Valentine's Day :)

Seeing as Alisa is due on February 15th, we thought we might not get much of a Valentine's Day and decided to do ours early.

I got tickets to see Carmen (the opera) on Jan. 18th for Christmas, so we decided to make that the night. We made reservations at a nice restaurant downtown that we'd been wanting to try, Christopher's, and it was only about 2 blocks from the theater. We had a DElicious meal that stuffed us to the brim (seriously, it hurt to breathe-not like there was much room in my torso to begin with.) We also got the prime table at the fireplace cause my dad made friends with the manager, which was awesome cause it was quite a windy, cold night.

It wasn't very busy that night, so we finished pretty quickly, but decided to just go over early rather than try to find parking again. It was Jeff's first opera, and my first time seeing Carmen-I'd been wanting to forever, as it's one of the most famous and I've sung quite a few pieces from it. We thoroughly enjoyed it! Props to Jeff-it's hard not to fall asleep during an opera, and this one was 3 hours long. Even after that huge meal, we both made it no prob. Although, I can't remember being so uncomfortable after that long in those chairs. As for the show, they were very talented and I was happy with it, though I did feel they should have danced more, or at least Carmen.

We had decided to give gifts on the actual Valentine's day, but once Jeff has a gift in his possession, he can't keep it in, so we've done that, too. Jeff got me a cute little stuffed puppy that was holding a rolled up fleece blanket (I don't know if you understand my love affair with blankets) and a gift card to Old Navy (I told him I just really wanted to go shopping.) It was just perfect! I got Jeff a box of Mrs. Cavanaugh's chocolates that I hand-picked, but only filled halfway. Then, I put a few other little things in the box I thought he wanted. We also got Amie a little box of chocolates, but she'll have to wait for Vday to get it (or at least until she's not so sick.)

Which brings me to a semi-unrelated point. We have all pretty much been miserable in my house. I'm huge and uncomfortable and have strep throat. Jeff had a day of scratchy throat, and that's about all he ever gets. Amelie, however, has officially been sick for almost 2 months now. Some things help, but she's never completely well. We're currently trying a run of antibiotics for strep throat, but she's developed a consistent cough and her nose never stops running. She's been sleeping a ton, and not eating or drinking much at all. It's kinda scary. The sad thing is that we took her off of a bottle about a week or two ago (cause our pediatrician kinda reprimanded us and said to do it before the next baby comes.) That isn't helping with hydration, but now that she's off, I don't want to start them again! If she stays this bad, I may try it just to get some milk in her. I've been trying every trick I can think of to get her to drink. We're thinking that if she's not improved after this run of antibiotics, we may have to ask for check on bronchitis or swine flu. Her fussiness and sleep schedule is enough to make us all crazy!
Really, I'm just hoping this all clears up before we bring Alisa home to it!

Any day now... Knock on wood

So, at my 36 week doctor appointment (this past Tuesday,) my doctor told me that I was already 3.5 cm dilated. Woo! Jeff and I had placed bets (wagerless) on how dilated I'd be, cause I'd been having Braxton Hicks contractions for awhile. (I said 2.5, Jeff said 3.) So we were not surprised, but a little surprised it was that much. She said I was effacing, too, though not how much, and that little Alisa was in perfect head-down position. Knowing Amelie came early, and how far dilated I already was, she told me to come in quick if I started labor-not to worry about getting down to exactly 4 min between contractions, or anything like that. I'm afraid this got Jeff and I a little too excited-now waiting's been very difficult! She said she gave us a week and a half. (So, that'd be, what, by next Thur. or so?) We even discussed all the days she was on call, since she wasn't the one when Amie was born. Ha.
We ended up setting an elective inducement date because I was already so far into what's technically early labor. I never thought I'd go for inducement if not necessary, but for many reasons, I agreed. With my new job, a paid-for family vacation in March and being physically ready, I need to get back on my feet asap, so Feb. 8th is the day if I make it that far. (I'm guessing I will since we all expect it to be much sooner. :) )

As far as me, I'm sure getting sore and tired. Even though I was "sore" and "tired" throughout, it's majorly compounded now. I am so incredibly uncomfortable all the time-I never sleep through a night, or even close. I'm much, much bigger this time around. Here's a little proof.

This is a picture of me just a week before I delivered Amelie (about 36wks):

And here's one only THE DAY before I deliver Alisa (ok, I can dream right?) This is 36.5 wks:

If the difference in belly size doesn't shock you, you can at least appreciate the major difference in my face... The first? Great pregnant glow! This time around? FATIGUE... and a little more weight. :(

But, now I have to hurry and end this post, so I stop obsessing over going into labor! Fingers crossed, everybody!

