Our Third Thanksgiving in Salt Lake City

This year's Thanksgiving was just sweet and wonderful.  I was feeling sentimental all day long about Jude's first Thanksgiving (and holiday season) and truly kept the word "grateful" in the front of my mind all day long.  I'm thankful that he made me a mama and that he belongs to Brian and I.

Our morning was fun and really laid-back.  Brian and Jude ran to the grocery store while I got to sleep in, then we started cooking when they got back.  I made crock-pot creamed corn and chocolate chip pumpkin bread, and Brian made a sweet potato casserole.  While those were baking, we watched Breaking Bad and let Jude nap.  In the late afternoon, Brian and I took Jude to Liberty Park because the weather has been nice and warm lately.  We headed for the swings!

 Little buddy thinks swinging is hilarious right now.  It's been so fun as he's started to notice the world around him and giggle at things.

 After the park, we went over to our friends Jamie and Taylor's apartment for Thanksgiving dinner!  Jamie hosted dinner last year too and she is so wonderful at making her home feel festive and special.  The food was (of course) delicious and we talked about how this is our third Thanksgiving spent in Salt Lake with these friends.  They have twin baby girls who were born just after Jude and they are already Jude's little best friends- it will be so fun to see them grow up and start to play together.

This is the extent of their "playing together" right now, but it's still pretty adorable.  Rey and Jude were actually looking at each other and realizing each other's existence yesterday and that made everyone's day hahaha!

Ready for bed after a long day.  Happy first Thanksgiving, my baby.

We left Jamie and Taylor's in the evening and went over to visit our family friends.  They were finishing up their Thanksgiving dinner and we stayed to visit with them and to have some dessert.  We thought we would stay for just a little bit because Jude was pretty much over Thanksgiving by that point, but we ended up staying and hanging out for awhile.  Brian hadn't seen many of them for a few months now, and it was great to relax together and catch up.  We feel so lucky to have friends that feel just like family and who invite us to their holiday gatherings- it means so much to us every year.  

Early Winter Chill

 This morning, inspired by beginner tutorials from Pinterest, I dusted off my DSLR and decided to use it.  We bought our camera mostly for the purpose of taking quality pictures of our kids, but alas, it has been sitting on the shelf ever since baby Jude was born.  Learning to use the manual settings seems a bit overwhelming, but right now is the perfect time to learn and this little boy is an adorable little practice model.  Jude's favorite thing to do lately is to go outside (it is my go-to trick for his fussy early evening time) and so I bundled him up this morning for some backyard pictures.

Living right by Liberty Park here in Salt Lake City has been such a fun thing for us.  We meet friends there for walks or to hang out at the coffee shop on the corner.  Brian and I take Jude there in the evenings and on weekends to put him in the baby bucket swings or to get some exercise after dinner.  Baby boy doesn't mind the cold at all when he is all bundled up, and it feels really good to get out of the house.  We sit on the benches and people watch.  Sometimes Jude falls asleep and most of the time he stares up at the trees going by.  I think that living right by the park will always be a special memory from his first year.

 I knitted the blanket that he is laying on.  It was my very first "real" knitting project and definitely took me about six months to finish because I kept forgetting about it, but now that it is finished I really love it.  Jude thinks it tastes pretty delicious and likes to get it nice and soggy during walks.

Little sweet pea has tons of blonde hair growing in.  It is soft and furry and sticks straight out like a baby chick.  He has started babbling all the time and I wake up in the mornings to his private concerts in his crib. When I come into his room to get him, he gets all excited and kicks his legs really hard on his bed.  He thinks his daddy is super funny and has even started giggling sometimes when he plays with him.  We try to get him to do it all the time, but he only laughs when he's in a really good mood, usually in the mornings and for his last, late night feeding before bed.  

Jude Wilson Morris

My little love on the day that he was born.

 My tiny baby boy will to be two months old tomorrow.  Everyone told me that babyhood goes by so quickly, but I never really understood what they meant until now.  I find myself rocking my baby and trying to memorize every inch of his chubby little baby face because I know it will change by next week.

Getting ready to leave the hospital and take him home.

