BOY oh BOY!

 We had our 20 week ultrasound appointment earlier this week and we were able to find out that Baby Earl is a BOY! 

When Andrew and I found out, I don't think we were too surprised. I had a feeling that we were having boy from
the very beginning and I think that rubbed off on Andrew. haha. I think he is just overjoyed to have someone to
play basketball with! 

We had our ultrasound and our technician was SO good! I mean, how many ultrasounds does she do a day? But she
gushed over everything like it was her first time seeing it as well.  She also did an great job explaining everything and it
was amazing to see just how much our baby is growing! On our last ultrasound when I was 9 weeks, baby was just a
little ball. Now, he looked like a actual baby! Hands, feet, his brain divided into two hemispheres, we were even able
to see all 4 chambers of the heart and see the heart actually pumping! And the heart is only about the size of a fingernail!
So tiny, but already so developed. When we saw everything that there was to see, our technician asked us if there was anything
we would like to see again and we took a couple more minutes. 

It was pretty neat to see baby moving around and thinking that it was happening inside of me.
Sometimes I was able to feel the movement and see it at the same time! Neatest thing ever! Our technician also
said that we got some really good pictures because our baby was all sprawled out. She said that often they are curled
up into a ball or doing summersaults. 

We did do a little gender reveal gathering (not party, because Covid), with our family and one of our couple friends
who was in town for the holidays. It was a lot of fun to announce the gender in a fun way vs. just telling them. 
Andrew and I found out the gender in the ultrasound room. Andrew really wanted to find out together before 
everyone else and I wanted to find out with everyone but I finally agreed to find out with him. I really don't think
there's any right or wrong way to do it, but someday I want to be surprised with the group ;) 

It was so fun to do a gender reveal though! We all gathered outside so it was a little cold but it was fun to see everyone
find out as the smoke started to reveal we were having a boy! My mom started crying which I was NOT expecting
but I guess I should not have been surprised. 

^And we were rebels, directions said not to hold in our hands, but we did it anyways^

Today we went shopping for baby boy and Andrew and I had so much fun! Though we are both over the moon
with our baby, I think Andrew has me beat with how excited he is! We bought some outfits and we love to imagine
our baby one day wearing them. We have bought so many things for baby already but today was the first time
buying things specifically for our baby BOY! 

In other pregnancy news:

I don't have any bump pictures because while there is definitely some extra growth there, I just feel fat. None of my
clothes fit (Christmas break has been SO nice because I've just wearing leggings, joggers, and sweatshirts
the entire time) so I need to go on a little shopping trip. 

No big pregnancy symptoms except that I am constantly achy. Thank goodness Andrew is such a wonderful
human being and rubs my back. Over Christmas I think he did it for an hour and and a half straight! But I'll take
the body aches over being nauseous any day! 2nd trimester I can actually function and be more active! 

Baby is very active. It's hard to describe. I started to feel him sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas
but I wasn't sure if it was just my body or baby. The best way I can describe it as is a poking feeling but in a
wavelike way. I have no idea if that makes any sense, but it's so weird. 

We are ending 2020 with the happiest way we can imagine and we are anxiously waiting for May when we can
meet our sweet little baby! 

We're Going to Have a Baby!

The news is out!

We are going to have our first little baby

and we could not be more excited!

After four years of marriage, Andrew and I felt it was time we should add a baby to our family.

I was always told, "you'll know when the time is right."

We never had this inspiring moment where we KNEW it was time but we just felt, "What next?"

I finished with my Bachelors in December and Andrew finished his Masters in August. We traveled a lot and felt we had checked everything off in the newlywed stage.

and for a few months we just felt like we were bobbing around in the ocean.  We felt like it was time to start moving forward and we felt we could do that by adding to our family. 

Andrew and I started trying a few months ago, hoping I would get pregnant quickly, but also knowing the reality that it could take at least a few months or years.

Sooooo, I was super surprised to find out that we were pregnant on our FIRST try!

(more about me finding out I was pregnant later.) 

I have been sooo lucky with symptoms.

I've been feeling pretty nauseous throughout the past few weeks, but I've only thrown up ~6 times.

