Blessing Day Sept.29.2013

 

 perfect day and the most perfect baby you ever did see. she was an absolute angel. the bishop of our ward approached me after the blessing saying that she was the most calm + alert baby he'd ever seen. "It's almost like she was having a conversation with Heavenly Father the way she stared up at the heavens the whole time!" we want to say thank you to my brother in law Steve Wilson for the photos. also, we want to thank all our family for being there on this special day!

Future letter to my Daughter

I had wanted to take the time to pen a future letter for my daughter to read:

Dear Kylie,

I love you SO much! I know that you were meant to come down to our little family when you did. Mom was nervous to be, well, a MOM! I am supposed to magically turn into a mother! In this day and age I'm growing up with technology that shows me these "perfect" moms who do it all. Please don't mind the fact your mom doesn't sew, scrapbook, or craft! Please overlook the fact I don't always wear the stylish clothes. I just am me and that me wants to be the best mom for you!

I want to be your best friend, I do!!! I know people say parents shouldn't be the best friend but I do! I want to play make believe games with you! I want to play dress up with you! I want to go out to get ice cream with you. I want to talk about boys with you! But most importantly I want to talk about the gospel with you. The world will want to take away your innocence. The world will try to make you hard. The world will try to crush your spirit. I need to tell you something important...you are significant!!! You are special! I look in your eyes and I see a daughter of God himself. You came, literally from the courts on high! Can't you feel your spirit within you whispering that you are divine? You are! Please don't feel small!!

You will meet people in this world who have allowed the world to dull their shine and they may even try to dull yours. Do not let them! Do not compromise who you really are. There are enough women in this world you have forgotten who they are and so they have forgotten about Heavenly Father. We must never forget! Please show your light to all who meet you! And find a boy who's light also still shines bright! If he truly knows he's a son of God then you two will have a great life together. :)


I love you little lady of mine!!!!

Love,
Your Mother

Dedicated to my Grandpa Floyd Devey

My grandpa I can honestly say was one of my heroes. When I was a younger girl his demeanor was more quiet, faithful, impressive, and stoic. As I grew older my relationship with my grandpa blossomed into something beautiful. I started to notice that he had this special twinkle in his eye when he'd see me. He started to always give me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek whenever he'd see me. What had I done to get his favor? I didn't know, but having it was more special than I can adequately explain. His approval and love for me meant the world to me! I loved talking to him and getting to know him better! I seriously loved this man!!!

My grandpa was a chief fireman, a true guys guy... he could fix just about anything! He always seemed so impressive to me. When I met my husband I was particularly excited for my grandpa to meet him. During their first conversation I could hear my grandpa full belly laughing, reminiscing about handyman jobs he had done in the past, with my then fiance. Here is a picture I captured when they had just started talking to each other.

My grandpa will be missed more than he knows. He passed away yesterday in the morning sitting in his chair with a faint smile on his face. The night before he'd been moving a fridge. I love him and wanted to dedicate this post to express that love I have for him. He was the only grandpa I had growing up. I know that my grandpa is now on the other side continuing the missionary effort! I love you grandpa, and I'm really going to miss your hugs!!!! God be with you till we meet again!

His funeral service will be held this weekend.

Birth Announcement

Kylie Gabriella Barker

Our daughter was born on July 17th at 10:38 in the morning. She arrived 10 days earlier than her official due date of July 27th. My labor start to finish was only 7 hours. Kylie weighed 6 pounds 8 ounces and was 17 1/2 inches long (smallest grandchild for my parents). I went into labor Wednesday morning at 3 in the morning. I sat and waited till my contractions were each 3 1/2 minutes apart. Can I just say how painful contractions really are!?! Ladies, women aren't lying when they say that labor is incredibly painful! I would just close my eyes, slowly breath in through my nose, and out from my mouth to get through the contractions. Once we got to the hospital they had me again wait for an hour to make sure the contractions were making me dilate more, which THANKFULLY they were. Once I was checked in I got the HEAVENLY epidural!!! I LOVE EPIDURALS!!! The doctor came in and discovered that I was already dilated to a 9! Thirty minutes later I was pushing, and thirty minutes later Kylie was here. Russell and me had the tears running when we saw our baby girl for the first time. She is the most beautiful girl I have looked at! She is my daughter!!! I've had a baby! It is crazy realizing that not only do I have a baby, but that I gave birth!!! I love her and just hope that I can be a good Mom for her.

