Outnumbered & Loving It!

I'm the luckiest Lady

 Because I Am Going to be Cherished 
By Not One
 But 2 Boys!!

On Thursday February 20, 2014 we got to see our baby for the first time! I had been waiting for so long for this moment. We were blessed to have both Jeff's and my mom there to share in this with us! Us four had our eyes locked on the screen as the ultrasound tech moved the transducer around my belly! The little guy was moving all around, stretching his arms and rubbing his face. It was so fun to watch him open his mouth and swallow! Everything was Perfect! His brain, heart, and organs were just at the right development! 

I just sit back in wonder to think there are two brains and hearts in this body of mine! It is a sweet miracle to think that I am being allowed to help in the process of creation! Such a spiritual experience, it is hard to put my feelings into words. All I can think of is gratitude and peace! We are all eternally blessed that such miracles as these reminds us that there is someone with so much more power than us out there!!

Her beautiful words speak what I am trying to say:

"Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy 

and complaining about the shadow over my feet,

 I'd have cherished every minute of it and 

realized that the wonderment growing inside me 

was to be my only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.  

~Erma Bombeck

 Week 18

We told the ultrasound tech not to tell us if we were having a boy or girl. Instead we had her write it down and put it in an envelope. Darbye, our good friend in Coeur d'Alene, offered to make us a cake with either blue or pink inside. I thought it would be such a fun way to have two big exciting moments. One when we got to see our baby and one the next day at the unveiling cake party with all of Jeff's family and my mom around. 

It was a huge surprise at the party for me, but not apparently for my mom, Janet, or Jeff because our little guy had not been shy! It was very obvious with all his wiggling around during the ultrasound that he was in fact a boy. I on the other hand was to distracted by watching his little heart beating and being in awe of his strong little bones to even think to notice.

Calming My Fears

Jeff and I had felt that we were having a boy from day one! But after a couple months of pregnancy the idea of little dresses was so exciting to me. I know girls. I don't know boys. The idea of raising a young strong man that would grow up looking to God and becoming a leader for his family in today's world scared me. Girls are best friends with their moms forever. Girls like to talk and share. Boys seem to be more independent and closed off when it came to sharing their feelings. My fears began to creep in and I didn't know about God trusting me with his son.

The sweetest note I received after finding out our little baby was a boy was from my sister-in-law. Her words were exactly what I needed to hear. 

"I have been thinking about it all night. I am so excited for you! There is no possible way to explain what it is like to have this little man that you adore more than anything look up at you like you are the most beautiful amazing thing he has ever seen. He practically worships you. He looks at you and you know without a doubt what true love is. He will love you more than you thought possible and you will feel the same about him. Honestly, it's something you just don't get with having a girl. I can't wait for your little man to be here so you can experience that!"

Other women began sharing with me similar experiences. I soon allowed the spirit in and the excitement and peace I felt was overwhelming. I can't wait for my boy!!!

The party was a BLAST!!! 

A huge thanks to Janet for dinner, 

and Darbye for the DELICIOUS and ADORABLE 

confetti lemon cake!!!

  

After we found out we would be having a boy Jeff wrote down his feelings. I am so grateful for the companion I have, for his sweet spirit and the journey we have ahead of us. 

Jeff's Journal Entry:

21 February 2014
We found out today that we are having a boy! This is exciting news, but we have both felt that it was a boy from early on. I would have been equally excited about a girl. This pregnancy has been an adventure and I'm sure that the adventures will continue for the rest of my life. That is what gets me: the fact that this is the beginning of my family. Children stick around forever. There is no return policy and the prospect of that is terrifying and intimidating. It is also so exciting though. I was thinking last night about the curly, most likely blond haired, little boy and the cute pictures that we will take with him. I thought of him growing up and all the fun and great things he will do. In my mind I see him as protector of his younger sisters. I am overwhelmed with the prospect of it all.  It is real and I can't wait to see where it takes Amber and me. I see so much happiness and many adventures and I can't wait for them to happen. It has become so real and I can't wait for it to happen.

