Chocolate:) (29 Weeks)

One of the best desserts in the entire world is in our restaurant...right now.

It is the most delicious triple chocolate mousse cake that I have ever had in my whole life! And it is calling my name..really loudly. Most people eat their yummy chocolate desserts cold, but not me...it must be melting over the very banana leaf that it is served on and accompanied with a tall glass of ice cold milk. Layers of delicious melted dark chocolate better than a Hersheys Chocolate bar....so close. 

Can I ignore it's persistent pleadings?? Of course not! 

Third Trimester Butterflies! 28 Weeks

This is what baby looks like at 28 weeks!

August 29th 2012

We finally made it! I feel like a pioneer who has struggled across the plains of the mid-west and can finally see my destination in sight!

Except I would be naive to think I could even compare to these remarkable people.....

Tougher than I'll ever be

But in the great scheme of things, this being my first pregnancy, I feel so blessed to have reached this far in our pregnancy. I admit that I scare myself by watching too many Youtube documentaries of premature births and I should really cut that out of my routine.

Third Trimester is Great! 

I have officially been in the third-tri for two whole days and I am feeling pretty good about it....Jett and I are starting to think now about this little one coming into our lives and to put lightly, we have no clue what we're doing!!

Won't this be an adventure....

We have been greatly blessed by our family and friends so far and I think they understand and realize our incompetence because they have been so generous in helping us with what we are lacking in. Our sweet sister gave us some beautiful pink baby clothes and an adorable headband to match and another great friend of ours asked if she could give us her gorgeous dark wooden baby crib! I still don't know how we will ever repay her for that! What a sweetheart!

We are going to have a baby shower here in Utah on the 7th of October at our new house and a week prior to that, our family will make a long trip back to California for a sweet baby shower in the town I grew up in. Our baby is a lucky girl to have so many people who love her and I predict she will be plenty spoiled in goods and love.

Oh by the way, Jett and I were able to score a dandy little 3-D ultrasound! It didn't turn out all that great and it took the poor sonographers 3 different days just to get this shot...but in it you can see her sweet little mouth and nose and her hand is folded up against her cheek. That thing draped over her head is actually the wall of the placenta that she was so closely snuggled up against.

We have a stubborn child who after three days of prodding, running, jumping, getting poked, and consuming nasty soda STILL refused to let her face be seen. I guess as long as she's comfy I am alright with that. She certainly moves a lot when the sonographer isn't around to capture it on film. As if she's taunting us. 

I can't really tell yet but I certainly hope she looks like her sweet daddy! That would make me very happy. I can even settle if she at least inherits his smile:) I can never get enough of that smile and it would be so pleasant to have a double dose of it throughout life!

*Just a note to expecting mothers out there, if you plan on getting a 3-D ultrasound, just be warned that after you pay the $80 for it, there is no guarantee that you will be able to capture anything. 

Said by the ultrasound tech on day two of trying to get pictures:  "Hmmmm, she just doesn't want to come out of her little hiding place. Oh well. There is nothing more I can do." Done. Finished. Warm gel and wand down on the table. 

$80 Dollars and no pictures later, she was going to give up. But kicking our "sad puppy dog faces" into play, the woman took pity on us and invited us back one more time to try "even though they never give people a third try." The third attempt is when a different sonographer was able to capture the above photo.*

25 Weeks

August 6th 2012

Only 15 Weeks Left!

25 Week Tummy Bump

I have a confession to make.

My recent past times have included long spouts of poking my tummy and laughing as baby pokes back. I can't watch a movie anymore without laughing (no matter how sad it is...i.e. Fireproof) because I get tickled every time baby moves and wiggles inside of me. 

She is getting to be so big now! I can feel what I think might be her head up by my rib cage while she simultaneously kicks me near my pubic bone. I love it so much! I will be sad when she is born and I can no longer feel her playing inside my tummy! 

We went to the doctor's office today for a routine check-up and the doctor wants me to take a routine diabetes test in three weeks just to check if I have gestational diabetes. He says that it occurs in about 4% of pregnant women and gave me some yucky-looking orange colored sugar water to drink before I come in for my next check-up.

Jett and I also scheduled a 3-D ultrasound on the 27th of August because we really really want to see our little girl's face and sweet little body! I am so happy we did that! It is a tad pricey (Around 80 dollars) but we figured it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and very well worth it. 

I am feeling really good right now! I get tired really fast and end up having to take a nap once a day, but I have a lot of energy while I'm awake. I can't stand milk anymore which used to be my go-to pregnancy food. 

Right now I think that Jimmy John's # 12 turkey sandwich w/out mayo is my new go-to prego meal favorite. I literally go there at least once a week and fuel up on that yummy sandwich! I have never had anything there that I dislike and one sandwich is big enough for two meals! I feel like a spokesperson...they should pay me to write this! 

