It's about time I updated/revised this blog, though I don't have a lot of time right now. Stay tuned for some BIG changes. :)
It's about time I updated/revised this blog, though I don't have a lot of time right now. Stay tuned for some BIG changes. :)
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Jude is down for his nap, so I thought I'd take advantage of the quiet.
We are expecting our second baby in March. I'm now about 18 weeks along, and feeling kicks daily. I have to say, this pregnancy is so much different than the first. With Jude I was combing the internet for information, following step-by-step pregnancy blogs and keeping track of the baby's development on a calender every day. I would constantly be telling Aaron, "We're the size of an apple this week!" or "We just grew toenails!!" or something to that effect. Now I really don't think about it too much until I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and think, "Oh dear, here we go again!" 15 months apart...*Tsk tsk* My grandma was right when she warned me against this, my bladder will never be the same again.
Jude is doing fantastic! At almost 10 months and with 5 teeth he eats pretty much everything we do, just in tiny pieces. He also walks on his tip-toes, holding on to objects, so it won't be much longer now until he's completely mobile! Yikes...but really it's exciting. I am absolutely in love with his personality. He's just such a happy and funny little guy, and extremely social. He's always making us laugh with the hilarious faces he makes and the tricks to get our attention. I've never heard a baby squawk and cackle as much as he does. :)
Living in a city like Boston has been such an experience so far. It's hard to get over the "strangeness" of a completely different environment when you've only ever lived a small-medium sized towns. We've met some great families through our ward, but the people I pass on the street still freak me out. Two random men have come up to Aaron while he was with Jude and made comments. One was, "Congratulations!" And another was, "God bless you and your baby." All I've had is some crazy old man on the street making a licking gesture at me, as I sat in a restaurant eating a hamburger and looking out the window. Ewwwwwww.
It took me about a month and a half for to adjust to living here. I had to get past the guilt that I took Jude away from all of his wonderful cousins, aunts and uncles, and grandparents. I worried that he wouldn't get enough socialization, and that he'd lose out on special bonds with family. Not to mention the homesickness that I felt. But it's *much* better now. Making friends, taking walks, and finally being with Aaron (after spending nearly four months apart due to work) have helped me acclimate. I know that this is only temporary, and I need to make this as easy on Aaron as I possibly can. After all...he's got the chance to do something he'd only been able to dream of before!
We're moving this weekend from our studio apartment to a 1 bedroom, just outside the city. I haven't seen it yet, but I am excited. Who knows what that 1 wall and door will mean? I hope it means more sleep and a little more privacy when we have company. :) But more than that, I'm looking forward to living someplace that better fits our style of living. Lower prices on groceries is a big plus, for one thing. Being closer to a ward is another. At our current location, we had to rely on the goodness of others to get to church each week because it was so far away and we have no car. The new place is much closer to the ward building, and we'll be able to make our own arrangements.
Ok...that's about as much of an update as I can muster right now. I need to get some cleaning and packing done. Plus I just heard a cackle, haha! Love from our crib to yours!
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Oh, TOO funny dear husband of mine.
Here's the most recent pic of our little family (taken yesterday):
So my birthday was yesterday! And it was...awesome. It involved too much food (Tucanos), friends hiding in a closet, wasabi almonds, chili flavored dark chocolate, a hot tub, choco-flan and too many other surprises to mention. My guy sure knows how to do it.
:)
Little Jude is now 3 and 1/2 months old...getting bigger and cuter and LOUDER every day. Haha. He's got his first tooth coming in the bottom, so we've had more fussy days than not lately, but it's not too bad. He just needs extra cuddles, which I just happen to have in abundance. :D
In other news...Mitt Romney announced that he's running for President! Can you guess who's excited? WE ARE!!!! Lol. Aaron has been dreaming of this day.
Another fun thing...I've started working from home! For the same company I was previously with (online dating sites), which makes it significantly less exciting, but still. :) The main difference is that this time instead of answering the phones, I'll be answering emails. It's extremely flexible, and so far I'm loving it!
Can't think of anything else that's new right now...so I'll have to let it go for another time. I need to get dinner ready!
