Life and Pregnancy Update!

Life around here has been busy, but we're very happy! For Halloween I dressed up as a construction worker and wore a sign around my neck that said "Baby Under Construction." It was pretty cute and the students and faculty got a kick out of it. In other exciting news, Grant has gotten a couple of job offers. We're still trying to decide which one to take, but it is definitely a relief to have some options on the table. I'm 16 weeks along and finally have a little bump to show for it. I know I'll get ridiculously huge by the end of my pregnancy, but I actually love my growing belly--growing belly means growing baby! Here are the 16 week stats:

How Far Along: 16 weeks exactly. 

Size of Baby: According to babycenter.com my baby is 4.5 inches long and weights 3.5 ounces. It is the size of a large avocado and is going to double in size within the next few weeks!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: So far I've gained 3 pounds, but it has happened fairly quickly. I'm sure it'll only become more rapid from here.

Maternity Clothes: Not quite yet. I can still fit into most everything, but I did just order a belly-band from Target. I know that with my baby doubling in size within the next few weeks that there's no doubt I'll need maternity clothes very soon.

Gender: Most days I think it's going to be a girl, but to be honest I go back and forth about it every day. I don't have a preference--I just want a healthy baby, but we find out on December 13th!

Movement: Nothing consistent yet, but there have been a few times where I thought I felt the baby moving around a little bit. A few days ago it felt like I had butterflies in my stomach, but it wasn't in my stomach it was below. I haven't felt any butterflies since then, but hopefully within the next few weeks the movements will become more frequent and stronger.

Sleep: I won't lie, I'm still pretty tired. I think this is a combination of being a first-year high school math teacher, and also the fact that my baby is going through a growth spurt right now, but I've been pretty tired. I take a 2-3 hour nap every day. I'm going to start eating more foods with and also start taking a vitamin-B supplement. Hopefully this will boost my energy! Grant has been a wonderful sport about it though--he is always so willing to cook and clean. I really got lucky with him as a husband!

What I miss: I miss not having acne, however it has gotten better since my first trimester, so things are looking up!Thank goodness for makeup, right? :)

Cravings: Salty stuff. Any salty food, but especially fries. Now, please don't get the wrong impression. I do not eat fries on a daily or even weekly basis, but sometimes you just have to have some salty fries. I promise I really do eat healthy!

Aversions: There haven't really been any aversions, but I have noticed that I have a ridiculously awesome sense of smell. I can smell something from a mile away. It hasn't really made me gag or anything, but smells have definitely become more noticeable. 

Symptoms:  Just being tired. I guess I'm also starting to show, but I don't know if that's considered a symptom or not.

Best Moment: A couple weeks ago when Grant and I were in the temple we were sitting in the Celestial Room and it really hit me that at that time our baby was in the Celestial Room with us. Our family was together in the temple and it was the most peaceful feeling in the world. It's a pretty cool feeling to think that wherever I go, my baby also goes there. My baby has become my little buddy--he/she goes grocery shopping with me, goes to teach math with me, takes naps with me, helps me clean the apartment, beats daddy in games with me (just kidding babe!), etc. It really is a cool feeling to think that my baby is with me 24/7. I love it!

Here's a picture of the 16 week bump :)

Pregnancy Thoughts

This may sound kind of odd to some people, but I have realized the past few weeks that I thoroughly enjoy being pregnant! I love it! Even during the first trimester when I felt sick, or if I still feel exhausted, or even get a little cranky (which by the way does not happen that often), I still love being pregnant. I think it has really started to hit me that Grant and I are going to be parents and that we're starting out family! Hearing the heart-beat a few days ago was one of the most spiritual experiences I've ever had. Each baby is such a blessing and gift from Heavenly Father and I'm so grateful for this opportunity that I have to be a mom. So yes, all the difficulties of pregnancy are such a speck of dust compared to the grand opportunity of being a partner with Heavenly Father and with Grant in raising our family. Happy 14 weeks to Baby Vanderhorst!

I think this is more from just eating a large meal and some bloating. My stomach fluctuates from day to day. I'm excited to start looking more and more pregnant!

12 Weeks!

Hello everyone!