The first time Andrew was making something with garlic and I could not handle the smell. I went to brush my teeth and with the combination of the smell and making it harder to breath when brushing my teeth, I could not take it, and that was that.

The following times have all been brushing my teeth. For some reason having something in my mouth makes my nausea worse and it doesn't always end well. And once I threw up water because my stomach was being annoying. Besides that, I've been doing really well in the nausea department. 

I've also been tired ALL the time (which is now tons better now 1st trimester is over). Those first 3 months were:

work, nap, small dinner, sleep, and repeat.

Andrew and I had a pretty exciting life going on.

At 9 weeks, we had our first ultrasound and Andrew and I got to see our little babe and hear little baby Earl's heartbeat. I was so grateful Andrew was able to be there and experience it with me and covid didn't ruin that part of our excitement! 

We are already so in love with our little babe and can't wait to meet face to face.

It doesn't seem too real yet... sometimes I wonder if I'm just making it up in my mind. But I'm sure it will get more real when my belly becomes bigger. 

 

Tomorrow I will share a fun video of how I told Andrew. We are so happy that this secret it OUT! Keeping it was the worst. 15 weeks along and this little baby already has our hearts! We love you little baby Earl and are so thankful to have you.

Disneyland with the Fam

Growing up my brother and I were the only cousins that were our age, everyone else was older (by 15-20 years) and my parents did not want to drag us to Thanksgiving where we would sit and be bored. Instead of hosting or attending the traditional Thanksgiving meal, they decided to travel for Thanksgiving instead. It's been so much fun and the tradition keeps on going! 

This year we went to Disneyland and we loved it! Andrew is the Disneyland master and when I first went to Disneyland with Andrew I wanted my family to experience Disneyland with him because he makes Disneyland magical! He knows how to work the Disneyland system; how to get on the most rides, the shows to see, the food to eat, everything!

Four years after that first time with Andrew, my we finally went as a family! And we were finally able to go to Star Wars Land and see the new Pixar Pier!

Thanksgiving day it poured rain the entire day! Just walking to the shuttle to take us the park our shoes got soaked! (we later learned to tie plastic bags around our socks and that trick worked wonders!) But even with the rain, we loved it! It was the day we laughed the most and the day we got on the most rides! 

^In line for the Star Wars ride and the boys thought this was so cool. My mom and I just got in the picture^

We did Splash Mountain twice because we figured we were already wet, so why not get on the wet rides then?
Plus we were poncho prepared which actually did help a lot. 

 ^If you can't tell my mom and I are soaked through!^ 

The next day there was no rain! We went a little slower today to enjoy all the small magic parts of Disneyland.
My family enjoyed looking at all the small details that make Disneyland an escape from reality. One of my
mom's favorites was Turtle Talk. It was so funny and it's good for adults and kids. 

One thing that I love about California is the people that I met while on my mission and it's so fun to see and catch
up with them. We didn't have a lot of opportunities to do that on this trip because we were in Disneyland for all 3 days,
but one of my friends, Shannon was able to stop by! I love her and she taught me so much on my mission.
It was so good to see her and she came on a few rides with us.

 ^Guardians of the Galaxy was one of our favorites^
(we are in the back and middle rows)

 ^One thing that I have wanted my family to see forever was the World of Color show. It's amazing the things
they can do with water, lights, movie projections, and some music. It was incredible and I loved hearing their reactions!^

Our final day in Disneyland started out with only Andrew and me. My parents had some errands to run,
and Blake wanted to sleep in. They did meet up with us later in the afternoon.

 ^Our favorite drink from Cars Land^

^We had asked Shannon what the best food in Disneyland was and she recommended the corn dogs
and I would have to agree + it's filling.^

^Blake really loved Star Wars land. He and my dad went to look around,
and just looking at stuff they were there for 2 hours!^

^Walt's apartment behind us.^

We left the park around 8:30 to get a head start on the drive back to Utah so we would not be doing it all in one day.
Disneyland, we love you. Thanks for the memories and the magic.

Labor Day Weekend

For the three-day weekend, we went to Huntington Lake with my parents and then Blake and his friend 

David joined us later. It was such a fun way to put a close to the summer season and it was actually 

warm outside! We brought kayaks and a pool donut. We also rented paddle boards twice when we were there.

