Saturday, November 26, 2011

As of late...

What a week at the Gleed home! We had Cameron's first big actuary test, his birthday, and Thanksgiving all within three days and on top of my schooling and being pregnant. Perhaps all the stress and craziness is the reason I'm documenting this from bed because I'm sick. I think I've learned my lesson that my body is a little less invincible when I'm pregnant. I can still do a lot, but obviously not all at the same time. The past two days I've had a throat that feels like it is on fire, a cough (always makes for a great sounding man voice) chest pain (heartburn perhaps?) and just aches and pains in general.

About Exam P. To be an actuary you have to take a bunch of tests. You don't finish these until you are working in the field. The first one to take is a probablilty test called Exam P. They give you 3 hours and you have to get 18 out of 30 to pass. This was a $200 test but there was a BYU alumni that set it up that you would get reimbursed if you pass. No pressure right? Cameron has been working so hard to study for this test. He's got a class this semester that is geared specifically for that exam on top of spending countless hours in the actuary lab on campus going over practice exams. He was scheduled to take it Tuesday the 22nd at 1:00 in Lindon. Going into the test he talked to four other students in the class that had taken it and none of them passed. One of those students was the TA for the class! He dropped me off at school, went out to the test then picked me up afterwards. I got in the car and handed me a paper with the words a the top CONGRATULATIONS, You've passed Exam P! I could have cried I was so happy for him because he really had worked super hard for this. He said it was a lot easier than the practice exams that he'd been taking. He said there were 2 questions that he wasn't completely sure he got correct, but other than that he said it was easy. We have to wait for his official score for 8 weeks, but just knowing he passed is good enough. Since he passed, we get the 200 back and he automatically gets an A in his class for this exam. What a man! Good thing I have a wide open Saturday to do nothing but be lazy in bed.
The next day was his birthday. I didn't realize how much stress and pressure planning a husbands all day birthday would be. Gifts were easy to get for him since he told me what he wanted, but as for what to do, I was clueless. That morning I made him breakfast of eggs, bacon, hash browns and toast. We got ready then went to Alpine spinal somethin' somethin' to get half hour massages. After we came home and I finished up his birthday cake while he opened his gifts and watched his favorite youtube videos. After we were all packed we went to Sandy to Chuck-E-Cheese for lunch and games. After that we went shopping at Old Navy and Target for him to get new jeans since his only pair were pretty holy. After shopping we went to the dollar theater to see "The Help." It was really good. After that, we went to dinner with Jamie and Theron at Bucca de Beppo. (Jordan and Joanna gave us a gift card there.) Dinner was great, Jamie and Theron are a lot of fun to be with. When we went out to our car, the battery was dead. Luckily, Jamie and Theron were still there so they jumped us. My favorite part of the day was coming up. I had reserved a room in a hotel a few days ago. I got a super good deal and was so excited. I love staying in motels. We went to the motel and just hung out and watched Inception. Well, Cameron watched it, I slept. The next morning we were headed up to Bear Lake for Thanksgiving. We got out to the car and again, it was dead. We knew something was wrong because we didn't leave any lights on, there was no reason why it would be dead. I found these nice people (from Jackson) to jump us. Right when I put it in gear, it died again. They jumped us a second time and that