drew and elle

The Nugget at 9 Months.

2011-12-15T19:49:00.005-07:00

For my own personal benefit, I wanted to write a post about Isla at the age she is now. She is growing up so fast and changing so much every day that it blows my mind! I want to be able to remember these sweet days in the future (especially if she's a naughty toddler or a feisty teenager!). So here are some facts about my cute little lady at 9 months of age:

...

Her nicknames include: Nugget (hence, the title of this post), Isla B., sister, and the usual "sweet girl", "baby girl", etc...

She can sit up, shake her head "no" (oh goodness...), wave, do "popcorn popping" with her hands, say "mama" and "dada", and pinch small things with her thumb and pointer finger.

She is obsessed with a stuffed pig named "Pepper" (pictured above) that was a gift from Andrew's work colleagues. She snuggles it so hard and is often holding her and talking to her when she wakes up in the morning or from her naps. It's the most darling thing in the world.

She loves to empty out the basket of lotions, medicines, etc. under her changing table.

She absolutely loves to drink from a straw, and is known to get excited any time Diet Coke is around--woops!

She loves to eat and is not a picky eater at all...yet. Her favorites include rice, apples, carrots, pretzel sticks, and most baby food.

She can't crawl yet, but likes to be on her tummy and dance. She tries to lean forward and crawl while sitting, but cries when she ends up falling on her face.

She loves to play peek-a-boo.

She laughs A LOT.

She is much more outgoing than she used to be. She is no longer as scared of strangers and is usually pretty friendly to people when we go out places.

She gets SO excited when Daddy gets home from work (and so does Mom!)

She is obsessed with my phone and the TV remote. She also loves to watch movies of herself on my phone.

She is vain and one of her favorite things to do is look at herself in the mirror and jump up and down.

She is VERY bouncy and loves to stand and bounce and bounce and bounce........

And one of my favorite things of all...she now SLEEPS THROUGH THE NIGHT! Woo hoo!

I love her so much and feel so lucky to be her mom!

Pictures/I love my family.

2011-11-27T03:36:00.004-07:00

We had some pictures taken recently by our good friend, Elise Capener (she's great!), that we wanted to use for a Christmas card. Coincidentally, it happened to snow A LOT the night before, and the pictures ended up looking more winter-ish than we had planned! But, I think it adds a festive touch to them all. Most of all, after looking through all the pictures, I realize how blessed I am to have such a wonderful husband and daughter. I love them both so much, and I am in love with the little family that we all are. Now, bring on Christmas! We are SOOOO excited.

PS--Side note: we saw The Muppet Movie this week and it was really cute. Go see it!

Halloween!

2011-10-31T22:09:00.001-06:00

Here's some documentation of the fun night. And, this means I can start listening to Christmas music...hooray!

We have a sitter!

2011-10-11T21:59:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, Isla couldn't sit up. I don't know what changed, but today she can! And we're both thrilled. I love my little nugget.

It is beginning to look a lot like...Halloween...and Christmas.

2011-10-07T13:58:00.001-06:00

The start of October has brought us some short-lived, chilly weather! But, while it lasts, we've brought out the boots, too-small beanies for Isla, Halloween decor, and of course, Christmas music. Don't worry, when temps are in the 80's again next week, the latter will be re-shelved for a few more weeks! We're enjoying it while it lasts, though!

I just love her.

2011-10-02T22:12:00.001-06:00

Being a mom has become so much more enjoyable over the last couple of months and here are a couple of reasons why: happier baby & better sleeper. She is my whole life now and I love it.

As of late...

2011-09-26T17:23:00.001-06:00

Saturday was a fun day. We rode the TRAX to Gardner Village, which is decked out with fun Halloween/Fall decor. Isla enjoyed watching the scenery pass by the train windows.

We also stopped by model home that I've been eyeing on my walks around the lake. It was A-MAZING. I'm going to find some way to make it mine in the future...

This weekend we started sleep training Isla--the whole crying it out method. After multiple nights of very little sleep and some advice from other moms, I was more than ready! It was hard and still is, but she's adapting to it really well and last night I got more sleep than I have in months, so it's here to stay! And, even though she cries herself to sleep, she still wakes up happy. Yay!

California knows how to party.

2011-09-01T21:16:00.007-06:00

Our trip to California in a nutshell: beach, shopping, food. Can't beat that. Here's some documentation.

Date at Cirque du Soleil in LA, thanks Dana & Beth for watching the munchkin! PS, yes I really am that pale. Very sad.

Isla enjoying the comfy bed at the Marriot in San Diego.

No pictures, please. LA has turned her into a diva!

Room service at the Marriott, YUM.

She is two things in this picture: chubby & very excited to be feeling the sand at the beach.

Oh, that face.

Mid-shopping snack--Mom's shoulder.

Love this! She is in awe of Daddy.

Relaxing after returning home! Notice the rolls on the belly & legs...I think we all gained a few pounds on our trip!

And if you have time...here's a video of Isla's first beach experience (at least her first one awake). She was just a little excited!

Projects, Planes, and Pictures, oh my!

2011-06-11T17:40:00.007-06:00

I promised another post that actually included pictures, and here it is! Or at least, here it begins. This may or may not actually get published a few days from now. But, it's progress!

A lot has been happening around here--or at least, some things have been happening, which was more than I can say of the last couple of months. We took a trip to California over Memorial Day weekend. Highlights of the trip included watching Ford (our new nephew)'s baby blessing, some extreme sunburns, seeing lots of wonderful family, flying with Isla for the first time, visiting the beach, and eating yummy food! It was a really fun trip and very nice to get out of the house for longer than a couple hours! Isla did really well on the plane ride--she slept both ways!--which I was SO relieved about. The only negative was the broken A/C on the flight there....let's just say, sweaty. Not good. It was a little stressful flying with all of the baby gear--I have a lot more empathy for parents who travel with multiple children now! I can't even imagine...

We've also been working on some home improvement projects. We (mostly Andrew) upholstered a headboard for our bed (DIY on the Design Sponge blog), weeded & mulched our yard, made a curtain for the kitchen window, and painted our kitchen chairs a fun dark purple. Things are starting to come together even more, and our next project is a gallery wall for our front room. Mostly Andrew, once again. Who knew I'd marry someone with more design sense than me? Glad I did, though!

And last, we've been taking lots and lots of pictures--of our trip, our little Isla, our house, etc. Speaking of Isla, she's been doing A LOT better, thank goodness! She still has her moments, and evenings are fussier than the rest of the day, but she is a much happier baby than she was a month ago, and I am SO beyond grateful for that! Especially since I go back to work in less than a week (yikes!). I don't feel as bad about leaving Andrew home alone with her all night than I would have before. She smiles all the time, especially when she wakes up, continues to be super gassy, is starting to want to stand and sit, is able to hold her head up pretty good, and is starting to demonstrate some semblance of a laugh now and then. I'm finally starting to enjoy motherhood like I should, rather than being stressed out all the time! One thing that still always brings tears, though, is her carseat. She HATES it. But, I guess I would, too.

Anyway, here are lots and lots of pictures (in no particular order...I'm too lazy to organize them! Sorry). Hope everyone is doing well--Enjoy!

So excited for Dad to be home from work!

Summer & her youngest, August, hangin' at the beach on Memorial Day.

Katie's newest addition, Ford. He is ADORABLE. I mean, look at that hair!

Isla just chillin with Grandpa at Sunday dinner.

Modeling the adorable onesie that my lovely friend, Camille, made for her! So cute.

For a while, I had this picture on my phone to remind myself that Isla is sometimes a happy baby! She gives me these smiles a lot more frequently now, thankfully!

Nonny juggling Isla & August at the beach.

Swimwear model. Love it.

Hangin' out with Mommy all day. Looks like the is flipping off the camera, but not. She really was in another picture, ha.

Taking a walk in our lovely neighborhood now that the weather is (FINALLY) nice!

She has discovered that she really likes to eat her hands, which is fine with me :)

Our new purple kitchen chairs!

Crackin' up.

A very very rare carseat smile. I think she started crying about 30 seconds after this.

Wrapped in her "Miracle Blanket", ready for bed. We call her our little burrito. She actually seems to like it. Sidenote: our carpet looks kind of weird and green in this picture...I promise, it's not really like that...

The lovely headboard that my handyman of a husband made! I love it!

Our plants and landscaping by the garage. I wish we had taken a before picture, because it was overrun with weeds...looks SO much better now.

Same goes for the front of the house...

The kitchen curtain I made. Definitely took practically no skill at all!

A rare couple picture of Andrew and I in California! And, yes, my hair looks like I chopped it off. But, don't fret, it's just in a bun.

Practicing in the Bumbo! She's really wanting to sit up more, but can only hold her head up for a minute before it starts to droop.

Maybe I am biased, but is that not the cutest face ever? I am SOO happy that she is happier nowadays.

I cannot be a mother and a blogger.

2011-05-24T16:02:00.005-06:00

Apparently I am horrible at multi-tasking...my life. I don't know how all the "mommy bloggers" do it, but I have found it hard to be a mother + ________ (anything else). One of my friends pointed out that I haven't blogged in over a month. I am supposed to go back to work in a few weeks, and I'm slightly freaking out about how I am going to manage taking care of Isla, myself, our house, and finding time to sleep after work. I am also slightly freaking out about leaving Isla home alone with Andrew all night--mostly because I am afraid she won't sleep and he'll be exhausted for work the next day. But, that's a whole other subject.

Anyway, just thought I'd write an update of what's been going on in our life as of late. No pictures this time--sorry--I am writing this from my Mom's computer and haven't had time to upload recent pictures. We are taking a trip this weekend and I PROMISE I'll take some pictures and post some. I'm sure you're all dying with anticipation! Ha.

