$80 OF CLOTHES FOR FREE...

Okay.  Huge shout out to my friend Merilee who introduced me to this great deal.  She has a cute blog, check it out here.

This is the best deal ever.  I'm a shopper.  I love to spend money.  Though getting married, having a baby, the husband finishing the undergrad, and our poor grad school future, shopping is not the same anymore.  Instead of getting clothes, we get groceries.  Though, with this deal, getting clothes is a bit more affordable!  :)

So, head on over to my invite to Like Twice.  Like Twice is an outlet/secondhand store with brand name clothes.  The prices are already ridiculously great on there.  But here is what happens with the most amazing deal ever:

1.  When you sign up, you immediately get $10 in credit.

2.  Download the Like Twice app on apple 3 devices...it's only compatible with an iPhone or iPad.    (I did my iPhone, my dad's iPhone, and my mom's iPhone).  For each download app you use your email/password to sign in on, you get $10 credit.

 So far, that is $40 in credit.

4.  Pick out $80 worth of clothes.

5.  Then, when you have your purchase ready, click this link: https://www.liketwice.com/shop/?utm_source=blogger and you will get a coupon code for 50% off your order.  But, you must hurry because after you click the link, you only have 12 HOURS to use the code!

6.  No need to pay shipping/handling because on orders over $49 it is FREE!

*If you pick out more than $80 of clothes, you will have to pay the difference.*

Here are just a couple of the things I got below:  (I'll look good for date night.  I have 2 boys to impress now-the hubs and the babe!)

BEEN ALIVE FOR TWO MONTHS...

Dex has been alive for 2 months now.  We are feeling pretty awesome that we are doing things right for him to last long so far.  :) We are starting to get in the groove of things as parents.  I guess that means we are getting used to doing everything exhausted.  It's been hard to find a balance between marriage and having a baby. . .it's hard. . .though we keep persevering no matter what.

Dex Man is quite the child.  He now weighs almost 12 pounds and is in the 37th percentile for height and weight.  He is catching up to his chunky cousins (Calvin and Nash).  He has really been starting to smile lately.  He knows our voices and will respond.  He is also starting to push his head up during the dreaded tummy time.  About a week ago, Derek blessed Dexter!  It was the sweetest blessing!  As you can tell from the pictures, Dex was really enjoying being the star of the show.

We also celebrated Dexters first halloween. . .it consisted of Grandma Monson taking him to the door every time the doorbell rang to show him off to the trick or treaters.  Dex also continues to sport the bottom pouty lip when he gets sad.  We finally got a picture!  We can't wait for the big holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas to get here, it will be so much fun to celebrate with our little guy!

*BTW, check out Rockabye Baby on iTunes and/or Spotify.  It's classic rock tunes made to sound like baby lullabies.  We love them!  Dexter loves them too!

SPICE UP YOUR DATE WITH NEW SHOES...

I'm sure everyone has heard of "Just Fab".  It's that online store where you join a membership and they automatically take cash out of your account to go towards a pair of shoes each month.  I did this, AND I didn't realize they were taking money out every month.  I felt a little jipped when I talked to customer service to cancel my membership.

I found a new place, it does the same thing as Just Fab, called Shoe Mint.  Though, this place is straight forward with you on how their membership works...check it out below:  (you can skip your shoe credit or use it, you just need to know by the 5th of every month)

When you first join, you get $40 credit of your first pair of shoes.  Here is the catch, I have another promo code to make the price go down a little bit more:

Designer looking shoes for half the cost!  With winter coming up, buy some boots and look sexy for your husband for date night!  

WE ARE GREAT PARENTS...

Parenthood has been one hell of a roller coaster ride:

• Nursing the "monster" (literally) every 3 hours; when he is hungry he moves his head viciously and then latches on either momma or the bottle, making a snorting "aargh" sound.
• Changing the diapers every couple hours.
• Getting sprayed with urine; you think it's over and then more comes out...Niagra Falls.
• The quite often baths from those extreme diaper blowouts.
• The laundry-OH THE LAUNDRY.
• Rocking him to sleep every night.  We like to think we are getting a work out when we do this.
• Reassurance hand touches on his tummy when he is fidgeting in his sleep.  We just want him to sleep longer.
• The paranoid parent doctor visits; are we really doing things right?
• Spit up is the new perfume.
• Lanolin is the new chap-stick.
• The minute husband and wife start to have alone time, the little one wails.
• Car seat strapping in crying.
• You know that commercial where the baby cries every time the Dad stops at a light?  That commercial is based on true insight and real experiences.  The babe is the new backseat driver.
• Both Grandmas are already the little one's best friend, he likes "Grandma kisses" more than "Mommy or Daddy kisses".
• Exhaustion...need I say more about this?
• 15 diapers a day, give or take a few.  Thank the heavens for inspiring the human being whom created the diaper genie.
• It's really cute when he smiles and laughs in his sleep.
• You can never have too many pacifiers.
• When all else fails, put him in the bouncer or the swing.
• Keeping the room temperature to a strict 72 degrees.
• All the "Is he breathing?" thoughts.
• And, last but not least, we like taking pictures when he cries and creating memes out of them:

(He gets that bottom lip curl from his mother)

We also like taking other pictures of him as well that are a little more positive:

  

I'm sure there will be more positive affirmations than up above that we will experience.  The question we are facing, is how do people have more than one kid when it for reals takes a village to raise just one?  (We want to thank our wonderful moms who let us come home on the weekends to visit so they can get quality 1:00 AM snuggles with the little one and we can catch up on sleep.  We couldn't raise Junior without you guys!  Oh and for spoiling him, which our poor college student selves can't really do right now.)

