a trip to the hospital

The day before the wedding I was having some weird symptoms & issues.

I called the doctors office & they said to just take it easy. Later I had some other issues & the nurse told me to go home & if it happened again to go to L&D.

Weston was freaked out with the thought of being told to go to L&D. I told him, I was freaking out until I knew there was something that I needed to freak out about.

I always feel bad calling the office & so I try not to do it, thankfully they're always so nice & understanding when I call with a concern.  I always preface it with "I'm sorry, this may be a really dumb question, but this is the first time I've ever been pregnant & I have no idea what are 'red flags' & what's normal!"

I went home from work & took a good long nap. We're talking a 2 hour nap. I cannot remember the last time I had a 2 hour nap, but oh my gosh. Maybe it's because it was Shark Week, but seriously it was a REALLY GOOD NAP.

I woke up & had some more of those symptoms & so off we went to L&D. They hooked us up to the monitor & yet again we had another medical person freak out about how active our baby is & also how low she is. Don't you worry, I can feel just how low she is. Ow.

It was fun hearing her heartbeat & we also laughed about how low the heart monitor for the baby had to be to even get her heartbeat. & then the loud noises over the speakers when she'd flip.  Then we'd have to readjust it & find her heartbeat again.  Little stinker.

I love it so much when she moves. She seriously is flipping around all the time all day/night long. It is the best part of every day!

This was our view outside of our room. Uhm, can we please get this room again when the real deal comes in a few months??!

 The sunset was gorgeous, too! 

 I don't know what all that stuff means, but her heart rate was great!

Everything turned out to be OK which we were thrilled about! The alternative was being in the hospital on bed-rest for the remainder of the pregnancy. No thanks! 

We decided to take our 25 weeks picture! Our due date is the 23rd of November for our induction, hallelujah! If we make it that far. I just tell our baby 'Stay in there as long as you need to be to be healthy...then you're more than welcome to hop out!'

 Happy campers to get to go home!

 We had a fun time acquainting ourselves w/ where our little babe will be all wiped down & foot stamped, etc! Weston is a little bit excited!

This little bean loves giving us a run for our money!

Weston's sister got married on Friday & it was a great ceremony!

The sealer was hilarious & quick, which was awesome, because I swear this summer all the sealing rooms have not had A/C or maybe I'm pregnant during a record breaking heatwave in Utah. Hmm, either way, so not cool.

Kellie was a beautiful bride & Lane is a pretty cool cat. We're excited to have another boy join the Brinkerhoff clan!

Our side of the tracks has had a seriously busy summer!

My sister got married in June, then a best friend in July & then a sister in law this weekend.

Not to mention all my side commission photography jobs. On top of working full time.

I have to say, I've got a pretty rockin' self esteem from the amount of work I'm able to squeeze into a day.

but I am embracing the fall with fully open arms!

Good-bye record breaking hot summer & hello relaxing times with cooler fall weather & baby right on the horizon!

Our little bean is growing like a weed beanstalk.  She is healthy & so active.  When I'm laying on the couch at night I just watch my stomach do dances that before I'd only seen in cartoons.  I LOVE feeling her move. It is seriously the most miraculous and incredible feeling. Weston loves feeling her move & is always shocked when he feels a super-charged kick or punch. Our next ultrasound is in 2 weeks & I am so anxious to see her again. She measured 1.1 pounds about 3 or 4 weeks ago & in my pregnancy 24 week e-mail on Monday it said she should now be weighing 1.1 pounds.  I can't imagine how much she actually weighs right now since she's definitely not on that site's schedule.

I watch our ultrasound movie almost embarrassingly often & watch her sucking on her thumb & then her bottom lip. Oh my goodness, it just makes it so real seeing her doing very real baby things.

Ah, I love her.

Talking to my mom a few weeks ago,  we were talking about something from last year & I told her how it's hard to imagine ever not being pregnant.  I love it so much. I was nervous that my body would look weird pregnant or that I would not feel beautiful with this big balloon in front of me. 

I know she's going to continue to grow & more changes are to come. Sometimes I look down & feel like that 10 yr high school reunion man with a beer gut.  Despite that, though, I really feel beautiful. If only, in the confidence of knowing that my body is doing something completely miraculous. I cannot understand how a woman can be pregnant & not know that God lives.

Weston, EMT-P

 My mom & dad were supposed to roll into town Thursday night around midnight. We were just going to see them at Weston's graduation Friday morning. Then this beautiful face came strolling into my work Thursday around 2. It was amazing. My boss let me check out early & we busted out of town!

