22 weeks

How your baby's growing: Your baby now looks like a miniature newborn, checking in at 10.9 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound. His skin will continue to appear wrinkled until he gains enough weight to fill it out, and the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his head and body is now visible. His lips are becoming more distinct, and the first signs of teeth are appearing as buds beneath his gum line. His eyes are developed, though the iris (the colored part of the eye) still lacks pigment. Eyelids and eyebrows are in place, and his pancreas, essential for hormone production, is developing steadily.

sealing!

We are sealed!
It was beautiful and wonderful, and we are so grateful for all those who were able to be there. It's a day I will never forget.

(I even was able to squeeze my five month pregnant body into my wedding dress without looking too ridiculous. Thank goodness for the lace up back. It's very fun to get to wear your dress twice!)


More photos to come... Check back next week.

off to utah

We are headed off tomorrow to the Beehive State. Friday is the big sealing day and we are SO excited, although it still doesn't feel real. It's going to be really good to see some family and friends out there. My parents had plans to be in Vegas this weekend so they are flying up just for the day on Friday. And Jared's older brother, who I haven't even met yet, is flying in from New York. I guess it's been years since all his siblings were together. And of course we will get to spend some good time with the kids. It has been almost 3 months since we saw them!

I probably won't be posting much this week. Although my grandparents just got a new computer, so maybe I will. I'm sure I'll have lots of pictures when I come back to share with you all.

Here are a couple photos from yesterday. We did take some of us together, but I didn't like how any of them turned out, so you just get us separately in all our Easter finery.

21 weeks

How your baby's growing: Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. His eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed. And you can certainly feel him move. He's oblivious to your schedule, though, so don't be surprised if he starts working out just when you're settling down for the night.

Um, yeah! This baby of mine has been quite the mover lately. He was going at it like crazy today. And I can tell he is bigger now because I will feel him up high and then down low like he is stretching out. I think he's either going to be a soccer player or a dancer by the way he moves in there.

shoes, clothes, belly

Remember these shoes I got last fall? They are awesome. And yes they are Crocs. They've also gotten a little dirty after 6 months of wear, so I just threw them in the dish washer last night with the dishes. They came out good as new. Gotta love that!






In other apparel news, a couple weeks ago I was perusing the Shade Clothing website and found that they have AMAZING sales! Like $6 a shirt amazing. I got 7 tops for under 50 bucks. And one of them turned out to be a sweater! I totally thought it was just t-shirt material, but nope.... a $6 sweater! It is comfy and stylish. The best combination. Here's a little sampling of what I purchased:

The color on this is amazing. And the material has a beautiful sheen to it.

I love the length of these sleeves and I've always been a sucker for a turtleneck. This is nice spring version.

Lest you think I'm ignoring the fact that I'm pregnant I also got a couple maternity t's. A short sleeve one and this one in this pretty dark blue.

And here is the sweater I mentioned earlier. The bit of sheen in the fabric shows my growing belly off nicely, even from straight on. My favorite part of this sweater are the little buttons on the neck, but it's hard to see those here.

Side view of belly.

And this belly shot we took last night (the others were this morning). I see this picture and think, "Wo, that girl is pregnant!" This was also right after dinner and at this particular angle my tummy definitely looks the biggest.

answered prayers

This beautiful building is the Bountiful Utah Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. In my faith, temples symbolize the most sacred and eternal parts of our religion. It is in these beautiful houses of God that we participate in special ordinances that bind us to our family members for eternity and where we learn the way to return to our Father in Heaven. There is no other place like them on Earth.

The temple is also where every Mormon girl and boy dreams of getting married. We are taught from a very young age to keep ourselves worthy to be married in the temple. We believe that marriages performed in these sacred buildings will last forever, instead of being "'til death do us part." All of my life I imagined my wedding day as taking place at the temple. When the Bountiful temple was built, I knew that is where I wanted to get married. I was born in Bountiful and both my parents grew up there. And this temple is GORGEOUS!

