of I-15 at 10:00 on a Saturday night in the middle of nowhere, because neither of us could drive Jacob's car (it was a stick shift). The cop knew this, just as he knew that we were an hour away from anyone that could help us, but he stranded us anyway. I started bawling as soon as the cop drove off. But that has nothing to do with my point tonight.
I thought that this whole ridiculous situation was behind us. Silly me! Today, I find out that because of this whole idiotic incident, our car insurance has skyrocketed to $4000 a year! We can't pay that! I'm a freakin' first year teacher, and I don't even make enough to pay our bills as it is, so using 2 months of my income to pay for car insurance is not a possibility. So now we have to talk to an attorney or some other fantastically intelligent person who charges a lot of money so that we can find a way to get affordable car insurance.
Obviously, my husband is a maniac who should not be allowed on the roads. Forget the drunk drivers and the druggies out there... who cares about them. We need to punish the decent people like Jacob, because those taillight violations and expired registrations... those are some real problems.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
I want to quit my job and go back here...
I loved Maine. We had such a perfect honeymoon. Maine was so beautiful, and our bed and breakfast was so cute and perfect, and I just loved every moment of being there. I've been missing it a lot lately, probably because work has been so awful and the pregnancy stuff has been getting me down. Someday... probably waaaaaay far down the road... but someday, I hope we can go back. Thursday, September 24, 2009
Baby Names
I was thinking about baby names quite a bit today... we had a new nephew born at some point today, who has yet to receive a name (last I heard). Then one of my friends found out today that they are having a little girl, and as far as I know they haven't decided on a name for her yet, either. Although their daughter has her heart set on Pocahontas... I'm pretty sure they're trying to talk her out of that one.
Jacob and I have had our names picked out since about a week after we found out we were pregnant. In fact, I think we had our girl name picked out before we even got married... just for some point in the future when we would need one. And for the boy name, I think we were just laying in bed one night going through the alphabet thinking of names, and we found one that we both liked. And both names have stuck. So for a girl--Naomi Rose Romney (Jacob originally wanted Aurora Rose... like Sleeping Beauty... but I shot that one down. Aurora is pretty, but Aurora Rose is just toooo much.) And for a boy--Noah Aaron Romney. We like them. :)
Now we just have to hope that our baby comes out actually looking like a Naomi or a Noah, or we'll have to start over.
Jacob and I have had our names picked out since about a week after we found out we were pregnant. In fact, I think we had our girl name picked out before we even got married... just for some point in the future when we would need one. And for the boy name, I think we were just laying in bed one night going through the alphabet thinking of names, and we found one that we both liked. And both names have stuck. So for a girl--Naomi Rose Romney (Jacob originally wanted Aurora Rose... like Sleeping Beauty... but I shot that one down. Aurora is pretty, but Aurora Rose is just toooo much.) And for a boy--Noah Aaron Romney. We like them. :)
Now we just have to hope that our baby comes out actually looking like a Naomi or a Noah, or we'll have to start over.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Labor Day Weekend
Sorry for the belated weekend post! Our weekend was just so busy that it has taken me most of this week to recover. Luckily, I was quite ill last night and had to call off work today, so I have had a day to rest and relax, and I have been enjoying it! Other than the being sick part, of course. But I'm feeling pretty decent right now. :)
Friday night I had a girl's night out with some old roommates. We went to dinner at Shoots in the Riverwoods, and it was DELICIOUS! I loved it. Someday I am going to take Jacob there. After dinner we went to Color Me Mine and painted pottery. We did the same thing for a night out when we were still roommates a few years ago, and it was way fun. You have to pay for your pottery and then a studio fee to paint, but you can stay as long as you want. So we sat, talked, and painted for a few hours. It was so great to catch up with friends that I haven't seen in such a long time. Katie took a few pictures and posted them on her blog here, so check them out!
On Saturday, Jacob and his friends Craig and Eric hiked the Y, so the wives all hung out. We went to the mall to get maternity clothes for Sarah. The outing completely wiped me out. I was so tired, I couldn't stand for 10 minutes in the store. I kept having to sit down. I am just not used to this pregnancy exhaustion. I don't like it. :( Even simple things like going to the mall are too much for me.
The rest of the day was full of cleaning and getting the house ready for company. Jacob's brother Benjamin was coming to stay with us until Monday from BYU-Idaho, because his mom was bringing Mary out for school. Mary is starting this semester at BYU-Idaho as well, so Benji came down to pick her up. Which worked out well because we were going to have cake for Jacob's birthday on Sunday, so his mom, Mary, and Benji ended up all being in town for our little celebration. I say "little", but we ended up having 12 people over. It was fun to have so many people over, but the get-together was really draining for me. It had been thrown together last minute when we found out everyone was going to be around, and I wanted everything to be perfect so I tried to do too much. I ended up having an emotional breakdown in front of most of Jacob's family that was here. So that was fun. Hopefully they don't all think I'm nuts. :)
On Monday, Jacob worked and I cleaned up the house a bit from our party. Then we went to an early dinner at Tucanos. It was sooo yummy. Jacob's been wanting to go since we first started dating, but we just didn't have the time or money until now. We splurged and even got dessert. He got some kind of Raspberry cheesecake, and I got the Snickers cheesecake. Yum! But my favorite part of the meal was the sirloin steak. I am not even a steak lover, but oh my goodness! Theirs was so delicious. Our meat guy was so great, he even tracked down well done steak for me (I can't bring myself to eat bloody steak, it's just gross!). Even our drinks were fabulous. I had a Strawberry Brazilian Lemonade, and Jacob got a Passion Fruit Brazilian lemonade. All this talking about our food is making me want to go back! The whole dinner was just superb!
We went mini-golfing Monday night at Trafalga in Orem, which ended up being a pretty sad excuse for a mini golf course. But it's the only place around we knew of, and it was still fun. We went with our friends Craig and Sarah. Craig won the first game and tied the second with Jacob, so he won the honor of being declared "Mini Golf Master of the Universe".
And finally, some pictures!
Jacob eating at Tucanos
And another one at Tucanos
Oh, and on Wednesday afternoon we also went to see the movie 9 for Jacob's birthday. I think Jacob liked it, although he seemed torn as to whether he really liked the ending or not. I liked it, too, which surprised me, because I am not at all a Tim Burton fan.
Friday night I had a girl's night out with some old roommates. We went to dinner at Shoots in the Riverwoods, and it was DELICIOUS! I loved it. Someday I am going to take Jacob there. After dinner we went to Color Me Mine and painted pottery. We did the same thing for a night out when we were still roommates a few years ago, and it was way fun. You have to pay for your pottery and then a studio fee to paint, but you can stay as long as you want. So we sat, talked, and painted for a few hours. It was so great to catch up with friends that I haven't seen in such a long time. Katie took a few pictures and posted them on her blog here, so check them out!
