Baby Showers

I am hoping many of you have recieved the invitations, but I thought posting here might also help remind family and friends that this is the big weekend of baby showers. Saturday my cousin Tami is having a picnic/shower for us at Ok Ward Park in Chubbock at 6:30 p.m. Sunday my mom is having a shower for us in Filer at that Nazarene Church Fellowship Hall at 4 p.m. We decided to squish it all into one weekend and try to save some gas $. I hope to see all of you there! (Even though I know lots of you already have fun family plans in place.) So excited to see you soon!

33 Weeks

Wow! Can I tell you how ready I am to be done with the whole pregnancy thing! How did any of you ever do this and how could you have possibly enjoyed it? I am very anti the swollen feet thing. It really has gotten so much worse this week. I don't like puffy feet. I am currently down to one pair of flip flops that have good arch support and still fit my fat feet. I pray my shoes will fit again someday. Another crummy aspect of pregnancy can be summed up in two words: stretch marks. Ooh, and I also don't love that I am struggling to paint my toes and lotion my feet. I think that is all I have to say on that subject.

Other than these few nuisances I am doing ok and I go to the doctor again on Monday. I am pretty sure she is going to look at me like a crazy person when I mention the potential of going back to Idaho before the baby is born. I've imagined my part of the conversation to go something like this, " Hi Dr. K. I know that this is the first time we have met, but I think I am moving back to Idaho somewhere between 36 and 38 weeks. What do you think about that?" I am hoping for a positive response, but I don't really know how it will all pan out considering I have only been in her care since 30 weeks and I have already paid her up front. I keep hoping that all this prepaying will lead to refunds in the end (hey, I can hope, right?)

I am going to go put on my swimming suit that is dangerously close to not fitting me anymore, so you all can enjoy the greatness of my current physique. It also might be an excuse to get Tony to swim in the pool with me. He is studying for the 3rd section of the CPA exam that he has to take in 1 month. I am trying to be a supportive wife by being quiet and not bothering him.

I think this will be one of the last photos of me in my swimming suit. I can't handle the whole puffy Lindsey view. It is kind of depressing.

This Sounds Fun!

I need a lift in my spirits and maybe this will help!

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses.

What Do We Do?

I thought for sure, moving and selling our home were the only challenges we had ahead of us when we left Idaho Falls a month and a half ago---I thought wrong!

Maybe it is because I am pregnant and emotional or something, but this is all so hard to deal with. How do we make the right choice? I suppose I should let you in as to the choices at hand. Here is what we are faced with:

Scenario #1
We continue to live in Utah, possibly still paying for a home in Idaho that doesn't want to sell (we are paying about $1400 a month between both residences). We live on the 3rd floor of an apartment complex (climbing 24 stairs with groceries, baby in carseat, etc.). We must walk our dog 3 times a day to use the restroom. Tony works for his uncle; makes more $-:), job security-:), job training-:(. We have insurance for the baby as soon as he is born. We have very little family support to help with the baby. Tony has more time to study for his CPA exams, but has to have a master's degree to become a CPA in Utah (3 more years of night school). We have to walk outside and down the hall to the community, coin-op washer and dryer. Dishwasher.

Scenario #2
We pack up and move back to Idaho. We have to pay all the costs to move back (breaking lease-$2190, gas to move home-$400, extras-$50). We live in our house that could sell at any moment (please dear Lord help us) and have to move again. Buddy has a backyard. Tony works for a company who seems to have a great environment; less $ to start-:(, job security not as stable-:(, job training- :). We don't have insurance for the baby until December 1st, so we will have to pay for Cobra ($700 a month) or try to see if we qualify for assistance. We have family and friends support to help with the baby. Tony has less time to study for CPA, but once he passes 2 more tests he is a CPA. We have a washer and dryer inside our house. No dishwasher.

I could keep adding more pros and cons to the list, but I think this gives you a pretty detailed picture. Since Monday we have been discussing what we should do and we still haven't been struck with what decision will be the best for our family. I want Tony to be happy in his work and he wants me to be happy in general. We have until tomorrow morning to choose to say yes to the new job offer or not.

My job today is to try to decide what I want and I obviously would love to go back to Idaho, but the money is such a huge deterrent that I don't know how we can afford to. I suggested we result to flipping coins and Tony doesn't feel like that is a good idea. If anyone has any profound words of advice or great suggestions, please let me know. Thank you!

