Our Utah trip

 Last month Steve and I packed up the dog and headed to Utah for an extended Labor day weekend trip. It is always nice to escape the heat and go enjoy some nice weather. I always love heading to Utah. There is nothing better than spending time with family and taking a break from life. We originally wanted to go over the 24th of July but since I wasn't feeling well at that time we pushed it back to Labor day and I am so happy we did. The weather was perfect! Steve got to mountain bike and golf tell his heart was content (or until he crashed which happened on the 2nd to last day) and I got to go shopping for little girl stuff:) Oh how I love buying little girl clothes, pretty sure I am addicted.

The first couple of days where spent at Scott and Rachel's house and it was so much fun there! We played with the dog, talked about baby stuff (since we are both expecting around the same time) and went to a picnic in the most beautiful spot ever up in the mountains with the Murray side of the family. Sadly the only pictures I got this trip are pretty much from that picnic. I wish I would have gotten some more of all the adults and some of my family and friends but I just didn't think about it at the time. Here is a bunch of some of the kiddo's for your viewing pleasure:)

The rest of the week after staying with Scott and Rachel we stayed with my parents and had a BBQ, played games, went shopping for baby stuff and found the most AMAZING fabric for me to use on the crib bedding. (A post to come later about the million projects that I have started and hopefully can finish by the time this baby comes!)

We had the best vacation ever! I miss it there already and can't wait to go back again for Christmas!

Baby girl:)

I was actually very surprised today when we found out we are having a girl... I was really thinking that it was going to be a boy. I couldn't be more happy about it though! I love girls and I can not wait to start shopping for her:) I guess Steve's fatherly intuition was better than my motherly because he was pretty sure the whole time it was going to be a girl.

Our baby is very healthy and she was moving around so much! She moved all over the place doing flips and tricks for us, I think she was showing off:) We have to go back again in 2 weeks for another ultrasound because she was moving so much they couldn't get a good shot of her spine and heart. We could hear the heartbeat of coarse, it was really fast and all of her measurements are right on with her estimated due date of February 8th! We seriously could not be happier. Now I just can't wait for her to get here! Yay!!!

I laughed out loud!! A lot.

Goodbye first trimester! I don't miss you one bit

I just wanted to update you all on how things have been going for Steve and I since we became pregnant and for my own memory what it feels like to be pregnant for the first time.

Since this is my first pregnancy I can't help but think about it ALL THE TIME. It's pretty much the only thing I talk about anymore and I'm even starting to get annoyed with myself. (I get annoyed a lot these days). My patience is short but I try hard to manage it and have been trying to relax even though the other day I struggled when Steve didn't want to go to the store to get me milk at 11:00 at night... I may or may not have thrown a fit about it. Milk is pretty much the only thing that tastes good to me right now so I drink A LOT of it. I hate eating with a passion. All food to me is disgusting right now. I don't have an appetite and it's really been tough during the first trimester keeping the food I do eat down. My dream currently is to get one of those feeding tubes that you get in the hospital and get food through that everyday, that way I don't have to taste any of the food and I still get the nutrients the baby and I need to make it through this pregnancy.

I have not gained ANY weight yet which I am happy about but I am definitely looking bigger. I am at 15 weeks today and I am just so grateful that I am not feeling super sick anymore. I have started getting my energy back and getting excited about things again. I love looking up nursery colors, cribs, diaper bags, clothes and anything else baby related that I can possibly think of. Steve has been so much fun during the pregnancy. He gets really excited about the baby and even though he is constantly teasing me for how excited I get over every little thing he turns around and does the same thing! He loves talking about nursery ideas. I feel pretty lucky to have a husband that does some design work for a living therefore appreciates my desire to make our nursery look super cute. He gets excited about baby clothes shopping, doctor appointments and besides the milk incident has been willing to do pretty much anything I ask.

I am just so happy right now that I am in the "fun" trimester. I know it will get even harder as I get bigger and bigger but I am looking forward to every uncomfortable minute of this new life experience. I am so nervous and excited to be a mom. I didn't do a whole lot of babysitting when I was younger and I really don't have a lot of experience with babies but I am confident that I will do a great job because I already love this baby so much and feel so blessed to have the opportunity to have it. The thing I am most looking forward to right now is finding out the sex of the baby in 2 weeks! September 1st we find out and then the next day we head to Utah for an extended labor day weekend. Hopefully we can get a chance to see everybody there!

2 Year Anniversary

Steve and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary over a month and a half ago on June 5th. I love remembering our wedding day and I often wish I could do it all over again. I know it was a lot of work but it will always be remembered as the best day of my life!

This year we have another reason to remember our 2 year anniversary. It will always be the day that we FOUND OUT WE ARE PREGNANT!!!!

