Reverse Chronology

Meaning that the pictures go where she is oldest to youngest.

 Me trying not to laugh because it hurts my staples.

 the major swirl in her hair

 first ride in car seat

 first 5 minutes of being home.

 First family picture... man I look terrible.

 Grandma and baby time

 The heartburn paid off.

 My beautiful big princess

 has quite a double chin

 I love her!!

haha

Merry Christmas

Look What I Made!!

It was a good sabbath day.  Church went well and everyone was telling me they hoped not to see me the following week (in hopes that I will have the babe).  GoodLooking made me Eggplant Parmesan for dinner (the first serving I ended up chucking because I had to cough really hard).  So I had some more.

I thought that maybe my water had broken so at about 7:30 pm we went to the hospital to get that checked out.  Turns out, I was still 1 cm and I think 50% and they tested for amniotic fluid and there wasn't any so they sent me home and we went to bed.

At 12:40 a.m. I had my first real contraction (before that I had just been having "practice" ones that just feel like a bad cramp).  I didn't wake up GoodLooking yet cause I thought maybe they would just go away... They didn't so after about one hour of me moaning,  he woke up and he held me while we timed them and decided what to do.  Around 4, we went back to the hospital.  (After this point, everything kind of blurs together because I just remember being in pain and going to the hospital many times.)

They monitored me and told me to walk around the hallways and gave me some pain medicine shots.  I wasn't progressing so they sent me home.  A couple more trips to the hospital, a trip to Krispy Cream, a trip to the doctor, being stripped twice, walking around the outside of the hospital (notice photo of me trying to get up stairs), and trying to go to bed monday night is what I remember.  TRYING being the key word.  The contractions really picked up.  I was in the bed and GoodLooking was on the couch.  I was screaming at this point... not just moaning.  I didn't care about the neighbors anymore.  I was in pain and I didn't care if anyone else could sleep.  They were about 3 minutes apart and the most pain I had ever felt in my WHOLE life.  

So, back to the hospital.  The first time we went to the hospital, we were talking about how strange it was that I was so calm and we weren't in any hurry and it was surreal.  THIS TIME, however, we ran a red light and rushed in.  While we were checking in, I couldn't concentrate and I was screaming through a contraction.  They checked me and I was 2.5 cm so they admitted me and gave me any epidural.  How I got from the checking room to the heaven (epidural) room, I don't know and it didn't really matter because I was getting an epidural.  I then blissfully drifted into amazing sleep (I hadn't slept in about 24 hours) with nurses coming in and out shooting me up with drugs and flipping me over (so the epidural didn't numb just one side of me).  Then, when I was around 3 cm, they said that her heart rate was too fast and was dipping down during contractions (the contractions that I could no longer feel).  So they broke my water and put a thing on her head to watch her for 15 minutes.  I told GoodLooking to go get my backpack cause I wanted my contacts on instead of my glasses.  The doctor cut that time in half cause there was meconium in the fluid and they came back in to say we were going to do a C-section.  GoodLooking wasn't back yet so they gave me my phone and he walked in as I was calling him... No time for contacts.  They wheeled me in and got started.

At 3:50 a.m.  Betty Jane Bryce was born.  9 pounds 8 ounces and 21 inches long.

I could hear the nurses and doctor guessing her weight.  and she cried and I threw up and Jingle Bell Rock was playing on the radio.

Her amazing feet almost didn't fit in the area where they put her foot print.

 She had to have an I.V. for antibiotics just to be sure about the meconium.

She is so beautiful.  Everyone always says that about their babies but this one really is.  I look at her and say "how did she fit in my belly?"  "no wonder I was so uncomfortable the last 3-4 weeks of pregnancy".  We waited for her for a long time and now she is with us and we feel so blessed and excited and amazed and ah man she is cute.

This photo was taken before the belly popped out so much. (excuse the changing room setting)

This is about 20 weeks 

And THIS one.... well this one is 37 weeks along.

