Rockin' and a Rollin', Movin' and a Shakin'

I think I have been feeling the baby move! I've never had this happen before, so I am just assuming what I am feeling is movement. And I am loving it! And today, I have either been having a couple of Braxton Hicks contractions or the baby is pushing up against the front of my lower stomach area. Either way, it's been so cool to experience all these new things. (By the way, Braxton Hicks contractions are so much better than the real things. When I had my miscarriage. . . whew, let's just say after that I KNEW I wanted an epidural once I had a baby.)

I can't wait for my next appointment. I'll be 20 weeks and 3 days at that time and I'll be getting an ultrasound. We still aren't finding out, so sorry to disappoint. But I am still super excited to see this little babe again! And I can't wait for more movement. Yay for active babies! :)

Can I Have It?? Please?!

The title of this post makes me sound like I am a 4 year old begging my mom for that amazing candy bar staring me in the face as we load our groceries onto the check out lane. And really, for all intents and purposes, I AM like a kid in a candy store right now. I just stumbled on this AMAZING blog where she made an old mens polo shirt into a dress that I would pay good money to have. I want that skill. I want that talent. I WANT THAT DRESS!

17 1/2

I am 17 1/2 weeks now. Yippee! Some of you have asked for prego belly pictures, so, I had some fun and did a little photo shoot. Here I am, in all my glory, at 17 1/2 weeks.




Our mirror in our bathroom is really silly, so I had to stand up on the toilet to get these shots. Sorry. :)


I just had to add this one in 'cause I thought I looked like I was trying to be a sass. And it made me laugh. :)

I Dreamed A Dream. . .

Seriously, there are some crazy goings on in the head of Ashley Calaway in the night time. Chalk it up to pregnancy or something, but I just keep having weird dreams! And they're slightly realistic to boot. Anyhow. A few nights ago, I had a dream that I had a baby girl. And she was precious. And the dream was just bizarre. You know how you'll have a dream where you know you are in a certain place but it's just a little bit different than what it looks like in real life? Yup, that was basically the dream. Picture me with my newborn daughter prepared to walk from the Wendy's/Taco Bell area of Court St in Pasco to my parents house on Rd. 100 via I-182. Yup. Weird.

Then last night. . . oh last night. If I could just go back to last night and relive the entire dream, I would. Once again, I dreamed I had a baby girl. (That would make boy dreams at 1 and girl dreams at 2. Girls are winnin this race so far) And in this dream, I had just delivered my baby girl. She was beautiful. She had a full head of dark hair and the most precious face you have ever seen on a baby. Then, we named her Emma. Yes, Emma. Problem: There's already an Emma in my family and an Emiline. Adding yet another one would pose a serious problem. Which I realized by the end of the dream and was trying to figure out a way to tell the Hospital that we had actually changed our minds and we didn't want to name her Emma, but we just weren't sure what we DID want to name her. But I want to go back and hold that baby. When I woke up this morning, I thought, "I'm only 17 weeks along. I'm not even half way. Curse you beautiful baby dream! I just wanna hold a newborn!" D'ya think they'd let me go into the Labor and Delivery section of the hospital and hold random baby's? No? They'd turn me away and tell me to head to the 5th floor? What's on the 5th floor? The Psych ward?!?

Anyway, now I am thoroughly confused. I figured once I had had the dream about having a boy that I would just assume we were having a boy. But now that I have had TWO dreams about little girls and ONE dream about a little boy. . . sheesh. Maybe I will just find out. . . :)

Hey Pretty Baby With The High Heels On!

Last night, Dallin, Marcus, Ashley and I all went to the Portland temple and did an endowment session. It was wonderful. That Temple is SPECTACULAR. Oh my goodness. If you need a weekend away, come down to Portland, go to the temple, hit up Ikea, HomeGoods, and any other wonderful shops you may enjoy (and don't pay sales tax, woot woot!). It would be the ideal weekend.