On Saturday, Jacob and his friends Craig and Eric hiked the Y, so the wives all hung out. We went to the mall to get maternity clothes for Sarah. The outing completely wiped me out. I was so tired, I couldn't stand for 10 minutes in the store. I kept having to sit down. I am just not used to this pregnancy exhaustion. I don't like it. :( Even simple things like going to the mall are too much for me.
The rest of the day was full of cleaning and getting the house ready for company. Jacob's brother Benjamin was coming to stay with us until Monday from BYU-Idaho, because his mom was bringing Mary out for school. Mary is starting this semester at BYU-Idaho as well, so Benji came down to pick her up. Which worked out well because we were going to have cake for Jacob's birthday on Sunday, so his mom, Mary, and Benji ended up all being in town for our little celebration. I say "little", but we ended up having 12 people over. It was fun to have so many people over, but the get-together was really draining for me. It had been thrown together last minute when we found out everyone was going to be around, and I wanted everything to be perfect so I tried to do too much. I ended up having an emotional breakdown in front of most of Jacob's family that was here. So that was fun. Hopefully they don't all think I'm nuts. :)
On Monday, Jacob worked and I cleaned up the house a bit from our party. Then we went to an early dinner at Tucanos. It was sooo yummy. Jacob's been wanting to go since we first started dating, but we just didn't have the time or money until now. We splurged and even got dessert. He got some kind of Raspberry cheesecake, and I got the Snickers cheesecake. Yum! But my favorite part of the meal was the sirloin steak. I am not even a steak lover, but oh my goodness! Theirs was so delicious. Our meat guy was so great, he even tracked down well done steak for me (I can't bring myself to eat bloody steak, it's just gross!). Even our drinks were fabulous. I had a Strawberry Brazilian Lemonade, and Jacob got a Passion Fruit Brazilian lemonade. All this talking about our food is making me want to go back! The whole dinner was just superb!
We went mini-golfing Monday night at Trafalga in Orem, which ended up being a pretty sad excuse for a mini golf course. But it's the only place around we knew of, and it was still fun. We went with our friends Craig and Sarah. Craig won the first game and tied the second with Jacob, so he won the honor of being declared "Mini Golf Master of the Universe".
And finally, some pictures!
Jacob & Me at the mini golf place
Jacob doesn't like to look at the camera... or smile!
Jacob eating at Tucanos
And another one at Tucanos
Oh, and on Wednesday afternoon we also went to see the movie 9 for Jacob's birthday. I think Jacob liked it, although he seemed torn as to whether he really liked the ending or not. I liked it, too, which surprised me, because I am not at all a Tim Burton fan. Friday, September 4, 2009
Christmas Already?
Last night I bought our plane tickets to visit my family for Christmas. We were originally planning on actually being in Pennsylvania for Christmas day, but we decided to fly in the day after Christmas and then fly back on the 31st so that we will be home in Utah for the actual holidays. One of our reasons for this decision was Jacob's job--he is working on-call right now for Provo Canyon School, which is a school for troubled youth. Because the students live at the school, they always need people to work on holidays. So whether Jacob is still on-call or if he has a full-time position by then, he will definitely be able to get some hours over the holiday season.
The second reason I wanted to be here for Christmas day is that I'm really looking forward to our first Christmas as a married couple. My parents always tried to have Christmas Day just with our immediate family. We visited our extended family during the season, but Christmas day was always just us. I want to try to do the same with Jacob and our little family (right now, just our family of 2!). I want to be able to start our own Christmas traditions and do Christmas our own way. I'm SO excited to decorate our little apartment and to actually be there for Christmas. I LOVE decorating for Christmas, and I go all out every year. I've had my own Christmas tree since my freshmen year, and I now have two trees--the little 3-foot tree that I bought when I lived in the dorms, and the 6-foot tree that I bought last year for my apartment. Just thinking about Christmas has gotten me excited already to decorate, which is sad since it's only September 4th. *sigh* I'm going to have to decorate for Halloween again this year to tide me over until it's socially acceptable to decorate for Christmas... Not that November 1st is really socially acceptable... but we all know I don't like to wait much longer than that. I think I start wishing for Christmas earlier and earlier every year.
Just a few more months...
Photo (C) Freefoto.com
The second reason I wanted to be here for Christmas day is that I'm really looking forward to our first Christmas as a married couple. My parents always tried to have Christmas Day just with our immediate family. We visited our extended family during the season, but Christmas day was always just us. I want to try to do the same with Jacob and our little family (right now, just our family of 2!). I want to be able to start our own Christmas traditions and do Christmas our own way. I'm SO excited to decorate our little apartment and to actually be there for Christmas. I LOVE decorating for Christmas, and I go all out every year. I've had my own Christmas tree since my freshmen year, and I now have two trees--the little 3-foot tree that I bought when I lived in the dorms, and the 6-foot tree that I bought last year for my apartment. Just thinking about Christmas has gotten me excited already to decorate, which is sad since it's only September 4th. *sigh* I'm going to have to decorate for Halloween again this year to tide me over until it's socially acceptable to decorate for Christmas... Not that November 1st is really socially acceptable... but we all know I don't like to wait much longer than that. I think I start wishing for Christmas earlier and earlier every year.
Just a few more months...
Photo (C) Freefoto.com
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Unisom
Last night I slept beautifully for the first time in a long time. I woke up about 3 times less than I have every other night because I had to pee. When I got back to bed, I fell right back asleep. In fact, most of the time that I was "awake" and walking around, I was still half asleep. I didn't even have ten minutes out of the whole night that I had to lay in bed whimpering because I hurt or didn't feel good and couldn't get back to sleep. It was great!
The only thing I wish I had done was only take half a pill, because I've been sooo groggy this morning. It made me think of that line from You've Got Mail:
"I use a wonderful over-the-counter drug. Ultra-dorm. Don't take the whole thing, just half, and you'll wake up without even the tiniest hangover."
What a great movie. Maybe I'll watch that today when I get home.
Photo (C) Freefoto.com
Monday, August 31, 2009
My Favorite Time of Day
I am NOT a morning person. I never have been. I wish I never had to get out of bed before 11 AM. But I don't live in a fantasy world, I live in the real world, where I have a job and responsibilities, so I have to get up at 6:30 each day instead. And although I still dread the moment my alarm goes off every morning, I have realized that I actually really enjoy the half hour block of time right after I wake up in the morning.