 Goodlooking takes these maternity shots... he needs to tell me to turn more so you can get a better profile and see how much she REALLY pokes out (belly button is flat now)...

art.

photo from Pinterest

I would be willing to pay some money for someone to do this for me once I get a house.  someone start practicing.

in reverse order

This one is from the up-do competition.  I chose to do something kind of easy because I didn't want to try to do something complex and just get tired and drop out of the competition.

Here we have a cull head of pin curls with finger wave ridges between rows.  The day after we did it, the teacher said it's not really for any hair do it's just so we know how to do it.  LAME.. it took a LONG time.

This is called a "piggyback" perm.  It's a perm for those with long hair.  I will let you know that if I have to do this to you... you will be paying extra :)

and my first perm wrap!!  not too pretty but it is getting better... I promise... and I am faster.  I think this took me around 2 hours and I am down to about 45 minutes if I don't run out of energy :)

Sorry it is sideways but it is a really cute hair cut... She gets a mans haircut next semester :(

I have enjoyed my classes this semester and have learned a lot!  I am nervous about having to cut a real person's hair though.. just cause real people are different than mannequins... If you want to be first, it will be free and I will try really hard to not look nervous.

That last post.

I remembered another memory.

We had a couple Thanksgivings and my dads parents house (which is a really cool house).  They ALWAYS had celery with cream cheese and pineapple (sooooo good!!!)  and that was back when I still like olives and would put them on my fingers and eat them off one by one.

In married life we had Thanksgiving at GoodLookings aunts house in Virginia.  YUM and can I say Sunday dinner at Grandmas house is always like Thanksgiving.  I love being there and she cooks so well.

My Dads parents house had an attached little living room with a rock wall that my grandpa chose each large rock specifically and a little fire place.  Because it was an attachment, it had a window from the living room looking into the rock wall room.  This window had a crank window (a little lever that you crank and it opens the window.... kind of like "rolling down the window" in a car but the window opened out into the rock wall room) with a little desk with papers and a phone under it.  Us kids would always play waiting room and call to each other from the window like at the doctors.  It was soooo fun.

Thanksgiving Memories

My first ever Thanksgiving memory is me being sick and confined to my bed and my sister (maybe more than one) coming in with a plater of food just for me.  Ironic enough.... it hurt to swallow but I was still glad that they brought me some of the goodness that I was not allowed around.

Now, I will have to add a note here that the rest of the stories are probably not in chronological order because I have a bad memory and I can't remember what order all this happened in... BUT I am pretty sure that the above snipit is my first memory of Thanksgiving.

ACTUALLY... I WILL JUST SAY THAT NONE OF THESE STORIES ARE CHRONOLOGICAL

One year, after the meal we went to the park and played soccer with my cousins that had come to join us.

I remember driving to the sticks to visit my aunt for Thanksgiving and we were in a little car and I got into a laying down position (somehow conning my siblings to let me lay) and I was completely tangled in the seatbelt (maybe that wasn't even Thanksgiving but I thought it was a funny story:)).

One Thanksgiving (I am sure it was actually Thanksgiving), we drove to the sticks and there were TONS of people at my aunts house and it was fabulous.

Another year, we had all the sticks people come to our house for T-day and we had tables everywhere and there was so many people and so much food and so much talking and laughter and general merriment.

Are you seeing a trend here yet?? If not, I will continue.

After I got married, we had Thanksgiving in Mapleton (before they remodeled).  GoodLookings family came up and everyone was there and after the meal and clean up everyone went to the church (which was reserved a whole hunk of time before T-Day) and played basketball.

The general theme of Thanksgiving for me is family and Thanks... FAMILY...   It was hard last year to be stuck here in Hotlanta and this year we are doing it again.  I still make the traditional Jello Mold (which I think is more like a dessert it is sooo good to me).  We are still thankful for people coming and taking over America so I can enjoy my American freedoms.  