Oh, and then, when you're done, go to the OMSI museum and see the Michael Jackson themed laser light show. It. Is. AWESOME. We went after our temple session and LOVED it. Well, Dallin actually got a headache from the music being so loud, and it's kinda trippy. As Marcus put it, "these kind of shows must give you a glimpse of what it's like to be high." :) But it was sweet. Thriller was the bomb, because they had these lasers that formed skeletons on the ceiling doing the Thriller dance. It was hilarious. Honestly? Highly entertaining.

I love discovering new things in the places I live. It's so much fun. A few weeks ago, we went to a place called Silver Falls. (I haven't posted about it til now because I TOTALLY look preggers in all the pics of me and Dallin.) It is an amazing place. It's a state park and there are 10 HUGE waterfalls throughout. There is a main path that leads to all 10 waterfalls and, if you do the whole thing, is an impressive 8 mile loop. We decided not to do the entire loop and just did 5 miles instead. Trust me, 5 miles was plenty. By the end, I was worn out. (I know, it's so sad. In normal conditions, as in, not being pregnant, I could have done the whole 8 miles, no sweat. But now, I just get uncomfortable. And I was only 15 weeks at the time, dang it!) We took lots of pictures and loved the scenery. Probably one of the most beautiful days we have enjoyed in this area so far. And there was no rain! Which is kind of a miracle, considering the downpours we have had yesterday and today. Anyhow, here are some of the pictures I have edited so far from Silver Falls.


In front of Angel Falls


...Like I said, totally looking pregnant in these pictures...


Totally sad this one turned out so dark. But it's really good of everyone! :)


Aaaannnddd, I don't remember the name of this particular falls. We saw a lot that day, ok?? Sheesh. :)


Don't mind me, I'm just getting the prego belly. And looking mighty attractive while I'm at it! :)


I believe this one was actually Silver Falls.


This was on our drive to the park.


This is a friend of Marcus and Ashleys (and now a friend of ours :)) Shawna and her little girl Julianne. Shawna's husband, Doug, is in law school with Marcus at Willamette. Is Julianne not one of the CUTEST little girls ever??

Wait, You're Saying I Don't Know Everything??

The most common question I get asked these days is, "what's going on in your life? what are your plans?" To which I gulp and then try to provide an adequate answer. I mean, for heaven's sake, I am about to have a baby! I should have life figured out by now, right? Ha! Unfortunately, I do not. To prove this point, continue reading.

At the beginning of this year, we were in limbo (much like we are now) and I was sick of it. I wanted to KNOW. I NEEDED to know. Where were we going to be a month from then? What was Dallin going to do concerning school? Where was he going to go to school? Were we going to be in Pasco for the summer? Or Oregon? Or somewhere else in the continental US? What was the plan?! I couldn't stand this, "fly by the seat of your pants" thing I was doing. It's the planner in me. I just needed something solid. But, I wasn't getting it. So then, I started getting grumpy. And then, I just got miserable. Why was my life so confusing? I thought once I got married, most of my questions would be answered. No more guessing, right? I found my knight in shining armor, so why the heck didn't I have the castle?! Ok, I didn't need the castle just yet, but I wanted something definite. I was sick of wondering and then trying to answer the question that kept popping up in conversation, "what are your plans?" Then, one day, I woke up and I realized, "I'm not happy." Now, for those of you that know me and have known me for a long time, you know I am a happy person! I always have been! So when I made this realization, I thought, "I want to be happy. I don't like being sad." So, what was I going to do to change it? How was I going to be happy again? I then had a sudden realization. I was just going to be happy. That's all. I was going to make the CHOICE to be happy. I didn't need someone to sit there and give me all the answers. I, personally, just needed to make the choice to be happy. And so I did. And then, NEWS FLASH, I realized I didn't know everything. And I didn't NEED to know everything. But I was happy. Cause I said I was gonna be. I figured out I just needed to remember that I had a loving Heavenly Father who knows me and knows my circumstance. He's not going to lead me in the wrong direction. He's going to make sure that if I am doing what I need to be doing, He'll do what He's promised me He'll do.

