Heather & Jake

Lets Celebrate!

2012-02-11T12:47:00.000-07:00

My beautiful, amazing sister Megan is turning the big 21 today!

If Evelyn could sing we would sing you an awesome birthday song. But alas, that will have to wait!

Happy Birthday Megan! We love you.

Here's to Motherhood...

2012-02-06T20:31:00.000-07:00

It's going to be great! Our little girl has us both already wrapped around her tiny, adorable fingers and we seriously just can't get enough of her.

More pictures soon to come, right now I just want to snuggle with her all night long.

Oops!

2012-02-01T17:02:00.000-07:00

Jake and I made a pact that I would only call him if I was in labor. Other wise if I needed to talk to him it would be through text. Thank goodness for technology! How did the older generation do it? Hope to go into labor late at night or early in the morning when their husband was home? Any ways, I was chatting with grandma at the Creamery when I noticed a missed call from Jake. So what do I do? Totally forget about our pact and call him. He answered in a very concerned tone asking me about contractions and what not, which I thought was odd until I remembered......!!! CRAP! He had quickly packed his stuff and darted out of class, thinking I was in labor. He was too embarrassed to go back into class which I probably would be too. "Sorry guys for the big fuss....false alarm". I probably would've have made it super dramatic too.

So he left to do homework.

Sorry husband who is on edge with this whole "we don't know when she is going to come" thing!

Week 37

2012-01-27T15:58:00.000-07:00

Baby girl you are officially full term today!! Thought this day would never come! The doctors said you can come whenever you are ready, which your mama and papa, (and a lot of other people) hope is soon. You sure wiggle around like you want to be out of there. We heard your heartbeat again along with some little hiccups you were having! You get them quite a lot. Your mama has been cleaning, cleaning, cleaning, making sure everything is ready for when you come, which could really be any week (do I dare hope any day?) now. Your mama and papa have decided that folding cute little baby clothes is a lot more fun than folding their own clothes. We seriously can't wait for you to finally get here!

Our fun Saturday

2012-01-23T10:30:00.000-07:00

Things were going great! Baby shower in the morning, and shopping with my mom for any other baby stuff I felt like I needed. By around 4:00 in the evening the contractions started to hit. Jake quickly downloaded a contraction timer app (aren't we so tech savvy!) and timed each one. Here I am freaking out because:

Our hospital bags are not packed yet
These hurt really bad!
I haven't washed any of her blankets and clothing
Car seat is not installed
Have not taken a tour of the hospital....have no idea where we are going

My contractions start to get around 5 minutes apart, and that is when we decide we should probably head to the hospital just to be safe. And of course....it had been snowing pretty much all afternoon. Awesome. We get to the hospital, find our way up to the delivery room, I give them my symptoms, fill out paper work and they have us head back to a room. Of course the room next to me is full with a lady giving birth to twins....naturally. So of course she is just screaming bloody murder. The front desk lady looks at my terrified face and tries to make me feel better by saying, "not everyone's labor is like this." Yikes! So we get in our room, I change and have a seat on the bed waiting for the nurse to come in. Meanwhile Jake and I can still hear the lady screaming. Finally the nurse comes in, breaks the awkward/horrible silence and straps me up to a heart and contraction monitor. My contractions are now around 3 minutes apart. I am dilated to a two and 80 % effaced. They want to monitor me for an hour before they do anything. An hour later they check me, still dilated to a two. They decide to shoot me up with some morphine to stop the contractions and send me home. They are thinking only 1-2 weeks before baby E comes! We will wait patiently (ha yeah right) and see what happens! Jake has currently taken on the role of contraction police and asks me every so often if I have had a contraction! Haha I think it's cute.

Week 36

2012-01-20T22:39:00.000-07:00

Well we found out this week that you indeed had dropped. Your mama thought you were still breech so she was glad to hear that. The doctor felt your head and oh my goodness you did not like that. You squirmed around like crazy! She also told us that your mama was already dilated to a two! Your mama and papa were shocked and were not expecting to get that news. Looks like we may need to pack our hospital bags sooner than we thought! You are strong and healthy. It's all up to you when you come baby girl!

Week 35

2012-01-16T17:09:00.001-07:00

Your mama has hit a huge nesting phase now. She spends most of her extra time making sure your future home is ready for your arrival. Boy do babies come with a lot of stuff. Your mama has been feeling those fun braxton hicks contractions for a couple of weeks now, making her wonder what the real thing is going to feel like. Your mama and papa are going to take a tour of the hospital sometime this week. We figure it would probably be a good idea to know where to go when you decide to come! Don't take too long to decide though. Your mama has a bunch of sisters that are just dying to be aunts!

Baby E is taking over the apartment...

2012-01-16T11:45:00.000-07:00

and she isn't even born yet! Our little apartment is looking more and more like a baby lives here. Not as in "our apartment is a disaster" baby lives here, but more like "you pull open our silverware drawer and find baby spoons", or a "collection of stuffed animals" and "stacks of cute little newborn diapers" baby lives here. Which by the way, I never thought I would think of a diaper as cute, but when Jake and I saw how tiny they were we both just melted!

Can you tell Jake and I are excited to be parents?! 5 more weeks people!

5 more weeks.

Week 34

2012-01-09T20:01:00.000-07:00

We are slowly getting ready for your arrival! The nesting phase has hit your mama, but only halfway. She will get in random deep cleaning spurts and then other times just wants to sit and relax. We still have yet to have a good snow storm. Your mama keeps worrying that all the snow will come in February and that she will either get in a car accident on the way to the hospital or not make it at all! Your papa will take good care of us. He has already told all of his BYU professors that if he randomly up and leaves during their lecture, it's because "his wife is having a baby!" Your mama thinks you still have not dropped and is afraid you are more comfortable that way. We will find out soon!

Week 33

2012-01-02T20:25:00.000-07:00

Your papa has some pretty funny talents, one of which is sticking out his tummy to look like he is pregnant. We decided to take a comparison picture and it looks like your mama has won! You and your mama played lots of fun games and ate lots of yummy food for New Years and even made it till midnight! Usually your mama is in bed by 9:30. You had the hiccups for quite a while a little bit ago. You definitely didn't like that and you let your mama know. We had our first baby shower for you and little girl, you are already spoiled. 7 weeks to go! Your mama and papa can't wait! Christmas season is now over, but next Christmas season you will be with us. And maybe even walking!

What Are You Doing New Years Eve?

2011-12-30T15:51:00.001-07:00

Jake and I are spending the evening with our awesome family members and some pretty cool cousins! Playing games, watching movies and eating lots of yummy junk food.

Oh and there will be some kissing involved too! Hope you all have a happy New Year!

23

2011-12-27T20:58:00.002-07:00

Today my best friend in the whole entire world turned twenty three!

Oh how I love him so!

Week 32

2011-12-26T19:59:00.000-07:00

Merry Christmas baby girl! For someone who isn't even here yet, you got some gifts too! It was a great Christmas and your mama and papa enjoyed it very much. The icing on the cake was hearing from your uncle Nate! You wiggled quite a lot while we were talking to him. So far you are still due on February 17th. Your mama secretly wishes you will delay just a couple of days and arrive on her birthday! However I might not be too keen on that the closer it gets to your arrival. Your papa had way to much fun picking out a little dress for you. He joked about how he would need to keep an eye on me with the baby clothes, but it looks like I may need to keep an eye on him!

Our little bird

2011-12-22T10:46:00.000-07:00

I haven't even had time to think about Christmas....and it's almost here! Seriously where did the month of December go? All that's going through my head right now is "8weeks8weeks8weeks8weeks8weeks8weeks....babybabybabybabybabybabybaby...." I can't help it! And speaking of baby, I was looking up the meaning for the name we chose for our little girl.

