Perspective.

These last few weeks I have been blessed with a little perspective.. in the first picture I was wishing I could lose just 5lbs.. seriously? Right now I wish I looked that skinny! In the second picture I was 16 weeks pregnant and just wishing I would start showing.. seriously? Right now I wish I looked that skinny! The last picture is me at 30 weeks pregnant. Ugh. I'm feeling like the goodyear blimp. I'm never going to complain about my pre-pregnant body again! I've only gained 25lbs so far and I feel pretty good about that, but I still can't wait for that green light to start working out again and get back in my regular jeans and pencil skirts and looking cute in a bathing suit again! 

Oh and I got my hair cut and colored by the fabulous Ashley Tingey. What do you think?

Heidorn Hightlights: 2010 Review

1. We got a jump start on the year by kissing on the rooftop of our hotel in Venice, Italy. Quite the way to start the year right? We spent the first five days of 2010 finishing up our Christmas trip to Italy.

2. We spent most of the winter weekends snowboarding at Targhee. 

3. In April we packed up our house and moved for the 7th time since we got married! We moved with Pinnacle to Nashville, TN. We survived the Nashville floods our second week living there and my mom came to visit us! 

4. We celebrated Nixon's 1st birthday with a 5 mile walk with both Miles and I (his favorite activity) homemade party hats, new toys, a wet food cake and sparklers! 

5. We had a fun 4th of July in Nashville. Nixon even got a taste of fireworks for the first time! He loved the bright lights but he was a little unsure about the loud booms. He lasted about five minutes before I had to run him home because he was scared.

6. I got to fly home to Connecticut in July to spend a week at home, go to a Mets game with my dad, and got to see some of my close friends from high school. Hayley flew in to NYC from Basel, Switzerland for the weekend so I spent a weekend in the city to see her. We also checked a few things off our couples bucket list including kareoke with our friends Chase and Chelsea and Kevin and Rochele. I surprised myself and actually got up and sang 3 times!

7. We found out in July that we ARE HAVING A BABY and in October that HE'S A BOY! You can see the little peepee in the bottom right corner. The ultrasound pictures were taken at 20 weeks the second week of October. I'm now 30 weeks! He's coming quickly!

8. We celebrated our two year anniversary! It was our cotton anniversary, so I set up a snow room (because we started dating in the snowy Rexburg tundra) and a timeline of our two years together!

9. My baby sister got married in the Mount Timpanogos temple in September! Our family is now complete (minus all the grandchildrens!) 

10. We hosted our first party at our house, a halloween party! Miles and I were contestants from Nickelodeon Guts and our Nixon was a Ghostbuster! We had a lot of fun decorating and you can see in the pictures that Caiden started to make his presence known around 21 weeks!

11. We made trips to visit both our families! We went to Connecticut for a weekend in October to visit my family and to Modesto for Thanksgiving to see Miles family!

12. Miles celebrated his 25th birthday with presents, cake, and a surprise visit from his best friend KC! He flew in from San Diego for a long weekend. I wanted him to have a fun birthday filled with exciting activities that I can't do while I'm pregnant, so I sent them off to go snowmobiling south of Jackson Hole for a day! 

13. After five years of Christmas's spent apart, my whole family got together for Christmas this year - in BERMUDA! I'll have to do a full post on this later, but here's a little preview! Our trip was amazing, filled with snorkeling, cave swimming, shopping in Hamilton, a glass bottom boat tour, a trip to the aquarium and zoo, celebrated my dad's birthday, and ate lots and lots of food!

2010 was a good year for us. As I reflect on all the things we were able to do and the places we were able to go I can't help but be grateful for all of our blessings, and to have Miles by my side through it all.  2011 brings the biggest and greatest adventure of our lives, parenthood! It also brings Miles college graduation (hallelujah), a big move to somewhere exciting for a more permanent residence, and many many unforeseen and exciting experiences. 2010 you've been good to us, but bring on 2011!

A Baby Changes Everything.

For Christmas my mom gave me the song "A Baby Change Everything" by Faith Hill and a book that accompanies it. The song is sweet, but that book made my heart just melt. It put to words all the things I've been feeling these last 7+ months. I won't write out the whole little book, but it touched my heart in the sweetest of ways. I just want to write the three parts that really got my eyes all teary...

