Week 27: Bump Update

Welcome to the third trimester! 

These pictures just don't do this bump justice, but oh boy is this little one growing! Weeks seem to flying by! I wish they would slow down! I feel like it was just yesterday I was FaceTiming Michael an image of that tiny pregnancy test! Yes, he found out while studying for a math test through FaceTime. I can't help it! I was so excited! Weight Gain? I only track it when I go in for my appointments. I don't want to obsess over it! I feel as though that will only stress me out more. So next appointment, I'll update. Sleep? It's pretty hit or miss. Some nights are restless while others are the best I've ever had. Although I wish it was a little more consistent, I'm grateful for those bursts of a good nights rest. Movement? This little one seems to be on his own sleep schedule. When I wake up, I can feel him moving all around. Then around 10 or 11 in the morning, I'll start to feel punches & kicks. Then again around 5. The rest of the night is random, but those other times I can pretty much guarantee a high five to the ribs. I do not mind one bit. I love feeling his wiggles! Emotions? Same as always; consistently inconsistent. Just feels like any emotion I feel is magnetized to 1,000,000. Swelling? I've noticed some definite swelling in my ankles & toes. After elevating them for a while though the swelling will go down. I have a feeling I'm in for quite a bit! Dogs? I'm beginning to worry about them more and more as we get closer. Frank had a hard time adjusting to Raven, I can only imagine how he will react to Ezra. Raven is our rock. It sounds silly, but she is one we can count on to always be our goofy girl. We love these pups! 

I can't think about giving birth or it stresses me out. At this point, I know I have to trust my body, doctors, and that Heavenly Father will watch over us. I read on another blog that before she went to the hospital, she had her husband give her a blessing. Absolutely am I planning on doing this. What an amazing way to start the scariest/most amazing experience a woman can have. Now, just to find someone to take care of the dogs while I'm in the hospital... Any volunteers? 

Welcome Home Sister Wagner

|| I couldn't help but post this picture! Snapchat, you've outdone yourself. || 

|| Getting a "good" picture with me in it is always a challenge. ||

|| Just so many butterflies! ||

Spent drill weekend in Idaho hanging out with some of my favorite people! Friday afternoon, I packed up the Camry & began my trek to Meridian. I was so nervous about driving by myself. I'm not a strong distance driver. I tend to get sleepy staring at the road for extended periods of time & since Michael was with the Marines, that left me to be the only driver. So, I packed some comfy clothes, lots of Dr. Pepper, & ensured I had plenty of rockin music to keep me entertained. I made it an hour outside of Boise when the thunderstorm hit. The winds were so strong, I watched a semi-truck blow over & skid until perpendicular with the road. I don't think anyone was injured, but it was not a scene I hope to witness again. I drove another 45 minutes in the rain before it started to let up allowing my final ride into Boise to be quite enjoyable.
I stayed at my cousin Allison's house. She's my best friend. Any chance I have to visit her is a chance I will always take. So, we caught up for a while before her sister Liz came over. Liz had just returned home from the Scotland/Ireland mission & with her homecoming talk on Sunday had enough family in town that she got kicked out of her room at home. Lucky for me, that meant I had a snuggle buddy! So, after Allison fell asleep, we stayed up having pillow talk for quite a bit longer. It was so fun to catch up!
Saturday, we had waffles at Uncle Randy & Aunt Karen's house. Kris had just arrived from Utah & we could not have been more thrilled to see him. We spent some time sitting around catching up before Allison & I went shopping. I can't believe how blessed we are to be having babies at the same time. These little boys just have no idea how much a treat they are in for.
Liz gave a beautiful homecoming talk. Both Allison & I cried the entire way through. Liz is such a catch. I predict she married by the end of the year. ;)
This will probably be my last trip before Ezra comes. By the time I got out of the car, my ankles were pretty swollen & my body very sore. All good signs, but not the most comfortable feeling. Next time I'm in Idaho will be when Ezra & I are meeting baby Staheli. I can't  wait!

