What a Fantastic Month!

November has been awesome to me. I must share. Obama won the Presidential election, the University of Utah Utes thoroughly destroyed the evil, self-righteous BYU Cougars (I hate them so much...) in the Holy War, our OB appointment went well, my sister Nicole returns home on Thursday from her 18 month LDS mission to the Netherlands, and...we moved into our new house!

That's right, we are now home owners. I have been experiencing many mixed emotions about it the past two weeks (that's how long we've been in the house and the main reason I haven't written much). While I am very excited to finally be in my own home, I have much anxiety over money (the not having enough of it part), fixing the house up, leaky dishwashers, boxsprings and other pieces of furniture not fitting in stairwells, and the like. I have felt really guilty too, because while it is by no means a palace, it is quite large, actually bigger than what we really need, and all that space is intimidating. I feel like we might be living beyond our means, and that really we should have bought a much cheaper, smaller house. But I shouldn't complain, right? I should be grateful for the many blessings I have in this house, and believe me, I am. I am soooooo grateful.

So is it weird that I have these anxious, guilty feelings attached to my joy? I think part of it is the time of year. I hate cold dark winters. Just hate 'em.

The house was built in 1948, has three bedrooms, 1.5 baths, a huge basement and quarter acre lot with a great, big backyard. It was built by a brickmason. I promise I will get more pictures, but I want everything to look perfect in them, so for now, here is a pic of the front of the house:

The Bebe Bump

So I see it is pretty typical in Hollywood to glory in the "baby bump." Since I would like to be rich and infamous some day, I will follow suit. I am expecting People Magazine and TMZ paprazzi to be at my door any minute!
I am at the end of my 4th month (not sure what week exactly. 17? 18?).

I wish Richard knew how to take a really good subject photo. And I wish I knew how to pose for a really good subject photo. That is why I am usually the one behind the camera. For whatever reason, Richie really wasn't into taking my picture with Maude. He takes really good landscape photos, but I guess I am not as interesting a subject. Will someone please come take artsy, legendary pregnancy photos of me? Please?!

Tricks and Treats

Here are a bunch of pictures representing the many fabulous and fun things The Chemist, Maude The Fetus, and I have done the past couple of months during this gorgeous Autumn (warning, they mostly involve all, or parts of, pumpkins). We didn't do anything fun for Halloween this year. It was quite sad really, but when you're only friends have tiny babies/children, and you don't drink, there aren't many reasons to get the house decorated, dress-up, and rock it all night long with the ghosts and the ghouls. Maybe that's a defeatist attitude, but next year, next year will be awesome. We'll have a baby, a place to party, and I'll make sure Richard has a kick-ass costume. As for candy, well, I consume enough of that on a daily basis as to ensure I don't need more on Halloween.

We went kayaking at Tony Grove Lake, which is up Logan Canyon. It was really fun, but the lake is quite small, and after about half an hour, we had already explored the whole thing from the water. We also ended up hiking the little trail that circles the lake. It was a perfect day: sunny, warm, slight breeze. But that also meant there were loads of other people up there too.

We went to a u-pick pumpkin patch in Paradise for our jack-o-lantern pumpkin. I love pumpkin patches. Isn't Richie cute? It was cold and snowy that day!

We went on a hike in the Left Fork of Blacksmith Fork Canyon. It was quite pretty, but the road was unpaved and very bumpy, and we forgot that it was deer season. Every other person in that canyon was hunting (and there were quite a few of them) and the slight few who weren't were at least wearing bright orange. Maybe it wasn't so smart of us to go on a secluded hike while pregnant in the middle of hunting season, but we went anyway, made lots of noise, and fortunately didn't get shot at (that we know of). The colors on the hike were actually very blah and brown, so the picture of the foilage is enhanced to trick you. I don't know why I took Richie's picture in the shade, but in black & white it actually looks spooky, like he's on a haunted hunting trail.

Richard carving our pumpkin.

Me vomiting the pumpkin guts. Hee hee...

Happy Halloween!