Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Week 8 Update

I am now 2/3 of the way through my first trimester! Wahoo! Updates on our baby for this week: it is now the size of a large raspberry (don't you love how we're working our way through the produce section?!), and is developing further in it's back and limbs. And look, just LOOK at our simulated baby! Notice, if you will, its long limbs, its rounded back, and its cute little face! It's actually starting to look like a real baby! Sometimes I go to our blog just to look at it...

Well, updates on mom (me): I officially have my first Dr.'s appointment!!! It's scheduled for Friday morning, and I can't wait! (The only frustration is that I found out that I need to reapply for Medicaid, so I have to scramble to get all of my paperwork together, and then find a time to get over there before Friday. Question for those of you who have done this before: will Medicaid back date, so that they can cover this first Dr.'s appointment? Boy I hope so, cuz I don't want to wait a day longer to get to the Dr.!) In other news, I have found out that soda crackers and 7up are my new best friends (the only things that really seem to calm my stomach). The only problem I have now is finding out what ELSE I can eat during the day that will also settle nicely!

In other news: We are now about 1/4 to 1/3 of the way through this semester of school (WAHOO to that)! And...drum roll please...Travis submitted his application for Podiatry School in Cleveland, OH and Glendale, AZ today! Yea Trav! I'm so proud of you!
Check back for more updates on his application and the pregnancy!

P.S. Thanks to everyone for your suggestions to help me with morning sickness! I love you!

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Pregnancy Update

Ta-da! Here we are in week 7 1/2 of the Jenny Holloway pregnancy. This week brings our baby to the size of a blueberry (so cute!). New developments include our blueberry's (as we now sometimes affectionately call him/her) mouth and tongue, as well as little leg and arm buds (which you can see in our "virtual baby"--It's so exciting to look at the "virtual baby" and see arms and legs sprouting from our little tadpole, and realize that a baby is actually forming!).
As for Jenny (mom), things are feeling more and more pregnant! Morning sickness has turned into all day sickness (bluh!--let's just say that food no longer feels like Jenny's friend). We're hoping that the doctor can give us some ideas for relief, as going to school and work is hard to do when you feel like you have a continuous flu! And speaking of the doctor, Jenny is planning on calling today to make an appointment for sometime in the next week or so--we'll let you know how it goes (and hopefully get to post pictures!).

We'd like to give a personal shout out to Mindi for calling and sharing her thoughts for nausea relief--thank you thank you! It was so nice talking to you! And tell y'all that we'd love to hear any remedies that y'all have from the rest of you! (We're desperate for ideas!) Thanks!

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

A Great Giveaway!

I recently found out about a great giveaway, and thought I'd share the love! The giveaway is for a Scentsy Plug-In Candle + candle scent of your choice! These candles are the hottest new thing in, well...candles; they're safe, they're stylish, and they smell absolutely amazing! And YOU could be the lucky winner of one if you just hop on over to http://brittneysscentsations.blogspot.com/ by September 30 and leave a comment! In addition, you can read her giveaway post and learn of other easy ways to get yourself additional entries for this great giveaway! So, go to and good luck!

Monday, September 15, 2008

Travis' 6 Random Things

I know this is very late in coming but here are some random things about me that you may or may not already know...

1. I never use a pillow. I just got out of the habit my first year of college and I've never looked back.

2. I played piano in priesthood meetings growing up but I only played the bottom hand. Bart, a good friend, played the top hand until he was called to teach primary. We were the two-headed piano player and we did a pretty good job most Sundays too.

3. I'm a big BYU football fan. Every time they win I get more and more into it and they've won their last 13 games. Go Cougars! They'll play Wyoming this Saturday at 1:00 pm in Provo, so wear something blue!

4. I am the proud owner of a purple toothbrush. We went to Blackfoot a couple weeks ago and left our bag of toiletries there, but we didn't realize it until bedtime so we had to make a late-night trip to Broulims to get the essentials. I grabbed the cheapest toothbrush I could find and it just so happened to be purple. What luck.

5. I often make fun of commercials I hear on the radio, especially Odell's Furniture. They advertise huge sales events every weekend and most of the time it's a once-in-a-lifetime sale that you just can't pass up. I really can't help myself.

6. I have 60 or so neckties and most of them cost all of $1. The dollar stores in Japan are awesome.

I think i'm supposed to tag 6 more people to post random things about themselves on their own blog...but i'm not sure who has already been tagged...oh well.
1. Tia
2. Mom
3. Dad
4. Chelsi
5. Bart
6. Shantyl

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Pregnancy Update

I am now six weeks pregnant! This week brings our baby to a full 1/4 inch long, with developments happening in its face in the form of eye dots, a nose bump, ear indentations, and little jaws, cheeks, and a chin. Other places in its body are forming too, including the kidneys, liver, and lungs. Plus, its little heart is still pumping strong! We love reading along in our "What to Expect" book as the pregnancy goes on, and realizing that this amazing little being inside of me is continuing to grow and develop into a little person. =)
We still won't be going to the doctor for another two weeks or so, but so far, our baby seems to be doing good! This we can kind of derive from the fact that I am feeling very pregnant! I'm exhausted and ready for bed between 6 and 8pm every night, nauseus in the morning and throughout the day (I threw up this morning for the first time...not something I hope to repeat), am constantly hungry, and have an elevated body temperature. Although I really do want to savor every moment of this pregnancy, I also kind of can't wait until the first trimester is over and my body is feeling a little more back to normal! Still, I am so grateful that my symptoms aren't worse, and that I can pretty much get along as usual (blessings, blessings, blessings!). Well, this completes our baby update for this week. Tune in later for more!