But as often happens in life, things don't always turn out the way we plan. Just as I always dreamed, I fell in love with a wonderful, righteous man. But this good man also happened to be divorced. His first marriage took place in the temple, and although he is legally divorced, that first temple sealing is still in place in the eyes of the Church. And in order for him to be sealed to me, he had to get permission from the President of the Church to do so. This is quite the involved process with all sorts of letters that must be written. I won't get into all the details, but if anyone has questions they can email me. We went through this process when we were engaged, hoping that we would get permission to be married in the temple. Sadly, our request was denied.

There is no reason given for the rejection. We were just told to reapply in a year. I can honestly say that being told I couldn't marry the man I love in the temple, even though we are both worthy to enter those holy doors, has been the hardest trial of my life. I had to readjust all my expectations for my wedding day. I had to mourn the loss of a "temple marriage". I had to try to understand why I was being denied what I'd been told my whole life to strive for and not settle for anything less. And now we were told to just be patient, that it didn't really matter whether we were sealed this year or next or the year after. Just get married civilly, leaders said. This seemed to be a shocking reversal of everything I had ever been taught in the church.

But we did. We went to the temple the morning of our wedding with a few family members and friends because we wanted to start our wedding day in that holy place even if we couldn't be married there. And then that evening we had a beautiful wedding. We were married by my former bishop in the University of Utah Museum of Art surrounded by beautiful Brian Kershisnik paintings. We had our family and friends there. Jared's children were there. It was a sacred and happy day. And we've had a most magical first year of marriage. I have never been happier.

But this trial of my faith and the patience required to wait for my "eternal" marriage has been difficult. It has made me question many things. I have also learned things that I would never have otherwise. The greatest gift of this has been the empathy I have gained. I now know what it's like to feel outside of the box. I know what it's like to be told no to a righteous desire. I know what it's like to wait for something you achingly long for. And for these lessons, I am grateful. I am a better person because of this experience.

When we decided to try for a baby, we knew that it was a leap of faith. We knew there was a chance we wouldn't be sealed before the baby was born. But I felt so strongly that we should not wait anymore. I am grateful for the prayers that were answered that gave us the courage to go forward with faith and conceive this precious little baby. Knowing that we are adding to our family has made our desire to be sealed even greater.

Yesterday afternoon, we got the letter we have been waiting so long for. Signed by Thomas S. Monson, Henry B. Eyring, and Dieter F. Uchtdorf, this letter says that Jared may be sealed to me in the temple. It is dated March 12, 2008. One year and two days since our wedding day. Next week, we will be going to Utah, and we will be sealed together as eternal spouses in the Bountiful Utah Temple with our closest family in attendance. I can hardly believe it is real.

I am so grateful for everyone who has prayed for us this past year. I am grateful for those answered prayers. I am grateful I will finally have the blessings of the most sacred sealing ordinance. I am grateful that I get to be with my dear, dear husband forever. And I am grateful that our little baby will be there too nestled safely inside me.

cloth diapers here i come

Yes, you read that correctly, I am going to use cloth diapers. The idea has intrigued me for some time because of the advances in cloth diapers these days, the cost of disposables, and the environmental impact of throwing all those diapers away. But when I researched it a bit, I got quite overwhelmed by all the choices out there.

Then a couple weeks ago, my friend Rebekah (and mother of 4) came up to me at church. "Have I given you my cloth diaper schpiel yet?"

"No, but I'd love to hear it!"

Off she went, showing me the diapers she uses ("The best on the market today.") and going on about how great they are and easy to use. I was convinced. All I needed was a little guidance from a real mom to know what worked in real life.

These are the diapers that Rebekah recommends and that I am going to get:


They are one-size fits all, so you don't have to keep buying more diapers as your baby grows. They have little snaps to adjust the size. And of course they are washable. Rebekah assures me they are as easy to use as disposables. Oh and they come in lot of fun colors!

They cost about $18 a piece and of course you'll need a dozen or two depending on how often you do laundry. But that investment will pay off so quickly! Disposables are expensive. Plus these will last through more than one child. Check out cottonbabies.com if you want to know more. You can also get packages of 3, 6, or 12 and save some money.

20 weeks--Half Way!