By The Way... I can't hear out of my right ear... its been almost two weeks.  My beautiful little human is still in me and I hope she is getting the idea that she is coming out soon.  How strange it must be to be a little baby.  Poor little babies.  Hopefully she handles it ok.  I sleep sitting up most of the night.  My parents put new carpet in the room that Goodlooking and I usually stay in.... and we aren't even coming for Christmas this year...  I wish we could come home this year.... Goodlooking said that if little person comes this week, he will take us to AZ for Christmas... This week is almost over... BUMMER... I was really hoping...

Also.  Does anyone have any idea how to get the ugly brownness off of their muffin pan?  It is getting out of hand... I hear it is from Pam.  let me know because I would like a shiny muffin pan without buying a new one.

GoodLooking said I should

So, I haven't blogged in a LONG time I guess.

FALL--I am loving this colder weather and all the colors that surround me.  When I drive home from school there is a section of road that is canopied in trees and sometimes the leaves are falling quite heavily and I think that is amazing.  We haven't turned on our heater yet because I am so warm all the time anyway with the internal heater.  We added a blanket to the bed and the extra weight is so snuggly.
SCHOOL--I am so glad to be out of perms (although we did one yesterday).  I have been blessed this semester as it is just technical stuff and no chemicals so I don't have to worry about harming the little human inside me.  For the past two weeks we have been doing finger waves and pin curls and on Monday, we have a weave specialist coming in to show us some stuff.
HALLOWEEN--was fine.  We went to the ward party this year and had signed up for the dessert competition.  I made an apple pie (out of some pie filling that I made last year and canned) and I was really proud of the crust.  Lately it has been hard to roll out or it falls apart and I think I have decided that using the method of two knives to cut in the fat is much better than using a pasty blender.  There was also a chile competition and I had some that was good.  The kids were being really loud though so we left really early cause mommy to be was getting a headache.
GOOD LOOKING-- has been working hard (or hardly working... sometimes it is rough for him at work) and studying to take the GMAT and we purchased a stationary bike for him.  He is amazing as usual and made my birthday cake just like last year and it was DELICIOUS!!  and only lasted like 4 days as I love popcorn.  Right now, he is working on getting a promotion that should technically not come till next May but his bosses like him and they are helping (HR is the problem with their silly rules).
ARIZONA SUN-- is hoping to get into shape somehow.  I had a good birthday.  Doing well in school.  Just yesterday, I finished all my online bookwork with A's in all of it.  Nesting hasn't really happened although I did have a day last week where I got a lot of organizing done.
LITTLE PERSON-- Is strong and getting big.  I will admit that so far (and I am 33 weeks) I have gained.... way too much weight to fully admit to it.  She keeps me eating all the time and most of the time it is stuff like apples or toast or cereal or juice but sometimes I have a strong desire for ice cream (ok, not sometimes but most of the time) and sometimes it is hard to just sit still and not give in.  We only buy one thing of BlueBell every two weeks.... Is that too much??  I don't think so but maybe it is..  All I know for sure is that we got a jogging stroller and I plan to use that thing into the ground after she is born!!  My goal is for a Marathon by my next Birthday.  I think it is attainable if I have some guidance and help and extra motivation from GoodLooking.

Anyway, things are good here now that the weather is cooler and not so humid.

BTW in case anyone wants to get me a Baby Gift... I am registered at Target and Babies-R-Us.  Don't feel obligated though... Seriously.

Christmas

I am so disgusted that Christmas is already out!! (don't get me wrong, I love Christmas... but I also love Thanksgiving)

I went to the dreaded Walmart yesterday (I found a new grocery store so I don't have to go as often and I think it is also saving us money... can I get a woot woot?!) and we went in through the garden center (parking is better on that end of the store) and they had fake lighted Christmas trees out.... and one was frosted like it was supposed to be snow :O... HUH??   For a while I thought it would be nice to have a prelighted tree BUT part of the fun of christmas is putting the lights on the tree.... going OUTSIDE to see REAL snow on trees.... AND not doing it till AFTER Thanksgiving.  Is it even officially Fall yet?  Yep it is I just looked it up and it started on the 23rd but still can we have Halloween first?? Can we have Thanksgiving first??  I am just as excited for Christmas as everyone else and maybe even a little more but Thanksgiving is important too.  If we just glaze over that what would the pilgrims say......"If I had known it wouldn't be important I wouldn't have sailed that ship"......  I can see it now......can you?

