Manitou Incline

On Sunday Brandon and I decided to go to Colorado Springs and check out a few places we had heard awesome things about.  We wanted to go to "Garden of the Gods" and see all the beautiful red rocks and we wanted to go to Manitou Springs and check out "the stairs" and the springs all over town.  We planned on it being a pretty laid back day and didn't even leave Sterling until about 8:45 or so.  It was about 3 hours to get there but we didn't think anything of it cause we were in no rush, just excited to get out of Sterling and do something we had been wanting to do for awhile.

We got to Garden of the Gods and it was breathtaking! It was some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen.  Nothing like the lush green trees, bright red rocks and beautiful blue skies! We drove through the park but we didn't stop and take pictures cause we figured we would do it on the way back, it was really busy at the time we drove through.  I am bummed we didn't get pictures but we'll go back and get some, maybe with Bash! :) 

We continued on to Manitou Springs and had lunch at Hell's Kitchen Pizza.  It was delicious! Then we walked through the little downtown area and found a couple of the "springs".  Its so cool there are 11 springs throughout the town and you can just fill up your water bottle.  They all taste a little different.  Its naturally carbonated water, not the best tasting but hey I had to try it, Brandon was NOT a fan! haha :)

Then we decided "lets go find these stairs everyone talks about" We went to this parking lot where there were tons of people, we saw a trail and we just figured that trail must go to the base of the stairs.  As we started on the trail I asked Brandon "are these the stairs" and he goes "these are the stairs to the stairs".  (You could see the stairs from anywhere in town, they go straight up the mountain and you CAN'T miss them) So we just figured we would take this trail and it would connect us to the bottom of the stairs.  We walked for about 20 minutes or so and didn't see the stairs in sight but we thought they had to be just around the corner.  An hour went by and we still hadn't seen the stairs but we were still walking.  By this point everyone that passed us coming down the trail or going up said "Oh wow you are pregnant" "Oh now I feel like a whimp, look at you doing this pregnant" "You are my hero" and my favorite…" trying to induce huh" haha oh man we HAD to of looked like a bunch of outcasts.  We were the only ones in street clothes and FLIP FLOPS! But we carried on because now we thought, ok we are an hour into this we HAVE to be close! Another half hour went by and finally I asked someone if this trail led to the stairs and she said "oh yeah about 15 more minutes and you'll be there" SWEET, we felt so relieved, 15 minutes away, at least it wouldn't all be for nothing!!  A couple passed us and goes "theres a huge storm coming in, be careful!"  Then it started to storm, like crazy! Thunder as loud as you can imagine and lightening in the mountains all around us.  Brandon started to get nervous because he was worried about my core body temperature dropping.  I told him I was actually really hot and would enjoy the rain to cool me off.  We came across the FIRST sign on the whole trail that said the TOP of the stairs were 1/2 mile away.  haha oh my gosh all we were looking for were the bottom of the stairs the whole time and now we were a 1/2 mile from the top! Well 30 minutes later (probably would have been 15 minutes for a non pregnant lady) we found the top of the stairs!!!   The view from the top was breathtaking!!

My Handsome Hubby! You could see this exact spot from the stairs!! 

34 Weeks 3 days!! 

We were level with this mountain peak! 

The top!! With the rain all around us :) 

So happy to see the top of the stairs!! That trail as far as you can see down is the stairs!!

We had to make the decision to go back down the trail we came up (which took us 2 hours) or go down the stairs that went STRAIGHT down the mountain.  We decided to do the stairs because at least we could see how far we had left to go, where as on the trail we had no clue.  It was pouring rain which made the stairs even more slick but we just took it one stair at a time and went very slowly.  Brandon kept saying "be careful, take your time, plant your foot every time" and I was saying the same to him! "You can't get hurt!!!" It was so crazy, there was rusted culverts, rebar and mangled up stuff all over the trail.  We took it super slow and made it down in about an hour! It was so awesome to see so many people coming UP the stairs despite of the rain.  It was by far one of the funnest hikes I have ever done! I would love to do it not pregnant, and in hiking shoes, not flip flops but oh well nothing we could do about it at the time.

crazy hiking trail!! 

