Scenic Photos

On our drive from Aspen to Denver Matt made a few stops to try to capture all the scenery. 

God's creation is truly remarkable!

 Between Glenwood Springs and Aspen is Mount Sopris

The Colorado River

Glenwood Canyon

Glenwood Canyon

The pink sun setting on the Gore Mountain Range

X Games 2012

Over the weekend Matt and I had a great 2 day vacation in Glenwood Springs and Aspen! For the third year in a row we went to the Winter X Games to see some of the world's greatest athletes compete in their favorite extreme snow sports. It was so nice getting to spend some time relaxing at the hotel, watching the athletes do crazy things right before our eyes and enjoying each other's company while dreaming about what next year at this time might be like. Here are a bunch of pictures Matt took from the Games:

Winter X Games 2012 

Matt standing infront of the big air jump

Crazy tricks done by the snowmobilers 

This one celebrates by "Tebowing"

Nuts

The nice guy who took this picture waited till the snowboarder was high in the air behind us to take the picture

The half pipe

Waiting for the men's half pipe skiing event to start

Extreme

Craziness

Downtown Aspen is so pretty

m@ Finally Posts in 2012

Since Melissa has been hogging all the blog-posting thunder lately I haven't had anything to post, but after a month-long sabbatical... I'm back. 

We've recently crossed from the "good" trimester (the second) into the third.  I feel like I haven't really been showing too much until now.  A lack of attentiveness to my diet and infrequent trips to the gym have given me a bit of a baby belly too.  No need for maternity clothes for me though!

The reality of the situation has finally begun to set in for me.  Until now, even when I felt the baby kicking it didn't really register, but I was taken aback whenever I walked in the nursery.  It's funny how somethings get to you.  We also had an appointment/meeting with a nurse at the hospital where Mel will be delivering to go over how she wants the birthing process to go.  I was definitely overwhelmed, but was amazed at how "in the know" my wife was when talking to the nurse.  I guess all that reading she does on her phone has really paid off!

This past week I hit up Keystone and got to meet Annie the Avalanche Dog.  She "works" at Keystone and helps sniff out buried skiers/snowboarders when need arises.  Despite all the sun in the picture, it was freezing (about 9 degrees without factoring in the wind), so Annie didn't stay out too long.  Her trainer told me that unless they really her, they limit her time on the snow so her paws don't freeze.

Annie and I

 The day after that I got up really early and made the drive to Vail to help out a group I've just started volunteering with.  They are called SOS Outreach and they partner with community organizations/groups to bring underprivileged kids up the mountain to learn to ski and/or snowboard.  I got to  help a group of 12 kids from inner-city Denver learn to snowboard.  We never got off the bunny hill, but the kids still had a great time and I got to meet some other great people who share my love for the mountains and snow sports.  I'm really looking forward to doing it again!

The group working with SOS Outreach for the day

m@

Sugar Baby

Today I drank poison... or at least that is what everyone I talked to said it was going to be like. Since our last doctor's visit a month ago I had been dreading having to drink the orange glucose drink they sent me home with. This afternoon I poured it over some ice and drank the sweet nectar thinking I was going to have some sort of crazy reaction to it like vomiting or dizzy spells but nothing like that happened. I didn't even think it tasted that bad. After drinking it we went to the lab to get my blood drown, which is something that (you probably know by now) I'm usually a wimp about. I tend to hate needles and over think things afterward which causes me to faint. I have learned over the last year that I have to be laying down for all shots and then I'm fine. Today's blood draw was quick and painless and I didn't let my brain go to that magical place afterward. Once again I was a big girl and I'm so proud of myself!

After the glucose test I had a doctors appointment where I did the usual things like getting weighed, getting my blood pressure checked and hearing Squirt's heartbeat. This time Squirt's bpm was 146 which was 10 higher then last time and usually it goes down every appoint as the baby grows out of room to move as much. We think it was a little higher this time because of the glucose drink and Squirt having a sugar high.

Usually when we checkout we make our next appointment for a month out but today we made appointments 2 weeks apart and then every week! We only have 7 more appointments until Squirt's due date on April 11! Aaaaaaaaaah.

Matt putting up the decal we ordered

The decal we made for the nursery

The Bump at 26.6 months (beginning of 3rd tri) 

God's plan vs Mine

I had an epiphany this week. So many times I try to plan things and God laughs at me and reminds me that He is the master planner.

In high school I thought I had my whole life figured out... My plan involved going to beauty school at age 18, building a great clientele, getting married, buying a house, putting a salon in the basement or garage and then making babies while having the freedom of staying home with them. Well, some of those things did happen in my planned order, but I never in my wildest dreams thought we would feel lead to leaving the family and the large clientele I spent many years trying to build. One day we just felt a tug and went with it, even though at times leaving the house we had bought and our family back in Michigan felt so wrong.

Right when Matt and I got here we got connected with a great church, which lead to some wonderful relationships. Friends that we could share everything with and pray with. Our lives got flipped upside down and because of it Matt and I grew closer to each other and to God! I was beginning to finally see God's plan a little clearer after I let go of the wheel.

Two years ago I thought that was why he challenged us to leave, but just the other day I realized His plan was even bigger than that. I had worked a long day at the Y and night at the salon when I was driving home thinking about what our life would be like if we didn't follow to that tug on our hearts. I don't know what it would've looked like, but I imagine I would be working 12 hour days at the salon and growing in relationships with my clients and going home feeling completely exhausted! I'm so thankful that God knew better than I did. He knew that I couldn't work on my feet for 12 hours while pregnant!

