happy two years, my love

To my sweet husband,
I'm currently sitting in your cubicle with you, watching you work while our baby sleeps in the stroller next to us. It's sad to think that we just shared lunch at Pixar for what could possibly be the last time, but I'm overflowing with pride. Our second year of marriage has brought a lot of change and you have handled it like a champion. We finished school, got jobs, moved to a different state, changed jobs, and had a baby. It was almost as if life handed us a bunch of major life events this year and said "Here ya go!" There was a lot of uncertainty, incredible joy, adventure, and growth. But most of all, there was a lot of love.
There have been so many moments this past year when I thought my heart wouldn't be able to handle all of the love I was feeling, but somehow it did. Your reaction when you read that you were going to become a daddy, you surprising me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers after my graduation and seeing the pride on your face, seeing the majestic Glymur waterfall together, having your help through every painful contraction, watching Emi recognize your voice just moments after she was born when you sang to her, and seeing the way you work so hard to provide for our family...these are the moments. The moments that remind me of why I married you and the love that we share. It's been a big year for our family and I know we could not have done it without each other. Thank you for always loving me, Chris. Love you more than you'll ever know.
Love,
Your wife

One day I'll have a real Christmas tree!

The last week when we were walking to the bank, we saw Christmas trees for sale! We already have a little plastic tree but I wanted to smell that delicious green smell so Chris agreed to walk through it with me. The Christmas spirit definitely started to feel real as I got giddy seeing all the wreaths and trees! Having a little person that's never experienced Christmas before makes everything so much more exciting, even if it is just a quick walk through cut trees ;)

Growing up my family always had a real Christmas tree so it feels odd for me to not have one in my own home. When I told Chris we should get at least a little one, he reminded me that we still go to our parents' house for the holidays and that it would be depressing to come home to a dried out tree...so we passed and just took a few pictures instead :)

 ^^Her face haha!

Cheers to it being December and Christmas so close!!

5 things about my 5 week old

1. I love it so much when you open your eyes wide and make your mouth a little "o."
2. You make little roaring and growling noises so often that sometimes we call you our little dinosaur.
3. You don't like baths in the kitchen sink but you looove taking them in the big bath tub.
4. The first thing people comment on is your hair. It just keeps getting longer and fluffier!
5. In a few days you'll get to experience Thanksgiving! But for the first time, I'm excited about something more than the food and it's that you get to meet more family!

Happy Thanksgiving week everyone! 

Party of three

Welcome to our family Emi Romney!

Emi was born on October 14th, 2017 (a week after her due date!) weighing an even 8 pounds and measuring 19.5 inches. Labor and delivery was long and difficult so we were extra relieved when she was born safely. This mama was so happy to see her and her arm rolls, chubby cheeks, and head of hair were all a great bonus. Chris and I both felt like we were going to have a girl from day one so we were happy when we saw that "Baby" was a girl! I'm not sure if we'll wait to find out the gender for every baby but the second we found out was one of my favorite moments. It was so fun and definitely worth the patience :) 

Recovery took longer than I expected but I'm finally feeling better. Thankfully, we had a lot of help. I'm positive I could not have done this past month by myself so I am very, very grateful for all of the extra hands. My mom came for a few weeks, Chris' mom for a week, and then a friend for a few days. Plus, Chris got to be home for three weeks (bless you, paternity leave) which was an absolute miracle! Everyone has left/gone back to work now so things feel quiet but Emi and I are slowly figuring out a rhythm. We mostly stay at home in comfy clothes cuddling, but we've gone out on a few family outings. We even went out to eat the other night! Emi stayed in her carseat, covered and asleep the entire time but I'm sure she enjoyed it ;) 

Emi is the most content baby. She sleeps a lot (comes with the age, I know) and is happy to just hang out when she's awake. She makes many different kinds of noises but rarely cries, and if she does, it's right before she burps or passes gas. Sleeping at night is getting better but it's never been bad. She is the best baby for us and we feel like she's made our transition to parenthood a pretty smooth one. Obviously, we're only a month in and we still know next to nothing haha but we are happy to be parents. Plus we're pretty in love with her. We feel so so blessed to have her in our family and even though I've already cried because she's getting bigger, we're excited for this new journey as a family of three! 