THE FIRST MONTH OF PARENTHOOD...

We can not believe how fast time flies.  Everyone says that statement and while it's overused, it's true.    Our little man is already one month old.  I'm getting sappy and teary eyed writing this.  He is to the point where when we kiss his cheek, he looks at us and wants to smile, he just hasn't quite figured it out now.  Or, when we make clicking noises with our tongue, he looks at us in amazement by the sound.  The funniest, are his noises he makes when he is relieving his bowels. . .We love him!

Parenthood has been tough, it's a trial in its own way, but it's the kind that keeps you motivated to be the best person you can be.  Dexter had a little trial to overcome.  With him being early, he was considered as a late pre-term baby.  This means his suck was not the best and he was very very sleepy.  We would have to wake him up every 3 hours to feed him and the feedings were lengthy because he was so sleepy.

Most newborns are sleepy BUT premies are even more sleepy.  The nurses told us at the hospital that he wouldn't be a good eater until he reached his due date-he came on August 28th and his due date was supposed to be September 22.  But, we prevailed through the hour and a half long feedings those first couple weeks and now he is a successful eater.  He is becoming quite chunky now.

We were both surprised with the different sides of each other we are seeing.  Sometimes, I (Michelle), get a little bit frustrated at night time feedings if Derek is awake helping me out.  Dexter will spit up, and Derek, bless his heart, is so tired he just sits there looking, until I say firmly, "Get me a burp cloth!"  We are exhausted.

But, it's so much fun everyday to look everyday at our little human being, that we created, and to feel an enormous amount of love for each other.  The dynamic of our relationship has changed, but it's a good change.  We have both made a sacrifice in part of our lives to give this child the best things possible.

Happy One Month Little Fella'!

NEWBORN PHOTOS...

I can never justify spending lots of money on taking pictures. . .so, I borrow my parents Canon Rebel when I can to snap some pictures.  Eventually, I will invest in my own camera to further save money on future picture taking of my family and other things.

IT'S ALL WORTH IT...

From the beginning of this pregnancy, everyone would tell me, it's all worth it.  It was so hard to convince myself it would be.  Many of you know that I was sick until about weeks 23-24.  I was throwing up a lot, getting IV fluids constantly, trying to take my prenatal every night without throwing it up, etc.  After that, I felt fine as long as I was eating a snack.  Everything seemed normal with the baby at our anatomy scan, his head was down, he looked great!

Then, the third trimester started.  No one told me about the uncomfortableness I would feel during this time.  My hips hurt.  My sciatic nerve would hurt occasionally.  My bladder was getting, what I thought, punched at all the time.  I was going to the bathroom constantly.  My feet swelled up no matter how much water I drank.  Every pregnancy "con" I experienced during pregnancy.

It wasn't until Sunday, August 25th, that our little man gave us a little scare.  I started bleeding a little bit and that whole weekend was experiencing some back pain.  By Sunday, the back pain felt worse.   With the small, yet constant bleeding, and the back pain, I had a feeling to get checked out.  We went to labor and delivery, I got hooked up on monitors and was apparently having contractions.  I couldn't feel the contractions at all.  I was also dilated to a one.  We also found out that our little boy was breech.  The nurses and midwife gave me some medicine to stop the contractions and I was sent home to be on bed rest.  It wasn't strict bed rest, but I was ordered to take it very easy.

On Tuesday, August 26th, I went in to my check up.  I learned at this appointment that because of my partial bicornuate uterus, I couldn't have an inversion to have the doctors try to flip the baby.  It would be too dangerous for them to try it as my uterus could tear during the process.  So, we scheduled a C-Section for September 15th.  My goal was to take it easy so baby boy could stay in until that time.  I followed the instructions and took it really easy.  And, I also started preparing myself emotionally for this surgery.

We were (and still are) taking a hypnobirthing class to learn breathing and visualization techniques to get me through a natural vaginal labor.  I always expected to have perfect births.  For Derek to be right by my side, holding my hand through it all, or whisking my arm with his fingers while I mentally push through contractions.

The next few days, baby boy was kicking me very hard in my bladder.  It was so hard that I would wake up in the middle of the night because it hurt.  On Thursday, August 28th at about 1:00 AM, I woke up to him kicking.  As I was laying in bed, I felt him kick me really hard and my water broke.  I knew it wasn't urine because I couldn't control the gush.  I woke up Derek and I walked briskly into the bathroom.  Sitting on the toilet, I kept thinking, this is it.  We are going to have a baby today and I'M NOT READY.  I hadn't had time to prepare myself for this.  The baby's room wasn't even fully organized or ready.  It was too early.

