Roll me on outta here!

I am huge. I am. People keep saying "you really aren't that big" but I am big. The worst part is I still have 4 months to go! When we went to our ultrasound I was certain the doctor would say something like "you are a medical miracle, the baby is full grown at only 20 weeks." But no he just said "either you will go early or this will be a big baby". Well I am just convinced that there is a little fatty just sitting in my belly. I think he is going to be huge. He will come out looking like my niece!

Just kidding!! She is a skinny cute little girl, this is just an iphone app. But still!!! Our little boy must be huge. Josh is going to need a wheelbarrow to get my out to the car by the time December comes. And the thing is I am trying to watch what I eat. So it's not like I am eating cheeseburgers everyday (mmmmmm cheeseburger). Maybe if I just wish myself skinnier it will happen. That's the new plan. In the mean time I will just roll around everywhere I go.

Migraines, ugh

The nice part about my pregnancy is that I don't get morning sickness - yay for not puking! But the crappy part is I get TERRIBLE migraines. Yesterday I knew one was coming. I was at work and I felt it. It's like when you are about to throw up and your heart starts to pound, yeah that's me....well minus the throw up and the heart pounding. Any way, it was coming. But I had my last sewing class so I had to go. I have also had this total nervous thing about me where I don't want to hurt the baby so I try not to take medicine. So I drank some water and went to my class. Now remember I can't sew. Well at class we were learning about "aplique" and "piping" and "fagoting and bundling." I was just thinking 'my head hurts' 'this sucks' 'I don't get this' 'why can't this store have AC' 'fagoting and bundling sounds terrible' 'seriously no AC'. I could tell the teacher was frustrated with me because I kept asking questions. Then she asked me to literally take apart my machine for something and I got so frustrated that I packed up and left. I GAVE UP!!! I said goodbye and that I wasn't feeling good and I left. Then I pathetically got in the car and I LOST IT! I started balling! I felt like a failure that I couldn't sew. I called my mommy. She is the ultimate quilter and I told her she needed to teach me. And since I am going to visit her in Connecticut next month she will!

I felt better about sewing but I still had this migraine. So last night I go to bed without taking any headache medication. I thought that sleeping it off would work because it usually does. Ya. That was until my cute husband had a nightmare/couldn't breath moment. He jumped up in the bed at about 2:30 am. He was pretty much growling, that's the only way to explain it. He has these types of nightmares a lot but this one was really loud and it freaked me out. I said "Josh wake up you are dreaming go back to bed" and he said "you need to wake up. You need to leave." I always laugh at the crazy things he says. Like one time he woke up and pulled the blanket over my face and said "the spiders are going to fall on your face." At least he tried to protect me right? Cute husband! Well last night after he growled my heart started racing like crazy and my head was pounding and that was it. I couldn't sleep. So I woke up with the headache and finally took medication.

I wish I could record his dreams. The point of this post. Migraines suck!!

Jason's Deli

So Josh and I LOVE Jason's Deli. It is pretty yummy. We decided last week that we were going to go for family night, Monday, so we decided to ask Josh's parents to come with us because they had never tried it and we wanted them to experience the yumminess. They said yes to coming and they brought Josh's sister Becca as well. Josh was so excited to get his cheese and broccoli soup in a bread bowl and then to have his twisted cone. We all arrived at Jason's Deli and I looked at the soup menu and no cheese and broccoli. Josh was so sad. He decided to do a something else with a bread bowl. No bread bowls. Even more sad. He settled for chicken alfredo and I did the salad bar. My mother-in-law was also looking forward to the bread bowl. No bread bowls. How about chicken pot pie?? No chicken pot pie. My father-in-law wanted a pot roast sandwich. No pot roast. Creamy soups? NOOOOOO. They were out of almost everything. I was really embarrassed. They each eventually found something and then we all sat down.

