Graduation, Summertime, and a Baby Update!

April and May have been positively delightful! The highlight of April was Sam and me graduating from BYU. We feel happy, excited, and slightly confused to be done with school after all these years. We have been blessed beyond expression in our years at BYU; afterall, if it hadn't been for each of our decisions to attend BYU, we would not have met, fallen madly in love, gotten married, and I certainly wouldn't be giving you all pregnancy updates! But I guess I can save my list of BYU blessings for another blog post. :) Here are some pictures we took after graduation:

"ENTER TO LEARN GO FORTH TO SERVE"

So glad my family could be here! 

We loved having Sam's parents here as well! 

Master! 

Even though we are done with school, we have still been busy studying. I have two independent study classes that I am finishing up and Sam has started to study for the CPA exam. Regardless of the many hours a day we spend studying, we have enjoyed the flexibility that comes with not having to go to class. We are loving the nicer weather and have done some fun activities to celebrate. Here are some pictures of our recent activities!

Mini-golfing! Possibly the best I've ever done. Sam only beat me by one and we both finished on par! 

We spent a day in Salt Lake and had a nice time at the temple. We also enjoyed exploring the fancy new mall, and attending a Utah Symphony concert where they played the music of John Williams! It was awesome. We even took the new frontrunner train from Orem, which was way more fun than driving! 

Enjoying the beautiful view while hiking the "Y" 

The beautiful sunset on our way down.  

Now for an update on baby Clara! She is doing wonderful. I am doing great as well!

How Far Along: 33 weeks, 4 days

Size of Baby: 4 1/2 pounds and more than 17 inches long! 

According to babycenter.com, Clara weighs as much as a pineapple. 

Total Weight Gain: somewhere between 20 and 25 pounds

Movement: She still moves around a lot! Her new favorite thing is kicking me in the ribs. I sure love it when she kicks, but sometimes it hurts! 

Sleep: Heartburn wakes me up pretty much every night these days, but luckily I keep the tums by my bedside!  

Symptoms: tiredness, heartburn, sore ribs, and a big belly!  

Best Moment: I've got to say that hiking the "Y" felt pretty good. For those who have done this before, you know it's not really an easy hike! It's short, but it is pretty steep. We took it slow and it wasn't nearly as difficult as I was expecting it to be! The weather was perfect and the sunset beautiful, so it was overall a great night. 

According to my doctor, baby Clara is perfect. Of course I already knew that. :) In a couple weeks I'll get to do a 3D ultrasound and get a better look at my baby girl! I've got about six weeks left until I get to hold that sweet little baby in my arms! 

33 weeks

Welcome to the Third Trimester!

How Far Along: 28 weeks, 2 days

Size of Baby: 2 and a quarter lbs (wow!) and about 14.8 inches long

According to babycenter.com, our baby weighs about the same as a chinese cabbage. :) 

Total Weight Gain: 17 pounds.

Maternity Clothes: I hate spending on money on clothes for myself, but I definitely need to invest in some more maternity clothes. I can still get away with wearing most of the items in my wardrobe, but not without a little bit of discomfort. 

Movement: She is getting bigger, and so her kicks and punches are more frequently becoming body rolls and somersaults. I'm enjoying watching my belly dance around with no effort at all on my end. :) 

Sleep: Still sleeping pretty great through the nights! Besides the few trips I have to take to the bathroom each night, the only thing that wakes me up lately has been my dang allergies, which is not baby related. 

