Babymoon

I knew I wanted to do a "babymoon" (meaning, get away for a couple days sans Owen to enjoy time together as a couple before the baby comes) for a while. I wasn't sure what we would do or when. However, Miles's sister, Megan, has been working at a resort in Midway, and could get us a discount to stay there. So we decided that would be a good place to get away. Also, Miles's parents were coming into town and agreed to watch after Owen for a couple days. So everything was set to go!

We left on a Friday afternoon to head up to Midway and check in to the Zurmatt Resort. The resort is fun because it's a Swiss-themed resort, which is evident in all the decorations, music, etc. Here are some shots of the room and decor around the resort.

Dancing bears on all the lights in the hallways:

Our awesome king size bed. We will definitely be purchasing one of these as soon as we move!

After we got settled into our room, and enjoyed some of the delicious fudge Megan left for us, we went downstairs to get dinner. We decided to just go to Matty's, the restaurant in the main building. They told us they had received an award for "The Best Pizza in Utah." Pretty lofty claim. I decided to try it out. The award was given for a goat cheese, artichoke, mushroom and roasted red pepper pizza. Miles got a bratwurst and sweet pepper pizza. Both were very good. Best pizza in Utah? Not sure about that, but still very good.

After dinner, we went to The Store. Yes...that is what Midway's *one* grocery store is called. We stocked up on goodies and got a Redbox movie. Oh, I do have to say this about The Store...they have a great stock of foreign chocolates. They had a lot of Ritter Sport varieties (a favorite from Germany) and even had one peppermint! Miles was SO stoked. Sadly, he likes it cold and since we didn't have a fridge or freezer, he stuck it in the tub of ice and by morning some of the water had leaked in changing the consistency of the chocolate and "ruining it" (according to Miles). Sad day. One note about the resort is that they didn't have DVD players in the room. I thought that was pretty odd and seemed like it should be standard. They also don't have them to rent or check out. Good thing Miles never leaves home without his laptop!

Saturday morning, after a decent night's sleep (although sadly I was unable to sleep in past 8:30), we got up for some breakfast at Bäckeri and Eis - a little Swiss bakery shop. We bought an egg, bacon and cheese sandwich on a delicious, flakey biscuit, a chocolate chip scone, and a strawberry and cream cheese danish. They were all super yummy. I fell in love with the buttery danish. Mmmm.... 

Then we headed over to the crater at the Homestead across the street for a late morning dip. Some may remember that Ben and Courtney from the Bachelor repelled into the crater and had a private swim date in there. I was excited to check it out since it's a natural hot springs bath that wasn't too hot for my pregnant body. Sadly, I was under the impression we would have it to ourselves by "reserving" a time. Miles told me I was crazy and it would cost a lot more than $11 per person, per hour for that. He was right. :(

Here is the entrance into the crater:

Walking into the crater:

The red balls are where scuba divers go down. A lot of divers come for fun/practice or for their certifications. Apparently the crater is about 65 feet down and kind of in the shape of an hour glass where it tapers in and then goes back out. There were a lot of divers while we were there and you could see them below as well as see their bubbles surfacing.

One of the annoying things (besides the fact that there were far too many people there for our enjoyment) was that you had to wear a life vest while in the center area of the crater. They were terrible quality and made to fit any size (including my large, pregnant belly). They kept riding up around our necks and were really uncomfortable. Also, the water tends to push you out to the sides and walls. But you aren't supposed to touch them, so you have to fight to move to the middle the whole time. So after a while, we opted to sit in the "hot tub" area where you didn't have to wear the life vests. I quite enjoyed it. Miles was hot and didn't want to stay in for too long. I figure all those minerals were good for my pregnant body too. :)

All relaxed after our swim:

While I got ready for the day, Miles went for a workout. He said no one was there, so he had the whole fitness center to himself. Then we headed to Park City for some shopping at the outlets. I shopped for a friend's baby and also found a couple cute things for baby girl. Then we spent a fair amount of time looking at watches at the Fossil store. We were pretty close to buying one for each of us, but decided to wait. I'm still wanting the one I saw. Birthday present, perhaps???

