9 Months {Jessica}

 While the weather has been nice and cool, we've been taking walks/runs outside in the mornings and on Sunday afternoons when church is over. One of these Sunday strolls was around the Cottonwood area, on a nice trail in the mountains. Michael has been on bike rides here before, so he wanted to take us there to show how pretty it is. And...he knew there was a gorgeous bridge that would make a perfect spot for us to take some photos of Jessica. What a happy surprise when we got there!

I'm not quite sure what it is about this photo that I love so much. Maybe it's the expression on her face, the way she kinda has her left arm at an angle to her leg, how she's sitting up so straight. But it's cute and full of her personality (drama queen, anyone?).

 I sure love to take pictures of this girl. I was just saying to Michael the other day that I wonder if now, being in the digital and smartphone age, if I'll take as many photos of our future children as I have of Jessica. You know that old saying that you never do take as much of your later children because you're just so busy and don't have time to pull out the camera as often. I'm not sure if that'll be as true today as it was then, because there's no hassle of remembering the camera/film as we always have a way to take pictures and share them through our smartphones. Guess we'll see how it goes someday!!!

 9-month stats:
17.86 lbs (32%ile)

26.3 in (13%ile)

She's our petite baby girl!

 Those eyes...they just kill me.

 And that fuzzy hair. It's out of control most days, but I kinda love it.

 This girl LOVES her "Dada". He is so much fun!

Exciting Updates:

We've been told by so many people how sweet her cry is. It's been described as "muffled", "muted", and "the perfect decibel for a baby to cry". And they are all true, she's not a very loud crier unless she's really scared or hurts herself. She's a bit more of a whiner, which is kinda adorable (at least for now!). Even though she talks a lot, we're predicting she's going to be a soft-spoken little girl.

She's crawling! It all happened within the course of a few days. She started trying to scoot on her belly while pushing her legs, then she got her arms more involved, then it turned into a bit of an army crawl. She can get around pretty quickly this way!

Jessica pushed herself up into a sitting position from her tummy the other day. We almost didn't realize it happened even though we were watching her at the time. It hasn't happened again since that first time, but what a big girl!

She's eating all sorts of solids nowadays. Favorites are bananas, sweet potatoes, beans, and pretty much anything new. She gobbles up new flavors and has never turned her nose up at anything. I'm quite impressed and hope she continues to love food and exploring new flavors as much as her mother does.

The pincer grasp is pretty much mastered and she's quite good at picking up food and getting it in her mouth. That doesn't mean that her meals aren't messy, though! Oh, to be a kid again and to actually have an excuse to play with your food!

Still waiting for some teeth to pop up... :)

{Baby} 12 weeks!!!

And so begins the profile pictures which will show the growth of the baby belly! I figured it was about time, now that we finally reached the last bit of the first trimester. Whew, it feels like I've been waiting forever for this moment, even though I know it is nothing in the grand scheme of things. I'm sure the rest of the pregnancy will fly by and then the baby will be here before we know it, but I've been so looking forward to getting past the nausea and (hopefully) starting to look pregnant, not just feeling pudgy. I'm really ready for that cute bump to just "pop" on my tummy and for the moment when I can actually feel the little munchkin inside me!

As you can see, I still am experiencing all the typical first trimester symptoms, which I'm pretty much grown accustomed to now after so many weeks living with them. What has been nice is that I've gotten some more of my energy back and actually was able to start going to the gym a couple weeks ago, and Michael and I are also starting to take evening bike rides around our neighborhood (don't worry, I'm not at the "off balance" stage yet, and we're being extra careful until then too). It's been nice to be able to feel like I can get back out of the house more and to just get moving. I've missed exercising, although I'm still having to take it easy because my stamina waned over the past several weeks without much movement!

All in all, we're doing well and just trying to stay cool and active in this hot desert Summer weather. Yay for that! At least I have Otter Pops to help me out in that respect!

Food Revolution

I don't know if any of you are familiar with Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution on ABC.

You should be.

This amazing chef is trying to make a difference for our future and the future of generations to come.


He needs our help as Americans.

Sign this petition that will be taken to the President and First Lady and will hopefully be a small, but pivotal step into revolutionizing the school lunch system.

So much to do.

This semester is already proving to be, well, difficult. That isn't to say that the experiences and knowledge I gain from such challenges won't be beneficial to me, which they will, but I'm already feeling overwhelmed. Let me give a run down of what is in store in the near future.

