12.21.2012

6 Weeks Left?!

 I cannot believe I have a little less than 6 weeks left until our due date! When the baby will decide to come, we have no way of knowing, but we are just excited that it is getting closer! It is a little bit unreal, and lets be honest here...I am terrified!! But whenever I feel overwhelmed and scared to death of what is to come, I get a little nudge in my belly that reminds me how excited I am!

A few updates on our life and pregnancy:

I have felt really good. No complications. I am so grateful for that! I am starting to crave chocolate, which is a little strange for me. I crave fruity candy (skittles, star-bursts...) but I don't usually crave chocolate, and so now I can't find any in my house! (probably a good thing...(;  ) I am starting to get back aches in the middle of my back. Which makes is a little uncomfortable to sleep, but what can I do about it other than just suffer through?! ha, I guess I will groan and move around a lot in my sleep, because MacKay will wake me up asking if everything is ok. I just reply, oh it's just my back! I have had a mild case of Scoliosis since as long as I can remember, so I am used to back pain, but  it hasn't fired up like this since sports back in High School!  Oh well!! It is all worth it right?!(: Baby Taylor is still moving a LOT! It sure does have it's favorite spot in my belly....at a diagonal across my stomach, so pushing me in all sorts of directions!! I am getting really anxious to find out what the little one is, a Boy? a Girl?  I just can't wait to find out! We will be having the baby showers after the baby is born, in February, or beginning of March!
The other day, MacKay and I were cuddled up on the couch, watching a movie. He had his hands on my belly, and the baby was really moving around. I didn't say anything, but waited to see what MacKay would think. All of the sudden he says, "Is it always moving like this?!" I laughed and said that is was off and on, but it happened a lot! He couldn't believe how much it was moving. Not kicking, just shifting and moving around. It really is a miracle!!

I just finished my last week of work, Aiding at the middle school in Ephraim, for the 6th graders. They were so cute the whole week! I got gifts and cards all week long, lots of "We will miss you" 's and "When are you giving birth" 's. hahah That was my favorite question. We got some cute books for the baby from teachers and students, and some gift cards! I am blessed! I will miss those kids, and the teachers a lot! I loved my job!!

Now that my job is over, we can make the big move up to Spanish Fork! Details still to come, but we are getting all packed up. MacKay grew up close to Spanish Fork, so he is excited to be back, and we are both excited to be close to his family! As well as an hour and half closer to my family!! We are looking pretty seriously at a house in Payson, a few blocks west of the hospital I am delivering at! So that is a blessing! MacKay has his own storage unit in Salem, (a mile or so from the house we are looking at) and so we have been moving a lot of our stuff in there until we can get into the house! We will sleep at his parents house for a few weeks until everything is finalized! MacKay has been commuting since he got home from Alaska, so we are just ready to quit spending so  much money on gas!! We are excited to start this new chapter in our life, and welcome our baby into the world with a new home!

Here are some pictures of pregnancy thus far, and some family pictures we had for our Christmas Card!

This is our carseat! All ready for the baby! Now we need to get everything ELSE ready! (;


This is me at 17 weeks compared to 28 weeks! I am huge! (; I can't believe the difference!


32 weeks:


33 weeks:



34 weeks:


Family Pictures! 
(MacKay was a bit onrey when we took these. He kept saying; "I can't fake a smile!" hahah. what a poo.







 
We hope these next 6 weeks go fast, & we hope you all have a Merry Christmas!!

XOXO- Shanna


12.18.2012

Disneyland

The week after Thanksgiving, we had a wonderful opportunity to trek it down to Disneyland! MacKay recently got a new job in Spanish Fork. His boss, for Christmas, took all of his employee's to Disneyland! We took the buses that were offered. We left on Tuesday night at about 10pm. Drove all night and got to Anaheim at about 9 in the morning. We then checked into our hotel, and headed to the park! We got to have park hoppers, so we spent our time exploring and jumping from Disneyland to California Adventures. MacKay and I have never been to an amusement park together, and it was so much fun! I, of course, was pregnant. So I couldn't ride any of the big rides. Big bummer! I was kinda of scared to go, thinking I would be really jealous of everyone that got to go on the big rides, and that I would have to sit outside of the ride waiting for them. (wollowing in my sorrows here...) I am a huge fan of scary/spinny/adrenaline going kind of rides. MacKay's brother and girl friend were there as well, so I didn't want to hold all of them back! But it actually was a lot of fun! MacKay was a really good sport with me! I love him for how sensitive he is to me! We spent most of the 2 days in the parks alone together, which I can't tell you how much fun we had! MacKay gets motion sickness on some of the bigger rides, mostly the spinny ones, and ones that jerk you around. So he was kind of relieved he didn't have to endure through them with me! (; So we walked around, looking at shops, laughing and browsing through both parks. We saw lots of shows, (which MacKay was skeptical of at first) but turns out, he LOVED them! We loved Aladdin!!

