My New Hobby

I have developed a new obsession over the past few months. I guess it started a few years ago - around the time I met Janet. I have always said that if I got into fishing I would be most into fly fishing because it seems so much more involved. Around the time I met Janet I started to look more into fly fishing, but decided to back off because of how expensive it is. When Janet and I got married, her dad gave me an old spinner rod and bit by bit I started figuring out how to fish. I went to a river in town several times and tried my luck with night-crawlers and such. No luck. Soon I started buying lures and still no luck. I tried fishing when we went to the outer banks - and alas - no luck! I mentioned this to our bishop who decided to take me fishing on the lake by his house one morning, and promised me we would catch fish. We fished for about two hours and finally decided to head back. When we finally got into his cove, I finally caught one! It was a beauty!

I've tried fishing so many times since to no avail. I've been to local ponds and lakes, ponds and lakes out near Janet's parent's house, again at the Outer Banks -- nothin'. I was starting to be discouraged and think that all fish had conspired against me since people I go fishing with don't catch anything either. Well... there was one time that Janet's cousin Max caught a little fishie much like the beauty featured above when we were fishing together at the outer banks. But yeah - my morale was down, yet I kept trying.

Maximus Prime and Michaela

I mentioned not too long a go to a friend in the ward that I had been interested in eventually learning to fly fish, and he said he had some gear that he hasn't used in years, but refuses to get rid of. He told me he would love to let me borrow his stuff to see how I like it before I go and start spending money on it. I tried it several times and still not even a bite - though I was still super fascinated by it. I started to look up videos on how to cast, how to tie lines, what flies to pick etc. Soon I began watching plain old videos of people fishing. Janet started teasing me at that: "You're NOT EVEN fishing!" and so forth.

In October I went up to South Mountains to hike with some of my students in the Outdoor Club. We finished our hike about half an hour early and had time to look around the "river" near the picnic area and I saw several people fly fishing. I was kicking myself for not bringing the gear I had borrowed! They stock the streams there so there were trout EVERYWHERE! I resolved to return ASAP, and soon found an excuse going up for a picnic with Janet and a family that we are very close to. It was a gorgeous day, and we had some glorious food, but I quickly ran back out to the creek to scout out the trout and start casting. We let our friend's daughter Carmen take pictures with the fancy camera.

I caught a tree bass on first cast!

Carmen had a lot of fun taking pictures of nature and the happenings on. She did a great job! She was pretty happy to catch me snagging that tree, and my frustration at doing so.

If you look closely you can see several trout.

After about half an hour I caught one! It is so awesome to see the fish surface to gulp down your fly! I held it for a few minutes waiting for Carmen to come and take a picture, but when she got there, I tried to hoist it out of the water and it got away!!! I was so upset! I guess that's why they use nets to pull them out of the water. I have witnesses however that I did indeed catch an 8-10 inch trout which is a descent size for the area.

The crew at the creek.

Poor Janet got bored and laid down while we explored and fished.

Numero Dos

For our 2nd Anniversary Jon and I went to Charleston, SC. It was the first time we had ever been there. It is one of those places that everyone talks about so we planned to go for our "babymoon." We loved it! We left Thursday evening and arrived in our lakeside cabin late that night. We stayed at a KOA Campground which sounds ghetto to me but it was so nice and beautiful there.  We woke up to crazy sugar ants invading our food. We had to throw out most of us, which was very sad for this pregnant momma but we survived. We then took a freezing cold shower, planned our day, and off we went. First stop was Boone Hall Plantation. We learned about the history there. We toured the house, the gardens, the plantation, the slave cabins, and watched a performance about the Gullah culture. We absolutely loved it. Our favorite part was the amazingly beautiful oak trees that are very famous and this plantation has appeared in movies like the Notebook. After the plantation we went back to the cabin to rest up.

That evening we headed downtown to see the historic sites and go to the pier (The Battery). We planned to rent a tandem bike we didn't have much time before the shop closed and we didn't want to rush it so we hoofed it. We walked FOREVER past tons of fancy stops then switched over to another street. At first we were not too impressed but then we saw lots of old houses and buildings. The houses were SO fancy and all had gates around then. We kept peeping through the fences at the gardens and they were gorgeous. Jon and I love us some plants...seriously, it was incredible. We tried to get on a trolley but we walked so far that we passed all of the stops. Finally we made it to The Battery and it was so lovely. The sun was beginning to set and the water was so peaceful. It was gorgeous. We didn't stay there too long because we were hungry and I had to go potty. We walked back down the street with all the fancy shops in search of food. Jon picked a winner! We ate at this amazing BBQ place with mouth-watering cheddar biscuits and Mac The Cheese (as they call it.) For days Jon and I could not stop talking about those biscuits and that mac. When Jon first bit into the biscuit he practically threw the other one at me and said, "taste this!" It was so good he wanted me to experience it right with him. It literally melted in my mouth...yum. Ok anyway, we ate walked the long haul back to our car and headed home. It was a really fun day.
 