We got in the car, drove to the hospital, and the calling of the parents began.  I tried over and over and over again to call my parents and let them know my water broke and we were having the baby.  They didn't pick up their phones.  I called Derek's mom, and both her and Dad Nielsen had just taken sleeping pills.  They couldn't drive from Ephriam to meet us at the hospital.

Because of my scoliosis, I have 15 vertebrae fused, I knew that an epidural or spinal might not work. I was probably going to be put under generally and not be awake for the birth of our son for the surgery.  I wanted so badly for my mom to be there, for anyone to be there with me when I woke up from surgery.  I told Derek no matter what, you go with the baby and hold him so you can bond with him.

I finally, after trying to reach my parents so many times, got a hold of my little brother, Nate.  He lives close to the hospital and came right over to give me a blessing with Derek.  There was only like a 10 minute span where they could do a blessing since the prep for the C-Section was going so fast.  After the blessing, I had a thought to call my parents next door neighbor to go wake them up.  She answered the phone and was able to knock on their door and wake them up.   They got there after the baby was born, but before I woke up.

Derek came with me to the operating room and the anesthesiologist tried doing a spinal.  I sat on the edge of the operating table and was shaking because I was nervous.  I put my head on Derek's chest and held his hands, due to nerve damage from previous back surgeries, I didn't even feel the prick of the needle.  It's sad that I get more nervous for the needles than actual surgeries.  Sadly, the spinal didn't work and while got moved to the operating table, I had to watch my husband bravely walk away, holding the I love you sign with his fingers, and tears in his eyes.

The anesthesiologist put oxygen over my mouth and I started hyperventilating.  I was scared.  It wasn't just me having to go through the surgery, it was the baby as well.  I would be put all the way under, having no control of the situation.  I then started doing my calm breathing, that I learned in hypnobirthing, and I felt the presence of my grandfather (whom our little boy is named after) and my great grandmother around me.  I knew they were watching out for me and little boy.

When I awoke from surgery about an hour or so later, my little brother Nate was right next to me to feed me ice chips.  My parents got to the hospital about 30 minutes after the baby was born.  They showed me pictures of him, though I was still a little out of it.  I remember Derek coming in the room and warning me of the IV's in our baby.  He had low blood sugar and needed a little boost-this is very common in late pre-term babies.

Then, the miracle happened.  Our little son was brought into the room, IV and all.  I held him for the first time on my chest and everything miserable about pregnancy and everything difficult about how I gave birth went completely away.  The morning sickness I encompassed during the first 20 weeks or so, the discomfort in my hips in the third trimester, the no sleep factor with getting up to use the bathroom in the last weeks of the pregnancy...it was all worth it.

No matter what way babies come into your family (IVF, adoption, C-section, Natural, etc.).  No matter how hard it may seem to get them here, it is all worth it to hold that little baby in your arms the first time and staring into their eyes.  I thought I knew what love is, but it's so much more.  I'm so glad that my birth went well.  It wasn't was I expected and I didn't give birth how I wanted to, but I did get the most perfect son.  We love him so much.

Meet Dexter Ronald Nielsen.  Dexter is a mix between Derek and Derek's father, Rex.  Ronald is after my Mom's dad who passed away a few years ago.  He was 6 pounds 14 ounces and 17 inches long.  We are smitten and in love as every parent should be over their children.  (And we are exhausted too.)

LETS TALK VOX BOX...

Every couple months I get a Vox Box in the mail.  This is the perfect thing to sign up for if you have instagram, twitter, pinterest, a blog, and other social media sites.  Go to www.influenster.com to sign up and connect your social media sites to your profile.  The more friends you have on your social media sites, the more "points" you obtain.  Every time you share your freebie goodies on your sites, using certain hashtags, you get points.  You can also obtain more points to qualify for other Vox Boxes by taking surveys through the website.

It's such an easy thing to do and you always get at least one thing in your Vox Box that you like.  Become an influenster and get spoiled with free product!  In my last box I got a mascara that I'm completely converted to.  With this box, I got Vitamin B Energy boosts, soft lips cube + awesome coupons, lady products (I can't use those right now, but soon enough the time will come), and Elizabeth Arden skin care.

WHY DOES IT MATTER TO YOU?...

This post will be short, but lately, I've had a few conversations with people about pregnancy.  It's not like they can tell that I'm pregnant with my 32 week belly.  During these conversations, I seem to always get asked, "How long have you and your husband been married?"  When I tell them we have been married a year, they looked shocked.  They are shocked that we got pregnant after only about 6 months of being married.  Apparently, the "proper" thing is to be married for at least a year and then start trying to have children.

This might just be pregnant emotions getting the best of me, but to those who judge others for still being single, judge others for getting married at a young age, judge others for not being able to have children, judge others for trying to have children before they have been married a year, and just those who judge others...why does it matter to you?

Everyone's life is completely different.  I've been thinking a lot about my potential lately and my individual role in this life.  We all have different paths.  We all have different goals.  We all have a different plan to help us become the best version of ourselves ever.  So, to looked shocked because someone else's life is different, is a bit shocking.  Being different, having a different life plan than others, is what makes us all unique, important, and special in not only this world, but to God.