Soaking Wet! 

When we got to the bottom of the stairs there was a sign that said "Caution this is an EXTREME hike, consult your physician before starting this hike" Yeah I am sure my physician would have said "noway!".  Now I would have never signed up for this knowing how huge of a hike it was but now that I have done it I have to say I am pretty darn proud of myself.  I am almost 35 weeks pregnant, I have gained 27 pounds, weighing the most I have ever weighed in my life.  I hiked 5+ miles on a grade as steep as 68% in some places and an elevation change of over 2,000 feet! My calf muscles are sore today and my shins feel like I started track training again but it feels good to be sore.  I am excited to get back into a healthy lifestyle once Bashlyn is here and create these memories as a family! I can't wait to go back with her someday!! I haven't had any contractions or Braxton Hicks contractions so no need to worry, Bashlyn is moving around a lot and still getting the hiccups like crazy several times a day so everything is good here! :)

"Caution this is an EXTREME Hike"

We made it!! 

Getting through the first storm….

As most of you know when a storm hits a particular area linemen from all over the country go in to help restore the power.  When its a bad enough storm linemen from coast to coast come in! When Sandy hit there were guys that drove for days from California to get there to help restore power to the East coast.  Brandon has always wanted to do storm, and I have always been supportive.  Being in the apprenticeship there is less a chance of him going to storm because his crew has to go, he can't just decide he wants to go on his own.  So we were not too sure if he would get any storm work while in the apprenticeship or not.  Well sure enough he got the call to go to storm in Minneapolis and it could not have came at a worse time.

I went home June 3rd-12th.  I got home on Wednesday the 12th and Brandon was working 12s Thursday and Friday.  Then he had class all day Saturday and Sunday and he was back to working 12s the next week.  He even had to work Saturday too but we were hoping he would be off of work by noon.  He called me about 10 am and told me he was getting sent to storm in Minneapolis.  We hadn't even heard of any storms there but there was about 600 thousand out of power due to some terrible wind and thunder storms that had rolled through.  He said he was only going to be gone until Tuesday or Wednesday and then he would be home.  He said they had to leave by 12:40.  I started packing his storm bag with every work shirt, carharts, socks and underwear he had.  I ran to the store and got him some snacks for the long drive.  I raced home and got to talk to him for 15 minutes while he showered and then with a kiss he was gone.  I was so sad but honestly I was still numb at this point.

Friday night Brandon and I were outside and I was watching him while he was putting his steps on his truck and I got a phone call.  I got a phone call that my dad had been in a car accident that afternoon and passed away.  I was shocked and stunned.  I didn't know what I was supposed to do.  Brandon and I sat out on our picnic table as I talked on the phone and he talked on the phone with the Idaho State Police.  As I was on the phone with them the coolest thing happened.  I looked up and the most beautiful deer you had ever seen walked right up to our fence, stopped and looked right at us.  The sun was setting and it was so beautiful, it is a memory I will cherish forever.  I know that was my dad just saying "hey I'm ok and I love you".  My dad was the biggest animal lover I have ever known and I know without a doubt that was him.  We had never seen a deer here, we are on the prairie and I doubt we will see one ever again.

The next few days I was attached to my phone for 8 hours a day.  Making arrangements, getting information, letting family and friends know.  It was some of the longest and days of my life.  I am an only child and the only immediate family left so all the decisions were put on me.  It was some of the hardest days and I could not have gotten through without my mom and friends.  Tuesday and Wednesday came and went and of course Brandon wasn't home.  I didn't think he would be, I figured it would change once he got there and it did.  They finished up in Minneapolis and then they got sent to Michigan to help finish up another job.   The phone calls between Brandon and I each night only lasted about 10-15 minutes because he was so dog tired by the time he could call me.  He was working 16s while on storm.  In those 10-15 minutes I needed him to help me emotionally, tell me not to think like that or remind me of the good things.  I feel so bad that I couldn't even ask him about his days but I needed him in that time to help me emotionally so I had to be selfish.   There is nothing worse than being sad every night and not even having your husband there to hold you.

