RIVERDANCE!!!

On Christmas morning I opened a very exciting gift. Billy had bought Riverdance tickets for us and on Friday night we went and saw the show. It was AMAZING! I was so overwhelmed with the whole experience that the whole first half I just cried. Some of you are automatically thinking that this is because I am pregnant, but seriously it was amazing. It was so great to see so much refined talent on stage. The dancers were great (and of course my favorite partof the show) but the live band and the singers were amazing too! I am so used to going to these crazy modern dance shows where I have to sift through alot of "crap." What I mean by that is there is so much talent out there but there is a lot of darkness and baggage that comes with. I really just felt so uplifted by the show. Billy and I are still talking about it. I will never forget what an amazing experience I had. It was also so great because after working with junior high and high school kids all day, it was incredible to see such excellence. I love teaching, but I have to work really hard to see the results...which is also great. But to see dance, which I am so passionate about, in such a professional manner was amazing. I realized that to really continue to love what I am doing I do need to get out and see some of what is happening in the professional world. I will always appreciate dance, whether I am teaching or not. It just teaches me things that I can learn in no other way...even if I am watching and not doing. So I loved Riverdance. I don't think that Billy could have given me a better gift! I was uplifted and inspired...and I was not even sick!! Here are a few pictures of the whole excursion:

Okay...this was not a picture of the show we went to, but I had to throw in the traditional Riverdance line. Yes it was so cool to see in person!

This is us outside of Kingsbury Hall after the show. We were trying to show that big poster behind us.

This is us in the Theatre right after the show got over. Can you see how cheesy my smile is? It is because I could not take in how amazing this experience was. And I have to give props to Bill because he made this such a great evening for me. He did not get stressed when we were late and I broke down crying because nothing looked pretty on me, and he took me out to a romantic dinner at the Olive Garden in Salt Lake. With food in my tummy I am a happy woman!! In fact maybe I will share one or two pictures that we took today of my new found belly. (Isn't it weird that when you are pregnant you have no problem with showing people your belly. Never in my life would I have done this before!) I was really excited though because this morning I totally felt the baby move. A LOT! I have felt little "flutters" but I was never sure that it was the baby...and today was for sure. Well here are a few pics!

I know that these are very flattering...but here they are! And believe it or not, all of this lump is still under my belly button. My pants are major low riding here. I am really good at still wearing all my same clothes too! (I don't think that will last too much longer.) Hooray for tummies...the more I show the better I feel!

The Very Exciting Ultrasound!!

I know all of you avid blog readers out there can hardly believe that we could post more than once in a week...or in a month for that matter...but here it goes.

So yesterday we had a doctors appointment, nothing special, just routine. We did have an ultrasound, but it was not even an ultrasound of the fetus. They were just supposed to be checking out a little lump I have had for a while on my chest. Well...we were pretty much working it with the cute ultrasound technician and mentioned that we hoped that we had her for our next big "20 week ultrasound" to find out the gender. She had totally cleaned me up and put everything away, and at the last minute she said, "Well maybe we should just take a peek and see if we can tell what you are having." Keep in mind that I am only 16 1/2 weeks along. We were so excited and said that we would love to check and see. So sure enough our baby was giving us a pretty ideal crotch shot and the technician said she was 90% sure that we are having a little girl!! Wow! What a great doctors visit!

We honestly have gone back and forth on what we thought we were having. For a while at the beginning I really thought it was a boy, but in the past week I have thought alot about a little girl and so has Billy. In fact just the night before last I thought, "If I am having a little boy, I never want to have a little girl because I cannot be any more sick than I am now." This must be Heavenly Fathers way of telling me that I can do it. It is such a pain and such a miracle to be pregnant. Just this week as I was stretching with one of my dance classes I thought that I felt the baby move. I could be just imagining things...but it was so wonderful! And I am even starting to pooch a little. (not quite as wonderful and magical as I thought it would be...it just looks like I have a spare tire) Finally physical manifestations of what has been making me so sick for so long!! So bring on the pink ribbons and little baby tu-tu's...now the baby name search is on!

Bill's New Spectacles

So it has been a while since we posted something new on the blog, and so for the sake of giving all of you faithful readers entertained (all 2 of you... thanks Mom De Groot and Mom Wheadon), here is a little story about my latest funny eye doctor visit. So last weekend my glasses broke, therefore necessitating a trip to the old eye doctor for some replacements. After my exam with the doctor, I was talking to the receptionists about the frames and lenses that I wanted to order. One of the receptionists told me of these new aspheric lenses that are beneficial for people like myself with strong positive prescriptions (mine is +3.75). I was told that aspheric lenses are thinner and they reduce how magnified your eyes look to others when you where the glasses. It wasn't too much extra for those and so I told her that I would love to try them. The receptionists then said, "Oh, good. When you walked in and went back to see the doctor, I turned to the other receptionist and said, 'I think we can really help him'." What on earth do you say to that?! Thanks for looking out for me =). This receptionist really was the nicest lady, but didn't seem to think about what she was saying. Quite possibly the most tactless receptionist ever, but hey, it gave me a good laugh =).

