Best Friend Week

Last week my best friend Anna came up to visit with her three kids (ages 8, 6, and 3 1/2). Anna and I have been friends since 4th grade and she now lives in Colorado. Since we've been all married and growned up, we've only seen each other when we both happen to be visiting family in Utah at the same time. So, it was really great to have her here for a whole week just to spend time together.


Anna came with me to my weekly prenatal appointment. Anna is also pregnant. Here we are at the appointment (19 weeks and 38 weeks). The midwife listened to both of our baby's heartbeats. I think this was the only picture we got of the two of us together! (How did I let that happen?)

Alex was a hit with the kids--which was a great help for Anna and I! He even volunteered to play Nintendo one night with them so that Anna and I could sneak out to see Twilight at the dinner theater.

We packed a TON of stuff into those 8 days, including:

--Washing something like 10 loads of baby laundry
--Planning and shopping for LOTS of meals
--Dinner and a movie
--Riding the carousel and having a picnic
--Prenatal appointment
--Visiting Anna's friend Doug (who now lives in Portland)
--Rocky Butte
--Hiking Silver Falls (I sat that one out!)
--OMSI (discovery science center)
--Visiting the Portland, Oregon LDS Temple grounds
--5 hour car ride to the Olympic Peninsula (WA) in a mini van
--Beachcombing
--Seashell / Beach rock contest
--Board games in the cabin at the beach
--Touring Forks, WA
--Visiting La Push, WA
--Hiking in the Hoh Rain Forest, WA
--Food Poisoning
--Tidepool Adventures (I sat that one out too--due to the previous bullet point)
--A LONG day at the beach including blue skies, sunshine, kite flying, beach fire, roasting hot dogs, making s'mores and banana boats, napping in the sand, and silly sand castles
--5 hour car ride home from the beach

WHEW! No wonder I'm tired!

Hoh Rain Forest, WA

I have a very similar picture of me talking on this telephone on our honeymoon nearly 7 years ago (=

Anna and her daughter Adrianna posing next to the sign that marks the beginning of the Quileute Indian Reservation at La Push, WA.

Whew! It's just food poisoning!

Less than 2 weeks until the due date.
More than 4 hours from the birth center.
After 4 in the morning.
5 other people sleeping.
3 hours of intermittent stomach cramping and nausea.

Discovering (rather suddenly and violently) that it is just food poisoning...priceless.

Watch out for Vampire Burritos from the Forks Thriftway! Yikes!

Glenn's Wedding

Glenn & Megan were married Saturday in the Portland Oregon LDS temple. It was great to spend some time with family.
Here is the dashing groom, the beautiful bride, and the parents-of-the-groom. Glenn's mom Laura is Alex's sister.

So, our new camera has a close-up picture mode. Maybe this was a little too close...


(My sweet husband's eyes. What a handsome fellow!)



I don't look gigantic in the picture. But I am! This is me at 37 1/2 weeks

My father-in-law, nephew Garrett, and Kelly--the girl that I hope will be my neice someday (=


Little Garrett was very worried that someone might think he was involved if he stood in the picture. "Not me! It wasn't me!"


My favorite picture from the recption:

"Kelly, we've come for you."
"No, No! It's not my time yet!"
"Yes Kelly...it is your destiny."

Birth Art

Today was my last day of work. Suddenly I have space to breathe...internalize...and stay up past my bedtime listening to Pandora and coloring...

This obviously symbolic birth art was inspired by my ankles (or the lack thereof). It doesn't take much to imagine my legs as a tree trunk nowadays. Also...I'm thinking that the corona looks an awful lot like Alex's hair...

Things I am looking forward to in the near future:

• My nephew's wedding tomorrow--going to the temple and being with family
• My best friend Anna coming to visit me this next week
• Washing baby clothes and filling the drawers of the new dresser
• My final Birthing Class this week
• Meeting with my midwife again Monday
• Preparing a birth-day playlist for the mp3 player
• Shopping for baby's homecoming outfit
• A pedicure
• More Spring weather!

