29 Weeks!

Hey little man! This week was pretty eventful! 

On Thursday I was making dinner and got a phone call from your Grandpa Stika. He asked what I was doing and when I told him just cutting up raw chicken he said that it was better than what he was doing. He continued on to explain that he was stuck in Beaver, Utah. His truck was broke down and he asked if I could bail him out. Umm ... of course! That's what kids are for right? Since your Dad had to work early the next morning it was going to be you and I to the rescue! I packed an overnight bag and off I went! First I stopped off in Pleasant Grove to grab some gas plus parts and tools. Then pointed the car south and drove 2 hours and 20 minutes to Beaver. Grandpa and I grabbed dinner at the diner next door and I of course had to get my ice cream for dessert! That's something I can't live without. It's gotta happen every night. Ice cream and Hershey's chocolate syrup. YUM! Anyways, after dinner Grandpa started on fixing the car and he convinced me that a long hot shower was a good idea. And he was right! It felt nice on my sore back after the car ride. After I was done with my shower and Grandpa was done fixing the car we watched some basketball for a while and then the news. Then it was definitely time for bed. I sure missed sleeping next to your Dad but it was sure nice to be able to hog up an entire bed to myself! Well, myself and all that space my belly takes up now!

In the morning we got up and went to breakfast around 7:30. Grandpa and I ordered the same thing, of course, and then went back to the room to get ready to go. It was so much fun to spend time with him. I realized more and more how alike we are in so many ways. The apple didn't fall too far from the tree when it comes to the two of us. 

After he made a few business phone calls it was time to check out of the hotel and head on our way. The drive home seemed a lot shorter but my back was sure more sore the second day. This is a picture of the lovely view I had on the drive home. See how much there is to look at?? haha Actually, I really enjoy long drives. I find it relaxing with lots of time to think. I love to blast the music and it sure seemed like you did too! Whenever I turned up the music loud you started kicking and flipping like crazy! Maybe the apple won't fall too far from the tree with you either!

Here's a picture of the mileage from the trip.

On Friday Jess and her cute boys came over to visit for a little while in the afternoon. She brought a bunch of maternity clothes along with her and oooh they are so cute! I have felt pretty frumpy and large lately so having some cute new clothes to wear was a great change of pace. I love their visits! She's so much fun to talk with and get advice from and ooh her boys are so adorable! I sure hope you guys are buddies when you grow up! They are moving to Lehi right around the time you'll be born. Hopefully that means spending even more time getting to know those cute cousins of yours! 

After Jess and the boys left your Dad and I just hung out at home and ordered some pizza. Later that night Savannah came over and she slept over. 

Saturday was such a nice day! It was a whopping 50 degrees in Utah. FINALLY! It has been so stinking cold here that when it hit 50 I had to fight the impulse to throw a swim suit on! Okay, maybe not that warm but hey, you get the point. Your Dad had drill up on base this weekend so I had a day wide open with nothing to do. I took the time to clean the house and get laundry done in the morning then Savannah and I headed to Walmart to pick up a few things. After that it was off to Grandma and Grandpa Stika's. When we got there Savannah headed inside and I headed right back outside with Grandpa. We decided that since it was so warm we might as well wash the cars! It was so nice to be outside and it really started to feel like spring in my home neighborhood again. A few neighbors stopped by to chat while they were out and a lot more honked and waved. I just love how being at home feels. 

Just before we were done washing Grandpa's truck your Dad showed up after drill. About an hour later we headed to Chubby's for dinner and met your Grandma Chadwick and Haley for dinner. Your Grandma was going to the temple and needed us to babysit Haley for a little while. We ended up grabbing ice cream then going to Target to exchange a shirt that was to small for Haley. While we were there your Dad and I picked out this sweet swimming suit for you. I am SO excited to see how handsome you are in it!? I keep looking at it in your room and how tiny it is. You are going to be the cutest little guy ever. I just know it. 

