happy girl

Our Adventures in So Cal

Here are pictures from Lillie's first trip to Disneyland, to the California Science Center, and then another trip to Disneyland (today). My family came down to see Lillie and visit us for a couple days. It was fun to have them around.

Us at the science center. We look terrible and that's because we felt terrible. We hadn't gotten enough sleep those couple days and had spent the entire day before at Disneyland.
But Lillie still looks cute.
Eric rode this bike across a cable, which is balanced by a big weight below. It was three stories high. I would have been way too scared to do it, even though it's next to impossible to fall.
Our little princess posing with us in front of the castle.
Lillie waving hello on the dumbo ride, her first ride ever at Disneyland. She slept right through it...and the Peter Pan ride and Pirates of the Caribbean. She was awake in the Tiki Room though, she was so content watching the birds singing.
Lillie is so spoiled. She's not even two months old and has already been to Disneyland twice. I didn't get to go to Disneyland a second time until after I was married.

5 Years

This last week it was five years since Eric and I got engaged. It doesn't seem nearly that long ago. I was way too young to get married, by anyone's standards, and we were both poor as dirt. We had only been dating for 5 months, but had spent every one of those days together. We even had the nickname of Caric (sad, huh).
Anyway, the other day I was putting away some books in the office and came across the poem book that Eric had given me the day of our engagement. He had written this poem (it honestly is pretty dang good) and then had cut out a space for the ring to fit in all the pages (probably took forever). It was fun to take it out and read it again. I can't believe that it was five years ago. Such good times, then and now.

Our Week in Review

Last week Lillie and I (Carrie) went to the doctor for her month check up. She had gained 14 ounces in 14 days, tipping the scales at an even ten pounds. It is crazy that a month has already gone by, it has been so fast and yet so slow... it's weird to think about life before her, it seems like it was forever ago. At the same time, she has already changed so much.
My parents and two youngest sisters came down for the long weekend. We had a ton of fun, we went to Disneyland for Lillie's first trip to the happiest place on the planet. She did pretty well considering it was a long day. We got her a little Minnie Mouse, because that's what I got on my first trip to Disneyland, when I was six, and I loved the thing. It was a blast for me too because I could finally go on the fun rides. My dad even forced me to go on Splash Mountain, which I'm really too chicken to go on. I hate the feeling of losing my stomach.
Eric worked on his first actual patient today on his sealant rotation. It's surprising that they let first years do this kind of stuff, considering he'd only practiced once on a classmate and it didn't go perfectly, as it messed up his bite and the dentist had to drill it down. And these poor patients, all they see are the blue scrubs and dental tools in hand and they automatically assume that the students had previous patients. But it went well with his patient. I'm so proud of him. That puts us one baby step closer to the DDS.

We took our camera to Disneyland, but the battery was dead. My mom took a couple, but she hasn't emailed them to me yet. So the pictures will be coming...

Sleep? Not Overrated

This picture is Eric trying to make Lillie the "happiest baby on the block"... this used to really help, but not lately.

I had no idea what sleep deprivation felt like before Lillie. I had been sleeping a minimum of ten hours a day during my pregnancy, I was so tired all the time, or so I thought...the only difference between then and now is that I used to be able to just take a nap when I needed it. The last couple of nights have been doozies. Lillie sleeps all day but at about 6 o'clock the last two nights she would be wide-awake and decided that she would stay awake and fuss for the next 6+ hours. And then I still have to get up a couple times during the night to feed her and then struggle to get her back asleep.
So we decided we'd had enough of that and that we needed to do something about it. We borrowed a book from our friends that many people in the ward had raved about, it's called Save Our Sleep. The main points are that children need a schedule to follow and that they need to learn to put themselves to sleep. Today is our first day and I have to admit that it was really hard to listen to my tiny baby cry the loudest and the longest she ever has. But she finally cried herself to sleep. We'll see how this goes. This is going to be as hard for me as it is for her, I don't like having to follow schedules, but I think she needs it.