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From where I sit tonight (on the couch), things look pretty good. I can see into Jude's nursery where he is now sleeping peacefully in his swing that has no more juice. Both Jude and the batteries have been worn down pretty well. :) Come to think of it, nearly everything around me has become neglected a bit because I've spent my time rocking, changing, nursing, and cuddling that sweet little boy. I don't regret it for an instant. The craziest thing is that each time I pluck him out of that swing...I could swear he's gotten bigger than when I put him in it. I knew that babies grew fast but I wasn't thinking it would be like a cruel magic trick. :)
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Hello again digital world!! I would start by apologizing for taking a near year-long sabbatical, but since I've been pretty faithful to Facebook it doesn't really seem like I've been leaving anyone that out of the loop. Still, I do feel a little bad for skipping out on the actual act of blogging...it just takes more skill and energy than I've had for the last ten and a half months. (Has it been that long??)
Ok...to pick up where I left off. Um, I had a baby! :D Yep, that's right. A beautiful, squirmy, squealing ball of adorable yummy-ness, and he has Aaron's nose. :) We named this creature Jude, and I couldn't be happier. I can't stop cuddling the little guy. He's so perfect! Still a little mixed up, though, which means we're all a little mixed up at the Gunderhome. To give you an idea of how things have been at our house lately, let's put it this way: I'm blogging to my heart's
content at 4am. (It's the new 4pm. Didn't you know that?)
I was incredibly lucky to have my Mom and Dad come out from Kansas for the birth! I really needed the support. They were able to visit for almost two full weeks! Too bad for them, though, Jude didn't want to make an appearance until he was good and ready...and that took quite a while. The actual labor went well enough (only 30 hours...), and since then we've spent a lot of time recovering. Or, trying to recover.
Jaundice, mastitis, bladder infection, yeast infection, locusts: you name it, we suffered from it for a time. The good news is that all of those things were just fleeting annoyances, and coming out of this it appears that we're actually quite healthy and happy individuals. :) Here's Jude "suntanning" in his bili-bed. Poor guy had to be in there for a week, but he handled it like a champ.
Aaron's been terrific through the whole pregnancy, labor, and as it turns out he is a fantastic Daddy! :D Not that I had any doubts whatsoever. I knew he would be a natural the first time I met him. Feeling pretty lucky...I simply couldn't be more grateful to my Heavenly Father for all of the wonderful blessings he's given me!
Well, duty calls...gotta go be a Mommy! But don't worry, blogging world...I won't leave you hanging again. Ok, maybe I will. I do have a life, after all. ;) And here it is:
~Emily
Happy Spring, all! FINALLY! The birds are singing, the flowers are blooming, and I am sneezing! Haha. I realize it's been a long time since I've updated, but dang it's been busy. My parents came out for my birthday. We had a wonderful time visiting and playing with them and I really wish they could have stayed longer! I'll be honest, I was hoping they would fall in love with Utah's Spring and want to move out here...that definitely didn't happen. Lol.
Aaron is turning me into a sports fan, which is weird and new for me. We went to two Real Salt Lake soccer games (again, thanks Mom and Dad! Best Christmas present ever!), and we've been following the Jazz in the NBA playoffs as well. Aaron has had to do a lot of explaining, but his enthusiasm is definitely catching. :)
Now I'm back at work full time, trying not to let the stress of it kill me...and it does try. Sometimes I wonder how much longer I can hold on, but we're soooo close to paying off our debts. Well, some of them at least. They changed my schedule so that I now have to work every Saturday (which means no Farmer's Market), and I now have Wednesdays off. What did I do yesterday with my first Wednesday off? I took a blanket and a couple books and had myself a good nap in the park. Lol! That could become the new tradition...we'll just see. Hopefully they change me back to M-F. That would be the best thing. I need weekends with my boy!
Aaron is a busy man as always, juggling his supportive husbandly duties, work, Jazz games, and basketball nights with the boys. :) Fun Fact: Aaron got stopped by a rather stern older lady in Wal-Mart who was about to lay into him for wearing a Che Guevara t-shirt when it was in fact his favorite Bob Marley shirt. Once he explained this to her she let him off the hook, but you could tell she still thought he was quite a rebel and troublemaker. Ha!
Well, that was enough for now. I'm making a creamy ginger-carrot soup to take for lunch tomorrow, and it's just about done! Fingers crossed it tastes as yummy as it smells. Love to all our friends and family!!
~Emily
The GunderBlog
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The GunderBlog is all about publicizing the sweet happenings of our life to our friends and family from the Midwest, to Mexico, and back to good 'ol Utah. Expect pictures of wicked concerts, yummy meals, and fun family gatherings. Please leave a comment and come back often!
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