Yes it's true. We are expecting a little baby Murray! We already had our first doctors appointment and ultrasound and our little fetus is very healthy! It has a very fast heart beat and everything seems to be growing normally.

It seems very surreal at times because even though I have been pretty sick and extremely tired I don't really "feel" pregnant yet. We are 11 weeks today, due date is February 8th, 2012 and the baby is apparently the size of a lime this week. I am very excited our baby is getting into the bigger fruits. Blueberry and raspberry just weren't cutting it for me! Next week we will officially be in our 2nd trimester! I am looking forward to that and hopefully feeling a little better too.

Because I found out we where pregnant on our anniversary I got to surprise Steve by getting him a cute silver gift bag and a card. In the card I hinted that the present in the bag was going to be "the best present he could ever receive" and he was confused by that. He couldn't figure out that something so cool could come in a bag so small (after all... A new mountain bike can't fit in it)! So he opened the present and was so surprised to find 2 positive pregnancy tests! He was so cute and excited and i'm pretty sure I cried. Whats new?

So now you all know! I do want to get a little poll going on what everybody thinks the sex of the baby will be. Does anyone know how I can do that? So far I can say the majority of the people I have told think I am having a boy. I have NO idea yet but we will find out in 6 weeks. THAT'S SOON!!

Here are a few pictures of baby Murray to leave you with from our 9 week ultrasound.

Holy cow!!! So many pictures!!!!!

This year I have truly tried to take more pictures and have had some success! Now you get to catch up on our year through my picture book!

Zion Trip

Me and my mother outside the pig pen at best friends animal shelter in Kanab, UT.

The crew waiting for our tour to see all the cute animals! I loved all the animals but my favorite is always going to have to be the cute doggies. I totally wanted to adopt one but I knew Steve might not like that very much so I refrained...

Alli making delicious gourmet hamburgers for us for dinner one night at the cabin. They where AMAZING! They even brought us fresh slaughtered cow meat from (I think) Justin's grandpas farm. Doesn't it sound so appetizing when I put it that way:)

I had to throw this picture in here... Steve had JUST woken up and was not very happy that I wanted to take pictures of him. My husband is NOT a morning person in case you where wondering. I am the opposite... I live for the mornings and dread staying up late.

We played a lot of Just Dance at the cabin. Here is my mom and sister getting their dance on!

Proud papa:)

This picture is a win-win-win situation (office fans anyone?) Austin wins because he gets a ride down the hiking trail. Dave wins because he doesn't have to sit around and wait for Austin to finally get over the fact that his shoe got wet and refused to hike back down the trail and we all win because we get a picture of it! (Austin was of course laughing the whole way!)

End of Zions:(

Beginning of other stuff:)

We took Weston hiking a couple of times this spring and it turns out we DON'T have the laziest dog in all of Arizona! What a sport. He was always trying to run and climb up boulders and rocks 3 times the size of himself. He just loved every second of it! Too bad that now the problem isn't getting Weston to want to go on a hike but getting me to go:( I've been pretty lazy lately. In my defense it's really hot here!!!

*Favorite*

Utah trip to visit my new niece Hayden "Haddy" Joyce Barton

I know she was around 6 pounds. I don't remember the details people!!! Just how cute and tiny she was:)

Love cuddling with my niece!

I also love cuddling with Weston when he will let me...

Steve and I had the pleasure of being called to be a Ma and Pa on our stake trek. This was our cute family! I know I totally blend in with the kids...

Another short and sweet Utah trip to see my sisters family off to Philadelphia.

Haddy saying goodbye to Olli...

The Philadelphians

I got to see some of my friends for a short second and I'm so glad I did! I miss them:(

LOVE this picture!!!

I forced people to take lots of pictures of me holding Haddy. She is just so cute!

I miss them already:(

Congratulations!!! You made it to the end. Your reward is this post actually ending! Bye!!!

The last 6 months-Christmas

The last 6 months have not been that that busy, I don't know what my excuse is for not keeping this up but I will try to do better because I know how much I enjoy hearing about everybody else's lives!

I will catch up slowly... This is my belated 2010 Christmas post. So much has changed since then but it's fun to look back:)

Christmas at the Cook's

Christmas at the Murray's

Weston is one tough pup...

This one is Alli's baby shower while we where in Utah for Christmas (these pics are out of order)

Steve was our Christmas elf. He makes a pretty cute elf I think.

I got to hold baby Lincoln and I loved every minute of it!! ( He has probably grown so much since this pic).

Weston sniffing up Lincoln... Weston loves babies. Whenever I babysit my friends kids he is always trying to be as close as possible to them.

Weston and Rona found a friend in each other. They where great playmates! I loved watching them wrestle together.

We had an amazing Christmas (again), and always love spending time with family. Now hopefully I can force myself to do another post soon but first I have to go to work:(