Saturday, December 15, 2018

Pregnancy & Life Update

I have failed to do a blog update even once this pregnancy. I guess what they say about subsequent children is true... haha poor girl. I'd like to officially do one update for my own personal journal records though.

How far along? 37 weeks.

Baby growth and progress? Cantaloupe size (whatever that means).

Body/Weight Gain? 30ish lbs. Quite a bit more than with Vienna. I'm not working out anymore.... EEEK and I'm eating all the sweets.

Sleep? Bathroom breaks are frequent and I'm REALLY struggling with pelvic pain. But other than that I'm getting fair amounts of sleep.

Emotions? Not really nervous this time around. It's nice knowing what to expect. I am a bit anxious about labor and delivery though, but who isn't? 

Food cravings? I hardcore craved Subway sandwiches in the beginning. I currently crave that Costco caramel/cheddar popcorn. 

Maternity clothes? Always.

Stretch marks? NOTHING, again! I must have very elastic skin or something.

Movement? Yep. She's a little gymnast. 

Exercise?  I have had pretty intense pelvic pain for the past couple months. It has really limited my exercise. Also, I have just been more lazy. I had to stop running pretty early on, which was really frustrating. I stuck to biking, weights, and walking after that. I haven't done anything for a good month or two now though. UGH. I'm excited to get back into it once she arrives and I'm all recovered. 

Memorable pregnancy moments? I love watching Vienna figure out what is happening. She likes to touch my stomach and ask if the baby is "sleeping" or "kicking." The top names Vienna has picked out are "Money" and "Girl". Both solid choices... hahaha

Looking forward to: V being a big sister. And of course her arrival! Say it with me, "ANY day but Christmas, any day but Christmas."

Other random thoughts...

I am actually surprised at how comfortable I am for being just a few weeks away from childbirth. Don't get me wrong, it's not an enjoyable time when you're 9 months pregnant, but I am honestly functioning pretty well! My only real complaint is the pelvic pain. If that would just go away, I could hang in here for another month or two! 

I am nervous how Vienna is going to react once she realizes this baby is a permanent addition to the family. She's still a pretty shy/needy girl who wants lots of attention from us. She loves babies though and I can tell she senses change. It won't be a complete shock, maybe just a rough adjustment.

A couple months back I was asked to serve as the Primary President in our ward at church. (For all my friends of different faiths, it basically just means I get to oversee the children's program at church). It's a volunteer position that could honestly be a full time job, if you let it. It's a position that comes with constant... worry. Worry isn't the right word, but I can't think of anything else. Basically I'm constantly thinking how the kids are, how the teachers are, changes I need to make, people I need to visit, lessons I need to plan, events I need to plan, logistical movements in staff, etc. On top of that, I'm trying to grow a human and be a mom/wife! It's a lot.  I KNOW there are many people who could do the job better me, so I am just happy they are allowing me to serve. I have an amazing support system of counselors, secretaries, and teachers that are picking up my slack. I have no doubt they will continue to do so when I'm MIA the next couple months or so. 

I am mourning the loss of (or should I say "soaking in") a few things... 1) Vienna is still napping so I get uninterrupted "me" time each day. I honestly love that time. I'm going to miss it. I know it may still happen occasionally, but right now I really count on it each day. 2) One on one time with V. It's so nice being able to devote all of my attention to her. We'll both miss it. 3) Showers and sleep. These two things don't come easy with newborns, let alone with a toddler running around on top of it.


WHEW! After that completely unorganized, word vomit, update I am too tired and lazy to proof read. I am going to go take a nap while I still have a few minutes of "me" time left today. 

Thursday, August 2, 2018

Baby # 2

Guys, guess what?



 Some big changes are coming...



Baby GIRL #2 arriving 01.02.19!!




 Wait... 

does this mean I won't be an only child anymore???





Sunday, May 13, 2018

My Mom

I really believe Mothers are one of the greatest gifts we have. Although I didn’t demonstrate this by physically sending my mom anything this year (ugh... fail), I wanted to write something down so she knows it. Here’s my gift to you, Mom.

I want you to know how much I love and appreciate you. I recognize all of the sacrifices you made for me and our family over the years. Being a mom is easy, but being a great mom is HARD. You, Julie Russell, are a GREAT Mom.