Here are the highlights of the last month-ish or so:

Isla has been fussy...suffering from "colic"--the term for general prolonged fussiness, it seems. We've tried everything from gripe water to the Miracle Blanket (which is actually pretty great), but of course there's no cure-all for it. So, I've learned to function with only one arm most of the day and haven't gotten out of the house very much, for fear that she'll have a melt down. Thankfully, my older sister, Kristin, lives about 5 minutes away. I go there a lot--in fact, when I don't go, my niece asks her "why Elyse isn't here". Thanks to her, though, I am still sane-ish.
On a good note, she does seem to be growing out of it, and has developed her "social smile". Things that elicit this smile include: passing gas, seeing mom & dad, and listening to the Tangled soundtrack. She also hates getting dressed, which is sad for me, because I cannot play dress up with her like I want to, sigh. Oh, well, I'm sure I'll have plenty of time for that as she grows up.
Last Isla news: besides the fact that she's freaking cute, everything checked out at her 2 month appointment last week. She was 9 lbs 11 oz, 21.5 inches long, and in the 25th percentile for everything. She got her shots--sad day--and then slept for like 4 hours, so I secretly liked the shots, which I know is horrible. Our goal from now until her 4 month appointment is to get her to sleep on the other side of her head more so we can avoid a helmet. Wish us luck!
We are getting ready for a trip to California this Thursday (yay!!!!) to visit family, enjoy Memorial Day weekend, and see Tanner & Katie's new baby, Ford, get blessed. T&K are moving to China in a couple months (yikes!), so we want to see them as much as we can before they go. I cannot wait for the beach and the weather forecast is simply lovely.
We painted our kitchen chairs (well, Andrew did) a dark purple, and put mulch in our yard. Those were our home improvement projects this last weekend as the weather decided to be amazing. Our next home improvement project: making a headboard for our bed. This will involve Andrew using an electric saw and staple gun. Pray for us.
One of my best friends in the whole world, Camille, just moved back to Utah and bought a house like 15 minutes from us. I am SOOOOO excited to have her close by, and plan to take advantage of her good conversation and craft skills as often as possible!
Andrew had a birthday at the beginning of this month and turned the big 2-6! We went to a movie while my mom watched Isla, and it was so nice to have some semblance of a date finally. Love him!

Anyway, that's about it for now. Sorry, nothing too exciting, but I'll provide some pictures of the oh-so-cute babe and our Memorial Day trip when I get back...which probably translates into another month or so! Wish me luck :)

Isla Beth.

2011-04-09T13:40:00.014-06:00

(Lots of pictures at the end of the post...if you get bored...)

Well, I've obviously taken quite a long hiatus from blogging, but for good reason! We welcomed our little girl, Isla Beth Garlock, into the world on March 18th (my Mom's birthday!), and let's just say life has been a little hectic since then! Hectic but wonderful--she is the most darling baby in the world (I'm slightly biased) and we are so so happy to have her with us.

I don't want to bore everyone with my "birth story", but I also wanted to kind of record what happened that day so I remember. And, since I don't really journal, I'm going to just write a brief bit about the happenings of that day.

I had an appointment with my doctor on Thursday (March 17), and I was far enough dilated, etc., that he suggested we induce me on Monday. I was thrilled to have an end in sight, but not so excited about the 3 shifts I still had to work that weekend. Anyway, the doctor thoroughly checked me at my appointment and I went to my parents afterward because we were all going to go to dinner for my Mom's birthday. I was contracting a bit, but that always happens after being checked, so I wasn't too concerned. I kept contracting pretty much all night and through dinner, and when we got home I almost went in to the hospital. But, I figured I probably wouldn't go that fast, and I'd rather try to get some sleep that night. So, I slept, woke up at 5 am to go the bathroom, and realized that I was still contracting a lot, like every 2-3 minutes. It wasn't super painful, but uncomfortable enough. I woke up Andrew and told him we should probably just go in before he left for work. I called my Mom (she's a L&D nurse, so I definitely wanted her there!) and she met us at the hospital.

We got there, got all hooked up to the monitors, and sure enough I was contracting very regularly. I was still dilated to a 4, which is what I was at my appt, so the doctor said he'd give me a couple hours and see what happened. Since I wasn't 39 weeks til the next day, he technically couldn't break my water or induce labor if I wasn't progressing on my own. So, he came back around 9 am, I had progressed (thank goodness) to a 5, and he broke me water. After that, holy cow, the contractions got painful! I requested my epidural ASAP and clutched the bed rails until the anesthesiologist came in. He got my epidural in, had to try a couple times cause my back is curved weirdly... and I was in HEAVEN! Oh man, it was the best feeling ever to have the contractions gone.

After about 10 minutes, though, I started feeling like I was going to black out...not good. My blood pressure had dropped to somewhere in the 80s/40s (that's very low), and in response to that, baby's heart rate dropped dramatically. So, tons of nurses came running in flipping me over, putting on an internal monitor, laying my head back, putting on oxygen, etc... Being a nurse in this area, I knew that all of this meant something very bad was happening. For a moment, I thought they were going to rush me back for an emergency C-section. In the end, it turns out my epidural had been dosed a bit too high for my body size, and the anesthesiologist came in and gave my some Epinephrine and decreased my epidural dose. Thankfully, Isla recovered well. I, however, was a major stress case for the rest of my labor, asking my Mom and the other nurses literally like every 10 seconds if the baby was okay, how her heart rate was, etc. I'm sure I drove them nuts, but I was just terrified of something going wrong.

The rest of the labor progressed pretty easily. I never used my epidural button, though, for fear that I would cause her heart rate to drop again. So, I was able to move my legs still and feel the pressure of the contractions, but not the pain, which I was totally fine with. I kept dilating on my own and never needed any Pitocin, and around 2:30 or 3 pm, I was complete! I pushed for about an hour, and boy did I feel it. I'm sure it wasn't as bad as going natural, but it was definitely not totally numb down there. She finally came and was absolutely perfect! Weighed in at 5 lbs. 15 oz. and was a short 18 inches. My sister, Jenna, was there for the delivery and it was really fun to have her with me. I was really proud of how well her and Andrew did watching the whole thing. They were more in awe than disgusted :) The doctor stitched me up (which I totally felt-ouch), and the nursery got Isla all dried off and bathed. The first time I held her I just felt a huge wave of relief that she was out and I didn't have to worry about hurting her anymore! She was just darling and I fell in love right away.

Once we got her home, she continued to be a wonderful baby, aside from the fact that she had her nights and days completely mixed up and was awake every night from about 1-6 am. Can't really blame her, though, as I did work nights and probably confused her a bit! Thankfully, that only lasted about a week and half, and now she sleeps pretty good at night. She is already three weeks old, and I feel like she is getting so big already! It makes me sad but happy at the same time, as I see her personality continue to develop.

I am feeling much, much better now, compared to where I was a couple weeks ago. Having a child is overwhelming, and no matter what anyone told me, I was not prepared for the extreme exhaustion I felt right after! But, it only lasts a short while in the scheme of things, and it's totally worth it for my little lady.

So, that's it...sorry to drone on and on, but as I said, I want to preserve the memory for myself! I have to say thanks to everyone who has come to visit, sent gifts, brought meals, etc... in the last few weeks. It has all been MUCH appreciated and made us feel so loved and taken care of! So, thanks :)

And now, for lots of pictures (I attempted to put them in some sort of chronological order):

Happenings.

2011-03-10T16:33:00.004-07:00

Here's to you, Spring.

Well, I've dropped off the face of the earth, haven't I? I've certainly neglected blogging, so I thought I'd just write a little update post before we have the baby and I have even more reason to be neglectful!

The most exciting thing as of late--we got our kitchen cabinets painted! Call us crazy (many have), because we just bought our house and our cabinets were already very nice. We know. But, we've always loved white kitchen cabinets, and decided that if we are gonna do it, let's do it now before we put it off forever. There are a couple touch ups that need to be done still, so I'll put up pics once it's all put together. But, we LOVE IT and are so glad we did it!

Other things that have been going on:

Baby shower: thrown by my mom and sisters, lots of friends and family there. Thanks to everyone who came!

Eating Girl Scout cookies--Andrew got some from a co-workers children. We love our Samoas!

Cleaning the house, getting things organized, "nesting" I guess you'd call it. I just like having a clean house...

Enjoying the warmer weather! Hello, it's 70 degress today! Love it.

Dreaming of summer days. I bought a bathing suit from J. Crew that I am determined to fit in for pool time this summer, and I am on the lookout for a cute baby suit.

Planning a trip to California for Memorial Day! Yay! My sister-in-law, Katie, will have her new baby blessed that weekend, and it will also be the last time we'll get to see them before they move to China in a few months. We are so excited for them!

Eating delicious donuts from Beyond Glaze. We tried the German Chocolate and Peach Cobbler flavors. Delish!

Enjoying a mani/pedi and hair appointment so I don't look totally awful in my delivery pictures.

Working a lot, because everyone and their mom has decided to have a baby right now and our unit has been BUSY!

Keeping up on Jimmer news (Andrew).

Going to the gym together on my nights off, so Andrew can get buff and I can walk around the track and try to get closer to going into labor.

Anyway, that's about it for now! Have to give some birthday shout-out's as well, because I'm sure I'll forget. Saturday is our Grandma Jeanne's birthday, the 18th is my Mom's birthday, and the 24th is my brother, Brennan's, birthday. Happy Birthday and we love you all!

Vote!

2011-02-16T14:25:00.004-07:00

Vote for Fictionist in the Choose the Cover of Rolling Stone Contest! They're an amazing band from Provo, Utah, and some incredibly talented musicians. Click on this link to go to their contest page and rate them. Also, check out their music (I especially like "Before I'm Old") and their awesome music video!

AND PS: They'll appear on our favorite of shows, Late Night With Jimmy Fallon! Woo!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T12:00:00.004-07:00

Wishing everyone lots of love.

Just had to show this card Andrew got me, thought it was hilarious/adorable. Love him!!

Baby Bump & Nursery Update.

2011-02-09T12:39:00.003-07:00

The time is fast approaching when little girl will be here with us, and I'm kind of freaking out! Ever since I hit 30 weeks the time has seemed to be flying. I'm in fight or flight mode trying to get everything ready for her arrival. Good news: we've made lots of progress on the nursery because of it! So, here's a recent bump pic (33 weeks, 4 days) and some updated pics of the nursery. Enjoy!

Bumpity, bump, bump.

Pillow I made last night for the rocker!

The bigger effect. Also made the curtain last night (with Andrew's help measuring and hanging).

Refinished dresser on the left, new paint and knobs. Thanks Mom & Dad for the donation :)

Shelves, expertly painted and hung by Andrew while I was at work :)

It's here.

2011-02-07T16:55:00.002-07:00

Our iPhones came via FedEx today and I am beyond excited! We've been holding out with Verizon for the day they'd get the iPhone, and I am happy to retire the old brick I was using. Yay!

Salt City Burger Co. Delish.

