32 weeks and counting!

Time has flown by!! I can't believe that I am already 32 weeks pregnant!! The end is getting SO near!! This is a picture from my shower where I was technically 31 weeks, but close enough.

My baby is now the size of a jicama. I'm not sure what that is, but maybe I will buy one and figure out how to cook it to celebrate.

How far along? 32 weeks (7 months and 1 week) but I am confused because some people say this is 8 months. I guess it's how you count the months.
Total weight gain: 29 pounds *a-hem*
Stretch marks on the belly? None yet - knock on wood!!!
Sleep: Has been a disaster lately. I wake up every morning at 4 am and finally fall back asleep at 6 am. I have not figured out how to master the comfort of the pillows like everyone talks about.
Best moment this month: Feeling overwhelmed with love. The baby shower in Utah was wonderful. Being we are moving into our house this week Mason has been carrying all the boxes and making sure the AC is on in the car when I am in it... he has been SO sweet and sensitive especially during a time when he is stressed out with his new classroom.
Movement: He is still a wild little man. Now he moves his feet/whatever across my stomach and it feels so strange. His kicks are getting ferocious. Also, I love watching my stomach sometimes when he is really active. It swear it looks like and ocean of waves!!
Food cravings: Olive garden soup
Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks contractions and I are best friends.
Belly Button in or out? Out - it looks like a star nosed mole
What I miss: Being able to get up and down easily! I also miss not having a chubby face in photos, but I will take it.
What I am looking forward to: Setting up the baby's room.
Milestones: Making it this far... no I love how responsive I feel like he is to Mason and I. Mason loves to sing and poke our little guy. One night Mason was talking to him and he said, "If you understand kick twice." Sure enough 2 seconds later he kick two and a half times. He may need a little assistance with his counting, but we thought it was hilarious that he kicked!

The past two weeks...

We just got back to Arizona from our beautiful, wonderful, amazing, gorgeous trip to Utah. I'll tell you what, Utah is probably the prettiest state in the Union. We had a wonderful time making memories with family, visiting old friends, and enjoying the 'cool' weather and green scenery. I just love it up there.

Here are a few pictures from while we were up there. This first picture is on the lookout stop just before lake powell on the Arizona side. It's so pretty up there overlooking the Indian reservation.

My two sister-in-laws, Ashlee and Danielle, threw me a baby shower while we were up there. These girls put so much work into it and it turned out beautifully! Look at these darling home made plaid streamers that they made. They gave them to me to bring home and I am contemplating decorating the baby's room with them.

Here is Dani and Mason. I love this picture!

And gorgeous Ashlee. I feel like this picture belongs in a Better Homes and Garden magazine.

The DELICIOUS food (and kitty).

We had it out on their back porch. Everyone was so kind to me! I felt SO loved!

I'm sad that I didn't get pictures with all my guests but here are a couple of the different groups of people that were there. Below is an old roomie picture. These girls were my roomies right before I got married. Kali, you were missed!!

Below are 3 of the teachers from my team last year. I love these ladies and miss them dearly - along with the other 3 that weren't able to come.

I didn't get a picture of all my family (Mason's family, but the same thing) that came. They are all just random snapshots. But it was so much fun and everyone was SO kind.

Overall the trip to Utah was wonderful and now we are back in Arizona. I'm not sure if I had mentioned anything or not but we were staying with my Grandma for the summer and now she has decided that she wants to go into an assisted living unit where she can be having someone take care of her instead of her taking care of people for the first time in a long time. She deserves it!!! So she is moving out this Thursday and all our millions of boxes that have been piled high in the garage are coming in on Thursday and then the fun begins! Setting up house and a baby's room! Finally! You should see this place though, it's kind of a mad house at the moment. Maybe I'll post pictures later. But at least we are moving forward! I want this sweet baby here, but we are NOT ready... give me a couple of weeks buddy and then you can come early. I won't mind at all!

To the man in the checkered shirt...

I went out to lunch with an old roomie, Emily, today to catch up. Well halfway through our lunch I see Mason come in with is mom, sister, and Grandma. They had no idea we were there. We watched them sit down and he didn't notice us since we were sitting across the room a bit... probably 5 tables away. So I get this brilliant idea to write him a note (actually I had Emily write it so he wouldn't recognize the handwriting) on napkin to make him notice us:

Dear Man in the Checked Shirt,
I couldn't help but notice you from across the room. I'm usually not this forward, but I was wondering if you were available. I would love to get to know you more. If you are available then please check this box (inserted box)... If not then please just throw this note on the floor.