I used to wake up and give myself an hour and a half to shower, do my hair and makeup, and get ready for work. That usually didn't include breakfast... breakfast was a slim fast that I would drink as I drove to school. But when I got pregnant, I had to change my morning schedule. To reduce the effects of morning sickness, I had to set aside a half hour block every morning so that I could lay in bed and nibble on graham crackers, cheerios, or some other dry food. Jacob is still asleep during this time, so I get to lay in bed and cuddle with my husband for a half hour every morning. I love it! I don't worry about anything--I have zero stress for that half hour. I usually feel pretty good, because I haven't gotten out of bed or even sat up yet. I just lay in bed, eat food, and snuggle my husband. And he usually snuggles me back, even if he's asleep when he does it. What could be better than that? :)
I used to wake up and give myself an hour and a half to shower, do my hair and makeup, and get ready for work. That usually didn't include breakfast... breakfast was a slim fast that I would drink as I drove to school. But when I got pregnant, I had to change my morning schedule. To reduce the effects of morning sickness, I had to set aside a half hour block every morning so that I could lay in bed and nibble on graham crackers, cheerios, or some other dry food. Jacob is still asleep during this time, so I get to lay in bed and cuddle with my husband for a half hour every morning. I love it! I don't worry about anything--I have zero stress for that half hour. I usually feel pretty good, because I haven't gotten out of bed or even sat up yet. I just lay in bed, eat food, and snuggle my husband. And he usually snuggles me back, even if he's asleep when he does it. What could be better than that? :)
Friday, August 28, 2009
9 Weeks...
What is with that stomach bump that I've already got?! I read somewhere that typical weight gain in the first trimester is 3 to 5 pounds. I had gained 8 pounds by 6 weeks, which was the last time I weighed myself, so I don't even know how much more I've gained since then. But I have a little belly! People at work can tell I'm pregnant! I was not prepared for this... I thought the stomach wouldn't come until a little later. I already am too big for my clothes. I was not quite ready yet to say goodbye to my flat stomach! But I woke up the other day and realized that it had disappeared. So... Goodbye. I hope some day I will have the pleasure of seeing you again. :((By the way, don't pay attention to that weird little bump in the front... I had to unbutton my pants to wear them, so it's just the front of my pants poking through my shirt.)
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Psycho
I have never been so emotional before in my life. I don't quite know how to deal with it! I feel like a crazy person. I get so upset over the smallest things, and even though I can feel myself overreacting and being completely irrational, I can't do anything to stop myself. I have no control over my emotions!
I cried the other day at work reading A CHILDREN'S BOOK about Harriet Tubman. And not just once... No, I cried multiple times while reading this book to myself. I just finished watching The Prince and Me, and I cried three times throughout the course of the movie. I have seen this movie plenty of times, and I have never cried. It is not a cry-worthy movie, and I am a complete baby, so I would know if it was. I cried multiple times while watching Bride Wars about a week ago. Ridiculous, I know! It's a comedy! And I cried.
And poor Jacob has to live with me. I'm worried that he's beginning to think I've lost my mind. Maybe I have. Two nights ago, I had some kind of mental/emotional breakdown. It was ridiculous. I went to bed at 8:30, as I have been doing all week because I'm completely exhausted. And when I woke up for the second time because I had to pee, I couldn't see Jacob in the apartment. So I looked around a little (it's not like there's anywhere in our apartment to go), and he was just gone! Now try to understand... In my mind, it was the middle of the night, and my husband had disappeared. After texting him a few times and getting no response, I became hysterical. As it turned out, it was only 11:30, and he was just upstairs playing a game with his friend. He hadn't even put on his shoes--they were still sitting on our apartment floor. But none of that mattered. Even after I realized it was only 11:30, I couldn't calm down. Even after I had finally gotten ahold of Jacob and found out where he was, I couldn't calm down. I sobbed for about an hour until he came home. I had cried so hard for so long that I couldn't breathe. Jacob had to calm me down and rub my back until I could stop crying enough that I could breathe again and finally fall back to sleep.
I don't like feeling like I've lost all control over my own emotions. And I really don't like knowing that people must think I'm psychotic. Our friends upstairs must have thought I was nuts, after I texted or called Jacob about 20 times in the course of an hour. How do people deal with these insane emotions?!
I cried the other day at work reading A CHILDREN'S BOOK about Harriet Tubman. And not just once... No, I cried multiple times while reading this book to myself. I just finished watching The Prince and Me, and I cried three times throughout the course of the movie. I have seen this movie plenty of times, and I have never cried. It is not a cry-worthy movie, and I am a complete baby, so I would know if it was. I cried multiple times while watching Bride Wars about a week ago. Ridiculous, I know! It's a comedy! And I cried.
And poor Jacob has to live with me. I'm worried that he's beginning to think I've lost my mind. Maybe I have. Two nights ago, I had some kind of mental/emotional breakdown. It was ridiculous. I went to bed at 8:30, as I have been doing all week because I'm completely exhausted. And when I woke up for the second time because I had to pee, I couldn't see Jacob in the apartment. So I looked around a little (it's not like there's anywhere in our apartment to go), and he was just gone! Now try to understand... In my mind, it was the middle of the night, and my husband had disappeared. After texting him a few times and getting no response, I became hysterical. As it turned out, it was only 11:30, and he was just upstairs playing a game with his friend. He hadn't even put on his shoes--they were still sitting on our apartment floor. But none of that mattered. Even after I realized it was only 11:30, I couldn't calm down. Even after I had finally gotten ahold of Jacob and found out where he was, I couldn't calm down. I sobbed for about an hour until he came home. I had cried so hard for so long that I couldn't breathe. Jacob had to calm me down and rub my back until I could stop crying enough that I could breathe again and finally fall back to sleep.
I don't like feeling like I've lost all control over my own emotions. And I really don't like knowing that people must think I'm psychotic. Our friends upstairs must have thought I was nuts, after I texted or called Jacob about 20 times in the course of an hour. How do people deal with these insane emotions?!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Lonely
My husband left me today to go to Colorado and go camping with his family. I feel so lonely. We haven't been apart since we got married, and I hate it. I don't like coming home to an empty apartment and knowing that it's going to stay that way. I don't like knowing that I have to sleep by myself. I think I cried for about a half hour last night because he was leaving me. And then I cried this morning when I said goodbye (he was sleeping). And then I cried when I came home. I'm sure being overly emotional because I'm pregnant has something to do with all the tears (I also cried while watching Bride Wars today after work... multiple times). Now I want to cry because I feel incredibly sick, and he's not here to complain to or to rub my back and make me feel better.