Meals like that are perfect for me because my appetite has reduced so much. I get full very quickly now and stay full for a long time. A full glass of orange juice with pulp will keep me going for about two-three hours and a small bowl of oatmeal can last for five! 

I haven't been going to the gym recently as I should be doing just for the fact that I lack motivation. I think I should find me a good gym buddy to go with because I cannot refuse when a friend or sister needs gym-time company. I prefer working out with a buddy because time flies so much faster and their motivation enables you to workout harder than you would alone. 

I have set a few goals to accomplish before baby is born.

1st: I would like to design and sew her a stuffed pink bunny that she can cuddle with. It has to have soft fur and plush stuffing. This little bunny must also have the cutest eyes that you ever did see and the durability to last through her first five years. Any suggestions? 

Also, I really want to make her a few headbands to wear with bright colors, flowers, and bows! I need to invest in a hot glue gun and buttons to bring out a perfect finish. 

Tutus, glitter, sparkles, pink, purple, and blue!

Ballet shoes, baby dolls, ponytails, bows, buttons, dresses...

I can almost taste it!

He is a Dancing Queen

August 4th 2012

I love my twinkle-toes husband more than a fat kid loves cake.

Sundays are the best because these are the days where we get to spend time together, go to church, hang out, and act like we're ten years old. 

My favorite thing in the world to witness is when Jett breaks out into a random dance for absolutely no reason at all. It can be the silliest dance move on our staircase mid-ascension or breaking down with the vacuum in the back room of the restaurant where customers are only inches away from seeing his reflection in the mirror. He makes me laugh until my sides hurt. 

We love watching movies together and his favorite movies to watch are Tamil Movies. I try to watch Tamil movies but because I don't speak Tamil, I usually get bored out of my mind and abandon post to find something interesting to do! Like Taxes. 

Jett has always wanted to be an actor like his father was. I think he would be such a great actor and I would love for him to just do one movie for the simple joy of being able to say that he did it. How fun it would be to travel to Sri Lanka and film a cute movie that no one ever watches except for us and our poor children every Saturday night until we die! Could you imagine him on a big screen? The memories it would make?! Haha, I cannot imagine that at all! But it is fun to dream and think about, "What if....."

If I could be in a movie, I would want to be in a Disney and Pixar movie because my voice would be the perfect voice over! I would want to play a princess and Jett could play the prince. We could get married and I would have long hair and fall asleep for long periods of time every time I eat an apple! I would sing lovely songs and Jett would look like a strapping young lad and he would also ride a horse with lots of hair around its hooves! We would fly away on a magic carpet and live happily ever after in Andalasia where it's always sunny and deer and the antelope roam. 

Oh man, I need to go to the gym. 

Tender Moments (24 Weeks)

August 1st, 2012

I am on a path of enlightenment

No really, I am!

I am six months pregnant now with our little Elizabeth (**Name Pending....I'll tell ya later) and I am learning exactly what I am meant to prepare for during this time of her development. I love this stage of pregnancy. Feeling her sweet kicks in the middle of the night, watching daddy's face as he with his hand on my belly feels his daughter inside...moving, stretching, and playing.

I love being just big enough so that a stranger can tell I am pregnant, but not so pregnant that I cannot move or find comfort.

As seen below.....

(Found this @ babybumpapp.com)

Ouch.

I even like it when people reach out and touch my belly:)

I am very calm. I have no fears as of yet about our ability as parents. I haven't quite reached a stage of anxiety over raising her or teaching her.

I know that if I were to take a "Perfect Parent Candidate" test, I would fail.

But if ya think about it, wouldn't you fail too? Is anyone really prepared to face the responsibilities that come with nurturing and raising a child? I don't think so.

I think that is why being human is so wonderful. We are all capable of becoming anything that we set our minds to, even capable of becoming wonderful parents. But I don't think that we would be all that great if we relied solely on our own experiences and talent as blueprints of success. That is why I am grateful for all of the wonderful examples in my life of great parenting techniques.

Isn't it great to watch people go before you and mess up so that you know what to avoid later on?

I have learned about parenting through my own family and friends and neighbors. I want to set a tone of reverence and peace in our home and I think that I have learned a little bit about how to do that through the examples of many of you who are reading this.

So if our children turn out to be totally awesome one day, pat yourself on the back and celebrate with an ice cream cone...because you did a good job helping:)

23 Weeks!

23 Weeks Along!

Hooray!

I am so excited to be almost 6 months pregnant! In all of my prego research, an infant has a much greater chance of survival with significant medical sustenance if born after 24 weeks gestation so I am really happy to be close to that mark! 

