One Step Closer!

The color looks kind of funny in these pictures, but these boards are SO cute! I can't wait to put pictures up!!

Full length view of the wall with the bulletin boards. One day we will have some kind of toy holder thing
to go below these, but right now it will just be empty!
This is the furthest back I could walk to get a picture of the curtains and dresser! It is all looking so cute!
The curtains are the same striped material that the bulletin board are covered with. They turned out adorable!

We are a little closer to finishing the babies room! Yippy! It is starting to come together and I think it looks adorable. I am really glad that a few of my "creations" have turned out a least presentable (and I am pretty sure even cuter than just presentable). I have been inspired by lots of catalogs, but especially Pottery Barn. We can't afford Pottery Barn right now, so I just try to copy the ideas! I have a few more projects to do and a shelf to put up, but otherwise it is done! The project I am most proud of is the bulletin boards. Aren't they cute? I can't wait to display pictures for her!!!!

What should we have for dinner???

That is the question that gets asked over and over again at our house (which is a continuation of the same question being asked daily in my house growing up...) I have been trying really hard to make a meal plan and stick to it! That has saved us time and money, but I have noticed (and Jeff has pointed out) that we eat the same things OVER and OVER again! It gets so boring. I LOVE his mom's stroganoff recipe and it is so easy, but we went through a phase that we probably ate it 2 times a week!

I need ideas!!!! I have looked through many cookbooks, recipe blogs and websites, some have worked out and others haven't. What do you guys eat???? Any easy (or atleast not extremely time consuming) recipes to share???

My sister-in-law, Carole, is an amazing cook (I haven't sampled much of her cooking, but I have heard from many other family members that her cooking is great!) and she recently started a recipe blog. I have tried some of her recipes and it has inspired me to ask other people for MORE! We love all kinds of food, so if you have any recipes send them my way... cara5386@gmail.com!!! Also, if anyone else would like any recipes that I get sent to them let me know and I will e-mail them to you! I totally appreciate anyone who as any ideas at all!! Even if you don't have a recipe you can send me that idea and I will look up a recipe!!!

THANK YOU!!!! Our tummys will appreciate a little variation in our diets!!!

One funny moment from last night

If you haven't read the post below read it first- then come back to this one (it will make more sense that way!!)


Last night I spent about 5 hours in labor and delivery triage before I got a real room (too many people having babies!!). While in triage I was able to unplug the monitors myself and wheel the IV stand with me to take my many bathroom breaks. All of you who have been pregnant understand that you need to use the restroom A LOT!

Around 8:30pm Jeff left to go get me some dinner- I didn't feel like hospital food. Right after he left the nurse came in to wheel me to my real room for the night. I was excited to be off the gurney in the triage room. When she hooked me back up on the machines and to the electric IV pole. She said that if I needed to use the restroom she would have to come help me unhook the IV. At the time I didn't need to use the restroom, so I told her okay and she left. Jeff got back to the hospital a little while later. I filled him in on what he had missed and then told him I needed to call the nurse to come help me unhook the IV so that I could go to the bathroom. I pushed the nurse call button and was informed that my nurse would come help me soon. 5 minutes go by, 10 minutes go by, 20 minutes go by and at this time I was getting pretty desperate for the bathroom. Jeff was very confident that he could help me unhook from the IV. His first instinct was to unplug it from the wall and wheel it into the bathroom with me. That made me incredibly nervous because it seemed too easy (and the nurse could have just told me that from the beginning). We started looking at the IV and Jeff was sure he knew how to unhook it. So he turns off the liquids flow and the machine starts beeping at us. He pushed silent. Then we unhooked the two pieces of tubing and I was exstatic that I was able to use the bathroom. I quickly unplugged the other monitors and started off to the bathroom. But (and of course there is always a but...) I noticed liquid squirting out of the end of the tubing that was connected to me! I look down and my IV tube is quickly filling with blood- YIKES! I put my finger over the end of the tube- hoping that would keep the blood from coming out further and yelled at Jeff to help me. We were both laughing so hard. He looked down and noticed we hadn't clamped down the tubing that was connected to me! He got me all connected again to the IV machine and I sat in bed looking at him like we had just done something terrible. The IV machine wouldn't work again and it kept beeping at us. He pushed some buttons and it started working again...
You should have seen the two of us. We both looked like kids who had been caught with their hands in the cookie jar. I told Jeff that my IV was full of blood and the nurse would know that we had done something bad. I asked him "What should we tell her?" Just like we used to do when my siblings and I would do something we weren't supposed to do and then tried to come up with a cover story! It was hilarious that I was so scared that the nurse was going reprimand us! We lucked out though. When she came in about ten minutes later the IV had cleaned itself out almost all the way and she didn't even notice!!!