"Just like the first big drop at the start of a roller coaster -- you absolutely know it's coming, it's what you signed on for, you're locked in, you've counted the clicks as the cars cranked higher and higher. You know what's coming, sort of. You know what's coming, and you're excited and terrified and you're short of breath and you feel ready to scream and you can't wait and you hope it never comes and you hope it comes soon and you... and... and... and.. wheeeeeee! Yeah, you're never quite ready and you can hardly wait. Terrifying. Terrific."
"To have a baby is to dream new dreams, to dream further into the future than you ever have before. This child will change who you are and who you will become. From the first cry, your dreams will never be the same."
"No matter how ready (or not) you think you are, nobody is. Everyone thinks they know what will change when the baby comes. Nobody does. Everyone thinks they know a baby changes everything. But they don't... until it does. A baby changes joy, a baby changes peace, a baby changes hope, a baby changes love, a baby changes everything."

I know this little baby is going to change everything. I have no idea what to expect, and I seriously doubt my motherly instincts about 23 hours of the day, but I'm excited and I'm terrified, and I can't wait for him to come, and I hope time slows down. I'm just so happy he's making his way to us and I know I'm going to love our little guy more than words can ever express, more than I can possibly imagine. Each day I think "I can't love this little baby any more than I do right now" and then another minute passes, and he'll kick me in the side, and my heart will grow 2 sizes. And I just know my heart is going to explode when he's placed in my arms for the first time. He's going to change everything.

My Handsome Assistant

This weekend I was in Salt Lake shooting a wedding. It was a lot of fun, but also exhausting.. although not quite as exhausting as the wedding I shot at 15 weeks pregnant. At least this time around I had a lot more energy. I also had my favorite assistant.. Miles. The lighting was amazing on Saturday and while we were scouting out picture places around temple square I shot this pretty awesome picture of my hubalub. I think he looks so unbelievably handsome, straight out a magazine spread. I just had to share. Be checking my photoblog in the next few weeks, the wedding was great! We started at temple square, then headed to Park City to shoot, and then to the reception in West Jordan. The pictures are gonna be rockin' so be checkin!

Tagged

My friend Megan tagged me in this survey thing, and while I haven't done something like this in a long time, Miles is having a guys night playing poker tonight, and I'm bored, so here we go!

4 shows I watch:
1. Glee: whateves, I'm a bit of a Gleek. It's fine. I like the music a lot! Some of the characters really bug me though (mainly Mr. Schuester. I don't know what it is, but I do not like that guy! Or his crazy ex-wife. Or Rachel and Finn. But I like Quinn, and her new boyf, and Brittany.)
2. Private Practice: I never really got in to Grey's Anatomy. I had roommates that loved that show, but I just never really watched it. But I did like the Addison character, even though she had a small roll. So when they gave her her own show I tuned in, and now I'm hooked.
3. Modern Family: I laugh out loud during every episode of this show. I think it is absolutely hilarious.
4. Secret Life: I have no idea why I love this show so much. But I do. Judge me, it's fine.

4 things I'm passionate about:
1. My family: my husband is the greatest person in the world. I have never met a person that doesn't just love Miles. I'm serious. I'm such a lucky girl! I love this little wiggle worm boy that's been slow roasting in my belling for the last 6+ months. I can't wait to hold him and see what he looks like and witness him growing up and developing his own little personality! Nixon is literally one of my best friends. That might seem weird because he is our dog, but Nixon and I hang out all day long, he's always here when I'm lonely, he licks the tears off my face when I cry, he snuggles me to sleep at night. I've also been blessed with the greatest parents in the entire world. There's no one that could have loved me more or raised me better. My sister's are my bestest friends in the world. I never get sick of having them around. I've never laughed harder than when I'm with them. And as a bonus, I have the most amazing in-laws! I'm pretty lucky.
2. Photography: if you know me, that's probably a no brainer! I love my camera, I love capturing memories (my own and for others), I love seeing the love in people's eyes when I take their engagements and on their wedding day. I love that people trust me enough to capture the greatest moments in their lives. I just love that you can make still a single moment and immortalize it forever.
3. Traveling and seeing the world: I feel so fortunate to have seen a few different parts of the world. Other cultures just fascinate me. If I were to go back to school I think I would want to study anthropology. And I feel so blessed to have a husband that wants to see the world by my side. We have a goal to give our children the experience of seeing how other people live and blessing the lives of those that need things far more than we do.
4. Shopping: I love new clothes. I love new shoes. I love new accessories. I love finding amazing deals. I love shopping for Caiden (it's more fun than shopping for me!)

4 phrases I say a lot:
1. I love you, you know that? (I say this to Miles, Caiden, and Nixon probably a million times a day).
2. When are you coming home? (It's been a rough, long semester for Miles.. I feel like he's always on campus doing homework, or at a group project, or taking a test.)
3. Baby Buddy (it's what we call Nixon sometimes).
4. That tastes/smells divine (I love food... what can I say?)

4 things I've learned from the past:
1. Anything worth having comes with trials worth withstanding.
2. Five years from now your life will be completely different than it is today.
3. A genuine smile directed towards someone can brighten his/her entire day.
4. As a wife/mother/woman our attitude controls the climate of our homes.

