A Few of My Favorite (and Not-So-Favorite) Things

I thought it would be fun to document some of my favorite things about life right now as well as some of my not so favorite things. Its important to remember the good and the bad, right? I think it'll help me realize how much good is going for me too.

A Few of My Favorite Things:

Baby girl smiled at us during our last ultrasound! My heart burst and I swear my love for her tripled in those moments! I can only imagine what it will be like when we meet face to face. // Work is slowing down a little on the farm and I've gotten more and more time with Dallin. I love spending time with him and it's my favorite part of the day when he walks through the door. // The nursery is 95% done! Cant wait to show it off. // Cleaned the whole house the other day; felt like a champion. // The season changing. // Baby girl's movements have gotten crazy the past couple days like she's having little parties. It's as if she's getting excited to make her entrance. // Almost 37 weeks now! // Bags are packed for the hospital and I feel as prepared as I can be. // Saw some hair on baby's head in the ultrasound. I so hope that she has some hair on that little head when she comes! // I only have to endure gestational diabetes a little longer. Can't wait to indulge in a yummy maple doughnut and put an end to pricking my finger 4X a day. // I love that I can get a blessing from Dallin whenever I need. // Sleeping! (except for the weird dreams; although sometimes they're hilarious). // Dallin talking to our baby girl. // I love sitting in her nursery and imagining her in it. // Finished the coziest fur baby blanket.

A Few of My Not-So-Favorite Things:

One pair of pants fit. One. // My pelvis feels like its been cracked in two. Good luck rolling over in bed, getting in and out of bed, walking, or getting up after sitting for a while. // Sleeping; it only happens in 1-2 hour stretches. Thanks bladder. // The unknown about birth, postpartum and parenting. // Can't breathe. // Sore beyond sore.

October is Over and Four Weeks Left

October treated us pretty well this year. I love that its getting colder and that we have the heat on in the house again. Fall is my favorite season. I love bundling up in blankets and wearing sweatshirts. I love how the frost looks in the morning and the color of the changing leaves. I'm also looking forward to Christmas. It's still early but I can't wait to decorate and set up our tree. Celebrating Christmas will be extra special this year with our little baby girl!

Baby girl is still doing well. She's kicking hard as ever and although she's measuring a little heavy as of the last ultrasound (eight days ahead) shes looking perfectly healthy. Our last ultrasound was on the 11th and she finally cooperated and let us see her little face with the 3-D imaging. It was pretty cool. My mom was able to come with me since Dallin has been super busy with work and needed to stay.

I talked to my doctor about my due date and it sounds like he wants to induce me a week early since I have gestational diabetes. That means as of tomorrow when I turn 35 weeks we will only have 4 WEEKS left. 4 short little weeks. One month. I can hardly believe it.

I'm excited; we've been getting a lot done in preparation for the baby. We've bought everything we need for the most part and are just waiting on a few more things in the mail like the swing and pack n play. The nursery is pretty close to being done as well! I still would like to deep clean the house and get it all ready too but I still have time for that.

We are pretty prepared for the most part, but each passing week I become more and more nervous. Am I really ready for this? Can I be a good mother? Do I have what it takes? I'm still so excited to meet our little girl but I can't help but feel unsure of myself. As my excitement grows so do my fears about birth, being a good parent and my ability to care for an infant. My emotions are constantly back and forth between giddiness about bring her home and fearfulness about the unknown. Deep down I know that it will all work out and everything is going to be fine but it doesn't make my worries disappear. I'll choose have faith that I can do this and try to remember that I'm not alone. I have Dallin and family and friends, but most importantly I have my father in heaven to rely on.

With each passing week I've also continued to grow! I cannot believe how big my belly has become and it's even harder to believe that I'm only going to get bigger! The discomfort of the third trimester has really set in.

This month my mom got married in Utah and I am so happy for her! It was a really nice day for late October. It was a little breezy but the sun was shinning and it was quite warm. It was a really long drive but I was blessed to be able to handle it with little discomfort. We made lots of potty break stops and to stretch my legs. I think we stopped at McDonald's five times between meals, snacks and their large $1 drinks. The 3rd and 4th time we stopped at a McDonalds we got a special treat! One cashier gave us free drinks just because and the other time we were given a free extra smoothie! It was really funny to get something free twice in a row.

