Just a little one

Me at 15 weeks

And no, I didn't do my hair.

Confessions

LYNDA, YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO READ THIS UNTIL YOU CALL ME BACK.

To be honest, I almost changed my mind about posting this today when I heard about President Hinckley. Please don't think I'm trying to somehow shift the focus to me--I just figured I'd better get this up before word spread too quickly.

So I have a confession to make--I've been lying to you. In fact, I've been lying to some of you for a very long time. Do I regret it? Absolutely not.

But it's time for the truth: Jonny & I are expecting a baby. If you think I'm joking, call me up and mention the word "Tums" or "Poppyseed Dressing". I promise you'll hear a convincing amount of gagging, if not some dry heaving.
The official due date is July 22, although I haven't had an ultrasound yet, so things could (and probably will) get shifted around a bit. This will make me officially 15 weeks along tomorrow--which means week #2 of my second trimester, for the pregnancy ignorant.

FAQs:
Was this a surprise? Nope. We were actually hoping for a May baby so we could be cheap and have one giant party, but the baby apparently didn't approve. Granted, we would have been fine if the baby waited until AFTER Disneyland to show up, but Marah was very forgiving.

Have I had morning sickness? Absolutely. Admittedly, I never threw up, but before you start scoffing, realize that I was nauseous 24/7. None of this "morning" crap. Thank heaven for ginger ale and saltines. I finally figured out that as long as I ate every hour, on the hour, life was manageable. Which made Disneyland exciting.

Any weird food cravings/aversions? Besides the two mentioned previously, not really. I have noticed that food tastes different to me now. Not necessarily bad, but not the way I remember it tasting. I've eaten a lot of potatoes, toast, pasta, and grilled cheese sandwiches.

Other pregnancy joys? You bet. I can smell cigarette smoke and garlic from miles away. My beloved Mexican food gives me painfully horrid heartburn. I can easily sleep for 10-12 hours a day and still be tired at night. I get lovely headaches for no reason. Oh, and I've turned into an idiot. Why didn't you people warn me that pregnancy makes you brain-dead?

Boy or Girl? We will unabashedly tell you that we're hoping for a girl. Baby, if you're a boy, we apologize in advance. Actually, I'll just be thrilled if there's only one baby in there. FYI: Official ultrasound is happening Feb. 19th, so I'll (hopefully) let you know then.

Are you showing yet? Curse you, short abdomen! Let's just say I've been horribly bloated since week 7. Do I look pregnant? Yes. Is what you're seeing the baby? Nope. I've only gained 4 pounds so far, and they were all gained in the past month. Basically, I think I look huge, but no one at church has said a word.

Yes, we are excited. I have to admit, though, that I'm also generally terrified. There's no going back from here--once a mommy, always a mommy. This sounds horrible, but I'm still not really baby hungry. My friends and relatives reassure me that I do, in fact, have maternal instincts and that they will kick in eventually. I guess I've just thought about this way too much. I don't think you're ever really READY to have a child. In our case, at least, it's been a definite "leap of faith" (as Jon says). Lest you think I'm a horrible mommy-to-be, let me just say that the terror has been waning and the excitement growing. I haven't felt any movements yet, but I'm so excited for that day to come. Hearing the heartbeat is amazing and definitely made things seem more real. Plus, I can at least count on the fact that Jon will be a great dad. His magical "make babies fall asleep" powers better work on our own kids, dang it!

So there. I confess. And I meant to have Jonny take a picture of my tummy last night, but I forgot. You'll get one soon.

At a loss for words

He will be missed.

Exploring Maryland

On one particularly smoke-filled day in our apartment (Jan. 18th), I went stir crazy and demanded to be taken somewhere--ANYWHERE--that didn't smell like cigarettes. Jon was very obliging and immediately began browsing Google Maps. We'd been meaning to check out some of the local parks along the Chesapeake, so this was a perfect opportunity. Jon got directions to the park nearest our apartment, and off we went.

