2012: The Year of the Belly

What a year it has been!

Our little family has been through lots of exciting changes: like graduations, moving, and starting new jobs and colleges. Nothing has been more exciting than watching my belly grow and get ready for the arrival of our sweet baby girl!

 

I found out I was expecting on the first Saturday in June. This picture was taken on July 14th, and we used it to tell our families the good news! 

First belly shot taken at 8 weeks:

 14 Weeks: 

This was 37 weeks for my sister Suzanne, 16 weeks for me! She had Jackson exactly 2 weeks after this

photo was taken:

Almost 18 weeks, taken the day we found out we were having a girl:

 24 weeks, taken at my parents' house on a trip to CA:

28 Weeks:

 34 Weeks: 

What a crazy year this has been! Overall, I've been really lucky to have such an "easy" pregnancy. Can't wait for the next few weeks to fly by so I can have a cute, snuggly baby for 2013! 

The Verdict is in...

I had an appointment with my Doctor yesterday, and it was not good news for me. The verdict is in, and in her words I am "not a candidate for an epidural." Apparently those blessed rods in my spine

are in the way.

 

So I'm thinking, well that means I'll have a C-section.

WRONG.

 

My doctor didn't even mention that, she just recommended I start researching meditation and breating techniques and sign up for a birthing class.

She kept saying things like, "I know you can do it!" and I didn't want to sound like a baby so I just nodded along and muttered "Ok."

 

Luckily, my hormones let me get into the elevator before I started bawling. This was just not the option I was hoping for, or EVER wanted to pursue. And now this is something I'll have to do with

ALL my future children.

 

In a way, the experience of my back surgery has me both extremely nervous and confidant at the same time about doing this without drugs. 

 

What has me nervous is the fact that my back surgery hurt A LOT, and thats not even ranked as "the most painful thing a person can experience," like childbirth. 

 

But at the same time, the experience I had with my operation has me confidant that I can do this because I'm tough. That operation was no joke, and sometimes I wonder how my little 13-year-old self got through it.

 

So, it looks like the next 6 weeks will be filled with a lot of reading, research, and prayer.  

 

Wish me luck! 

 

 

 

 

 

   

What We Ate: Stuffed Shell Recipe

Last night we tried a new recipe from Pinterest, and it was delicious! I love it when that happens, especially when its an easy one.

The original recipe (and photo below) comes from

 101 Cookbooks

Her recipe calls for making your own sauce, but a jar of Ragu works just fine. (Especially for us lazy cooks!)

 

Other changes I made:

 

-Added 1 lb cooked ground beef to the sauce

-We didn't have chives, so I added about a tsp of garlic powder and a tsp of basil.

-Sprinkled grated parmesan all over the top

-NEXT TIME: I'll double the filling recipe, because I ended up having a lot of leftover pasta and I didn't feel like I overstuffed the shells we ate.

 

We'll definitely be making this again and again! 

 

 

A Henderson Update

Hello world! Things around here have been pretty busy, and changing like crazy so I thought it was time for an update.

Jason: Finished his first semester at the University of Utah...or should I say survived his first semester. Poor guy had some crazy late nights doing physics homework, commuted 30 minutes to ride the train everyday, and worked till 1 am unloading trucks 3 days a week.

BUT...all his hard work has paid off and Jason was recently promoted at work, got a raise, and will now be home for dinner every night. We're pretty excited about that, 
and he sure deserves it!

Jen: Last Tuesday my belly turned 32 weeks...only 8 more to go! On Monday I went to meet with an anesthesiologist to talk about my options for delivery.

Because of the rods I have screwed onto my spine, that makes getting an epidural a bit tricky. We ended up deciding that it would be best for me to have an x-ray done of my spine so they would know for sure what we're dealing with.

I'll find out the verdict on Wednesday at my next appointment, but since there is NO way I'm doing this without drugs, its either option 1: Deliver "normally" with an epidural, or option 2: have a scheduled c-section. 

I found out a few months ago that my mom delivered all 4 of her children naturally, without any drugs. I was shocked, and have major respect for her for being able to handle the pain. But that's just not something I want to experience.   

I'll let you know what the Dr. says on Wednesday!