^^Despite the face, I'm confident she loves me back ;)

a surprise date for husband + 39 weeks

Last week, I took Chris on a surprise date and I somehow managed to not spoil it! I usually get so excited that I have a hard time waiting to keep things a surprise so I was proud of myself :) Chris is particular about seeing new animated movies on the big screen so he can see all of the details and Ninjago, the new lego movie, just came out. Since baby could come any day, I wanted to make sure he had the chance to see in the theater! It has been on Chris' watchlist for a while but I kept my fingers crossed that he hadn't been paying attention to the release date and that no one at work would mention it. Things worked in my favor and even after he figured out we were going to see a movie, he didn't know which one ;) Yay!

There were definitely funny parts and the animation was great, but it's not one I would watch over and over again. It was entertaining though to hear the parents and kids laugh at different parts and I liked that Jackie Chan was in it (yep, I'm a fan). Afterwards, we stopped by Five Guys for some of our favorite fries and enjoyed the beautiful sunshine on our bike ride home. My bike riding days are numbered but I'm going to hang in there as long as I can, even though I look ridiculous ;)

Dates with Chris this summer have felt special. I've always loved going out and spending time with him but this little date reminded me of how much can change in a year. Last year around this time, Chris left for Pixar for his first internship while I stayed to finish my last semester of college. Now that it's fall, I'm missing Utah's crisp weather and beautiful colors more than ever, but I wouldn't change a thing right now. Despite my efforts, it doesn't quite feel like fall here since I'm still wearing t-shirts and experiencing beach weather, but we are together. And that's all that matters. Those three months apart last year were hard but it has made being here together in California these past few months extra special. And now we're expecting our first baby any day! We made it to 39 weeks and my mom is coming to town in a few days so things are starting to feel much more real! Here's to hoping that our fall baby makes his/her appearance soon :)

 ^^just waiting for a mini cup of mayo for our fry sauce #notinutahanymore

^^This bike seat served me well this summer but I clearly need a new one.

Fall babies

I can't believe it's September already! With today's predicted temperature being 112 degrees and neither of us going back to school (first time since we were 4 years old!), our summer has not ended yet, but I'm ready to embrace fall. Fall is my favorite season anyway but I might be more excited than usual this year ;) Chris and I both have fall birthdays so I'm especially excited to have our own fall baby! 

The other night I sat on the floor while Chris laid his head on my lap, hand on my belly. Music from one of my favorite pandora stations was playing loudly. As the good songs kept playing, little baby rolled, kicked, and wiggled all around. Every time Chris felt movement, his eyes would light up and he would smile up at me. Feeling this baby grow inside me and move around has been so special. At first, it was really bizarre, then cool, then very special, and now borderline painful haha. It's hard to put into words and sometimes I wish I could just hand my belly over to Chris so he can experience it too. But since that's not going to happen anytime soon, it is special moments like these that I tuck deep inside and cherish (and get me excited for when this little baby is actually here!). 

I wonder what this little baby is going to look like every day. We both wanted to keep the gender a surprise so that adds an extra unknown element but somehow we've managed to stay strong and still not know :) We do have a feeling of whether this baby is a girl or a boy but we'll have to see if we're right! Either way, something tells me this little baby is set in the chub department. Look at that chin and those arm rolls! Chris and I were both chubby babies and we have high hopes for this baby's future squish ;) Overall, this pregnancy has been great and things are looking good. Other than waking up frequently at night, I really have no complaints! I'm measuring normal for 35 weeks and I've gained about 15 pounds. I'm feeling a little large but I'm still able to ride my bike and walk comfortably, so that's helping me stay active even though I probably look ridiculous ;). 

With about a month left, things are starting to feel a bit more real. The little baby clothes are waiting to be washed and folded, we're still looking for the stroller, and we're mostly set on names. I've started gathering recipes for freezer meals and our moms have started planning their trips down to visit and help out. We're halfway through our childbirth education class and I've finished the books I wanted to read. So now we just need to wrap a few things up and wait patiently :) We're so excited to meet you Baby! 

Happy Friday and hope everyone has a great three day weekend! 

Japan Part II: Himeji and Yokohama (one year later..)

Last year at this time, Chris and I were traveling all over Japan. Chris put together the videos but I never finished posting from our time there. So I dug through my blog drafts and I'm wrapping things up a year later (and it just so happens that it's Thursday and this is a throwback.. ;)! Here you go!

