happy due date riv boy!

Saturday, December 20, 2014









Today is River Ron's due date! He came 5 days early on my Grandpa Ron's (who he is named after) birthday! Me and my Mom have been hoping he would be born on the15th but didn't think it would actually happen. 
This week has been so wonderful. River is the sweetest little boy and I'm so lucky I get to be his mom. I can't wait to share his birth story soon. It was such a crazy and amazing experience! 

My mom came early on Monday morning and stayed with us all week. She was so helpful when she was here. She stayed up with me at nights, cleaned our bathrooms, cooked for us and the list goes on and on. I may or may not have bawled when she left last night. I love her so much and so does River. I'm so grateful she was able to be here. 

I can't even put into words how thankful I am for all of the support we have we received throughout my pregnancy and since River has been born. The txts and sweet comments mean so much! THANK YOU! We feel so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family. 

Ryan. My sweet Ryan. He has been so helpful and wonderful. Seeing him as a Dad is just magic. 


That's all for now. 

I love my son! 

39 weeks!

Friday, December 12, 2014

 
MY FAVORITE! 

I have to show off these pics I got taken of my 39 week belly! I love them so much! I wanted pictures when my belly was at it's largest! My sweet and talented friend Britt of Cascio Photography took these and I love them so much. She's such a dear friend and I'm so glad she was able to take these a few days (hopefully) before baby comes. And of course my love Tia of Celise Artistry killed it with my hair and make-up. I seriously wish she could get me ready everyday. I'm lucky to have such talented friends! 

how far along: 39 weeks! 

how big is baby: he's around 7 pounds!  

weight gain: 12 pounds.  

sleep: i wake up about 4 times a night and sometimes i'm awake from 4 to 6:30. pregnancy totally prepares your body for being up with baby i swear. haha! 

craving: drinks! drinks! drinks! and even though i've never had alcohol in my life i craved a martini the other day! hahah. 

feeling: it's a little more difficult for me to stay positive this week but i'm fighting through! haha.  i've been contracting all week and so i've obviously been in some pain. but man, how lucky are we to have made it to 39 weeks? so many woman would love to make it to 39 weeks. i keep telling myself that! i think that hard thing for me this week has been not working. i miss my job so much and it's only been like 5 days! hahaha. and don't worry, i've keep myself busy with other stuff. i just love my job! 

gender: boy that still feels like a dream.  it won't seem real until he's in my arms! i'm so in love with his name. (so glad Ryan finally caved) i can't wait to make it official! 

best moment of the week: pictures with britt! so fun! 

missing: working out + eating whatever i want.  haha!

looking forward to: duh.  

random thoughts:

-i'm getting a prenatal massage today and it's going to be heaven. 

-me and my mom have been predicting Dec 15th for his debut. that's her dads birthday (and we are using his name as a middle name for babe) so it would be really cool! who knows.. 

-currently praying for SNOW! come on mother nature! 

-bernie and i are going on a big hike today. we will see if it sparks anything!

-i'm just wondering if next week will be a baby pic or a 40 week pic... 

xoxoxo 





38 weeks!

Sunday, December 7, 2014

how far along: 38 weeks! so close. 

how big is baby: he's as big as a human baby! haha. 

weight gain: back down to 12 pounds.  

sleep: pretty dang good actually. which i'm so grateful for. 

craving: smoothies and drinks. the usual! 

feeling: good. this crazy nesting energy is so real.

gender: boy. i can't wait to see him. 

best moment of the week: getting everything done on our baby to do list! i'm going to try my best to relax and rest this week. (something i'm not very good at) 

missing: being able to eat whatever i want. i get full so quick. 

looking forward to: everything! life is pretty exciting right now. 

random thoughts:

-i'm obsessed with my doula. she's so wonderful and i'm so glad she'll be there for my birth to help me along the way. (she even came over this week and gave me a foot massage.. umm heaven) 

-my doctor is predicting he comes this week, but i'm thinking he will be here closer to his due date. i'll be super happy with either! 

-poor bernie is wondering what the crap is going on. he knows something big is happening soon and it's making him super anxious. (but sweet and more protective)

-i feel the best when i'm up and moving. i feel kind of hyperactive during the day and then i'm reallllly tired at night. 

-will this be my last bumpdate? holy moly. 

