Tomorrow...

We find out if we're having a mini-Matt or mini-Kara!





Last day to vote on the poll...what do you think we'll have?
Either way, this kid is going to have some major cheek-age going on :)

Mango A-Go Go

This makes me miss the mangoes Matt would pick in Kauai. We'd be driving along and he'd spot a tree, pull over, shimmy up it like Mowgli, and throw down HUGE juicy mangoes! Yum yum yum :)

Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil and dead skin cells (yum) now coats baby's skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid. (Picture yourself after a nine-month bath, and the need for protection makes sense.) You might actually get to see the vernix at birth, especially if baby is premature.
My Aunt Liz says that the nurses were laughing when Becca was born, because she was covered in vernix. She was premature, but weighed around 9 lbs! :)
How far along? 19 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: Back to my starting weight! Yay!
Maternity clothes? Bought a pair of maternity jeans...they are glorious!
Stretch marks? Nope
Sleep: Interrupted nightly for a potty break.
Best moment this week: Having enough energy to do dishes, laundry, and clean my house!
Movement: All the time! We've got an active one :)
Food cravings: Baked goods.
Gender: We find out on July 2nd as long as baby cooperates!
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out? Still in, but I can see the bottom of it now! So weird!
What I miss: Nothing I can think of.
What I am looking forward to: Finding out if it's a boy or girl!
Weekly Wisdom: Sleep when you need it. Naps are my best friend :)
Milestones: Seeing my belly move today!

Yamada Family

Did a family photo shoot at the park yesterday...here are two of my favs...

Sweet little Ethan has the cutest cheeks in the world! What a good baby, too.

Meg & her family surprised her mom for her 50th birthday and showed up in CA! It was a weekend of surprises for her :) So sweet.

18 Weeks & Utah Girl's Trip

That's a sweet potato for those who don't recognize it :)
Your fetus has become amazingly mobile (at least compared to you), passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing. And, baby's finally big enough that you'll be able to feel those movements soon.
I feel little happy flutters and rolls throughout the day. I can't wait until Matt can feel his happy baby too!
...
Here I am at 4 1/2 months pregnant. Maternity jeans are my new favorite thing. I think everyone needs a pair of these!

Just kidding...here I am for reals ;) That thing at Motherhood Maternity cracked me up though...it was all lumpy and awkward. I sent the picture to Matt and he was so confused. We laughed!

My mom and I drove out to UT to see Lindsay and Rachel and have some girl time! It was so fun. We shopped and ate out a ton. We went to: Cafe Rio, Kneaders, Mimi's Cafe, The Red Iguana, Macaroni Grill, Gurus, Sweet Tooth Fairy, and then some. I feel like we ate the whole time! It was all sooooo yummy! Oh and we got fudge at the BYU Bookstore, along with cinnamon bears for my mom & Matt.
Here are my old roomies, Allison and Natalie; I think we look alike in this picture. We had so much fun catching up! The last time the whole group of friends got together was when I was in town last year for Spring Break. I didn't plan it this way, but while I was in town - they were meeting up for dinner! So I surprised everyone (except Allison) and showed up. It was awesome :)

I don't have a picture with everyone in it...I was a loser and left my camera at the hotel. All in attendance: Eric & Kari + bun in the oven, Thomas, Mason & Allison, Natalie & Brian. After dinner we went to the Allen's and played with their adorable daughter, Ellie. Then we watched a slideshow of old pictures of us...ahhh memory lane!
...
Okay, have any of you tried the Dyson hand dryer before?! (Same guy that makes the best vacuum cleaners in the world). It will change your life!!!! The first time I used one was in the Continental terminal at LAX. I was floored! The security lady and I got into a huge conversation about how incredible it is. It actually gets under my wedding bands dry! Usually water gets stuck under there.
This one was in IKEA in Draper and I was sooo excited to see it again! I made my mom and sister try it, it's so fast and like a little whirlwind for your hands.
My mom was so cute in IKEA, she bought so many cute wooden toys for the baby. We ooh-ed and ahh-ed over all of the adorable children's room setups.

See the bird in the clouds? He was hanging out above St. George. Where we stopped for Cafe Rio a second time :)

It was a wonderful, relaxing trip. Minus the day my mom got sick and Lindsay and I did homework in the library all day. The rest of the time was great though!

You Know You're Pregnant...

When you see this commercial in the produce section of the grocery store and cry. And you don't care, because you're thinking of the amazing father your husband will be.