I am happy to say that after 9 of the hardest days of my life, and 29 days without a full day with each other, Brandon is on his way home! I can't wait to see him and hug him.  I am so happy that he got to go on storm, but I can't wait to have him lay next to me each night and just hold me.  We made it through our first storm and hopefully the next one is a little easier on us both!

Gestational Diabets and My trip HOME!

Wow I have a lot to catch up on so hang in there with me, this might be a long one! I took my one hour glucose test at 29 weeks.  I got the call from the doctor a couple days later saying I had failed, I had a 149 and they wanted me 135 or lower. I was upset but not too worried because from what I had read, it sounded like a lot of women fail the one hour and go on to pass the three hour no problem.  I took the three hour on a Saturday because I was leaving Monday to go home.  It worked out well because Brandon had worked a outage Friday night so he got home about 8 as I walked out the door for my three hour. He was able to sleep without me being antsy to hang out so it was good for him :) The three hour test was pretty miserable.  They draw your blood as soon as you get there, make you drink 10 oz of that NASTY sugar syrup and then draw your blood every hour on the hour for three hours.  My arm was so sore from getting blood drawn from it two days before, I had to have them take it out of my hands for the last two draws.  I was feeling pretty positive about the test though and just figured this was something I had to get out of the way.  Monday morning I got the call that I failed the three hour and I have Gestational Diabetes.  It took everything in me to get through the phone call and get all the information without crying.  As soon as I got off the phone I just lost it.  I was crying because I was so sad this happened.  I felt like it was something I had done wrong and then I was scared "what does this mean for Bashlyn?!?" Thankfully Kelli and I were getting ready to go on a walk when I got the call so she comforted me a lot! I immediately had to go get a blood monitor and start testing the next day.  So I had to learn how to test and get in the habit of testing 7 times a day while at home for the first time in 6 months! It was a little daunting and frustrating but now I have the hang of it.  I test as soon as I wake up, and then before I eat and an hour after I eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I met with a diabetes specialist on Thursday when I got back and I feel a lot better after that.  She said that this was nothing I did, its just how my hormones are affecting me during the third trimester and I didn't have it before.  They tested my blood to see my sugars for the past three months and they were all in the normal range. She talked to me a lot about food and how important it is to still eat carbs to help baby grow but to eat everything in moderation.  There is no immediate harm to Bashlyn and there is a VERY low chance I can stay diabetic after I deliver.  It does increase my chances of being diabetic later on in life but I can easily control that by living a healthy lifestyle.  Over all I think this is actually a good thing.  It is helping me eat cleaner and make better decisions.  Sadly I can't have very much pineapple until I deliver because its so high in sugar so I'll be eating one after delivery! ;)

I got to go home for 9 days and it was so wonderful! There is nothing I love more than Coeur d' Alene in the summer.  It is one of the most beautiful places in the world and there is truly no place like home.  I got to see so many of my friends and girlfriends.  We went on walks, hikes, baby stores and it was perfect!  My shower was beyond gorgeous and such a fun time. My friends put so much time and thought into creating the perfect day for me.  I can't explain how it feels to have so much love for me and my baby girl! I sure am lucky to have so many people that care about me and are still a part of my life even though I am not there everyday.  It was so fun to just hang out and talk with everyone, catch up and see my girls face to face! I love Facebook but there is nothing like getting a huge hug from a friend! Bashlyn of course got spoiled, she has so many clothes, toys, blankets, she is one very lucky girl!! I've been home for a few days and have everything organized and ready for her arrival. I'll post pictures soon!  I cannot wait! 60 days until her due date and I hope it goes fast!!

