WICKED The Musical

WICKED!! What more can I say...

I bought tickets for Wicked back in November. My mom was turning 50 on New Year's Eve and well...Christmas is a week before her birthday, so I decided this was the perfect gift for the BIGGEST Wizard of Oz fan I know! We waited over seven months to finally see it together. I saw Wicked the last time they were on tour here in Utah, but this time I got to see it with my mommy :) We had SO.MUCH.FUN. We also wore out black and green to represent!!

We first treated ourselves to a lovely dinner at the good ol' Olive Garden and then headed over to the show. Before my mom even saw it, she bought herself a book, a CD, shirt, and a pin. I think she knew she would love it ha ha, and she did! She said it is her favorite show and I would have to agree with her. Thanks for such a fun night mom. It was so great to have a mommy, daughter date...they don't happen often enough! 

P.S.- I get to go see WICKED again with John and his family in just two short weeks...yeah I am pretty lucky!

How Baby Boy Got His Name...

We picked a name :) We have actually known we would name our first little boy "Camden" for a long time. It's not a family name, but it does have a special meaning to it. John served his LDS mission in Baltimore, Maryland. They have a famous baseball field there called "Camden Yards". John loved this name and after we got married, you know, when you're talking about what you'll name your future children, he mentioned this name to me and we have loved it ever since. When we were told we would be having a baby boy, it only felt right that we name him "CAMDEN JOHN HUSTON". 

We are excited to take Camden to "Camden Yards" one day to watch the Baltimore Orioles play.

22 weeks!!

 Isn't it amazing to see what can happen in 10 weeks!!

How far along? 22w6d

Size of baby? He is the size of a Spaghetti Squash ( are those the big yellow looking things??)

Total weight gain/loss: +5 from my pre-pregnancy weight of 122. Current weight 127...yeah I am starting to put on weight now!
 

Maternity clothes? Yep! Found some more cute skirts this week and found some cute shirts at H&M that were cute enough to stretch over my belly (those weren't maternity clothes though) 

Pregnancy symptoms this week? A little bit of Braxton Hicks contractions, back aches, trouble catching breath, and nesting...this is a symptom right?! I want everything cleaned and organized ALL THE TIME. I am going to give my husband a heart attack. 
 

Stretch marks? Nope! 

 
Sleep: We went camping this past weekend...NEVER doing that pregnant again. my back and body has never been in so much pain! I was so excited to be back in my own bed, that I think I have slept better because it made me appreciate it a little more :)  

 
Best moment this week: Nursery is painted, furniture is in place, curtains hung, and we hung some pictures on the wall. We still have some items to take care of, but it's coming along VERY nicely.

  
Miss Anything? I just really missed my bed over the weekend :)  

 
Movement: Lots of movement...in my pelvic area...I am curious to see if this little boys feet are down there, because that's where I feel the most movement. 

 
Food cravings:  Still Macaroni and Cheese and Lucky Charms...and of course still Mexican food. There is also nothing better then an ice cold bottle of water  :)

 
Anything making you queasy or sick: um...the heat :) 

 
Have you started to show yet: Yes, growing like crazy...

 
Gender: It's a boy :) but I am making the Doctor check again tomorrow at our target appointment. Just want to make sure ha ha  

 
Labor Signs: Still false labor...those dang Braxton Hicks Contractions! At least they don't hurt, they're just uncomfortable.   

Belly button in or out? It's halfway out and halfway in.    

 
Wedding rings on or off? On

 
Mood?  Happy :)

 
Looking forward to: My Target Appointment tomorrow morning!!! We'll get to see every angle of our little boy and most importantly his cute little face :)

21 Weeks!!

How far along? 21w5d

Size of baby? He is the size of a carrott or banana (10 1/2 inches)

Total weight gain/loss: +4 from my pre-pregnancy weight of 122. Current weight 126
 

Maternity clothes? Yes 

Pregnancy symptoms this week? Hip pain and some crazy pregnancy emotions. I dropped my phone the other day and it cracked the screen...you would have thought it was the end of the world. Come to find out, it wasn't the end of the world...I am still here today :) 
 

Stretch marks? Nope! 

 
Sleep: Sleep actually seems to be getting better. I have found if I prop my feet up higher than the rest of my body and stuff my pillow under my back then I can sleep better because it keeps me off my hips.  

 
Best moment this week: We started painting baby boy's room. (it's going to be so dang cute)

  
Miss Anything? Someday I wish I had more energy, but I guess it gives me an excuse to be lazy right now. 

