30 minute fix

           The 30 minutes a day Todd and I get to spend together on test weeks. He comes to the hospital around 10:00 p.m and I take a blissful little thirty minute break where we eat dinner and kick our feet up on the couches in the waiting room. We talk about as much as we can as fast as we can and comment on how cute or how homely the other one looks. It's not much and definitely doesn't fill my Todd canteen, but it has to do for now. Booo to this crazy adult real life, but cheers to Todd rocking dental school and never scoring less than an A on any test. This will all be worth it in the end... right? RIGHT!! ....Right? 

Project

             The word PROJECT at our house usually means: A really late night. Multiple "oops I forgot this" trips to South Fork Hardware .Getting paint in our hair and various other places (like the carpet, the computer, my eyeball). Borrowed tools from our neighbor who seems to have everything. Todd telling me at least a hundred times to "slow down, and take your time." Me cussing Todd once or twice for being such a perfectionist. A lot of laughing. Snack breaks. Pandora. Talking about everyone we know. Getting completely over the project and just wanting it to be done, and then sometimes an end product that we love. I'm happy to say we LOVE the stripes in Todds office/guest room, they were worth the work. One project down... only about fifty more to go before our little chica joins us in May. Todds reallllyyy excited about the chevron patterned wall I have been dreaming about for the nursery... come on babe, it's only one wall! 

Model Heart

One perfect little heart, and one happy happy mama 

Heres to hoping this is our one and only visit to Primary Childrens  

Dear Baby-

       The best word in the English language for us right now is the word "normal." That's what we heard at your fetal echo-cardiogram today. NORMAL!!! Actually, things were better than normal. The cardiologist used the words "great" "excellent" and "beautiful" in reference to your little heart. He said that because I was so "teeny tiny" and your heart was so "model perfect" they wondered if they could get some 3D pictures for a study they were doing. They wanted your ultrasound pictures to use as a normal example. This made my whole life complete. 1. The doctor called me teeny tiny, which made me feel like a million bucks, seeing as how lately I feel alot like Kirstie Alley during a fat stage, and 2- Your heart was "model perfect." I couldn't be happier... okay maybe I could be if that cute dad of yours sleeping on my stomach in the ultrasound office was a little less sleep deprived from studying and was home alot more. I can't even imagine how much more tired his eyes are going to look when you get here... it could get interesting. Counting the days! Love, Mom. 

Memphis

    Today we are thinking about Memphis. On our USA in 30 days road trip we really thought the best part of Memphis was going to be the BBQ joints that we were going to visit from Diners Drive-In's and Dives, but we were wrong. The best part of Memphis was the Civil Rights Museum.This place was special. We both cried as we walked wide eyed through the museum. The videos, the photos, the newspapers... it was probably the first time in our lives that it hit home that this stuff really happened. It was real. We walked around shaking our heads, asking each other how people could hate so much?
    The museum is located in the Lorraine Motel, the assassination site of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. As you walk into the room (room 306) where Martin Luther King spent his last moments before he was shot, there was a reverence that we won't ever forget. We gained an appreciation for this man and for this movement. I am so grateful to live in a time where people are so much better, I'm grateful that my baby will most likely only know hard core racism in movies and books.... barring that Todd decided to be a dentists in Detroit or some other dangerously racist town. I'm grateful that we have come so far as a country. In the words of MLK Jr. "I may not get there with you, but I want you to know that as a people we will get to the promised land." Happy Martin Luther King Jr Day.

