It seems as though the days are just flying by and I am running (or waddling) to catch up.  I have been meaning to do a lot of things like consistently take pictures of my growing belly, cook real meals, blog, work out, etc., but well, you know the story.  A girl can always dream.

So here are the updates...

1.  We have settled on a name for our little nugget...Miles Jack Christensen.  It makes it so fun to actually call him by name.

2.  On July 28th I went to Kaiser for my 1 hr glucose test.  It wasn't fasting so I didn't think anything of sticking a piece of gum in my mouth moments before my lab work.  That is my routine after all (helps the weak not pass out).  Who knows whether the gum had any effect on the results, but the fear in the phlebotomist's face suggests there was a possibility.  So long story short my results were high and they made me do the 3 hr fasting glucose test.  For those who have not had the pleasure of doing this test you have to do lab work 4 times in 3 hrs.  It stinks.  The good news?  All results were normal and I can continue my sugar based diet :)

3.  We have started fixing up the nursery.  I kept thinking, this room is dinky, painting will take no time!  Haha.  My parents slaved over the bedroom with us and then handed off the brushes to John and Lori for the bathroom.  There was a little concern over the color of the paint once the can was open...no, it did not turn out like baby poo or peas when it tried as suspected by the parents.  It is perfect, just as we had suspected.

Jon and I took care of the baseboards ourselves.  We assumed the color of the paint for the baseboards was the same for both upstairs and down.  Not so much.  We did a double coat before realizing the white was sooo far off from the door jams/door.  So we ran to Home Depot, found a "better" white and well, and had the same problem.  Only one coat this time.  So, back to home depot for the last and final time.  We matched the color this time. Yea, we are geniuses.  Since this process was WAY TOO LONG for the paint and us, the paint on the baseboards started peeling off when the tape was finally removed.  I wanted to cry but I held it together :)  We bought itty bitty brushes and the following weekend touched up everything up.  It's perfect, at least that's what we keep telling ourselves!

The fabulous workmanship in the bathroom, aka plastic coverings, were a teaser.  I was proud of myself too!  John came over and worked his magic so we didn't have to cut around all the edges.  No medicine cabinet, toilet tank, cabinet above the toilet, or light fixture to get in the way...so much quicker!

Only a couple mishaps, besides the baseboards of course.  A.  When I was pouring the new gallon of paint into a cup it didn't work out so well.  I painted the canvas dropping and later found out actual carpet (seeped through).  Oops.  Luckily a little water worked like a champ.  B.  I painted the white ceiling in the bedroom.  When Jon tried to fix my mistake the tan paint just smeared and white paint came off.  Nice huh?  C.  John used a roller on the bathroom ceiling.  Since I had already made a similar mistake and he was offering help for free, I couldn't complain :)  We fixed it to the best of our unprofessional and tired of painting abilities.  So, yea, just don't look up if you ever come visit baby Miles!

4.  We have furniture, and lots of it!  We decided to purchase a three piece set instead of two.  It is tight but I may be able to keep some closet space for myself so the selfishness in me says once again, "It's perfect!"  Getting the furniture was quite the experience as well but I will save the story for another day :)

5.  and 6.  I finally went clothes shopping for maternity clothes and I cleaned out my closet so I have somewhere to put them...Wahoo!!

7.  Miles is moving like CRAZY!  During my last appointment the doc said he was still super active.  It is so fun to feel him moving around.  After dinner I will relax for a few minutes and I just watch memorized as my belly jumps and jerks.

8.  I have taken 2 pictures in the past month of my growing belly.  Week 25 1/2:

Week 26 1/2:  Please excuse the haggard look. By the time this picture was taken (12:15pm) I had already cleaned the bathroom, sorted and started laundry, gone to 3hrs of church, and taught a young women's lesson.  It was Sunday nap time :) 

Lots of fun changes and I'm sure many more to come...life is busy but soooo good. 

*Just for clarification in this post, Jon is my handsome husband and John is the ever-so-helpful brother-in-law! 

Surprise!

With a first pregnancy comes lots of new surprises:

During those moments of trying to get pregnant I was doing ultrasounds multiple times in one week.  I understood that appointments/ultrasounds were going to decrease once pregnant but that was okay.  That just made the anticipation for upcoming appointments that much more exciting.  Imagine my surprise when I went in for my first "regular check up" and Dr. Adams didn't even use an ultrasound machine!  Instead, a wimpy looking hand-held device which checked the baby's heartbeat.  It is pretty miraculous realizing what the little device can do but disappointing with its limitations.  So, feeling a bit gypped, I questioned Dr. Adams on how often I would be able to SEE the baby.  Again, surprise! On average they use the ultrasound machine only a few times during pregnancy.  What?  I had already unknowingly used one of my chances!!  So, apparently the last few are near delivery time so the doctor can check the placement of the baby.  I will say though, Dr. Adams said I could have an ultrasound "anytime I missed the baby" so that's nice.