 
Movement: Little boy is wiggling around in there. I don't feel it everyday at this point, but I can definitely tell it's not gas anymore ha ha

 
Food cravings: Macaroni and Cheese and Lucky Charms...and of course still Mexican food. 

 
Anything making you queasy or sick: Summer heat, but as far as food...nope! I can eat anything now days :) 

 
Have you started to show yet: Yes, I have grown so much these last two weeks! and I love it!  

 
Gender: It's a boy :) and it better stay that way because this nursery will be mostly done next week and there sure isn't any pink in there :)  

 
Labor Signs: um...false labor signs. This week I had to give the Doctor's office a call because I have been having pressure like pain down in my pelvic area, along with back pain. They told me I am experiencing Braxton Hicks Contractions, which I guess is totally normal at this time during pregnancy. I bet you can imagine my emotions when I was told that. Once I read more about them, I felt a lot better.  

Belly button in or out? It's halfway out and halfway in.    

 
Wedding rings on or off? On

 
Mood? I am happy...and had some moments of irritation this week. I may have lashed out a few times (bad week)

 
Looking forward to: Getting the nursery painted and put together. (pictures to come)

20 Weeks!!! Halfway there!!!

How far along? 20w5d

Size of baby? He is the size of a banana 

Total weight gain/loss: +3 from my pre-pregnancy weight of 122. Current weight 125
 

Maternity clothes? Yup! Mostly just bottoms. 

Pregnancy symptoms this week? oh lets see...muscle cramps, HIP PAIN, and as far as new symptoms this week: Heartburn and sensitive teeth (not sure whats causing that!)
 

Stretch marks? Nope! 

 
Sleep: Same as it has been... good and bad, just depends on the night. Last night was fabulous! 

 
Best moment this week: We received our first shipment from Restoration Hardware for baby boy's room!

  
Miss Anything? Nothing really :) I am pregnant! And sure I miss sleeping on my back and tummy, but I know I will get to do that again after baby boy comes. I am just enjoying being pregnant. It's truly a blessing. 

 
Movement: I've been feeling little nudges here and there. The other night I felt a definite kick...it wasn't too strong, but it did startle me ha ha. It's the most amazing feeling I have ever felt. I wish I could feel him a little more then I do, but since I have an anterior placenta, it will still be a little longer till I can keep track of his movement. 

 
Food cravings: Mexican food, oh and I made John run to the store the other night because I wanted some kind of apple crisp pie with vanilla ice cream :) He brought back the most delicious apple crisp cobbler, the only thing that wasn't fun was waiting for it to bake in the oven...longest hour of my life! My mouth was watering the whole time. Oh and you bet it was everything I expected and more :)   

 
Anything making you queasy or sick: 100 degree weather...oh summer heat, you will be the death of me! It's been so hot we have to take Charlie on a walk at 9:30 at night. 

 
Have you started to show yet: Sure have! and I love it :) People know I am pregnant now!   

 
Gender: Boy! I just had a friend that was told she was having a boy. She shopped, bought everything she needed, and almost completely finished the nursery. Come to find out at her next appointment, she is having a girl now. Camden...heaven forbid you do this to your mom and dad. I would have a heart attack! 

 
Labor Signs: No, what are these...we really need to sign up for some classes. 

Belly button in or out? It's flat this week and sometimes pokes out just a little bit after I have eaten a big meal.   

 
Wedding rings on or off? On

 
Mood? I am so happy! I'm not sure if I have that pregnancy glow that everyone talks about, but I feel so happy these days. I get to meet my sweet baby boy in about four months!

 
Looking forward to: Pioneer Day Parade and my next appointment on the 26th. It's our targeted appointment, so I am going to get about 10 minutes of video of our baby boy :)

Fourth of July 2012

Our Fourth of July celebrations this year consisted of...

*Shopping (we got new cell phones!)*

*Family BBQ*

*Saying good-bye to John's cousin, Taylor for two years! He reported to the MTC on July 5th*

*Riverton Days with the Malm Family*

*Lots of baby holding*

*Carnival Rides*

*Glow Sticks*

*Mini Donuts*

and...

**FIREWORKS**

19 Weeks

How far along? 19w5d

Size of baby? He is the size of a Mango

Total weight gain/loss: +1 from my pre-pregnancy weight of 122. Current weight 123
 

Maternity clothes? Yup! and lots of skirts and dresses

Pregnancy symptoms this week? Leg cramps, hip pain, and my feet did swell up while we were in St. George this last weekend.
 

Stretch marks? Not yet...I have been getting better about putting lotion on lately. I don't want stretch marks, so hopefully I won't get them. 