Our little Jude is the sweetest and coolest guy around.  Meeting him was the most wonderful, special moment of our lives, and I've found myself wishing that I could relive that day over and over, pain and all.  His personality is starting to come out more now, and he has started smiling at us (these big, adorable cheesy smiles!).  Brian and I are constantly leaning over his crib talking baby-talk, trying to draw out a big grin.

 The sweetest little hands and toes.  On the Fourth of July, he was five days old!

 Squishiest little newborn face.

The first month with Jude was basically a sleepy, but very exciting blur.  Now we've gotten more into a daily pattern, and Jude has started sleeping for a 5 hour stretch in the first part of the night (yessss).  We've had family visiting for a couple of weeks, and we've also tried to get out during the day and go shopping or for little playdates or walks.  Some days we just stay home all day, snuggling, napping, and trying to keep the house picked up or dinner cooked.  When Brian gets home from work, we usually go out again, and we've been taking Jude on a lot of evening walks or hikes.  I'm staying home with Jude until January (when I will start school again), so things have been pretty laid back around here recently.  I try to soak it up because I know I will miss this special time when life starts to get busier again.

 Sitting out in front of our apartment, which is where we usually waited for guests that would come by to meet Jude this summer.

 Jude kept begging me to take a selfie with him, so of course I agreed.

Little one month old in his bright yellow onesie.  This is also when he had started to open his bright little eyes as well!

Baby boy, we are so glad that you are here.  We love you more than words can describe!

32 Weeks

How far along are you? 32 weeks

Feeling:  Really looking forward to meeting our baby.  Toughest parts of pregnancy in the third trimester: heartburn, sore feet, and rolling over in bed at night after each hourly trip to the bathroom.  Luckily, this has been a pretty easy pregnancy, but the third trimester really does start to kick your butt.

Craving: Dr Pepper (always, I love you), and pumpkin bread from Starbucks

Best moments this week: My parents were here in Salt Lake all last week and we almost completely finished the baby's nursery!  We painted the walls a really soothing grey color, painted some other furniture, hung up his curtains, and organized his closet.  It's so cute to see his little baby outfits hanging in the closet and his tiny folded clothes in the dresser drawers.  We have a few more little decorations to hang and a rocker/glider chair to buy, then his nursery will be finished and all ready for him to arrive.

Exercise: Still doing yoga a couple of times a week plus some general yoga stretches that I do every day.  Brian and I also are still trying to walk every evening.  It has really helped me to stay active, even though it is sometimes super uncomfortable to walk in the evenings (especially after a big dinner!).  At this point, it would just feel so great to sit on the couch all the time, but I know the exercise is helping in the long run and that it's good for the baby too.

 In April, we went to get a 3d sonogram of our baby and it was SO much fun.  We could see all of his facial features, fingers, and toes.  We could also see him moving his mouth and making little pouting faces.  

 Those are the cutest little lips.

A baby shower in Kansas City!

 A couple weekends ago, I went home to Kansas City to attend a baby shower that my family threw for me.  It was such a beautiful shower and my aunt, mom, and gram put so much preparation and thought into making it super special.
The weather turned out to be sunny and about 70 degrees, so we were able to have the brunch part of the shower outside on my Gram's patio.  She has the most gorgeous backyard filled with flowering plants... plenty of great spots to take pictures!

One of my favorite parts was when my mom had all the ladies at the shower go around in a circle and introduce themselves and say how long we have known eachother.  My friends started telling our crazy stories from high school and my neighbor Judi told the story about the bat in my car back in high school (it came in through the car window that I had left open while jogging at a nature trail) and how almost the whole neighborhood heard me screaming when it brushed my arm as I was pulling into my driveway hahahaaha.  It's furry body was seriously just clinging to the side of my chair.

It was so much fun opening and passing around all of the tiny baby boy gifts.  My mom also had everyone decorate a little baby onesie, and my illustrator friend Lyndsey made the most amazing and hilarious baby onesie that looks just like my husband:

Brian laughed so hard when I brought this home to him- then he wanted to show it to everyone.

My aunt Carolyn, aunt Jenny, Gram, me, and my mom

All the ladies at the shower

That night, my friends from high school and I went over to Amy's house and got to hang out again.  I've known these girls for so many years and it's so fun talking about people we knew from high school.  Our ten year high school reunion is coming up this summer and that kind of made us sad.  I love these girls.