After shopping we headed to Ruth's Chris. Yes...another trip to Ruth's Chris. We got to sit outside on the patio and enjoy the beautiful view.

I only ended up taking a picture of our massive onion rings with a sweet, Thai sauce.

We were a bit disappointed in our experience because our steaks were undercooked and it took a while to get new ones. However, since we had to wait, they brought us a fresh sweet potato casserole (yum!) and left our 1/2 eaten one for us as well. We ended up taking almost a whole order of it with us. I think we've decided we prefer the food at the Salt Lake one better, although I prefer the atmosphere in Park City more. Oh well.

After dinner we went to a resort in Park City where our friends, Haley and Braden, were staying. It was our last chance to see them before they returned to Colorado, and eventually Wisconsin. So we got to enjoy a few more hours with them. And they got to enjoy our Ruth's Chris leftovers (sweet potato casserole and key lime cheesecake)! :)

Sunday was our last day. MIles requested a late checkout so we didn't have to leave until 1 PM. Ah...so nice. We were lazy in the morning, took our time getting ready, and watched another Redbox movie while lounging around. Miles was a doll and went downstairs to Bäckeri and Eis for some more breakfast pastries. He got another biscuit egg sandwich and fruit parfait. I had requested a danish, but apparently Sunday mornings are ridiculously busy for them and he was lucky to even get what he did. However, the cashier told him they were making a few more and she would put one aside for him and told him to come back in about 20 min. When he returned she said a bunch of people saw it to the side and asked about it. She told them it was already taken. Yay! One more delicious, buttery danish for me! :)

Here is the awesome little bakery and me with my coveted danish:

Lastly, before heading out, we stopped at the Homestead for some fudge. I love this little waterfall and bridge area with the beautiful flowers. 

Inside the shop they were selling these election playing cards. I thought they were pretty funny and thought of a few people who would enjoy them. 

And with that, our babymoon was over. It was a lot of fun though, and we are so grateful to Megan for setting us up with her discount, and Mom and Dad Wright for watching Owen....even if they did try to ship him to Hawaii to see his Aunt Marci. ;)

Oh Baby! (34 weeks)

Yet another doctor's appointment...and they're only going to get more frequent. Yay! It means the end is near! :) Owen is so familiar with going to the doctor that often when we drive past the office he will say, "I want to go see doctor!" Last night when he said it, Miles responded with, "Yeah? You want to see Aunt Savage?" I laughed at him and he said, "Well...it's that or Grandma." I said that I'll have to let her know that Owen misses her when we aren't there. :)

On to the appointment. I didn't gain any weight since my last appointment, and only 1 lb. in the last month. Yay! (We won't talk about how much I've gained up to this point though....) Blood pressure is still great. Baby's heartbeat is still great. All is well. I asked her to tell me the position of the baby (knowing that it could easily change) just so I could know what's jabbing at me. She said it appears she's head down and her rear is high on my right side. I figured as much since it seems like she's parked on my right side. Oh that cute, little, bum that keeps pushing into my ribs!

I asked her if there is anything at all I can do about my carpal tunnel since now, it's not just numbness, but also a sharp pain that regularly makes me incapable of doing a lot with my left hand/wrist. (I always lift Owen with my right hand and left forearm now.) Sadly, she said I can only wear the braces to help - which I do at night...until I become too swollen and they feel too tight. Then she said we'll have to see how things are after the birth and mentioned nerve procedures and surgeries and such that are available if it remains a problem. Eek! I sure hope not. So from this point on...I'm not going to talk to her about it anymore. I know there's nothing I can do and I just need to deal until the baby is born (and hopefully not for one second longer!) ;)

I'm glad things are going well besides. I'm feeling large. Bending over to pick up toys and clean takes a bit more effort. As does rolling over and getting out of bed. But I'm still happy and excited and so grateful to be carrying this sweet, baby girl. And I'm grateful I'm not on bedrest and I can play with and waddle after Owen. I'm getting excited for her to come. Nervous too. But that's a post for another day.

