Welcome Baby Caleb!

Well then... Needless to say the weekend after my last post was a busy weekend!

On the 17th we were able to sign on the lease for our new apartment.  Yay!  We could move in.  My family came and was so great about moving all my boxes that were already packed.  Then Friday Jer's mom came and helped pack up the kitchen and cleaned.  Saturday was the big day of moving!  Some of the brothers came from the ward and helped load up the big stuff while I finished cleaning and directing traffic.  I'm so grateful for all those that helped!  It was a huge blessing to have help moving stuff, especially since there was so much I couldn't do.  So Saturday was a hugely very long day.

We had a fun miracle.  The PG apartment was already furnished when we moved in, so we didn't have to buy a couch or anything.  Well that became a problem when moving into an unfurnished apartment.  My preggo self did not think sitting on a monster sack was going to be very comfortable.  Or practical to be honest.  Getting out would be a challenge.  (looking back...sitting in the monster sack postpartum would have been worse!)  As we were finishing up loading everything on Saturday, Rachel came over and offered us the couch. Trevor, the guy moving in already had furniture so they were selling the couch and loveseat.  We jumped at it immediately.  We also asked if she'd be willing to sell us the coffee table that we had fallen in love with.  For $40 we got a coffee table and a couch, which I was quite happy with. I love the coffee table because it is glass and we've put cardboard and pictures underneath it so it is a collage.  We finished packing and ended up talking with Rachel, her husband, and Travis for a bit.  We joked we'd found $10 and were going to use that to go out to eat.  Travis was not overly impressed...  A little while later he came over and gave us $40 to go out to eat somewhere nice.  It was nice of him.  Pretty sure it was the same cash that we'd given them for the couch and coffee table, but I didn't turn it down.  When people offer things sometimes the thing to do is accept it and not reject it.  So after a long day of moving we thought we'd treat ourselves to Brick Oven Pizza.  They have a pasta that is my absolute favorite.  I ordered it and my rootbeer and Jer got his pasta and lemonade.  We got there about 20 minutes before closing (felt a little bit bad about that...but it'd been a long day and it sounded good.  Thankfully the staff was very nice about us being there late. We've been to other places that practically pushed us out the door).  When they brought out our meals I noticed that mine had mushrooms.  I remembered asking for no mushrooms... they said they caught it and its replacement was in the oven, but we could keep the one with mushrooms. I said thanks, Jeremy can have it for leftovers.  That made him happy because thats a favorite pasta of his as well.  They finally brought out my pasta which was tasty and the check.  The waitress apologized and said that she'd taken my pasta off the bill and it was free!  So our dinner ended up being just  over $20 plus tip.  We left the $10 for the tip and what was over 20. So for $40 we ended up with a couch, a coffee table, three brick oven dinners plus drinks and breadsticks and still had $20 left!  Talk about stretching a dollar!  The biggest blessing truly was the couch. The coffee table and dinner was just the icing on the cake.

So that was Saturday.  We spent the first night in our apartment surrounded by piles of boxes and a narrow path to and from the bathroom, sink, and front door.  We hadn't planned on the couch or table amongst our stacking of boxes so those were really in the way but we made do.  We were so tired we went straight to bed. 

Sunday we met our new ward.  It'll be a nice ward.  Very different from our ward in Pleasant Grove.  Its a quiet ward.  Jer and I felt like we were back in the singles ward during sacrament.  You did not want to be the person sneezing...it probably would echo.  There weren't very many kids.  There were only four kids in nursery. After the 4th ward...its shocking to have only four kids.  We'll get used to it though.  Its a little bit smaller which is always nice.  I enjoy smaller wards.

We also spent a fair amount of time unpack some stuff on Sunday so we could have a place to sit and not kill ourselves.  We hadn't planned on the couch so there was no room for it until we started shuffling boxes around.  Finally we went to bed...exhausted.  It had been a long two days.  