29 Weeks (a little late, as usual!)

 How far along are you?  Well, this post was started at 29 weeks, the picture above was from 27 weeks, and I'm 30 weeks!
How are you feeling?  Feeling really good.  Feeling like there is so much to be thankful for right now.  Last night at a Cinco de Mayo dinner, my friend Liz said, "this is such an exciting time for you guys right now," and I feel like she is absolutely right.  Babies bring tons of responsibility and it's even stressful planning everything for their arrival, but there is also such a sense of excitement, love, and longing to meet them.  I feel a lot of joy because of this baby.  He was so wanted, and I already love him so much- I wonder how that feeling will grow even more after he is born.  It took Brian and I a while to be able to start a family and I remember feeling really discouraged at times and wondering if we would even be able to have our own children.  That period of waiting was tough and has made me even more thankful for every part of being pregnant.
Also, feeling so grateful for the most beautiful baby shower that my family in Kansas City threw for me this weekend.  I can't wait to post pictures and record everything about it.
Planning: My parents are arriving in two weeks and they are going to stay for a few days and help us ready the house for the baby (thank you!).  Some things on the to do list include:  organizing baby boy's closet, buying and putting together his changing table, putting the curtains up in his room, and starting on a few decorations.
Best moments: Brian and I starting our birthing classes (they will be every Thursday evening for one month), Brian playing the guitar for baby boy last night (Ben Harper, his favorite), getting to see my family and friends in Kansas City this weekend and spending lots of time with them (and convincing my girlfriends to get instagram!!).
Craving: Jalapenos, fruit, bagels and cream cheese from Einstein Bro's, being able to easily roll over in bed

Practicing baby snuggles with my friend Sam's little girl.

26 Weeks

How far along are you? 26 weeks and I can't believe it's almost the third trimester. It seems to be going so quickly.  I actually really like being pregnant (along with all it's aches and pains and extreme junk food cravings) and feel like I might kind of miss it.

Best moments:  My friend Jamie and I started our Wednesday night prenatal yoga classes together last week.  She is pregnant with twin baby girls (!!) and she found these great classes through a birthing center.  The classes feel a lot different than the normal yoga classes I have been trying to keep up with (I've slowed down a lot and can't do some of the poses, but I still get a lot out of taking regular yoga flow classes while pregnant) and our instructor gives a lot of really helpful tips on stretching and relaxation.  I'm looking forward to our class tomorrow, and it's also a lot of fun to drive out there together and catch up on baby talk.

 Jamie and her twin bebes

Also, Brian and I bought our crib at Ikea this weekend.  We had been looking online, but actually decided on a different one when we saw them all in the store.  Most of the furniture in our house is dark brown, so we wanted to get the baby boy's furniture in white.  The nursery is a tiny room, so we are planning on only putting a crib, a changing table, and a rocking/glider chair in there.  Brian has some cool ideas for the nursery walls and I love it when he gets involved with planning.  My parents are coming to Salt Lake in May and also want to help set up the nursery, so we'll try to leave some things unfinished until then.

Craving: Strawberries and Reeses Eggs

Movement:  Baby boy is still super active (I wonder if he will start to run out of space soon??) and it's so fun when everyone gets to feel him kick.  I really never get sick of people touching my belly.  Brian said it was really cool the other night when he could feel some sort of baby body part (an arm or leg?) pressing up against his hand and moving around.

Belly Button:  It's officially long gone!  

24 Weeks

 Two pictures above taken by my friend Sam Pierson and that's her adorable little boy.  He's the coolest and makes me really excited to have a boy. Check out her website here- her photography is beyond beautiful!