Last Minute BABY MOON!!! <3

Friday May 17th we woke up in Colorado, went to sleep in Nebraska and Saturday May 18th went to sleep in FLORIDA!!! It was a pretty crazy 36 hours or so, let me explain :)

We found out a few weeks ago Brandon was going to get a week off work around Memorial Day.  We originally had planned to go home but at this point I had already bought my tickets to fly home June 3rd- 12th.  We went to lunch and wrote out a big pros and cons lists of going home or going on a baby moon! I had to convince Brandon a little about this whole "baby moon" idea but it didn't take much work ;) We decided that with me going home a week after his time off we didn't really need to go home anymore.  Also the thought of an 18 hour car ride one way was NOT appealing to me in the least! We then started to think about things we won't be able to do once baby girl gets here….LAY ON THE BEACH! I talked to my midwife about flying to Florida and she said "GO FOR IT!!" I found this website called lastminutetravel.com and it has great deals! We were able to fly to Fort Lauderdale, FL, stay at a Hilton hotel and have a rental car for 9 days for $700 per person!

We had some warranty work that we have needed to get done on Piper but its hard to get it done when its your HOME! So we thought this was the perfect time to get it done.  I found a Forest River dealer up in Sidney, NE and scheduled the work.  Brandon got off work Mid day Friday and I had Piper pretty much ready for travel.  He hooked up and off we went to the big ole city of Sidney! Kidding….its a very small town with NOTHING to do BUT it is the world headquarters for Cabela's so Brandon was happy about that! We actually stayed at Cabela's campground which was just across the street from the RV dealer.  We had free electric obviously cause it was only a one night stay so I fully enjoyed cranking on the AC and relaxing a bit with my hubby as our vacation was about to get started.  Saturday morning we got up around 7 and dropped Piper off.  You know you are a VERY emotional pregnant woman when you tear up driving away from your 5th wheel!! It just made me sad, Piper goes everywhere with us, we are NOT supposed to just leave her in a unfamiliar place all alone!

Piper at Cabela's Campground :) 

Our flight didn't leave until 3:45 so we had time to stop by REI in Denver and pick up our jogging stroller.  I am SO stinkin excited about this stroller I can hardly wait! I have been reading, watching youtube videos and reading reviews about the BOB since I found out I was pregnant, now I just need baby girl here so we can go for a walk! I may have to take Easton for a few walks before Bashlyn gets here :)

Our "Plum Bob" Brandon is so funny! 

We got to Fort Lauderdale about 10:30, because our flight was delayed from Denver due to lightening. By the time we finally got in and ready for our rental they had no cars.  We walked out to the garage and the guy goes "sorry man all I have is mini vans left" Brandon goes "no you have to be messing with me" haha then it was silent.  The manager tried telling us this was an upgrade and there was another guy there trying to get a car and he goes "upgrade for WHO, does it look like I have 7 kids??" It was pretty funny now that we look back but we did not feel too cool driving away in the mini van that night.  We got to take it back the next day and exchange it for a car.

Brandon had fun doing "hot starts" in the Mini Van! :) 

We got to our hotel and it was beautiful!! It was right on the inter coastal waterway and they upgraded us to a water view room for our whole stay! About 5 minutes away was the beach and a fun little restaurant area we could walk to.  It was fun to sit out on our balcony in the morning and watch all the yatchs and boats go by.

Tuesday it was pouring in Fort Lauderdale so we decided to go to Key Largo, part of the Florida Keys.  I seriously have never seen rain like that before in my life! It was so hard and fast you could hardly see!! They say it only rains like that for 30-45 minutes and then its done but man if you get caught in it,  your soaked!

Rain in Fort Lauderdale!! 

I had seen on instagram my cousin Alex was in the Keys so we got to meet up with him on our way.  We got to hang out for an hour or so and catch up.  It was so crazy seeing him in the Florida Keys of all places! I really wish we could have spent more time together but with everything so last minute for us we didn't really have solid plans.

After we left Alex and I almost cried (again with the EMOTIONS!!) we thought, hey lets go to KEY WEST! So we drove all the way down to Key West.  It was about 2 hours from where we were and really was a gorgeous drive! We got to Key West and drove around a bit before we had lunch. It's just a tiny little island, 2 miles wide and 4 miles long.  We had lunch at the Southernmost Beach Cafe, it was seriously so beautiful and I had Mahi Mahi tacos that was caught that morning! We hung out on the beach a bit and then decided to check out the sunset in Mallory Square.  They have a whole sunset celebration every night in this little area.  There are restaurants, street performers, singers, and lots and lots of people.