Videos

Someday this really will work correctly. That someday would come sooner if it didn't take (literally) an hour to upload a video.

(So, after I uploaded this video-all morning-Jeff closed the browser window before I published! Lucky for that auto-save feature...)


And this one's my favorite-Amelie really dancing.

Our Happy Holidays 09

Just a little bit of our Holiday festivities. Like always, we spent a lot of time running around from house to house, eating too much and were exhausted the entire time!

Our best attempt to get the whole family in our Christmas Sunday best.

Sneaky little girl in the nursery closet.


Seeing the lights at Temple Square. Doesn't everyone just look cold?





A few shots of Christmas Eve with the extended family in Ogden.




Christmas Day-in 3 different locations. It was nice to get a little more out of Amie this year.




Come on-look at that and tell me she's not the spitting image!




On New Year's Eve, Amie and I slept over at my mom's (while Jeff was on duty.) The two of us barely made it to midnight-we were zombies!


A little cousin love. So cute!



Finally, here's a little video of Amelie enjoying 2 of her favorite Christmas presents.


Hope yours were wonderful!

Ready for the cutest things you'll ever see?

These are 3 of the cutest pictures I've ever seen in my lifetime. (Nevermind that they all happen to be of MY daughter.)



...and NOT part of the "cutest" motif, but recent. Here's my 31 weeks photo, though I'm now at 32 weeks, unbelievable! Number 2 certainly goes by faster than number 1!! I was thinking that I am much bigger this time around, but upon examination of past pictures, it looks like I am just barely past where I was through my first pregnancy, and that is heartening! (Can you say 'that's heartening?' It's the opposite of DISheartening, whatever that is.) Though, I am already lengthening a stretch mark or two-Boo. Things continue to go well - I am in 2 week visits now, and all my diabetes and other tests have been normal. Alisa is seriously the wiggliest thing ever! She keeps me awake, or moves my whole body with her kicks and rolls. Looks like her and Amie will both be dancing queens. I can't wait!

Meanwhile... 5 days 'til Christmas!!!!

Dancing Queen!

Here's just a tiny snippet of Amelie's moves. It's actually very short and mellow compared to her usual dancing escapades, but it's the only video we have so far. This is while watching the kids perform at the Festival of Trees.
She just can't hold still while there's a good tune on!

More long lost photos and missing events.

Here are just a few pics of Amie's bday at my mom's (her FIRST experience with being given a cake to devour.)





Also, I really don't have much visual draw for Thanksgiving, but it was still a pretty fun weekend. Thursday, I got up too early to go to Kmart-they were having a THURSDAY sale, including cameras, and I wanted to have one for the weekend, so I went, figuring when could I get a better deal to replace old flatty? So I got up and waited just a few minutes in line, got the camera I wanted (barely) and then found some super scores on girls' clothes for Amie. When I got home, we watched the parade and cooked a bit, then went to Grantsville for TG with Jeff's fam. There were tons of people there, and TONS of food. We had a great time, and played the 3 dollar game. (I predicted the winner, too, a visitor ALWAYS gets the big pot! I agree with you, Marcie, I think we should limit players to family!) After heading home (with a tupperware of leftovers) we went to bed and Jeff went to work.
The next morning, I was glad I got the camera I wanted, so I didn't have to fight the crowds. I usually enjoy the shopping, but didn't need really anything I saw on sale, so I was glad to sleep in and hang out. We then went to a TG party with my big family, junk food style. We had 3 different kinds of wings, various sides and about 6 billion cookies, as well as lots of games. It was really excellent to see so much of the family-almost everyone was there! After we went home, Jeff went to work again, poor guy. When he got home, he was just too spent to go out, so we hung at home til the big game. I have to say, I'm sad Utah lost, but by the end of hour 4, I just wanted it to end either way!

In the days since, we have finished all our Christmas shopping (Yay and Nay! I actually love Christmas shopping) and have been rehearsing for this year's production of the Messiah. Jeff and I both have some solos, and we love the amazing music. We'll be performing Sunday the 13th at the Taylorsville Stake house (where we had our wedding reception) at 7pm. You should come! I already performed in the Taylorsville City production last night-that one is shorter and more casual. I am also hosting a cookie exchange this week, and my sister Jaimie will be coming to live with us during her winter break from school. This past week and this next week are the craziest for us, then the next 3 are wide open. I think people always want to stay away from doing anything too close to the holidays, but for me it just makes a crazy start to the month!

Jeff got the "back to normal" stamp from the orthopedist this week. This makes me happy and sad. I like having him home on his nights off, but I'm sure he'll be back to ball! Alisa is cooking along just as she should-somehow it totally snuck up on me-only 10 weeks left! That is so crazy. Life only moves faster and faster as you gain more reasons to want to savor it.