Baby Blessing and Family Visit

Well, its been a couple of weeks and already Lil' Lillie has gained a couple of dozen pounds. It seems like she is growing faster than we can keep up with. The last doctor visit (at 2 weeks old) she was 9 lbs 2 oz! She has already grown out of many of her newborn clothes. She is starting to realize that she has lungs with which she can get our attention, and its becoming interesting at night sometimes, but we're surviving.
Lillie's Baby blessing was Sunday and we were lucky to have my parents, grandparents, and some aunts, uncles and cousins here to help out and celebrate with us. It was a great time and Lillie was an angel through the whole thing (she slept). She did look very cute in her dress but didn't feel up to posing for the camera afterward.



It was nice to have my parents staying with us to help us catch up on some things and to help with the little one. School was crazy busy for the first time all year which wasn't very convenient but we had a good time.

And did I mention that the Giants upset the Patriots?!?!? Way to go Eli!

Bouncing Baby Girl

Baby had her first Dr. visit today. All went well except right as we're getting her naked to weight her- what does she do? poop poop poop. But the Dr. said her jaundice is all cleared and she gained 5 oz in her 5 short days, which was good. Carrie and Grandma are short on sleep (I don't hear the baby cry half the time), though she does sleep well during most of the day. Baby and Mommy are getting used to feedings which they're both now getting the hang of. She's a doll and we love every minute with her.

Our New Addition

Lillie Marie, 7 lbs, 12 oz. We love her so much its amazing. Carrie already says she was worth all the pain of the 9 months of pregnancy. She's perfect and we love her. More to come (if we're not to tired).

40 weeks and still no baby

This has been the longest day to date. It is my due date, the date that has been confirmed on 3 ultrasounds as being the day that this baby was supposed to come into the world. So why am I not at the hospital? I have come to realize that this kid must be more like her parents than I originally thought: I hesitate to try new things and I resist change...I like my "womb" of familiarity. And Eric's just a bit lazy at times so I think that she's taking a little after both of us, not wanting to go through all the hassle of making her debut and loving the fact that she doesn't have to work for her food or worry about messy diapers.
I also think she has taken after her father with her apparent stubborness. This has led me to believe that she will be a redhead. We have tried everything possible to get her to come out, except for castor oil, but to no avail. She is definitely more stubborn than I am. I give up.
The last hope I have is medical intervention. I have my fingers crossed that tomorrow I can convince my overly patient OB that it is time for pitocin. But I have a feeling that he will want me to wait yet another week...no skin off his back, he doesn't have heartburn, nausea and trouble sleeping.
So we are all ready for her to come, Eric did a phenomenal job painting her room a light pink...even though he didn't want to. His hesitation was that if our next kid was a boy then he'd have to paint it again. And I laughed...hard. Another child while in dental school? A second child at all? It was the funniest thing he's ever said.


Notice how there is nothing on the wall above her crib. I am worried about So Cal earthquakes. We had three in the first couple months living here. Earthquake safety makes for pretty boring decor.

Pregnant and happy!

Finally I got a good picture of Carrie and her pregnant self. Show that baby off! Carrie and Lil' Bow wow comin' atcha.

Baby Blues? I've got the Baby Pinks.

So I vowed long ago that I would never become the type of mom who loses her own identity and lives only through her children...but I am already beginning to see that that is nearly impossible to avoid this and my baby hasn't even been born yet. I think it has something to do with the fact that every time I look in the mirror I can't help but notice my huge belly and everyone else notices the gigantic bulge first thing too and asks how I'm feeling and when I'm due. And that's not all, lately I've even gotten really excited about completely losing myself and taking care for this tiny being that is so helpless.
Throughout the past nine months, I have been pretty preoccupied with how terrible pregnancy has made me feel and it wasn't until a couple weeks ago when I started to get this feeling...you know, the feeling you get on Christmas Eve or on your birthday, when you get really excited about the unknown contents of your presents. But I really couldn't care less if Christmas came this year. In fact, I would be ecstatic if I woke up tomorrow and it was January. I am getting a present that is light years better than anything that could be under the tree. Now don't get me wrong, I have always been excited about having a baby but now it's starting to feel real. Like it's really going to happen.
I think it all started after my baby shower, thanks again, Desi, Dori, Kerri, and Alyssa. I hadn't really gotten anything for baby before then, because I thought it would make the pregnancy last even longer. So, I don't think I had realized how fun it is going to be to dress my baby. Now my baby has more accessories than I do, bracelets and headbands. And all the cute little clothes, plenty in the closet and even more in a dresser. I am in heaven and I've decided to call this feeling the Baby Pinks.
So in the next five weeks I have got a lot to do to get ready for this kid to come. There are still a lot of things that I need to get...and man, babies are expensive. But I look forward to waking up each day, so that I can get another thing ready for my daughter. She has pretty much taken over my every thought and I don't mind that I've become the person I didn't want to be. Dang it, I am obsessed with my kid and I am happy that I am.