We got a little nervous when the nice, paved road we were on turned into a dirt road, but Jon saw a parking lot not too far down and pulled in. We were a little confused, as it looked like no one had EVER parked here before, nor could we see anything that resembled a park. There was an elevated walking path, so we assumed there was a nice little lake in the middle and headed up to check it out. And this is what we found...

Our tax dollars at work. We took a lap around the path for good measure before heading up to the next park on our list.



The park in Havre de Grace was much better. They had a lovely boardwalk along the Chesapeake, complete with a bunch of geese who apparently spent their time trying to rip each other's wings off.

I have to say, however, that the light house was kind of disappointing. Don't be fooled by the picture (as I was)--it's not that big. Actually, it's not even close to that big. But the view was great, and getting out of the apartment is awesome. We're excited for it to warm up so we can check out the waterfalls in the state park nearby. Oh, and go to the beach so I can say I've swam in the Atlantic.

Pop Quiz

How much did it cost us to register two cars and acquire two driver's licenses in the grand state of Maryland?


$2,648.48


And yet we still have to pay tolls to drive on the freeway.

Somebody is making too much money here. And it sure isn't us.

PS--Thank you so much to everyone who gave us tips about buying a house. We REALLY appreciate it, and will probably pester you more as time goes on. In case you were wondering, our first appointment was unsuccessful--we were greeted at the door by a huge whiff of smoke, which means an automatic "NO!".

A Plea for Help

We're now beginning the process of trying to find a house. I know that several of you have recently purchased homes and we were hoping you would share your knowledge with us.

Some questions:
What things do we need to look for that don't automatically come to mind?

What questions should we be asking?

Are there any warning signs we should look for?

Feel free to unload all information/horror stories on me. If you don't want to leave a post, you can email me instead. If you don't have my email address, leave a note with yours and I'll send it to you. We're taking our first tour tomorrow, so any help would be greatly appreciated!

The LAST One!

I'm sure YOU'RE all bored with this, considering the fact that I'M bored with it, but it's for posterity, so suck it up.

The last few days of vacation were spent in relative peace in Arizona. Jon, Marah, Beth & Dad killed each other for hours while playing Halo 3. Mom & I got to hang out, eat food, and try to avoid the perpetual battle sounds coming from the family room.

We were too lazy to do all the things we wanted to, but we did get to take a short hike in Sabino Canyon one evening. I'd never been there, and it was gorgeous. I'm hoping to eventually convince Jon that Arizona really is pretty, in it's own way. He's been fairly unresponsive thus far.

As usual, our vacation was over far too soon. We said goodbye and then waited for our delayed flight for an hour or so, then got to run through the terminal in Vegas in order to get to the plane they were holding for us. Delayed flight + baggage taking 30 minutes to show up + cab driver not knowing "the area" + 30 minute drive home = home at 3:45 am, in bed at 4:30 am. 9 am church? Not happening.

To be honest, it was really hard to come back from Arizona. We haven't been here long enough to really feel like Maryland is "home", so there wasn't much to look forward to. At least I can look forward to the fact that my family will probably come visit this summer since we live someplace "cool" now. Did we ever see them in Arkansas or Iowa? No. Can we blame them? No.

So now I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. Yes, my Christmas decorations are still up, but they will be down TODAY. And my Primary class is full of cute little monsters, but I've dealt with (much) worse. Next big project: find a house!!! Scary...

AND I'M CAUGHT UP!! Hallelujah!!

California, part 3

Day 2 of Disneyland was actually spent AT Disneyland, much to Kenna's glee (she'd been whining on Saturday about how we came all the way to Disneyland and then didn't really GO into the park).

All in all, it was a successful day (minus the previously mentioned 90 minute wait for Indiana Jones). Yes, it was insanely crowded, and yes, we did have to wait in line for 45 minutes for food, but we still got to do everything we wanted to. To those who are wondering: yes, I did get Jon on both "It's a Small World" and the Teacups. You can't say you've been to Disneyland without riding those two. I was also pushing for a ride on Dumbo, but that was vetoed.