2011-02-07T11:38:00.003-07:00

Okay, anyone in Utah, you HAVE to try this place--Salt City Burger Co.. They have locations in Sandy & Bountiful, and although this may be a trek for some, it will be so worth it! We went there a couple weekends ago and got a burger, shakes, and fries (half regular, half sweet potato). Holy cow. That's all I can say...it's delicious (and it's not just the pregnancy talking)! I am not usually a huge burger person, but this was incredible. And, the milkshake was an actual milkshake, not just a lot of soft ice cream like most places. And the fries... Well, anyway, if you get a chance, we highly recommend it!

Bringin' Spring.

2011-02-03T15:50:00.003-07:00

I have been in an oddly crafty mood this week (maybe it's "nesting", who knows), which has been nice for making the days pass quickly. I decided to bring a little spring to our home in these freezing temps, and make a wreath that my lovely friend, Camille, posted on her blog. She's so darn crafty, I love it. Anyway, I made this little wreath to bring some sunshine to our door. It was surprisingly VERY easy, and took very little time--my kind of project! So, to you and yours, happy early spring!

Progress.

2011-02-02T15:01:00.004-07:00

I've had a few requests for pictures of the inside of our new place. I've been working to unpack boxes, organize, and decorate for the last couple months, and though I'm not nearly done with everything, here's a peek at some of the progress!

The family room--still need to do a couple more pillows, not sure what color yet though. And please notice Andrew's handy work of the mounted TV and shelf--he's very proud :)

Beginnings of baby girl's room. Still need to make a curtain and pillow for the rocker, put knobs on the dresser, pictures in the frames, hang some shelves...but, it's a start! And, I made that white crib skirt (the only one I could find was $60! I couldn't bring myself to pay that), which I'm quite proud of. The hardest part was actually bending over to cut the fabric, oy.

The upstairs guest (future baby) bathroom.

The rest of the rooms in the house will be debuted at a later time, once I'm happy with them :)

Baby Brielle.

2011-02-02T12:30:00.001-07:00

I promised pics of my new niece, so here we go! She's a little darling.

She's already won grandpa over, of course.

Banged up.

2011-01-27T23:42:00.003-07:00

So, I was getting restless and needing a change and decided to get me some bangs cut. My lovely friend, Erica (a hairdresser, don't worry), did the deed, and I have to say, I'm liking it. We'll see how long that lasts, but I'm glad for a change at least. Next change: have the baby!

Never ending...

2011-01-18T02:07:00.004-07:00

Night. That's what this is. It's 2 am, I'm at work (eating, of course) and am not sure how I am going to last 4 more hours until my shift is over. I can't even enjoy my favorite pasttime--planning my next Anthro purchase--because I am too fat to fit into any of their clothes anymore. Bleh. On a happier note, I just ate a delish orange. I love this time of year for that reason, yummy orange season. And I just rhymed, look at that.

On another happy note, I ordered a rug from West Elm for our guest bathroom and I am lovin it! See above.

Bellies.

2011-01-15T23:14:00.001-07:00

Here they are, the bellies! Unfortunately Andrew has not gained any sympathy weight while I've been pregnant. I better not pass him up by the end of this...

The Prego Diary.

2011-01-13T14:10:00.006-07:00

So, I've gotten a lot of flack about not looking pregnant, not blogging or posting enough about my pregnancy, etc. Mostly, it's not that exciting day to day. But also, there's some laziness and fear of being that pregnant woman who won't shut up about her pregnancy in the mix as well (note: not talking about anyone in particular here! More about myself...some days I feel like it's all I talk about cause I don't have much else going on!) So, to make up for my lack of info giving, I've decided to do a post about how pregnancy has been for me so far. Here are a few tidbits.

I haven't really gotten sick (thank goodness), which was my biggest fear because I absolutely hate throwing up. It only happened once, and I think it was a fluke.
I was very tired during the 1st and 2nd trimesters, but I feel pretty good now (i.e. I don't have to sleep til noon every day!) My only sleeping distress is that I cannot sleep well at night. I toss and turn and finally fall asleep soundly around 7 or 8 am when Andrew is leaving. I think that may also be attributed to my night shift schedule, though...
I DO, in fact, look pregnant. I promise I'll take a really good belly shot here soon. I just don't like taking pictures of myself period, so being pregnant hasn't exactly helped that :) But, I have had quite a few strangers in the last couple of weeks ask when I'm due, so yay! I think it's more noticeable in person. So really, don't be too jealous that I don't even look bigger, cause if I don't, then my scale must be way off.
My belly button just doesn't look the same. It's very odd.
Most people enjoy the extra enhancement "up top" (wink wink) that accompanies the growing belly of pregnancy, but I have to say, I hate it. I've never been a busty girl and I think that's how it was meant to be. (Not that I would necessarily be classified that way now by most people's standards, but it's a big change for me!) I can't wait for the post-nursing shrinkage.
I can feel our little gal move a ton, and she is most active at night--usually right when I'm going to bed and when I get up to go to the bathroom many times. The nights I work are like a party for her, because we're actually awake together! I think she also gets jealous when I hold other babies in the nursery at work, cause she tends to kick them a lot :)
I haven't had any crazy cravings...yet. For a while I was really digging salty things (think french fries and kettle cooked chips) late at night, but that's pretty much gone. Now I just eat normal, except for the fact that I eat about 14 meals a day vs. 3. I can't fit too much in at a time, so I have to graze. Probably not the best habit to get into, but oh well, it works for now!
I have had a lot of those "Braxton Hicks" contractions, but I had more of them while we were in the process of moving. Now that I've slowed down a bit, I only have them a few times a day.
Working full-time nights is starting to take it's toll on me. By the end of the night my body just plain hurts. Other people might just think I'm lazy, but my back and legs can't handle it much longer. Other than those long nights, though, I haven't had too much pain to speak of.
My ankles are not swollen...yet. Knock on wood! They do get slightly swollen after a night of work, but they did that when I wasn't pregnant, too. I think being pregnant in the winter really helps me in this area, which I guess is an okay trade-off for the increased slipping hazard I've become in the snow.
I think it's still weird to think I'm actually going to be a Mom when all of this is said and done. Right now I just like having a little secret friend with me all the time, that nobody else really gets to be friends with. She keeps me company when I'm home alone and Andrew's at work. But to think of actually being her mom and raising her and knowing what to do...that is all a little overwhelming for me! I'll cross that bridge when I come to it I guess. For now, we'll just continue to get to know each other and decorate the nursery :)

Well, there's a good recap. Sorry if it's long and boring, and if nobody reads it, I'm at least glad I wrote it all down for myself to remember one day. I'll be 30 weeks on Saturday, and then it's 10 weeks (hopefully slightly less...) and counting til we can meet her in person! Yay!

Welcome, Brielle!

2011-01-12T12:37:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our new niece, Brielle Prusse, born on 1/11/11 at 8:11 am. She's a little thing, 7 lb. 1 oz. at birth, and is the clone of a cabbage patch doll in my opinion. Such a little darling, and hopefully a great future friend for baby Garlock! Pictures to come soon. Love the Prusse fam!

It (Was) the Holiday Season.

2011-01-12T11:55:00.005-07:00

Mr. & Mrs. Claus on Christmas morn

And boy was it great. Unfortunately, due to being out of town, working, and trying to move-in (still), I've been a bad blogger. But, better late than never! So, here are some pictures of our fun times in Utah for Christmas and California for New Years.

Cute niece, Eliza, got a "Bumbo Chair" and apparently loves it!

My wonderful hubby got me some of the Penguin Clothbound Classics I've been lusting over for a while. Love them!

Testing out the self-timer on my new point-and-shoot. We look very posey, but still adorable if I do say so myself :)

Brennan (in the shirt we got him) and Tim on Christmas night.

Jenna and Ashlyn making silly faces. Silly girls.

One of the Holiday Windows at the Grand America Hotel in SLC. Andrew's agency designed a few of them. Sorry it's sideways, I'm too lazy to go in and flip it right now...use your imagination!

Now in California, at Crystal Cove, a pretty little beach with cottages and old cars. Of course, we had to get a pic with this beauty for Andrew :)

Went to a surprise party for David's birthday with Summer, and also got to meet their good friend, Sergio (on the right). What a guy, what a guy.

Fondue on New Year's Eve. I think it was more work than anything, but I gotta say, the cheese and chocolate...mmmmm. A pregnant woman's dream.

The girls at fondue. Katie was in Utah with the Nichol fam (we missed you!)

Andrew got a little over-eager with the cheese and burned his tongue mid picture.

Anyway, good times had by all. We love our family on both sides and feel so blessed to be surrounded by such great, supportive people! Hope everyone had a great holiday and are enjoying the new year so far!

Officially Adults.

2010-12-16T11:56:00.005-07:00

You'd think being married, out of college, and pregnant would make us feel like adults. But, nope, we didn't feel like official adults until yesterday afternoon when we became homeowners! Ah! Scary/exciting/great/weird. It's in Daybreak, a lovely community in South Jordan that we've just fallen in love with. We are so excited about our new little place and the home it will be for us in the upcoming years. We move this weekend, which I'm glad for since I'm not hugely pregnant yet. More pictures will come once we're settled in--if I survive the next few days!

I love Christmas.

2010-12-05T22:19:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned this before?

Magical + 24 Weeks.

2010-12-03T15:53:00.003-07:00

Just watched this Coldplay "Christmas Lights" video (thanks to my friend, Camille!) and found it to be quite magical. Love Coldplay, love Christmas. Perfect. Baby liked it as well, she danced through the whole song!

And on a side note--I've gotten some requests for the token "belly pic" from my progressing pregnancy. I've just started to pop out in the last week (as opposed to just looking slightly wider), and that's why I haven't really posted anything yet. Here's a small snapshot (24 weeks!):

Unwashed hair = only the belly in this one :)

Happy Spanksgiving.

2010-11-29T17:51:00.002-07:00

Title: quote from Jimmy Fallons's Real Housewives of Late Night. Hilarious.

Anyway, Andrew and I just returned from our annual trip to Prescott, AZ for Thanksgiving to visit with his grandparents. The rest of the family drove up (is it up?) from California, and it was such a fun time. It's always nice to get out of your usual environment and see family that you don't see very often!

Andrew and I are so blessed, and I just wanted to make a short list, more for myself, to sum up what we're grateful for this year.

1. Each other, being happily married. Cheesy, but true.
2. College degrees & employment that we like (and health insurance).
3. The Gospel, our membership in the LDS Church.
4. Amazing family on both sides, great relationships.
5. A warm home (winter, ugh).
6. Christmas!!!!
7. Our little baby girl on the way.
8. Good health all around.
9. Baths.
10. Diet Coke (except not much on my part any more...)
11. Nice people in the world who are just kind and honest.
12. Faith, especially because I'm a worrier, and the Lord always makes things work out for us.