Oh, one quick story about Owen. The other day the baby was moving a lot so I lifted my shirt and said, "Do you want to see baby sister moving?" He touched my tummy and looked at it for a minute. Then in a very matter of fact tone he said, "No more baby sister," and pulled my shirt down. Ha! Well I guess that's that. Little does he know that in about 6 weeks, he won't be able to get rid of her that easily.

Family Photo Shoot

I've been wanting to take family photos for a really long time since I realized the last (nice) family photos we took were when Owen was 5 mo old. Eek! I've been talking with Miles's cousin, Hanna of Hanna Caldwell Photography, since January about doing family photos. Our schedule has been crazy and then I decided that it would be better to wait until I started showing more in my pregnancy so we could do a family shoot, maternity, and also some shots of Owen for his "2-year" pictures.

So without further ado...here are the pictures.

These are some of my favorite family shots:

Miles and I both think this one could be in a Baby Gap ad. He looks like a little model. :)

I really love them and I'm excited to print and frame some for our house. Thanks, Hanna! :)

Dreams...

Two nights ago I had a dream that my sisters, Kim and Kerry, and I needed to travel back in time to give my brother, Kyle, a dog? Apparently it was some special dog that would have special meaning. We didn't really have control over when it would be back in time, but we wanted it to be just a year or two before his death. So the first time we went, Kyle was only about 15. I could tell by his haircut. I walked in with the dog, and then "past Kim" came in (with her short haircut) and told me to shoo because she didn't want the dog in the house. I left and came back to my present sisters. I remember feeling really sad about seeing Kyle and knowing that his time was short. We attempted again and ended up there around Christmas time when my past self was only about 5 or 6 years old. "Present Kim and Kerry" chased "past me" around and played with me to distract "past me" from what we were attempting to do. Then we saw "past Mom" but didn't want to alarm her, so we hid. We were about to leave when we had a conversation with "past Mom" without realizing it. She seemed to know that we were from the future and was disappointed in us not being covert enough. I don't remember a lot that happened beyond that. I do remember thinking that if we got to Kyle when we wanted to in the past, that I was sad we couldn't warn him about his future and try to deter him from making bad decisions that would lead to his death. And yet...in my awake, present, state of mind, I know that we did warn him. We did try and tell him what his future would hold if he continued down the same path. And his addiction won in the end.

Dreams are weird and crazy. (Especially when pregnant.) And yet I completely believe in dream analysis. I have seen far too many interesting and accurate parallels between what I dream, what is going on in my life, and how my unconscious is responding to it. Right now though, I don't have the energy to analyze this one. This one just makes me sad. And makes me miss my brother. But it was nice to see him in my dream, even if only for a moment....Happy 35th birthday, Kyle....

To train or not to train...

...that is the question. Owen just finished up his lunch and took off his clothes to be "nay nay." He then said, "I want to go potty." So we walked into the bathroom and he took off his diaper. I told him to sit on the potty. Before he moved, he peed a tiny bit on the floor. I quickly swept him up and put him on the potty where he finished. That makes three times of going in the potty in the past 18 hours. So do I potty train him or not? I'd asked my doctor and she said boys usually train around 2 1/2 - 3 1/2. But I know that's not always true. Maybe he could be ready for it. And he seems really excited when he goes and says he wants to do more. But I also worry that with the baby coming in under 2 months that there could easily be some regression once she comes along and he adjusts to that. And yet, I'd like to do it when he's interested and excited. But maybe he still will be later? All you other mothers out there...what do you think?

A first!

Owen just walked up to me and say, "Look, Mommy!" And proceeded to show me that he had taken off his diaper. In a mock accusatory way I said, "What do you think you're doing?!" He giggled and ran to the bathroom. He said he wanted to sit on the potty. I sat down by him and told him he could try and go if he wanted. After no more than a minute, I see a little dribble going into the potty. I was totally shocked! I praised him up and down and told him how proud I was. He seemed really happy about it. I gave him a treat for going pee in the potty (some Junior Mints). Here he is eating his treat:

I haven't started any potty training with him, but I'm glad he was able to go while on the potty and see what it's all about. I still don't think I'm going to start it now, but hey...it's a first and should be documented. :)

And an update since I posted this a couple hours ago...just before getting in the bathtub, Owen sat on the potty and went again! Yay! I'm so proud of his initiative.