> 8 Months

So...to appease multiple requests...here are some Jen's Belly pictures!

I am a little more than 8 months along now. I adore this little fellow who is wiggling and growing inside of me. He has been pretty settled in a head down position for a long time. He likes to wiggle his bum, feet, and knees around against my belly. He is about the right size and seems healthy and happy!

I'm now going to my midwife appointments every week. They continue to be very uneventful. I don't have any major complaints. I feel really big and awkward, but for the most part I am content. By the end of the day I am a bit sore, swollen, and tired--but I have a very supportive husband who encourages me to get a full night of rest every night.

This is my last week of work! Hooray! A few weeks ago, my co-workers threw me a surprise baby shower. It was super fun. Then, last week, the student tutors (that I supervise at the college) threw me another baby shower. This was the cake my co-worker made. It was HUGE and super yummy (raspberry/whipped cream filling). Plus also, it was super cute with the little blue feet (sugar cookies).

Yup. I'm huge. Even my maternity jeans are getting kinda snug.

We've also been working like crazy to finish the recording on our album before baby arrives. We were hoping to be done recording AND mixing...but we would settle for just finishing recording.

Monday was a fun night...we recorded vocals for one of our favorite songs (River). We used Eric's new fancy microphone: a ribbon mic with two sides. We sang into opposite sides of the mic at the same time (on one track). It was really different and fun. But, as you may know, Alex is a bit taller than me (6'2" vs. 5'4)...so I had to stand on a stool. The guys were very nervous that I would fall and they would get in trouble for being the dumb guys that made the balance-deficient pregnant lady stand on a wobbly stool (I managed quite well--I haven't fallen yet!)

This is the one major source of stress in my life. It's supposed to be the baby's room / guest room. I think there is a floor under all that stuff somewhere. This room has served as a place to put stuff as we have slowly unpacked from October's flood. Now it has a few odd boxes of stuff and a whole mess of hand-me-downs and shower gifts for baby.

Okay. I just deleted 4 long boring paragraphs. Basically, this room is stressing me out. But, I think I have some ideas on how to make things work until I have the time to get it in order. After all, the only thing baby will need the first few weeks of life is mom and a diaper. Actually, baby doesn't really need a diaper...but I would prefer it that way. Otherwise, baby doesn't care if his clothes are clean or he has a crib or his cute little lamp set up. Seriously, it's not that important.

So...I'm taking a deep breath and moving on with the week. I haven't had much time to breathe, let alone blog. But, look at that...I found a moment to blog. Now I'm going to go kiss my sweet husband (who is doing the dishes) and go get some sleep.

Grandpa Paul Harvey

I used to think that Paul Harvey was my grandpa.

Really. My Grandpa Dwayne Case was in the talk radio business (in the 70s?) and has presumably been heavily influenced by Paul Harvey. Some of my earliest memories of my grandpa involve his recording studio (and the intriguing green foam ball on the microphone). Throughout my life, my grandpa has created mixes of comedy and music, all narrated by himself. His voice, his cadence, his laugh, and his radio personality are all a familiar and integral part of he who is "Grandpa".

And, to me, Paul Harvey sounds just like my Grandpa.

Now that I live far away, I don't see my Grandpa as often. We correspond through letters and on the phone...but...when I want a little touch of home, all I need to do is turn on the AM radio to "Paul Harvey News & Comment" or "Paul Harvey and the RRRRRRest of the Story!" and I am back in pigtails playing in grandpa's recording studio.

And so it is that I feel a bit sad today after learning about the passing of Mr. Paul Harvey because, for me, he has been like a Grandpa-over-the-mains. (I do believe my Grandpa is still alive. I plan to call tonight and make sure--as I have never been entirely certain that they are NOT the same person).

Anyway, thank you Mr. Harvey. May you rest in peace...and...Good Day!