Pregnancy peculiarities...is that a word?

I've stopped counting weeks. I had to get one of those countdown widgets for my blog just to figure out how many weeks I am now. I guess it's come to the point where I just get through each day one at a time...but I do still care about my clothes and makeup, so I guess I'm not too far gone yet ;)
The weird thing lately has been that when I lay down I get this shooting pain in the right side of my butt, like a deep pain way in there, and it shoots down my leg. Sometimes when I get up it's like I can hardly walk on that leg, or it'll just give out. It doesn't last long, but terribly inconvenient. I told the doctor and he said it was normal, and of course there was nothing they could do about it. Well, I figured that. That's why i don't usually bring up many things at my doc's appointments, the pain doesn't bother me much, just that it's inconvenient, and they usually want to put me on something or tell me there's nothing to be done about it, so I think, if I can bear it then I just won't mention it.
Two things about my legs: 1. my calves are way bigger than before, they're muscle-y, but they're just much bigger, and 2. my dainty ankles are gone, not quite kankles yet, but they're definitely not so pretty as they used to be.

As for baby girl, she's moving around quite a lot these days. Sometimes she moves so much, or just that she's so strong that my belly will start moving when she gives a good kick, or does a big spin, or whatever gymnastic moves she's trying out that day.

Tonight we had some friends over for dinner (2 other couples). It's so fun getting together with them. I love having people over, maybe it's the Mexican side of me, or the Taylor side. I guess I get it from both sides. We just love hosting people and having get togethers :)
Ben made Kahlua Pork for dinner, and I made rice, then we had macaroni salad for a side, and Bethany brought a salad, then Laura had the most delicious ice cream/cake/treat dessert. So delicious! Then we chatted and played a game, it was great! One of the best parts was that in preparation for the great dinner, yesterday we cleaned tons of the apartment (which was really needed), and I feel great about it now. There's still lots of stuff to go through before the move (end of June), but at least we got a great start. :)

Tomorrow I'm off to buy a maternity swimsuit. I've been researching this item and have gone to look at several different stores, and many online stores, but I think I have come to the conclusion that I'm just going to have to buy a XL tankini to make it work. Well, see tomorrow how it goes, but so far I've had no luck. Why do they think that once we become pregnant we loose all style? Anyway, wish me luck, and let me know if you know of any good places to shop for a good suit.

This weekend I fly to Denver for my cousin Niquito's wedding to Missy. I'm soooo excited for them, congrats guys! Marriage is fantastic, I recommend it to everyone! I'm also excited 'cause my cousin Mica just got back from his mission and we're all going to be there for his homecoming talk too on the same weekend. After that I'll drive to Utah with my family from Denver and we'll of course have the time of our lives ;) Then that following weekend we'll have an Alvarez Reunion, first ever. I'm really thrilled about the great bonding time that we'll have out there camping together. And I'm especially excited to see the Brent, Michelle, Morgan, Savannah, Harley, and KC 'cause I haven't seen them in almost a year and a half!!! Pictures don't cut it, I need to see my babes! But it'll be awesome to see everyone there :)

Well, that's my update for now. I'll post something soon about Ben and I making "Wishful creations". Ta ta for now............

~Crystal

Baby Girl!

I must admit that I've been a bad blogger lately. All blog-stalking, no actual blogging. So, here I go to catch up...!
A few weeks ago Ben and I went to get the first ultrasound. During the fist part of the pregnancy Ben and I both believed that it was going to be a girl, but for the last while we had tons of people telling us that they thought it was a boy. I wasn't sure at first about having a boy first, but I knew it was, of course, a possibility so I tried to image what it would be like, and even though I was having dreams about a girl I still kept thinking that it would end up being a boy. So, when we got the the ultrasound clinic place they showed us the baby and kept taking all these measurements of the head, heart, kidneys, etc. Finally the technician told us that she was going to show us if it was a boy or a girl. She said that she already knew what it was, but wanted to get a good shot so that she could show us. At that point I thought to myself, "K, I've been preparing myself for the fact that it might be a boy, but what if it's a girl?" So, then I put the thought in my head that it might be a girl too, and I knew that I would be just fine with that. Just then the tech showed us that indeed it was a GIRL! We were thrilled!
Another thing she showed us was the baby in the 3D imaging. I thought it was kinda weird 'cause just minutes before she showed us I had told her that I thought the 3D imaging was freaky looking, and that I didn't want to get it (not knowing that they did that there). Then she just switched it over on the machine without saying anything, and there was baby in 3D, looking like she was made of clay or something ;) But it was kinda fun. I'm kinda glad she didn't ask me.

