Calamity Jane

That was the name the ER nurse said we should call our baby, because she's not even here yet and already she's been in an accident.

Its funny how something that would normally be no be deal, like a three car fender bender, can become a whole different beast when you're pregnant. Normally I would just go to the chiropractor a few days later, but this little incident entailed being strapped to a board and taken to the hospital in an ambulance. After some tests to make sure my back was okay and the baby was okay, I got to spend the rest of the evening hanging out in Labor and Delivery to make sure I didn't go into early labor. 

I'm fine and the baby is fine, and I am grateful for the care of all the hospital staff that made sure we were both ok. On the plus side, we were able to get one of the better pictures of baby's face that she's ever allowed us to get.

Lights at Temple Square

The perfect way to kick off the holiday season...

Question: How do you keep a cat out of a crib?

Answer:

Now, I don't know if this will work. The idea is that the first time Atty jumps into the crib, the sounds of the balloons popping will be so startling that he will be forever traumatized and never try it again. That's not cruel, is it?

So Fresh and So Clean Clean

Today Scout experienced her first-ever trip to the pet salon. She was there mostly because of a bad encounter with some thistle which had to be cut out of her ear hair. This is the end result...

And as a reward...

*Yes, I know, our dog is chewing on a snowman. I promise you, this does not mean we are anti-Christmas. I  mean, I was listening to Christmas music before Halloween ended, so there. 

our baby so far

We have tried to see our baby several times, but apparently she likes hiding her face :(

but on the plus side, we know she's a she!

Pregnancy: first impressions

I guess it is different for everyone. I was hoping that since my own mother didn't get too sick I wouldn't either, but alas, my hope was dashed early on...

I haven't had it too bad, compared to some people's stories, but I have had many days of throwing up the very memory of food, felling exhausted after 12 hours of sleep, and feeling generally not well. 

I know that its just part of the process, and I try to keep that in mind when I'm stuck in the bathroom having a staring contest with the toilet. 

Hopefully soon thing will get better; just a few more weeks until the 2nd trimester!

I have to say, while I didn't get super emotional at my first ultrasound, I loved the second. To see that little baby just wiggling around inside me was amazing to say the least. 

Introducing...

Little baby "sea-monkey" Wecker!

Book List

My dearest husband got me a kindle for my birthday... so now I realize that I have little or no idea which books I'd like to read on it. Does anyone have any suggestions?

My Mini Monster Squad

Fun gifts for our nephew, Tenzin, and our yet to be born "nephew" who isn't named yet, so I'll call him baby Fitz. Nathan was great during this project; he kept reminding me that they don't have to be perfect... since they are monsters, imperfections add character.

Pizza in Portland

Sumptuous Sunday Suppers

Well, we didn't make a ton a friends while we were in Portland. Luckily, those friends we did happen to make were super-awesome! Mike and Jen, while obligated due to family ties, went above and beyond to make our time in Portland as pleasant as possible. The Rileys... well the Rileys are great. They invited us into their home, made us feel loved, and fed us awesome food almost every Sunday. There is really nothing we can do to express our appreciation for either of those two families.

Bacon + Maple Doughnut = Voodoo

I read once that the more types of taste buds a food stimulates, the more satisfied you feel after eating it. This may not have been the inspiration behind Voodoo doughnuts, but it certainly brings that theory to mind...

There is always a line around the block at Voodoo...

While we were waiting, we had a reminder of one of Portland's slogans...

And finally we got our doughnuts...

You can see here the famous maple bacon bar. My favorite was the Oreo bar (I'm not as adventurous as Nathan). You can also see the pentagram doughnut and Captin Crunch doughnut. Sadly, we didn't end up with the man-shaped red jelly filled doughnut... maybe next time.

Adios, Ciao

Teaching Primary has been a learning experience for both of us, and I'm sad to have to say goodbye to the kids. Nathan is not so sad. He now thinks that we can have kids only if the never turn 5. I think he'll be fine since we will only have to deal with one five year old, not seven. I felt very loved on our last day, when Simeon told us he would miss us for "200 million years". The entire primary also sang us a good bye song using adios and ciao instead of the word goodbye. Here are some of our kids on the last day. 

'Nuff Said

The Amazing Leftover Spectacle

Since we are leaving in a week, I decided to cook all of our food so that we would not need it next week and we could pack up the kitchen. After a marathon Saturday of cooking, this is what I ended up with:

Cab you tell how many meals are crammed in there?

