Pregnancy lows. Maybe lifetime lows...

I think most, or at least many, women want to be healthy and have healthful habits while pregnant. I know I started out with great intentions of running for as long as I could throughout the nine months of growing a child. I also wanted to eat nearly exclusively nutritious foods. I thought I would allow myself to give in to a craving or two here or there, but mostly I wanted to be a standard of health to all who see me (exaggeration). I also wanted to have the minimum weight gain required for a healthy pregnancy. I don't know many women who want to gain MORE than they have to, though. But some probably don't care.

So, a confession. I have not been perfect.

Here are a couple of low points for me, this pregnancy:

Did you notice it's the bonus size? 10% more....

 I mean, Mac & Cheese. It's one of those foods that is associated with childhood. It's a comfort food, right? Well, I not only bought a couple of boxes of this food (which I normally don't ever do), but I ate an ENTIRE box in one sitting. It just fit so nicely into my apparently large bowls. But yeah. That's definitely a low for me.

Don't EVER try this at home. Especially if you are alone.

Who knew about Ben & Jerry's?? I had tried one flavor back in college with my sister, Robin, but other than that, I really hadn't had much of this ice cream. It's too expensive. You can get a pint of ice cream or half gallon of ice cream for the same price. You do the math. Well, trying the ice cream wasn't actually the low point. In fact, I had bought another pint a couple weeks ago that I made sure I only ate the recommended serving size of 1/2 cup. The low point here was that I ate this entire pint of ice cream in 24 hours.

I think overall I'm doing pretty well. I'm certainly not running much, largely because I feel like I might wet myself if I do. And because I'm too lazy. I am exercising here and there, and am gaining weight within the normal range of 25-35 lbs. So, overall, I'm kinda on track. But I thought I'd share the above experiences because I suppose I wonder if I'm the only one who sinks to such lows? And because I thought it was funny.

Fer serious...Geesh

Sometimes I think serious thoughts. Usually, it isn't intentional, as was the case last night. I thought I'd share, because, I dunno. Maybe it will help someone out there. I suppose I want to write my thoughts down so they don't disappear into nothingness (my memory).

What sparked this serious train of thoughts was watching a trailer for a documentary my friend Leslie posted on her Facebook page called Stuck. The documentary is about international adoption, and how there are countless children who are stuck in orphanages despite already having been adopted. The average time it takes for children to actually be placed with their adoptive parents is just under three years. During those three years, the children's basic needs are barely being met, all while they have families back in the US hoping and praying they will come home.

Sad, right? It made me very sad. It made me want to adopt a bunch of cute little Haitian children. I don't particularly like being sad, but I sort of got on a roll with it. There are so many sad, sad things that happen in our world. Wars, starvation, abuse, bullying, violence, lying, cheating, stealing, etc. There is real pain out there. And heartache. There is a lot of wrongness.

Then I thought about the known history of our world. There has been a lot of wrongness going on for a very long time.

Then I thought about the Savior. I thought about His promises to us, and how because of his suffering and Atonement, somehow, all the wrongness out there will be ultimately be made right; wrongs that seem impossible to right. Somehow, someday, all of us, His children, will feel justified and at peace with what is happening, or what happened, in our lives.

It takes a lot of faith to believe that! That is an incredible belief, that someone could right all wrongs. That eventually there will be peace on Earth and in all of our hearts. When I think about how awful things seem to be for some people, I don't have a clue how healing like that could take place. But, I'm grateful for my faith, despite my lack of understanding the mechanics of how or the specifics of when.

Then the thought came to me: The Savior can fix the world. He can fix it despite its being so unbelievably horrible at times. And He can fix it wholly and completely. If He can fix this sometimes wretched place,

He can fix me.

He can fix me! And not only me, he can fix the people I love, he can fix strangers, and he can fix even the people I'm not particularly fond of. He can and will fix anyone and everyone who will let him, and even those that aren't currently wanting to be fixed: He's just ready and waiting for the right time.

Why would I want to push anyone down, even people who aren't very nice or cool or fun, or even my own silly self, when Christ is so desperately hoping for people to reach up to him so he can lift them up? I guess, this long, serious blog post, is ultimately me reminding myself to be patient with myself and all my flaws. Be patient with my loved ones. Be patient with strangers. Be patient with my "enemies." Because, we are all fixable. We all need help being fixed. And, we are all, every one of us, worth it. 

That's all. 

Food 1st(s)

So, one fun thing I was introduced to recently by my mother-in-law: home-made elephant ears! Also, I used the oven for the first time since Brad left. I made sour cream enchiladas. They were pretty good. I like my mom's better, though. 

Loaded with butter, cinnamon and sugar. Uh... yummy. Next time,  I'll make one a little smaller. 

Guess what? The less often you use the oven, the less often you have to clean it. Trick of the trade.

Well, nothing super healthy to brag about. But, um. Some firsts for me.

Flowers!

Brad misses me terribly. 

See?

Aww!! These brightened my day. And my kitchen. 

I miss him too. But he is coming home in 5 and 1/2 days!!!

Christmas

This last Christmas was spent with my mom, dad, sister and family. But! Because Brad left in the beginning of December, we had to decorated the Saturday after Thanksgiving so he could have some semblance of a Christmas. 

We got our first real Christmas tree this year! Brad's family traditionally goes to a tree farm all together the day after Thanksgiving to pick out the perfect 14 foot tree. We, of course, do not have vaulted ceilings in our cute apartment, so we settled for a 6 footer instead. I actually have to say... the small trees are much easier to handle. 

So, guess what? My mom made me a beautiful Christmas tree skirt. It made me so happy inside. 

Here she is! Isn't she a beauty? The picture doesn't do it justice. It's ivory, gold, red and glorious.

And here it is all put together! Gold and red and green.  I am so proud of our work of art. Fully decorated for less than $40. Other than the tree skirt, of course. I mean, it was free for me, but not for my mom...

Here are our stockings, with the countdown in between. 

I sort of love these reindeer stocking holders!

Nativity set. 

This is our first Christmas tree! We keep it for sentimental reasons. Well, that's why I keep it.  Brad keeps it, cuz I keep it, and we live together and everything, so we BOTH keep it. 

And this is me after I got home, with all my Christmas booty.  New boots, a diaper bag, nursery set, and a Groupon for a  massage and a mani/pedi (thanks Bradley and Mom and Dad!).

Anyway, Christmas with my parents and sister/her family was really enjoyable. I did, of course miss Brad, but it was so nice to be able to spend time with my fam. We had great food, played fun games, and were able to reflect on the gift of our Savior. And, we of course read once again Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol. 

Thanks Brad, for sending me home for Christmas, and thanks Mom and Dad for spoiling me, and thanks Robin, Nels, Calvin and Oliver for being there too! Love you guys!