Halloween!

I recovered the photos from the dead camera, so here is just a beginning of what has been missing. *The camera got run over during trick or treating, so no pics of mom and dad. I was a bandit (I wore a real gun, sshhh) and Jeff was a price is right watcher... ask him about it. ;)

The three faces of Amelie at Halloween:
Giraffe (for trick or treating in the cold)
Ballerina (for family party)
Witch (for witches night out)

Mom and Dad-bitter rivals... sort of
Family rivals shot (Amie's 4th costume!)
helping get messy
the incredibly creative finished product

More to come!

Camera-less update

I've been wanting to post about lots of things, but have been waiting on my camera. I finally accepted the fact that it's never going to wake up again. I'll have to put my memory card in someone else's to retrieve the pictures... Until then, here's a little bit about what's been going on for us.

Jeff hurt his knee playing basketball some weeks ago. It never got better, so he went in to see a GP, who told him he thought the meniscus (sp?) was torn. If it wasn't better after a week and his instructions, he'd need to see an orthopedist. Well, before even a week, Jeff called back for a referral, cause it got worse still. At the ortho, the x-rays showed that Jeff's knee cap lives off to the side where it rubs directly on the bone. This is good and bad because A) he only needs physical therapy and not surgery, yay! but B)it's started a small bone spur, bleh. So, he's been going to PT for a few weeks now and has a follow up in 2 weeks or so. Here's hoping! Jeff doesn't love the PT-including shock therapy-but is psyched cause he hates light duty at work AND needs to keep his vaca for when we have the baby.

As for me, I've been doing lots of shopping and crafting to get ready for Christmas. We're pretty much done with everyone for Christmas, except we haven't gotten anything for Amie yet! Next paycheck. (This whole PT twice a week thing set back out budget a bit.) I've also been making things, but I won't say what, cause chances are one of them is for you or someone you know! No spoilers.
I'm feeling ok these days, just lots of heartburn, reflux, etc. (Yum!) I get pretty sore in funny places, too, like every single day, but I have remained faithful to my wake up, exercise, read, get ready in the morning program. Loosely faithful, anyway. I've done it every single day, but you may occasionally find me switching up the order, snoozing after a particularly late night, or only doing stretches for exercise when the soreness is too intense. I also recently went to Denver on a day trip for my father's business. Fun, but a little too non-stop. Otherwise, I just truck along in my daily routine, which will soon include watching my 2 nephews twice a week.

Amelie has turned into a little fireball. Now that she is a pro at walking, she can not sit still. Church is becoming more difficult to get through, and going to movies with her are totally out of the question. Of course, the phase does come with some adorable perks. She is the world's cutest dancer! Anytime she hears music, she shakes her booty... and I mean that literally. She shakes her little butt to the beat, and I have no idea where she got that from! She has even been awakened from a nap by a cell phone song and sits straight up, immediately dancing. So cute! Finally, my favorite new addition to her repertoire is the singing. She'll do it anytime the people around her are singing, just wah wah wahing along. She even waves her arm sometimes when we're singing hymns at church. I love that munchkin!

As for Alisa, things have been going just fine. She's growing on track, and kicking like no other! She's a wiggly little thing-maybe she'll be a dancer like Amie. Dr. Brown and I even decided to postpone going from 4 to 2 week visits one extra time, cause everything looked perfect! I certainly look bigger this time, though. (It is also hard to believe, but my weight gain is on the same track as my pregnancy with Amelie.)

And, I just have to throw this in there-I'm so excited for the upcoming holidays! Holler!

Amelie's first birthday!!

I can't even believe Amelie is already 1 year old! In a way, it's so fun and I love to have her older, able to do things and communicate a little better, but it is going by SO fast! (Of course.) We had a Pretty in Pink Party for Amie the Saturday before her birthday, and it was well-attended by family and good friends (though not everyone wore their prettiest pink...) We had all pink foods (I didn't get a photo,) presents, a pinata and a picture frame to sign (I never noticed the continuation of the "P" motif til just then.) My camera was MIA, so I scrounged pictures off of others (Thanks Vanessa!) Luckily, we got everything between everyone.

The pictures are all out of order, but I didn't have the fire to rearrange them one by one, so look from bottom to top. :) You can see I had to help lots with opening presents, but she got the hang of it after awhile. She thoroughly loved all the toys she got! (When I was un-packaging everything, she had the musical ones all lined up and would push one button after another, making them all make noise at the same time.)
She also knows how to put away a cake! No problems there.
Then the pinata. That was fun-we had to go all the way up to the 20 yr olds before it broke! (I didn't put pics up of everyone, sorry. There were lots.)

We also had a celebration at my mom's, but said camera is dead, so those pictures will have to come later... Enjoy!