Gorgeous girl

I finally was able to get my niece Natalie's senior pictures done.

She is so photogenic. Other than a few closed-eyes pictures, there really weren't many that didn't turn out beautifully.

Natalie, I hope that you like them.

Getting an early start

Because my days aren't filled with enought things already, I made this today. Little kimono jammies for the babe for Christmas.
Brinley will be getting a pair too...

So shhhhh, don't tell.

climbing walls

Brinley's new trick... It drives me nuts.

a sweet surprise for us...

Today I started the stress tests. I didn;t realize that i would also be getting weekly ultrasounds. YIPPEE! I have been really pondering who Sarah will look like when she is born, like Brinley and Olivia, is she going to have blonde hair, etc. While measuring amniotic fluid and looking at the placenta, the sweet sonographer took some pictures of her face in 4-D. Chubby cheeks, round head, lots of hair...thats the wavy things on her head, and she looks just like Brinley did.

I just about cried when I saw her. It makes things so much more real and she's healthy. They say she is now frank (like Olivia, legs stretched out, feet by her head) breech, but aren't concerned yet, thinking she may flip, we'll see. She is wiggly.

busy-ness

The last week has been filled with busy-ness.

Photos at the hospital

Valleyfest

Forget Me Not meeting

3 hour Glucose test

doctor appointment

buying a car seat...finally

helping Brinley with "homework"

not sleeping

throwing up

and with all that, I've neglected to do any housework or yard work.

I am happy it's Fall.

I LOVE this time of year and Spokane is GORGEOUS.

It makes me want to just drive to the mountains or South Hill just to see the trees.

Thank you for all the kind comments on my interview. The article has been good for the MISS Foundation and for Forget Me Not. I think I have read it at least 10 times in the last few days.

My doctor appointment went well this morning. Sarah's heart beat is at 168, she is still transverse and likes to stretch out. I feel her head right under my left side ribs and she likes to punch my belly button, which isn't comfortable. My indigestion is not getting any better and I am now sleeping on the couch.

Spokesman Review today

My interview was published today. You can go here to read it but you won't see pictures, so I copied the original so that you could see the photos. Sorry if you can't open it any larger.
This was a very emotional thing for me. I am so happy for the way it turned out. I am also glad that my picture turned out well. Anyway, grab a few tissues, your gonna need them. I did.

tagged

I was tagged by a friend last week. i have been slacking on my blogging lately, but thought I should at least get this tag done, so here you go:

Question #1: Where were you 10 years ago?
hmmm...can I even remember that far back? I guess i would have been just getting home from living in England for 5 months. I was taking a math class at Spokane Falls Community College and working at Fred Meyer as a cashier. I didn't work there long and got a job as a car parts delivery girl, a job I really did love. I was dating a friend of my husbands and that ended when I met Matt. I was also preparing to go on a mission, which didn't happen...I met Matt instead.

Question #2: What's on your to-do list today (this list includes today and tomorrow morning's list)?
(since today is over, here is what is on my list for tomorrow)
1. take Cody and Brinley to Valleyfest
2. get some pictures sent off
3. finish editing some pictures and start editing a new batch
4. clean my bathroom
5. dust and vacuum the front room
6. take a nap...maybe
7. make dinner...maybe, if I feel all right
8. get to bed at a decent hour

Question #3: What if you were a billionaire?
I think I would pay off debts, buy awesome camera equipment that I have been coveting, travel, give to charities and of course give to my church

Question #4: Name 5 places you've lived.
1.Page, Arizona
2. Vernal, Utah
3. Woodland, California
4. Colusa, California
5. Spokane, Washington

Question #5: What are 3 bad habits you have?
hahaha...only three?
1. I love to read blogs, write on my blog, obsess over craft blogs, etc. etc. I spend too much time on blogs.
2. I HATE laundry, which means that clothes may get washed, but they don't get folded.
3. I have a disgustingly dirty car. I am lazy when it comes to cleaning it out. I am not sure why I am like this, but it hasn't been vacuumed in WAY TOO LONG...ask my sister, Julie.

Question #6: What kind of snacks do you like?
Right now is not a good time to ask me this question. My tastes have changed because EVERYTHING gives me indigestion or heartburn. However, graham crackers have been delicious, apples have not given me any grief, toast has been tasty, and ice chips have become a favorite...ask again after the babies born, I am sure my tastes might change.

