a not-so-bedtime story

We have had some crazy busy weekends these last few weeks, and I'm starting to think I could make the drive from Rexburg to Alpine with my eyes closed.  That obviously would be a bad idea, so I won't do it, but it reminds me of a time when I almost DIED a few weeks ago.  So that's where I'll start:) 

There are times when Ross gets a little behind on schoolwork, which happens to most college students (especially crazy-busy music majors).  Well, a few weeks ago I decided to take a trip to visit my family and give Ross the opportunity (i.e. time, space, freedom, etc.) to catch up on everything.  I left Rexburg in the afternoon to give myself plenty of time to get to Utah without it getting dark.  Well, I was less than 2 miles south of Rexburg and had just passed a pocket of traffic (including a semi-truck) when I made the mistake of looking down at my console to make sure I had my cell phone within reach.  I don't know how it happened, but the next thing I know I'm halfway off the road and into the median.  I remember thinking to myself "don't overcorrect, don't overcorrect!", but my first reaction was to pull my car back onto the road.  I had just barely set my cruise control at 70 mph, and it wasn't until I (involuntarily) jerked the wheel to the right that I hit the brakes.  My car (a Honda CR-V) squealed across both lanes on Highway 20, hit the right shoulder, and I frantically tried to gain control of the car.  I ended up overcorrecting again, sending my small SUV flying back across both lanes and into the median.  I am SO THANKFUL for my car... had it been any other SUV, I would've rolled it.  I know it sounds dramatic, but the first police officer to the scene actually saw it happen.  He said that when I hit the median the 2nd time, I had two wheels in the air and was sliding sideways down the highway.  He thought that I was going to roll the car when I hit the median, so he was very surprised when I landed with all four wheels on the ground.  All I remember is that before the two wheels went into the air, I was looking down the highway out of the passenger window.  That's how far my wheels were turned.  I think it was also a blessing that the snow had just melted on the median, so the dirt was softer and more squishy and it actually helped to keep me from rolling.  I've never been uncontrollably hysterical before, but I think it took about a nanosecond for my body to go into complete freak out mode.  I started to shake all over, I couldn't breathe without wheezing, and I started to cry.  My first reaction was to call Ross, and because I was so hysterical, he thought I'd had a REALLY bad car accident.  I barely had time to tell him where I was before a nice cowboy in a pickup pulled off the road to make sure I was okay, and then the cop pulled up (the one who saw it happen).  The cop noticed that I was literally clutching my belly, so he asked if I was pregnant.  When I said yes, he called an ambulance to make sure I was okay and that I hadn't hurt the baby.  All I could tell him was that my sunglasses were on before I lost control, and by the time the car stopped in the middle of the median, they were on the floor.  They wanted to check my head and my vitals, and they also did a belly check to make sure everything was okay.  Poor Ross... by the time he got to where I was, there were 3 cop cars, an ambulance, and a fire truck (a LITTLE over the top, but that's how they do it).  He sat and rubbed my hand while they checked my blood pressure (which went from 130/96 down to 117/80 by the time I could get my breathing under control), and I've gotta give him props for staying so calm.  After confirming that all was well, including Baby Gabe, I shook the hands of the men who helped me and walked back to my car.  Ross put his arms around me as we were walking and said "I just wanna hold you for a second."  We both realized how close of a call this really was... according to the police officer, this could have been a very bad accident.  Ross followed me back to Rexburg so we could take the car to the shop (it was making a grinding sound when I'd turn left), but other than cleaning out LOTS and LOTS of dirt and gravel from the wheel wells, they only had to replace part of the axle that was bent.  Did I mention that I love my car???  Not only did it literally save my life, but it held up pretty nicely considering it took a pretty good beating.  

Anyway, Ross and I now think twice before taking our eyes off the road.  Unfortunately, it took this incident to shake me up and make me realize the importance of staying alert ALL the time.  I looked down for a second, but it only took that second for me to lose control of my car.  So, as my plea to all who read this, please keep your eyes on the road.  Don't look down, DON'T TEXT, don't allow yourself to get distracted.  You can't afford to take your eyes off the road!  Believe me, I KNOW.  Please, just be smart when you drive!  

*T  

time to catch up

Time to catch you up with some pictures!  Some of these are from Valentine's Day, but what the hey.  I have to brag about my husband's amazing culinary skills somehow!  But first... (and sorry if these are facebook repeats for some of you...)

Baby Gabe is growing!  24 weeks down, 16ish weeks to go (Van Leeuwen babies tend to come late).

Mom got me a maternity dress and I LOVE it!  So comfy! 

Here's little Gabey at about 21 weeks.  It's a profile shot, so you can see his little nose and mouth.  So cute!

Here's what my sweet hubby had prepared for me when I woke up on Valentine's Day... I wasn't nearly as excited about the contents of the gift bags as I was about that crepe!  Just LOOK at that thing!  It was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!