How far along are you?: 25 weeks now, but again I'm late on posting this from last week.
Craving: Jalepenos (Brian and I stopped by Tony Burger for a quick burger and onion rings this week and I was eating a jalapeno slice with every onion ring), Lucky Charms cereal, the egg salad sandwiches at my school cafeteria, and raspberries/blackberries/strawberries, zucchini sauteed with Mrs Dash garlic and herb seasoning
Aversions: Nothing- everything tastes so good right now.
Best Moment: Our friend Heather has a baby boy who will be about a year old when our baby boy is born.  Last weekend, she gave us a ton of baby clothes and Brian and I were so excited.  I've been spending a lot of time sitting on the floor of our (unfinished... well, not even started) nursery sorting through baby clothes.  The tiny little baby sweatpants kill me, and the little baby boy hats are even cuter. I'm knitting our baby a blanket right now, and after it's finished I want to learn how to knit him a hat.
Worst Moment: Swollen feet starting for the first time (except for our Portland road trip when they got really swollen from sitting in the car all day- that was really the first time)
Excited about: Starting prenatal yoga with another pregnant friend next week (yay!!), finally buying our crib soon, the Papa Murphy's s'mores pizza I get to eat after dinner tonight.  Did I mention everything tastes so good right now?

On the beach in Florence, Oregon

These are some of my very favorite pictures.  I'm keeping a mental list of a few pictures that I want to put in our baby boy's room of the time while I was pregnant with him (because he was there too, right?!) and the one above is one of them.  This beach day with Laura and Joe was cold, misty, and so much fun.  

The beach in Florence has Highway 101 winding right alongside it, and we went exploring to different parts of the beach.  After getting too cold and wet from all the wind and swirling fog, we would jump in the car and go find another place to stop.

All four of us lived on a tropical island together for two years, so it was so crazy to "go to the beach" again with such a different landscape.  The water was freezing and there were a few people that we saw jumping in anyway.

We stopped for an in-car picnic of peanut butter and marionberry jelly sandwiches (if you are in the Northwest area, do yourself a favor and pick up a jar of fresh marionberry jelly) and at a really cool nature center (complete with lots of quoting of the Portlandia Sacagawea skit).  There was also a place where you could take an elevator underground to see a cave of sea lions, but we opted to save that for next time.  On the way back out of Florence, we stopped to get milkshakes at BJ's ice cream parlor.

Les Mis and some Eugene

While we were staying with our friends Laura and Joe last weekend in Eugene, we went for a hike at Spencer's Butte.  Laura had to stay back and work on a paper that was due that day, so it was the three of us.  The walk was so gorgeous with bright green moss on every surface and tons of tall, skinny pine trees shooting up all around.  I loved the misty feel of the air because it's so different than dry, dry Utah.

 Spencer's Butte is a pretty easy hike and has a beautiful lookout over the valley below.  There were a lot of people out hiking enjoying the warm weather.  We were really lucky and had warm and mostly sunny weather the whole week we were in Oregon!

 Baby boy was sleeping during the whole hike, lulled to sleep by the activity. 

 My friend Laura is in grad school at the University of Oregon and she takes a Chinese class a couple nights a week.  I got to go with her to one and had such a blast trying to remember my Chinese language skills.  The class was small with only 2 students, and the teacher speaks in only Chinese (unless everyone is really lost and then she switched over to English to explain).  I felt like I could keep up and understand almost everything she was saying!  She also included me a lot and asked me the same lesson questions as everyone else; sometimes I answered that I couldn't understand, but mostly I could formulate some sort of answer... so exciting!  I love Chinese so much and really don't know why I stopped taking lessons a year ago. I definitely remembered my passion for the language while sitting in on that class and want to find some small group lessons of my own here in Salt Lake.

That night, we also got to Skype with our friends Josh and Liz, who lived in the same apartment complex with us and Laura and Joe while living in Saipan.  We all also went to college together in Oklahoma and Laura and Joe prompted us all to move to Saipan to teach.  It was so fun talking about a bunch of memories and getting to catch up- love them.

 Last night, I went to Salt Lake's Hale Theater and saw the play Les Miserables with Jennilyn, Tessa, and Gemma.  We made a girls night out of it and went to dinner before!  If you live in Salt Lake City, go see this play- it was fantastic!  The stage is in the center of the room with seats all around, and it moves up and down with a ton of different sets- it was so cool- and the cast was amazing. All four of us were in tears at some point or another during the play.

I'm sad I didn't get a good picture with JL in it but those were even blurrier than this one. 

Baby boy was hilarious during the play and was seriously wiggling and kicking around the entire time- especially during the loud scenes and the gun blast parts.  He was probably wondering what in the world was going on out there?  He is such a squirmy little guy and we wonder if he is going to be as active outside the tummy as he is in it!  Watch out, world!