Dashboard Confessional

Here are some pics from the Dashboard Confessional concert I went to back in October. Probably not the best activity to do when you are 5 months pregnant, but it was such a nice break and I had a blast. Mike didn't want to go, so I went with my bro-in-law Jason and friends Thomas and Jon. The only bad part of the night was that around 12:30am after the concert, my tired pregnant body decided it needed some sleep so I left to go home. Should have waited another hour and a half cause the guys stayed and got to meet Chris Carrabba! I don't usually get star struck, but Chris is one celebrity that I would have loved to meet. He is so dreamy and I love his voice! But at least I got to go to the concert...and there is always next time to meet him.

The Gang

Comparing our bellies...I think Thomas wins!

Best Buds

I should really stop drinking...it's bad for the baby! J/K

Jon and I

Me with Chris crooning in the background



All together

CHRIS! and Thomas

Jason, CHRIS, and Jon

Highlights

Life has been very busy lately so updating our blog has been on the back of our minds. Here is a quick recap of what we've been doing the past month...

***Family Service Project***

Every year the Miles Family gets together and we plan a service project to do around the holidays. This year Mike's mom was on the board for the Utah Women's Shelter auction so we decided to decorate and donate a tree. We did a 9' tree with a Snowman theme and it turned out very cute (pictures to come). All the proceeds from auctioning off the trees and other donated items (vacation packages, scuba lessons, spa baskets, etc...) are given to the women's shelter to help abused women and children.

***Baby Sleep Party***

A few weeks ago I went to this "Baby Sleep Party" hosted by one of my friends. It's kind of like a tupperware party, but much more informative. The first part was a class given by this sleep specialist on how to swaddle/soothe your baby and get them to be good sleepers. They actually had some great information that I think will help our baby when he comes. And since it was a "party", the second half was all about buying the products they offer...which I did since lately I have a weakness for baby stuff. :)

***Thanksgiving***

Not my favorite holiday, but was still enjoyable to spend time with family and friends. This year was Mike's parents turn to host and we had all the usual foods plus some. Then Mike's brother broke out the Wii and we didn't see the guys for the rest of the night. (sidenote-it is great to be pregnant during Thanksgiving though, cause you can eat as much pie as you want and not feel guilty about it!)

***Black Friday***

The most dreaded day of the year for those who work in retail! Mike had to be at work at 2:45am and worked 16 hours total that day. He did have a 3 hour break during the afternoon to come home and sleep, but by the end he was still exhausted. And thanks to all his hard work I was able to go shopping that day. :) My sister came over the night before and we got up a 6am to hit all the sales. My best purchase was a really nice microfiber rocker/recliner for when the baby comes that I got for $250 (regularly $400).

***Rise and Shout the Cougars are out...***

Congrats to our wonderful Cougars who once again reigned victorious over Utah! I have to admit that most of the game was pretty boring. Thank goodness we "endured to the end" and kept watching...cause the last five minutes made up for everything.

***Blessed are the little children, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven"

So two weeks ago I got called (again) to be a nursery leader. I actually enjoy the calling and it makes church go by very quickly. On occassion though the kids can drive me a little nuts. Whenever that happens I just remind myself that thank goodness I get to give the kids back at the end of two hours!

'Tis the Season...

Tis the season for uplifting stories and reflections on life. Here's one I found that is really good. Enjoy!

The picture is that of a 21-week-old unborn baby named Samuel Alexander Armas, who is being operated on by surgeon named Joseph Bruner. The baby was diagnosed with spina bifida and would not survive if removed from his mother's womb. Little Samuel's mother, Julie Armas, is an obstetrics nurse in Atlanta . She knew of Dr. Bruner's remarkable Surgical procedure. Practicing at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, he performs these special operations while the baby is still in the womb.During the procedure, the doctor removes the uterus via C-section and makes a small incision to operate on the baby. As Dr.Bruner completed the surgery on Samuel, the little guy reached his tiny, but fully developed Hand through the incision and firmly grasped the surgeon's finger. Dr.Bruner was reported as saying that when his finger was grasped, it was the most emotional moment of his life, and that for an instant during the procedure he was just frozen, totally immobile. The photograph captures this amazing event with perfect clarity. The editors titled the picture, 'Hand of Hope.' The text explaining the picture begins, 'The tiny hand of 21-week- old fetus Samuel Alexander Armas emerges from the mother's uterus to grasp the finger of Dr. Joseph Bruner as if thanking the doctor for the gift of life.' Little Samuel's mother said they 'wept for days' when they saw the picture. She said, 'The photo reminds us pregnancy isn't about disability or an illness, it's about a little person.' Samuel was born in perfect health, the operation 100 percent successful.

Anyone have a cure for the Crazys?

So I've heard that when you're pregnant it's the only time you're allowed to be completely crazy and get away with it. Sounds great at first, but what they don't tell you is that it's not actually very fun. People around you (especially those poor husbands) quickly get tired of you being crazy and although they've learned not to say anything (cause whatever they say will set you off), you can see in their eyes that this pregnancy couldn't end fast enough. And the mood swings aren't a barrel of laughs for you either. Going from ecstatic and happy to sad and depressed six times a day can really wear you down. Don't get me wrong-overall pregnancy is a wonderful experience and definately worth it in the end...but it's not without it's moments.