Monday I spent the morning doing a little bit of last minute studying.  I wasn't super worried, but there was a few last things to look up.  Finally it was time to take the test.  It went alright.... I took tylenol before I went in just to prevent a headache I thought I might end up getting.  The test wasn't too bad... not exactly a walk in the park and some of it irritated me, but nothing unexpected.  I walked out feeling like I at least did my best.  

I went home and ran errands with Jeremy for a few hours.  We got a new shower head (the old one was half clogged so what did come out was rather forceful.  When you can't tell the temperature though the pain...its time for a new shower head)  We activated our comcast box and got groceries.  I must say we felt pretty darn productive.  So I was sitting on the couch putting batteries in the remote and I felt/heard a pop and felt a gush of fluid... so either my bladder just burst or my water broke.  Eventually I decided there was no way my bladder could hold that much fluid so it had to be my water.  What happened to the remote?  I didn't know.  I still have no memory of what happened to the remote... I could have chucked it out the window for all I know.

So we packed up the hospital bag (among all the boxes) and headed out for the hospital.  By the time I got to point of the mountain I was contracting regularly.  We got to the hospital (and I'd decided I was pro-epidural) we got to the hospital and checked in.  The nurse checked me and I was already dilated to a six.  I think all three of us were suprised!  Finally at 3:39 on July 23rd our little Caleb was born!  We are so grateful he is in our lives!  I think he's the cutest baby ever.  

Life has been different with him around... it sure revolves around him.  Drive thru has taken on a whole new level of convenience...  He's a week old as of yesterday.  We took him to the dr. for a weight check on Monday and he's at 7 lb 12 oz.  He gained back his birthweight and them some!  He may end up a big boy!

Julie and Julia...and updates!

On INSP (yes we’ve been watching the old people channel) this week they've been showing Julie and Julia.  I've never seen the show before, but I'd wanted to.  I saw the trailer for it once and it seemed like a fun movie.  I prevailed upon Jeremy to sit and watch the movie.  Perhaps not what he wanted to watch...but that’s okay, he survived.  And liked it more than he'll admit, although for different reasons than I.  He likes the food and the idea of cooking a new recipe (or two) a day for a year sounds challenging and fun.  He asked me if I’d be up for it… I had to be honest and admit probably not, because I don’t like food THAT much.  Though on second thought, I could probably do a year of new desserts.  But that wouldn't be good for either of us. We’d have to give most of it away.

I really enjoyed the movie.  It makes me want to blog…hence the reason I’m here.  I’ve fallen in love with Julia Childs as well.  Meryl Streep did a great job.  While I don’t know much about Julia Childs, I love the way Meryl Streep played her.  I’m thinking about getting Julia Child’s memoir.  She seems like a fascinating woman to learn about.  Worked as a secretary for OSS, married a man in her late 40’s (I think) and was in love with him for her whole life.  She learned to cook and just seemed to have a unique personality.  I love how in the movie she stated that when you are cooking to be proud of what you made.  And if it isn't perfect… “Never apologize.  They won’t know that its not perfect.  No excuses! No explanations.” It’s something I think more of us could use.  How often do we present something that we've tried to do and it didn’t turn out like our imagination dictated it to be.  So we apologize and point out the flaws.  Now I’m not saying we need to be egotistical, but if there is something we worked hard on and should be proud of, don’t go around pointing out all of its perceived flaws.  Look for the good in what you've accomplished and don’t apologize for its flaws.  This is something I would like to try to work on doing more often.  I don’t know where this quote in my head came from, but I will share it anyways, “you are doing better than you think you are.”  I think it’s a President Hinckley quote, but I could be wrong.  But it sounds like him.  Perhaps we all are doing better than we think we are. So why drag myself down.  I will believe I’m doing better and find the good within myself.

The other thing I got from this movie was a desire to commit to something for a year.  I’m toying with the idea of picking up my picture a day blog again.  I did it a while ago, but stopped.  It was a challenge to try and remember to take a picture a day.  Another part of the challenge was school and not feeling like I could take pictures of such a vast majority of my life.  But maybe now is a time to pick it up again.  With a new baby on the way, a move, Jeremy home at nights… maybe there is more material to draw from now. It’s easy to take tons of pictures of babies’ right?  Especially when it’s my baby J  I like the idea of doing something everyday for a year.  And it is fun to look back on my picture blog and see the pictures.  Maybe it is time for another go.  It will also be fun to take a picture a day and see how Caleb grows and changes…among other things in my life.