Little bird.

Adorable right? So I figure I wanted to use that in her room some how and I came across this in my search.

I'm in love. But instead of paying almost $60 for it, I 'm going to try to make it and hang it above her crib.

Week 31

2011-12-18T17:16:00.000-07:00

Your mama and papa are enamored with the fact that you will be here in under two months! Your papa just finished his finals and received his associates and got a 4.0! Wahoo! We are so proud of him! He's such a smarty pants. We recently went to the Mormon Tabernacle Christmas concert and realized (again) that you love music. You were moving around like crazy. But then again, when are you not moving around like crazy! This week you are measuring an impressive 18 inches and weigh around little more than 3 lbs. Your growing at a good pace and gaining your cute little baby fat! Your papa finally got over his strep throat and now has a nasty cough. It's a good thing you are not here yet or you would probably be sick too with how these sicknesses keep attacking our little family! We love you and can't wait to meet you.

Week 30

2011-12-11T17:47:00.000-07:00

Boy oh boy (or girl in this case!). This week was a rough one. Work has been busier than ever and your mama wonders how long she will last while being big and pregnant! She is determined to stick it out until the very end. We shall see. Your papa also had a rough week and got very very sick. Right before finals. It was awesome. People are starting to get anxious to meet you. Especially your parents! You are about 18 inches long and weigh 3.2 lbs. You have 9 weeks and 6 days to go, but who's counting? Oh wait! Your mama is. Every single day!

Lights

2011-12-09T21:59:00.000-07:00

We have named this our BYU tree in honor of Jake starting his program there soon!

We love lights around here! We also can't wait to walk around Temple Square sipping hot chocolate and taking in all the wonderful lights they have there. It's my favorite!

Week 29

2011-12-06T18:39:00.000-07:00

Your mama already said she is starting to feel pregnant, but now she is really starting to feel pregnant! You are a high rider and like to stay near my ribs which makes it harder and harder for your mama to tie her shoes or anything else that requires her to bend over. Your papa is now in charge of helping your mama paint her toes. It's good practice for when you ask him to paint your toes! You are as wiggly as ever, constantly bumping around in there. You are nearly 17 inches tall now which explains the constant bumping, and weigh close to 3 lbs. Your mama drinks milk all the time. Loves it and craves it a lot. Hopefully your bones and teeth will be nice and strong because of it!

A new light

2011-12-05T18:58:00.000-07:00

One thing I always look forward to around December is all the festive lights. I could stare at them all night. In fact I sometimes do. Jake and I were so excited when we got our tree that we put it up super early (for me anyways), and placed the lights and ornaments on right away. Jake and I will sometimes turn off all our lights, turn on the Christmas tree and just sit on the couch, wrapped in each others arms and stare at the beautiful lights. Sounds a little silly I know but we love it. Yesterday we spent the evening with Jake's family and were able to deliver a tree with ornaments to a lady in their ward. She hadn't gotten a tree yet so we as a family got a tree and ornaments, went to her house, sang and brought it in for her to decorate. It was so fun to see her so excited. A light just lit up around her, as a light lit up within me.

It's easy to get caught up with your own problems and trials you are facing. But every time I do service I forget about my troubles, and focus on other people who could use my help. A new light turned on within. The light of Christ. It reminded me of all that I have and how I need to be grateful for that. How there are so many people who are in worse situations than you are. How Christmas is about giving. Not receiving. I have been so blessed to have grown up with amazing examples who have this light of Christ and who are constantly going out of their way to help others. I hope that I can take what they have shown me and put it to good use. Not just during the Christmas season, but always. I'm constantly thinking of things that I can do to better myself and be a good example for my soon to be little girl. Like I said I was blessed with so many wonderful people that taught me this, and are still teaching me this. I hope my little girl will have similar examples of these type of people in her life.

Thank you Wright family for being one of those examples for me!

The Little Things

2011-12-03T09:18:00.001-07:00

I ran into this song on Pandora a couple of days ago and I just had to share it.

I love it.

Week 28

2011-11-27T18:40:00.000-07:00

Your mama got to hear your heart beat again this week. It seriously is the best thing ever. However, your papa can hear your heart beat through my belly without any of the fancy equipment. You are doing just fine. Moving around quite a lot actually. I wonder if you ever get any sleep. You got fed lots and lots of turkey and mash potatoes this week. As well as cheese cake and pie. It was a feast. Times two. You and your mama enjoyed every single bite. You are about 16 inches long and your mama can tell things are starting to get a little cramped for you. Your mama is more and more wishing you were here in her arms instead of her belly. This pregnancy is really teaching her patience.

Now lets celebrate!

2011-11-26T11:44:00.000-07:00

Today is the 10th year Megan and I have been celebrating our BMT (bone marrow transplant) birthday! I can't believe it's been ten years. I love that it always falls right after Thanksgiving. Jake and I have been just exploding with thankfulness this year. Ten years ago I never would have imagined I would be where I am now. Married to an amazing man, and with a beautiful baby girl on the way. The baby girl especially. I remember the doctors telling me it would be very hard for me to have children because of the chemotherapy. I also remember the blessing my grandpa Crosland gave me telling me I would be able to have children (can't remember exactly how he said it). Because of Megan I am able to fulfill one of the greatest missions in my life. To become a mother. I have so much to be thankful for and Megan is one of them. Happy BMT birthday Megan!

Ten years ago!

Week 27

2011-11-19T15:14:00.001-07:00

This week, you have developed a couple of new games you like to play. One is where you like to stick your foot or hand up in my ribs and wiggle them around. Your mama loves it when you do that...(not). Second, you wiggle around like crazy when your mama is feeling her stomach but as soon as she grabs papa's hand and places it on her belly, you stop. It's a ritual we go through quite often. Every time I drink hot chocolate or listen to Christmas music you wiggle around with delight. (Yes I caved in and started a little early this year with the Christmas music). Your mama's bladder is about the size of a peanut which makes Christmas shopping so much fun! I can't wait for you to experience your first Christmas outside my belly! You are about the size of a cucumber (15 inches) and weigh around 2.2 lbs.

Week 26

2011-11-12T12:50:00.000-07:00

This week has been a lot better. Your mama is finally on the tail end of this cold. Your mama can tell that you have grown quite a bit since last week. She finally needs to go out and get some maternity clothes...(I have been avoiding them for as long as possible). Our favorite thing to do is watch you dance in your mama's belly before we go to bed. Your mama and papa can't help but wish you were out and in their arms when they see other little baby girls which happens all the time! However I think we can be patient a little longer for you to get here. What we want most is a healthy baby girl.

Come on down!

2011-11-09T12:41:00.000-07:00

Just got an e-mail from TheBump.com announcing that they are partnering up with the Price is Right! Any expecting mommy can sign up for tickets (actually now it's a wait list for tickets) here and win fabulous prizes on Tuesday November 29th.

Anyone want to join me?!

Week 25

2011-11-05T12:18:00.000-06:00

My goodness baby girl you are a wiggler and your kicks are something fierce! Your mama wonders what in the world could you be doing in there. I'm pretty sure you have had the hiccups a few times. Feels like I am growing an octopus or something. You have had several belly rubs this week, no worries all from people your mama knows. Even your mama catches herself rubbing her belly! This week you are about the size of an eggplant and growing, growing, growing. Your mama has still been sick this week, hopefully next week is a better week for all of us!

Soup once a week

2011-11-04T18:59:00.001-06:00

Since the cold weather has made its way here, Jake and I have decided that we should make/try a new soup once a week. Our first soup we made was the Wisconsin Cauliflower soup. This is one of Jake's favorite soups at Zupas so we thought we would give it go. Here is the recipe. Give it a try!

Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup

from Just Cook Already

2 tablespoons margarine or butter (1/4 stick)

1 medium onion, chopped

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk

1 can (13 3/4 to 14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth

1 head (2 1/2 pounds) cauliflower, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup pepper jack cheese

**With the pepper jack cheese, 1 cup made it a little too spicy for me. I would do 1 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese and only 1/2 cup of pepper jack. Depends on how you like your soup.

In 4-quart saucepan, melt margarine or butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until golden, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour and salt; cook 2minutes, stirring frequently. Gradually stir in milk, chicken broth, and 1 1/2 cups water; add cauliflower and heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes. In blender (with center part of blender cover removed to allow steam to escape), blend cauliflower mixture at low speed in small batches until very smooth. Return cauliflower mixture to saucepan; heat over medium heat until hot, stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in mustard and 1 1/2 cups cheese until melted and smooth. Garnish soup with remaining cheese to serve.

Week 24

2011-10-30T21:19:00.000-06:00

This week your mama and you baby girl had a little bit of a scare. Thankfully your papa was watching out for both of us and took us to the doctor right away. We are both doing fine except the nasty cold your mama seems to have picked up just over this weekend. She has spent quite a lot of time in sweats and your papa's hoodie, drinking hot chocolate and eating soup. Your mama definitely feels pregnant now with your papa having to help me out of bed sometimes. Your papa likes to make up songs about you and sing them in the car. He's getting quite good at it.

Week 23

2011-10-23T19:54:00.000-06:00

Week 23 has been great! The weather was nice enough that we did a lot outside. You loved it as much as we did. You tagged along with us to see Thriller. Lets just say the zombies didn't scare you one bit. You probably slept during the whole performance. Your mama was expecting you to dance along with the music but that wasn't the case. Your papa still talks to you and often kisses you goodbye when he heads off to work or school. I caught him writing out your name in cursive to see how it would look! Your papa sure does love you and can't wait to meet his little girl.

Weekend happenings

2011-10-23T11:29:00.000-06:00

A drive and little picnic up the canyon. A stroll through Gardner Village with a little bit of hot chocolate.

Dinner at Pei Wei, wish they had one closer to our home!

Picture taking and playing around in the leafs. A showing of Thriller. Fabulous. (No pictures...forgot my camera) I love four day weekends.

Weekend bliss

2011-10-21T11:43:00.001-06:00

Nothing like a four day weekend! Everyone should have a four day weekend always. Jake and I are headed up the canyon for a little picnicking and leaf crunching. Hope you all have a fabulous weekend and enjoy this beautiful weather!

Weird

2011-10-18T08:16:00.000-06:00

One thing I have notice while being pregnant, is that you have strange dreams. All the time! Take last night for instance. Instead of one girl baby being born, I gave birth to six. SIX! Three girls and three boys. And...they were all black. I was a little upset because how could they mistake one baby girl for six? The funniest part was the baby blessing. The boys all had white onesies on with a green jalapeno on the front. The girls had the same but a red jalapeno on the front. The only reason I think the jalapenos came up in the dream is because Jake loves them. We have a huge jar in the fridge that he likes to snack on. Far far away from me! Did anyone else have strange dreams while being pregnant? If so I want to hear them. This is like a regular occurrence for me! Does make for a good laugh though!

Week 22

2011-10-16T21:44:00.001-06:00

This week has been a good week for your mama. She's feeling good! Your mama has an outie now and you baby girl are getting to be quite the attention grabber. You've gotten a couple of belly rubs but all from family (thank goodness). Your papa and I are starting to get a couple of things ready for your room while the weather is still cooperative. We are starting to get a feel for your time schedule too. Who knew you had your own time schedule. You seem to be extremely wiggly around 11 and 3 in the afternoon. Your mama can now see you wiggle about through her shirt sometimes and it's pretty crazy! You weigh now 1 pound and are about the size of a spaghetti squash! Our little weight champion. Your mama and papa love you always and can't wait to hold you in our arms 4 months from now!

Adorable

2011-10-13T21:24:00.000-06:00

Had a friend show me these. I just about died! Aren't they the cutest baby shoes ever?

Seriously.

Week 21

2011-10-09T20:59:00.001-06:00

We are officially on the downhill!! Your mama is still feeling great (with her trusty anti nausea pill) and you baby girl are having a party in there or something. You love to kick and startle your mama at the best times. Around bed time, sacrament meeting (when everyone is quiet and your mama tries really hard not to giggle), and at work. We were able to listen to Conference this week and your papa received some good advice on how to raise his little girl. He was getting a little worried on how to raise you since he only has one little sister and three older brothers, but Conference helped. Your papa can't wait to go on "daddy daughter dates" and to teach you how to dance while standing on his toes. You are making your way up the fruit chain and now are as long as a big banana. Your mama got to the banana before we could take a picture. Oops! You are taking after your mom in the shoe department. For not even being born yet, you sure are getting quite the shoe collection!

Converse vs Vans

2011-10-03T19:18:00.000-06:00

Jake and I were having a debate about which were cuter. I myself am a converse girl, and Jake wears almost nothing but vans. He thinks our little girl is going to be a "vans" girl, and I think she is going to be a "converse" girl. So I thought I would get every one else's opinion! Either way I think they are both adorable. Little baby girl shoes are the best!

VS.

What do you think?

Week 20

2011-10-01T09:47:00.000-06:00

This week was a very eventful week. We went to our first ultrasound appointment where we found out that you are a....GIRL!!! Your mama was hoping you would be a girl and was so excited when she told us. It was so fun to see you wiggle around on the big screen. Your parts are all in the right place and everything looks good. You have been very active this week but every time your papa tries to feel you kick, you play hide and seek with him. Little stinker. We tricked you though and your papa was able to feel you move around quite a lot! You are without a doubt getting stronger. We are looking at different girl names and we have narrowed it down to two but we are leaning more towards one than the other. Little girl we are so excited to meet you and know that so many people love you already!

Motherhood guest post #4

2011-09-28T13:04:00.001-06:00

It's time for another motherhood post! Our next guest is Katy. I just recently visited her and her cute baby girl who is just the cutest thing ever.

"First of all, I am really happy to be writing a guest post about being a mom, but I feel very under qualified. I had my baby two months ago, and that time has gone by so quickly! I am still learning and discovering new things, but here is what I have to say about being a mother so far.

Some of the best advice that I received while I was pregnant was from a coworker who has a little 18-month-old little girl. She said to me “Don’t be worried if you aren’t absolutely over-the-moon in love with your baby the first time you see her.” I know that sounds very cynical, but she explained that before she had her little one, she wasn’t what you would call a “baby person”. She said that when she first held her baby, she was thinking “wow, this little person is just a stranger to me”. However, she warned me that if I felt that way, those feelings would come and I would grow to love her more and more as we got to know each other.

I have always adored babies, but it was true; the first time I saw my little Evelyn all I could really feel was overwhelmed. I had a very scary emergency C-section, and I wasn’t able to see her for her first seven hours of life, and then they finally wheeled me into the NICU to see her, I wept. It wasn’t the feeling that I had been expecting. It was a very overwhelmed feeling that left me thinking, “Oh my goodness, I am responsible for this little person’s life!” However, what my coworker said was true. Those feelings of love and attachment continue to grow day by day.

Two months out, I am still falling in love with her more and more every day. The first time she smiled at me and I felt like she recognized me, my heart exploded with joy. Her little wobbly head is the dearest thing I have ever seen. Her wide eyes staring at me from her car seat make me want to stop everything and stare right back. Every little development is cause for celebration. Call the grandparents! Post on Facebook! Our baby is amazing!

I now take about a thousand pictures of her every week, send my husband text messages about poop, and purposely catch projectile vomit with my shirt to keep it off of the furniture… and I love every minute of it.