I was chosen to fulfill my 4th music therapy practicum requirement at Bear River House, which is a center for Adults with Mental Illnesses. This means schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, depression, etc. Knowing that I want to work with geriatrics for my profession, this is quite the stretch for me. I feel like I am out of my element as I will be facilitating sessions in an intense psychiatric setting. And, I'm dealing with humility also as I have been, once again, placed with a partner who has difficulty speaking English. She is a talented musician and has great ideas, but I must be very patient with her as we try to coordinate on session plans and interventions in a language which is not her native tongue. I have asked myself, "Why me?" several times since the assignment and the only reasonable conclusion I can come up with is that my supervisors see potential for patience and acceptance(or something) in me. But, this gives me an opportunity to grow and also be more assertive and assured in my skills as a music therapist; preparing me for internship in the future.

On March 25th at 7:00 p.m. in the USU Performance Hall, I will be performing my Senior Vocal Recital! It has been a long time coming. I have a beautiful dress that I bought on sale at the same dress shop where I found my wedding dress. I'm almost finished with the program printout, and still have to solidify a few songs out of the 18 I will be performing in various languages throughout the night. Funny thing is that I had an accompanist on scholarship which translates into a "free" accompanist for me, yet she decided she did not want to be a piano major anymore. So, an application for another accompanist has been put in to the piano department and we are waiting and hoping and praying.

I'm in active search for a job in Logan. My boss at the place I worked before Michael and I got married said he would hire me back, which I was excited about. But, long story short...I don't think it's going to work out. I really want to acquire some piano and voice students, because not only is teaching fun, the hours and pay are so much better than other part-time jobs!

I'm researching and beginning the application process for music therapy internships next January. I have hopes for a particular facility in Logan, but also exploring other options. And did I mention that most internships for music therapy are unpaid? It's a cruel world.

I'm also working on the most difficult and grueling class a music therapy student must take in the midst of coursework. No, it's not Theory, Music History, Form, or even Elementary School Music (haha). I'm talking about Human Anatomy. Dreaded, feared, and at times, loathed. And, I'm taking it online from BYU because at least their course is easier and more suited to our needs that the super difficult one taught here at USU. I'm going to need prayers to survive.

Which brings me to my next goal, Michael and I are determined to attend the temple once a month. We were very consistent while living in Layton and going on Ward Temple Night, but during the move have missed out on a month of attendance. Granted, the Logan temple just reopened after a month-long closing for maintenance, but we aren't going to let that be an excuse for January pass by temple-less. It is such a blessing for us and our family.

And lastly, in the midst of 18 credits worth of classes, trying to find a job, and take care of a husband, I need to take care of myself. And that means going to the gym and exercising on a regular basis. It is a means to relieve stress, and makes me look and feel better. I have a goal to start out simply, working with breaks in my schedule, and I will keep it up.

Wish me luck!!!

Outdoor Weekend and New Shoes

Last weekend, Michael and I went camping with a bunch of friends up Green Canyon in Logan. I forgot my camera during the camping part of the trip, but remembered when everyone decided to go repelling. We brought along our friends Brandon and Chasity, who are from North Dakota. Brandon is on an internship with Michael's company in SLC and we have enjoyed spending time with the fun couple. Personally, I'm completely terrified of repelling, and it was nice to have Chasity there with me to share in the cheering on of the others.

The view from below of Steph the fearless.

Brandon was a pro for his first time repelling!

View of Michael's camping "bed head" as he was belaying.

Amanda was seriously a pro.

Gotta love the fierce look on Michael's face. I kinda think he's hot ;)

Brandon and Chasity found this beautiful dandelion. Isn't it gorgeous?!?

I just bought these new running shoes from this amazing store here in Layton called "Striders". They specialize in running shoes and when you go in, they do a complete foot analysis and based on the results, find the perfect type of shoe for the way you walk or how you balance on your feet.

Needless to say, I found an amazing pair of Mizunos that were 25% off!!!

Mostly, I'm glad that Michael and I were able to have such a wonderful weekend camping and being outdoors. It really made Michael so happy to spend time with friends that he hadn't seen in a while. And Michael being outdoors is seriously his favorite thing to do, so it was good for him to do what he loves. He really does so much for me, often times I feel like I wish I could find more ways to do more for him. This weekend was definitely what the doctor ordered as we prepped and cooked over an open fire, slept in a tent, and had a grand ole time enjoying nature!