Paul's birthday!!

Paul turned 24 last Saturday and we had a great weekend together!! On Friday night we went to eat at Texas Roadhouse- yummy!! I think I gained 5 pounds from the rolls but they were worth it!! We then went home and spent the evening watching Smallville and relaxing which was so nice after several busy weeks!! I was feeling overwhelmed with baby things which were lying all over the condo instead of organized in any way, so Paul was sweet enough to say he wanted to spend part of the evening going thru everything. It really was fun to evaluate what we have and what else we'll need. On Saturday I tried to decorate with streamers although I didn't get very far since it required me to stand on a chair...a difficult balancing act at this point. I made waffles for breakfast and then we ran lots of errands getting Christmas decorations and some of the baby things we still need.

We then splurged on some Taco Bell :) and then spent the afternoon relaxing at our place. It's so nice when we don't have millions of things to do on a Saturday!!

We decided it would be fun to have a few friends over to celebrate the day, and Paul requested that we watch Superman since it's his favorite hero. He wanted brownies and I did my best to make them festive...

I do realize that the correct superman symbol is red, not purple but we discovered that red food coloring doesn't actually look red, no matter how much you use!! It was yummy though and we had a fun evening.

On Sunday we had an amazing dinner with my family- Paul's request of ribs, au gratin potatoes, salads, and wheat rolls. We ate in the formal dining room which is quite the honor- way to go Paul!! He opened his presents and then we had dessert.

He requested cheesecake so my mom and I made one with a chocolate crust and raspberry sauce. I wish I had some right now! Here's the group shot- minus dad who was taking it.

Happy birthday my love!! Thanks for being so easy to please and for choosing to spend your big weekend with me!

36 Weeks

Here are a few pics at 36 weeks:

My family thought it would be fun to get a profile picture of me next to Paul to show how huge I am! :)
Everything is going so well!! I'm really tired and it's hard to get around, but overall I feel great and I'm so excited about it all!! Time is still flying by though which makes me nervous- I know that especially with the holidays this little girl is going to be here before I know it!

Baby Showers!

My cute friends and my amazing mom threw an incredible baby shower for me, as well as a mini-shower for the "roommates". The old group of us girls got together at Allison's condo for brownies & chatting like the good old days. It was great to see everyone! Here are a few pics:
Allison gave me adorable Italian shoes and then two great shirts- one that says i'm gonna grow up to be a tax accountant like mommy and one that says I'm one cute tax deduction- both perfect for the nerdy accountant in me!!

My mom is the most talented hostess I've ever seen- she knows how to plan a completely perfect event!! She spent days getting food and decorations ready for the shower- my favorite was the pink and brown cake that she made. It was her second time ever using fondant and it was incredible!! It looked better than my wedding cake! Pretty sure she could get paid the big bucks if she wanted to!

We had fun cooking some things together- I love doing anything with my mom who has become one of my best friends in the last few years!! She had the perfect idea of making cranberry muffins since they are my very favorite!

The girls in the family- my gorgeous sisters have been so supportive and excited through the pregnancy. I love seeing Alyssa & Cassidy often and just wish Jeanne & Kaitlyn could have been here for the shower! Jeanne has given me advice on a daily basis whenever I start to freak out about some aspect of labor or being a mom- I definitely would be lost without her!!

I love the diaper cake!!

Paul and I snuck a picture in before the shower started- he's been such a support through everything and is so patient with my emotions and my complaining and my tiredness!!

My supportive extended family made a huge effort to come even though some had to drive quite a bit!! My grandma, Aunt Joyce, and cousins Jill, Jennifer, & Kaisi were so fun to have there!! They have all been great examples to me and give me the energy to keep going when I get overwhelmed with the busyness of life!

My cute "roommate" friends! They all helped so much with the shower- the invites, games, decorations, etc. They thought it would be funny to take a pic with each of them touching my belly.

Alyssa & my mom spent hours sewing a darling pink and brown baby blanket- I love it and really appreciate their hard work!! They are so thoughful even though they are both extremely busy!

My mom gave me my blessing dress for Lyla to be blessed in- I'm so grateful that she saved it all this time!

My cousin Megan Sidwar has been a fun friend over the last few years and I've loved watching her cute family grow. It was fun to see her and I appreciated her help at the shower!! Paul's cute aunt Areta drive from Kaysville which was so sweet!! It was so much fun to see her and Paul's great Aunt Areta as well! They are both so supportive!

My mom has such sweet friends in her ward! Emily Hair, Colette Tervort, and Sarah Bradford are a few of the many who have made me feel welcome even though I'm not in the ward any more.

My amazing co-workers!! All of the girls I work with including Katie Rohbock, Candace Lish, and Katie Barnette have become such great friends!! I guess that's what happens when you spend 80+ hours in an office together some weeks!! We did recruiting at BYU together the day of the shower so they were wearing our EY shirts. I couldn't believe that they would go to the effort of coming to the shower- so sweet!! I'm really going to miss them when I'm on maternity leave!

I love the BYU ward we are going to and all of the sweet friends we have made!! These girls are all so amazing and I learn so much from them on a daily basis! I'm really going to be sad when we all separate in the next few months but it gives me hope of the amazing people I will find no matter where Paul and I end up!

Thank you to everyone who helped with the showers and who supported them by coming!! Where would we be in life without friends and family who constantly show their love and support? I have been feeling so grateful for the kindness of those around me and the many thoughtful things people do and say- it makes such a difference!!