Numero Tres: 14 weeks

I really hate how far apart all the appointments are. It makes it feel like forever in between each appointment, and while not a lot changes in between, I just want more updates...or something. I don't know.

Anyway, this last month morning sickness really kicked in. I didn't have a lot of complaints up until about 11 weeks. I had even mentioned to the doctor at my previous appointment that my morning sickness felt so minimal that it was almost concerning. Well...I needn't have worried. Around 11 weeks it kicked in full force. Which is kind of odd considering it's close to that time that people stop feeling as sick. And I know I can't complain because I wasn't puking my guts out, nor feeling miserable from the moment of conception like some people do. But it has still been a pretty miserable few weeks. My kids are definitely watching their fair share of TV. And while I don't think they mind, I do. I'm just hoping it will pass soon so we can get back into a routine, I can start working out again, and that I can actually enjoy this pregnancy.

These are the notes I wrote at 13w4d:
"I'm excited to feel movement. I probably won't for another few weeks though. I'm not in maternity clothes yet, but I'm getting uncomfortable in my clothes. I want to live in my PJs or maxi skirts all day. I wore a pair of my pants with top button undone all day one time. I didn't even want the rubber band. But that's mostly because of not feeling awesome and not liking the pressure. I usually take off my bra early in the night because of the same reason."

My appointment was fairly uneventful. Dr. Savage found the heartbeat quickly this time, which was expected since the baby has grown. I mentioned that I was feeling some pain in my pelvic/groin area. Sometimes it is so painful just to walk and I have to sit down and relax. She said it was ligament pains. I said, "Already?! At 14 weeks???" I was surprised because I'm not even that big or carrying a lot of weight. She kindly reminded me that it's my third pregnancy and I'm also older than I was the last time. Ok...I guess things can change a lot in just a few years time. I guess it also surprised me because I'm healthier than the last two times. But c'est la vie. I honestly canNOT imagine have 5,6,8,10(!) children. How do women do it?! Well, I'm sure most of them start when they're a lot younger. But still. I stand in awe.

I'm going in next week for the gender check. Miles thinks I'm ridiculous because I can't wait another few weeks. The US tech tells people to come between 16 and 20 weeks. But I went in at 15 with Elsie, so I'm doing it again! I'm just WAY too impatient and can't wait to find out. I hope the baby cooperates so the tech will be sure! :)

Ch-ch-ch-changes

A LOT is happening all at once. Miles and I have been looking for a home for a long time. Years, even. We've had a lot of ups and downs in our search, and been so close to buying/building on multiple occasions. After our last fiasco, we were kind of unenthusiastic about looking. Every so often, we'd scan the MLS and see if anything popped up that interested us. But it felt as though we were looking at the same homes over and over and over. Too small of a yard. Too much work needed. Too expensive. Not a good location.

Then one day, Miles sent a few links to me. I told him I was interested in checking one out and called to set up a walk-through appointment. The realtor told me that they were under contract, but they had countered and were waiting to hear back from the buyers. He said we could still come and look at it if we wanted. We went out a couple days later. Upon the first inspection, I really liked it. It definitely needed some paint and a few "fixes" here or there, but seemed to be a really nice home and was offered at a good price. We talked to the realtor about the offer that was in and asked him how good it was. He said it was decent, but that if we wanted to make an offer, they would consider it. Miles and I talked about and later that day called him with an offer. Within 24 hours, he told us that the sellers had withdrawn their counter offer to the other buyers and had accepted our offer. And just like that, we were on our way to buying our first, real home. It was so crazy how everything happened so fast. I couldn't believe it!