That's a short list, and doesn't even begin to touch everything. But, we have been truly blessed this year and would be so ungrateful if we didn't recognize it. So, Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

And now...bring in CHRISTMAS!

Hospital & Harry Potter

2010-11-17T12:07:00.002-07:00

Just an update for anyone who reads our blog anymore...

I had to spend a night in the hospital last week for "hydronephrosis"--apparently, some kidney problems associated with my pregnancy. Basically, I was in excruciating pain for a few hours until they gave me lots of morphine. I was also contracting every 2 minutes (scary!!!), and the morphine helped that settle down as well.

As if I hadn't already decided this, I am definitely getting an epidural when I have this little girl, because if natural childbirth is anything like what I felt, I will literally die! On a happier note, they pumped me full of fluids, antibiotics, etc., ran lots of tests that were really great (not), and I am much improved :) I did swell up nicely from all the fluids, so sorry folks, no pictures!

Our little girl did great through the whole ordeal and has been kicking away ever since. I just pray for an uneventful remainder of my pregnancy!

On an even better note, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 comes out tomorrow night! Andrew, being the wonderful husband that he is, is taking a half day off on Friday morning to accompany me to the midnight showing tomorrow. I work tonight, so I won't be able to sleep anyway :) Perfect.

Happy 2 Years!

2010-11-03T11:45:00.003-06:00

Andrew's AWESOME costume for work--just had to throw that in there!

This weekend we celebrated our 2 year anniversary--yay!--and had such a great time! I told Andrew that I wanted him to plan it all, and that I wanted to be surprised. And, boy did he deliver!

In our nice hotel room!

We went up to Salt Lake, and stayed Friday night in the Marriott up there. I love staying in hotels and sleeping in king sized beds. So nice. That night we walked around downtown and the Gateway and ate at one of our favorite restaurants, Biaggi's. If you haven't been there--GO! You won't be disappointed. Delish!

The next day we hit up Einstein's for some Pumpkin bagels (mmm...) and Andrew took me for a mani/pedi appt. Love the pampering! We walked around downtown and bit more, then went to a spa in Draper for MASSAGES! Oh boy, it was nice. Seriously, the best massages we've ever had!

After that, we headed to my sisters house for dinner and some (very cold) trick-or-treating with her kids. Andrew dressed up as a cowboy and made me be an indian. I don't love dressing up, but it was fun.

Our niece, Ashlyn, on Halloween. She was a ladybug, and insisted on carrying two candy buckets.

Then, Andrew took Monday off work and we went up to Park City to walk around and enjoy the area before it gets too cold. We ate at a really quaint diner that had the best tomato soup ever, and headed back towards home later that night for dinner and movie.

At the cute diner in Park City!

Basically, it was a GREAT weekend and I loved it all! I told Andrew he's in charge of planning all our anniversaries from now on :)

And, in other good news--I'm almost halfway done being pregnant! 19.5 weeks down!

It's a SHE!

2010-10-07T14:04:00.004-06:00

Baby wasn't shy and let us know that she's a GIRL yesterday at our ultrasound! We couldn't be happier, and can't wait to have one of these for our own :)

Jace turns 7!

2010-09-21T12:30:00.005-06:00

Jace's gift from Grandma and Grandpa (which I helped pick out--can you tell? ha)

Our nephew, Jace, turned seven last week, and the family all got together to celebrate. It's getting harder to get everyone together, so when we do, it's a really great time! Jace was thrilled about the party and the gifts (mostly Lego and Wii games), and like a younger me, could hardly contain his excitement! Here are some pics from the night--enjoy!

Ashlyn, trying to figure out if she likes the new cousin...

Baby Eliza, such a happy girl!

And her happy Momma.

The youngest sibs--Brennan dressed up in Jace's Superman outfit at some point...hence the shirt.

Attempt at a cute couple picture #1...missed.

Try #2, better.

Ashlyn enjoying Uncle Brennan's entertainment.

Braxton joined in on the costume fun as well--I think we're all a little excited for Halloween...

My new skinny Dad--he's lost 40+ lbs. recently! Don't know why he seems to be pulling away from me...ha

Cheeseball.

Ashlyn debuting her Ladybug Halloween costume!

Welcome, Fall.

2010-09-21T12:27:00.003-06:00

I don't know if it's even fall yet, but I'm ready for it! Fall decor, check. Real Simple fall ideas, check. Pumpkin Kisses, check.

4th Meal.

2010-09-16T22:23:00.004-06:00

What happens when I'm feeling like a Slurpee at 9pm?

1. We realize there are NO 7-Eleven's in Pleasant Grove (what the heck?), or in any neighboring city.
2. We make our way down towards Provo to find a 7-Eleven, and on the way, Andrew decides he wants a Whopper Jr. from Burger King.
3. It only makes sense that I get some fries to go along with his burger.
4. We finally find a 7-Eleven and fill our bellies with that sugary goodness.

All in all, a lot of calories consumed way too late at night and without a real need. But it was great while it lasted! We definitely won't be making this a habit, though...

And baby makes three.

2010-09-12T22:41:00.002-06:00

Yep, the cat--or the baby, rather--is out of the bag. We're expecting! I'm officially due March 26th (I know, don't tell me how far away that seems), and out of my 1st trimester. I haven't been feeling too horribly, just extremely tired (another reason for my lack of blogging). I'm hoping I'll get the 2nd trimester energy boost I keep hearing about soon...but if not, I have a great excuse for being tired all the time!

We'll find out what it is in about a month, so until then your guess is as good as mine. One nice perk of working as a nurse in a Women's Center is that I have an ultrasound machine at my disposal pretty much all of the time. Granted, it's not the best machine, but I'm able to check in on the little peanut every week and see how he/she is doing!

I'm not really showing yet, but if you see me in the next couple of weeks and I'm just looking weirdly chubby, now you know--I'm actually pregnant :)

One word...

2010-09-07T21:09:00.008-06:00

DVR! We got it--finally--and I'm sure we'll be watching way more TV and I'll be blogging way less (if that's even possible).

On another note, we are still alive and thriving. I guess we've been too busy working, enjoying the summertime, being lazy, etc, etc, etc. to really blog much. But, if I ever recover from the coma that is working three nights a week, I'll try to update you more often.

On a second, and very random, note, anyone who was like me and indulged themselves in a little Hanson love around 6th grade, you should check out their new album "Shout It Out". It's so upbeat and fun, I can't stop listening to it--a lot like my 12-year-old self. Thankfully, there is one difference: I am married now and no longer swooning them.

Third note, HAPPY LABOR DAY! Not really that exciting, but Andrew did get a day off of work, which was nice. I unfortunately had to work the night before and the night of the big day, so I was in my usual stupor for the family festivities. But, I was able to enjoy the absolutely gorgeous weather and company of my family (including my new niece, Eliza).

And on that segway, congrats to Tyler & Carissa on Eliza, the tiny new addition to their family! She weighed a whopping 5 lb 9 oz and is about as heavy as a thick piece of paper. She's got tons of dark hair and is the spitting image of her Momma. We love her to death already and are glad for another niece to coddle.

The itty bitty one. Such a darling.

BBQ Master.

2010-08-04T12:10:00.003-06:00

Exciting news in the Garlock home--we got a barbecue! Well, we were actually gifted a used BBQ from family, but either way, it gets the job done! We tried it out this weekend with some grilled chicken and pineapple, and I have to say I'm in love. Not only is the food great, but the prep work on my part is minimal! There will be many BBQ dinners to come!

The King of Cups.

2010-08-03T12:02:00.002-06:00

Have you ever had the dilemma of wanting to take a drink on-the-go, only to have it either spill or completely melt once in transit? Well, maybe I'm the only one, but I always feel awkward taking one of my nice glasses in my car. I'm just cheap sometimes, I guess, because I hate to spend money buying a drink out (even though fountain drinks are the best) when I have a 2 L at home (of Diet Coke I mean, of course!).

Well, some girls at work told me about these cups they got at Costco--they are plastic, have a lid and straw, do NOT sweat, and fit into any car cupholder. I went to Costco the next day and had no luck in locating the magic cups. But, while perusing Target the other night, I found one! It was such an exciting find. And, I'm so very happy with the purchase! It really doesn't sweat--once you put a drink with ice in it, it doesn't melt! And it has a lid so things don't spill. So great. It's made by Aladdin, if you're interested in trying it out for yourself!

Ben Folds & the Utah Symphony.

2010-07-18T11:42:00.004-06:00

Thanks to some connections Andrew has through working with Deer Valley Resort, we got free tickets to the Ben Folds & Utah Symphony Concert at Deer Valley this weekend. It was a really great concert--very neat to hear him accompanied by the symphony, and to participate in the interactive parts of his show. He's a very fun performer to watch.

In addition to the concert, we got two bonuses:
1. A gourmet picnic basket compliments of Deer Valley (think grapes, cheese, and steak. Yes.)
2. Lots of great people watching opportunities.

Here are some pics of the night:

Ben Folds rockin out on the piano. He's amazing!

The Symphony

Our incredible picnic basket!

The basket with some damage done!

What happens when...

2010-07-15T22:00:00.002-06:00

...it's the end of the week, groceries are low, and I don't want to spend money eating out? Breakfast for dinner happens! More specifically, scrambled eggs (with avocado, of course) and fruit smoothies. Random: check. Delicious: check.

The blend master!

Finished product. Mmmm.

Old Spice & HBLL Unite.

2010-07-15T19:17:00.002-06:00

Anyone seen the funny Old Spice commercials lately? The ones with the "man your man could smell like"? They're quite clever (and I only know this because my husband is in advertising), and they have also inspired some equally clever parodies.

Here's one created for a place that is oh-so-dear to my heart: the Harold B. Lee Library at BYU. I spent many hours there studying, among other things...I once dominated the 5th floor. But, that's neither here nor there. So go ahead and watch, and prepare to be amused!

Tricky hills.

2010-07-14T19:27:00.002-06:00

The oh-so-wonderful reality show, The Hills, came to an end last night--not that I've watched it in a few years, but my musings of Us Weekly keep me updated. Anyway, for such a cheesy show, the ending was quite clever. Enjoy :)

Yay for freedom!