We ate our foods and then I decided it was time for my ice cream. I jokingly said watch them be out of ice cream. Well........ They had ice cream, but just chocolate and I wanted a twist cone. You can mess with the bread bowls and the soup but if you mess with a pregnant woman's ice cream, there will be no mercy. I went right up to the counter and told the manager "you are out of ice cream." She laughs like this is the best joke she has ever heard - and says "ya I know." I respond with "well what are you going to do to compensate us for being out of everything?" She then says "well what are we out of." I laugh like this is the best joke I have ever heard "all your creamy soups, bread bowls, pot roast, chicken pot pie, and my freaking ice cream (well I didn't really say freaking)." She shrugged and I said "give us a gift card." I have NEVER done that before. I have never told some one to give me something for free because of a bad experience, it must have been the hormones. She said "I guess I can do that" and walks away. I went to sit back down and I see her waive the cashier to our table. She didn't even have the nerve to come apologize. But we did get a gift card, hehehe. I gave it to my in-laws because I really do love their food so I want them to experience it when they actually have the things they would like.

Well this morning I was still ticked. So I decided to write an email to the corporate office. I told them what happened I even said she gave us a gift card but that I was still upset. Then this afternoon I had a voice message. It was from the owner of all the Jason's Delis in Utah and he said he was very concerned with my email and he wanted to speak to me about my experience. He said if he had to he would let some one go over this. That was NOT my intention so I called him back. Such a nice guy. He apologized profusely and told me that he was so sorry. I told him that I gave the gift card to my in-laws so that hopefully one day they come back. Well then he tells me that he wants to give me a FEW gift cards. WHAT??? I need to complain more often!! So he got my address and he will be giving me some free gift cards! Oh and no one will be fired, he said she is actually quitting. She better run cause if there is no ice cream next time, some body will pay.

Landon Campbell Knell

That's right, it is a boy! We will be naming him Landon Campbell Knell. But lets start at the beginning of today's doctor appointment. Josh and I decided that we would invite his parents, Allie and Roger to come along. Some of you have met my mother-in-law so any explanation is not needed for her comments during the ultra sound. For those of you that do not know my mother-in-law, she is a very funny lady. She is a tall loud woman who is noticed the second she walks in to the room. She says crazy things at any point during a conversation (or not during a conversation). Basically she is crazy but I love her.

So today our ultrasound appointment was at 10:40 am. Josh and I drove over together and I said "if this is a girl will you be disappointed and he said "no way I will be so excited." Allie and Roger met us at the office and we all went back in to the room with the ultrasound which is hooked up to a huge a 42" screen.

The doctor comes in and says hi to everyone in the room. He put the jelly on my belly and then up comes a baby. The first thing he shows us is the umbilical cord. The next thing he brings up is a shot right between the legs which was definitely a sure sign of a boy. Then my mother-in-law jumps in and says "Doctor that is a pretty big penis, right?" We all start laughing so the doctor said he would measure it for her and it was only 1 cm long. He is looking around some more and every couple of minutes Allie would say, "what a beautiful face he has." Then the doctor "grandma that is not the face." Then when it was finally the face "he looks like Josh!" "that is Josh's head." We all couldn't stop laughing at her. Then the doctor brought up the spine then she said "oh it is all there, I counted." At one point the doctor said something and Allie said "Are you sure about that doctor?" Little did we all know that Allie was an OBGYN. Then the penis again "I have seen his penis 3 times." Then the foot "I think his penis is bigger than his foot" and then the doctor said "if the penis was bigger than his foot we would have a little situation." It was hysterical.

We were all very excited and so happy to have the first grandson. Josh called my dad and he was very excited to have another grandson. We were given a DVD from our ultrasound which Josh has already watched like 15 times. He is so excited to have a little guy. Allie and Roger were so excited that they went right out and bought us a BYU bib! It is so stinking cute!

We showed the family the ultrasound video today and that was very exciting. Josh admitted he would have been a little disappointed if it was a girl. But I can't blame him, he really wanted his little guy first so I think I might have had a twinge of disappointment as well.

