Great Expectations-Baby

So, Jared and I decided to have a baby and get our little family started.
I think most people were surprised that we didn't wait too long. But hey, it's what we felt was best for us and we were thrilled when we found out. 

The weeks we had to wait before our first doctor's appointment were long and agonizing. It felt like a lot of my friends were announcing their pregnancies, finding out baby genders, posting ultrasound pictures, etc. Jared and I were still waiting around to be able to announce and wonderful news! We both were so excited and bursting with excitement; we wanted to be able to tell people. The hardest part was waiting to tell our families. Secret keeping isn't something we're known for in my family. I felt like I NEEDED to tell someone.  And it didn’t help that people at work were making guesses as to who was pregnant because I just wanted to say “Me! Me! I’m having a baby too!” 

The moment came that we could publicly announce that we were expecting a little human being in August 2014. Many people congratulated us and some responses just made us laugh! We were beyond happy!

Thanks, Liz, for taking these for us!

Once the cat was outta the bag, we played the next waiting game: finding out the gender. Jared and I quickly agreed on a name for a girl, that one was easy. But deciding on a name for a boy, that wasn't happening. Our appointments 'til the ultrasound were going well. Baby's heart rate was normal, I was measuring okay and feeling great! Although, I never really had any major moments of not feeling good, I was mostly just exhausted at first. Despite comments like, "that must be a big baby in there" (cause that's what a pregnant woman wants to hear), I've been trying to eat well and keep up with some simple exercise. And I feel really good!

We arrived anxious to our appointment on March 28th. At the end of that visit we'd know- boy or girl.   We told the nurse we didn't want to know the gender during the appointment. She had us close our eyes at certain points and ended up writing it down on a piece of paper for us to read later. We were both amazed at the nurse's skill and expertise at discerning where that left foot or right arm was at with such ease. It was always amazing to see our little baby! It actually looked like a human now.  

After the appointment we went to breakfast and opened the envelope that had the answer inside. Jared saw where the nurse had written the gender right away. I, however, did not. Jared  had to point it out to me. 

The verdict was in...

BABY GIRL JACKMAN!  We were so excited! 

Isn't that a great profile? :)

I automatically went into baby buying mode. She's already got some cute outfits, a pack of diapers and wipes, stroller just arrived yesterday, we've registered for baby things and we need to go pick up the crib from my grandparent's house. Things are starting to come together. 

This experience has been amazing. There have been ups and downs, along with some emotional breakdowns (which we usually end up laughing about afterwards) but we're learning together. I'm so grateful for Jared and all the love, support, kindness and understanding he shows me. It's mind blowing that I'm growing life. I love being able to feel her move around and see the changes in my body. 

23 weeks & growing

We love this little babe so much and she isn't even here yet. Here's to the next big adventure in our life! We're excited to be parents! Cheers! 

Birthdays Galore!

  We're older and...wiser, sometimes. That means we've both celebrated birthdays!  Jared's birthday was on October 6th and mine was November 4th.

     When we were deciding what we wanted to do for our birthdays and we both said, "Oh, let's just keep it simple. We'll just go out to dinner, spend time together, etc." And of course, Jared fell for my trap. It was our first birthdays together as a married couple, so I HAD to do something cool!
     Since Jared's birthday was the same weekend as General Conference, we decided that we'd "go out to dinner" on Friday. In the meanwhile I had been planning with my sister and Jared's best friend to have a surprise party for Jared. Bwhaha!
    Once Jared was up and at 'em I gave him a birthday card. Inside it was the first clue. It the beginning of a scavenger hunt that lead him to different things that would help him get ready and so that we could get out the door! The last clue was in the car and it said something about going to the place of our very first date. While we did go to Zupas on our first date, we had also gone back to my parent's house... So the blind fold went on and the drive began!

     It was perfect. Jared's friends and some of my family were there. He opened presents, we sang happy birthday, ate cake (which was a Pinterest success!) and enjoyed the company!

    The birthday celebrations for Jared continued the next morning. We went down to the Farmer's Market in SLC, ate at Bruges and we went to a wedding.

 

   Next up was my birthday. I turned 25, a quarter of a century. I can now rent cars, my insurance can go down, and whatever other perks come with being 25. 

   Jared was a complete sweetheart. We went to breakfast in the morning at Ihop where I enjoyed some yummy French toast and a hot chocolate. 

   Unfortunately, since my birthday fell on a Monday, I still had to go to class. But after class Jared and I went over to my parents' home to open gifts and wish Liz (my twin) happy birthday as well.

To end the night we went to the Desert Star Playhouse to watch The Hungry Games. And it was awesome! We ate dinner there and came home to a cute little set up. That cake was delish. 

     

The Royal Wedding

Move over Kate Middleton and Prince William, we just got married. June 14, 2013 Jared and I were married. It was the most lovely day of my life. But let's rewind and recap for those who weren't there with us.
June 13, 2013- It was a day of last minute preparations. My brother, Nick and his wife, Allison were in town for the wedding from Washington and so we decided to take advantage of everyone being here and had our family photos taken by the fantastic Lyndsi (check her out here: http://lyndsiespinelphotography.blogspot.com ).

Afterwards, Jared and I split ways for the remainder of the day. He went and cleaned the car, the apartment and got ready for the wedding dinner later that night. I, well, I can't even remember what I did... But I'm pretty sure I made sure all of my things for The Royal Wedding were ready. I probably even took a nap.
At 7:00pm the Jackmans, the Buckners and some other close friends all got together for the wedding dinner. We ate homemade Cafe Rio, which was delicious, and mix n' mingled. Speeches were made, tears of joy were shed and laughter was had. I said goodbye to Jared for the last time as an unmarried woman. I rode home with my sister, Liz.
I felt tired once we got home, but only slept 30 minutes. I went downstairs to watch a movie, it didn't work. I texted Jared, he was still up. We were both anxious. My Mom gave me half a Valium to calm my nerves. I eventually fell asleep.
June 14, 2013- The Big Day. Hair and makeup all done by 8:00am. Things packed and ready to go by 9:00am. My sisters were getting ready and we were all getting excited. I got a blessing from my Dad and we headed out the door to the temple. We arrived at 10:00am. We saw Jared as we were parking and then ran into his parents on the Temple Grounds. He held my hand and was so attentive to me as we walked into the temple.
We were sealed and married in the Salt Lake Temple at 11:40am by Jared's grandpa. It was a beautiful ceremony and we were happy to share it with our loved ones and friends. I couldn't stop smiling. It's the kind of happiness that's hard to describe. I married a wonderful man.
 After pictures were done, which took FOREVER. I remember that as we walked out of the temple we both just kept looking at each other and saying, "We're married," "You're my husband. I like the sound of that." Or "Hey, remember how we just got MARRIED?!" Once we made it to the car, we were starved. I was craving a frosty and some fries and Jared obliged me. We had just enough time to grab a bit to eat and drop our stuff off in the hotel.
The reception was beautiful. My mom and sisters did a wonderful job putting everything together. It was exactly what I had envisioned. We held the reception at the Kimball Home at This is The Place in Salt Lake City. Guests arrived and we greeted them as we saw them. The food was great, the DJ (Bridget) did a great job and the dancing was a lot of fun.
When it came time to make our getaway, the car was decorated and the crowd on the veranda cheered us on as we left. It was a lovely day that I will never forget.

And for your viewing pleasure, here are some highlights from The Royal Wedding.


                                                   Officially Mr. & Mrs. Jackman

Family

Friends

Some faves

The Royal Wedding Reception