Bear Lake Trip

I can't remember where we discovered the notion but from early on in Wendy's pregnancy we decided that sometime during the later end of the pregnancy we were going to take a "babymoon." Basically the idea is you are taking a last vacation before your first baby comes.

At various times we had grand plans to go to California, Washington D.C., southern Utah, New Mexico, or even just Crystal Hot Springs. Something always came up to prevent us from actually planning out the trip. Eventually it came down to the fact that we basically we're running out of time before Wendy became a little bit too pregnant to go places. Out of desperation more than planning we ended up going on a short day trip to Bear Lake. We enjoyed ourselves.

The lake itself was super high; about as high as I can ever remember seeing it. So high in fact that a bunch of trees were buried fairly deeply into the water. Little to no shoreline was present.

Drowning Trees

It did make taking pictures of each other with the shoreline behind us relatively easy. We didn't have to go too far from the road. Unlike in years past when you had to hike five minutes to the water.

The short shoreline also made the time honored tradition of skipping or throwing rocks easier. I taught Wendy the theory behind rock skipping. I think she even succeeded once or twice.

Wendy skipping rocks

Ben skipping rocks

The summer I was fifteen years old I worked at the Bear Lake Aquatics camp on the eastern shore. I decided to show Wendy the place. The high shoreline significantly changed the geography of the scout camp. When I was there I taught the nature merit badge. Even though it's a required merit badge it is not a glamorous one such as the waterfront, archery, or shooting merit badges. As such my teaching area was basically the area that was in middle of nowhere. Fast forward a "couple" of years and suddenly my middle of nowhere nature merit badge site is only a couple dozen yards away from the shoreline and part of the waterfront.

Nature merit badge teaching site

The scout tent frame that I shared with another staff member for a summer

Even though it was early May we packed out swimsuits. As it turned out his was slightly ambitious. It appears that Bear Lake is rather chilly that early in the year. Not that great for swimming activities. Wendy didn't even try to get into the water. I, being the tough man that I am, made it to wading before giving up. I tell myself that it was really cold and not that I'm turning into a wimp in my old age.

This is as far as I made it into the water

While I was attempting to wade in the lake Wendy took advantage of the opportunity to reconnect with her family members. We wouldn't want them to lose track of her on our long vacation now would we?

Wendy at Bear Lake and on the phone

No trip to Bear Lake is complete without a trip to the local burger joints for a hamburger, fries, and a Bear Lake raspberry shake. This early in the year we weren't sure if any of the places would be open or not. Fortunately when we arrived at the location we found that not only was it open it was fairly busy.  I expressed my surprise at the amount of people to the kid taking orders. His response, "Yea, this is more than we expected. This is our first day open." Guess we timed our trip fairly close. One day earlier and no raspberry shakes and that would be tragic.

Outside the burger joint

Yea for burgers

Wendy eating

Wendy's Nest

It appears that being pregnant can be somewhat uncomfortable. I can't imagine why, something about a person growing inside your belly. What this means is that bedtime can at times be wiggly. After experimenting with several different options we found the best way to help Wendy to be comfortable is to make her a nest, out of pillows.  A lot of pillows!

Buried in pillows

Wendy's nest

Ben's pillows left, Wendy's pillows right

Practice Run?

I remember in junior high and high school our health classes required usto carry around a flour baby for a week. The idea was that by having to carry around a baby we might realize how much work and how big of a "bother" a baby can be. I don't know how anyone else felt but I always felt like it was useless exercise. A flour baby is so much easier than a real baby...at least so I hear. Fortunately there are ways in which we can practice.

Wendy's sister and her husband are in middle of a gigantic remodel of their apartment.  This, as can be imagined, has been somewhat complicated by the arrival of their baby. They've had to undergo some contortions in order to manage both the remodel and the baby. Sometimes it's harder than others. Today the parents were installing flooring and needed to both of them to finish the job. So they needed a baby sitter. Wendy volunteered us.

Wendy's sister has joined in the baby wrap carrier craze so I also got to try that out.  An interesting experience it was. Balance is wonky, I'm bigger in the front, I look gigantic in mirrors...it felt like I was pregnant!

Samuel was ours for an hour and a half. (Hey! Baby steps right!) From Wendy's sister's expertise we found out that Samuel like being outside, likes walking, and evidently likes areas with a lot of people. Coincidentally and outdoor walking mall just recently opened in downtown Salt Lake City.  Of course, even with a baby we had to shop for something right?

What did we shop for? Why what else would anyone shop for carrying around a two month old baby? Clearly...maternity clothes. I kept waiting for someone to comment on the fact that we had a clearly newborn baby...along with a clearly pregnant women. No one did; very disappointing.  Although we did have several people comment on high cute the baby was. I even had one passerby comment on how he looked so much like me. That was slightly awkward. 

We may not be related but it appears that Samuel does have some similar ideas on certain things.  Any longer than five minutes in a store; and it was time to leave.  Sounds about perfect to me. Wendy felt she needed longer however. I was able to delay leaving once; because I bribed him with food. Every other store; five minutes and out.

All in all. We were a good mommy and daddy for an hour and a half.  I sure learned more in that hour and a half than a week with flour baby.  Not that any of us are surprised by that.

Ultrasound Pictures.

We went to our official ultrasound appointment on March 8th. The technician was very excited and animated throughout the entire process. One mannerism that we both found interesting was that once she discovered the physiological indication of "boyhood" she proceeded to use the most widely varied range of euphemisms to refer to it.

More importantly we got to really see our baby for the first time.  It appears that ultrasound have come a long way in the past decade or so. We get to have ultrasound pictures of our baby in 3D now. All I can say is COOL!

He's looking at us.

Yep. He's a boy.

Growing is hard work.

Really hard work.

He has an arm. 3D imaging cut off at that point.

Wendy cuts Ben's Hair

Wendy has wanted to try to cut my hair for a while. I needed my hair cut. Wendy's parents have a set of clippers. Taking all of that into account we decided to try out letting Wendy cut my hair. She actually did a really good job.

First Look at Baby

We've been shopping around for a nurse midwife for Wendy. During a visit to the latest one they offered to do a quick ultrasound to look at the baby and to hear the heartbeat. I am definitely a fan of hearing the heartbeat; makes everything seem so much more and concrete.

 

It also appears that our little baby wanted to show off for us. Appears that the baby decided to be in just the right position to make it so we could see certain anatomical characteristics.

Can you find it?

There it is.

First Christmas Together

This was our first Christmas together and wespent it together in Logan since I worked Christmas day. Wendy's family has always had Christmas stockings and my family have always had Christmas boots. Fortunately both types of containers hold candy brought by "Santa" just as well as the other. I am impressed by Wendy's ability to extemporize for a Christmas boot.

We had a Christmas tree with Christmas presents. It's small, but at least it's a tree. There was even a fair number of presents for us underneath it.

Of course, we all know that presents are made to be admired...and poked and prodded until you know what they are.

Any tree is improved with a wife in front of it. No matter how small the tree.