got us enough battery to get to Jamie's house. It died again as we were pulling into their driveway. Jamie jumped us again and we got down the road about a mile when it died again. I called dad and he said to buy a new one or we wouldn't make it home. Jamie took us to Walmart where we got a new one and Scott changed our battery for us. What would I do without a kind and helpful family? I'm so blessed. After that, it worked great. We made it home just fine. We were supposed to take Grandma Sorenson home from the hospital since she had shoulder surgery on the 23rd but she didn't want to go home so we just went straight to Bear Lake. It was so good being home. Mom had the tables set so nice. We had, Mom, Dad, Emy, Morgan, Cameron and I, Trice, Phil, Colton, Wynden, Krystal, Sean, and Griff all at our house. Taylor was going to come but he broke his arm that morning snowboarding so he was home. I took up a salad that is tradition in Cameron's family. It was a jello salad.
1 box lemon jello (not sugar free)
1 can crushed pineapple
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups half and half
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese.
Make the jello. In a saucepan mix sugar with pineapple, barely bring to a boil. Mix pineapple with jello and put in fridge. Wait until it's almost set up. (not to soupy but not hard jello) Fold in half and half and cheese. Refrigerate.
I'm pretty sure that is the recipe. It was his great grandma Brown's recipe. After dinner we played games with the Wards. Dad was super kind and changed our oil in the freezing cold. What a great dad I have. After that we watched UP as a family since Dad and Morgs had never seen it. Then we played more games and went to bed. It was a good day. Yummy food and good company. Friday we went to town and shopped for a bit before mom was nice enough to buy us the best food ever....Studabakers Pizza. Y.U.M!!!! After that, Cam and I took a nap then drove home. We stopped at Darci and Joels do drop off some stuff. All I can say is that I have the cutest nieces and nephews EVER! Love them! Then we stopped at Grandma and Grandpa Gleeds in Layton. They are the kindest people. They always feed us and I've never left there empty handed. She's always giving us canned goods or something wonderful. I do love spending time with them. For Thanksgiving, they wrote us a letter. One thing she said really stuck out to me of writing how I feel throughout the pregnancy. Here goes...
The other day I had just finished doing "Yoga Mama." At the end of the workout the instructor lady says how important it is to talk to your baby starting in the 4th month which is where I am. I sat in my big red chair and did just that. I told my baby all about my family and Cameron's family. It was kind of emotional when I was talking about what cousins it will have and how it's probably already met Kanatha. I hope so. While I was chattin' away, I thought I felt it kick but it wasn't because what I felt was way to high on my belly and way to fast. I am looking forward to the time when I can feel the baby and know for sure that is what it is. It's exciting to think that it could happen any day! Woo! Being pregnant is fun and I'm excited to know what we are having. I've had dreams that it is a boy and I read yesterday in a magazine that your dreams are often correct. After we find out the gender it's onto finding things for it and picking a name! EXCITING!
Cameron and I go to the temple every Saturday which is a wonderful opportunity since we live less than five minutes away from the Provo temple. Today when we went I decided that I needed to make some goals. I did so well with my goals last year that it must have burnt me out because I have had basically zero goals this year. I think I'm a little backwards now that it's past Thanksgiving and I'm just making my goals. Wow, maybe punctuality should be a goal! :)

