poppy loves the baby.

I've always heard that animals can sense when you are sick, pregnant... or if something else is up.  Poppy is defiantly on top of things.  She knew I was pregnant right away.  She has to see me at all times, she enjoys sleeping on my tummy or very close to me and when I have bad days she doesn't mind sleeping all day with me!
When I was on bed rest, Poppy was on bed rest.  I don't mean to sound like an obsessive dog person... but they really are the best!

just some of the MANY times poppy has decided to watch over me.

how poppy is preparing me to be a mother.

When we got a puppy I was trying to fill some sort of void in my life.  I felt that Shane and I had all this love to give, but no baby to give it to.  We swore we wouldn't become those "crazy dog people".  We swore we would never let her sleep with us.  We wouldn't let her up on the couch and so on.  Here's the thing- she gave me one look with her puppy eyes and I was completely taken over.  She owns the house!  She takes up a lot of the bed and steals the covers.  We sometimes find that we have been playing with her for the past three hours.  She is just the best!
I know that she isn't my child, and that she isn't my offspring, but I love taking care of her.  She's made me more patient and given me a glimpse at what it's like to have something to take care of.  I just love her!

washington

The Kuhns Family all got together in Washington in August and we had such a good time.  We ate tons of sea food, stayed up way too late and took lots of pictures.  I loved seeing my brothers and sister-in-law... I wish we all lived closer.

baby blessing.

All my sister-in-laws on both sides are quite fertile.  They all make freaking cute babies and I seriously have the best nieces and nephews ever.  Shane and I went up to Bozeman for my most recent nephews blessing- Cash Carter.  He is seriously the best.  He grunts and makes little faces while he sleeps.  He has muscles and old man hair.  He is a little chunk and I love him.

I was hopeful my feelings would be happy when I got to hold little Cash.  I had just gotten over my miscarriage (like literally a few days before we left I stopped bleeding) and I have been feeling a little empty.

When I held and looked at Cash I had a feeling of love and peace.  Babies mesmerize me.  I feel so close to my Savior and the peace that he brings.
I can't wait to have one for my own!

  

moab

A few weeks ago we ventured south and arrived in the desert!  We had so much fun with Nick, Kat and Poppy.  It was hot and we got a little tan so I was a happy camper.  We camped for one night and explored Moab for a few days.  On Sunday we hiked the arches- it was beautiful!  The weather was perfect and we even got a pretty good workout hiking up and down.

Vashon

Shane and I flew to Seattle to visit my family, and we had a blast.  We went crabbing every day and caught a ton!

Shane was not complaining about the amount of seafood he consumed... which was a lot.

We went to Pikes Place, the Seattle Aquarium and Ivars for lunch and then did a little shopping at Trader Joes and then hopped on the ferry to go onto Vashon.

It was really nice to see my family, I hate not being closer to them.

My (baby) brother Geno is growing up so fast... he's like 6 feet tall, but check out them blue eyes!