Todd + Pregnancy

      These are just a couple of things about experiencing pregnancy with Todd that I have to write down because I don't want to forget... The many cups of ice water he gets me every night between the hours of 11:00 p.m and 1:00 a.m. The half eaten pieces of bread that I eat early in the morning and place next to him in bed that he just laughs at when he wakes up. The nights of him making me eat as many almonds as how old I am to force me to get calories. His secret mixing of miralax in my orange juice. His pep talks to get me to drink my iron supplement. His forgiveness at my many irrational freak outs. His "I'm so sorry this sucks so much" face as he stands outside the bathroom listening to me throw up. I don't want to forget the nights he slept sitting up with me because the nausea was so bad, or how he talks to my belly and falls asleep with his hand waiting for baby girls kicks. I don't want to forget his constant making fun of me for whining and our prayers where he always throws in things like we are grateful Suzy is "carrying", or "with child" or "great with child." Who doesn't just say pregnant? I will never forget the trial we went through together of not knowing if our baby was going to make it. I'll never forget how hard he tried to cheer me up, or how faithful and strong he was even though he was sad too. I love this boy more than there are words and cannot wait to see him as a dad. We are two lucky girls.    

  Continuing on with inspiring people. This is my friend Chelsea and her beautiful daughter. We snapped these pictures for her 1st birthday. She is one of those people who you love to death, but totally hate. She has a darling house, cooks amazing dinners, her daughter is the cutest, she attends all church functions, writes thoughtful notes, she throws parties, she's crafty, she is always put together and probably has a plan in place to solve world hunger. I secretly wish Todd didn't know someone like her existed, because I'm sure he totally feels gypped. Oh wait, no he loves that we eat grilled cheese on a regular basis for dinner, he loves that I can't finish a project to save my life and he can't get enough of me in sweats with a pony on top of head(New years resolution #2...work on that).Chels- I'm glad you are my neighbor and I hope to be as cool as you one day. Love ya.          

Inspired

         I couldn't not post about this inspiring cousin of ours. This is Jessica. She is a complete rockstar in my book. This girl lost 120 pounds on her own! She went from being 235 pounds to 115. Ya, apparently that does happen in real life and not just on the Biggest Loser. Ask me if I've ever run more than a mile? Nope. How often do I hit the gym... I think I've been there three or four times in 24 years. Yes, I've even faked asthma once or twice in my day to get out of running in school. I have the workout ethic of a morbidly obese person. I know I'm 100% pathetic and am fully aware that I might die of heart disease by the age of 30.(New Years resolution #1... do something work outty so this doesn't happen).  I watch the Biggest Loser ever single week with my jaw on the floor at what these people do. Seeing Jessica work her butt off (literally) on her own to do this is AMAZING. We took these pictures during the break. I'm thinking about putting one up as a poster in my house for when I need a little extra inspiration..which is always. You Go Jessica.       

 

Dear Baby

Dear baby,
          Happy 23 weeks to us! Check you out in there, I swear you make my stomach bigger every hour! It took us a while to get it down, but I think we are finally getting a handle on this pregnancy business.  We had another ultrasound. You were an old pro and moved your body in the exact right positions to get all the pictures they needed. There is still a little bump where the hygroma used to grow on you, but other than that you were 1lb 2 ounces of perfection. They say you'll probably have a thick neck when you are born. You'll just be unique, like a little bodybuilder baby...no big deal. Last night was so fun, we were tucked into bed watching Prison Break (of course) and I had my shirt up to show your Dad how lopsided my stomach was because you were in a funky position, and then you started kung fu panda kicking like crazy. We could actually see your kicks. We sat and watched you and poked at you in there for thirty minutes cracking up every time you would kick or punch. We loved it. What else we love is the twenty something weeks of pregnancy. I am up to 120 lbs, BP is 120/64, I eat three meals a day, I am back to work full time and have not thrown up in 2 weeks. Shameless brag about myself moment? Heck yes. I deserve it. Keep cookin' little babe,high five on another great ultrasound. Let's keep up the good work. Love, Mom.    

