THIRD TRIMESTER!

I can hardly believe it... I have survived 27 weeks of pregnancy - two entire trimesters - and now I'm down to the last 13 weeks... the light at the end of the tunnel may be dim, but it's finally visible!  I can't say that I remember what it was like before all this... before my stomach was the size of a basketball, before the insatiable exhaustion, before the insomnia and multiple bathroom trips during the night... my life has been completely turned upside down, and I feel like I'm finally getting used to all the craziness of pregnancy - but soon enough, this "craziness" will be replaced with an entirely new form of craziness: MOTHERHOOD.  More specifically, caring for the needs of a newborn... it's going to be quite the adventure.  But I'm excited.  Really excited, actually.  Jackson is quite active these days... I just wish that Geoff could appreciate it as much as I do.  At about 16 inches long and 2.5 lbs, Jackson's jabs and kicks are getting quite a bit stronger - but try as I might to get Jackson to cooperate and kick when Geoff's hand is actually on my belly, it's virtually impossible to time it just right!  And even when he is lucky enough to feel a few of Baby J's kicks, it doesn't quite translate... but he does get excited when he gets to share these special moments with me :)  I've finally learned what it feels like when Jackson has the hiccups - kinda tickles, and it makes me laugh.  I can picture him sitting in there wondering what this annoying reflex is while his head repeatedly bumps into the side of my stomach. hehehe.  But as much as I have enjoyed this part of pregnancy, I'm ready to share the "joys" of parenthood with Geoff once Jackson finally makes his debut appearance in a few months.  But before Jackson decides to join us, I have my work cut out for me: setting up his nursery is not going to be an easy task.  Well, Geoff is convinced that it will take "half a day" to set it all up... HA.  Okay, maybe half a day to put the crib together and move furniture in... but it's gonna take me quite a few weeks to prepare the details!  I've actually been searching for weeks for the "perfect" crib and bedding - it's not easy to sort through the options!  Especially on a budget... but I've narrowed it down to a few that I am really fond of, and in the upcoming weeks I'll be forced to make a final decision.  It's my goal to get the nursery set up before the beginning of June... mostly because I know that after that point, I'll have no desire (or energy) to move things around in that room.  And besides, after 30 weeks - anything can happen!  He was measuring ahead of schedule when we had our last ultrasound, so he could definitely come early... and I won't complain (unless of course I'm caught off-guard and unprepared)!  But until then, I'll continue to enjoy the simple "pleasures" of being pregnant... I'm sure when he's up at 3am crying for who-knows-what-reason I'll wish I could just carry him around SILENTLY in my stomach for a few more months :)  Perspective, right?  hahaha.

As for other news... Geoff and I celebrated our "One Year Anniversary" on April 13th - and what an eventful year it has been!  We both agree that it hardly seems possible we've only known each other for a year - it feels like we've been married for years (and most of the time we act like we've been married for years... haha).  Our first "date" was April 13, 2011 and Geoff asked me to join him to a Bees' game (they are the AAA minor league baseball team in Salt Lake, and Geoff has season tickets to their games)... maybe I was naieve, but I was not aware that it was actually a "date" - I thought he just wanted company since he has an extra ticket. But it didn't take long before I figured out the truth and, more importantly, before I recognized the obvious chemistry between us :) And then... well... you know the rest ;) But here's the condensed version: June 18, engaged; Sept 9, married; Nov 19, found out we would be PARENTS!  Apparently we don't waste any time... haha.  But we both still laugh about the fact that we had this predetermined "timeline" established for our dating expectations, including dating for a MINIMUM of one year before we could ever make a valid, evidence-based decision on spending the rest of our lives with someone.  Whoops...  haha.  Guess we neglected to stick to that guideline!  But as surprising as it might have been for our family and friends (and us for that matter), we cannot imagine our lives any other way or with any other person.  We truly are blessed to have each other :) Sorry if that's a bit on the cheesy side, but it's true!  And what better way to celebrate our anniversary than at the Bees' Opening Night - April 13 was the first home game of the season, and they kicked it off with fireworks (and a W).  It was a fun night, and we are looking forward to taking Baby J to a few games later this summer (if he is old enough) - Geoff even bought him a couple Bees' onesies to sport when we take our seats the the first row behind the Bees' dugout.  Did I mention that the season tickets we have are quite possibly some of the best in the stadium?  Well, THE best if you ask me ;) And it will be so much more fun when we get to see the look on Jackson's face as he experiences his first baseball game... I can't wait!  But... I have to.  haha.  Just a few more months....

...and in the meantime, I'll keep myself busy with work.  Since my last entry, I've really changed my schedule: I'm Lead Nurse on Sundays now - a promotion that I am incredibly grateful for, but with a price that I have recently realized is more costly than I ever imagined... with a set Sunday shift, I rarely have the chance to go to church.  And I miss it.  It really has thrown off my weekly "groove" - I need that weekly spiritual boost to help refocus and redirect my attention to what really matters in life, and without it I can feel a bit of a void.  I remind myself that in a few months, once Jackson is born, I'll be able to attend church again on a more regular basis (although with my profession, Sundays are not "off-limits" for scheduling... I think of it as providing service for these patients and their families during certain times of need).  But until then, I'm grateful that Geoff and I have regular Temple Prep classes, meetings with our Bishop, and that we take time each night to read from one of our many church books that we've been asked to read as we prepare for the temple this fall.  And now with Baby J on the way, nothing is more important than going to the LA Temple in September so that we can be sealed together as a family :)  Only 4 more months....!  But back to my update on my work schedule... we've had quite a few changes in staffing in our office, and now I'm working 7a-12p on Mon, Wed, Thurs, and Fri, freeing up my afternoons and Saturdays to spend at home with Geoff!  Well, in reality it's spent running errands and cleaning the house and then crashing on the couch after it all... haha.  But I will say, getting up early in the morning was torturous at first... but now I've realized that I'm able to get so much more done during the day with that early start - and I sleep so much better at night (even if I do pass out between 830-9).  So there's my new schedule, and I'm liking the new role I have at work - much more on the administrative side, but I appreciate the relationship I have with my managers and know that the hard work and sacrifice I have made will pay off in the long run.  But for now, I do enjoy the work I do and appreciate all that I have learned since I started working here 5 months ago :)

