The Baby's Room

Here is Little Dude's room, 99% complete! I am so grateful to Blake and my parents (especially my Mommita, aka "the Tornado") and Terry for all the help they gave me in doing this. My energy level has been so up and down I could have never done it alone! Now all we need are a couple of things we're having framed, and our little guy to arrive!

This is what you see right when you walk in the door... then if you turn slightly to your left...

... you see this! And keep turning left....

Now you're facing the wall where the door is that you came in... and if you turn to your left once more...

His changing table!
I had a great time decorating this room. We collected a bunch of stuffed animals, preferably jungle theme, and hung them in this cute hammock! See the lion with his huge puppy eyes? Thanks Momma Haines! Cute!

Curious George was the original inspiration for the room. Blake and I both loved Curious George as kids, and we thought it'd be fun to make that his room theme. The jungle theme just fell into place from there. Here you can see my little "vine" decoration I made, with two Curious George stuffed animals hanging from it.

Merry Christmas!

I know that I have posted a lot lately. I love blogging, and it's been a crazy 9th month of pregnancy. So, blogging keeps me sane. I have decided, however, that it's time I post about how amazingly blessed I am. I am so grateful, first of all, for the Gospel in my life. How incredible it is to know who I am praying to, and to know how to incorporate repentance into my life. It is amazing to have a husband who has a testimony of the Gospel as well. Just the other night I really needed some forgiveness from Blake, and he told me, "I forgive you. Dont worry, it's forgotten." What a special thing it is to have this in our marriage. Also, can I just say I took him... you know, the best husband in the world? It was me... sorry, I did it, I took him. Blake is the best, seriously. I could NOT ask for more. He is so sweet, sensitive, humble, and fun. He is patient and kind, and everyone loves him, especially me. I am also grateful for the rest of our family, my side and his. I love my parents and Terry with all my heart, and I am also so grateful to have married into a family that I fell in love with while I fell in love with Blake! Both sides of our family has been so supportive of us through our marriage. On top of this all, I am so grateful to have been blessed with the opportunity to carry our baby boy who will soon make our family 3 (oh and plus Cozmo of course)! I have had an uneventful, smoothe pregnancy. I know I have been a big whiner, very moody, and temperamental throughout the whole nine months. I know Heavenly Father blessed us with this little boy so we can all 3 learn and grow together. I have so much to learn from him!

I hope that this has been a wonderful year for you. It definitely has been for us.

Top 5 Events of 2007:

5-Our vacation to see Wicked in Chicago, where we stayed at the Marriott on the Magnificent Mile and got to ice skate in the snow in downtown Chicago! Magical!

4-Our 2nd Anniversary Disney World vacation. It was cost-effective (we had many coupons and much help, such as a place to stay at my Grandpa's winter house) and a blast!

3-Ironman Florida 2007, where I got to cheer my dad and Blake on as they raced!

2-Watching Blake as he worked hard and graduated with his Bachelor's degree, an enormous accomplishment!

1-Being guided in our decision to have a baby, and blessed with the opportunity to bring a new life into the world. I know I do not yet realize the incredible blessing this is, and I look forward to learning of that soon! Come baby come! :)

FUNNY PICTURE!

This freakin hilarious pic is of 3 years ago when Blake and I were almost officially engaged. Two of our best friends, especially at that time, were Brady and Curtis. I am pleased to announce that these two awesome dudes are now happily married and fathers of newborns! (See their blog links to the right!) So, that means that all 3 of us couples will have babies who are only 2 or 3 months apart in age. How dang awesome is that!?

FINALLY, IRONMAN PICTURES! IRONMAN 07!

Blake and my dad had a great race. Blake finished at 13 hours 15 minutes, and my dad finished his FIFTH Ironman at his BEST time, 13 hours 46 minutes! woo!! Fast! My mom ran the last half of the marathon with my dad, and we all had a really great time! Go Ironmen!

Blake's Graduation!!! He got his Bachelor's of Business Administration!

Baby Cozzy

I just cant resist posting these pics I found from a year and a half ago when we first got Cozmo. Cozmo was my graduation present to myself. It's a great name for him because BYU's mascot is Cosmo, the Cougar! We bought him off of http://www.nextdaypets.com/ and picked him up in Indiana on our way out to TN from Utah. So fun!

Oh Cozmo...

Cozmo poses for pictures, I swear. He will hold the pose until you take the picture, check it on the camera, then turn it off and talk to him. During my "nesting" of this pregnancy, we purchased a new lamp. The lamp shade for the old lamp is the one that poor Cozmo was inflicted with by Blake in this picture.

Better Today

The Christmas Holidays are ama-za-zing. We have really been enjoying the cooler weather and the Christmas decorations and music this year! What a perfect time to finish up a difficult 9 months.

Okay, so this "last month" thing in pregnancy is interesting. For me, it's different every day. Some days I feel awful (hence the elephant post), and some days, like today, I feel fine! So, if any of you are worried, I feel better now and know that I will get through this. I just hope his birthday is not on Christmas... or very close to it. Poor little guy.