A couple months later, I happened upon a scripture that I had forgotten about, though it is one of my absolute favorites. It is in 1 Nephi 11:17, "And I said unto him: I know that he (God) loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things." After reading that, I realized, it's ok not to know everything. Nephi, who obviously knew a whole heckuva lot more than I do, still didn't know everything! But that was ok for him, because he knew that his Heavenly Father loved him! I just need to be more like Nephi, dang it! I am so grateful for those who have gone before me and are so much more wise than I who have taught me some of the greatest lessons to be learned.

The Weekend And Some Yummyness

Dallin and I went home to Pasco this weekend for Quentin's farewell (which was wonderful). We're starting to hate the road between here and Pasco though. We've made that trip so many times lately, we're going insane! Thank goodness the next time we make the trip we'll be there for a month.

But, on to other subjects. Like the fun we had this weekend! Saturday we helped my mom and dad with yard work, which was wonderful, because I have been itching to get out and plant flowers. I don't know why, but I have been wanting a garden so much this summer! But, being that we live in an apartment with a little deck, I don't think that's gonna happen. Someday, someday. Tara and Emiline were down from Yakima and David and the boys joined them Saturday night and we had some fun hanging out with them. On Sunday, since my parents church doesn't start til 1:00, the kids were running wild until about noon, and Dallin and the boys got into a dog pile/wrestling match. It was pretty entertaining. Emiline observed from the background, occasionally running around the destruction giggling. Of course, I had my camera ready and caught it all on film. Er, on an SD? Whatever. You know what I mean.







These kids are total characters. We were laughing so hard all weekend. Here's my favorite shot of Emi.


She may look like she isn't wearing any clothes, but she does have on a diaper and some little bloomers. Just look at that facial expression. Love it.

We had a great time this weekend and loved every moment and can't wait for the month of June! Hooray!

So, while contemplating what to make for dinner this evening, I decided to peruse the Pioneer Woman website. She is an amazing cook and I love trying her recipes. I was given her cookbook for my last birthday from Rachel and Chad and Nate and Staci, to whom I am eternally grateful. This recipe was her Chicken Pot Pie recipe. And oh Hannah, it was delicious. Her pie crust was heavenly and the mix of everything inside the crust was perfect. Dallin added some Tapatio to his portion for a little kick and he loved it. I give it a solid two thumbs up! :) Here it is right out of the oven (please ignore the slightly burnt crust. It still tasted delicious!)





I will post the recipe on here later this week. Trust me, you WANT to make this. It's super easy and super yummy. And the beautiful thing about the Pioneer Woman's recipes is, most often, she uses ingredients that you have on hand all the time. She's thoughtful like that. If you haven't heard of the Pioneer Woman, or you haven't ventured over to her site, click here. You will fall in love. In fact, I think Dallin sometimes wonders if she comes first in my life. That's when I hurriedly assure him that she does. Totally kidding! :) But seriously, she's awesome and I love her. And you will to. And if you just happen to have a few hours of spare time, read the story of how she met her husband. Oh my gosh, it's amazing. Then again, I am a total romance junkie. I love a good love story. (Not like the harlequin dirty romance novels. Promise.) Just good old fashioned love. :) Anyhow, check her out. And now, since it is 12:15 am, I am going to go to bed. Buenas Noches.

Oh Boy!

