Getting Nervous...

Ok, so I'm not nervous for the labor part of this actually.  It's more for everything else that is going on.  I am definitely on an emotional roller coaster ride.  As my belly grows and the weeks pass I keep thinking about the fact that I'm going to be alone soon with a baby.  I know I have family and friends to help me, but I still won't have my soul mate here beside me.  It just won't be the same.  I cry now...a lot.

I've been trying to come up with plans for things I can do to make the time go by quicker while he is gone.  My list is getting pretty good, but I'm not sure if it will really help.  Don't be surprised if I am very quiet while Ed is gone.  I do that when I'm upset...I'm already doing it.  It is part of my process so don't take offense.

The one true thing I do know is that the Lord will watch over us and protect us.  I can't image going on without my faith.  Our Savior has already brought us to where we need to be right now, and I know he will continue to guide us.    I am thankful for our past trials which forced us back to Boise near family and into an amazingly supportive ward, and I know these up coming trials will bless us in the end.  We must continually learn and grow, and I know this experience will help us both become stronger.  There is no need to fear.

We've been married for 5 1/2 years.  It's been hard and amazing all at the same time.  We are bound together in every way possible and I know that our love and devotion towards one another will get us through this.  The Savior was generous enough to let me have Ed so early on in life and I thank him for it everyday.  Even though I must let him go for a short while, I know things will be all the better for us when he returns.  I will at least have our little girl to keep me company.  I pray he makes wonderful friends while away so that he will not feel alone.  I'd hate for him to feel alone.  I love my husband so much, and although I'm looking forward to kissing the little baby feet that kick me all the time, I'm dreading having to let my husband go off on that plane just a few weeks later.  He will never cease to be in my thoughts and my heart.  He is my eternal rock and companion.  Oh how I love him. ♥

Snow Day!

Holy Cow!  So much snow!  I feel like I'm back in Pocatello again.  Goldie enjoys it very much.  This picture was after she ran around in it and packed it down.  Not to mention she loves to eat it, hence her huge tongue in the picture.  She's a fun dog.  I especially love her big ears. :) 

Today will most likely be a slow day at work.  I'm not sure how many people will brave this weather here.  You'd think being from Idaho would make them used to snow.  But, alas, every year it never fails...so many paranoid drivers!  Most just stay in their homes I think. 

I have 3 1/2 more weeks of work left now.  It's coming up so fast.  Ed gets to start his paid vacation around the 20th!  It will be good to spend more time with him...we might get sick of each other though ;)  Naw...we will have fun!

Aurora's room is still empty.  Her closet is packed full of stuff, but I haven't done anything with it.  Apparently I'm not very good at this whole nesting thing.  We should be getting the crib and dresser soon though, so I will at least get to put her things away and get the changing table ready.  I am excited to decorate...I just need furniture!  Soon...very soon...

This time of year is so fun!  We have so many dinners and parties to go to.  I'm excited!  I love all of our family and friends.  We are so blessed...I can't tell you all enough how much we love having you in our lives.  ♥♥♥

So Far So Good

It's been one week and we haven't eaten out at all! We've saved money and I'm adding wonderful food to my recipe book!

So far it's been homemade Ham and Potato Soup, Chicken Stroganoff, and the best homemade pizza ever! (which happens to be good for breakfast too...I'm pregnant, don't judge :) ... and of course this means left over nights. It's fun to save money and eat healthy. Thank You allrecipes.com again for your awesomeness. Tonight it's going to be home made mac and cheese...it's sounds simple, but this is not your typical mac and cheese. Ed's excited about it.

I'm really enjoying cooking now. Especially since I have every other day off of work. I'm getting bored and anxious for Aurora to come. I know I will miss these boring days, but right now I just stare at the clock and wish it would go faster. I'm finally getting over my cold though, so I should be able to get out a bit more.

Goldie is learning to be a good stay at home dog. It's been a month since she's gone to work with me. It drives her crazy sometimes and she gets really loud when playing from lack of excitement throughout the day. She's an awesome dog. She hasn't even gotten on the couch in weeks. That makes my day every time I get home.

Here's a picture for good measure...(I'm so bad at putting pictures on here.)

