This is it. Don't get scared now.

Well, tonight is our last night in the village. Right now the apartment looks like a big mess, but hopefully we can get the rest of the stuff packed up before the morning. We've already moved most of our stuff to the new house. It's all painted and it looks great! Ada's room is a little bright, but maybe it will look better when it's furnished and decorated.

I can't believe we're finally breaking out of this place. We've lived here about a month short of five years. I'm really excited to own a house and "move on", but it is a little sad to leave. We've really loved living here. Here are the things I'll miss:

*All the friends we've made. We've met some awesome people and we're sad to move away from them. Hopefully we can keep in touch.
*Our ward. It's been great to have a ward full of married students and people in our same situation. I'm a little nervous to move into a "real" ward.
*The playground. It's just right outside our door, and Ada has loved going out and playing. We do have a yard, but it's not that big and we don't have anything to put in it. At least there are little parks nearby.
*The area. I really love living on the east bench. The Village is like a ghetto in the middle of these nice, established neighborhoods. It's a really nice area, and I'll miss taking walks in all the old, nice neighborhoods. Too bad we'll probably never be able to afford a house over here. The only downside is that it takes forever to get to I-15.

Despite all these things, this is what I'm really looking forward to:

*LOTS of space. We don't know what to do with it all! But we can do what we want and not have to worry about breaking any rules or anything.
*A washer and dryer. I'm so excited for these (and we got a nice set). Laundry will seem like a breeze after having to haul everything downstairs and pay money to use the machines.
*A dishwasher! We've never had one in our married life. Dishes will seem like a breeze too.
*Counters and drawers in the bathrooms.
*Everything else that comes with owning a home.

Once we get all in and settled, I'll have to post pictures. We won't get internet at the house for a week, so this will be my last post for a while. Over and out.

It's Ours!

Yesterday we closed on our new house, and everything went really well. Today the loan funded, so the house is officially ours! We're headed over there this evening to unload some stuff and start painting. We'll be going over there every day to do a little bit, and then everything will be officially moved over Saturday. I can't wait! I can't believe this week is finally here. Let's see if I can survive without going into labor!

Letter to my daughter

Dear Ada,

It's late and I'm too hot and uncomfortable to sleep right now. I can't stop thinking about you, so I decided to get up and write you my first letter. Our family will be going through a couple of huge changes in the next month. I'm not too worried about you adjusting to a new house with tons more space to play in, but I am a little worried about how you'll handle having a little sister around. It will be a big adjustment for me too. I can't even fathom it. I can't imagine having to share the love I have for you with someone else, let alone my attention. It makes me sad when I think about things from your perspective. I think you're going to have a hard time for a little while, but please know that I had only you in mind when thinking about the timing of having another baby. It would be so easy to have only you for another year or two and wait until you can understand things better. But hopefully you will appreciate having a sibling (especially a sister!) so close in age to you. Emily and I are less than two years apart and we grew up being the best of friends. We got to share a year of jr. high and high school and we've always been pretty close (even though I had plenty of mean big sister moments). I'm sure you'll have your struggles with your sister, especially for the first little while and probably when you're teenagers, but hopefully you'll have an infinite number of great times together. I love all my sisters and I'm thrilled that you will have a sister too. I hope you can one day appreciate the sacrifices your father and I are making (and will make) for you. You bring us so much joy and we're so lucky to have such a sweet, smart, and beautiful daughter. We love you so much and want only the best for you.

Love, Mommy

Thoughts

-Father's Day was on Sunday. As you can see, Tyler is such a great father to Ada. She's lucky to have a dad who loves her and provides for her. She has so much fun with him! I've loved seeing her really warm up to him since he's been done with school. One thing that Tyler and Ada do together that is just hilarious is lie on the floor and kick their legs in the air while laughing hysterically. Ada absolutely loves it!
-Speaking of Ada and Tyler, she said the funniest thing yesterday. I was talking to Tyler on the phone and when I got off, she found my cell phone. I asked her who was on the phone and she said it was Daddy. She then put the phone up to her ear and said, "Hello, this is Tyler Squire."
-The Celtics won the NBA title last night. I was cheering for them. I've always kind of liked Paul Pierce, so I'm happy for him. Even though they've won way more titles than anyone else, it's been a long time since their last. I think I would rather see anyone (except for the Spurs) win a title over Phil Jackson. I'm glad his team got crushed. KG is a nut. He cracks me up.
-Tyler and I are getting so antsy about moving into our house. We wish we could start today! We still need dressers for the girls and a few more bedding and bath accessories, but I've been working on that! In July we'll probably get furniture to go in the basement since we have $750 in gift cards to RC Willey that are effective July 1. It's nice to get money back from our other purchases!
-It's a good thing June has been mild until now. I'm having a hard time with this heat! Yesterday I skipped my nap because it was too hot to sleep in the bedroom. Oh, I can't wait for central air!

Impatience

In just one week, we will be the owners of this cute house! I can't wait! I've been going crazy for a month.