MY PARENTS

Crazy News and the Hospital

I am 35 weeks and 5 days so far. I have about 30 days left to my official due date on July 27th, 2013. This Tuesday I went in for my regular check-up at the Riverton hospital with my doctor Jane Bowman. Everything was going great but I did tell her I was feeling constant pressure on my bladder now. She said she wanted to check on me down under. About 2 minutes later she is telling Russell and me that I'm 2 cm dilated, and 80% effaced. (In the final weeks of pregnancy, as the lower part of the uterus gets ready for the baby to come out, the cervix starts to get shorter and thinner. This process is called effacement. As the due date nears, the baby's head drops down and the mother’s uterus begins to contract; this, combined with effacement and dilation, can cause pressure and cramp-like pains.) The doctor told me that I could basically have the baby any day now. She told me that if I did go into labor early she would not do anything to stop it. She did give me some instructions on how I was to take it easier to hopefully have her in there longer. Russell and I were just sitting there like.....WHAT? We can have the baby any day now?

The very next day I was just feeling 'off' all day. I just felt nauseous, and just felt tight cramping all day long. Russell and I even went swimming to see if that'd help ease the pains. By night time I called the labor & delivery unit to ask them what they'd suggest I do and was told that I was needing to just come in. Russell and I frantically got our hospital bag together and headed for the hospital, dropping our puppy off along the way at Russell's parents. When we got to the hospital they checked me down under (still was at 2 cm, and 80%). They hooked me up to some machines to hear the baby's heartbeat and to measure the contractions. I had to just lay there for an hour. What was interesting is that Russell would watch the monitor measuring a contraction and I would just be laying there completely oblivious. When the nurse came back in she said I was having contractions every 5-6 min and needed to check to see if I'd dilated more. After inspection she found I was still just at 2 cm. The nurse said that I needed to basically put myself on bed rest. She also told me no vacuuming or lifting anything that is heavier then a milk jug. The doctor told her I was fine to go home but they did offer me a morphine shot (which I refused cause I honestly wasn't feeling any of the contractions). So now I am laying down in bed most of the day and fighting the urge to clean or run errands. We're just praying that Kylie will be healthy and fine whenever she decides to make her appearance.

33 Weeks of Pregnancy & Trusting in the Lord

My Stats: 

Weight gain: 14 pounds

Kylie's Stats

Weight: about 4.2 to 5.8 pounds

Height: about 17.2 to 18.7 inches

Pregnancy update: I am now totally in the stage that I have to take frequent restroom trips everywhere I go. If I go grocery shopping I go to the restroom before leaving the house and first thing when I get to the store and right when I get home. I used to think that I used the restroom more frequent anyways cuz I've never been able to sleep a full night without getting up at least once, but now I average getting up 3 times a night! Russell is seriously the most patient person out in public with me. In those moments he just looks at me like, "ya need to pee?" and I'm like "of course!"... he smiles, pulls out his phone, and starts to play some games while he waits for me.

I have only 13 more days working at my job before I take the plunge of quitting and making Russell the sole provider for our family. Russell and me have really discussed this and we feel like I should be a stay at home mom. I have had a my own job since I was 16 so I know that this is going to be an adjustment for me to make Russell the only breadwinner. We understand that means that we'll have to be on a tight budget, but it's worth it! Heavenly Father knows this has been stressing me out so he has provided us tender mercies of having older couples tell us how they made that commitment when they first started having kids and how it worked out. I feel like there are pressures on us woman to not commit ourselves to being Mothers. Even in my situation I find many asking, "so what are you going to do, ya know, work wise after the baby comes?"  As if my answer of being a full committed stay at home mom isn't enough. I have moments I start to worry how it's all going to work out... but I remind myself that Heavenly Father wanted His little girl to come down at this time to us and He will be there to help us provide for her. When I received inspiration on her middle name, which will be Gabriella, we discovered it was Hebrew and meant Heroine of God. This girl is someone special to him, and I want to give my 100% to raising her how He would like me to.  I found this quote and absolutely loved it and wanted to share it...

“Many voices in the world today marginalize the importance of having children or suggest delaying or limiting children in a family. My daughters recently referred me to a blog written by a Christian mother (not of our faith) with five children. She commented: ‘[Growing] up in this culture, it is very hard to get a biblical perspective on motherhood. … Children rank way below college. Below world travel for sure. Below the ability to go out at night at your leisure. Below honing your body at the gym. Below any job you may have or hope to get.’ She then adds: ‘Motherhood is not a hobby, it is a calling. You do not collect children because you find them cuter than stamps. It is not something to do if you can squeeze the time in. It is what God gave you time for.’

