The Sweetest Baby Shower + A Pregnancy Update

A couple weeks ago this baby and I felt so, so loved. My friends threw a library shower for #babydae and it was one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me! They had it planned down to the details and full of my favorite things. Friends that know each other well are just priceless. I love them!

These invitations. SO cute, right? It's still on my fridge even though the party is long over. I love looking at that cute card. And my fridge version doesn't have those ugly black boxes - those are just there to protect my sweet friends from the crazies who read my blog. So, stay away from my friends, crazies. 

The whole shower was book themed - decorations with cute children's books, word games and "Name that Character", even all the food had a book tied to it. Maybe it's hard to read all those signs in the picture below, but they're all adorable. "Very Hungry Caterpillar" fruit kabobs, "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" and milk, Book Worms... so cute, right?

Those blocks and the rest of this set up on the mantle was so adorable. I think I took ten pictures of it at different times throughout the morning, even though they all looked the same each time. I just couldn't get over how cute it was and kept snapping shots. 

My Indiana friends feel like family. I love them so much! These four years in Indianapolis are really shaped by the friends we've made and the memories we'll always share with them. I love them all - so many different people helped make such a fun day for me and this baby boy, and I appreciated it so much! And we came home with the cutest little library of books, and I'll always love remembering the friend that gave each of them to me when I read their favorite books to my kids.

Plus, I can even put those books on my new (Craigslisted, of course) bookshelf, once I get around to finishing it... This week I found myself suddenly repainting the dresser in my nursery and refinishing the bookshelf I'd already painted, heavy under the influence of the nesting drug. I couldn't deny my two-toned furniture cravings any longer, I suppose. Also, I remember saying that my nursery would be done in my second trimester so that I wouldn't have to worry about big projects when I was far along. Annnd now these are real time scenes from my nursery:

Yikes. Don't judge, people, I've got big plans to tie this half of a room together before baby time comes in who knows how many days. I'm just moving a little slower over here and Michael's school keeps scheduling tests despite our pregnant state, so that's rude of them. 

I'll just leave you with this bonus shot of me at 35 weeks in what I am usually wearing within five minutes of getting home from work. It looks like I'm going to be the proud mom of a basketball.

Fall Break in Utah

We have been looking forward to our Fall Break in Utah for a while now. Michael's little sister Rachel was married last Friday in the Salt Lake LDS temple, and Michael had two glorious days off of school, so we were so excited to take one last trip to see our families before this baby comes.

We made it to Salt Lake late last Wednesday night after a series of crazy events... this trip just came at a busy time and we were not prepared for it. Usually I just stay up as late as necessary the night before a trip and get all ready to go, but I feel like I have 40% of my regular energy level and 7 hours of sleep (or attempting to sleep) is my minimum requirement these days. So, I did what I could to get ready but we ended up not being able to pack until after work/school the day our flight left. Michael was with a patient that afternoon and the appointment went long, so suddenly we found ourselves getting home with 15 minutes to pack and leave for the airport. It was a scramble. When we got to the airport I realized I forgot my temple recommend, which I needed to go to the wedding, so our friend Brian rushed to our house after dropping us off to find it. Then we realized Michael didn't have his wallet, so he couldn't even check in. He called Brian to tell him to get that too, but then found it a couple minutes later deep in his backpack. When I was about to go through security, Brian called and said my recommend wasn't where I said it was - so I searched and searched again...and found it in my wallet. We felt like we were losing our minds. Poor Brian, thank goodness for patient friends.

Then I went through security and had way too intimate of an experience with the security guard since I can't go through the x-ray machines in my current pregnant state. That was, weird. We rushed to our gate and suddenly the straps on my bag broke and I almost dropped Rachel's very breakable wedding present. I would have been so sad! Then we were finally on that plane, one of those hurry-up-and-wait feelings, and a little way into the flight I got out my water bottle for a drink. That air pressure, though. Suddenly my water bottle was like Old Faithful, and water sprayed the ceiling and our nice neighbors in front of us and soaked me. It took me way too long to stop it from happening, too - I was too shocked, and just stared at that spraying fountain in front of me. Then I told Michael that my water broke. On the bright side, I was happy to be soaked... I am almost always hot these days!

After all that craziness, we made it to Salt Lake City and met up with Michael's family. On Thursday we hiked Ensign Peak and I just soaked up those mountain views. Mountains are so incredibly beautiful and comforting to me. It's crazy how much I miss the feeling of getting up high on a mountain and getting a good view of what's around me.

Doesn't Rachel look beautiful? Michael's sisters are so gorgeous, inside and out. It was so fun to celebrate with her on her wedding day. Spencer is a lucky guy, and Rachel lucked out too. They are both so great.

Our little baby hit 32 weeks just before the wedding, growing every day! I think he loved his first trip to Utah. I love being at weddings with Michael and remembering our own wedding day. I love him!

Our baby boy has two cousins following close behind him - me and two of Michael's sisters are due in November, then December, then January. We were quite a sight climbing Ensign Peak together, especially considering that we somehow all followed the kids up the steep side of the mountain rather than the actual trail for the last part of the hike. 

My nephew Ben. He entertained me during the reception with all his tricks and jokes, which are many. I just love having nieces and nephews, and they all LOVE having an Uncle Michael. He is constantly surrounded by kiddos whenever we are with either of our families. He would rather play on a playground than sit and chat any day, so it's a win for everyone.

After all the wedding festivities we spent Saturday with my family in Lehi at my brother's house. They have a sweet new little boy, Jonas, that we hadn't met yet so we were so happy we could have a quick visit with them. 

I'm considering just borrowing my brother's family for my Christmas card this year. I mean, look at that picture above. We're even spontaneously and perfectly framed by foam swords. With the dog, too. Picture perfect.

One of Jenny's friends was so nice to snap a picture of us all together on Sunday morning before Michael and I flew back to Indiana. It's hard to get a current family picture these days - this one will already be outdated once our little man joins us next month! But I love having pictures of all our different stages, even though once we have a new member of the family we can't really imagine life before or without them.

Family is everything to me. Sometimes this blog is full of things we're doing or places we're visiting or any other random but happy part of life. But in the end, this is all that matters to me. Michael and I are both so lucky to have wonderful, loving families. We are so lucky to now each be a part of both of our families. I believe that the entire reason I am on this earth is to do what it is I need to do so that I can be with my family forever, including with my Heavenly parents. I believe making it to that point comes from trying to be like Jesus Christ, and following His plan. If you want to know more about what I believe about families, you can read THIS, or watch THIS, or ask me anytime. 

Thank you, Daetwylers and Miners, for our fun weekend together! We love you!