How your baby's growing: Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom, and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, we use measurements taken from the top of the baby's head to her bottom — known as the "crown to rump" measurement. After that, we use measurements from head to toe. This is because a baby's legs are curled up against her torso during the first half of pregnancy and are very hard to measure.)

A greasy white substance called vernix caseosa coats his entire body to protect his skin during its long submersion in amniotic fluid. (This slick coating also eases the journey down the birth canal.)

Your baby is swallowing more, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky substance that's the result of cell loss, digestive secretion, and swallowed amniotic fluid. This meconium will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in h first messy diaper (although a few babies pass it in utero or during delivery).

i couldn't agree more

If you've been following the news, then you know about all the controversy over Mighigan and Florida's primaries. Briefly, they broke the rules by moving up their primaries, so the DNC said their delegates wouldn't count. But the states still had their primaries early. Now some are trying to get those delegates counted anyway or figure out a way to do a re-vote.

Two CNN contributers have recently written columns about this topic. I couldn't agree with them more.

Glenn Beck: Too Bad, Michigan and Florida

After all, what would it say about personal responsibility in this country if we allow the two states that broke all the rules to end up having the biggest say of all?

Roland S. Martin: Florida, Michigan Don't Deserve Revote

No. Enough. Let's end this madness and tell Florida and Michigan that they had their shot. They blew it. It's time to move on and let the people who know how to play by the rules get on with this process. They made their bed. Now sleep in it.

I think it's a shame that so many people voted and those votes won't count, but state officials broke the rules. The people of those two states should be mad at their state officials. By no stretch of the imagination were these elections fair.

more baby clothes

Yesterday I got an email from the owner of Go Natural Baby. Justyn had stumbled across my blog and seeing as how I am pregnant and have an apparent affinity for organic baby clothes (based on my last post) she thought I'd be interested to know about her company.

From the website:

Go Natural Baby™ designs and manufactures Zah Collection™ a certified organic cotton baby and children's clothing line. We use only 100% certified organic cotton, low impact dyes, heavy metal free zippers and snaps, and fair trade practices.

And the clothes are cute too! Simple and soft with a hint of Zen. Plus they are having a sale right now.

How cozy does this look?

random pretties

I think these shoes from Delia*s are adorable. So Springy and whimsical.

Only I'm paranoid to buy new shoes in case my feet grow during pregnancy. Has anyone actually had that happen to them? It would be tragic to a shoe lover like me who already owns so many.


Someone needs to buy this dress. It is on sale right now at J.Crew. Still not cheap, I'll warn, but cheaper. And you get another 20% off. If I wasn't pregnant, I'd be sorely tempted.
I love the polka dots, don't you? And the ruffle. It's so lady like.


How cute are these?
I'm loving all the cute baby clothes from Kate Quinn Organics.
They are simple and colorful and look so cozy.
I want everything on the website.

first anniversary

One year and one day ago Jared and I were married. It was a beautiful, crisp March day in Utah. We got to celebrate with wonderful family and friends. It was perfect.

This weekend we went to Atlanta where Jared was presenting a paper at a conference. We stayed with Jared's cousin, Jonathan and his wife Kristy and their 6 beautiful kids! They were so nice and welcoming. It was really great to get to know them better. The only downside was that it was COLD! It snowed! In Georgia!

Sunday we headed back north and stayed the night in Asheville, NC. Asheville is in the western mountains of North Carolina. It is a popular spot to visit, especially in the fall when the leaves have all changed colors. Even this time of year, it was still beautiful. We stayed in a delightful Bed and Breakfast to celebrate our marriage turning one year old.


The best part was the tub!


The bed was pretty sweet too. As is the darling boy posing for this picture.


It was such a lovely weekend. We had hours to talk in the car. We got to see family. And we got to treat ourselves to a little night of luxury. I truly do love my husband more everyday. I am so blessed to be married to him. My heart is tender and full when I think of all he does for me. He showers me with love each day. I love coming home to him. He is my home.