My mom is...

Generous.
She is always giving. She shares her talents, money, and time more freely than anyone I know. She has given her children (and grandchild) everything we could need in life and much more.

Strong.
She isn’t afraid to stand up and be heard. She’s taught me how to be confident. She is a true leader in our family and her community.

Sincere.
No one is perfect, but I always know she is rooting for me in the best way. I know she would drop everything for me if needed, and she has before. She has the most pure heart. She is understanding when I need to vent. She always gives great advice. She is always thinking of how she help others.

Hard-working.
This one sounds like a resume builder, but I’m not kidding. If you know Julie Russell, you know she is a work horse. She is a mom, she owns her own therapy practice, she teaches Sunday school, she is on the city council... I could go on and on. She is never not busy, and that’s because she knows how to work.

Adventurous.
If you ever need an adventure partner, my Mom is your best bet. She loves to dance, hike, bike, workout, river raft, snorkel, scuba, ride horses, surf, swim, you name it! I love this about my Mom. We are similar in this way. Our family vacations are usually packed with fun, and it’s the best.

Cool.
My Mom listens to hip music. Her clothes are always in style. Her house is literally a turquoise interior design masterpiece. And folks... She knows how to use technology! (A rarity amongst our elders these days.)

Smart.
She is well informed. She stays educated. She reads books. She has an excellent memory. If she doesn’t know the answer, she will figure it out. She is so smart! I strive (but mostly fail) to be like my mom in this way.

If I can be even half the mom that she is to me, I will have been successful. I love you, Mama!

Happy Mother’s Day! ❤️❤️❤️

Monday, April 23, 2018

21 months (almost)

V: You are a happy, active, and chatty toddler these days! You are still in the 1%tile, but growing on your own curve. This is great news! You are in size 3 diapers and 12-18 month clothes. You are eating more food and drinking way less milk. You are learning new words everyday. Our favorite word you say right now is "happy" (pronounced "A-pee"). You are still terrified of people you don't know, and even some people you do know... ugh. You are just a shy kid, and that's OK. You love swimming and bath time. You also love helping me cook. Your favorite songs are Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Itsy Bitsy Spider. You LOVE being outside, so we are pretty excited for summer.

Me: I am just chugging along. I am busy doing things around our new house and teaching tumbling classes at TumbleTek. We got a garden plot in our neighborhood, so we are going to try our luck at gardening! It could be a complete failure, but hopefully we'll have some fresh garden veggies in a few months. We are pretty excited for summer! There are a bunch of pools and parks in our neighborhood. We will probably we outside everyday!

#ProjectVandMe













Not happy with the photos by the end. 

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Moab

This past weekend we took a spontaneous trip to Moab. We asked our friends, the Farnes family, to join us. It was completely last minute so we were happy they agreed. It wasn't ideal weather, but we knew that coming in. We bundled up and got outside anyway! The kids were such troopers. Overall, such a fun weekend. There is so much to see. We will have to return!


















V was NOT pleased.
TROOPER ^






Tuesday, February 6, 2018

18 months

V: It's been a while since I did one of these posts! You are developing into this bright, curious, fun toddler. You are talking like crazy and copying everything we do. Some of your favorite things are bubbles, airplanes, cats, and dogs. We had your 18 month doctor appointment and you're still tiny (1%tile in weight, 9%tile in height). We're trying hard to get you to love food as much as you love milk. You are officially in nursery at church! You are still extremely shy though. It may take a while for you to warm up, as it does in most new situations. You love music. You love to play the piano and sing along. You especially love Moana... We've seen it more times than I can count. You are always on the move and hate to sit still. (As you can see by the attempted photoshoot.) You are our greatest joy and will love you so very much.

Me: Our lives are pretty different since the last post. First off, we bought a house and moved to South Jordan! We love our new neighborhood. There are parks around every corner, an awesome community center, gym, pools, and friendly neighbors. We love being settled in a permanent place of our own. I've been getting back on track with my workouts. I was really burnt out after my half marathon last year. I got lazy and stopped working out all together for a while. It feels great to get back into it. I also started coaching tumbling at TumbleTek! I'm only teaching a couple classes a week for now, but I am enjoying it! It's so fun to get back into the tumbling/cheer/gymnastics world.