37 weeks

Sunday, November 30, 2014

how far along: 37 weeks! full term!

how big is baby: around 6.5 pounds! 

weight gain: 14 pounds. 

sleep: my dreams are starting to get super weird. i had a dream the other day that my mom came in the night while i was sleeping and broke my water. haha! 

craving: pumpkin pie. so glad i got my fix this week. 

feeling: feeling pretty good considering i'm 9 + months pregnant. haha. i'm in pain a lot of the time and my acid reflux and nausea are pretty intense sometimes but it's super manageable. 

gender: boy! boy clothes are so cute. i've been having way too much fun putting little outfit ideas together.

best moment of the week: this week was so wonderful! i had an appt on wed and i went from 30% to 90% effaced in just a few days so that was such great news. thanksgiving with my family was so great. we laughed our butts off pretty much the whole weekend. jodie was a sweetie and threw me my last baby shower on friday for our family in town and i got lots of good stuff! it was just a really good week. 

missing: it'll be nice to bend over and put my shoes on easily again. haha. 

looking forward to: just everything. haha.  i'm in this like super happy state where i'm savoring every moment of pregnancy but also wondering every day if this is the day that i get to meet our son. it's just so magical! 

random thoughts:

-my doctor was pretty shocked with the progress my body made this week. she seems to think he will arrive any day now. i'm thinking we still have a bit but what do i know!? 

-i'm going to sound like a brat (because i kind of am ha) but i love proving people wrong. for allred thanksgiving we have a tradition playing sports with all my cousins after dinner and it's one of my favorite traditions ever.  i had someone tell me a few months ago that i wouldn't be able to participate in any of the games because i'd be too pregnant. it bugged me because a)i look forward to do this day all year and b) i hate when anyone tells me i can't do something. hahah. but i played basketball and dodgeball the whole day with everyone and it was awesome. i kind of stressed ryan out during it all and felt like i got hit by a bus when we got home but it was so worth it. hahaha 

-so i figured out a way to explain to ryan how my braxton hicks contractions feel. it feels like someone poured a thin layer of concrete on around my stomach! my stomach gets so rock hard! it's crazy. 

-i can't even believe my due date is 2 weeks and 5 days away. holy crap.  

-i have such a desire to walk and walk and walk. my body just wants to always be moving. i feel the best when i'm up and walking around. good thing i have a pup that loves walks too! 

-the nesting feeling is so intense right now. 

-only a couple more of these updates left! eek! 

36 weeks!

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

how far along: 36 weeks! 

how big is baby: according to our ultra sound he is 6 pounds! 

weight gain: still at 12 pounds. (which seems low i know but my doctor FINALLY stopped bugging me about gaining weight after she saw for the 2nd time on the ultra sound that baby is big and healthy. so i'm good. he's healthy. i'm healthy.) 

sleep: pretty good! thank you body pillow. 

craving: drinks! haha! i've been mixing orange juice and milk together and it's heavenly. baha! a lazy orange julius. 

feeling: good! i am experiencing a lot of pelvic pain, leg cramps and back pain but i'm kind of just getting used to it. haha! i'm just so in awe and amazed with my body right now. i'll love it forever for growing this boy for me. 

gender: i can not wait to kiss his lips! 

best moment of the week: hearing i'm dilated at my appointment and our ultra sound! we got to see his profile and he has the biggest poutiest lips! oh my gosh! i started crying right when i saw them. he's already melting me. 

missing: being able to move and lift anything heavy! ryan is a sweetie that doesn't let me lift anything! haha! i was lifting the pot of soup to pour into tupperware last night and he's like, "wait let me do that!!" hahah 

looking forward to: thanksgiving in wyoming!!!!!!!!!! stay in this week baby! 

random thoughts:

-so many people assume i'm miserable and impatient and like dying to be done because i'm only a few weeks away. i'm good! i know he'll come when he's supposed to! 

-i feel really beautiful and so proud of my body. so grateful to be a woman and to be able to experience being pregnant! 

-my belly popped SO MUCH this week. so fun!

-i've been able to keep a pretty positive attitude about everything but  a couple nights i went into panic mode.  the OMG "can i freakin do this?!" panic. i'm feeling better now. :) and i'm totally allowed a freak out now and then. ;) 

-i think we are finally sent on ONE name!!! but we will still have to see how we feel when we meet him. 



35 weeks!

Friday, November 14, 2014








how far along: 35 weeks! holy crap! 

how big is baby: 20 inches long and over 5 pounds! 

weight gain: 12 pounds still. 

sleep: i wake up about 5 and then can't get back to sleep. my body is just getting ready for the nights up with the baby i guess! 

craving: my appetite is non-existent right now.  every time i eat i get sick so i'm really having to force feed myself! haha! 

feeling: really good! i'm starting to feel more tired and uncomfortable but it's super manageable. i can't believe i only have 5 weeks left of being pregnant! oh i know i'm going to miss it. 

gender: he's the sweetest boy. i feel like every day he drops lower and lower.. haha. which makes me think even more that he'll come before his due date. 

best moment of the week:  maternity pics + the first snow yesterday! 

missing: working out. oh i miss it! 

looking forward to: my appointment a week from today. i will get an "exam" and an ultra sound! oh i can't wait to see him! 

random thoughts:

-ryan woke me up yesterday morning and said, "sami guess what? it snowed!" he opened the window for me and i squealed like a 5 year old. 