It was really slow at the park for the two days we were there. Not very many people, so not long lines. If we were walking past a ride and it looked fun, we would hop on and be out in 30 mins! If there was a ride that I thought MacKay would like to go on, but I couldn't, I would send him on his way and wait to watch him! He only went on a few that way, because it wasn't too much fun going by himself! But he was a good sport. (: Man I am lucky!!

The first day, we hadn't slept too well because of being on a bus, then we went straight to the parks, so we were dead tired by the time the park closed at 8pm! We had a dinner with some of his other workers and their families. We ate at the Rainforest Cafe (expensive, but SO GOOD!) We walked back to the hotel and were OUT before we hit the pillow! haha.
The second day we woke up early and had to walk to the Disneyland Hotel (on the other side of the park from our hotel) We had the WHOLE Company (1200+ people) meet for breakfast at 7am. It was really good. After the meeting MacKay and I were still dead tired! So we went back to the hotel and took a nap. The park didn't open till 10am. But MacKay and I actually slept till 12pm!! HA! We go to Disneyland and sleep! (; We ate a quick lunch, and headed out to the park. We walked all day, and then at 8:15 we watched the wonderful World of Color. It was in California Adventures, and it was a projected show on the fountain water that was spraying up. I can't tell you how amazing it was!!! At this point my poor feet were so tired I could barely enjoy myself! (I had never had my feet hurt so much in my life! I am blaming it on the pregnancy! (;  )   MacKay was a sweet heart and kept trying to take weight off of my feet by lifting me slightly, letting me lean on his legs, (there were no seats) After the show, we found a bench and sat for a few minutes and then booked it to our hotel to get something to eat! We ordered pizza from our hotel and then we sat back and talked! I had my first experience with Cankles!! (Where your Calves, and your Ankles meet, and there is no change in width!!) I had retained a lot of water in my ankles from walking so much. I had never felt so fat in my life! My feet were HUGE! hahaha. It was quite funny. They didn't go down for like a week!
The next morning we got up and were on the bus at 6am. Didn't get home till 8pm that night. We.were.beat! But it was so much fun!!

Here are some pics I took to capture our wonderful last Vacation before the little one comes into the family! (EEK!)

This is us on the bus, heading out. I was excited....and so was MacKay, he was just being silly. I had to put up the other "not posed" picture, because his smile is just adorable. (:
This was the parade in California Adventures. It was the Pixar parade! So cute.(:
Mater:
 A bugs life:
 Finding Nemo:
 Toy Story:
 Monsters Inc.
 This was the Christmas Tree in Disneyland!
 Us at the gates on the last night!
 The beautiful Castle! (:
 This picture is us on the bus on the way back. Here is the story:
It was in the morning, and we were all trying to sleep a little bit! I didn't have ear phones. (mistake #1) MacKay did (hence the mocking smile...) All the sudden, in my slumber I get woken up by a little kid's cartoons on a smart phone or something, SO LOUD, and in spanish!! I was ready to kill someone! I don't know what it was about the spanish people on our bus, but they thought it was ok to play things on their phone without earphones!!! Made for a VERY long drive!!!!!! haha. So that is why he is smiling, and I am putting a pillow over my ears....it still didn't help...by the way...(;

All in all, it really was a great week! We had so much fun together. Some people have said that during pregnancy, it sometimes causes problems between your spouse. That has been the complete opposite. I have to tell you that MacKay and I have grown together more in these past few months than our whole marriage! I am so incredibly happy, and I am even more convinced that he is the perfect husband for me. I love him with all my heart! (ok enough of the mushy stuff...(; )
Disneyland was a blast. The end! (:

XOXO- Shanna

12.03.2012

Thanksgiving in Vegas!