We went down to Salem & my mom helped me clean my entire apartment. She is incredible.  Weston & I were planning on doing it that evening! 

 I pop these babies like Pringles.

She treated us to dinner at Firehouse Subs. Btw, if you've never been there...GO!

 Friday morning on our way to Weston's paramedic program graduation ceremony.

 He's so handsome!

 There were great speakers at the ceremony!

I'm so proud of my paramedic!

 Rachel, EMT-P.

 Giving some credit to the little bean!

 Weston & the program director, Captain Allred.

 Returning his fire uniform.

 Weston's parents gave him a very nice engraved pen for his graduation.

 This building has been home to Weston for about a year throughout his EMT program & the entirety of his paramedic program.

 The graduate chose Cafe Rio for his lunch of choice & Brick Oven for dinner with his entire family & my parents! 

 After lunch we went to Cabela's per Weston's request & spent a few hours of fun looking around!
My parent's gave Weston a Cabela's gift card as a graduation gift & he was too excited about it!

 Hello deer Dad!

We definitely stopped at the baby stores in the outlet malls.

I am pretty sure, Weston, Dave & my dad enjoyed it just as much as my mom & me. For real, no sarcasm. 

 My parents are obviously very concerned that we don't have a name nailed down yet :)

No, I have a lot of favorite names, but am really having a tough time finalizing anything. My mom & dad got us this book & we all looked through it reading different names.

Let me say, any of the names Weston & I pick will be better than a third of the names in that book. People are a little loco sometimes.

 We played games in every spare second in the hotel lounge!

 I took her bridals in the morning & then that afternoon Weston's sister went through the Mt. Timpanogos temple on Saturday & afterwards we all met for dinner at Texas Roadhouse. Hello 10 new pounds from this weekend...

(thank you mom & dad for treating us! You are so kind!) 

Weston's mom's birthday is in just a couple weeks! So she got the good Texas Roadhouse birthday song & saddle ride! She was such a good sport!

 Sharing a bed with Weston is like sharing a bed with someone who takes up the entire bed.

It was a great weekend! Weston is so happy to be done with his program & I am so proud of the hard work he has invested into his paramedic degree.  He is now preparing for applying to PA school & will hopefully be starting that in 2015. Whew, school is a wild ride.

Life is good & I am tired & my back hurts so bad all I can do is waddle around today!  

Our baby girl is growing quickly & really well. She is strong & active!

We are so excited to meet her!

Mr. Incredible!

I love being married to Weston. It's a lot of fun & we go to bed laughing pretty much every night.

Last night he had just scrubbed down the house & I had just gotten home from a church activity I was in charge of & he asked me how I was going to wear my hair to his sister's wedding.

I hadn't thought about it, so I asked him how he wants me to do it. I knew it was a bad start when it started with, "remember your hair on Sunday?" Uh oh.... remember THIS? How could I forget?

"Well, I really liked how big it was! I just didn't like the whole...bush monkey thing going on."

hahahahhaahha omg. Seriously, I'm laughing as I type this.

I love his descriptions. Perfect fit, I did look like a bush monkey that day.

So, I guess I'll be doing my hair big without the bush-monkey look.

Last night after work we needed to run some errands at Walmart.

I had to do my frequent run to the restroom. On my way out I passed a teenage girl who looked at me so sheepishly & said "You're really pretty!" It caught me so off guard. I smiled and thanked her. Wow, what a difference that made to my evening. I was tired and feeling haggard after pulling 10 hour days at work so that I can attend Weston's graduation on Friday.  Overall, I am tired & a little worn out from the exhausting months and with the anticipation of a lot of responsibilities coming up. I did not feel pretty. But wow, did that girl boost my mood! Thank heaven the world has sweet people like her to buoy us up!

People are so kind!

Attack of the tracker jackers.

This morning as we were leaving for work/school, I asked Weston to take a picture of my pregnant self.

I noticed that there was a wasp circling him. I ignored it thinking it was just hanging out on the driveway. It kept just buzzing around his legs & looked like it was about to fly up his shorts. I tried kicking it & Weston looked at me confused. I told him how there's a wasp that's been sniffing around his body while he was taking my picture. Then the wasp started chasing me. We were both running in circles like hyenas. 

We finally escaped him, jumped in the car & started driving off. I noticed there was a fly in our car when we got in & I was bugged. 

I swear the flies down there ride into our house & car on my shoulder.

