39 weeks

Only one more week until Baby Apple comes. The countdown is now in days instead of weeks.

I am getting excited for the baby to come and I finally feel ready for him to arrive. I am a little scared about the whole birth process because I am remembering Emily's but I know it will all be worth it in the end. I keep having crazy dreams about my water breaking or going into labor in the most awkward places such as work or the store. I am hoping these are just dreams and it happens at home like it did with Emily.

I have not progressed very far. I am still dilated to a 1 but I am 50% effaced which is exactly the same as I was with Emily at this stage. So I have a lot to do this next week especially at work in order to be ready for the baby to come. Russell and Emily are getting excited for the baby too. Emily keeps asking me were Baby Apple is. Also everyone keeps asking us if we have decided on a name yet but we haven't. I don't think we will fully decide until we see our cute baby's face. Stay tuned for an update.

Happy Valentine's Day

We had a good Valentine's Day this year. It is always fun to celebrate your love for someone. Russell surprised me at work by bringing in these beautiful flowers and chocolates.

My whole office smelled so good all day. I kind of wanted to leave them there so I could smell them each day but I took them home instead. Russell also got Emily a rose for Valentine's Day too.

Emily and I made Russell chocolate covered strawberries, his favorite. Emily loved helping by putting sprinkles on the strawberries. Her favorite part though was eating the strawberries. As you can tell she was covered in chocolate by the time we were done.

For dinner, we went out to eat a Player's Sports Grill. Real romantic I know but the food was really good and last week I won a $25 gift certificate on the radio so our meal only cost $5. You can't beat that. Russell had a good time teasing Emily with the dessert and managed to get the whip cream all over her nose which she thought was really funny. We had a great Valentine's Day and I hope everyone else did too. I love you Russell!!

Baby Shower

Traci threw me a Baby Shower on Saturday February 12. It was a lot of fun and I got to see a few old friends that I haven't seen in quite a while. My friend, Charlotte Emett came and it was so nice to see her and catch up. We haven't seen each other for probably 2 years! Also the Smith's came and Rosine Simpson. They were our neighbors and friends when we lived in Bloomington. My friend Kassie Pitts also came for a few minutes so it was nice to see her again too. My sisters, nieces, Aunt Sally and her girls, my mom, grandma, Aunt Janet, Russell's grandma and Aunt Roma, mother-in-law, and of course Traci came also. The shower was held at Russell's mom's house and we all had a good time. We started off by playing a few games:

First we broke into groups and had to build towers out of diapers and which ever group was the tallest and stood the longest, won. Then we played a charades game of things you do with a baby. And the last thing we did was decided what Baby Apple will look like by combining my baby picture with Russell's baby picture. As you can see, we are going to have a pretty good looking baby! Some of these pictures were hideous! Sorry girls.

Then it was present time! I got some really cute outfits for the baby as well as some other great gifts for the baby.

Emily even got some gifts too. She got a "Big Sister" book from my mom and a My Little Pony toy from Tami and Jess. She loved watching me open the presents and even claimed a few for herself.

Thank you to all that came to my Baby Shower and thank you for all of the great gifts. Thank you Traci and LeeAnn for putting it all together! It was fun to see everyone again. Only two more weeks...

Salt Lake Trip

Friday February 11 Russell had an EMS Conference at Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake so Emily and I went up with him. While he was at the conference, Emily and I had to entertain ourselves for 10 hours. We started the day by taking Russell up to Primary Children's and then we headed back to our hotel. We enjoyed the great Howard Johnson continental breakfast of Corn Flakes and bagels. While we were eating, Emily was talking to everyone she saw telling them about our room and Baby Apple and anything else she could think of. After eating, we headed back to our room to get packed. After checking out, we headed to Temple Square. Our hotel was only two blocks from Temple Square so we just walked so we wouldn't have to find a parking spot. Unfortunately we forgot Emily's stroller at home so she had to walk the entire day because I couldn't carry her.