I haven't written on my blog for a few months because I have been scared about spilling the beans to early! I figured it was best to stay away from temptation all together :)
I want to tell the story of how we found out! I was having some early symptoms (like my face breaking out like I'm going through puberty again) and took a pregnancy test. It came back faintly positive! I told Grant and his response was "WHAT?! WE'RE PREGNANT!" I then told him that I wasn't sure, so I wanted to take another one. He said to take another test, or 3, or 10, however many I needed to take to be sure. I ended up taking 5 over the course of a few days :) They all came back positive. After the 5th one, it really began to sink in that we were going to be parents!
I am 12 weeks into my pregnancy right now and things are going so well! I really could not be luckier with how easy my first trimester was. One of my friends answered the following questions on her blog every month or so, and I plan on doing the same.

How Far Along: 12 weeks exactly. 

Size of Baby: According to babycenter.com my baby is 2 inches long and is about the size of a small lime.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: No change yet, but I'm sure it'll come very soon!

Maternity Clothes: Not quite yet. I don't really like anything tight around my waist, so I'm not wearing certain skirts or jeans, but other than that things are still normal. I know that's about to change very soon!

Gender: No clue--I really could go either way with this. I could see us having either a boy or a girl, but we don't find out till the beginning of December.

Movement: According to babycenter.com my baby is moving around like crazy, but it's still obviously very early for me to feel any movement.

Sleep: A lot. Lots and lots of sleep. I take a nap at least 3-4 times a week, and try to get to bed at a reasonable hour. I get up maybe once or twice during the night to go to the restroom, and sometimes I can't really get comfortable, but it hasn't been too bad.

What I miss: My energy. But I don't know if this is lost from the first trimester or from being a first-year high school teacher.  Or both!

Cravings: I don't really have cravings. Once in a blue moon I'll "crave" something, but I think it's more the fact that it's the only thing that sounds good.

Aversions: Honestly, it has not been all that bad. I will say there are a few times during the week where I go to eat something and it just does not sound good at all, but nothing in-particular that I can't eat anymore. It comes and goes. My first aversion was when we were at PF-Changs when I was about 7 weeks along. I ordered this amazing Orange Chicken dish, and got about half-way through this feast that I really was enjoying, and then all of a sudden it tasted disgusting to me. I remember thinking "Why did I just order this? This is disgusting!" So we took it home as left-overs and the next day it tasted great! Haha sometimes you just have to laugh :)

Symptoms:  I knew I was pregnant really early on because my face has been breaking out like I'm going through puberty again! From about weeks 6-9 my morning sickness was in full-swing. I was throwing up maybe 2-3 times a week, so nothing too bad, but I felt sick most of the time. After the 9th week it pretty much went away. I still have random days here and there where I throw up, but I have been very lucky! 

Best Moment: Honestly, the day we found out! Realizing that our dream of becoming parents was finally coming true! We really couldn't be happier. Here are picture of the month-markers.

4 Weeks (Moments after we found out!)

8 Weeks

12 Weeks (we just barely took today)

Weekend in Colorado!

Colorado is one of my favorite places of all time! Being born and raised in the same house (thankfully my parents still live in that house) I have a lot of memories there and I love going home. This was a perfect weekend for both me and Grant. We wanted to visit there at the end of the summer as a last vacation before my new job starts and Grant's last year of school starts. Here are some of the highlights.

Thursday: We flew in Thursday night, and before we even got to the house we had to stop at Qdoba! Utah doesn't have Qdoba ANYWHERE, so I can only go there when we go back to Colorado. Utah does have Chipotle, which is an acceptable substitute, but Qdoba is way better. Their tortillas are softer, their chicken is better, they have queso, and their guacamole is the best. Needless to say, I was in heaven. Afterwards we watched the Olympics till 11 pm that night--They really are so addicting!

Friday: After a much needed morning of sleeping in, we went to the Denver temple. This is where Grant and I got married, so it brought back many memories of our special day. The Denver temple is my childhood temple, so it will always hold a special place in my heart. After watching even more Olympics, we decided to go see The Avengers again with my parents since they hadn't seen it yet. The second time was even better! Seriously if you haven't seen it yet you should. My parents even enjoyed it, so it was a win-win!

Saturday: There is a small airport about 20 minutes away from my house that is called Centennial Airport. They have small planes come in and out of the airport, and on the second level they have a restaurant where you can eat and watch planes take off. They have THE BEST breakfast food there! We went with my parents, Reed and April and their children, and my Grandpa. It was fun to catch up with everyone and see how excited Reed and April's kids would get when a plane would land or take off. Later on that day, the boys went to a Bronco's scrimmage to see how Manning was looking while the girls went shopping. We had a very successful trip in finding mom some much needed new dresses and skirts! Later that evening we played games and watched more of the Olympics.