I can't wait to take a family picture with the blue stripped shirt and orange pants we bought on the little guy  with me in my orange pants and Amber in her blue stripped shirt. It just seems to perfect to me.

 Week 19

I feel him rolling around, 

kicking, and stretching me out every day.

I can't believe how fast he is growing!!

My Growing Baby Bump

 Not Only Is My Belly Growing 

But So Are My Experiences

and Understanding That God Knows What
Is Best For Us

I still see myself as 20 years old. Someone asked me the other day how old I was and I had to stop and think. I am taken a back every time I am reminded that I am 27. I never thought I would be having my first baby at 27. I know I am not old, and I am grateful for all the adventures I've had. I have been blessed travel, go on an LDS mission,and graduate with a four year degree. All of this in the past seven years. I watched my closest friends start to have babies when they were 19 and 20. I loved talking with them about their pregnancy, holding their babies, and building a relationship with their babies as they grew. I thought I knew exactly how they felt. That when my time came I would be a pro!
I kept thinking the next big thing in my life would be getting married, but for years it wasn't. I understand the pain of being single. The wanting of the unknown and the desire of wanting someone to love you so much that they would choose you forever. But when it didn't happen I would find myself experiencing something new as I learned the Chinese language, climbed the Eiffel tower, cuddled babies in orphanages, and cried with my friends when their hearts got broken. All the while slowly learning to understand who I was a little more. 
Finding Jeff has been the MOST amazing thing in my life, and I must say one of the hardest too. Everything I thought I knew from watching my married friends, from listening to their trials, made me feel like I had learned nothing at all when it came to me doing it myself.
Love is the brightest part of life and the scariest. Fears I didn't know I had crept in and I realized so many faults in myself that I had never seen before. The blessing within this trial is huge though! God gives us a best friend to help. Someone who loves us enough that everyday they will be there to pray with us and give us the courage to continue on. Marriage puts you and someone on the same road together so all your adventures you are now able to share with your best friend!
Being pregnant has definitely been one of those moments when what I thought I knew was actually nothing!! Welcome to my complete roller coaster of emotions :)

My Growing Baby Bump

Story So Far

Jeff and I had a plan. We would wait until we were in Medical School to start a family. That would give us a year to travel and be with each other. Heavenly Father had a better plan with perfect timing. After going to the temple in October we had an EXCITING but nervous conversation. Both of us admitted that we were inspired that it was time to stop taking birth control and see what happens. This was on October 13th 2013. I began to feel ALL the symptoms of early pregnancy right away. We were shocked! I was so nervous and didn't want to get my hopes up so I wouldn't take a pregnancy test until November 13th. We both were speechless when we saw the positive sign. Life couldn't have been better!

This was one of those moments that a girl waits for all her life, well at least this girl :) I imagined kissing and giggles, but what I felt was so different than I ever imagined. It was too good to be true that I was in udder shock and unbelief. Unlike the Amber you all know, I was not loud and dancing around. Instead with all the racing emotions in my head I couldn't find words and I was silent. 

We wanted to wait until we were 12 weeks along to tell anyone we were expecting. I know so many that have gone through the heart ache of miscarriages. Because of this I was hesitant to wait to let myself get to excited and tell anyone until I reached into more of the safety zone of the second trimester.  

We wanted to tell our parents in person to see their expressions. We were going to see my mom at Thanksgiving because we were all meeting at my Uncles in Boise. I didn't have plans to see her again until the next summer. The few days before Thanksgiving my mom kept hinting that she wanted us to have a baby. It was so hard not to exclaim that we were! On Thanksgiving morning my mom was the first to find out, long before the 12 week safety zone. We gave my mom the classic baby book "Love You Forever" with this inside:

  Her reaction was priceless. At first she didn't understand and said "ah, so sweet" and put the book to the side. Then I asked her if she got it and she said "yes." Than her face turned to shock, she picked up the book and screamed, "wait, Are you pregnant?" It was Perfect!!!