So I explained to the waitress that I had just seen my husband come in and would she please deliver the note to him just for fun. She said, "Oh, I am SO into this!" and walked away with the note in hand.

So Emily and I watch as she walks by his table, but we never quite see him read it. But then we saw him intensely reading something so we assume our waitress had given it to his waitress. I asked the waitress as she passed by if she had given it to him and she said, "Oh yes!!" and then she reenacted the whole thing including a wink that she had given him. A little while later I get a text from Mason and we make eye contact and laugh about seeing each other there.

Well later today when I get home I say, "So did you like the note?" And he asks me, "What note?" I say, "The note I wrote on the napkin!" He had no idea what I was talking about.

Apparently the waitress had given the note to some other man in a checkered shirt. Some man is either very flattered tonight and at home telling his wife that some woman was trying to pick up on him today at Chili's or else some bachelor is wondering why when he checked the 'available' box he received no answer.

HA!

Tid-bits

There really isn't much for me to blog about these days. But I feel as though I am neglecting my blog so I will just throw out what I have been doing lately for those who are interested.

• We are currently up in Utah until next Wednesday enjoying the cool weather, family, and friends.
• Yesterday I had an appointment with my doctor which I haven't been to since the beginning of May. So it was nice to hear that all is well with the baby. I got to hear his heart beat pounding away nice and strong and hard. The doctor also said that his feet are up by my ribs. We thought that might have been his head because we could feel something hard. Nope it's his feet that have been kickin' and movin'.
• I have been so blessed with so many wonderful friends that I am reconnecting with and loving every second of being with up here.
• Mason's brothers are currently filming a movie called, "Unicorn City" and we have been able to spend some time on the set seeing how all that fun stuff works. I am even an extra in one of the scenes. My moment of fame!!
• Every time I drive out toward the freeway I can see my school in the distance and I have to force myself to look away otherwise it brings me to tears because it isn't 'my school' anymore. :(
• Basically I am just as content as can be. It's a beautiful world... I love Utah.

Also, thanks for all your opinions on the baby things that you guys left on my last post. I REALLY have gotten SO much out of your comments. I feel so much more confident in my baby buying now!!

10 more weeks!!!!

CALLING ALL MOMS!!!

I need your advice!! I am trying to hunt down good deals for the baby things that I still need, but I am torn as to what to get. So I need the expertise of all you mothers out there to tell me what has worked for you and what was a complete waste of money. PLEASE give me your opinions on things. I'm going to do my research online, but I kinda want to go by word of mouth as well. So here is what I'm thinking about.

• Baby carrier - like the kind you wear on your front or back... I'd like one that does both but haven't found a good one.
• Crib - I know this is totally preference, but what have you liked/hated about yours?
• Stroller - We are opting out of the giant travel systems... we are thinking more along the lines of an umbrella stroller
• Swing - totally clueless here
• Pump - these are SO expensive, but I'm guessing worth the price?

Those are the main things, but I would also love to hear if there was something you wish you would have known about before you had your baby, or something you think I will really need.

Mr. Lefler

(Anyone know what this picture is from? I'll be surprised if you do!!)

Mason got a JOB!!! Mason got a JOB!!! Mason got a JOB!!!

Can you tell how excited we are? He will be teaching Middle School English at an inner city school in downtown Phoenix. It's just north of the Phoenix airport.

I am so proud of him. He has been working SO extremely hard these past 4 weeks and he has survived. His last day in the training program he has been in is tomorrow. It has been so stressful for him but he has loved it. He did his student teaching in a 11th grade English class and those kids grew to love him so much in the 3 weeks he was there. I visited on the last day he was there and they threw him a going away party. He is going to be an amazing teacher I have NO doubt. Those kids are so lucky to have him.

*Sigh* can i just say what a huge relief this is to both of us?! Now we can actually settle on where we are going to live and we don't have to spend the rest of the summer stressing about him finding a job. Congratulations hun!! I am SO proud of you!