Jacob... don't ever leave me again. :(
Jacob... don't ever leave me again. :(
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Venting
I hate being pregnant. I am so sick all the time. I can't do dishes, I can't do laundry, I can't clean the house... people come over, and it looks TERRIBLE, and I feel so embarassed, but I can't get anything done! Yesterday I felt sick basically for the entire day other than a two hour period, and I threw up twice. And the night before, I woke up 8 times because I had to pee. 8!! I don't think I slept for more than an hour and a half straight that night. I have had to stop showering in the morning because it always makes me feel worse and usually results in me getting sick. So I have to shower at night and have gross-looking hair all day. And eating all the time is not fun! I am so tired of everything that we have to eat. I have to be eating constantly, or else the nausea gets out of control. But I don't have an appetite, because I eat so much that I don't want food anymore. Even when I feel hungry, I still don't want food. Nothing sounds good. And if I can smell food, no matter what it is, it makes me nauseous. So I have to somehow find food to make and eat that doesn't have any kind of smell. I hate it. I hate it all. :(
*sigh* I don't know how I'll make it through the next month.
In happier news, we think Jacob got a job! It's a part time, on-call position at Provo Canyon school, where he used to work. We are hoping that soon they will have a full-time position open up. Two different people that he has talked to there have said that they are planning on maybe hiring someone full-time in the fall. But in the meantime, at least we will have a little extra money coming in!
Sorry for the lack of pictures on my posts. I just have none that I have been wanting to put up, or I've been too lazy to take any. And I don't know the rules about putting up pictures that you find on the web, so I just avoid it altogether to keep myself out of trouble. :)
*sigh* I don't know how I'll make it through the next month.
In happier news, we think Jacob got a job! It's a part time, on-call position at Provo Canyon school, where he used to work. We are hoping that soon they will have a full-time position open up. Two different people that he has talked to there have said that they are planning on maybe hiring someone full-time in the fall. But in the meantime, at least we will have a little extra money coming in!
Sorry for the lack of pictures on my posts. I just have none that I have been wanting to put up, or I've been too lazy to take any. And I don't know the rules about putting up pictures that you find on the web, so I just avoid it altogether to keep myself out of trouble. :)
Friday, August 7, 2009
Mis-matched Socks
I have been having more trouble than usual finding two socks that match to wear each day. Yesterday, as Jacob was sticking his feet in my face, I realized that the reason for this is because he has been wearing my socks! And the man never wears matching socks, thus making problems for me in finding a matching pair. When I asked him why he would want to wear my socks (which say "Hanes Her Way" on them in pink) he said, "They're so comfy!"
I think on my next trip to Walmart, after I pick up a pair of men's pajama pants for myself (Jacob is getting annoyed with me always wearing his), I'm going to have to pick up a package of women's socks for my husband.
I think on my next trip to Walmart, after I pick up a pair of men's pajama pants for myself (Jacob is getting annoyed with me always wearing his), I'm going to have to pick up a package of women's socks for my husband.
And so it begins...
It has started... the morning/afternoon/night sickness of the pregnant. *sigh* The last few days, I have felt nauseous about 80% of the time, and this morning I actually got sick. Hopefully that doesn't become a daily occurrence. I read somewhere that morning sickness is linked with less chance of miscarriage... probably just another pregnancy myth, but I'll pretend it's true because it makes me feel better!
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Hunger
I am SOOO hungry all the time! We had dinner no more than 45 minutes ago... Italian chicken, cheesy garlic bread, and yummy buttery corn. I ate a ton. And I am already starving (and for some reason craving apples). I have to eat every hour or two, or else I get so hungry I start to feel sick. It's ridiculous. I started keeping granola bars in our bedroom because usually by the third time I wake up around 4 or 5 in the morning (I wake up 3 times every night now because I have to pee so badly... it sucks), the hunger pains are so bad I can't fall back to sleep unless I eat something to calm my stomach. *sigh* I can't afford to eat this much food!
Monday, August 3, 2009
We suck at keeping secrets.
Well, we weren't going to tell anyone yet, but since we got too excited and already told all of the three people who read our little blog, I guess I can make the announcement now: We're pregnant! Because of the higher risk of miscarriage in the first trimester, we wanted to wait until closer to the second trimester to tell people... but as I said, we got too excited! Here is the picture of the lovely stick I peed on:
I was surprised that it even showed up positive the day I took the first pregnancy test (I took 3... we got them all from friends as gag gifts, so I figured I may as well use them all). My period could easily still have been coming--it was no more than a couple days late. But I had just had this feeling for the previous week or so that I was pregnant, and I didn't want to wait any longer. Besides, we had 3 tests, so I figured I could waste one and take the test early.
I've been feeling SUPER emotional lately. I hate it. I tear up at the most ridiculous things. I was reading a Pregnancy magazine at the doctor's office yesterday because I had been waiting forever and was incredibly bored, and I read this story about a pregnant woman who started tearing up as she was unloading the dishwasher because she was thinking about how she would someday teach her child to unload the dishwasher. It sounded completely ridiculous! And yet as I sat there, thinking about how ridiculous it was, my throat started feeling tight, and I started tearing up! I hate not having more control over my emotions.
On a different topic, Jacob made dinner yesterday! I was very impressed. I have begged him to make us dinner a few times lately because I've been so exhausted, but he always tells me that "It's impossible!" and that he is "incapable of cooking". I always tell him that his excuses are ludicrous and that anyone can follow a recipe... but I did get a little worried when I asked him to make a can of tomato soup once, and he dumped the can in a bowl, stuck it in the microwave, and called it good. The first thing it says on the can is to add a can of water! But somehow he didn't even see that step. Silly boy.
Anyway, I have been sick for the past couple days, so I begged him last night to make dinner for us. He sent me to lay down on the couch while he made pasta and mashed potatoes, the two things in our pantry that he felt he could handle. Every few minutes I would hear a strange squeal or yelp coming from the kitchen, so I would jump up and run in to see what I could help with, but he would just send me back to sit on the couch. Despite whatever happened in there to cause all of his yells, dinner was delicious! So thank you, honey!
After dinner, we watched Rat Race and snuggled on the couch. Jacob laughed SO hard during that movie. I loved it. I love it when my husband finds something genuinely funny and laughs really hard... for some reason, I find it adorable.
Pictures of the hubby making dinner: (Please excuse our messy kitchen/table... I've been sick.)
I was surprised that it even showed up positive the day I took the first pregnancy test (I took 3... we got them all from friends as gag gifts, so I figured I may as well use them all). My period could easily still have been coming--it was no more than a couple days late. But I had just had this feeling for the previous week or so that I was pregnant, and I didn't want to wait any longer. Besides, we had 3 tests, so I figured I could waste one and take the test early.