36 weeks!

Wow, yesterday I had my 36 week doctor appointment. I can't believe I have four weeks left! I'm dilated 1 cm and 50% effaced. My doctor asked if I want to be induced early, but I declined. As uncomfortable as I am, I'm in no hurry this time! I'm pretty scared to have two kids, but the other night I did start feeling excited thinking about the delivery. There's nothing like seeing your tiny baby for the first time and holding her in your arms.

I'm also worried about how Ada is going to handle a little sister. My little sister Emily is in town right now with her baby, Sally. Ada has always been a little weird around Sally and doesn't seem to care about her. She also gets really possessive and grabby, and extra sensitive. She's used to getting all the attention. Hopefully she'll get used to things soon.

Ada hasn't been sleeping too well lately. We're not sure what's wrong, because normally she's a great sleeper. It hasn't been too bad, but doesn't want to go to bed and sometimes we find her lying there awake when we thought she'd been asleep for a while. I can definitely see a link between a lack of sleep and her behavior. Luckily, she was a really good girl all day Wednesday. We went shopping with Morgan, and at night met Tyler's family at The Cheesecake Factory for Cheryce's 30th birthday. We didn't get out of there until after 9:00, but Ada was so good the whole time. We got cheesecake to go, and my Godiva chocolate cheesecake was divine! Besides that, not much has been going on this week, except that Tyler and I went back to RC Willey and purchased a washer and dryer. I'm so excited! Laundry will seem so easy once I have my own set.

Have or Have Not

We saw this on Ben and Jenn Iverson's blog earlier today and thought that it would be fun to do for ourselves. This is a list of 200 things that we have or have not done. If you want to copy and do this yourself, you can just bold the items you have done. Since there are two of us, we're color-coding. Here's the key:

Pink -- Alison has done it
Blue -- Tyler has done it
Green -- We have both done it
Black -- Neither of us have done it

Let's get started:
200 Haves and Have Nots!
1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby’s diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said “I love you” and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run (I was 6" short of hitting a grand slam - It's true, I swear)
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales (See this post)
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone skydiving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don’t
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover (I have less than 100 pages to go!)
86. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name (well, just my last name!)
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream (Once we close on our house at least)
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring (I wore a sweet mood watch)
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant (I rode a camel in Russia)
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one (In mini-golf)
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment (we're unsure on this one)
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books (More like 5 dozen)
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma (both)
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded to a Neighbor Jane Payne newsletter

So little time. So much to do.

Buck wild

Tyler finally posted about our house. Check it out here. Last night we went to RC Willey to look at furniture, and I feel like we went buck wild! We bought a bedroom set, a mattress, and a dining table with chairs. The dining table won't be available until August, so I'll have to learn more patience waiting for that. The other stuff is set to be delivered a few days after we close. We've been talking about getting a king bed for a while to help with my sleep woes (not just the recent ones; I've had sleep troubles ever since I had Ada), so we went to look at mattresses. We were very surprised at how expensive they were, and I told Tyler to forget about it. But he convinced me that it was worth the money, so we got a good one and a king sized bedroom set to go along with it. I'm excited. Now we can put our queen bed in the bedroom downstairs, so if anyone wants to have a sleepover we can accommodate you! We still have plenty of furniture to buy, but it was fun to get started!

Never thought I'd say this

Anyone who knows me knows that I love my sleep. So you may be surprised, as I am, that I don't like going to bed anymore. For several nights in a row I get in bed and just lay there, unable to fall asleep. Plus, I have to get up a million times to pee. I think part of it is I have trouble getting comfortable and part is my mind is racing. There's so much happening in the near future for us that my mind is going crazy. Of course I'm tired and would love to be asleep, but if I'm just going to be laying there I may as well get up and read. Or blog.

What the...?

How is it already June? June 3rd, in fact! I can't believe how fast time flies. My due date is only 5 1/2 weeks away! I am not feeling ready. I've been afraid for some reason that I'll have this baby early when I'm not expecting it. The other day we went to IKEA and I was totally beat afterwards. My lower back was killing me, and I was telling Tyler it could be preterm labor. Luckily all I needed was a nap and things were fine. For the longest time I didn't really feel like I was pregnant. For the last little while I've not wanted to be pregnant anymore, but I'm definitely not ready to have another child to care for! I've been feeling achy and uncomfortable for a while now, and I'm starting to realize how little time I have left. I've talked to several friends about pregnancy, and everyone seems to have their own struggles. Some struggle with the pregnancy, some with the delivery. My biggest struggle is actually bringing a baby home and taking care of it. With Ada, I hardly got out at the beginning and had trouble getting back into the swing of things. I'm interested to see how things will go with two kids. I hear it's not too bad, but we'll see! At least we'll be in a new house with lots of space. We should be moved in before the baby is born. If this is news to anyone, Tyler will soon be posting about it, so keep checking his blog!