Ezra's Accent Wall

 I can't believe We have entered into the last trimester! It is going by so quickly and I feel we have so much to do! Luckily, I am blessed with an amazingly selfless Mother. She took an entire Saturday out of her week to come up and help me prep Ezra's room. I could not have done it without her!

Four Square

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|| They are just so dang cute, how could I not include them!? ||

I had to learn quickly that the Riding's take their sports seriously. I appreciate this in a family because I too can become overly aggressive in a friendly game. However, I don't think I've ever met a group that takes Four Square so seriously. When Michael & I were shopping around for our next place to live, this porch definitely stood out to us. It is just barely big enough that we can fit our 11 x 11 foot court on the patio. So, after moving in, on our first warm evening, we were outside with the tape measures & the duct tape setting up. It's always funny too when you invite people over to play. I'm not sure if they think we are kidding, but they are always surprised to see how dead serious we are. Luckily, everyone ends up having a good time & getting people to come back to play is fairly easy, but just so it's out there. #1: If you ever want to play, call us. #2: We are always serious with the invitation to play. & #3: No cherry bombs or Michael won't ever invite you into our home ever again.

Call us!

Week 25: Bump Update

||Ghetto Bathroom Pic: Sorry bout that. If i'm not at work, I'm at home in sweats leaving no time for a good picture!||

I can't believe here we are 25 weeks into Baking this Bun & this is my first update!
Weight Gain? Let's just say last time I went to the doctor she told me I "hit a growth spurt."
I laughed so hard when she said that! A very kind way to tell me I'm finally catching up with the weight I should be right now. Sleep? Never in my life have I felt the need for sleep so strongly! When I do get to sleep, I wake up even more exhausted than before. It feels as though all the energy I'm supposed to be replenishing is going straight to Ezra. I don't mind. I'm just glad he is healthy. Also visiting me during the night is the dreaded Charley Horse. Looks like I need to double my banana & water take-in!  Movement? Absolutely! This little guy is a kicking & a punching right along. It is my favorite part of the day. Everyone keeps telling me that it won't be so fun once he is hitting my ribs, but I can't help but be grateful for each uncomfortable moment. Emotions? Everywhere. I know I'm overreacting to every situation, but I can't stop my tears/anger/frustration/joy. Picture your craziest moments, multiply that by 10 & I'm still worse than that. Michael is an angel for being so patient with me. Dogs? Frank has definitely been the pup to sense the change. He has been so incredibly snuggly lately & although he did go through a brief stage of not wanting anything to do with me, he's back to my snuggle bug. Raven isn't much different than the corky, hilarious pup we love so stinking much!


I can't believe we only have 15 weeks left until we meet this little one. I think it's about time we buckled down & got going on his nursery! So much to do, so little time!

Babymoon: San Diego Zoo 2016

||One day Michael turns to me & tells me I'm a vixen. Confused I asked him what he was talking about. All he said to me was "What? I'm a meerkat." Apparently Michael assigns animals to humans. This is his spirit animal.||

|| Michael asked the zookeeper all about this Hippo. He loves when they turn on the water & he gets to massage his gums! ||

||I found out this trip I have a thing for ducks. They are adorable! ||

Going to the San Diego Zoo was something I'll never forget. I absolutely love Zoo's. I know some people are majorly against them, but I find them intellectually stimulating. Michael spends his time running around & reading the plaques for every animal. You have to keep a close eye on him though because one minute he's standing next to you & the next he's across the exhibit talking to the zoo-keep asking all sorts of questions. One thing I picked up on about Michael pretty quick is that his brain has a knack for storing random facts that you will probably only be able to whip out once in your life. It's times like the Zoo when he pulls them out & I am always so fascinated by what he has to say. He definitely keeps me on my toes!
Since the Riding clan was with us this day, we skipped the usual plaque reading & enjoyed looking at the animals quickly as to keep up with the group. Also, it rained on us, so we hurried along our way. Each time we visit an animal park/zoo/sanctuary, I am so blown away by all of the different species of animals we have in this world. All are absolutely beautiful & serve a unique purpose. This is what keeps us coming back for more.