 
Sleep:  I'm not sleeping too well. Some nights are better than others, but my problem seems to be my hips. Since I am not supposed to sleep on my back or stomach, my hips get the brunt of it all. I am pretty sore when I wake up in the morning.

 
Best moment this week: Getting to see our baby boy at my 19 weeks appointment! It had been four weeks since we had seen him. I made the doctor double check he was still a boy. Baby boy is healthy and measuring just right :) I love my doctors office. They do an ultrasound at every appointment, and ever since my 14 week appointment, they will do a 4D ultrasound every time we go in. We got to see our baby boy 4D and he kept putting waving his hands at us and putting them up by his face. I love him so much already. 

  
Miss Anything? Sleeping on my belly or back, but honestly I have a sweet baby boy growing inside of me and that makes me not miss anything. I am finally getting the chance to be a mommy. 

 
Movement: I finally have felt little things here and there! When I went to my Doctors Appointment last Thursday, the doctor asked if I had been feeling him kicking. I laughed and said...well I heard it feels a lot like gas bubbles. So either I am feeling my baby or I have gas. When he pulled him up on the screen, little baby boy was in their squirming around, tossing, and turning, but I still couldn't really feel a thing. The doctor said I probably won't for a couple of weeks because my placenta is right on the front of my belly. As far as the bubbles go...it's most likely baby moving and I have felt a few nudges here and there. :) I also had some friends tell me that the movement can feel like I floppy fish, and I can totally understand what they were saying because at times this past week I have felt a feeling just like that.

 
Food cravings:  No real cravings this week, I just LOVE food. FINALLY!!! I never thought the day would come when I could eat whatever I wanted again, but I have been and it's the best!   

 
Anything making you queasy or sick: The Heat...some days I wonder how I will make it through July and August...looks like I will be visiting the pool more often.

 
Have you started to show yet: YES! Finally I look pregnant :) and I love it!  

 
Gender prediction:  Boy! 

 
Labor Signs: No

Belly button in or out? In and most of the time it's like i don't have one. My skin is being stretched on both sides of the poor thing, so sometimes it closes off. It's not a pretty thing.  

 
Wedding rings on or off? On

 
Mood? So happy and feeling so blessed! Believe it or not there have still been days that I forget we are having a baby. I think it is something I will probably experience until I am holding him in my arms for the first time. Having a baby seemed so far out of reach a couple of months ago, and now I am finally getting the opportunity to be a mom. There are no words for how wonderful it feels :)

 
Looking forward to: The Fourth of July holiday. I love fireworks and I love being around family. I am also looking forward to my half-way point on THURSDAY!! 20 weeks baby!

St. George Family Trip 2012

This past weekend we went to St. George for our annual Huston Tuachan Theater family trip. We have done this tradition for the past three years.

John and I drove down early Friday morning. We stopped a lot on the way because well...things are a little bit different when you're pregnant. In every major town I had to go to the bathroom and stretch my legs, and eat. Driving makes me so tired! I didn't want to fall asleep because I felt bad that John would be up by himself. So, I was put in charge of the Ipod music and that kept me up :) When we arrived in St. George it was 106 degrees...so this meant we were going swimming as soon as we checked into our hotel. The rest of the family was already there, so we met them down at the pool. It sure felt nice to soak up the sun with my water noodle in tow. (with sunscreen of course)!

While swimming we got some interesting news from my mom...their neighborhood was on fire again (remember this happened two years ago) Yeah...it brought back many horrific memories, but this fire was closer and her dogs were in the house. Since there wasn't much I could do because I was four hours away, I tried to stay calm with my mom on the phone. She was finally able to go up and get the dogs, but literally had 30 seconds to do it. My dad was with her thank goodness. Long story short...the firemen are amazing and stopped multiple houses from burning ( we went and saw the fire lines). Everyone was okay and luckily, only four houses and many little structures were lost. Lets hope this isn't going to happen every two years...it's way too much stress on the family :)

After swimming we all got ready and headed to Olive Garden for dinner before Aladdin. Dinner was great, the show was great, and it was HOT! There were times in the show where I thought I was going to pass out! The funny thing was we all brought jackets just in case it got chilly...apparently we didn't know it would still be 95 degrees when the show got over. We usually go on this trip at the beginning of June and believe me...it makes a HUGE difference in the temperature. 