I've been feeling SUPER emotional lately. I hate it. I tear up at the most ridiculous things. I was reading a Pregnancy magazine at the doctor's office yesterday because I had been waiting forever and was incredibly bored, and I read this story about a pregnant woman who started tearing up as she was unloading the dishwasher because she was thinking about how she would someday teach her child to unload the dishwasher. It sounded completely ridiculous! And yet as I sat there, thinking about how ridiculous it was, my throat started feeling tight, and I started tearing up! I hate not having more control over my emotions.
On a different topic, Jacob made dinner yesterday! I was very impressed. I have begged him to make us dinner a few times lately because I've been so exhausted, but he always tells me that "It's impossible!" and that he is "incapable of cooking". I always tell him that his excuses are ludicrous and that anyone can follow a recipe... but I did get a little worried when I asked him to make a can of tomato soup once, and he dumped the can in a bowl, stuck it in the microwave, and called it good. The first thing it says on the can is to add a can of water! But somehow he didn't even see that step. Silly boy.
Anyway, I have been sick for the past couple days, so I begged him last night to make dinner for us. He sent me to lay down on the couch while he made pasta and mashed potatoes, the two things in our pantry that he felt he could handle. Every few minutes I would hear a strange squeal or yelp coming from the kitchen, so I would jump up and run in to see what I could help with, but he would just send me back to sit on the couch. Despite whatever happened in there to cause all of his yells, dinner was delicious! So thank you, honey!
After dinner, we watched Rat Race and snuggled on the couch. Jacob laughed SO hard during that movie. I loved it. I love it when my husband finds something genuinely funny and laughs really hard... for some reason, I find it adorable.
Pictures of the hubby making dinner: (Please excuse our messy kitchen/table... I've been sick.)
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Today I turn 24!
Happy Birthday to me!I LOVE birthdays! I have big plans to go out to dinner and then come home and watch The Spiderwick Chronicles, after I run out and buy it on DVD (because somehow my not-so-subtle "Jacob, I want the Spiderwick Chronicles DVD for my birthday" a few weeks ago didn't work). haha
Have a fabulous Saturday!!!! I wish you were all here so you could help us eat birthday cake.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Hooray for mail and birthdays!
These came for me in a package this week: 
I am so excited! I was unable to find the chocolate tastykakes when I was home in June, even after trying several different stores. But my wonderful parents were able to find them for me.
I also got a package last week from my amazing friend and sister (in heart), Angie. She sent me two of the children's books that I had seen at Barnes and Noble but had to stop myself from buying due to lack of funds. I love children's books! And I love birthdays!
Jacob and I took a somewhat spontaneous trip to Roosevelt on Tuesday morning. We got a call from his mom on Monday night saying that they were closing on their house this week and needed help moving. So Jacob spent Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday loading and unloading heavy boxes and furniture. His body isn't used to manual labor, and he is exhausted now, but I'm proud of how hard he worked. I mostly sat around the house feeling awkward and useless (I basically have no muscles, as I'm sure you all know). I helped pack a very little bit, but it's hard when it's someone else's house and someone else's stuff. I spent quite a few hours looking through a tub full of Jacob's belongings. His journal made for some very interesting reading, as did his mission letters. It was fun learning about his life before I knew him.
And our tiny little bathroom...
I took some pictures of our second bedroom ("the storage room"), but I've decided they make me look bad, so I'm not posting them. Maybe I'll retake some after Jacob and I sort through everything and get rid of the junk.
I am so excited! I was unable to find the chocolate tastykakes when I was home in June, even after trying several different stores. But my wonderful parents were able to find them for me.I also got a package last week from my amazing friend and sister (in heart), Angie. She sent me two of the children's books that I had seen at Barnes and Noble but had to stop myself from buying due to lack of funds. I love children's books! And I love birthdays!
Jacob and I took a somewhat spontaneous trip to Roosevelt on Tuesday morning. We got a call from his mom on Monday night saying that they were closing on their house this week and needed help moving. So Jacob spent Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday loading and unloading heavy boxes and furniture. His body isn't used to manual labor, and he is exhausted now, but I'm proud of how hard he worked. I mostly sat around the house feeling awkward and useless (I basically have no muscles, as I'm sure you all know). I helped pack a very little bit, but it's hard when it's someone else's house and someone else's stuff. I spent quite a few hours looking through a tub full of Jacob's belongings. His journal made for some very interesting reading, as did his mission letters. It was fun learning about his life before I knew him.
We got back at about 2 this morning. We needed to get back so that I could get my new driver's license (mine expires tomorrow), and guess what?! The DMV is closed on Fridays. Bummer. So now Jacob has to drop me off and pick me up from my teacher training on Monday. I get my own little chauffeur for the day. He's looking forward to it. ;)
I finally cleaned our apartment on Monday night, so I took a few pictures today.
Our lovely embroidered towels from Jacob's aunt...
I finally cleaned our apartment on Monday night, so I took a few pictures today.
Our lovely embroidered towels from Jacob's aunt...
And our tiny little bathroom... I took some pictures of our second bedroom ("the storage room"), but I've decided they make me look bad, so I'm not posting them. Maybe I'll retake some after Jacob and I sort through everything and get rid of the junk.
Pictures of the rest of our apartment will be coming soon.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Hooray for storm clouds and fabulous friends!
My apologies for last night's rant! I really don't deal well with heat, and I just needed another outlet when I started feeling bad for complaining to Jacob all night. :)
Today, our apartment temperature steadily rose until it reached approximately 86 degrees. Blech. Despite that, today was a thousand times easier for us than yesterday, thanks to our wonderful neighbors and friends who let us crash in their air-conditioned living room. We had other offers of air-conditioned homes, as well, from more of our gracious friends who took pity on us. (Thank you, friends! We love you.) I also took two cold showers today, which helped in dealing with the heat.
I was worried that by the time we got home tonight it was going to be up to 90, but luckily, some dark storm clouds rolled in and drastically cooled the temperature outside. So I turned our broken swamp cooler back on (it works as nothing more than a fan) and it has been bringing in some cooler air from outside. It's still about 80 in here and hotter than it is outside, but 80 is better than 86.
On a happy note, our maintenance man promised us that he would come tomorrow to fix our swamp cooler! Hopefully it stays fixed this time. He "fixed" it on Thursday, and it worked lovely for about 2 days and then broke again, worse than ever. So let's all keep our fingers crossed!!
Anyway, enough about heat! On another happy note, my birthday is on Saturday! We were going to go see the new Harry Potter movie this weeked to celebrate, but we've decided we can't wait that long. So we're going tomorrow. Yay! And I only feel a little guilty about going early... it's at least the week of my birthday, so I've decided that makes it ok.