Driving on the 7 mile bridge! 

Standing with my wonderful husband watching the sunset in Key West as a street singer sang "Let it be" I was completely overwhelmed.  That is a moment I will never forget in my whole life.  I feel so lucky to have found a partner in life that balances me out.  He encourages me to live life for today instead of always doing the "responsible thing".  In that moment I was so happy we had decided to go on this trip.  It was last minute, it was crazy and it was something we never do but it was absolutely worth it! That ONE moment, watching the sun go down, with Brandons hand on my belly was more special to me then anything.  I feel so grateful to have discovered what life is all about:  Making memories, fill up that memory bank and let it overflow!  We have found a really good balance of having minimal debt WHILE LIVING life. I am thankful my husband has a great career that affords us to be able to go on trips and experience the world.

Oprah has a house on that Island! 

My love!! 

After the beautiful sunset we walked through the little downtown area where there are a lot of bars and restaurants.  Brandon heard a really good county singer and he took me over and started slow dancing with me in the parking lot.  I can't even remember the song now because I was trying not to cry again! We decided to go into the bar and listen for awhile.  We ended up staying for a couple hours and listened to the guys set until he was done! He was so good! It was such a cool bar, it was all open with a tree growing right in the middle of the bar.  Brandon had a few beers and we shared some wings.  I had a virgin pina coloda so I felt like I fit in a bit :) This was my most favorite night of our whole trip!

Haha Daddy had a few beers and was trying to be sweet even though this is a little inappropriate! :) 

After that we went to a restaurant for a snack and I had some delicious crab cakes and we watched the happenings as people walked by.  By this time it was about 11 or so and we decided "lets just stay the night!" so we did, we stayed in "hotel Altima" aka our rental car!! :) It was pretty funny, we didn't sleep much at all but it was so worth it.  We walked on the beach a bit and saw a crane! We slept in the car for a few hours and then got up to see the sun rise.  Then we went and had the best french toast.  It was godiva white chocolate with fresh strawberries!! Then we spent a good portion of our day at the southernmost beach, enjoying the sun! There was a guy renting umbrellas and beach chairs so we got a couple of those and he was so cool.  Throughout the day he would bring us frozen towels and frozen pineapple! I have to go back to Key West.  It is such a beautiful little town and everyone is just there for good clean fun.  Everyone is so nice and happy! We will definitely be back!!

The rest of the time we just experienced the area.  We went to miami and miami beach and that was an experience!! We saw a lot of things you would NEVER see on little ole CDA Beach :) We took a water taxi from our hotel around Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood, FL.  We got to see the homes of some of the rich and famous, seriously crazy to think about homes worth 32 million, and its just ONE of their homes! The yatchs are crazy huge but you never see anyone on them!

Its crazy to have less than two weeks to get ready for a trip.  It was nice for me being pregnant because I didn't really have to worry about being "bikini ready"  Lets face it, no abs here! :)  We didn't have a huge buildup or countdown, we just went! It was so fun and so unlike us! We had such a wonderful time and it is a trip I will cherish forever!! Thank you to my amazing husband for taking me on such an awesome baby moon! I love you and I am so lucky to have you in this life!

Happiness is a Journey!