Also during the 1st check up I learned you would need to give a urine sample each visit.  Again, different than what I had been used to.  Every time I went to the doctor for infertility I was directed to empty my bladder.  So, like a good patient I did just that.  Well, backfire!  No ability to pee in the cup.  It doesn't help that I normally go to the bathroom maybe 3 times a day TOTAL on average, once in the morning, once at night and one time in-between. So, I was nicely reminded (for the first time might I add) that I would have to produce a urine sample each visit.  Guess the nurses didn't want to forget since I had to get the sample AFTER seeing the doctor that visit!

So with that said, a few visits have passed and new pictures of the little one gained.  The first set is of my visit with Dr. Adams on 4-13-12.  if you are confused at what you are looking at it's cool because I am right there with you.

On 5-4-12 I completed my screening for some genetic disorders.  This included some lab work and the COOLEST ultrasound ever!  First surprise?  NO vaginal ultrasound...this one was on the belly!!!  As if that wasn't cool enough the ultrasound itself was really big and clear so I didn't have to guess what I was looking at.  It probably helped that the baby had grown a bit larger since the last time I had an ultrasound.  All I have to say is check out the lips on my child!  I loved it!  

My next big appointment was the 18 weeker...the moment of truth.  This is when we found out the sex of the baby.  I could finally start planning the nursery and all the other fun things that went along with knowing whether "Nugget" (as Hillary calls the baby) was a boy or girl.  I realized that although I could have scheduled at 18 weeks, my appointment was actually at the 19-week mark!!  I of course tried to change the date but that was a no go.  So I internally pouted and talked myself into believing I had waited a long time to actually get pregnant I could wait just a moment longer to find out the sex.  Ha Ha, that worked until week 18.  A few friends thought I was crazy for not going to a clinic early to find out the sex.  So, I scheduled a same day appointment at the Ultrasound Institute in Ontario (6-6-12).  So, although I was a little nervous that students would be doing the exam and according to the scheduler "would not be able to "confirm the sex" we decided to take the plunge.  At least it was another ultrasound, and a free ultrasound might I add!  The free part sealed the deal.  :)

 
So we headed over and the students had all gone home for the day.  Great news for us!  We got the instructor who was super nice and spend a super long time with us!  According to the instructor our baby liked to hang out showing the backside but with a little nudge was quite the exhibitionist.  I swear that is from Jon's side!  So with a drum roll...

We are having a boy and couldn't be more excited!!!

A week later, 6-14-12, we had our "scheduled" 18-week 19-week appointment with the radiologist.  I guess they check the sex as well as all the anatomy.  As far as the tests go (2nd set of screening) we have all the right parts in all the right places and no known concerns.  Huge relief!  Here are a few pics of "Nugget," who was confirmed a boy.  :)

So, my last appointment went smoothly.  I drank lots of water and held off of going to the bathroom until I had a cup in hand.  I was slightly concerned that I was a bit chunkier than I should be but Dr. Adams assured me my weight gain was average and my hips were hiding the pregnancy well.  I'm pretty sure the wide hip thing was a compliment...or at least that is what I keep telling myself.  And...surprise...another ultrasound!!!  No pictures this time but I got to see the little champ.  He was a moving and grooving this time.  Dr. Adams was having a hard time catching the heartbeat because he was flipping all over the place.  So fun.  With that said, I have been feeling him so much more lately.  I started to feel some flutters at 18, 19, 20 weeks but once 21 weeks hit this little man started moving like crazy.  Just the other night you could see my belly jerk.  CRAZY!  

So, here I am at 17 weeks and then at 21 1/2 weeks.  I have been horrible with pictures and I am totally kicking myself for it.  I swear I've been showing since Day 1 but within the past 1-2 weeks I have jumped from the "fat stage" to the "Oh, you're pregnant stage."  I have held off on maternity clothes but I think they are coming, very very soon.

Overall, I must say, I have been super lucky with this pregnancy.  Symptoms have included: nausea only if I didn't eat, low energy, occasional pains, and weight gain in places other than my belly.  Is it scary that a co-worker informed me that she was suspicious I was pregnant long before I announced due to my increase in chest size?  Seriously?  The indigestion has also been increasing with time.  I try my best to control the burping in public but home is fair game...good thing my husband is willing to not only love me but he will also TRY to compete!  I should be embarrassed but I like the challenge and take great pride in my winnings.