Unfortunately, due to changes in loan ownership, we weren't able to close as quickly as we had hoped. Once we got that all taken care of, we quickly got painters in to start work completely revamping the look of the home. The family that had lived there had been renting for 10 years and had chosen some "interesting" paint colors and designs. We ended up having them paint the entire home minus the kitchen and two bathrooms. Since it was such a big job, they didn't have it finished before we were ready to move in. My mom came out to help us pack and move, so we wanted to make sure and utilize the time she was around. We ended up moving in on the last Saturday of March, the Sunday before Easter. We also moved in while the painters were still finishing up. They didn't finish everything up for another 9 days. It was a little crazy, but well worth getting it done right away! (Before and after pictures will follow in another post)

Another big change for us has been Miles's job. In January he applied with a company called Instructure. Within a couple weeks, they gave him a good job offer that greatly increased his salary. However, they stated that they would not have a job for him until the first of July due to a hiring freeze. He gave a general acceptance to the job, with the understanding that a lot could happen in six months and we weren't sure where we would be.

After finding and signing on our home, Miles gave notice to his employer at SSI. We decided it would be a good opportunity for him to quit a regular 8-5 job in lieu of working for himself. He has wanted to do this for some time, but we had concerns of how well he would do financially, as well as whether or not we would be able to purchase a new home without full-time employment. Since we had signed on our home and he had a "backup" job waiting for him, it was perfect timing to try it out. However, SSI came back with an interesting offer. They were in the middle of a big deadline that no one else could do. It would set them back tremendously to have to hire someone new and train them to complete the job in time. So they asked Miles to stay on as a "contract" worker earning the same salary with opportunities for bonuses when deadlines were met. He could also work from home, on his own hours, and would be able to officially quit mid-June. This was awesome, as much of the work did not require a full 40-hours and he could work from home, while also doing work for himself and his own personal company. Win, win, win!

We'll have to see how it all goes, but for now, that is the plan. :) In the meantime, we are adjusting to our new life in Lehi, and enjoying the large amount of extra space we have. :)

6th

According to the world wide web, for your 6th anniversary the traditional gift to give is either candy or iron and the modern gift is wood. I was a little unenthused about it until I found this site. There it says, "Candy represents the sweetness in your marriage, iron represents good luck and strength, and wood represents a solid relationship." I thought, I can get on board with that. 

Although I've got to admit I'm looking forward to our 10th (diamonds). ;) I'm sure any of these would do just fine. Or more specifically, this:

Photo via Tiffany & Co.

But alas, I have to pay my dues first. And let's be honest, I'm guessing that ring is not on the shopping list.

Back to reality...This year, Miles was "in charge" of anniversary plans. He decided to forego celebrations on our actual anniversary since it was a Sunday, and push it off to the next weekend (hoping to also avoid the Valentine's craze from the previous weekend). So Sunday morning, we all went to church together. Elsie looked adorable in her little fur-cuffed, winter dress.

For dinner, we decided to do homemade pizzas. We made a pepperoni pizza with olives on half, and a chicken, tomato, pesto pizza. Owen was very excited to help out. He loves helping in the kitchen these days. Both pizzas turned out quite delicious.

After dinner, I gave Miles his presents. I bought him a decorative, wooden, "treasure box" for his desk and filled it with Dove dark chocolate hearts and a chocolate mousse Ritter Sport. I also framed his favorite pictures of Owen and Elsie for his desk/office. I didn't quite get all of the 6th anniversary gifts, but I think it was close enough.

Miles gave me a beautiful love letter with two coupons good for whatever I want. I tested the bounds of this gift and asked if that could be to make me dinner, do the dishes, put Owen to bed, watch a chick flick and give me a back massage. He said, "If that's the package deal you want, then you get it." Hmm...I may have to get creative with these "package deals!"

Our marriage isn't perfect. I don't know of any relationship that is. What's important is that we are working on it. And even when it's hard, there is no giving up. We are in this together. Forever. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

There aren't any pictures of the two of us on our anniversary, but that's ok. I think we can all agree we look much better 6 years ago. So I'll end with some pictures from that wonderful day that forever changed my life for the better.

