Summer is For #2: Days at the Lake

On Friday, my good friend Jenny mentioned her and her cute son and her were spending the day at Rigby Lake. Since both of our husbands were gone for the day, and I was in need of some sunshine, I decided I would join her. We had so much fun playing in the water and the heat that we decided we would do it again the next day with our husbands and some friends!

So Saturday night around 5, we got to Jenni's place and BBQ'd some delicious hamburgers, with potato salad and chips. Our friends that Tait's joined us, as did some Jenni's brother in law and his girl. Once we headed over to the lake, the Tait's had to head back to Rexburg for a prior commitment, but the rest of us made it. Luckily, since it was the early evening, the sand wasn't scorching hot like yesterday and the water was just right. Lester enjoyed getting some sun while we played in the water and the others made a sand castle. We also played some beach volleyball. We were there till about 9 when the sun starts to go down these summer days. It was an awesome summer night, and I hope we get to cram several more of them in before we leave Rexburg for good.

But Willy Wonka Did It!

I'm not much of a candy person. Its just not my thing. But tonight, while baking for the first time in about two weeks [a Dulce de Leche Banana Toffee Pie] I had a craving that wouldn't be satisfied by anything other then some kind of dark chocolate candy bar. Luckily, we had a dark chocolate Toblerone. While satisfying this urge, I decided to watch Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory-the new version. I know most people prefer the original, but that one used to give me night mares, and this version is actually much more true to the book if you've ever read it.

Anyways, one of the things that happens in the movie made me think. One of Charlie's Grandpa's tells him about how Willy Wonka made a special kind of ice cream that wouldn't melt-you could leave it in the sun for hours and it wouldn't even get runny. Charlie says, "But that's impossible!" and the Grandparents just look at him and say, "...but Willy Wonka did it." as if that explains it all. The simple fact that Willy Wonka did it makes the impossible possible. It just made me think how cool that would be if people though that way about you. To have everyone say something was unbelievable, or impossible...until they found out it was YOU they were talking about. And then all doubt was suspended and everyone simply wanted to hear about how you did it. I imagine you would have to ignore a lot of haters along the way, and be deaf to all the doubters-because there would be many. You would have to have absolute resilience, confidence and faith in yourself, even if you failed a few times, in order to get to that point. I just think I would like to be like that. I would like people to be able to say, 'But that's impossible!" and then change their minds when they hear "but Julia did it!" I think that most of my heroes are probably like that.

Luckily, I do have the support system that Charlie has and that Willy Wonka eventually gains. So that in itself is a head start right? Plus. I also have chocolate. I can't lose!

Summer is For #1

Summer is for lots of things. Its for..

1. BBQ's [indoor and out!].

2. Days at the park.

3. Party's [these are from my friend Carra's Baby Shower. I wish I had gotten a picture of all the cute decorations Steph made! In the second one are 3 of my closer friends, who are all due around the same time, and a bit sooner then me. Being pregnant in Rexburg means your in good company haha!].

4. Braids [like at girls camp! Also nice for convenience on sick pregger mornings when I don't want to do anything with my hair haha!]

5. Movies [again indoor and out..more about the drive in another time..]

Summer Breeze

Anyone in Rexburg knows that the weather here can be very sporadic. Last year, we barely made it through the winter, and the summer almost fried us. But this year, it has been great for the most part! For a long time it has been perfect weather. So when we finally decided to take advantage of it, and make some outdoor plans, of course it rained haha! Still we weren't gonna let that deter us from having fun. We went  blacklight mini golfing with some friends, and instead of going to the drive in like we originally planned [we'll do that this Thursday instead] we went to some silly hip hop event at the school. It made me miss the bay area to say the least haha. And of course, what would summer be without BBQ's? Since it rained, we grilled hot dogs on our panini grill. I made potato salad and we roasted some corn on the cob too. It was a fun little weekend, and we look forward to doing lots more summer stuff in the actual sun haha!

Above: Me strategically covering my growing belly with our indoor BBQ food.

Below: My attempts to get Lester to just smile for the camera. Oh. Brother. Haha.

Below: Us at the hip hop show enjoying..one of the few awesome acts was the professional jump roping team..talk about AMAZING!

Wait For It...

Lester's Super Condensed Version

We're having a girl!!! It bust my ego... I was wrong. I'm stoked though and it will be rockin' fun! Kaboom!

                                                                                                                  

My Super Detailed Version

Well-its official! We gots us a little homegirl! To be honest, I think we are both still a little shocked, but in a HOORAY kind of way, nothing less. We couldn't be more happy to get to know our little girl more.

Yesterday morning, I woke up and got a text from Lester saying they had sprung a last minute test on him right during our appointment, so he might not be able to come. Luckily, they were completely accommodating and let him come, and he will take the test later. I don't know why it felt like such a huge deal, but for the few hours we thought he couldn't come we were both pretty upset. So him being able to still come reminded us how lucky we are to have each other to lean on!

When we got there, we found that since our last appointment six weeks ago, I had lost 1 lbs which was surprising since I feel like now that I can hold stuff down, all I do is eat haha! This brings us to a grand total of 9 lbs of weight loss-weird. But whatever, they weren't worried yet so neither am I. Then we got right into the ultra sound/sonogram.