* Graduate--April 26-27, 2012
* Write Gram and Shezzy at least once a month.
* Finish Doctrine and Covenants
* Bake something with my pumpkins
* Stay within grocery budget
* Stay within Christmas budget
* Read 3 books next semester
* Keep up cleaning Mondays
* Exercise everyday from next semester on
* Crochet something
* Make something (blanket, hat, clothes) for the baby
*Organize coat closet
*More journal writing
* Find car to buy
* 100% Visiting Teaching

That's all I can think of right now. I'm sure I'll come up with more once I talk to Cameron. He's got lots of good ideas. I think that's about all for tonight. I suppose I should look over my philosophy since I have a test this coming Thursday.

Enjoy the pictures all from Cameron's GOLDEN birthday!






Sunday, November 13, 2011

The inter-workings of a 4 month pregnant lady...

I've written about my feelings about being pregnant now it's time for me to write about my other feelings of being pregnant. All I can say is that if being pregnant will always be this easy (so far at least) then I will multiply and replenish the earth single handedly! I haven't had morning sickness at all. At least not the puking type of morning sickness. I always thought I'd be a typical woman and have a missed period, barf my guts up daily and feel like crap then take the pregnancy test and find out the reason. needless to say that I was honestly surprised that the pregnancy test was positive because I hadn't been sick. I had been more tired than usual but I thought that was just because I'm taking 21 credits this semester and so my body was just trying to adjust to the schedule. I will say, that I did puke the day after we found out. I'm pretty sure that it was mostly a mental thing rather than a physical sickness. As any new mother is, I was full of "I'M GOING TO HAVE A BABY!!! Are we ready for this? Can we afford this? Do I know enough? We've only been married a few months. What are we going to name it? What if it isn't cute?" Granted, the what if it isn't cute question didn't last long because Hello, I'm it's mother and Cameron is it's father. How can that be anything BUT the cutest baby/person ever!?
At first I had to pee OFTEN! It was kind of annoying! I'd get up multiple times a night to go to the bathroom. This last week or so it's been better. Maybe it comes less, or maybe I'm just good at ignoring it. Who knows. :)
I have noticed my mood changing a bit. I'm a lot more annoyed with people than I ever have been. I feel that every night at dinner when I tell Cameron about my classes there is always someone that does or says something stupid. I have a designated person in everyone of my classes that annoys me. The sad thing is, it's not just people in my classes either. I've had a hard time getting to know people in my ward too. I've never struggled making conversation with strangers and meeting new people, but I find that I've had a hard time with that lately. I guess that's not something that pregnancy is completely to blame for but the last few months, my people skills have gone into hibernation. I'm also a lot more emotional. A few weeks ago, I was listening to a conference talk while washing the dishes while doing laundry after I cooked dinner and I just burst into tears. No reason, just started crying. I tried get it all worked out before Cameron came home because how silly would I be if I was sobbing with no reason for it. I was unsuccessful because he came in the door moments later and came to hug and kiss me as usual. When he kindly asked me what was wrong, I felt so foolish telling him that I really didn't know why I was crying. He was kind and just let me be a weird emotional woman. That hasn't been the only time that happened. It's a weird thing.
What I really struggle with is being frustrated with some of the small things Cameron does. I feel like a horrible wife after realizing that I'm being really petty and instead, I need to be grateful instead because he really is the most adorable, hardworking, fun husband ever. I am blessed to be able to call him mine.
I'm also super jumpy. I get scared over the smallest noises, sights, or touches. I was getting a drink of water a few weeks ago and some of my hair was just on my right shoulder, but I didn't know what it was and I literally jumped when I turned to look at it. Yes, small ridiculous things like that. Cameron has enjoyed and taken advantage of that. Actually, I jump at things he does even when he isn't trying to scare me, it just happens.
The last little while I've had a lot more headaches than I've ever had. My whole life I haven't had many headaches until the last month or so. They really haven't been to painful, just more annoying than painful. I've tried to take my mother's infamous advice of "drink more water" and what do ya know, it usually works. I've also had lower back pain. It's not super often, but when it hurts, it really hurts. Shooting pains, OUCH! The lady that lives above us, Joanna, had the same problem and tonight she gave me some stretches that helped her. Now I'm prepared, bring it on!
I think I started showing at about week 14. Cameron couldn't really tell but my size 10 jeans were no longer comfortable to wear. Darci gave me a suggestion of putting an elastic around the button so you could wear them undone but not look like they were undone. Brilliant! However, I have now gotten maternity pants which I've decided are like Manna from Heaven. They feel so much better on my belly and they look a lot more flattering to my ever growing waistline. I like the ones with the full panel that I can pull clear up over my belly. I love them! Now that I'm in week 16 (tomorrow at least) I actually look like a pregnant lady. Darci gave me some maternity shirts yesterday and it is more fun than I thought looking pregnant! I'm sure I'll get sick of my clothes and body shape eventually, but right now I'm enjoying it.
Speaking of Darci, this past Thursday the 10th Adam called me at 7:30 in the morning to tell me that his mom was going to have a baby too! I didn't believe him, but it's true! Darci is due May 12th! I am so excited! I've always wanted my kids to have cousins their same age and now they will! The first one will at least. She said the rest of my 9 kids will be up to Morgan to provide the cousin. I've felt like Mary and Elizabeth. I wonder if our kids will leap with joy inside the womb when they get near each other. What fun. She's started to get a little belly, but I'm definitely bigger than her.
Melody asked me last time what I weighed and I didn't know because I was nervous to look. I've been eating a lot more and only exercising 4 times a week for 30 min. and so I figured that the number on the scale would reflect that, but I was brave the other day and stepped on. I started out weighing 166 and last Friday I weighed 169. I was shocked! I celebrated by eating some leftover Halloween candy!
Well, I think that's about all for tonight. It is fun being pregnant! I find myself talking to my belly which actually isn't as awkward as it seems. It's just like talking to myself only different. I'm excited to be a mom and can't wait to meet the little guy or gal! I love it already!