I do believe the last surprise is the hidden costs of babies.  Goodness, this little guy is not even here and I can count the dollars leaving my bank account.  Super fun planning what can I say?  Maybe I will get all domestic and make my own baby food and use cloth diapers.  HaHa, well, it's the thought that counts!  For now I plan on sticking to the greatness of our modern day conveniences. :)

To sum up 21 weeks of pregnancy in 1 sentence, life is good and we can't wait to meet our little man.  Nov 7th can't come fast enough!! 

A Long (but awesome) Mother's Day Story...

As a young girl I always wondered and dreamed about my future...What would I be when I grew up?  Who would I marry?  Where would I meet him?  How many children would we have? Where would we live? etc.  I of course had my ideal answers but I sure didn't know how my life would play out.  I remember everything worked out perfectly and I'm pretty sure there were no worries, doubts, or struggles.

Although some ideas fell into place as planned, others took a bit more time than expected.  I moved away to school in Utah and obtained not only my undergraduate degree but also my masters degree.  Debating between Utah and California upon graduation, I chose to return home where I started my career as a social worker.  I initially lived in the "Casida de Mautz" for a short period of time and later moved to an apartment in Placentia with a long time friend, Nikki.  Just a few months after moving, I met the most amazing guy in our single's ward.  He swept me off my feet and we were married a little over a year later. 

I continued working as a social worker while Jon was finishing up his doctorate of Chiropractic Medicine and masters in Acupuncture.  Nearing graduation we decided it was safe to take the next step of our lives...starting a family.  I had a feeling there was a possibility of infertility problems, but with modern medicine we were sure to be pregnant in no time, right?

My PCP quickly referred us to a specialist.  Dr. Blitz was a bit socially challenged but a super nice guy.  I figured some of the most brilliant people lack social skills so we had found a winner!  I did a whole lot of lab work and then started on the ever so popular medication, Chlomid.  Each month I would take the pill and lab work as requested.  It took a good 4 months before my body would even ovulate.  1 pill shy of the max dose I had finally done something!!  A little inpatient Jon and I consulted with a private doctor who followed us for a month in addition to Kaiser.  This doctor did another couple of tests and also gave me a trigger shot so we were able to better determine the magical time to conceive. Well, high hopes but no such luck.  We returned to Kaiser where we did 4 rounds of Chlomid, trigger shots, and insemination.  We were grateful for the 4th try as usually 3 is the max. 

So, with poor luck we moved from one Kaiser Clinic to another.  This time we got to do injections, yipee!  For those who know me well, I crumble even at the sight of a needle.  Doctor's appointments increased from 1-2 times a month to 2-3 times a week.  My initial appointment after starting my period would result in an ultrasound first.  Given there were no cysts I would get some lab work done.  The doctor would direct me the amount of medication to inject and tell me to return in 3-4 days.  I would return first get my labs completed and then another ultrasound.  Then depending on the growth I would return between 2-3 days later and repeat the cycle. Jon would give me the trigger shot and 2 days later we were back for the insemination. 

I just have to add...I told the nurse, "There is no way I will ever give myself the shot.  My husband will have to do it!"  Don't you fret, day 1-2 Jon was in Flordia for work.  I didn't think I had it in me but 1/2 hr later, sweat rolling down my face, and a really sore tummy (you squeeze for 1/2 hr with a needle in your hand) the shot was done! 

This process was a little crazy.  My emotions were up, down, and all around.  I thought I was losing it and I think Jon was in agreement with me.  There were promising times and hopeful times but nothing seemed to pan out.  I was sure going in on Christmas day would mean a Christmas miracle, right?  Not so much.  But we trudged on.  We had a few missed cycles in there due to going out of town one month and another month having way too many eggs.  The doctors only like 3-4 eggs each cycle, but some are willing to proceed with the process if the parents are willing to "reduce the pregnancies."  Isn't that a nice way of putting it?  Jon and I were given the chance to "reduce" if any of the 6-8 eggs exceeded 2 pregnancies.  We chose to skip the cycle and to try once more within the parameters.

Well, cycle 1, 2 and 3 passed with no good news.  By the 3rd failed round I had convinced myself that in-vetro and adoption were our only options.  Neither was a bad choice, they both just cost a lot more than our insurance would cover and quite frankly we didn't know what we wanted at that point.  Luckily, the doctor was kind enough to give us a 4th cycle.  I was grateful for the last chance and basically went through the motions just to see, couldn't hurt right?  I had a small hope but it wasn't going to break me (for more than one day) if it didn't work again.  I followed the same pattern and finally arrived to day 16...the moment of truth.  I was tired of wasting all of my money on expensive pregnancy tests so again I pulled out the handy dandy 99 cent test with a "over 99% accurate" rating...the result? 