Already, she has a mind of her own! Haha-last time we had a sonogram, she was dancing. But this time, its was like she was doing evasive ninja maneuvers, because she did not want us to see anything! They gave us a DVD and some sonograms, but she is one tricky girl. Although they told us what part was where, the only thing I genuinely recognized was her little feet and hands. They kept trying to get her to face us and we got to see a bit of her nose [its flat like both of ours!], but not enough for them to get a good 3-D picture for us like we wanted. But still, it was a little surreal seeing her little hand RIGHT where I thought I had felt it earlier. I wasn't imagining it she really has been putting her little hand right up against my stomach! Ah it all made it more real and exciting! We love our little girl SO much already!

By the time the ultrasound was ending, we thought for sure they wouldn't be able to tell us her gender. But the sonogram technician said, well I can easily tell you what it is I was just trying to get a good picture to show you better. But it is a girl, and here are her little girl parts to prove it haha!

I couldn't stop laughing at Lester-he was so sure it was a boy. I started asking him is he was disappointed, but he cut me off before I finished and said not to even ask him that-of course he wasn't disappointed. He's ecstatic, but nervous he'll be wrapped around her finger. But then he smiled when I kept teasing him, he just laughed at me and said, "Whatever she will be a Daddy's little girl!" Haha I am sure that she will. He loves me so well, there is no way he could be anything less for her. I think we both just have to adjust what we had imagined and how we thought-but we are having our own little girl and we can't stop saying it cuz we are so happy! We literally talked about it until we fell asleep last night.

Anyways, they had to do a few more routine things after that. Apparently she is in the 43rd percentile right now for weight and measurements which is not to shabby. They had to a do a blood draw [on me], and seeing that Lester was in his paramedic uniform, they asked him if he wanted to do it. Completely  excited, he said yes...and THEN they looked at me and asked if it was ok. Not gonna lie I was a little nervous-it reminded me of that episode of Scrubs where JD doesn't want Turk to be the one to operate on him because they've done so many stupid things together ahha! But I consented, and of course he did it perfectly the first time and knew exactly what he was doing! It was fun to see him in his element, and I think he had a lot of fun with it...the nurse lady actually joked afterwards 'alright congrats, your hired!' so that was funny.

Like I said, they gave us pictures and a DVD from the ultrasound. Honestly, they kinda of just look like a bunch of gray stuff, but still I'll put a few...the feet ones I think are fun! We just can't wait to meet our little girl in person!

I just included this one because we got to see and hear her heart-you can see its strong at 148 beats per minute!

One of her little feet

 To be perfectly honest, idk how this shows she's a girl,  but apparently it does haha.

This was the arm I was talking about. She likes to brush her hand against me, and I can feel each individual little finger! CRAZY!

Watermelon Woes

The truth is, every time summer rolls around I have an internal battle as to why why why every single person in the world seems to love watermelon except me. I love watermelon FLAVORED things, and I even think watermelon looks and smells delicious. And every time people eat it they just look so happy and carefree. I always wistfully think of the song from the little mermaid while I watch them and wish I could be 'part of that....worlllldddd!'

But I just can't! I think to myself, "You know Julia-you should just try it. Maybe it was an off day last time. Maybe this time, you will like it!" So every year I try it. And every year I gag. And I glare at watermelon, who laughs back at me because it can't decide if its a beverage or a food. It is just so frustrating!

Anyways-this is just something that's been on my mind lately now that the summer heat is hitting Rexburg. We are going to try to be doing some more fun outdoor things in the next few weeks, and hopefully watermelon and I will be able to avoid each other.....

But even if we can't, I will just enjoy one these and soon forget about it. HAPPY SUMMER EVERYONE! Lets make it a good one, shall we?

I was sitting, waiting, wishing..

You know how when your really excited and waiting for something, it seems to take about a bajillion years to come? Especially as the impending date gets closer and closer? Like, how the last two weeks of a semester feel almost longer then the semester as a whole? Does that make any sense? That is how I feel right now!

On June 7th we find out if this little one is a boy or a girl, and somehow the closer it gets the farther it seems! I just want to know! Right now I feel like I'm stuck in this, 'its real, but you can't fully start planning out fun things, like a baby room, or clothes, or picking names' phase. Which really stinks, because I am a planner I tell you! I like to plan! I am already making plans on how I am going to plan out these plans, because I can't make real plans until I find out the gender! Arghhh!

I guess I also feel like I don't know what to call this baby till then. Sure theres 'baby', but after a certain point that gets redundant-and its an endearing term for a lover, so thats weird too. But then you also don't want to just say 'it'-somehow that just seems so derogatory. And years ago Dad told me the word kid is actually the technical term for a baby goat! I refuse to have a baby goat I tell you! Sigh. My life is just so hard.

But on June 7th, that will all change. Then, I will hopefully know and my planning woes will be alleviated. And then all I will be waiting for is our summer break, going home, and eventually moving to Oklahoma and you know-giving birth. Can't wait!

PS: Lester is 99% sure it is a boy he says. I am not sure either way. Tell us your guess, and if you are right and in the same vicinity as us, we will try to make you a treat as a reward! Good luck!