zac's birthday.

For Zac's birthday, we drove up to Park City and ate some lunch at Vinto, where both the waiter and I did a pretty good job at spilling the pitcher of water all over the table and the floor. When we finished eating the best pizza ever there, we walked down Main Street and looked through a few shops. I was out of breath the entire time.

Then Zac wanted to go over to the Outlets and look for some shoes. He found two pairs that he really liked, and a few shirts at Banana Republic. That guy is turning into me--only wanting clothes for his birthday. :)

After the drive back home, I had a nap (I'm not sure what Zac did while I napped), and then we went to Gloria's Little Italy for dinner. We ate pasta together (of course Zac got the gnocchi), and we got a little chocolate cake for us to share for his birthday. 

I'm so excited that my husband is 25 years old! I love him more and more everyday. 

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happy birthday, husband!

This husband of mine turns 25 years old today! Happy birthday, Zac! You are the best man I know, and my very best friend, and I sure love you!

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12 weeks.

At 12 weeks, my emotions are getting a little crazy. I've cried over some really silly things about 2 or 3 times this week. My mild morning sickness is still here, and I still have quite the appetite (I was craving BBQ and baked beans last night--I think Zac is enjoying this). I still get cramps, and I'm starting to gain some weight. To be honest, I feel fat. But, oh my gosh, it's so worth it.

The little babe is 2 inches long, and half an ounce. The thing I'm most excited for as of right now is when I start to show (more).

Zac and I both think it's a girl. I sure hope we're right, because I really want a little girlfriend to have tea parties with and to take shopping. ;) 

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a baby!

It's so nice to get this out in the open. We've been keeping it a secret for almost two months, and I had been counting down the days I was so excited! It's all I can think about!

I was asked a few questions, and I thought I'd answer them here, more for my reference than anything. So here goes!

We aren't finding out the gender of this little babe. I feel like the majority of things I like (as far as baby clothes, supplies, etc. go) are gender neutral and plain, and would go with either a boy or a girl. Plus, I'm not too fond of some gender-specific clothes (especially anything that looks like this or this... yikes!). And besides, we want to be surprised the day our baby comes!

I've been sick, but not as bad as other women get. I've had mild (but present) morning sickness, but haven't thrown up once (praise the heavens!). The most prominent symptoms I've had are cramps (no one ever tells you about these!), and fatigue. I've been so exhausted! But I can feel it start to slowly go away as I'm nearing the second trimester.

The only real, consistant craving I've had is cold water. I've never heard of that one before, but I can't get enough. Besides that, I've been craving various foods randomly, like pizza, burgers, egg salad sandwiches, nachos, breadsticks, tacos/burritos, and chicken noodle soup--mostly restaurant food. And the fact that I've have no energy to cook anything means that Zac and I have been eating out a lot lately. :| I've also craved a Subway ham sandwich for a while now, but can't eat it because of infection risk. You bet your bottom dollar that there will be one in my hospital room right after I deliver the baby.

I've had a couple food aversions, but not typical ones. The thought of eating goldfish crackers, jelly beans, Trader Joe's cookie butter or almond butter make me feel sick (I've never even had cookie butter...). But I'm so glad that I'm still able to eat meat, because I like a good burger.

Thank you for all your sweet comments and for sharing your excitement with me! It makes me happy to know that I have people who are thrilled about this, too! And you people are wonderful.

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hey, guess what!

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mother blaney's pie.

My friend, Erica, has a mom. This mom's name is Mother Blaney. When we had a pie party one day, Mother Blaney made four or five delicious pies for us. What a saint, right? There was peanut butter pie, and banana cream pie, but my very favorite was Mother Blaney's strawberry-blueberry cream cheese pie. It tastes just as amazing as it sounds.

So last night, in preparation for tonight's Family Home Evening with my family, I made it, in all its glory. It's sitting in my fridge right now, taunting me. And maybe one day, I'll post the recipe, but only if Erica approves. I mean, this is Mother Blaney's pie we're talking about...