Home Renovations: Stairs

When we first moved into our house the stairs were completely carpeted (with pink carpet). When I lived in London for a couple of months you never spotted a carpeted stair. Russell was completely game for painting the stairs instead of just re-carpeting them. He did the hard work of ripping the old carpet up and sanding the stairs down, and I did the painting. It isn't the most professional looking stairs you've ever seen but we did our best!

Baby Showers

Here I am at 7 months and 3 weeks of pregnancy! I had my best friends from high school throw me an amazing baby shower! It was crazy to be sitting there getting the cutest baby clothes for my little girl Kylie and just realizing I really am going to have a baby to put these on. These girls have been there for me through it all. I love them to death and can't wait for one of them to have a baby as well. They decorated with gumballs, mason jars, and fans. Jessica brought her famous chicken salad that I'm going to post the recipe because it is just that good! I want to give a big thank you to everyone that came!!! You know who you are and I love you!!! My second shower I got to share with my cousin Sarah who is having a boy. It was great to have our aunts, and grandmother there celebrating our soon to be motherhood. Sarah has such a  natural knack with kids, I'm over here hoping I will inherit this knack as I become a mother. *Fingers crossed*. For those who go by pregnancy weeks I'm at 31 weeks in the pictures, and Sarah is 34 weeks.

8 Ounces Cole Slaw Dressing
Dash Thyme
1 cup Mayonnaise
Pinch Ginger
Combine as dressing.

4 cups Chicken diced
2 cups Bow-tie pasta, cooked
2 cups Red Grapes, Halved
1-2 ounces Pineapple Tidbits
2 cups Apples, diced, unpeeled
1 cup Celery, Diced
2 T. Green Onion
3/4 cup almonds
3/4 t. Salt
1/6 T. Pepper

Mix all ingredients with dressing. Refrigerate till ready to serve. Serves 10-12.

30 Weeks of Pregnancy

Is it just me but there is something about being in the 30's of pregnancy that makes it feel WAY sooner. I only have 10 weeks left! I'm 7 months and 2 weeks pregnant. I am feeling Kylie A LOT more now! Yes, I have to admit some of her movements actually takes my breath away. I've been feeling a lot more "pregnant" these days as well. Just the way I sit down, lay down, it's all more of that, "I'm a pregnant girl sitting, so I'm going to sit down in the most comfortable position possible and don't even care about how hideous it may look". Who doesn't love that though? I'm also hungry all the time now. Still have to eat smaller portions to help avoid getting that lovely acid re-flux. Other than that I'm feeling great, and love when people want to come touch my belly. I am definitely not one of those girls that dislikes people feeling the belly, in fact I encourage them to touch it haha. Pregnancy is amazing!!! Can't wait to meet you Kylie!!!

Goblin Valley Camping

~ Baby bump shot & my hubby being a big kid ~

We had the BEST time getting away just the two of us to go camping. When we first started dating we both learned how much we love being out in nature away from the cities.  Our big dream is to one day have either a cabin or a house somewhere up by nature that we can own our own horses and be able to go on nature hikes/walks whenever we want. Some people thought that me being 29 weeks pregnant would make this camping trip less enjoyable comfort wise, but I actually had a very comfortable sleep in the tent!  We hiked around Goblin Valley for 3 or so hours, me taking my breaks, and Russell climbing every rock/ridge/mtn he could.

I have to say that my crush on my husband intensified on this camping trip. Watching your man set up a tent, build a fire pit & fire, cook you dinner, and climb mountain peaks with little effort just does that to a girl! I honestly never thought I would have such a mountain small town esque man on my hands. Even though he grew up in the city he has always felt country small town to me and I LOVE it! We had so much fun!!!!! Awe, makes me want to get away with him again this weekend!

It's a Love Story

Russell is my everything. Waking up to him each morning and falling asleep in his arms is better than any fairy tale scenario I had dreamed of as a little girl.

When I was 15 years old I received my LDS patriarchal blessing. Patriarchal blessings include a declaration of a person's lineage in the house of Israel and contain personal counsel from the Lord for that persons life. I was more than eager to see what it had to say about my future husband. I would like to share a brief sentence, "You will be led to the man you will marry." I would be led? So God had someone specific in mind he was reserving just for me? This sentence always brought on a sense of frustration for me. This sentence required that I put everything in God's hands, that my relationship was his will. Being the planner I am that wasn't the easiest concept to grasp. A lot of the time I'd find myself even questioning if I was ever going to get married in this life.

I dated... don't get me wrong, but I never fell in love. I never had a boyfriend. Every guy I dated seemed to always just be missing something. I just knew they weren't HIM they weren't my husband. I couldn't lead a guy on and pretend to be in a relationship with him if I just knew he wasn't the husband I was waiting for.