Question #7: Who will you tag??
My sisters, Corinne, Julie and Kami.

valleyfest parade

I am taking Brinley and my nephew, Cody, to the "Hearts of Gold" parade (while Matt takes in a high school football game with a friend) tonight at 7pm on Sprague between Pines and Universtiy. Anyone want to join us?

Want to know more about what's happening at Valleyfest this weekend? go here. The best part is, everything is FREE! Yippee.

Sarah Mae was spoiled...

Last night my sister, Julie, and my really good friend, Pam, along with help from my mom, gave me an awesome baby shower for Sarah. It was a perfect ending to a day were I DID NOT feel good, including throwing up just hours before the party. The food was AMAZING the gifts were awesome and it was just an all around fun, relaxed enjoyable night.

I stole this pic from Julie's blog.
Julie just looks so cute pregnant.
This Sara from the MISS Foundation, I didn't realize until she got there that we have very similar haircuts and glasses...Sara and Arah, how funny!
I got the coolest gifts from all of my friends. I was so happy to get clothes because I really didn't have any. Sarah got lots of blankets, diapers, clothes and bath stuff. There was a theme of pink and brown, which was totally awesome because I love pink and brown and everything is adorable, but it was also unintentional...maybe i was sending out brain waves or something? There was scrap booking stuff there and a lot of my friends made pages, so all I have to do is add pictures and journal. It turned out so cute, thank you everyone!

Sarah totally scored! I get to have a belly cast done, thanks to Pam, and Brinley even got a few gifts, a doll, she named Megan after a friend from school, and a little friend from her church class, Ethan, gave her some jelly bracelets and lip gloss, which she wore to school for picture day.

I want to thank everybody for everything! Julie and Pam for all the hard work they did. It was perfect. I loved everything about it. Thank you Pam for letting us crash your house. and everyone who could make it the the baby shower, it really meant a lot to me for you be there. I feel very loved. and those who couldn't make it, I know that you would have liked to have come, I feel loved by you too. if I forgot you on the invite list, it was not intentional, I tried to include everyone and I have preggo brain.

All day, yesterday, I wasn't sure how I was going to react to this baby shower. Its been kinda bittersweet, something hard to explain because I feel that it wasn't something I got to experience with Olivia. Maybe it sounds weird, but I felt like that it should have been Olivia that was supposed to get all this new stuff and Sarah to get the hand-me-downs. Maybe that is why I haven't wanted to buy anything for so long. Now it's just getting to were it's a need-to get it.

I REALLY am excited about having Sarah here. I think that her birth will be just as emotional for me as Olivia's. I think it will be a little bit surreal for us to have her here, to think that we will actually have another baby in the house, a baby that is healthy, that will cry and poop and be hungry. A baby I get to bring home...not have to hand over to the Chaplain to take to the morgue. Another sweet little girl to add to our family.

alpacas

I have been so bad about posting lately. With Brinley's school, being pregnant, being a photographer, running errands for Matt, not feeling all that well, and trying to keep my house clean, I just haven't had time to just sit and post.

I am taking a few minutes out of hectic day of going to the bank for Matt, going to Costco, editing pictures, sending off pictures, picking up Cody from school, taking Cody to the dentist, getting the kidlings a snack, throwing up, running to the scrapbook store for some last minute craft supplies (for a craft to show you later) and all while I have had braxton hicks one after the other ALL DAY...don't worry, I know what real ones feel like...I am taking a well needed break.

But on to my alpaca post... Monday I took senior pictures for one of my absolutely GORGEOUS nieces... Natalie, who looks JUST LIKE her mother, Lori. Talk about a super easy subject to shoot. She's a natural. I have more pictures to post later.

She lives on this farm, well, it's slowly becoming a farm with all the animals they let hang out on their property, and it is the coolest place to take photos. This year, they have 5 alpacas and a couple of horses. While we were out in the fields, the alpacas started following us. They are a hilarious animal...
with a bad haircut. They would not leave us alone.
This one in particular loved having it's picture taken and smiled for the camera. These have got to be the nicest animal ever. They are really cute and sweet. We used to have a really ugly dog, named Zach, that totally looked like an alpaca or a llama.

When meeting an alpaca for the first time, you don't put your hand out to touch it, you stick your face down by their face and touch noses...interesting huh? but don't try to catch a whiff of their breath, it's not pleasant.