I have been praying that she will be a healthy little girl and I think that my biggest fear is that she will come too soon! I only fear that because many of my friends here have had premature deliveries and so I feel that although I am healthy, I should not exempt myself from the possibility of that happening. 

I am in love with our sweet little girl! Jett and I talk to her and even give her a cute little personality that seems to stand as proxy until she is born and we can understand her true personality! We both hope that she will learn to love soccer and cricket and I told Jett (a Lakers fan...eww.) that she would be raised as a Sacramento Kings fan! He was very supportive and showed no hesitation in sustaining that measure. 

I want to hug her and hold her already! I have got a long way to go still in this pregnancy and hope that as time passes I can develop more attributes that will prepare me for parenthood. 

I think Jett and I have decided to do away with the name Elizabeth!

Jett came in one night with a very concerned look on his face and asked, "Isn't Elizabeth an old lady's name?" "Well sweetheart, it is a very common name of both old people and young. It kinda never goes out of style." 

"Well," he said, "I just don't think it fits to name our little girl an old woman's name. Especially an old English woman's name. We should choose an American name instead. What about Jenny??"......

So we sorted out a few potential names and decided to sleep on it and just wait until baby comes before we name her. I think I am going to miss the name Elizabeth because I have gotten so used to calling our baby by that name, but for now I guess Jenny will do. 

Love Taps (21 Weeks)

July 13th 2012

             

Last night was such a tender and special night for me as a first time mom!

Our sweet little girl is 21 weeks old now and I was able to feel her kick and move around inside of me as I lay on my bed to rest. I couldn't believe it at first because I have only ever felt her flutter or tap inside of me, but usually it feels so light and soft that I would miss it if I weren't paying close attention.

My eyes lit up and a smile as long as the Nile spread across my face when I felt her strong movements! I am so happy right now! It seemed as though for about a minute she was just tossing, turning, and prodding me trying to get as comfortable as possible before she lay down to sleep. 

I hope she slept well and wasn't interrupted by all of the endorphins my happy body was releasing in response to such an exciting event in our pregnancy:)

It is such a testimony to me that life truly begins at conception. She is growing and developing so much each and every day! She has beautiful little wafts of hair and a sweet little mouth, nose and ears that will one day be used outside of my tummy. I am so happy to be her home for these next couple of months! 

But I hope she doesn't get too comfortable for as is the case with every newborn, she will one day over stay her welcome and will have to be evicted. 

Its a hard life being a baby. 

Letter from Mommy (18 Weeks)

Oh my dear sweet child,

You are very special to this world and to Heavenly Father. Since daddy and I learned about you, we have felt that your spirit is precious- like an angel's. 

Everyone tells us that you are special. "Wow, she is going to be beautiful!" they will say. Even before you are born, you have people amazed by your beauty. They tell us you will grow to be gorgeous, stunning, and every other kind flattering compliment they can give.

The world already sees grace and beauty in you- as do we all- but I want to mention something about you that they cannot see or feel just yet.

I know this to be true my love, Your spirit is one of greatness and nobility. You are truly sent from God to help prepare the way for Jesus Christ's second coming to this Earth. You are determined and you are strong. 

I know you will face many trials in your life, but you are a remarkable woman who has been given the strength of many nations. 

I feel a lot of your daddy in you which is a great blessing. Your father is an amazing and humble man whom I have come to cherish above all that is living. Blessed with his wisdom and testimony, you will grow as a firm example of a believer in Jesus Christ to your classmates, strangers, acquaintances, and friends. 

Most of all, you will be a beautiful leader in our own sweet family. Darling, lean on us for support as you need it, but don't be afraid to fly on your own. Daddy and I while on Earth or in Heaven will always be here to guide you. 

Try not to fear the trials of life. See every trial as a sweet blessing. Our trials will help our weaknesses turn into strengths. 

Work hard everyday to strengthen your knowledge of Jesus Christ and expand your education. Just as we must work hard to strengthen our physical bodies by going to the gym and eating a healthy balanced diet, our minds and spirits too must be constantly nourished if we want to keep them strong.

I love you daughter, you are a blessing to our family. 

It's a.....(16 Weeks)

Oh my gosh!

We are so excited! So we just got home from an amazing 16 week check up of our little one and we now have some amazing news!

It's a girl!

Jett smiled the BIGGEST smile I have ever seen on him when the doctor announced her sex:) He has always wanted to have little girls and he got what he wanted.

The doctor's appointment was so suspenseful and dramatic too! We went to Utah Valley Hospital for our ultrasound and had an amazing ultrasound technician who allowed us to see the baby for at least 20 to thirty minutes as she took measurements of baby's size and weight.

