She's here!!

She has officially arrived and we couldn't be happier.

Here are the stats:

Born: October 24, 2008 at 8:00pm
Height: 19.5 inches
Weight: 6.4lbs (teeny tiny)
Hair: Dark Blonde... super short in front, longer in back
Hours in Labor: 5:35am (water broke) to 8:00pm (actual time of delivery) = 14hrs 25mins

Congrats Celeste for having the most accurate estimates. I'll make you a picture in Paint and send it over.

I am feeling sore and really tired, but overall - doing great.

Oh, by the way, her name is: Sara Elizabeth

If you would like all the details of the Labor/Delivery, let me know. I will spare everyone else. Although I have to say, it's the part I was the most nervous about and it went extremely well. And we had a great prize at the end of it all.

Going home from the hospital

To our little girl,

I am copying the great idea of my friend, PMB, by writing a letter to my soon to be born baby girl on my blog. Someday, I hope she can look at this and see just what I want for her. (No, she doesn't have a name yet and even if she did, we wouldn't tell you)

Dear little girl,

You will be coming to live your daddy and I very soon. We are so excited to meet you. I would love for you to have blonde hair and blue eyes like me, but even if you don't - that's okay because you will be ours. You will have long toes and long fingers like me and your daddy. Maybe someday you'll learn to play the piano, or tennis, or golf. I bet you'll be a little bit serious like your mom and a little bit silly like your dad. And just maybe you'll want to be a mom when you grow up and have kids of your own someday. I wonder if you'll like music or sports or a little bit of both. I wonder if you'll want to be a businesswoman or a teacher or an artist. (Probably not an artist if you really do take after your dad and I) If you like to watch TV, I hope you always pick good things to watch. Maybe you'll love Mexican food like we do and we can have tacos for dinner. And if you decide to drink soda, it's okay because we can drink our Dr. Pepper's together and sit on the couch and talk about our day.

My favorite color is red, so I hope you like red too. But not in the Utah Utes or the Nebraska Cornhuskers sort of way. I just like red because it's strong and bold and maybe that's why you'll like it too. When you are born, you'll have 4 cousins. They are all really fun and I hope that you can be great friends. They will be girls you can look up to and share your secrets with. (But you have to share some of your secrets with me) Maybe someday you'll go to college and go on a mission and fall in love with someone.

And probably someday you'll fall and scrape your knee or lose your favorite doll in the empty lot next door. And maybe be sick, or sad, or hurt by something someone did or said. I wonder if you will ever have a broken heart or just need someone to talk to and I wonder where you will turn.

When all the good and the bad things happen in your life and no matter what you choose to be, I hope you will always know we love you. And no matter what you look like and no matter who hurts you along the way, I hope you know we will always be here for you. And no matter how many friends you have or mistakes you make, I hope you know you can always trust us. And I hope you know that on your best days and even on your worst days, God knows and understands how you feel. And more than anything in all the world, He wants you to be happy - just like your dad and me.

I won't be a perfect mom, and C won't be a perfect dad. But - we will certainly try. Please forgive us when we make mistakes or when we forget something important. Please be patient with us when we don't always know what to do. Please ignore me when I say something bad about someone else or when your dad says a swear word. Know that we were just like you once before and that even when we're not very cool and may be embarrassing sometimes, that we are doing our best to be a good mom and dad. And when I sing "Happy Birthday" to you over the intercom at Wal-Mart or have a cute boy deliver balloons to you in front of the whole school on your birthday, remember that my mom did those things to me one day. And even though I was mad at her for it then, I love her for it now. And when your dad locks his keys in the car for the 50th time or asks you where something is when it's right in his face - just remember those are the things you'll miss when he's gone.

I can't wait to meet you, little girl. We love you and we know that you will be everything we hope you will be because you'll be ours.

37 Weeks and counting...

Sunken Gardens

We went to the Sunken Gardens a few weekends ago. It is beautiful this time of year.

For the fans...

I received a request to post something new and exciting that would promise to entertain. When I inquired about topic suggestions, this is what I got:

5 tips for finding the Mormon man of your dreams
A how-to guide for the new baby to follow in about 18-20 years.

I have decided to do both, but only one at a time. So first...

5 Tips for Finding the Mormon Man of your Dreams:

1) Decide what you want. About 5 years ago, I wrote down a list of characteristics I wanted in a future husband. I called it, "My Johnny Lingo". Here are just a few of the things on my list:

good shoes
good looking, but not TOO good looking,
likes to watch football
drives fast
no pets
good taste in furniture
smells good
uses Mentadent toothpaste
wears chapstick
no Hawaiian shirts
drinks Gatorade
wears a watch
likes fruit
knows how to fix things
business minded
likes Target
likes old people
fan of Mexican food

The list is actually written on a brown paper towel from one of those dispensers in the bathroom. If anyone needs to see the list for authenticity, you are welcome to it. And of course, these are just a few of the most important qualities I was looking for in the Mormon man of my dreams. And C fulfills just about everyone of my important qualities, except for the whole liking old people and using Mentadent parts, but no body is perfect. Right?