4 things I did yesterday (get ready for a taste of how exciting my life is this semester):
1. Helped Miles write a philosophy paper.
2. Took Nixon to the park to run around and get his puppy energy out. He had a hard time getting back in the car.. it took a lot of coaxing and promise of treats. He loves running around freely!
3. Made a new Christmas themed blog header.. I still need to work on the side profile things so it all matches.
4. Went to the photo lab on campus to chat with my old photo professors, Bro. Atkinson, Clark, and Wheeler. It was nice to see them after almost a year!

4 places I would love to visit:
1. Greece: I have wanted to go to the Greek Islands so terribly bad ever since seeing Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and Mamma Mia! It looks so idyllic.
2. Spain: I want to go to Spain with my best friend Jenny! She lived there for 5 months and her pictures look amazing. I love visiting countries with people that have lived there and know they language. They know all the best spots.
3. Switzerland: one of my closest friend's from high school, Hayley, lives in Basel and I would love to go visit her. And I really want Miles to meet Hayley. She is hilarious! It would be like three trips in one because Basel boarders France and Germany.
4. Thailand: I saw an episode of America's Next Top Model that was filmed in Thailand and it looked gorgeous! Every aspect of their culture is like a beautiful piece of art to me.

4 things I'm looking forward to:
1. March 13th, the expected date of arrival of our baby boy! I just can't wait to hold him and become a mommy! And see Miles holding our baby boy. He's going to be the greatest dad because he's already the greatest husband.
2. Christmas with my entire family in Bermuda!
3. Miles graduating from school and us moving out of Rexburg. I have never in my life missed Rexburg. Seriously, ask my parents. I cried every time I had to leave home and come back. Once I drove from Connecticut to Rexburg, I cried all the way to Chicago. By the time that Miles graduates next December I will have lived here for 6.5 years!
4. Buying our first home together. I can't wait to close on a house of our own and fix things up together, decorate, and have a place to call home for more than a few months at a time.

4 things I love about winter (I'm not a winter-y kind of girl so this might be tough):
1. Snowboarding: it's probably the only thing I really love about winter.
2. Crocheted headbands, beanies, and scarves. I think they are adorable! My friend's Megan and Chelsea have amazing etsy shops, you should click on their names and check them out! Megan made the most adorable beanies for baby boy and Chelsea made me the cutest scarf for my birthday, I've already worn it twice!
3. Christmas lights: this is one of the things that Rexburg does right. I love driving down Main Street and seeing all the lights lit up on the trees, the Courthouse all lit up, and the lights that people put up on their houses, especially the red and gold ones!
4. Stephen's Gourment hot chocolate. Try the mint chocolate truffle, it's divine :)

Hmm... so now it's my turn to tag 4 people! I vote:
1. Jennifer Lake
2. Leslie McCabe
3. Lindsay Rondo
4. Rachelle Packard

I know you ladies don't have a whole lot of spare time with kiddies and pregnancies and husbands, but I'd sure like to read about you!

Christmas tree oh Christmas tree.

When we got back from California for Thanksgiving I was desperate to put up some of our Christmas decorations, which is something new for me. We put up our Christmas tree and a few other decorations up, I'm still looking for our Nativity scene though. Nixon loves the Christmas tree. He likes to sit underneath it and curl up on Santa bag. Our tree topper and orange ornament are from our first Christmas spent in Mexico. We have three little angels we bought in Venice during our second married Christmas. And this year we'll be buying a pretty little ornament from Bermuda! I can't wait for our trip and to be with my whole family for Christmas, it's been five years since we've all spent a Christmas together! I just wish Caiden were going to be here for his first Christmas. According to webmd.com I'm in my third trimester! He's healthy and strong and kicking more than ever! I guess I can wait 3 more months to hold our little boy, but only because it's for his own good.

The last picture I think is so funny.. this is what Nixon does when he's upset, in trouble, or when I'm blowdrying my hair. His little bum just pokes out from under the bed.

25 years and only getting better!

If you were to ask me what is the single thing I love more than anything in the world I would answer without hesitation: Miles. He is the best part in my life. I love waking up next to him each morning, falling asleep cuddling at nights. I love laughing with him, dancing in the kitchen while cooking with him, taking Nixon to the park with him, spending every Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, birthday with him. In the interest of saving you from reading a novel, let me just say that I could spend every waking minute of the rest of my life with Miles and never get bored and love every moment of it. And ever since I first felt a little piece of Miles wiggling and growing inside of me, I've loved him even more. So on his birthday, I'd like to say a huge thank you to his parents for bringing him into this world. It's the greatest gift I've ever received.

How could you not love this guy?