 

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boston.

I'm a little late to this, but I had to say something about the bombings in Boston that happened on Monday. It's been making me sick and so sad to see the terror going on in our country. From the three who were killed in the bombings, and over a hundred who were injured, my heart can't help but break.

I saw pictures of what the normally busy streets of Boston looked like today after police urged people to stay inside and lock their doors while they looked for the second suspect: a teenaged boy. I read stories of how the first suspect--a man just three years older than me--was killed last night in front of residential homes in a stand off with police. It makes me so, so sad.

I can only imagine how terrifying it must be for the people of Boston to have to go through this. Seeing tanks and guns and SWAT teams walk through their town that, just a few days ago, was a normal place.

It's recent news that the second suspect was captured. I am so, so happy. It's a relief, and I'm nowhere near Boston. I'm so glad that those people can go to sleep at night.

And among all the chaos, I'm so proud to know that there are people helping. The many who stepped up on the day of the bombings and saved the injured. The doctors, police officers, and strangers who saved peoples' lives. I just can't believe how much good there is when something so bad has happened. It's remarkable.

We love you, Boston. :)

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spring.

Spring is here in Utah (even if it did snow last night), and it's prettier than I remember. The birds have flown back, and are chirping nonstop outside in the trees. There are blossoms on those trees, and I'm just waiting for the day when the lilac bush outside our door starts blooming and smelling oh so good!

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round two.

Newport Beach, May 2011

Remember when we went to Newport Beach for our honeymoon? Zac and I have talked about going back since we left, almost two years ago. We were in the middle of planning a trip to St. George this May, like we did last year, when I had the brilliant idea of driving through St. George to get to Newport Beach. I told Zac, and in the same second, he was like, "OKAY!!!"

So we're going to California in a few weeks, and the two things I'm most excited for are Mama D's Italian Kitchen, and spending time on Capistrano Beach. We'd like to try new things, too, so we've been keeping our eyes open for other things to try.

And we just booked our motel today, so it's a done deal!

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our new favorite dessert.

The other night for dinner, I made buttermilk biscuits. Zac put honey on his, and that's where it all started. I made them for dinner, but I think they're our new favorite dessert, because they're so sweet and flaky! I feel like a pioneer in the olden days, eating biscuits for dessert. Soon I'll be eating a bowl of flour and water. (Just kidding.)

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23.

I started my 23rd year yesterday, and it's crazy to think a year has gone by since this. My day was spent entirely with Zac--just how I like it. We started the day off with pancakes and eggs, and then drove up to Salt Lake City for the day and went shopping at City Creek and the Gateway, ate lunch at Pier 49 (where we saw my little sister, Sara, outside, and scared her), and bought some famous cookie butter at the new Trader Joe's. On the way home, we got a huge cup of frozen custard from Nielsen's (I wanted this more than a birthday cupcake), and my oh my! Please come to Orem. 

It was such a perfect day spent with my husband. Holy crap, I'm 23!

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easter sunday.

Easter this year was different. Zac got home from work at 11pm the night before, and I was still making dinner at that time, so we went to bed late. Church was at 8:30 the next morning, and we were like, "Uhh, let's just sleep in." So we did (don't judge us). Zac left for work at 9:30 in the morning, and my brother Daniel picked me up to go to my parents' house, so I didn't have to spend Easter alone.

At my parents' house, we watched Les Mis (honestly, I fell asleep), and ate a huge dinner of ham, rolls, fruits and vegetables, and potato casserole. After dinner, we went outside and helped the niece and nephews look for Easter eggs, while all the while dodging the turkey poop all over the driveway. I ate waaaaay too much candy that night, but it was so much fun.

I met Zac at home, and we watched a couple of TV shoes on his tablet before going to bed at 9:30 or 10:00. 

It's good to have family when your husband's work schedule is stupid. Happy Easter!

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