By the time I was 22 I was really getting nervous.  I was 22 and had NEVER had a boyfriend! I was seriously questioning the idea of a mission but I wasn't getting a answer to go. At this time the opportunity came up for me to go to China with a program called ILP to teach little kids English. It would be for an entire semester living in a third world area. I wasn't getting an answer for a mission so I told myself I was going to go to China and read as much of the standard works (Old and new Testament, Book of Mormon, D&C, and the Pearl of Great Price), as possible until I go my answer on what I should do with my life. Little did I know that I would read ALL the standard works while I was there and get closer to my Heavenly Father then I dreamed possible. I also got my answer... I wasn't supposed to go on a mission and was needing to just live at home.

When I got home 4 months passed and NOTHING happened. I can't lie, after living more righteously and getting that answer in China I halfway expected to come home, start attending college classes, and meet a guy within the first month of being home. This did not happen.

After this time there was a huge change in the way the LDS church's singles wards were set up in the Salt Lake Valley. They basically rearranged all the wards so you felt like you got an entirely new ward with a new bishopric. I was called to be a teacher in the new Relief Society, and loved the opportunity to share what I had come to know so well in China. By this time I started questioning a mission again, and thankfully Heavenly Father knew I needed more witnesses to my original answer. I had both my parents (who are both returned missionaries) come up and tell me they felt like I'm just not supposed to go on a mission.

I had gotten home end of December, well that next August is when Russell walked into my life. I attended my first ever singles ward trip up to Idaho and he sat down next to me at the bonfire to talk. Russell told me that he had seen me right when our singles ward was created and the first thought that came to his mind is, "Wow she is beautiful, I HAVE to ask her out." He said it was such a strong feeling of not just wanting to ask me out but NEEDING to ask me out. He didn't get my number at that bonfire but 2 weeks later in church he heard a voice say in his ear, "Ask her out now or you will lose her!" He turned around to see who had said that to him and discovered there was no one behind him. After some stalking he hunted down my number and finally called me up to go on our first date.

Dating Russell was the most surreal experience of my life. I believe we have guardian angels who attend us and watch over us. I KNEW they were honestly giddy with happiness during the time I was dating Russell. I KNEW this was the husband God had picked/led me to. I couldn't shake that feeling. Every time I prayed at night I just felt the purest happiness I could ever experience. One time I even asked during my prayer, "Heavenly Father, is this my husband you were meant to lead me to?" Immediately I felt the warmest rushing feeling of goosebumps run all the way up from my toes to the crown of my head and back down, and I just felt the answer YES!!!! Russell was my husband hand picked by God!!!!

Fast forward to now. We've been married a little over a year and are expecting our first daughter, that was meant to come down specifically to us (can read post: http://amberandrussell.blogspot.com/2013/02/why-we-became-pregnant.html). I still wake up every morning knowing that Russell was and is and will forever be my best friend, my HUSBAND!

Basement After...

 

Here is the basement finished for the most part. When we first moved in we just concentrated on repainting the upstairs so the basement is finally getting some attention. I love the look of darker doors so to create this look on a budget we went to the local Home Depot and picked up some porch, patio floor paint in a dark walnut shade. It's hard to see the doors in these pictures, but what you can see of them I hope helps.

Basement Before...

I am going ahead and posting the pictures of the work we're doing on our basement during Russell's spring break. Here is a picture of my wonderful husband working on the board and batten for our hallway in the basement.  We are excited to get this painted and looking as good as we can make it! Russell just ran to Home Depot to get the wood and told me it only cost around $25 for it all. Other than that you'll need a primer and white paint to paint it.

Being with eachother

Can I begin by saying that I LOVE being with my husband. Seriously could spend every moment of every day with him. As some of you know he does school full-time and works full-time so this has severely cut back on our time together. We are lucky that he usually has an hour break to come home and have lunch with me. But our only date night that he does't work is Wednesday nights which if you knew Russell is the Young Men's president in our ward so he has to be at the young men activities that night at seven. My boss was so sweet and allowed me to get off earlier on Wednesdays so Russell and I could still have some form of a date. This Wednesday we went to Happy Sumo to have some fried sushi (cause that's the only kind you can have while pregnant), and than we went to Menchie's to have some free frozen yogurt due to my birthday. We were loving the weather so much we just decided to stop and take a walk on the Jordan Parkway. I wish we both could have an entire weekend off to go somewhere and just be with each other 24/7.