2010-07-13T22:34:00.005-06:00

The lot of us enjoying Three Arch fireworks. Amazing!

We recently took a trip to California for the 4th of July and soaked up the time with fam, yummy food, fireworks, and the peeks of sunshine here and there. It's been hot in Utah, so the milder weather was actually a nice break! It was altogether a lovely (even if a bit too short) trip. I am SO bad when it comes to taking pictures and documenting fun times--so, I stole some pictures from my sis-in-law's blog. Woops. They're still good and capture the great time we had, nonetheless, so feast your eyes.

Our cute nieces, all doing their own thing. Ha, love them.

Uncle Drew

Elyse & Summer birthday dinner

Could you ever say no to that face? nope.

A pole and a birthday.

2010-07-12T21:45:00.005-06:00

The deadly pole....dum dum dum.

My life lately has been a lot of ups and downs. Needless to say, my emotions have also been all over the place (which Andrew will attest to) as well.

For example, I got some good news last week--I was moved to a full time position at my new job. I'm loving working with the moms & babies, and will love the increased cash flow that will inevitably come from full-time work. So, blessing there!

About an hour after that phone call, however, I crashed my car into a pole in my own parking lot. I hit the steel bar that holds the covered parking up (pictured above). The results of the fight: pole: 1, car: 0. Let's just say, a pole can do a lot of damage (over $3000 worth, in fact). And, not only was my poor car wounded, but my ego as well. I still feel like an idiot about the whole thing. And, to put the icing on the cake, the insurance company asked once if I was okay, but has called me at least three times to check if the pole was hurt. Nice.

So, I went from joyful to tearful in a matter of 60 minutes. Plus, I was on my way to a much needed hair appt, and ended up missing my haircut. Most girls can relate to how devastating this can be in and of itself. Thankfully, my car is at the car doctor as we speak and will be returned as good as new by Friday, and my hair will survive another couple of weeks until I can make a new appointment. Now, I'm just living in fear of the repercussions of it all from my car insurance...

From there, things went downhill--I lost a bunch of things that I still can't find and they're driving me crazy. But, I started working nights this past week--another blessing!--which I love and handle much better than 5 am day shifts. So, I'm still on an up and down sort of ride.

My dad, mom, & niece Ashlyn in Cancun this summer.

On a much lighter note--HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my Dad! He is the best guy in the world and I love him so much. He's the most faithful, good-hearted, giving person in the world. He hates attention, but I don't think he's ever even seen this blog, so I'm sure he won't mind this little shout out :) Love you, Ed.

Latest HP Trailer. Be prepared to be amazed!

2010-06-28T19:42:00.001-06:00

Here's the latest trailer for the upcoming Harry Potter movie, and it is AMAZING!!!!!!!!! I am so so so so so so excited for the movie to come out. In November, unfortunately. Anyway, enjoy!

<a href="http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-US&from=sp&vid=f2822d1e-af61-45f5-b674-f3f697170e3d" target="_new" title="'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' Trailer">Video: 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' Trailer</a>

I love good finds.

2010-06-27T12:30:00.003-06:00

I love a good find. And, with moving and looking for things to go in our new place and all, I've found quite a few of them! We spent the last week or so giving make-overs to our good finds, and I'm quite happy with the results.

Corner table: donated by Grandma Jeanne, found at a thrift store. Used to be a "blah" light wood color, fixed up with a bit of paint. Total cost: $1.

Antique mirror: bought off Craigslist for 99 cents. Used to be a strange gold, now a lacquered white. Total cost: $1.50.

Letters to spell "EAT": bought from Urban Outfitters in sale for $4 each. Came in black, dark green, and red--not really our colors! Repainted to match. Total cost: $13.

We didn't do anything to this sucker but find it! Brand new from IKEA, last one (floor model), bought for $15! Now we just need a grill to complete the back porch...

Anyway, I love good deals! Andrew does a lot of the work finding them as well, so many thanks to him! Best husband ever.

Birthday Wishes

2010-06-20T12:38:00.002-06:00

Happy Birthday to the most wonderful person in the world! Today Elyse turns 24, and I wish her the happiest birthday!

Hola.

2010-06-11T17:47:00.007-06:00

We're back! We went to Cancun for a week with the Rasmussen gang and it was such a blast. It was especially relaxing to have no school, work, or NCLEX to worry about! It was super humid, which took some getting used to (how I ever lived in Florida, I don't know...), but my dry skin and lips enjoyed it. It's boring to read text about it, so I'll give you a description via pics!

I love this picture on Braxton. Anxiously awaiting our departure, but a little sleepy due to the early hour!

Part of the crew waiting to leave SLC. Jace is also showing some signs of fatigue!

Andrew and I in our hotel room. I'm looking rather short--which I am, but I swear my legs are longer than that. Thanks to the humidity, this was the only day I wore my hair down!

Jenna with my oh-so-cute niece, Ashlyn. She was the diva of the trip.

Waiting for our sushi at the yummy Japanese restaurant! Don't worry, Carissa didn't have any (she's pregnant!).

One of the perks of an all-inclusive resort: unlimited drinks (seine alcohol in espanol). We got at least two at every meal. Delish!

I love me a pina colada. Notice the frizzy hair--arg, humidity!

First day damage: I obviously did a patchy job of applying my sunscreen. I looked diseased.

Heading to Wet'N'Wild, unaware of the crazy faces behind us!

Jenna and Brennan reading and enjoying one of the "pool beds".

Also enjoying our pool bed--maybe a bit too much. I look out.

A building at Chichen-Itza, which we visited (after a 3 hour bus ride with an over-talkative, slightly drunk tour guide).

Andrew, looking ready to conquer the city.

The Chichen-Itza crew, minus Dad. Not everyone came (Carissa for obvious reasons, and the kids). It was bloooody hot, so it's a good thing they didn't! We look happy in the pic (which we are), but you can't tell that we are about to die of heat stroke! Okay, slight exaggeration.

As I said, diva. She had to have the Dora sunglasses to match her light-up Dora sandals!

Andrew, enjoying his idea of a good book (we differ in this area!). It's all about digital marketing. Thrilling! Ha. I, on the other hand, read the second Hunger Games book (Catching Fire)--AMAZING!!!!--and the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Long name, but a darling book.

Anyway, that's all the pictures I have! It's my goal to start taking more pictures, so I can document fun happenings a little better. We'll see how it goes...

Home Sweet Home

2010-06-11T17:40:00.003-06:00

So, as I said earlier, we recently moved to Pleasant Grove. We love our new place and are excited to get things organized and settle in. I LOVE organizing things, so I'm like a kid in a candy store. Here are a few pics of the parts that are currently decent!

The kitchen--so much counter space! I love it!

Family/living room

Guest bathroom

Elyse Garlock, RN

2010-06-11T17:35:00.002-06:00

I did it! I kicked the big, bad NCLEX's toosh, and am now a licensed Registered Nurse! I can't fib, the test was hard--there were a few medications it asked me about that I'd never heard of. But, after many hours of studying and a stressful morning of being lost and almost missing the test (everyone who knows me well will not be surprised by this), it is done! My chapter as a student can finally close, and I can move on to the next chapter, whatever it may be. I've got to thank my husband for putting up with my endless hours of studying and the countless times I said, "let me just do ten more questions". I think he's glad it's done as well!

Happenings.

2010-05-29T17:06:00.002-06:00

The next couple of weeks has a lot coming up for us. Here's a sneak peek on what we'll be doing:

1. Moving. We're actually in the middle of it right now, and it's coming along nicely. I'll post pictures once it's a little more presentable. Note to self: don't move ever again. I was never one of those kids who moved around a lot, and I really don't like it!

2. Testing. I'm taking the NCLEX next Tuesday morning--ahhhh! I'm stressing out, but trying to stay calm. I've been doing practice questions like you wouldn't believe for the past couple of months, so hopefully all the hard work will pay off. I just want to get it done, stop studying (since I have graduated for goodness sake), and be a licensed RN finally!

3. MEXICO! We are taking a trip with my family to Cancun for a week and we leave this upcoming Thursday. It's an all-inclusive resort and is going to be a heavenly combo of sun, Diet Coke, lots of food, and reading books I actually enjoy!

4. Starting my new job. I'll start when we get back from Mexico, and I am exciting for a change of routine (mostly not including constant studying).

We'll post pictures and such as things progress and fun times are had!

Pillows!

2010-05-24T14:32:00.005-06:00

So, I made these patterned pillows to go with the orange ones I bought for our new couch, and I am quite excited about them! I think they look pretty darn good for someone who hasn't make pillows in a loooong while. Now, I just need to put our couch together--oh boy. We're moving throughout this week, so hopefully I'll have some pictures of our new place in presentable shape in not too long!

Time...

2010-05-13T13:56:00.003-06:00

That's what I've had on my hands lately. And a lot of it. Graduating from nursing school was so exciting, but the time since then has been anything but. I had a bit of an identity crisis when Andrew started full time work, and I had nothing to do, and I was used to being busy busy with school. I think he got kind of worried about me (woops), but it only lasted about 2 days. Now, I've been trying to be productive with my time, and making the most of my free days while I have them. Here's just a taste of my exciting life:

Scanning. I scan medical records for an ENT practice that's going paperless with their charting. I've been doing this for other practices all through college, so I'm pretty much an expert scanner. It's quite monotonous work--it was great motivation for me to graduate.

Preparing to move/interior decorating in my mind. We are moving to Pleasant Grove at the end of May, and I'm itching to get in and decorate it. I've had plenty of time (while scanning) to think of what I'll do with the place. Needless to say, these ideas have led to a lot of listing on Craig's List, online shopping, and other shenanegans. I've also purchased fabric to make pillows for our couch (or future couch). I assured Andrew I'm a total pro at this, because I am--I've made one pillow before. How hard can it be?

In conjuction with the interior decorating, I've taken up knitting. At least, I have as of yesterday. I have a vision in my head of a lovely throw draped across my future couch. Buy one, you might say. But no, I bought some yarn and knitting needles and literally googled "how to knit". After about an hour of "training", I now know how to knit and my throw is already in production. So, if you ever come over to my future place, please notice it :).

Reading. A lots of it. I've re-read some of the Twilight series, finished The Hunger Games (amazing!), finished the whole Confessions of Shopaholic series, re-read Pride & Prejudice, and have just started Sarah's Key. I got a KINDLE for graduation from my awesome in-laws, and that has opened up a whole new world for me.