The next day we took another cold shower, packed up and headed to the beach. We planned to go to Sullivan's Island but it was a dinky place that said no swimming so we headed back to Isle of the Palms. It was pretty crowded for October but it was a gorgeous clear day- 80 degrees and sunny. We layed out, walked the beach, and got wet. I just put my feet in but Jon went all the way in. I was pretty uncomfortable due to my belly and back so we didn't stay too long. We got some lunch (and my meal was free because they ran out of what I ordered and didn't tell me until after Jon got his food). I wasn't upset at all but they told me my meal would be free....sweet! Then we looked at a tourist shop, got some yummy Ben and Jerry's- (7 Layer Bar) the same stuff we had our second date on Pearl Street. We headed to see Angel Oak tree, a crazy old oak tree that is unreal. It is pretty famous but pictures do not do it justice. It was really cool to see and of course all Jon wanted to do was climb it- but the signs said he couldn't. The tree was supported by braces all over because it is so old. After this we loaded up and headed on home.

It was a pretty quick trip but it was so nice to spend those two solid days together. We have not had a vacation alone since our honeymoon, as we normally vacation with family. We LOVE spending time with family but it was nice to have some us time, especially before baby boy comes. Jon worked hard preparing this trip and it was much needed. I cannot wait to go back someday. I cannot even believe it has been 2 years of marriage to Jon. It has flown by but at the same time I feel like he has been in my life forever. Sometimes I feel as if I cannot remember a day without him. He is my best friend, my soul mate, my rock. He is patient, caring, and so thoughtful. I cannot imagine life without him.

A story that warms my heart every time I think of it: Last year around Halloween time I kept talking about going to a Pumpkin Patch. It was something I wanted to do very much with Jon. Well we were busy and hadn't made it and I don't remember much but I know I was a little sad about it. I for some reason felt we had to go and we hadn't. We couldn't find a patch nearby that worked with our schedules. Well a church in town had pumpkins for sale on their lawn. Jon's car was in the shop and I was working late one night. Jon rode my bike down our crazy busy road, down another crazy busy road and picked up two huge pumpkins, stuffed them in a duffel bag, and road home. When I got home and he told me what he had done and I cried. I felt stupid that I made a big deal out of it yet at the same time overwhelmed by how much he was trying to do to make me happy. I still get emotional thinking about this. Jon always tries so hard to make me happy and I know he would do anything for me, although I definitely don't expect it. He is so hard-working and supportive. I love him more than I ever can say or show.

The Latest

I am sure you are all just dying to know what we have been up to...so let me give you a little rundown:

Jon is insanely busy but is balancing everything tremendously. He is teaching guitar 2x a week, teaching high school full-time, running school "Outdoor Club," in grad school (1 night of class per week and a LOT of homework), and in the YM presidency. Somehow he still makes time to take care of me and the baby and fix up some things around the house. He also helps with cooking and cleaning too. I think he is Batman in disguise.

I have also been very busy, but I feel like a slacker next to Jon. I am still working full-time and growing a baby full-time. I am the Primary Secretary which is a really busy and stressful calling, but I love it. I feel like I am doing so much, but I guess it isn't too bad. I really have been hating cleaning lately but I love to cook, mow, and organize.

Baby boy is busy kicking, moving, and wiggling. He eats like crazy and is making me feel so hungry all of the time.

I went for my monthly check-up yesterday. I weigh 152! The little man had me worried because it took a second to find him. He was tucked away on my lower right side. My uterus is measuring 24 inches which is perfect since I am 24 weeks. Next month I have my first glucose test and then it is bi-monthly visits after that since I will be in my 3rd trimester by then...it is crazy how fast the time is flying by.

Overall I have been feeling great- more energy, no vomiting (bless that little pill), and less pain. My ankle has been killing me for some reason and my left upper side aches a lot. Other than that I feel great! Now if we could get Jon healthy, that would be good. He keeps battling this weird cold bug.

Coming up next time....a mushy, gushy, 2nd anniversary post.....be ready.

