Baby's Room

With Nathan out of school and Christmas behind us we got to start getting the babies room ready! YAY!!  With everything out of the room and the walls cleaned we could begin.  First off with the wallpaper which came off so easy, Thank Goodness! Then to Home Depot the next morning for the fresh new paint.  It is amazing what a fresh layer of paint does to a room and we love the white/cream and how it opens up the room.  Mom and Dad Andersen were up in Provo with us and were so nice and came over to help us!   We had to apply two coats...painting sure does take its sweet time but we're glad to have it done.

Then on to the futon and the baby's crib.  The futon is way comfortable and firm and will be nice to have in the middle of the night, I'm sure.  And the crib is beautiful.  It was Nathan's when he was little - Thanks Mom and Dad for letting us use it and for keeping it in such a perfect condition!  It looks like it maybe could have been lightly used for one child, not like it's been through the four of them!  I have the bumper on it but nothing else at the moment and the freshly washed baby clothes are in their neat piles waiting to have a spot of their own...I haven't figured that out yet but will shortly...only 7 weeks to go!  

We are getting excited!  The reality hitting us more and more of how life will change!  It's such a whirlwind of emotions, thoughts and feelings!  He's wiggling lots and I wish I could just take him off and let Nathan experience what that feels like, even just for a second.  It's such a beautiful thing!  I'm lucky that I get to become a Mommy!  I'm lucky I get to feel him squirm around all inside of me!  I love my little buddy so much already!  His little feet, toes, hands, bum, cheeks, nose - we are excited to kiss them all!

29 Weeks

 

 Gag, my hair is poofy!  I swear it calmed down...

29 weeks/7 months along

It's an exaggeration but I could almost say that I feel better pregnant than I do regularly...now that's taking into consideration that, yes, there are aches, occasional sick waves (still), and now the normal lack of sleep that I am able to get...but I must say, I love being pregnant!  My body feels like it knows what it needs to do and how to keep its energy coming.  Still jogging, moving around easy, and loving feeling my little buddy giggle around inside of me.  I told Nathan the other night in bed that I wish I could just let him have our baby in his tummy, even just for a moment so he could feel how indescribably neat it is to feel his movements!  

-It seems like he can sense when I'm cooking and that's one time he loves to move

-His movements are strong enough where they'll catch my attention even when I'm teaching...I use to have to pay attention to them and if I was occupied with other things I wouldn't notice the shifts, jabs, and flutters.

-My students ask me every day when the baby is coming.  Funny how kids really don't have a sense of time and how long it takes for a baby to be ready to come out.  :) It makes me smile

-My students come by my room to give me a hug goodbye at the end of the day and follow that with blowing kisses, rubbing my tummy, giving him "bumps", special tummy hugs intended just for him, and little waves as they are staring at my bump.

-I have a hard time sleeping.  I've had a funny back when I sleep for years and the baby bulging  from my abdomen isn't helping that.  I need to get up, walk and stretch because I'm so sore...not so fun....is this my body getting me ready for sleepless nights with little Nathan Jr.?  possibly....probably!

-Saturday I had an active morning and man, my body reacted.  My tummy was tight for over half the day.  No pain but you could feel the muscle tensing up and it really didn't go away and come back, just sorta constant. We went to the temple and I was glad for a chance to sit.  Before we went in I tried to drink lots of water and after about an hour it started to relax again.  Seems like that's the way our bodies tell us we're doing to much!

a Week in Tahoe

Back in June of 2011 we were lucky enough to go see Tahoe, my fist time ever...

Tahoe is breathtakingly beautiful! ...the water is equally as cold! Being with family and cousins in this gorgeous and peaceful place just can't be beat.  Jeff and Monique rented a cabin and invited  us Andersens to join them.  We weren't sure if we were going to be able to go but after some turn of events our schedules were free and off we went to join the family fun.  We were dropped off in Sparks, NV where we got to spend the night and visit with Stewart and Emily and their adorable kiddos.