We play catch everyday but I know she wants to be at "Coby's House" aka my parents house running around their huge backyard like she's been doing for a year now while I work. Poor thing is now subject to a small yard with no fence, so I can't just let her stay out. She's loves walks though, so she will be a great walking buddy in the spring when I can take Aurora out in the stroller. She also alerts us to every single person who enters the area. No one will ever be able to sneak up on our house, that is for sure. Her gigantic ears are great for that!

Her and Boo, our fat cat, basically spend the rest of their time nestled by the fireplace. Once you turn it on they completely leave you alone. This works nicely for our house guests who unfortunately have to sleep on the couch near the dog. Without that distraction you are liable to get licked in the face while asleep, or at the very least wake up to a huge dog staring you in the face. It can be quite startling I must say.

Today I'm going to go shopping with my mom, aunt, and cousins! I'm hoping to find a new top to wear for the baby shower. I've out worn all the shirts I have and want to feel spruced up a bit for the party. I still can't believe how many people are coming! It's going to be fun!

Ed is going to finish up the touch up work in the nursery. It's needs a little extra paint in some places, but looks so amazing. I will take a picture when it's finally complete. I'm so happy with it. Ed even picked the colors. He's such an amazing husband. How did I get so lucky? I'm really going to miss him.

Well, I think I've waisted enough of my morning now. Housework is calling my name.

29 weeks and counting

It's week 29, I have a cold, and I'm bored out of my mind. I recently cut down hours at work, but now I feel like I have too much time in the day. Don't get me wrong...I have plenty to do, but no energy to do it. This cold has really shot me in the foot. This is day 9 of my cold and I'm getting quite frustrated. Luckily I haven't missed a day of work, but I always come home feeling worse than I did in the morning. Because of this I've made myself sleep a lot more, which is getting really old. I really don't want to be sick this weekend!

mainly because....

The baby shower is this weekend and I'm so excited to see everyone! I feel so loved because so many people are coming from out of town. Thank You! It's going to be so nice to see everyone since I have missed all the out of town events lately. I can't wait to feel healthy and energized again!

So, I know that I really need to get some pictures up. I'm sure I will get some from the shower. Apparently I'm very small for being 7 months pregnant. Someone actually thought I was only 5 months the other day. I guess this is a compliment...I don't feel too bad about it. I'm glad I'm not much bigger right now because I'm already trying to get used to the belly I have. I still am wearing my normal clothes which is nice. I have to do tricks to make my pants work, but I so hate maternity pants. I just can't wear them. They are horrible! When I'm home it's usually sweat pants, which are so nice now that it is getting cold outside. I'm thinking hot apple cider is a definite tonight...it's supposed to snow tonight. I feel it's only appropriate to have a yummy warm drink by the fireplace. :) mmmm...

I've been attempting to cook more now. I've always loved baking, but I thought I'd try my hand at more dinner oriented meals. Tonight is stroganoff, which I've never made. ( Thank you allrecipes.com for your wonderful recipes. :) I made delicious potato and ham soup on Sunday and for the last few weeks have been making breakfast every morning. We really enjoy french toast and sausage. I'm starting to like cooking a lot and now I'm just spoiling Ed. Now if I could enjoy housework just as much we'd be set.

Ed had his third month of drill and still enjoys it very much. He always comes home happy even though they work them to the bone. After our warm dinner Sunday he crashed on the couch at 7 and slept the whole night. He was in a very good mood though, so that made it great. I'm glad he will now enjoy is job. It's such a blessing. I'm still not looking forward to him leaving of course, but in the long run our family will be all the better for it. He'll have great hours and will always be home evenings and weekends. I'm also so happy that he will never have to work on a holiday, unless he's deployed of course. He's really excited and so am I. It is great to see the one I love finally going after his dreams. I love him so much ♥♥♥

So of course I must update about our little baby girl! My mom went with me to my last Dr. appointment because I knew I'd struggle with the driving after having my blood drawn. It was great because she got to hear the heartbeat! I'm measuring great and her heartbeat is normal. She is such a mover still which is so good. She's definitely strong and healthy. She's been getting the hiccups a lot lately which is cute, sad, and annoying all at the same time. I love it! We can't wait to see her! We are already so in love with her! ♥

Week 24

All is well here in the Landis home. Ed had drill this weekend. They are whipping him into shape for sure. This weekend was P90X...yes...even the Air Force uses it for something different to do. That was on top of a whole lot of other physical training exercises. He is absolutely loving it though. He always feels good when he gets home. I'm happy for him :)