Starting the week before Thanksgiving, week 5, I began to be so nauseous!!! It was horrible. I remember thinking, "no one ever told me it was going to be this bad!" Some days it took everything I had to get our of bed and allow Jeff to force feed me. 

Pregnancy Nausea is the weirdest thing. Even the thought of food makes you sick to your stomach. Jeff would ask me what sounded good. Trying to think of different foods was usually worse than actually eating them. I still remember the first smell that sent me running. Two days earlier I had made pesto pasta for dinner. I LOVE pesto, well usually. Jeff put it in the microwave and the pesto smell just about killed me.

I lost ten pounds by the time I went to my first doctors appointment.

Eighth Week Appointment

I almost started crying when we heard our little miracle's heart beat for the first time. It was so strong at 166 beats per minute! Hearing my baby made all the sick worth it. At times I started second guessing that a baby was really growing in there. But now it was real!!!

The doctor also surprised us by saying that our baby was actually a week older than we thought. We get little him or her closer to the middle of July than the end!!

The semester in Provo ended so fast. Jeff graduated and we moved up to Coeur d' Alene Idaho. Before I knew it we were celebrating Christmas. During Christmas Eve brunch Jeff and I came up with a fun way to tell his family. We bought three chocolate bars. we changed the wording on them and then wrapped them. We gave one to Jeff's parents, Janneke and Michael, and Jonathan and Carlee.

 

There were screams of shock and excitement coming from every direction!!!! 

It was perfect!

(week 11)

The cutest Husband in the World

The Pregnancy Glow

The famous Pregnancy Glow must be real because starting around Christmas I have been stopped by so many women. Their sweet eyes seem to look into mine and they nod and then say, "Congratulations"

How do they know!?! My only guess is that they can feel or see the beautiful spirit that is so sweet that is with me. 

 I have slowly been watching my belly expand. With each week I am filled with more peace and ahh at the miracle that is taking place. If I didn't believe in God this experience would make me question.

If you have a few minutes follow this link to see the science/ miracle of what is happening:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NupIFsk2AFI

Our Little Athlete

The most memorable moment yet was on February 3rd. Jeff and I were sitting in bed getting ready to go to sleep and I felt the flutter. Being pregnant causes me to cry at every sweet commercial and gesture. This moment was no different. I felt our baby! Its little body is big and strong enough to be doing flips and kicking. I could feel it!!! I knew right then that our baby had a personality. It was beginning to explore with it's physical body. everything was new for him or her too. We were in this together. The Spirit that was chosen to come to us, to our little family, was here. It has a purpose and so do we as its parents! I can hardly wait to meet you!!

Over the next week our little miracle would randomly surprise me with a flip or a little "pop". Kind of like popcorn popping. One little pop sensation and it was gone as soon as it was there. On February 7th Jeff and I were watching The Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony and I swear this little athlete was flipping nonstop for over half an hour. This baby must really love sports!! I placed Jeff's hand on the spot on my lower stomach. He said he could feel my stomach muscles going back and forth. I looked at him and said, "That is not me!!" It is one thing to feel it, but seeing the realization and excitement on Jeff's face was priceless!!

Another time our little athlete goes crazy is when we are at choir practice. It must love the loud music, or is mad and wants peace and quiet :) Either way I was so happy to feel all his or her energy!

Our Little Scare

During weeks 17 and 18 my stomach was continually tightening up and hurting. My hips and stomach muscles have been hurting as they have been stretching, but this was different. Janet (my mother in law) put me on bed rest for a couple of days while my test results came in. Relaxing did help a little. Our little one did not move at all, which was scaring me. They could not find what was wrong, but after a couple days on antibiotics I started being able to walk standing straight up again, and the stomach pain began to lessen. So grateful for medicine and Priesthood blessings! 

Cravings

I have two main cravings. The first is lemons. I am always trying to find something that would be good with a lemon on it!! 

Second is chips! I never bought a bag of chips before being pregnant. Now I always want them. Any flavor is good, but Red Hot Cheetos are the best!!