The reasons of why someone does something or why they can't do something, or when someone does something, shouldn't matter.  What matters is that we treat everyone with love and respect.  We may not agree with others life choices or agree with the plan that God has for them, but what it comes down to, is we all need to feel loved.  

Next time we get in these conversations and our natural man instinct is to act shocked...I hope we all think twice and we react in a manner of love and understanding.  I haven't been perfect at this, but I hope to teach this principle to my little boy and I hope that I can continue to apply this principle that I am constantly learning over and over again.

To love and to be loved.  

MODIFIED MAXI SKIRT TIPS...

So, I have found that being pregnant in the summer time is HARD! It is hot and I'm so tall that it's hard for me to find cute maternity clothes that fit my long legs and my long torso with my 29 week baby bump.

As many of you might have known, I have taken up sewing lessons from my mom.  I've learned to turn pants into shorts (a must know for when you have a little boy I hear), a baby blanket, and now knit skirts that can stretch and breath easy.

First of all, I went and got my fabric at the Fabric Mill.  They always have coupons, just search for Fabric Mill Coupons, screen shot the result with your phone, and take it in to get the discount.  For my skirt, I got about a yard and a quarter of knit fabric.  Remember though, my skirt was just knee length, so I didn't have to get as much as when you make a full length skirt.  The ladies at the store can help you figure out how much you need.  The biggest thing when getting your fabric is measuring from your waist, where you will wear the skirt, to how long you want it to be.  I measured mine from waist to about my mid calf, to give me some lee-way in case I messed up on the serger.

On my pinterest, I found a tutorial that I really liked.  BUT, I would change a few things.

Here are the things I would change:

1.  Measure, cut, and sew the waist part first.  (the two right sides faced together and sewn/serged down each end.) The waist measurement was way off.  Depending on how much your fabric stretches, you want the waist to be smaller then what she said to measure.  I would measure your waist, divide it by 2 and then subtract it by 1 to give you an accurate measure when you are measuring your waist.  Don't add anything to the measurement.  Remember that knits are stretchy!  Once you get it sewn, you might even think that it is still too big and want to take off another inch.

2.  After your waist is sewn, then measure your waist band.  Mine ended up being 18 inches.  I used the 18 inches for the top width of measuring my skirt.

3.   The next thing I would do is not to taper your skirt so far out on the bottom.  When we followed the tutorial, we laid out the fabric and used the edges of the fabric to be our angle measurement.  When we cut the fabric and then when we sewed it, it had these little flappy wings on the sides.  So, I wouldn't measure it all the way down the folded side or the other edge.  I wouldn't taper the bottom out of the skirt as much either.  Next time, I would do a straighter cut to eliminate the process of taking in skirt at the end.


Those are the only things I would change.  Other than that, the tutorial was pretty easy to follow, and I actually understand where to sew things together.  Where to put the fabric together, where to pin, etc.  This is coming from a girl who hasn't sewn much since 7th grade home economics class.

Hopefully your skirt will look as cute as mine!

THE FUNNEST DATES...

When we first got pregnant, Michelle got really sick.  Our dating life kind of plunged in the toilet, along with any amount of energy she used to have.  Now that she is feeling better, we have revived our dates.  Here are some of our favorite dates.

1.  We love checking out GROUPON and KSL DEALS for different places to eat and different activities.  The coupons are for like 20% discount on meals, discounted hotels, discounted COUPLES MASSAGES, etc.  It's well worth it to "splurge" on one of these and you're not spending a fortune.

2.  The PASS OF ALL PASSES gets you in to pretty much anything for a discount or for FREE.  We love going to Seven Peaks.  The wife can't go on any rides right now, so she floats in a tube around the lazy river while I guide her through the crazy splashing kids.  Oh and did I mention, you can get in FREE to any Seven Peaks Fun Center to Mini Golf and there is FREE bowling at Sandy Bowling Lanes Monday through Thursday, I believe.

5.  We LOVE going to the dollar movies.  No one really goes to the dollar movies anymore.  There are multiple times when we go see a movie there and we are the only ones in the theater.  It's fun to just cuddle and sit in the back, eat our popcorn, and be the last of the crowd to watch the movies.

6.  Another great place to go to the movies is the Water Gardens Cinema.  At this place, the movies that are in transition from the regular theater to the dollar theater go here.  It's around $3 per ticket to see a movie, but the real deal is the price of their candy/popcorn.  It's so cheap!  Check out their prices HERE.

7.  We like taking hikes, but with a pregnant wife, you can't go too far and do anything too strenuous. So, we like going up to Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon.  The best part about this walk, is it's on paved ground and at the end, you can take off your shoes and put your feet in the water fall run off water.  It's so gorgeous too.

8.  We really enjoy going to concerts.  It's hard, when you're newlyweds, justifying spending $40 on a ticket to see Journey or Tim McGraw, BUT, concerts are still so much fun.  So...how do we get our "music fix" and not spend as much money?  Go to smaller concert venues.  All you do is pay an entrance fee to get in and you can listen a lot of local bands.  You will pay half the price to listen to music for the two of you, rather than $40 for each.  In Utah, we are pretty lucky because there are some great local artists.  Remember Neon Trees started locally.

