Surprise visit to Utah

Wow, I feel like it's been a long time since I've blogged!  My entire life is consumed by Drake (which I love), so the majority of my pictures are of him.  I hardly ever post on facebook because I don't want to be that person who posts about their kids all the time!  I feel like nothing I would say would be all that interesting... "Drake is rocking on his hands and knees now!  Only a matter of time before he crawls!"

So, I've decided I can post as much as I want about Drake on my blog since it's like my journal in many ways!  So be prepared!

Utah

Me, Dan, and Drake took a weekend trip to Utah to visit Dan's mom and family the weekend of the 24th.  The 24th, which is Pioneer Day, is a holiday in Utah, so we felt it would be perfect to visit.  Dan's mom hadn't seen Drake since he was just a week old, so we were really excited.  The trip was such a blast, and we really needed to get away.  Drake got the chance to meet Dan's mom and Trent, Colton and Raquel (Trent's kids), Carissa and her family, Annie and her family (Riot is just 10 days older than Drake), and also see uncle Ben again.  He also met Dan's grandparents.  I barely held Drake the entire time we were there... everyone wanted to hold him and play with him!  I felt like Drake got so much attention that his little personality bloomed on that trip.  He really loved everyone so much... makes me wonder if we should move to Utah in the future?

I love that we live in AZ around my family, however, they are all in the growing family stage, and that means Drake does not get attention showered upon him.  Dan is the oldest in his family (and the favorite ; ) I might add), so naturally, his first child will get loads of attention!  Plus, Dan's family is very gregarious, full of energy, and loving, so even Annie who has a new baby spent time holding Drake a lot of the time.  It was really nice to just sit back and watch Drake interact with everyone in the family.  I'm really hoping we'll be able to spend Christmas in Utah this year!

Here are a few pictures from the trip...

I grew up with this picture in our living room.  It is one of my favorites.  In the conference center, which we took a tour of, they had all original paintings.  I had no idea this one was so huge!

Drake and his cousin Riot (Annie's baby).  These boys spent most of the time together.  

Dan is holding Riot.  I just love the online editing website picnik.  I could spend hours playing around on that site!

Temple square

Drake slept on my chest both flights to and from Utah.  I heard taking off and landing hurt babies ears, so I nursed him on takeoff, and he fell asleep, slept the entire time, and didn't wake up until we were down stairs at the rental car area!  It took Drake a little more time to fall asleep on the flight home, but he eventually zonked out.

My sweet boy...

My stripling soldiers.  This is one of my favorite stories from the Book of Mormon.  

Sick boy

Drake had a fever for two days a couple of days ago.  I thought that maybe he was teething, but he is still toothless!  His little body must have been fighting off something.  Even though he had a fever, he was still a happy boy...

This is my makeshift playpen on our bed that I made with pillows.  I don't think it will last for long!

I kept Drake cool with a moist washcloth on his little forehead.  He was really still when I put it on.  It must have felt really nice.  It is scary when babies have fevers.  I would wake up to him next to me with burning hot hands and feet touching me.  

I'm glad he's all better now!!

I can't wait till we get sealed to Drake in the temple <3

The SLC temple is so beautiful!

Picnik

Here is some evidence that I spend way too much time on picnik...

Pregnant nice vampire

Pregnant evil vampire!

My first mother's day was wonderful!  Church was great, except Drake did not want to sit in my lap, and he was a very wiggly boy.  But he looked oh so handsome in his new church outfit.  I was a little disappointed in our bishopric for not doing anything special for the mothers.  I had never been in a ward where they do not hand the mothers a rose, or something sweet after sacrament meeting on mother's day.        

This has been the first mother's day where I am not a complete emotional wreck.  My thoughts are always about my own mother, but this time around I am a new mother myself.  I only wish to be half the mom my mother was to me.  She is the greatest example I know of what a mother should be.  Mom was my best friend, and I cannot wait to see her again.

On Saturday morning, Dan woke up hours before I did and was very quiet.  I didn't hear any video games or guitar, and I was very curious as to what he was doing.  When I woke up, there was a trail of starburst all throughout the house.  One trail led to Drake's car seat on the floor, and there was a hershey bar underneath.  The other led to under the couch where my favorite candy, fun dip, was stuffed.  And the last trail led to Drake's nursery where I found a bouquet of spring flowers, a card, and Eclipse.  Dan doesn't think he is very creative or romantic, but he proved himself wrong! 