     

Count your blessings, insead of sheep

Today has been quite emotional for all of us. As someone who works in elementary schools on a daily basis, I am at a loss for words. Children are so pure, sweet, and innocent and I love my job because of that.

 

I am also grateful, during this tragic time, for the knowledge I have of the Atonement and that families can be together forever. We are so blessed to have a loving Heavenly Father who sent his Son to earth so that we might all live with him again.

 

My favorite Christmas movie is White Christmas, and this song is a big reason why:

It always makes me smile and think of my many blessings. Here are some printables that can be used to hang somewhere as a reminder:

I hope these words will be of some comfort on

such a sad day.

 

 

 

Grinch Printable

Last Christmas I made a printable using a quote from one of my favorite Christmas movies: How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I linked it to pinterest and was surprised to see it repinned like crazy.

(39 times to be exact!)

 

I thought I would make another version this year since it was so popular.  I used this awesome chalkboard paper created by The Latest Find and 
LOVE how it turned out!  

(8x10)

 

Also, here is the one I made last year:

(I hope its sized right for 8x10!)

We had the green one hanging on our wall last year and I loved having it as a constant reminder of what Christmas is really about. Its so easy to get caught up in the material side of things.

Dr. Seuss just knows what's up.

 

Two Months to Go!

Today marks just two months until my official due date! That just seems crazy to me, and it may end up being less time if this little one decides she wants a January birthday. Time has sure flown by, and it feels like just yesterday I was in my first trimester.

 

But thank heaven that part is over! I've been feeling pretty great lately, but I know I'm in for some serious discomfort once this last growth spurt is finished. Right now I'm at 31 weeks and "supposed" to gain a quite a bit more weight in the next 9 weeks...I'll just blame it on the holidays. =)

 

Right now I've been busy working on my quilt and my goal is to have it done by the new year. I know if I don't finish it before the baby comes there is NO WAY I ever will, so I'm trying my best!

 

Some fun things that have happened lately are:

-Found out I don't have gestational diabetes. Yay for holiday candies!

 

-Had an appointment today and everything is progressing as it should.

 

-This morning while lying in bed I realized I was feeling some little baby hiccups in my belly. They felt a little softer than normal kicks and happened rhythmically for about 10 minutes.

 

Monday I have a meeting with an anesthesiologist at the hospital to discuss my options during delivery because of the back surgery I had when I was 13. Hopefully that goes well and I can have all the drugs I want when the time comes. =)

 

 

 

 

 

Let Him In

Happy December everyone!

This is my absolute favorite time of year.

 

Christmas music-listening is in full swing around here, and I thought I'd make a printable with lyrics from one of my absolute favorites.

 

If you are unfamiliar with The Forgotten Carols, you're missing out on a true holiday classic. This particular "forgotten carol" is from the point of view of the Inn Keeper who turned Mary and Joseph away.

 

He talks about how he felt guilty for turning them away and then at the end of the song relates that to how people should make room in their lives

and hearts for Christ.

 

Everytime I listen to it I'm reminded that I should always make room for Christ in my life, no matter how busy I get.

 

This video is beautifully made to the music:

 

Here's the printable:

 

 Remember to take the time and enjoy this holiday season by putting Christ first.

 

Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving week!

This week my family is visiting from CA and we're going to have tons of fun! Sunday was my nephew's blessing day, and it was a great way to start a week of family time.

 

I was thinking the other day that its been awhile since I made a printable of my own, so I started thinking of a good one for Thanksgiving.

 

Instantly I thought of this song by Josh Groban:

 

I love the last line of the song, and decided it would make a great printable for this holiday season:

(8x10)

 

Have a great week, and remember to

count your blessings!

Hello Third Trimester!

This week marks the start of my third trimester! In just 12 short weeks (give or take a few days) our sweet baby girl will come out and play.

 

This week I've had tons of "fun" doing responsible pregnant lady things like having my 28 week appointment, taking my glucose tolerance test, and getting a Rhogam shot. Boy am I exhausted!

 

That glucose test kicked my butt! How it works is you're not supposed to eat sugar for 12 hours beforehand, eat a good breakfast (without sugar...harder than it sounds!), and then two hours later go to the doctor and choke down some nasty drink filled with sugar.