"Pink Day" was on December 10. This was beloved Whitney Nelson's birthday. She would have turned 21. I decked myself out in pink, tied a pink thing around Cozmo's neck, and ... well Blake let me paint his toe pink! It was nice to remember her and her family on her birthday. She is such a wonderful person who brings such light to others. I aspire to be as good of a person as Whitney someday.

Elephant

I officially feel like an elephant. Can this baby please come out now?

Doctor's Appointment!

Okay, so I am 36 weeks and 3 days along. I went to the doctor today. I love her office because it's at the hospital where I will be delivering, and it's a private practice - doctor, nurse, and receptionist. Today was an awesome appointment. Blake came with me like he usually does. I lost 1 pound, did not have to get poked with a needle, and found out that I am 1 centimeter dialated, 70% thinned out (if you dont know what that means, dont worry about it), and the baby is almost for sure head down!!!! Yay!!!

8 Months, 36 Weeks

What belly? No belly here... BOOM!!!! Ok, so I cant hide it.

The red shirt was not flattering, let's switch to purple. Oh my goodness I am so ready to not be pregnant. Haha.

Blake Flipping!

Had to add this video since I did not get to do so back in September! Go Blake!!!!

The Christmas Season

I absolutely love the Christmas Season. This time last year, Blake and I were in the Christmas spirits, but we just couldnt stop thinking how lame it was that we had no kids to spoil. Although we still dont have kids right now, we do have one on the way. It is so special to know that we will be able to celebrate Christmas wi th our little boy next year.

Blake and I put the tree up. Well, he put it up and I helped decorate. It's so pretty, even from the outside. We also put out all of our Christmas decorations. Blake's mom donated almost everything we have for Christmas decorations, and she adds to our decorations every year. She is so good to us. Thanks Momma Haines.

I was having another nesting moment, cleaning out the entire downstairs closet. Meanwhile, Cozmo was constantly being bugged by Blake :), and finally he had ENOUGH with the teasing. So, he came and insisted on sitting on my lap in the closet. I welcomed the break.

Blake and I roasted marshmallows in our ashes after a cozy fire. The best part, though, is we roasted MINI marshmallows and coconut marshmallows. None of those boring normal big white ones.
We randomely made sugar cookies with the Anderson's, Tim and Conny. They came over and Blake and I were in the middle of mixing dough before we knew what we were getting into. We could not find the cookie cutters (which I conveniently found the next day), so we made our own shapes. It was great!

THE UGLY CHRISTMAS SWEATER PARTY!

Thanks to my mom's organized ability, I was able to find 2 sweaters that look very cute on her but very awful on me with my pregnant belly and Blake with... well he's a guy. We got invited by Dan and Jen to the "Ugly Christmas Sweater Party." It was a blast!

Well, Scott won the "most ill-fitted" Christmas Sweater award. His mustache and rolled up at the ankle jeans really helped add to the ensemble.

We had a blast!

****MERRY CHRISTMAS! LET IT SNOW!****

Utah Baby Shower!

Utah for Thanksgiving

I just love that about a year ago, Summer and I took the above picture. She was due about the same time as me, just a year ago! And below, here we are this year.

Blake, Danika, and Kaden waiting for a table at Brick Oven. We satisfied our Utah food cravings, Brick Oven, Cafe Rio, and knock-off-In-N-Out, Chadders. It was awesome.

Blake got to have a Lobsterita night with his boys at Red Lobster. Cradam, Spencer (ugly mustache and all!), Tim, Eric, and BK!

I randomely ran into these three Sorbers! President Sorber, Andrew, and Sister Sorber were walking out of Red Lobster as Blake was walking in. Andrew just got home from his mission a month ago! Fun!

We love Utah. It was so great to be there and spend time with family. My mom, dad, and Terry were even there. Awesome times!

Cozmo's New Water Bowl, Tuxedo Sweater, and Potty Stance

Cozmo's new waterbowl is about 4 times the size of his old one. His buddy from Utah, Daphanie, gave it to him (via Momma Haines). He loves it and empties it once every day and a half or so. The pug can DRINK water like no one else!
At the Ugly Christmas Sweater party, Jen Gilbert donated this cute little sweater to Cozmo. Unfortunately, it did not quite fit (note the flab coming out of the neck of the sweater, around his head!)... So we gave it to Capo, the Most's dog! But we did enjoy it for those few moments Cozmo was patient enough to give us.

This is for Amber!

Cozmo was neutered at 7 weeks old. Poor fella. He never even had a chance to learn to lift his leg to pee... or so we thought! At about 6 months old, he saw my mom's dog do it and decided it was a great idea. Only, he does it to the full extreme, almost tipping over backwards every time. Only lately did he realize he can tuck his leg back to do it, he does not have to do the middle splits in their true form. but he still lifts that leg awfully high!