Trimester Dos

This trimester has been slightly different than the last, although nothing major. For starters I am less sick, although I have learned the hard way if I do not take my anti-nausea medication, the morning sickness comes right back. A week ago I was super achy all over- especially my legs and feet. Thankfully it has been better this week. I am still tired a lot, but I am not in bed as much as I was the first trimester. I did have to take a sick day today-I was sick to the stomach and it wasn't the puking kind if you know what I mean. I think it has passed-I hope at least.

So on Monday, we found out we are having a BOY! But I know you already knew that! I was in shock, but I think I would have been in shock either way! For some reason knowing the gender made it so much more real to me- now I can really start to picture what HE will look like and act like. We can really start focusing on some names and getting the boy stuff we need. Oh my gosh I am so excited! He is totally going to be a mini-Jon, look out world! Jon has almost finished painting the nursery but still has to do the trim and windows. It is looking awesome!

When I went to my ultrasound, I overflowed the toilet- it was so NOT my fault. I did my urine sample, put it my paper and flushed. The water started rising and the toilet overflowed! I kept saying in my head "this is NOT happening to me, this is NOT happening to me." I had to run out of the bathroom as the water was rushing out to the carpet. I made sure they knew I only went #1 -I think I repeated this. And of course the ultrasound tech who I was about to see is the one who stopped the toilet. When I went to get Jon in the waiting room, he was laughing. He heard it all. That means, so did the other dude in the waiting room. I wasn't even embarrassed though, it was so bizarre.

After seeing all of the babe- kidneys, heart, legs, arms, head, spine, boy bits, etc... I had my regular check up. After that we rushed out to tell the world. We took a quick pic in the parking lot to use to announce it. We had dinner at Texas Roadhouse and were on our phones a lot of the time, texting everyone. We did a little shopping at Target and then came home exhausted. We took a few pictures, posted on facebook and hit the hay. It was such a surreal day!

Hmmpfh

People keep asking me how I feel. Overall I feel really good and much better than I did in the first trimester. I still feel nauseous sometimes and I am still throwing up although it is much less. My nausea pill helps out a lot, and I have come to accept I am not going to feel 100% for a while, and that is okay. Some days I feel super de duper over the top excited! I can't believe Jon and I are really starting a family together and will have a little one in our home. A lot of days though, I feel really overwhelmed and scared. I am afraid I won't be a good mom, or that I will be too overwhelmed and won't be able to handle it all. I am afraid of taking good care of the baby and still having time and energy to give to Jon. I am afraid of Jon being overwhelmed because he takes on so much and does so much for me already. I am scared of labor and delivery. I am nervous about breast feeding. And yes I am even a little nervous about the changes my body is going through, even though I know that is selfish. The thing that keeps hitting me the hardest is that I am really feeling depressed about quitting my job. I have been in the workforce for the last 5 years, and even in college I had "real job" for about 2 years. I love love working and I feel like I excel there overall. I definitely want to stay home with my baby and be a full-time mom, it is just a big change and I am nervous about how I will handle it. I don't want to end up bored or lonely. I know everything will work out and everything will be worth every sacrifice, but I am also realistic and I know it is going to be a big change and it is going to be tough. I feel so inadequate and unprepared to be a mom. I know I am great with kids, but I never had to stay up all night or care for them 24/7. It really is a big job.

I am SO happy to be in the stage of my life that I have dreamed about and hoped for all of my life. I really try hard to remember that my dreams are coming true and life is working out the way I always wanted it to. I know we have to have hard times to appreciate the good. I know that I can do anything with the help of prayer and the atonement. I also know that I love this little muchkin SO much already.

Not Baby Related

So, let's do a non-baby post, shall we? Not that we don't love our little one, but I thought it would be good to update on our other recent shenanigans.

Jon is starting grad school in about a week. I am really excited for him! (and also jealous) He was feeling a little unsure about everything, especially after he was accepted, but through prayer and trying to figure things out, he seems to feel very confident in his decision now. Jon had orientation last week which helped him be even more excited. I am a little nervous about having this big change along with the baby coming, but it sounds like at least the first year will be a lighter schedule. He is going to rock it! He is going into School Administration.

We have had a busy summer. We went to Utah, OBX, Virginia x2, and a YW High Adventure near Tennessee. We also had Jon's brother's family visit and my sister and her kiddos visit. It has been so fun seeing family, there is nothing that we love more.

We continue to stay so busy with church- Jon is in the YM presidency and I am the Primary Secretary. We have had so many investigators/converts/new members. We also have  2 sets of missionaries so we try to help out anyway we can. We also attend the "empty nesters" FHE sometimes. It is actually really fun to kick it with some of the older folks, we have really grown to love them. 

