Our Family

 So I've spent all this time playing catch up so I think now it's time to write about our soon-to-be addition to our family. Everyone knows this by now but I am pregnant! We are so excited and can't wait for this little bugger to get here already. I know we still have awhile so we'll definitely have to learn some patience. But here's the story. Zach has wanted a baby for FOREVER! If it were up to him, I would've been pregnant a month after we got married. Luckily, I talked him in to us waiting at least a year so I got closer to finishing school and all that jazz. So he let me wait a year, almost exactly. In November, I was off the pill. We were thinking, okay it's not that difficult, you stop taking the pill, you get pregnant. So we were a little disappointed each month when I started my period. I know we hadn't even been trying for that long and people will probably think I'm ridiculous for getting nervous so early but I couldn't help it. So in February, we didn't really get our hopes up because we hadn't been counting days or anything like that. I did the 14 days of Valentine's for Zach again this year but since Valentine's day is on a Tuesday, he had to go to work. We had dinner on the Saturday before but he wanted to spend at least the next day with me so he took it off. I thought that was really random because it was a Wednesday so it wasn't like we were going to go do anything fun anyway but it must have been meant to be. I hadn't started my period yet and I was supposed to start on Sunday. Again, people will probably think that I'm crazy but I was NEVER late. It was always right on, give or take a day. So I was driving myself crazy. I sneaked in to the bathroom and took a test, without Zach realizing it. I didn't want to just sit in there staring at the test so I went to the kitchen and made a sandwich. I almost forgot about it but then I went back and couldn't believe it when I saw that little + sign. I probably stared at it for a minute.

So I walked out with it and I must have had this goofy smile or something on my face because Zach looked at me and was like, "What?" So I just held up the test and he's like, "negative?" and I just shook my head. I seriously didn't know what to say. He didn't believe me at first and just kept saying nuh-uh. He came and looked at it and it was kind of a faded + sign so he made me take another one. This time, it was a lot darker so we knew for sure that it was positive. We sat there in shock for a minute and then just hugged each other and cried a little.

So since that day, we have told all of our family, obviously. I have made it through the first trimester, I'm now 18 weeks along and we had our first ultrasound today that told us it's a GIRL! Zach really wanted a boy so I asked him if he was disappointed and he said of course not. He really wanted a boy but now that he knows it's a girl, he really wants a girl. Plus, this little girl will have him wrapped around her finger in no time. So today was really exciting. Not only did we find out it's a girl, but we got to see our baby for the first time. It was so cool to see the heart, the spine, brain, head, etc. and just see that everything is okay. I feel like I'm bigger than I'm supposed to be but the doctor hasn't said anything and the ultrasound tech said that she didn't think so, so maybe I'm just carrying it differently.

 

 

Now that we know it's a girl, it just makes it feel more real to me. Zach has already gone and bought onesies and I'm going to get fabric for her blanket tomorrow. We are just so excited to have this little addition to our family. It's a little intimidating to think that I'm going to be a mom soon but hopefully I figure it out as I go. I just have to have faith that Heavenly Father knows what he's doing because this is His special spirit and he knows me better than I know myself. So if He trusts me, with all of my flaws and faults, to raise this precious spirit, then I better have trust in Him to help me and have faith in myself. I love this little girl already and she's not even here yet. I  know it's going to be a learning experience with some hard times and some great times and I'm obviously going to make a lot of mistakes along the way, but I am so grateful for this opportunity to become a mom and this great blessing that is going to come in to our lives in October.

Spring Break

Yes I know that Spring Break was FOREVER ago but let's face it, I am awful at this blogging thing. So I'm choosing to talk about it now. Spring Break for the Miller's was really fun. I don't even know what brought it up but we were talking about how we should go somewhere. We didn't have money to burn or anything like that but we at least wanted to get out of South Jordan. I was talking to my sister Angie one day and she said, "hey you guys should drive out here and spend a weekend with us!" I brought it up with Zach  and he got really excited about it and said it would be a lot of fun. The plan was set in motion and we drove out to Colorado for our Spring Break.