We are just so happy! We were so happy that Josh's parents came. Allie made the whole thing so much fun! She will be such a great grandma. Landon is going to be spoiled. Landon, my son. SO CRAZY!!!!!

Lifetime, my second love

I am ready to admit to the world that I love Lifetime Movies. Well this is probably not a shocker to most people. My husband asked me today why I like them. What is not to like!?!?!? The reasons are all in the movie titles "Mom at 16" "The Devil's Teardrop" "Maneater" "Lies my Mother Told Me" "Prison of Secrets." I can go on and on and on. One of the best days of my life was when we got a free DVR from Comcast and what did we get, you guessed it The Lifetime Movie Network!! I am tearing up remembering that moment.

I can still remember the day that my old roomie and now cousin-in-law, Courtney, and I spent the whole day watching Lifetime movies. And what did we eat that day!?! A whole cheese cake. It was the best day.

I keep getting distracted by the one I am watching right now! It was a great one "While the Children were Sleeping." I must go now because "Step Son" is up next.

Breathless

Is it kosher to write a new blog the day after you wrote your last?? Oh well I am new.

I work for the Guardian ad Litem's Office as the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Coordinator. Our office represents the abused and neglected children that are under the court's jurisdiction. Basically we help better the lives of kids that are being abused. My position is the volunteer coordinator. I manage about 65 volunteer all by myself. HARD JOB!! But I really love it because I genuinely love my volunteers.

So tonight we had our annual CASA recognition dinner. It was held at the local university, UVU, and we had about 70 people come out. It was awesome. That was until I had to get up and speak.

Now to back up for a second, I can't breathe. In the last few weeks of this pregnancy I will walk like 5 steps and lose my breathe. Lets not even mention what happens when I walk up the stairs.

Back to tonight, I have trained all of these CASAs and I am totally used to standing up in front of them. But tonight I was a little nervous. That was more because both of my bosses were there. So the time comes for me to got up on the stage and welcome everyone. Imagine me, having to walk up just 3 steps, nervous, and then out of breathe.

I get up on the stage and open my mouth and "Welcome every(breath)one. Thanks (breath) for coming (breath) tonight." It never stopped and then I was trying so hard to breathe that I actually sounded emotional. I wish there was a brown bag that I could have breathed in to. I looked like a fool. In front of my bosses. In front of my CASAs. In front of everyone!!! I would have rather tripped on the stage.

Other than me the event went great. The director of our office gave an amazing speech. He was very inspirational.

Hopefully I will learn to breathe again when all of my organs are not pushing against my lungs.

Boy or Girl????

In one week Josh and I will know if we are having a boy or girl!! I am so excited, this is worse than Christmas! Truth is I really want to go buy baby stuff. Josh hates that but oh well, I can't wait. I really think we are having a girl and Josh thinks that we are having a boy. ACTUALLY he wants a boy which makes him say he thinks it is a boy. Either way I don't care I am just really excited. As long as we have a healthy baby I will be happy no matter what. So what's it gonna be????? I swear I take those dumb gender quizzes like every day. But I always get a different answer. I can't wait!!

Sew what

I have been asking Josh for the past two years to buy me a sewing machine and he keeps telling me no that I will never use it, that I have so much scrapbooking stuff and I never do it, blah, blah, blah. But still I ask for my birthday that was this past May and he said no. I thought he would surprise me with one the night of my birthday but NOOOOOO. Until......my mom and dad bought me one! It was such a nice surprise. I thought about all of the things I would make. Clothes, and dresses, and baby things. And then reality set in. I have no freaking idea how to sew. The good news was, the machine came with classes from the store my parents purchased it at. But they weren't scheduled to start until August.