Prepping for Mexico. We leave in about three weeks, and I am SOOO excited! I can't wait to be warm and tan. I've got my suits, cover-ups, and hats all ready, and I am just counting the days.

Watching TV. Favs right now are Biggest Loser, Modern Family, the Office, Parks & Recreation, and Community. Sounds like a lot--probably is, but it helps the weeks pass!

Finally, last and probably most important: preparing for the NCLEX. I GOT A JOB! I'll be working at Timpanogos Hospital in the Mother/Baby unit. BUT, I can't start until I pass the NCLEX. So, I've been doing practice questions like a madwoman, and scheduled my test yesterday. June 1st is the big day--wish me luck!

That was long, but I needed a break from scanning. Hope everyone is well and enjoying the beginnings of summer!

PS: Gotta try these.

2010-05-06T16:28:00.001-06:00

Pretzel-filled M&M's. You heard me right. We discovered them this week, and they're out of this world. Try them for yourself at Wal-Mart, and get ready to be amazed!

Happy 25th!

2010-05-06T15:33:00.002-06:00

Happy 25th Birthday to my great husband. He unfortunately has to work all day, but we plan to celebrate tonight with some Tempanyaki and this weekend with some fun activity--he suggested camping last night (as a joke). But, I'll do whatever he wants because I love him! Even if it means sleeping in a tent. He's the perfect husband for me and I look forward to another year with him.

2-4.

2010-04-13T14:39:00.002-06:00

2 pm - 4 pm is one of the best times of my day. Why, you may ask? Sonic happy hour, that is why. It is a simple kind of pleasure knowing I can escape the monotony of my day to get my medium diet coke with lime for 87 cents. Bless you , Sonic.

Food is good.

2010-04-10T10:58:00.002-06:00

Andrew and I hit up Communal last night to celebrate his new job, and it was deeeelicious. It's from the makers of Pizzeria 712, which we thoroughly enjoy (we went there on our 3rd date - Valentine's day). We've been waiting until Andrew was hired somewhere to go, and it was well worth the wait. We highly recommend it!

Hired.

2010-04-06T14:07:00.003-06:00

Just wanted to proudly announce that Andrew has been offered a job for the advertising firm, Struck/Axiom in Salt Lake! He will be starting April 12th as a Junior Account Manager, and we couldn't be more excited! We've learned a great lesson in patience and perseverance over the last few months, and we're so grateful for all the prayers on our behalf. So, YAY for Andrew!!

I'm a bad blogger.

2010-04-04T15:27:00.003-06:00

Sorry. We really are alive. I'm just busy/lazy lately, as is my wonderful husband (he's just busy, not lazy). But, we're looking forward to graduating soon, getting jobs, and starting real life--finally!

We're going with my family to Mexico in the beginning of June, and I already have a book list started. Has anyone read The Hunger Games series? I've heard they're good...and think I'll probably get into them ASAP once I'm done with my last final next Friday!

I'm Published!

2010-03-15T18:36:00.004-06:00

So, I had to write a "Letter to the Editor" for my Community Nursing class regarding a public health issue. For my clinical in that class, I am working with the Teen Pregnancy Council on creating a pamphlet for parents of local teens regarding how to talk to them about sex. Recently a bill was brought up (and totally shot down) that would have increased sex ed in Utah schools--right now they're only taught abstinence, and the teen prego rates have doubled since 2007. Anyway, sorry this sounds like a school assignment, but I had to give you some background.

I wrote my letter about this bill and sent it in to the Salt Lake Tribune...and I got published! I know it's small, but it is cool to see my name underneath and read all the comments (60+ !). You can check the article out here.

Out.

2010-02-28T22:58:00.002-07:00

It's official: we're out of our first house. We will miss it in some respects--the large space, the coziness, the funny memories. In some respects, I say good riddance--the lack of dishwasher, dysfunctionally small kitchen, and uber small bathroom. But, when all is said and done, it's been a great house.

Now, we're on to bigger, and hopefully better, things! Let's just say I never want to move again--who knew blinds could get so dirty? Or that we own so much stuff? I need some down time before I attempt anything of that magnitude again.

From here to April, we're focused on job-hunting and graduating. Only 53 days til I am done with college forever! But, who's counting? Me. For sure. I am counting down the projects and papers until I can wipe my hands of this whole "school" business! And, Andrew will find a job very soon. I feel it in my blood. He's so great and I am so glad I married such a hard worker! But, that's all for now. I'll keep you updated on our life, once we have a life again. :)

MMM.

2010-02-25T21:29:00.002-07:00

Hard to find, but easy to eat. (The statement underneath the pic makes me very sad!) These are heavenly. Andrew and I have found a goldmine of them here in Provo--at Blockbuster, randomly. We're gonna buy them out! A must-try.

For Rent.

2010-02-09T22:10:00.004-07:00

So, we've decided to move out of our house at the end of this month, and that means renting out our place to a new couple/family. We're going to move in with my parents--don't worry, not long term, ha--until we know where we're going to be for the next little while. Hopefully, that knowledge will come soon :) Andrew has an interview at a really neat advertising firm in SLC called Struck. Wish him luck!

Anyway, back to the renting. So, we somewhat "staged" our house (basically I cleaned it, probably the way I should have been doing the whole time...he), and Andrew took some pro pictures. We listed the ad on KSL this morning, and HOLY COW!! I was afraid we'd have a hard time finding renters since this is a weird time to move, but Andrew's phone and email have been blowing up all day long. Seriously, he's gotten like 30 or 40 calls and emails about the place. I didn't realize our house was so desirable! Why are we moving? Ha, well I don't have a dishwasher...that's one reason. Here are the pics of the Garlock homestead from KSL:

The (mostly) clean kitchen. The glass cabinets sold me on the place when we first looked.

The "newly remodeled" office, as we put it.

The bedroom. It looks so much better in picture. We didn't even put a picture of the bathroom--let's just say a corner of the counter is cut off to accommodate the door closing.

Our front room, and the cozy fireplace we've been too scared to actually ever use.

It's been a great place! So cute and charming for a first house--we'll always look back on it with fond memories. But, now onto packing and moving and the next part of life. Things will work out and we'll find other cute places I'm sure. Til then, it's been good 409 East.

Stressed. And belated birthday.

2010-01-20T19:04:00.003-07:00

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while--as the title says, I've been a little stressed. Or a lot. I started my last semester of school, and let's just say, thank goodness it's my last semester, because even if it weren't I wouldn't come back. My schedule is so busy and I am so overwhelmed with my assignments and all the clinical hours I have to get it that I feel on the verge of tears at most times. So, my non-blogging pattern will likely continue. But, just wanted to let everyone know that we are alive and well.

And, I never officially wished my sister, Kristin, a Happy Birthday! Her birthday was on January 1st, and we were out of town so we didn't get to see her. But, she is wonderful and I love her and just wanted to let her know!

"She's a real beaut, Clark."

2010-01-04T22:52:00.009-07:00

The title is from our favorite holiday movie, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation--a classic. So, I promised holiday updates and here they are. First, I love these slippers. They are made of down and the most amazing things for defrosting my feet. But, that's neither here nor there.

Before Christmas, Andrew and I spent a night on a very cheap date--total cost: $1. We bought a Diet Coke from McDonald's (any size = $1!) and drove aimlessly around Provo/Orem exploring lights. Below are a few of our favorites--way to go you people with abundant Christmas cheer! We love you :)

(You can't see the whole thing here, but this house/yard was a huge estate totally decorated. We spotted it from I-15!)

Andrew, Jenna, Brennan, and I spent a large portion of one of our days building this gingerbread house. Pretty impressive if I might say so myself!

We went ice skating on Christmas Eve with my Mom and brother and sister. I wasn't feeling too hot that day, but it was fun nonetheless. And it was crowded, so the other people around us provided some great entertainment!

I felt horrible Christmas Eve & Day, so sadly I didn't take any pictures of the big day! But, we were very blessed by Santa and our generous parents--thank you to them! On the bright side of being sick, though, I slept through the Christmas Eve night for the first time ever thanks to Nyquil :)

Andrew and I were given a getaway trip to San Diego by Andrew's parents, so we spent a night there while we were in California for the week. It was SO much fun--we stayed in the Marriott and walked around downtown all day. We finished the day off with sushi...can't beat that!

The view from our room--Petco Park!

A shot of downtown San Diego

We had to hit up Ghirardelli's.

We were able to do a session in the San Diego Temple, which I have never been into. It was just wonderful. It was an unplanned trip, or else Andrew would have been wearing a white shirt--he was embarrassed about that.

Finally, we attended the Rose Parade with Dana, Beth, Bryan, Haven, Berkley, and our good friend Skyler. It was so neat to see the floats up close and a really fun experience! Our favorite float featured snowboarding dogs.

Yay for Christmas! I'm sad it's over...guess I'll just start counting down to next year! Hope everyone had a splendid holiday.

And so it begins.

2010-01-04T21:36:00.002-07:00

Tomorrow officially begins my last semester of college, and I could not be happier. In four months, I will be a real nurse! Watch out world. It's only taken my six years! ha. Wish me luck and a speedy semester. I will be working in the Timpanogos Regional Labor & Delivery for approximately 220 hours in the next four months, and I hope to take the NCLEX in early May (gulp).

In other news, we had a splendid Christmas/New Years holiday, apart from the nagging head cold I had most of the time. It was wonderful to spend time with family, and we feel rejuvenated for the new year. I haven't uploaded pictures yet, of couse, because I'm a lazy blogger (if you haven't noticed). My first goal of the new year is to get my pictures up before school gets crazy. Until then!

Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-25T14:03:00.002-07:00

DONE!

2009-12-14T17:13:00.004-07:00

Okay, so I turned into a crazy person last night and decided to take both of my finals today. I felt slightly like I was in a manic phase (studying for a Psych exam--had to throw it in there) all day long. I woke up early, took my ICU final, then studied all day to take my Psych final. And they're done! There's no sweeter view than the one leaving the testing center, just days from Christmas, with the load of finals off my back. Ah.

Funny story about my first test (at least it's funny now): I came down to the TV to see my score and saw that I got a 52%--that's just not a common thing for me, and I felt pretty good about the test, so I started to freak out aka almost cry. I went back upstairs, feeling stupid, and said, "uh, I know this sounds dumb, but there's no way I did this bad." Long story short, the test was miskeyed and my score thankfully improved after it was corrected :).

Also, Andrew finished his last final exam today as well--and is done with college! I'm so proud of him, and am amazed at the differences in our brains. He is so creative and insightful when it comes to advertising. It's something I just don't get very well! So, I'm glad to have someone who compliments me so well.