I had a dream night before last that I had a boy. Surprise, surprise, right? I mean, let's look at the facts. Dallin gives the X or the Y chromosome to determine the sex of the baby, right? Right. Dallin is 1 of 6 boys in his family. His father is 1 of 7 boys in his family. The chances of us having a boy? Pretty high. So, needless to say, I have boy on the brain. I have been looking at cribs and bedding and strollers and highchairs and all those fun things you get to buy when you are prego. And I just stumbled upon this amazingly cute bedding from Target. For a boy, of course. :) I can't help it! I'm in love! I have decided though, no matter what I have, I won't care, I will be just as excited for a little girl as I will a little boy. That being said, I still have boy on the brain. :)

I Never Really Was That Good At Math. . .

Math? Science? No, not so much my forte. History? English? Yes, yes indeed. I could handle those subjects. In fact, I love English and History. Math, not so much. I don't necessarily HATE math, it just doesn't come too easily for me. I'm not so good at it.

So, why am I talking about math here? Well, I had a visit to the doctor yesterday and I found out something that's kinda crazy. I only thought I was 14 weeks along. I was informed I am 16 weeks along. Somewhere in this pregnancy I lost two weeks. And I am totally ok with that. :)

Yes, we're expecting again! And, as you can imagine, we waited this long to tell everyone outside of immediate family because of our last pregnancy and my sudden, "I'm pregnant!" post and then a few days later, "I miscarried" post. Sorry to keep you all out of the loop, but honestly, until today, I really didn't even let myself get excited about this pregnancy, for fear that I would lose it. I know, I know, where's my faith, right? Reality was interfering.

So, now that the news is out, I'll update you on the last few months and my keeping quiet. :) I started feeling nasty and nauseous about the end of February. Smells would send me spiraling downward toward a toilet. And I could never puke. Hated it. I only threw up once. I just wanted relief! But, I am mostly over all that now. I still get the occasional bout of nausea but, for the most part, I am over it. Thank goodness! As far as being tired, HOLY CRAP. I am convinced if I was left alone to sleep for 20 hours out of the day, I could have. I felt exhausted all the time. I just wanted to nap all day, every day. Now I have a lot more energy, but I still get tired way easily. Other than that, no crazy cravings (yet) and lots of weird, vivid dreams. Oh, and I'm getting fat. Yippee! :) Seriously, not liking the thick mid-section, but there's gotta be some room for new baby Calaway, right? I guess I can stretch for him/her. :)

Oh, and we're not gonna find out the sex. Sorry. We want to be surprised, so you get to be surprised with us! Isn't that fun?? :) We decided we want Christmas to come early this year, in the form of the newest member of our little family.

I'm due October 29th. Yes, that would be the day before my 23rd birthday. Happy Birthday to me! Who knows, maybe I will share my birthday with our baby! That would be pretty awesome.

I have ultrasound pictures to show you too, so I hope you enjoy them as much as I am enjoying them. I think I could look at this new little wee babe all day long. I've fallen in love again. :) I think Dallin has too. We already love this little alien creature inside of me. (Seriously, some of the pictures today were scarily similar to the aliens on Independence Day. Thank goodness at our next appointment he/she will look more normal! :))

So, here they are, enjoy!! Oh, and Hillary, Ashley Furness, or Tammy Furness, Sadie, anybody that has contact with Bishop Egbert: Please tell him for us that we are expecting. He told us he wanted to know when I was pregnant again. Thank you a million!



Profile Picture. This kid did NOT want to be photographed today. The fact that we got this shot was quite amazing.

See the hand at the mouth? Every time we tried to look at his/her face, he/she covered it's face with their hand or would turn their face downward. Pretty cute for an alien baby though. :)

Perspective

Do you remember what was going on last September in mine and Dallin's life? Probably not, and I don't really expect you to, because you have your own important lives to lead. But, I remember it, clear as day. We had just found out that I was going to miscarry my first pregnancy. I was scared, hurt, afraid, seemingly alone. But then, I was reminded of the love of my Heavenly Father and the love of my amazing family and friends and I realized this was one trial I could, and would make it through. Fast forward to now.