So we happened to be there on New Year's Eve, which wasn't necessarily part of the plan. They did hand out free hats and noisemakers, so that was pretty great. We even went down Splash Mountain wearing our hats so we could get a sweet picture. Unfortunately, our picture was "washed away", whatever that means. I was extremely disappointed--I wanted to see if the smile I managed to pull off for the camera concealed the terror I was actually feeling.

It was getting close to midnight and we wanted to be out before the masses started exiting. We thought we had time for one last ride on the Matterhorn, but we were wrong. Actually, we would have been fine, if Disneyland hadn't FORCEFULLY RESTRAINED us from leaving. I guess they were worried about a mass exit, so instead they just refused to let anyone exit. So we celebrated the new year at Disneyland, which really wasn't too bad after all. Although by the time we got home we were completely exhausted and the back of my knees had been rubbed raw by my pants (weird, huh?).

Unfortunately, our time in California was up. After not nearly enough sleep, we loaded the Avalanche, said goodbye to Lori and Kenna (who was headed back to Provo) and drove off. Let's just say the drive is even more boring when you're going BACK to Tucson. Especially in the dark.

California, part 2

Ugh. This is going to be shorter. I'm getting tired of playing catch-up already.

We spent the 29th at Disneyland, or, more specifically, at California Adventure (it was one of the busiest days of the year at Disneyland). Just a bit of information: If anyone out there is thinking of taking their spouse/significant other to Disneyland for the first time, there is some information they should know--First, Disneyland is AWESOME if you are between the ages of 5 and 11. After that, it's awesome because you remember how much fun you had as a kid. If you never went as a kid, it's not nearly as awesome. Second, this is generally a park for children. There are a few scream-your-lungs-out rides, but not as many as your spouse will think there should be. (And no, your spouse will not be impressed by Thunder Mountain or the Matterhorn). Third, there are lines for EVERY ride. You must carefully judge whether or not a specific ride is worth the (usually) incredibly long wait. Side note--Indiana Jones: not worth a 90 minute wait. Last, there are a lot of rude people in the world. Some of these people will cut in front of you in line and then call 9 or 10 of their family members to cut in with them. When you object, they will pretend not to speak English. But generally people are very gracious and will happily wait in line with you.

As you can guess, I did not properly inform Jonathan about these significant points. He was disappointed at first, but once he realized that Disneyland really isn't like other theme parks he's been too, he settled down and enjoyed it (I think). His favorite rides were at California Adventure (Tower of Terror and California Screamin'), but he did admit that Splash Mountain was pretty fun.

My favorite ride in California Adventure was the Grizzly River Log Ride (or whatever it's called). It was only AFTER we were completely soaked by the geyser at the end that we realized why everyone else had on ponchos. But the line was short (I wonder why), so we did it again. Without ponchos. And were wet the rest of the day.

Kenna's favorite ride was the ferris wheel. She liked it so much that she was deathly quiet and looked like she was going to eat us while we stood in line. Once we actually got on the ride, she was much better--panting, shrieking, closing her eyes and calling out for ex-boyfriends to come save her. Probably the most entertaining ferris wheel ride I've ever been on.

The next day (Sunday) we took a much needed break. After church we hung out at the villa, played games, ate a home-cooked meal (I never thought I'd get sick of eating out), and took naps. Once Kenna decided what we were going to wear, we headed to the beach for family pictures. It was so gorgeous--I wish we had more time to spend there.

That night Mom, Lori & I walked around Balboa Island and looked at the lights. It was very relaxing--a nice break from our hectic schedule. We also found our dream house: a cute little Italian-inspired home. Only 5.6 million.

Then it was back to the villa for one last night (you bet I used that Whirlpool tub EVERY NIGHT) and then...Disneyland, day 2!

I just really like this picture...

California, part 1

We gave Dad, Jon & Marah a good, solid day of Xbox playing (the 26th) before piling everyone into the Avalanche for the 7.5 hour drive to San Diego. It's generally a boring drive. There's just not much of anything between Tucson and San Diego. Jon entertained himself by playing one-player Boggle. How, you ask, is it possible to play Boggle by yourself? Only Jon knows. I, on the other hand, read three books. It's a really boring drive.