 

After that, you sit in the waiting room for an hour and then they draw your blood to check for gestational diabetes. I haven't heard anything yet, but I'm pretty sure I'm ok. Not eating sugar for 12 hours was REALLY hard, I hope I don't have to do that again!

On a happier note, I've finally found relief from my constant heartburn!! Thank heaven for Prevacid...I feel like a new woman. For those of you who have never experienced heartburn, you are VERY lucky. I was taking like 10 tums a day before, and now I'm not taking any, and eating whatever the heck I want!

Another fun thing we did was start our baby registry at Walmart. Last night Jason and I were just wandering around the baby section and I joked that we should create a registry soon. After making that comment, I started doing the math and it seemed about the right time, so we did! 

It was so much fun seeing Jason get excited about random things like Winnie the Pooh bed sheets and a zebra diaper bag. lol!

(I thought he would consider this too girly, he was sold once
he saw the cute zebra on the front.)
He's a keeper.
 
 

DIY Felt Chevron Wreath

Check out this wreath, can you believe it only cost me about $7 to make...?! I love it when that happens.

I'm the type of crafter that isn't really creative enough to "invent" a craft, I just like to take things I see and tweak them a little.

 

I was inspired by this tutorial:

 

Found at A Bit of Sunshine

 

The only thing I did differently was make my pieces zig-zagged to create the chevron pattern.

(Shout out to my engineer husband for creating the perfect
stencil for tracing, he's a keeper!)

 

I decided to add the flower and other stuff because I plan to hang this on the wall over Marley's changing table when the time comes. You can find the tutorial for the flower HERE and
one for multi-colored flowers HERE

Felt is so dang cheap its my favorite thing to craft with, if I had used a dollar store foam "noodle" as the wreathe base this would have only cost me about $3 to make!

 

Lately...

Time for another Henderson update!

Me: I've started working as a substitute teacher  in the Alpine District. Its exhausting some days, and other days its a breeze.

Kind of similar to the days I watch my nephew Jackson! I've started watching him every Tuesday and Thursday. That's why you've been seeing pictures like this:

And you'll be seeing a lot more!

He sure is a sweetheart and I LOVE watching him.

Pregnancy Update: Things are still going great! Over the past few weeks I've had some insane growth spurts and my belly is sure growing fast. The baby likes to kick like CRAZY and has decided to move from my bladder to my ribs. 
We're closing in on just 3 more months...

Jason: He's still working hard at school and work. He drives to Sandy everyday and catches the train there to Salt Lake. He's doing well though, and still working at Walmart as a truck-unloader. This Saturday he gets to go to his first Utah football game with his dad, which will be tons of fun!

Looking forward to the next few months of holidays, family fun, and getting ready for baby!

Funny Friday: Halloween Edition

Happy Friday everyone! I thought that since Halloween is coming up next week that I'd share my favorite funny costumes from Pinterest.

Most of them are kid costumes, and I might have to use one of these someday...

Favorite:

Happy Halloween!

I wish...

...I had more than one pair of pants that fit.

 

...I could eat sushi.

 

...I could sleep on my back.

 

...I could take pepcid AC for my heartburn like

I used to.

 

...this child didn't treat my bladder like a trampoline.

 

...I could eat without worrying about

massive heartburn.

 

...I could wear all my favorite fall clothes.

 

...And that these next 3 months would go by faster!

 

 

Thats all.

 

 

 

California

This past week we've enjoyed a much needed vacation in California. We were able to visit with family and friends and it was a blast! 

We flew in to SFO on Tuesday and Jason's brother Mason picked us up from the airport. After that we enjoyed spending the day in San Francisco and walked around the Pier.

Jason's sister Heather got off from work a little later and we all had dinner together. It was great to catch up with them since we haven't seen them since April! 

Mason was kind enough to drive us down to Fairfield and dropped us off at my parents house. Its funny that we got lost on the way, my family moved to Suisun in January and this is the first time we've been to their new house. 

We spent the rest of the week watching lots of baseball, eating lots of yummy food, and just hanging out. We got to spend lots of time with my dad who is stuck at home recovering from eye surgery. (He had a torn retina) We were able to eat at most of our favorite places, but sadly not all. 

In case you didn't know, my little brother Nathan is not so little anymore! He's growing like crazy, and has even gotten taller since we saw him in July.