If you would have told my 18 year old self I would be a stay at home wife someday, I wouldn't have believed you.  I never pictured myself in that role.  My mom worked growing up and I got to see her work her way up through a company and have great success.  I always thought thats what I would do.  I have a VERY goal driven personality.  I have sticky notes and lists everywhere.  I put things I've already done on the lists just so I can cross them off.  I like having goals, things to do and achievements I can make.  I enjoyed working very much and enjoyed the relationships I developed in the workplace.
When I joined Brandon on the road, the first few months were pretty hard for me because I didn't know what my purpose was anymore.  I had gone from working at a great company ( and getting recognition for doing a great job) and planning a wedding to poof, nothing to do with my days.  Brandon would say "this is everyones DREAM, why can't you be happy" but it wasn't my dream, it was something I had to work through myself.
After being on the road for about 8 months now I can say I have worked through it and I feel amazing.  I am so incredibly happy and honestly feel like the luckiest girl in the world to be given this opportunity in life.  It just goes to prove that you can have a plan all you want but God really has the ultimate plan for you and he knows what he's doing!  I have found great things to give me purpose to my days and I have learned I don't have to be defined by what I "do".  Since September I've been doing accounting work for a friend back home a couple hours a week.  I love this, I have learned so much, I feel like I'm putting my degree to use and it gives me a little folding cash of my very own! I recently applied and was selected to be the treasurer for the National Sisterhood United for Journeyman Lineman. (http://www.nsujl.org)  What an amazing honor this is.  I handle all the books and keep all the financials straight, again using my degree! This is a volunteer position and a lot of work but its exactly what I wanted.  Its so cool to be a part of an organization in the beginning stages and watch it grow.  NSUJL is a non profit organization that is able to offer financial benefit to IBEW apprentices, journeyman and their families that get injured or pass away on the job.  I love it because its something I can do that is a huge part of Brandon's trade but its not directly related to Brandon.  I don't NEED him to do it. I can do it on my own and support him in just another way, while supporting the whole trade.
I've also really learned to love being a stay at home wife.  I take great pride in keeping a clean house, having the laundry done and cooking good healthy meals.  I love making Brandon's lunch for him, knowing I have provided him with a nutritious meal.
Speaking of doing laundry Brandon got me a new washer and dryer for our 5th wheel!! I decided I really wanted some before Bashlyn gets here because I didn't like the idea of living in the laundry mat when she spits up or worse every 5 seconds on her adorable clothes!! Our 5th wheel already had the washer hookups but it didn't have the dryer vent drilled out.  There is NOTHING worse then having to take a drill to the side of your brand new 5th wheel.  I was watching from inside to tell Brandon if it started splintering or anything and I heard him take a huge deep breath before he started the drill.  Of course it started raining right in the middle of him putting in the hole so he had to finish in the pouring rain, poor guy....but he got it done and it looks amazing!!

Seriously so scary!! I almost cried.  Notice how nice it looks out......half hour later it was pouring!!

Finished product! Love love love!!! 

When Brandon and I were in New Mexico we noticed there were NO roadside coffee stands like back home but there were all these little water stands everywhere.  We were like what are those for?? Well once I got pregnant we decided we would stop drinking the water from the RV parks cause you just never know.  Brandon was still using tap water in his coffee when we were in Greeley and he got sicker then I have ever seen him so after that we said ok no more tap water at all.  Then when we moved to Sterling we found out the whole town is not able to drink the tap water due to salmonella poisoning or something like that....so now I know what those little water stands are for!! :) I go once a week and fill up our water jugs.  The first time I did it I came home soaking wet, I didn't have the hole lined up perfectly and that water comes out so fast! Now I'm a pro!!

Bashlyn has been kicking like crazy the last two weeks.  She kicks all the time, morning, noon and night! I love it because Brandon gets to feel her at least once a day and now you can see my stomach moving when she kicks :) We had our doctor appointment yesterday and they said I am measuring perfectly and her heartbeat was 152.  They found it immediately after putting the doppler on my stomach and then it went fuzzy (because she was moving).  They go does she move a lot and I said oh yes all day! I love love love it, what an awesome feeling! Brandon and I cleaned out every storage cabinet and cubby last weekend so we are totally ready for Bash as far as space goes.  I think she has more storage areas then we do!! :)

Bashlyn's gifts from Bashlin Industries...where she got her name from!! :) 

26 weeks 1 day! 