I have a very "keep the door shut" policy at our casa to prevent bugs coming in. Simply bc if it is a flying bug, it likes to fly circles around my head all the time. I swear bugs are out to get me.

Back to my story. I'm driving  notice a buzzing sound in the car and just assume it was that dumb fly.

I look back & it was the wasp!! It was in the car w/ us!

Such a determined sucker. I have no idea how it hopped in with us. I rolled down the window & he was happy to leave.

This reminds me of the time that we were managers at an apartment complex in Provo. The apartments came furnished & when we moved in our furniture was a little worn down. SO, when it was a semester change, we went to the apartment above ours & switched out some of the furniture!  Well, when we were carrying down blinds, YES blinds. Our blinds did not cover our window all the way & we lived on the first floor. Talk about feeling vulnerable.  So while we were carrying down these full sized patio blinds a wasp started chasing us. It was going for blood.

Weston took off running like I've NEVER seen before. I was laughing so hard, because the wasp chased him down. Those are territorial flying things.  The only problem is they like to build their home attached to ours. Then they attack us as though they were there first. They were so not there first.

By the way we're 23 weeks along! I'm so very happy. This girl is STRONG too, even a few weeks ago I felt her pushing against my stomach & I could feel her back or bum with my hand! Last night she did it again, but she's MUCH bigger this time.

Another boring life update post!

Well this summer has been eventful! I like to call it the summer of weddings!

My sister got Married in June, my best friend in July & my sister in law in August!

I took pictures for all 3 of them as well as quite a few more this summer! It has been a blast & absolutely exhausting!

We sold the Geo this month! We were so excited & our buyers (Hi, Knotts!) were thrilled, too! We were happy to have one less car insurance bill & they were happy to have the college car for their daughter!

Since then we've been down to one car, which is fine, because we're really good at sharing. I have to admit, though. This week on Tuesday when I took 3 trips to Salt Lake in one day, I was ready to pull my hair out & was on the verge of tears at the end of the day from pure exhaustion.

Weston is a good sport & is very understanding & I appreciate his patience with me!

Last week was jam packed with lots of events! Most of them fun!

My aunt & uncle were in town to take my cousin to the MTC!

They came to church with me last Sunday & I loved it!

It was so fun to have family there in town & even more fun to not have to go to all 3 meetings by myself! Weston & I have been together to church I think once this summer. He has worked every Sunday.

Here is us at James' 'last supper' at Brick Oven. 

He was impersonating something here, he normally has a sweet shy smile on his face!

It was such a fun meal & I haven't laughed that hard or eaten that much atleast since I was home in TN a few weeks ago! hahah!

Jenna got married on Thursday! Wow, it was beautiful! I'm so sad because my phone died before the reception, so I was unable to take pictures, but it was GORGEOUS!

Isn't her dress stunning?

And it begins... swollen feet!

Weston was supposed to be at the fire station until this morning at 7am in SLC.

I dropped him off on Saturday morning & then Sunday morning I got a text from him that said that the ambulance's engine had caught on fire. hmmmm

So, I got to get him early.

Saturday I had a photo shoot & I was so wiped afterwards that I went home & showered & then slept all day long with my towel on my head. & my back hurt so bad later that I left the couch only for necessity after that!

I went to pick up Weston & figured I'd just wait in the car, but as

I pulled up, one of the firefighters invited me into the station, because it would be a minute.

I went inside & hung out with everyone forgetting about my bush head. When Weston came out from his room after he'd finished packing he said, "Oh, whoa, hi babe! Your hair is....huge."

hahahah I'd totally forgotten about my mane.

  I took this picture one day last week. It was a 4a.m. wake-up day. I wanted to die. Seriously.

BUT we survived the week & I slept every second I could this weekend! 

 Wes was a good little minion at all the fire stations this summer, just like an intern should be!

Here he's doing the dishes while we waited to get his final paperwork signed & head on our way!

He was so excited, this was his last clinical shift for his paramedic program. It's been an extremely taxing & very rewarding summer for him. He is such a hard worker. While averaging 100 hrs/wk he also was taking two other classes this summer. Do not ask me how he does it. I got tired just having to wake up early to TAKE him to these shifts...not even having to work the shifts also.

Also, we finally bought our baby a suitable dresser :) We have had all of her clothes collecting in a cardboard box. As we get nearer to due date we are figuring we need to start making space for our little bean!

We've made some good plans of where we'll put everything & I'm excited, because Weston's dresser that we dumpster dove for with Sydney a few years ago, that my mom refinished for us, will now be an awesome changing table! I am so excited! It's the perfect height. I daydream about those future times coming up. 