BYU-Idaho's Collegiate Singers heart-attacked Brother Kempton's truck WHILE it was in his garage.  This choir director didn't know what to think (he's the one hanging out the driver's side sporting the peace sign).  It was supposed to be a surprise, but we couldn't help but make our presence known:)  I was there as moral support since I'm just a choir alumnus (but Ross is in the choir), and it was so fun to be a part of this crazy night! 

Ross has been busy with opera this last week.  He's in 3 different opera scenes, and their performances started last night.  He has a concert tonight and then again on Monday, and both of us are excited for him to perform but SO READY for it to be over!  He's doing amazing things with his voice and he sounds better than ever.  He's also quite the comedian up on stage, and it's fun to watch him engage the audience.  I really miss performing, but I know that my calling now is to be a mom and not a diva.  And I've never felt Baby Gabe move so much as the times when we're either at one of Ross's concerts or sitting in on choir rehearsal!  This baby's bound to be a musician!  

Although the snow is finally melting and the roads are clear, Spring hasn't quite reached Rexburg yet.  It's still in the freezing temperatures, and I think there's snow somewhere in our 10-day forecast.  Our move to Indiana is only 6 weeks away, and the longer the cold lingers around Rexburg, the more excited I am to get outta here!  We love Southeastern Idaho, but it's been a long winter and we're ready to be warm!  Plus, the sooner we get to Indiana, the sooner I can find a doctor... and then we'll be all set to go to have little Gabey:)  Life is good!  

*T

A productive morning

Well, I guess I should say that it all started last night.  After making a yummy dinner for Ross and I (buffet burritos), I set out to clean up the kitchen so I wouldn't start my Monday with dirty dishes and a messy counter.  Doing the dishes really wouldn't seem like much, but we don't have a dishwasher and our sink is TINY.  Ross, being the wonderful man and husband that he is, did most of the dishes while I disinfected countertops and dried and put away the clean dishes.  I sometimes get on a roll once cleaning has started, and I want to conquer the cleaning empire before I sit down... which might have been the case last night, but Ross pulled me onto the couch so we could relax and spend the evening together.  Luckily, when I woke up this morning I found that this desire to conquer was still thriving:)  I'm taking a break for this first time since breakfast simply because I'm proud of what I've done today and I want to blog about it!  So here's what I've conquered so far:

* cleaned the breakfast dishes and disinfected once again (the only thing I'm kinda OCD about)

* did 3 loads of laundry and put clothes away

* sewed a button back onto my church coat

* wiped down the front side of the kitchen cabinets and the stove... it's amazing to see how dirty those can get until you clean them and see how sparkly they are!

* cleaned/disinfected some fridge shelves and reorganized/cleaned out food in the fridge

* made the bed, picked up around the bedroom

* organized our pantry

* kissed my husband when he came home from class (I know this shouldn't really count, but it's important)   :-)

Now it's time for lunch, but after that we'll see what else I can get done today!  Life is great, Baby Gabe is growing and KICKING, and it's March!  That means Spring should be coming soon... I hope :)

*T

another week gone by...

Life has gone by fast in the last 7 days.  After saying goodbye to Mom and Dad in the hospital parking lot after we found out that Baby Gabe is not Baby Genevieve, we started what was to be a pretty busy week.  Well, Ross' life is always hectic as an upper level music student, so I guess I just felt busier than usual:)  I was able to substitute twice last week for a 5th grade class at Madison Middle, which I've come to realize is ALWAYS an adventure.  Day 2 was easier than day 1 since I already knew the schedule, the kids, the routine, etc., but I will admit that 5th graders are quite animated little creatures.  And I KNOW FOR A FACT that discipline in the classroom is up to the teacher.  Mrs.Mitchell is supposedly a pretty strict teacher, and I could tell the difference between this class and the first class I taught (totally out of control, no discipline, etc).  As a substitute, I'll take a strict teacher any day!  The kids just know how to listen better, they follow directions, and they DO THEIR WORK.  When a teacher is a good teacher, their substitute is very grateful!!!

I am also teaching 2 voice students, and in the last week I've had 4 more students/parents show a lot of interest in starting lessons.  3 of them are girls from our ward who I know from Young Womens, and the 4th was a referral from a fellow voice teacher.  So I hope to add them to my schedule before too long!  

Here are a few pictures we've taken this last week:

Happy Valentine's Day!

Baby Gabe and Mommy, 19 1/2 weeks

Our gorgeous temple on a foggy/snowy evening. We love it here. 

Okay, I went with Mom and Dad to Walmart so they could re-stock our pantry (thanks guys!)  We spent the highest percentage of time in the fiber aisle so that the 'rents could make a decision as to which fiber supplement was best.  They ended up going with the Equate brand...

Pops found the elastic headbands and tried them on, although they're usually used when one actually has hair ;)

So life is good here in Rexburg, though it is cold, snowy, and windy.  It's about 16 degrees outside at the present moment and the wind usually drops the temperature several degrees.  But we're happy, healthy, and staying warm (when we're inside)!  This will be our first Valentine's Day as a still-completely-in-love married couple, so there's another to celebrate life!  Hope all is well with all of you!