Also on a happy note, I found our marriage license! Not that it was lost, exactly, but our second bedroom (a.k.a. "the storage room") is full of boxes and bins full of stuff that we haven't found places for, and the marriage license somehow found its way into that room. So it was a bit difficult to find. But Sarah came down today and braved the heat to help me find it. Tomorrow I have big plans to finally get my name changed and get my new social security card and drivers license. My current drivers license expires on my birthday, so I have been a little worried about finding the marriage license in time.
Now I am going to go snuggle my sweaty husband in our bed! Happy Monday!
Today, our apartment temperature steadily rose until it reached approximately 86 degrees. Blech. Despite that, today was a thousand times easier for us than yesterday, thanks to our wonderful neighbors and friends who let us crash in their air-conditioned living room. We had other offers of air-conditioned homes, as well, from more of our gracious friends who took pity on us. (Thank you, friends! We love you.) I also took two cold showers today, which helped in dealing with the heat.
I was worried that by the time we got home tonight it was going to be up to 90, but luckily, some dark storm clouds rolled in and drastically cooled the temperature outside. So I turned our broken swamp cooler back on (it works as nothing more than a fan) and it has been bringing in some cooler air from outside. It's still about 80 in here and hotter than it is outside, but 80 is better than 86.
On a happy note, our maintenance man promised us that he would come tomorrow to fix our swamp cooler! Hopefully it stays fixed this time. He "fixed" it on Thursday, and it worked lovely for about 2 days and then broke again, worse than ever. So let's all keep our fingers crossed!!
Anyway, enough about heat! On another happy note, my birthday is on Saturday! We were going to go see the new Harry Potter movie this weeked to celebrate, but we've decided we can't wait that long. So we're going tomorrow. Yay! And I only feel a little guilty about going early... it's at least the week of my birthday, so I've decided that makes it ok.
Also on a happy note, I found our marriage license! Not that it was lost, exactly, but our second bedroom (a.k.a. "the storage room") is full of boxes and bins full of stuff that we haven't found places for, and the marriage license somehow found its way into that room. So it was a bit difficult to find. But Sarah came down today and braved the heat to help me find it. Tomorrow I have big plans to finally get my name changed and get my new social security card and drivers license. My current drivers license expires on my birthday, so I have been a little worried about finding the marriage license in time.
Now I am going to go snuggle my sweaty husband in our bed! Happy Monday!
Sunday, July 19, 2009
82 Degrees
That is the temperature inside our apartment right now. At 1 in the morning. It's been up in the 80's all day, and I've been holding out for nighttime, hoping it would cool down, but as it is 1 already and our inside temperature hasn't changed even slightly, I have lost all hope of ever getting comfortable.
I HATE being hot. I am an extremely warm-blooded person, as any of my old roommates will tell you. We were constantly in a war over the thermostat because I would get hot and turn it down, and they would all get cold and turn it back up. I miss those days... at least I had air conditioning to fight over.
I don't know what else to do about this heat! I already wear nothing but my garments, unless the doorbell rings, when I run into the back and throw some clothes on while Jacob answers the door. We have one fan that is running at all times, and I would buy a few more, but we really can't afford it. Tonight we even resorted to turning the shower on with freezing cold water and just standing in the bathroom while the water cooled down the air in the room. I'm out of ideas. I can't sleep if I'm even a little too warm, so I'm not even going to attempt to go to bed tonight.
I'm also at a loss as to how I am supposed to make dinner, because every time this week that I turned on the oven, it raised the temperature in our apartment about 10 degrees. When it got up to 90, I vowed I would never use the oven again. I can't live in a 90 degree apartment, so I need some kind of amazing dinners that I can make for the rest of the summer that don't require any use of the oven or stove. The only idea I have is to use the crock pot, but I only have so many crock pot recipes. And I haven't tried using it yet this summer, so I don't know if that will make our apartment hotter. I sure hope not, because as I said, that's the only idea I've got.
I hate summer without air conditioning. 9 months and 12 days until our contract runs out and we can move.
I HATE being hot. I am an extremely warm-blooded person, as any of my old roommates will tell you. We were constantly in a war over the thermostat because I would get hot and turn it down, and they would all get cold and turn it back up. I miss those days... at least I had air conditioning to fight over.
I don't know what else to do about this heat! I already wear nothing but my garments, unless the doorbell rings, when I run into the back and throw some clothes on while Jacob answers the door. We have one fan that is running at all times, and I would buy a few more, but we really can't afford it. Tonight we even resorted to turning the shower on with freezing cold water and just standing in the bathroom while the water cooled down the air in the room. I'm out of ideas. I can't sleep if I'm even a little too warm, so I'm not even going to attempt to go to bed tonight.
I'm also at a loss as to how I am supposed to make dinner, because every time this week that I turned on the oven, it raised the temperature in our apartment about 10 degrees. When it got up to 90, I vowed I would never use the oven again. I can't live in a 90 degree apartment, so I need some kind of amazing dinners that I can make for the rest of the summer that don't require any use of the oven or stove. The only idea I have is to use the crock pot, but I only have so many crock pot recipes. And I haven't tried using it yet this summer, so I don't know if that will make our apartment hotter. I sure hope not, because as I said, that's the only idea I've got.
I hate summer without air conditioning. 9 months and 12 days until our contract runs out and we can move.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
I thought this was supposed to end with my teenage years...
I saw this picture tonight, and it made me incredibly sad...
Look at my skin! (Above picture, not below.) I would never have considered my skin flawless at the time of this photo--I've had acne problems for forever, it seems--but compared to how my skin looks today, I would now say it was flawless in the above photo. When I started dating Jacob, it was still pretty, but within a month, my face looked like the picture below. I HATED it, and I couldn't figure out why it suddenly changed. My forehead was the worst, and no matter what I did, I couldn't cover the scars and craters. Makeup hardly helped. It looked awful. When we got engaged, I was so terrified that I was going to look hideous on my wedding day and that my acne would ruin my pictures. This worry caused tears on many occassions. Jacob was the perfect fiance, of course, and he constantly told me how pretty I was and how I was just as beautiful as when we first started dating... and it would make me feel better at the time, but in the end, I still knew my skin was hideous.
As I continued looking through my photos tonight, I realized how much better my skin looks now. Luckily, my father is amazing, and after I called home numerous times in tears, despairing about how ugly I felt, he gave me some advice. He had a feeling that the acne outburst was a side affect from a medication I was on, and he was right! So only a couple months later (and a couple prescriptions later), my skin was looking good again... still not like it used to be, but good enough that I can look at my wedding photos today without tears. :)
Thank heavens for expensive prescriptions!