In the Thirties!

That's right, I hit 30 weeks pregnant this week and am officially in the 30s. Its strange knowing that we have less than 10 weeks until my due date. It's a little unbelievable how fast this pregnancy is going. I had so much that I wanted to get done before she arrived. I had this long list of house projects that I wanted to have finished before she came but these past couple weeks have been exhausting. By the time I straighten up the house and do dishes in the morning I'm ready to plop down and never get back up. I try to get a lot done in the morning because as soon as I take a break or sit down I'm finished for the day. It's nearly impossible to get going again. I've made a much shorter list of things to do before she comes and most of them are nursery related ha.

I've been able to get a few things done though. I painted her crib and we've got a few things set up in the nursery. We at least have a couple essentials but October is going to be the month to crack down and get at least the nursery finished. I'm excited for the finished look. I hope it comes together as well as I have imagined! We picked up her glider a couple weeks ago and that was fun to set up in her nursery. Can't wait to rock her in it! I took about an hour one day and made a handful of sweet little leather bows.

I'm getting more sore and uncomfortable as I get bigger and bigger. It's difficult to bend over or sit up. Getting up in the morning is quite a feat. My pelvis especially feels sore. Rolling over in bed is very painful sometimes and when I do get up after sitting for a while or lying down it always pops. Freaks me out every time. Breathing is getting more difficult too depending on what position I'm sitting or laying in. Its hard to get a really deep breath since baby girl is taking up more and more room. Her movements and kicks get stronger and stronger. It's so fun to be able to feel her move so strongly. Lately we've been able to feel more specific little body parts when she really stretches. Her feet are nicely positioned up by my ribs. Lovely.

Because I have gestational diabetes, my doctor wants to check in on little girls progress every month so I get an ultrasound every 4 weeks. A couple weeks ago we were able to go in for our second ultrasound and it was fun to be able to see her again. Baby girl hated it though. She kicked and threw a fit for most of it. When it came time to try and see her face with the 3-D imaging she rolled over and faced my back. The most she gave us was a picture of her ear. Maybe she'll be more cooperative next time! We should have another ultrasound in about a week and a half.

Dallin has been busy, although he doesn't play a huge role in the beet harvest. There's been a lot of ground work to do behind the harvest and they just finished cutting all the hay this week. They've baled and raked some but there is still a lot to do. However its all day work now since its been colder and the dew comes on so heavy at night. That's been a plus for sure.

It wasn't very busy the other day at work so I was able to tag along with Dallin and just spend some time with him. It was a nice change to get out of the house and be with my husband while he did different jobs around the farm. Definitely feel like I was blessed with the best. I feel so grateful to have him in my life and don't know what I'd do without him. Truly my best friend. We also went on a nice date night a while ago and I really enjoyed it. It was nice to go on a real date and not just into town for errands or groceries.

While I still feel overwhelmed with the things I'd like to get done before she comes we have made progress! I did finish the crib. I also finally put together our bedding and am so happy with how it turned out. I DIY-ed the king and square pillowcases and they turned out great! We also hung the floating shelves in the living room and above the washer and dryer! A freezer has been on the list as well and we finally found a good deal. We really wanted more space to stock up before she arrives!

Where Has The Time Gone?

This pregnancy is suddenly starting to fly by. I'm quickly realizing that I really don't have all that much time left! I'm 26 weeks pregnant now and we have less than 14 weeks till baby girl's due date. I feel like I still have so much to do before she comes so I've been making lists of different projects I would really like to get done in the next couple months (while I still have some energy and before I get even bigger and uncomfortable!). A few things on the list are: painting her crib, finishing nursery decorations, building living room coffee table, hanging TV floating shelves and getting chairs for the kitchen table. Mostly I'm trying to finish her nursery and get a lot of the more difficult house projects done that I wont be able to do as easily once she arrives. Lots to do!

Well, a couple weeks ago I ended up in the hospital with severe pain in my side. Luckily Dallin had gotten off early that day because I could barely walk to the bathroom to throw up the pain was so bad. After calling the doctor to see if I should come in we rushed to the ER to at least make sure the baby was okay. I was admitted to Labor and Delivery and it was determined I had kidney stones. Woohoo. They checked out baby girl (who was perfectly fine) and pumped me full of fluids. Hated the IV. I'm grateful our baby was just fine though. In fact, she was feeling feisty and wouldn't let the nurse get a good heartbeat since she'd kick the doppler wherever she put it on my belly. I was sent home four hours later feeling much better and have been okay ever since. All it took was actually going in and adding a few more bills to our wallet to feel better! Who knew?