A few thoughts on our new awesome life that's about to come.

I was talking to Weston about how happy I am that I have so much experience with children. Starting when I was 12ish I was babysitting almost every Friday & Saturday nights for different families. Neighbors, ward members, etc. It was my pocket change that funded my movie nights with my friends, or generally, started my college saving fund.

As I got into high school, I started nannying during the summers & after school. I was so blessed to be able to nanny the world's sweetest children from great families. They had such structured lives that the children handled bed time very well & they were really sweet kids. They still had tantrums, health issues & cried during different times, but they were great children.  I told Weston how happy I am for getting that experience & being very familiar with babies/toddlers/children.

I do get nerves of the permanence of having a child, though. I feel guilty because we have wanted her so bad. I have known she was meant to come to our family & has been waiting in heaven for us. Yet, I still get nervous thinking, 'WOW, this is our last time together alone. FOREVER.'  But then I remember that this is how families begin, this is the starting process & it's a part of life. I am reminded that this is what life is all about; family. I have LOVED my family & even though I was an accident child, I love being so close in age to my sister. I am excited to hopefully give our children a great childhood like I was able to have.

 I am so excited to meet our little one & care for her. I know I can handle it & that I will grow to handle motherhood. I know the part I will struggle with most is the lack of sleep. I have never been a pleasant person on low sleep. That will be a challenge, but we will cope! :)

Those are just some thoughts on life & our peanut that's about to come.

We found out we were pregnant at about 4 weeks. Seriously, I thought it was going to be the slowest nine months of my life. Honestly, it's flown by. 

July is almost over...huh?

Don't ask me where time has gone. I am so glad it's passed quickly, though, because this has been a very challenging summer. Weston didn't have an income, yet was almost gone from the house as much has he was during fire seasons.

We were stretched thin on finances, yet, ends were always met. We have always been blessed that way. Now we're down to 4 months until our due date & possibly 3 or less until she comes. We're hoping she stays in the oven that long!

We have started feeling a little more frantic about preparations as we're about 23 weeks & my doctor gave us a good scare of preterm labor last week. We need to start prepping a little more seriously!

When did you pack a hospital bag? Also, when did you have your car-seat snapped in & ready to go?

These are things we have realized we need to start figuring out!

Also, I've asked a few people, but how do you feel about bumper pads on cradles/cribs?

I'm calling for any & all newborn gear/prep advice! 

Also, affordable jogging strollers? We've narrowed down to a few of our favorites, but I'd like your feedback!

Baby carriers? I'm all for being able to hold my baby with me, but be able to use my arms, too! What's your favorite baby carrier? Moby Wrap? Ergo carrier?

Any other suggestions feel free to shoot them my way.

Any favorite baby items you couldn't do without?

We only want to buy what's necessary, but not miss out on a secret life saver!

Weston has his paramedic graduation on Friday. WOW, I am so proud of him! He is so excited & I know he'll feel elated after being done. He still has to take his class finals for his paramedic courses & take his national certification test, but he's hoping to take the national certification test before Friday so graduation is THAT much sweeter.

Then he has his math final next week.

Wow, he'll be able to breathe before starting it all up another 20 credit hour semester for the fall!

He is cranking it out hard to graduate in December, a semester early!

Oh happy happy!

I had another doctor's appointment today! After a stressful few weeks we had a check-up last week at the perinatologist's office that was nothing but good!

Today we had an OB check-up & happiness was just floating through the air! For the first time this pregnancy I could tell my OB was REALLY really happy about how things were going. I always sensed a nervousness coming from him. Today he was really happy & said that he is very excited with how she is progressing!  He also informed us he will be shocked if she stays inside until 36 weeks even... Anyone up for a Halloween party? Ah, crazy. He was optimistic that she'll be developed though & may need to be in the NICU for a bit, but that she should be fine! Uh, if that's the case we need to start prepping our hospital bag just to make sure we're prepared!  Going to that visit today was so reassuring & just has me happy as can be! We are so excited to meet our girl & cannot wait for her to come, except we can wait until she's healthy, though!  Time is just passing so quickly & I cannot believe that we only  have 4 months left until our due date...meaning if she comes AT 36 weeks, we have 3 months until go time. Wow, that's surreal.

It has been so exciting, she started kicking hard enough for me to feel it on the outside & she kicks/punches ALL the time. She's an active little bugger. I cannot wait to meet her.  Spencer said he's so excited because she's already practicing her soccer skills...uh oh, be careful child, your uncles are very eager to teach you their ways...