Saturday consisted of breakfast, shopping at the outlets, lunch, and more swimming. Ahh...the swimming was definitely my favorite part :) We didn't have much planned for Saturday night, so we decided to drive to Mesquite. The girls went and saw "People Like Us" and the boys went and had their own fun :) The movie was great! I would highly recommend it. There is some language, but what movie doesn't have that anymore?! If you're anything like myself, sis-in-law, and mom-in-law, you might even cry.

Sunday, John and I got up, went to breakfast, and began our journey home. I, again was put in charge of the music and John was in charge of getting us home, safely. We stopped a lot ( for bathroom breaks), but finally made it to my parents to pick up our cute dog and head home. I crashed when we got home! I was soo tired and it's always nice to be back in your own bed :) 

It was another successful St. George trip, and we look forward to seeing what we will come up with next year. We will probably be switching up the family tradition and heading to a different destination. It will be a little difficult to go to Tuachan Theater with a little baby boy in tow, and possibly a little baby for Brandon and Jessica too, so we shall see...maybe we will head to Jackson Hole and Yellow Stone :) 

I didn't take hardly any pictures...but here are a couple

18 Weeks (better late than never)

 ( Yeah I sucked this week...I am not in the picture! That's because we are in the car on our way to St. George. So I figured it was better I actually get this post up then not :). I promise to never miss another week from here on out. I am also 19 weeks while writing this ha ha...just one of those crazy weeks!)

How far along? 18w6d

Size of baby? He is the size of a Sweet Potato

Total weight gain/loss: Sorry, still don't know. When we go to our Doctor's appointment I will figure out how off my scale is at home. I am sure the second and third trimester I am going to want to keep track of the weight I put on :)
 

Maternity clothes? Yes, definitely maternity bottoms. I have noticed some shirts I try to wear look funny stretched over my bump, so I will need to venture out soon and buy some tops, but not the baggy tent ones...I like people to know I am pregnant, not look like I am huge and fat :) 

Pregnancy symptoms this week? Leg cramps (yep they're back), itchy skin, back aches, and some round ligament pains.
 

Stretch marks? No stretch marks for this momma.

 
Sleep:  Sleep has been horrible this week to say the least. I can't sleep because my hips hurt, so I toss and turn all night. It's a good thing I can take a nap during the day if I need to (which I have needed to).

 
Best moment this week: Having my belly grow BIGGER. I absolutely love having a belly :) and also ordering all of baby boy' nursery bedding.

 
Have you told family and friends: Yes we have. Surprisingly though there is still extended family finding out. We had a family event last Sunday and we were surprised to see there were still people that didn't know.

 
Miss Anything? This week...sleeping on my back or stomach. I would take either right now. My hips are killing me!

 
Movement:Nope! This is an emotional subject...I haven't officially broke down in tears yet over this, but every time I think about it I feel like I want to cry. All I have to say is it's a good thing that I have a fetal heart monitor because than I at least know my baby boy has a heartbeat and is definitely in there. I personally think he is making me wait because his momma needs to learn patience!

 
Food cravings:  I have been bad this week...pretty much ate a bowl of ice cream everyday. don't worry though, there was only two scoops in the bowl. That's what I call eating in moderation!  

 
Anything making you queasy or sick: Still just if I don't eat something as soon as I am hungry. When I start to feel sick, I know it's time to get more food! It's a nice system I've got going on :)

 
Have you started to show yet: yes, some people still don't think I am pregnant, but I can sure tell.  

 
Gender prediction:  Boy! 

 
Labor Signs: No, but honestly I wouldn't know what these are anyway. It makes me so nervous that I really want to look into labor classes soon.

Belly button in or out? In 

 
Wedding rings on or off? On

 
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and Moody this week. With having the summer off work, I have been a little bored some days. There is only so many times you can clean the house. I find myself getting moody if I have been cooped up all day. Many people have said to enjoy this because it will never be this way again. But I do look forward to next summer, I will have a babe to take places with me, like swimming, the zoo, the park, etc.  

 
Looking forward to:Our doctor's appointment tomorrow! And leaving town for a little family vacation.

Not loving: Hip pain, but it's all for a good cause :)

My 24th Birthday

My birthday was pretty awesome because my wonderful husband surprised me with this...

Meet the cutest diaper bag you have ever seen!!! I have been looking at this diaper bag online ever since we found out we were expecting again and lets just say it was love at first site. The only problem was I would get online, oodle over it and never buy it. I finally told John I would find something else because I didn't feel comfortable buying myself such an expensive diaper bag (that was the day before my birthday). Little did I know that my husband bought it for me as a surprise and it was definitely the biggest and best SURPRISE. I love this bag and I can't wait to use it. My favorite thing about this bag (besides the adorable fabric) is the backpack feature. How handy will that be when I am carrying a child?! I won't have to worry about the bag falling off my shoulder, that's for sure :)

I also got other great gifts for my birthday from my awesome family. John's parents, my parents, and Josh gave me money and Brandon and Jessica gave me a gift card to Downeast. They all know me so well...they know I LOVE to shop! 