On Saturday night your Dad went to bed pretty early because he had to be back on base early the next morning. Since I wasn't tired yet I decided to do a little reading. I love reading. That night it was hard to focus on the book though. I was resting it on my belly and you just weren't having it! You would kick and squirm until I moved the book off of my belly. I finally took the hint you were giving me and rested the book on a pillow instead. It seems like you think that belly is all your space and you don't like sharing! We will have to teach you how to share eventually but for now, it was just too cute :)

Sunday was another typical Sunday and I loved it. I had to go to church by myself since your Dad was still on base but once he got home we headed over to Grandpa and Grandma Stika's for dinner. We had yummy BBQ hamburgers, potato salad, and baked beans for dinner. Ooh that is one of my most favorite meals! After dinner we hung around in the family room, talked and ended the night with a few rounds of Yahtzee and lots of laughs. During the afternoon I was sitting on the couch and this cute pup jumped on the couch and curled up on my lap and laid his head right against your belly. I don't know if this is factual or not but I am pretty positive he knows you are in there. He always nestles next to my tummy when he comes and sits by me which he has never normally done before. I know I tell you all the time how excited everyone is to meet you but now you can really see it! Even the family pet is excited to meet you! :)

Monday your Dad and I went and got our taxes done. I sure can't wait to get that tax return deposited into our checking account in the next couple weeks! Too bad it'll all go straight to bills but hey, it's a whole lot more money than we were planning on so I'm happy with that :) After that we came home and got dinner ready together. We invited Grandma and Grandpa Stika over for dinner and to watch one of our favorite TV shows called Duck Dynasty and The Bachelor together. It was so much fun to have them over. I lucked out with some dang cool parents! I sure hope you can say the same thing too someday :) We ate sweet and sour chicken over rice and had root beer floats for dessert. 

Ooh something else we did while they were over was register Grandpa and I for the deer hunt in hopes that we draw out again this year. Your Dad was a little jealous we get to put in because he will be gone all through October so he doesn't get to go hunting. Last year a big group of Stika's went and it ended up being a big family camping trip as well as a hunting trip. We are all doing the same thing this year. I am sure looking forward to showing you off to everyone! I put in for the hunt but I'm still not 100% sure if I will go. It depends on if Savannah or Grandma will go up and babysit you in the mornings while I go hunting with the boys. That is, if I even get a tag. We will have to wait and see! It's crazy to think that last year at the hunt I shared our exciting news that we were pregnant and now this year on the hunt I'll be bringing you camping with us! You'll be 5 months by then! 

The last thing I want to make sure I post about is when your Dad will be leaving. We FINALLY (after 3 months of waiting) have official dates for when he will be going to boot camp and tech school. It didn't turn out being what we planned at all but I really think that it is best case scenario for all of us. He will be leaving for boot camp on May 14th and graduates July 12th. That means he gets to be here when you make your grand entrance into this world and will leave a few days after. I think his time at boot camp is going to be the hardest time away. While he is there we only get one 15 minute phone call a week. That's so rough. I will of course be writing him letters and sending him pictures of you but it just isn't the same. But the good news is that he gets to come home after he graduates in July for a few weeks! That makes me SO excited because before he wasn't going to be back until you were almost 5 months old. This way he gets to come back when you are about 2 and a half months old for 7 and a half-ish weeks. He will leave again on September 6th and get back October 31st. This time will be much easier since it is just tech school. He basically will be in training classes Monday - Friday from 9-5. He can have his cell phone with him, access the internet, and do whatever when he isn't in class. That means we can Skype or Facetime with him every day and talk to him as much as we want. YAY! Much better than his time at boot camp right? So that is where we stand with all of that business. Now that we finally have dates I can book our flight out there and all that good stuff :)

I am getting more and more excited to meet you every day little man. You are all I think about! It's hard to think about anything else anymore! I'm busy planning out what other things we need before you get here or what I'm going to wear that day that is complimentary to this big belly of mine or I'm thinking of all the fun things I can't wait to do when you get here. You are always on my mind buddy and I love you already more than words can say. You are already my little companion and make me smile so much. I love feeling you wiggle around and it makes your Dad and I laugh when you kick at his hand. I can't believe how blessed we are. And how happy we are. I couldn't have imagined life any better than this if I had tried. I look back years ago when I wondered what my life would look like and I honestly don't think I could have imagined this. Your Dad is incredible and I love him more and more every day. I have a handsome boy that I get to meet in just a few weeks growing healthy and strong. My relationships with my family members are stronger than they have ever been. I have the greatest friends in the world around me who I know would do anything for me. The list goes on. There are aspects of life that are hard right now though I can't pretend like it is all rainbows and butterflies but those things are so small compared to all the good that is around me. I truly am blessed.