15 meals=No more cooking for a whole week!

¿Por Qué No?

One day, while walking down the street, I noticed a crowd gathering outside a tiny taqueria. This little restaurant would soon become one of my favorite places to it in Portland. 

It also happens to be Lucy's favorite, too.

Wiffies

There is a great fried pie cart on Hawthorne Blvd. Mike had been telling us all about it for months, but he had never tried it, because it is only open from 8p to 4am. and that is past baby Lucy's bedtime. 

Well, one day Nathan and I headed over after picking my mom up from the airport. It was delicious, with both sweet and savory pies. 

We discovered that it was actually open from 11am to 3am, so Mike had been depriving himself for no reason. Anyway, now it is one of our Portland favorites.

First-ever sewing project

I've never been great about crafts, and to be honest sewing has always intimidated me,  but now, thanks to Nathan and his mom, I have a sewing machine. I have been searching the blogsphere for fun craft ideas, and 2 weeks ago when we were visiting Nathan's parents in Utah, I finished my first-ever sewing project:

Ta Da!

Our Portland Bucket List

I decided that before we leave in a few weeks, I should made a "Portland Bucket List". 

• Visit Powell's Books
• Have 1 more Wiffies fired pie
• Eat 1 more Apizza Scholls pizza
• Walk along the waterfront
• Try Portland Magazine's #1 pizza place, Ken's Artisan Pizza
• Buy one more box of Voodoo Doughnuts 

top 10 reasons why Nathan and Kelly are flaky people...

10. When they say we are going to leave for a trip at a certain time, they almost never do.

9. Kelly has changed career goals once every six months for the past couple of years.

8 Nathan said he was going to quit drinking soda for New Year's, and now is back to at least one a day.

7. They are impulsive. For example they make major decisions like buying a car or renting an apartment with no forethought or planning.

6. They have been known to skip out on church activities they have signed up for and watch TV instead.

5. Kelly is in fact afraid to talk on the phone, so she almost never calls people back.

4. Sometimes they plan a date night, but just end up going to McDonald's instead.

3. Nathan hates being late, but somehow Kelly manages to delay him almost every time. 

2. Nathan had to file six W-2s this year because of his many job changes.

1. They have decided to go back to school, Nathan to be a dentist, Kelly to be an Art Therapist, so the are packing up and leaving Portland in order to move to Ogden, UT and attend Weber State.

My very own "ReBuilding" project

Originally, when I went with Jen and Katie (and Lucy of course) to the ReBuilding Center, I was just going to look around. Of course that didn't last. We ended up finding old cabinet doors and drawer fronts (only $2). So we decided to have a craft day. We bought some craft paint and chalkboard paint to make our very own custom chalkboards. With just some simple use of masking tape, we quickly had our painting done. My chalkboard had a spot for a knob, so I found a great one at Anthropologie . This knob was the first thing I've ever bought there (and probably the last, as much as I love the store). 

Yay for crafts!

The ReBuilding Center

Portland is full of cool things. The problem is, I don't where to find most of them. One that I do know about is the ReBuilding Center. People donate their old furniture, and people can go there to get building supplies. They also provide building materials for local artists to create unique works of art that also promote sustainability.

These are some doors that were actioned off to support the center

This is an example of something you can make in one of there classes

Door knockers made from doorknobs

Anyway, it is so much fun to see the creativity and possibilities. 

The Best Surprise

I'm not super into Valentine's Day, but this year my husband really outdid himself. The day started like any other; Nathan left for work and Mike came over to drop off Lucy. As Lucy and I were both napping a few hours later, Scout barked and ran to the door. I though that Jen had come to get Lucy a few minutes early, but instead my husband walked through the door carrying chocolates and the most beautiful orchids. He had secretly took a day off of work and surprised me with a whole day together.

In addition to my beautiful flowers, I also got Super Mario, the old-school game I played when I was a kid. Nathan also brought a sewing machine (a gift from my mother-in-law). He did research and everything to figure out the best sewing machine for beginners like me. What a wonderful day...

Lucy at the Zoo, with Penguins

Last week I had the chance to get out of the house a little and go with Jen, my sister-in-law, and my niece Lucy to the zoo.

I happen to love going to the zoo, almost as much as any five year-old. One of my favorite dates was when Nathan and I went to the San Diego Zoo for Valentine's Day.