The best part of the story... She came in and unplugged the machine from the wall and then said "That's all you have to do". Oops- I guess I was being a little paranoid!!!! *Note to Jeff---Honey, you were right :-)

But, now I get to tease Jeff that his confidence almost made me bleed to death :-)!!

Trial Run...

Friday, May 16th

6:40am: I woke up and had the most miserable pain all over my belly. My stomache was completely hard. And I was so tired from the horrible nights sleep that I got the night before.

6:50am: I was getting ready to go sub for the teacher who I student taught with. I had been looking forward to teaching her kids again and was SO excited, but my abdomin was still painful and rock hard.

7:00am: As I was eating breakfast I contemplate cancelling my substitute job for the day. Against my better judgement I decide to go.

7:15am: I am off to work!

7:30am-2:45pm: The pain is off and on all day. Jeff looks up a bunch of articles on telling the difference between Braxton-Hicks contractions, false labor, and real contractions. We conclude through most of the day that I was just having false contractions (because Braxton-Hicks are not painful...) Right before taking the kids to P.E. I was in so much pain that I could hardly stand and sitting down didn't feel much better--oh no! So, while the kids are at P.E. I call Jeff, my Mom, and the doctors office (of course the nurse is at lunch and I have to call back in 45 minutes). I relax for 45 minutes while the kiddos were at specials and began to feel a tiny bit better. I decided to finish out the rest of the day at school (only an hour left).

3:00pm: I leave the school and call the doctors office again. They take all my information and right a brief summary of what I have been feeling.

3:08pm: I get home and feel a bit better until the pain starts to be so intense again. I start timing between contractions again and was having them about 3 minutes apart. In the mean time, the nurse calls back. I tell her everything that has been happening and that I had been timing them all day long. She immediately says "Are you in San Antonio?" I said "Yes" and then she proceed to tell me that I needed to go to St. Luke's hospital and go to the Labor and Delivery floor.

3:30pm: I get off the phone and have a brief emotional moment (really I just broke down and cried for about 5 minutes). We quickly grabbed everything we needed- hospital bag, camera, insurance card- JUST IN CASE and head out the door.

4:00pm: We are scheduled to start out prep class at the hospital June 5th (which includes a tour of the hospital). Luckily we had driven to the hospital before and knew which entrance to use. We wondered the halls of the hospital trying to find Labor and Delivery.

4:15pm: I was admitted and they start monitoring the contractions and the babies heart rate.

4:30pm-8:30am Saturday, May 17th: They monitor me all night long. Of course, once we get to the hospital my painful contractions were almost gone. They kept monitoring for me awhile and then the doctor came in to check on me. He said that I was not dilated at all (which was great) and gave me a shot of Terbutaline to stop the contractions.

So, the rest of the night was spent in the hospital. They continued monitoring me for the rest of the night and into the morning. We are very blessed because the medicine did its job! After about 9pm I did not have another contraction! I got to leave the hospital this morning with the orders to take it easy this weekend and then to ease back into normal activities on Monday (Just in time to hang out with the Konkle's and Ray's!!).

It was such a scare because all of my sister's kids have been born extremely early, but we are glad that everything worked out!

It wasn't the worst trial run. It could have been worse, but I think we will be a little more efficent next time. We will even know where to walk once we get to the hospital! Maybe next time we will even return home with a cute little baby (as long as next time doesn't have before like June 20th)...

I called this picture (taken on Jeff's cellphone- that is why it looks so funny) the happy hospital picture. There was another one that I named the sad hospital picture because I looked really sad :-) Aren't you all SO jealous of my beautiful gown?

Boys and their Toys

Jeff is done with finals and has been so excited to play the Wii a little more. He has been perfecting his skills and I love playing with him (usually I loose...)! The Wii has become his favorite boy toy! This morning we had our nephew Jaxon over. He also really enjoyed his own toys- rattles and teething rings. Jeff was laying on the floor playing Mario Kart and Jaxon was sitting next to him. They both were concentrating so hard on their toys when I snapped a few photos.

I looked over a minute later and Jaxon had laid down on the pillow with Jeff. He laid there for about 5 minutes just watching Jeff play. It was SO adorable!!!

Mothers are wonderful

Happy Mother's Day

I hope that all of you Mothers and Mothers-to-be had a great Mother's Day!! I had a great day. Jeff started the morning with some delicious waffles, followed by a couple of present (mostly things to help me with the newest phase of life starting so soon!!), and then a nice afternoon movie and snuggle! Then we went to his sister's ward and listened to her and her husband give talks in sacrament. They both did an amazing job, I wish every mom/mom-to-be could have heard them!

