Valuable Lesson and Random Thoughts

Well, I learned a lesson today. And that is, do NOT delay prayer. Make it your first resort rather than your last. I have been looking for two completely random and unrelated items for a while now and pridefully thought I could rely on myself to find them. Finally, I said a prayer and then somehow found both things within ten minutes. I feel very foolish. So save yourself some time and embarrassment and PRAY FIRST!

By the way, the items were a TJMaxx giftcard and the plug to an electric skillet. Totally random, but I really needed them both! I need to thank Heavenly Father for teaching me that lesson.

Also (unrelated) I am craving corned beef and cabbage right now. Not like recently but right now. Luckily Dalin will be home from work soon and he is bringing me some Olive Garden...guess that'll have to do... ;) I am so pumped. Baby girl must be, too, because she is pushing her feet (or some body part) against me a lot right now. By against me, I really mean against the inside of my uterus. She might just be stretching out, but I would not be surprised if she is as hungry as I am.

I'm hoping this week flies by! I can't wait for the weekend...first Saturday off in three weeks...woohoo!

 

This is me with my first ever (self-done) sock bun. I actually think it looks a lot better in person than it does here...my wonderfully honest 13-year old brother called me after seeing these pictures and asked me what that "muffin thing" was on my head. Then he said it looks stupid and that I should take it down. Love that kid. 

I hope everyone is having a fabulous week!

The Dreaded Glucose Appointment

K, it actually wasn't that bad. In fact, after downing half the drink in my first long sip, I thought it almost tasted kind of good for a second. It just tasted like a very sugary (and cheap brand of) orange soda. As I continued, it got a little bit harder, knowing I had to finish the bottle in five minutes and not really wanting to drink any more. Between sips I realized there was kind of a nasty aftertaste to the drink. But I finished it and drank a few sips of water for good measure. 

Meanwhile, I had wasted so much time worrying about the drink that I had not had time to worry about the blood drawing. The nurse who did it asked if I ever passed out giving blood and I said no but that I almost fainted once (luckily my brother Payson was there to catch me). I told her I just need to be distracted the whole time because I tend to over think about it and then get light-headed from being so anxious. So she asked me a question and I turned my head and just started talking while she messed with my arm. I didn't look at all (usually I peek) and after it was fine! She did say, "Oh sorry!" at the end and I thought, "What does that mean?" because she hadn't hurt me at all. 

Later at work when I took the tape and cotton off I realized I had two little bruises in the crook of my elbow. It kind of looks like a vampire bite. It freaked me out because that has never happened to me while giving blood before but everyone told me it's pretty common and that it's totally fine. I'm still alive so I would have to assume they were right. 

Other than that, yesterday was pretty normal except there was an excessive amount of traffic around campus due to graduation. SO many people and so many visitors. Translation: SO many bad drivers all crammed together. It was pretty annoying but I tried to look on the bright side--graduation means spring semester which means almost everyone gets out of Provo! I will be the first to admit I LOVE when everyone leaves because there is way less traffic both on the road and on campus. 

Also, Dalin had to be at work at 7am so lucky me, I had to get up at 6:15am, too. I actually used to be really good at getting up early thanks to early morning seminary back in high school. I used to be the one having to drag Payson out of bed to get to seminary on time...which meant 6am. Well poor Dalin is now the one practically dragging me. He can tell I really don't like to be touched or spoken to in the morning (I didn't have the happiest of faces on) so he pretty much just gave me reminders about the time and then went to the car to wait for me which usually makes me hurry up. I am sure I will get used to the new schedule eventually (especially once we have a baby getting us up at all hours of the night anyway) but it kind of stinks because there is almost nothing to do between 7am and 8am around here. No stores are open (I already checked Target) and I don't have to be at work until 10am on a normal day. If I were the exercising type that might be an option. Unfortunately, I'm not unless it's something fun (like cycling). On that particular morning (yesterday, I mean) I had plenty of time to drive by the hospital I'll most likely be delivering at and see where we're supposed to go (so I can hopefully guide Dalin where to drive me) and I even registered at the hospital. Three months early. But the lady said it was a good idea. And I have to say, if I had been in labor while answering those questions, I would not have enjoyed waiting around to share dumb things like my workplace's phone number and whatnot.


So anyway, I need to figure out what to do each morning between 7 and 10am. I suppose there is always cleaning to be done...blah!
What do you think I should do so early in the morning?
Are you an early morning person? (Or have you been forced to become one?)
What is your routine?

Quick Tip (Save Money on E.L.F. Makeup!)

So I received a $10 giftcard for e.l.f. makeup which I was really excited about. 
The only problem is you can ONLY use these online (at least, to my knowledge and Google's apparently). So I did a little research because $10 doesn't go too far when the flat rate for shipping is $6.95. First I checked if e.l.f. ever does free shipping deals. It looks like not very often. But wanting to use the card fairly soon, I checked if there was any other location where I could use the giftcard. The answer was no. So then I started looking for deals. And finally I had some success!