Our little girl already is showing so much personality (if but only in the minds of her parents) by the way she acted during the ultrasound. The ultrasound tech tried to determine her sex very early in the check-up but our little girl would not have it. She sat perfectly content with her little legs crossed and would not let us see her gender!

Over the entire course of the ultrasound she stubbornly sat, mocking us, and refused to budge any part of her body except her little hands and head. 

I had to lay on my side and then switch to the other side, get poked, go back to my other side, get poked in the belly again, and finally the tech decided that we would come back to it later. 

Isn't that the CUTEST little hand you ever saw in your whole life?!?

After every measurement the tech could think of was taken, we decided to give it another shot. She still was pretty stubborn but the tech says she is fairly certain that we are having a girl.

Hooray!

P.S. We have chosen her name already

His Voice

June 5th, 2012

I am addicted.

There is something terribly romantic about his voice that just has me twirled around his finger. I love to listen to every tone and fluctuation he makes when he speaks. 

It reminds me of velvety smooth and rich....chocolate. Haha. So soft and calm, full of peace and strength, with a Sri Lankan twist. Mmmm.

Sometimes I become so enthralled by the sound of what he says that I just nod my head in agreement with whatever sense he is trying to make. It is my weakness I admit, but I can't help myself.

"Yes dear, whatever you say dear......"

"Wait, who said you could......?!?!?"

:)

15 Weeks

It is only fair to post up belly pictures considering we will find out on Monday if baby is a girl or a boy!

I am so anxious to find out what we're having! What an exciting time for new parents! I am sure everyone reading this with children of their own is probably smiling as they remember their own experiences becoming parents. We are so thrilled! 

Baby is probably around 6 ounces or so already and can possibly even hear my voice! I have been keeping a diet of mostly vegetables, fruits, protein, with oatmeal in the morning. It seems to be doing well because I still have a lot of energy and take tiny naps every day.

Now don't be falsely lead into thinking every day of mine is like this. But as often as I can I take my diet very seriously! I have consistently avoided refined sugar though and I am really glad that my sweet tooth has just about completely disappeared. 

I can still go to the gym although I have cut down my running considerably and I will probably stop running here pretty soon. I love cycling and I go to the cycling class as often as I can throughout the week. 

Daddy's Concerns (14 Weeks)

May 20th, 2012

Every father has concerns about his abilities to be a dad. My husband is no different. I often wonder if our Heavenly Father finds it humorous to watch us struggle with our confidence in parenting. I could imagine him thinking, "Come on, how hard could it be? Your mother and I have trillions of children and you are worried about your ability to raise one??"

Yesterday was my brother Michael and sister in-law Carly's wedding! It was so beautiful to see my sweet brother in the Logan Temple dressed in white and sealed to his amazing bride. 

I was so close to crying during the sweet and reverent ceremony but I was forced to play tough again because I couldn't handle being the only one in the room with tears. I cried like a baby when I got married but Carly and Michael seem to be doing just dandy without a tear in sight. 

Jett and I had such a fun talk on our way back from their wedding. We had just stayed with one of my dearest friends for two days and she and her husband just welcomed a brand new baby boy last month. It was really the first time Jett was able to be so close with a newborn and as I held the sweet baby, Jett couldn't stop smiling at him and playing with his small fragile hands. 

Over the next day or two, Jett was able to hold and cradle the baby and gain experience but his lack of previous exposure definitely showed as he awkwardly cradled the poor child in the palms of his hands.

"You know, when we have a child," Jett said to me, "I won't even know how to hold her safely (he thinks we are having a girl). What if I hurt her?" I tried to be as tender as possible and comforted him by saying that he will kind of just 'know' what to do when she/he gets here. 

I am not sure how to help prepare Jett to become a dad, but I honestly feel that he will be an incredible father if he just stays the way he is. I am sure that our fathers before us never went to a Daddy Prep School or anything. They kind of just learned as they went. Right?

I would post more belly pictures up, but my belly and weight haven't really changed all that much since I took my 9 weeks pregnant belly pictures. 

I am slightly jealous as I see some of my own friends going through the same pregnancy time frame as me with cute little baby bumps. I want one so bad! It is a terrible phase to be pregnant but look like you are just gaining weight around your belly. In my defense of having just a bigger tummy and no bump, at only 14 weeks, the baby is so small that I slightly question my own friends' bumps as legitimate baby bumps. Isn't baby just the size of an apple?

Work with me here.

Defense #2: I have also really watched my diet and I am still regularly going to the gym, so when my bump comes, I will know that it is all baby for sure! (At least I hope so)

Oh Good news! I am not sick anymore! I can eat full meals again! And I sleep straight through the night without waking up as I have been doing this whole First Trimester.

I am now in my Second Trimester and hopefully it won't take as long as the first!