In Colorado I have about a quarter of the clients that I had in Michigan, and though I do miss my clients I really don't miss the rush of it all. Gosh, I pee every 45 minutes some nights, if I was still going like I was back then I would have to have had a catheter put in or been running really late with everyone which only stresses me out more. Going back to the salon after the baby is born should be easier here then there, I can just go in 2 nights a week and still get in who I need to. There is no way I could just do 2 nights back in Michigan with the amount of clients I had.

I love the gift God has given me to do hair and I can't image my life without it. I'm so glad that He has given me just enough of what I needed when I needed it. His plan is so much greater than anything I could ever dreamt of or imagined. I can't wait to sit back and let Him do more of the driving. Right now with all the life changes happening... all I can do is trust.

Third Trimester!!!!!

Today marks the beginning of our third trimester! I don't know how we got here so quickly, but the excitement is astounding! Squirt is squirming around like crazy lately and I think we are going to have a little swimmer on our hands. The fluttery kicks coming from Squirt are sure to win a gold medal in a freestyle race :) Talking about swimming, I've been trying to swim laps twice a week at the Y. Squirt seems to really enjoy our swims, she is always kicking right along with her momma. I have really been enjoying pregnancy and even though I'm a little scared of the unknown and what's to come in the third trimester, I'm really looking forward to it at the same time!

99 Days!

The clock is ticking on our due date. As of today we are 6 1/2 months pregnant with less then 100 days left. It's only 99 days away!


I knew the holidays would fly by and leave us with a huge list of things to do. Next week I need to take my glucose test and I'm kind of nervous about it. I found out that my Mom didn't pass hers with Brent (my older brother) and was on a restricted diet the rest of her pregnancy. I've never had to much of a sugar craving other then fruits but that has definitely changed with my crazy hormone cravings. I know it would be hard for me if my test shows I need to watch it. Also, on our list of to dos we need to sign up for our hospital tour as well as birthing classes. On top of that I would like to take a breastfeeding class and Matt is hoping to take a daddy class that our hospital offers. 


Next month I will have my baby showers and I can't be more excited! I have been feeling a little overwhelmed with how much we need and don't have but I can't buy things until I know what we will need after the showers. So right now we are just waiting, which is hard for me. In  addition, the end of February will bring my last scheduled day at the YMCA until I'm ready to go back to work. I can pick up hours in March and April if I would like, but they didn't want to put me on our new schedule since I might only be there for half of it. It is really starting to sink in more and more each day that life is changing. 


Squirt must have gone through another grow spirt since I'm now bumping into things. When I stand in the kitchen to prepare a meal I can't believe how many times I run into the counter. I swear it keeps inching closer to me. I also can't grasp how close things are when it comes to my hips, they have a couple bruises on them already and shaving has become a bit of a chore that I have told Matt that he will have to do it for me soon.... I don't think he likes that idea. Right now I can tell I'm starting to want to move into the nesting faze but I'm trying to avoid it and make lists of things I want to accomplish instead so I will have something to do with myself in a few months.

Squirts first time up the mountain.
1/2/2012 we went to Keystone on a beautiful bluebird day.
While Matt skied on his new powder skis and I read on my new kindle while baking in the hot sun.

2012

This is the year when Matt will become a Dad and I a Mom! We will get to meet our little Squirt and love him or her to pieces!

New Years Eve day was a very low key event for Matt and I this year. We slept in, had a big breakfast and drove over to Estes Park for a little snowshoeing. The weather was cold with a high wind advisory in effect. There were a few times on our drive I thought we were going to get blown off the highway! Lucky for us the trail that Matt picked was low and had a lot of tree cover. After going for about a mile and a half on the path we saw the frozen river open to a little bit of a clearing where it enough sun and had a strong enough current that it wasn't frozen. We stopped to take some pictures and then turned around to head back to the car since we really didn't want to be caught out there in the dark and the wind was picking up again. The walk back was harder on me then the walk out, apparently my hip decided it was done for the day. I needed to take frequent small breaks and very small steps. I really do love feeling Squirt move around and enjoy getting out in the fresh air, but I could do without the feeling of being handicapped. It really is getting in the way of fun. Don't get me wrong I had fun snowshoeing - I just wish I didn't feel like such a wimp. Here are some of our pictures from New Years Eve:

New Years Eve night we stopped in Estes for a Starbucks and drove home in the dark. I decided we really needed some "kid wine" to toast the new year so we stopped at the grocery store and also picked up a frozen pizza for dinner. When we finally got home we turned on the TV and it didn't take long for Matt to fall asleep. I might have dozed off a few times too but for the most part I read my Kindle. At 10 minutes to midnight I woke Matt so he could take in the new year with me. It was nice to relax and not have to go anywhere or drive home from anywhere after the ball fell.

We look so forward to what this year has to offer with Matt moving to day shift, Squirt filling our home with laughter (and tears) and me trying to get back into shape for the Women's Tri for the Cure again. We look forward to parenthood, exploring Colorado with an infant, taking trips to Michigan and having our first family camping trip. 2011 really was a great year for us as well, we had a blast on our 5 year anniversary trip to Alaska, getting pregnant, telling the world our exciting news, we witnessed a great friend (Stefanie) get married and started preparing a nursery. God has truly blessed us this past year and we look forward to the next.