Black Friday...the darkest day of the year

Okay so not the darkest, I tend to be a little dramatic. Thanksgiving week is my husband's favorite week of the year. Not because of turkey or family and not even because of football, but that is a close second. But because my husband LOVES to get good deals. All week long he spend a lot of time on the internet looking at Black Friday deals, researching the quality of the merchandise and where he can get a better price. It is a serious deal for him, and although it drives me crazy, I am grateful to have a husband who wants quality products at any price point.

Right before midnight on Thanksgiving we headed down to the closest outlet mall to try and get discount prices on already marked down merchandise. We only made it to one store, Carters, because I'm a wimp (okay, it's really because I'm 8 mos pregnant and it's difficult for me to get around). We did get some cute little baby clothes. My favorite is a onesie that Eric picked out. It is magenta and it says I love Daddy. It was the only thing he chose, but it was fun to see him get excited about it.

Eric managed to get about an hour of sleep before heading out again with a friend to try and get us a video camera. Not having lived here very long, we didn't seemed to realize how many people live around us and how many of them also want to get a deal. Eric said lines went down the block or farther, hours before the stores opened. So, he got us a video camera online. It was still a fabulous deal...if only we had known about it earlier, Eric could have gotten a little more sleep that night.

All in all, it was an adventure for both of us. I don't know if I'll ever be doing it again, but I don't regret going.

WICKED Birthday Party

I almost forgot to blog this. Carrie and I went to the musical Wicked at the Pantages theater here in LA (Hollywood area) for her Birthday. We put our names in for the lottery that they have and got lucky - front row tickets for only $25 each! We went to a nice little Italian restaurant nearby and checked out the stars on the sidewalks over there and the show was GREAT! Lots of fun. Luckily we got it in before everyone started striking.

The Sunny Side of Life

Carrie is happy to be pregnant - NOT! Don't let this photo deceive you. She IS happy though to only have 8 weeks left. Though I have a feeling they'll feel more like 8 months (to me at least). We're getting really excited for the 3rd member of our little family to arrive. In the mean time, Carrie is feeling the baby dance more and more each day and that along with her heartburn keeps her up late at night (good practice for the coming months I think). She is still hoping to get the NCLEX test done soon too before life gets REALLY hectic.

California weather is our new best friend. We had a picnic in the park today and it was like 90 degrees! Its mid-November! The picture is of me and my first try surfing a couple of weeks ago. Despite the nice weather, the water was FREEZING but there were some dolphins out there with us that day and it was a ton of fun. I know I should be standing on the surfboard but hey.­.­.­ when the water is 30 degrees it messes with your muscles (and it was my first time).­

Fantasy Sports aren't my fantasy

Back a couple of years ago, every time the TV was turned on by Eric, it was on ESPN watching Sportscenter. I know that I complained plenty about the amount of time he spent getting the wrap-up on the day's sporting events. It has been a couple of years now since I've seen Sportscenter and I have since learned that there are much worse things.
You'd think this would make me happy, but now Eric has to watch as many of the actual football, basketball or baseball games that he possibly can...thanks to fantasy sports. Now I'm sure that everyone knows what fantasy sports are, but essentially it is a team that you put together of players. So now he has "players" playing in every game that is played on TV.
And it only gets worse when he has "players" playing on different channels at the same time. Then he uses sopcasts off the internet, score updates on yahoo sports, and toggles between all the different games on TV.
The NFL football season has ruined my Sundays! This is my biggest annoyance. Multiple games, all day long and now he isn't just depressed that the Seahawks lose, but also the Redskins and the Buccaneers and many more teams, because it affects his points in Fantasy Football. And pro basketball and baseball aren't confined to two days a week, they happen all week long.
These are just professional sports teams. He still needs his fix of college football and basketball. Honestly, what is a girl to do?