Negative!  Just what I had suspected.  So, I stopped the progesterone and went about my weekend.  A few days passed and surprisingly I never started my period.  Monday morning I decided to pull out the last grocery store bought pregnancy test, the one that was sure to tell me the truth without confusion of the results.  I had previously recommended a friend use the Dollar Tree pregnancy test as it was cheap and always accurate.  After all, it always showed up negative for me!  When it was time to tell the truth, my cheap 99 cent test failed me.  I am here to tell you, spelled out words are the way to go!!!

I did a few more blood tests and for a moment everything looked hunkie dorie.  A week or so later a started to spot and got real nervous.  Blood tests were not as good as hoped and I was sure I was losing what we had tried so hard to finally obtain.  I met with the doctor at 6 weeks as opposed to 6 1/2 and was told to return 10 days later.  Didn't the doctor know I was going to Utah over the weekend and wanted to share the news?  Jon and I went to Utah as planned and the day we returned home we were able to see the baby (or something that was supposed to be a baby) and hear the heart beat.  What a relief!!! 

With difficulty holding in our excitement we shared the good news with the family during Sunday dinner.  There was initially a lot of confusion and then some screaming and tears.  Our time had FINALLY come...

I reached my goal of education, license, employment, marrying in the temple, buying a house, and now my dream of starting a family is coming true.  I always had ideas of when important events should occur, but I have come to learn Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us and our timing is not always the same as His.  I am not saying that the road has been easy thus far, but it sure has helped me grow, mature, love and appreciate my husband more than I ever thought was possible, and rely on the Lord with all my heart.  I am so very excited to FINALLY start this new journey...

Happy Mother's Day to all!!

Easter Time

With Larry and Katie recently moving to Arizona, we were thinking the Mautz home may have graduated to only high-dollar eggs for the teenage bunch.  I am excited to report the Easter bunny had NO excuse to ignore the small stuff!!!  We still missed the Bontempo kiddos but in place we had 4 super excited, big eyed girls waiting to go hunt for eggs in the sunny California weather.  How fun it is to have Curt and Brette come visit us...

We all went to church together, enjoyed (cough cough) the most dark sacrament service I have ever experienced, and went back to the Mautz home for egg hunting, food, relaxing, and laughs.  The highlight of the entire day?  Savannah's potty mouth!!  I'm a little jealous I didn't hear it during church, but don't you fret, there were encore performances throughout the remainder of the day for those who missed the first.

Thank you Easter bunny for remembering us another year...

Las Vegas!!!

Back in February the Goddard girls took a trip to Vegas! Now I realize this trip was before my blogging birth but any pictures on my camera are a rare find.  I figured this could be a BONUS blog!  Celine Dion was the talk for many months and we finally going to see her!

The Venetian hotel was big and beautiful.  I wasn't bright enough to take pictures before the final departure but at least I got something, right?  Let it be known that the rooms were even more impressive clean.

We stuffed our faces, walked it off on the strip, and shopped, shopped, shopped. I remember the tastiness of Serendipity's frozen hot chocolate when I visited NY years ago and I was so excited to have another go at the yummy dream.  So worth every calorie let me tell you!! 

There were also some silent tears and devastation this trip with the cancellation of Celine's show and closing of the Mexican restaurant Hilly was so crazing.  I'm not gonna lie, I was more or less along for the Celine ride but when she cancelled her show I was also a little disappointed.  We quickly ordered tickets for the next best thing (or availability), Le Reve.  Super entertaining but I have no idea what the story line was.  We got a few hints like the deflowering bed but we are still in debate whether the girl was with the "bald guy or the Hispanic guy."  I guess we will never know...

We had lots of laughs, fun, and entertainment.  We decided more trips were warranted in the future...so here's to next year!!

Utah

With a relatively new job, frequent doctor's appointments, church responsibilities, and just a busy life, we have not been able to make a trip to Utah since October.  Thanksgiving passed, then Christmas, New Years, President's Day, and finally Valentines Day.  Internally a few tears were shed.  We were so excited when Sami turned eight and we had a valid excuse to take a break from this crazy life! 

With both sides of the family being in Utah our time is always split...very fun but super tiring.  If we don't catch one person here we find them there.  All in all, I think we did pretty good!  I will say, it would have been much more difficult without a free car rental from Curt and Brette...big thanks there!

Here are a few shots from Sami's baptism. These pictures just did not do it justice.  It was beautiful and Sami was just glowing the whole day!

On our way back from Payson to Salt Lake we agreed make a drop off for a small fee.  Okay, maybe not cash, but instead a little extra time with 3 super cute, cheek squishing, karaoke singing girlies.  There is a rumor that they may come to hang out this summer in California!!!  Can't wait!!!

I wish Jon and I were better at taking pictures.  Hopefully with this blog in the back of our minds we will do better in the future!