I see you lucky couples out there that get more time together and all I can say is seriously enjoy it and soak it up! This has caused me to reflect back on when we first got married and had all the time together. Russell owned his own business trimming/pruning/cutting down trees and therefore would work just 2 or 3 days of the week while I was working full-time. I remember feeling jealous at that time that he had more free time and this would put me in a bad mood so that even when I got off work I wasn't the friendliest to hang out with. If I could do it over I'd appreciate the work he was doing and realize that this time was special we had together! I'd completely power off my cell phone when I was off work and just spend that time with him. Eating, talking, having fun, playing games, or just cuddling. I hope that every couple will take this advice and make the most of the time they have together to be together!!!! I realize now how important it is to take advantage of the moments we're in instead of being depressed looking back on the past, or anxious looking towards the future. We need to be present and to LIVE in the moments that we are in. I hope to do this more and be more present and loving!

Gender Reveal Party

We found out on my birthday whether we were having a girl or a boy. We wanted to make this more surprising for our families and friends so we kept it a secret till Sunday night for a gender reveal party. We want to thank everyone who came out for the mini event!!! We were surprised how packed it got!! We love you all, and are so excited we got to share the news this way! 

IT'S A GIRL!

Birthday Celebrations

On March 1st (Friday) I turned the big 24! I woke up being delivered breakfast in bed by my sweet AMAZING hubby of a man! He cooked me scrambled eggs which are always a favorite for breakfast for me! I also, loved his thoughtful sweet note that came with the breakfast. After I walked out of our bedroom I came to find decorations that consisted of balloons, streamers & a cute setup on the kitchen table that had roses and a handmade sign spelling out Happy Birthday. 

We went to our ultrasound appt at 11 am to find out if we were having a boy or a girl! It was amazing and so hard to keep a secret tell the gender reveal party that Sunday but we were determined to. After the appt we split a lunch at Chiptole's and went to see the movie Beautiful Creatures. After the movie we came home and looked through some kid photo albums of myself, and played with the puppy. For dinner Russell took me to this local buffet that is everything Chinese food! It honestly looks a little scary on the outside but the food in the inside is worth it. After dinner we came home and had a surprise visit by Russell's parents which was fun! And Russell and I ended the night eating blackberry pie in bed. I loved my birthday and love being able to spend the entire day with my hunk of a man!

50 things about us

1. We have the names of our future children picked out for the most part.
2. He served his mission in Chile, Santiago.
3. She is freezing all day long and has to wear a jacket.
4. He gets exceptionally hot and helps warm her up.
5. He speaks fluent Spanish
6. She doesn't speak anything but English, and that's even iffy on some days.
7. We are best friends.
8. She nags him about keeping a journal.
9. He wishes she wasn't a snoop...something she inherited from her curious nature.
10. We both love a good chick flick!
11. She will always be a neat freak.
12. His side of the closet will always be more organized than hers.
13. She always forgets to bring an actual camera to places they go.
14. He is in charge of the bills and taxes because he's better at math.
15. We wake up between 6:30 - 7 every morning. Every morning we hate it.
16. We both are pretty good sleepers.
17. We both can kill the creepy spiders we find, if we ever find any.
18. We love talking about and planning our future together.
19. We have painted the walls in our house together.
20. She doesn't like Jalapeno's. He does.
21. She only likes foods she’s in the mood for at that very moment.
22. He gave her his grandmother's wedding ring as her wedding ring.
23. She refuses to ever take it off.
24. We both love Papa Murphy's Vegetarian pizza.
25. She writes him little notes, even on the bathroom mirror.
26. He saves her little notes.
27. She gets extra moody when she’s hungry or tired and let's not forgot those pregnancy hormones.
28. He always knows just how to behave during her moods.
29. He doesn't like cooked tomatoes.
30. He has lots of nicknames. And it’s NOT Russ or Rusty.
31. We like telling people we are soul mates cause we are.
32. We have lots of inside jokes.
33. Sometimes we dance in the kitchen together. She dances full-out in their bedroom when he's not home.
34. She likes drinking diet soda (when she's not prego).
35. She can’t wait to be a mother but is nervous about being one.
36. We consistently go to Subway for lunch and split a foot long. 
37. She thought he was flirting with her in front of his girlfriend the first time they met.
38. On their first date, he tried to get her to do army pull-ups, she refused.
39. He proposed inside of an actual cave in Nevada.
40. She was giddy when it happened.
41. She doesn't think before she speaks.
42. He is very articulate.
43. We have a bad habit of driving everywhere when it's winter and parking as close as we can to an entrance.
44. She loves Pies. 
45. If she’d let him, he'd play video games for thirty minutes every single day.
46. We’ve been known to order 1 large Papa Murphy's pizza and eat almost all of it by ourselves.
47. We don’t own a TV and sort of hope to keep it that way.
48. Sometimes we still stay up too late at night just talking.
49. He makes her laugh, and always has a joke she doesn't quite get. 
50. We feel so blessed to be married to each other. We like learning from each other and our marriage.