Also, we've (or I've) been stressing out a lot lately about Andrew finding a job for next semester. After many prayers and hours of worrying, some promising opportunities are starting to arise. So, I'm grateful for that. I know that times of trial are to test and strengthen us, and if we do good, Heavenly Father always follows with blessings.

I can finally get into the Christmas spirit now, and start all the sewing projects, baking, books, organizing, etc. I've been eager to tackle. Yay!

Finals.

2009-12-13T18:52:00.000-07:00

The week is here. Two finals to go each (Andrew has a final and a paper left). Goal: done by Wednesday. Wish us luck!!

PS--Andrew will be done with college forever once these are done!! (unless he decides to go back sometime of course).

Oh Christmas Tree.

2009-12-09T12:07:00.002-07:00

So, yesterday we got our Christmas tree, and I'm very excited about it! I love live trees--they smell so good--and we can't afford a fake one this year even if we wanted to get one. So, we went to a local tree farm and got this little beaut for a nice price of $17. She's a little small, but certainly warms up our home with her nice glow. So, MERRY CHRISTMAS! Only 15 days... :)

With the presents I've already wrapped...thanks to Andrew's help!

A close-up.

The tree looked hilariously small on top of Lola. But, we were proud :)

AMAZING Flick.

2009-12-08T21:10:00.002-07:00

I've been meaning to blog about this--we saw The Blind Side over Thanksgiving break and it was INCREDIBLE! I almost cried a few times. It was so inspiring, funny, heartwarming...and a true story. It's a must see. So, you must see it!

We also saw New Moon, which was better than the first movie (Twilight). I love the books--yes, I'm a nerd--and I love seeing books come to life on the big screen. Oh, and speaking of, there is a very small preview of the next Harry Potter movie (yeah!) here if you're interested.

And finally--only 16 days til Christmas! WOO!

It's beginning to look a lot like...Christmas!

2009-12-07T11:55:00.003-07:00

Well, we woke up Sunday morning to THIS! The white stuff has finally made its appearance in Provo. I'm not gonna lie (and I'm sure I'll regret saying this when it's still snowing in March)--I'm actually really excited! I have been in the Christmas mood for a while now (Andrew can confirm this, as I've made him help me wrap all our gifts already), and the snow fits perfectly with my mood. The only unfortunate thing is that I have 8 am class tomorrow...I'm thinking my mood might be affected slightly when I find my car trapped in snow.

But, wherever you are--MERRY CHRISTMAS! I love this time of year.

Poor Lola.

2009-11-20T21:01:00.002-07:00

Disclaimer: Photo has been dramatized for effect.

So, Andrew and I stayed inside for the first half of the day working on homework and studying for tests. As we went outside so Andrew could drop me at the testing center, I went to my pretty wagon's door and what did I see? An egg. An EGG! Okay, we don't really have any enemies (I don't think), so I'm assuming it was some punk teens or immature college freshman. Whoever it was--watch out! Nobody messes with Lola without messing with me.

Thankfully, Andrew, being the good husband he is, washed her while I was taking my test. And, thankfully, I did well on my test. So, it my day wasn't totally ruined. But, come on, I live in Provo! I shouldn't have to worry about such miscreants.

On a happier note--it's almost Thanksgiving! Thank goodness. We will be trekking to good ol' Prescott, AZ to dine with Andrew's grandparents and our Garlock family. Andrew's grandpa, Harry, is apparently an amazing Turkey chef, so it should be delish. We're excited to get away from school, and even more excited that the semester's almost totally done! Hope you all have a great and safe holiday!

Oh baby.

2009-11-13T21:33:00.004-07:00

Okay, I'm not baby hungry yet--but, I was bored in class the other day and decided to pick out some of the items I will buy/hopefully have gifted to me once we do have a little munchkin. So, here are my finds:

The Orbit Infant System--the car seat swivels, it has a big storage bag underneath, and it has two cupholders! Hello. Drawback--it's pricey. I'm hoping some rich people will sell their gently used one on craigslist for me to buy one day :)

Kate Spade "baby bjourn"-type baby carrier. So cute, looks comfy, and the stripes are doin it for me.

Let me know if you have any other amazing baby finds/essentials! And once again, we're NOT prego. This is just what hours of my boring psych class do to me. Yay for the semester coming to a close!

And PS--another thing that has gotten me thinking of baby's lately is the fact that I found out my Capstone (internship) rotation next semester is going to be in labor & delivery at Timpanogos Hospital! I'm so excited, it's exactly what I wanted.

Our First Halloween.

2009-11-04T13:32:00.001-07:00

We came, we costumed, we conquered. Actually, not so much, but it was still a good Halloween--our first one married (last year we were having our family wedding dinner!). We celebrated our anniversary during the day by walking around the pretty grounds of Thanksgiving Point and going to Happy Sumo.

I was very excited to get trick-or-treaters, so I made sure we got home in time. I threw together a last-minute cat outfit (I like to dress up for the kids, too!), and prepped the candy dish. We were going to watch some scary movies on TV while waiting for the youngsters--but, weirdly enough, none were on. Disappointing. And, weirdly enough, we only got like 10 trick-or-treaters. Sigh. I was a sad kitty. Oh well! Hopefully once we move into a neighborhood without so many college students, we will get more kidd-o's coming for candy.

Dastardly Dinner Party.

2009-11-04T13:19:00.007-07:00

Don & Betty Draper from AMC's Mad Men

The table. Pretty.

I made these pom poms I found on Martha Stewart's website. It's one of my few creative projects that has turned out looking half decent!

Appetizers! Yum. I love butternut squash SO much (in the salad).

Another table shot.

The Obamas. They were incredible. I was mad at them all night for some reason though...ha.

Gray's Anatomy's Meredith & Richard Simmons. What a perfect couple.

The newlyweds. Must have had some trouble on the way home from the wedding!

The most "in character" of all, Hans Solo and Princess Leia

Gloria's yummy and pretty cake

Some pictures from the Dastardly Dinner Party we threw with Mitch & Glo on Halloween Eve. It was so much fun, and we're glad everyone could come! However, due to the lack of dishwasher, I won't be hosting another party any time soon :)

Happy 1st!

2009-11-01T23:28:00.005-07:00

It's our ONE YEAR anniversary! Oh, happy day. We made it. And, I must say, we are much better than we were when we started! I can't believe how time has flown, but even more just how much I love Andrew. He's the best husband I could have asked for and my best friend. So, to him I say I love you! Here's to 70 more.

It's Gilly.

2009-10-26T20:46:00.005-06:00

I'm alive! Other than a few respiratory annoyances, I have pretty much beaten the swine flu! Woo! Andrew will be vaccinated tomorrow. Thank goodness he didn't get it--get your vaccinations people. You don't want your kids or yourselves getting this! It wasn't too bad because I got some anti-viral meds right away, but I have a girl in the lab I teach who is in the hospital on life support. Scary.

In other news, Andrew and I have found a new favorite SNL character. Her name is Gilly, and she's hilarious! She's a grade school student gone wrong. You need to watch it a few times to get used to the humor, but if you're like us, you'll be quoting it in no time! Just type in "Gilly" into hulu.com's search.

Poor Elyse.

2009-10-21T12:56:00.003-06:00

As some of you have probably heard, my poor wifey was diagnosed with the swine flu yesterday. We have no idea who she could've gotten it from, but hope she gets over it fast. Luckily, Elyse went to the doc early on and was able to get medicine in her system within 24 hours of having H1N1 symptoms.

She has since been doing better. The worst part about it is I can't stay over at the house for 3 days--until she will no longer be contagious. In the meantime I'll be bunking over at my in-laws (so nice having them close) and spending a lot more time on campus. Boo.

Let's hope and pray that Elyse recovers well and quickly!

Um, are you twenty-one?

2009-10-14T17:20:00.004-06:00

This past weekend we decided to take a break from school and the Provo life--so, we headed to Vegas! Everyone asked if we went there for the BYU game. And the answer is: no. Although we would have liked to go if we had tickets, we actually went to celebrate a couple of things. First, our friend Tyler and his wifey-to-be, Sarah, are getting married this Saturday and had an open house at Tyler's parents' house. Since we can't go to the actual wedding, we wanted to at least go to that to celebrate with them. And just so everyone knows, we totally called that marriage--they're so perfect for each other!

We also went to celebrate our 1st anniversary--woo! Okay, so it's actually not for a couple of weeks (Nov. 1), but since my school schedule doesn't really permit me to be gone for two weekend getaways, we made this trip longer and turned it into our anniversary trip. I can't believe it's been a year, and I still think we're perfect for each other. I love Andrew :)

So, it was fun, and relieving as all heck to take a break from school and do NO homework all weekend! The weather was perfect as well, we got some sun, did some shopping, and just enjoyed the time together. Here are some pics from the trip:

Andrew relaxing in our snazzy hotel living room--he hunted down this nice place and got a killer deal. One of the highlights of the place: when we were checking in, the front desk lady gave us a once over and said, "um, so, are you guys 21?" Ha. I guess we will appreciate our youthful looks someday...

A vacation is NOT a vacation without a constant supply of Diet Coke on hand.

Camera timer shot from the dashboard--not sure why it's so bright. And Andrew is enjoying his yummy Del Taco chicken burrito...I got him a gift card there as a present!

Another dashboard shot--Andrew got me the cute top I'm wearing (I love Anthropologie!), and we are drinking a Pure Pumpkin from Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. No coffee--don't worry--just pure heaven and some pumpkin spices blended with ice. Ah. We got these on our honeymoon, and wanted to keep up the tradition!

Can I Get a Napkin, Please?

2009-10-07T19:29:00.001-06:00

Okay, I wish my life were like this...Watch! PS--Sorry so many video posts. I've obviously been you-tubing a lot lately. I promise to post real pictures when we get back from our whirlwind weekend in Vegas :)

Also, Must See TV.

2009-10-03T23:38:00.001-06:00

Okay, sorry to go all political on you, but I just had one more video my cousin showed me that I had to share! Glad to see there's someone working for the people in our government. Watch.

Must see TV.

2009-10-01T22:44:00.002-06:00

Everyone should watch this 20/20 video of ex-ABC reporter, John Stossel. He was supposedly "let go" after it's production, and the video was held and aired after an important vote on the health care bill.