Moments to Remember

These are a few good moments from our Christmas. This year was officially our year with the Holmans, but we were able to spend alot of time with my fam as well. It was my little brother Lincoln's last Christmas before his mission, and lucky for us Todd and I spent alot of time with him. We would usually end every night nestled in my bed Todd, Linc and I and watch a few episodes of Prison Break. I'll sure miss him next year. But, we will get to talk to him on Christmas, just like we talked to Rhett this year. We had all eight of us syblings and my parents on a conference call with Rhett in Alaska. It was my favorite part of Christmas, because for one short hour it felt like we were all together again. It was perfect.     

Wouldn't be a complete break without a hysterical night with these two. LOVE them. 

 A happy Grandma 

 You better believe that is a shake weight. 

 A Christmas with lots of casts, braces, oxygen tubing, wheelchairs and alot of pain meds lying around 

 We watched Zach and Lyndi's kids open up their presents on Christmas morning. Kids definitely put the magic in Christmas. 

 We woke up TWO hours earlier than the kids and opened presents. A sea of wrapping paper might just be my favorite part of Christmas with my parents. 

Christmas eve breakfast in our pajamas at JB's. 

Dorks being dorks

Top 11 of 2011

A great year

11. Todd Graduated with honors from the University of Utah 

10. Started Dental School at our first choice school in Utah with these crazy people 

9. Went to New York and Boston with my best friends, then later to Vegas with them

8. Went the the Mountain West tournament in Vegas and saw Jimmers best college game. 

7. Spent the summer making trips to and from Idaho and living on the lake 

6. Spending a week in Sunny California 

5. Spent another year fixing up our little love nest.

 4. Spent a week in New York and Boston with my sisters and parents.

3. Road trip across the U.S.A sleeping in our element. 30 days,  6,000 + miles,  20 states, 5 major league baseball games.

2. Finding our we were expecting
1. GOD GIVING US A MIRACLE AND HEALING OUR LITTLE BABY GIRL. 

Winter Wonderland

  I always really try to look my best when we go to Island Park. This usually means I stay in my pajamas all day, don't do my hair or make-up and wear whatever clothes are hanging in the closet.

 In this particular look I am sporting a pajama dress with Eskimo Joes sweats, one glove (couldn't find the other one), a coat that barely zips over my prego belly and my moms boots that don't fit. So fashion forward. 

 We love eating at the charming little diners IP has to offer. We haven't been disappointed by a single meal yet.

           This was the only real taste of winter we got this year, it hardly snowed in Salt Lake or Rexburg. We spent a few blissful days just Todd and I at my parents cabin. This trip we watched a lot of Prion Break underneath a heated blanket, went on freezing walks, sat on the floor by the heater in the kitchen talking about our little babe and our future while eating chips and salsa. They were my favorite days of December, have I mentioned this is quite possibly my favorite place on earth? Oh ya, just every single post about the place. 

Christmas Catch Up

Oh how much I LOVE living five minutes from this place

           On a  very cold Sunday in December we ventured down and saw the lights.  I wore three layers of pants to be warm and by the end of the adventure my top pair was sagging clear off my little bummy and I had no idea. Who knows how long I was walking around like that... awesome. We sang Christmas songs on the way there and came home, drank hot chocolate and made Todds fabulous homemade salsa for our neighbors. It would have been a near perfect Sunday, except our 15 primary kids were totally NUTSO and we kind of spent the whole class making fun of them and imitating how annoying they were being. We still feel a little guilty about it.         

New Years Eve

         This was our last new years eve ever not being parents. We decided to live it up and party soooo hard. I’m talking a Prison Break marathon in bed and sparkling cider on capital steps hard. It was CRAZY! It was a super perfect Suzy and Todd night filled with lots of “lets not tell anyone this is what we did for new years eve”s and snack break in the kitchen laughing about how lame we are. On more than one occasion during the night Todd would bust out his awesome dance moves and we would silently dance for a minute or so until we would burst into fits of laughter because we are seriously so embarrassing. It was a perfect night of ditching new years parties and long restaurant lines and just being us. They say how you spend your new years eve is how you will spend the rest of your year. I sure hope thats true.