Is it because people just want to get it done and over with?? If so, take a hard look at your life.  Where are your priorities at?  Try this year to not buy any gifts for your kids, try not taking treats to your neighbors, try not caroling, try to not have a big meal, try to not seeing your family, and try to live without Christ.  It will be hard.  It will be sad.  and you will wish that you had placed more importance on spending time with family, enjoying the cold dry weather, and having the Atonement in your life.

I didn't mean for this entry to be so condemning but I just feel so strongly that Christmas should happen after Thanksgiving and not before Halloween.  I also feel that the spirit of Christmas should dwell with us year-round.  I want to have a commercialization free Christmas.

What Keeps Me Up at Night

Here we have the feet that kick and tickle (all night last night and all day today)

 Her profile (check out the cute little nose)

 And here you can see her chubby cheeks

Being with child is an experience like none other.  I still get sick at night and go to the bathroom a lot.  We are starting to collect our baby necessities like we got our travel system (jogging stroller, car seat, and base), a swing, pac-n-play, and some clothes.  It is getting really exciting that it is about 3 months till I can start my journey back to normalcy.  I don't feel like I am "nesting" or that I have "energy explosions".
In other news- The weather the past two days has been really wonderful.  It is slowly starting to get cooler and I could feel fall in the air the past two days.  It has been cloudy and a bit breezy.... Just wonderful.  Some leaves are changing... just a trickle... but it is just wonderful.. I Heart fall and winter!

pictures

Hey, I have some sonogram pictures I want to put up but I don't know the best way to do it.
Can I scan them?
Does it turn out good if I camera phone them then bluetooth it over?
OR should I be taking like a disk to the appointments to copy them onto??? is that possible??

advice?

School

I started Cosmetology school last Monday and so far it has been pretty stinken slow!  I have been waiting since January to get into it and now that it is here I am sooo excited!  We were given a list of things we needed to get like scissors, thinning sheers, 3 manikin heads (has to be natural hair and never cut before), perm rods, color bowl and brushes, smock, shampoo capes, blow dryer, straightener, curling iron, ect.  I finally finished collecting everything (except for a two things that I haven't been able to find) on Friday.  On Saturday, I got out a suitcase (I am supposed to get something to put it all in but I am not exactly sure what I want so I am going to wait till I know and make the right investment so I just pulled out a rolling carry on size suitcase) and started packing everything in (I am really surprised that I fit most of everything... and once I take everything out of the packaging, it will probably all fit) and I couldn't find my SMOCK!  Just Friday I took it out of the car and put it somewhere.  I looked and looked and looked.  We live in an apartment so there aren't many places for it to have gone.  I searched everywhere.... even the garbage YUCK!  I decided to forget about it cause sometimes if I am thinking of other things I remember exactly where it is or I can remember what I was doing or.... I can just be more clear about it.  Now it is Sunday and I NEED it for Monday so I look some more.... nothing.  So I say to myself "Self, you'll just have to deal with the consequences of your pregnant mind being so forgetful" and went on to make dinner which happens to be potato and ham casserole.  I open the recipe binder I got from my mother-in-law to the right page and THERE IT WAS!  in the recipe binder! hahahahaha

Arizona Sun is Having a Star Soon

Here it is... my (I think) 20 week preggo picture... At least... I think that was when the picture was taken.