My days are basically all the same. I am still happy, just more achy. My regular clothes are starting to be done with fitting. Especially my favorite shirt, but you can really see the belly when I'm wearing it, so it's kind of fun. I'd never thought I'd enjoy outgrowing my clothes. I'm experiencing swelling, still have nausea, and although I'm supposed to have more energy now, my "energy spurt" lasted about a week. I am sooooo tired now! My days off consist of eating, reading, and taking wonderful naps to make up for all the horrid stair climbing at work. I love laying down at the end of the day. It feels so good. I will probably be requesting foot rubs very soon. I also attempted to paint my toes yesterday. I can do it, but it's very awkward. I feel Rory moving a lot better now. She's still an energetic little bug which doesn't always help with the nausea. I can definitely tell she's trying out her new sense of touch. I love feeling her move. She responds when I pat my belly which is fun. So, even though I'm not getting over my symptoms and have now gained the new one of swelling...I still love it!

We are still loving our new home. It's so peaceful and smells so nice!!!! There's nothing like having a non smokey home to live in. I also love being able to just let Goldie out the door like we did back in Poky, rather than having to walk her to the dog yard. This winter will be easier than last year because of that. Especially now that I'm a little slower and bigger. We should be starting on the baby room soon. It's still empty, but I have a ton of ideas! It should be a fun adventure!!!

It's A ....

Girl!

Yes, that is right...little Aurora Mae is on her way. We all kind of sensed it was a girl, and now to know for sure is soooo exciting! She definitely is very stubborn though. We spent an extra 20 minutes in the ultra sound room because she did not want to cooperate. Next time we have to do another ultrasound to get what she wouldn't let us see this time...little stinker. Or she just loves me and knows I love ultrasounds. :)

It was so cute and amazing to watch her move around though. I didn't mind too much. It was such an amazing experience to feel her move and see it on the screen at the same time, even though half the time she was kicking my bladder and the other half my stomach. When I stood up after, I thought I was going to throw up.

She has long arms and long legs and the cutest little nose. We are both soooo extremely excited! When we went to listen to the heartbeat the poor little thing had the hiccups. She seemed pretty irate about it too. I felt bad, yet had to laugh because it was so cute. I know...I'm a terrible mother. :)

Weekly Update....

This week is a busy one...I'm glad we got to start it off by seeing an extremely exciting game in which our amazing Boise State Broncos won their first game! Although it was a very tense game we are glad they pulled through. Ed thinks heart attack rates probably went up around the country the last 10 minutes of the game. Unfortunately I was nauseated with a headache and slight fever during it...which actually saved me from getting too overly excited. A blessing in disguise! No worries...I'm better now. :)

In 2 DAYS we find out what we are having! We both can't wait as I'm sure many others can't either. My mother and best friend to be exact. I think if we had to wait any longer we might all scream! Then Friday I leave with my mom and sis for our annual Vegas trip!!! It's going to be a blast! I don't care that I need my pills and food all the time! Hopefully that will just make it better! The being tired might not though....but I will make it through...maybe I'll cat nap during the boring run way shows.

I'm going to get pics up of our ultrasound this time. Someone may have to remind me... and once I get over the "I just look fat" stage some belly pics may be coming as well. We will have to see :) Plus I still can't find my camera...if anyone has any clues to where it might have run off to, please let me know.

Hope you all have a wonderful week as well! Hopefully not quite as crazy!

Mocking Jay Book Party

So, the awesome Chandra, Clarissa and I decided to hit up the Mocking Jay book release party at Barnes and Noble Monday night. It was pretty awesome...Clarissa and I won some awesome prizes after having to be interviewed along with some pretty excited school aged kids. We also all got to experience some great craft making and learned the art of coal mining and bow shooting...not to mention knot tying. I'm thinking if I ever need to survive out there in the great wild world I've got this! Along with feeling completely like a little kid again, I had a great time! I'd do it again. :)

We Can't Wait!

We are finding out what the baby is Thursday September 9th! I love ultrasounds!
I still have not recovered from being sick. I really hope I start feeling better soon. A weekend in Vegas with my mom and sis won't be as fun if I'm nausiated all the time. Pray for me! I still have yet to feel the baby move. Although when we listened to the heartbeat last week with the doppler our little one sure didn't want to hold still. It makes a cool sound when they move though. Everything is going perfect so far! This is all just so amazing! We love it!

