... in real life.

have you ever seen the illusionist?! dan and i watched it the other day. i was a little skeptical at first but totally and surely la-huved it. edward norton is our celebrity crush. i have just been beyond elated that they got to be together in the end and i wanted to watch it again immediately after it was over.

our life is really "real-lifey" right now. back from vacation, unpacking, cleaning, making dinner, sleeping, working, going to school, running errands, etc. but we like it. we love being in our own place that's a little more permanent. 4 months post-tornado and we finally feel settled.

dan's semester includes: ecology, biochemistry, working in a genetics lab, an online writing class, and a proctorship with reallll doctors. he is soo cool. and smart. he loves me and takes care of me when i have the hardest, worst nights and works and lets me cry to him and holds me tight. work is a little overwhelming at times (biggest understatement ever/trying to be politically correct sounding). it's the little things that get me through. like: my coworker brought chocolate to share last night. and i walked into my patients room the other morning and she cut me off mid-sentence to say "you look cute" (UGH!!! i died of joy at that moment), my patient's husband who hugged me and sincerely thanked me numerous times, when my supervisor calls me to tell me i'm getting an admission, a lady with a hairball... no big deal.

well, i'm off to bed. lots of love.

twenty three weeks!

i exploded this past week! i love it because people are really starting to notice i'm pregnant and make cute/funny comments to me and daddy. my sweet mama & daddy got me this amazzzzing 100% organic lotion bar from PIKE'S MARKET is seattle that i have been applying to my ever-so-growing belly and i loveee it. i have been having the most ridiculous acid reflux/flatus issues. it's taking over. the baby is kicking like a kangaroo and boy, has he gotten stronger! dan felt him for the first time and he's been kickin, punchin, elbowing, and kneeing ever since. it's fantastic. he loves it when i hike all day and rock him to sleep.

we just got back from a lovely family vacation in british columbia... more updates to come!

lfie.

old post that i forgot to publish:

i have been working full-time in one of the most stressful, overwhelming jobs. my schedule is really hard on me and i am literally counting down the weeks until i can be a normal person and sleep at night and be awake in the day (minus occasional switch-ups!!! (oh, the things people take for granted)... the thought of being able to sleep next to my husband every night is just mind-boggling. the majority of my life now consists of me, at 10:30 pm, saying good-bye to my husband and facing the cold, harsh world until the sun comes up. it's just not natural. i've payed my dues and i'm ready to be done. mind you, i am so grateful for my job and how it has blessed us. not only financially, but i have learned so much about health care, medicine, nursing, people in general, myself, time management, organization, i could go on... i am so grateful i have been able to work for a few years before i have my baby. it's been great, but i'll be nice enough to let dan do it for the rest of our lives. :)

so besides working, we moved out of our apartment last weekend. the lease to our old apartment ended a week and a few days before our new one began so we have been living with our sweet, wonderful friends, the richards, right now. they are ridiculously kind and welcoming. i hope we have been hospitable house guests! so we moved out of our apartment, cleaned every crack, crevase, and cranny, and have our belongings stowed away there for a time.

we had to hold off a few days to move because dan had a big ole test to take last saturday morning in birmingham. we stayed at a lovely hotel the night before so we can just relax and not have to drive over an hour in the morning. we swam at the hotel, went to the temple, went out to dinner and had some delicious mexican dishes, and enjoy our king-size bed! (we were previously bunking out on a twin. mandatory cuddling... the best) we had so, so much fun. dan got all the extras... early check-in (we will get our moneys worth!), a room in a high-floor (level three), and a hair-dryer in the room (i actually did use it!). our room was so plush.

during dan's test, i found world market (i'm in love) and got some fun things for our new apartment, got lost and ended up at a yard sale in vestavia hills, and a few other adventures. i was so thrilled and elated for him when he called me and told me he was done! i could not be any more proud of him. he is amazing. and incredible. and driven. not to mention adorable. thank you everyone who prayed and fasted for him! our prayers were answered and we know Heavenly Father was there helping him with his test. the guy at the testing center was teasing him because every time dan would come out for a break he would be smiling. the guy would say "why are you smiling?! you shouldn't be smiling while you're taking a test like this!" and dan would just say "i don't know! it could be worse i guess..." and the proctor said, "well, i hope you become a doctor. i would come to see you just because of that big smile."

on monday we moved into our new apartment. we really love it. it's spacious and open (once you get past the loong entrance hallway), we have two bathrooms, a fireplace, a back porch, woods in our backyard, a extremely large walk-in closet, a big pantry that so nicely holds our washer and dryer, a ceiling fan and overhead lights in every room, and a parking space that is only a few steps from the front door! oh the luxuries. we are excited about it. we moved in as much as possible in one day, because on tuesday we flew out to las vegas to see the james gang! we are loving our vaca and trying to relax after a very stressful few months...

dan finishes up his summer classes today (weight-lifting and racquetball). he managed to make it through his whole semester undefeated in his racquetball class. that Z-serve is pretty brutal. and he is as muscley as all get out these days. he's making up for my weight gain. we've always been able to complement each other. :)

i gasp every time i step on the scale... it's the best. my doctor might have a heart attack after i get back from a two-week vacation with my family and step on the scale the next day.