-i'm soaking up every day of this pregnancy because holy crap! i only have a few more weeks left! 

-i'm still dying over all the cute stuff i got at my shower last week. my friends have the best taste! 

-bernie is snoring so loud right now and it's the cutest 

xoxo 

34 weeks!

Sunday, November 9, 2014




how far along: 34 weeks! 

how big is baby: 20 inches long and about 5 pounds. :) 

weight gain: 12 pounds. 

sleep: ok! it's been hard for me to get back to sleep after my pee parties at night but it's not bad. 

craving: orange juice. chocolate milk. juice. diet coke. ice water. liquids etc. ;) i'm so freaking thirsty all the time!  

feeling: really good! i've been so giddy these days. this has been may FAVORITE stage of pregnancy. 

gender: it's so fun getting to know him more. he has hiccups after every meal. in the morning he stretches with his butt in the air and it makes the left side of my belly super tight! when he moves around it feels like he's swimming in my belly. he's been in the same position for like 6 weeks! he's just ready for the big day i guess! ;) 

best moment of the week:  my baby shower yesterday! oh it was so wonderful having so many people that i love in one room. thank you SO MUCH kenz for planning it all! and for everyone who came to support us. i feel so loved and lucky. 

missing: my hard workouts! 

looking forward to: i have my last wedding before he gets here on saturday and i would just love if i didn't go into labor before than! haha. ;) i'm really looking forward to shooting it so he better keep his cool this week! ;) (i'm not really that worried but ya know)  

random thoughts:

-my belly is still measuring small so we will most like have to get ultra sounds at every appointment here on out to make sure he's growing good. i can't wait to see him on the screen at the next appointment. it's the best. 

-ryan is working like crazy overtime right now and i'm so grateful for him and all he does for us. 

-i'm just cherishing these last few weeks until he gets here.  i'm obviously SO excited to hold my baby and have him here with us, but i just LOVE being pregnant and i just love our little life of me and ryan. i'm soaking up my sweet husband as much as i can because i know everything will change drastically (for the better) once baby is here! everything will revolve around him! haha! 

-i can't wait to call him by name. it's killing me that we aren't set on one yet. gahhh. 

-i know this probably means nothing but i reaallllly feel like he's going to come a couple weeks early. my sisters and mama had all their babies a bit early so i'm so curious to what is going to happen with me! i'm writing this now so i can look back on it and see if i was right! haha. 

-that's all for now! 5 weeks and 5 days until my due date!

xoxo 

33 weeks!

Thursday, October 30, 2014

how far along: 33 weeks! 

how big is baby: 20 inches long and over 4 pounds! 

weight gain: 12 pounds. 

sleep: week 30 to 32, not so good. This week it's been wonderful. 

craving: orange juice. orange juice. orange juice. and ice water. i wake up twice a night and guzzle orange juice. haha! i found out this week my sister stormi had the same orange juice craving when she was pregnant with kase! because our pregnancies have been so different we hugged and were so excited we had at least 1 pregnancy symptom that was the same! haha! 

feeling: weeks 31 + 32 were some of my hardest. my back. oh my back. walking was hard work there for a short bit. i was hobbling and limping around everywhere i went. but i still managed to make it work with shooting weddings + san fran! ryan was a sweetie helping me with everything. it's feeling much better this week. it totally just depends on where he is chillin in my belly. he's at a good place right now. thanks bud! 

gender: he's the cutest little roller. he's never been much of a jabber or a kicker. i love him! 

best moment of the week: our ultra sound! he is so cute! more about that below but he has hair!

missing: a good hard work out! my running days are over for a while. but my goal was to make it to 30 weeks and i did it! 

looking forward to: the birth of my sweet babe. it's going to be such a wonderful experience!

random thoughts:

-i felt like a zoo animal in san fran. holy crap did my belly get stared at. haha!  im counting week 31 as the time that i looked pregnant enough for people to comment. the crazy homeless people were so funny about my belly. the best was this dude pointed at my belly and said to ryan, "did you do that?" and then laughed his head off as we walked down the street. this crazy lady pointed to my belly and just said, "BABY." and then walked away. a lot of other people on the streets just said congrats! we loved the people of san fran. everyone (even the crazy people) were so nice. 

