Tender Mercies

When I was a college student, I was given a syllabus at the start of every semester. It laid out exactly what I needed to do to earn an A: turn in all assignments on time, go to office hours, study, and email my professors when I had questions. Getting an A was pretty straight forward and though lots of work was required, I was able to obtain my goal. I've learned that pregnancy is not like this. There is no owner's manual (even though What to Expect When You're Expecting  can be a good resource, it's not perfectly tailored to the individual).  During this pregnancy, I have learned that no matter how well I eat, sleep, exercise, or do what my doctor advises, the pregnancy is still going to do what it wants to do. I need to surrender . Surrender to the way my baby girl has decided to grow, all while doing  my best to be my best, healthy self. This is not a "check-the-box" approach like getting good grades in college was.  When I began this pregnanc

We've had five years together. A perfect time to celebrate each other, our marriage, and the upcoming arrival of our little girl. We really wanted to have a get-away, so on Black Friday morning we hopped into the car and drove 3 hours to Omaha, where we attended the Winter Quarter's Temple, visited the Pioneer Museum, meandered around downtown Omaha, and ate a three course meal at Dario's Brasserie , a candlelit European style restaurant with a French flair. That night we stayed at the cozy Crescent View Bed & Breakfast  , just 15 minutes northeast from downtown Omaha. On Saturday we played at the Omaha Zoo and ate lunch at Block 16 , a foodie location for mouthwatering decadent sandwiches. From all of the good food we ate during this weekend, I never felt my stomach grumble once. That's pretty impressive for a pregnant gal.  Our beautiful meal at Dario's consisted of a shared appetizer of cevapcici (grilled flatbread with tender mini sausages and two d

October 2007 Miss Potter Central Pacific Regional Championships Bountiful, Utah Last month I sold nearly all of my old skating dresses on eBay, freeing up some much needed space in the closet for this new chapter in my life. I kept my two favorites, but packaging up my other dresses and shipping them off to people who could use them was extremely satisfying. I loved the idea of giving the dresses that my mom so lovingly and painstakingly made for me, a second life.  Through this post I want to chronicle the nearly decade of dresses that my mom made and the music I skated to, in hopes that these memories will live longer than some old dresses in a closet.  The Early Days:   For about 2 years I was part of the synchronized skating team in San Jose. My naivete is adorable.  Finally, in 2003 at the ripe old age of 13, I competed in my first recreational competition as a soloist. Good-bye synchro, hello singles.  This blue dress below was the first dress that my mom

Sometimes it's hilarious how old I feel when I go to any ROTC function, especially a formal ball. Having a rounded belly doesn't help this fact either! Despite being older than most every other cadet and their date, I sure had an enjoyable evening stealing glances from my favorite boy, eating chocolate cake, and dancing.  This was my 4th military ball with my husband, first one with baby girl in tow. Next year we'll have to get a babysitter.  I bought my dress from Zulily.com , hoping that it would arrive in time and fit well. Buying online has never been my favorite, but going to every single store in the KC metropolis to try and find a dress that was comfortable and fit my belly didn't sound like much fun. My $35 dress (after shipping was calculated) fit nearly perfect. And thanks to my hair-stylist friend, Julie, I didn't have to worry about doing my hair. Me and the curler are not friends.  Being my husband's date was a honor and privi

Everyone has a different path. A different way to accomplish a task than their neighbor, sister, brother, or spouse. Yet, we can all learn from each other and celebrate in everyone's "big wins."  When I lost my 3rd pregnancy in a row in April 2016, I knew I needed a plan. It had been 11 months of positive pregnancy tests, miscarriages, and grief. I'm not one to give up on my dreams. I always complete whatever I start, and I knew I hadn't given conception it's fair chance.  Sure, I had started taking prenatals a couple of years ago, improved my diet in 2013, and switched from over-exercising to healthy movement, all for the sake of improved fertility. But for me, it was time for my husband to get on board too. Conception is a team sport. You've got to have two healthy people to have the best chance at a healthy baby. It takes about 42-76 days for a sperm to mature and 90 days for  an egg, and many specialists suggest a 180 day pre-conception pla