Everything is bigger... Everything has grown... even my feet.  I don't wear my wedding ring anymore for fear that it will cut off precious circulation and my finger will fall off.  I wear flip flops to church (which I  think is inappropriate) because my church shoes are too tight.  I have 4 maternity bottoms and 2 maternity tops (so I usually just wear T-shirts or just let it stick out obviously).  Bending over to pick something up off the floor is awkward so if I don't REALLY need it, it stays.  My face produces enough oil for an Olive Garden to operate. My hair is thinning out.  I am having a baby and it is a girl.  I can feel her move a couple times a day and sometimes she keeps me up at night (already).  I am sooo excited to have a baby.  I started school this week and am soooo excited to actually get my hands wet.  What a precious time of my life!!  To have the gift of a child.  We have waited a long time and it is finally almost here.  Before I got pregnant, we always talked about not putting that information out in the world via internet for all to know BUT how can I not.  It's like when I FINALLY made it to college algebra and passed with an A+ (It actually is a lot more exciting but don't you all remember that journey... I did Intermediate before I met GoodLooking, tried college algebra online after we got married, didn't pass, so I took Intermediate again just outside "The Bubble", and then in Hotlanta I finally made it through).
We are very excited!!

pack horse

Well lets see... Instead of try to update everything that has happened and get overwhelmed into not updating at all, I will give a short summery of what we have been up to in the last little while.

 This is us at the 4th of July parade in DownTown.... It was really hot!!

 This is us and me with little or no makeup

 Toward the end of July, we got to go to Utah for a family reunion and for skit night, Goodlooking put on his kilt (that he got in Scotland on our recent trip in May) and told a funny Scottish joke.

 All the family did a "ropes" course while at the camp which included a huge swing (notice you had to be harnessed and wear a helmet to do it.  I didn't do it because I am baking a bun and thought it wouldn't be the best ride for either of us.

 Pie eating contest that I didn't do, I just ate the pie leisurely (good filling)

 Then up to Idaho to Grandma's for a wiener roast, Christmas, church, and hanging out.

 These are the shirts we made for the Aunts to announce our little bun. Super easy to do... I don't know where I was during this photo shoot... maybe next to the toilet.

After this, on Monday, we took Goodlooking to the airport and we stayed the night at Mapleton.  Then down to Arizona.  I spent a couple days with the in-laws and somehow don't have any photos.

 This is one of my cute nieces.

 and the one looking at the camera is the ONE nephew

My sister took me to get my first pedicure.  I have had a strong aversion to people touching my feet for a long time (I am not sure when it started but I think it was back when I found out about hookworm... IDK).  ANYWAY, I am slowly getting over it (with baking, my feet swell up if I am sitting or standing for too long and I need a massage to get them back to normal) and the pedicure was AMAZING!!! (Thank you sooooo much!!).  I got "eternal flame" paint and little baby feet on my big toes.

Provo

UGH! I am sitting here thinking "I miss Provo!"  but then I think "why do I miss Provo?"

• the wall of mountains
• cool weather
• snow (we did have snow here this year but didn't last as long)
• close to grandma and grandpas
• DRY
• cheaper flights home
• could drive home in one day
• living close to BYU meant a lot of cool things to do on campus
• how eerily quiet it gets during holidays
• being close to GoodLookings sister (now there are two)
• did I mention cooler weather and no humidity??
• Simpler

just to name a few.
But now I live here and I am trying to make the best of it.... Here's to looking for the fast forward button to find fall.

Scotland

 I think... this is Wallace... Its at the gates of the Edinburgh Castle

 At 1:00 they sound a big cannon... not this one.... a much bigger one.

Us chillin.

 The Falkirk Wheel.  It's in Falkirk.  It is a devise planned up to take boaters from one level to the other eliminating lakes.  I probably explained that wrong but if you don't get the idea from that..... this thing rotates and if you want to go up.... you go up... and when you want to go down.... it takes you down.. really slow.

 see what I mean?....

 And this is a slide on the playground at the Falkirk Wheel.

 What a Cutie Pie right?