I worried that having a baby would be hard on my marriage, and that my husband and I would not be as close as we always have been. We have found that you do have to work harder to make time for each other and spend time together, but there is nothing more beautiful and romantic to me than seeing my husband rock our baby to sleep. It has only made us stronger, but I think that has also been a choice on our part. I have a wonderful and supportive husband who splits her care 50/50 with me. He is so good with her, and I often think that she prefers him over me! That actually makes me very happy because I think every girl should grow up with an involved and loving father to watch out for them.

Being a mom so far has been life changing, but wonderfully so. I love my beautiful little family, and I know that we were meant to be together... and will be forever!"

Week 19

2011-09-25T19:09:00.000-06:00

You sure have been a busy body this week. Your papa was finally able to feel you kick for the first time and what an amazing experience that was! Our faces both lit up. Your mama likes to lay in bed and just feel you move around. Your mama went on a sour kick this week and ate a whole box of Zours by morning and was still craving something sour. You are about the size of a mango this week and weigh around 8.5 oz. We find out (hopefully) this Tuesday if you are a boy of a girl! No matter what you are, know that your parents love you so much already.

Oh baby

2011-09-23T12:07:00.000-06:00

= ?

I can't wait to see what features our little baby will have! All I know is our poor baby is going to have chubby cheeks forever! But that's what makes a baby cute right?

The big 19

2011-09-21T15:31:00.000-06:00

My one and only brother is turning nineteen today! For most boys growing up in the LDS faith, 19 means a mission is just around the corner. I never thought this day would get here. It still feels unreal. Like he still has a couple of years to go before that even comes up. Growing up, most of my friends had older brothers and had experienced the whole "missionary" thing. Me? I knew my brother would be going some day but that was a long ways away. And now it's here! Like in 14 days here! Holy crap! But I couldn't be more excited for him. Maybe Jake, baby, (wow...another unreal) and I will stop by for a visit when we head back east for a little touring with Jake's parents.

Happy Birthday dear brother!

Motherhood guest post #3

2011-09-20T12:51:00.003-06:00

It's time for another post on Motherhood! Thanks to all who have participated so far! I love being able to read these and get a little glimpse on what motherhood is all about. Our next guest is Katrina. Reading this has eased my thoughts on moms that work after their child is born because I plan on being a working mom.

"To understand a mother's love, bear your own children."
-- Chinese Proverb

"The day my son Saxton was born was one of the most physically and emotionally challenging day of my life. The next was when I went back to work.

Not really a coincidence that some of the hardest things I have ever done, are tied to being a mom. Yikes! You’ve got to be made of some serious stuff to do this job! It begins with “Am I REALLY pregnant? We’ve only been trying for three weeks!” to “Bleh. Will the morning sickness (which is really every-minute-of-the-day sickness) EVER go away?!” to “Are those REALLY my ankles?!” and “I’m a size what...?” to the final “I CANNOT push one more time Dr. Rallison. It hurts. A lot!” Then comes the “Will I ever get more than two hours of sleep?” and “Could this car seat and diaper bag be any heavier?!” to “Wow. I had no idea you could crawl so fast. Guess I should have put that up higher.” and “I had no idea you could throw such a big tantrum!”

I could go on and on and on about all of the tough stuff that comes with being a mommy, but no one can ever prepare you for the first time you hold that tiny little baby, and for the COUNTLESS blessings that come with being a mom. Cliché? For good reason! From baby fingers a toes, to the first time you realize that you are having a semi-conversation with your little one (and that they are not so little any more), and everything in between; being a mommy is so worth it.

Because we live in a different type of world, I have the blessing and challenge of being a working mom. At first I thought I was a total and utter failure of a woman because I couldn’t be a stay at home mom, but I now realize what a blessing it is, and how much we have been blessed. It makes the time I get to spend with my little man and my hubby all the more sweet. Nothing makes me happier than to see his face when I come home from work, and to hear “Hi mommy!” My hubby and I are daily in awe at his development and growth, and of course, his super cuteness! He teaches me so much.

Although nothing can really prepare you to be a mommy, it’s a pretty great thing to realize you’re not doing a half bad job. Being a mom is really the greatest blessing in the world."

My husband...

2011-09-20T12:36:00.000-06:00

is the best. Even with all his homework he still has time to give me foot/back massages, make me breakfast, and call me every day to see how I am feeling.

I love him.

Week 18

2011-09-16T21:52:00.001-06:00

Your mama has been feeling you flutter away in there a lot more often this week! You were about as excited as she was when work was done for the week. Apparently you spend your time now twisting, rolling, yawning and hiccuping. Your papa has spoiled your mama and you by bringing us fresh fruit home almost everyday. I'm guessing your favorite has been peaches because your mama can't seem to get enough of them. Your papa likes to sing songs to you since you now can probably hear his voice. This week you are about the size of a sweet potato. Your mama is not a fan of sweet potatoes so no pictures with one this week. Next week....mango. Yum!

Motherhood guest post #2

2011-09-11T16:47:00.002-06:00

Our next Motherhood guest is Janeal. Janeal is a new mother to the scene but has already learned so much from her little boy. All these cute little boys are making it easier to imagine me with one!

"Being a mom is so much better than I expected. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't thinking it'd be horrible, but I thought I'd be constantly exhausted, never have time to shower, neglect my husband, and be confined at home. But it's not like that at all!

The first few weeks of motherhood were incredibly hard. Recovering from giving birth, plus learning how to change a diaper, plus getting used to breastfeeding, PLUS dealing with insane hormones, equals crazy Janeal. I had to ask for help from family members several times. I'm so glad my husband was there to go through it with me. Still, I look at newborn pictures of Rowan and I miss it already.

Right now I'm a stay-at-home mom, and I love it. Watching Rowan learn and grow every day is amazing. I am blessed to be able to stay home with him while my husband supports us.

I love how happy Rowan is in the mornings. It's easy to wake up when I have a smiley baby cooing at me. He is a pretty content kid most of the time, but mornings are my favorite part of the day with him.

This may sound weird, but I also really love breastfeeding. It was so hard to get the hang of at first, and there were MANY times in that first month when I said I was giving up, but I have some very supportive people in my life, and they got me through it. Now, nursing is my special time with Rowan. It's the one thing that only I can give him.

There are three pieces of advice I would give any new mother:

1. Don't set your mind against something before you try it. Before Rowan was born, I said I would never use a pacifier. I heard all about nipple confusion with pacifier or bottle-fed babies, and I wanted to avoid that. I finally broke down and gave Rowan a pacifier when he was 2 weeks old, and I wish I had done it sooner! He had no problems with nipple confusion, and sucking on a pacifier put him right to sleep. I felt really stupid.

2. Take every piece of advice with a grain of salt AND realize that what works for one person might not work for you. These two pieces of advice go together. At my baby showers, I had a lot of experienced mothers tell me not to let the baby sleep in my room, or I wouldn't get any sleep myself. But I sleep with my baby in my room and have since he was born. I get plenty of sleep, too. Obviously that hadn't worked for the advice-givers, but it worked for me. Do what works for you and your baby, and don't feel guilty about it!

3. Take lots of pictures! It's amazing how different babies look from day to day, especially in that first month. You may not notice it, since you'll see your baby every day, but you'll be shocked looking back.

Before I had Rowan, I didn't know how many kids I wanted. In the first few weeks of his life, I couldn't imagine taking care of more than just him. Now, I can't wait to have more kids! I love being a mom!"