I have this amazing sister in law named Hillary who is going through something WAY worse than what I went through and she is taking it all on like a champ. My experience pales in comparison. I have learned SO much because of her amazing example. If you haven't met her, you really should. She is so wonderful and I am beyond grateful for the love and friendship we share. If you want to read about her experience, I suggest clicking here first. Then, see how it all progresses. You won't regret it.

My Angel Mother

(Wasn't she a total babe?? Who am I kidding, she still is!)


"Yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it."

I don't know that there was ever a time in my life that I doubted my mother knowing the gospel was true. In everything she did, she was an example of what she hoped we all would be. I owe all that I am to my mother. She has taught me how to cook, how to sew, how to sing, but more importantly, how to love, how to share, how to be the best person I can be. She is my best friend and my confidant. I love her with all my heart. Thank you, Mom, for being such an amazing person. I love you! Happy Mother's Day!



This wouldn't be a complete post without my expressing my gratitude for my amazing Mother-in-law, Valerie as well. As I have been in the family now for about a year and a half, my relationship with Valerie has been strengthened and I am so grateful for all she has done and all she continues to do for me. We became a lot closer while Dallin and I lived with she and Jeff from January to April. I was amazed by her selflessness, her love for all she came in contact with, her dedication and her faith. I learned so much from her while we lived there. I am so grateful for the wonderful woman she is and I am so proud to be her daughter-in-law. Thank you, Valerie, for being another mother and example that I can look to. You have become one of my best friends and I love you. Happy Mother's Day!

Milks Favorite Cookie

Last night I had this wonderful idea to make the most delicious cookies ever. And so I did. And they were delicious. These cookies, folks, are pretty difficult to make, but they are so worth it. Ok, who am I kidding? They're quite possibly the EASIEST cookie to make. Homemade Oreo's. Is your mouth watering yet? Mine is. I think I need to go grab one. . . or not. I don't need any extra weight around the middle, seeing as swimsuit season is fast approaching. If you have ever had an Oreo Cakester and loved it, then you will love these cookies x10. Even if you haven't had an Oreo Cakester or if you don't even like Oreo's in general, you will love these. They will become your favorite "go-to" cookie. So, without further ado, let me share the recipe and some delicious looking pictures for you all to enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 Box Devils Food Cake Mix
2 Eggs
2/3 Cup shortening

(Yes, that's really all the ingredients)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix ingredients together until well blended, then shape into small balls. (well, whatever size cookie you want. I make mine small so that they are similar sized to an actual Oreo, but you can make em big if you wanna! Just remember, the smaller they are, the more you can eat and not feel guilty about, right?! Right?? Please, just agree with me!) Bake cookies for 7-8 minutes and then let cool. Frost with either vanilla or cream cheese frosting and smoosh cookies together, like an Oreo. And, voila! Homemade Oreos!

If I am feeling particularly ambitious, I make homemade cream cheese frosting. Last night, however, I was not, so I used some Betty Crocker Vanilla frosting out of the can, and you know what? It's amazing. So, don't be ambitious. It's totally over-rated. I promise. And now, the pictures. Yay! :)






Now, go make some! And enjoy them for me, please. :)

Do You Read Nie Nie?

I haven't started reading Nie Nie. For some reason, I just haven't. I really don't know why. Maybe because I am a total softy and reading that might just make me too sad? Who knows. I do, however, know the story of what happened to Nie Nie and Mr. Nielsen. And I was inspired when I heard that they climbed up to the Y in Provo. I haven't even done that. But, when I stumbled upon this video yesterday, via Mormon Mommy Blogs, I felt so blessed. What an amazing man and woman, to come out of a trial like that and to be grateful for all they have. I suddenly realized how often I complain about my stomach or thighs getting a little flabby or my hair not working with me, or some other silly, petty complaint. What on earth do I have to complain about? Absolutely NOTHING when compared to Stephanie Nielsen. She is an inspiration to us all. And I think I might just start reading Nie Nie.