Each Day Gets Us Closer to Meeting Our Little Athlete

 Week 5(waist 30")                  Week 10

                             Week 12

                              Week 14                              (Bahamas)                                                 

Week 15 
(Back in CDA Idaho)

Waist 37"

 

Week 16

 

Week 17 

Valentines Day

Week 18

waist 39"

Our miracle is the size of a Sweet Potato this week!!

In two days, February 20th 2014, we get to see our baby. I can hardly wait to see our little athlete on the 3D ultra sound!! I get to hear the heart beat every four weeks at our doctor appointments, but this time I will get to see its little heart and brain.... And find out if you are a girl or boy!!!!!!!

It is inspiring to look back over my life, what led me here. God knew the perfect timing. We get married when we should and have babies when we should, when we follow the spirit.

 I have chosen to be a mom! 

Maybe I wanted this when I was 20. I am not saying it is easy now, but it is perfect now! I am with the man that knows best how to comfort and care for me, and I hope I do the same for him. I could not see myself go through this incredible blessing with anyone else and without the knowledge that I have gained in the past seven years! I pray I can continue trusting in God's timing!!

I Hope You Know Little One 

That You Are

LOVED!!!

The Disney Magic

The most amazing part of a cruise is being rocked to sleep every night!! 

It is official, 

I would love to live 

on a houseboat!!

Christmas was Amazing this year!! Not only did we get to tell my mom at Thanksgiving that we were expecting a baby, but on Christmas Eve morning we got to tell Jeff's family as well. Their shocked and overjoyed expressions made the season perfect!

Come Christmas morning I was given a surprise and shock too! Jeff had been in cahoots planning with his parents a week long cruise sailing from Orlando Florida to two different islands in the Bahamas. I would have never guessed that this would be one of our Christmas presents!!!!

Janet, Robert, Jeff and I began the three week countdown from Christmas day until we could fly across the United states to Sun and Warmth!!! I remember standing in our bedroom looking out the window at 15 degree weather and inches of snow while laying around me were piles of sun dresses, bathing suites, and a snorkeling set waiting to be packed. I was THRILLED!!

On our way. Jeff took this picture with his phone during our layover in the Salt Lake City Airport.

1.19.14 

(half of Jeff's face, Me, Janet, and Robert)

We got into Orlando late, but even the hint of humidity and warmth felt like we had flown to paradise! I was so ready for this vacation! On our shuttle to the hotel we met another family going on the same cruise the next day. Their bother and sister-in-law were Aladdin and Cinderella's evil step sister in the performances. We got to meet up wit the family just about everyday on the cruise! 

After an hour shuttle to Port Canaveral, where I got to see where many rockets get launched to space, we got to board the Disney Magic!!!!!

Monday

1.20.14

 Getting excited as we made 

our way to Port Canaveral

 Once we were welcomed on board we made our way right to the buffet, ice cream, and pizza stands!! This is Jeff's first piece of pizza of many by the time the week ended!!

 Saying our good bye's on the phone before we headed for International waters!

 Robert and Jeff with their matching Disney T-Shirts

 It was really fun to watch the other cruise line pull away before us. Everyone was seen waving. It felt like we were in a parade! We waved to those on the other ship and they waved back. Everyone on shore sent us off with loud whistles and waving!

 Watching as we pulled away to begin our sailing at sea!

 We got to see a beautiful sunset as we said good bye to the Florida coast line!

Our room was actually pretty spacious in comparison to the cruise I went on two summers ago to Mexico. Across from the couch was a TV that was always playing Disney movies, music videos, the route the ship was taking, and some sort of sports event.  Janet and Robert had a room with a balcony across the hall from us. It was nice to go over and watch the waves and sunsets in quiet!

On our first night we got to see the live show "Villains" in the theater. A competition was acted out on stage between most of the Disney villains to find out who was most evil.

After the show we got to go eat at our first fancy dinner! Our table every night in the different restaurants was 65.  First was the Animation Restaurant. As the dinner began all the walls were white with sketches of  Disney characters. As the dinner progressed the pictures started coming to life and then began to get color. We also got a visit from Mickey!

 Just finished our dessert and we were stuffed!!