2) Know yourself and what makes you happy. Have your own identity. In March of 2003, I compliled a list of 101 questions about me. I wanted to know what I liked and what I didn't like without worrying about what anyone else thought or being influenced by anyone else's opinions. I think it's important when going in to any relationship that you have a true understanding of who you are so that you can offer your 'best self' to that person. Some of the questions and answers include:

What do you like to do for fun? bowl, swing at the park, watch movies, play games
What is your favorite color? red
How many kids do you want? 4 or 5
What's the most beautiful thing in the world to you? A happy family
Will you spank your children? Probably, yes.
How do you feel about promptness? Very important, I don't like being late
Do you like animals? Only at the zoo, not in my house
How many girls have you kissed? 0
What do you like on your pizza? Pepperoni or Hawaaiian
Do your feet stink? When they are sweaty, yes

This is just a sample of the 101 questions.

3) Accept a blind date invitation. Sure, they're risky - but... what's the worst that could happen? And you never know, it may just work out. My parents met on a blind date set up by my mom's sister. Just make sure the person setting up the blind date is someone you trust. Also to keep in mind, you may want to meet this person somewhere. If they find out where you live and turn out to be a total creep - not good. If you sense the date is going nowhere, simply excuse yourself and go home.

I went on a date with this guy once. It wasn't a blind date, but I didn't know anything about him. We met at an Italian restaurant for dinner where he proceeded to tell me about everything on the menu that he recommended. Being polite, I ordered one of his recommendations and then he ordered soup and salad for himself. When I asked him why, he said because my meal was too expensive for us to both get main entrees. (oops!) The funny thing was, he then went on to tell me how much money he makes and how successful he is and that I should feel lucky he wanted to take me out and be my 'sugar daddy'. Needless to say, the date didn't last much longer.

4) Be honest. If you're not ready to get in to a relationship, tell them up front. If you are only looking for something serious, make sure the person you are going out with knows within the first few dates. It's awkward for everyone when you and your date go in to the relationship with different expectations. Like the time I went out with this guy 3 or 4 times because he had a really cute co-worker that we'd run in to occasionally and my 'date' was looking for a wife. Or like the time I told C after our first kiss that I didn't want to get into anything serious because I wanted to keep my options open. We were engaged 6 weeks later.

5) Don't go to BYU. You'll find all kinds of Mormon guys, but not necessarily the one of your dreams. Keep in mind, this is my opinion and experience only, but while attending BYU-Idaho (at the time, Ricks College), I met a lot of eligible bachelors, but none I felt quite lived up to my "Johnny Lingo" expectations.

So C. K. - you know who you are... while you are searching for the Mormon man of your dreams, just remember: C is taken, but there are plenty of others out there, you just may not find him in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Staying Busy

I have been trying to stay busy over the last couple of months with little projects here and there. Most of the time has been spent sewing and making things to use for our little one. Thanks to some great friends who taught me how to make bows and crochet, here are a few of my recent projects:


My first quilt - still a work in progress


Beanies


Baby blanket


Breast feeding cover


Leggings and Bows


Receiving blankets


Burp cloths


Boppy cover

I am happy to teach anyone how to do any one of these things (except to crochet, I'm still learning). Or, if you'd like me to make you something... let me know. And if you have any ideas for new projects too, I'd love to hear.

Utah Utes

So although tonight is the much anticipated VP debate, I am in my bedroom listening to my husband in the living room shout at the television. Yes, the Utah Utes are playing. I can tell they aren't playing their best and that Oregon State is winning just by what C is saying. I am hearing things like...

"Danget, Brian" (QB: Brian Johnson)
"Get rid of the ball!"
"C'mon guys... pay attention"
"NOOOOOO!"
"Gosh danget!" (while fists are pounding on sofa)
"That's what they did to USC" (more fist pounding)
"Ugh, that's frustrating."

I try to avoid the living room when a Utah game is on. C gets very animated and passionate about University of Utah sports. Oh, and there is a bowl of peanut butter M&M's on the coffee table. He also gets very distracted while watching sports. I just put the bowl out yesterday and my guess is that by the end of the game, it will be empty.

C was devastated earlier today when he found out "PTI" didn't record on our DVR. He was really hoping they would be talking about the Utes today. Honestly, do Tony and Mike have nothing better to talk about?