Just Between Friends

When I first found out I was pregnant we were in New Mexico.  I had joined a group for mommies expecting in August and a couple of them had mentioned a "just between friends sale".  I hadn't heard of it before, or if I had never paid attention cause I wasn't a mommy, so I looked it up an found out it was a huge consignment sale.  When we moved to Greeley, I looked online to see if there was a sale coming up.  There was one in Greeley but we wouldn't know what we were having yet.  Brandon and I went to check it out and we weren't really that impressed, the stuff wasn't that nice and we didn't buy anything.  Then I saw there was a Denver one in April and I thought "Oh I hope we are still here in time so I can go".  When we got moved to Sterling, I talked to to Kelli about it and we decided we would go.  It worked out perfect because the Saturday sale was the same weekend the guys had class! Kelli and I were so excited to make a trip to the big city.  We all car pooled together to Denver.  We left Sterling at 5:30 in the morning, stopped by Santiagos for breakfast burritos and we were on our way.  The guys had to be at class at 8 and we pulled in at 7:15.....I guess Justin drove a little fast :) We hung out with the guys for a bit and then Kelli and I left to start our fun day.  We went to breakfast at The Original Pancake house and I got the same french toast I got in Salt Lake....soooo yummy! Then we headed over to the sale and got there about 9:45.  We thought there would be a huge line but the parking lot was dead! We were one of 5 vehicles.  It was pretty funny but as it got closer to 10 it filled up a bit.  The sale was huge!! There were tons of toys, books, strollers, car seats, high chairs and clothes clothes clothes! I was looking through the clothes and thought I would work my way through the 0-3 month section, until I realized the WHOLE rack was 0-3 months on top and bottom.  My arms started to get tired from browsing the higher racks so much.  It was so fun, everything without a star was 25% off so of course Kelli and I were so excited when we saw "no star".  I would throw things in my bag and then go to a table and sort through and make decisions on if I really wanted it or needed it.  Its funny that a couple weeks ago we spent $20 on one little hoodie for Bashlyn and here I am at the sale going "do you think $4 without a star is too much for this whole outfit".  I ended getting out of there for a little over $100 for hundreds of dollars worth of stuff.  It was a blast! After the sale we went to costco and stocked up on some goodies, of course I got two watermelons, two pineapples, a case of apples, 4 lbs of strawberries and tons of other produce.  Bashlyn loves her fruits and veggies! in 4 days Brandon I went through a 4lb case of strawberries and a whole watermelon!! After Costco we went and picked up the guys from class and met up with Eric and Shelly for dinner.   It was such a fun day and all the timing worked out perfectly! It was honestly probably one of the funnest days I've had on the road.  Having a girlfriend to hang out with in Denver and go shopping for my baby girl, sure doesn't get much better than that!

Yesterday there was a Brighton just between friends sale so Kelli, Katie, Easton and I jumped in the car and went to that yesterday morning.  We got to meet up with Shelly and do a little shopping.  I got a couple things but not too much.  Kelli got a sweet carseat that she had been wanting for $30 so that was a major steal!! We all went to lunch at Olive Garden and then hit up Costco cause I was out of strawberries :) It was another great day! I am going to get so spoiled having these wonderful women on the road with me but all I can do is live for today and enjoy it! Its starting to get nice here, finally! 79 on Sunday and 82 on Monday so I hope it sticks!!

I've already been yelled at for shopping and buying clothes for Bashlyn...whoops :)  I honestly haven't bought that much and if you know me you can't expect me to wait until AFTER my baby shower in June to shop for my baby girl! Especially when there are SALES!!!! Honestly, a cute little baby girl can never have too big of a wardrobe or too many clothes! Theres no more just between friends sales until September so I am done for now :) I think I'll have a hard time shopping retail now after going to these sales.  The stuff is so nice and most are reasonably priced! If you have one around you, you have to check it out and make a girls day of it! It was so fun because all the shoppers were either moms or pregnant ladies, I loved it!! <3

We're Having a GIRL!!