He's a freshmen in high school now, and had his first band review on Saturday. I have not been to a band review in a long time, and it was fun to watch instead of march! The Scarlet Brigade sounded awesome, and I was also able to see some old friends from high school who are now instructing at other schools. 

Now we're back at home in Utah. I'm grateful to be back in my own bed, after spending a week on an air mattress! Now we're back to our boring, busy lives.

Milestones...

Over the past few months, we have definitely experienced some changes around here!

 

On September 1st we found out we were having a girl. We paid a little extra to find out early, and I'm grateful we did. Jason was able to be there because they only do those ultrasounds on Saturdays. His work and school schedule keeps him VERY busy during the week, so he can't come to normal appointments.

 

About a week later, I realized I was finally feeling the baby move. Its SUPER hard to distinguish "tummy gurgles" from a baby when you've never experienced something like that before. The next time I'm pregnant, I'm sure I'll feel things sooner.

 

Since then, I've noticed she likes to kick me like crazy if my pants are too tight in the waist or if I eat something full of sugar like Sprite or candy.

 

At my 20 week appointment a few weeks ago, I got to see her through another ultrasound. That was awesome, and the hospital gave me a DVD! In the ultrasound, we were able to catch a few glimpses of Marlene's cute little face, and saw that she had her feet crossed. I guess she's just chillin out in there.

 

Last night, Jason was FINALLY able to feel the baby kick. Over the past few weeks I would tell Jason to feel my belly because she was kicking like crazy. And EVERY time, the minute he put his hand up there she would stop.

 

So last night I had the bright idea to tell Jason I was going to bed, and that this would probably be the best time to feel the baby. Every mom can probably tell you that the minute you lie down or stop moving, is the time when a baby will go nuts in your stomach. I was right, and within 30 seconds of lying down, Jason was able to feel a kick.

 

It was super cute to see his face light up and I could tell that he was so happy. Now he has a better understanding of when I complain about Marlene tap dancing on my bladder...her kicks are getting pretty intense.

 

Another new development is that I've definitely hit a "growth spurt." I've been feeling a lot of growing pains, and my belly button has officially become an "outie."

 

Stay tuned for more baby updates, and also a post about our trip to CA next week!  

 

 

 

 

Good Eats.

We've officially booked our plane tickets, and we're headed back home to Fairfield on October 9th. We haven't been back there since August of last year, so this is SUPER exciting!!

 

I was talking with my dad on Sunday and he asked what food places we want to eat at while we're there. Holy cow, I didn't even know where to begin!

 

The Fairfield area has some dang good places to eat, here are our top 5 stops during the trip:

 

1. Joe's Buffet

This place is the definition of a "hole in the wall" restaurant, but don't let the look deceive you. Once you've eaten here, all other beef dip sandwiches you encounter will be put to shame.

 

2. BJ's

(Not technically in Fairfield)

If you've never had a pizookie from BJ's, stop what you're doing and go there now. Jason and I share a LOVE for sweets and this is the best place for dessert you will ever find.

 

3. Round Table Pizza

We've been to a lot of pizza places in our day, but NO place has a pizza like this one. We go to Round Table for one reason, and that is to have a Maui Zaui. It has this yummy sauce that is like a mix between sweet and sour sauce and polynesian sauce from Chic Fila.

 

4. Bay Sushi

(No picture)

If you're looking for a good sushi place in Fairfield, this is my ABSOLUTE favorite. Its two doors down from Michael's over by the mall, and super delicious. I'm excited that I can still get my favorite roll (The Golden Gate) because its made with cooked crab meat. And the fact that its deep fried doesn't hurt either!

 

5. Sandy's 101 Omelettes

Gotta make a breakfast stop here while in town! (I've heard they moved, and better be open while we're there.) I ate here a MILLION times during my high school years, and have YET to find a place that serves better biscuits and gravy.

 

Those are my top 5 places, I'm proud that aside from BJ's that none of them are big chain stores. Also gotta give a shout out to Mary's Pizza shack, while the food is delicious its not high on the priority list.

 

Also, don't laugh but I'm also really excited

to eat at Popeye's.

Super yummy!    

 

 

 

20 Weeks

This week my belly turns 20!

Well 20 weeks that is, and that means I've reached the halfway point of my pregnancy.

