37 Weeks

To be more accurate I am 37 1/2 weeks. I only have 2 weeks and 3 days left till this baby is due! We have the things that we need and just about everything is ready, we still need to pack the hospital bag but that should be done today.

In the last seven weeks I have been absolutely amazed at the generosity of my family and friends, I have been truly blessed with so many incredible people in my life! I will get around to thanking everyone personally for all the ways my life has been blessed because of the people Heavenly Father has surrounded me with but today I want to highlight my wonderful parents. Here are just 5 reasons why my parents are the best in the world:

1. They are always happy to pick up the phone and talk, even when my questions are silly or when I don't have any real reason to call at all.

2. They have completely spoiled me, I can't even begin to list all of the generous ways they have helped Garrett and I.

3. They have taught me the value of hard work. They are the hardest working people I know and it has blessed my life to have that example.

4. They have shown me how to serve others. Their example of Christ like service has been an inspiration to me, there is not a day that goes by that they aren't found serving the people around them.

5. They have shown me how a family works. Their love for each other has shown me how to build a lasting relationship and the loving way they have cared for each of their children has shown me how I want to raise my family.

30 Weeks

I know it says 30 weeks but really I am 30 1/2 weeks which means on 9 1/2 weeks to go!  We are getting so close and I'm feeling more and more pregnant each day.  Last night he sat on my bladder and I had to get up 8 times.... that's right 8 trips to the bathroom last night!  And my hips hurt so bad that even when I was in bed I was pretty restless. With each passing day we get more and more excited.  Garrett is the best support and he's going to make such a great daddy!  I am so in love with our little family and even if it means never having a good nights rest again it is worth it!  Oh the crazy things we do for love.

Epidural vs Natural Birth

Throughout this whole pregnancy I've been planning on going with a natural birth but the last week or so I have been thinking about why I wanted to go natural.  As I have been evaluating my decision I really haven't been able to give myself a good reason of why I wanted it.   I understand that many mothers have very strong opinions about the use of epidurals and how much better a natural birth is but in all honesty I don't have those strong opinions.

In looking at my reasoning behind going without an epidural it really came down to this; I wanted to do it naturally because I felt like I had something to prove.  Not because I felt like it would be a better experience for me or for my baby, because in all honesty I don't think the experience would be any better going without an epidural and here is my reasoning.  My mother gave birth 10 times. That's right 10 times!  She has done it many times without an epidural and a few times with and she personally felt like she was able to enjoy the experience more with the relief she felt by having the epidural.

So I was thinking about it and I just feel like what do I really have to prove?  I am growing a human being inside of me!  Isn't being pregnant and then giving birth an amazing feat no matter how it is done?  I personally feel like for me having an epidural might just be the way to go.  If it means that I can be a little more comfortable and enjoy the process a little more then I feel like for me it is worth it!

I know that for some people having an epidural wouldn't be the best choice, I understand that it is different for everyone, but knowing how my body and mind work I'm feeling good about my decision.

28 Weeks

Goodbye 2nd trimester, Hello 3rd.  We're almost there and anyone who has spent any time with me lately knows that I am absolutely obsessed and totally in love with this baby.  I cannot wait to meet him!

This little one is so full of energy, he almost never stops moving which, as my mommy friends know, is reassuring because it means he is healthy and strong!

He likes to hang out on the left side of my belly and he'll sit there and streeeeetch, It seems he feels a bit crowded in there. I'm feeling like it's getting a little crowded as well and we still have a lot of growing ahead of us!

Since our last post we've added the name Edmund to the top of our list. It's not the official name but just another one on our list. We both really like the Chronicles of Narnia and Edmund turns into quite the amazing character so we're thinking it just may be a good fit for our amazing little boy!

So in love!

22 Weeks and Baby Names

As my belly grows bigger and more and more people are noticing that I am pregnant I often get asked if we have a name picked out. Garrett and I have decided that we don't want to choose a name until we meet him and make sure the name we pick is just right for our little one. When discussing names in the past we haven't always seen eye to eye so I thought picking a name would be difficult but the other day we sat down and looked at baby boy names and I was pleasantly surprised by how many names we both agreed on.  So we have started a list of possible names, I am sure that in the next 18 weeks names will be added and dropped but by the time this little bundle of joy is born we'll have the perfect name picked out.

So here is the list as of today: Elias, Mark, Marcus, Kelson, Hyrum, Oliver, and Carter

Which one is your favorite?

It's a..............Baby!

It's not a Winged Golden Stallion......

It's not a little princess......

It's a little Hero.....

Now this is not to say that girls can't be Hero's too, because I definitely feel like I've got some super power/ hero qualities.  This is just saying our little one is going to be a boy, an adventurer, and a little super hero! 

Anyone who has talked to Garrett and I about what we were hoping for know that we were thinking girl so you may ask if we are disappointed. I'm here to tell you that we are not!  We thought it would be fun to be the first ones on his side of the family to have a girl, that somehow it would feel more special.  But I don't care because we are having a boy and it is Our little boy and that makes him more special than anything!

Boy or Girl?

Tomorrow we go in for an ultrasound where we get to see this baby and hopefully find out the gender.  So I thought it would be fun to see what you think.  Here are some facts to help you make your guess: The baby is very active, always on the move. The heart rate is always above 140.  The nausea and exhaustion have never gone away.  I don't crave anything in particular, I just always want to eat.  My skin is more dry than usual except for my face which doesn't seem like there has been much change at all.  The Chinese gender chart says we are having a girl, what do you think?

What is your guess: a boy, a girl, or a winged golden stallion?
	Boy
	Girl
	Winged golden stallion
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