Midterms from the hot place.

So I've taken many tests in my life that I thought were bad, but nothing could have prepared me for what USC had in store for me with our midterm exams. WOW. I've never felt so dumb after taking a test. Did I pass? Probably not. Gladly, its over and now I have 4 days of vacation and some time to straighten out my slice! Carrie is doing well, happy to be no longer "morning sick" and I'm starting to get packages unexpectedly in the mail from Children's Place and Gymboree. Sgt Pepper is trying to recruit me to the Air Force, and after paying 1 semesters worth of tuition I'm the one doing the recruiting. If USC could just put together a national championship football team I could justify spending the 100k/yr, but come on ... Stanford?? Really?!? I'm confident we'll show Notre Dame what football is really about.

Keep on keepin' on

One month of school is now out of the way and I'm almost getting the hang of things. We're starting to get into a routine and its nice to feel slightly more acclimated to big city life. We got our car back from the body shop a few days ago and it looks pretty good. Can't hardly tell its been wrecked. I'm getting through my tooth morphology class and as you can see, I've spent lots of time doing some carvings. Its actually the funnest part about school so far. We're getting to do a bunch of wax-ups too which is fun. I can say that school is much funner when its stuff you actually want to learn about.

Carrie and I have also gotten season passes to the home football games this year and its been fun. We saw WSU get whooped up on and then a huge upset by Stanford this last Saturday (a very sad event for all involved). The parachuting Navy Seals was cool at the beginning too. The only downside is the 4 hours straight of standing up in the student section (which can get a bit rowdy). It does take its toll on a 6 1/2 month pregnant woman. She's a good sport though.

The baby's been kicking quite a bit. Carrie threatens spankings at least daily (baby thinks the bladder is a punching bag sometimes). Carrie is no longer fitting into normal clothing and as you can tell by the picture, she's been doing her fair share of maternity clothes shopping. She doesn't believe that its possible to get any bigger until she watches Baby Story on TLC. I still think she's more beautiful than the day I met her (especially at a football game).

Life in the Big City

Well as you can see from the pictures, the LA traffic hasn't been so good to us. Our little car was recently the victim of an out-of-control blind motorcyclist on the freeway. We were fine thankfully but he was taken to the hospital (hopefully he's ok) and we delayed traffic for a good couple of hours. Sorry LA. But we're trying to avoid driving and trying to forget the event. Carrie finally got an appointment with an OBGYN here and we're set to find out what we're having Sept 11^th (hopefully not a sign of things to come). We had a little "White Coat" Ceremony last night at USC welcoming us into the dental profession. Don't I look professional?!?! School I also got my 2^nd week of orientation about done and am looking forward to moving on with things. I feel like I should be busier. Joe is telling me about how crazy stuff is for him at OHSU after only a couple days. Oh well. More Xbox for me. Haha.

School has Begun!

Well, we've been in So Cal for 2 whole weeks now and I already have one boring week of dental school orientation under my belt. I can pretty much fix you teeth as well as any dentist out there right now. Thats how good USC is. We've thankfully been forced into getting settled thanks to the Smith's arrival for a night while supporting they're man Terry Fator (now winner of America's Got Talent) and are liking it here for the most part (though we were forced to sleep on the air mattress and floor for a week or so before we broke down and bought a mattress at Costco). I also went to Grandma Maurine's funeral in Salt Lake a week or so ago. It was sad but a great memorial to a great lady. It was also nice to see family that only gets together one every 15 yrs or so (cousin Dan thought I was Kacey's husband). On another topic, Carrie is almost 5 mo pregnant now and we're excited to get her into a doctor soon to find out what we're having - a little Henry or a little Lillie. She's been bored here during the day while I'm gone but takes long naps to make up for it. We like our ward and people seem really nice here (which we've missed in our past couple of wards). There's not much to complain about except for crazy expensive school, and 30 yr old ovens - nothing serious.