From this point on, my baby girl is supposed to grow like crazy and I can feel it already. Things are starting to get stretched people!

 

I haven't had many pregnancy cravings yet, but right now my favorite thing to eat is pink laffy taffy.

(We may have bought a huge bag of Wonka Halloween candy)

 

My other go-to snacks are:

Semi-sweet chocolate chips

cucumbers

and Sun Chips

 

Another new development is that I've started to REALLY feel the baby move. She's been kicking me like crazy especially in the evenings, and REALLY doesn't like when my waistband is too tight.

 

I had an ultrasound yesterday and it was so fun to see her again! My favorite part was seeing that she had her little feet crossed like she was totally chillin' out.

 

Overall, life is good and I can't complain other than I'm growing impatient to have a cute snuggly baby here like my sweet nephew!

What's in a Name?

We have officially decided on a baby name!

Today I was watching Where the Heart Is, and the scene where she's asked if she's thought of a nameyet made me smile. The man says,

"Give that baby a name that means something."

And that's just what we're doing.

The name we're giving our little girl is

Marlene Diane Henderson

Marlene after my grandma, and Diane after Jason's. I never got to meet his grandma, and he never got to meet mine but they were both amazing ladies.

(You can see a LOT of my mom in her!)

Ever since I was little I wanted to name my first daughter after my grandma Larkin, her name is so beautiful and original.

I get really emotional whenever I talk about my grandparents because they were truly the greatest people in the world, and left us far too soon. If our little girl is blessed with just a fraction of the sweet spirit my grandma had, we will be the luckiest parents ever.

For the past few months we had a totally different name picked out, but a few weeks ago something about it didn't feel right.

I told myself not to worry about it, because we might not end up having a girl anyways. (Well we all know how that worked out!)

We feel really good about our decision now, 
and I can't wait to meet her in about 4.5 months!

Jason's really excited to call her Marley, and I think that will just be so precious.   

What We Ate: Two Timin' Pasta Bake

With the extra time I have on my hands now, I've been really excited to try some new recipes. I went through my food board on pinterest and copied down some simple, week night recipes.

First up, the Two Timin' Pasta Bake. 

You can find the recipe here at

Pearls, Handcuffs, and Happy Hour

The recipe is super easy, with very few ingredients...my kind of cookin!

The only change I made to the recipe was adding chicken. (What kind of dinner has no meat?!) We added two 13oz cans of chicken and it worked great.

Other than that, I followed the recipe exactly and everything turned out perfect:

And it was a crowd pleaser!

I'll be making this one again for sure.

Telling Jason

Figuring out a way to tell Jason that I was pregnant couldn't have been any easier. I was trying so hard to come up with something cute on such short notice, and then Jason texts me something like this:

"I bought a box of diapers today at work because they were insanely cheap. We can just give them to Suzanne and Ryan. It was too good a deal to pass up."

When I read that I laughed SO hard,

and texted him back "ok."

When he finally came from work I told him to sit on the couch because I had something to show him. He kept teasing me, trying to guess what it was, and he was WAY off. Finally I had to tell him

to shut up so I could talk.

I had the two pregnancy tests behind my back and I said, "Well its a good thing you bought diapers today, because I'm pregnant!" And I showed him the tests.

The look on his face was priceless, and I'll never forget it. He went from shock, surprise, to a huge smile in about 3 seconds. It was super cute.

Our next adventure was going to Walmart to buy one of those digital tests. Problem was that Jason knew everyone and we had to find a cashier that wouldn't spill the beans. It was seriously like mission impossible.

Its hard to believe that was like 10 weeks ago. I'm so grateful for Jason and how understanding he's been. He had to do a lot during the move that I wish
I could have helped with.

He's a keeper.

The Day I Found Out

June 2nd started out like any other day. I woke up, got ready for the day, and camped out on the couch to do some homework. I hadn't eaten breakfast, which wasn't out of the ordinary, and after awhile I started to feel a bit woozy.

I knew someting was up when even after eating a nice lunch at Wendy's with Jason I still felt kind of gross. So while Jason was at work I thought to myself,

"I've got some pregnancy tests under the sink that I'm going to have to throw away anyways before we move. I should just take one for fun."

(I didn't want my in-laws seeing them when they would come to help us move)

I'd taken a few tests before, and expected nothing different. When I saw those two lines I was in SHOCK. My first thought was that I wanted to get another test, from a different brand, just to be sure.