Why we became pregnant....

I decided that I haven't shared too much on here about the reason on why we decided it was our time to start trying to have a baby.

Russell and I were on our honeymoon at the Phoenix Zoo when of course I needed to use the restroom. When I got in line behind these 2 young girls I decided I might as well start chatting with them. I started off by asking them how they were liking the zoo. One of the girls said, "We love it! We're just going to the bathroom right now, and than we'll go see the elephant with our sister Kylie." I was nodding, listening to her talk when she said the name Kylie ... it just HIT ME. I couldn't get the name out of my mind. Kylie.... Kylie... Kylie. My next immediate thought was: Kylie should be the name of our first daughter. How random!?! I had always wanted the name Evelyn, and was pretty dead set on that being the first name of our daughter. When I walked out of the bathroom I had decided not to say anything to Russell on account of being worried that would come off a bit baby hungry. But right when I found Russell and we started walking he turns to me and asks, "So what do you think of the name Kylie for our first daughter?" My jaw dropped... Let's just say the holy ghost is amazing, and always gives us a second witness.

Well now that you've heard the first part of our story let me tell you the rest....

I remembered when we first got married I had a plan. I was not one of the girls that was baby hungry. I was acting hungry, dancing hungry, traveling hungry, and then marriage hungry... but never baby hungry. I thought they were adorable,but never felt any real inclination towards them. So my plan was to wait at least a year and a half to even start "trying" to have kids. In my mind that would make it so that Russell would have only one semester left to go to get his Bachelor's degree finished. Whenever I thought of this "plan" or even articulated it to Russell it just didn't sit right. I ignored that little feeling of uneasiness and instead trusted on my own wisdom to say it was a good plan. After about four months of this I finally turned to Russell one night and said, "I think we are supposed to have a baby sooner that later. I'm actually feeling we should start trying to have a baby...like now." Russell's face just lit up with the biggest smile and he said, "I was waiting for you to say something. I've felt for a while that we're supposed to have a baby but I wanted you to make the decision." Isn't he amazing!?!

So that month we started trying.... and the next month I was PREGNANT. Now a lot of people would say that we were just LUCKY that we got pregnant so easy. But I know different. For whatever reason there is a little spirit from our Heavenly Father that needs to come to us, and right now. I just pray I'm going to be a good Mom to this spirit of our Father's in Heaven.

One Year Anniversary

We were married on February 17 of last year. I am the type of person that I think the first year anniversary, the 5th, the 10th, you should do something special to celebrate. As the 17th falls on Sunday we've decided to celebrate Valentine's and our Anniversary Friday the 15th, and Saturday the 16th.

We went down to Logan on Friday where we went and saw the new Nicolas Sparks movie Safe Haven. After the movie I took him onto the USU campus to have my FIRST KISS on the A platform on campus! Utah State has a tradition where you stand on top of this platform with the shape of the letter A, and kiss someone. I never did it when I went to school there, and always wanted to save it for my husband. It was cheesy, but a fun moment/excuse to kiss him! We went to my FAVORITE restaurant in Logan that's called Cafe Sabor (sweet pork quesadilla = heaven). We finished the night at the ANNIVERSARY INN, which has themed rooms you can choose from. We got the Romantic Hollywood suite which has endless movies, endless chocolate chip cookies, popcorn, apple cider and cheesecake! Can't lie that the pregnant girl was SOLD on the free food and movies.

Saturday I forgot to bring a dress to go to the temple. Russell is so sweet that he had already planned to take me shopping for a new dress. We went to Down East Basics where I found this adorable dress for only $20 that I'll be able to wear as my belly grows. We went to the Logan temple and did a two hour sealing session! We hadn't expected to be in the temple that long so I was hungry so we had lunch at Angie's right after getting out of the temple. Russell and I LOVE nature so we drove up the canyon to Bear Lake to sight see. That night we had dinner at the Olive Garden in Salt Lake and came home. Russell and I felt like this was our little honeymoon. We did NOT want to come home! We both just kept wishing this was a longer trip for us. We LOVED being together all day long! It was an AMAZING anniversary with my best friend! 