 After our yummy dinner and Jeff and I went to "Match Your Mate" game show. They chose three couples from the audience and quizzed them. The couple that knew each other best won prizes. Jeff and I thought we would have only answered differently on the question, "what is your spouse biggest pet peeve that you do?" We made it our goal that one day we will be a couple that gets chosen and wins ;)

Tuesday

1.21.14

Our 1st Port Day

Tuesday was such a beautiful morning! Jeff and I slept so soundly. The ship literally rocked us to sleep!! We set our alarm for 7am. Jeff set off to workout and I excitedly went to a stretching class! We were right at the front of the ship and as we stretched I watched the sun rise and the ship dock! It was extremely relaxing!!! Then after a breakfast full of every thing you can imagine we explored the capital island of the Bahamas, Nassau!

 Everywhere we turned people were trying to sell us souvenirs and taxi rides. It felt like I was somehow in China and Mexico at the same time.

Everything was SO colorful!!

 Even their Parliament was pink!

 While exploring I found two ways to Rock It!!  ;)

 LOL

 Janet and Robert showed us the Queen's Stair case carved out of a rock mountain. It was very beautiful!

  

Poor Jeff :(

And what is visiting the Bahamas without an Epic jumping picture!

 Goodbye Nassau! Back onto the Ship!!!

 ( I just love how my little prego belly of 15 weeks is beginning to show!)

Our show for tonight was "Twice Charmed", an original twist on the Cinderella Story.  It was a really fun performance with beautiful songs, an evil villain wiping Cinderella and the Prince's minds blank, making them find each other all over again, and the helper mice getting turned into human size!

Then onto Yummy dinner number two where our waiter transformed Jeff into Goofy :)

 Wednesday 

1.22.14

We spent the day on the ship! Some of the highlights of the day were spent eating, eating, and more eating :) Laying by the pool. Jeff, Janet, and Robert did this water slide. It first dropped you 30 feet and then took you over the side of the ship 20 feet . The best part was hearing Janet scream from the initial drop until the end!!

On the ship is a full sized movie theater where we get to watch Disney new releases. They were playing "Saving Mr. Banks", which was AMAZING and made me cry and "Frozen". We watched both!!

The big festivities of the evening started at dinner with a pirate dinner and dance party that extended to the deck where we had fireworks!!

 Thursday

1.23.14

My Favorite Day Of All

Disney's Private Island in the Bahamas

CASTAWAY KEY

After another huge breakfast on the ship we went to explore Castaway Key! The first thing we did was rent bikes and spent an hour biking down the trails to see different beaches, a look out tour, and up and down the islands old airplane runway!! After Jeff, Janet, and I went to the Yoga class on the adult beach! It was Beautiful! Soon after it was time for food again and they had a BBQ full with steaks, fish, and ribs!!!
After about an hour of snorkeling Jeff and I sunbathed for a long time. We got a little red, but it was so worth feeling warmth from the sun. It was so hard going back to Idaho where we had 6 inches of snow!

 That's my MAN ;)

 LOL

 This is the big question???????? boy or girl!!!!???!!!!

 Saying Good Bye

   Back on the ship we got to go see my favorite show of the week, "Dreams", where a little girl got to discover the power of her dreams! She and Peter Pan get to meet most of the Disney characters, like Bell, The Lion King, Aladdin, Cinderella, Little Mermaid, etc. I loved the music and it was so fun to feel that child like wonder again!

For our Final Dinner we dressed up. We decided Jeff and I were Aladdin and Jasmine after they get married... Pregnant Jasmine :)

 It was so fun how they folded the napkin!

 Elegant Jasmine with her smoothie ;)

 And no cruise can ever be with out the 

Famous Towel Animals

Friday

1.24.14

After our last night of wonderful sleep we made our way back to the Orlando Airport..... which 6 hours later turned into a HUGE LONG ADVENTURE. Lets just say we got home two days later instead of that night and got to ride first class from Atlanta to Seattle.

Overall a Wonderful Week!!!!!!

Thank you Robert and Janet!!!!!!!!