I am now getting heartburn/indigestion regularly!  Those kicks & punches are worth every second of discomfort, though. It's incredible & truly miraculous!

Every marriage needs someone to play the girly part.

No one knows how to have a good time quite like avocados.

Baby Update

 We had another perinatology appointment yesterday which means more ultrasounds! Happyhappyhappy!

 She was in a really tough position to get a profile shot!

Her head is down (hooray) & her head is SUPER low the u/s tech said, making it really hard to try to get a picture of her face.

Here she is though!

Her head is arched all the way back!

She has grown so much since last time & is so so cute!

She is now over a pound!

Her head is about 80 percentile. She's got a Stolworthy noggin!

Her femur length was average at 50 percentile

& her tummy diameter is over 90 percentile! 

Looks like a cute little pot-bellied baby!

I can't wait to kiss that little belly!

I've labeled the U/S to assist with any confusion :)

It helped me if I held the picture upside down and looked at her face that way! She's sucking on her bottom lip!

It's so awesome to see her on the sonogram TV. She was so active and flipping all over the place, the tech had a hard time trying to get the measurement pictures.  They checked her for all sorts of malformations and ailments & as far as the ultrasound showed, she looks GREAT! Her brain, heart, kidneys, stomach, bladder and other major organs are functioning properly, her legs/feet and arms/hands are all developing normally. We could not be more thrilled.

We will take her any way she comes and love her to death, but it calms our minds to know she is doing well and is healthy.

She had her hands up by her face and just looks cozy and can be!

We love our girl!

So many people have asked about names. We are having a hard time narrowing it down (I'm actually the one being fickle). We will be going to the hospital with a list of top favorites and, when we see her, I'm hoping one of the names will jump out!

We also got word, for the first time, that if she doesn't come earlier they are going to induce me at 39 weeks.

We have loved all of our doctors and they are all very caring and sit with us and answer every question we have without giving a feeling of urgency or rush.

So, at the latest, little girl Brinkerhoff will be born the week before Thanksgiving!  I'm so so so in love!

Kickboxer Material

The little bun in the oven has been jumping/kicking/punching for joy over watermelon! At least after I eat it. I love feeling her move! Weston would put his hands on my belly every night that we were together & try so hard to feel her little kicks. No avail, they weren't strong enough yet at 19 weeks! Then I get to TN & literally the 2nd or 3rd night I was there I felt her kicking & thought "Those are really strong kicks!" I put my hands over her & there it was! I could feel it from the outside! I called Weston & told him! He was so excited, but also so bummed that he had to wait about 10 more days to feel it! Poor guy!  He's been working at a fire department since I got back from TN so I won't get to see him till tonight, but he is so excited to feel her kicking & moving! Monday night during The Bachelorette I was laying there w/ my hands on my belly & all of a sudden everything inside felt very tight, I pushed over her & rubbed my hands around & realized it was her bum or back pressing against the front of my stomach! It was the mos amazing feeling! I was so excited! Also freaked out with how strong that was & we still have almost half of the pregnancy left...she's only going to get bigger! I think she was pressing to tell me that Zak is a lot better than we thought & that he should probably be the next Bachelor!

Anyway, there's just a little fetal update for you.

Our little bean is growing like a weed & we get to see her tomorrow on the sonogram again! I can't wait!!

Picasso

One of the clubs I was in during high school years worked a booth at the Mainstreet Festival in downtown Franklin. We were doing face painting.

I painted lots of butterflies, cats, dogs, dragons, etc on cheeks!

One kid came up to me and asked for a hamster.

"A what?"

"A hamster."

He was probably 6 years old.

Uhm.... okay.... if you want it!

So, I proceeded to paint my best depiction of a hamster on his face.

This was my interpretation.

I really contemplated whether a tail would be anatomically correct.

When I was finished he looked stressed and displeased.

"Is that not the kind of hamster you were wanting?"

He continued to explain what he was wanting.

I was not following at all.

Then he points at a kid next to him that just had a cat or dog face painted on him that essentially looked like this:

"That is the kind of hamster face I want!"

hahaahahah whoops.

So,  we started over again & he left very pleased with his hamster face painting.

One time I got a new iPhone and wanted to send Wes a picture of what I was doing w/ my family & the flash went off. For an entire second. Twice. This picture was totally worth it. Who knew phones had flashes?

 I melted into my chair and got lots of looks. Luckily, the Bellevue theater was pretty empty.