Baby Nursery

The baby nursery is all but finished, we just need to find the bedding. I always knew I wanted a gray and yellow theme for our first nursery. I do want to wait to find out the gender to decided if the bedding will be more yellow or more gray toned. As for me I haven't popped yet. I'm excited to get that big ole' round baby belly! I just think pregnant woman are beautiful! 

15 Weeks of Pregnancy

They are the size of an Apple!

Our growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces. Their busy moving amniotic fluid through their nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in their lungs begin to develop. Their legs are growing longer than their arms now, and they can move all of their joints and limbs. I'm feeling pretty good up to this point, morning sickness is officially gone! I have gained only 1 pound since my first appt, but when I asked the doctor what she expects for me to gain she said 45 pounds, because I started off so small. I haven't noticed myself craving a ton of sweets yet. Does that happen later down the pregnancy? Curious to hear from the ladies how it was for them with pregnancy cravings? 

Sidenote: I'm trying out the trend of red lipstick.

100 things I love about Russell

Yesterday I was home alone and as I was sitting there I was thinking about all the things I love about him. So I decided to write them all down in

100 things I love about Russell

1. I love that Russell treats me as if I am his whole world. And I believe he really thinks that.
2. I love what a great example he is of living the gospel and not being pious about it. He obeys speed limits cause of the "obey the laws of the land".
3. I love that he is consistently doing things to make me happy; big or small.
4. I love his charm, he is thee sweetest guy.
5. OF COURSE, I LOVE HOW SEXY HE IS! I can't believe I married a guy as handsome as him!
6. I love that he is my best friend.
7. I love that I can talk to him about anything and he knows everything there is to know. Seriously this boy is full of random facts and information!
8. I love how hard of a worker he is and how he provides for our family.
9. I love how has such a goofy side that I can be so weird around him and not for one second feel self conscious about it.
10. I love his sense of humor and when he laughs at his own jokes.
11. I love his out look on life. He is so positive!
12. I love that he takes the good out of any given situation.
13. I love how laid back he is, never stressing over the little things.
14. I love that we were dating all I heard form people was how kind they think Russell is.
15. I love that he is the type of person that is always giving to other people and never expects anything in return.
16. I love how smart he is and the fact that education is important to him, that he wants to go for a major like Bio-medical Engineering. 
17. I love his hugs more than anything, since our first date there has been something about the way he hugs me.
18. I love how his first thought is of me, and I can tell.
19. I love knowing that there is nothing he wouldn't do for me, family or friends.
20. I love that he is a family oriented guy.
21. I love that he pushes me each and every day to strive to be a better person.
22. I love that he is athletic.
23. I love that he is a very active person and always doing something.
24. I love that he loves to try new things.
25. I love that he is how protective he is over me.
26. I love how good of a listener he is.
27. I love that he got me a puppy! Shout out to Dakota!
28. I love his romantic side. He lets us have cheesy moments, and makes them not awkward. I believe that's because those moments are so real and sincere.
29. I love that fact that he never gives up, on anything. Likes to figure things out, like puzzles and rubix cubes.
30. I love that he is goal oriented and always striving to better himself.
31. I love that he's always loved my sense of style, and loves my body size! I hate when guys tell their girlfriends they need to workout etc. Russell is NOT like that at all! I can tell he honestly thinks I'm the most beautiful girl in the world. I've asked him a dozen times if he crushes on girl celebrities and his answer is an honest no!
32. I love that he will watch girly shows with me
33. I love that he can carry me, and does often!
34. I love that he is very affectionate no matter where we are, who we are with or what we are doing.
35. I love that after a hard day at work he comes home and finds me immediately!
36. I love that he is a peacemaker.
37. I love that we have never had a fight, that doesn't mean we always agree on things.
38. I love that he has never raised his voice to me.
39. I love that he puts our family first.
40. I love that he wants to grow our family and prepares for it.
41. I love that he takes hard math classes, smarty!
42. I love that he loves to cuddle.
43. I love that he tells me I am beautiful each and everyday, even though I don't always believe him.
44. I love that he is an outdoors guys.
45. I love that he's willing to take me out to places like Park City, which he before had never been to.
46. I love that he is a good son!
47. I love that he never speaks negatively about anyone.
48. I love that he loves the gospel and has a passion to learn about it.
49. I love his big sexy muscles!
50. I love his smile.
51. I love how he holds my hand, everywhere.
52. I love that he turns off all the lights at night so I don't have to get out of bed to do it.
53. I love that he supports me in every way and in everything I do.
54. I love that we call and text each other during the work day.
55. I love that he usually makes the bed and always does the dishes after he eats.
56. I love his crazy/silly side.
57. I love how well he does with kids, he always plays with my nieces and nephews.
58. I love sincerity.
59. I love that in any situation he will always do the right thing, even if it doesn't benefit himself.
60. I love that he doesn't care what people think.
61. I love that he gave me a nickname (Amber Babe).
62. I love that he is consistently tell and showing me that he loves me.
63. I love how thoughtful he is.
64. I love what a committed person he is.
65. I love that he randomnly brings me home a rose.
66. I love that he notices the little things.
67. I love that he does the little things.
68. I love his encouragement.
69. I love that he is always trying to teach me new things.
70. I love that he is always making time for us, even with a crazy busy schedule.
71. I love that he is forgiving.
72. I love that he is a "people-person" and can carry on a conversation with anyone he meets.
73. I love his sense of confidence.
74. I love that he honestly tries to remember everything I say to him.
75. I love when he tells me stories, even though he has told me them a time or two.
76. I love that he is always warming me up cause I'm always cold.
77. I love how strong of a person he is, even when things are hard.
78. I love that he is always faithful and I will never have to worry.
79. I love that he is very intuitive about not only my needs, but people around him.
80. I love his honesty.
81. I love his dance moves. A little quirky but so cute!
82. I love that he does things with me even though he would rather be doing something else.
83. I love that he kisses me good-bye every time he leaves.
84. I love that he cares what I think and values my opinion.
85. I love the way he always asks me how my day is going.
86. I love that he's going to be the father of our children.
87. I love that he picked me over every other girl.
88. I love that loving him comes easy.
89. I love that he always is including me and wanting me to go with him places.
90. I love our talks.
91. I love everything about his personality, all of the little things that make him, him.
92. I love his ideas, he has always got one.
93. I love that he does things I ask, even little stupid things that I could do myself.
94. I love that he writes me love notes on our bathroom mirror.
95. I love that a married the man of my dreams!!! Honestly feel like this was the man I was always supposed to marry... I have a testimony of that! I know it's rare when that honestly happens to a couple but it happened for us.
96. I love that I get to spend the rest of my life with the man of my dreams.
97. I love that I get to raise a family with the man of my dreams.
98. I love the person he is.
99. I love the person he makes me.
100. I love that he loves me more than I thought anyone ever could!