P.S. Try not to call me until after 7 p.m. because moving here has also caused a HUMONGOUS cell phone increase for me.

Our Awesome Willow Tree

On Saturday our realtor called us and updated us to a fallen branch in our yard. I vote it is much more than a fallen branch! (In his defense, he was out of town and was relaying information a neighbor had called him with.) Does anyone know where our house is? I can't see it! We are working to find someone to clean up and decide if the whole tree needs to go. Pray for us and our fun adventures :)

Here's the house. It was playing hide and seek. Maybe it doesn't want to be sold so it is hiding from the people who could potentially look at it.

Blessings

I am having a day where I want to tell you all the bad things that are happening in my life, but instead of having a pity party for me and continuing to cry I am going to list all the things I am grateful for and focus on the wonderful blessings I have. Here it goes:
1. My dad for giving me a brand new computer
2. My brand new computer
3. Air conditioning
4. Cute little Buddy Bastar (our dog)
5. Wonderful friends and family who offer great words of encouragment and support
6. Food and shelter to meet our needs
7. My husband
8. My faith that even though I feel like I am stuck in the middle of a terrible storm of my life that this too shall pass and there is a plan greater than the one I keep trying to make for myself
9. Our baby
10. Prenatal classes that Tony and I get to attend together
11. Ice cream (the only thing that would make it better is no calories)
12. Knowing I am never alone
13. My nails are kind of growing and somewhat strong
14. My beautiful pink zinnias that are sitting in my living room because they are painting our balcony.
15. Toilet paper and indoor plumbing (becasue I use the bathroom alot recently and I would be sad without this amenity.

I think that is a fairly good list of blessings and now I shall continue to keep my hopes up for sunnier skies to come our way. I hope all of you are having a glorious day and that this reminds you to always be thankful for the little things in you life that make you smile.

Moving Change of Info.

As if moving isn't already a giant pain in the rear, I HATE changing over billing information, setting up new services, and cancelling old services. I respect customer service representatives and the job they are intended to do, but for some reason, they never seem to accomplish the goals I need them to.
In this recent moving process I have somehow managed to thouroughly confuse my car insurance and car payment company, the old internet company, my home loan company, and hmm, I think that is it. My car payment didn't get paid and then they took out double payment and my car insurance had to be reset and a new policy opened. These things aren't a huge deal (thank goodness for internet banking), but it is frustrating to go through the process to get things in the correct order.
Currently I am dealing with the idiots at Cable One in trying to figure out my unpaid bill. I called and cancelled service on June 9th, but they have managed to bill me for last month and the upcoming month. I have spent the last hour trying to contact them, but their automated system says, "We are experiencing a high volume of calls. Please try again later. Goodbye." and then it hangs up on me. How incredibly irritating!
As for my house, I have a IHFA loan and I failed to remember that I have to live there the life of the loan. Anyhow, I had to fill out a 6 month waiver form in order to not be in vialation. I did so, sent it off, and recieved an approved letter and a copy of the form for my records. Yesterday I was sent a final notice with the same waiver form inside. When I called to check up on the issue the woman in Boise said she has never seen or recieved any of my information, but she is the one whose signature is on my approval form. I am so very confused and once again irritated by this monotonous process. (Update: This lady got things in order, she forgot to update my account after the approval form was sent!)

Sorry about the grumpy post, but I find it so very frustrating and I had to share! Thanks for letting me get that off my chest. Oh, if anyone needs my new address, please email me at lindseylou19@yahoo.com.

Belly Pics at Last!

I really want to post everything that has happened in the last month, but as I look at the clock (4:10 p.m.) I realize my husband will be home in 1 hour and 20 minutes and by that time I have to have dinner ready and get myself ready to go tour St. Mark's Hospital at 6 p.m. That being said here is an incredibly short post with 3 photos of my progressively protruding belly. Love to all- Lindsey

This was the first side shot we took on March 30th. I was visiting Tony in Salt Lake for spring break.


Here is the 2nd belly pic. on May 10th. I finally got the nerve to put on my swimming suit and have Tony take my photo.

This is the most recent side shot on June 16th. Enjoy (Sorry the photo quality isn't awesome, but I haven't saved them to Tony's computer yet. They are coming straight from my camera.)