Well, seeing as I am at work right now... I should probably get back to taking care of things here.  Granted, it has been quite a slow day (hence why I had time to write this entry) but I am busiest from 7-9 pm verifying and sending reports, so I should probably get ready for the rush!  And for those who care... Geoff and I are making a special appearance in Southern California in a couple weeks for one last visit/vacation before Jackson arrives - and to celebrate my first Mother's Day with the soon-to-be Grandma Yvonne :D  I'm really looking forward to seeing family and friends (and the Pacific Ocean) for a much-needed break from reality up here!  Has it really been 5 months since my last visit to the LA-area?  Whoa.  Life really has just flown right past me... and I know that it won't be slowing down any time soon :)  And on that note, Jackson just kicked me to let me know he's awake - and that he's flipped upside-down (or right-side up, if you want to think of it that way) as he just kicked my stomach.  But he's quite the acrobat, so I'm hoping that he'll figure out that he needs to be upside down in the coming weeks and that he'll stay that way for the rest of the pregnancy... keeping fingers crossed! 

Spring has sprung!

 Has it been another month already? I swear time isn't passing as quickly as it seems to be on my blog... although there are some days that I definitely wish it were! Here we are, beginning of April... Spring is in full bloom here in Utah, and I couldn't be happier. I wish I could say the same for my husband... :) Poor guy has had a rough winter - following record snowfall last year (and a snowmobiling season that lasted into July), he has had virtually no snow to ride here in the land of the "Best Snow on Earth." I think our last mini-snowstorm a few weeks ago finally brought our snow totals to 300 inches, where last year we had 800+. Quite the difference, that's for sure. As much as I love seasons and snow (and as much as I love Geoff) I can't say that I'm sad to see Ol' Man Winter go back into hibernation. Last year was nearly torture for me! I remember how cold it got (mornings below zero) and keeping my winter coats in my closet until May... it was a LONG winter. Followed by virtually no spring, and then an incredibly brief summer - I was in desperate need of some sun. And let's just say I'm getting my fair share thie year :) I wish I had somewhere I could just LAY OUT and bask in the glorious sunshine... that will be on my little list of things to do. Well.. more like my never-ending list of things to do. Life has definitely picked up speed as of late... with no real sign of slowing down anytime soon! But I would much rather have that then the opposite, that's for sure :)

SO. First things first: Baby J. He's growing quite rapidly - at 24 weeks, he's about 1.5 pounds and 12 inches long (approximately). He's definitely still in there... I have the great pleasure of feeling him kick me every so often throughout the day (including right now, actually) which was definitely something I had to get used to! I had my 24-week appointment this week, and our midwife confirmed what I had suspected: he's head up, feet down right now... which explains why my bladder has felt more or less like a punching bag. But as annoying as it may be to frequent the bathroom a little more often these days, I'm grateful for his constant little reminder that he's doing okay :) Geoff and I have received a few little gifts from family and friends over the past few weeks (for which we are truly appreciative) and I've really started to buckle down on planning the nursery. My goal is to get furniture moved in next month, and have everything ready to go by the beginning of June. Come 30 weeks, you never know when he'll decide to make his grand entrance... Geoff talked with a friend of his yesterday who had just gone in for her 32 week appointment only to be admitted to the hospital because she was in labor! With that piece of news, Geoff is a little more understanding of my "crazy" planning and need to get this nursery done in the next couple months. Wow. A couple months?! I know I've been feeling as though this pregnancy has been dragging on... but seriously, little Jackson is going to be here before I know it. And then all the random frustrations and annoyances with being pregnant will soon be a distant memory... not gonna lie, I'm looking forward to leaving those behind! haha. But until then, I need to take full advantage of my ever-growing belly and appreciate the blessing that I have to actually have a child of my own.  I've definitely had moments when I've sat back to really think about how incredible this "ability" is that I have... and not to take it for granted.  I mean.. really.  Medical knowledge and understanding aside, I have a little human growing inside my stomach - I don't even have to do anything (other than eat and sleep) to help this process along!  Medical technology cannot compare to the innate system that is working 24/7 inside me to help bring our son into this world.  At 24 weeks, he has a great chance of surviving if I were to go into pre-term labor - but not without high risk of complications.  In other words... as excited as I am to meet our little guy, I'm completely content to patiently wait for his grand arrival in July.  :)

And for other news... because I haven't really brought up the topic of work in recent posts, I figure I might as well update you all - I've been working as a triage nurse for hospice patients for almost 5 months now, and I just recently was "promoted" to Lead Nurse on Sundays!  Yes, I do have to work on Sundays (not ideal... but I think of it as a service that I can provide for these people and their families - healthcare and especially those patients who are dying don't exactly have weekends off) but I am grateful for this opportunity to grow in my position with this company.  Only a few more months and then I'll be on Maternity Leave... most likely coming back to work part time for a bit until we get our little guy's schedule figured out :)  It's definitely a busy time here in Bountiful, but I can't complain - the little Dyer family is happy & healthy and hoping that you all have an enjoyable Easter Holiday with your families, wherever you may be!!