Look at my skin! (Above picture, not below.) I would never have considered my skin flawless at the time of this photo--I've had acne problems for forever, it seems--but compared to how my skin looks today, I would now say it was flawless in the above photo. When I started dating Jacob, it was still pretty, but within a month, my face looked like the picture below. I HATED it, and I couldn't figure out why it suddenly changed. My forehead was the worst, and no matter what I did, I couldn't cover the scars and craters. Makeup hardly helped. It looked awful. When we got engaged, I was so terrified that I was going to look hideous on my wedding day and that my acne would ruin my pictures. This worry caused tears on many occassions. Jacob was the perfect fiance, of course, and he constantly told me how pretty I was and how I was just as beautiful as when we first started dating... and it would make me feel better at the time, but in the end, I still knew my skin was hideous.
As I continued looking through my photos tonight, I realized how much better my skin looks now. Luckily, my father is amazing, and after I called home numerous times in tears, despairing about how ugly I felt, he gave me some advice. He had a feeling that the acne outburst was a side affect from a medication I was on, and he was right! So only a couple months later (and a couple prescriptions later), my skin was looking good again... still not like it used to be, but good enough that I can look at my wedding photos today without tears. :)
Thank heavens for expensive prescriptions! Saturday, July 11, 2009
Good Morning!
Jacob and I have somehow gotten our sleeping schedules seriously turned upside down. It happened so gradually that I didn't realize how bad it was getting until now. When we got back from our honeymoon and Pennsylvania, we wanted a few days to sleep in, relax, and recuperate, but our "few days" have turned into 3 weeks. We just kept sleeping in later, and staying up later, until the last couple nights we've gone to bed at 5 in the morning and slept in until 2 or 3 in the afternoon. Somehow, tonight we got sleepy again and fell asleep at 10 pm for a two hour nap. By 12:30, we were both wide awake and unable to sleep anymore. I just had a bowl of cereal and am contemplating taking a shower, and Jacob is playing World of Warcraft, just like he does every other morning. I am feeling energized and ready to take on the day! The only problem is, the day won't really start for another 6 hours! I would really like to tackle my to-do list and work on cleaning and organizing our apartment, but I'm terrified that our crazy downstairs neighbors will hear me walking around and complain to Daddy (a.k.a. our landlord). *sigh*
Maybe if we don't fall asleep again and we stay awake until 10 or 11 tonight, we can get our schedules flipped back around... Maybe by blogging that thought and sending it out to the many admirers who read our little blog (HA!), I won't lose my resolve in a few hours when my bed starts calling to me. Maybe...... I guess we will see how tired I am when morning finally rolls around.
Maybe if we don't fall asleep again and we stay awake until 10 or 11 tonight, we can get our schedules flipped back around... Maybe by blogging that thought and sending it out to the many admirers who read our little blog (HA!), I won't lose my resolve in a few hours when my bed starts calling to me. Maybe...... I guess we will see how tired I am when morning finally rolls around.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
4 weeks ago today...
I married this man!
Oh, how I love him!
He is perfect for me in so many ways. He tells me I'm pretty at least 10 times every day, and he makes me feel beautiful even when I've just woken up, and I haven't showered, or brushed my teeth, or put on any makeup, or even run a brush through my hair.
He tries to cheer me up even when I'm grouchy and acting like a brat... at our open house in PA, I came home from getting my hair done, and it looked so awful that I started bawling. Jacob just laughed and tried to crack jokes to cheer me up as he helped me take out the bobby pins and even tried to help me re-pin it. It didn't look any better, of course--my sister-in-law fixed it for me later--but it was the thought and effort that meant so much to me.
I can always count on him to help me with the dishes, which is the household chore I hate more than anything else. I think he does them more often than I do. If I make us a meal, he will usually do the dishes for me, and I appreciate it more than he knows.
He makes me laugh on a daily basis. One thing that I knew the man I married would have to do was make me laugh. And he does not disappoint! And he enjoys the fact that I think he's funny (not everyone else does?), so I guess it works out for both of us.
He ALWAYS opens my door for me when I get into the car, and if I'm slow enough getting out that he can make his way around the car in time, he'll open my door when I get out as well. He's such a gentleman. :)
He helps me to relax. I worry about everything and cause myself so much unnecessary stress, and he helps me to wind down when something is making me up-tight. He's so non-stressful and calm that he helps to balance me out... and I hope that I help him to worry a little more about the things that he needs to worry more about. ;)
I love that he is always learning! He loves to read up on different topics and learn seemingly random facts that he has been wondering about. He will sneak out of bed at 2 in the morning to research topics online that he has been wanting to know more about.
His scriptural knowledge intimidates me, but I love that too, because it makes me want to learn more. Any questions I have when we're reading our scriptures together, he can almost always answer for me. I learn so much more when I read with him because he is such a great resource.
He helps me to be a better church member. I feel like the things that I am weaker with in life, he is a little stronger with, so he helps me out.
He knows me so well. He knows my moods, and my facial expressions and what they mean, and how to judge my tone of voice, even the differences in the ways that I cry... Tonight I burned my thumb trying to take a baked potato out of the oven, and when I dropped it and it smashed on the floor, I just started sobbing. So Jacob laughed and sat me down on his lap, hugged me for a few moments, and then kissed me on the cheek and cleaned it up. He looked and me and said, "That was just the last straw for you today, wasn't it? That is one of your cries of frustration--when too many things have gone wrong, and this one was the last straw." And he was right. It had been such an awful day, and I was tired, and I was hot from trying to cook dinner in a 450 degree oven in our non-air conditioned apartment in the July Utah heat, and that stupid baked potato was just too much. I love that he knows me well enough that he can tell by the way I cry what is really upsetting me.
Jacob truly is my best friend, and I feel so lucky to be married to him and to spend every day for the rest of my life and beyond with him. I am so excited! Life is good.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Today we ate our last one of these...
My family has been in love with tastykakes for as long as I can remember, but sadly, they do not sell them in Utah. So when I came out to attend BYU 5 years ago, I had to say goodbye to my beloved tastykakes, along with many of my other favorite treats (Snyder's honey barbecue pretzels; Martin's, Utz's, and Gibble's potato chips; Rita's Italian Ice....). To make up for everything I'm missing, whenever I go home, I buy a ton of boxes and bags of my favorite goodies to bring back with me. And today, we ate the last of the tastykakes. It's been a hard day.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Two of my favorite things!
Today I went to Barnes and Noble with my love! I love bookstores, and I love my husband, so it was a good trip. I could spend hours in bookstores, and I have, on many occasions. I usually spend the majority of my time in the children's section, and today was no exception. I started picking up a few books that I really, really wanted, but my pile kept getting bigger and bigger, and when I remembered that we are poor newlyweds, I had to put them all back. So I settled for making a Wish List of all the books I want... for my classroom, of course! (Actually, I buy the children's books for myself... I use them in my classroom, too, but I read them more than my students do.) Someday when we aren't quite so poor, I will use my awesome teacher discount and buy some of the books I want.