It's always good to have family members who live in great vacation spots, which is why we all love Aunt Lori so much. She was kind enough to let us all stay in her beautiful house in Newport Coast for the week we were there. It may not have furniture yet, but it's a heck of a lot nicer than our apartment in Maryland (which, ironically, has all of Lori's old furniture).

Dec. 28th--2 Year Anniversary
Since Jonny & I are such romantic, sentimental people, we spent our anniversary doing all kinds of fabulous things. With my entire family in tow.

After finally getting ready for the day, we headed to Balboa Pier, where Jon proceeded to terrify me by rocking our seat on the ferris wheel. Mind you--every seat was clearly posted with a giant sign saying DO NOT ROCK. He thinks he's so funny. He then refused to get on the carousel with me & my sisters, electing instead to steal my mom's camera and force her to ride with us.

Our next stop was the beach. Although Jon served his mission in San Bernadino, California, he has never been to the Pacific Ocean. Granted, it was December, so swimming was out, but we made him at least touch the water. In fact, we have about 5 pictures of Jon bending down to touch the water and then realizing a wave is coming and booking it back up the shore. In the meantime, my sisters and I had already rolled up our pants and were standing in a foot and a half of water. You can't come all the way to California and not enjoy the beach to the best of your abilities. Eventually Jon realized that we were having way more fun than he was and joined in. Turns out we shouldn't have bothered to roll up our pants--by the time we were done they were soaked anyway. Thank heaven Lori's neighborhood has a hot tub! We then had a romantic family dinner at the Ruby's on Huntington Pier (family tradition). Unfortunately, they didn't have the bubble columns going, which was usually what made the visit so fun (Beth LOVED those things when she was a toddler).

So we actually did get to do something really cool for our anniversary, thanks to Lori. She went and listened to some sales pitch so we could have 3 free nights at the Marriot Newport Coast Villas. This villa is BIGGER THAN OUR ENTIRE APARTMENT. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a full kitchen. Master bedroom has a king-sized bed, Whirlpool tub, and double shower. It was awesome. Happy anniversary to us!

Christmas, part 2

All right, all right. When you get two comments in a 12 hour period implying that you need to update your blog, you should probably update it. Besides, I'm trying really hard to NOT go back to bed after Jon leaves for work and blogging keeps me awake more than reading the news does. So, in between slurping down some Ramen (the breakfast of champions), I'll fill you in on our Christmas festivities.

Christmas Eve
I don't remember much of what went on during the day, but I'm sure it was wonderful and amazing fun. Once it got dark, we all piled into the Avalanche (I can't remember which of us lost the seatbelt battle) and drove to Winterhaven. Basically, Winterhaven is a huge neighborhood that goes all out on Christmas lights/decorations. They give out prizes and everything. Walking around Winterhaven is one of our family Christmas traditions, as with most other Tucsonians. Jon (the little punk) was not that impressed. Apparently there was some neighborhood in his mission that REALLY went all out on the lights and Winterhaven had nothing on them. Party pooper. So instead, he just pestered my sisters (and they loved every minute of it). However, I think even Jon was impressed with the house who choreographed their lights and music, AND threw a water fountain display in the mix. Think Bellagio, except smaller and surrounded by what looked like black garbage liners.

After Winterhaven we headed back to the house to open the traditional one Christmas gift. Our rule is that the gift you select has to be "soft" (implying clothing). Jon got two polo shirts for work and I got two sweet sweaters.

At 12:30 am my sisters left to go newspaper folding (another Tucson tradition--the high school kids go help fold papers so that the delivery people can be home with their families on Christmas morning). I am, of course, way too old for that, so Jonny & I went to bed. Actually, Kenna's way too old for that, too, but she's easily persuaded when some cute boy drops an invite...