It was so much fun being out there with them! The drive wasn't that bad and we just stayed at their house so we didn't have to pay for a hotel. We didn't do anything outrageous. We went to the outlets, TJ Maxx ( I finally got my sunglasses and a cute scarf thanks to Angie) and went out to dinner for Angie's birthday. We went to the Butterfly Exhibit (or whatever it's called), a St. Patrick's Day parade, and to yummy Smashburger and an ice cream place. Otherwise our time was spent talking, laughing way too hard, and playing with their two little cuties. It wasn't a long trip but it was so much fun! We need to make it a tradition to go out there at least once a year. Thanks for the fun time Bell family!

Cute little Layla bug

Out to eat at Maggiano's. SOO good

 

Couldn't even make it through his cracker

 

At the Butterfly place

 

Zach hates spiders. He couldn't even look at it! Pansy...

 

Such a cute little family

 

At first she thought it was a friend so she ran in to the mirror. haha

 

She was obsessed with this turtle. She kept coming back, pointing to it, and then talking to it

 

Jackson took this picture, that's why it's so close. But I think it's cute!

 

Midnight after the Game on Diet was over. We splurged! 

 

At the St. Patrick's Day parade

 

This little girl was worn out!

 

15 years- One Great Friend

So I know I haven't blogged in awhile and boy do I have A LOT to blog about, but I just had to write about this before it gets to be too far away. I want to remember my feelings about it, even though they'll be hard to forget. Yesterday, May 15, 2012, I lost one of my best friends. Jasmine has been our dog since she was a puppy, 15 years, and she has been there for us through everything. She was such a mild tempered dog that was always so loving and friendly to everyone. She always knew when one of us was upset or down about something and would be there to comfort us and make us feel better. Even when I was sick and laying on the couch, or crying for some reason, she would come over sit down, and just rest her head on my lap until I fell asleep or calmed down.

There was one time I remember in detail. Jasmine had never gone upstairs in our old house because it was always off limits to her. It was where all the bedrooms were and she just slept downstairs. When I was going in to my junior year of high school I had an extensive knee surgery that put me out from soccer for a long time. They had done a lot of bone work and that night I was in a lot of pain. I was trying to crutch up the stairs to get to bed and my mom was walking right behind me to make sure that I didn't fall backwards. Right behind my mom, there was Jasmine. She followed us all the way up the stairs, in to my room, and stood at the foot of the bed while my mom got me situated. She propped my knee up on some pillows and made sure that I was comfortable. Of course I was crying because I was in so much pain, but right when I laid down, Jasmine hopped up on my bed and laid down right next to me. She had never done that before! She never jumped up on the furniture or had even come up the stairs for that matter. She stayed there all night. In the morning, she jumped down and followed me all the way back downstairs. She did this night after night during my recovery. I was going through this very difficult time in my life and she was right there for me.

She was always so excited when I would come home from BYU-Hawaii. She would weave in and out of my legs, and push her head in to my hand just begging for attention. As she got older and sicker she would still get up and greet me at the door even if she didn't have much energy. She would wag her tail and beg for attention and follow us around everywhere. She never licked us and she rarely barked. We would just put our heads together and that's how she showed us that she loved us. Some people may think I'm lame for blogging and being so upset about a dog and if so, I feel bad that they didn't have a relationship with a pet like I did. Jasmine was a member of our family. She was with us for 15 years; I grew up with her. She was a perfect example of how to love people unconditionally, even when we were pushing her away because we were complaining about how bad her breath smelled.

Some things I'm going to miss:

• Hearing her nails on the floor
• Almost tripping over her because she would stand so close
• Hearing her little noises when she's dreaming
• Listening to her collar jingle as she picks her head up to see who it is
• Just hearing her breathing when she's asleep on the floor
• Having her follow me around everywhere 
• Her comforting me through all my hard times
• And many more

I loved this dog and I always will. I know she's happy now that she's not sick and I'm sure my Grandma Waite is taking care of her and feeding her like crazy! I can't wait to see her again. I love you Jasmine.