On My Mind

In no particular order....

- Only a couple more months until I'm officially a mom. I can't decide if my due date is coming on fast or slow. I change my mind every day. Sometimes I really just want my baby to be here, but other times I stress out thinking about how much I still don't know and how many things I have to do to get ready. I'm definitely going to be driving my family and friends crazy over the next several weeks asking them things like what brand of diapers is the best and whether or not to invest in a baby swing.
- I am actually watching The Bachelorette this season. I have never watched it before now, and it really is addictive. It's also two hours, and I really really hate when TV shows are two hours long, unless it's So You Think You Can Dance. ;-) It just feels like such a waste of time. I'll finish this season, and enjoy every minute of it, but I probably won't watch it anymore after that. Also, Ashley should choose JP. And I heard that Bentley comes back, which is very upsetting. (he chose to leave a couple episodes ago, and he's beyond evil) I hope he gets dumped.


- I can't wrap my brain around certain trends that stay popular for way too long. Right now, I'm baffled by guys who wear skinny jeans and/or have a faux hawk. What in the world?!?!? Who are the three women out there in America who told men that these things look cool?


- We might be moving shortly after the baby comes. It all depends on where Michael gets a job. I'd love to move to the West, but moving is SUCH a pain, and I imagine moving with a newborn would be even worse.
- I have never made really good chocolate chip cookies. I have no idea what's wrong with me. Nobody else seems to have this problem. I have even gotten recipes from people who make really awesome chocolate chip cookies but my cookies never turn out like theirs do! I don't seem to have any problems following any other cookie recipe, so I don't get it. I might just give up, but any advice is welcome.

- I want to get that 'shatter' nail polish. It's cool looking.

- I made some really yummy burritos this week for dinner, and even my fast food-loving husband went as far to say that they were better than Chipotle burritos. I'm pretty sure he changed his mind after they made his stomach upset a few hours later. Oops. Not really my fault though- he has a weak stomach, remember? ;-) Okay, I probably should have left the peppers out, (spicy food doesn't always love him as much as he loves it) so maybe it is my fault.
- I am so happy that it's summer, and that our cicada infestation is over. (Big, loud, nasty bugs that emerge from the ground once every 13 years in Tennessee). I love summer activities and even though I will be huge and hot, summer is the best. :)

- This is kind of funny:

Third Trimester

Well, as of today, I am officially in my third trimester, and I thought that it was time for a pregnancy update. First, here is my 28 week picture: (taken this morning)

I am definitely starting to get bigger! A little over a month ago I started to actually look pregnant enough for a couple strangers to tell me congratulations on my baby. I was super excited when this happened because it meant that I actually looked pregnant as opposed to looking like I'd been eating too many milkshakes and candy bars. However, I was warned that as more and more random people started noticing my belly, not all the comments I would get would be super nice. I told myself over and over again to not get offended if/when people started calling me huge, and it's a good thing that I at least sort of prepared myself because I had a convo a few days ago that went something like this:

(me and Michael get into the elevator after touring the OB unit at the hospital)
Random Lady: When are you due?
Me: August
Random Lady: Wow, you still have TWO WHOLE MONTHS!? (while looking wide-eyed at my belly)
Me: (thinking, 'uh, it's actually much closer to three months than two, thank you very much') "Yeah...."
Random Lady: And you're carrying so low!
Me: (wondering how to answer that.... with a 'thank you?' or just another 'yeah?' - so I just nod my head)
(elevator doors open and we walk separate ways)

Rude! It's true that some people don't filter very well. I guess telling me that I'm carrying low isn't so bad, but I don't really love being indirectly called huge. :) I vented to Michael about it for a minute (I could tell he was trying not to laugh) :) and got over it. Sadly, I'd better get used to it!

The baby gets hiccups a lot. I never felt them until last week but ever since, he has gotten them at least every other day. Poor guy. At least it never lasts very long.

Michael and the baby love playing together already. Michael will push on my belly and the baby will push back. It's pretty cute. And, it's great entertainment for all three of us during boring talks at church. (Am I allowed to say that?)

The baby measured kind of big at my last ultrasound, so I have a fear of delivering an 11 pound baby. His kicks actually make me jump because they are already so strong, and this doesn't really help me worry any less about him being big, haha.

I get full really fast and hungry really fast. I imagine that this will only get worse as that 40 week mark gets closer. My bladder is starting to shrink, ;-) and I have put away all of my pre-pregnancy pants and shorts. I'm always hot. The super, super hot weather lately doesn't help. I have never felt any Braxton Hicks contractions.

I still feel that while I've definitely had my discomforts, I have had a relatively easy pregnancy. I am very lucky. And I am still SO excited for this little boy to come. Preparing for another Byram is even more fun than I hoped it would be. He is already so loved by me, Michael, and our family and friends. Is it August yet???

