35 weeks

with 35 days to go

Happy Pioneer Day!

Brett and Chelsey are visiting all weekend and we plan to have lots of fun!

Baby Update

Good News:

We had an ultrasound today to see our sweet baby girl.
Isn't she cute?

I know the picture is not the best (her face being smashed by my body plus the ultrasound equipment) but Kirk and I did get a good look at the lips our daughter is sporting.
I immediately thought "those are Howcroft lips"
Kirk quickly pointed out that big lips are in my family
(Garrett was his example)
but dang she was cute.
Opening and closing her mouth, moving her little feet and hands...I'm in love.
A few important things you should know:
she already has hair (and its gotta be good if you can see it in an ultrasound!)
she is already in head down position
and she is measuring a few days ahead of her Sept 4 due date
good girl!

I finally had an appointment with my doctor this week.
She is awesome and really friendly...yay!
Still not sure about having a c-section
She is requesting my operating report and will let me know in two weeks if a VBAC is an option.

My feet started to swell over the weekend
I'm in the bathroom more than out of it
Kirsten now rubs my belly
44 more days...and we can't wait!

Week in Vernal

About two weeks ago Kirk found out he would be going to Oregon for a week for work. The week he was to be gone for was (last week) also the week Amanda would be going to Vernal for 4th of July fun. So after rearranging plans a couple times we figured a way for Kirk to drive Kirsten and I to Vernal Saturday, then fly out of Vernal Sunday, fly back to Vernal Friday, then drive us home on Monday. Our plan worked like a charm. We had a great time in Vernal. We spent most of the time with my family...who was so good to help me with Kirsten and show patience to their ever ornery pregnant sister.

Here is a quick run down of what we did:

Swam and ate pumpkin cookies and Stienaker lake

 
Got slurpees with uncle Garrett
(who gave Kirsten her very own)

Learned to cheese it for the camera
(including the "eeeeeeeee" sound)

Did our hair for camping

Talked Mom and Brett into doing their hair for camping too

Enjoyed yummy camping food
but mostly the watermelon

Then had an awesome 4th of July 

This girl especially loved the fireworks! 

Huge thanks to my family for the fun vacation!

Sidenote: Kirsten also picked up on how to pick her nose (not pictured).

Zions

Kirk and I finally made it to Zions National Park
Neither of us have been since we were little and could hardly even remember going.
A couple of my good friends have visited there recently and since then I've been completely jealous and itching to go.
Saturday was free National Park day so we loaded up and were there by 9 am.
It was beautiful!

We did quite a few different hikes. It was so fun. Kirsten loved climbing on the rocks, playing in the water and dirt, and throwing rocks over the side of the cliff until Kirk was informed that there were people down there...oops!

After my third hike the baby and my body decided it was enough and I started contracting like crazy, so we didn't get to go on as many as I would have liked, but we live close by and will be returning soon.We took 101 pictures...but I'll spare you all the scenery and pictures of Kirsten picking up rocks and turning her head away from the camera, here are my favorite.

Fathers Day 2009

Ever since I was little I was a true blue Daddys girl. My mom said she wanted to take lessons from me to learn how I wrapped him around my little finger so tight.

The classic story of me as a little girl happens when I was about 4. I slept in the hallway outside my parents bedroom (space was tight and there were 7 kids in a 3 bedroom house). After I had been tucked safely in my bed and my parents had turned in for the night I yelled for my "Daddy" until he got out to bed to see what was wrong.
"You forgot to kiss me goodnight"
He promptly kissed me goodnight and went back to bed. Not five minutes later I was calling for my "Daddy" again. He slowly climbs out of bed and comes to my side to hear
"My kiss went away".

What can I say he's always been my Papa Bear. I always felt like he was just mine until my littlest sister was born and he started calling her his "Big Special" sharing was so traumatic!
But I still adore my Dad to this day. I'm so grateful for his example, work ethic, and always being there for me.
Plus hes the best Grandpa
(he works hard to make sure we all know hes in the grandkid business)
I love you Papa Bear!


Then there is this guy

Who happens to be the best Dad.
I know, everyone says that about their husband...but I really mean it.
When I was 15 I made a serious list of qualities I wanted in my husband.
It was very specific and left no room for error.
Guess who checks off on everyone?
My Howcroft husband.
I love watching him as a Dad.

Before we had kids he was always worried that I would be so consumed by motherhood that I might actually forget him.
First of all he didn't know how challenging motherhood was and how much I would need his help.
Second of all he should have been worried about dividing his time between all his girls.
Kirsten and I don't like to share.
We both want him all to ourselves.
(Except I don't cry when he picks her up, like she cries when he sits by me...oh the drama)
I love you Kirk!

I'm so glad you are the Dad of all my girls

PS Our fathers day was fantastic. Sara made him a card telling him how excited she was to meet him. Kirsten had a scavenger hunt taking him through all their usual stops during a day. And I cooked my pants off for him (3 dishwasher loads mean we ate well)

Valley of Fire!

Late Tuesday night my husband finally returned home.
Hallelujah!
He brought with him my brother Garrett who will be visiting us for a couple weeks.
We woke up yesterday ready for an adventure.
We finally decided on the Valley of Fire
(in between here and Vegas)
Its a National Park of red rocks in the middle of the gray, dry, ugly desert.
It was beautiful!

Kirsten loved climbing all over the rocks, it was the perfect adventure for a busy one year old.

The elephant rock (can you see it)

Petrographic, the canyon walls were covered in them.

We made the long hike to see these natural water basins where Indians used to hide out.
Ok, it was only 1/2 a mile but being the middle of the day I was proud of the
big belly for making it.

Kirsten loved playing in the sand and even tried to make her hair red
We had so much fun spending the day with Kirk, no wonder I missed him so much!

The scenery was absolutely beautiful

We had a great time!