My birthday had only been a couple weeks before that, and I told Ben that I would like a sewing machine as my present, but only if it was a girl 'cause girl clothes are fun to make, and boy clothes...well they're pretty boring, sorry. At least to design and make, they're boring for me. So, a sewing machine it is, yeah! :)


Here are some of the pics they took of cute little baby girl.


With her hand up by her face like that it kinda looks like she's trying to see through a frosted window or something.


You're pretty much looking at her bum here. Her legs are bent up on either side of the screen. This is just when she told us that it was a girl, and then typed it on the screen. :)


A cute little foot and leg.


We're so excited! And to answer your question now, no I will not be revealing any name ideas online, sorry but that's just dangerous stuff. But don't worry Andrea, now that we know it's a girl we won't be able to steal Bane from you ;)

~Crystal

Things I have/not done

Things I have done... Just copy and paste this to your blog and bold the ones that you HAVE done and make sure to put your score at the end. It got me to thinking about what I would like to do in life.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain - define mountain...we'll just say yes.
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning - oh yeah, no fun
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables - My Dad and I planted tomatoes and squash once
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight - Yep, it's on video too (not youtube)
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort - How about just build a fort in general?
25. Held a lamb
26. Learned a new instrument
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted - well it was in chalk
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Gone without food or water for 24 hours or longer
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling - snorkeling on our honeymoon, awesome!
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud - oh, you should see the pictures!
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie - I did a voiceover in spanish for a church movie, does that count?
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Stayed up for 24 hours with NO sleep at all
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter - I think when I was really little, otherwise it was a dream
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy - Yeah, but it's all boxed up
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Changed a lightbulb
77. Broken a bone - yeah my back, once. And yes, I can still walk ;)
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle - If my brother was driving, I'm pretty sure we were speeding ;)
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Mowed the lawn
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House - only up to the fence, they were busy filming National Treasure 2 and wouldn't let us in :(
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous - President Monson, and President Faust once on the elevator in the Church office building. Remember that Andrea?
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one - My Grandma, but she's not lost.
94. Had a baby - Not yet, but soon!
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Blog Stalker On The Prowl

So, as a nice Sunday activity I thought that I would update a few things on my blog. As I was doing that I thought I would take a look at who had been to my blog lately. I have this awesome little widgit called FEEDJIT, and it tells me how people found my blog, like what other blog brought them to mine, and where in the world they are when they look at it. It's awesome when I see someone in Hawaii or Australia. Anyway, I found out that there are TONS of people that I know that follow my blog and I didn't even know it. Holy Cow! I was so excited to see so many people had blogs that I didn't know about. Yeah, more exciting things to read!

So, just beware because I have added you, and now I am going to be blog stalking you all, bwahahaha! But stalking with love, of course :)

~Crystal

Update

Update on the pregnancy:

On Monday we went to see Janice (our Midwife) and have our monthly visit. She asked if I felt the baby yet, and I told her I'd felt the little nudges, and how Ben was sad 'cause he couldn't feel it yet. Janice said that it would be about 4 more weeks before he'd feel any kicks. I guess the feet are about an inch long, or so, right now, and in 4 more weeks they'll about double in size. And the baby will be bigger and stronger so the kicks will be hard enough that he can feel too. Hmm...poor mommy, huh? Just getting kicked around ;)

Then I brought up the labor process, 'cause we hadn't really talked about it yet. I asked how many people are on her team. She said that really it's just her there, then the labor nurse, and some other nurse (from the hospital). They'll be there checking up on me during the process, but Janice does all the baby's "coming out party" though.
She said it would be good if we got a labor tub (for the contractions and relaxation, also because of my back injury from many moons before). At this point I was getting really excited. I don't know why, but the actual birth part is so exciting to me, like it's the main event! It's kinda like going to see a movie, I love watching the previews, that's fun, but the really exciting part is the actual movie you're going to see. Haha, kind of a funny analogy.
So, she asked who'd be there, and what kind of birth I was planning on. I kinda shouted out "Natural!", maybe 'cause I was already so excited. She described the different things I can do to prepare for natural birth, like the Bradley method class, and hypnobirthing, stuff like that. We'll see about all that stuff later, I'm not in a rush to make a decision, plus I already feel pretty in tune to myself and body, and...well, I guess we'll just see later. So, that was the fun appointment!

Also, one week from today we're getting the ultra-sound done, so then we'll finally know what we're having!!!

I don't know why, but I keep sub-consciously calling baby a "he", which is weird 'cause for the longest time I felt like it was going to be a girl. But when I was really sick, I kept telling Ben "This baby must be a boy. Only a boy would cause me so much trouble." ;)
So, of course now I have no idea and don't trust myself to know, but I am leaning towards a boy more now. Place your bets!