Updates!

Ok...so first of all....this has been the worst sick week of my life. It sucks! Luckily Ed takes care of me and makes me omelets on the whim. Other than feeling sick, we only have 4 more weeks until we find out if we are having a little boy or little girl!

We did move...again! I promise this is the last time for a while. I'm so sick of moving. We however got away from the smoke and noise from the last place and now have a two story townhome that is 100 bucks cheaper! I'm very happy! It's great!

I'm not sure if I've posted this already, but Ed won't be leaving for basic until after the baby is born. So, I have some time with him still! I'm going to miss him...:(

Happy Birthday Ed!

It's Ed's 23rd birthday! Finally we are the same "number" age again...although I will always pretend I'm younger...:)

Love You Honey!!!

updates:

Ed swears in at Gowen on Wednesday and next weekend gets to do his first weekend of drill!

We have 7 more weeks to find out what gender the baby is! It's taking too long!!! :)

The official due date is January 23rd

Week 10

I'm feeling a whole lot better now! I still get nasty car sickness, and I was on a record of not throwing up for 3 whole days, when this morning my body decided that just wasn't going to happen! Oh, well....at least I'm not dying in my bed every morning not wanting to get up. Now I'm just fighting the fact that I'm exhausted!
Tomarrow a bunch of us girls are going to see Eclipse! We wanted to try and not go when all the crazy Twihards go on opening night. It should be fun. Probably will still have to deal with a bunch of young girls but I'm sure it will be better than last night was.
So for those of you who don't know, Ed is now joining the Air Guard...so we get to stay in Boise!!! I'm very excited....and on top of that, he is now up for the waiting list and is choosing a career field. We will let you all know soon when he will be leaving for boot camp. It will be soon! We are wanting sooner than later, cuz if he leaves soon he will be back in time for the baby! That's what we are hoping for.

Week 9

Nausea, Vomiting, Exhaustion, and Irritability...yes...it is true...I'm Pregnant!

Luckily, to succumb all of these horrible feelings they have a wonderful thing called ultrasounds. It may not make the pain go away, but seeing that little cutie wiggling around and watching the heartbeat flutter, sure does put things into perspective. OK...it's worth it.

I am really looking forward to the months to come when I won't have to deal with these problems and I can somewhat enjoy myself. Luckily, I am not as sick as some. I can make it through the day with out throwing up, usually...and some days I feel completely normal. So, I'd say, I've been blessed. I am very much trying to avoid any emergency room visits.

So, of course Ed is hoping for a boy. As for me, I will be happy either way. I can't wait to find out though! I still have a few months. Working has been hard. I tire very quickly and have to eat constantly so I can avoid the bathroom.

As soon as I find my scanner I will post our first ultrasound. To most, it will be a blob, but to us, it's our little baby! I do have to say, it does help when they explain it all to you at the Dr. though. :)

Our Brand New Adventure

Most recently Ed made an extremely important decision. He has decided to do what he said he was going to do when he was just a boy. He is following in his father's footsteps and joining the Air Force. It will be a rough transition for everyone, but I'm so proud of him. It isn't very often people go for their dreams. I told him not to let anyone hold him back, and do what he feels is right. It will be an adventure for the both of us, and I'm excited for it. I will miss him when he is away from me, and I will miss my family and friends when I move away with him, but those that are close to you are never lost. I know the Lord will protect us, and guide us on this new path. All of us can just pray that he will get stationed in Mountain Home so we don't have to move away! I am hoping for that, but trying new places sounds exciting too. Whatever happens is supposed to happen. I love new things, so bring on the adventure world!

Our own Christmas time miracle

12/5/09



It was a milkshake kind of day, so Ed and I decided to hit Shari's up.... We had spent the day with Ed's newly found grandmother Gail and her husband Tom, and had plenty to talk about.

(Ed was adopted and had never known his real father's side of the family until just recently.)

We had seen pictures of them and his biological father but meeting them would propose a whole new story. It had been a crazy type of day. It's not everyday you meet a family you thought you'd never see. Dinner at their house had been a little nerve wracking. His bio-logical father showed up in the middle of it! Ed was not ready to meet him yet, so Gail didn't let them in. He didn't know we were there, but I don't think Ed's face has ever been whiter. His lips even matched his skin. So, after making it through the nerve wracking dinner, we went to the festival of trees. It was nice, but as you can imagine, the air held a bit of awkwardness. Over time I know things will grow more comfortable.