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Sorry London, But I Have to Stay

After 24 hours of experiencing a huge range of feelings, a little backtracking, and two confusing phone calls, I am now no longer going to London. Reality had sunk in and anxious feelings had arose for my other travel buddies, and after they told me that they had pulled out of the deal, I decided that I should too. This decision DID however take a little longer than 5 seconds, because I WAS really excited, and I BADLY wanted to go, but...after mulling it over for a few minutes during breakfast (with Travis' full support for my decision either way), and feeling like it was the right thing to do, I made a call to the travel agency and cancelled. Am I a little bummed? Yes. But, I've already been able to find several reasons why this will be for the best:

1. I get to spend that week with Travis now. =)
2. We now have more money to spend on baby supplies and school interviews, and
3. Now when we go to Europe, we get to experience it together (the ideal way).


So, for now I'll just keep planning our dream vacation to Europe, knowing that someday we'll get to go, and that when we do, it'll be the best trip ever!

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

LONDON...here I come!

My hands are shaking with excitement as I write this...but...as of about 5pm this afternoon, I am officially going on a 5 day trip to London next March! The Story: My sister-in-law Rachel called Travis this afternoon while we were at Great Harvest and asked him if we would be interested in getting round trip tickets to London from Chicago for only $230 (super sweet deal)! Travis, being the diligent student that he is (knowing that he would be in school those days), said that he couldn't go, but would ask me if I wanted to. So, a minute after hanging up the phone, he waved me over (as I was working at the counter) and, with excitement in his voice, presented me the offer. It took me about 5 seconds to think it over and respond "Tell Rachel yes!" And bada bing bada boom, even completing the transaction over the phone, I was booked for the same flight as Rachel, her husband Brandon, and my sister-in-law Cassie and her husband Mark. It's disappointing that Travis won't be able to come, especially as it's his brothers and sisters who are going, but he just can't afford to take that much time off of school.
Wow! I can't believe this is really happening! Only a few weeks ago I was "planning" a trip to England that Travis and I could maybe make one day when our kids were old enough/out of the house. A trip together might still have to wait until then, but luckily for me, it is a reality now. I'm so grateful for my sweet, supportive husband who is excited for this opportunity for me (and who I will miss terribly while I'm there, wishing he was sharing the experience with me). Rest assured, I will take lots of pictures for him and bring him home some sweet souvenirs!
For now, I'm busy and excitedly making tentative plans and looking forward to the time when all of our plans are set and I am boarding the plane to Chicago! Only 6 months to go!

Monday, September 8, 2008

First Day of School

Today was the first day of fall semester.
It smelled like the first day of school (you know, like ruled paper and freshly sharpened pencils) and even looked like the first day of school (like slick new jeans being worn for the first time). As is tradition, I set out the clothes I wanted to wear the night before and woke up early this morning so I could take my time getting ready--bracing myself for the unknown and novelty that comes with a first day.
And yet, with all this familiarity, was the strange realization that I haven't gone to school in the Fall for the last 3 years...and I think it showed. I started off the day bright and optimistic, meeting new people and making big plans, and ended it dragging my lead legs and aching shoulders home with the grim knowledge that I had more work cut out for me this semester than I thought I would have. Sigh.
The main comfort I have found in all of this though is that, as I had found myself telling my classmates today, this IS my LAST semester (the thought of which, when attached to others, used to make me green with envy--and now, when associated with myself, makes me want to shout for joy!).
So...grinning and bearing it for the good and hard days to come, here goes the last 3 1/2 months of my college career--culminating in the happy day of COLLEGE GRADUATION!

Thursday, September 4, 2008

We're Pregnant!

We had our hopes and suspicions all last week, and on Friday, with a test to prove it, it became official! We're expecting! And we are soooo excited! Already, I am dying to know whether it's a boy or a girl so we can start buying baby clothes (and already Travis has decided that I will have to have a strict budget for buying all things baby)! Our due date is May 8, 2009, and we think it's funny that we will have birthdays in our family that go March, April, May (with Travis, me, and baby). We'll likely go to our first official Dr.'s appointment in about 3 weeks (and get to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time--yeah!), and will be happy to post an update with an ultrasound picture then! =) Til then, and throughout the pregnancy, we'll update from time to time about how both the baby and I are doing (and will continue to hope and pray that all goes well for the both of us). And if you're ever wondering how big the baby is, or how far along we are, you can check out our baby tracker and size simulator on the left side of our blog. =) Til the next update...