My pregnancy has been going well. I'm still able to work, but I've cut my hours back... more time for sleep! Of course, I'm feeling somewhat uncomfortable and I encounter back pain occasionally, but I know it will all be worth it.
Over the past few months, Steve and I have been preparing by taking a hypnobirthing course. The reactions that people have when I explain this to them is pretty funny. Some think I'm a little crazy and others are quite interested. To explain hypnobirthing in a very simplistic way, a mother uses self hypnosis (deep relaxation) to naturally birth her baby. Let's just say that hypnobirthing has completely calmed my nerves about having this baby... I'm so excited and look forward to a beautiful birth!We have been very grateful for the generosity of our family, friends, and co-workers. We've had several baby showers over the past few months and I feel very blessed by the generosity of those around us. The nursery is pretty much done except for one project that my mom and I will tackle when she comes to visit.
A physical therapist I work with has been so generous... she sold us her crib, changing table, and glider for a very affordable price... thanks Mariah!
I spent many hours working on the curtains in her room, but I think they turned out perfect. I had the lights off so you can see the butterflies when the light shines through the window.
You can never have to many diapers! I have been stocking up on diapers using coupons and other great deals for the past few months which has caused a shortage on closet space!
A physical therapist I work with has been so generous... she sold us her crib, changing table, and glider for a very affordable price... thanks Mariah!
I spent many hours working on the curtains in her room, but I think they turned out perfect. I had the lights off so you can see the butterflies when the light shines through the window.You can never have to many diapers! I have been stocking up on diapers using coupons and other great deals for the past few months which has caused a shortage on closet space! 
And my philosophy... a girl can never have too many clothes. Baby girl clothes are just too darn cute... I think I have enough baby/toddler clothes for the next 2 yrs.
I was able to find this adorable blessing dress for an awesome deal...
My work threw me an amazing surprise baby shower... hence no pictures because I wasn't prepared with my camera! One big surprise at the shower was this seat belt diaper bag. Steve thinks it's totally impractical, but I absolutely love it!
My friends at church threw a double shower for my friend Tara and I... it was so much fun! They went to a lot of hard work and it turned out perfect. 
And of course amidst all of this baby planning, we had to decorate for Christmas since we won't be heading home this year. We purchased this beautiful tree... it was so much fun to decorate.
And how could I forget... I'm sure many of you want to see a prego pic before I wrap this post up. This was taken at about 36 1/2 wks. (sorry... it's a little blurry and dark).
The baby was bouncing around in my tummy... I hope it wasn't too loud for her, but I think she enjoyed it. Steve luckily took the night off from studying and was able to join us.
Although, I had no intentions to run the entire marathon (and risk going into labor), I still wanted to participate in the race. So at mile 23 I put on my number and joined my sister Abby on her last 3 grueling miles. Abby ran her very first marathon and I am so proud of her! I knew how tough it is to run those last few miles and I'm so glad that I was able to share that experience with her. I got off the course before the last 100 yrds. and gave her a pat on the back and said, "you made it, you did it Abby!" I always say that to myself at the very end of a race, but it was an awesome experice to cheer my sister on... WAY TO GO ABBY!
Here I am at 27 weeks... people are finally noticing now that I'm pregant and not just thick around the middle.
I flew up for the wedding 2 weeks ago. Luckily the weather was beautiful and we all had a blast at the reception (which really was an awesome PARTY!).
We found out about 2 weeks ago, but I've been so busy that the blog was put on hold for a while. This summer has been a little crazy, but we've had so much fun. Being in the Primary presidency has kept me pretty busy. Our primary president was out of town for most of the summer which made things a little hectic, but now that summer is nearly over things should calm down. We also did some camping in Flagstaff. Steve and I then went up to Utah for about a week. It was so much fun to see our family and friends. We had 2 family baby showers while we were there... can I just say that baby girl things are sooooo cute!!!!
A couple of weeks ago, my two friends Lizzie and Kendra came to visit. We had a blast even though it was 
About a month ago Steve and I went to visit my sister and her family in North Carolina. It was so much fun to see my two nieces... I miss them already. 
Here we are at an 
Kayla loves her uncle Steve...
We went and visited the Biltmore mansion... this place was amazing. I've never seen a home so huge! Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take pictures inside.
The kids enjoyed the petting zoo they had there. I think they were more comfortable touching the animals than me.
After spending a few days in NC. Steve and I drove down to Charleston, South Carolina. Steve served his mission here, so he was an excellent tour guide. Here we are with one of the families he baptized. They are still very active members in the church.
We went to the Slave Market museum in downtown Charleston. You learn a lot more about slavery than they teach you in a history book.
Here we are visting the pier...
The weekend we were there, Charleston was doing a historical celebration and there were tons of old battleships in the harbor.
It was fun to see all of the cobblestone streets... it's like stepping back in time. Many of the buildings are extremely old, but cannot be torn down because they are considered historical sites. The homes in down-town Charleston are very well preserved, but others on the outskirts of down look as if they are about to collapse.
We went to Market Street. This is where slaves and other goods use to be sold. Now it is an extremly crowded shopping area where people sell crafts, art, and other home-made things.
There were also many old cemeteries. I thought they were really cool because they reminded me of the grave yards you see in movies. We were able to walk through a few of them. Some of the head-stones date back to the early 1700's. Little did we know, mosquitoes were attacking us during this little adventure.
After spending time in Charleston, we made our way up to Myrtle Beach, SC. We stayed at the most beautiful hotel (we scored an awesome deal on Hotwire.com!)
Steve enjoying the ocean waves... it always makes me nervous when he swims out really far. 