That night, we were going to go explore the Gas Lamp District, but it was raining & we were exhausted from the years worth of walking we had done that week, so we opted for a movie back at the condo. Honestly, as great as these adventures are, a movie & some snuggle time is just as good to me so I wasn't disappointed.

Also, the bump really started to make an appearance this trip! Hooray for this growing alien!

Babymoon: MCRD || USS Midway || Dinner CruiseI

||MCRD: Marine Corps Recruit Depot||

This picture needs it's own explanation. I think with everything we did the entire trip, showing me this base was Michael's favorite part & definitely the most memorable for both of us. This is where Marines go for the 1st & 3rd phases of boot camp. You show up, jump off a bus, & are immediately greeted by screaming Drill Instructors. (DI) Every time we drove/walked past a DI, I tensed up & immediately started sweating. Michael kept telling they could smell my fear which of course made me even more anxious, but I have so much respect for what they do. We drove the perimeter of base 4 times, parking in spots Michael wanted to tell me a story about. As we were making our last loop, we passed a platoon falling into formation. I'm not sure what happened but all of the sudden, the DI turned & walked the row of his recruits until reaching his victim. Then, the screaming began. I have always appreciated Michael's service, but never have I realized the extent of what he went through to earn the title of a United States Marine. I know I get overly patriotic when I talk about it, & I won't ever fully understand what Michael went through, but I sure have a new found respect for the man I married. He is truly the strongest man I've ever met & he is a hero. Our kids are lucky to have him.

The USS Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum is unreal. If you've never done it, make sure you add it to your list of things to do. We Americans take for granted the sacrifices of our service men & women. I always get nervous doing things like this, because Michael gets so inspired by these stories. He wants to be a part of it, Goodness me I'm so lucky to have him!

If you want romance, be sure to check out the Horn Blower Dinner Cruises. We decided to do the 3 hour dinner cruise around the San Diego Harbor. It was a 3 course meal accompanied by dim lighting, romantic music & a beautiful view of the city. While Michael was in the restroom, I requested the DJ play "The Ballad of Love and Hate" by the Avett Brothers which is kind of "our song." I'll never forget watching Michael stop talking mid-sentence once he noticed what song was playing. Yes, I may have gotten a little emotional, but I mean... What else is new? I'm so grateful for moments like this when we can slow down & just be us. Life happens so quickly it's rare we get moments like this one. I just love this man. 

Babymoon: Disneyland 2016

||Ezra's first visit!||

||We watched a girl take a million pictures in this position until she got the one she wanted. Turns out, the position was harder than it looked!||

||While waiting in line for the Monsters Inc. ride, a worker gave us this pass that allowed us to skip the entire line! We were PUMPED!||

||While we were on our Honeymoon, Michael put on these glasses & gave me this half smile I just couldn't help but laugh at! The tradition continues!||



||I was unable to go on Space Mountain but our friend Spencer told us they had changed the ride, so Michael went on it & told me what they updated! I can't wait to see all the changes for myself! Also, fat face because what else do you do in roller coaster pictures?|| 

||Left: Honeymoon 2012  Right: Babymoon 2016||

Not many people understand our NEED to have Disneyland in our lives. Being young & having Michael in college makes affording trips difficult, however, we have yet to skip an opportunity to go. This particular trip was special not only because Ezra was able to join us, (I felt him move for the first time on this trip! EEK!) but because we were able to have some of Michael's family come along! A few weeks before leaving, Michael's parents European vacation fell through & deciding to make the best of the situation, asked to come along! Michael's 2 youngest brothers had never been & although they are in high school & act too cool for school, you could tell they were just as giddy as our niece. It was important to Michael & myself to have some time to ourselves, so we did take a day to just walk around, take in the smells, eat a few to many churros, enjoy the shows & explore different aspects of Disneyland we normally wouldn't have. I will say being pregnant in Disneyland did limited the "thrilling" rides, and although I missed them, exploring outside our "norm" brought a new light to the Disney Magic.