So as you know the anticipation leading up to this appointment was overwhelming.  I spent my week cleaning, organizing, reading, doing anything I could to make the time go by as fast as possible! On Friday I planned to sleep in as late as possible, do my nails, clean a bit, shower and get ready...that should get me to noon when Brandon would be home and then we would head to Greeley.  Well by 11:30 I was just finishing up my nails and had to jump in the shower, so the morning went fast enough and I was even a little behind schedule! Brandon got home about 12:40, showered up and we hit the road.  We were both a little quiet on the drive.  Its such a crazy feeling, so much going through your mind.  Finding out you are pregnant, seeing those two lines is incredible, life changing!! Finding out what you are having, whether is it early at 16 weeks, around 20 weeks or when you deliver your baby, is life changing all over again.  That is when you find out what your first born will be.  This will be a "big sister or big brother" to your other children.  Once you find out, it is no longer "it" or "baby" you can call them by their name, if you have one, and he or she.  The shopping starts, the dreams start, everything changes! So with all that going through our minds and had been for many weeks leading up to this we were a little quiet on the drive.  I tried to talk about nonsense to make the time go faster but it didn't work.  We got there and after a few minutes they called us back.  The ultrasound tech asked if we wanted to know what it was and we both said YES! She put the goo on my belly and put the wand on there and I said "oh Brandon look at her little face" then immediately the tech goes, "Its a girl!"!! It was insane, I thought it would take a few minutes into the ultrasound to find out but nope it was right off the bat.  It was so crazy how in that two seconds our life changed forever! We got to see her brain, all ten fingers and toes, arms, legs, kidneys, face, everything! It was by far one of the most incredible things I have ever seen in my life! The tech said she is in the 41 percentile so measuring a little small, "small like momma" they said.  I said "well I hope she gets a little of daddys height!" She is measuring more towards 8/20 instead of 8/15 but they don't want to change my due date because "babies come when they want to" and its not a big enough difference to change it so She'll come sometime around middle to end of August :)

Baby girl just relaxing!

Cute little hand! 

Look at that sweet face <3

After the appointment my loving husband agreed to take a "reveal picture" with me. So we pulled around to difference part of the parking lot, set the laptop up on the trunk of my car and took our picture.  It was awesome getting to write "We're having a girl!!" on the chalkboard.  My hands were shaking so much, it was hardly readable but we made do.  After our photo shoot we went to Babies R Us to go shopping! We looked at carseats and found the carseat we want and confirmed that we still want the pack n play and front carrier we had originally looked at.  We got a couple thing for her, I got her some bows and Brandon got her a zip up.  He was adorable, he came up to me in the store holding this tiny zip up and goes "its 6 months, the smallest they have but can we PLEASE still get it" how could I say no to that! Baby Bash definitely has daddy wrapped around her finger already! As we were shopping this lady looks at me and goes "well look at you still rockin the heels, you look so adorable!" "I said oh thank you so much, I'm wearing them as long as I can, we just found out we're having a baby girl today!" She said "oh congratulations, I have two little girls and they are incredible you two are glowing!" It was so sweet.  After that we pretty much told everyone we saw we were having a girl, including the lady at cold stone that night :)

I've had a few people ask about how we came up with Bashlyns name so here is the story.  If you know me, you know I always have the next 10 years planned out, something I am working very hard to not do! I feel like Brandon and I have been talking about having kids and raising a family since the day we met! We have literally had bashs name picked out for YEARS! In 2009 Brandon was working in his tree trimming apprenticeship and he came to me one day after work and he goes "I have a girl name I want to put on the table but I NEED you to have an open mind to it and not shut it down right away because I love it" With that lead up I was really nervous, but agreed to have an open mind.  He goes "Bashlin, like the tool company"  I think I was silent for a good few minutes and said "I'll have to think about it" and that was that.  I wasn't sold on it.  I thought "bash has such a negative connotation, I don't know if I like it".  I thought about it for a few weeks and kept saying it over and over and fell in love with it.  I told Brandon I loved it and he was so excited, that became our little girls name! He wouldn't let me tell anyone though because he knew we would get negative comments about it so I had to keep it in for so long until now! We started talking about middle names when we found out I was pregnant and we knew we would give our boy Brandons middle name Joseph, its passed down through  his family on his dads side for many generations.  I said, well I love my middle name so I'd love to pass it down to our girl, so thats how Bashlyn Val Underdown came to :)

I talked with my doctor and she said I shouldn't fly after 34 weeks so I booked plane tickets home for June 3rd-June 12th and I'll be about 30 weeks.  I cannot wait to fly home and see all my friends, I miss my girls so much!! I am glad I get to have more than a week home so we can do lots of coffee and lunch dates!