9.  We love trying new meals together.  The other day, the wife bought some zucchini.  So, I asked her on a date to our small kitchen to make fried zucchini.  It was really good.  We can't wait until more of the fruit and veggie stands open and we can use fresh garden zucchini to fry.  Find a recipe on pinterest and try it out!

10.  Gym dates.  It's true.  A couple that works out together, is happier.  For newlyweds, even though I don't like the young single men tools at Gold's Gym, they do offer the best monthly price for work out activities.  They have some great classes taught both in the morning and evening.  Since we have a little one coming, we will probably be changing our gym location to a more family friendly place.  But, for newlyweds, Golds Gym is the best priced.

11.  We also love going to the Dollar Store.  You never know what kind of gizmos and gadgets you can find there.  Whether it be glow sticks, a little football, cheap little water guns, or candy.  It's always fun to go in, relive your childhood, and find something for a date night to do.  They even have water noodles at the dollar store to take to the local pool.

12.  We love having game nights with other couples or our families.  Some of our favorite games are, Phase 10, Farkle, Yhatzee, Rook, Clue, UNO, etc.  Card games aren't that expensive and if you are on a budget, go to Walmart.  They always have games for a pretty decent.  OR if you are really on a budget, head on over to the D.I.  You never know what kind of games can be there and sometimes they are in pretty good condition.  For those of you, who aren't married yet, REGISTER FOR GAMES ON YOUR WEDDING REGISTRY.  Then, you don't have to buy any!

We hope you enjoy this post of fun dates.  And let us know if you try any out, or if you have any more ideas!

Thanks!

FIVE REASONS WOMEN SHOULD GET A DEGREE...

Today was really bittersweet for me as I put my back pack on my shoulders and waddled my pregnant self up to campus again.  This time, however, was the last time I will ever set foot onto BYU campus again.  It's an exciting feeling knowing you are done.  The relief I feel of NEVER having to do homework again and being able to read what I want to is quite rewarding.  Though, there is that fear of not having your professors to rely on.  But, I'm confident that I will be just fine.

With our baby coming, I don't know if I will ever go into a career.  I think it's hard for some women to become successful in business because so much of us end up having children and raising them.  When we found out we were pregnant, I was a little shocked and nervous-I kept thinking, "I'm just going to end up being a mom...why do I need a degree?"  

But this thinking is NOT accurate.  There are multiple reasons to get a degree as a woman, whether you use your degree or not.

Reason #1
It's liberating.  It's empowering as a woman to have my name on a piece of paper that is framed. Finishing 4 years of college makes me feel like I can do ANYTHING.  I will do anything, as long as it doesn't kill me.  (Note to my husband: I'm rethinking my agreement to you on scuba diving in Belize with sharks for our 10 year anniversary).

Reason #2
What if I get a phone call one day, "Your husband has just passed away in a severe car crash." (or something along those lines).  As distraught as I may be, I will have a degree and can become a successful career woman to support my family.

Reason #3
Finances could get rough down the road.  One day, there could be another huge crash in the economy and I might have to go to work to help bring home the bacon.  My degree will just help increase my salary each year.

Reason #4
I want to be a role model.  It's cool to have a degree.  I want my kids, my nieces/nephews, my younger cousins, to know that.  Hopefully it will increase their desire to get a college degree as well.

Reason #5
You learn so much while having the "college experience."  From living with roommates to making sure you are in class on time.  You grow up when you go to college.  I learned responsibility, how to be independent, how to communicate better with others, how to break up with boys, and how to love unconditionally.  I also learned things that are very prominent in my major yet can be applicable in any field.  I could one day want to go back to get my Masters because I love learning.  Who doesn't like learning?

There are so many more reasons for women to get a degree.  For some women, it might just be that they want a degree to become a successful career woman.  That's a great reason!  But, if you are thinking of NOT getting a degree, or some kind of certification in something, I would suggest for you to make a list of all the reasons WHY you should get a degree.  They far out weigh the reasons to not finish school.

I loved my time in college.  I'm so grateful to my wonderful family who pushed me to finish and supported me during my lengthy decision process of what to major in.  My husband is such a rock star to help me out late at night when I had some stressful school projects.  And I can't forget all the amazing friends I met in my major and classes.  Some of those people I had to rely heavy on this last winter semester while my baby boy was making me so sick-I'm so in debt to them.

Oh, and I can't forget to thank my dad, whom gave me great advice when I got one of 2 C's in college from mandatory religion classes (they are really hard!)..."B's and C's get degrees."  I wouldn't live by this motto while going to school, but it comforted me to know that I could still get a degree with getting a C in my Teachings of the Living Prophets class.

CONGRATS TO BYU'S CLASS OF 2014!

SPIDERS…EEK!