19 weeks

How your baby's growing: Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces, and he measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. His arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of his body now. His kidneys continue to make urine, and the hair on his scalp is sprouting. This is a crucial time for sensory development: Your baby's brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch.

photo updates

Here is the latest photo update of my growing bump. It definitely looks bigger than it did a couple weeks ago. But from straight on I still don't really look that pregnant. I'm starting to feel like it more and more though. This morning I woke up to Baby Asher punching me or head butting me or something. It was the strongest I had felt it yet. I love it!


And remember a couple weeks ago I said I got something fun at Costco? Well I finally got around to getting a photo for you all to see. Check out our new dishes!

We both LOVE them! We actually never got dishes for our wedding. Most people gave us money/gift certificates and then I couldn't decide what I wanted. So we've been using totally mismatched dishes for the past year! Well, we were walking out of Costco and both of us stopped in our tracks when we saw these. We loved both colors so we got a set of each! I am especially picky about bowls, and these are the perfect shape and size. So fun!

it's a...

BOY!!!!

Yep, we having a boy, and we are SO excited! I've always wanted a boy first for some reason and Jared really wanted a boy. Last week Isaac called and asked Jared, "Daddy, when are we going to know if I am getting a little brother?" How cute is that? I couldn't be happier that Isaac is getting a little brother.

After the ultrasound technician zoomed in on the goods and declared the baby a boy, I asked her if she's ever wrong. She said she would tell us if she was unsure, but that she is 99.9% sure this is a boy. And I have to say it was quite obvious that we are having a boy!

It was also really cool to see the heart and brain and spine. He was moving all over like crazy. He is a very active little baby. I've been feeling him a lot more. Jared was even able to feel him kick yesterday. Everything looked really good and the technician said he weighs 9 ounces which is right on track. She put my due date as August 1--2 days earlier than before. But she said my doctor probably won't officially change it since it's only two days difference. I'm just glad she didn't move it back any and that this boy is growing like he should.

And now I'm sure you all are wondering what we are going to name him. Well, I won't keep it a secret. We have had this named picked out since before we were married. We both love it! Ready?

Asher Gabriel

I decided I wanted to name my son Asher after I read My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok. And we just both like Gabriel a lot. So there ya go!

exhibition

On Saturday our church had a talent exhibition. They called it "A Night at the MET--Mormons Exhibiting their Talents". The first part of the program was in the chapel and performers did Church and classical music numbers. I was quite impressed with some of the talent. Then there was an intermission and in half of the gym was a visual arts display--paintings, photography, that kind of thing. Then the last part of the program was in the other half of the gym and was all secular music. This one little boy totally blew us all away singing. He was probably 8 years old and had this fantastic voice. It was a really fun night. And I even decided to participate by displaying a few photographs. These have all made appearances before around here, but for all you new readers, I thought I'd post them again anyway.

New Mexico Wild Flowers, August 2007

Pioneer Day Grace, Utah, July 2007

Utah Mountains, July 2007

Jared in dry creek bed, North Carolina, October 2007

North Carolina Woods, October 2007

At the risk of tooting my own horn a little, I have to share something that totally made my night. After the program, Jared and I gathered up my photos to take home and were walking out of the gym when this man stopped us. He said, "Oh I haven't seen these yet. Will you show them to me?" Of course I did and he wanted me to explain each photo--where I took it, etc. He was really complimentary. Turns out he is a professional photographer. He has done some workshops and such for different things. It really made me feel good to have someone who knows what they are talking about compliment my photos. Because I am FAR from a professional. I've taken all of one photography class 4 years ago and don't even have a nice camera. I have so much to learn. It felt so good to be validated like that by someone who knows his stuff.

18 weeks

How your baby's growing: Head to bottom, your baby is approximately 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and she weighs almost 7 ounces. She's busy flexing her arms and legs — movements that you'll likely start noticing more and more. Her blood vessels are visible through her thin skin and her ears are now in position and stand out from her head. Myelin (a protective covering) is beginning to form around her nerves, a process that will continue for a year after she's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and Fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If your baby is a boy, his genitals are noticeable, though he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

This week has been really good. I'm feeling the baby move more and more. The feelings are getting more distinct now too. And I swear I actually saw a couple kicks the other day when I was lying in bed! Tuesday is U-day! I hope this babe cooperates.