I was also recently diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes. I failed my one hour glucose test at the doctors office and a week later headed to the lab to do the fasting three hour glucose test. Not very fun but not as terrible as I had expected. I fasted through the night and skipped breakfast with was really difficult while pregnant. My mom drive me in since I knew I wasn't going to be feeling all that good. They pricked my finger and drew my blood when I first arrived. I drank the sickly sweet drink and then the drew my blood again every hour after that for the next three hours. My first two numbers were okay but the last two were way over average. Now I get to prick my finger 4X a day and watch more carefully what I eat. It's really not all bad. I HATE pricking my finger but I'm glad that it has forced me to eat better. Hopefully I can control my numbers with diet and exercise and won't have to go on medications. Fingers crossed!

Other than those couple things, things have been going great! My belly keeps growing (along with the stretchmarks) and its getting more difficult to get comfortable or even roll over in bed! I've been trying to soak up the time I get with Dallin because next Tuesday they start digging earlys for beet harvest. It'll be a very busy next couple of months for Dallin. :( which means a lonely next couple of months for me. But at least he'll be done by the time baby girl makes her entrance! Here are a few pictures from the last little while!

Baby Girl Darrington

That's right! We are having a little girl! We could not be more excited. We both had a feeling it would be a girl and I am so glad that we were right. Its so nice to be able to picture our baby and be able to picture a little baby GIRL! Things are definitely getting real and I'm so excited to meet her.

Speaking of which, it seems like this pregnancy has flown by all of the sudden. I'm over halfway through and we've only got about four months to my due date. While I am excited to meet our little girl and be done with pregnancy (the past couple weeks have been rough) I am getting more and more anxious. So much is going to change in December and I want to be as ready as I can. There is still so much to be done to prepare for her arrival. So much still to get, a nursery to prepare and still so much I could learn. All while I get more and more uncomfortable with each passing week.

For about a month I felt fantastic. I had loads of energy and generally felt good all around. However, this last week has been rough on me physically between back pain, leg cramps and overall feeling crowded in my midsection. How am I supposed to keep growing for four more months?! I already feel so stretched and have plenty of stretchmarks to prove it! Sometimes I am so amazed at what my body is doing and is capable of. Other times I am scared out of my mind about how my body is changing and what its going to go through. I think I need to take more time to simply be grateful for what it is able to do not only for me but my little girl. Trying to stay positive and accept that my body is changing and will continue to change. #keepingitreal

 


Although it hasn't been easy between the stretchmarks, breakouts and weight gain, I feel incredible blessed to be able to carry our baby girl. And even more blessed that I have such a supportive husband to help me through. This little girl is already so loved. Feeling her kick has been incredible and its been even more special now that Dallin has been able to feel her a few times. She loves to party in there every morning especially but also constantly throughout the day. So far it seems like she loves tractor rides with Daddy. Its one of the few things that seem to quiet her kicking! Can't help but feel we are already getting glimpses of her personality.

Little One Doesn't Like to Sit Still!

Well I am now 18 weeks pregnant and I really wanted to write another update before we find out the gender! I really wanted to write a little update on this pregnancy every other week but I'll be lucky if I can pull it off every month! I'll do my best to keep documenting because I know I'll be kicking myself later if I don't!

Baby is moving around like crazy! I was 16 weeks when I first started to feel some movement. It was really light and I wasn't sure if it was me or not. Then on Sunday during Sacrament meeting baby went crazy with little kicks and I knew it was the baby! The kicks went on for the whole hour off an on. Baby must've been really feeling the spirit. (That or it didn't like the tight waistband of my skirt. It always seems to kick against tight clothing!) It was a really cool experience though. Now I'm just waiting for Dallin to get a chance to feel the little kicks. Now at 18 weeks the movements and kicking has definitely gotten stronger and I can see them move my stomach from the outside!