*T  

Moment of Truth!

Well, as many of you know, yesterday was a BIG day for us.  My parents came up from Utah on Sunday, we ate some yummy food and watched a lil' football, and although I took a Unisom (doctor prescribed for the nausea) at midnight on Sunday, I was awake at 6:30 yesterday morning.  I was so excited to finally find out what was going on with my little butter bean that I was like a kid on Christmas morning!  After breakfast with mom and dad, we did a little grocery shopping and restocked the pantry (which was awesome, parentals!  THANK YOU!).  I was giddier with every passing hour (waiting til my 3 pm appointment was not easy!), and I don't know if I've ever been so insistent to leave so EARLY for an appointment.  And to test my patience even more, the ultrasound technician had to take an emergency patient who showed up in the ER and we had to wait another hour before she could see us (which was okay because we didn't exactly have an emergency).  Our technician, Jessica, was awesome and she really knew her stuff!  It amazed all of us when she pointed out Baby's kidneys, the four chambers of the heart, the two halves of the brain... incredible stuff!  And then came the moment of truth... Jessica stood up and, using the little wand thing like a microphone, smiled and said... 

IT'S A BOY!!!!!

I could NOT believe it!  I really thought I was having a little girl!  It seriously took me a while to wrap my head around it, but we are SO EXCITED!   We could not be happier to have little Gabriel Ross on the way.  I was actually relieved to see him wiggling around so much because I haven't felt him move since last week.  In fact, he was so active that it took the tech longer than normal to get a reading of his heartbeat just because he wouldn't sit still!  He was kicking, waving, and rolling around all over the place.  It was such a neat experience to see him.  And the interesting thing was that I had a Braxton Hicks contraction during the ultrasound and we could SEE the contraction!  Like I said, Jessica was awesome.  Not only could she see every little thing, but she explained it to us and showed us exactly what we were supposed to be seeing.  Right now, Gabe is about 5 inches long and weighs 8 ounces... so he's got QUITE a bit of growing to do:)  And Jessica said that his growth shows a due date of July 3rd.  So there's a possibility that we could have an Independence Day baby!  We'll just have to see what happens!

Other than that, I had my first lesson with another voice student and got a referral today for someone looking for a voice teacher.  And I'll be substituting for the next 2 days at the middle school, so I'm staying busy!  Ross is, of course, busier than ever and just trying to stay on top of it all.  He finally admitted that he secretly wanted a boy all along, so although he's a busy man, he's excited to have a son!  

Life is great!

*T

Picture Update

I realize that these picture updates are few and far between, but it seems like we don't really take pictures of ourselves very often.  I guess we'll be taking lots more when the baby comes.  Nonetheless, here it goes:

  

Ross feels the need to show off his "belly" now that mine is steadily growing.

Here it is!  The baby belly!  I haven't really popped yet... I just look fat:( (note: the mattress looking thing behind me is actually an insulated curtain that helps keep in the heat during the winter)

Proof that Rexburg froze over on my birthday (and that I was awake before 7 am).  -23* fahrenheit!  F-R-I-G-I-D!

Beautiful Alpine, UT during Christmas break.

Okay, so we didn't have much of a Christmas tree this year because we were here for all of 2 weeks during December, but it sure was cute!  

I'll post more when we get pictures of Le Bebe!  6 days and counting until we know whether it's Genevieve Kate or Gabriel Ross!!!  

Life is GREAT!

*T 

It's ALIIIIIVE!!!

Okay, so I obviously knew before now that there's a little butter bean growing inside me, but I was just commenting to Ross yesterday that I wish I could feel it move.  I know women who have felt their babies at 15 weeks, and some not until 20+ weeks, so I figured that at 17 weeks, I shouldn't worry.  BUT STILL... I would sometimes jiggle my belly a little and then sit completely still to see if I could feel anything (but I never did).  Well, I got a call from the Madison School District this morning at 5:58 am, letting me know that the schools were closed today due to the "extreme cold" (when we woke up, it was -22 degrees outside).  For some VERY strange reason, I couldn't fall back asleep.  It might have had something to do with the fact that Ross was really excited to wish me Happy Birthday, or because the temperature in our house was in the lower 60's, or just because I was jarred from my sleep to the ringtone of "Yakkety Yak".  Either way, I was laying there listening to Ross move stuff around in the living room (to prepare for my birthday surprise) when I felt this little twitch in my abdomen.  My stomach was a little gurgly because I was hungry, but this was different than the rest of the gurgles AND there was no sound that accompanied it.  It happened again, very faintly, but I FELT IT!  I knew that this must be the little baby 'flutter' or 'twitch' I've been waiting for!  And to reaffirm it all, I laid down to take a nap in the afternoon and felt another bigger twitch down in the baby belly.  I can't believe that such a little thing could absolutely make my day!  It was like my baby's way of saying "Happy Birthday Mama!"  What an awesome way to start my quarter-century mark!  Wootawoo! 

*T