Angry Birds

Oh Angry Birds, why are you so addictive? You were probably made for an age group much younger than the 20-somethings, so I don't understand why me and (especially) my husband like you so much. The last two times we visited my parents' house we would steal my dad's iPad and play you nonstop, and it was no big deal because we were on vacation. However, now that you have come out with Angry Birds on Chrome, we can play you whenever we want, and we don't have to steal any iPads or iPhones. While this is okay for me, my husband really needs to be focused on school and his thesis rather than you. So, while I appreciate the free entertainment, please don't come out with any new levels on Chrome for a while. Thanks.

California Fun

Who doesn't love a good California vacation?? I sure love them, especially when they involve family, friends, shopping, sugar, the beach, a wedding, and SO much fun!

When I first arrived in LA, it was time for Girls Weekend! My aunts and sister-in-law all joined my mom at her house for our annual weekend of pampering, good food, and good laughs. This year, the theme was PINK, which was incredibly fun. My mom definitely went above and beyond. Check out this table!


Yeah, it was amazing. And of course we did a photo shoot:


By Saturday, Michael had flown in so he was able to volunteer with us at the Revlon Run.

I'm already looking forward to many more Girls Weekends! :-)

Anyway, the reason Michael came down at all was because I decided to stay an extra week since one of my best friends was getting married the next weekend and Michael deserved a vacation too. :-) So we lounged, went to the beach, and even borrowed my parents' car for a couple days to make a quick trip to Vegas to see more friends and family. We can't wait to (eventually) move back to the West!


Michael flew back to Nashville a few days earlier than me in order to make it to his all-day Saturday class that he has this summer. (yuck!) I stayed and went to the wedding, which was beautiful. Congrats Krista and Jeff!


We had a blast in CA, and I'm sad our vacation is over, but now the next big thing to look forward to is the arrival of our baby! Woohoo!

The Good and The Bad of Tennessee

Now that we have lived in Tennessee for (pretty much) all four seasons, I have learned a lot about the good and the bad of living here. There are so many reasons that we love Nashville, but just like everywhere, (or almost everywhere) ;-) it has some downsides. This is what I have discovered so far about the good and the bad of Tennessee:

GOOD:
-It's SO green! Well, in the spring and summer anyway. At first it sometimes annoyed me because I couldn't get a good view of the city, but I have really learned to appreciate how pretty it is. Oh, and all that green makes for a seriously pretty Fall.
-Southern hospitality is real. People are generally nice here, bless their hearts. <-- a common southern phrase
-It's strange and so nice to live in a state that is red even though there aren't a lot of LDS people. I am able to voice my political opinions and have most people agree with me rather than look at me like they want to light me on fire.
-Lots of good BBQ. Since meat has been my biggest pregnancy craving, this has come in handy.
-The musical talent is insane! Half of our ward is trying to make it in the music business, and this makes for some really great musical numbers in sacrament meeting.
-There is a student discount for everything! Yay for Michael being in grad school.
-Country music everywhere! I suppose that many of you might consider this a bad thing. :-) I was never that into country music before I moved here, but I have learned to embrace it. And there's lots of free country dance lessons in the summer. We're definitely going to capitalize on that in a month or two.
-The southern accent is quite charming.

BAD:
-Sadly, even though this definitely does not apply to every person (or even most people?) in Tennessee, racism is more prominent here than anywhere in the West. There is nothing that annoys me more than someone saying some nasty racist comment while proudly showing off their Confederate flag. Ugh. And it's even worse in some other areas of the South, or so I'm told.
-Bugs! Big, nasty ones! I sort of forgot about them for a while in the winter, but sadly they have started appearing again now that it's warming up. I really need to get back into the habit of plugging the drains in the house when they're not being used.
-I'm not crazy about the weather. We've already established that I'm a weather snob, but still. So much ice (and surprisingly a lot of snow) in the winter.... thunderstorms and/or tornadoes every other day in the spring. (Michael loves the rain, and sometimes I do too, but not quite so often). And summer... it it seriously SO hot and SO humid. Walking outside feels like jumping into a hot tub. Fall is great though! :)
-I'm not great with directions, but this city is confusing. The freeways (or 'interstates'- I was made fun of for calling them freeways, ha) all twist around until you have no idea if you're going towards California or New York. And there are a lot of unlabeled streets. Even Michael got confused a lot when we first moved here. The drivers aren't the best either. NO ONE here uses their blinker. Ever. Oh, and the traffic reminds me of LA on a Friday evening. Yikes.

Overall, Tennessee is great. We have some really fond memories here. Come visit us anytime, but I'd recommend sometime between March and November.

As for other updates, our Easter was spent at home, while Michael was miserable on the couch. He got really, really, really sick for a couple weeks. So sick, in fact, that I thought a few times that we were going to have to go to the ER. Thanks for everyone who remembered him in your prayers. He is pretty much completely better and all caught up with school.

I am 23 weeks along and I am definitely getting bigger! I love feeling the baby's kicks, which are getting stronger all the time. From what it feels like, he is also learning acrobatics. My current cravings include chips and salsa, chocolate and caramel, and fruit.

We are looking forward to going to California soon!!