Le Petit Oignon

Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. The umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes are now topped by one-of-a-kind prints.
I've felt the little flutters of my babe moving! Last night in class, there was a definite, "push," for lack of a better word. I think it was pushing of my tummy to do a backflip or something :)
How far along? 17 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: Lost 3 lbs.
Maternity clothes? Not yet...just my "jimmy-rig" on one pair of jeans
Stretch marks? Nope
Sleep: Interrupted nightly by frequent potty breaks and coughing attacks.
Best moment this week: Feeling a definite movement!
Movement: Sporadic. And awesome when it happens :)
Food cravings: Lemonade & Bobba's oranges.
Gender: We find out on July 2nd as long as baby cooperates!
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out? Still in, but I can see the bottom of it now! So weird!
What I miss: Sleeping soundly through the night. I guess I'm getting prepared for when the baby comes!
What I am looking forward to: Getting tan at beach day tomorrow!
Weekly Wisdom: Sleep when you need it. Naps are my best friend :)
Milestones: The baby can hear us now! We talk to him/her all the time. Matt even plays his guitar for baby while we sing songs.

Conan & CA Adventure

CONAN O'BRIEN!!!!!!!!!! Lindsay got us tickets and we went to the 3rd night of taping! He was hilarious, as always. We've been watching him since it was just him & Andy on Late Night! He did the hips, made fun of the random yellers, did his Arnold impression, and gave a great monologue. Max Weinberg & The Max Weinberg 7 were incredible! We were even there for the very first In The Year 3000! I just love LaBamba's falsetto...so funny!
My favorite line from that skit: "In the year 3000, YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook will merge to form one super time-wasting website called YouTwitFace!"

The guests were Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Bradley Cooper. Julia is SO tiny! She had on some 5" heels and was still only about 5'5". I wanted her to do the Elaine dance, but she didn't :( Sheryl Crow played, and she is about the same size! She was wearing huge heels too. After the show, she brought her cute little boy out and showed him the set. Bradley Cooper was a sleazy creep, as he plays in most of his movies. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar made a surprise appearance, and he made Conan look like a little guy!
We had fun walking around Universal Studios after dinner at Bubba-Gump. Here is Matt on his new bike...

Matt had to go home that night for work, so the ladies stayed in Anaheim and went to California Adventureland (as my mom calls it)! ;)
Here is Lindsay on her L! We take a picture every time we go.

It was the perfect day. No crowds, perfect weather, and short lines!

My mom and sister made us go on the stationary gondolas on the Sun Wheel. I shouldn't have told them how freaked out my sister-in-law gets on the gliding ones!

Santa Maria is famous at CA Adventure. At one restaurant, they have Santa Maria-style Tri-Tip! Also, it was a wine and food expo that week, and they had a Santa Maria Valley wine booth set up.
Goofy loved Lindsay & I :)

Lindsay, Mommy, & I on the street to nowhere. We had such a fun trip!

16 Week Guacamole!

At least that's all I can think of with this week's update! Haha
We had a check-up yesterday and heard the heart beat again. I never get tired of that little choo-choo train sound! I recorded it on my phone and listen to it all the time :) I've lost 3 lbs. since the beginning, but am sure I'll gain it back in no time once I stop throwing up. I've had this weird throat cold that keeps making me cough, then gag, then puke. Awesome. So once that goes away, I'm good as gold! I think I've felt the baby's little flutters, but I'm not sure. I have no idea what it's supposed to feel like. Everyone tells me that soon enough it'll be unmistakeable!
I am waiting for the ultrasound office to call me so I can make the big appointment to find out if we're having a boy or a girl! Make sure and vote on the poll...I'm hoping to get in next week!

Virginia Vacation!

Matt and I took a well-deserved vacation to Virginia after finals week. My grandpa lives out there, and we thought it would be neat to tell him and my step-grandma that they are going to be great grandparents in person. :) They are thrilled! And Janice thinks the ultrasound picture looks like a cat. Haha! Bobba and Janice both...
We had a great time with my dad shootin' guns, flying planes, hiking around the property, dancing in Floyd, eating fried apple pies, feeding the cows, getting burgers & cheesy westerns at the Texas Tavern, and visiting Civil War battlefields. I used to go out to Virginny every summer as a kid. The last time I went was right before I married Matt. My dad and I flew Tiger Lily (orange plane in pics) to the West Virginia State Fair and saw Brad Paisley perform. I got pictures next to his private jet at the airport :) It was fun to show Matt around and see him soak in the good ol' South. He loved feeding the cows, catching snakes, laughing with ol' grizzy mountain men, and how friendly everyone is down there.
Here is a picture of our friend, "Gus Chiggins"

We met him while clogging in Floyd. He was hilarious. Matt thought he was dressed up...and I had to tell him that this guy was for real! He said to us, "I got stories what'd make you squeeeeeal!" He had about six teeth and smelled like he hadn't showered in a few weeks. Good times. For those of you unfamiliar with Gus Chiggins, here is why we named him that:
Will Ferrell Gus Chiggins skit

Orange You Glad?

The baby is the size of an orange this week! Last week, we were on vacation in Virginia (more about that later) and the baby was the size of a lemon.
I'm getting a little bit more of a belly...I had to start doing up my top button on my pants with a rubber band this past week.