Mmmm pumpkin

2011-09-11T16:38:00.001-06:00

The days are getting darker a whole lot faster. Which means Fall is on its way. My favorite season in the whole entire world. The colors. The wardrobe. The foods. The hikes. I love all of it. Every time Fall comes around I get this huge craving for pumpkin. No this is not a pregnancy craving...just a normal Heather craving. I have gotten a couple of new pumpkin recipes that I am dying to try. One that involves pumpkin and cream cheese. Heaven right? Jake and I have been busy making lots and lots of salsa. Fresh and canned (thanks mom!). I'm glad I get to take a break from that to make this. And this. And this!

Week 17

2011-09-10T14:48:00.002-06:00

This week your mama has definitely noticed that you have grown. The baby bump has arrived! And you sure do need a lot of nutrition because your mama feels like she has to eat everything in sight. You have been fluttering away inside there and I swear I can feel you while at work. I can't wait for your bones to get stronger so I can really tell if it's you or not. You are about the size of an onion and weigh around 5.9 oz. Two of your mama's coworkers have had their baby this past week and it makes me even more excited for my time. We find out in two weeks if you are a boy or a girl so please be on your best behavior so we can find out! Your mama is getting tired of looking at gender neutral everything. Your mama and papa love you and think about you all the time.

Motherhood guest post #1

2011-09-07T16:06:00.000-06:00

Motherhood is in the air! I know of so many people that are pregnant right now, me included, and I thought it would be fun to do a motherhood post every so often to hear advice and listen to stories of mothers who have had children. Having a child is huge! Life changing. And totally scary. But after reading some of these, they have put me at ease and I hope they do the same for you! Our first guest is Stephanie and she has THE cutest little boy ever.

"What I love most about being a mother - I love having a little sidekick, someone I get to play with everyday, and dress up! It’s nice to feel like someone really needs you, that you have an awesome responsibility to care for them, and teach them things as they grow. And it’s SO fun to see their progress and the new milestones they hit! Babies and kids just make you smile and laugh every. Single. Day. =)

What made me most nervous about becoming a mother - as much advice as you get, you’ll never really get it til you experience it yourself. I initially was afraid of not knowing what to do with a newborn! I thought I had enough experience, being the oldest of 6 kids, but when it’s YOU and your (also in-experienced) husband trying to figure out what that baby needs, it’s stressful! Somehow though it works! I still get nervous about whether he’s growing enough, developing as fast as he should, and I worry about the future, that I’ll be a good parent and set him up for life.

I had Carter when I was a senior at BYU.. I took that semester off, but had just one more to finish, so luckily Aaron could stay at home while I went to the few classes I had left. Honestly I loved it! It gave Aaron a little more one-on-one time with Carter and I got a little break for a few hours a day. I haven’t worked since I had Carter but I’d still like to. Since we move every summer, it makes it even harder for me to get a job, plus I don’t want to pay for childcare, but if I had to, I’d be okay with it part-time. So for the time-being, it’s jut me and Carter every day at home =)

Some extra advice - I know everyone says this, that the newborn stage is so hard, but I thought I was exempt from that because I really love newborns. I think they’re so beautiful and precious and new, and I didn’t think I’d be that tired and that emotional. Wrong!! I got the baby blues just like most people do, and one of my biggest challenges (besides recovering from a c-section, and not liking breastfeeding) was feeling not like myself at ALL. So many things were new, and I barely had time with Aaron and it made me so sad and worried that things would never be the same. But the good news is that it gets better!! Things get back to normal as your new little family adjusts and then life is just peachy! Nowadays, it’s tough but still important to get on dates with your husband, still put him first, and spend that quality time together. You don’t want your husband feeling resentment or abandonment because of a new baby. Also, don’t think you’re gonna love being a mom every single day. There are certainly times when you wanna pull your hair out! This is normal, just remember that =)" - Stephanie

Week 16

2011-09-03T18:31:00.001-06:00

This week was pretty chill with you and we were okay with that. We got to hear your little heart beat again which I think is the cutest sound in the whole entire world! Everything is still looking okay except your mama lost three pounds! (is that even possible with how much I am trying to eat?!) Good thing there are lots of holidays coming up! I hope you like turkey and mashed potatoes because your mama is going to be eating a lot of these. Your papa and I like to go on lots of walks and just talk and talk about you. You already have both of us wrapped around your little finger. Your mama has been having some strange dreams about you and she wakes up glad that they aren't real! This week you are the size of an avacado and clocking in at about 3.5 oz. We are both learning patience as we wait to find out if your a boy or a girl.

Another semester of school....

2011-08-31T16:07:00.000-06:00

has started for Jake. So weird. Hard to get into a new routine. I try to wake up early with Jake (5 flippin AM) to make sure we both get a good breakfast before we leave for the day. I'm slowly turning into a morning person which I guess is good since I hear I wont be getting much sleep after the babe is born. Oh well. Jake and I were anticipating an e-mail from BYU and we finally heard! Jake has been accepted for the winter semester! I knew of course he would make it but he just likes to have a back up plan. To update people, Jake has switched his major from Finance to Electric Engineering. Lets just say it's a good thing he likes math because he will be taking at least 5-6 semesters worth of math at BYU. Goodbye hubby, hello math homework. Good thing we have a little bit before that starts.

A trip down memory lane

2011-08-29T12:28:00.001-06:00

A dear patient of mine was able to stop by for a little visit a bit ago. She has been dealing with cancer and is finally in remission! She looks so good and it was so exciting to see her so full of energy. We chatted for a while, talking about our chemo stories, baldness, throwing up and etc. I told her the good news and she asked me if being pregnant brought back any memories of going through chemo. I laughed and told her definitely yes! In a way, I feel going through chemo has prepared me quite well for pregnancy. Yes it sucks throwing up and feeling nauseous but this time around, I don't mind it. It kind of reassures me the baby is still in there and things are going well! Secretly I always get nervous right before I go to my doctor appointment, thinking they are going to tell me I miscarried and that I am no longer pregnant. Am I the only one that is this paranoid?

One thing that has also brought back memories during this is the small things that I am constantly thankful for. I love that new outlook on life and I feel being pregnant has renewed that for me. I feel I need to have that outlook on life more often. I remember going through chemo and being so grateful when I could hold something down for longer than a couple of hours. Now I'm grateful for when I have one day that I am not feeling nauseous. But I would go through all that and more for this little baby. I don't even know if it's a boy or girl yet, but I love this little baby already!

Week 15

2011-08-26T14:30:00.000-06:00

Week 15 was pretty crazy. We moved into a new place and you were in our thoughts the whole entire time. You will have your own room (you lucky baby), and there is a playground which I will take you to a lot when you are older just right outside our door. There is a swimming pool too where we will get to see you kick your little legs and swim! Yes we definitely thought about you during this move! Your mama has noticed that you like to play hide n' seek in her belly! Sometimes you hide really well and we can't tell if you are in there....other times you seem to poke out quite a lot. It makes us both laugh. You are about the size of an orange and growing, growing, growing! Your dad has finally made up his mind and thinks you are a girl! We will see who is right in a couple of weeks.

A little bit emotional

2011-08-17T20:20:00.000-06:00

Can I just first say that I am so grateful for a wonderful husband who takes care of me and loves me during these wonderful emotional roller coasters I am constantly on! It's crazy how one second I am fine, the next I am about to burst into tears. Today was another long, long day at work. Jake had finished with work and came to keep me company while I was finishing up my notes and cleaning up. I was tired and exhausted. He came to give me a hug and I just broke down in his arms and started the "I don't know why I'm crying" crying. He just held me tighter and tried to calm me down. I always feel so silly when I break down and cry for no reason because Jake has never really seen me this emotional. I usually am pretty good at keeping my emotions at bay, but not any more! They just spill out and I have no control. He is probably thinking, "man what has taken over my wife and when do I get her back?"

But guess what?

He still loves me and he tells me that every single day.