As a future health care professional, I have to say that Obama's plan for our nation's health care is, in a word, disastrous. And another word, deceiving. He says he's not for universal health care, or government run health care--however, his plan will slowly become such by eliminating competition and driving insurance companies out of business.

And yes, all the celebs and such are hyping up universal care to be something that will cure all and heal all. However, after watching this video, you'll realize the ludicrous treatment people in other countries are getting. They're flying HERE to get procedures and surgeries done. Anyway, please watch and be enlightened! And let's all pray for our country. Bleh.

I am the Biggest Loser.

2009-09-30T18:07:00.004-06:00

I'm the biggest loser...because last night while I was watching the most recent episode of the Biggest Loser, I totally cried my eyes out! It was so touching! I've watched the show before, and love how real it is and how much people can accomplish. Seriously, so cool. So watch it! And you can be a biggest loser, too :)

PS...Yes, this is my 3rd blog post for today. I'm making up for my slacking ways.

Gross. Be warned.

2009-09-30T17:56:00.003-06:00

Here's an actual picture of me at clinical. People say I'm a great nurse.

Okay, so most of you know that I am in nursing school--mostly because it consumes my life the majority of the time. So, I've seen a LOT in nursing school...a lot of nasty stuff to be exact. And, as I was always advised, I have "gotten used" to most of the grimier aspects of nursing. One thing I have never been able to stomach though--vomiting. Bleh. All the nurses I have worked with seem so nonchalant about it. They clean it up, see it, no big deal. Not me--ask Andrew, I have a weird phobia of it.

So, I've always been sort of worried...will I be a bad/wimpy nurse? Or at least somewhat deficient because of this weakness. I have learned recently that the answer is no. Two reasons:

1) We met with the Life Flight nurses last week--they fly in the helicopter and treat/pick up really serious patients. Needless to say, they see some pretty intense stuff. Well, one of the Life Flight nurses said the one thing he can't handle is vomit! So, if he can't handle it, and he's the most hard core type of nurse out there, I think I'll be okay.

2) This is the gross part--stop reading if you want. I was in clinical this week and got to put an NG tube down a patient--this basically goes through your nose, down your throat, to your stomach to suck stuff out. Anyway, because of where the tube passes--the back of the throat--it tends to make people gag. Or worse, vomit. I had heard this before, and I was pretty nervous as I went to insert the tube on this patient. So, my worst nightmare happened...you can guess what it is. And it was bad--everywhere, on me, bleh. Bleh bleh bleh. BUT, I totally kept my cool! I don't even know why or how...maybe the adrenaline of the situation and that I had to still get the tube down. Anyway, at no point did I feel sick, lightheaded, anxious, etc. It was a miracle!

I don't know if I could pull it off again, but I was proud of myself for that one time at least. Anyway, just wanted to share. Sorry this was so long and gross...happier posts to come! :)

Brrrrrrrr.

2009-09-30T17:54:00.002-06:00

It's COLD! What the heck? Okay, so the other day I said I was ready for fall the be here--mostly fall fashion actually, boots, coats, etc. Little did I know, this great state of Utah would skip fall and go straight to winter for me! Be careful what you wish for...

Sorry.

2009-09-28T21:40:00.003-06:00

Sorry I haven't blogged in such a long time...school has taken over my life! It's pretty bad this semester. But, I promise we're both still alive and doing well :). The next two days are stuffed to the brim, but after that I promise to do the best blog post ever! Til then--wish me luck!

Wow.

2009-09-14T14:25:00.003-06:00

Check out Lady GaGa's multiple outfits at the MTV Video Music Awards. All I can say is weirdo!

By the way...

2009-09-08T20:21:00.002-06:00

School started! I guess we've been so busy with school stuff that I haven't blogged about it! Andrew's schedule is a grueling start-at-2 pm each day. I'm so jealous. Thankfully, I only have two really early days--class at 8 am Tuesdays, and clinical at 5:30 am Wednesdays. This semester I am doing ICU and Psych nursing. I am really excited about ICU--also scared. It's pretty intense. Today, I had to go to the hospital to pick a patient to pre-assess, and while I was there they called a code blue! Which, pretty much, means that someone is dying and needs to be saved. There were, like, 40 people in the room and the wife was out there crying. It's pretty important stuff we're learning this semester, and it just amazes me that people will trust me with lives! Well, sort of--I do have a nurse I work with...Anyway, Andrew is excited to be on his LAST semester, and I am excited to be on my LAST year! WOO! Wish us luck :)

Oh my.

2009-09-08T18:28:00.003-06:00

Oh me, oh my--I cut my hair! Not that short. But, about 6 inches off! I came back to school and everyone had cute haircuts, and I was inspired. So, here it is! It's quite exhilarating.

PS--Have mercy on me, this is after a long day of school and labs. It's a bit frazzled.

Rise and Shout, the Cougs are OUT.

2009-09-05T21:07:00.003-06:00

Woo! After an intense season-opening game against #3 Oklahoma, our Cougs came together to score an amazing victory. I stress out easily over these games, and my blood pressure was through the roof. It was AMAZING. Such a good start to the season! Makes me sort of glad that I'm a senior in my 6th year of college--maybe this is the one.

PS--That's Harvey Unga in the picture celebrating--he didn't play because of an injury and the loss of 20 pounds from fighting the Swine Flu! Poor guy!

The City.

2009-09-04T22:03:00.004-06:00

Last weekend, Andrew and I ventured to San Francisco with Dana & Beth for a mini-vacation before school started. I was told that people in San Francisco don't call it that--they refer to it as "The City". Hence, the title! We're natives, basically.

Anyway, it was such a fun time! We walked our little tushes off, shopped like crazy (more like browsed, actually), ate some amazing local food (Mama's breakfast--heaven), fried in the abnormal heat wave (we're talking 95 degrees!), and most of all--relaxed! It was a much needed break from work and school before life got crazy. It's such a fun city, full of diverse people, and did I mention the shopping? Geesh. Thanks Dana & Beth. We love you!

Ghiradelli square--I recommend the mint ice cream with dark chocolate fudge sundae. Wow.

Golden Gate Bridge! Full House theme song come to mind?

Looking like a tourist. The binoculars don't even work. Bleh.

A cute candy shop at the farmer's market--I want those cake platters!

The "Painted Ladies"--another Full House moment.

Cool architecture! Love cities for that reason.

Trolley ride! The sun was obviously in my eyes...

Done.

2009-09-01T11:25:00.004-06:00

It's the second day of school--first day of my nursing classes--and I'm sitting here alone in the Wilk on my break, surrounded by flocks of hormonal, flirtatious young adults. I would usually crave someone's company amidst all this chaos, but I feel like I've come to a different point in life where I'm done with this place. I no longer want to flirt (obviously...Andrew wouldn't be too happy about that) or be in the "in" crowd. I have my few friends left--they're dwindling, due to recent graduations--and I'm happy with them and Andrew until April. I've loved BYU, don't get me wrong, but I've moved on...a year too early, unfortunately :) April, graduation, and real grown-up life here I come!

Funny Sunday.

2009-08-30T21:41:00.003-06:00

As we've said before, we teach Sunday School at church for the 4-5 year-olds. We have about six kids in the class each week. I used to watch a show with my dad when I was young, hosted by Bill Cosby called, "Kids Say the Darndest Things". I've learned over the past year, that is so true. Today's experiences will attest.

1. We have a Japanese girl in our class who likes to sit on my lap during sharing time. I usually snack on some almonds at that time to hold me over (1 o'clock church). Today, during the music, she turned her head towards me, pointed at my mouth, and waved her hand in front of her nose to imply, "your breath stinks." Ha! I hurriedly slipped some gum in after that. Brutal honesty.

2. The same girl, still sitting on my lap, pats my stomach and says, "baby", implying there is a baby in there (she does this a lot--I'm starting to wonder if I look prego? Cause I'm certainly not!). She then proceeded to squeeze my belly fat between her two fingers and giggle. Quite amusing--obviously.

3. It was one of the kids' birthday this week, so I promised to bring a birthday treat. I made cookies in our joke of an oven, which were of course burned on the edges and soft in the middle. I really can cook! It's the oven--I promise. Anyway, I figured they're just kids--they'll eat anything I call a cookie, right? Cut to class...we hand out the cookies and a symphony of crunching begins in the room, followed by, "why are these so hard?" and "these hurt my teeth." Couldn't fool them! But, at least they ate them all gone. I knew they'd endure :)

In conclusion, this calling has been very good for us in a few respects--works as a good method of birth control and an ever-present source of humbling each week. But, they're adorable and keep us laughing as well.

Magic.

2009-08-26T10:24:00.003-06:00

I have a white Mac laptop, and I've used the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to clean the dirt from where my hands are--it's the only thing I've found that gets it off. I also used it to clean walls at our old house before I moved.

Well, the other day I saw a commercial for the Magic Eraser showing it cleaning kitchens, bathrooms, and pretty much anything you can think of. So, I decided to try mine out. What I saw was nothing short of a miracle! We live in an older house, and the kitchen sink and bathtub have always had a weird color to them, that no matter how hard I scrub, has never gone away. Well, I whipped out my magic eraser and, BAM! My sink and bathtub are pearly white. It's amazing! And it really took very little scrubbing on my part. This is going to be my new cleaning essential!

Jealous.

2009-08-24T22:43:00.003-06:00

I am jealous. Of Emma Watson, aka Hermione from the Harry Potter movies. I was looking at a magazine today and saw one of her new ads for Burberry--she looks gorgeous! I love love her. And, she's uber smart! Going to Brown next year. And on top of that, she has a British accent! Oh geez, what I wouldn't give for that. I think if she knew me we'd be, like, best friends. Here are a few more from the ad line:

Goodbye Sally. Hello Lola.

2009-08-24T16:54:00.004-06:00

I name my cars. Yes, most anyone who has known me in the past three years knows that my navy blue VW Bug was fondly named Sally. My cars are more than vehicles to me--they're friends!

However, in preparation for future growth in the Garlock family (nothing yet! don't get any ideas.), Sally was retired to my younger, college-bound sister, Jenna. She has been succeeded by the newest member of our family, a white VW Passat wagon named Lola! I will miss Sally--we had some good times and unfortunately received an abnormally large amount of traffic tickets together. Hopefully Lola will bring me better luck in that area :)

Such a cute face.

Madison Avenue

2009-08-20T22:24:00.006-06:00

Creative Director Andrew Garlock and his ad executive arm candy, Elyse. Courtesy of MadMenYourself {dot} com.