Before leaving for Japan, Chris and I bought a Japan Rail pass. We did the math and decided to take the train to Hokkaido instead of flying. It was cheaper, and we would truly get to see all of Japan.

Himeji castle was on our list of things we wanted to see, so we stopped by for a few hours on our way to Yokohama. Like most things, pictures don't do it justice. It was big and beautiful, and the day proved to be hot and crowded. Since neither of us had been there before, getting to explore it together was really fun. Most of our trip was spent with people (which was the point of the whole trip!), but it was special having it be just us. After the castle, we walked a few blocks extra to go to McDonalds haha. We never go to McDonalds in the US, but for some reason, it tastes so much better in Japan. So I always try go at least once while I'm there ;) 

After Himeji, we headed to Yokohama. My sister-in-law's parents, the Tanakas, live in Yokohama and they invited us to visit. They picked us up from the train station and took us back to their house, where most of their family was waiting to welcome us with incredible amount of food. Other than two people, no one had seen Chris since he was 15, so it was a happy time catching up and meeting new babies (not ours, theirs obviously). Unfortunately, we didn't get any good pictures with them :/ 

The next day, we played in Yokohama! We went to Akasuka, Tokyo Sky Tree, and went to the waterfront. Thank you Tanaka family for welcoming us, loving us, and showing us your city! We love you! We took way too many photos but here are a few from those few days :)

*The video also covers when we were in Hakodate for a night and in Asahikawa but I'll post about those areas next!

Two month update + a lot of baby bump pictures

We just got back from a weekend in Utah and I was surprised to realize that in two short months, our little apartment in this new city has started to feel like home. Our things have been unpacked for weeks and the furniture has been all set up but it took stepping away for a few days to recognize what our little space has become. We're still on the hunt for some essentials to finish up putting things together but we're feeling much more settled in and apparently, feeling at home here!

We found a wonderful birth center with a great team of midwives in our area. There aren't very many birth centers in the East Bay so I was relieved to find a great one. Leaving our midwives in Utah made me really nervous but I'm really happy with our new birth center. In fact, I actually like it quite a bit better! We had a nervous few days about a month ago when some potential health issues popped up, but the midwives were so supportive and helpful while we got things resolved (everything is fine, I just have to be careful about a few things).

Since moving here, there have been a few things I've noticed. One thing that really stands out is that the entire area is extremely bike friendly! There are bike lanes on almost every street and bike paths everywhere. Drivers are extremely courteous towards bikes and other cyclists are always polite when they pass this slow pregnant lady ;) Everyone wears helmets and there are bike racks near wherever I'm going usually. The closer you get to the city, the more bikes (and parents with little kids on bikes) you see! It's nice to feel safe when riding around :)

Our first impressions of people being super kind were spot on. Wherever I go, I see acts of kindness and it makes my heart happy. I've never been pregnant anywhere else so I don't have much to compare it to, but I'm surprised by all of the positive comments I get! Cashiers, random people at the Costco food court, the homeless person hanging out by the train station... everyone seems to want to wish me congratulations or good luck and this mama-to-be has no problem with that :)

A recent experience when we were out to dinner sums up another thing I've noticed. Chris and I randomly found a small, fresh Mediterranean restaurant and while we were eating, the owner came over to see how our meal was going. In the middle of the conversation, she noticed Chris' left hand and then asked in a very surprised voice if we were married. I said yes, laughed, and then showed her my baby bump. Her response of "Oh wow, but you're so young!" was followed by a "So, where are you guys from? Because you clearly aren't from around here." We clearly don't give off the California vibe haha. Other than church, everywhere I go where there are mamas-to-be, I am by far the youngest. Our childbirth class, prenatal group, all of the baby stores... I feel pretty young. It hasn't bothered me too much, but sometimes I need to remind myself that we felt good about our decision and that the right time for us is now, not ten years down the road when we're homeowners who have a large yard, three cars, and a set career, even though that may be the more logical choice (although here in California, it might be 20 years before we're homeowners haha). Our work situation here is still up in the air (for those who are wondering about Chris' internship) but we've decided to have the baby here since we like our birth center so much. After that, who knows!

Anyways, I'm grateful for this stage of life and for all that is to come! It's going to be an adventure :) Happy Thursday everyone!