~Crystal

Sorry, sorry...I blame the illness and the play-

I know I've been so, so bad about getting back to my blog. But now the play is over and I'm not nearly as sick as before, actually I'm feeling a lot better. Yeah!!! :D
Last Friday was our final night for the King and I, and I'm so glad that it's over. It was such a great experience, and I know that by next week I'm going to miss it, and everyone there, but for now I'm glad that it's over.

As for the pregnancy, I do have a small little bump now and I can even feel the baby move at times!!! How exciting! It's not like full on kicking, just like it's rolling around in there or pushing on one side or something. Ben gets really excited when that happens, and always wants to feel it give a little shove, but it can only be felt on the inside right now, so he's a little dissapointed. But I'm sure that soon it'll be strong enough and big enough to kick so everyone can feel :)
Morning sickness seems to have flown out the door, thank goodness. I still have to be careful with what I eat and when, but it's much, much better than before.

This past weekend Ben's parents and his little sister came out to see us and the play. They got to see final night which was a blast! Our on-hand director came in and said "It's final night, do whatever you want." So, we got this little fake cucaracha and would pass it around to people on stage during the play. It was hilarious to see them have to change their blocking because they had something in their hand and didn't want anyone to know. Even when someone passed it to me, I had to think quick and hold it down with one finger in my hand while I was dancing. It was crazy, but a lot of fun :) I'm really glad that I did the play, as much effort as it took, it was worth all the new friendships I made, and the good times we had.

Back to Ben's family being here, on Sunday we made Oreo Truffles. Which I had tried when Laura brought them to the play. So delicious!!! And I'm not even a big fan of chocolate, that's how good they are. Turns out it's so easy too!


Oreo Truffles:
Crush one package of Oreos
Add one brick of Cream Cheese
Blend until it becomes a mushy mix (I used my kichenaid mixer, and it was much easier)
Then make small truffle size balls out of mix

In a seperate bowl melt bakers chocolate
Dip Oreo balls into melted chocolate then place on wax paper to cool (I put mine in the fridge just to be safe).
Done!

Try it, they are so good!

Well, that's it for now. I promise I'll update more often.
~Crystal

A Busy Bee...

Thursday was opening night for "The King and I." It was so exciting, and we had an awesome audience! I'm never nervous to perform (especially since I don't have any solos), but I was always worrying about my costume changes. During the Ballet (Uncle Tom's cabin), I have insanely quick costume changes so the first night I went out with a hat missing or different things, but still no one seemed to notice, phew... Friday night was probably our best audience so far. They were laughing at everything and clapping along with the "Shall We Dance" song, it was great! Saturday we had a matinee and then an evening performance, but since we had been rehearsing all week, and then performing so much, I have to say Saturday was probably our least energetic performance so far 'cause we were all so tired. Still, it was great and lots of fun!

After I had started to get sick from the pregnancy I kept thinking that I might have to quit the play, but I felt that for some reason I should keep going and now I'm so glad that I did. Not only is it great for me to make new friends and have other people to associate with, but it's great for the exercise. Since it's in the evenings I'm already feeling better from the morning sickness, and I think the exercise helps my body feel less sickly. Anyway, it's been a good thing for me to do and it's so rewarding. I think my favorite part of the whole performance is during the curtain call when The King and Anna come out to take their bows and I see many people just jump out of their seats to give them a standing ovation. That's when I know that they really loved it and had a good time.

I'm glad rehearsals are over so that I can have more evenings at home and not be quite so busy. Also, so that I can go back to mutual with my Young Women, I've missed them terribly.

An update on the pregnancy:
Last week we got to hear the baby's HEARTBEAT!!! It was so neat! For a while the Doctor was using her little heartbeat-finder tool and could only get mine, I started to think "Great, she won't be able to find it and I'll have to wait another month to hear it." But, then she did find it!!! It's great because it's like the proof that there's really a little baby in there and I haven't just had the flu for the past month. After we left the doctor's office Ben and I thought, why didn't we record it on our phones? Then I could've blogged it. Oh well, next time.

My newest pregnancy discovery: This is something that Mom had mentioned, but I wasn't sure if it was true for me or not. Today I was on the couch concentrating on not feeling nauseated. Sometimes it's really frustrating 'cause it's like you're walking on the edge of a sword and one wrong thought might make you sick and you'll fall right off the edge. Well, I had been concentrating and decided that I was going to try and take my mind off of it by playing on my computer, and it worked. It's probably a very simple and obvious concept, but when you're sick like that you just worry and worry that if you do anything wrong you'll go over the edge and not make it back. So, that's my latest discovery. Oh and Jamba Juice is great when you're pregnant!

Well, that's it for now. If anyone is in town please come and see the play, it's so much fun.

~Crystal