-i spent the day in star valley on monday and it was magical. much needed. i love my family. 

-i went in for my appointment on tuesday and my belly was measuring about 3 weeks behind.  the doctor ordered an ultra sound to make sure everything was ok. well it turns out he is measuring over a week ahead! he's a big boy and we are so grateful. he was curled up in a little ball  during the scan with his head down by my cervix and he's facing my back! (i know this could change, don't rain on my parade) but it was still nice to see that he was down there ready for the big day! he had his hands on his face the entire time and it just melted me! and we saw his hair! he has hair! 

-it's so interesting but right when i got pregnant so many people (men & women) told me all of these things i was going to feel and go through during my pregnancy.  my experience has been so different than what everyone told me it would be. the hard parts and the good parts. i will NEVER understand why people try to scare new moms. just keep it positive people! 

-i can't believe i only have 7 weeks (or less) of pregnancy. i'm SO grateful i've been able to experience this. the good and the bad. (and by the way we've had some rough patches, i just don't really share them with anyone but my parents and ryan haha) i'm just savoring these last few weeks before he comes. i love being pregnant. 

30 weeks!

Saturday, October 11, 2014


how far along: 30 weeks! Such a huge milestone! 

how big is baby: 17 inches long and about 3.1 pounds!  

weight gain: 11 pounds. Eek. 

sleep: pretty good this week! thank you new body pillow. OMG. heaven sent. 

craving: wedding cake & jamba juice! 

feeling: good this week. (other than catching a cold yesterday)  i'm still able to go on jogs which is so great. my goal was to still be able to run at 30 weeks so i'm glad i made it! 

gender: he just rolls around all day long. LOVE HIM!

best moment of the week: people in my life being thoughtful. it's been a rough couple weeks but i'm getting through it! 

looking forward to: san fran vacay next weekend! i dread leaving bernie though. sad, i know. 

random thoughts:

-fall i love love love you. 

-work has been INSANE these days! fall is always a little crazy. i love doing family sessions though! 

-people always make a face when i tell them my due date and comment about how crappy it would be to have him born on christmas. i'm 100% certain that wouldn't be the worse thing that could happen people. haha! it'll just make christmas time that more magical!

-bernie has been so snuggly lately and it's just the best thing ever. all those forced snuggles from me are paying off! 

-ryan is so good to me. 


29 weeks!

Thursday, October 2, 2014

how far along: 29 weeks! yay!!!!!! 

how big is baby: 17+ inches long and about 3 pounds!  

weight gain: 10 pounds! holy crap. double digits folks! 

sleep: off and on. i'm starting to just accept the insomnia. 

craving: sweets this week! which is rare for me. 

feeling: physically really wonderful which is such a blessing. i'm just a little stressed out trying to balance work + my calling + trying not to be a crappy person/wife/friend/sister/daughter etc. i'm just going to flat out say it's been a rough couple weeks. 

gender: hi baby boy i think you have lots of dark hair for some reason. 

best moment of the week: talking to my dad on the phone today + having my neighbor Natalie bring dinner over tonight for no reason other than she's just really nice. 

looking forward to: jim gaffigan saturday night! ahhhhh!! can't wait to laugh my head off. 

random thoughts:

-i was up tony grove lake for an engagement shoot last night and it was snowing so beautifully and it really made me so happy. (yes i'm one of the crazies that loves winter) i'm so happy to have our baby born when there's snow on the ground. i can just picture myself holding him in a couple months and looking out the window to see the snow falling. magic. 

-i'm so freakin blessed to live in logan. i love this place. 

-the cashier at the gas station yesterday said to me, "well you look like you ate too much Chinese food!" i wanted to say something back but all i could think of was, "well your face looks like Chinese food....... or something!" so i just glared at him. grrr. haha! ok people. do not say that kind of thing to pregnant women!!! (or anyone)

-and can we talk about the 10 day forecast? perfect fall weather!

-we are going to the corn maze for the combined mutual on tuesday and i'm probably more excited than i should be. i just love this time of year!!! and guys guess what? ryan is young men's president now and i'm so excited we both get to work with the youth in our ward. best callings ever. 

-i've had the best clients this fall for all my family sessions. seriously all of the kids have been angel sweeties which makes my job so easy! (and not as terrified to have a child! haha)

-ryan is the best. 

-i haven't been able to go to star valley since the beginning of august and i'm slowing dying inside! haha. i'm missing my random day trips to see the fam! i'm planning a day trip at the end of the month

-best part of pregnancy for me=feeling him move around. THE BEST. 

-i'm so glad we bought our townhouse instead of a house this year! it's the perfect size for us + baby boy and i just love it. 


xoxoxoxoxo