So I got in the car and headed to K-Mart. I couldn't go to Walmart because Jason was working and I didn't want him to see me. So I get to K-Mart and I'm trying to be all slick and pick up a few random items so I'm not just paying for a pregnancy test. (Awkward!)

I'm feeling good about what I've got and so I get in line. And who is right in front of me...? A family from our ward. (They're kid had been in our primary class last year, Jason home teaches with the husband, AND they babysat our fish over Christmas) I was mortified, and quickly tried to hide the test. She didn't see it, and we made small talk and joked about why I wasn't shopping at Walmart.

Her purchase was finally done, and they leave. By this time I'm sweating bullets, and just want to get the heck out of there. THEN...when my purchase is all rung up, I realize I left my wallet at home. (Facepalm!) I told the woman at the register to forget about it, and I got the heck out of there.

I'm heading out to my car and I pass the family from our ward, and I joked that the "Walmart Gods" must not have wanted me to shop there because I had forgotten my wallet. She kindly offered to go back in and pay for my stuff and I QUICKLY said, NO! Haha. 

I headed back home and just decided to take another of the same test, which showed the same result. Next was to just wait for Jason to come home and blow his mind with the BIG NEWS.

But thats another story...

What's New...

Life for the past three weeks has been CRAZY. I have not been able to just sit and relax for awhile. I went straight from packing up and moving, to planning and throwing my sister's baby shower, and still now I'm focusing on unpacking my life out of boxes.

Things have finally slowed down, and I'm enjoying time with Jason before he starts school on the 20th. He's started working at the Cedar Hills Walmart as a night truck unloader. He's enjoying time away from annoying customers and is getting paid to exercise.

Now that I'm all graduated, my life is a lot less stressfull! The plan was for me to work as a substitute teacher while Jason's going to school, but a little something has come up that's causing us to rethink some things: WE'RE HAVING A BABY!

I found out I was pregnant on the first Saturday in June, and then a few weeks later went to my first appointment. We got to see the baby "live on screen" and got a few pictures. It was at this appointment that we found out our due date is February 5, 2013.

I'll do more posts later with the stories of how I found out, how I told Jason, and how we told our parents. They're great stories!

Basically, we're loving it here in Utah and are excited to begin these next chapters in our life together. Stay tuned!  

Graduation

I'm officially graduated! It feels great, but I'll enjoy it more once we've finished packing and get all moved down to Utah.

This past week was filled with lots of family fun! Mom, Dad, and Nathan got here Wednesday night, and we all spent Thursday touring campus, I picked up my cap and gown, and we took them out to eat at a few places only found here in town.

Friday Nellie and Evie got to our place in the afternoon, and Suzanne and Ryan got here a little later. We had a nice BIG lunch at Pizza Pie Cafe, 
and then it was time to get ready for graduation!

Commencement was nice, it just took forever to get started. I was actually able to spot my family in the audience which was pretty impressive in an arena that fits like 13,000 people!

After commencement we took some pictures and then headed to the next ceremony where they were going to read my name. There were some really great talks given and President Eyring's son was one of the speakers. He looks just like his dad,

only completely bald!

(You can see him here on the right)

After everything was over we took some more pictures and then headed to Dairy Queen to celebrate. The whole day went perfectly!

The rest of the weekend we spent relaxing at the park, eating out, playing games, and watching movies. It was great to finally have my family come visit us in Rexburg.

Now that everyone has left, its time for Jason and me to start packing and cleaning! We're officially moving out this Saturday.

SUPER excited for the next chapter in our lives!

Weekend Happenings...

Friday: We stayed home most of the day because I wasn't feeling well. But we did enjoy watching Empire Strikes Back and eating some Taco Bell.

Saturday: I'm glad I was feeling better because it was Jason's birthday! He slept in, and I got to work baking his delicous cake. We headed to Idaho Falls for some Chic Fila, and then relaxed at home for a bit.

Later on we headed out to the demolition derby with our friends Nate and Bonnie.

 We had a blast!

Later on it was time for cake:

Sunday: We spent the day at church, taking naps, and watching some Harry Potter.

Not a bad weekend, can't wait till my family

comes in 10 days!