Week 14

2011-08-17T07:40:00.000-06:00

Week fourteen of life has been pretty non eventful (thank goodness). Sometimes it’s hard to believe that you are in there! Your mama still has some bad days but hopes that this next trimester will be easier. You’re showing just a tiny bit and your mama feels like she is getting bigger every day. Your mama has recently been craving a lot of watermelon and will eat a bowl of it any time she can, and it’s a good thing you still like zucchini because we have been getting plenty of that from the garden. Your mama and papa have been packing up getting ready to move into a new place! We are so excited and can’t wait to get everything ready for when you come. You are 3 ½ inches long, about the size of a lemon. Your mama thinks you are a boy, and your papa is still undecided but the app on his phone says you are a boy! You are due February 17^th and we are both so excited.

We're moving....again

2011-08-15T17:51:00.000-06:00

You would think I would've learned by now. However we are moving! And we are doing it right this time. After three times of moving, I'm pretty sure we are pros. We have slowly been boxing everything up before hand and labeling them. Our stuff is spread all throughout grandmas house so we have no idea where some things are. And...we are not moving in the middle of winter. Yay! We are moving to a cute little town house which I am so excited for. And so far I have been feeling pretty good. Every good day I have we take advantage of and pack as much as we can.

Hope the second trimester continues to brings me good things!

Week 13

2011-08-10T07:05:00.000-06:00

Week 13

The first couple of weeks your mama was super sick. Sick enough that we couldn’t keep you our little secret to a few people while we were on vacation. They were extremely excited when we told them. We heard your heart beat a couple of weeks ago, which made it very surreal for your mama. The doctor said it might be hard to find at first but she found it right away. 160 beats per minute! You are about the size of a peach, 3 inches long and are starting to grow you some bones. I know we probably won’t be able to feel you for a while but your mama and papa can’t wait! Your grandparents are so excited they already bought you a stroller and car seat. Your mama and papa have already put it together and have played with it. I think we may like it more than you will.

A little bit of honesty

2011-08-08T15:46:00.000-06:00

As much as I love the fact that I am pregnant, (Jake and I thought it would be tough for us with all I had gone through with having chemotherapy when I was younger) I don't love the effect pregnancy has had on me. Sometimes I catch myself thinking....why did I want to do this again? It's been the pits. Morning sickness was and still is awful. I do have a lovely little pill my doctor gave me that has been helping somewhat but it doesn't take away the queezy feeling you get. It has stopped me from throwing up all the time but doesn't quite get rid of everything. I was hoping I would be one of the lucky ones that had no morning sickness.

Alas...no.

At first I wanted six kids. Four wasn't enough and five, well I come from a family of five and whenever we went to Disneyland, someone (usually Megan for some reason) got stuck with the creeper that is by themselves on the ride. So five was out. After Jake and I were made sunbeam teachers with nine sunbeams, the number came down to four. Now that I'm pregnant....I'm thinking two. I'm sure my mind will change but two is looking good.

!!!

2011-08-07T08:16:00.000-06:00

True Happiness

2011-08-03T20:06:00.006-06:00

I think sometimes I forget the part that I play in this wonderful plan of happiness. Sometimes you get caught up in all the hustle and bustle of work, money, life, that you forget the simpleness of it all. We don't need to make our lives busy. We just do. But then you hear stories like these and you remember. I am a child of God. I am more than my occupation. He doesn't care what my job is, how much money I make, how great my grades were, any of that. Just that we remember this simple fact. We are all children of God.

Past, present and future

2011-08-01T20:43:00.000-06:00

Over the weekend, Jake had planned a wonderful date for the two of us. He had planned it around all of our firsts and fun things we did when dating. The first restaurant we went to. First movie we had watched together. Taking a little trip to Ikea where we would always meet while dating. Going up to the Draper Temple where we were sealed for time and all eternity.

My favorite was when we came home and both pulled out our boxes of letters we had written to each other. We sat on our bed and just read them back and forth, saying things like "did I really write that? Wow I have pretty good handwriting! Wow that was when I was a missionary...etc" Even now Jake will write me a little letter and I love spending my time reading every little word he writes to me. It was such a fun date, remembering all the fun times we had while dating and getting to know each other. This then brought us to thinking about the present. Thinking how we loved each other a lot back when we were first married and how much that love has grown today. How we love spending time with each other. Life at the present is good. Amazing actually. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Now I don't like to look too much into the future, future plans etc, but I am really excited for our future together. All the wonderful trips we will take and all the memories we will make together. I can't wait to pull out those letters again when we are cute old people!

Puddles

2011-07-28T17:23:00.000-06:00

via pinterest

I love me a summer rain storm. However these last two hit Provo pretty hard and I am done with the rain. Jake and I were outside yesterday in the rain helping grandma dig trenches to divert the water from the house. Water was piling up everywhere. We both had a good laugh when Jake (in flip flops mind you) slipped and got stuck in the mud. My rain boots were also covered in mud. Great muddy fun! After the storm cleared up, I would see cars in parking lots driving through huge puddles of water that were left by the storm and it just made me smile. Anyone who knows me knows that I love driving through puddles. Jumping in puddles. Stomping in puddles. It's the best. I can't wait to take my kids some day in their cute little rain gear and just jump in puddles after a rain storm.

The Great Divorce

2011-07-21T15:53:00.000-06:00

Jake has been wanting to read The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis but the Provo library didn't have any available copies. So we went for the next best thing. The Great Divorce. It really is an interesting book that talks about the divorce between Heaven and Hell. Well Jake brought this book to work. The people he works with always like to know what books other people are reading. Well they took one look at his and asked, "is your marriage okay?" So the whole day people kept questioning our marriage because it seemed to be just fine a couple of days ago! Jake couldn't help but laugh and explained to them what the book was really about. Geesh people. You need to read more!

Oops!

2011-07-20T20:43:00.001-06:00

Text to Jake (supposedly): I love you!!!

It took a while for him to reply back which isn't normal.

Text from Megan: I love you too? Haha

Oops!

Some shots around Oregon

2011-07-16T14:48:00.006-06:00

Tis the year of Boys

2011-07-13T13:07:00.001-06:00

I have a couple of friends who are all having boys! One is having hers next month and I found yet another sewing project I want to do for her. I better get started soon.

So cute right?

Head on over here if you want to know how to make it!

Sleepy

2011-07-13T11:46:00.001-06:00

Jake and I have been trying (key word trying) to watch all the Harry Potter movies before we see the last one.

So far I have fallen asleep during one and two.

Not off to a good start.

Electronic break

2011-07-11T12:26:00.006-06:00

It is all about technology these days. Internet where ever you go. People are lost with out their phones. Laptops are a necessity. Well I was able to spend ten days with awesome company, no electronics, and surrounded by some b-e-a-utiful scenery. It was a very, VERY long drive to Washington where we got together for a family reunion of around 130 people. I will just say this, Packard reunions are the best. We were all in cabins, playing games, eating good food, catching up with cousins....it was fabulous. This was also Jake's first time meeting everyone (well not everyone) on the Packard side. Lots of hugs, lots of names. I wouldn't blame him if he doesn't remember anyone!
After that we made our way to the Oregon coast. My favorite. We stopped in Astoria and did some history sightseeing there, then made our way to Cape Meares where we would be staying. And I have to give a big shout out to Phyllis and Ted for letting us stay at their beach house. We had so much fun! Luckily for us, low tide was around 10 am instead of the usual 4 or 5 am so we all got to sleep in and still get to look for starfish in the caves. Tillamook was a once a day outing for us. Fabulous cheese and ice cream....Jake was in heaven.
We also took a little gander at crabbing. We got in our boat and I immediately saw the nasty nets with a big fish head attached to it and wondered if I could do this. I am not a sea food person by any means. The crab had to be a certain size and male for us to keep them. We caught tons of crab but there were only a select few that we thought would make it. More like one. And he was just shy of being able to be eaten. I stood back and watched as the family and Jake devoured crab. Again...Jake was in heaven. Of course we did some shopping, and with another family we rented some beach bikes and cruised around on the beach while the rest of us flew kites. It was such a fun trip and I can't wait to go back again someday!