 On Sunday On Sunday we went to 9-mile canyon… NEVER AGAIN, it was at least 40 miles! We thought we would drive a 

short distance to a hiking trail and then hike to see some hieroglyphs. Not even close! It was a 40 mile drive and we really could 

not see any of the hieroglyphs. We talked to some people and we were finally able to see some stuff. Sure, it was interesting, 

but was it was not worth all those miles! But now it will be a fun memory and we can say we have been there and done that! 

We also celebrated Blake’s 25th Birthday! We had a fun weekend together as a family! 

Beautiful Nebraska Land ♫

Nebraska is a huge part of my childhood since we went there a lot when I was growing up.

Both my parents are from a small town on the west side of the state. 

It was fun going back because the last time I was there was 4 years ago and the time before that, I can't even tell you. 

All the childhood memories of the place came flooding back to me. 

Our first stop was to see my Grandma. I have not seen her since 2015, so it was so much fun to see her! She

had never met Andrew before so it was fun for me to see them meet. And she loved him! 

We made it to my Aunt's house and celebrated the 4th of July there. It was a really cold day, so it wasn't the typical 4th of July
but we manged to have some holiday fun. And I love how we are literally eating out on the road in this picture, haha,

The next day it finally started to warm up a little bit more and we could actually go out on the lake! 

I loved being outside and out on the boat! it's one of the best things of summer!

 ^Blake^

^Andrew^

Later on that day we hiked the Scottsbluff National Monument. I remember doing it as a kid and 

the memory I have is nothing to how it actually was. But we had so much fun! We loved hiking and seeing the
beauty of Nebraska. It's a state that does not get a lot of credit for it, but it really does have it's sites to see.

Plus we were able to see my Grandma's house at the top!

^Nebraska is beautiful!^

^Us at the top!^

AND on our way up we met a bull snake and it was mad! The hissing it made was loud and no one could get 

through the path. Leave it to my brother to pick up the thing with a stick, and throw it off the edge. I couldn't 

look I was so scared but he didn't get bit and Andrew recorded the whole thing!

Andrew made Viet food for my family one night and they LOVED it! 

They were so impressed with his amazing cooking ability and the foreign food. 

On our last full day we went to see some famous Nebraska landmarks. On the way to Utah, a pioneer woman named 

Rebecca Winters became sick, and like so many, died on the trail.  But what makes her stand out is that a family 

friend marked her grave with a metal rim of a wagon wheel with her name and age and buried her along the trail.

 So many graves the went unmarked, and her's is one of he few that were named.

We also were able to go to Chimmny Rock, a famous landmark for all the pioneers who were coming west. 

I love how this little town of my parents has some history the westward expansion tied with it.

One fun thing that we were able to do was drive drive down memory lane. 

My parents met at a movie theater. My mom sold the tickets and my dad ran the projector. It took many years 

for them to actually get married but the movie theater was the start. There were two movie theaters within a
block of each other and they worked at both. This is the only theater on the street that remains.

This is the theater where they actually met, but it's no longer a theater, just a local shop, 

but that location is where it all started!

We went to Taco Town. My aunt and uncle used to own this restaurant but with circumstances beyond their 

control they had to sell the place to new owners and move on. But we still always make a special trip to 

Taco Town and the tacos are some of the best you will ever have.

We also drove by my Grandparent's old home and the library where my Grandpa and I would walk to when I
would visit. It's crazy how everything becomes a memory and how much things change. Sometimes I wish I could go
back and experience some of those same things with greater appreciation. Go back and remember the feelings, places,
smells, and people with greater love. 

And saying goodbye is always the worst. Here is my cousin Lance and his little sister Taylor. 

I wanted Taylor so much. If I could get away with kidnapping her, I would do it! 

 She was the easiest baby that I have ever seen! She hardly ever cried, even when she was tired or upset she would just
let out a little whine to let you know and they she would stop. She was one happy baby and would always smile,
wave, and try to copy your facial expressions. Andrew let's have one like her ok?
That would make the baby stage of motherhood a lot easier!