Happy Birthday!

I had such a wonderful 22nd birthday!!! Jeff had to take a final that day, so I just had a lazy morning. I even finished the top of a quilt that I had been working on (yippy!!). When Jeff got home from his final I got to open my presents! I got some very fun things including Mario Kart for the Wii, a pedicure and the BEST gift of all (and one I have been begging for....) was this snow cone machine shown below. We have had snow cones every night since!! After presents we played the Wii for a little and then headed out for dinner with my Jana and Chad (Jeff's sister and brother-in-law). It was so much fun hanging out with them and dinner was DELICIOUS! Then we headed back to their house to do cake and ice cream with the kiddos! I loved EVERY minute of my birthday!!! Thanks Jeff- you made it an amazing day!

Thank you SO much for all of the birthday wishes that I got through out the weekend! I loved hearing from everyone!!!

Pregnant Belly

Well, this is my tummy at 7 1/2 months. It is getting bigger! People at stores actually ask when I am due now. I am glad that I finallly look pregnant and not just chubby! When I was in the airport in April (going to AZ) a lady even let me go to the front of the line in the bathroom (I must have looked really desperate with my big belly!). I am starting to feel more uncomfortable, but I know it will only get worse!!!

A tons of post in one night....

Sorry, I know 3 post in one night- but this one will be short!

The other day our REALLY great friend Amber Phillips sent a picture to Jeff and I over facebook (there is a little bit of back story--- Cody and Amber just found out they are having a little boy in October). Here is the picture!

Jeff decided that he would improve on the picture...

We love Cody and Amber SOOOO much and are VERY happy for them and their little boy! I joke around that our little one will be his suga mama!! But of course they will be best little buddies!!!! Congrats again to the Phillips'!! We love you guys!!!

Teeter Teaches Torts....

(Hannah- You and Adam look amazing on our fridge!!!)

I love alliteration, don't you? Well, I have used this alliteration all semester to help me remember which teacher teaches which of Jeff's classes (none of the others sounded as fun, so I posted this one). I think it took me all semester to remember what his schedule was going to be on a daily basis. I think I finally had it pretty much memorized, but then he stopped having class and it was finally finals (another alliteration for you...) So, much of last week and all of this week have been completely devoted to studying for finals. In law school, let me remind you, the only grade you get is on your final exam. Pressure, I know! I worry so much more about Jeff's finals than he does, but this semester I decided I would be proactive and would help him study! I made him flashcards and put up signs all over the house with definitions on them. I quizzed him over and over again, and even tried to understand when he started talking to me about the difference in an easment in gross and an easemeant appurtenant (I have become a property guru, haha). He was most nervous to take his Property exam, which was his first one on Monday. We studied so hard for it and hope that it pays off! He takes his 3rd one, Torts, tomorrow (I know a Saturday final- doesn't that stink?). The 4th and 5th will be next week, but then he is ALL done- kind of! He gets to spend the rest of May working on his application to become part of the St. Mary's Law review. I can't wait for June :-)!!!! He has done an amazing job with law school. I am so proud of how hard he works and I'm pleased that I get to learn a little bit on the way too!

Some more of the "flashcards" that I put up all around our house. Some times I would hear Jeff talking to himself and I would realize he was answering the cards!!! I am glad I could help him a little!

Baby ?'s Room

So, we have the baby's room painted (mostly), the furniture is in, we put the bedding in the crib, and now I can't wait to finish making it look cute and girly! We choose an amazing color of green for the walls and eventually there will be the adorable tree painted too (once Jeff is done with school...). Then we had to add pink and purple, so we bought this rug at Wal-Mart (it was an amazing deal, if you are looking for a smaller rug you should totally check out Wal-Mart). Now I want to add some pink/butterfly/flowery curtains and a couple of other wall decorations to make the room complete! If you ever see cute and cheap decorations let me know where :-). I have been hunting at Ross for the past couple of weeks, but still nothing amazing!

P.S. If you are in the market for a crib and are on a budget, I would totally recommend the one we bought. It is from walmart.com. They send it for free to the store and it comes in like 3 colors. It is the Storkcraft Rochester crib. It was easy to put together and is SUPER cute!

The very expensive Wal-Martian rug! Machine-

crafted in China!!!
The crib!!!

Up close picture of the bedding! It is so cute!

Right now the glider is in our room, but eventually it will be in the baby's room. Also, it is next to my really messy nightstand, but if you ignore that you get the idea of how cute the chair really is!