Beautiful Oregon coast

Pictures and video soon to come.

Trooper

2011-06-24T14:10:00.000-06:00

For the past couple of weeks, Jake has been working 50+ hour weeks to make up for the time we are going to be gone! I will never complain if I have to work a long day again. My hubby is such a trooper. It was burning him out until he got his paycheck....then he thought, I can do this for a couple more days! Yesterday was his last long day and we celebrated. Now we will have more time to play out in the sun, and who doesn't want that? Thank you June for bringing us some summer.

Jake and I very much appreciate it.

6 more days! I can't wait.

Fathers that I love

2011-06-19T22:00:00.002-06:00

Father's Day was met with a lot of mixed emotions. Some tears, some smiles, and some laughter.

To my father: I couldn't have asked for a better role model father in my life. You have always been there for me, through my high and low times. I'll never forget that moment in the hospital around Christmas time. You and I were reading a book you had found. We got to a chapter that got pretty emotional for you. For both of us. You couldn't finish your sentence. I looked at you and said, "dad, let me read for a bit". It was my little moment to help you however I could. I don't know that I made it very far either but it was good to take over for you when I always felt so helpless during this time. You have always treated mom like a queen and spent lots of time with us kids. We all have so many memories of things you have done with us. You are loved by so many people. And loved especially by your family. I love you dad!

To my father-in law: You have taken me under your wings and have made me feel like one of your own daughters. Made me feel at home. I am so grateful for the counsel and wisdom you have given to both Jake and I as we dated and in our newly married life. I thank you for being such a wonderful father to Jake as he was growing up. He looks up to you in so many ways and has learned much from you. Trust me! Whatever you had taught him, you did a great job. I am so grateful for the way you love your family. I see it all the time when we get together. You always check on everyone and make sure they are all doing okay. You are a great man and I am so glad to have you has my father-in law.

To my grandfather Ivan: Every time I see a tree, I am reminded of you. Reminded of your love for trees. For your love of life. Your love to watch things grow. A trees roots need to grow deep and strong in order for the tree to survive. Your love, hard work and knowledge has made our family grow deep and strong and we all support you and love you. I am also reminded of your love for theater and how it was instilled in me. I remember when I was in sixth grade and I was trying out for the lead of a play we were doing. I would bring my lines over to your house and we would practice and practice. I also had to faint during my tryout and you helped me faint like a professional! I did end up getting the lead thanks to you! Jake and I have loved being able to spend time with you these past couple of months. Bringing you to his basketball games and seeing you cheer him on and get so excited about the game. It just made my heart swell with love for you. To see you so happy. Jake and I would frequently come up and tell you all the new things that were happening in our life and you were always so excited for us. You are also loved by so many people grandpa. As one of them, I just wanted to tell you how much I love you and have learned so much from you.

Happy Father's Day to all those wonderful fathers out there!

"Do you know what's happening over there?"

2011-06-15T21:44:00.000-06:00

My husband is pretty funny sometimes. Jake and I were in a parking lot watching the fantastic lightning show that we had this night. I love to watch lightning storms! He turned to me and said,

Jake: "Do you know what's happening over there? Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort are battling it out"

Pretty funny eh? I think so!

More trips please!

2011-06-15T10:43:00.000-06:00

I know we just got back from a trip but I am dying to leave again. I always like a good trip. Thank goodness I don't have to wait too long for our next one. We are headed to Washington for a family reunion, then stopping at Oregon on the way home. Jake has never been to either Washington or Oregon. However, I am most excited to show him Oregon.

The greenness. The trees, oh the trees! The beach house. The farm. The waterfalls. The ocean. Cheese factory (yum).

I love it!

A Year in the Making

2011-06-07T21:36:00.001-06:00

Remember that movie I was working on? Well It's finally finished!

A Year in the Making from Heather Wright on Vimeo.

Green

2011-06-07T13:48:00.000-06:00

Jake and I are both going green this summer; and by green I mean we are both going to ride our bikes to work. After Jake got his bike stolen (I don't like to mention it because it makes us both a little peeved), we were at a lost for bike rides since I didn't have a bike either. I had mentioned to him a couple of weeks ago that we should just look for some bikes on KSL. We are so close to the Provo Canyon and I love biking through there. We both should have a bike. Time went by, and I kind of forgot about it. Well he went on his own, found two bikes and surprised me with them!

Seriously I have the best husband.

Now since we both work not too far from home, we thought why not bike to work? Sometimes I wish Utah was a little more closer together so we could ride our bikes everywhere! Heck I would even bike to the grocery store and do some shopping if I had a little basket.

Except I don't think that would work when going to Costco.

1st

2011-06-03T11:21:00.000-06:00

This Saturday is our first year anniversary! We are off for the weekend to St. George to celebrate. Eighty degree weather and sunshine. Did I mention SUNSHINE!

I've always heard from other peeps that the first year of marriage is the hardest. Well I would have to disagree with them full heartily. Our first year of marriage has been the best year of my life...so far. I feel there will be many "best year of my life's" as we continue down the road of our marriage. I feel so lucky to have Jake as apart of my life. Forever. I often wonder, how did I get so darn lucky!

Gosh I just love him!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Being positive

2011-06-01T18:33:00.000-06:00

The one year I don't get my flu shot....I get the flu. Bad. However, here are some positive things about this.

Hours of "Saved by the Bell"
Jake giving me foot massages (although he gives me these all the time)
Being in comfy clothes all day long
Not having to do your hair or put on makeup
Blankets, blankets, and more blankets
Jake lovingly rubbing my back as I puke in the bathroom
Chicken noodle soup
Lots and lots of cuddle time

In the works

2011-05-26T10:54:00.000-06:00

In about a week-ish, Jake and I will have been married a whole year! I know, it's a pretty big landmark. Sometimes it feels like it has gone all too fast. Other times it feels like we have been married forever! And I mean that in the best way possible folks. Like I can't remember my life without him. You know when your parents only have to look at each other to know what the other person is thinking about? Yeah we have had a couple of those moments and we think it is the coolest thing. Ever. I have recently been going through all our photos and videos to make a slide show; and as I have been going through them I realize we have done quite a lot in our first year of marriage.

We have moved quite a lot. We have laughed quite a lot. And we have captured quite a lot.

Quite the opposite

2011-05-19T19:33:00.000-06:00

You know when you have those moments when you see the cutest, and I mean cutest baby ever and you get baby hungry? Well I had quite the opposite of those today at work. It pretty much cured me of wanting kids. Lets just say that when I have kids, I hope they don't act like that at the dental office. Ever.

Moods

2011-05-19T10:44:00.000-06:00

Came across this today. Couldn't stop laughing!!

Is anyone else excited for the LAST (do I dare say that) Harry Potter?!

Handy

2011-05-17T10:20:00.000-06:00

Someday I am going to be handy like this.

Before

After!

Before

After

Seriously this girl has some talent. Check out some of her other projects here!

Changing

2011-05-17T08:36:00.000-06:00

Change. I sometimes have a love/hate relationship with this word. I love when I try something new to eat and have found a new favorite. Although I hate when I try something new and it's no good. I love when you move to a new place and you get all excited to decorate it and make it your own. I hate when you move and find that nothing fits the way you want it to. I love when I try new shampoo and conditioner. This is one I love no matter what!

See what I mean?