I figured, it's a class about how to use a machine and this machine is AMAZING so I am not going to touch it until my class because I will break it. The store called me yesterday to remind me about my class today. I tell the girl "I can't sew" and she says "oh its ok this is a class about your machine not about projects." I felt good, she tells me I need needles for the machine, thread, fabric scissors, a notebook, and pen. So since I have no idea about sewing I remember "Walmart has a sewing section!!" So I go last night get all my stuff - I felt like I was in school again so I but a girly notebook.

Then tonight I go to my first class. I bring my machine, I am led to the back of the store, but of course I am 20 minutes early and am the first one there. I put my machine on the table take the lid off and sit down. It finally turns 6:00 pm and in walks this girl. Literally a 13 year old girl. She has a roller bag. Her machine is in a roller bag! Did you know these existed? She is with her mom because she can't drive of course. She takes her machine out puts it together and and threads it. I am amazed. Then her mom tells me that she is the blue ribbon winner for best quilt at the county fair. Seriously?!? Then two other middle aged women walk in and do the same thing, set up their machines thread them and start discussing how long they have been sewing. They show each other the embroidered bookmarks they have made. I am in the wrong class.

Well I guess I should set up my machine. I take the plastic off the pieces, remove bubble wrap, plug things in where I think they go, and wait. Class begins and the woman starts throwing words around like Class A needles, minky, and Berdina. Ya I was lost but everyone else was smiling and speaking the same foreign language. Then she comes and threads my machine and says "sew this stitch in a straight line." And I say "how?" And she says to step on the peddle. I step on the peddle and scream because that needle moves so fast! My new friend, the 13 year old, is laughing at me. It finally clicks to the lady that I REALLY have NO idea how to sew. She took the time to show me and then she promised me that I would learn to sew. I sewed 6 lines tonight! Not straight, but 6!

You will see. I will sew. I will make a blanket some day and it will be beautiful. But it will never win a blue ribbon in the county fair. Dang 13 year old girls.

Kelly Frye Glasser

Four years ago I started volunteering at the Guardian ad Litem's Office as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA). On my very first case I worked with a 17 year old girl and the Guardian ad Litem for that girl was Kelly Frye Glasser. I got to know Kelly through that case. Then 2 years later I applied for the job as the CASA Coordinator and was hired in to the best office I have ever worked with. Our office became like a second family to me. It has been a great almost 2 years at the Guardian ad Litem's Office.

Yesterday on August 1, 2010 my dear friend and coworker Kelly died along with her husband in a kayaking accident. It is such a tragic loss. It kept me up all night last night and I have shed so many tears over my dear friend today. She left a 14 year old daughter and a son in his 20's.

She was so funny. She had the greatest personality. I would come home and tell Josh all about the crazy stories that Kelly had told us that day. She made me laugh. She made me feel better about the job I was doing. I felt like she was one of my biggest fans in the office when it came to CASA.

Today our office yielded about 50 phone calls from all different types of organizations and people expressing their condolences. It blew me away to see the out pouring of love for Kelly. She left a huge impression on our community.

It feels unreal still. I don't think it has fully hit me yet that I will never see her again. At least she went with her husband and they were doing the thing they loved, kayaking. I love you Kelly and I will always miss you. You touched my life even when I didn't realize you were doing it.

In the beginning....

I have never blogged before but I have been keeping journals since I was 12 so my husband, Josh, told me I should keep a blog. So I will make an attempt! I keep telling him I am not witty or funny enough to keep a blog but he has assured me that I don't have to be. What a good hubby : )

Well what can I say about me? I am originally from Connecticut. I moved to Utah after I graduated from high school in 2000. I met my husband in December of 2007 and we were married on June 21, 2008 in the Mt. Timpanogas Temple. I work for the Guardian ad Litem's Office running a volunteer program called CASA. I HATE bugs. I am deathly afraid of whales (no idea why). I am really excited to run my third half marathon. Oh and I am 4 months pregnant with our first baby!

Follow me as I take on this crazy thing called motherhood. I am sure I will have lots of great times, laughs, cries, and make a complete fool out of myself along the way, but I am ready!