What I Miss: Still miss my non-compressed, regular sized bladder! (and probably will all the way until the baby is born) 

Symptoms: tiredness, my jaw hurts sometimes (someone told me it is because i'm giving a lot of my daily calcium intake to the baby right now, so my bones are a little bit weaker), 

Best Moment: There have been a few in the past two weeks: 

One was setting up her baby bed. I've been looking on ksl classifieds and craigslist for the past few months to find a good bassinet to use, and I finally found one that seemed perfect. It's a Pack n' play that has a bassinet attachment, so after we are done using it for the bassinet, it will come in handy for traveling and such. We set it up to see how it looked, and we loved it! It's so fun having a baby bed in our room now. Even though she won't be here for another couple of months, we will probably leave it up since it is so fun to look at. :) 

complete with a changing table, diaper storage thing, and mobile (with nothing on it, haha)

Another highlight of this week was winning another intramural championship at more than six months pregnant. :) This time it was wallyball with Sam and our friends Heath and Anika (who is also pregnant and due just a few weeks after me). We always joked that we had an unfair advantage because it was always 6 vs. 4. Maybe we were right! 

sorry the pic is a little blurry, but you get the idea! 

Our baby girl has also received a few gifts already from friends and family members. We're glad we are not the only ones so excited for her entrance into the world! 

Thanks mom and Maddy for the cute clothes! 

The adorable quilt given to us by Grandma Groberg. 

Overall, things are going just dandy! I feel like I'm getting closer to the uncomfortable stage of pregnancy, where the bump gets in the way a lot more than before. But for now, I'm feeling great, Sam's feeling great, and judging by her constant movement, our baby girl is doing great too! 

28 weeks

28 weeks, 2 days

Oh and I almost forgot- we've decided on a name for our baby girl! The Powell's were in town for Sam's final orchestra concert and after giving them way too many clues, they guessed it right, so we figured we might as well share it with everybody now. Her name will be... 

Clara Elisabeth Powell

The middle name is technically still subject to change, but we are sure about the first name, and pretty sure about the middle name. We really liked the name from the beginning, but since we have used that name to refer to her for the past two months, we've come to love it even more! Somehow it already fits her personality so perfectly. We can't wait to meet our little Clara girl! :-)  

Just Chuggin' Along

The usual questions plus a few bonus ones at the end!


How Far Along: 26 weeks, 2 days

Size of Baby: 1 2/3 lbs, approx. 14 inches long (about the length of an English Hothouse Cucumber).

Total Weight Gain: 15 pounds.

Maternity Clothes: I bought my first pair of maternity pants, and wondered why I had waited so long! They are soooo comfy.

Movement: Everyday! Even though it's kept me up a couple of times in the night, I still love it. She's had the hiccups a couple of times which is funny. I love when we talk to her and she kicks back. :-)

Sleep: I have weird dreams all the time and I've started to sleep a lot less deeply, but for the most part I think I've been blessed in this area.

What I Miss: My non-compressed, regular sized bladder! 

Cravings: Still don't really have those. I think cravings must be a pregnancy myth. 

Symptoms: same stuff as before, tiredness, occasional abdominal and back pain, hunger! 

Exercise: I've been blessed to be able to continue exercising everyday just as I did before being pregnant. I go to Zumba twice a week, do Pilates twice a week, and either bike, do yoga, or swim on the other days. I have needed to make many modifications in my Pilates class, but other than that, I feel like I can do most anything that I could do before! 

Best Moment: Staring at my belly and watching it move all over the place!  

I feel like not much has really changed in the last month (except for getting a lot bigger and unmistakably looking like a pregnant lady!), so here are some bonus questions. Don't feel obligated to read on- if you just want pictures scroll to the bottom! 

Who did you tell first, and how? Sam of course, and he actually knew before I could even tell him! I picked him up from school (I had found out a few hours earlier) and I was just in the best mood ever and could not stop smiling. I had put the at home pregnancy tests that I had taken in a plastic bag, and then put the bag on a fridge with a magnet. I wanted him to just see them and be surprised, but before he saw those, he was already investigating in the bathroom because somehow he knew I was hiding something from him! After looking around in the bathroom he found the empty box and said from the bathroom, "Elise???" He came out and asked me if I was pregnant and then the rest of the details are a bit fuzzy. I just know there was a lot of hugging and crying and laughing and just overall joy in the kitchen that night. :-) 

Who was more excited about having a baby (you are your hubby)? I think it's safe to say that we were both pretty elated. I've been dreaming about starting my own family and being a mommy for years, and I notice babies wherever I go! Ever since we got married (and probably even since we were seriously dating, to be honest), having a baby and starting a family with Sam was on my mind a LOT. Sam says, "probably Elise, but I was obviously very excited." 