Right now Jake and I are going through a bit of a change. It's exciting. It's a little nerve racking. It's a little crazy. Mostly I think it's a little crazy. However, I feel this change is going to be a good change. For both of us.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-11T21:47:00.000-06:00

Set Sail

2011-05-10T10:09:00.000-06:00

Shabby Apple has a new line out called Set Sail and these are some of my favorites!

Aren't her shoes fabulous?

Check it out here!

It's Costco!

2011-05-09T18:11:00.000-06:00

First of all our little sunbeams we teach are adorable. One Sunday one of the little boys said the cutest prayer. It was a pretty lengthy one too. He blessed that we would watch a movie today in sharing time, as well as blessed the hot dogs and hamburgers we were going to eat. Jake and I opened our eyes a little bit and smiled at each other. I don't know what hot dogs and hamburgers he was talking about! We were giving a lesson on The Book of Mormon this last Sunday. Jake had brought The Book of Mormon along with two other books; A Costco cooking book and a reading book. As soon as we pulled out the Costco book, the little 3 year old yelled, "Hey...Costco" as he read the cover of the book. Jake and I were shocked. This kid can't read yet but he was sure able to read the word Costco. Apparently he is a big fan of Costco because he asked if he could take the book home with him. Oh what Costco is doing to our children.

Happy thoughts

2011-05-08T22:07:00.000-06:00

In the movie Hook, Peter Pan was having a hard time finding his happy thought. One of the lost boys (the cute chubby one who is my favorite) sat down with Peter and tried to help him. The lost boy said, "Peter, you know what? My happy thought will help you." Peter Pan replied, "What's your happy thought?" The lost boy lovingly said,"Mine's my mother."

If I were Peter Pan and needed a happy thought, I believe mine would be my mom. Thank you mom for all that you have done for me, to help me become the woman that I am today. Happy Mothers Day to all the mothers out there who have been a mother in my life.

A little bit of happiness

2011-05-06T15:02:00.000-06:00

A little sunshine, beach, Disneyland, no long lines, laughter, and loved ones....doesn't get much better than that!

Pink only please!

2011-04-24T20:42:00.001-06:00

Jake's nieces and nephews are adorable and it was so fun to see them all excited, looking for easter eggs. One niece, Hazel, would only pick up the egg if it was pink. It was so funny to see her pass all the other eggs and go straight for the pink ones. She was excited until she opened them up to find "not pink" candy. She walked over to Jake and I and started to give us all her "not pink" candy.

Too cute.

Would you put eyelashes on your car?

2011-04-20T18:25:00.001-06:00

My sister and I were driving down to a little boutique I wanted to check out when we saw something like this on the side of the road.

via image

I was so sad I didn't have my camera with me so I could take my own picture. Apparently you can buy several different types of eyelashes and put them on your car. Really people?

Winding down...but picking back up

2011-04-18T12:46:00.001-06:00

Things are starting to wind down a little bit now that Jake has passed his licensing exam (1 out of 4). Wahoo! We are so happy that is done. Now we can t~~hrow away~~ recycle his huge stack of papers he had to study. Finals are this week and next, then as soon as he is done we are taking off to Disneyland to forget all our worries! We are such Disneyland junkies. I can't wait! After that we are getting away to St. George to see the Little Mermaid on Broadway for our first anniversary! Can you believe it? It's crazy that it's almost been a year. But then again it's not. We know each other so well that sometimes it seems like we have been married a lot longer. Then after that we are taking off again to a family reunion in Washing state, followed by a couple of days at the beach house in Oregon. I am extremely excited about Oregon. I have a lot of fond memories there. This summer can't get here soon enough!

A little color

2011-04-15T10:58:00.000-06:00

One day when I get my very own house, I hope that I have the guts to splash a little color on my walls.

Fabulous right?

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-13T11:45:00.000-06:00

Commercials

2011-04-12T19:15:00.000-06:00

Jake and I were talking about how commercials don't really work on him. Never has he gotten the urge to buy something because of a commercial. I wish I could say the same for me.

I have seen a commercial for these yummies almost every day for the past couple of days and I just about had it.

I made Jake come to the store with me to purchase them.

Dang commercial.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-06T20:30:00.004-06:00

Peter Pan

2011-04-05T21:36:00.000-06:00

I've lately been obsessed with the peter pan collard blouse.

Like this one found here

via Forever21

(Liked it until I found out the polka dots are actually little hearts...)

via Modcloth

via ASOS

via Topshop

Seriously can't get enough. You'd think I would own one by now but I don't....

yet.

Up!

2011-04-05T12:44:00.001-06:00

I love looking through National Geographic pictures. My grandpa usually has a collection lying around the house and every once and I while I will just sit and let my eyes be entertained with the beautiful shots they get. I came across this today.

They were able to get to about 10,000 feet in the air and got it to fly for about an hour.
Crazy! It will be part of the National Geographic series, "How Hard Can It Be?" which comes out in the fall of 2011. I am kind of excited!

Sometimes I find myself missing school...

2011-03-24T17:09:00.000-06:00

and then I see Jake studying for his licensing exam, school and getting ready for finals.

Then I find myself not missing school.

These papers that he is holding are just for his Home and Auto licensing.

Swimsuit season is on its way!

2011-03-23T13:28:00.000-06:00

And ShabbyApple has a new line of swimwear that I am loving!

Head on over here to check for yourself.

You should also check here, and here!

Finance

2011-03-13T18:03:00.000-06:00

With Jake working at this intern, I have learned so much about finances. Whether I wanted to or not! I want Jake to summarize what we heard today from a lecture on finance that his boss gave during Sunday school. I love how he correlated it to the gospel and made me want to know more about our finances and where they should go and what we are doing with them.

Matt Tucker is the financial Advisor that I work for and he discussed how owning your finances and being in charge of where you put your money correlates with how God wants us to increase our agency in every aspect of our life and how he'll empower us to do so. If we get in debt we are losing agency! If we don't even worry about our situation with money that's also losing agency. This is similar to not acting at all which lets others act for you. Also if you don't save money you are not only hurting future road bumps along the way but you are hurting others who could benefit. Maybe one of the reasons you save is so the Lord has one more avenue to bless others life through your efforts. For example Heather has an amazing uncle who was smart with his money and offered to pay for Heathers schooling which helps us immensely. Another example is when Heather went through her sickness. Her parents received money anonymously during this period of her life. I'm sure that helped with a lot of things. Food storage is another example. The gospel is in every fabric of our life, not just in church settings. We can use similar principles of the gospel to help us in other challenges we face.

I can't wait to learn more and more as Jake goes further with this company. He is really teaching me a lot.

I like to avoid awkward situations...

2011-03-10T08:15:00.000-07:00

And sometimes I will go the long way home to avoid them. Take yesterday for example.

I was pulling out of Buylow, just finishing some grocery shopping. Windows were down, it was a beautiful day outside. As I was pulling up to the light to turn left, I saw the hobo man who I'm pretty sure is not a real hobo and now that the weather is nice he has come to claim his spot. Last summer he was there all the time! It's a red light. So I'm thinking...if I stay in this lane I will have to quickly roll up my window and awkwardly sit in my car right next to him. Pretending that I didn't see him of course. Instead of doing that I quickly changed lanes, turned right and took the longer way home. Sounds a little silly but I got to ride home with my window still down and bypassed that awkward situation. Go me.

Another reason...

2011-03-03T11:20:00.000-07:00

I have many reasons why I love my hubby, but another reason why I love him is that he asks if he can brush/play with my hair without me having to ask him! I could have him brush my hair all day long.

I think I'm pretty lucky!

A day made of glass

2011-03-02T20:18:00.001-07:00

Jake showed me this video and I was pretty impressed. I'm not sure if the technology actually exists yet but seriously....how cool. Although You would need to stock up on a lot of windex. And possibly some antibacterial spray.