Dear  Readers,

I am pretty sure I have aracnophobia.  Not to be cheesy, but wikipedia states, "People with arachnophobia tend to feel uneasy in any area they believe could harbor spiders or that has visible signs of their presence, such as webs. If arachnophobics see a spider, they may not enter the general vicinity until they have overcome the panic attack that is often associated with their phobia. Some people scream, cry, have trouble breathing, have excessive sweating or even heart trouble when they come in contact with an area near spiders or their webs. In some extreme cases, even a picture or a realistic drawing of a spider can also trigger fear."  

That definition is me when I see a spider.  We live in a little fourplex in the basement.  I love where we live.  I love our neighbors.  There are quite a few hispanics around us and I love listening to the little kids talk to their moms, "Linda!  Listen to me!"  I also love listening to our back yard neighbors get a little tipsy and sing a bunch of songs with their guitar late at night.  

The only thing I don't like, is that our cute, cozy apartment is right next to a big field.  This means that every once in awhile we get a few spiders.  These spiders are mostly small, but every once in awhile a big one comes along.  I'm pretty sure the big ones are an occasional hobo spider.  I've had the husband spray our apartment, I've used the peppermint essential oils mixed with water and spray around the complex, and our landlord even got the heavy duty spider spray to spray around our complex. But, every couple weeks without fail, there is a spider.

Of course, when I see the spider, I smash it with a shoe.  I HATE using tissue to get the spider because of the feeling when it squishes between my hands.  I also get these nightmares that I will wake up in the morning and spiders will be crawling everywhere on the floor.  FREAKY!!  I've tried to educate myself on spiders and why they are beneficial.  BUT, Nothing has worked and they still freak me out.  I am the definition of arachnophobia on the wikipedia web page.  I sweat when I see them.  I about pee my pants when I see them.  I scream!  

Usually the husband will be home so he can get the spiders and calm me down from my state of panic.  But, here is my newlywed dilemma.  I need some advice and need it fast!  What do I do when I see a spider and my husband is not home to step on it or squish it for me?  

Sincerely,

A freaked out-scared-pregnant wifey who hates spiders.

THE SUGAR IN LEMONADE...

I haven't ever been very public about my past, but there are a few, who know that before I married my now husband Derek, I was married before.  In the LDS religion, there are a lot of girls who get married at the age of 19.  While, this is not a bad thing, and I'm sure most of those marriages turn out to be great, I fell victim of this.  This marriage was not the greatest.  There was physical, emotional, and verbal abuse.  I finally felt so alone, that I reached out to my parents to help me get away.

Through much pain, heartache, drama, contemplating thoughts, doubts of my self-image, and depression, I was able to overcome this with the help from a lot of people.  But, it wasn't easy.  This time in my life was probably the actual first time I ever realized, life is hard.  I kept thinking over and over to myself, life hands you lemons, but how do you make lemonade after something so sour and bitter like a divorce?  I didn't know how to add the "sugar" to my lemonade until I went on a LDS mission. 

Being on a mission was another glimpse for me that life was hard.  A mission is hard.  I would get frustrated when people didn't listen to the truth I was trying to share with them.  I would get sad when someone didn't want us to come over and teach them anymore.  I would get angry when my companion and I helped someone stop smoking for a week then started right back up again.  All of the sudden, the burden, I was making myself carry was too much to bear.  I was tired of feeling frustrated about the people I worked with while on the mission.  I was tired of still feeling alone from my divorce.  Again, I asked myself frequently, how do I make lemonade out of all these lemons?  

The answer was simple.  I finally gave my heart to the Savior.  That is the sugar.  To just stop worrying about things and trust in God.  Once I did that, I felt truly happy and relieved.  Derek and I are approaching our first anniversary in July.  Marriage is the best, though we have gone through our ups and downs already.  But, what I've learned from my past to apply to this marriage, add 1 cup of sugar everyday and it will make the sourness go away.  

This doesn't mean that everyday in our marriage is bad, but every once in awhile when we do face a little trial, I have to do my part to add a bigger part of Christ into my life.  This helps me get through anything.  I do that by, reading my scriptures, saying my prayers, going to church, paying tithing, etc.  What helps even more, is making them a priority in our marriage.

I'm so grateful that I have learned to make lemonade out of the most sour situations in my life.  I'm glad that my husband also knows how to do this.  When this principle is applied, you feel a strong feeling of hope for the future.  While I was on my mission, I felt this hope.  I didn't know it would come with getting married again and preparing for our first born son.  But, I knew that God had a plan for me.  For  everyone, adding that 1 cup of sugar can add hope to your life too-whatever that is, only God knows, but it is wonderful.

Sometimes I slack a little bit and just drink the sour/bitter lemon juice.  I get frustrated with living in a small apartment, being broke, and looking ahead at all the schooling my husband will have left in Grad School one day.  But, then I remember my Savior and feel hope for our family.  I'm not sure where we will go to continue his education, I'm not sure where we will live one day, but I know that God has a plan for Derek and me.  It's all because I add in that 1 cup of sugar to my life everyday.  We also do those things as a couple.  (Shout out to my awesome husband!  I love you!)

So, go make lemonade out of the lemons in your life with the sugar we all have access to.  And feel hope for the future.

BOY OR GIRL?...

We asked people what they thought the gender of our baby would be…and the majority thought it would be a girl.  Although some people said it would be human, which we're starting to doubt looking at our ultrasound pictures.  It still looks like an alien.