What will you name her? This is by far the number one question I get asked (especially if the Jr. High girls that I teach are included). We are 98% sure what her name will be, and we call her by that name all the time. We want to keep it our little secret for a little while longer though before we tell everybody, because it's kind of fun to have it be our secret and we want to be 100% sure before we tell everyone else. Stay tuned and you might find out in the next couple of posts! For now, you can refer to her as baby girl. :-) 

Okay, I think that's all for now! If you have any questions you want to see answered on my next blog post, post a comment and let me know! 

22 Weeks on 2/22

How Far Along: 22 weeks, 2 days

Size of Baby: At our last appointment (3 weeks ago) the baby weighed 10 oz. Right now, she probably weighs about 1 whole pound! How exciting!

Baby girl is about the length of a spaghetti squash (11 inches)

Total Weight Gain: 10 pounds. Keep em' coming!

Maternity Clothes: I still just wear a t-shirt and sweats for teaching PE everyday at Timpview High School, so those are regular clothes. I can physically still button all my pants... but it's not comfortable, so I usually don't! I've worn a couple of maternity shirts, but I feel like they don't quite fit yet, so I still wear normal shirts for the most part.

Gender: Girl girl girl! We found out about three weeks ago and couldn't be more happy! When we were told it was a girl, we just felt happy and really good like we knew all along that she was a girl (even though we really had no idea before we found out).

Movement: All the stinkin' time! I love it. It's incredible how much more real it feels now that I can feel (and see!) that tiny little human moving around inside of me. I already love her so much, and I tell myself that her frequent punches and kicks are her way of telling me she loves me too. :)

Sleep: I still wake up to use the bathroom once or twice. I'm getting used to sleeping on my side instead of my back which is good. For the most part, I don't have any sleeping issues yet!

What I Miss: Nothing! 

Cravings: Nothing really! I still eat goldfish a lot and oranges and apples are delicious, but I don't know if they are really "cravings." 

Aversions: onions still (but mostly just the smell of them- I can eat them just fine!)

Symptoms: stuffy nose at night time, not being able to bend over very well, slight "pregnancy brain" every now and then (forgetfulness)

Best Moment: When Sam felt the baby REALLY kick for the first time. He feels her kick all the time now, but the first time was a little bit magical. :) 

Overall, I'm doing well! Our baby girl is happy and healthy and we can't wait to meet her! 

Halfway Already?

Ready for another update? My friend Sarah who is also pregnant does this really cute update every couple of weeks and I'm totally stealing her ideas. (Thanks Sarah!)

How Far Along: 19 weeks, 1 day (I CANNOT believe that I've almost reached the halfway point. Seriously, it blows my mind!)

Size of Baby: weighs 8.5 oz and measures about 6 inches from head to bottom (babycenter.com).

About the size of a large heirloom tomato!

Total Weight Gain: 5 pounds. I lost quite a bit during my first trimester, so I've had some ground to make up.

Maternity Clothes: I made my first maternity purchase a week ago. Well actually Sam bought it for me as a "present." It's one of these nifty things. This makes it so I can still wear all my pants, but just unbutton them when they are feeling a little too tight. I also was getting excited to wear real maternity clothes, so I ordered some cute shirts and dresses (like this, this, and this) from Old Navy's maternity clearance section online. Can't wait to try them out! With my student teaching, I just wear a T-shirt and workout pants everyday, so generally speaking, I usually don't have much of a reason to wear maternity clothes yet.

Gender: We find out in 2 days! I still have no idea- I want it to be a girl, but the last couple of days I've been thinking boy. Sam said something real sweet the other night when we were talking about it. He said, "I think a boy would just be so fun, but I think if we had a girl she would just melt my heart."