My Wish List (so far):
"Chocolate Fever", by Robert Kimmel Smith (I've never read it, but I love chocolate, and I'm always looking for fun, new chapter books for read-a-louds.)
"The Wednesday Wars", by Gary D. Schmidt
"Number the Stars", by Lois Lowry (I love books that take place during wars and other events in history so that I can teach my students about history as we read. I read a story like this with my 6th graders last year, and I taught them about the Nazis and the Jews as we read. I loved it!)
"The True Story of the Three Little Pigs", by Jon Scieszka
"Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs", by Judi Barrett and Ron Barrett
"The Spiderwick Chronicles", by Holly Black and Toni DiTerlizzi
I'm sure this list will get longer as the summer goes on...
My Wish List (so far):
"Chocolate Fever", by Robert Kimmel Smith (I've never read it, but I love chocolate, and I'm always looking for fun, new chapter books for read-a-louds.)
"The Wednesday Wars", by Gary D. Schmidt
"Number the Stars", by Lois Lowry (I love books that take place during wars and other events in history so that I can teach my students about history as we read. I read a story like this with my 6th graders last year, and I taught them about the Nazis and the Jews as we read. I loved it!)
"The True Story of the Three Little Pigs", by Jon Scieszka
"Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs", by Judi Barrett and Ron Barrett
"The Spiderwick Chronicles", by Holly Black and Toni DiTerlizzi
I'm sure this list will get longer as the summer goes on...
Thursday, July 2, 2009
New Toys!
Yesterday I went grocery shopping at Target and found this lovely little picnic basket! I've always wanted a picnic basket, so I was SO excited. The inside is lined with that cute red fabric. I am so excited to go on a picnic with my love! Maybe this weekend...I also put together my new vacuum today all by myself! Ok, that is a small lie. For some reason, I am not talented with screws, and every time I tried to screw them in, they would go in crooked. So I did make the hubby screw in 4 screws for me. But I did the rest myself! I love that it's red. :)
Friday, June 26, 2009
A few words of advice...
I took a couple hours tonight to read through every card that we received for our wedding. We didn't take the time right after the wedding/honeymoon to really look at our cards, and many of our friends left messages and words of advice for us that I wanted to read. Here are a few of my favorite card verses and pieces of advice... I bolded the parts I liked best!
"If you treat each other kindly with compassion and with trust and always let your tender feelings show,
If you laugh together often and enjoy the time you share but give each other space to learn and grow,
If you understand your differences, respecting who you are, and put each other first in all you do...
Your marriage will be beautiful, a reason to feel proud, and a special source of love your whole lives through."
"Together may you live fully, laugh often, and love life's simplest joys.
Together may you find in one another your best and dearest friend."
"It's your story. Make it beautiful.
Fill it up with what you love.
Remember what matters. Forget what doesn't.
Have a happy life together."
"Marriage is a gift you give each other--a gift of yourself that connects you in spirit and completes you in body, mind, and soul.
It's something for you to honor and care for, just as you do each other...
Best wishes for a life of happiness and love as you share your gift together."
"Where love is... Hope is heard. Forgiveness is found. Laughter is shared.
Where love is... Work is worthwhile. Sadness is softened. Faith is deepened.
Where love is... Trust is cherished. Peace is present. Hearts are at home.
Where love is, God will be.
God's love is entwined with yours, strengthening your faith and preparing your hearts for a beautiful lifetime together."
This one is really long, but I liked it a lot. It was typed up and inserted into a card we received. It's by Richard L. Evans.
"To You Who Begin Life Together"
"Songs of spring and love and of undying devotion are good to the ears of all of us. There would be much missing without music and moonlight and romance. But lovely as all these are, there must be much more for the making of a lasting marriage, for making a good and solid life, and for keeping alive the love and sweetness of life.
In June we may walk together holding hands, with adoring eyes and high hearts. But many precious things are perishable, if they are not understood, not carefully cultivated. Life isn't all serenity. It changes pace. It changes color. It is sometimes light and lovely, sometimes difficult and discouraging. There are fair and pleasant days; there are days of illness, of disappointment, sometimes of sorrow. But the sacred covenant of marriage does not contemplate that any of these will make any difference in loyalty and love. Marriage is not only for the brighter moments, not only for prosperous and pleasant days, but for all the days there are, endlessly and forever--and it cannot well be built on less than common ideals, common purposes, willingness to rear a family, usefulness, and sincere service. And no one should marry with the remotest possibility in mind that the marital ties might sometime be severed.
And you who begin life together: Don't let any unkind comment, any act of inconsideration start its widening wedge between you two. There will be moods you will not understand; there will be differences; you will try each other's patience at times. No two people however much in love think or act in all things altogether alike. Don't let differences grow, don't magnify them, don't brood about them; bring them into the open, fact facts fairly.
Avoid hasty words and quick conclusions; reserve judgment; build and encourage each other and never belittle. Avoid extravagance; live within your means; trust and be true to your trust. Forgive; forget; don't let the errors of the past keep coming back to drive a wider wedge. Be prayerful and patient; live with faith and forbearance; be a blessing to each other always and forever, and don't lose the loveliness of looking down the years of life together. Hold to what you have in June and let it be so, sacredly and blessedly, in December."
We also had a few people remind us to serve each other. My favorite piece of advice was from my friend Katie and her husband, Eric: "Just remember to pray together and fight naked." ;) It made me laugh!
My all-time favorite card was from my Granddad.
"How to Make a Beautiful Life Together: Reflections on Marriage for the Bride & Groom"
"Let love be your shelter. The world is noisy and confusing at times, so make a home that is a haven, a peaceful place where you can listen to your hearts and savor the comfortable closeness you share.
No matter how busy your days may be, make time for yourselves. Hold hands. Unwind. Surprise each other. Find little chances every day to show you're grateful to be partners, to be friends, to be married.
Life is not perfect. You will make mistakes, but each time you meet life's challenges together, you will grow wiser, stronger, and surer of your love.
Cherish your yesterdays. They are irreplaceable souvenirs of your journey through life. Make memories that will bring smiles and sighs whenever you look back. (Look back often!)
Look forward, too. Dream together. Plan together. Make promises to keep. Believe in your tomorrows, because tomorrows are what forever is made of.
To make love last, put each other first. That is the way to make a beautiful life together, the kind of life you both deserve so much."
Thursday, June 25, 2009
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