Christmas
Let me just say this: being the one who gets to wake up your siblings on Christmas morning is almost as much fun as opening presents. Turns out my sisters didn't get home until somewhere around 4 am, so seeing me & Jon's smiling faces at 8:30 am was quite a thrill. We planned our wake-up strategy carefully, starting with the sister who was least likely to tear our faces off (Marah) and working up to the other two.

After posing at the top of the stairs for the traditional picture (which will not be posted here--we Mikesells don't look so attractive in the morning, except Beth, who snuck and put on makeup. Cheater), we were finally allowed downstairs to see what Santa brought. And what Santa brought was an Xbox 360 for my dad (this will be pertinent later). Oh, and Disneyland tickets for the whole family!

Once breakfast was over, we sat around the tree and forced Bethany to sort all the gifts. I believe a good description of this Christmas would be "totally spoiled." Jonny got his long-awaited "No Loafing" sign (picture to come), and I got "The Little Mermaid" (thanks, Kenna!). And my dad got...another Xbox 360. We (my mom, sisters, and I) had planned this gift for months, and all contributed to the Xbox fund. My sisters even wrapped it with rolls of toilet paper to throw Dad off the scent. We were so excited to give it to him and then, right before we headed downstairs, he pulls one out of the trunk of the Avalanche and puts it in his pile from Santa. Darn that Santa! Dad was quite amused. He used the refund money to buy a bigger TV to accompany said Xbox.

Basically, it was wonderful. I loved being home for Christmas! And now I'll think about blogging about the rest of our vacation. I said "think about " it.

Christmas Catch-up, Part 1

To spare you the pain of reading one giant post, I've decided to divvy this up into segments. Although my previous post may have left you with the idea that Jon & I are not entirely happy with life here in Maryland so far, it does have one major benefit--an airport 35 minutes away. You don't realize what a blessing this is until you've made the 3 hour drive from Chicago to Davenport after a 3 hour flight from Arizona.

For anyone planning on flying cross-country, let me make a recommendation: do NOT fly Southwest. Not unless you want to be bored out of your mind for 4.5 hours and expected to survive off of a bag of peanuts, a Slim Jim and tiny breadsticks with fake cheese. There's a reason why Southwest is the cheapest airline, and sometimes it's just not worth it.

You know that song, "There's No Place like Home for the Holidays"? So true. I loved every minute of it. I did feel a little badly for Jon--it was his first Christmas away from his family since his mission. But he seemed to handle it very well. He entertained himself by playing a LOT of Xbox with Marah and Dad and by chasing our cat, Mulan, around the house and locking her in random closets for 3 hours during church.

I was able to catch up with my good friends while I was home. It's amazing how quickly life can change. Megan and Alicia are mommies, I'm married, and Hilary Ann is a fabulous RM heading to BYU-I. It was so great to see them, although I have to admit that seeing my best friends with babies is still a bit terrifying. Which is probably why I don't have one of my own.


My wonderful Dad turned 50 this year, although he is loathe to admit it. Since Jon & I weren't there for the actual celebration, we pulled off a second party for him when we got there. Please don't criticize the Corvette cake--I was working with limited materials since I'm brain-dead and left them at home. Dad was happy with it, and that's all that matters.

So the big present from us was a scrapbook (yes, you read that right) that I put together for him. I coerced my sisters, Mom, grandparents, aunts & uncles into providing me with various memories of my Dad throughout his life. I threw some old pictures in there and, ta da! "50 Years, 50 Memories." I thought it turned out quite well, although I will never, EVER scrapbook again. I don't have that kind of money, patience, or time. So appreciate it, Dad!

More to come (aren't you excited?)

...and we're back!

We're not necessarily happy about it, but we're back. Well, I guess we're happy that the candle I left melting on the candle warmer for two weeks didn't explode. Unfortunately it didn't really do any good. The apartment still smelled terrible when we walked in. Welcome home!

Christmas was great. I'll post pictures and stuff later. And for those of you with Facebook wondering why I disappeared without a word, let's just say I'm having technical difficulties. I'll be back soon (hopefully). In the meantime, you'll just have to get all your information here (which is where I put it all anyway).

More to come...