Movement: Definitely yes! I've felt some little kicks or punches, usually when I'm lying down right before bed or right when I wake up. It's the coolest feeling ever! I still don't feel or see much on the outside, so Sam has yet to feel baby move, but I don't think it will be too long before that happens.

Sleep: In general I sleep pretty good at night. I still wake up once or twice to use the bathroom. At first that really annoyed me, but I'm pretty used to it by now. Recently I have been trying to consciously sleep on my side because I've read all these articles about how when you lie on your back, the increased weight of your uterus presses on the major vein that returns blood from your legs to your heart and so on. Anyway, so I wake up several times a night to find myself on my back and then I re position to my side. I'm also a big fan of naps, though they don't always happen. 

What I Miss: Related to the above post, the only thing I REALLY miss, is not sleeping all the way through the night. 

Cravings: J-dawgs, Panda Express, and goldfish are a few of the most recent cravings. 

Aversions: onions- big time. 

Symptoms: stuffy nose at night time, achy back, and occasional heart burn (specifically when I eat meat).

Best Moment: I don't know if this really counts as a pregnancy moment, but Sam and I played in an intramural mixed doubles tennis tournament this past week. We won the first two matches (we played awful, but barely won) and then we played this really good team in the final and won again! (We played a million times better than we had in the first two). Anyway, the way that we were able to stay pumped up and positive during the final was to say "this one's for the baby" between pretty much every point. :) We decided we are going to design our own onesie with this year's intramural champion design on it since we couldn't have done it without the help of our little one keeping us pumped up. :-)  

19 weeks

And there you have it! I think people still don't really notice I'm pregnant unless they already know I am, but I'm sure the time will come when I'll feel too huge to do anything, and I'll be reminiscing about the time when I "wanted to look more pregnant." Haha! 

Teeny Tiny Baby Bump

That's right people, I finally am starting to look pregnant. By request from my sister Cammie, here is a picture of what I look like. Granted, I took this picture after eating dinner and was maybe puffing out my tummy a tiny bit, but still... there is no denying that there is a tiny avocado-sized human being growing inside of me.

16 weeks 3 days

Three weeks from today, we will find out if it is a girl baby or a boy baby. Lots of people ask me what I am hoping for. I think secretly I am hoping for a girl, but deep down it just doesn't matter! I'll be oh so happy no matter what. I haven't had any "premonitions" like some people do, of what it will be, so I'll be surprised and overjoyed either way!

Common questions people have asked me:
1.) Will you find out the gender? -yes, read above paragraph!

2.) Do you have names picked out? -kind of, but not really. Once we know the gender, it will be easier to pick out names. It is yet to be determined when we will share our choice with the rest of the world.

3.) Have you felt the baby move yet? -ish. I'm like 97% sure I felt him/her move a few nights ago when I was lying in bed, but it might just be in my head. Still don't feel it consistently, that's for sure.

4.) How do you feel? -good most of the time. The first three months were pretty yucky, but I'm over it and starting to feel much much better! I'm occasionally plagued with random bouts of headaches, tiredness, heartburn, abdominal pains, etc. but for the most part I am healthy and happy!

5.) Do you have any weird cravings? -no not really. I kind of wish I did, because there is no better excuse for eating absurd/unhealthy/expensive food right?  But it just hasn't happened yet. Mostly I just have aversions to food that I normally would like. For example, pb&j is no longer a lunch staple, because it makes me nauseous. Maybe the fun cravings will come later?

6.) When are you due? -June 28th

Anyway, I think those are all the most commonly asked questions. I can't believe I am already so close to the half way mark! With student teaching this semester, I have a feeling these next four months are going to fly by so fast and then it'll be no time before this sweet little baby is in my arms! I can't wait to be a mommy! 

Cammie Smith

My sister Cammie Smith is really awesome. Check out her new business' website and tell all your friends!

http://www.cammiesmith.com/