Our first stop was the Church History Museum. It was really cool seeing all of the exhibits especially the exhibits dedicated to each of the latter-day prophets. Emily's favorite part of the Museum was the children's museum which had toys and activities and other things for her to play with. We spent a couple hours here playing.

Emily loved driving the car, checking to see if the chickens had laid eggs so she could cook them in the play kitchen, and building towers with the large foam blocks. She also liked dressing up the paper dolls, playing match game on the computers, and playing with all of the other kids.

Her favorite part of the whole museum was dressing up like Spanish dancers and dancing and twirling in her skirt. She loved dancing and as you can see she was very good at it. We danced for quite a while before Emily got tired and I realized it was time for lunch.

We headed out of the museum and went to look for somewhere to eat. I didn't want to walk forever so we went across the street to find the food court in the mall. I couldn't find it and Emily was starting to get mad because she was tired of walking so I saw a JB's right across from the temple so we went there.

After eating about half of her lunch, Emily crashed on the table and took a little power nap before we were off again. I felt so bad for her for making her walk so much and I didn't want to wake her up so we could leave so I spent a few minutes searching the Internet on my phone to see what movies were playing at Temple Square. I really wanted to see the Testaments but I could only find information on the Joseph Smith movie so we decided to go to that one. I noticed that the next showing was in about 20 minutes so I had to wake up Emily so we could leave. She wasn't too happy to be walking again so I carried her up to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building so we could see the movie. After carrying her and speed walking up a block and a half, I was sure I was going into labor because of the contractions but once we got into the theater and I sat down and relaxed, I was okay. The Joseph Smith movie was really good and I am so amazed at the great life Joseph Smith lead despite all of his trials. I really don't think I could have done what he did. I also have a greater respect for Emma Smith too. Emily liked the movie too until the prophet was martyred and then she was scared and said the movie was too scary.

After the movie, we had about a half hour before we needed to go pick up Russell so we just walked around Temple Square and looked at all of the water fountains. Emily loves water and I had to keep a careful eye on her so that she didn't fall in the water!

We also went to the North Visitor Center to see the Christus statue and while there, I noticed that the Testaments was playing in that building so we could have seen it but that is okay because the Joseph Smith movie was really good too.

On the way back to the car at the hotel, Emily was crying that her feet hurt because she had been walking all day. She was crying for daddy so he could carry her. I carried her for the last bit of the walk. I felt really bad and I am definitely not going to forget the stroller again.

Russell said he had a good time at the conference and learned a lot. He also got 9 CME hours to put toward his Paramedic license.

On the way home, we stopped at Krispy Kreme (our tradition) and picked up a couple dozen doughnuts as well as getting our free sample because the Hot Light was on! Yum... fluffy clouds with icing! Then we were on our way home and we were both so tired the drive seemed to take forever. The nice thing about it was that Emily was so tired she slept from Nephi on. We had a great time on our trip but were definitely glad to be home.

36 weeks

Well Baby Apple will be here before too much longer. Probably less than a month! I am excited for him to come but also very scared. Its not that I don't want him to come, I just don't really feel ready for him yet and I think there is too much to do before he gets here. I also don't know what it will be like to have two kids. Russell and I are just figuring out how to raise one kid and now we are going to have two! Well I am at least hoping he will wait until his due day and not come too early. The only thing I ask is that he is healthy and we don't have any complications so as long as that happens, I can cope with the rest.

Here are a couple of pictures of my growing belly. First at 35 weeks and then at 36. Yes that is my stomach not a basketball under my shirt. I have gained 22 pounds so far and the doctor says I am measuring about a week small. No dilation yet but I didn't dilate with Emily until I had her either. Right now I am trying to get everything ready for the baby including blankets, and other baby stuff. We still can't agree on a suitable name so Apple it is until we figure out an actual name. If any one has suggestions, please feel free to let us know!