Year in Review

Here is a quick overview of our family's 2012:

January: Completed an IVF cycle that was miraculously covered 100% by our insurance (minus the deductible) in hopes of getting pregnant
February: Flew to CA to celebrate my parents' 50th wedding anniversary; Celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary starting with an ultrasound to hear our baby's heartbeat and an overnight stay at a B&B in SLC
March: Owen got his first haircut; Enjoyed the warming weather with trips to the park and duck ponds
April: Owen and I flew to Minnesota to visit my college roommate, Shara and her family, and my brother, Keven and his family; Found out we were expecting a little girl; Owen turned two
May: I went to San Diego for a girl's weekend getaway with some college friends; I was put on bedrest due to placenta previa
June: I was taken off bedrest (yay!); We had a mini Van de Wetering family reunion in SLC (minus Keven and family, who were greatly missed)
July: Went to Blanding, UT for a Wright family reunion over the 4th of July; Miles started working 80+ hours/week to accommodate his side work
August: Lots of summer fun before the baby arrived with trips to Thanksgiving Point, the park, 7 peaks, and the pool; Had a baby shower thrown by my sister; Miles and I went on a "babymoon" to the Zermatt Resort in Midway
September: Went to the zoo; Spent a lot of time with Miles' parents who were in town; Prepared for the baby and were surprised by Elsie's arrival 10 days early on the last day of the month
October: My Mom came to stay for three weeks to help out with Elsie and Owen; Elsie's baby blessing
November: Still adjusting to life with two; Spent Thanksgiving day/weekend with Kerry and family, and Kim and Austin who flew out to meet Elsie; Enjoyed some extra help around the house while Miles's sister, Megan, stayed with us for a week
December: Celebrated Christmas by decorating a gingerbread house, a visit to Santa, looking at Christmas lights, and an extended trip to AZ to be with the Wright family

It's been a busy, fun, blessed year. We can't wait to see what 2013 holds for us!

Christmas Card 2012

Another year has quickly flown by and yet again, we have been immensely blessed.

Miles has been working very hard to grow his personal business by building up his clientele and putting in extra hours before and after his day job. He's hoping to one day be able to solely work for himself and is getting closer to making that dream come true. In his free time, he also works very hard to grow his beard, and shaves as little as possible throughout the year. He currently has a formidable “Christmas Beard” growing, which can be seen here: loganmolyneux.com/blog/christmas-beard

I (Kendra) spent the majority of this year growing a baby. During that time, I tried my hand at sewing a skirt for myself, and a quilt for Elsie. I can see this becoming a new love of mine. I also enjoy reading, blogging, and cooking (although I had a lot more time for all of that prior to Elsie being born). But most of all, I love being a mom and feel so blessed to spend my days and nights with both of my children. I never could have anticipated the joy I would have in raising my children.

Owen (2 1/2 yrs) has grown up so much over the past year. His language has exploded as well as his skills. He's on his way to counting to 100 and knows his ABCs. He loves to sing and knows at least 10 different songs including I Am a Child of God, Annie's Song, You Are My Sunshine, and Daddy's Homecoming. He enjoys making them his own by singing in a fast, low, growl. He also loves to read and has many of his favorite books memorized and will "read" them to Mommy and Daddy. We are constantly amazed at what a sponge he is and how much he picks up. Most enjoyably, he is a silly, goofy, fun, little boy. He loves to jump and can often be found (and heard) bouncing for hours in his crib during "nap" time, or on his trampoline. He makes us laugh daily and is a bright light in our lives.

Elsie (2 1/2 mo) most enjoys eating and sleeping. However, in the past month she has added smiling, cooing, and sucking on her hands. She is often found with a bib around her neck to catch the spit up caused by her reflux. She tolerates her brother's boisterous outbursts and loves his sweet hugs, pats and kisses. She is happiest in the morning and loves to see a smiling face. She also loves to be held and will fall fast asleep with the jostling bounces of a walking gait. She is an angel and brings a sweet spirit to our home.

We are so grateful for the wonderful year we have had. As we welcomed a miracle into our lives this year, we also recognize the miracle of our Savior's birth, whose life made it possible for us to experience such joy. We hope that this New Year will bring happiness and prosperity to you - our family, friends and loved ones. And we hope you will all feel the love of Jesus Christ in your homes and hearts this season and always.