This was the only picture that we got while there...but heck, it's a fun memory still the same.  Nathan pushed little Benji on our walk down to the river while I ran along besides Bridger and Angeli on their bikes.  We loved visiting and laughing with them, even though the trip was short.  Sunday afternoon Stew drove us up the rest of the way to Tahoe, which was so nice of him - Thanks Brother!

Nathan and I had just confirmed that we were pregnant a few weeks before leaving and were excited to see family and get fresh hugs as the new, soon-to-be Mommy and Daddy...even though at 6 weeks I obviously wasn't showing, there's still something exciting about the whole thing that made it so fun to see each other and celebrate that we had started down that path.  I had my days when I plumb just didn't feel so hot but those were seldom (man, do I feel lucky about that).  The fresh air, free time, family fun was much needed and we took advantage of every second.  

We played tennis...well, better said is that I "tried" to play tennis, while everyone else really did.  But there was a game with Mom and I against Ellie and Andrew, that I must say, was pretty awesome, filled with many, cheers, screams, squeeles, teasings, and laughs.  We fished for crawdads, a 1st for me.  We ran, biked, boated, shopped, ate too much junk food, play cards, watched movies, got some relaxed reading in...like I said, simply grand week in the summer! 

Our little blow-up raft that we paddled out to the booey in, then dove head first into the water only to burst back out of it with screams of how freezing it was!

Big Rocks that we jumped off of once the group of potty-mouth, drunken teenagers (some of which didn't even know how to swim) had jumped off before us.  Above is a picture of me just about to save Sara's life... she jumped from one rock to the next but when she landed all I saw were her eyes get big and her hands panicingly reaching out for me, she couldn't even get words out...  I lunged forward and caught her just in time to save her from tumbling down backwards to her watery grave...Yes, I'm amazing, I know!  Haha!  I love you Sara!!

Wet suits are a MUST if you're going to go out on the boat and actually enjoy it.  

Jenna, Nathan, and Sara screaming away as Uncle Jeff whips them around

Kiss!

Nathan and me...we were sure hoping this was okay to do, laying flat on my belly as we faced the waves while our little fetus, the size of a crumb, was nestled away inside of me - Goodness gracious, this was so much fun!

Nathan up on the wake board! He picks things up quick. At first we we proud that he had just gotten up, then there he is going out side of the wake, riding one handed, trying to jump and do tricks....me? did I even get up?...no, but I tried - that's gotta count for something, right?!

Our lovely Family!  The picture is a bit blurry but I just couldn't not keep it.  It was one of the only ones that we got with all of us together.   I get a little "heart swell" when I look at this picture and I feel of the love that we share!  Nathan and I are the luckiest couple in the world to be a part of such an amazing family that we love with all our hearts! 

"I have a family here on earth, they are so good to me.  

I want to share my life with them through all eternity.  

Families can be together forever through Heavenly Fathers Plan.  

I always want to be with my own family.  

And the Lord has shown me how I can.  

The Lord has shown me how I can!"

(Primary Children's Song Book)

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was wonderful!!  It's good to be surrounded by family and have a tad little break from school.  The weather up in Provo was pleasant and the company was even better.   

Susan Green brought some of her new necklaces for us to look at.  I really love her new look!  All us girls were putting them on and telling each other which one looked the best on who...its fun to play like that.  Grandma was sure funny about voicing her opinion of the bunch of necklaces brought.  Yes, thank goodness we all have different opinions and taste grandma or we'd all be boring and the same :)  The best line was when  later we were talking about the necklaces and grandma asked who had brought them.  We told her daughter Susan had and that's because she makes them to sell. (note: She's been making necklaces for years)  Grandma's response "Well that's creative!!"  ...Yes, it really is Grandma!