Life continues on.  We found a new place to live.  I am so sad to be leaving our little newlywed nest.  We’ve had so many fond memories and times here.  I’ve loved the area and while our apartment isn’t perfect, (shower that goes scalding hot at least twice when you’re showering, internet that is hit and miss, and the constant tripping hazards, not to mention its generally too hot in winter and too cold in summer) it has been good for us. I wish we could stay.   I was having fantasies of our landlord offering us the downstairs bedroom on the other side of the wall as our nursery for our little one.  That fantasy didn’t come true.  Neither did the one of our apartment magically becoming like a Harry Potter tent and expanding when we needed it…maybe we just need to take the baby home first then it’ll expand.

We’ll be moving to Midvale, off of 90^th south.  Right now I am surrounded by tons of boxes as 2/3 of my apartment is packed up.  Most of the front room, bedroom, and bathroom is packed.  I’ve left our day to day clothes and basic toiletries out.  I refuse to pack up my kitchen until a day or two before we move.  It limits too much of what we can eat!  We were hoping to move this weekend, but when we called our landlord they told us that the carpet and tile needed to be replaced…so no moving in this weekend.  It’ll be a very busy weekend for me next week. Dr. appointment on Friday morning, moving all weekend, and then on Monday I take my NBCOT exam.  It’s the big test that says whether or not I can get my license to become an official COTA/L.  And it’s only another $500 if I fail… no biggie.  I’m hoping for the best.  I’ll find some time to study this week and hope I’m smart enough.  As far as I’m aware of everyone who has taken the test has passed, so if they can I can right?  So here’s to hoping for the best. 

And hoping our baby doesn’t come early.  I’ve told him he can come after the 24^th.  I’m 37 weeks on Monday so he’ll be considered term and they probably won’t stop the labor.  In fact my water can break or contractions can come on anytime after I walk out of that testing center next Monday.  Although getting a little more unpacked would be nice… but I won’t complain… My priority is getting through that test.  I can’t cancel last minute so that’s what has me the most worried.  If I were to go into labor Sunday night, I’ll have to pay to take it on a later date.  I kind of wonder if I should change the date, but yet its kind of like there’s not going to be a better time.  I’ll probably have better luck with a pregnancy brain rather than a sleep deprived newborn brain.

But baby is doing well.  I went to the dr. on Friday and he said he sounds good and I’m where I should be.  Although we did get a bit of a surprise, my cervix is starting to thin, I’m dilated to a 2 almost a 3 and the baby is head down.  So things are starting to move (hence the anxiety about the test!).  He told me if my water breaks to not wait too long to go to the hospital because he thinks this baby could move fast. Another surprise for me (and trying to not freak out!) I don’t think I’ve had any contractions…but what do I know?  I always just kind of assumed they’d be something that I’d know when it happened.  Kind of like finding out when I was pregnant.  Before it was like well I kinda feel this or that.  Well when pregnancy hit… yeah… I knew it.  I figured contractions would be like that.  But oh well.  We’ll have to see what next Friday at the dr. brings.  Things are getting exciting.  I’m kinda getting over pregnancy.  I’ll miss feeling him inside of me.  But I won’t miss the constant discomfort and backaches.  Definitely won’t miss the heat!  Or the frequent trips to the bathroom.   But I hesitate to say I’m over pregnancy, because I have a sneaking suspicion that next week I’ll be even more over it.  And maybe the week after that as well.  It has been quite the experience though.  Feels like I’ve been pregnant forever though.  I’m excited to be done and to meet my little boy and hold him in my arms.  And to let Jeremy hold him.  It will be special.

I think that’s the news and thoughts of the day.  Life is pretty exciting.  Maybe next time I post there will be a third member of the Crane of the family!