I found some pictures of the old and new glasses to give you a visual of my new look... (keep in mind that unfortunately, the asperic lenses that will reduce the eye magnification will not be visible here... that is just something for you to look forward to).

OLDNEW

Thank you, Alpine Vision, for saving my poor, unfortunate self.

PS - We have a doctor's appointment tomorrow, so look for a more entertaining blog post coming soon...

Our 12 Week Ultrasound

Well...it has been a rocky week, but the highlight was definatley our doctors visit on Thursday. First we had an ultrasound to check out the cyst. It has actually gone down by about an 1/2 a cm. Good news right? Then we also got an ultrasound of our baby. We are so lucky! Then the ultrasound technician said, "Let see if we can get some 3D shots. Sometimes they are really cute at this age." Were we ever excited! It was so awesome and our little baby was moving all over the place. I cannot believe that I cannot feel all that movement. But that baby sure is mixing something up in my system. The rest of the physical went well. I was not even sick at the doctors office...and the doctor told me along with everyone else that there is light at the end of the sickness tunnel. Hooray--I think. Lets just say that I am not seeing the light yet, but I know that day will come...or I hope that day will come. This post is yet again the big even in my day so far. We will probably head up to Alpine to celebrate the new year. I think my resolution will be to gain back the weight that I have lost and start hold my food down. This is not very typical for a new years resolution...in fact I am sure many of you are thinking "cry me a river.." but next year I will join you all in the quest to lose baby fat. For now...bring on the mild non-stomach upsetting food!

Okay I am so spoiled...these 2D ones just kind of look alien.

So in these pics it sort of appears that we are having either a puppy or a lamb...but still closer to looking like a baby.

I love this last one. Now we are seeing some personality. Either the baby is shy, or a drama case, or maybe it just wanted to say hi. So cute!

P.S. I think I am on Billy's account somehow...but this post was really posted by whit.

Merry Christmas!

This year we had a wonderful Christmas. Unfortunately, Christmas day was not the easiest day for Whitney with the old nausea, but it was a great day none the less =). We hope you all had a great Christmas like we did. Here are a few pics from our Christmas and the days leading up to it...

Carolling with the De Groots... check out the nice, warm Ukrainian hats!

Here we are with our amazing gingerbread house... GO COUGARS!

Us as a shepherd and a wise man for the nativity at the Wheadon home.

The real stars of the Wheadon nativity... Ava, Maddie, Noah, and Tanner.

Temple Square Lights

Hello All! I am now entering the blogging world...but don't expect too much just yet. We do have some great pictures from temple square this last weekend--yes, I did get out of the house, off the couch and we actually went somewhere. It was a big event for us...okay maybe just me. With the Kix in my purse I was ready to face the cold of Temple Square. It really was so beautiful and so fun to see all of the lights. And Check out my cool beanie and scarf. Billy picked those up for me last week as a suprise...I think he did great. My favorite part is the pom-pom on my hat! Here are some more pictures of our temple square fun:

Me sitting by the luminaries...

Billy by these gorgeous trees outside of the Church Office Building...

Ahhhh...the classic Temple shot...

Billy joining the sheperds watching their flocks...

And what are the lights on temple square without my favorite red pine tree? Isn't this everyones favorite?

So there you have it. That was our big outing. I was not sure that I was going to be able to make it...but alas I did, and I did not even have to run off the the nearest restroom or bush to lose my dinner. Hooray! Small milestones. Well as of today we are 12 weeks along. This is where I turn the corner right? Okay I may have to be patient and wait a few more weeks for that. Next Thursday I have my first official doctors visit, and we will even get a check-up on the forever growing cyst. Hoorah. And since I have lost all dignity already, I thought I would post a picture of my typical day after I get home from school:

Attractive isn't it? Me, the couch, the PJ's and a blaket. That about sums it up. In this picture we are just missing the half empty glasses of juice on the floor right along side my barf bucket. Now you know what an outing temple square was for me. Yep, this blog will be a lot cooler with a kid around!

Emergency Room visit to get 1st Ultrasound

This morning we had a surprise trip to the emergency room. Whit woke up with some serious pain in her stomach, and so we decided to check her into the hospital. After a few tests we were sent to the ultrasound room where we saw that our baby was alive and well. We got this awesome picture of the baby and we were able to hear the heartbeat for the first time. It was amazing! We then were pointed to the cause of Whitney's pain... a 7 cm cyst on her ovary. The doctor is positive that it will disappear and everything will be fine, and prescribed some Lortab to keep the pain down. We have a followup visit with the OB-GYN tomorrow morning to make sure the cyst is going away. Whitney is peacefully sleeping on the couch now that she is doped up on pain and anti-nausea meds. Quite the day!