We really aren't too exciting. We work a lot and come home and work more. We had a fun date on Friday- went to the baby doc, went shopping, went to Panera, and played mini-golf. We go on a lot of walks and are happiest when we act ridiculously silly. We also go to the gym sometimes, but not a lot. That is really about all we are up too, but it feels like SO much more!

And here are some pics to prove we are alive:

Miss Jessi helped me cook, do laundry, clean, do my hair, and floss my teeth.

OBX with some of the extended Bohn family

playing a little Minute to Win it

Me and my girl

getting ice cream

she HAD to wear a headband like Auntie Janet

LOVE this kid!

first he hid from my camera, then he struck a pose

a little MMA action

catching fireflies

no trip is complete without a make-up attack...first Uncle Mike, then Uncle Jonny!

typical

lake house in Virginia at the Lilly reunion

my mom with her siblings and her dad

can't forget our cute pup Callie!

at the Andy Griffith memorial

so in love

Gomer?

we snuck away from the YW to fish and kiss...ok mostly we just walked around some cool house in the woods

Trimester Uno

I started this post months ago. Beware it is LONG!! I want to document this pregnancy, but since we aren't announcing it to the world yet, I will make some notes on the old blog, and just wait to publish it. The story: Jon and I have basically been planning for kids since we knew we were going to get married. We have not really been trying nor preventing for a while now. April was the first time we really tried and it happened!! I had times before, that I had thought I was pregnant and wasn't so this time I was not going to take a test until I knew I had missed my period. When we were in Utah for the funeral I was starting to feel like maybe I really was pregnant but still did not have any symptoms yet (just a feeling). The day after we got back (Monday, May 20th) I decided I just HAD to know! Plus my period should have come, but it wasn't really late yet. I had Jon pick me up a test when got the groceries (he said he didn't mind). I didn't go with him because my sister was here visiting. I took the test later that night and as soon as I took it a plus sign began appearing. I started yelling to Jon who kept saying No! No! (as in No Way!) He knew from the way I was calling him that it was positive and he was in shock. We laughed and cried and kissed (me still on the pot). Then we called our family. It was probably too early to tell people, but I just couldn't wait, I wanted all of our siblings and parents to know. We have waited to tell everyone else. I plan to wait until after the first trimester to really tell most people. So far:
 - I hate the smell of grass, and everything else. Everyone said that when you are pregnant you smell things stronger, but for me that isn't true. I always have a strong sense of smell (thanks to Kristen). Now it isn't that I smell things stronger, but everything smells different and I really dislike the way everything smells. I hate smelling anything and want to plug my nose permanently. - I hate the thought of food. I haven't thrown up yet, just a few times heaving (thank the heavens and knock on wood) but I do feel nauseous and nothing ever sounds good. I have gone from a food lover to someone who has to make them self eat, basically for survival. I have really been digging smoothies and ice. I wouldn't call it cravings, but my mouth always feels dry and I can't get it cold or wet enough. *OKAY* major update to this one. I wrote this very early on. I got to the point where I threw up at least once everyday and eating was so hard. At my first appointment, the doctor gave me a pill for nausea. This has helped a lot. Food still is my enemy though.
- I have had the worst taste in my mouth that I cannot get rid of. I hate it!! Tastes like I am sucking on pennies.
- Going along with what I just wrote- I am ALWAYS thirsty!! But this is pretty typical for the regular me actually. Same with going potty a lot- yes I am going a lot but I always do that.
 - I have this weird pain in the part where my ribs meet. It gets pretty uncomfortable and I have never heard anybody talk about this before. I also get side pains sometimes but they aren't too bad, just uncomfortable. I feel fairly healthy overall but take breaks in bed or naps almost everyday.
- Jon is so helpful. He is always offering to help me and is sympathetic of my complaints. I really don't feel that bad most of the time, but it definitely is a big change and there has been some discomfort. Jon is going to be the best dad. Watching him play with my nephew this past weekend (which was really back in June, I waited so long to post this) really confirmed that, although I already knew.
- I am so excited but also very nervous...our life is going to change SO much! I am very nervous about all of the pain of childbirth but I know I can do it. It doesn't quite seem real but it is sinking in. I have been looking up baby stuff online but am dying to make a Target run, hopefully this week. *Update* Jon and I have been looking at Target online and the store a lot. We also have started getting the nursery ready to paint!
- Going to the doctor for the first time was beyond incredible. We got to see our baby and hear it's heartbeat. It made everything so much more real. I was on such a cloud that day afterwards which made it really hard to focus on work. We love looking at the ultrasound pictures!

6/4/13- 6 weeks and 5 days

Baby Profile!! 7/2/13- 10 weeks and 5 days

 

07/4/13- 11 weeks