Anyways, the results are below.  We are so excited for this little baby boy to join us in September!

FAILING AT COOKING...

Sometimes, I feel like a horrible wife.  I love surprising the husband with dinner.  I've been sick so I haven't cooked much.  But, the other day, I felt well enough to throw a little something in the crockpot. I found a glorious recipe on pinterest for minestrone soup.  It would have been really yummy.  But, I went to class and forgot to turn the crockpot on low!

DANG IT!  (Well, I thought a little more than that, but for the sake of sanity, I will be PG.)

I got home from school and it was a pile of mush!  So gross!  I dumped it out.  So, we ended up having chicken enchilada soup from Costco for dinner, with avocado cut up in it.

The lessons to be learned here, is sometimes pinterest fails AND to always have back up dinner in the fridge or freezer somewhere like a frozen pizza or soup from Costco.  If you are just newly married, then use one of those glorious gift cards someone has given you.

I'm always checking out food blogs for new recipes and don't understand how can their food look so perfect all the time?  These bloggers carve creatures out of watermelons to fancy up their fruit plate, or the frosting on the cupcakes is absolutely perfect to the T with no hint of fingerprints.

Please tell me, that I will only get better at this…if not, maybe this just isn't my talent and I should pursue my domestic attempts somewhere else like in Karate, Acrobatics, Yoga…the list goes on and on.

It's times like these where I'm really thankful for my husband and his willingness to support me for richer and for poorer.  Failing at cooking, especially while pregnant, is by far a very very emotional.

We would love to know some of your favorite EASY recipes, paste the link to a recipe in a comment below!  

DIY PROJECTS...

First off, everyone was so sweet to comment with all sorts of ideas on how to cure my pregnancy sickness.  I guess I should clarify that pregnancy sickness can NOT be cured.  We found that the biggest things to help me get over the hump of sickness were:

 Try my hardest to sip on fluids.
Go get an IV of fluids if I'm not really succeeding at drinking fluids.
Vitamin B6 shots every couple days.

Here is a 16 week ultrasound picture of our baby!  It kind of looks like an alien.  Our midwife said, she thought she something BUT she kept saying "I'm not an ultrasound tech, so I could be totally wrong."  We had a hunch it was a girl, but now we have absolutely no idea!
Hurry up 20 week May 8th appointment so we can know our baby's gender! 

Anyways, Derek and I are slowly starting organize our apartment a little bit.  We have a lot of things for being newlyweds.  It's been interesting trying to find a spot for everything.  We love doing a lot of DIY projects together, and organizing means just that.


I think I knew we would some sort of life-changing event happen and so last November, we invested in a nicer TV stand.  It was a little beat up, so we decided to sand it down and paint it!

I LOVE bright colors.  I have so many ideas for what I would love to do with my house one day.  Lets just say, my kitchen will one day trump everyone else's.  This TV stand will be project number 2 we have worked on together as a couple.

I think that working on projects together, makes you closer than ever.  I really enjoy the time I get to spend watching my husband sand something…I think it is very manly!  I'm not really sure what he thinks of me when I sweat, with my hair pulled back in a messy pony-tail, while painting a small crevasse.  He probably dies over how attractive I look.

I'm not sure how many projects we will get in once we have our new born.  We will probably be too tired to even think of doing any projects.

Anyways, I would love to hear some of the projects you have worked on with your spouse or even with your kids.  We always love getting ideas for what we can do now and in the future together.

Thanks!

Check out our masterpieces below:

(Our bedroom vintage dresser)

 (And the yellow TV stand)

  

What No One Tells You About Pregnancy...

First of all, the hubs and I thought of some extravagant way to announce this, but I have been feeling so sick that this little bit of writing, a picture, and a Facebook post on April Fools Day will have to suffice.  Welcome to the reality of being 15 weeks pregnant.  I never imagined that I would be pregnant so soon after getting married.  Though I feel that this little lemon sized child couldn't have come at a better time.  Finding out that I was pregnant came with a huge shock.  We thought it would take a few months of trying to get pregnant, but this little one was anxious to come down right away..

Up until recently, having children scared me.  The thought of raising an child to hopefully one day become an independent adult was a real, scary thought.  However, since finding out that this little he/she/it (say that really fast) is in my stomach, I have realized that it is a privilege to rear a child.  I also keep thinking how neat it is that Heavenly Father entrusts the husband and I to teach this child correct principles, values, and to nourish them physically and spiritually.  It makes me feel indebted to God that he trusts me to be a mother.

Though at the same time, I keep wondering why I signed up to be a female in heaven.  I thought pregnancy would be an absolute joy, but it's not.  What husband and I have learned is that the first trimester, and perhaps the whole pregnancy, is the worst in the history of EVER.  I have never been so sick in my life.  I have been throwing up constantly.  From IV's to Anti-Nausea medicine, everyone keeps telling me that it will all be worth it in the end once they place the little nugget in your arms.  I just keep telling them (secretly, in my head of course) to shut up!!  I don't see the light at the end of the tunnel yet.