Sunday: We went to my home ward (Ken Caryl Ward) and then had a family dinner with Reed and April and their kids and Grandpa. I love Sunday family dinners--they were a big part of my growing up years. I mention going to the KC Ward because that's the ward I grew up in and I really feel connected to all the people in that ward. They have all had an impact on me in small and different ways. Being raised in that ward was such a blessing to me and I love those people, so it was wonderful to catch up with so many!

I know it didn't sound like we did anything out of the ordinary this weekend, but that was exactly how I wanted it. It's fun to do things that I would normally do if I were still living there. I will admit, I did get a little choked up when we were pulling out of the driveway to go to the airport. I have lived in that house my whole life, so going home always brings back a flood of memories. Thank goodness my parents still live there, and I don't think they are planning on moving any time soon, but I dread the day that they do move. I love this song by Miranda Lambert because I feel the same way. That house built me and made me the person I am today.

I love going home! I can't wait until Christmas!

Warning: Sappy!

Grant and I have been married for 1 year, 7 months, and 5 days, aka 583 days. And every day I tell myself how lucky I am! I just barely got called to work with the young women in our ward and I have been thinking a lot about how I was at that age, especially as a laurel (16-18 years old). I was dating around a lot, preparing myself for college and trying to live life on my own. I've been thinking a lot about the importance of dating and how it helped prepare me for when Grant and I met. I've dated and have been good friends with a few different guys, and there seemed to be always another quality that I found in the guys I got to know that I wanted in my future husband. From one guy, I learned the importance of having a spiritual connection. Another guy taught me that I needed to be completely myself around them (yes, dork and all). Another person taught me to value my education and look on the bright side of things. Another person taught me that I really want someone who can make me laugh non-stop. I also knew (from making all those lists in young women's about my future husband) I wanted someone who was dedicated not only to me, but also to the gospel and living gospel standards. I was explaining this a few years ago to one of my guy-friends, who bluntly told me that my "standards for guys I want to date and eventually marry are unrealistic and if I don't lighten up I'll never marry." Basically all the qualities listed above cannot exist in just one man. Unfortunately, I haven't talked to this kid in a few years, but I wish I could introduce him to Grant and just say "Hey, he does exist, I found him, and now we're together forever." My parents just came to visit this past weekend and my mom gave me all of my journals from my teenage years. I found a few "future husband lists" and I'm proud to say that not only has Grant lived up to each of those qualifications I listed as a 14-year old, but he also exceeds them. I've also often wondered why marriage is truly necessary. Why can't I just do it on my own? I'm independent enough and open enough to change. Why do I need a husband to make me a better person? Well, the truth is, Grant does make me a better person through his example and his encouragement. I know I couldn't make it back to the Celestial kingdom without him because he makes up for what I lack. He is my best friend and knows how to gently guide me in the right direction, and I know I do the same for him as well. That's what being married is all about. So, I guess the moral of the story is, when a person says that your ideal husband doesn't exist, you'll be able to prove them wrong on your wedding day, and if you have to wait a little longer for him it's totally worth the wait. I'd rather wait a few years for the right, ideal person, than be stuck with the wrong person for eternity. PS, I know Grant isn't perfect (meaning without flaw), but he's perfect for me. Heaven only knows I'm not perfect, but I know I'm perfect for Grant. I'm so grateful for the blessing of marriage, and grateful to have this boy by my side!