I'm still waiting to get that kick of energy everyone talks about coming back after the first trimester. Lately I am so exhausted all the time. If I do anything I am completely out of breath. I'm sure if I was in shape before I got pregnant this would be easier but it's draining me now! Getting ready for bed feeling like a workout let alone cleaning the house. I really wanted to be really good and workout 5 days a week while I was pregnant but you can guess how well that's working out for me... I want to be better though!

I've also noticed pregnancy hormones kicking in and affecting my emotions lately! A couple days ago we were headed into Burley and I really wanted two things: a Taco Bandito burrito and shaved ice. It was the fourth of July so of course everything was closed! When I found out I couldn't have those two things I felt like the world was ending. It was quite the episode. We are talking full blown sobs and crocodile tears. It was awful. Poor Dallin. We laugh about it now but it was seriously a rough night. Lately it just seems like the tears are always on the brink. If anything goes wrong at all, down they fall. Dallin is a trooper to deal with me so patiently.

My bump is really growing! It's been so fun to see it grow the past month.

Now that I can feel a little life inside me, this whole experience seems so much more real. It's hard to believe that all our prayers were answered and we have a little one on its way to our family. I feel extremely blessed. I've been waiting my whole life to become a mother. I truly feel as though it is my calling in life and I'm in awe that it's finally coming to pass.

Although I'm scared to death at times of the future I know that this is worth it and I can't wait to meet our baby. Soon we go see the ultrasound and I am so excited to find out the gender and see our baby on the monitor! Things are getting REAL and we are thrilled!

First Trimester Update

Written about a month ago but just now posting because I forgot to hit publish. The pregnancy brain is real, so very very real!

First trimester is officially over and I can't believe it! The last couple months have definitely been harder than I thought it would be but I made it and am finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel.

Around week sick I began getting really nauseous. It was the worst in the mornings and evenings but sometimes it was just all day. Nothing really helped it get better. I felt handicapped since doing anything besides sitting or laying down usually made it worse! This lasted for what felt like the longest time.

All I wanted to eat was cold cereal. You know, the really sugary kind. Extremely healthy. Mostly I had many many food aversions rather than cravings however, around week 8 I started having random cravings for certain foods. There was one day that I felt super nauseous but all I wanted was a bowl of mashed potatoes. Unfortunately we no longer had any of the quick fix instant kind so I was left laying on the couch NEEDING mashed potatoes. I didn't really feel up to making homemade potatoes but I didn't think I would make it if I didn't get mashed potatoes in my belly that instant. So, I braced for nausea and made the best mashed potatoes I had ever eaten. I had never wanted any food more in my life than I wanted those potatoes that afternoon. One food that I absolutely hated, and still struggle with, is eggs. Particularly scrambled eggs. I couldn't stand the smell or even looking at them. I thought I could sit across the table and eat my cereal while Dallin had his scrambled eggs... NOPE! We haven't had scrambled eggs for a long time in our house.

Things have definitely gotten better though. I am starting to get some of my energy back and the nausea, which refuses to leave completely, has faded some. The past couple weeks I've really noticed how sore I am. My body just aches particularly in my abdomen, back and legs. I think I must be growing to be so sore! Every day it feels like I just completed a long workout.

But enough about me! I'm 14 weeks and that makes baby the size of a peach according to my pregnancy app! About 3.5 inches, I cant believe it. Its crazy to think of how much baby has grown since we found out about its existence, At that time it was only the size of a poppy-seed! Its been very exciting to read about how baby is developing each week and see how it grows. At my last doctors appointment at 11 weeks we got to hear the heartbeat. I think hearing that fast beat made this pregnancy very real. It was proof that there is a living growing human being inside of me.

I feel incredibly blessed to be able to carry a little baby and help it grow. Pregnancy has been a whirlwind of emotions. Most of the time I feel so excited to meet and care for our little baby but some days I wonder what I've gotten myself into. Some days I doubt that I am ready for this big change. It's scary to think about the responsibility that is coming our way, but I know that we can do it. At the end of the day, I feel at peace and simply excited for our little boy or girl to come into our lives. I've been waiting for this my whole life.

The Word is Out!

If you haven't heard by now, Dallin and I are expecting our first baby! It's due date is December 6th and we'll find out the gender sometime in July! We are so excited to be welcoming a little baby into the family. This is something I have waited for so so long.