Oh Baby! (32 weeks)

Skip the first paragraph to avoid the whining and complaining....

Ah pregnancy. I much prefer being the pregnant woman who immensely enjoys every moment of pregnancy. Sadly, I am not this time around. My carpal tunnel just keeps getting worse. Now it is most of my finger tips in my right hand AND a couple in my left that are numb and tingly during the day. And at night? Oh boy. I have the hardest time getting a good night's rest. Between the numbness, sharp pain I have shooting down the side of my left wrist, and excessive hand/finger swelling that causes extreme pain when I curl and uncurl my fingers, I wake up frequently and often in discomfort or pain. Ok. All done.

In all seriousness though, I DO love a lot about pregnancy. My hair and skin are amazing. I've finally gone down to washing my hair every other day (I have always done it daily) because it can handle it so well and still looks great on day two. My face is totally clear (minus the first 15 weeks of pregnancy) and has a nice color and glow to it. I really only feel the need to put makeup on my eyes to help them stand out, but my skin looks great. Despite some excess weight, I do love the roundness of my belly. I don't feel fat. I feel womanly. :) I love, love, LOVE feeling the baby move around inside me (even when it's uncomfortable). She does some serious serpentine movements under my skin. I love seeing weird bumps and feeling little hard parts of her body. I love carrying this little life and knowing that she will be such a great addition to our family. And I love that I get the chance to do all of this. Even in this moment, I would gladly choose to do it again for another child.

On to my appointment. It wasn't really that momentous (as most aren't). I met with a different practitioner at the office - Lisa Stubbs. I think they have us do that in case our doctor isn't available for delivery for whatever reason, so we see a familiar face rather than someone we've never met. I asked her if I could go into the hospital early in my labor to get antibiotics for Group B strep, leave, and then come back later. That way I can ensure I get the antibiotics I need without feeling the need to check in too early if my labor goes quickly. She said she thought it was against hospital policy and I should double check with Dr. Savage. She also said 4 hours isn't really that long and it's likely I'll get there in time. She also mentioned she delivered two babies through hypnobirthing. It was good to get more encouragement for a natural delivery. I think that was about it. Baby still seems to be doing great and has a good, strong, heartbeat.

And lastly, to express how hot I feel all the time...I told Miles the other morning that I had been taking luke-warm showers in the morning. Miles said, "What?" I was about to repeat myself thinking he hadn't heard me, but realized it was more of a "WHAT?!" when he quickly followed with, "Has hell frozen over too?" Seriously. It's a big deal for me to not take a steaming, hot shower. But you gotta do what feels good, right?

Baby Emi

My dear, sweet, friend Jessica Salmon had a baby. But before the baby came, she had a shower! It was actually one of the showers I was supposed to be in charge of when I was placed on bed rest. Luckily, I was throwing it with two other amazing women who took charge and let me completely off the hook (thank you Terrie and Jen). It was a great night celebrating Jess's soon-to-arrive baby girl.

The food was amazing.

  

So amazing, in fact, that I got caught in the act of *not* sitting down like a good girl on bed rest...

The classic "pregnant-belly-as-a-shelf" shot:

And of course a shot with my two favorite girls. It was so fun to have Haley there for the shower too.

 And I love the thank you cards Jess gave out. What a cute idea!

Jess had her sweet baby on July 2nd following a difficult and life-threatening labor and delivery. Jess is an amazingly strong woman. For someone who always feared childbirth, she went through hell and back attempting a non-medicated delivery, only to barely survive with her life. I am not even exaggerating. But it's not my story to tell. I only want to recognize what a hero she is for bringing this little girl into this world.

It took me a couple weeks before I was finally able to make a trip up to meet this sweet angel. Here are some pictures from the first Emi-Auntie Kendra meeting:

Look at that sweet baby with her big, wide eyes!

Here are her little feet on my big belly. I sure hope she and my baby girl will grow up to be good friends.

A darling shot of Daddy-daughter love...

And Mommy-daughter snuggles (that I stole from Jess's photos)...

I am so happy this beautiful girl has come into our world and into the Salmon-Garbett family. Emi is blessed to have such wonderful parents.