My birthday weekend was great to say the least. My mom and I went to lunch on Friday at Archibald's and then strolled the cute pathway's and shopped at Gardner Village. On Saturday, John and I went to lunch at Zupas and went shopping. Later that night we went to the Bee's game. John's work was sponsoring the event, so we had dinner at the park and then enjoyed a baseball game and fireworks. I was even lucky enough to get my name announced on the screen. Lucky me!! 

HAPPY 24TH BIRTHDAY TO ME! Next year I will have a baby!!! And...here is a cute picture of my first born :) I love him so much I could squeeze him! 

Meeting William Lars Lundberg

Last Friday, I got to meet this little guy...William Lars Lundberg :) One of my childhood best friends had her sweet little boy on May 30th. He is so tiny and sooo cute! William came three weeks early, but was healthy as can be. Seeing William got me even more excited for our little boy to come in November. 

 Kelli looked amazing as always...it was like she didn't even have a baby after two weeks of giving birth! She is a great mom and has already caught onto things. It definitely came natural for her :) Kelli and her husband had to go through a lot to get little William here, so it was great to finally see her with this little boy in her hands.

Sammie has adjusted nicely to having little William in the house. She sure did want my attention though :) and you better believe I gave her some. Who couldn't with that cute little face :) 

Kelli, Lars, and William will be moving to Ohio for school in August...yes, as in a month and a half. I am so excited for them and this new adventure, but will miss them dearly. They won't be home for Thanksgiving when our little one comes along, but she will be able to meet him when they come for Christmas. 

It's amazing to see the changes that have taken place in all of our lives. I am grateful for my friends and the examples they are to me. I am so glad that even though life gets really busy and we are all being pulled in different directions, that we can still keep in touch and make time for the important things.

17 Weeks

How far along? 17w3d

 

Total weight gain/loss: I'll find out next Thursday at our next Doctor's appointment. I don't trust the scale at home...so I guess we will see next week!
 

Maternity clothes? Yes, not solely, but I am pretty much in love with maternity bottoms because I feel the most comfortable in them.  
 

Stretch marks? No, but my skin has been itching like crazy! Does that mean I am going to get stretch marks?! BRING ON THE LOTION!

 
Sleep:  Some nights good and some nights bad

 
Best moment this week: I got to celebrate my 24th birthday on Saturday and my adorable husband bought me the Petunia Pickle Bottom Diaper bag I have been oodling over for months. He knew I was too cheap to go buy it myself, so he surprised me with it for my birthday. Love you babe :) 

 
Have you told family and friends: Yes, Grandma and Grandpa Ashcroft have been buying our baby boy lots of things! Our families are pretty dang excited!!

 
Miss Anything? No :) Happy to be pregnant!

 
Movement:No...I have thought a couple of times maybe, but really I have no clue. I know it's my first baby, but the anticipation is about to kill me...and make my cry all at the same time.

 
Food cravings:  No food cravings this week, in fact I have had a bit of an upset stomach all week long. 

 
Anything making you queasy or sick: The heat is still making me sick and we are supposed to hit 100 this weekend...I might be going to pool to keep cool. Also, this morning I got out of bed and had a vomiting episode ( haven't had to deal with that for about three weeks.) I think it was my thyroid medication...for some reason my stomach was not too happy.

 
Have you started to show yet: yes...but I think some people think I am just bloated. Once I tell them I am pregnant, they think I am only 3 months or so. Must be because baby boy is hanging out in my back. 

 
Gender prediction:  It's a BOY!

 
Labor Signs: No

Belly button in or out? in, but some days it completely closes off...not that pretty! 

 
Wedding rings on or off? On

 
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy :) but just a little bit more emotional and hormonal some days. 

 
Looking forward to:Our next appointment on June 28th. We haven't seen little boy in four weeks! And our little family trip to St. George :)

Not loving: Round- Ligament pains in the middle of the night. Sometimes if I turn the wrong way, too quickly, the pain is unbearable, but my baby is growing and that makes me happy! I am still getting leg cramps, but they have sudsided a bit. 

P.S.- I bought some cute fabric will out shopping with my momma. I am going to make baby boy some cute burp cloths...hopefully they turn out :)