Theodor Seuss Geisel

I love this quote.

Boy or Girl?

I like to think that I don't look like I've just eaten too much at my most recent meal or that I'm just getting fat. I like to think that I look pregnant!

 It's fun to see the slow progression of gaining a tummy. Some days I feel huge, and others I feel like I barely look pregnant at all. But! I am. It's been proven. 

So, what do you think we're going to have? Derek and I only have to wait about six to eight more weeks to find out. We're curious what you think we're going to have. So, if you feel so inclined, you should take the poll that is at the top of the sidebar of the blog. Boy or Girl? Let us know your prediction!

Let the countdown begin.

It's a Baby!

Yup! It's a baby! And just one baby. 

Had my first ultrasound this morning. Here's the little peanut:

When the ultrasound tech first pulled up the picture, this sweet little baby was moving and jumping all over the place! Due to the measurements, they think I'm 12 weeks and 1 day along. So that puts my due date at October 4th! 

I got to hear the heart beat again, and the nurse said everything sounds and looks good! She took a few more measurements, and then jiggled the sensor on my stomach to rock things around to see if she could get the baby to move around some more. And it worked! This cute little pea jumped, kicked its legs, and raised its hands above its head. 

It was a wonderful way to start my day off, and I can't wait to see more of this sweet little baby!

Pea in the Pod

Yes! That's right! 

I'M PREGNANT! 

I just had my first prenatal appointment this morning. I am a day past 11 weeks and due sometime around October 9th. I'll get an exact due date when I have an ultrasound in the next couple weeks.

At my appointment this morning my doctor was able to find the heart beat. It was so strong! It was crazy to hear the heart beat of this little tiny baby that I can't even feel yet. Made this pregnancy seem much more real! The doctor commented saying the heart beat was very good for this point in my pregnancy, and that it seems so far that the little peanut is perfectly healthy.

I had to have some blood work done. Talk about taking a gallon of blood! The lab tech looked at me and said, "We are going to do a few extra tests than normal. Just to be safe." 

Translation: "We are going to take just about all the blood we can take from you at one time."

So, thanks to that loss of blood, I'm left feeling dizzy and nauseous. Even after lunch and a big glass of water, I think I'm just going to need to lay down for a while.

Derek and I couldn't be more excited and grateful! It's a little scary to think about, but who isn't intimidated when they learn they are going to become parents for the first time? 

But mostly, we're SO excited!

 Being a mom is something I have always wanted, and Derek is going to be the most amazing dad there ever was. 

I love Derek, he loves me, and we both love this tiny little baby!

Some Pictures

I know I just posted something... but I was going through old pictures on the computer and found some from our honeymoon that I forgot about!

And since I miss my husband terribly, you all get to see them. 

Yay for you.

I'm Not a Teacher, But I Try

Derek and I love coming back to Graham in the winter time so that we can spend time with family, take a break from school, and save up money! We live with my parents during this break, and as such, we go to their ward. My dad is the Bishop of the ward. That being said, we get callings for the three and a half month period that we are here. I'm not complaining. I love it! Last year I was called to be the Primary Pianist, and it was a blast. This year, Derek and I got called as teachers for the 14-15 year old Sunday School.

I am not a teacher.

I'm pretty sure I don't end up looking like
this guy on the outside. But sometimes I feel this
way on the inside.

Sure, I taught piano lessons in junior high and high school to earn money, and I may have tutored a few kids here and there in math and science. 

But I do not consider myself a teacher.

I can do an okay job if I'm working one-on-one with a student. However, place me in front of a group and I'm not going to speak clearly. My words will assuredly become jumbled. And I will not be able to stop fidgeting. 

It's terrible.

Derek and I were called to teach this class together. But, with Derek in Arizona now, I teach by myself. And let me tell you, I feel intimidated. I'm not all that much older than the kids in my class, and yet somehow I'm supposed to impart knowledge and wisdom during 40 minutes in which I spend a lot of time trying to speak over soft chatter.

But, I try. I do my best, and honestly, I think I do a pretty good job for someone who doesn't like to teach big groups. 

Now, teaching every Sunday forces me to prepare a lesson each week. In preparing the lessons, I first read the chapters that the lesson will be covering, and then read the lesson, and then re-read the chapters in order to see how everything ties together, all the while making notes in the margins of my paper. While this task causes a tiny bit of anxiety about teaching, I love having a calling that forces me to really read the scriptures. It's amazing how much more I get out of them when I read them not just because I know I should, but because I know I need to be able to communicate what those verses are really trying to teach us. I need to be able to apply the principles to the lives of teenagers. 

I re-read the chapters this morning as I was riding the bike in the bonus room. It never ceases to amaze me how easily I find new things in the scriptures, and how many things we can learn from them each time we read. I had just read the same five chapters two days ago, but this morning I still got a lot from them.

I love reading the scriptures. And I love my calling. I wish I could say that I love teaching. I like it. It's something that forces me to grow.

So while I may not be a teacher, I try my best to communicate efficiently to the teenage minds that sit  in front of me with blank stares on their faces. That isn't easily achieved, but I think I can do it. 

I'm not a teacher, but I try.

4 Weeks & 3 Days

Until Derek is back!

Having Derek gone is weird.

It's only been three weeks, and already I feel like he's been gone for forever. 

I'm such a wimp. I have such respect for Army Wives now. I don't know how they manage to be apart from their husbands for so long. Especially since their husband's job puts them in danger.

Almost halfway done with this separation. Woo!

For my mom's birthday this last week, my sisters Devin and Abbie came into town and surprised my mom! All of us kids and my dad had been planning this surprise for a year, and were planning on having all of my siblings there. However, at the time, Courtney wasn't pregnant. And now that she's due at the end of this month, she couldn't fly in. But it is for a wonderful, amazing, reason, and that reason is the little baby girl about to enter their lives!

I'm so excited for another niece!

It was a blast to have my sisters in town. Abbie brought her kids Jace, who's 2 years old, and Hallie, who's about seven months old, with her to see Grandma. Their sweet smiles and cute voices were so fun to hear!

Needless to say, the weekend was a blast. I'm so grateful for the family that I have. They're amazing!

And here's a picture of me and Derek. This picture is more for me, but I figure you all would like a look at our lovely faces.

Yes, Derek has a mustache in this picture. It was Movember.