Check out her amazing website: http://www.susangreenjewelry.com/

Nathan flew his RC Airplane for everyone and man, did they Ooo and Aaaa!  It's a large airplane and he was doing all sorts of flips and turns with it which makes it fun to watch.

 Two Lovely Ladies!  My amazing Mommy and the stunning Grandma Ras

Grandma just went on and on (and on and on) about how neat Nathan's airplane was and how talented of a flyer he was to fly with such great ease and control.  Nathan didn't mind her constant praise in the least :)  Don't we all love to hear just how amazing we truly are

Lovely picture of us all sweaty after our Just Dance 3 party at Meridee's house! Funnest game; it made us want to buy it!  My husband totally dominated on the dance floor and I wasn't too shabby myself.  Dancing is so much fun, great way to get some exercise and just have fun!  I have wondered many times why they don't have anymore once you get married...i know, totally sad, isn't it?!  That's one reason why I love going to wedding receptions so much cause every so often you'll get one where you can really get funky.

St George was a short trip but we wanted to see the Andersen's so bad (Plus heck, 3 1/2  hours down is a lot better then 6 hours to Vegas).  We wanted to see and squeeze on Sister Sara Andersen who will be leaving on Jan 11, 2012 to serve in the Oakland, San Francisco California Mission, spanish speaking.  We haven't been able to see her since before she opened her call.  We wish we could have gone down when she went through the Las Vegas LDS temple but with school we just couldn't make it work.  Even though the trip was short we loved it!!

Sister Sara Andersen!

Opening her mission call!!

Nathan and I couldn't be there in person but we wouldn't have missed this for the world.  I ran down to BYU and he stepped out of a review session so that we could stand together, phone in hand as His 'eldest younger sibling' opened her big white envelope.  Tears filled our eyes and poured down our cheeks, we were laughing and cheering with huge, happy smiles on our faces as we heard her read her call to us (that's us in her hand :) yup yup)  We cried for her; we cried for ourselves!  Hearing someone else, especially someone that we love so much open their call gives you this incredible thrill.  Emotions were high as we thought back on when each of us opened our own mission calls.  That feeling as you hold the big, white envelope that holds your future inside of it.  Inside is where you'll live for the next 1 1/2 to 2 years of your life and where you'll come to love the people and places you serve.  We remembered our shaking hands as we opened and pulled out the papers, not being able to read the words cause all the tears in our eyes, the thrill that nearly choked us as we read the destination and powerful message from the Prophet of the Lord!  Nathan to Brazil, Me to Italy, and now Sara to San Francisco!!  

Sara is such an incredible woman! She would have been a power-house missionary no matter where she went!  She's beautiful, fun, friendly, a hard worker, has a burning testimony, knows how to communicate with others and open her heart!  She laughs often, her smile is constant and contagious, and the light in her eyes draws you to her and to wonder what gives her such happiness.  She's going to change lives!  All of this will change her life too!  This mission is lucky to have her, just like she's lucky to have it!  A mission will bless her life more than she could ever imagine!  She will report to the Provo MTC (missionary training center) on January 22, 2012, only 2 months from when she opened her call.  We will miss her not being near when our baby boy is born but there is no other place we would have her be.    

I am so lucky and blessed that I was able to serve a mission!I love Italy!  I think about it every single day in one way or another...I think about the people I came to love, the language I struggled to grasp, understand, and utilize.  I reflect on how I was taught about the Lord's love for ALL His children, no matter financial situation, social standing, personal choices, physical ailments...How many times I was corrected and re-directed by the Lord, humbled and shown my weaknesses, how I felt the power of His love and that even though I was very imperfect He still believed in me and was cheering me on, how sweet His forgiveness is in my own life and in the lives of countless others.  I am a different person now because of my mission and I thank Heavenly Father so much for that! 

Called to Serve Sister Sara Andersen!  

Wearing that black name tag is a privilege and an honor!

The day you are asked to remove it will break your heart...

serve well, for it goes so quick