So, back to Shari's... As we talked about our night and the future, I raised my eyes to the door where a new group of hungry people were emerging. The waiter led them to the booth right behind ours, and as they got closer my face was now the one turning white.

"You will never guess who just walked into this restaurant," I whispered to Ed, "Ed, your "dad" Ed!" (They have the same name...confusing I know)

Both of us started to laugh at the irony. You know, that nervous laugh you do when you aren't sure what to do or say. We talked quietly about what to do, since we had to walk right past them to get out. We were worried they'd recognize us from the pictures they had. It had only been two weeks since Ed's bio-logical father found him on facebook. It was the first time they had ever spoken in 20 years. So, as you can imagine...this was all happening so fast. Ed was not ready to meet him...so we waited for the perfect moment. The waiter was bringing them their food, so they were distracted. We got up quickly and walked past them keeping our eyes and faces elsewhere. We reached our car and began to drive off.

"What if this was a sign?" We were both asking ourselves. "How can almost meeting him twice in one day be a coincidence?" Ed stopped the car ready to pull out onto the busy road, then all of a sudden just flipped it into reverse and said, "I'm doing it!"

I definitely began to have a panic attack, but more of an excitement type of one. He had the nerve to tell me to wait in the car. So, obviously after he was in the restaurant I got out and followed. I caught the end of the initial meeting. Later I found out it went a little something like this...

Ed walked up to the table and looked at everyone, "How are you all doing? I'm Ed." Well, from that even I would think, ok, this guy works here.

Then he looked at Ed SR. and said..."no, I'm Ed." His father jumped up in surprise and the tears began. The next half hour was full of hugging and mumbled tearful talking.

(Well, on their side and partly mine. Ed isn't much of a crier. I've never figured out what is wrong with him. :))

Many words were just repeated throughout the time. Not much was said, but what was said, was said a lot.

Before we left, which was hard to do, we promised we would go to their house for Christmas. They exchanged phone numbers, since the only contact they had for the previous two weeks was through email, and we left.

What a night to remember...



12/19/2009



Ed has been talking to his father on the phone now. They are beginning to get to know each other better. We agreed to have dinner at their house in Nampa. It was nice, but different then we are used to. We are from two different worlds, that surprisingly can connect. We really enjoyed their company and it was fun meeting Ed's siblings that he just found out about. They are so cute...well, I should say Sarah is cute, but I probably shouldn't call his teenage brother cute. I'm sure he would rather like being called....let's go with awesome. So, that was a ton of fun. LeAnn, Ed's wife, made delicious pizza. Pizza is my favorite food by the way...so I loved it. We talked a lot about each others lives. Everyone was nervous, we could tell, but we expected that. We even got to talk a bit about the gospel, which was new to them. I love watching and listening to Ed teach. It's soothing and I can always feel the spirit there. Although he did not serve a mission, he teaches very well. So, that is how we finished the night. It was such a fantastic night. I am so glad that everything is happening this way. We all feel comfortable and happy. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the Lord is leading us on this new journey. He is providing a way, and I feel so blessed. Our life these past few months has been filled with so many wonderful blessings. I love our Savior and his plan. I have never felt so happy in my life.



12/25/2009



Merry Christmas! We spent the morning at my family's home for breakfast and presents, then hit up Ed's family before heading to Nampa for our Christmas day dinner with the Jennings family. (His father is Edward Jennings, if you hadn't caught that) LeAnn had prepared a wonderful dinner, with my favorite side dish, green bean casserole...and she didn't even know it! So, that really isn't the point, but so far both times we've gone there she has cooked my favorite foods. Pretty awesome if you ask me.

The air was a lot more casual then last time. Everyone was relaxed and we had pleasant conversation. Ed had hung out with his brother Matthew the week before and played guitars, so Ed brought his guitar for them to have some fun on. I love hearing him play! I think that Matt and Ed will have fun with that. So, our day was great! It will be nice to continue to get to know this family. We are both looking forward to the years to come and what they will bring.



I couldn't be more thankful!

Going Private!

So, I've decided I am going to make this blog private, like many others doing so. Much has happened lately in our lives, and I feel that the whole world may not need to know. So, if you'd like to hear our new fun stories, just send me your e-mail address!