With love,

The Wright Family 

The Man in the Big Red Suit

Last week we went as a family to go visit Santa. We went to the Riverwoods like we have for the past two years. I love it. It's always so beautiful with all of the lights and decorations.

Warming up by the fires:

It was fun to get some family shots.

I should mention that I was only able to get one picture with my nice DSLR before it died on me. I had even checked to make sure the battery was charged. I think it's a faulty battery. :( So all of our pictures were taken with our iPhones. Miles said it was our "experiment" to see how they did. I think for the most part they turned out pretty good - except when someone didn't quite know how to use it and focus properly...but at least we have them. :)

Waiting in line to see Santa:

I loved having this little one all snuggled up to me. It was good too because it was so cold and I was able to wrap her up and keep her nice and warm. 

Earlier in the day I tried to prepare Owen for meeting Santa and sitting on his lap. When I first told him we were going to see Santa, he said, "Yay!" I told him Santa would ask what he wanted and had him practice what he would say. He said, "Presents!" I asked, "What kind of presents?" He said, "A blue present." After more encouragement, he finally said, "A car." We had this exact conversation about three times (presents, blue present, car). I also had the great idea of showing him pictures from when he saw Santa the previous two years (both can be seen here). After looking at those, I again asked if he wanted to go see Santa and sit on his lap. He looking slightly frightened and shook his head no. Oops! So much for "preparing" him.

So once we got there, it took him a second to warm up to Santa.

But as soon as the jolly old man gave him a high five and knuckles, he was sold. 

Elsie was a little upset at first. I'm sure it really had to do with being yanked from her warm, snuggly, spot on Mama's chest more than sitting with Santa.

But then she got over it and was just apathetic to the whole thing. 

After visiting Santa, we walked around and enjoyed the lights. 

Then we decided to grab some dinner. I had never been to this "newer" Chinese restaurant. It was pretty good. 

While we waited for our food, Miles and Owen had fun sticking their tongues out at each other. 

This was my view - a sweet, sleeping baby all snuggled up to me in my carrier. She did great and slept the entire time. 

Owen dined on ice cubes (typical): 

But ended up doing an amazing job of chowing on his chow mein noodles. I think it's because they were so fun to play with. You can make mustaches, snakes, jump ropes...the options are endless. 

Here's a video of Owen enjoying his meal. In it he grabs a piece of chicken and says, "Another one!" and tosses it to Daddy. It makes me laugh because he had just taken it out a minute before and Miles put it back on his plate for him to eat. I guess he wasn't convinced to eat it. :)

And here were our fortunes. Can you guess which belongs to each of us?

It was actually pretty funny. I opened the one that says, "You will soon embark on a business venture," handed it to Miles and said, "I think this belongs to you." He then handed me his, "Soon someone new coming into your life will become a very good friend," and said, "Then this must be yours." I then told him to open Owen's and see what it said..."You deserve respect and will eventually get it." We both cracked up! Perfect.

And one last family photo to end the night. 

It was a lot of fun and a great way to spend the evening together. I sure do love my little family of four!

Adjusting

I guess we're all still adjusting to my switch to the dark side. When I saw myself in the mirror this morning, I felt like I was wearing a wig. Miles said he looked over at me in the middle of the night and thought, "Who is that?" and then remembered. And when I went in to get Owen this morning, he kind of stared at me funny. I picked him up and he said, "Mommy!" Then he grabbed my hair with both hands, looked at it, let it run through his fingers and said, "Your hair is cold." I guess that's the only way his 2 year old little brain could make sense of it. Ha ha! And I'm sure just when we're all used to it, I'll go back to being blonde. ;)

Silly Goose

Owen is a very silly goose - hence his nickname of "Goose." Here are some of his recent silly antics...

A couple weeks ago, Daddy started this new game with Owen. Each of them have a monkey that they jump around while making monkey sounds. We'll call it "Monkeying Around"...

The other day I found Owen had shimmied his way into two cereal boxes meant for recycling...

And tonight, before bedtime Owen and I had some fun with bad lighting and self-photography...

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. ;)