I find myself getting frustrated.  I tend to think that tomorrow I'll feel better.  Tomorrow comes and I feel just as sick.  My mother-in-law never got sick when she was pregnant and I look at her and wish I could say the same one day, "I loved being pregnant."  Throughout this, I have gained a greater appreciation for my own mother.  How did she get through her pregnancies, being so sick, especially when there were other kids around.  I FEEL LIKE I CAN'T EVEN GET THROUGH THIS ONE!  So, mom, you amaze me.

I puke.  I feel so tired.  My breasts hurt.  I pee all the time.  Acne is out of control.  I cry over nothing.  I am having really bad sciatic pain.  I feel like I have permanent bruising on my arm from getting IV's.  I'm so abnormally tired.  I have gross tasting saliva in my mouth.  I crave the strangest things…fish tacos…and then next thing I know, they are regurgitating out of my mouth.  Talk about a bad taste!  There have been so many days where I have just hung out in the bathroom with my blanket, right next to the toilet.

And ohhh, my poor husband.  He has been the dishwasher, the laundry doer, the clothes folder, the bathroom cleaner.  He does the grocery shopping and never fails to get the 12 pack of sprite each week that I desperately need.  I feel that I can't contribute to anything because I can't really do anything.  Pregnancy is over taking my life!  I then start to feel down about myself and find that getting depressed is easy as ABC and 1-2-3.

The only thing I can contribute is attempting to take my progesterone, folic acid, and gigantic pre-natal pills every night.  Darkness comes and there my sweet hubby is, coaching me through, trying to distract me, so I don't throw the pills back up.  It's like running an emotional marathon every night.  There have been numerous occasions where I just sit and cry to the husband because I think, "I CAN NOT DO THIS.  I DON'T WANT TO BE PREGNANT.  WHY DO I HAVE TO BE SO SICK?  STOP MAKING ME SICK CHILD!!"  The hubs just listens and rubs my back.  But then, I have the thought, "I wouldn't have given you a child if I thought you couldn't handle this."  So, then I feel somewhat comforted that I will get through this someway, somehow.  But it's hard.

From all the women I have talked to, some women experience only part of these symptoms.  Others experience none.  And the lucky ones, such as myself, just get them all.  Anyways, while I experience this trauma, I often find myself pleading with God to let me have a good, healthy baby and an easy delivery.  Since my whole spine is fused, I can't get an epidural.  This means, I have no choice but to give birth naturally.  "Dear God, please make up for my pregnancy sickness (and my fused back) and let my delivery be easy!!  Oh please, oh please!!"

Well, if you have any suggestions to help reduce some of my pain and sickness, please let me or the husband know.  Let me rephrase that, let us know AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.  Thanks!  Even though there are lots of things that I have not liked about being pregnant, the most important thing is that we are truly excited to have a baby.

(I guess I should mention there are a few positive things about pregnancy.  My nails are growing really fast.  My hair is a bit thicker.  Seeing the baby on the ultrasound and listening to the heartbeat was surreal.  However, so far, the cons outweigh the pros and my opinion of pregnancy is very negative.)

Health Insurance...

As last semester ended, we realized we needed to take care of health insurance.  The good news with health insurance is that you can stay on your parents until you are 26.  If your parents will let you stay on their health insurance with the new Obama Care happening, do it!  You can save some cash every month!  However, as I'm (the wife) is turning 26 in just a few weeks, we needed to make the change.

We asked my parents the best way to do this and they suggested to get an insurance broker.  We contacted him and he did most of the work.  He asked me if I would be planning on getting any surgeries this next year or having any children…these affect which plan you get and which deductible you will want.

He then went over all the terms we should know…and he put them in understandable terms.  For instance, we had no idea what a deductible was.  BUT we know what it is now!  He also links up the insurance company with you for payment each month.  He called us on the phone with the insurance company on the other line and helped out with the process.  I honestly thought that I would have to find the plan myself, know all this information beforehand, and lets just say, I was stressing out.

The lesson to be learned here as newly weds, is get an insurance broker/agent.  They don't cost anything and do everything for you!  They answer all your questions and take the stress away.  To celebrate our grown up accomplishment, we took a trip to Portland, Oregon where we served LDS missions and also met.  It was lovely and I felt safe on the way there as my health was insured.

Our First Christmas...

With being newlywed, the holidays can get tricky.  Parents aren't quite to used to the fact that their child is sharing their life with their spouse now.  At times parents seem to expect the newlyweds to drop everything and be the "daddys little girl" or "mommas boy" that they used to be.  However, when it comes to the Holidays, this parental thinking can hinder what newlyweds think about the Holiday season.

This is why we decided to alternate years on which family we will spend Christmas with.  This last year we spent it with the wifes family.  Next year we will spend it with the husbands family.  We are sure that eventually we will just want to spend Christmas as a family, but we don't have any children yet, so we feel it neccessary to comply to our parents wishfulness at this moment in time.

Despite all this chaos, it was nice to rekindle our first date love by going to Temple Square, seeing the lights, and attending the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Concert.  Enjoy the pictures of our life!

We are also in the market for a high quality camera.

What is the best kind to get?