Day to Day with the Barkers

Russell: He is currently working full-time as a paralegal for Lexington Law Firms in the credit repair call center department. It's a pretty grueling shift from 2-10 pm that is everyday except Wednesdays, and Sundays. Russell is also going to school full-time. This is his last semester at SLCC, then he'll for sure be going to the University of Utah. His major is Bio-medical Engineering. The one thing that's been nice is that he usually has a break between school and work where he can come home and have lunch with me. For his church calling Russell was called as the Young Men's president. His Wednesday nights are for the young men and the activities they do.

Amber: I work full-time from home, which allows me to take care of our new puppy easier. I work for a company that my Dad is Vice President of. I have to say it's been fun to go to business dinners and have my dad there! Some have asked me if I'm going to work once I have the baby, I am not planning to. I down the road want to become Zumba certified so I can get out of the house and do something for me a little here and there. Even though Russell's schedule does leave me home alone I've found great opportunities to hang out with some friends I haven't seen in awhile, and to visit my parents more. For my church calling I am secretary in the young women's which allows me to go to the activities every Wednesday night with my hubby!

Our little One's Doctor Appointment

Feb. 8th, 2012: Here we were anxiously waiting at the Doctor's for the first appointment confirming that we were indeed pregnant. I don't know about you, but I was nervous about hearing the heartbeat. Before you go into your first appointment all you really have to go off of is the pregnancy sticks that told you, you were pregnant (6 of which I took). Russell was my rock, constantly telling me that everything was going to be OK.

Once the doctor came in and did her check ups on me she pulled out the device to hear our little ones heartbeat. The most anxious moment happened when it took her a couple of minutes to find it, I was stressing silently, but then she moved closer to my left hand side where we could hear it! 170 Beats Per Minute! The best sound I have ever heard! I am so excited!!! We get to find out the gender near March 9th. My birthday is March 1st so hopefully we can convince her to do it closer to then!

Due Date: July 27th, 2013

Hospital for Delivery: Riverton

Our Living Room

Headboard

This is the headboard that Russell made me for Christmas I mentioned in a previous post. He had seen on my Pinterest I had pinned a picture of a wooden headboard. While I was away at my college friends annual Christmas get together he ran to Home Depot and made one for me! I like he went darker with it than a lighter shade of wood. Our bedroom is complete!!!