The day we found out was so unexpected. I had taken so many pregnancy tests before and they had all been negative. It seemed impossible that one might be positive. I was very doubtful that I was even pregnant. I had a little feeling that I might be but I didn't dwell on it too much for fear that I might be wrong... again. I had a few symptoms but of course I had had "symptoms" before and they obviously hadn't meant anything. I decided not to tell Dallin that I was taking a test that morning and waited until he had left to work before pulling out the tests.

I was hopeful but also expecting a negative test like I'd seen so many times before. After waiting for the test to settle a couple minutes I went to the bathroom counter and picked up a very positive pregnancy test! I froze, completely in shock. I felt like the wind and been knocked out of me. There were two very dark lines. Two! I had no idea how to react. It took a few minutes to even process that it was really happening. I was pregnant! Excitement and gratitude overwhelmed me and I stood there for the next few minutes laugh crying and repeating the words "oh my gosh" about one hundred times. Eventually I pulled myself together and decided to take another test, a digital one, just to be sure. Sure enough, I soon saw the word "pregnant" on the digital test. I have read that test over and over again until it really sunk in.

Excitement to tell Dallin quickly consumed me and I began brainstorming how I would tell him. I decided on a simple little card that I set on the kitchen table next to my pregnancy test. Lucky for me Dallin got off early that day and I only had to wait a couple hours for him to return home. I sat at the kitchen table waiting anxiously for him to finish cleaning up. I knew he would be surprised. We had talked about just last night how I probably had not become pregnant again this month. Finally he came down the hall and into the dinning room. My heart was pounding with excitement. It took him a moment to notice the card and test, but as soon as he did his jaw dropped and his eyes widened. He was so excited. Neither of us could believe that it was finally happening. We spent the rest of the day looking up information about how big the baby was at 4 weeks and downloading apps on my phone about pregnancy. Back then, the baby was only the size of a tiny poppyseed.

That day was so surreal. In fact, the past couple months have been so surreal. I'll go into more detail about the first trimester in another post but we could not be more excited- and nervous- to start this new adventure!

HOUSE UPDATES

APRIL 4, 2017

We’ve been making a lot of progress on our house recently! We finished two big projects and got a few decorations to liven up the space. It’s been so fun to decorate and make this house our home. A couple weeks ago or so we finished our kitchen table. That was a long project that I am so glad is done, but it turned out beautiful. I think the fact that Dallin and I built it with our own two hands makes me especially fond of it.

It all started with a pinterest pin… as do all my projects! I’m sure by now Dallin is cursing pintrest however, he enjoys the end result just as much as I do! I was getting really tired of using my craft table in the dinning room and I really liked the Farmhouse look for kitchen tables. However buying one was way out of the budget! So we decided we would attempt to build one. We bought all our wood at lowes as well as a few tools and headed home with great intentions to start building the next day… but the wood sat there for a really long time. Finally we worked up the courage to begin. It still took us a long time, there were a lot of cuts to make and a lot of screws to drill. Sanding and staining were definitely time consuming but it was SO WORTH IT.

We still need to buy some chairs for the one side of the table but I plan on getting the popular white metal cafe dining chairs! Here are some before and after pictures of the space as well as some pictures of the process! Yes, we built it inside the house in one of our spare bedrooms. Never again.

 


















We also painted! I am loving the new paint color. The grey wasn’t bad but it definitely had a cooler feel to it and this light beige gives the house a warmer tone. I did so much research on paint colors and was finally able to find a beige that doesn’t look yellow! It’s perfect.





We picked up our paint at Lowes on Wednesday and my lovely mother came the next day to help me paint. We worked for two days and were able to get SO MUCH done! WE got everything done except for one room and that is only because we ran out of paint! Two of my younger brothers, Ethan and Gabe, also came and helped out with the painting project. It was fun to have family over and I’m so thankful they came. It would have been a 3 week process of I would’ve done it by myself but we were able to get so much done because my mom came. Aren’t mothers the best? Here’s a few pictures of the process and some after pictures as well. Obviously the outlets still need their covers in these photos but I was too excited to take some pictures of the finished product!









I am so thankful for this house that we’ve been blessed with to use and that I’m able to tweak things to make it our own. It’s feeling more and more like home every day.