Using a code at this link, http://www.dealigg.com/story-elf-Cosmetics-Coupon-Codes-Promotions I was able to get $5 off. I used the "bdayfive" code. Then, because they happened to be having a sale on the products, plus with the added bonus of my $10 giftcard, the total for me came to $0! I got two products I really wanted to try and they should be here by the end of the week. So I'm psyched! If I had been patient and waited for a shipping deal, I probably could have done even better.

Anyway, I hope this helps someone out. I thought it was pretty awesome. Also, I've never used e.l.f. products before so I'm really looking forward to trying them out! Best of luck!

25 Weeks...15 to go!

How far along? 25 weeks (clearly, from the title)

Total weight gain/loss: about 10 lbs!
Maternity clothes? Only have one pair of maternity pants (thanks to Dalin!) and a few cute maternity shirts. I fit into pretty much the same things I did before.
Stretch marks? Not yet!
Best moment this week: Feeling her move around last night. We can't figure out what on earth she was doing but she completely readjusted. She also kicked me a lot but that's normal.

Miss Anything? Sleeping without suffocating under my heavy belly.
Movement: She is SO active! Especially when I lie down, she just goes crazy. It's fun to feel but it gets a little annoying when I'm trying to relax or fall asleep. Some of those kicks take my breath away (and what I mean by that is that although they don't hurt, they can be surprisingly strong). 
Food cravings: Just ice cream. And grapefruit. 
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope! 
Have you started to show yet: Yep! Especially from the side. Someone informed me you can't tell I'm pregnant from the back which was kind of comforting.
Gender: Cutie girl!
Labor Signs: Not really but definitely a few changes I won't be putting on here! 
Belly Button in or out? In, thank goodness! But barely--it's flat!
Wedding rings on or off? On. Still loose.
Happy or Moody most of the time: So happy! Only emotional when very tired or stressed. 
Looking forward to: Going to the doctor's! Not really looking forward to the Glucose appointment this week, but still. 

The Most Interesting Book I Have Ever Read

Yes, that is a bold claim. And no it probably is not completely accurate since "The Book of Mormon" has changed my life more than any other book. 

But this book is also changing my life.

It is called "The Anatomy of Peace." This is not a book that I ever would have chosen to read on my own. Never ever. Just looking at it for the first time, I thought that it looked suspiciously like a school book. 

It was actually Dalin who suggested that I read it because he has been reading it, too, in preparation for his new job. To be honest, it did not sound like something that would interest me. It seemed like the type of thing a Psychology major like Dalin would enjoy, but I couldn't understand why he was so insistent that I read it. 

Finally, I did. And I couldn't stop reading. Over a period of three nights, I read the entire thing. 

This book is amazing. 

And let me just say this book is for everyone regardless of religion. Though it makes no mention of Jesus Christ or any particular religion, it definitely promotes His teachings. I would say it is especially appropriate for a Latter-day Saint who is trying to change their attitude or lifestyle for the better. Or their marriage! I definitely feel that this book can benefit every single family. 

To give you a brief understanding of what this book is about, it discusses how we are constantly working against ourselves to achieve inner peace by filling our hearts with conflict. It tells the stories of a couple who has brought their struggling son to a camp which is supposed to "fix him." Little do they know that they are the ones who will be receiving the majority of the instruction. We are introduced to characters that all have unique struggles in their lives--which makes this book appropriate for anyone--no matter what stage in life you might be at. The instructors teach the parents about how they can recognize when their hearts are at war and how they can change their hearts--no matter how hard they are. I liked this quote: "If we have deep problems, it's because we are failing at the deepest part of the solution. And when we fail at this deepest level, we invite our own failure" (37, emphasis added). The book is all about identifying where we are failing and finding the solution. 

Still don't think it's is for you? Here's just one small blurb about what I learned:

This book has given me a more mature attitude toward life. It has brought more happiness to our marriage already as Dalin and I both work harder to see one another as people and not as objects. The book states: "We are always seeing others either as objects--as obstacles, for example, or as vehicles or irrelevancies--or we are seeing them as people" (30-31). Sound weird? It actually makes perfect sense in the book. I feel myself growing happier and my thoughts toward everyone are kinder. I have recognized things that I've been doing not quite as well as I ought to have been and I now know how to correct my thinking. 

If nothing else, the book has helped me be more at peace with myself. It really is a great book and I wish everyone would read it. The world would definitely be a happier place...but I think I'll be satisfied if at least one other person reads this book. You won't regret it!

You can find the book on Amazon right HERE. Maybe the library even has it. I would seriously just pick it up and read it if I were you and I promise it will be worth it. 

If you have any questions about this book, ask them! I'd be happy to answer them. 

Has anyone read "The Anatomy of Peace"? Have you read a book (besides "The Book of Mormon" ;) that has changed your life for the better? If so, I want to hear about it.