oh did i mention we had our big ultrasound?! we are so thrilled to bring a lovely little boy into this world! a first born son is pretty perfect to us. he kicks and spins and twirls. he is going to be the best, best, best little creation this world has ever seen!

results are in...

he's handsome like his daddy :)

twenty weeks.

i'm half-way there! me and my baby are getting to be best friends. it's the most wonderful thing. i feed baby yummy food and it kicks me in the stomach. it's the best. i give my cantaloupe half my oxygen and it gives me acid reflux. i love it more than anything. we like to take walks and eat popsicles together. we also like to indo board together (don't worry, i focus really hard). this baby is going to have awesome balance and boarding skills. we like cuddle. we like it so much we do it all time actually. my sweet little thing still lets me jump and do really high ninja kicks, but won't let me bend over without grunting.

this picture was taken in the parking lot of the doctors office, right after we found out if we were having a little boy or girl! it was the most wonderful, amazing, beautiful, and special experience. i'm in love.

announcement is soon to follow...

may 16: first appointments!

;may 16, 2011:

first ultrasound. was. amazing. incredible. breathtaking. oh sigh... these words are so inadequate. after the tornado i suddenly wasn't sick anymore... at all. it worried me a little bit. is there really a baby in there? but i didn't have any other adverse signs or symptoms so i just said, "my flight or fight system is kicking in. i don't have time to be sick right now!" i just hoped everything was okay.

we went to our mother's class. it was cancelled twice due to tornado issues, but we finally made it! it was soo cheesy. and straight out of the movies. and the best. people have the funniest questions. i went straight from work so i was just really tired and wanted to go home and go to sleep. we talked about what's okay and what's not, they gave us a WIC and an insurance shpiel, and then they drew my blood. i was so brave. i'm not used to being on the other side of the needle! dan was one of the few husbands in the class. there were 3 out of probably 20 women. i was so happy to have his handsome self there with me. we loved to laugh about how funny people are. after the class we stopped by city cafe for some biscuits and gravy and hashbrowns. we are just so southern now, aren't we? it was... divine! as always.

our ultrasound and doctors appointment was on may 11th at 1:30 pm. my doctor's name is James Sid Smith. half the reason i picked him is because of his name. my dad is Syd James, he is James Sid... so he's got to be a good guy, right?!? and of course i did my research and he comes well recommended! he's young. and sweet. we really like him. so we got to our appointment and just marvelled at all the ladies around us in the waiting room: pregnant with children, pregnant with babies, pregnant without babies, daughter and mother, lady and man... i was yet again thankful to be there as husband and wife. my dad wasn't kidding about the blessings of doing things in the right place at the right time! we filled out a history form with the funniest questions and then waited. and waited. and waited as we browsed through baby magazines and i ripped out recipes that i'm just sure i couldn't live without.

then my name was called... we jumped up out of our seats and followed the lady back. we hurried straight down the hall to a dark room. "lay down on the table..." before i knew it there was jelly on my belly and i was staring at a large flat screen tv. the ultrasound machine made a soothing noise that was almost like calming music. so between that and the darkness i was feeling very serene. BESIDES the fact that i reallly wasn't sure if there was a baby in there or not. so she starts slider the little feeler device around my belly and the screen was just grey and fuzzy with no sense. then, in the most magical moment, we saw him! at the exact same moment dan and i gasped as it literally took our breaths away. he was moving. he was wiggling. he was waving his arms and kicking his legs. he was alive. he was inside me. he was real. he was a baby! (i say he because i kind of having a feeling it's a boy, but really i have no idea. and i don't like to refer to the baby as "it"... so for now, it's he.) tears immediately started streaming down my face. it was suddenly real. for the first time it felt real. there is a baby inside me, a real live person. and it is up to me to nurture him and love him and help him grow and be healthy. i know he is healthy and strong because he made it through a tornado and a week of snack packs, no prenatal vitamins, and working outside while i was in survival mode. i know he's strong. he has a strong spirit.

his heart beat was 175 beats per minute. perfect. his heart beat was regular and normal. my heart is literally sustaining another heart. there are two hearts beating in my body right now. i love his little heart. we could have stayed in there forever. just watching him in disbelief. she snapped a few pictures and took me i was 9 weeks and 2 days pregnant. she could tell by measuring him... he was 7 cm long. he is on my right side. i knew he was because every once in a while he would let me know he's there by sending a little sharp pain my way. i felt like i had such the motherly sense when i knew he really was on my right side. :) first maternal instinct! she printed out our pictures and we marvelled as we sat in the waiting room and waited some more.

the nurse then called me back and checked my blood pressure: 110/70. i'm healthy! so happy and thankful. weight: 127. we'll keep our eye on that. we met with our doctor and got to know him a little bit. the appointment went well! i am healthy. baby is healthy. everything is on track. so thankful. so blessed.

next appointment: june 8...

eighteen weeks

feeling great. feeling little tiny mini baby kicks. feeling love.