Just a few thoughts

The other day I was talking to a friend who has a couple of kids, and I told her how busy Grant and I were this past month between graduation, moving, Grant working at his internship and starting his own business, me trying to prepare for my classroom, etc. And her response was "Just wait till you have to do all of that on top of raising a family." As I thought about her response something crossed my mind. Who's to say who is more busy? I feel like that's like me telling a high school student who says that they're busy to "just wait till you get to college." Are college classes harder? Absolutely. But am I doing the 3 extra-curricular activities I was doing during high school? Probably not. I believe that the stresses of life change very often. You go from being a high school kid trying to get into college, to being a college student trying to work and go to school, once graduating, trying to find a job, etc. And in the midst of all of this, you sometimes get married and begin raising a family. Even if this happens after college, who's to say who is more busy? You can't compare apples and oranges. So, in response to those who say "just wait till you have kids" I would say that yes, in the eternal scheme of things, raising a family can be very daunting and quite a challenging task, but that does not diminish the stress of beginning a new job, moving, etc. Grant and I were talking the other night and I told him that I don't know if I could've had kids while we were both going to school. I tip my hat off to those people who have a kid or two but are still both in school. Trying to juggle both schedules around raising a baby would be so hard, and I admire people who can do that. Would having kids make keeping a clean apartment, going to school, having a church calling, etc. be hard? Absolutely! But that doesn't diminish how hard that is without kids either. I know that as the demands on us increase, so does our ability to handle those demands. I know I will have to do all of these things with kids eventually, but with added responsibility comes added ability. I know we're all tempted to one-up others because we also need to feel validated in our responsibilities, but next time the temptation to one-up someone comes, try saying something like "Ya, I remember what that was like." Try sympathy/empathy, and they will sympathize back with you in your situation.
One other thought: I remember talking to a woman who had a few kids and she was telling me how much of a financial burden children are and how taxing it can be to a family's finances. I believe it! I do not discount that at all. But then she pointed out another woman and said "I wish I could be her. She has no idea the types of trials that I'm going through because she doesn't have kids and her and her husband have full-time jobs and have a lot of money." While she might not understand the financial stresses of raising a family, she has trials of her own. That other woman didn't have any kids because she struggled with infertility. Next time temptation to judge someone else's situation arises, maybe pause to think about the blessings you have and how others may not have those blessings.

My Thoughts on Mother's Day

A few weeks ago, we had the opportunity to go on a cruise with our friends, Rick and Marnae. We ported out of LA, where Grant's grandma lives (aka Oma). We went to Oma's ward that Sunday, and in Relief Society we were talking about raising children and how we can do that righteously. Maybe I misinterpreted what those women in the lesson were trying to say, but from what Marnae and I gathered, the general consensus seemed to be focus on "We aren't exposing our children to enough when their at home, and because of that they go crazy when they leave the house and finally are exposed." Marnae made the very perceptive comment that there is a difference between exposing our children and preparing our children. I strongly feel that as parents, we do not need to expose our children to a little bit of poison for them to know that it will kill them. Likewise, we do not need to expose our children to a little bit of temptation for them to know it will kill them spiritually. The world will expose our children to enough already. They don't need to move out to know the trashiness that is out in the world. Our job is not to expose them, our job is to prepare them spiritually. It is a sacrifice and a struggle, and requires consistent effort and lots of guidance from prayer, but I know that as we pray with our families, read our scriptures together as a family, and show our children that our marriages are important to us, then they will learn how to rely on the spirit, and not their parents. Obviously our children and loved ones still have their free agency, but it is possible to make our homes a safety from the world.
President Hinckley stated "I charge you to stand tall and be strong in defense of those great virtues which have been the backbone of our social progress. When you (meaning women of the church) are united, your power is limitless. You can accomplish anything you wish to accomplish. And oh, how very, very great is the need for you in a world of crumbling values where the adversary seems so very much to be in control." I feel like so often, many of us get discouraged living in such an increasingly wicked world. Sometimes we feel that it is almost impossible to raise a righteous family without our children falling under the influences of the world. However, if we read in 1 Nephi 3:7, we know that the Lord will not command us to do anything save He provides a way for us to accomplish the thing that he has commanded of us. Raising righteous children is possible.
What about those of us who don't have children yet? What if we're never able to have children during this life-time? I submit to you the example of my Aunt Kathy. She never had any children, but she blessed the lives of all those around her. She was an accomplished gospel scholar and wonderful medical doctor, and shared her knowledge and wealth with all those around her. She loved seeing people do good things with their lives, and supported those causes. I know she helped pay for my brothers' missions, she was a wonderful missionary (even when she got home from her mission to Italy), and she blessed the lives of all her family members. Just like her, we can still have an influence for good in the world and still be a mother to our loved ones. I leave you with these 2 quotes about motherhood. I'm grateful for my mom, for my mother-in-law for raising a righteous son of God for me to marry, and to my sister-in-laws, aunts, and grandmas for their examples.


“In the soft and gentle arms of a mother’s love, children can come to know the voice of the Lord.”--Dawn J. Young (Ensign, November 1983)

“No nobler work in this world can be performed by any mother than to rear and love the children with whom God has blessed her.” --David O. McKay