On Sunday after church Dan took care of Drake for me, which included changing all his diapers.  I told Dan I would like the house to be nice and cool for mother's day (it is always too hot for me most days), and that I would like him to watch Eclipse with me.  I read my book quite a bit when Drake took his nap (I'm reading The Host for the 3rd time), and after Drake was asleep for the night, I had to write and turn in a paper (which was a drag...it was about historical and scientific perspectives on homosexuality.  Blah!).  

I absolutely love being a mother.  It is my favorite thing I have ever done in my life, and it is my life!  I have zero complaints about it, and no regrets.  It is so much fun to watch your child grow and discover his personality.  I cannot stop kissing my baby's chubby cheeks and nuzzling his little neck.  He has started to giggle (mostly at Dan...jealous).  He touches my face with his warm little hands.  Sometimes when he's asleep at night, I'll tiptoe into the bedroom just to lean down and put my head near his; I love to see his out-of-proportion body sleeping there: his big head (which has started to bald), small shoulders, big diaper butt, and dimply short legs.  I kiss his forehead and smell his sweet milky breath.  I am totally enchanted by him, my little boy.

Happy mother's day to all you mamas out there!

straw hats...

I just had to get this little easter hat for Drake.  He smiles at himself in the mirror when he's wearing it!

Drake is such a happy boy!

My boys...

drake's blessing day.

Dan gave baby Drake such a beautiful blessing.  Drake was so good before and after the blessing; smiling and cooing at me and Dan.  He got a little upset at his hiccups during sacrament, so we had to get up and stand next to the doors for a while.  When we got home, family came over for a little luncheon.  

Toward the end of the luncheon, Drake was so exhausted from being up all day with the excitement.  He didn't like the bumbo very much.  He sure did look cute in it though!

All in all, the day was perfect.

I love this little boy!

Belly pictures

For the longest time, I didn't have any way to post my pictures because Dan lost his USB cord.  Well, a couple of days ago we finally bought one!  So now I can post pictures that I wanted to long ago.

This trip to Huntington was a little rough because I had morning sickness, and nothing sounded good to eat.  For those who know me, that is my favorite part of the vacation.  I was barely pregnant here.

For my 26th birthday, Dan and I stayed at a resort, went to The Melting Pot, and Dan took me shopping!  I think I'm 4 months pregnant here.

It's funny to look at these and see how I'm not showing very much at all.  At the time, I thought I was getting so big!

This was when I started to really poke out.

Here I am, about to pop.  Towards the end, I had bad swelling!  My legs and feet were embarrassingly huge.  That ornament is a plumeria ornament my sweet mom brought back for me from her anniversary trip with dad to Oahu.  It is special to me.

Pregnancy was horrible at first because of the nausea and the acid reflux, but that soon went away (the nausea at least!).  When I first felt little flutterings in my belly I was so excited because I finally felt like I was pregnant, even though I wasn't showing yet.  I felt so thick in the beginning months, I wanted to show so badly because I didn't like how I just looked fat!  I always thought it was funny how in the movies, the pregnant women said, "I'm so fat!" all the time when they didn't look it.  Well now I know what they meant because you just feel fat!

It's exciting when strangers look at you, smile, and say, "How far along are you?", or "What are you having?"

Hearing the heartbeat at the doctors always brought me such relief and always put a smile on my face.

Seeing the baby at the ultrasound appointments was so special because I could actually see the little guy moving in there!

People always asked me if I had any cravings during my pregnancy.  I never did.  I ate a lot of grapes and ice cream, but I didn't crave them necessarily.  I have more cravings now that he is born, and I am breast feeding.  I can't get enough Squirt soda.

One of the perks I noticed right away was being blessed with an ample bosom, as you can see in the 2nd picture.  Hello!

I really missed lying on my stomach and flat on my back.  It feels so good to now!

It's a weird thing not to be able to see your feet.

The baby kicks began to get pretty violent there at the end.  Something was constantly wedged in my ribs on the right side, which got pretty painful.  Oh yeah, and the constant urge to pee was torture.

It was all worth it because I got this little boy.