Thanksgiving was at my sisters home in Henderson, NV. MacKay and I, and my Mom and Dad trekked it down to Vegas for the week, and had a blast. Isn't that always how it is when family gets together? We missed Andrew terribly, and cant wait to talk with him in a month for Christmas! It just isn't the same without him! But we did manage to have a little fun without him. (;
Wednesday was spent preparing for the meal the next day. I was still traveling, so I got out of most of the cooking! My mom and sister slaved away, and made all the deliciousness!! (: MacKay and I got there around 6pm and we just played some games and talked till bed time. Thursday, (thanksgiving day) was eventful! First off it was also my sweetie's birthday. So we had a wonderful breakfast made by Linds and Dev. Homemade Scones, and my Mom made this amazing honey butter. Mmmm. MacKay received some clothes and a Willow Tree called "New Dad" it is adorable. See for yourself! (:

I know right? I LOVED it the moment I saw it. Anyway, after opening presents, we started getting dinner ready and veggin around the house. Dinner was DELISH, however after dinner when we were all talking and laughing, MacKay got really sick and was throwing up for a while. ): What a terrible day for him! He started feeling better by night. We watched Lion King (from the cute demands of Avery!) and then after a game of Ticket to Ride (BEST GAME EVER) where we got MacKay, Dad and Mom all hooked, after all being very cautious before. (; We then watched Breaking Dawn part 1, so my Dad could understand a little before he watched Breaking Dawn pt 2! Friday we got to go see Breaking Dawn pt 2. Seriously spectacular!!! I can't even tell you how much I loved it. MacKay and my Dad were thoroughly surprised! They thought it would be terrible, and they both loved it!! We did a little bit of shopping, and came home to get the Birthday Bash started! MacKay's birthday on the 22, and Lindsay's birthday on the 26. We had lots of yummy treats and played some games!! MacKay and I headed home late that night and didn't get home till about 2:30am. We then went straight to work the next morning where I helped him all day, (I told him it was bring your hot pregnant wife to work day...) hahaha. He is just doing some construction work around a cabin so I was able to help a lot! It was a fun day. That night we went to his Family's Thanksgiving Dinner. They postponed their dinner a few days so all the family could make it. The only thing it had that the Henderson's didn't have was yams...smothered in marshmallows! (yuck) haha MacKay was a happy camper though! (; And that was our thanksgiving! It was very eventful, full of traveling and lots of laughs and fun times!! My favorite part was being with my little niece Avery! She is such a joy!! I laughed so hard all week with her! I just adore that cute face! Here are some pics of our week!
Golly he is cute....
 BAHAH. Happy Aves. (;
 Giving Grandma kisses!
 Mom and her girls(:
 Aves did NOT want to take pics, she wanted to be thrown in the air...much funner!!
 Waving at grandpa in the window, while sitting on my huge belly...(;
 I didn't throw her very high compared to her daddy!! (;
 I love her sweet kisses!!
 Btw...the outfit came from her Aunt Shanna, and I even dressed her that day!! Having a girl would be so much fun!!
 See? I can't even compare to Daddy! (; Don't mind my dorkiness....I was making her smile! haha
 Fam picture for Andrew!!
Kisses for Gramps. (;
 Daddy and his girls! (:


XOXO- Shanna

November Craziness

I can't even believe we are in December already! It went by too fast. And I can honestly say I wasn't home for more than half of the month! I was doing the Thanksgiving Thankful challenge, and then I got called on Jury Duty, then right after was Thanksgiving, and right after was Disneyland. So I am going to forgo the rest of the Thanksgiving Challenge!!
Jury Duty was...interesting! It was a civil case, and it was federal, therefore I had to go to Salt Lake. I didn't think they would pick a pregnant lady, however they did! They then told me I, along with 11 others were to report for the next 6 working days! I was stuck in SLC with no extra clothes and no where to stay! Luckily, MacKay's sister lives in Sandy, so I was able to stay with her! What a blessing! I bought a couple shirts and that was that. Court was actually fascinating. However, it was really uncomfortable to sit there all day. Anyone who has been pregnant will understand!! I suffered through and finally got through with court the day before I was so leave for our Thanksgiving trip to Las Vegas! So, I had one day spent at home packing. The day before Thanksgiving was spend traveling to my sisters house in Henderson NV. The next few weeks were pretty crazy, and I am paying for them now! Lets just say I am so glad that I am home and will stay home for a while!! Look for my upcoming posts on Thanksgiving, and Disneyland! (:

XOXO-Shanna